Six-time French hillclimbing champion Nicolas Werver has one of the more impressive pieces of Porsche hardware on the French hillclimb circuit: a 997 GT2 made to go racing.
After several successful seasons with a narrow-bodied 997 Cup, Werver felt he needed a faster Porsche to stay competitive. To fulfill this need for speed the Frenchman followed the forced-induction route with the 997 GT2 that he quickly modified with some GT3 R-esque bodywork and put together this remarkable machine. Interesting that he switched from a dedicated racing Porsche to a modified production 911, but more power is always attractive—perhaps, even at the cost of some agility.
Unfortunately, the 600-horsepower turbo motor also complicates matters somewhat. The Porsche’s long teething period was defined by issues with hoses blowing off, faulty wheel sensors, and flimsy gearboxes incapable of handling the 600 horsepower available. Eventually, Werver replaced the standard H-pattern with a paddle-shifted sequential gearbox. This not only allows him to keep his hands on the wheel the whole time—a good thing when the Porsche breaks its Michelin slicks loose —but also maximizes the power advantage. Long, fast, flowing sections are where this powerhouse excels. In fact, it looks to grow more neutral as the speeds increase, and with the Racetech holding him firmly in place, Werver seems at his best threading the needle at triple-digit speeds.