The Porsche 911 GT2 has 530 horsepower, 505 lb-ft of torque and is capable of going 204 mph. And it's not enough. Not for TechArt, at least. You know TechArt. They take Porsches that already push the limits of performance and go all Chuck Yeager on them, probing for new and more crazy limits. Generally they find them, then they package them up and offer them to the moneyed public. Case in point: the new GT Street RS. What begins as a "normal" GT2 turns into a 700-horsepower, 634 lb-ft (860 Nm) warp-enabled street predator when the TechArt people are through messing with it.
The myriad changes include new bodywork that improves the car's aerodynamics, updated chassis components, a customized and caged interior, and a laundry list of underhood modifications. The turbos, intercoolers, headers, electronics, pressure sensor, air filter and exhaust system all get updated by TechArt, facilitating the transformation from factory supercar to ballistic missile with wheels. Now, where'd we leave those launch codes...
Lewis Hamilton caught a plane headed west after dominating in Monaco, and when you're a rising F1 star in Los Angeles, you're certainly not going to hit up Avis to rent a Ford Focus – you want your vents to be functional. So Claus Ettensberger, owner of the So. Cal. tuning shop CEC, was kind enough to provide Hamilton with a fully-kitted Techart Porsche 997 911 during his stay in L.A. Granted, anything is kind of a demotion from his McLaren Formula One car, but we could think of worse ways for Hamilton to get around while mixing it up with L.A's elite.
It's a brilliant marketing come-on, really. Who wants to climb into a GAZ-24, however appealing it might be to obscure-car guys, when you could sink into the all-enveloping sumptuousness of a Maybach 62? Need to get to Gorky Park quickly? A Porsche Cayenne outfitted with a meter and checkerboard detailing awaits at the curb. It's not just a fancied-up VW, still carrying the VR6 behind the Porsche crest, either. No, this Cayenne is a TechArt Magnum, packing enough horsepower to light Long Island. Shaking that covey of shifty-eyed men in the shiny black Zil won't be a problem. It's not known if the fare is commensurate with the price of the vehicle, however.
What to do when you want a Porsche 911 Turbo and that wind-in-your-hair experience, but the 480 horsepower that comes stock isn't enough? Well, you dial up TechArt, which has just pulled the wraps off a cabrio version of the menacing Turbo-based GT Street. The ragtop, like the coupe, makes a ridiculous 630 horsepower, and while TechArt hasn't officially announced the torque figure, we're assuming it's also upwards of 600 lb-ft. So, if you're in a rush, there's no need to reach for that blow dryer. Just head out to the car, put the roof down, aim it where you want to go, and punch it. Your hair should be bone-dry by the time you hit the quarter mile mark or so. If it isn't, just keep pushing -- it'll finally top out at 214 mph. Your 'do might look like this if you hit maximum warp, though, so use your judgment when applying pressure to the loud pedal. We'll have full specs on the GT Street Cabrio when TechArt formally introduces it in Geneva.
