To some, the idea of making alterations to a Porsche is blasphemy, especially when the supply of period-correct, never-wrecked, corrosion-free donor cars keeps shrinking. While tastes vary, many Outlaw aficionados frown upon flashy modifications and want it to look as subtle and underrated as possible. Some think Outlaw cars should look almost stock, to the point where a guy walks up to it and knows it looks a little different, but can't put his finger on why. Yet others want their modified Porsche to stand out and are willing to go a little crazy in order to achieve that. How the car drives and performs is crucial, and everyone is looking to make their car better to drive through improvements to engines, brakes, suspension, and tires.
Updated January 2022: If you're into modified Porsches, you'll be happy to know that we've updated this article with even more outlaws, restomods, and hot rods for your viewing pleasure.
The classic and custom Porsche market is fascinating when you dive into it. There are lots of little niches, going from matching numbers, bone-stock, period-correct cars, all the way to full-on body-kitted creations and insanely expensive restomods. In this post, we will celebrate them all, whether they are restomods, RSR clones, hot-rods, outlaws, or crazy widebodied, big wing RAUH-Welt Begriff Porsches. While these cars may polarize Porsche purists, we'd argue that the community is stronger and richer because of this diversity.
15 Guntherwerks 400R
Guntherwerks is a small California-based shop specializing in restoring and upgrading Porsche 911s. However, the Guntherwerks 400R required all their engineering and restoration expertise, as it basically turns everything up to 11. This car is basically what Guntherwerks imagine the 993 would be like if Porsche had just continued to develop that model.
At first glance, the 400R comes across as a slightly modified widebody 993, but that's just a testament to how well-executed this build really is. The car's body has been entirely re-manufactured in carbon fiber. There's an air-cooled 4.0-liter flat-6 in the back that's been tuned to produce a whopping 420 hp. This beast drives like a modern Porsche while keeping the looks of the classic model.
14 Bisimoto Engineering 935 K3V
Legendary tuner Bisimoto turned this old 911 into a 935 replica of tomorrow. Choosing to ditch the flat-six engine in favor of a fully electric powertrain, this beast now produces a total of 636hp. It will accelerate from a standstill to 60 mph in a mere 2.06 seconds, which is faster than pretty much any other supercar out there.
It's not all go either, as it also features plenty of show. There's the awesome aero, which we suspect is needed in order to put the power to the ground and keep the car planted, and it's been painted in an eye-catching gray and pink paint scheme, and nicely finished off with some sick rims.
13 Singer Vehicle Design DLS
This Singer creation is an absolute masterpiece. Called the Singer Vehicle Design DLS, it is a 1990 Porsche 964 whose owner requested Singer and Williams restore and modify his car. The long hood of the Porsche 911 classic replaces the shorter hood of the Porsche 964. The price is a cool $1.8 million.
The engine is a 4.0-liter n-a, flat six worked on by Williams, producing 500 horsepower at 9,000 RPM. There are lightweight throttle bodies with supposedly F1-inspired upper and lower injectors, a unique oil lubrication system, dual overhead cams and four valves per cylinder. Being a Singer, the interior is absolutely stunning, and the body is perfect.
12 DP Motorsport 911 RS 3.5 Evolution
Dubbed the “911 RS 3.5 Evolution,” the heavily modified Porsche gets a custom body made to keep the weight low, the result being a 911 that tips the scales at just 2,072 pounds, dry. Power output stands at 365 horsepower after fitting the 3.5-liter engine with a dual ignition system, a mechanical fuel injection with individual throttle bodies, and 911 RSR-sourced camshafts. The engineers also tweaked the Porsche transmission by shortening the gear ratios to boost acceleration.
Ekkehard Zimmermann has acquired the know-how and delicate touch necessary for a performance of this caliber over more than thirty years of practical design and model construction, including racing at the highest levels.
11 Porsche 356 Emory Special
Rod Emory and Emory Motorsports are steadfast in their devotion to the Porsche 356 and invented the Porsche “Outlaw”. Rod Emory builds the most iconic, yet personalized Porsche 356s on the planet.
But the Emory Special is, well, special. Each is a one-off creation tastefully bespoke to an owner’s wishes and whose specific design will never be expressed the same way again; it is unique. The changes are proportional, subtle and unless you are fluent in the design language of Porsche, you’d be hard pressed to identify exactly what has been done.
10 Paul Stephen's 356 “Poco Bastardo”
Paul Stephens is considered THE Porsche guy in the UK and "Poco Bastardo" is a nickname used to describe the 356 for its giant slaying capabilities against more powerful machinery in the Carrera Panamericana.
That said, what makes this Outlaw Coupe so special - other than the awesome exterior and no-nonsense interior revamp - is the “Poco Bastardo” boasts xenon headlights, black bison quilted leather, a bolt-in half roll cage, fully rebuilt suspension with adjustable Koni shocks, electric power steering, disc brakes all around, a manual with a long 4th for highway cruising, as well as a 110 bhp boxer with Shasta pistons and Solex carbs.
9 Porsche 356 Emory Outlaw
The Emory Outlaw has a body and chassis all made from steel, just the way it left the factory in Germany. The metal receives a quality restoration, while the chassis gets stiffened in preparation for its modified 911 suspension and proprietary Emory-Rothsport 4-cylinder engine.
