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I drove an interesting car the other day. It was a Porsche 911 – Type 964 – backdated to give some early-style looks with modern day creature comforts. In some ways, the 964 was a bit of a mismatch of style and shapes but one area where it did itself proud was the engine.

964 engines have a good name among specialists. The bottom end of a 964 engine is said to be more robust than the 993 motor – especially when boost is introduced – and the one I drove felt as strong as an ox. That might have had something to do with the new Porsche Motorsport pistons and barrels fitted from a 3.8-litre 993 RS engine, along with camshafts from a 993 Cup car.

The other thing this car had was a lightweight flywheel: something I am lining up to fit on my own car. Lighter flywheels can cause stalling at low speeds, as the crankshaft is low on weight to keep it spinning against the compression cycle – it’s why race cars with lighter bottom ends often need to idle much quicker than road cars. This car had a lightweight flywheel and once used to it there was no stalling. There’s no doubt that the lower inertia contributed to some excellent acceleration by the rebuilt 964 motor.

TwinSpark is the European distributor for WEVO. Famous for their range of Porsche shifters and transmission accessories, WEVO also do some very trick lightweight flywheels and clutch assemblies for classic Porsche cars, both road and race. Take a look at the section in the TwinSpark Porsche racing parts online shop and you’ll see what I mean!