Gunther Werks Unveils The GXR-Evo, The Fastest Air-Cooled 911 Ever Built
Gunther Werks has unveiled the GXR-Evo, and it is exactly what nine years of motorsport-driven engineering looks like when nothing is held back. Limited to just 15 units worldwide, the car is the California-based restomod house’s most extreme 993-generation commission to date — a purpose-built circuit weapon that tips the scales at 2,386 pounds dry and puts 455 naturally aspirated horsepower through a six-speed manual transmission.
Revealed on August 14, 2026, during Monterey Car Week, the GXR-Evo is positioned as the fastest naturally aspirated car Gunther Werks has ever produced. There is no turbocharger, no power steering, and no concession to comfort. Every decision — from the slide-valve throttle bodies to the deleted rear window — was made in service of one objective: going faster on a circuit.
A 4.0-Liter Flat-Six Built To Scream To 9,000 RPM
The heart of the GXR-Evo is a naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six co-developed with Rothsport Racing, a shop that has built its reputation around air-cooled Porsche engines specifically. The four-cam, twin-valve unit produces 455 horsepower and revs to nearly 9,000 rpm — numbers that would be impressive in any context, but are particularly striking for an engine breathing nothing but atmosphere.
A specialized slide-valve throttle-body system replaces conventional butterfly valves, eliminating the airflow restriction that those valves introduce inside the intake tract. The result, Gunther Werks says, is razor-sharp throttle response and immediate power delivery that reinforces the naturally aspirated character rather than masking it. Drive goes through a comprehensively re-engineered Getrag G50 six-speed manual — the same transmission architecture that defined the 993 generation — keeping the mechanical connection intact.
Carbon Fiber Everywhere, 210 Pounds Lighter Than The Coupe
The GXR-Evo’s body is constructed entirely in 12k 2×2 carbon-fiber weave, and the aerodynamic package has been engineered from scratch rather than adapted from an existing road car. An aggressive front splitter works with canards and integrated tunnels that route air through vented front fenders to relieve pressure and generate front-end downforce. At the rear, a newly engineered high-downforce wing with sculpted carbon-fiber endplates handles the back of the car. The rear window has been deleted entirely and replaced with an integrated shark-fin stability element; carbon-fiber quarter windows feed air directly into the engine bay.
The result of all that work is a dry weight of 2,386 pounds — 210 pounds lighter than the Gunther Werks Coupe. Suspension is a bespoke double-wishbone setup up front, paired with JRZ three-way adjustable remote-reservoir dampers. Brembo Pista race brakes, motorsport-grade ABS, and lightweight magnesium center-lock wheels handle the stopping and cornering loads.
An Interior Stripped To Its Racing Essentials
Step inside and the GXR-Evo makes its intentions clear immediately. A Racetech carbon-Kevlar racing seat is secured by a Schroth six-point harness, and the driver sits within an eight-point roll cage. A fully configurable MoTeC digital display handles lap timing and race diagnostics. The steering wheel is a new quick-release unit, and a raw straight-pipe exhaust ensures the flat-six is heard as intended.
Additional track-focused hardware includes a built-in pneumatic air-jack system, a digital rearview mirror with integrated backup camera, an OMP electronic fire-suppression system, and a driver helmet cooling system for extended sessions. The GXR-Evo also marks the launch of a new partnership with OPTIMA Batteries, which will serve as the exclusive lithium battery supplier for future Gunther Werks projects.
Each Owner Gets A Bespoke MYSIM Racing Simulator
Exclusivity at this level comes with a detail that goes well beyond a numbered build plaque. Each of the 15 GXR-Evo owners receives a bespoke racing simulator commissioned in collaboration with MYSIM. Every unit is individually built, hand-welded from 6061-T6 aluminum, and clad in carbon-fiber panels that mirror the car’s own construction.
The simulator’s steering wheel is engineered to match the one in the actual GXR-Evo, so the driver’s first input in the virtual world is already a familiar one. Each simulator is precisely configured to replicate the dynamics of that owner’s specific car, giving drivers a way to learn a circuit or refine their technique before committing to the real thing. For a car this focused — and this rare — that kind of preparation tool isn’t a gimmick. It’s part of the ownership experience.
Nine years of development, 15 cars, no turbos, no power steering, and a simulator waiting at home. The GXR-Evo is not a road car that occasionally visits a track — it is a racing machine that Gunther Werks has made street-legal enough to get there under its own power. For the 15 buyers who commission one, that distinction will matter every time the flat-six climbs toward 9,000 rpm.
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