In the late 2000s, there was a top-speed arms race among performance car manufacturers. The SSC Ultimate Aero, McLaren, and Bugatti were neck and neck trying to clinch the title. The Bugatti Veyron SuperSport finally took the crown, with Koneissegg constantly nipping at its back. Porsche stayed away from the heat even though it had great potential to take on the top contenders. But tuners had a different plan altogether.
The Porsche 911 had a good platform for top speed, and tuners were aware of its potential. Based on the Porsche 911 GT3, the 9ff GT9-R was born, but its mechanical package was thoroughly revised.
9ff engineers and designers ditched the rear-engine setup for a custom mid-mounted engine, packing the tuner’s twin-turbo 4.0-liter flat-six. With the Veyron in sight, 9ff also added forged pistons and titanium con-rods. The result was a mighty setup with an output of 1,120 hp. A toned-down version was available with an output of 987 hp mated to a 5-speed Tiptronic gearbox.
All this power sent to the rear wheels through a 6-speed manual or sequential transmission ensured the GT9-R was a new force to be reckoned with.
To utilize this power to its maximum potential, 9ff stretched the 911’s body with a slanting roofline to maximize downforce at high speeds. They also did a massive trim down, swapping stock panels with carbon fiber options and plexiglass. The GT9-R weighed an impressive 2,923 lbs (1326 kg).
With these upgrades, the 9ff GT9-R could go from 0 to 62 mph (100 kph) in 2.9 seconds and had a top speed of 260 mph (418 kph). According to DriveTribe, if proven at the time, the GT9-R would have climbed to the top of the board.
In 2013, the ultimate version of 9ff’s GT9 debuted, the GT9R Vmax. It had a calculated top speed of 271 mph (436 kph). But things move up pretty fast, and it’s safe to say 9ff gave up the race for a top-speed car with things moving up to 300 mph. But all hope is not lost. The GT9-R is still alive even though 9ff have re-strategized their business model to modifying and developing standard 911s.
Humphrey is a car enthusiast whose love and passion for automobiles extended into collecting, writing, driving, and working on cars. He got his passion for cars from his Dad, who spent thousands of hours working on his old junky 1970 E20 Toyota Corolla. Years later, he would end up doing the same with a series of lemons he’s owned throughout his adult life. Full profile
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