BILSTEIN B16 PSS10
The BILSTEIN B16 PSS10 package has been designed to allow enthusiast owners to get the maximum
driving thrills from their car, while retaining OEM-levels of refi nement and reliability. For a hard driven road-
car like this 997 Turbo, it’s the perfect solution. Inverted monotube technology and threaded ride-height
adjustability means that drivers can fi nd their perfect set-up. The B16s can be tuned for both compression
and rebound, with nine diff erent damping force settings, which can be adjusted on the car. For more info
head to http://www.bilstein.com/uk/en/enWILD CARD
It’s 9am on a sunny morning and I’m headingdeep
into the industrial heartlands of Birmingham to check
out a very special car. It’s taken a while to get to this
point. The owner Ibrahim (Iby to his friends) has had a
few engine issues to deal with, but as I take a left into
his industrial estate, it’s clear that it’s been more than
worth the wait.
Ahead of me sits one of the most imposing cars I’ve
ever seen. Flanked by spiky metal fencing outside Iby’s
Speedwells alloy wheel business, this ultra-wide, bright
red Porsche looks totally out of place lurking in the
shadows. Its number plate – F1 8OMB – further adds tothe sense that this is a bit of a monster.
The Porsche 997 Turbo has to be one of the
performance bargains of the moment. Powered by a
potent 3.6-litre fl at-six with a pair of turbos strapped to
it, this blown Porker pumps out 480bhp in stock form
and will hit 62mph, from rest, in 3.9secs (in manual
form). It will go on to 193mph, if you have the balls to
keep your toe in. When new, these things cost upwards
of £100k, but the good news is that early 997 Turbos
start from just over £40k. That’s a hell of a lot of car for
the money.
And what’s even better is that these uber Beetles are
ripe for tuning...THE NEW SUPRAThere’s a huge 911 tuning scene, from big-money
Singer and RUF creations to full-on motorsport builds- there really is something for everyone. But when it
comes to one-off custom road-car builds, you’ll have
to go a long way to beat this BILSTEIN-equipped 997
Turbo wide body.
For Iby, the boss of Speedwells Alloy Wheel Refurb
company, the 997 Turbo was the ideal replacement
for his previous modifi ed ride. He’s no stranger to
highly tuned cars, having owned many over the years,
including a very well-known Supra. The 997 Turbo is the
next step in his automotive evolution (or should that be
addiction?), but like all of his cars, it would have to be
something special to get him excited.
“I built quite a well-known Supra,” he says with
trademark modesty (in all honesty, it was one of the
best Supras the UK has seen – a perfect fusion of insane
power and aggressive styling). “If I was going to build
something better than that, then I knew it would have
to be something very special.”
One look at this bright red, wide-arched monster
and it’s clear that he’s nailed it. Parked up outside his
Speedwells alloy wheel business, it looks stunning. If
you attended the Autosport show early this year, you
may have spotted it on the BILSTEIN stand, taking
pride of place next to the M2 of our mate Max Marshall
of MMR Performance. Back then it was fi nished in its
factory black paint, which looked mean as hell. But for
Iby, it just wasn’t quite right.
“I love red cars; my Supra was red, so I decided to
get the Porsche wrapped,” he says.
Litespeed Racing 3-piece
wheels = yum