Engineers at 9ff have the Bugatti Veyron clearly in their sights with their latest Porsche GT9-R set to enter the record books as the world’s fastest production car with a claimed top speed of around 257 mph.
As far as production cars go, the GT9-R is about as exclusive as it gets, with only 20 examples expected to see the light and each priced upwards of $1 million.
Although the car is loosely based on a Porsche 911, its mechanical package has been totally revised. Ditching the 911’s rear-engine layout, 9ff engineers created a custom mid-mounted engine design utilizing the tuner’s twin-turbo 4.0-liter flat-six engine.
The mighty powerplant features titanium con-rods and forged pistons, which were necessary to handle the 1,120 horsepower output. A tamer version is also be offered, which will output 987 horsepower.
Drive is sent to the rear wheels via a conventional 6-speed manual or sequential gearbox. A 5-speed Tiptonic gearbox is also being offered for the less powerful model.
The 911 GT3 body on which it’s based has also been stretched and has had the roof lowered to maximize downforce at high speeds. Thanks to carbon-fiber and Kevlar construction, the entire vehicle weighs in at just 2,923 pounds.
According to 9ff, the GT9-R with 1,120 horsepower on board will accelerate from 0-62 mph in just 2.9 seconds, pass 186 mph in 15.8 seconds and top out at 257 mph. America’s SSC Ultimate Aero TT is the current world land speed record holder with a top speed of 255.8 mph, and British automaker Keating claims that its own TKR supercar is capable of reaching 260.1 mph--only time will tell.
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