As often as we imagine car builds being the creation of a single person, the truth is, many of the coolest and most interesting machines are the result of collaborative efforts between two or more parties.
Sometimes long-time partners will team up to create a car, while other times you’ll get builders from opposite sides of the spectrum getting together. And then there are those collaborations that just seem like they were meant to happen. I think that’s the case with the Porsche here.
Known as the Outlaw GT2, the car is the result of a collaboration between SharkWerks in Northern California and Magnus Walker, the world-famous classic 911 builder and collector out of Los Angeles.
Despite both men being Brits who have relocated to California, Alex Ross from SharkWerks and Magnus represent two very different sides of the Porsche community. Sharkwerks specializes in newer water-cooled models while Magnus keeps it old school with his incredible collection of air-cooled machinery.
How did they meet? Well, it actually started after the filming of an episode of Jay Leno’s Garage. Alex was in LA with the shop’s GT3 RS project car and decided to drop by Magnus’s place to see the legendary collection for himself.
The two hit it off right away. Alex drooled over the Urban Outlaw’s fleet of early 911s, while Magnus took a drive in the GT3 RS to sample the water-cooled masterpiece on the local LA streets. Needless to say, the two Porsche maniacs became friends and have remained in contact ever since.
Fast forward half a year to when Alex had just acquired a 997 GT2 in white. Naturally, he planned on give the Porsche the full SharkWerks performance treatment, but he pondered the idea of teaming up with Magnus to give the late-model car some Urban Outlaw styling.
Of course, this would require Magnus’s approval and when Alex first approached him about the collaboration he didn’t seem especially intrigued. This wasn’t the first time Magnus had been propositioned about doing something like this, but he’d always stuck with the idea of building cars for himself.
Alex and the SharkWerks crew proceeded on with the build, adding more power, better brakes, upgraded suspension and so on. But when it came time to take the car to Arizona for engine tuning at Evolution Motorsports, Alex decided to make a stopover in Los Angeles on the way. Once in LA he showed the car to Magnus and his reaction seemed positive. Alex asked if he could stop by again on the way back so Magnus could experience the car once it was fully dialed in.
On the return visit, Magnus got a chance to stretch out the car on his favorite canyon roads and he seemed very impressed. It just so happens that a rain storm had rolled through and rather than driving back to NorCal in the wet, Alex decided to leave the car under Magnus’s watch, allowing him even more time to become acquainted with it.
Modern Power Meets Old School Charm
Alex returned to LA a few weeks later and it was at this point where the Outlaw GT2 started moving from dream to reality. Magnus was on board with the collaboration, and was soon working on ways to adapt the vintage Urban Outlaw style to the modern, turbocharged Porsche.
Alex told Magnus to ‘treat the car like his own’ and the guys looked over several styling concepts (many of them sketched by hand) before agreeing on the design you see here. The result of the collaboration is a car that combines modern Porsche performance with the retro-inspired style that’s made Magnus Walker a household name in the Porsche community.
It wouldn’t feel right if the Urban Outlaw touch was applied to a modern docile Porsche with all-wheel drive, and fittingly the 997 GT2 is one of the most hardcore 911s in recent memory – packing the power of the AWD 911 Turbo with the weight savings and handling characteristics of the two-wheel drive layout.
At 523 horsepower right out of the box, the 997 GT2 is among the fastest 911s of all time, but that didn’t stop the SharkWerks team from adding even more power to the mix via an EVOMS EVT775 Signature turbo upgrade package.
The kit includes a pair of high-flowed VTG turbochargers, EVOMS exhaust manifolds, EVOMS Clubsport intercoolers, and a recalibrated ECU. Of course, SharkWerks also fitted the car with their own GT2 exhaust system featuring high-flow cats.
With the upgrades, the 911 is now putting down around 650 horsepower to the wheels – just about perfect for a vehicle that was built primarily with street use in mind.
Along with the sizable boost in power, Sharkwerks also treated the 997 to a number of chassis and drivetrain upgrades, including a GT2 RS flywheel, a SharkWerks Stage II clutch kit and an upgraded LSD from Guard Transmission.
