Jay Leno Samples Workshop’s Punchy Air-Cooled 911 Hot Rod

Workshop 5001 is giving Singer and GProgramm a run for their money when it comes to high-performance, air-cooled 911s.

Before the market for air-cooled Porsche 911 models exploded into what it is today, finding a shop that was willing to transform an old model into something special was a difficult task. Now that air-cooled 911s are going for absurd prices, numerous shops have emerged, like Singer and GProgramm, that offer owners with the ability to get a one-of-a-kind 911. On a recent episode of Jay Leno’s Garage, Leno samples a Porsche 911 from a relatively new shop,  Workshop 5001.

We’ve seen the shop’s work before in the form of the 1973 911 that was finished in the incredible shade of Nardo Gray. This time, the L.A.-based company that has an ex-Singer employee at the helm, is back with a 1974 Porsche 911 hot rod. The blue beauty is a track car that just happens to be able to be used on the street. And with that in mind, the sports car has benefitted from various upgrades.

The original engine, a 2.7-liter flat-six has been replaced with a 3.6-liter engine from a 964 that has been enlarged to a 3.8-liter unit. The engine now cranks out 339 horsepower, which is quite a lot more than the original motor could muster. Besides the engine, the interior has also been stripped out and now features a full-roll cage, racing seats, and a sportier steering wheel.

The perky little blue machine, as Leno finds, is a blast to drive. And while some may not like the looks, Marlon Goldberg, the individual behind the shop, didn’t want to take things too far. Goldberg tells Leno that he wanted to embrace the 911’s special features instead of completely transforming the machine. And Leno, loves the “pure mechanical feel” of everything.

In addition to the blue ’74, the shop brought another custom machine, a 1973 Porsche 911T that they built, which Leno gets to explore. From what we’ve seen before and from the video above, Workshop 5001’s work is amazing and can give the big boys a run for their money.