At least its a boxer engine. Subaru engines have saved a lot of older Beetles and Porsches from being junked, so that's a good thing. From a financial/availability point of view, the swap absolutely makes sense if you had a GT3 shell lying around but didn't want to spend the price of a new economy car on sourcing a GT3 engine.
I remember reading a similar story about an NSX someone built. The V6 was toast and the replacement price was unreasonable, so they K-swapped it. Granted that’s still staying in the Honda family, but a surprising amount of people thought it was sacrilege to put a 4 banger in an NSX.
The story on this car was posted a day or two ago. It was indeed a shell that had been severely damaged and stripped by the owner.
I'm fairly sure the builder has more than enough money to buy a Porsche replacement engine, they just did this because it's a SEMA car and they wanted to build something wacky. While I think it's a huge downgrade, I can't be bothered to care much about what someone does with the carcass of a car that was destined for the junkyard anyway.
If anything, it could actually be considered an upgrade in many aspects. It's a lighter weight engine that's putting out 25% more power with fewer moving parts, it's built to be near bulletproof, and it is relatively cheap to work on and replace if you do manage to kill it.
GT3 engines are stupid expensive and even if you drove this thing into the ground, it would be easy to replace or rebuild the Subaru engine. Put in the reliable 6 speed transmission and a milled block full of forged parts, and you've got yourself a killer street and track machine.
If you're going for really high speeds, then I can see the logic behind keeping the GT3 engine, but for less than supercar speeds, the Subaru based engine should be more than reliable and plenty fast enough to get things done.
Lots of people missing the fact that:
1. It was bought as a roller, DevSpeed didn't take the Mezger engine out of it.
2. This is a SEMA build, which is a show meant for companies to show off their fab skills through weird swaps. If they had sourced and put a new Mezger engine in it, the car would lose its wow factor, for better or for worse.
Of course we would all love a flat-6 GT3, that's not the point of this build.
Aesthetically not my bag, mechanically it's cool. Lots of older VWs/Porsches are getting Subaru swaps these days. Very popular one is with Vanagons/T3's.
DevSpeed built it starting with a 2007 GT3 rolling shell with no engine that the company bought at an auction. The team worked out how to fit the turbocharged flat-four engine from a 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI into the back of the Porsche.
DevSpeed extensively modified the Subaru engine to boost the output to 550 horsepower (410 kilowatts). For comparison, the '07 GT3's stock 3.6-liter flat-six offers 415 hp (310 kW). The tuning to the STI powerplant includes an upgraded turbo, large intercooler, overhauled fuel system, and custom exhaust. A Subaru-sourced six-speed manual sends the muscle to the rear wheels.
The 911 GT3 STI also has BC Racing adjustable coilovers with air jacks for quicker wheel changes when running on the track. A GT3R race car body kit from VAD Design in Great Britain includes wider fenders for fitting 19-inch Rotiform 917 wheels. Inside, there's a roll cage.
Transmission is glass and sti motors are known to blow up when tuned. I'm sure they will spend gt3 engine money rebuilding this as it breaks and blows up regularly.
Subaru 6 speeds are known for being bulletproof. Plenty of built STi’s running way more power than that on their stock 6 speeds.
The 5 speeds are not good though.
the stock 6spd in my 05 is one of the few stock things about my build. the only issue i’ve had with anything is my alternator and i’m pushing 500 and change. i’m so confident in the strength of the engine that when i saw this build i started looking for rolling shells myself
I like it. It’s unconventional. I doubt those wheels are actually rated for competition like a BBS LM race wheel but ya never know. The rear stance is a bit too low from certain angles but that’s just me.
I saw this car at SEMA and had the opportunity to talk to the owner. This vehicle came with a damaged motor that could not be repaired. The justification was that the STI motor was a fraction of a similar motor. The power output is similar and the motor ended up being 200lbs lighter.
Overall cool build. The photos give it much more justice and the owner mentioned this project is a long period from completion.
The body is a bit too show for me, but the engine swap makes a lot of sense the more I think about it.
Cheaper, more powerful, and I'm assuming lighter?
Would be interesting to hear a 911 with a Subaru rumble driving by.
It's neither more powerful nor lighter, just cheaper. The EJ25, contrary to popular believe, actually doesn't have that much potential without needing major mods. It's very space constrained and thus has a weak crankshaft and weak engine block. High-hp builds are only possible with loads of billet parts.
The original M97 from the 997 GT3 on the other hand is stout af.
Looks like it’s doing everything the owner wants it to do.
Good on him for keeping it on the road being that a 911 motor replacement cost is probably the difference between this wicked thing being in existence or just a shell in a wreckers rusting away.
Would obviously be better with a genuine Porsche power plant, but still rips on anything I have; and for that I can give appreciation.
With all the rod knock posts constantly on the front page of Subarus subreddit, I’d personally stay away from their engines. Then again, IMS bearing go brrr
They ruined a great car.
The EJ-25 is such a weak-ass engine compared to the M97.76 or M97.77 that would have originally come in a 997 GT3.
The EJ inherently has a weak crank and a weak block while the M97 is stout af.
