W Motors is assisting Genius Garage with the conversion of a Porsche Boxster Lycan Hypersport.
An Ohio production team is transforming an old Porsche Boxster into a supercar limited to seven units worldwide with an original price of $3.4 million.
The car is a 2013 W Motors Leicaan Hypersport, a replica of which was recently acquired by a workshop in Bowling Green, Ohio. The replica was originally built for the "Wild Speed" live-action show, but was sold after the show's production company went bankrupt in 2018. Nothing remained of the replica except a fiberglass shell attached to a wooden frame.
It is now in the hands of Genius Garage, an educational institution that provides real-world experience to college students studying automotive and aerospace engineering. Genius Garage was founded by car designer and racer Casey Putsch, who has documented many of his builds on YouTube, including this Boxster Lycan hypersports conversion.
It is important to emphasize that Genius Garage's Lykan Hypersport shares the same mid-engine chassis and flat-six engine, but bears no resemblance to the real thing. The Leicaan Hypersport is powered by a Ruf 3.7-liter twin-turbo flat-six that produces 770 horsepower. The Porsche Boxster is a 2007 Boxster S with a 3.4-liter flat-six with 295 hp. It is unclear if Genius Garage plans to up this.
Conversions will not be easy. First, the wheelbase of the Lycan Hypersport is longer than that of the Boxster. To add length, the team had to move the entire engine, transmission, and suspension unit backward. Genius Garage selected a team of students to help with the fabrication and learn in the process.
Genius Garage has also received an unexpected offer of assistance: W Motors. After hearing about the build, Dubai-based supercar brand W Motors said it would be happy to help and answer any questions about the technical aspects of the Lycan Hypersport; W Motors also said it would be willing to hire some of the students involved in the build.
"This is a breath of fresh air," Pucci said in a statement.
"There must be some supercar manufacturers who wouldn't welcome everyone who is part of their world so graciously. I am very touched that they see what we are doing as a complement to the great art, craftsmanship, and heritage they have already created."The completed replica will be unveiled at the 2020 SEMA Show in Las Vegas this November.