Daily Slideshow: What it's Like Inside SharkWerks
Spend some time with Porsche owners and the name SharkWerks is bound to come up. Today we get an inside peek at how the magic happens.
The Porsche Promise Land
Tucked away in Northern California is a company renowned for their modified Porsche builds. SharkWerks has a reputation for creating high horsepower supercar killers while retaining the factory Porsche reliability and driveability. Thanks to Trevor Yale Ryan at Speedhunters we get a peek into what makes this company and their facility so special.
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The Founder's Office
Alex "Sharky" Ross ran a successful computer hardware review website called SharkyExtreme. His business was so successful he was able to sell it and have the dream of riding off into the sunset at a young age be a reality. Taking advantage of an early retirement he purchased a 996 model 911 which soon became a 10-second car in the 1/4 mile. Although his newfound fanfare derived from his feats in the 1320, Ross focused his efforts on building a more balanced road racing car. In 2005, he and James Hendry founded SharkWerks with the goal of bumping horsepower numbers to insane figures while also creating knife-edge sharp handling and hit-the-wall levels of braking.
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A Nod to Their Origins
In Ross' office, you'll find numerous toy cars and shark paraphernalia. Not all of the cars are Porsches, but you can tell this man and his company are obsessed with the automotive world. Lining the walls are framed articles from SharkWerks' builds and tech magazine covers to remind customers of Sharkwerks' lineage.
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Making a Good First Impression
Walking through the doors of SharkWerks should give any customer (or prospective customer) the assurance they're in the right place. The walls are adorned with a collection of their handy work from a variety of publications. Model cars and automotive magazines line the tables and desks of the entry-way. Given enough time, I'd be on the floor doing donuts in a model GT3 while reading the cover of Excellence magazine featuring SharkWerk's 2010 3.9-liter 500 horsepower GT3RS.
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The Breakroom
I'm not sure you can consider it a break room if there's no coffee pot in sight and a 3D printer in its place. But hey, if it ain't broke... Perhaps the lack of downtime and being surrounded with work equipment inspires the R&D team at SharkWerk's to keep their innovation and creativity at the highest possible level.
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Parts, Parts, and More Parts
SharkWerks handles their research and development in-house. This allows the company to remain focused on design and innovation, while their manufacturing partners handle all the other complexities. Among other things, SharkWerks is known for their exhaust systems. Take a peek at any shelf or in any bin, you're bound to find a work of orchestral art which will not only sound great but should make your Porsche faster as well.
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The Shop
This is where the magic happens. This is the natural habitat of SharkWerks' mechanical genius, James Hendry. Ross credits Hendry for being the brains behind his 10-second 996 and cites his best attribute as being the ability to turn crazy ideas into reality. On this day, Hendry was busy tweaking the rear differential of a track-abused GT3.
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High Standards
Look in any direction and you're bound to find the motor, transmission, or rear-end of a Porsche undergoing repair or upgrade. SharkWerks operates at a level of precision mirroring the German manufacturer it so adores.
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Cohesion with the OEM
SharkWerks takes pride in their ability to manufacture and install parts which not only improve, but compliment components produced by the OEM. Along with complete engine builds, power kits, and re-gearing, SharkWerks also provides replacement parts which allow higher strain on the factory power and drivetrains.
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The VIPs (Very Important Porsches)
Hidden in plain sight are some memorable builds. Pictured earlier was the 2008 "Outlaw" 997 GT2, built in collaboration with EVOMS, Champion, and Magnus Walker. This 700 horsepower beast has been featured on the Jay Leno's Garage Youtube Channel, The Smoking Tire's Youtube Channel, and the cover of European Car. On the lifts are a pair of 911s awaiting modification while these classic Lotus Europas class up the joint.
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904 Replica
Although it was missing its heart, word from good authority says a replacement motor is on the way for this 904. Apparently, this 904 replica has seen several different engine configurations and is in line for at least one more before it's left alone.
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And a Lotus...
Lotus planned to bring 24 of these special edition Evoras stateside. However, a 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan scrubbed those plans after the paint couldn't be reproduced. This beautiful example is one of only 4 vehicles to make the actual trip across the Pacific.
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You're in Good Hands
SharkWerks' shop is a real-life Candyland for any Porschephile. Whether it be the hundreds of model cars, or the flock of corraled 911s, Caymans, and Lotuses, this shop is a must-see. I'd happily leave a 911 there any day knowing it's in good hands with the SharkWerks team.
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For help keeping your Porsche running right, please see our how-to section in the forum.