Stefan Johansson's Porsche TAG Turbo is an F1-engined art car

SJ stands for Stefan Johansson, and the 87 refers to the fact it’s the very engine he raced in the 1987 Austrian Grand Prix aboard his McLaren MP4/3. That particular fixture was an eventful one for Johansson. He struck a deer during free practice, which meant he used the spare car for the race. That one lost a wheel after a pitstop, forcing him to limp back to the pits. But he has fonder memories of the Porsche-developed 1.5-litre turbocharged V6, commenting that it, in his words: “was probably the strongest part of the whole car. It was fantastic in terms of driveability.”

When fitted to the McLaren in race tune, it produced around 760PS (558kW). For the Porsche TAG Turbo by Lanzante, the wick has been turned down to 510PS (375kW), which is still plenty for the lightweight 911 shell. The specification also includes Öhlins dampers, ceramic brakes, a Porsche 993 gearbox and a bag fuel tank.

The thing that makes this car even more special is the hand-painted finish created by Johansson himself. He has been creating artwork since his racing days, having been inspired from a young age by his artist grandfather. When his close friend Elio de Angelis lost his life, Johansson turned to brushes and canvas as an escape, and he went on to become prolific and proficient. His works are abstract and many are inspired by his days racing at grand prix circuits around the world, aiming to bring the life the sensations of driving 1,000bhp single-seaters for those who will never experience such a thing.

The SJ87 is the first time he has applied his skills to anything other than canvas. The green is taken from Johansson’s helmet design, itself inspired by his childhood nickname Little Leaf. The blue and yellow is taken from the Swedish flag while the red is inspired by the Marlboro colour scheme of the McLaren from which the 911’s engine is taken.

The build is exquisite, the sound is sensational and the hand-painted personalised colour scheme makes this one all the more captivating, and it can be seen and heard on the for first time on the Hill at the 2023 Festival of Speed.

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Photography by Toby Whales.