Focus on GT sport: Porsche aims to contest Le Mans with four works cars

Stuttgart. Porsche has paid tribute to the worldwide achievements of teams and drivers during the 2017 season at its “Night of Champions” motorsport gala in Weissach. On this occasion, the huge expansion of its worldwide GT programme was announced.

Largest ever GT factory mission at Le Mans

Porsche plans to campaign four factory vehicles at the 86th running of the Le Mans 24 Hours. The two Porsche GT Teams from the FIA WEC and the IMSA
WeatherTech Championship each field two ca. 510 hp GT racers from Weissach. The cockpit of the #91 car is shared by Gianmaria Bruni, Richard Lietz and Frédéric Makowiecki. The number 92 vehicle is manned by Kévin Estre, Michael Christensen and Laurens Vanthoor. Patrick Pilet, Nick Tandy and Earl Bamber are expected to drive the number 93 car, with the #94 Porsche 911 RSR earmarked for Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas and Sven Müller. With Bamber, Bernhard, Dumas and Tandy, a total of four outright Le Mans winners will compete as part of the Porsche works squad.

Porsche again fights for the world championship in 2018

In the 2018/2019 season, Porsche again sends its factory Porsche GT Team to contest the GTE-Pro class of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). In the #91 Porsche 911 RSR, Gianmaria Bruni and Richard Lietz fight for the world championship, with Michael Christensen and Kévin Estre manning the #92 vehicle. In the GTE-Am class, a number of customer teams have applied for a starting spot with the 2017-spec 911 RSR. In total, Porsche has sold seven 911 RSR to customers for the WEC, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the European Le Mans Series.

Strong commitment in the USA

One of the most successful driver pairings in the IMSA WeatherTech Championship join forces again in 2018: Like in their 2015 championship winning year, Nick Tandy and Patrick Pilet share the cockpit of the 911 RSR with the starting number 911. In the #912 sister car, the two-time Le Mans overall winner Earl Bamber and the Intercontinental GT Challenge and Blancpain Series champion, Laurens Vanthoor, form a world-class driver duo.

911 GT3 R customer sport racer receives an upgrade

The successful 911 GT3 R customer racing model undergoes an upgrade for the 2018 GT3 season. The parts kit, which can be used to update all 2016 and 2017 models, includes amongst other things a new front lid for the optimisation of thermal management and side flicks to improve the aerobalance.

Firm commitment to worldwide GT3 sport

At each round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge, Porsche lends its support to at least one local team in their 911 GT3 R pro-class campaign. The works driver trio Dirk Werner, Romain Dumas and Frédéric Makowiecki will contest all races and fight for the drivers’ championship. In the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup, the three also share the cockpit of a 911 GT3 R. This will be fielded at all races by Manthey Racing. In many other international and national GT series such as the European Le Mans Series, the Pirelli World Challenge, the Japanese Super GT series, the IMSA WeatherTech Championship (GTD class) and the Nürburgring Long Distance Championship, Porsche supports customer teams with engineers and drivers.

World champion Timo Bernhard contests the ADAC GT Masters

The reigning FIA WEC world champion and Le Mans winner makes his comeback into GT racing in the 2018 season. Joining forces with Kévin Estre, the owner of the racing team will contest the ADAC GT Masters with his own Team 75 Bernhard.

Nine Porsche 911 GT3 R tackle the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring

Nine Porsche 911 GT3 R are expected to line up at the Nürburgring to contest the ADAC 24-hour race. Five vehicles will be fielded by customer teams in the pro class, with four in the amateur class. Manthey Racing campaigns two vehicles manned by factory drivers: Sharing driving duties in the #911 Porsche 911 GT3 R are Earl Bamber, Laurens Vanthoor, Kévin Estre and Patrick Pilet. Taking up the race in the #912 car are Romain Dumas, Richard Lietz, Frédéric Makowiecki and Nick Tandy. A total of 13 Porsche works drivers and four Young Professionals will tackle the Eifel marathon on 12/13 May.