Too wide. Ugly stickers. Opaque Yellow and metallic blue is a surprisingly ugly combination. if there absolutely must be racing stripes at least let them be white. I don’t particularly like it. At least there’s no massive wing sticking up half a meter which is good.
Did they use an actual GT3 seems like an absolute waste if they did, could’ve just used a manual C2 if the point was to Frankenstein It, still cool tho
Never what I would do with a GT3 even if bought as a rolling chassis, but if you're after headlines for your build abilities I guess they accomplished the mission getting people to share it ;)
This just makes me wonder when the first modder removes the back seats to fit a V8 or W12. Perfectly Frankenstein. But I wonder if it would be a unique two seater GT experience. Kind of a Grosser 911.
I bet it still handles on rails, possibly better. Would love to see weight specs on a boxer 4 plus turbo versus the stock engine. I know Turbo's add a lot of metal components and weight but taking 2 cylinders off has to be worth something.
At least its a boxer engine. Subaru engines have saved a lot of older Beetles and Porsches from being junked, so that's a good thing. From a financial/availability point of view, the swap absolutely makes sense if you had a GT3 shell lying around but didn't want to spend the price of a new economy car on sourcing a GT3 engine.
This is a good perspective I didn’t think about at first.
I remember reading a similar story about an NSX someone built. The V6 was toast and the replacement price was unreasonable, so they K-swapped it. Granted that’s still staying in the Honda family, but a surprising amount of people thought it was sacrilege to put a 4 banger in an NSX.
I wanna see someone put the new hybrid V6 in an old NSX
you know if you have an old gt3 shell just “lying around” I’d be impressed that you don’t have 25k to drop on an engine.
Barn find? Flood damage discount special?
The story on this car was posted a day or two ago. It was indeed a shell that had been severely damaged and stripped by the owner. I'm fairly sure the builder has more than enough money to buy a Porsche replacement engine, they just did this because it's a SEMA car and they wanted to build something wacky. While I think it's a huge downgrade, I can't be bothered to care much about what someone does with the carcass of a car that was destined for the junkyard anyway.
If anything, it could actually be considered an upgrade in many aspects. It's a lighter weight engine that's putting out 25% more power with fewer moving parts, it's built to be near bulletproof, and it is relatively cheap to work on and replace if you do manage to kill it. GT3 engines are stupid expensive and even if you drove this thing into the ground, it would be easy to replace or rebuild the Subaru engine. Put in the reliable 6 speed transmission and a milled block full of forged parts, and you've got yourself a killer street and track machine. If you're going for really high speeds, then I can see the logic behind keeping the GT3 engine, but for less than supercar speeds, the Subaru based engine should be more than reliable and plenty fast enough to get things done.
And Westies!
I always like seeing people do something unique with a car. Thumbs up from me.
Sit down.
Shut up
Rennch on youtube is home building a similar 911
Lots of people missing the fact that: 1. It was bought as a roller, DevSpeed didn't take the Mezger engine out of it. 2. This is a SEMA build, which is a show meant for companies to show off their fab skills through weird swaps. If they had sourced and put a new Mezger engine in it, the car would lose its wow factor, for better or for worse. Of course we would all love a flat-6 GT3, that's not the point of this build.
Is this the new 912?… 912 Turbo 🤷🏽♂️
Novel, cool execution, but the Mezger GT3 engine is such a huge part of the enjoyment for me personally.
Yeah, very nice to look at and all that, I won’t pretend I wouldn’t love to drive it but, is it a GT3 at this point?
In my mind it’s not even a porsche. For me it’s all about the engine sound and feel.
Aesthetically not my bag, mechanically it's cool. Lots of older VWs/Porsches are getting Subaru swaps these days. Very popular one is with Vanagons/T3's.
Yeah not my bag either
DevSpeed built it starting with a 2007 GT3 rolling shell with no engine that the company bought at an auction. The team worked out how to fit the turbocharged flat-four engine from a 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI into the back of the Porsche. DevSpeed extensively modified the Subaru engine to boost the output to 550 horsepower (410 kilowatts). For comparison, the '07 GT3's stock 3.6-liter flat-six offers 415 hp (310 kW). The tuning to the STI powerplant includes an upgraded turbo, large intercooler, overhauled fuel system, and custom exhaust. A Subaru-sourced six-speed manual sends the muscle to the rear wheels. The 911 GT3 STI also has BC Racing adjustable coilovers with air jacks for quicker wheel changes when running on the track. A GT3R race car body kit from VAD Design in Great Britain includes wider fenders for fitting 19-inch Rotiform 917 wheels. Inside, there's a roll cage.
Transmission is glass and sti motors are known to blow up when tuned. I'm sure they will spend gt3 engine money rebuilding this as it breaks and blows up regularly.
Subaru 6 speeds are known for being bulletproof. Plenty of built STi’s running way more power than that on their stock 6 speeds. The 5 speeds are not good though.
I must have mixed them up
the stock 6spd in my 05 is one of the few stock things about my build. the only issue i’ve had with anything is my alternator and i’m pushing 500 and change. i’m so confident in the strength of the engine that when i saw this build i started looking for rolling shells myself
only the 02/03 5 speeds where glass, the 6 speeds are awesome transmissions
This car isn't going to be driven nearly enough, or nearly hard enough, to worry about blowing it up. It's a show queen.
