Classic lines, no driver aids, a snarling flat-six, and a tick over 500 ponies make this Porsche 996 Cup car as demanding to drive as it is entertaining to witness.

This car has seen continual updates over the years; most recently the front end was altered to accommodate the underpinnings of a 997 GT3-R. It’s not a stretch to call this car a 997 underneath the bodywork of a 996. Perhaps those odd headlight covers, disguising the 996’s unpopular ‘cracked-egg’ headlights, convey this message better than anything I can write.

Adding a 4.0-liter engine in the back is another modification the 996 Cup never enjoyed. With over 500 horsepower and a 8,500-rpm redline, the powerplant is arguably the main draw here. It pulls from low in the rev range, and when coupled with tremendous traction, its urgency out of slower corners is remarkable — provided Neff can avoid too much wheelspin.

While the widebodied 996 shows great composure in the faster sections of the Eschdorf hillcimb, it’s quite nervous in some of the slower corners; Neff takes great care to brake in a straight line. Even still, too much steering input with the weight on the front axle puts the Porsche into a near-spin at 1:41 in the title video. Fortunately, his quick hands and delicate use of the loud pedal help keep the expensive 996 from spinning into the guardrails, though he does smoke through a pricey set of slicks in the process.

With 500 horsepower and those massive rear tires pressed into the asphalt by the motor, generating lots of smoke isn’t a challenge for Neff.