311RS

On July 27th, 2019, Ryan Gates drove the 2008 311RS Porsche GT3 Cup to Overall victory in both Sprint races of the PCA Club Race at BIR, setting two GTC4 class records in the process.

A huge thank you is in order to all who played a role in the team during our first outing together, great teamwork everyone!

-GTC4 Qualifying Record – 1:40.0

-GT4 Sprint Race Record – 1:39.3

Our next race is in four weeks at Road America for another PCA Club Race. With over 150 drivers already registered, we are not taking any chances in preparation of the car – we are working on an upgrade package leading up to the event.

Thank you once more to all those who have helped us make this weekend a reality, here’s to many more just like it.

Photos courtesy of Peter Lapinski

We are proud to announce that 311RS will be racing with Porsche in 2019 with a 2008 911 GT3 Cup.

Our company was founded in 2011 on the back of a successful Evo X Time Attack campaign – 3 championships in 3 seasons. Racing is in our DNA, it’s racing that drives our “Track developed, street prepared” philosophy each day.

Since 2015, 311RS has worked solely with the Porsche brand with the goal to one day compete in a Porsche 911 of our own. We are set to make that goal a reality in 2019.

The annual Nord Stern “Fast Fling” PCA Club race at BIR will be the scene of our first race with the GT3 Cup – July 26-28th, 2019. This PCA race will be a great first test for us as we understand how to efficiently run our team and the GT3 Cup.

We plan one additional PCA Club race for 2019, with our focus set on preparing for the 2020 season.

The 997.1 GT3 Cup is now over 10yrs old, qualifying as a “historic” race car. Beginning in 2020, we plan to campaign the car at major historic events including, but not limited to, The WeatherTech International Challenge with Brian Redman at Road America, Rennsport Reunion VII, The Classic 12hr at Sebring, and more.

Leading up to our first race in July, we’ve got a few test days planned along with some updates to the car. We’ll be preparing the car consistent with all other 311RS Porsche units. This means fitting the car with components from our technical partners, such as Girodisc, JRZ, BBS, and more.

We’ll keep this section up to date as the car progresses towards it’s first race as a 311RS. See you on track in April for Nord Stern PCA First Fling!

Photos: Peter Lapinski

We’re onto the next step of our GT2RS development – aerodynamic assessment.

Porsche has delivered the GT2RS with a seemingly endless list of aerodynamic tricks and solutions. It is important for us to understand how each of those elements work together if we plan to adjust the aero setup on the car. Which we do.

Our upcoming Race exhaust system removes the factory center muffler, which itself acts as part of the rear diffuser. Removing this muffler creates a large hole at the rear of the underbody aero system. This must be addressed if we are to call our exhaust system an upgrade.

The folks at Patience Metal Fab introduced us to a local duo who run Nextrev Motorsports. Aerospace engineers by day, race car builders by night. At their day job, these two work with some of the most advanced technology and manufacturing processes available today.

We were specifically interested in a 3D scanning process which creates a model of the GT2RS for use with CFD software. We were connected with a local 3D scanning company which would provide the scan data to NextRev for use with aero development.

It is important for us to not only understand how the factory aero systems work on the GT2RS, but also where they can be improved – in this case by starting with a diffuser to work in conjunction with our Race exhaust system.

The 3D scanning process begins by placing thousands of specialized dots around the car. These dots are “activated” during the first round of scanning. After the computer recognizes the location of the dots, a second round of scanning triangulates the dots and creates a surface of the car based off the deformation of the lasers.

Seeing this 3D scanning process first hand was unreal. These guys were pros and made it look easy.

With the exterior completed, we moved onto the underside.

More dots…

Here is the underside with the OEM diffuser removed. There is a lot of room for improvement back here – Porsche including a diffuser from the factory provides us with mounting points for a much larger diffuser.

3D scanning the underside of the car proved to be a simpler task – the black paint was so shiny (thanks Carsmotology) that we had to rub some wax on the paint to dull it.

Getting all the nooks and crannies.

Here you can see the result from the scan of the GT2RS underside. The use of 3D scanning and CFD for this project will be a huge advantage for us while we evaluate our options for the rear diffuser (and additional small aero tricks).

Our first test day with the car is the 26th of February. We hope to have a prototype of our diffuser ready by then so we can report back with some real world results. Until then, we’ll keep this news section flush with updates as winter rolls on.

Photos courtesy of Ryan Gates/311RS, LLC.

We have received our first batch of Manthey Racing GT2RS extended water tanks.

These 10 pre-sold units are the first to arrive in the U.S, with exception to the unit in our GT2RS. It’s worth noting that Manthey Racing themselves do not sell components in the U.S. market – we are your source for these components.