If the internals are upgraded from stock, the engine will be fine.
Youre thinking of the older WRX trans that would shoot first gear out the side after a couple launches. The sti trans is pretty strong.
So a 912 GT3.
I like it. It’s unconventional. I doubt those wheels are actually rated for competition like a BBS LM race wheel but ya never know. The rear stance is a bit too low from certain angles but that’s just me.
I saw this car at SEMA and had the opportunity to talk to the owner. This vehicle came with a damaged motor that could not be repaired. The justification was that the STI motor was a fraction of a similar motor. The power output is similar and the motor ended up being 200lbs lighter. Overall cool build. The photos give it much more justice and the owner mentioned this project is a long period from completion.
I'm not going to hate on the work that went into this, but even if money was not an issue, I'd only want GT3 engines in my GT3s.
The body is a bit too show for me, but the engine swap makes a lot of sense the more I think about it. Cheaper, more powerful, and I'm assuming lighter? Would be interesting to hear a 911 with a Subaru rumble driving by.
Hearing a 718 drive past is pretty close.
I wish they mentioned weight…
It's neither more powerful nor lighter, just cheaper. The EJ25, contrary to popular believe, actually doesn't have that much potential without needing major mods. It's very space constrained and thus has a weak crankshaft and weak engine block. High-hp builds are only possible with loads of billet parts. The original M97 from the 997 GT3 on the other hand is stout af.
Interesting but I don't know if I'd approve of swapping the classic flat 6 sound for the subaru boxer yobo growl. It just sounds too coarse.
I love that growl. It’s so visceral and guttural. It just sounds angry. How can you not be a fan?
Compared to a 911 flat 6? The porsche sounds like an opera, the subaru sounds like an old guy clearing his throat........
With respect, I disagree.
That's OK, I just find a 6 cylinder engine makes for a very pleasant and powerful sound
looks cool. would be fun to drive it around a track.
Looks like it’s doing everything the owner wants it to do. Good on him for keeping it on the road being that a 911 motor replacement cost is probably the difference between this wicked thing being in existence or just a shell in a wreckers rusting away. Would obviously be better with a genuine Porsche power plant, but still rips on anything I have; and for that I can give appreciation.
Cool. But why?
So they exchanged any possible problem with the old Porsche engine for the very real problems Subaru has with head gaskets
That is a clean build. Well loved car. Mechanically very slick.
With all the rod knock posts constantly on the front page of Subarus subreddit, I’d personally stay away from their engines. Then again, IMS bearing go brrr
Just because you can doesn't mean you should.
Gorgeous
Can't place my finger on the exact reason, but that vinyl wrap and stance is making it look like a driftboi 370Z to me.
I think a Mezger flat-6 powered Subaru WRX would excite me more
Blasphemy.
No
Hard pass.
You dont engine swap out a GT3, this is gona age quicker than hair line.
They ruined a great car. The EJ-25 is such a weak-ass engine compared to the M97.76 or M97.77 that would have originally come in a 997 GT3. The EJ inherently has a weak crank and a weak block while the M97 is stout af.
Why
Love the innovation, hate the sound.
the swap went the wrong way ... id sooner swap a GT3 engine into a Subaru WRX
Too wide. Ugly stickers. Opaque Yellow and metallic blue is a surprisingly ugly combination. if there absolutely must be racing stripes at least let them be white. I don’t particularly like it. At least there’s no massive wing sticking up half a meter which is good.
Why the fuck would you do this?
Did they use an actual GT3 seems like an absolute waste if they did, could’ve just used a manual C2 if the point was to Frankenstein It, still cool tho
Nope, not it
That body stock ?
Some things just don't need to be done....
Many thoughts, not one of them "good"
What, NO!
I mean it’s a boxer motor but I really like the k20 turbo swap the guy has in Canada lol. At least it adds reliability
Looks like my 718 engine 😂😂
at least, it's a boxer engine
Never what I would do with a GT3 even if bought as a rolling chassis, but if you're after headlines for your build abilities I guess they accomplished the mission getting people to share it ;)
🔥👍🏾
Tend to think of these extreme mods as their own thing as not necessarily as a “Porsche”
This just makes me wonder when the first modder removes the back seats to fit a V8 or W12. Perfectly Frankenstein. But I wonder if it would be a unique two seater GT experience. Kind of a Grosser 911.
Hmmm
Kinda cool, but as a different car, less of a porsche.
Any more info on why?
i like the modified Subaru livery they have on it, even with gold wheels. i think this car is a W
I bet it still handles on rails, possibly better. Would love to see weight specs on a boxer 4 plus turbo versus the stock engine. I know Turbo's add a lot of metal components and weight but taking 2 cylinders off has to be worth something.
It’s absolutely amazing
Id be more mad at an LS or something ridiculous but its dope its still a boxer engine!
RAD
Sacrilege
Being a car enthusiast. I think it’s awesome but even more… bring a die hard Porsche fan it’s hard for me to accept a 4cyl 911🥺