This 996-gen 911 is getting an LS V8 with twin turbochargers. A wild, handcrafted aluminum widebody kit is also being designed. Key aero upgrades include a wild front splitter and rear wing. The idea of ditching a Porsche 911’s small-capacity boxer engine for a V8 is nothing new. In fact, there are plenty of 911s out there powered by big, American V8s. However, in Australia, a V8-powered 911 is coming to life which is unlike any other we’ve ever seen. This 996 is being overhauled by Gary Reid, the man behind a company called ShowTime. The firm runs a series of heavily modified drift cars and stunt cars, frequently appearing at select rounds of the country’s popular Supercars Championship. This is one of its most ambitious builds to date, and while it hasn’t been finished, more than 1,800 hours have been spent getting the car to this stage. Read: You’ll Either Love Or Hate This LS3 V8-Swapped Porsche 911 Carrera What started out life as a rather unspectacular 996-generation 911 has had its exterior transformed with a custom bodykit inspired by the 997. It includes new headlight clusters, a bespoke front bumper, splitter, and canards, plush flared arches both at the front and rear, all of which have been hand-fabricated from aluminum. Other exterior upgrades include a large rear diffuser, a towering rear wing with a Le Mans-inspired shark fin, and a bespoke diffuser. Tell Me About The Engine The changes beneath the skin are even more significant. ShowTime has transformed the front-end with suspension and brake components from a Porsche 911 Cup Car. It’s also added a new firewall to the front and a custom cross-member, allowing an LS V8 to somehow be crammed under the hood, making this the first front-engined V8 911 in existence. Reid hasn’t said where the LS was sourced from, nor has he revealed its displacement. What he has confirmed is that this won’t be an ordinary LS, and is actually being upgraded with a pair of turbochargers. It’ll inevitably have enough power to make a standard 911 GT3 blush, routing through the rear wheels. According to Reid, he got the idea to make this insane 996 after initially listing it for sale. A lowballer messaged him, saying he couldn’t fit an LS into it, which immediately made Reid think he could. Just like that, a normal 996 wasn’t turned into an abnormal one.