Porsche further expands its youth development programme

In the 2018 season, a total of four top young pilots will compete around the world as Porsche Young Professionals. After their successes in Porsche’s one-make cup series, Dennis Olsen and Matt Campbell have taken the next career step. Matteo Cairoli and Mathieu Jaminet also gave convincing performances in their first season as young professionals in GT racing and will continue to receive support in 2018. The proven support scheme will be supplemented for the first time by Porsche Selected Drivers in the coming year. Porsche also provides these pilots with training, which includes fitness tests. So far, Christina Nielsen from Denmark is the first driver to be chosen. The winner of the German E-Kart Championship (DEKM), held for the first time in 2018, can also benefit from a number of training programmes, which evolved in the Porsche youth development scheme. Porsche Motorsport will partner the innovative and particularly cost-effective DEKM from the very first race. The karts, capable of reaching 130 km/h, will be fielded centrally to ensure a level playing field and to prevent runaway costs.

911 GT3 Cup sets a new record

The new 911 GT3 Cup, which celebrated its premiere in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, the Carrera Cup Deutschland as well as in North America in the 2017 season, will be fielded in the majority of Porsche’s 21 one-make cup series around the world in 2018. Up until spring 2018, a total of 339 units of the 485 hp one-make cup racer will roll off the assembly line at Porsche’s main facility in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen. Never before have so many racing vehicles of one type been manufactured for one season. Hence, the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup remains the world’s top selling race car.

919 Hybrid goes on a worldwide farewell tour

The Porsche LMP Team will spend 2018 concentrating on its new mission: its successful entry into Formula E. The start takes place in season six, beginning at the end of 2019. Until then, the team will design, develop and test a complete powertrain. The first steps were already taken in 2017, with the concrete implementation of the concept taking place next year. The first test drives with the finished Formula E race car from Porsche are scheduled for early 2019. A second field of activity will be the operational implementation of a farewell tour for the three-time Le Mans winning Porsche 919 Hybrid car. Outside the events of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and thus outside the regulations of usable energy amounts, the innovative race car will be campaigned at many individual events throughout the year. A precise programme will be announced early in 2018. At the end of 2018, the era of the ca. 900 hp hybrid prototype will come to a close. The 919 will then make its last trip to the Porsche Museum.

Porsche Cup: Christian Ried is the most successful private driver of 2017

This year’s winner of the Porsche Cup, the trophy for the world’s most successful private Porsche driver, goes to Christian Ried (38). The racing driver/owner of the Dempsey Proton Racing squad was awarded the coveted trophy by Dr Wolfgang Porsche, the Chairman of the Supervisory Board at Porsche AG. In addition, Ried takes home a Porsche valued at 120,000 Euro. Thanks to his successes in the FIA WEC and the European Le Mans Series, he earned 8,700 points over the past season at the wheel of the Porsche 911 RSR. Second-placed Robert Renauer, last year’s Porsche Cup recipient, can look forward to prize money totalling 30,000 Euros. For third place, Switzerland’s Daniel Allemann wins 25,000 Euro. The Porsche Cup has been awarded since 1970 and is based on an idea of Ferry Porsche.

Works drivers 2018

Earl Bamber (27), New Zealand
Jörg Bergmeister (41), Germany
Timo Bernhard (36), Germany
Gianmaria Bruni (36), Italy
Michael Christensen (27), Denmark
Romain Dumas (39), France
Kévin Estre (29), France
Brendon Hartley (28), New Zealand
Neel Jani (34), Switzerland
Richard Lietz (33), Austria
Patrick Long (36), USA
André Lotterer (36), Germany
Frédéric Makowiecki (37), France
Sven Müller (25), Germany
Patrick Pilet (36), France
Nick Tandy (33), Great Britain
Laurens Vanthoor (26), Belgium
Dirk Werner (36), Germany

 

Young Professionals

Matteo Cairoli (21), Italy
Matt Campbell (22), Australia
Mathieu Jaminet (23), France
Dennis Olsen (21), Norway

