12 Porsche Tuners Every Enthusiast Should Know

Historically, the Porsche community has been a largely staunch and conservative bunch, placing a premium on pedigree and originality, and often turning its nose up at custom modifications — at least outside of dedicated race applications. And while cutting up one of these elite German models was once seen as objectively sacrilegious, a half-century of emerging outlaw Porsche culture has more recently culminated in a thriving Porsche tuning and customization industry. As this segment has evolved, a myriad of independent shops have increasingly developed their own signature styles and traits, with specific regions becoming hotbeds for aftermarket work such as Japan, California, and Porsche’s native Germany.

Now widely embraced by the greater Porsche community, these specific shops manage to improve on what are already objectively iconic automotive designs, modernizing the machines inside and out while still retaining the brand’s core visual DNA and remaining readily identifiable as being from the storied ‎Stuttgart firm. So, with the popularity of custom and resto-modded Porsches at an all-time high and so many renowned outfits in operation all over the globe, we thought we’d take the time to unpack this guide to the best Porsche Tuners.

From Outlaws To The In-Crowd: A Brief History Of Porsche Tuning & Custom Culture

As high-performance vehicles in their stock form, drivers have been modifying and racing Porsches since the company’s inception. Engine and other mechanical upgrades and bodywork tweaks were common, though these alterations were primarily reserved for the race track, and seldom found their way onto road-going examples. This would all change, however, with the birth of the “Outlaw Porsche” (or “356 Outlaws”).

Amidst America’s “Kustom Kulture” boom of the 1950s and ‘60s, Los Angeles-based stunt driver, sculptor, painter, and all-around gearhead, Dean Jeffries is credited as the catalyst to today’s modern Porsche tuning scene. Jeffries was originally running a successful paint shop — with clients that included the likes of James Dean, and legendary race car drivers such as A.J. Foyt and Parnelli Jones — but wanted to show the wider automotive industry that he was good for more than just laying down a livery.

So, in 1957, he got his hands on a Carrera that he proceeded to tear down and rebuild in his own unique style. The front of the car was stretched, it’s bumper was pulled and smoothed over, and a pair of sunken stacked headlights were added to either side, hugely streamlining the donor. Out in back, the rear bumper got the same treatment before being given a set of custom taillights and a grilled rear scoop. After spraying the bespoke bodywork up in a metal flake paint job, the first Outlaw Porsche was officially born (seen directly below).

Once completed, Jeffries, proceeded to enter his custom creation into a variety of high-profile car shows over the next half-decade, supposedly amassing some 30 first-place and best-of-show awards, in addition to being featured on numerous car magazine covers. In the early ‘60s, Jeffries decided to change things up, and replace the 356A’s original satin paint job with an involved multi-dozen coat gold livery. Not long after, a guy walked into Jeffries’ shop and offered to buy the customized Porsche on the spot in cash — an offer that Jeffries obliged.

In an interesting turn of events, the customer who purchased the “Kustom Karrera” just so happened to be, Albert Nussbaum, a notorious bank robber on the FBI’s Most Wanted list. While one might think a gold one-of-a-kind sportscar a poor (and less-than-inconspicuous) choice for traveling cross-country with the FBI hot on your tail, that’s nonetheless exactly what Nussbaum did, making it all the way to Florida before the car was reportedly abandoned in his sister’s driveway when the house was raided.

So, while the name “Outlaw Porsche” monicker primarily stems from the initial oppositional reaction expressed by the Porsche community towards these kinds of irreversible modifications, Nussbaum’s coast-to-coast road trip behind the wheel of Jeffries’ Carrera definitely helped to solidify the status and image of this emerging subculture.

The Outlaw build hugely sparked Jeffries’ career, and not long after he started being called on to whip up one-off vehicle designs for movies and TV shows such as the Black Beauty from The Green Hornet and the moon buggy from the Bond flick, Diamonds Are Forever. Despite Jeffries moving onto other projects, his Carrera left an indelible mark on the Porsche scene and served as a pivotal inspiration for many of the individuals behind today’s leading Porsche tuners and customizers — including a young Gary Emory, who first laid eyes on the 356 at a car show in 1961, before going on to build his own custom Porsche legacy.