Other chassis upgrades include RSS SharkWerks rear adjustable links, bump steer and toe steer kits, RSS adjustable thurst arm bushings and RSS semi-solid engine mounts.
This combination of upgrades not only improves the GT2’s already incredible performance capabilities, it makes for machine true to the spirit of vintage 911s. It isn’t a car you can just hop in and drive to its full potential, you have to learn its traits and respect it, and that’s something you often hear about driving an early 911.
The Outlaw Touch
So with the car’s performance set, it was time for Magnus to come up with a styling package that would apply his signature Outlaw look to the modern Porsche.
Beginning in the interior, the carbon fiber bucket seats have been refinished with an Aberdonian tartan fabric that Magnus found during a recent trip to Scotland.
It’s actually a rather subtle touch, but it makes for an instant connection between this car and the air-cooled machines that Magnus is known for.
As for the exterior, the body has been treated to a few simple modifications including GT3 RS fender flares, a GT2 RS front lip and a TechArt Gurney Flap wing in the rear.
The livery was created from a number of inspirations, including Magnus’s own STR 911 project, Porsche factory schemes, and privateer race cars from the ’70s and ’80s. The front and rear bumpers have been painted in orange, with Classic Sport Gray stripes and gold accents to tie everything together.
The color scheme actually does a very good job of adding classic flavor without looking out of place, and let’s not forget the Union Jack vinyl emblems on the wing for an added dose of character.
Not to be left out are the wheels: gold-finished, forged Champion Motorsport RS184s measuring 19×9-inch in the front and 19×12-inch in the rear with Michelin Sport Cup tires all around.
We’ve also heard rumblings that this car might be in line for a set of custom Fifteen52 Outlaw wheels, which would only serve to strengthen the retro vibe.
Those could just be the start of the further upgrades in store for the SharkWerks Outlaw GT2 in the future too, because written on the back of the rear spoiler in small letters is ‘Phase One’. As that suggests, it seems like there’s a lot more to come from this partnership…
For now, we very much dig the combination of old and new that this car brings to the table, and we’re certainly looking forward to seeing what happens next from this collaboration of Porsche-loving Brits who prowl the canyon roads of sunny California.
Mike Garrett
Instagram: speedhunters_mike
mike@speedhunters.com
Photos by Larry Chen
Instagram: larry_chen_foto
larry@speedhunters.com
SharkWerks Porsche 997 GT2 Outlaw
Engine
EVOMS EVT775 Signature turbo kit, EVOM EVT775 Clubsport ECU calibration, 7,000rpm rev limit with 91, 93 and 100 octane files, EVOMS high flow VTG turbochargers w/65mm billet compressor wheels, EVOMS Clubsport 44.5mm exhaust manifolds, SharkWerks GT2 exhaust & high-flow cats, EVOMS 3rd Generation Clubsport intercoolers, EVOMS reinforced silicone boost hoses, EVOMS reinforced silicone turbocharger air inlet ducts, EVOMS billet turbocharger boost recirculation valves, EVOMS EVT specification spark plugs, IPD competition intake plenum, OEM Porsche GT3 82mm throttle body, EVOMS high energy discharge ignition coils, EVOMS 997 TT intake manifold conversion
Driveline
SharkWerks Stage 2 clutch kit, GT2RS flywheel, Guard GT Pro Chromalloy LSD
Suspension/Chassis
Factory PCCBs, RSS/SharkWerks rear adjustable links, RSS/SharkWerks bump steer/toe steer kit & lock-out plates, RSS inner monoballs & adjustable thrust arm bushings, RSS semi-solid engine mounts
Wheels/Tires
Champion RS 184 forged monoblock wheels 19×9-inch (front) 19×12-inch (rear), Michelin Sport Cup tires 235/35R19 (front) 325/30R19 (rear)
Exterior
GT3 RS front fender flares, GT2 RS front lip, TechArt Gurney Flap wing, Magnus Walker custom paint scheme
Interior
Magnus Walker tartan plaid seat inserts
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