1,000 horsepower in a 2014 Porsche 991 Turbo S. Yeah, that should do it.
Actually, to be exact, CSF Cooling’s new project makes 647whp on pump gas, 807whp on 100 octane, and a healthy 986whp at 30psi with a tank of E85. So what does this power actually translate into, you might ask? A couple weekends back at Motovicity’s Never Lift Half Mile event these figures were good enough to earn the title of ‘Fastest German Car’ of the weekend — no small task during an outing like this, mind you. Ravi Dolwani took the CSF 991 to a hair over 186mph (299km/h) in just 2,640 feet or 805 meters. Or, yep, a half mile.
That’s well and good, but what we don’t immediately realize are the astounding physics which surround a speed like this. Considering 186mph on the 315/30R20 rear tires this car wears, this speed equates to said tire making nearly 40 revolutions every second. This comes out to some 2,050gs, which is to say over two thousand times the force of gravity. Imagine for a second if you weighed 300,000 pounds and were stomping around on an airstrip — that’s right, you can’t.
This car is mind-numbingly fast, and somehow still a pleasant drive on the street. But how?
As the owner of CSF, Ravi was looking for another company demo vehicle that would challenge his company to showcase what CSF is capable of doing rather than simply building a car that simply wears parts they make. This is a car, and company, which is truly walking the walk with 1,000-plus crank horsepower to boot.
The new-to-CSF Turbo S has seen just over a thousand miles on its completely rebuilt and ramped-up block which features an Evospec/CP forged piston set, Evospec/Carrillo H-beam connecting rods with Carr bolts, an Evospec head stud kit, press-in iron liners, head gaskets, rod bearings, and on and on. The punch comes thanks to an EVOMS EVT1100 system which makes use of BorgWarner EFR 7163 ball-bearing turbochargers paired with Turbosmart IWG actuators which have been custom plumbed and fitted to a custom-valved exhaust which utilizes a muffler for highway and city cruising.
Just don’t try it at home; Ravi didn’t, instead turning to John Bray from Evospec and Sam Stone from Evolution Motorsports (EVOMS) of Arizona. Of course, the build also features a couple parts from CSF Cooling to help bump the power and keep things cool: a 4.5-inch thick high performance intercooler as well as a three-piece all-aluminum radiator kit. All of these components are a drop-in fit for the 991 platform, making for painless upgrades from the OEM pieces.
Ravi first heard about this particular car some nine months ago when he “got the tip that a customer of Evolution Motorsports started this crazy project car, and it wasn’t finished… I called Sam, the owner of Evolution Motorsports, and got the story.” The project was started in 2016 when the 991 Turbo platform was relatively new, and a near 1,000whp build was uncharted territory.
Ravi ended up swooping the car as an unfinished project in late December of last year after some details were buttoned up to get the 991 running. Shortly after, the car saw its first event, No Fly Zone in Arizona, where it was shaken down with a few 183mph (294km/h) passes. Casual. After a solid first event, Ravi says he had about a month before Never Lift, so he “went to work to make sure the car looked as good as it is fast!” We’ll start with the interior….
Sleeper Style
In the cabin are the creature comforts necessary for highway cruising and airstrip attacking, like I mentioned. You’ll notice nice touches like the yellow instrument clusters which contrast nicely with the black leather interior and Agate Grey exterior and also match the brake calipers.
You’ll also find a full dash and reclining Sparco SPX seats which feature custom upholstery and are bolted in with seat bases from GMG, all paired with Schroth 5-point harnesses. Sure, Ravi’s sacrificed the rear seats in the CSF Turbo S, but let’s be honest, they’re fairly useless anyway — no kids have any business going 186 miles an hour…
Outside, Ravi has maintained the near-sleeper aesthetic the car had when he picked it up, but he couldn’t help but upgrade a few odds and ends. A Sterling Auto Con 991.2 rear conversion with shaved intercooler ducting and blacked out reflectors has given the Porsche a nice butt-lift, and the smoked 991.2 tail lights help complete the look out back.
It’s worth pointing out these upgrades go beyond aesthetics as the ducts are functional, providing a ram-air effect to the intercoolers which are tucked into the rear fenders.
Moving towards the front of the car, Ravi’s chosen the 991.2 GT3 RS side ducts which look nice with the subtle yet effective GT2 RS side skirts. Meanwhile, the front lip is the Turbo aero-kit piece.
Still, it doesn’t look like a car that’s packing a 1,000-plus horsepower powerplant, but such is life at CSF. I’ll also mention that modern Porsches typically don’t do much for me, but this setup checks so many of the right boxes. It looks good, it sounds good, it’s far more comfortable than it should be, and it’s incredibly quick down low and up high.
Ravi tells me isn’t done fiddling around with the rear end look just yet and it’ll be cool to see what he comes up with to improve on the car. Something about a custom ducktail by Sterling Autocon, which is almost always a step in the right direction…
How Does It Feel?
If you’ve ever been around dedicated half-mile cars, you’ll know they’re a bit finicky. Parachutes tend to get in the way on the freeway, engines which need warm fluids pumped through them before cranking are a bit of a drag, and ditching the air-con, mufflers, and everything else you possibly can makes them at least a little hard to live with in almost every way.
And that’s the beauty of this car; it just doesn’t have any of these shortcomings.
Ravi says the “Sparco SPX seats are crazy comfortable — way more than the OEM seats that were in there before. This was a big surprise to have an aftermarket ‘race seat’ be more comfortable than OEM [while still looking] like it belongs in an exotic.” Then there’s the fact that the ‘MAP 1′ tune good for 91 octane pump gas, which still produces around 650 horsepower to the wheels with a conservative 18psi.
“The car is an animal in MAP 3,” Ravi adds. “Smash the gas, hold on tight, and drive through any squirly traction slip. [It feels] like you’re on a roller coaster, even as the driver. Warp speed type fast.”
I guess I’ll take his word for it, since I’m still waiting for my invite for a drive.
It might be a long wait, as Ravi seems to be wholeheartedly enjoying the car all to himself. From the blue Advan GT center-lock wheels to the .2 rear bumper conversion to the comfy reclinable Alcantara-trimmed seats, Ravi admits he has a hard time pinpointing exactly what it is that makes him love this car so much.
Personally, I think it might have something to do with the fact that Ravi took the Turbo S up towards 190mph on its second outing. Speed like that just doesn’t get old, and I’m positive CSF’s latest project has a whole lot more runs left in it.
Trevor Yale Ryan
trevor@speedhunters.com
Instagram: tyrphoto
TYRphoto.com
Photos by James Lipman
Instagram: jameslipman