Taking the internet by storm over recent years — at the behest of many Porsche purists — tuning company Rauh-Welt Begriff has helped breathe new life into the cold and callused styling of the 911. Widely considered the benchmark of how a sports car should perform, it remains one of the only car models that virtually looks the same, regardless of year.
Known for its aggressive stance and custom widebody kits, RWB not only reimagines an icon's design, but the performance aspect as well. Something Phil over at Driftworks is becoming acquainted with after taking delivery of a 964 generation 911 tuned by Akira Nakai himself.
After spending its fair share on the Wangan highway in Japan, Phil had the 911 shipped back to his native UK, ultimately culminating in the Porsche being “beaten on” at Goodwood, as Phil puts it. However, it's been over two years and with numerous events, upgrades, and miles in between, it's finally time to see just how much power this RWB 911 can produce.
From Japan, With Love
Giving a unique perspective into the world of dyno tuning, Phil keeps the camera rolling for the setting up of the car — something most dyno videos don't bother delving into.
More than just strapping your car in and mashing the gas pedal, there are many nuances that go into thoroughly preparing the car to perform at its highest level. Phil stresses the importance of conducting a compression test on a vehicle's cylinders to ensure the engine will survive. So, when the compression test shows all cylinders between 7.0:1-7.5:1, the guys feel confident the Porsche can handle the dyno.
Strap Yourselves In For Dyno Time
Even with Phil admitting he doesn't think the Porsche can reach 600 horsepower — and initial test runs consistently read between 450-500 horsepower — the mechanics at Protuner prove they're worth their weight in gold after adding a wastegate spring capable of handling another five Psi.
With the boost turned up to 1.4 bar — about 20 Psi — Phil once again hunkers down for another pull. After calling it a day, the 911 maxed out at 588 horsepower and 512 lb-ft of torque. But when realizing these readings measure power at the wheels, it means the Porsche pushes closer to 650 horsepower at the flywheel. After Phil adjusts for the 9%-10% loss of power from the wheels to the crank, of course.
More than satisfied, Phil finally turns the boost down to 1.3 bar and calls it a day, allowing the Porsche to take a breath after a long evening of dyno pulls.