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First Look

The RML P39 Project 40SE is a 900bhp Turbo S with a Le Mans-inspired tracksuit

Just 10 will be made and sold at an estimated cost of £750k a pop

Published: 16 Oct 2024

When is a Porsche 911 not a Porsche 911? When it’s the P39 Project from the RML Group, obviously. This is the ‘40th Special Edition’ (40SE) to celebrate the British racing outfit’s 40th anniversary, and despite the wild looks, it’s about as road-legal as yer average Nissan Micra.

In essence, a 992.1 Turbo S with everything involving speed, handling and ride cranked up to 11 and sprayed with Nando’s extra hot sauce, it’s ‘projected’ to chop around five seconds off the 992 GT3 RS’ Nürburgring time (6m 49s) and over 30 from the standard Turbo’s. Thirty!

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It’s hardly surprising given the 40SE packs 900bhp/738lb ft thanks to upgraded turbos, intercoolers, manifolds and catalytic converters attached to the freshly mapped flat-six engine. 0-60mph has been brought down to 2.4s, though the top speed remains unchanged at 205mph. There’s a tuned Inconel sports exhaust for more bark too.

But what makes the 40SE truly special is its Le Mans Hypercar class-inspired looks. The body is now made from carbon fibre instead of aluminium, and the aftermarket bumpers, splitters and wings have active aero and DRS tech incorporated.

The chassis has been stretched and widened, and there’s a hydraulic height adjuster which, in its most aggressive setting, means a peak of 923kg of downforce at 177mph. That’s over 4.5 times more than a normal Turbo S produces. It also means this thing can actually get over shopping car park speed bumps too.

RML has quoted a pre-tax amount of £495,000 plus a donor car for each of the 10 examples that will be built. In Top Gear arithmetic, that’s closer to £750,000 once decoded. A lot for a 911, or a bargain for not-a-911?

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