If there’s one lesson I’ve learned writing for the internet, it’s that saying something is “first” is usually a bad idea. It’s an invitation to fly out of the woodwork to prove you wrong.
However, despite the risks, there were times when I felt safe to say the word without the risk of repercussions. This is one of those rare occasions.
I mean, when my Speedhunter buddy Stefan Kotze (who took these photos) said it was the first supercharged Porsche GT3 in South Africa, he wasn’t going to lie to me, was he?
In my Canadian office, I’m happy to admit that most of my exposure to South African car culture has been through Stefan’s work. Everything he’s shown on Speedhunters so far has been equally impressive and varied.
In North America, the popularity of ditching the rear bumper in favor of elaborate exhaust pipes and forced air intake has grown steadily since around 2012. It takes a lot of guts (and, let’s be honest, money) to buy one from the factory and set about making it faster.
The pursuit of speed is a real problem An ideal way of seeing things that often trumps utility and aesthetics.
“This car lacks a little ‘extra’,” Owner Nishen Moodley explained when asked ‘Why? ‘. Nishen’s company — TMSS (or TM Stainless Steel) — makes pipes for a variety of automotive applications, and this 2014 Porsche GT3 991.1 is both his rolling business card and weekend toy.
Nishen’s talent is on display in this car with long cat-less heads like TMSS Motorsport. The custom exhaust system he built retains Porsche’s OEM Valvetronic Designs electronic exhaust valves, and below the mid-range of 3,000rpm, the engine sounds fairly civilian. Above that, however, the valve opens and the note changes drastically as the muffler is bypassed and the exhaust takes the shortest possible exit path through the dual center mounted tip.
The choice of a supercharger over a turbo was to preserve as much of the driving experience as possible for the GT3 for which it was originally designed. The supercharger is always on call, resulting in a pedal response very similar to that of a naturally aspirated vehicle.
RR Racing kits use a PX-1 series centrifugal ProCharger and a Bell charge air cooler. A Davis Craig water pump and ATI Super Damper crankshaft pulley complete the under-hood mod. An AEM water/methanol injection kit helps keep intake temperatures down, and the system’s reservoir packs neatly in the trunk.
At 0.6bar (8.8psi) of boost, the car develops 674hp and 584Nm of torque.
As mentioned, it’s become fairly common for mid-engine supercharged vehicles to run around without bumpers, but rest assured – everything you see in the rear of this car can actually be replaced by factory The bumper cover is covered.
Overall, the car’s styling updates are rather conservative, although the forced induction setup seems overdone.
“On GT3, visually you don’t really have to do much,” Nishen explained, describing his minimal approach to external modifications. The factory wheels have been swapped out for a set of Smoke Customs forged items. Inside, some small carbon accents have been added, while a similar small palette swap and deletion has been made to the exterior.
I’ve avoided clichés so far, but this car really is the rolling embodiment of business in the front and party in the back.
For numbers hungry, the car will now accelerate from 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.2 seconds on 102-octane fuel. 200 km/h clicks in 10.4 seconds. None of the physical comforts are removed, and it’s a fairly delicate task, reaching the speed of light.
Even if for some reason the car isn’t South Africa’s first supercharged Porsche GT3, figures like this are still worth noting.
Don’t worry, we won’t confuse you with how this car sounds.crew in car home Capturing it here is brilliantly done.
dave thomas
Instagram: stanceiseverythingcom
photographer Stefan Coates