The 997 comes straight from the factory as a very, very fast machine. A number of American automotive publications say turbo models can go from 0 to 60 in around 3.4 seconds and they can reach a top speed of 180 mph. But for some people, that's just not fast enough.

Naveen Maraj, the President of Champion Motorsport, says his company develops its own brand of ultra-light wheels and carbon composite intakes. The company's in-house engineering team designs, engineers, develops, and tests the exhaust products at their 22,000-square-foot complex in Florida.

To optimize performance, Champion makes inlet ducts from carbon fiber, and they use that material for its strong, thin, and lightweight characteristics. Using carbon fiber allows engineers to increase the interior dimensions of the ducts while maintaining the outer dimensions required by factory specifications, and the building for more interior space in the ducts means better airflow, and that adds up to improved overall engine performance.

But the team at Champion found that they were frustrated when it comes to traditional manufacturing methods. There were confronted with a Hobson's Choice; sacrifice either optimum air flow or pleasing aesthetics.

So the engineers at Champion turned to 3D printing to create "soluble molds" to build their intakes.

The problem was that conventional tooling methods failed to produce a duct that was both perfectly smooth on both the interior and exterior surfaces. The previous methods of construction meant ducts were molded in two parts and then bonded together. That meant the part would be weaker than a duct made of a single piece.