Porsche

There is not much else like summer at Road America. For 2017, we made the trek 5hrs east with 6 Porsches in tow. And we’re happy to report the event was a success.

Please enjoy Peter Lapinski‘s killer photo set and accompanying notes from our time in Elkhart Lake, WI.

Road America would be the first time on track for this car since our trip to Smokies in April. The setup performed well during our time in Georgia, the only change being a flush of Castrol SRF brake fluid. Together with Girodisc’s PCCB rotor conversion & Pagid brake pads, the setup is built to cope with the huge braking zones of Road America.

Cold pressure check prior to the first session with red.

Luis and his 991 GT3 by 311RS made their way from Chicago to join us for the event.

Those E88s get us every time.

Next to it, Tom’s 311RS-prepared 997.1 GT3. Road America would be the second track event for the car under our supervision. It was great to drive at BIR, but there is nothing like a GT3 at Road America.

Both of these 991 GT3s run a modified version of the 991R diffuser. Road America would be a good testbed for the (hopefully) improved aero.

Ryan made the trip with his 930 – just under 5hrs from door to door. Is this the best road trip car of all time? We think yes.

On-track is where the action was. These two had many nice battles throughout the event. A well-driven 997 GT3 is not easily left behind.

Of course everyone is a winner if they’re driving a 311RS-prepared GT3.

As part of our driver development program, Ryan is in & out of the cars throughout the event keeping each driver on task.

For a few of the guys it was their first time at Road America. The download following each session is equally as important as what we install on track. “You’ve got to use the entire track, just as you would finish an entire beer.” I believe was the discussion here.

Somebody listens well…

For others, it comes naturally.

Bruce was absolutely crushing it all week with his 991 GT3.

He was running an updated chassis setup for the event. Tire wear would indicate we were within range. His only feedback -“I need 200hp more!” Soon enough, I’m sure.

Dial #411 (or 612-547-9311) for more information.

This car is at home on the long, flowing layout of Road America. The wider 19″ BBS & Michelin tire setup on #411 allows the driver to explore his limits with loads of confidence, seen here pushing into the carousel.

And mid-carousel.

If you could only hear the Akrapovic setup on exit of Turn 3…

Our next event is in a few weeks at BIR – it’s the annual National PCA Club Race. It’d be great to say we’ll be in the race, however this year our cars will be relegated to the DE event. See you there!

Photos courtesy of Peter Lapinski

Porsche season has officially arrived in Minnesota.

For 2017, Nord Stern hosted it’s annual Spring Fling event on April 28-30th at Brainerd International Raceway. PCA wisely runs the 3.1 mile Donnybrooke layout – nearly 50 years after the facility opened in 1968, “Donnybrooke Speedway” still makes for a great proving ground.

A 1 mile straightaway to start the season? We’ll take it.

We have a few fresh faces in the crew for 2017 – including Tom’s 2008 997.1 GT3. This weekend would be it’s first outing after our preparation during winter break – click to see before & after. These GT3s in particular (2007-2008) have a special place in our hearts, so it was a real treat to see it through the process and onto the track.

Ryan’s 1987 930 was on hand to start the year. Sadly, no track time for this one – it’s been relegated to cheerleading duty for 2017. It does a great job of looking pretty, however. So all is not lost.

The #69 311RS makes a return for 2017, this time on a Polar Silver 1996 993 C2. John sent his Forest Green metallic 964 packing just before winter and emerged with this 3.8L beauty. What a stud.

Rich added a 2009 997 Turbo to his garage late-summer 2016. It’s a great driver for him, and and as he would soon find out, real quick on track. The car received a full set of two-piece Girodisc rotors along with fresh pads all around prior being introduced to BIR.

Friday’s schedule is built around PCA’s Driver Education course – a must for any new member to PCA who plans to enjoy their Porsche on track. We introduced two new members to the club for 2017 and it’s safe to say they are hooked. Sorry guys!

Each driver is assigned a PCA-certified instructor to guide them through the process. The day’s schedule begins in the class, then moves to the skidpad for cone drills. The part everyone is here for, track time, runs for the rest of the day with the instructor by the driver’s side. It’s an awesome experience for new drivers.

Those drivers that have taken the course previously enjoy a relaxing Friday.

Saturday is a different story. We hit it hard and get to work sorting the cars.

The 3.8lL engine in John’s 993 is a gem. It’s built using 993 RS engine & drivetrain components, which in combination with a gearing change, makes for one hell of a drive.

The 993 RS trend continues with brakes, wheels, and aero pieces each from the European-market 993. This setup is bound to evolve in time, however it’s in a great place to begin the season. It’s so fun.