The Modern Customization Boom

No matter how much time passes, or what new models are unveiled, Porsche’s 911 and 356 continue to stand as two of the most iconic and celebrated automotive designs of all time. And while these models may have stood the test of time from a visual standpoint, the same can’t be said about the vintage models’ reliability, safety standards, or performance – all three of which have grown objectively long in the tooth.

Recognizing this, modern Porsche customizers now offer something of the best of both worlds, building high-performance Porsche’s that retain their timeless appearance (albeit with some modern flair) while bestowing the donors with updated mechanics and componentry. This ranges from engine swaps from newer models, to building out Porsche’s to specific factory specs.

As the Porsche tuning community has grown over time, the standards for builds have enormously evolved. It’s now common to see projects that pore over every inch of the car, beautiful and painstakingly considering every detail, from custom-woven seats and trims to fully-finished engine bays and boots. Superfluous weight is shed, and original body panels are often replaced with more aggressive flared items that are routinely made from carbon fiber. Each of these projects requires hundreds of hours of labor from experts in their craft, and consequently, it’s not unusual to see today’s custom Porsche builds costing six to seven figures.

Just like the original wave of builders that were inspired by Jeffries, the initial Porsche customization movement would go on to spawn an even greater number of outfits that are in operation today. The RUFs and Singers that once took inspiration from Jeffries were now motivating the next wave of builders that constitute today’s custom scene. The subculture’s prolonged existence and the steadily-increasing demand for one-off 911 (and 356) builds has allowed for a thriving ecosystem with tuning outfits scattered across the planet, all offering their own unique takes on the ultimate Porsche project.

Canepa

A highly-respected Porsche restoration and tuning outfit, Canepa’s official launch dates back to 1982 when Bruce Canepa founded both Canepa Design and the exotic car dealership, Canepa Motorcars. Having now existed for close to four decades, Canepa boasts an immense portfolio of top-notch work. And while Canepa’s expertise with the ‎Stuttgart brand covers a vast range of models and eras, one of the many feathers in the company’s cap is its treatment of the ultra-rare and elite Porsche 959 — the car that famously lead Bruce Canepa, alongside Bill Gates and Paul Allen, to successfully lobby Congress in order to approve the Show or Display amendment. The Canepa’s 959 is a wonderful example of the outfit’s abilities, with the shop bestowing the already high-performance model with automotive upgrades such as titanium coilovers, magnesium rims, a revised ECU paired with a custom exhaust, and twin Borg-Warner turbos with titanium heat-shields that allows the engine to generate over 760hp.

Emory Motorsports

A third-generation tuner and customizer and son of Gary Emory, Rod Emory built his first one-off Porsche at the age of 14. With the help of his wife, in 1996 Rod founded Emory Motorsports, which has since grown into one of the most eminent shops in the Porsche world. Not only does Emory have more than 175 Outlaw Porsche 911 and 356 builds to its name, but it’s also responsible for some of the most noteworthy Outlaw-style one-of-one projects in existence, such as the Emory RS (MOMO collaboration). Perfectly encapsulating the spirit of Jeffries’ original Outlaw Porsche, the shop offers several custom models, though each build is made-to-order, with the customer getting to select from an enormous number of personalization options. And, on top of sporting a slew of performance and mechanical upgrades, custom Emory builds also begin with ground-up nut-and-bolt restorations, ensuring the quality of each example inside and out.

Everrati

Founded in 2019 by Justin Lunny and Nick Williams —the latter of whom was also the co-founder and chief product officer of Nest — Everrati is a bespoke classic car conversion outfit with locations in both the UK and U.S. The company produces a wide range of EV conversions — including no less than 5 Porsche 911 models. Interestingly, Everrati doesn’t think of its vehicles as mere restomods — as it believes the word “restomod” implies the donor is being modified, as where Everrati’s cars are more akin to an all-new vehicle that happens to wear the skin of a Porsche 964 (or in the case of Everrati’s 911 ST, a G-Series body). In addition to gaining suites of carbon fiber bodywork and bespoke, custom-optioned interiors, Everrati’s electrified 911s also massively benefit from state-of-the-art EV powertrains that deliver up to 500hp and sub-four-second 0-60mph times, while still offering a range of 200 miles per charge. Additionally, Everrati 911s are also bestowed with cutting-edge componentry and hardware such as Tractive electronically-adjustable suspension and a custom-designed differential. 