 

Juniors

Julien Andlauer (18), France
Thomas Preining (19), Austria

 

Porsche Selected Driver 2018

Christina Nielsen (25), Denmark

 

Race series overview

FIA World Endurance Championship

911 RSR #91
Gianmaria Bruni
Richard Lietz

911 RSR #92
Michael Christensen
Kévin Estre

 

Le Mans 24 Hours

911 RSR #91
Gianmaria Bruni
Richard Lietz
Frédéric Makowiecki

911 RSR #92
Michael Christensen
Kévin Estre
Laurens Vanthoor

911 RSR #93
Earl Bamber
Patrick Pilet
Nick Tandy

911 RSR #94
Timo Bernhard
Romain Dumas
Sven Müller

 

IMSA WeatherTech Championship

911 RSR #911
Patrick Pilet
Nick Tandy
Frédéric Makowiecki (only North American Endurance Cup)

911 RSR #912
Earl Bamber
Laurens Vanthoor
Gianmaria Bruni (only North American Endurance Cup)

 

Intercontinental GT Challenge

911 GT3 R #911
Romain Dumas
Frédéric Makowiecki
Dirk Werner

 

Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup

911 GT3 R #911
Romain Dumas
Frédéric Makowiecki
Dirk Werner

Porsche announces 991 Carrera GTS ‘British Legends’ Editions

Porsche has unveiled three brand new special-edition 911s. Based on the dynamic Gen 2 991 Carrera 4 GTS Coupe, the series has been given the theme of British Legends, celebrating three British racing drivers who have taken Porsche to the top step of the podium at the Le Mans 24 Hours.

British Legends: Richard Attwood

Richard Attwood helped to claim Porsche’s first Le Mans victory in 1970. Driving the 917 with its legendary flat-twelve engine in the Porsche family colours of Salzburg Racing, Attwood and partner, Hans Herrmann, outlasted many other competitors (including the updated 4.9-litre 917s) to reach the finish in first position overall. Only 16 of the original 51 starters reached the chequered flag.

Herrmann  – a Porsche factory driver from the early 1950s – had promised his wife that a Le Mans win would be his last ever race. After the race, he kept his word and retired. Attwood raced another 917 at Le Mans in 1971, finished second and retired at the end of the season.

British Legends: Nick Tandy

After a blistering early career in Ministox and single seaters (Formula Ford and F3), Nick Tandy first blipped on Porsche’s radar with an incredible Carrera Cup debut at Dijon for Konrad Motorsport in 2009. Finishing second with no testing in the highly competitive Carrera Cup Germany at Dijon, Konrad invited him back for the Abu Dhabi race, where he impressed again, thus earning himself a full season Carrera Cup drive for 2010.

2010 took Tandy from strength to strength, and he narrowly missed the Carrera Cup DE title to Rene Rast. The championship was Tandy’s in 2011, at which stage he shifted up to the world stage, ending up in Porsche’s LMP programme, taking his first Le Mans win in 2015 alongside Earl Bamber and Nico Hülkenberg. He continues to be an integral part of the Porsche works driver lineup.

British Legends: Derek Bell

Born in leafy Pinner in 1941, Derek Reginald Bell went on to claim wins at Le Mans – four of them with Porsche – and remains Britain’s winningest Le Mans racer.

Bell’s first Le Mans 24 was in 1970: the same race won by Richard Attwood in a Porsche 917. Driving alongside Ronnie Peterson in a works Ferrari 512S, the car was forced to retire from the race, but Bell stayed on afterwards to help his friend Steve McQueen film the classic Le Mans. The Ferrari used in the film caught fire with Bell in it, and he narrowly escaped unharmed.

Derek Bell’s most memorable wins at La Sarthe came when teamed with Jacky Ickx. The pair claimed victory for Mirage in 1975 and then for Porsche in 1981 and 1982. Bell’s other Porsche Le Mans wins came in 1986 and 1987, alongside Hans Stuck and Al Holbert.

