- southern california fabrication shop russell built, known for fabricating singer vehicle design 911 cars, is now taking orders for its own off-road ready porsche 911.
- the russell built car, based on a 964-generation 911, is powered by a 365-hp 3.8-liter flat-six with custom internals, throttle bodies, and intake manifold.
- pricing starts around $380,000 and maxes out around $650,000 for more luxurious models, as the drive reported.
tj russell, owner of the southern california shop russell built, gained experience working on air-cooled porsches by fabricating awesome restored porsche 911s from singer vehicle design. now russell has branched off on his own to create a baja 1000–ready air-cooled 911 from the 964 generation, and now orders can be placed.
each russell built 911 will be custom made to order in any specification the customer wants. in doing so, the intention is to maintain the heart and soul of the 964-generation 911 russell says he's trying to create "something that might have come out of the porsche race factory had they continued their efforts in off-road racing into the 1990s with the 964."
transforming a 911 into an off-road racer is no easy task. the chassis and suspension needed to be strengthened, and the center of gravity needed to be adjusted. so, the track was widened 14 inches, and the wheelbase was stretched three inches. by replacing all of the body panels with lightweight components, the 911's weight has been brought down more than 400 pounds. the russell built 911 prototype is equipped with 15 x 7.0-inch fifteen52 integrale wheels wrapped with toyo open country a/t ii tires.
in the front, the suspension is mounted to the chassis, supported by a tub structure integrated into the factory tub. this allows drivers to be able to replace essential components on the fly. a set of 2.5-inch three-way adjustable coil-overs allows for a full 12 inches of suspension travel in the front. in the back, the car gets 3.0-inch three-way adjustable coil-overs that allow for 13.5-inches of travel, along with an adjustable nascar-style rear sway bar.
russell built partnered with rothsport racing to increase the engine displacement from 3.6 to 3.8 liters by adding custom internals, throttle bodies, and an intake manifold controlled by a motec ecu. the upgraded engine produces 365 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque and is mated to a stock carrera c4 drivetrain with rear- and all-wheel-drive systems available.
customers can order their russell built 911 with a variety of interior carpets and leather finishes. but every one comes equipped with a race-spec roll cage, motec digital display, and sparco spx carbon racing seats. additionally, the cabin is welded, sealed, and sprayed with sound deadening and ceramic coating.
russell built debuted its 911 prototype at the sema show in las vegas this fall. now orders can be placed starting at $380,000 and maxing out around $650,000 for more luxurious models.