Gunther Werks

Headed up by noted builder and tuner, Peter Nam, Gunther Werks is an elite West Coast outfit that builds true driver’s cars for diehard Porsche enthusiasts, recognizing the qualities that people love about owning and piloting these prestigious German machines and amplify these traits through their heavily involved transformations. The Southern California shop’s latest flagship project is the stunning Gunther Werks 400R. Limited to 25 units, the 400R starts with the final air-cooled 911, the 993, and sees the donor gifted with upgraded brakes and suspension, a fully-redone carbon-clad interior, and a naturally-aspirated, heavily-massaged engine from Oregon’s Rothsport Racing that’s mated to a Getrag G50 six-speed manual transmission, before the entire vehicle is cloaked in a custom carbon fiber widebody kit. The 400R’s transformation results in an extremely-nimble, approximately 2,600lb machine with over 430hp and 330ft-lbs of torque, though they don’t come cheap, with each custom-built 400R commission starting from $525,000.

Machine Revival

While most Porsche tuners, conversion outfits, and restomod shops can be classified as businesses, Machine Revival operates as more of a collective of friends and likeminded enthusiasts who happen to routinely join forces in order to deliver world-class custom 911 builds. Bringing an unmistakable artistic flair to the Porsche tuning space, this self-described “unique vehicles creation workshop” aims to preserve the spirit of each build’s donor vehicle, while modernizing the thing and bolstering its performance. Highly transformative, the French collective’s builds focus equally on aesthetics and mechanics, putting a contemporary spin on the donor’s exterior, gutting and fully altering its interior, and improving its powertrain and componentry — completing something of the restomod holy trinity. Alongside the more-than-dozen 911 builds the shop has under its belt, it’s also been responsible for churning out a slew of additional classic car restomods — ranging from Defenders to 356s to MINIs to BMW 2000Tiis — as well as several custom motorcycle projects. 

Magnus Walker

Just like Dean Jeffries before him, Magnus Walker is a true maverick in the Porsche scene, marching to the beat of his own drum and allowing his personal taste to entirely dictate his builds, regardless as to how his work may be viewed by traditionalists. After emigrating to Los Angeles from the UK, Walker built a fashion and style empire (with the “Serious Clothing” brand), before turning his attention to his childhood love, the Porsche 911. His personal collection of cars from the Stuttgart firm quickly grew, and his particular style of Outlaw Porsche hugely resonated with the larger automotive subculture, gaining Walker’s builds fame and widespread recognition, and eventually prompting the Sheffield-born builder to begin offering his customization services to the public. Magnus Walker’s involvement in the Porsche scene has undeniably slowed over the last few years, though he remains one of the most prominent and influential figures in the space.

Paul Stephens AutoArt

One of the UK’s most respected names in the Porsche realm, Paul Stephens runs a renowned shop in Essex that trades in everything from servicing to restorations, to lightly-upgraded builds, to full-blown custom builds, and everything in-between. Starting with the PS 300R prototype in 2005, Paul Stephens AutoArt has developed a growing number of base packages that serve as jumping-off points for customizable builds. Small touches like composite engine covers and bumpers and low-drag coefficient mirrors speak to the immense overall attention to detail that these elite British-built Porsches possess. Even the shop’s more involved customs (such as its absolutely stunning special edition Le Mans Classic Clubsport, seen directly above) follow more traditional retro-race-derived visual themes instead of the flared-fender and wide rear-tired aesthetic that’s increasingly become the status quo in today’s one-off Porsche scene. And, with a three-year (or 60,000-mile) warranty and modern 12,000-mile service intervals, Paul Stephens’ custom builds actually lend themselves quite nicely to daily driving/commuting duties.

RAUH-Welt BEGRIFF (RWB)

Akira Nakai is a legendary name in automotive tuner circles, spending his formative gearhead years wrenching on a Toyota AE86 before applying the heavily-slammed drifter treatment to the Stuttgart manufacturers flagship sportscar, eventually giving way to the creation of the now-fabled RWB — or RAUH-Welt BEGRIFF (German for “Rough World Concepts”). RWB Porsches are characterized by their crazy-low ride-heights and clearance, bolted-on flared fenders, side skirts, lip kits, and large rear wings. No two RWB Porsches are the same, and every example is built by the company’s founder, who forgoes cutting-edge CAD software and the like in favor of a more old-school approach. And, while RWB’s signature aesthetic can admittedly be polarizing, the outfit’s ability to bestow 911s with drift-style transformations is truly unparalleled. The bodywork kits — which are entirely custom-designed and made by hand — reportedly start for around $25,000, with wheels, lowered suspension, and paint adding anywhere from another $15 to $30,000 (plus the cost of the air-cooled donor itself).