Saturday ends with some good old fashioned team work. Turn 1 at BIR is really tough on the left hand tires, it’s nearly flat out at 150mph+. A quick swap side to side and the tires wear very nicely.

A close up look at tire wear of a fresh Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2.

Lots of arms crossed fellas…

Sundays at the track, nothing else like it.

Rich was crushing it during his first weekend at the track. The 997 Turbo ate up BIR’s long, flowing Donnybrooke layout with Rich attacking out of the box. It was awesome to watch.

Tom and his 311RS-prepared 997 GT3 ran smoothly all weekend. The car is nicely setup for a mix of street & track use – not too much, and not too little of anything. I think we all fell for the car during the course of the weekend.

Our initial setup for the car produced nice, flat cornering and took advantage of the extra grip of the meaty Sport Cup 2s all around.

Part of the fun is getting to know the car. Here, Ryan explains to Tom how to properly engage 6th gear before entering Turn 1.

993s are just perfect – they are just the right balance between vintage and modern. They feel good, sound good, and they’re fast. John’s especially.

Heading into May it looks we’ve got a bunch more driving to look forward to. A thank you to the folks at Nord Stern for hosting the event. We had a great time, see you at Road America.

Summer is around the corner, is your Porsche ready? Make it a point to get it right, contact us to book your time with 311RS. Imported from Stuttgart, refined in Minneapolis.

Photos courtesy of Peter Lapinski.

Smokies GT is a not-for-profit group of Porsche GT car owners who get together annually in the beautiful Smoky Mountains for a weekend of driving. This year’s Smokies GT event was held April 21-22, and it would be the first time we’d attend but certainly not the last.

The event benefits the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and this year’s Spring meeting was a massive success – more than $120,000 was raised by the 85 Porsche GT owners on hand. What an accomplishment for a great cause.

Friday is spent at Atlanta Motorsports Park for an open track day. For us, it was the first time we’d been on track in 2017. We brought down 4 GT3s from Minneapolis – one 996, one 997, and two 991s.

As part of the fundraising effort, Leh Keen was on hand giving rides for charity. He’d be using our 991 GT3 for the rides, which was quite an honor for us, and quite a ride for the passenger we’d have to imagine. Together we raised $2,500 for the cause.

Saturday began with a drive to Heaven’s Landing – which is a gorgeous private air strip up in the Smoky mountains. We were there to run the cars flat out for 1/2 mile. Imagine the sound of 85 GT cars flat out for 1/2 mile. Quite nice huh?

There’s a more to the story, but for now we’ll let Peter’s photos do the talking. Thank you once again to the organizers of SmokiesGT for the incredible event. We’ll see you next year! And to Leh and his wife Eliza, the hospitality was much appreciated you two. See you soon.

Photos courtesy of Peter Lapinski.

We recently had a visit to Porsche’s new North American headquarters – Porsche Experience Center Atlanta.

Our host for the weekend, professional driver and Safari extraordinaire Leh Keen, made arrangements to meet our group and visit the Porsche Experience Center. He introduced us to his good friend Ray Shaffer, Porsche Classic and Delivery Center manager at PEC Atlanta. Ray was gracious enough to give us a personal tour around the entire facility, and boy was there plenty to see.

Our group of GT Porsches, in town for SmokiesGT 2017, lined up out front in front of the main entrance (the building across the frame will soon be a hotel). Leh’s green GT3RS “Frog.0” sat between the four GT3s we brought with us from Minnesota.

PEC Atlanta is a vast complex of Porsche nirvana – complete with an extensive museum-quality collection of Porsches on display, a full-service Porsche Classic department, test track, both tarmac & off-road, and soon to be a hotel. The crazy thing is that’s not even the half of it…

The 935 seen above was presented as it left the 24hrs of LeMans in the 70s, unrestored. Very cool. It must be said, our photos from inside PEC are limited to our time spent in one particular display area. Please excuse us if we were focused absorbing all things Porsche instead of taking photos! Perhaps next time…

It was this feature on 911 Cup cars that was of special interest for us.

And not just because Cup cars are gorgeous, especially this UPS liveried 993 Cup example.

The real interest lied with this specific 993 Cup – this car belongs to Leh’s family and was the first 911 he went racing with. According to Leh, this 911 is one of his favorites to drive even to this day. It’s just so pure. And judging it based solely on looks, it’s hard to disagree with the man.

There is so much to see and enjoy at Porsche Experience Center Atlanta. It’s an absolute must see while in Atlanta. Oh, and we did manage one photo of the group – thanks again boys. Until next time!

