Skip advert
Advertisement

You can now buy a 12,000rpm engine upgrade kit for your air-cooled Porsche 911

Swindon Powertrain has designed a 24-valve engine upgrade for 964 and 993-generation Porsches rated for up to 12,000rpm

Swindon Powertrain 911 head upgrade

Porsche claims that the new 911 S/T is the most exciting 911 road car yet, but certain specialist manufacturers might have something to say about that. The appetite for 911-based restomods from the likes of Singer and Theon Design shows no signs of slowing, and in the wake of this trend, Swindon Powertrain has devised an engine upgrade kit to take air-cooled 911s to the next level. 

Advertisement - Article continues below

The British engineering firm's new retro-fit cylinder head, compatible with 964 and 993 models, unlocks the ability to rev to 12,000rpm thanks to completely redesigned valvetrain components and airflow geometry. Provided the rest of the motor is built to take advantage of these parameters, the kit opens the door to what could be the ultimate air cooled 911 engine. 

Porsche designed 964 and 993 engines with two valves per cylinder, but Swindon Powertrain’s solution uses four valves per cylinder. Each valve is smaller than before and formed from titanium, which allows the engine to spin up to higher revs without putting undue stress on the rockers. 

Aside from the headline rpm figure, the kit also provides significantly better air flow into and out of the cylinders by doubling the number of valves (Swindon Powertrain has measured improvements of 40 and 60 per cent on the inlet and exhaust flow respectively). Cast from aerospace-grade aluminium, the cylinder head kit also saves 3.5kg compared to the standard setup.

All the major components required to fit the new cylinder heads are included, such as valve springs, caps, shims, finger followers and cam shafts, topped off by a new set of cam covers. Swindon Powertrain can also supply custom pistons to utilise the full potential of the new heads, along with inlet porting and unique cam profiles tailored to the engine’s specs and intended use. Costing £29,950 plus VAT, Swindon Powertrain offers a one-year warranty with each cylinder head upgrade kit.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

The Porsche 911 is 'idiotic' to some, so why do I find it so captivating?
Porsche 911 GT3 RS – front
Opinion

The Porsche 911 is 'idiotic' to some, so why do I find it so captivating?

What is it about the 911 that continues to captivate? Meaden has some theories
6 Mar 2026
Porsche 911 Carrera GTS review – why Porsche's T-Hybrid is also one of the best
Porsche 911 GTS – front
In-depth reviews

Porsche 911 Carrera GTS review – why Porsche's T-Hybrid is also one of the best

A new turbo-charged hybrid engine and chassis upgrades have injected personality and huge capability into the 992.2 GTS – it’s one of our favourite mo…
6 Mar 2026
Singer turns to Red Bull to fix the Porsche 911
Singer Classic Turbo Cabriolet
News

Singer turns to Red Bull to fix the Porsche 911

The restomod masters Singer are calling on Red Bull Advanced Technologies to help stiffen its upcoming open-top 911 restorations
3 Feb 2026
Used Porsche 911 (991, 2011 - 2018) review – should you buy the unloved 911?
Porsche 911 Carrera GTS
In-depth reviews

Used Porsche 911 (991, 2011 - 2018) review – should you buy the unloved 911?

For better or worse, the 991 was a huge moment of change for the Porsche 911, as it passed the half-century mark. We look back at the black sheep of t…
14 Oct 2025
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Peugeot’s new petrol engine swaps belts for chains to improve reliability
Peugeot Turbo 100
News

Peugeot’s new petrol engine swaps belts for chains to improve reliability

New engine isn’t performance-oriented but does address some reliability issues around so-called ‘wet belts’, swapping them out altogether for chains
16 Mar 2026
Four hyper hatches for two-thirds less than the new £92k Audi RS3 Competition
Used hyper hatches
News

Four hyper hatches for two-thirds less than the new £92k Audi RS3 Competition

Whatever happened to accessible hot hatchbacks? Nevermind the £92k Audi RS3 Competition, buy these instead
19 Mar 2026
Car makers are U-turning on EVs but car buyers are going to pay the price
Plug-in hybrid Lamborghini
Opinion

Car makers are U-turning on EVs but car buyers are going to pay the price

While the combustion engines we love have a stay of execution, the future won't be all sunshine and rainbows for car enthusiasts
17 Mar 2026