PORSCHE ALMERAS
The PORSCHE ALMERAS
The most spectacular of the Almeras' conversions is their Style 959 bodywork. This consists of new front and rear bumper sections with similar intake gills to that famous limited-edition 322kph (200mph) supercar.
The rear of the car is reworked so that the side lights and rear reflector are incorporated into the new rear section. The side intakes on the leading edges of the rear wheel arches are the factory option style. A 911 Turbo has wide arches but the Style 959 bumper sections need even wider bodywork to cover the huge wheels and tyres.
These are normally l7in diameter BBS alloys of 9in and 12in widths, shod with 235145 and 335/35 Goodyear Eagle lyres, the sizes used on a Ferrari F40.
With this latest version of the car, however, the wheels and tyres are even bigger - 245/40 and 295/35.
Goodyears on 9and l2x18 in AZEV alloys - and the Style 959 body kit has been updated with the 993 Look front with much flatter wings. This looks much better than the original Style 959 front although it can be argued that the 993 takes much of its styling cues from the 959 anyway.
This pearlescent white car is the first of its kind and is owned by a Swiss, Hans Durr Hans has owned the car since 1992, and came across it by chance when he visited Almeras with his wife's 1976 911 Targa which had developed a problem.
"When I first got the car, it had the original Style 959 look, and we were sorting out the handling. Then we bad to cure the turbo lag and it was suggested that the 33-litre engine be taken to 3,5 litres. This was done and along with some fine tuning, has all but eliminated low speed turbo lag".
The bid for extra power comes from a careful rebuild with gas-flowing and special cams. The larger KKK K27 turbocharger favoured by most 911 Turbo tuners replaces the K26 unit and a much larger intercooler is used.
At 1.1 bar (I 6.0psi), 306kW (410bhp) is developed at 6000rpm and the fat torque curve pet at 4500rpm with 542Nm (4001b-ft) of twisting force.
Arresting the charge of this 285kph, (177mph) beast, that devours the O-l00kph (62mph) sprint in just over 4,2sec, is a task for some very capable anchors - drilled, vented racing discs with AP four-pot callipers.
Suburban Montpellier in the rain offered little chance of laying down all the power that this dramatic looking car can muster. However, as the traffic thinned and patches of clear mad emerged it was possible to experiment with the boost control, With the boost turned down, the ear feels very mundane. Turn the black knob to its fullest extent the other way and the distinctive flat six whine, underpinned, by a deep sporting exhaust note heralds a firm push in the back in response to a determined shove of the accelerator.
The open road arrives at last, On road surfaces that typify the old idea of poor quality French byways the huge front tyres trace the uneven surface through the steering wheel. But there is no thumping or crashing. Despite its stiff-on-paper suspension, this 911 takcs the rough bits surprisingly well.
After a few miles of brisk motoring I feel quite comfortable with the car. The mountains arc in sight now and the roar of the big tyres suddenly abates as they begin to him on fresh tarmac that is billiard table-smooth. Through one long sweeper after another you can feel an incipient slide coming on, but thanks to the sensitive throttle and little turbo lag, it is easy to meter the power and keep the ear from slipping. On a dry road, using full power out of the sweeping bends would have been no problem at all.
Up and down the gearbox, but always alienating between third and fourth, I marvel at the grip, the balance and the tremendous acceleration. This cars civilised behaviour, in spite of the weather conditions, only serves to remind me just how docile it can be, despite it's ferocious performance when prodded. And that is the outcome of a thoroughly researched and well-executed conversation. From the Almeras brothers, I would not have expected anything less.
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