How do you improve super-sportscar perfection? Let Porsche make it, then give it to Mansory to fiddle with it for a while. If all the stars align properly, we should get a P9LM EVO 900 Cabrio impression of the 911 Turbo S. After releasing the coupe version a while back (last September, to be specific), the open-top was more than likely to follow suit.
Forged carbon body panels for weight reduction, a massive kick-up in performance (with all the necessary adjustments to the directly responsible components), and a customized interior to rival the Arabian Nights – that’s the Mansory recipe for fun. They say seven times’s the charm, don’t they? They don’t? Well, they should adjust the saying accordingly because only seven examples of the stunning machine will get to see the light of day – and the dark of night.
First, let’s go through the hardcore facts: The 3.8-litre flat-six hero of the piston realm in this P9LM EVO 900 Cabrio conversion produces 900 turbocharged metric horses and a crank-warping 1,050 Nm. That’s 888 hp and 775 lb-ft; that’s also enough for this unholy German legend to buzz the speed-camera towers at 340 kph (211 mph) and kill the stopwatch after 2.5 seconds in the 0-62 mph sprint (0-100 kph).
That’s not so impressive – for hypercars. However, for a sportscar (‘the best sportscar in the world,’ according to rally world champion Walter Röhrl), that’s downright offensive – to everyone else in the business. For comparison, the standard 911 Turbo S leaves the Stuttgart facility with 650 PS and 800 Nm on tap (641 hp and 590 lb-ft).
Photo: Mansory
Mansory replaced the stock scroll compressors with larger VTG turbochargers, 98-mm downpipes with exhaust flaps, and an air-to-water intercooler with fan control. The engineers also redone the exhaust system from scratch and installed a three-pipe setup, with the exhausts from each bank of cylinders meeting into one tailpipe. Mansory also installed a high-performance air filter and fully reprogrammed the Engine Control Unit (ECU).
The gallery is solid proof of the aerodynamic enhancements performed on the stock Porsche 911 Turbo S. Larger air intakes, courtesy of a completely restyled carbon fiber front apron, pushed the daytime running lights out of their usual location, arching around the brow of the air inlets.
The hood is lightweight exposed carbon, like the ventilation ducts for the wheels and the wide-body elements. The former can be optioned out if desired, and the Mansory P9LM EVO 900 Cabrio will retain the same width as the model on which it’s based.
Photo: Mansory
The carbon extravaganza continues over the side air intakes just behind the door—that’s where the insatiable 888-hp flat-six engine gets its fresh air from. With great power comes great aerodynamic instability unless Mansory develops a new rear diffuser and installs a big retractable rear spoiler to supplement downforce.
Another great Italian philosopher, Pirelli, once said, ' Power is nothing without control,' and control means wheels, ultimately. Feather-heavy, one-piece forged rims (type "FV.5C") measure 9.5 x 21 and 12 x 22 and are shod in high-performance Continental rubbers. 255/35 ZR21 (front) and 335/25 ZR22 (rear) are two-size-fits-all solutions for maximum corners performance and razor-straight stability at high speeds.
The P9LM EVO 900 Cabrio is restyled on the inside, too, with lightweight all-carbon sports seats and a helm dressed half in carbon fiber and half in leather. The top side of the steering wheel houses a shift light indicator and digital displays for the speed and engine revs. The rest of the cockpit is clad with ‘high-quality, glove-soft leather.’ Still, only where necessary – carbon fiber is preferred.
After nearly two decades in news television, Răzvan turned to a different medium. He’s been a field journalist, a TV producer, and a seafarer but found that he feels right at home among petrolheads. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News