Every year it seems like the number of Porsches appearing at SEMA grows exponentially. This year you couldn’t walk two feet without running into an RWB Porsche, one of Magnus’ 911s, or even Magnus himself. However, there was one Porsche in particular that stood out from the rest, a retro-mod slant-nose 997.
Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue
No ones getting married, at least that we know of, but the phrase still seems appropriate given this latest creation from Old & New in Japan. Like a lot of road going Porsche options, the slant nose style started on the track. In 1976 Porsche fielded their first 911 with a “flat nose”. When competitors complained that the car didn’t comply with a line in the rule book that stated “the silhouette from the car must match that from the series car from which it is derived“, Porsche suggested they read the rule book again and pointed specifically to a line that said, “The silhouette must match that of the series car from which the car is derived, as described by a line going along the middle of the car.” Clearly, there are no headlights in the middle of the car, so hence the slant-nose was legal. Pure Porsche logic. As the more aerodynamically competitive Porsches started to dominate the track, demand for similar street cars grew and the first “flachboau” optioned 911 was built in 1981. From there, the rest is history. The Porsche became so popular and factory cars so rare, that every cocaine cowboy who needed one could buy a body kit and convert a regular 911 at will.
Fast forward to today, and designer Kei Miura borrowed from his already famous Rocket Bunny kits to create the slant-nose version you see here from Old & New. Built on a 2008 997 Carrera S, in a beautiful shade of Sea Blue, this SEMA appropriate Porsche features a full body kit along with custom interior.
DL Design Porsche® 997 C2S
I’ve never really been a huge fan of the slant-nose 911s. Maybe I’ve seen too many poorly done conversions. Regardless, this 997 conversion pulls at my heart strings just enough that I might consider it. No official word on U.S. pricing for the kit, but the Old & New web-site puts Japanese pricing at ¥1,550,000, which converts to $14,800 USD. The short, official press release from the SEMA press kit follows at the bottom.
“Old meets New” with this 2008 Porsche® 997 designed by Kei Miura which boasts a full repaint in Sea Blue. The car has Motorsport Cup mirrors and ‘Cup’ quarter glass, along with a carbon fiber roof. Its full custom interior includes an AIMSPORT GT350 steering wheel, a CAE shifter, Techno Craft carbon fiber bucket seats, and a full cage constructed by GMG. An Air Lift Performance Suspension provides the stance which complements the 19″ Rotiform LSR wheels. For maximum grip, this car has 265/30ZR19 and 305/30ZR19 Toyo® Proxes® R888R™ tires.