RUF

Though RUF had humble beginnings as a basic repair shop in Pfaffenhausen, the German outfit has consistently produced some of the most desirable, high-performance modified Porsches ever conceived. Dating back to 1939, RUF first appeared on the radar of the mainstream automotive community after a July 1987 appearance in a Road & Track Magazine Supercar Shootout, in which RUF’s twin-turbocharged CTR “Yellow Bird” dominated the latest and greatest machines of the era from the likes of Lamborghini and Ferrari, clocking a top speed of 211mph. Today, RUF maintains its same winning formula of heavily-tuning engines, running gear, and aerodynamics to deliver elite vehicles with the ability to clock some impressive lap times. RUF’s current range of models is a combination of objectively modern cars and more vintage-themed offerings, many of which pay homage to some of RUF’s earlier iconic works, such as the SCR and the aforementioned CTR Yellowbird. Interestingly, unlike every other Porsche tuner, RUF’s cars actually feature their own unique VINs, making them technically ultra-limited production models rather than conversions or restomods. 

Russell Built Fabrication

Over the last decade or so, safari-style Porsche 911 builds have grown increasingly popular — to the point where the Stuttgart firm has even released a limited production off-roader known as the “911 Dakar.” And California-based builder and gearhead TJ Russell is largely to thank for this trend, as he almost single-handedly built several high-profile safari projects that helped to popularize the genre. After cutting his teeth in the industry by building and working on Hollywood prop cars, TJ branched out on his own and started custom-building Baja-grade 911s. Following one of his projects going viral after being displayed at the 2019 SEMA Show, Russell Built Fabrication was put on the radar of the larger automotive community. Fast forward to today and RBF now offers custom safari-style commissions, along with its own line of Baja One and Baja Lite wheels, and a high-end conversion kit known as the Sportsman. Not only do TJ’s builds look the part, but they all feature a slew of meticulously-developed hardware and componentry that allows for ultra-high levels of performance and go-anywhere capabilities. 

Singer Vehicle Design

You can’t talk about the modern Porsche tuning scene without the Singer name coming up. This absolutely legendary California-based company is seen by many as something of the ultimate expression of a modified Porsche 911. Founded by former musician, Rob Dickinson, the elite brand’s moniker is a nod to famous Porsche engineer, Norbert Singer (as well as Dickinson’s previous occupation). Over the years, Singer has carved out a reputation for building ridiculously-detailed, modernized, high-performance restomods. From its woven interiors to its wide stance, to its carbon bodywork, to its bespoke intake system that utilizes the car’s rear quarter windows, Singer Vehicle Design is quite possibly the most influential Porsche tuner in existence, with the Southern California shop being responsible for inspiring the inception of several other outfits on this list. Singer’s builds start at just below the half-million-dollar mark but have been known to fetch well over a million when selling at auction. This company has also more recently gotten involved in the high-end chronograph watch arena.

Theon Design

Working out of a state-of-the-art facility in Oxfordshire in the UK’s “Motorsport Valley,” Theon Design is a boutique restomod shop that takes a highly-complex and wildly-involved approach to what it describes as “the simple goal of creating the ultimate air-cooled Porsche 911.” Run by a team that includes ex-Lotus and Jaguar staffers, Theon Design builds its bespoke creations using a painstaking OEM-esque approach that involves the use of CAD technology and modern space-age materials. The result of Theon’s spare-no-expense development cycle ultimately gives way to its “OEM+” grade builds, which are highly-upgraded air-cooled, widebody 911 restomods that are each built with an enormous slew of custom-confirmable options, right down to the client’s exact specifications. Like Singer’s world-famous builds, Theon Design’s 911 restomods undergo an incredibly transformative process that sees the donor’s powertrain and running gear massively updated before being treated to a custom carbon fiber body kit and a fully bespoke interior. 

The Best Restomods You Can Buy

Interested in checking out a list of other world-class modernized classics? Then be sure to head over to our guide to the best restomods for an in-depth look at the best in the business.