While in Germany for European Delivery this past September, we paid a visit to Manthey Racing. The reason for our visit? A prototype version of this water tank was installed on our GT2RS along with a set of Michelin Sport Cup 2R tires.

We spent the next few days testing the setup on our U.S. spec car with solid results – the additional capacity was critical during our time at Spa.

These tanks increase the capacity of the charge cooling system nearly 300%. And anyone that has tracked a GT2RS knows the importance of the charge cooling system and the car’s thirst for distilled water! The intercooler sprayers do an incredible job of keeping temperatures on target.

It’s our pleasure to offer this solution here in the U.S. to GT2RS owners. These tanks, along with the entire Manthey Racing catalog, are now available through 311RS.

This includes the upcoming GT2RS MR package that was recently shown in detail at the Essen Motor Show. This same package is what Manthey Racing used on their GT2RS to set the production car lap record (6:40.3) around the Nordschleife.

If you own a Porsche GT car, Manthey Racing makes something for your car. Please contact us today and we’ll discuss what’s available for you platform from Manthey Racing.

Photos courtesy of Ryan Gates/311RS, LLC. & Manthey Racing

Nearly 3.5yrs from time of deposit, there is now a 2018 911 GT2RS inside 311RS HQ. And just in time for winter development season.

Below we’ll take a look at our first few stages of development for the GT2RS platform.

The car has just arrived to MN from Germany. We spent a week with the new 991 GT2RS for European delivery back in September – driving the car hard through Germany and Belgium was quite the experience. The roads, the tracks, the beer (!), all were wonderful.

Prior to landing in Europe, we coordinated with Manthey Racing to have a set of Michelin’s new Sport Cup 2R tire ready for install when we arrived. These GT2RS-specific Sport Cup 2R tires are a step on from the standard Sport Cup 2, offering more grip via revised tread pattern and much, much softer top-layer compound. Think Michelin racing slick-level grip…

Our first taste with the tires was on track at Spa Francorchamps. We’re happy to confirm the additional grip is certainly noticeable, especially when the tires were fresh.

We’ll be running the Sport Cup 2R exclusively on our GT2RS. You’ve got to love a street tire with legitimate race tire grip, even if for just a portion of the tire’s life. We look forward to understanding the tires further as the car develops into 2019.

A potential bottleneck for a track-driven GT2RS is the charge cooling system, specifically the size of the factory water tank. While at Manthey, they offered us one their yet-to-be-released extended water tanks. The Manthey piece works in conjunction with the factory water tank, and in the process increases capacity nearly 300%.

Early indications are that the factory GT2RS water tank functions well on a street car. However for those that track their GT2RS, especially in warm climates, the limitations of the factory unit become quite clear.

We put the new Manthey system to the test at Spa Fracorchamps. While there, four other GT2RS’ were also on hand for RMA Trackdays event. And sure enough each of them were refilling their water tank throughout the day – typically with each fuel fill up.

In contrast, we ran 6 sessions with the car, 3 full tanks of fuel, and left the track with nearly 1/3 of the Manthey tank full with distilled water. Keep in mind the Manthey tank is piggybacked on top of the factory tank, so the 1/3 left in the Manthey tank is in addition to what was in the factory tank below.

Manthey’s setup performed flawlessly. We recommend it for all GT2RS owners who plan to drive their cars – it’s a must. We’ve got a batch coming in in early December and ordered a few additional units for inventory.

Please contact us should you wish to upgrade your GT2RS with Manthey’s water tank (or any other items from their catalog).

The next phase of our program focuses on the exhaust system. The factory setup is quite nice – the catalytic converters are attached to each turbo with a direct exit out the exhaust type when the valve is open. While the valves are closed, the exhaust gases are directed into a titanium center muffler and back out the exhaust tips.

Each catalytic converter and valve combo weighs 12.2lbs. Combined with the center muffler and hardware, the complete system is roughly 35lbs.

The system makes good sound and plenty of power, however the catalytic converters are quite restrictive for track use.

Our plan is two fold – Our Track exhaust system will remove the catalytic converters while retaining the valves and center muffler. This will allow the car to breath freely while the muffler is retained to manage sound.

The Race exhaust setup is the one we are most excited for. This system will be as light as possible consisting of only two straight pipes, one off each turbo, routed directly out the back of the bumper. The center muffler will not be retained nor will the valves. Our goal is a system that weighs less than 10lbs.

More on both of these setups in the next week as we have the first few prototype units produced.

With exhaust development underway, it was time to install a GT2RS-inspired roll bar. The bar is produced as a collaboration between two local companies – Patience Metal Fab & Imola Motorsports, and we’re proud to offer it to GT2RS owners.