Porsche 911 Special Editions

The ‘British Legends’ 991s are based on 991 Carrera 4 GTS models and come with options including LED headlights, Sport Design body styling and satin-finish mirrors, lots of carbon and a Union Jack badge on each car with the driver’s signature alongside. Porsche says:

“Using the design of the winning race cars as the starting point of each car, joint workshops between Porsche Cars GB and the drivers ensured their passion was built-in to each 911. The ideas were then taken forward by the design team at Style Porsche in Weissach and the craftsmen at Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur in Stuttgart.

“Each British Legends Edition is finished intricately by hand in the new Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur workshop. Special features such as the Satin finish black door mirrors, carbon floor mats with Alcantara® edging and a steering column casing in Alcantara® make their first appearance on this 911.”

The 911 Carrera 4 GTS British Legends Edition is on sale from 9 October, priced at £122,376 inc VAT for Attwood Red – add an extra £900 for Tandy White or Bell Blue paint.

JZM History: Manthey Racing 3.9-litre Porsche 996 conversion

Here’s a copy of a feature by Chris Knapman of GT Porsche magazine from ten years ago – December 2007 – detailing a Manthey Racing conversion carried out on our friend Didier’s LHD 996 GT3 to bring it to 3.9-litres with 455bhp on tap. This was a very special car at the time and we have built many more since! Email steve@jzm.south.co.uk to discuss modifying and tuning your 911 for fast road or track use using the many high quality components supplied by JZM.

What’s in your garage? Manthey-tuned Porsche 996 GT3

It takes something special to stand out at a track day where there are 964, 996 and 997 generations of Cup car, a Carrera GT, and any number of modified RSs. But stand out is precisely what Didier Denat’s black 996 GT3 does, both in the paddock and out on the track which, as you’ve no doubt spotted in this case, is the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

At first glance you might mistake this modified Mk2 GT3 for a repainted RS. After all, it has a genuine RS front bumper, a carbon rear wing and italicised script running down the base of the doors. Look a little closer, though and that script doesn’t read GT3 RS, but rather ‘GT3 CS’, recalling the Carrera Club Sport of the late Eighties.

“The brief was to create a car that I could drive to the ‘Ring and still be relaxed when I arrive, and then that I will also be one of the quicker cars out on the track,” says Didier of his 996. Interpreting that brief, Manthey Motors and its UK distributor JZM Porsche created this GT3 M440 Club Sport.

“I did a bit of research and really wanted to go to the best guys in the business, and I wanted somebody that knows the ‘Ring inside out to do the setup. This was about two-and-a-half years ago. The first thing I did was the suspension with Manthey’s three-way adjustable coilovers built by KW Suspension, and then the brakes, for which I used JZM Porsche’s setup.”

The brakes in question are ceramic floating discs, which JZM says are 1.5kg lighter each than the standard GT3 steel discs. Measuring 360mm (original Mk2 discs are 350mm), the discs are built to JZM’s specifications and offer improved braking power and longevity over the standard items (note: we have now upgraded these items further with our custom carbon brakes from Surface Transforms). JZM Porsche also fitted the KW Suspension to Didier’s car, along with a Manthey K410 engine upgrade.

The K410 consists of a full Manthey sports exhaust that is 6.7kg lighter than the original, and a reprogramming of the GT3’s Motronic to yield more power from the flat-six engine. However, as is so often the case when it comes to modifying cars, Didier wasn’t quite finished: “Nine months after the first modifications I did a second batch with Manthey Motors. They exchanged the gearing, fitting 20 per cent shorter ratios, as well as a race clutch, single mass flywheel, race diff and uniball strut tops to improve turn-in, and set it up very nicely for the ‘Ring.

“Then at the beginning of this year I was thinking ‘what should I do next – keep that car or get a 997 GT3 RS?’, but because the RS was going to require a lot of extra money, I decided instead to put this towards improving my car further. Speaking to Steve McHale at JZM Porsche and Manthey’s engineers, I decided to go for Manthey’s 3.9-litre engine conversion: the ultimate step it offers for the GT3.