Photos courtesy of Peter Lapinski & Ryan Gates/311RS, LLC.

Peter Lapinski was on hand to witness the new “further-forward rear engine” 911 RSR during it’s second battle of 2017 – the 65th running of the Mobil1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

Coming off a convincing debut to start the season at Daytona, Sebring would present another great challenge for the new RSRs.

Porsche fought the good fight with the new RSR performing well. The #911 of Pilet, Makowiecki, and Werner was in contention for the GTLM class win right through the final hour.

With 59mins left to race, a long pit stop, a puncture, and lastly a dubious penalty all but ended the #911’s chances for the win. In the end Pilet drove the #911 to a hard-fought 7th place just ahead of the #912 in 8th.

The pace was good all the way to the end, just not luck. The pace is a great sign that the new RSR and it’s unique (for a 911) design is bound for success. We’ll be curious to see if this design ever makes it way into a 911 for road use.

A “further-forward rear engine” 911 GT3 sounds like an interesting idea. Will it happen? Time will tell…

Photos courtesy of Peter Lapinski.

The start of the 2017 race season has arrived. With it comes a number of rule changes, several new manufacturer-backed programs, and many new international drivers. This year’s 55th running Rolex 24hr race at Daytona is set to be an exciting start to the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship.

Minnesota’s own Peter Lapinski was on hand and had his lens aimed on one car in particular for us – Porsche’s all-new “further forward mid engine” 911 RSR. This car marks a major shift in what we know a Porsche 911 race car to be. And what better place than Daytona for it’s first test.

The roll out came Thursday morning for the first practice and qualifying sessions of the weekend.

Porsche put the cars 1st & 2nd on the GTLM timing sheets after the first practice session. A solid start, but reality of a new car set in during qualifying – the two factory #911 & #912 RSRs qualified 5th & 8th, respectively. They were quick, but three Ford GTs and a single Ferrari 488 went quicker (which is not much of a surprise as both cars are largely the same as they ran in 2016).

One final practice before overnight preparations begin. The new RSR had good pace and was ran smoothly to start the weekend. It must be said that the new RSR is just stunning, and very much a 911 if based on looks alone. The “Spearhead” livery looks great at speed.

The factory teams waste no time digging into the cars. This process is especially valuable to the team this year as their RSR is running some 90% new components on the car.

This image is a good reference to where the further-forward 4.0L, 510hp flat-six engine is placed – the firewall begins at the B-pillar behind the driver and the engine rests forward of the rear axle. The orange tape and blue tie down strap perfectly mark the engine’s placement.

The team works late to prepare both cars for an early morning tech session on Saturday.

You can almost smell it from here.

The bodywork on the 911 RSR is about as good as it gets for Porsche fans.

After a quick start, the field settled into race pace. A few early cautions kep things interesting for some. Porsche was off to a smooth start – both 911 RSRs putting in work to maintain track position near the sharp end of the field.

8 hours in and the pair was running 3rd & 4th in GTLM.

Evenings have an odd sense of serenity at Daytona.

Not for long, however. Rain was in the forecast. And on it’s way earlier than anticipated.

Porsche was one of the first teams to make the switch to rain tires and it paid off immediately – the pair of RSRs moved to 1st & 2nd in GTLM.

Even though the engine has moved “further forward”, the 911 RSR proved it was still very much a 911 – once again it was the car to beat in the wet.

The rain eventually gave way to cloudy, cold conditions by daybreak. By way of safety car periods and pit stops, the Porsches had shuffled back in the field – #911 remained in the top 5 while #912 lost two laps with an unscheduled suspension fix.

The final 3 hour stretch made for some of the most exciting GTLM racing in years. Seven cars from four different manufacturers all on the lead lap.

Patrick Pilet put in a huge final stint. He worked through the pack up to 2nd place behind Dirk Mueller in the #66 Ford GT. An intense battle fueled into the final minutes of the 24hr race.

In the end it was Mueller in the Ford GT that better managed his Michelins and took the win. The #911 of Pilet, Dirk Werner, and Frédéric Makowiecki finished 2nd in the debut of the new 911 RSR.

It was an incredible first outing for the new program. Porsche can be proud of their creation, and validated in the decision to finally move the 911’s engine ahead of the rear axle.

The question remains – is it still a 911?

Of course it is. And more importantly it’s a Porsche, and it performed as such. And that’s all that matters.

Photos courtesy of Peter Lapinski

Our previous post discussed some of the setup work we put into preparing an Evo X for winter use. Read that here – Winter Setup: 311RS Evo X #09

We took it upon ourselves to test new setup on the morning after a fresh snowfall. We’ll let Peter’s pictures do the talking, enjoy!

