Jimmy Oakes and Faruk Kugay are bringing two very different V8-powered Porsche 911 projects to SEMA 2026. Oakes’s 1978 911 SC, named Porrari, combines a Ferrari-built Maserati F136 engine with a Porsche 996 transmission. Kugay’s 2007 997 GT3 has exchanged its earlier Subaru engine conversion for a dry-sump, 6.0-litre LS2, developed for drifting at his DEVSPEED workshop.
ENEOS announced the cars on 2 November. The Porrari is displayed at its pop-up booth within the RAYS Wheels Takeover in Silver Lot, while Kugay is scheduled to drive in the Optima experience in Bronze Lot. The SEMA Show runs from 3 to 6 November at the Las Vegas Convention Center. These are individual workshop builds with documented component changes, rather than additions to Porsche’s production range.
An Italian engine in a restored 1978 shell
Oakes Garage restored an originally narrow-bodied 911 SC and converted it to a widebody configuration. Its F136 engine came from a 2007 Maserati Quattroporte and was built by Ferrari. Oakes had already presented the car with ENEOS at Formula DRIFT Round 4, so its appearance in Las Vegas follows an earlier public debut and a build series on YouTube.
Getting the engine and transmission together required more than choosing a donor. The Porsche 996 gearbox uses a Kennedy Engineered Products bellhousing, a custom clutch and flywheel, and a fabricated supporting cradle. The release identifies these individual interfaces rather than describing the project as a complete conversion package available to customers.
Engine management is a Link ECU G5 Voodoo Neo 6, connected through a Wired by Tap custom harness. Stainless Bros components form part of the bespoke headers and exhaust, with fabrication credited to James “Bopper” Moran. A Radium fuel cell is also listed. ENEOS does not publish fuel consumption, emissions certification or a road-use approval for this configuration.
BMW throttle parts and a different suspension layout
The induction system uses individual throttle bodies incorporating parts from the S65 V8 fitted to BMW’s E90/E92 M3. Ding Dong Drift supplied custom 3D-printed adapters and trumpets. ENEOS describes an 8,000rpm rev limit, but provides no measured output for the Porrari. That leaves no documented basis for declaring which of these two cars is more powerful or quicker.
Space in the engine bay was created by removing the torsion-bar suspension and installing Stance Suspension coilovers. The restored shell was reinforced, with a custom roll cage attributed to Accurate Fabrication. An EP9 Autosport carbon-fibre panel replaces the roof skin. ENEOS describes a lower centre of gravity as an aim of that change, without publishing a finished weight or weight distribution.
The braking hardware combines four-piston Porsche Boxster Brembo calipers, EBC discs and ChaseBays lines. Oakes chose 17-inch Volk Racing VRX-10 wheels, a design produced in the 1990s that fits the Japanese tuning influence he describes for the project. Accelera 651 Sport tyres measure 235/40 R17 at the front and 255/40 R17 at the rear.
Guards Red paint and widened metal wings give the older car its visible identity. The release credits Brian Hall for the metal bodywork and Anthony Mendoza for paint and body finishing. The contrast with Kugay’s later GT3 is therefore more than an engine choice: Oakes’s project starts with a restored classic shell and a specific period-inspired presentation.
The GT3 has already lived with a Subaru engine
Kugay’s 997 began as a damaged 2007 GT3 bodyshell. DEVSPEED revived it with a VAD Design GT3R widebody conversion and a Subaru STI EJ25 four-cylinder boxer engine. That version appeared at SEMA in 2023. Its latest rebuild uses an LS2 V8, with LS3 cylinder heads and dry-sump lubrication, as the team redirects the car towards drift demonstrations.
ENEOS lists approximately 342kW for the LS2 after conversion from its published US horsepower figure. The release does not specify the measurement method, and this is a declared figure rather than a Carboratory test result. Kugay attributes the engine choice to the demands of drifting and the team’s Formula DRIFT experience. His statements about improved reliability and driveability remain the builder’s assessment.
Chavis Performance & Engineering supplied the engine installation hardware and an adapter for the Porsche 996 Turbo transmission. A Link ECU and matching wiring control the engine. Fuel-system components include Nuke Performance hardware and DeatschWerks pump and injectors. The specifications describe the wider supporting systems as well as the replacement V8 itself.
Fabrication tailored to drift demonstrations
Christian Koegler at Maisteer designed the GT3’s exhaust. CageKits CNC-bent the header tubes, while the parts list includes 3D-printed stainless collectors and transitions. Stewie Brown at Rennstufe performed the final welding. No noise measurement or comparative track result accompanies that fabrication account.
The GT3 braking system uses custom mounting brackets and a hydraulic handbrake. At the front, a Wisefab steering-angle kit and custom Techno Toy Tuning hubs are listed, with suspension development credited to DEVSPEED. Its 18-inch Rotiform KPS wheels carry X Comp H/P tyres, 265/35 R18 at the front and 295/40 R18 at the rear.
Neither build has a published customer conversion price, European availability schedule or complete road-registration specification in the ENEOS announcement. Nor are acceleration times supplied. The confirmed SEMA roles remain distinct: the Porrari is at ENEOS booth 22811 within the RAYS Silver Lot display, and the LS2 GT3 is scheduled for the Optima driving experience in Bronze Lot during the show.
Photo: Larry Chen / ENEOS. Image from the Motor1 article, supplied for editorial use; converted to WebP.
