996 TURBO
Some days in life, you feel as though you're witnessing the start of something special. Newborn babies, weddings, launching a business — they're long in the making, but mark a new beginning. As I stand in the workshop of Stevenage-based independent Porsche specialist, Renn Works, patiently awaiting a drive in the company's outlandish 996 Turbo-based creation, I know today is right up there with all those things.
This 911 is born from passion, obsession and perfectionism, the result of a vision shared between two friends hell-bent on creating the ultimate roadgoing 996 for high days and holidays. Think of it as a cross between a Turbo, GT2 and an RS, not that you'd guess as much from a quick glance — other than a pair of ‘RW996’ decals, most of the changes are below the surface.
Calling out its top trump card of having 520bhp channelled through the rear-wheels after a two-wheel drive conversion doesn't even scratch the surface of the work invested in this project Porsche. This isn't just a catalogue of shiny new parts screwed together, but a series of modifications expertly configured to work alongside one another in perfect harmony. It's the stuff only the brutal honesty between two friends can produce.
Ben Crosby, a scenic painter in the film and TV industry (he's a man with a keen eye for detail), bought the car — formerly a standard 2003 996 Turbo — nine years ago. Back then, it was exactly as Porsche released it into the wild, save for a remap. This is his first Porsche, having owned a series of BMWs, all modified and often presented to concours standard. As he greets me (tool kit of Auto Finesse detailing products in one hand, warming handshake from the other), I instantly know he's a petrolhead after my own heart.
Ben entrusted Renn Works founder, Matt Barnett, to transform the car into the beast you see on these pages. Matt cut his teeth
