911 ST CUSTOM

In this project we opted for combining a short wheel base with inner and outer details that recall both the 911 ST model and the much lauded 911 R. Lightness is everything here, the concept of minimalism together with the high-quality finish of the details outlines this car’s personality.

The fenders, the bonnets, the doors and the bumpers are made of the greatest fiberglass, so that every shape and every line between the assembled parts is as fine and pure as Porsche wants it to be. The front turn lights are simply Leds hidden behind the original colored covers, saving weight, whilst the rear lights are composed of separate Hella lights on fiberglass covers, as they were on the model R.

The front grilles on the bumper and the grille on the rear bonnet are customs, as is every bracket, every cover, bulkhead, panel and coating that has been revisited and designed to keep only the essential, maintaining the concept of “finesse” and the typical finishing touch found in vintage Porsches.

The inner RS carpet set without insonorization goes lovely with the RS door panels and the pepita seats, while the aluminum-forged, skay-covered dashboard gives the interior a sporty look. The 2,3L engine starts with a deep rumble, its 46mm Webers and the 3 in 1 free-flow exhaust with straight pipes provoke a menacing sound.

The grumbling sound as the engine warms up is something indescribable, visceral, that persuades you to keep the ST on higher revs playing with the gas; the pedal gives you the sensation of being directly connected to the carburetors.

The engine is now warm and everything becomes more fluid, the sound is metallic and aggressive, not to lean and not too rich. She’s definitely ready for action. The carburetors have been tuned for street driveability, the air/fluel mixture doesn’t get too fat and the car doesn’t grunt on low revs, it just wants to be used everywhere.

Fun happens when we hit a country road, down-shift and put pedal to the metal.

The 901 gearbox has been completely overhauled and the gears shift quickly and precisely, while the short-ratio Ring&Pinion keeps the car always on the good revs, making the engine kick and push from gear to gear.

This 911 flies and screams at the top of its lungs, only the rev-limiter makes you aware that it’s time to change gear, while the power curve keeps escalating and progressively becoming wilder.

This beauty is reactive in every situation: braking, turning and accellerating just feels natural with no unwanted side effects, because of lightness the whole experience is more satisfying. In addition, the stiffer rear torsion bars keep the nose down while gaining speed, as well the original ones in front make sure that the front wheels remain glued to the tarmac.

The right camber and the sporty shock absorbers give to the driver the sensation of always being in control letting him immediately feel how the car is going to behave.

We realised that this particular 911 has a special character right from the very first test drive, we came back to our garage with a huge smile on our faces that didn’t need any word.

These feelings are impossible to replicate on brand new models, there’s something visceral and intuitive in driving a car with no ABS, ESP, electrical power steering, PDK, PASM or any other mechanical surplus.

The foot on the gas pedal opens the six butterflies, the foot on the brake pedal pushes the oil in the brake calipers, when we push the clutch we are actually pulling the cable that moves the pressure plate, these are all mechanical feelings that go straight to our guts, impossible to replicate on nowadays cars.

Between you and a modern car there are miles of cables and countless sensors and actuators, while this Porsche winks at you and asks you to dance.