Paul Stephens Autoart 993R: Porsche 911 993 at its best?

The Porsche 993 still appeals to the imagination among enthusiasts, because it is the last air-cooled 911. Although you already have something special in your hands with an original 993, there are always people who are not satisfied with that. For example, Paul Stephens Autoart received a customer’s wish to take a regular 993 Carrera to a new level. And then a really new level, so also beyond the performance of existing more potent atmospheric versions of the 993.

Paul Stephens Autoart has been busy with the car in recent years, which is now finally presented under the name 993R. We take a look at what has changed. To start with, the weight has been reduced from 1,370 kg to 1,190 kg. Before that, the 993 was stripped of, among other things, the original seats, the power windows, central locking, the glove box, the center console and the door handles. You now take place on Recaro sports seats that are largely made of carbon fiber, in an otherwise quite spartan environment.

To make the 993 a lot more powerful, the 3.6-litre six-cylinder boxer has been drilled down to a 3.8 and features pistons from a 993 RSR, the oil pump, crankshaft and bearings from the 997 GT3 engine, new camshafts and throttle bodies. There is also a new exhaust system from Cargraphic. All in all, it is good for a power of 330 hp, optionally it can be increased to 360 hp. Originally the block delivered 272 hp.

This considerable power gain in combination with the lower weight means that the 993R now has 270 to 295 hp per ton. This puts it on the level of the 996.1 GT3 and 997.1 GT3. All that violence must of course be conveyed somewhat decently on the road and Paul Stephens Autoart has also worked on that. For example, the original suspension has made way for a modern set of parts from Porsche itself. The chassis can now also be adjusted in five different positions. The braking system from the 911 993RS found its way to this 993, which is hidden behind wheels of a 996 GT3 RS with Michelin Pilot Sport tires.

With the 993R, Paul Stephens shows what is possible with a 993. The old air-cooled base, with performance that scares many more modern 911s. It is not known what such a conversion costs. Of course, that also strongly depends on what 993 you supply as a basis. In any case, you can go far, if desired, even up to 360 hp, to make a direct attack on the 997.1 GT3 in style.