More F1-Engined Porsche 930 TAG Turbos Are Coming, Now With 625 HP

One of the stranger cars in the expansive Porsche pantheon is the 930 TAG Turbo. For decades, the mere existence of the Formula 1-engined 911 was just a rumor. Well, not only is it real, but there are about to be a few more of them out there—and with more performance than ever before.

The original Porsche 930 TAG Turbo came about in the 1980s as an offshoot of McLaren's F1 team according to Stuttcars. McLaren partnered with Porsche to develop an answer to Renault's powerful turbo engines, culminating in an—unusual for Porsche—1.5-liter twin-turbo V6. The TAG-funded (and therefore TAG-branded) engine needed a testbed, and that testbed would be a 911 Turbo. And so, the 930 TAG Turbo was born.

Some years ago, McLaren's partner Lanzante (which won Le Mans with an F1 GTR) decided to expand the TAG Turbo's numbers to a small production run and bought up the remaining engines. The newest iteration will debut at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed with a new name: the TAG Championship.

With the help of Cosworth, their Grand Prix-used F1 engines have reportedly been reworked to make them more drivable on the road. They've received new internals, better cooling, and modern, titanium turbochargers. Power output apparently swells from the previous version's 503 horsepower to 625 hp, and they'll now rev to a lofty 10,250 rpm. Paired with a modified six-speed manual from a 993 (with unique ratios), the top speed is thought to exceed 200 mph.

It'll get there in a jiffy too, as it features tons of carbon fiber in its body, and has had its interior stripped back to the minimum. There may be a roll cage and Recaro bucket seats, but the cuts have reportedly shed more than 880 pounds, bringing dry weight down to 2,028 pounds. I've taken bigger dumps than that.

Such a majestic build deserves equally regal styling touches, like its McLaren MP4/2-inspired wheels and steering wheel. Its livery is modeled after the helmet Alain Prost wore in 1985, one of the three drivers' championships that the three TAG Championships pay homage to. That's right, just three of them, and it's hard to imagine they haven't already been spoken for.

As for cost? Come on now. It would be uncouth to ask.

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