NEED FOR SWEDE
Prepared for Scandinavia’s challenging tarmac and forest rally stages, this 991 GT3 RS was built by the team who nurtured many of today’s Formula One stars to success…
Motopark is a name synonymous with countless international successes in motorsport. Founded by racing driver, Timo Rumpfkeil, after he competed in Formula Three when the series was at its prime, the company set up shop at the gates of the then new circuit at Oschersleben, ensuring conveniently direct access to the track and its testing facilities. Numerous wins in single seaters followed, as did participating in Formula Koenig (where Michael Schumacher cut his teeth) and Formula Renault Eurocup. Even so, Formula Three remained at the heart of the young business, demonstrated by 114 race wins and seventeen titles to date, crowning Motopark one of the most successful teams in the championship’s history and attracting a string of now famous drivers to the Motopark fold, not least future Formula One regulars, Max Verstappen, Valtteri Bottas, Sebastian Buemi and Bruno Senna.
GP2 and Japanese Super Formula series, offering the fastest and most sophisticated single seater action below Formula One, have also been firm fixtures of the Motopark calendar, but GT racing has increasingly become the focus of the company in recent years. Of course, in order to succeed in any of these series, a team not only needs a sound knowledge of high-end sports and race cars, but also a deep understanding of race strategy. It is this hard-earned know-how that saw Rumpfkeil develop the eye-popping 991 on these pages — it’s a GT3 RS, but not as you know it.
RALLYING AROUND
After Motopark converted a 997 GT3 into rally specification for driver, Olaf Dobberkau, to contest various ADAC Rallye Masters events around Germany, and following the build of another 997 GT3 for Ruben Zeltner, who went on to win the 2014 and 2015 German Rallye Championship in his Motopark-prepared Porsche, Rumpfkeil was approached by Carrera Cup Scandinavia participant, Kevin Kleveros, with a special request: inspired by the rally-ready 997s Motopark previously built, Kleveros asked for a complete overhaul of his Pdk-equipped 991 GT3 RS to road-legal rally specification, though he wanted to retain comfort for travelling to and from rally stages, if the need arised. Unsurprisingly, the first thing Rumpfkeil’s team looked at was suspension. 911s are well served in this department, but having explored practically unlimited resources, Motopark’s mechanics opted for Reiger three-way adjustable rally dampers, offering not only massive control of bump and rebound, but also an integrated thermostat altering damping rates to maintain consistency between cold and warm operating conditions. Additionally, corner control valves automatically recognise if the car is travelling around a bend or hammering along a straight, adjusting damper stiffness on the fly, thereby maximising traction at all times.
Naturally, the corresponding springs and stabilisers have been reworked and are strengthened for tough off-road use, and the car has been fully cornerweighted and chassis-tuned for gravel tracks. No modifications were made to the powertrain, Rumpfkeil determining the punchy output of the GT3 RS four-litre boxer perfectly adequate for Kleveros’ needs.
A lightweight, handmade stainless steel exhaust system with high-flow catalytic converter was added in order to improve gas flow, as well as to deliver a typically ‘rally’ sounding note from the high-revving flat-six. Another
attention-grabbing addition is the Fly-off handbrake (with AP Racing doubleended hydraulic master cylinder), giving Kleveros the opportunity to use the handbrake in a more dynamic way and enables bold Gymkhana-style drifts on any surface at any time. When the handbrake is activated, an ABS kill switch is called into action, ensuring the Porsche electronics don’t get confused by what the driver is trying to do.
Talking of braking equipment, as far as deceleration is concerned, Porsche blessed the GT3 RS with excellent anchors, which is why Rumpfkeil left each corner largely unaltered, save for rally-specification brake pads with higher coefficient friction and, thus, better cold grip. Safety equipment elsewhere on the car was addressed, though — a Porsche roll cage extension (resulting in a fully shielded cockpit) was added, while a bespoke carbon-fibre ‘nightface’ light pod (kitted-out with extremely bright PIAA Xenon auxiliary lights) was installed on this aggressive 911’s nose, effectively turning night into day. This is essential kit for the Swedish forests Kleveros intends to make his stomping ground.
GRAND DESIGNS
As you’d expect, mud flaps and massive aluminium underbody protection plates protect this modified GT3 RS from stones and other loose objects, but they also add more of the rally aesthetic Kleveros was keen to exploit, as does the specially developed roof-mounted scoop sucking in cool, fresh air whenever the car is on the move. The main event on this front is, of course, his formerly white 911’s ‘war paint’. Produced by race car livery designer, Hajo Lemke, founder of automotive styling outfit, Eight Eleven Design, the yellow, red and black wrap perfectly promotes the car’s intended use, further revealed by the Monit rally counter, co-driver reading lamp and intercom system. Schroth safety harnesses and a fire extinguisher also feature in the generously equipped cabin.
In its tenth year, the 991 has reached maturity. Moreover, Motopark’s recently finished 991 GT3 RS Rallye build highlights how the 991 is a
911 undergoing modification and personalisation arguably more than any other generation of Porsche’s flagship sports model to date, and proves what a fantastic platform for personalisation Porsche produced with its radical rethinking of the 911 concept. And with prices now dropping into 997 Gen II territory, there’s never been a better time to join the party… or to turn a 991 into a competition-ready, road-legal rally car!