Daily Slideshow: This 997 GT3 Has 4.1 Liters of Potent Flat Six Power

SharkWerks Shenanigans

Those that have been living under a rock in a far-off region for the last several years may have missed the incredible work that SharkWerks has been completing on various "wasserboxer" Porsche models. Perhaps their most noteworthy modifications have come via their continued development of the Mezger-engined GT3 models in which they take an already awesome, track-proven powerplant and turn it into something with an even more explosive punch. Building off of their previous 3.9L engine upgrade that saw 5 years of development and testing, SharkWerks in their collaboration with EVOMS has created a 4.1L upgrade that seemingly retains the reliability of the stock engine while boosting its output by more than 30 percent.

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A Trusted Tester

The car seen here is owned by Ralph Jackson who is a long time Porsche owner and enthusiasts who once worked for the fabled Vasek Polek. Apparently, Ralph has had quite a few heavily modified Porsches over the years, so it is not surprising that he would eventually cross paths with SharkWerks and its co-founder, Alex Ross. Ross explains that Ralph has been an instrumental part of their GT3 development as he was one of their first to receive their 3.9L engine upgrade and has been a test bed for numerous parts they have developed. Ralph's silver 3.9L GT3 was said to have been his last, but SharkWerks had to up the ante with 4.1L engine, so Ralph naturally answered their calling with this car.

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Built From The Bottom Up

Unfortunately, all 4.1 liters of screaming flat-six goodness are tightly tucked away in the boot and under the decklid of this 2007 GT3 (as are all 911 engines) that leaves us unable to show you the trick componentry that gives life to this car. But what we can tell you is that the build begins with an artful EVOMS CNC machined ultra-lightweight 80.44mm crankshaft that is 80% stronger than the OEM unit while being 12% lighter. The crank has tons of features including a nitride hardening process, CDM polishing, additional rod journal oiling, and radical counterweights that are akin to knife-edging to allow for a unit that is capable of withstanding 10,000 revolutions per minute. Attached to the crankshaft is a set of EVOMS proprietary forged steel rods that support up to 1000 horsepower. These chromium/nickel/vanadium/molybdenum alloys provide strength at a relatively light weight and are not susceptible to stretching like the OEM titanium units.

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Rugged Race-Prep

The rotating assembly is finished off with a set of EVOMS 104.5mm forged high-compression pistons with a slippery Teflon coating housed inside ductile iron wet sleeves. Titanium wrist pins are used in an effort to save 20 grams per cylinder. While this may not seem like much, this little bit of weight reduction pays huge dividends when the engine is spinning at 8,000 rpm. To ensure longevity, SharkWerks and EVOMS have developed a number of modifications to the engine cases and cylinder heads such as boat-tailing the main webs, shuffle pinning the cases (to prevent walking), polished main bearings, and various machining to improve flow into and out of the combustion chambers. The end results are 540 horsepower at 7,950 rpm and 400 lb-ft of torque that broadens the overall usability of the engine. It is said that this motor provides the hit of a 911 turbo while still having the sharpness and precision of the naturally aspirated GT3.

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More Than Meets The Eye

Besides a 1400mm adjustable cup wing that has been added out back, the exterior of this 4.1L behemoth is rather understated, thus making for the perfect sleeper (if a GT3 can be considered as such). That said, the magic is obviously hidden away under the car that sets it apart from the rest. It has been treated with all the suspension offerings from SharkWerks including coilovers and their RSS Stage II suspension package consisting of front & rear lower control arms and bump-steer kits as well as dog bones and lockout plates to remove all of the slop that was present in the stock bushings and allow for proper geometry to be set after lowering. The brakes have also been upgraded to a Brembo GT setup that utilizes two-piece 15" front and 14" rear rotors along with larger calipers. Finishing off the car is a set of Fifteen52 Apex RSR wheels in 19x9" fronts and 19x12" rears wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires.

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Shark-Bitten

The cockpit of the GT3 is a standard Porsche affair, which is to say it is quite a nice place to spend the day carving up the canyons. This car loves to be driven as is evident by the odometer reading nearly 100,000 miles. The GT1-derived Mezger engines may have finally come to the end of their production life cycle with the introduction of the 991 GT3, but SharkWerks is out to prove that there is still untapped potential from this beloved platform. With many enthusiasts believing the 997 GT3 to be the sweet spot in driver involvement, SharkWerks will inevitably have customers wanting the additional power to keep up with the newest GT3s from Stuttgart. By all accounts, their 4.1L upgrade it the best GT3 experience one can have.

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