This roll bar faithfully reproduces the look and feel of the factory Ti roll bar, down to the shape and orientation of the gussets.

We finished this unit the Satin White Gold metallic – the same color of the magnesium BBS Weissach wheels. The finish looks similar to the factory Ti unit, however we really like the fact the roll bar now matches the color of the wheels.

We installed a chromoly steel unit which weighs 37lbs. A titanium version is possible, however the cost vs. performance ratio is questionable. Estimates have the titanium bar between 8-12lbs lighter than chromoly with a price of $15k-18k. Compare that to the $3,500 for the chromoly unit, the decision to fit the steel unit to our GT2RS was clear.

And just like that, the 311RS GT2RS program is up and running. During this winter we’ll be continuing development and preparing the car for it’s first track time early 2019. We’re headed down south in February to get a jump on testing, likely headed to Road Atlanta, Sebring, VIR, and more.

Until then, this news section will be active as the car shapes up through the winter. Please contact us with any questions about the program and to place an order for your GT2RS. We’ll keep this news section active in the meantime. Thanks for reading!

Photos courtesy of Ryan Gates/311RS, LLC.

We have some in-car footage from our final track event of 2018 – Road America with MVP track days. Ryan drove Luis’ 996 GT3 for a session with him onboard. The car loves Road America. It is such a blast to drive.

Here is the video:

We’ve been preparing the car for Luis since he bought it in 2015. It’s progressed quite nicely with Luis focused on improving it’s performance for road and track use.

His GT3 is setup with components we’ve developed specifically for the 996 GT3 platform. Thing is a beast.

The highlights:
1) Suspension – 311RS-spec JRZ RS Pros, ERP arms & solid bushings
2) Wheels & tires – 311RS-spec BBS E88 18×9″ & 18×11.5″, Michelin Sport Cup 2s – 235 & 295
3) Brakes – Girodisc rotors with Pagid Yellows & stainless lines
4) Engine – Cup exhaust, BMC filters, IPD plenum, tune
5) Interior – Euro GT3 seats, Techquipment bar, removed airbags, sun visors, glove box, front console, & head unit.
6) Exterior – RS front bumper (not pictured, used older photos for the post), carbon hood, RS wing, RS mirrors

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

We took to Bauhaus to celebrate 70 years of Porsche sports cars at BierGruppe 001 on June 8th, 2018.

Porsches + Beer = BierGruppe. This simple formula is one we’ve supported for years now, and for 2018, BierGruppe employed it with great effect celebrating Porsche’s 70th birthday.

Bauhaus Brew Labs hosted the party at their brewery. Originally built in 1905 by Crown Iron Works Company, the large industrial atriums and glass-roofed brick buildings of the former foundry gave the event a decidedly european feel.

The event was organized by Luis Fraguada and Chad Person. Both Chad and Luis have been integral parts of our local Porsche community for years, and BeirGruppe showed just how well they know our community.

The party was set to officially begin at 5:50p – an homage to the 550 Spyder we assume. We pulled in around 5p to get ourselves situated into our space.

This little one waited patiently while we organized the cars into place. Her name is Lucia, she’s a 3 month old German Shorthair. She is the best.

Speaking of the best, the boys at BierGruppe lined us up with prime real estate for the night. Cheers fellas!

Our space at the beer fest was anchored by our 311RS EZup track tent.

A 991 GT3 fits beneath the 10×20 aluminum frame nicely, with plenty of room up front and behind for activities. EZup did a great job with the build.

Want a 311RSxEZup instant shelter for yourself? Let us know.

Parked near our booth was the new R2 from Runge Cars. Chris brought the car as a work in progress to highlight what his cars are made of, quite literally.

This R2 is the most radical yet from Runge – and the first to be powered by a flat six. The sub-2,000lb R2 will have more than 285hp from this air cooled 3.6L mill.

The R2 wears beefy 295 Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s in the rear. The Sport Cup 2 will be perfect for the R2. We’d love to give it a workout on track, Chris!

A cool side-by-side comparison of the R2 and the CupSport. The 993 is small, but the R2 is tiny.

Elsewhere around the event the Porsches were piling in.

We had a special guest from Chicago – Safari 02 from The Keen Project.

Leh Keen builds these ridiculously cool G-body based Safari 911s down in Georgia. For most Minnesotans, this would be the first time seeing one of Leh’s Safari 911s.

We had the pleasure of “getting it dirty” prior to the event and cannot say enough good things about the car. It takes everything you throw at it and is happy doing it.

