Turbocharged 993 Silhouette Monster Duels with Modern 997 RSR

In a battle between homegrown, tuner-crazy ingenuity and strict precision mandated by strict category rules, we get a dazzling view into how two very differently-built 911s handle on a high-speed circuit.

Under most circumstances, a Porsche 997 RSR, would never seem commonplace. However, the way the silver 993 Turbo in this video performs, at least in the straight line— the RSR feels almost plain.

Shock and horror—it’s not actually a 993

Instead, it’s a tube-framed silhouette GTP1 racer built by Fabcar with some 800 horsepower driving those massive rear wheels. It’s laggy, has incredible traction, is rudely quick down the straights, and brakes reasonably well, too—so it’s a force to be reckoned with at somewhere like Road America, where power is king. Say what you will about paying for club performance, but it’s a monumentally quick machine that has afforded a shop and an enthusiast the opportunity to exercise their own creativity and annoy the guys with the professional equipment.

Friedman—our camera man and someone with two decades of racing experience—uses his superior racecraft and consummate skill to keep his rival’s car from becoming a silver speck on the horizon. Additionally, his around-the-outside passes at Turns 9 and 10 show he has faith in his car where the 993 driver doesn’t. It also helps that the responsive 3.8-liter is kept in the prime of its powerband thanks to the sequential gearbox, and as a result, Friedman’s always able to close the gap in the technical sections.

In fact, his duel-clinching move shows him driving around the outside in Turn 8 with greater entry speed and an engine howling in the meat of its rev range (5:55). The driver in the Turbo, having played a little too defensively, cramps his line and is left lagging, and, with a serious knock to the ego, is forced to relinquish the lead to the bold man in the RSR.