Apr 4, 2022
Though cutting up a classic Porsche was once widely viewed as sacrilegious, this has largely changed over the last decade as the community has increasingly embraced meticulously-built restomods from elite tuning outfits like Singer, Gunther Werx, and Paul Stephens. And while not as well-known as some of the bigger, more established Porsche tuners, one incredibly noteworthy new outfit in this space is Classic 9 Motorwerks — a Florida-based father and son team run by Jim and Jason Faulkner.
On top of breaking ground on an all-new state-of-the-art facility in Jacksonville, Classic 9 has also recently pulled the cover off of its inaugural offering, known as the C9 RS Turbo. Starting with a chassis from a 1969 to ’89 911 donor, the crew treats the German-built donor to modern running gear that includes Brembo brakes, custom valved and externally adjustable Koni shocks, and forged aluminum center-locking wheels. Like the original RS model that inspired it, C9’s RS Turbo comes cloaked in a custom widebody kit that puts a streamlined spin on the ‘70s-era panels with a redesigned spoiler and fenders flares, among numerous other tweaks.
The C9 RS Turbo also features a fully bespoke and completely reworked interior, though its biggest update is undoubtedly its powertrain. Now putting down 420hp and 380ft-lbs of torque, this bespoke turbocharged 3.0-liter power unit has been painstakingly developed, assembled, and dyno-tuned by the experts at Montana’s iSystems Performance. Additionally, Classic 9’s debut offering also tips the scales at just 2,340lbs at the curb, which gives the modified 911 an impressive 5.6 lbs/hp power-to-weight ratio and a top speed of 170mph. “What we’re doing is building heritage-inspired cars, with each telling a story,” C9 co-founder Jason Faulkner explains exclusively to HICONSUMPTION. “Our RS Turbo is an evolution of the 1973 911 RS, though takes it a significant step further. When it was introduced, the 1973 RS represented the pinnacle of lightweight analog driving. Our concept represents what we feel would have happened if Porsche developed the first turbo as an evolution of the ’73 RS. This is our concept of what the car would have looked like if Porsche designers and engineers knew then what we know now.”
Produced on a built-to-order basis, Classic 9 Motorwerks’ Porsche 911 ‘C9 RS Turbo’ is available for order now, with pricing starting from $510,000 (plus the cost of the donor car). What’s more, Classic 9 is also currently working on developing a Clubsport model, along with an evolved take on the 914.
Photo: Classic 9 Motorwerks
Photo: Classic 9 Motorwerks
Photo: Classic 9 Motorwerks