“Manthey was amazing because the first time after they did the engine conversion they put it on the dyno and it was doing 451bhp. Before, with the K410, it was pulling about 424bhp. So I said to Manthey that spending all that money on the 3.9-litre conversion for an extra 27bhp seemed like a lot. There was a lot more torque – about 332 lb ft – but, because I was hoping for more power, Manthey took the engine out of the car again and checked everything, but when they put it back in and back on the dyno it was the same. The guys then said they would do something a bit special so that my car would be beyond the normal 3.9-litre conversion figures.”

It is for this reason that a Cup filter resides under the engine cover of Didier’s car, combined with a carbon ram air intake system, which results in a naturally aspirated engine with 455 bhp and 347 lb ft of torque. “What is particularly impressive is the power from 180km/h,” explains Didier. “It now accelerates like it used to in third gear. You can get very easily to 280-290kmh, and I’ve hit the limiter at 8200 revs with 309km/h on the clock.”

Of course the GT3 philosophy isn’t only about maximising power. “I wanted to really lighten the car as well, so we put on BBS magnesium wheels, the carbon doors, carbon bonnet and took all the air bags out, as well as removing the regular seat belts and fitting plastic windows in place of the rear screen and rear side windows. Just this Cup steering wheel, believe it or not, is five kilos difference and the doors are 11 kilos lighter each. Then we fitted the rear wing, a proper RS front bumper with the air intake, and JZM canted the radiator back to improve the airflow.”

Given the car’s obvious focus toward track work, one wonders how usable it is on the road. “It’s amazing as a road car,” enthuses Didier. “I took the insulation between the engine and the cabin out but it’s actually no noisier than it was before, although it does pull slightly more revs because of the shorter gearing. And while it’s lighter, I have kept the radio and the air-con because removing these doesn’t make sense.”

And what about on the track? “Oh, it’s amazing. In a straight line it pulls away from Cup cars. I remember when I first bought this car I wasn’t that comfortable with it. It was a bit understeery and a bit jittery, but now it is superb – you just turn and it goes. Under heavy braking, the ceramic brakes are absolutely amazing and the car stays completely flat. With the original car I couldn’t trail brake into the corners because the back end would move around, but now it is really stable.”

So, the perfect GT3? “I certainly don’t think that there’s much left to do!” says Didier laughing. “I don’t think I’ll ever sell this car. It’s so special – you take a project and spend so much time thinking what you’ll do and all the research that by the end you don’t want to part with it. The next thing I want to do would be to buy a Cup car and race that. I would love to do this but I think I need to get a bit better first, so I’ve started racing at Caterham and after a couple of seasons I might be ready to move on. For track days it’s difficult to justify buying a Cup car though, because I think that my car at the moment is faster, plus you can get a lot of fun from driving it on the road.”

It won’t surprise you to hear that this isn’t the first Porsche Didier has owned, his relationship with the marque starting off with a 996 Carrera 4, which he swapped for a 996 Turbo. “I had the Turbo tuned to 540 horsepower by PSI Motorsport and kept it for two years, but on the track it wasn’t that great and I wanted to get to the next level, so that’s why I got a GT3.”

A couple of quick passenger laps on a deserted Nordschleife demonstrate that the next level is precisely what Didier has ended up with. With an abundance of torque and a surefootedness GT3 owners might well crave at the ‘Ring, it feels a phenomenal machine. We may not have found this Manthey GT3 M440 Club Sport at Didier’s garage, but it’s fair to say that the ‘Ring is its rightful second home.

Download the full feature on our Manthey JZM Porsche 996 GT3 3.9-litre conversion.

Porsche 991 GT2 RS sets new Nürburgring lap record

Porsche recently turned to local hero, Bedfordshire’s Nick Tandy, to help set a new road car lap record at the Nürburgring. Driving a brand new Porsche 991 GT2 RS, Tandy and colleague Lars Kern broke the established record of 6 minutes 52 seconds on their very first try and went on to set a series of five laps, all below 6 minutes and 50 seconds. As the day wore on, the atmospheric conditions reached perfection just after 7pm and it was VLN driver Kern who ultimately set the new record of 6 minutes 47.3 seconds.

