Porsche fans, look away now: Hyundai-powered Porsche

11 August, 2016

 

Yep, you read the heading right — American-based Bisimoto Engineering are building a V6 Hyundai-powered 1977 Porsche 911. Why would someone do such a thing, you ask? Well, when we mentioned Bisimoto, you probably could’ve guessed. As of late, Bisimoto Engineering are known for building mental Porsches, but they are better known in tuning circles for their handiwork with Hondas. They’ve built a 800hp single-cam D16-powered Honda Civic Shuttle, a 1000-plus horsepower Honda Odyssey, and an array of naturally aspirated builds. The 911 Porsche will be built for the 2017 SEMA Show, and, according to the Bisimoto team, will be one of their most insane builds to date. Hard to believe when you’ve seen their previous projects! If you’re a Porsche purist though, you’re probably not going to like it … 

The motor car as an art form

We have certainly come a long way since the exhibition entitled 8 Automobiles, shown at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in the autumn of 1951, the first exhibition concerned with the aesthetics of motor car design.
It was here that the often-used term ‘rolling sculpture’ was coined by curator Philip C Johnson, director of the department of architecture and design, when he said, “An automobile is a familiar 20th century artefact, and is no less worthy of being judged for its visual appeal than a building or a chair. Automobiles are hollow, rolling sculptures, and their design refinements are fascinating. We have selected cars whose details and basic design suggest that automobiles, besides being America’s most useful objects, could be a source of visual experience more enjoyable than they now are.”

More to the point

This Daimler SP252 is so rare, few people know it exists. It’s one of a kind. It’s the only surviving, in fact the only SP252 ever completed; the would-be successor to the SP250 Daimler Dart. It is also the last sports car to have been designed by Jaguar’s legendary founder, Sir William Lyons.
Perhaps one of the original Dart’s biggest problems was it’s somewhat-divisive looks. It certainly went well enough to win fans, although Sir William wasn’t among them. It crushed the opposition in the Bathurst six-hour race, finishing five laps ahead of anyone else, and it was snapped up by police forces in Britain, Australia, and New Zealand, as it was the fastest thing on the road.
So you’d think a stunning new body with the magic Lyons touch would have been a surefire success. Why this car never made it into production is still something of a mystery, as the official explanations barely stack up.