Friday 14th March 2003

911 San Diego Express

Hilarious name for monstrous 911 conversion

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Hamann displayed its wares at the Geneva Motor Show and amongst the various projects it had on show was the wonderfully named "Hamann San Diego Express".

What the Germans lack in naming skills, they make up for in mad engineering though. The SDE is a 911GT3 with gull wing doors. Costing 239,000 Euros (about £150,000), it comes complete with a bodykit and liquid silver metallic paint which changes its shade dependent on the level of sunlight.

As well as giving the SDE a new look, the bodykit also serves the purpose of blending in the flared wheel arches. These bulbous arches are only 3.5cm wider each side of the car, but its enough to get some 13Jx19 rims squeezed in wearing ultra skinny 315/25 ZR 19 tyres at the back. A revised suspension set up including new anti-roll bars are required to handle the enormous rims.

The roof hasn't been left alone either. Hamann fit a glass panel together with an air scoop giving the car an air of 'racer'.

To give the car the power to match its looks, Hamann tweak the GT3 engine to give a handy 412bhp.

Where else can 911 owners get such a unique look?

www.hamann-motorsport.de

[sublimatica]

Where else can 911 owners get such a unique look?

Good one, Ted.

[verysideways]

Okay, call me a freak but

I like the doors.

So maybe i'd be more inclined to buy a X50'd turbo and get them to convert the doors and leave it at that, but if i had tht sort of money...
You've got to admit, it's different!



VS

[apache]

Where else can 911 owners get such a unique look?

Halfords?

[Miguel]

As if the standard versions of today's high-end, mainstream European cars aren't already appropriate enough for pimps, rappers, and other assorted poseurs...

[domster]

apache said:

Where else can 911 owners get such a unique look?

Halfords?

Ultima...

C'mon, gull wing doors, air scoop... you might as well get an Ultima GTR. The Ultima even weighs less and would be more powerful with a good spec engine.

I love the new GT3 the way it is.

[RichardR]

Must be a bit of a nightmare having to pick up all the shit that falls out of your door pockets every time you get in and out of the car!

[kevinday]

I guess you would need a gable-roofed double garage just for the one car

[Podie]

er.. is it me, or does there not look to be enough room to get in and out of those doors with ease..?

Not exactly scissor doors... nor gullwings in the true sense... I've just got visions of people smacking their head on entry/egress...!

[v8thunder]

Imagine if they'd done this in the 80s! At least it's not as much of a pig's ear as the Hamman Las Vegas - the 911 is more of a 'gullwing' kinda car. The other add-ons look like they came from Halfords, and, somewhere, a Manchester scally will be wondering why his Civic is on bricks...

[456mgt]

Hmmm. I rather like it. Halfords you say...

[LotusV8]

Get rid of that extra little spoiler on the already present spoiler and it would look fantastic!

[Graham.J]

PUT THE DRUGS AND THE M*X P*WER MAGAZINE AWAY HAMANN. You've ruined a few too many gorgeous cars for my liking.

Anyone have any information on the Sportec GT2?

Subtle body styling.....BIG POWER

[johnf]

Graham.J said: PUT THE DRUGS AND THE M*X P*WER MAGAZINE AWAY HAMANN. You've ruined a few too many gorgeous cars for my liking.

Anyone have any information on the Sportec GT2?

Yep, good point that one is impressive.
Just the 650bhp though?

[Dr Alex]

Graham.J said:

Anyone have any information on the Sportec GT2?

Subtle body styling.....BIG POWER

It just so happens I know more than a little about this Mr J.

I couldn’t say nowt before coz of legal malarkey, but from next week AmD become the UK agent for Sportec.

I just need to somehow convince the boss I really really need the 650bhp GT2 as my company run-around .......


come on Daz you know your 996 turb needs more power.......

[juliantaylor]

Lawks. Anyone else wondering whether they managed to land a job lot of those door hinges of the back of a lorry Del-boy Trotter style - and are now trying to out them smartish?
Love the comment about the crap falling out of the door bins... brought to mind that scene with the F16 in the Naked Gun movie.. or was it Hot Shots.. I have such taste in movies!

[katem]

Love the doors, but would have to be careful not to hang on to them while trying to get out, body kit belongs on a nova.

If they wanted more power they should have started with the turbo, and besides "turbo" has "cred down da cruise init Ham man"

[smele]

Yeesssssss, well. Don't understand the doors. Suppose you have to park the car and leave the doors open all the time to impress passers by.

[pesty]

Nice coulor but id rather have a RUF R turbo or a gemballa GT600

[dazren]

pesty said:
Nice coulor but id rather have a RUF R turbo or a gemballa GTR600

Well said that man. Or any of the new batch of 750bhp UberRingSters of Herrs Gemballa, Ruf and Techart.

DAZ

PS - What a waste of a GT3, absolutely unforgivable. George Dubya, I give you Hammann, leader of the axis of evil, automotive branch. Do what you need to do.

[Graham.J]

Dr Alex said:It just so happens I know more than a little about this Mr J.

I couldn’t say nowt before coz of legal malarkey, but from next week AmD become the UK agent for Sportec.

I just need to somehow convince the boss I really really need the 650bhp GT2 as my company run-around .......

OOH GOODIE

And yes, company run-around, purely to spread the word and mobile advertising of course