“At the start of the development process, we set ourselves a lap time target for the GT2 RS of less than 7 minutes and 5 seconds,” said Frank-Steffen Walliser, Vice President Motorsport and GT Cars. “The credit for beating this target by 17.7 seconds goes to our development engineers, mechanics and drivers, who demonstrated an exceptionally strong team performance. This result makes it official: The GT2 RS is not only the most powerful, but also the fastest 911 ever built.”

“It’s not just the record time achieved by the GT2 RS that demonstrates the vehicle’s class, but also its consistent performance in every lap,” remarked Andreas Preuninger, Director GT Model Line. “We’re particularly proud of the fact that this was achieved with two different vehicles and two different drivers, as this underlines the GT2 RS’s ability to reproduce this record result over and over again.”

The twin-turbo flat six engine in the new 991 GT2 RS produces 700 horsepower and delivers its prodigious grunt through the rear wheels only. Weighing 1470 kilos with a full fuel tank, Porsche’s most powerful 911 accelerates from zero to 62 miles per hour in 2.8 seconds and on to a top speed of 211 mph. The new GT2 RS has 80 horsepower more than the last model and delivers 750 Newton metres of torque.

The order book for the new 911 GT2 RS has long since been filled and enquiries have already been received at JZM for the cars that will inevitably come to market soon after delivery. Email sales@jzm.south.co.uk if you are considering selling your new GT2 RS, or would like to discuss obtaining one some time in the future.

 

Porsche launches the all-new Cayenne

Porsche has announced the new Cayenne: the third edition and a brand new version of the all-conquering sporty 4×4 which shot Porsche from being a small-scale sports car manufacturer into the five-door mainstream when it was first released in 2003.

Technical highlights are fascinating, with two new turbocharged engines on offer at launch, an eight-speed Tiptronic S automatic gearbox, new chassis systems and an innovative display and control concept with “total connectivity”.
Launch engines are both turbocharged six-cylinder petrols. The newly-developed single turbo 3-litre V6 makes 340 horsepower: up 40 hp on the previous model. Also new is the 2.9-litre V6 twin-turbo engine found in the Cayenne S, now making 440 hp, which is 20 hp more than the outgoing car.

When fitted with Sport Chrono and launch control, the new Cayenne S charges from zero to 62 mph in less than five seconds: an impressive figure for a car that is 65 kilos lighter than its predecessor but still weighs over two tonnes.

Drawing on the 911 for design inspiration, the new Cayenne’s chassis features staggered wheels – now a minimum 19” diameter – and rear-wheel steering.

Weight has been saved in the chassis; now with a separated link design front axle and a multi-link rear axle. PDCC and three-chamber air suspension along with active all-wheel drive ensure impeccable road manners. As few Cayennes ever go off road and tyres are the limiting factor here, Porsche says little about enhanced off road performance, but it is pretty good in any case, assuming there is no thick mud to confuse the rubber circles.

Inside, the boot is much bigger with an extra one hundred litres of space. All Cayennes come with LED headlights as standard, with PDLS dynamic lighting as an option. The top end Cayenne option is exceptionally impressive technology: high beams can be used without the risk of dazzling oncoming drivers and the system even compensates lighting to ensure no road sign glare.

The new eight-speed Tiptronic is similarly impressive technology. The performance increases are as attributable to the all-new transmission as to the engine. “Shorter response times and sportier ratios in the lower gears enhance both on-road performance and off-road capability. At the other end of the expanded spread between comfort and sportiness, the taller eighth gear ensures lower revs, optimised fuel consumption and relaxed cruising,” says Porsche.

The streamlined design features a new front end with bigger air intakes, new lines off the lights and small tweaks to overall length and height. While the wheelbase is unchanged, the elongated form offers a very contemporary statement – it is a good looking car.

