Gunther Werks just dropped its most powerful Porsche restomod to date at Monterey Car Week’s opulent The Quail, a Mortorsports Gathering. The Garden City, Calif.-based wrenches specialize in reimagining 993-series 911s—the last featuring the marque’s historic air-cooled flat-six engine—to improve upon one of the last great analog cars, i.e. vehicles that provide tactility and feedback to the driver in a way that today’s techier exotics can’t. To fans of Gunther Werks, the new Project F-26’s arrival is nothing short of a monumental development.
This is the first Gunther Werks build to feature the famed and sought-after “Slantnose” flattened front end, a feature that first appeared on the 930 911 Turbo-based 935 race car but became a popular special request offered by the Porsche factory on 1980s-era 911s. Gunther Werks’ take on the coveted component replaces the original pop-up headlights with fixed units, enhancing airflow and reducing drag. The metallic paint-coated body also features a carbon fiber high-downforce wing, new rear panels with aggro side intakes, a squared off rear fender, and magnesium wheels—the lightweight materials help keep weight down to just 2,700 pounds.
The Project F-26 is based on Gunther Werks’ top-shelf Turbo platform, which employs a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter flat-six co-developed by Rothsport Racing, a motorsports-derived horizontal fan to cool it, and a six-speed manual transmission to put its power to the pavement. In the Gunther Werks Turbo, a version of the that engine developing 750 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque led revered automotive journalist Matt Farah to write this for Road & Track: “If I had the money for any car at this price point, this is what I would want. It ticks every box if you’re the kind of driver who’s driven everything else.”
The Project F-26 squeezes a ludicrous 1,000 horsepower and 750 pound-feet of torque out of the same power plant, which is now also supplemented by an all-new carbon fiber airbox, a redesigned intercooler plenum—the chamber that actually pushes the air into the cylinders—and integrated blowoff valves. According to Gunther Werks, “a custom 935-style exhaust with external wastegates gives F-26 its distinctive sound.” We can only imagine that Farah would happily drop an expendable seven-figure sum on the F-26.
Other features include an all-new double-wishbone front suspension, adaptive JRZ dampers, motorsport-grade ABS and advanced traction control. The rear wheelbase has been extended 30 millimeters to the rear, creating a longer wheelbase and improving the engine’s center of gravity. Inside is a steering wheel that draws inspiration from “the wing angle profile of a fighter jet”—this, along with the aerodynamic front end, inspired the military aircraft-channeling name “F-26.” A wooden shift knob pays tribute to Porsche’s racing heritage, while a contemporary dashboard combining a Porsche Classic radio with Apple CarPlay perfectly represents the appeal of restomods.
“The Slantnose is a bold icon from Porsche’s past,” says Peter Nam, founder of Gunther Werks. “The timing felt right to reimagine it with modern craftsmanship and engineering. It’s our way of bridging nostalgia with next-gen performance for the modern driver.” Production is limited to 26 units—visit Gunther Werks’ website to learn more.