Given how into Porsches you all are, I have no doubt you’re aware that the 997 GT2 was a special car. A turbo 911 with rear-wheel drive? That’s not just any ol’ Porsche.
In fact, it was so special, an example of it received some visual tweaks and changes from legendary P-car aficionado Magnus Walker, who typically enjoys and customizes older, air-cooled 911s. The look he came up with was inspired by the “late ’60s, early ’70s road-race era.” I’m all for color combos, but I think the gold wheels clash with the orange front bumper and the side air intakes should’ve been left body color. Although I like the Aberdeen tartan plaid seat centers inside, the exterior of this car just looks too…busy.
That’s exactly what Alex Ross of SharkWerks was under the hood of this creation. He and his crew took the twin-turbo 3.6-liter flat-six from 530 horsepower to 650 – at the wheels. Arizona’s Evolution MotorSports and handmade headers certainly contributed to that. An 11-pound flywheel, new rollers, and a lightweight exhaust system did their parts to help this GT2 drop 100 pounds relative to its factory brother.
Watch the video below to see Jay Leno unleash that heightened output and decreased poundage on the roads of California.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