Its styling cues are a rally- or race-inspired, but the body shape remains stock in appearance. The Porsche 356 Emory Outlaw you see here started life as a 1954 Pre-A model, it was pulled apart and the conversion to the sacrilegious ranks of Porsche Outlaw royalty began.
8 Porsche 996 RSR 4S
This Porsche 996 4S owned by Ace Ochoco received a Porsche RSR and Turbo conversion makeover. The front half of the car is from the RSR kit and the back half is from the Porsche 996 Turbo with an over fender kit.
The amount of work that it takes to convert a car to widebody can be painstakingly daunting, and sometimes requires a budget bigger than what most entry-level cars would cost. Though it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, most car enthusiasts can see the hard work that has gone into this build. And it's definitely one of the better-looking 996s out there.
7 Frank Cassidy’s RSR-Inspired 911 ‘Outlaw’
Frank Cassidy’s RSR-inspired 1974 911 ‘Outlaw’ is visually identical to the RSR which inspired it – a car limited to just 49 models, created as a more hardcore version of the potent RS. This is partly thanks to the genuine bodywork and wheels which were painstakingly sourced to create a period-correct look. But take a peek under the lightweight skin and you’ll soon find upgrades far beyond its inspiration!
Under the huge boot-mounted spoiler there's a forged air-cooled naturally aspirated 3.5-liter engine. However, unlike the RSR, Frank’s Outlaw 911 pushes 350 hp to the wide BBS E50 wheels, 50 hp more than the RSR. In the handling department, there's Bilstein coilover suspension front and rear.
6 1990 Porsche 911 RWB “Pandora One”
There are a couple of RAUH Welt Porsches on this list, for both good and bad.
This Porsche RWB #1 in Mignonette Green has a wide body that's handcrafted and installed by the famous Nakai-san of Rauh-Welt Begriff.
This particular 911, known as 'Pandora One', was the first RWB Porsche built in the United States, and its styling has been backdated to the styling of an early long hood 911. Unlike many RWBs, it actually has the performance to back up its looks - a 3.6L flat-six engine with a custom FFTEC turbo kit provides over 450hp.
5 “The Highest Star” 1989 Silver Anniversary Carrera
The Highest Star RWB build is based on a 1989 Silver Anniversary Carrera. Porsche intended this to be a celebration of their 25 years of 911 production and created a limited edition car that featured cosmetic changes over a normal Carrera.
From there, the car was stripped down to its bones and prepared to be transformed into Ichiban Boshi, The Highest Star, as named by Akira Nakai of RAUH-Welt Begriff. The engine is a 1991 964 3.3-liter long block from Martine Altolaguirre, who’s considered one of the best Porsche 935 engine builders.
4 Bisimoto’s 800 WHP Watercooled Porsche 930
To some, Bisimoto is perhaps more famous for tuning Hondas, but it has become a company known for applying carefully designed parts to often-overlooked drivetrains to illicit unheard-of power.
This retro-styled 911 gets its punch from a much more recent powerplant. Behind the rear wheels sits a water-cooled M96 from the Porsche 996, most purists would call this kind of thing sacrilege, but we think it's awesome! Add twin Bisimoto/Turbonetics BTX5857 ball bearing turbochargers and a ton of other upgrades and you have yourself an 800 horsepower retro-styled, water-cooled beast.
3 Benton Performance’s Porsche 912
John Benton is dedicated to the often overlooked 4-cylinder 912. In many ways, the 912 is a true evolution to the Porsche 356. With its skinny tires and 4-cylinder engine, it retained the same nimble driving characteristics that Porsche owners came to expect. As it sits today, this ’68 912 is powered by one of Benton Performance’s highly tuned 1.7L twin-spark engines.
Adjustable spring plates and Konis ensure that the car maintains its composure in the corners while a strut bar and swaybars front and rear allow it to stay planted. Widened steelies allow the wider rubber necessary to keep the car on the track.
2 Magnus Walker's 277
Magnus and "The 277" have seemingly become one. Few men reach the level of bond, attachment, and appreciation for their cars that Magnus shares with the 277. The 277 has earned a special place not only amongst fans' and followers' hearts but in Magnus' as well - as its overall aesthetic and style has been the result of 15 years of constant use and evolution.
The driving experience of the 277 is what Magnus refers to as a "flat foot" car. With just over 200 horsepower at his disposal, he's able to keep his foot in the throttle through most of the turns, back roads, and road courses he tackles - which he does with immense frequency.
1 1955 Porsche Silver Bullet
This 1955 Porsche Silver Bullett Hot Rod is based on a 914-6 chassis and has a mid-mounted RS-spec 3.0-liter 911 engine that produces 279 hp. The hot rod's body is based on a 1955 356 Continental Coupe but with a longer wheelbase and a chopped roof.
It has Weber carburetors and a five-speed 915 gearbox, along with 17-inch disc wheels and 718 RSK-style side vents, driver's side mirror, transmission, and engine access covers. Braking is done by the 934-sourced ventilated and drilled discs. Inside there is green leather bucket seats and a wood-trimmed steering wheel, and VDO instruments - with some dials borrowed from a 911. The side windows and windscreen are made from Plexiglas.
Sources: Top Speed, Reddit, Jalopnik, Petrolicious