A Porsche 911 Carrera That Will Make You Say 'Gee Willikers!'

• March 28, 2017
• Story By
  David Ishikawa

While we were strolling the halls of Tokyo Auto Salon this year, we were hit with a "Gee Willikers!" moment: "Did Batman turn his Batmobile into an RWB?" When we got closer, we found ourselves to be wrong on both accounts. One, it was not an RWB and two, it was not owned by a billionaire playboy who fights crime in his free time.

What we had before us was in fact a very unique 1989 Porsche 930 911 Turbo — the only one of its kind, actually. Built by Studio Allica for customer Kouichi Kakuma, it is a one-off piece of craftsmanship that serves both as a test-bed and as a showcase.

Growing Pains

Sometimes cars are not a builder's first passion. For Kakuma, it was an unfortunate event with his motorcycle that forced him to transition to something with four wheels — his two-wheel love now turned to four-wheels.

After making an agreement with his wife, he started to look for something that would give him a similar thrill as his bikes did, options ranging from classics such as the Hakosuka and Kenmeri Skylines to Ferraris and Corvettes. His search eventually led him to the Porsche 911 Turbo.

Originally equipped with a sunroof, this made the body roll too much for Kakuma's liking, so he sought out a shop that could help him remove it. He ended up meeting Akira Funahashi who also happened to attend the same school when they were younger. If Kakuma is Batman, then Funahashi is his Alfred, because what came next was a series of modifications that would transform the Porsche into something special.

The Studio

Studio Allica is a design and modeling shop specializing in custom body components. Founded in 2010 by former NATS graduate Funahashi, Studio Allica made a big splash at this year's Tokyo Auto Salon with Kakuma's 911. Awarded first place in the import class, this great accomplishment gave Studio Allica much more visibility within Japan as well as internationally.

Carbon (Almost) Everything

Starting with Kakuma's first request, Funahashi started by creating a replacement roof to eliminate the sunroof. As with most pieces produced by Studio Allica, the roof is a single piece of wet carbon formed from the original. Secured to the frame, phase one was complete.

That is how it started, and now, while still unfinished, almost every body panel has been expertly molded in carbon fiber. During the design process, aerodynamics, airflow to cooling components and the ability to support performance upgrades were all taken into account.

Mistaken Identity

The fenders, at first look, might fool you in to thinking they were RWB. But upon closer inspection, you'll find that the flow of the lines are noticeably different. The fenders are more of a complete replacement than mere add-on flares. This makes the lines appear smoother and seamless, which was part of the design brief.

Fitted under the widened fenders is a set of SSR SP-1 Professors in 18x9 -7s in the front and 18x13 -19s in the rear. The wheels are kept planted by adjustable coilovers and 4K front springs and 8K rear — all helpful components when Kakuma takes his Porsche to nearby hill climbs and track days.

Additionally, an intake vent and exhaust vent were crafted and added to the front fender to ensure the oil cooler gets adequate cooling. After we captured some rolling shots, we clearly saw how the air flew through the fender by tracing the lines left by the water.

Lighter Is Faster

Leaving the engine virtually untouched, the only other way to make performance gains was to put as much of the remaining parts on a carbon fiber diet — which included the front and rear bumpers, doors and front cowl.

According to Funahashi, the front cowl was the most difficult piece to produce, taking two attempts. The first attempt is sitting out back behind the shop. The fact that the cowl tilts forwards when open is a unique custom touch, and when open, it reveals a carbon fiber "leather" trunk cover.

The difficulty in producing the front cowl was well worth it, as it is happens to be Kakuma's favorite part of his car.

Form Equals Function

The aggressive appearance of the car's rear is due to necessity. During a hill climb, Kakuma became quite concerned as the rear would start to lose grip when cornering at 120 km per hour (roughly 75 mph). This led to the development of the rear spoiler.

Originally intended to be a GT2-style engine cover, the addition of the GT wing now helps keep the car stable. According to Kakuma, because the three surfaces were able to create downforce in the rear, the GT wing did not need to be placed above the roof line.

Rounding things off in the back, the air intake with integrated vortex generators is a stunning piece in itself. Multi-functional, it directs cool air to the turbine while simultaneously adding more stability.

Carbon Insides

With the scissor carbon fiber doors, Kakuma added a bit of flare. When open, they reveal a relatively modest interior.

A 7-point roll cage and Recaro SPG and SRS racing seats keep the occupants secure. The amount of carbon fiber results in a very unique sound inside when driving.

A deep cone Momo steering wheel and aluminum shifter round off the interior, while they found additional weight savings with carbon fiber door panels and polycarbonate windows.

Minimal Modification

The engine is the least modified part of the car. Essentially stock, only the airflow has been improved, including the aforementioned air intake, an OBX stainless exhaust manifold and a custom titanium exhaust by Yuki Tech.

Engine movement has been eliminated with aluminum mounts, while air fuel mixture is maintained with the help of an APEXi AFC, equivalent to approximately 230 horsepower.

Naked

The carbon fiber skin has been left exposed, giving the Porsche a unique matte finish. The only color comes from a pair of Group C, Turbo RUF (CTR) headlights. According to both Kakuma and Funahashi, there is still more to be done with the Porsche.

We hope to see it battling it out in future hill climbs, even alongside Porsches from the likes of RWB, The Check Shop and others during an upcoming Idlers event.

Tuning Menu

1989 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2

Check out the gallery below to see more of Studio Allica's Porsche 911 Turbo.