With PIWIS 3 diagnostics in our workshops linking us straight to Porsche headquarters for daily software updates and individual car build data, JZM Porsche is already equipped to service and maintain the all-new Cayenne. We look forward to seeing the first examples in the JZM service centre!

Here’s some video of the new Cayenne in motion:

JZM Porsche Cars and Coffee: October 1st 2017

Our next cars and coffee (and croissants) event will take place on October 1st, 2017. The day starts at 10am and we’re looking forward to another great morning, with a repeat of the excellent attendance from our last get together.

We will again welcome representatives of Akrapovic exhausts and KW Suspension, who enjoyed meeting our customers last time around. Russ and Steve will also be to hand, to discuss Porsche sales and the market in general or to talk Porsche tuning and service here at JZM.

We may also be giving sneak peeks of our all-new storage facility at the cars and coffee morning. JZM storage comes on line later this year as a major upgrade to our customer offering and is already taking bookings! We hope many of our friend and clients will make it along and look forward to seeing you – set satnavs for WD4 8JE!

KW launches suspension kits for 718 Porsche Boxster/Cayman

Our friends at KW Suspension have just launched some exciting new damper kits for the latest Porsche Boxster and Cayman. The market leaders in high end aftermarket suspension upgrades, KW Automotive has unveiled a Height Assisted Spring kit, Variant 3 package and a range-topping 3-way Clubsport option.

While Porsche endowed its latest Boxster and Cayman models with divine chassis balance, there is room for improvement in the quality of standard suspension. However, this does not mean the cars must be substantially altered in ride height or appearance.  KW’s Height Adjustable Spring (HAS) kit is a great place to start when upgrading the standard 718 suspension.

KW’s HAS kit features an innovative spring perch, which allows for individual height adjustment while the springs are in situ. This is a great advantage over traditional spring kits, which force owners to choose a final ride height before the springs are fitted. KW’s clever engineering solution makes adjusting the ride height very straightforward, which gives Porsche owners substantial control over how their car looks and handles.

Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman Variant V3 Suspension

Boxster and Cayman owners keen on a distinct lift in suspension performance should certainly look closely at the all-new Variant V3 kit for 718 models. Providing the perfect balance between fast road and regular track day use, KW Variant V3 suspension is a recommended upgrade here at JZM Porsche and our KW factory-trained technicians would be delighted to fit this to your 718, including a full geo alignment on our Hunter setup ramp.

KW’s patented valve technology is the secret behind the V3’s ability. The coilovers allow independent adjustment of both damper compression (bump) and rebound settings while the units are on the car. This again permits owners to make fine adjustments to key handling characteristics for a completely tailored ride quality. Adjusting the compression could not be easier: just click the the lower adjustment wheel through any of its 12 preset positions. Rebound rates are similarly adjustable, by using a similar cog with 16 preset points.

KW upgraded suspension for PASM-equipped Porsche 718 models

KW has developed two types of Variant 3 kit: one cars fitted with Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), one for those without. All 718-chassis owners can benefit from the upgraded KW suspension experience, safe in the knowledge that the kit is entirely compatible with the car’s electronics.

Clubsport Coilovers for Porsche Cayman/Boxster

The final product in the new KW Suspension range for 718 models is a Clubsport coilover kit, aimed at serious track day enthusiasts. While still providing a high-quality ride on the road, Clubsport dampers include a further step up in valving technology, allowing owners to adjust rebound through 16 positions, low speed compression through 6 settings and high speed compression through 14 preset positions. We have fitted many Clubsport kits and are always amazed at the performance they can unlock – highly recommended upgrade for any Porsche.

JZM is a preferred partner and recommended technical centre for all KW Suspension upgrades. We carry a full range of KW kits in stock and we can ship worldwide. Email parts@jzm.south.co.uk to discuss.

Don’t forget that our next Cars, Coffee and Croissants event takes place on October 1st. KW representatives will be on site to discuss all of the kits available for every Porsche model, including classic air-cooled 911s.

