Project 997 Update: More Cup Parts
After the OEM GT3 front bumper retrofit, the car looked a bit like a reverse mullet: party up front, business out back. But just slapping any old wing onto a Porsche 911 is just something you don't do.
There were a couple other things to sort at the same time, too. First of all, the 19" RD Sport wheels that befit the first iteration of the car simply wouldn't be appropriate on a more sporting aesthetic. They soon found a comfy spot in our storage facility while a more fitting set of 18" BBS E88 took their place. This particular set was split apart to have the lips clear coated and the centers painted Titanium Silver—a subtle nod to our affinity for BMW. It also gave us the opportunity to fit some BBS E88 center cap adapters, which we think finishes the wheel off perfectly.
A pair of our 7mm spacers helped fill the front arches to mirror the widebody-spec rear wheels—a move that we'd originally pulled with that RD Sport S1 set as well. Specs on BBS E88 are a bit less straightforward, but here is a breakdown comparing the two setups nevertheless:
RD Sport S1 Front: 19x8+45 (+38 with 7mm spacer), 19x11+44
RD Sport S1 Rear: 19x11+44
BBS E88 Front: 0288274 Face | 18x8.5+44 (+37 with 7mm spacer), 1/7.5" Halves
BBS E88 Rear: 0288120 Face | 18x11.5+48, 2.5/9" Halves
With the wheels sorted, it came down to sourcing a decklid and wing setup to coordinate with the front fascia. Although the 997.2 GT3 decklid is the business, the accompanying wing is aggressive—it is both taller and wider than the equivalent 997.1 example—and for a car that will tackle more street duty than track, it felt a bit pompous. As luck would have it, a 997.1 cup setup from Getty became available from Fall-Line Motorsports and I jumped at the opportunity. Dare I say, but I felt the 997.1 uprights fit our car's aesthetic more as well.
Being fitted to a competitive racecar for years, it needed some love. The decklid and end plates were given a once-over by talented hands, the latter sprayed matte as a nod to the factory GT3 treatment. Seeing as this decklid was going to be fitted to our 997.2, the secondary intake opening was cut to accommodate the facelift ducting.
Perhaps I was a bit naive, but I didn't expect to feel a perceivable difference on the street. I was wrong. The view through my rear view mirror amplified the effect—this soaring wing grasped at every air molecule that touched it—making the rear of the car more confident. But that was only half the benefit. The new decklid was much more adept at cooling. While the OEM Carrera truck would regularly command the fans on for minutes post-drive, the GT3 variant was unphased by any of my right foot's abuse. Not a peep from the fans whatsoever.
I couldn't be any happier with the end result—the car looks downright menacing now and it makes us all the more excited for the next stage of the build: fine tuning the suspension. Stay tuned!