Record scratch, mic drop, you don’t have to go home but you can’t stay here. While the party isn’t over for the modified 911 scene, the latest model from motorsport specialists Tuthill Porsche has kicked the door in, spiked the punch, and bust some moves on the dancefloor that it’ll take quite some effort to top.
Called the 911K, the name is a subtle hint as to this car’s USP, with Tuthill designing, building and installing a flat six capable of revving to a mind-bending 11,000rpm.
That’s a number up there with motorcycles, bespoke single-seater racing cars and insanely-modified Honda Civics from Japanese tuner Spoon Sports – in other words, a number you won’t typically see on the tachometer of a car.
It’s also 1700rpm more than the ‘six in a Singer DLS will spin to, or, to put it another way, only 100rpm short of the wild V12 in an Aston Martin Valkyrie. And neither of those also weigh in at 850kg with all fluids present and correct, which is somehow even more remarkable than the screaming rev limit.
Revealed at Monterey Car Week, the 911K extracts its loopy crank speeds courtesy of a 3.1-litre, short-stroke block fitted with four-valve heads. Full details of what’s going on inside the six-pot block are cagey, but externally the ‘six is fitted with a carbon intake plenum, and the 915 K six-speed, magnesium-cased gearbox is held in place using a carbon crossmember.
There’s enough carbon fibre here to give a Formula One engineer weave-envy – the roof, doors, rear quarter panels, front wings, both bumpers, bonnet, engine lid, and the rear bulkhead and seat wells are all made of the stuff. Oh, and the 15×7 and 15×9 front and rear Fuchs-style wheels. And, with a bit of ceramic in there, so are the discs.
As are – and take another breath for this – the seats, steering wheel, hydraulic hand brake lever, dash panel, and the door cards. If it’s not carbon, it’s probably titanium (roll cage, engine lid badge, torsion bars, anti-roll bars, gearknob).
We’re pretty sure the windows aren’t carbon or titanium, but they’re made to a lightweight spec too, and while materials aren’t mentioned for the Tuthill competition pedal box or wiring harness, nor the bespoke oil tank, cooling system, or 2-way rally-spec dampers, we’re fairly confident in saying Tuthill probably hasn’t thrown in the heaviest items it can find there either.
Tuthill Porsche owner, Richard Tuthill, calls it a “daunting” task to do something new in the world of special Porsche 911s, but the 911K was created with the goal to “build a simple, light car, beautifully presented but with the mechanical capability to take on anything that is currently out there; old or new”.
It’s hard to imagine Tuthill’s client being disappointed, nor subsequent customers, Tuthill commenting that there will be a small series of the cars.
The price will no doubt be a little more heavyweight (or, if you like, turned up to 11… k) but we might just be witnessing a new high-bar in the world of modified 911s.
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What an amazing car, I am very jealous.
But credit where credit is due, Richard was of course not the founder of Tutill Porsche but his father Francis!
Hi Ray, thanks for catching that – now corrected!
“the 911K was created with the goal to “build a simple, light car, beautifully presented”
Mission accomplished. Absolutely gorgeous. Would love to drive it.