barbancourt

I think part of it is that the cost to acquire a 996 is relatively low, and it’s a great candidate for an “outlaw” 911. Since most people can’t afford a Singer, a 996 with an FSI engine and some tasteful interior/exterior mods gets you a really nice driver at a lower/comparable cost to the next cheapest 911 in good/stock condition that you can buy. Even with a stock M96 engine that might blow up on me any day, I still don’t miss my 997.2. These car has seriously grown on me. I don’t like the 996.1 headlights... I love them.

Flat6 Innovations

Yeah.. I haven’t had less than a 8 month backlog since 1998. For over a decade it’s been 12+ months from order to completion.
I forgot what it was like to not be busy.

I have to admit, life was easier when I wasn’t busy. It was better in a lot of ways, too.. But people were also a lot different and easier to please/ less entitled/ more respectful back then, too. Today I spent 1/2 of my effort making sure we don’t end up dealing with jerks.

Porschetech3

"outlaw" 996's are cool too, but they need to remain true to the spirit, ie Zomb..no morphodites allowed (Ls3 ect are cool "cars" but they lose the "spirit".)

You could write a book " How to de-jerk your business " it would be an NYT Best Seller for sure..
My oldest sister was a carrier Journalist and her husband was a 25 year NYT Editor, but still none of her stuff got to NYT Best Seller List.

nrp3

You can’t please everyone. You don’t want to or need to. Period. The power of saying no is liberating. I need to do it more.

Flat6 Innovations

I could write books about a lot of things. The issue is today's modern human would have "PTSD" after finishing the first book. I'd be called every name in the book, just for saying things the way they are.
It was starting to get bad enough in my classes that I was having to watch what I said- so I stopped doing classes. I will not be restrained!

As Steve Jobs said "If you want to be in a business where you please everyone- sell ice cream". Today that wouldn't even work, because the jackasses would complain about the temperature of the ice cream, or say that their filling fell out of a tooth because of it.

I'm limiting my personal schedule to fewer Porsche engines, and more vintage VW engines. I find that going back to my roots is very rewarding, and the purchasers are completely different to deal with. Now that I've finished Bill's R40 I am onto revitalizing something that's 50 years old, and quadrupling it's original output. I probably won't build another M9X personally for the rest of the year.

GPappy

And that would be a shame. I can't afford an R40 but I have watched the video and hope to build my own engine before I am to old to enjoy it. I have enjoyed reading of your accomplishments. Thank you for what you have done to improve these engines.

Flat6 Innovations

I keep things changed up.. I build a few M9Xs, then do a few Aircooled's, then take a break, then do some R&D work, then go back to some M9Xs again. The schedule is built 2 years in advance, and I tend to stack things up in succession, before changing it up.
If I don't do this, R&D suffers, and I get bored, too.

I have a ton of workload to continue SUMEBore cylinder development.

nrp3

I need variety in what I do for work. I get bored easily. I suspect taking a break for awhile from those, keeps the quality at the level you expect when you do return to working on them.

Flat6 Innovations

Yes, and in the meantime my other 3 engine builders (the newest has been here 15 years) knock out the regularly scheduled builds.
i also change things up for them a bit, and every few months I’ll give them an aircooled engine, or a turbo or other flavor of Mezger to keep them sharp.

NAMR6MT

I get the feeling that folks are disappointed that obtaining an R engine is beyond their grasp due to the cost and time constrains. Fact is, a stage II for any model car is sufficient for even the most demanding driver. I absolutely love my Porsche and want to (and have) add the highest quality components available. Yes, an R engine would be the pinnacle but, even for me, spending double and waiting that extremely prolonged amount of time is beyond what I'm willing to do. Besides, an engine cover would hide its aesthetics in my case.

Flat6 Innovations

It wouldn’t be special if everyone could have one.
I came up with the R- Series so I could have some personal fun with builds again, and offer something that was above everything else.

Thats all.. I never did it to add to the bottom line of my company, as it wasn’t about money at all. It still isn’t. It keeps me involved and it keeps me challenged with exceptional detail.

Money or time haven’t been a challenge with sales of these. Right now I could have a backlog of these R- Series engines through 2023 if I would accept them. I won’t, because it adds work keeping that many more people updated.
The next 4 of these R- Series engines I have to build are R43 and R44, but I am working on a SUMEbore R46 @4.6L for 2023. The test engine for that one is ready to go together now. If this works out it’ll be time for a 5.0 and the X- Series will be born.

Yeah, a Stage II is anything that anyone would ever want.. The others are just cool stuff that we do because we can, and no one else will.

Back to something 5 decades old for me this week. I love it, and live it!

Porschetech3

Did you say "5.0" ?
<< pulls out tape measure = 833cc per cyl..

Flat6 Innovations

Loud and clear. Made possible by SUMEBore and some advanced level internals derived from non- Porsche engines.

996fried

How truly sad that our society, in general, has institutionalized a form of alienation from reality while at the same time rushing to adopt cultural insanity. Unfortunately, it has become quite fashionable in today’s society to be so preposterously arrogant by people who have no talent or ability to do the kind of work that is done at Flat 6.

[/QUOTE]I get the feeling that folks are disappointed that obtaining an R engine is beyond their grasp due to the cost and time constraints. Fact is, a stage II for any model car is sufficient for even the most demanding driver. I absolutely love my Porsche and want to (and have) add the highest quality components available. Yes, an R engine would be the pinnacle but, even for me, spending double and waiting that extremely prolonged amount of time is beyond what I'm willing to do. Besides, an engine cover would hide its aesthetics in my case.[QUOTE]

Look, I would love to have an R40, regardless, but perhaps I would be better served to have a well-mannered machine with a little more fart and torque of a stage 1 motor that has been blessed with proper refinements that meet and exceed my appetite for a great driving experience without all of those associated problems. The fact is, at least we have choices......
clairy

Optionman1

Jake, just curious, how many R40 996 engines exist, if you're willing to share?