With age things get better. Like wine for example, or historic buildings, or a classic book or movie. And what about whiskey, blue jeans, cheese, trees, leather boots,… And in case you want to go mellow, there’s friendships, wisdom, self-confidence, a positive mindset, etc. And then there’s the 911. The car, not the phone number.
Our friend Google. Though there are a few things that don’t get better with age, and we’re not talking about the misses at home, because that would lead us too far – like encyclopedia mileage. No, we are talking about car stuff, like tires, fluids, paint and even suspension. Finding suspension for a classic car is not as hard anymore these days, you just have to ask our mutual friend Google. But if you are smart you go to a, in this case Porsche forum, and talk to some owners. Chance is that they will make your day a bit brighter with adding some color to it.
About colours. That’s right, more and more classic car owners have found their way to the After Market selection of suspension. And one name that pops up on top of the board is KW automotive, the German brand that brings their own colours to the game. Purple and yellow are not the first colours that pop to mind when we think of After market parts, with of course that one exception. And that exception has been around for over 30 years, and has played a mayor role in the lives of car enthusiasts.
No introduction required. If the name dp Motorsport doesn’t ring a bell, we understand. We had the same issue with a lady called Anderson Pam. Though after we asked our friend Google, it almost feels like she’s family. But back to dp Motorsport. The German tuner probably needs some introduction, but we will skip that part and go straight to what really matters, the ride. What you see here is a 1985 Porsche 911. Apparently the client wanted to have his car transformed into a 911 S/T, a model from the early ‘70s that paved the road for the RS an RSR.
Light as a feather. Restomod can also be authentic. Patrick Zimmermann and his team at dp Motorsport are truly committed to this. A Porsche Carrera 3.2 Coupé, which was first approved for road traffic in April 1985, turned into an (empty) 940 kilograms lightweight driving machine with a 3.6 liter, tuned six-cylinder boxer engine of the nine-eleven-series 964 with 290 hp at 324 Nm of maximum torque.
Track approved. The present time has also arrived, because the KW Clubsport coilover kit meets the latest development and manufacturing standards. It is not explicitly designed for participation in motorsport events, but equally suitable for track days on permanent race tracks. Front axle links with polyurethane mountings and tie rod ends and rear axle swords with unibal-style bearings optimise driving precision in conjunction with Michelin “TB5F” in 225/50 in front and “TB5R” in 270/45 at the rear on Fuchs rims in 8J x 15 and 9J x 15.
Enough about the exterior. The interior takes up the lightweight construction concept consistently: The profile bucket seats in the classic “Lollipop“-design with center panels made of „Scheel“-fabric and synthetic leather on the seats dominate the passenger compartment, they offer first-class lateral support, as it was the case in the Porsche 935 turbo of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Due to the exhaust system, which is close to racing, with one exhaust manifold on each cylinder side, there is no need for a heat exchanger and thus also for a conventional heating system. Instead, a minimalist ceramic fan heater is used to heat the floor.
Auntie Pam. “It was not our intention to create a 100 percent faithful replica of the Porsche 911 S/T,” summarises Patrick Zimmermann. “Instead, we were concerned with stylish sports equipment with a considerable amount of fun.” Other vehicles of the same or similar construction are by no means excluded in the future. And that makes sense, since we are also planning to look up our aunt Anderson on a more frequent occasion…
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Suspension Tech Info: The KW Classic Clubsport 2-way coilover suspension kits are just independently adjustable in the bump (TVC-A, Twin Valve Compression-Adjustable) and rebound (TVR-A, Twin Valve Rebound-Adjustable), each tuned separately in the low-speed range. Like the KW classic dampers for the Porsche 911 G-Body, the dampers for the Clubsport kit have steel galvanized housings on the front axle and include new forged steering knuckles (spindles). Compared to the original equipment, even an old legendary sports care like a Porsche 911 (G Body) with a KW Clubsport suspension steers much more directly and also benefits from razor-sharp handling at the limit. Even on load changes, the Porsche remains good-natured with our KW suspension. When driven fast on narrow country roads with bad tarmac the classic Porsche rides convincingly neutral.
// KW Clubsport 2-way in detail:
- TVC-A (Twin Valve Compression-Adjustable) and TVR-A (Twin Valve Rebound-Adjustable) Technology
- 16 precise clicks available for individual settings in rebound
- 12 precise clicks the adjustable compression stage valve settings
- Forged spindle knuckles
- Linear racing springs
- Unibal bearings