KW Suspension Summer Sale at JZM

Enthusiastic Porsche drivers can save up to £300 on the finest spring and damper packages from KW Suspension at JZM Porsche, thanks to KW’s summer sale.

Germany’s premier aftermarket suspension manufacturer has introduced a suspension specific voucher code, which is valid until September 30th, 2017 for all KW Suspension purchases made from JZM Porsche.

  • Variant 1 systems now have £100 off with voucher code KWSUSA2017V1UK
  • Variant 2 systems now have £200 off with voucher code KWSUSA2017V2UK
  • Variant 3 systems now have £300 off with voucher code KWSUSA2017V3UK

Contact us to discuss a KW upgrade with optional fitting and chassis alignment at JZM Porsche. We have fitted hundreds of KW systems and nothing beats the feel of decent suspension, properly set up on a great 911. Email service@jzm.south.co.uk to discuss.

JZM Porsche Market Report July 2017

Summer weather has been rather disappointing here in the UK but Porsche sales have been steady during what is usually a quiet time of year. Air-cooled cars in the best condition continue to enjoy a strong following from both UK and overseas buyers. We’ve just added two 964 Turbos and two superb 993 Turbos (one in paint to sample Smoke Silver) to our showroom, so we will see how they fare.

As the wet end to July continued into August, we find ourselves with a few more drop tops than this time last year. The UK often gets a late ‘Indian summer’ as September arrives and, while our business does not rely on the weather gods, some late summer sun would give soft tops a bit of a boost. We’ve got fingers lightly crossed for warmer weather, but the cars are well priced and all easily amongst the best available, so no panic just yet.

Enquiries are already being received for Gen 2 991 GT3 and 991 GT2 RS models when they come to market. Rumours of £40k and £100k respective premiums over list may be well and truly undercooked: it will be interesting to see where asking prices start when the cars eventually arrive.

996 GT3 RS is still super hot and we’ve just added a superb 9k mile example to the showroom. Both 996 and 997 GT2s are also very desirable and we’ve just brought a superb 13k-mile 997 GT2 first owned by Eric Clapton into stock: that will definitely not hang around!

What we’re buying

We’re about to offer a nice Carrera GTS Coupe for sale and are always hunting top notch non-GT 911s. If you’ve got a bread-and-butter 911 coupe – Carrera 2 or 4 or any Carrera S model – we would be very interested in buying it.

We’ve got enquiries on all 996 and 997 Turbo cars and a lovely 30k-mile 996 Turbo coupe on the horizon, but we always want Turbo manual coupes – contact us if you are selling.

We never stop looking for top quality cars to satisfy existing enquiries. Email sales@jzm.south.co.uk to discuss anything you might have available!

Upcoming changes at JZM Porsche

The next few months will be very busy at JZM, as we further extend our premises to add a storage facility and carry out other improvements across the property. Our regular communications will also be changing, to a quarterly email containing the market report, but more video content online. We hope our subscribers will enjoy the new formats.

Jagermeister Porsche 935 in for JZM chassis geometry setup

This stunning Jagermeister Porsche 935 recreation was a recent visitor to our Hunter laser alignment ramp, for perfect chassis geometry as part of race preparation setup.

We carry out hundreds of chassis setups every year and it’s always exciting to play with cool Porsches. Adjusting the 935’s suspension is easy: the car rides on coilovers and just about everything is rose-jointed, making the geometry tweakable down to the finest increments.

Unlike some neglected Porsche road cars, everything easily comes undone on a regularly adjusted race car, so there was no freeing-off to be done before the process got started. The whole job took less than two hours: a cost-effective trip to the JZM setup bench.

Some people pay thousands of pounds to have their Porsche set up elsewhere, only to find that it still does not handle right afterwards. Our chassis setups start at just a few hundred pounds and feedback is always extremely positive.

Email steve@jzm.south.co.uk to discuss how a JZM setup can bring your Porsche back to its best. There is no need to spend thousands of pounds on chassis alignment when you bring it to people with four decades of experience who know what they are doing!

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