Let’s make winter great again. Here’s to more snow!

Winter with an Evo X is one of life’s greatest pleasures.*

*The setup is key.

We’ve got a simple recipe to enjoy driving this winter season. First and foremost, INVEST IN A SET OF WINTER TIRES. A proper set of winter tires can do more for your car than just about any other modification.

For the second year running we’ll be on Michelin’s X-Ice Xi3 studless ice & snow tires. The combination of grip & feedback is key to the X-Ice Xi3’s success – we love how these Michelins provide great feedback to the driver, a trait usually absent in winter tires.

Next, the chassis setup is adjusted to suit our traction-limited winter roads. Ride height is raised (rake is retained) & alignment adjusted to place the tire more squarely on the road surface. A set bolt-on spacers from Project KICS finish the chassis setup by widening the car’s track.

Control is nothing without power when it comes to winter fun. #09’s engine package can produce more than 500whp. For winter use, the engine tune is adjusted to compensate for the cooler air temps. #09 must endure a long, cold winter driving season and as such, reliable power is the main focus here.

Inside, the car runs a set of our 311RS-spec Recaro seats – seen here are a pair of tartan Pole Position NG seats. This set is trimmed with our classic Black Watch tartan fabric adding some warmth to the cabin.

Our winter setup packages start at $95 – a chassis alignment can go a long way to maximizing your winter safety & fun. For a full breakdown of our winter specials, we’re available 8a-8p EST at (612) 547-9311 or info@311RS.com.

Here’s to a great winter driving season! Merry Christmas.

Photos courtesy of Peter Lapinski.

Is there anything more German than beer & sausages?

The answer? Yes. Porsches.

We took it upon ourselves to combine all three for Oktoberfest – an annual party to be held on the first Saturday of October following the last MN C&C event of the year. Please enjoy this selection of images from the inaugural Oktoberfest by 311RS. We’re already looking forward to next year, see you then!

Thanks again to everyone that made the effort to join us! See you next year.

Photos courtesy of: Alex Bellus, Kris Clewell, & Ryan Gates/311RS, LLC.

The 964 has long been a favorite of ours. There’s something about the mix of old & new combined with the utter simplicity of the design that is just tough to beat. Recently we completed our initial setup on the car you see here, read on to learn more.

This particular 1989 Porsche 911 is a product of our Porsche Preservation Program. It came to us in need of some love and that’s exactly what it’s received. The exterior of the car has received two Carsmotology Concours paint correction treatments. Fresh lights, reflectors & trim pieces along with a RUF front lip help to bring the exterior of the car back to life.

This car was built with a sole focus in mind – driving. Road, track, hell even winter driving. It is a C4 after all.

At it’s core, the 3.6L air-cooled flat six in this car had been well cared for. It was rebuilt a few years prior to our time with the car, and thankfully the previous owner performed a few of the valuable upgrades we would have done – namely the 993-style hydraulic lifters. The engine runs leak free and loves being exercised on track.

Up front, more of the same – with 181,443 on the clock the condition we were able to restore is remarkable.

The gorgeous shade of dark green is called Forest Green Metallic. Compared to Oak Green Metallic, Forest Green has a much cooler tone with more blue than yellow in it’s color pool.

The car rides on a set of our 311RS-spec JRZ RS1 dampers. As mentioned earlier, the car is built to be driven – the wide dynamic range JRZ builds into their dampers allows the car to perform as well on track as it does on the drive to the track.

A lightweight aluminum strut brace keeps things between the JRZs nice and tidy.

The car comes to life as you peek inside. The color combination of Forest Green with the cashmere tan leather is truly regal.

The interior was restored and upgraded where needed. Visible upgrades are a black leather 993 shifter and a black suede Renown steering wheel. This setup makes for a great driving street car while leaving plenty of room for future upgrades i.e. seats, roll bar, RS carpet, etc.

Looking great is one thing, but balancing that look with a crisp, yet plush drive is where it gets difficult. We’re thankful to have such a great group of strategic partners to lean on. The end result is much better for it.

To us, this current setup is the ideal base for 964 owners who wish to understand what driving a 911 is all about. There is room to grow with the car, it’s not over done. The car is setup to be driven hard and enjoyed for years to come. Which is exactly how it should be.

If you’d like a full run down on this build, reach out to us and we’ll happily provide a spec sheet. The list of components is too long to run through here. By the way, what are you doing still reading this? Let’s go driving!

Photos courtesy of Peter Lapinski.