On the other end of the spectrum, this super clean 1989 Speedster was shining in the setting sun.

This trio of air-cooled 911s – a 1973 911S, 1979 911 Turbo, and a 1997 993 Turbo S, belong to a friend of ours. It’s always a treat to see what he will bring out.

The Light Ivory 911S is a personal favorite of ours. It’s so simple and pure.

Kris and Glen (pictured) had their cool Porsche projects on hand.

The 996 brotherhood was out in full force as usual. Great to see people embracing these cars and putting their own touches on them.

Every kid loves a GT3.

The beers were flowing like wine as folks enjoyed an unprecedented selection of Porsches here in MN.

As the party raged on, we put down the cameras and turned our attention to the festivities.

We’d like to thank all those involved in making BierGruppe 001 happen. It was the perfect way to celebrate Porsche’s 70th birthday and we appreciate being included as part of the celebration.

BierGruppe was just the start of a great Porsche weekend for us here in Minneapolis. Penny’s Coffee was hosting it’s own Porsche celebration – Motor Place the following morning in Linden Hills. Our coverage from the Motor Place is coming right up.

Photos courtesy of Peter Lapinski & Alex Bellus.

This summer 311RS #05 became the first of our 11-unit production run to change hands. It was originally delivered to a local client just miles from HQ. Now with it’s new owner, Ross, #05 will reside in Dallas, TX.

Prior to taking delivery, the new owner took the opportunity to upgrade the car. Quite significantly in fact. Before we delve into the details, here are a few images of the car as it arrived from the original owner.

The car was originally spec’d for use on track hence the roll bar, Recaro buckets, harnesses, etc. Ross also intends to use the car on track and chose to further focus the car in the form of chassis & weight savings upgrades.

The biggest upgrade was a first for us – we installed AMS’ dry carbon roof on the car. Ryan’s Time Attack Evo X runs a similar setup, however this would be the first time we’ve fitted a carbon roof to a production 311RS unit.

The result was a 4lb. weight reduction from the highest point on the car and a killer look to boot.

The next focus was on chassis control – Ross upgraded #05 from the original JRZ RS1s to our latest 2017-spec JRZ RS Pros. These dampers feature external reservoirs which allow the user to control compression and gas pressure. In combination with rebound control featured on each JRZ, these RS Pros allow for complete control of the platform.

Here’s a look at the JRZ RS Pro canisters mounted in the trunk of 311RS #05. We’ve placed them out of the way yet within reach for easy adjustment.

Inside the car, the Nardi wheel was replaced with one of our alcantara-wrapped factory wheels. The alcantara trend continues with a full interior upgrade, which features alcantara covered A, B, and C pillars, headliner, and color matched plastic bits.

If you’re upgrading anything on the interior of a 311RS Evo X, you better be including one of our wooden ebrake handles. They are just too good. In combination with our black watch tartan fabric, the interior feels properly old school.

We never tire of working with Akrapovic’s exhaust systems. They are light, sound right, and are gorgeous. Ross upgraded #05’s AMS system to a lightweight titanium Akrapovic dual tip system.

The red Brembo calipers that come standard on Evo Xs turn to brown after a few uses on track. Our solution is to refinish them with a high-temp gloss black paint. Our logo is then screen printed onto the calipers for a smooth, factory-like finish.

Each of the upgrades plays a role in the complete finished product. 311RS #05 was gorgeous when it was first delivered in 2014, but today it is another thing all together. Congratulations to Ross and we thank you for the opportunity to work with one of our babies again.

And just like that, 311RS #05 was off to it’s new home in Dallas, TX. Until next time!!

We’ve partnered with Brainerd International Raceway to create the 311RS Paddock. A home base for our testing, track support, and driver development.

For years, this covered space has functioned nicely as our working space at BIR. The concrete is flat, there’s power, and most importantly a hose for car washes nearby. Visually however, the structure needed to be spruced up.

We saw this as an opportunity to partner with BIR to improve the facility while creating an identity for ourselves at our home track.

The process began with a thorough cleaning. From there the poles were refinished with satin white and the bare corrugated steel was coated with satin black. We used Sherwin Williams Emerald exterior paint for both surfaces for a lasting finish – thanks to the recommendation from our neighbors at New Town Painters.

And voila – the 311RS Paddock at BIR. Some elbow grease and a few coats of paint really transformed the structure.

The following weekend we had our first opportunity to utilize the 311RS Paddock. The space houses 7 cars without hampering workflow. A successful first test.

It’s awesome to have a place to call home at the track we grew up driving. Our next event is the 14th-15th of September with PCA and the 311RS Paddock is filling up quickly – drop us a line to reserve your spot for the weekend.

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