When I bought my Porsche Carrera S back in December, I immediately began constructing a vision for where I wanted to take it as an official Speedhunters build. For me, this is an important first step in starting any project car. You need a theme, a direction, a cohesive plan.
Wheels play a huge part in this theme, almost as much as the car itself. While BBS or HRE may be the popular choice for aftermarket Porsche wheels, I wanted something much more unique.
After considering dozens of options, there was really only one wheel that stood out as both unique for the application and worthy of carrying the weight of a new Carrera. So, eventually the order was placed for a set of all-new 20-inch Volk TE37 Ultra wheels, made specifically for the Porsche 991.
Of course, there was nothing wrong with the stock Porsche rims, other than the fact they were stock. The two-tone finish was definitely a nice throw back to the classic Porsche Fuchs wheels of my air-cooled childhood.
To wrap the new metal, Pirelli stepped up with a set of P Zeros.
It’s funny how ‘normal’ 20-inch wheels have become. There was a time (not too long ago either) when 20s were only found on SUVs. Now, what we once called ‘dubs’ are common place on many high performance cars. And for those who think this is sacrilegious, the 991 actually came factory fitted with this size wheel. With the TE37 Ultras we’re running 20x9s in the front and 20x11s at the rear.
Naturally, unsprung weight is the biggest disadvantage to running larger wheels. These Volks, however, are forged from a single piece of grade 6061 aluminum, which means they weigh-in at just over 20lbs a piece. Compare that to 24lbs and 28lbs for the stock 991 Carrera wheels, and a combined 24lbs of unsprung weight has been dropped from the car.
Traditionally, most builders like to match a vehicle’s country of origin with the parts they put on it – especially when it comes to the wheels. Well, this 991 project is far from traditional. It’s a German-made car that on top of German-made suspension is now running a Slovenian exhaust system, American intake, Italian tires, and Japanese wheels. I guess that makes it consistent in its inconsistency at least!
Final Touches
In addition to the new wheels and tires, I finished off the corners of the 991 with a Brembo brake disc upgrade and low-dust pads.
These new rotors drop another 3lbs from the front corners and 5lbs from the rear. Since the weight is both unsprung and rotating, it will improve the 991’s handling and acceleration. Oh, and deceleration too, of course.
Ceramic brakes may be super-light and ultra fade resistant, but many drivers who regularly track their Porsches actually chose to run these iron rotors instead as they are significantly cheaper to replace, offer a more consistent pedal feel, and still provide ridiculous stopping performance.
So now that wheels, tires, and brakes have been properly addressed, I can make the bold and arguably foolish statement that this build is now done! Yes, rule one of car customization is that no car is ever ‘done’, but for now at least I am just going to enjoy it as is. I would have been perfectly content keeping this car stock – okay that is foolish too – but I aimed to just give it just a bit more edge and make it stand out among the other 911s running around Southern California. I think that goal has been achieved.
So now, with my 991 complete, it is time to drive! Expect to see a full feature with the final touches added coming soon…
Fred Chang
Photos by Andrew Quillin & Larry Chen