Established in 1975 in Fountain Valley, California, ANDIAL is more than just a tuning house. While the company may not be as famous as Gemballa or TechArt when it comes to beefed-up Porsches->ke1, ANDIAL is a big name in racing, helping the Germans win numerous events. Porsche scored six 24 Hours of Daytona victories, four Pikes Peak->ke1001 class titles, the IMSA GT and Supercar Series championships, as well as the SCCA World Challenge using ANDIAL-prepped engines, which says a lot about the California-based tuner. Now a part of Porsche Motorsport North America, who purchased the historic name in 2013, ANDIAL has also delivered some exciting road-going cars over the last two decades. One of them is the 911 3.8 C2S, which was launched in the late 1990s.

Based on the 993-generation 911, the last of the air-cooled 911s, the C2S is the best example of what ANDIAL was capable of back in the day. Don't mind the lack of visual upgrades, this 911->ke1001 is about enhanced performance, with all the tweaks operated under the shell. It's a race car->ke148 in disguise, one you simply can't ignore if you're into true blue sports cars->ke506.

Click past the jump to read more about the 1998 Porsche 911 Andial 3.8 C2S.

Exterior

Visually, ANDIAL's 911 is identical to the factory 993-series 911 Turbo S. That's not to say this is a stock Turbo though as the model shown above was converted from a Carrera 2S. Aside from the missing badge on the engine cover, you can't tell one apart from the other. There are no extra body modifications whatsoever, so it's easy to mistake this custom sports car for a factory 911 Turbo. The example depicted here, for instance, carries Porsche's Glacier White exterior finish, the 993-specific five-spoke rims and even the yellow-painted brake calipers of the Turbo.

There are, however, minor differences from the U.S.-spec version, as ANDIAL equipped this 993 with European bumpers and front turn signals. Additionally, the regular fog lights have been replaced by TechArt units.

Interior

The cabin is mostly stock, but packed with all the goodies that rolled out with these Porsches back in the day. It features full-leather bucket seats with various adjustments, individual rear seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and backlit analog gauges. Sure, that's not much to today's standards, but it was quite the luxury sports car back in 1997. Aftermarket extras include a genuine Porsche 993 RS shifter.

Drivetrain

The drivetrain is where ANDIAL C2S becomes an entirely different 911. Gone is the 3.6-liter flat-six engine powering all 993s except the RS version, replacing it is ANDIAL's race-spec 3.8-liter mill. The unit mates to a custom six-speed transmission and a Quaife limited-slip differential. Unfortunately, there are no official specs for ANDIAL's 3.8-liter, as most of these C2S models come in various guises, but output likely sits at more than 400 horsepower, which makes this monster more powerful than the 993-based RS and the factory Turbo version.

As a brief reminder, the 993-series 911 generated up to 418 horsepower in its extreme Turbo S configuration and needed only 3.9 seconds to blast from naught to 60 mph. In 1996, the 993 Turbo was the fastest-accelerating production car in the world. Its braking capabilities were equally impressive. It took the 993 only 2.3 seconds to come to a halt from 60 mph.

Prices

ANDIAL-built Porsche 993 911s were quite expensive back in the day, and the fact that the California-based tuner built only a handful of them makes them even more expensive today. The C2S is quite the rare sports car, and finding one is a daunting mission. And once you find it, you need to worry about forking a lot of cash.

For instance, the model shown here is in tip-top shape, has only 32,151 miles on its odometer and the owner is asking $228,500 as of 09/19/2014 on eBay. The eBay seller is willing to accept lower offers, but it's very unlikely the price will slip below the $200K mark. For that kind of money, you can buy a brand-new 911 Turbo S and still have enough for some pricey options. What will it be?

Competitors

Chevrolet Corvette C4 ZR-1

If you're looking for a 1990s sports car and ANDIAL's take on the 911 doesn't tickle your fancy, you can always turn to the fourth-generation Chevrolet Corvette and its range-topping ZR-1. Built from 1990 until 1995, the C4 ZR-1 was developed with help from Lotus, who designed the LT5, aluminum-block V-8 engine that found its way under the hood. The 5.7-liter unit came with four overhead camshafts, 32 valves, and a unique air-management system for a wider power band. The mill generated 375 horsepower, enabling the ZR-1 to charge from 0 to 60 mph in only 4.4 seconds before reaching a top speed in excess of 180 mph.

The C4 ZR-1 wasn't just a fast sports car, it was robust too, setting world records for running 5,000 miles at 173.7 mph and 24 hours at 175.8 mph. Pricing started from $58,995 in 1990, almost twice the cost of a non-ZR-1 Vette. This sticker placed the ZR-1 in the same price range as the Porsche 911.

Conclusion

While Porsche has made tremendous progress with the 911 since the beginning for the water-cooled era, the 993 series is a sports car that continues to stir strong emotions among enthusiasts. Be it a naturally aspirated Carrera or a force-fed Turbo, the 993 holds a special place in the 911's long and storied history.

ANDIAL's take on the model takes things up a notch by providing a race-bred drivetrain while keeping the overall package road-legal, even in the United States. The fact that the tuner has ceased its activity as of 2013, makes the C2S that much more special. Sure, it's very expensive for a car that's nearly 20 years old, but its uniqueness and performance might help the sticker make more sense in the eyes of a 993 enthusiast.