Sharkwerks – The Shark Bites Back
SharkWerks Inc. is located in Northern California’s Bay Area and was established in 2005 by Porsche enthusiasts James Henry and Alex ‘Sharky’ Ross and successful entrepreneurs Joan Wood and Daniel Kennedy. They offer and install components that enhance the performance and appearance of your Porsche.
How it all started
In his youth, Alex Ross, who grew up in London, started a website called Sharky Extreme, which reviewed the latest computers and gaming consoles. The site became one of the top three computing technology review sites and attracted a widespread audience. It was eventually sold to Internet.com after they presented Alex and his business partners with an offer they couldn’t refuse.
Thereafter, Alex moved to California and purchased his first Porsche, a 2000MY 996 Turbo. Almost immediately he started playing around with the ECU in order to increase the motor’s horse power. By this time, he had already met Porsche mechanic, James Henry. The two continued to customize and experiment with Porsche models and soon, upon Joan Wood’s advice that they turn their hobby into a business, SharkWerks was created.
A later addition to the team was Daniel Kennedy, who previously owned a site similar to Sharky Extreme and has a background in drag racing. The team’s inspiration clearly stems from a love of all things Porsche. For them a Porsche is the greatest sports car out there and they are constantly looking for new ways to test the limits. You may still be wondering about the significance of all the shark stuff in the story. Well Alex ‘Sharky’ Ross was simply obsessed with sharks as a kid and it has stuck with him ever since.
What they do
In essence, SharkWerks is about reliable performance. The team buys a car, develops it in-house and tests it before it goes on sale. A good example of this is their 996 model, which they spent months on months developing, both on the street and in drag racing. By the end of 2004 they had claimed a quarter mile record of 10.5 seconds, with a terminal speed of 138 mph. This record was held for almost a year and a half.
Although SharkWerks likes to add power, they also appreciate the importance of aesthetics and offer styling products as well as lightweight parts. They offer various external brands such as EVOMS, TechArt, Werks1, Tubi, Cartographic, Brembo, IPD, Bilstein and HRE & Champion Motorsport. However, SharkWerks also offers their own line of in-house products such as their magnesium wheels and their exhausts. Their wheels work with the factory Tyre Pressure Monitoring System and can save two kilos or more off the standard wheel weight per corner. Similarly, the aim of their exhaust systems is to reduce weight and liberate horsepower. All the products on offer are selected based on performance, reliability, fitment and value and have been thoroughly tested by the SharkWerks team themselves.
If you’re looking to customize or improve the performance of your motor or you are just in need of a mild tune up and some TLC, do not hesitate to contact them. There is no doubt that they will treat your Porsche as one if their own.