While the 993-generation of Porsche’s iconic 911 was effectively the end of the road for Stuttgart’s beloved air-cooled powerplants, it also laid the foundation for an entire secondary industry devoted to building custom air-cooled Porsches. Some of these firms have grown to become among the most popular shops in the world, with legions of adoring fans at car events and across social media alike.

It is Gunther Werks of Huntington Beach, California, however, that brings the 993 into the realm of truly extraordinary. As described by Gunther Werks themselves, the company’s “Remastered” 911s are envisioned as the car Porsche would be building today—had the automaker not stopped building the 993 in 1998.

It all begins with an awe-inspiring amount of carbon fiber, which Gunther Werks has superbly woven into the chassis. Numerous exterior body panels, along with many of the internals, have been swapped for the lightweight composite. According to Gunther Werks, 80% of their Remastered 911’s interior is bespoke, while the remaining 20% is replaced with brand-new Porsche equipment.

Next, Porsche’s standard 3.6-liter flat-six cylinder is shipped to Rothsport Road and Race in Sherwood, Oregon where the mill is stripped down and rebuilt to 4.0-liters of displacement. The Remastered engine features an extensive list of forged internals and race-spec equipment including a two-stage MoTec engine management system, individual throttle bodies, and custom intake design based on the intake plenum of a 996-series Porsche 911 GT3. These endeavors are rewarded with horsepower numbers well north of 400 while also generating over 300 pound-feet of torque. Transferring all that might to the road is the 993’s standard Getrag G50 six-speed transaxle, which has of course been extensively enhanced with stronger internals, a lightened flywheel, and clutch borrowed from a 997.2 GT3 RS.

Gunther Werks’ efforts came to fruition in 2020 when pro-driver Randy Pobst piloted an example to a lap time of 1:30.99 around Weathertech Raceway in Laguna Seca, California—about two-tenths of a second behind a McLaren P1.

THE CARBON NOIRE COMMISSION

One of these automotive masterpieces, the “Carbon Noire Commission” is presented for sale here. As its name suggests, the car’s finish is an exquisite mixture of carbon fiber and black. When viewed in natural light, carbon fiber has unique tones of brown in its color composition. To match this, Gunther Werks created a bespoke blend of colors with gold flakes incorporated into the metallic pearlescent finish, so the painted panels perfectly match the carbon fiber’s natural finish in both the sun and shade. The front hood, roof, and ducktail engine lid have been left in exposed carbon fiber, while the rest of the body has been finished in this stunning custom color, as have its Brembo brake calipers and 18-inch Gunther Werks wheels.

Light gold accents, borrowed from new Porsche GT2s, are found throughout, particularly on the badges and engine cover. The rear features a Gunther Werks custom-designed LED light bridge while black Bi LED headlights round out the sinister appearance.

Inside, the dash, seats, and rear seat-delete are all beautifully trimmed in a mix of gloss black carbon fiber and luxurious cognac aeronautical leather, the same hides found in Gulfstream jets. An Alcantara steering wheel is topped off 12-o’clock marker formed from billet, as is the five-axis milled sport button surround.

Gunther Werks limited production of its 4.0-liter, naturally aspirated Remastered Coupes to just 25 examples, all of which have been completed and delivered. This incredibly well-specified commission presents a unique opportunity to acquire an essentially new, out-of-production example immediately. Offered for the first time by one of the country’s most respected automotive collectors and displaying fewer than 50 miles at the time of cataloguing, the Carbon Noire Commission surely ranks among the most exceptional bespoke 993s in existence.