JCR 992 GT3 RS PROJECT - INSTALMENT 13 (FROM SPEC TO SPA)

From the moment we received the call from Porsche Centre Sutton Coldfield, letting us know that we’d been allocated a 992 GT3 RS to approaching the ever-intimidating Eau Rouge, the process from spec to Spa with our GT3 RS has been nothing shy of fantastic. We’ve taken you guys along for the ride, through every step of the process, so let’s summarise everything that’s happen since we first sat down in the spec room with the Porsche Sutton Coldfield sales team to where we are today.

From day one we knew we wanted to make this car very unique. Unfortunately, like most 992 GT3 RS owners, we weren’t given a slot with the option of CXX or PTS customisations. For this reason, we opted to choose a specification that not only looked amazing but would also offer a fantastic base for later customisation. 

The original specification of our GT3 RS was painted in solid black, with Weissach package, silver magnesium wheels, black PCCB and silver interior stitch. With the spec locked in, it’s now time to wait for the car to arrive.

You can read about the speccing process in more detail in Instalment 1 of our 992 GT3 RS Build Blog - HERE

The 5^th of April came round in no time at all. With the car being transported in its own covers, we had to wait until the car was in the workshop to unveil the spec for the first time. Unzipping the transport covers for the first time we were amazed by just how good the car looks, but we’ll leave that until the covers are off in the showroom.

With everyone gathered around the car, it was time to release it to ourselves and the public for the very first time. Wow! As you guys can see, the spec is stunning. The silver wheels and accents create an unbelievably clean look to the whole car. That being said, this is a JCR car. Time to load it on a trailer and start the modification journey, with no delay.

You can read about the delivery day in more detail in Instalment 5 of our 992 GT3 RS Build Blog - HERE

Before the car had even arrived in the UK, we started the process of making this car our own. Purchasing a second set of Magnesium wheels and a set of PCCB brake calipers was the first thing that we did, more on that later. With the car in a trailer with the famous Beeches Recovery it was time for the incredible team at WrapIT to do what they do best.

Inozetek and WrapIT did an unbelievable job when transforming our GT4 RS, so we knew this was the perfect recipe for our GT3 RS too. After many hours spent on photoshop, we opted for Inozetek Navy Blue, a rich, deep blue that we really think will highlight the incredible form of our 992 GT3 RS. This car doesn’t need a garish colour to stand out.

On top of the overall colour change, we also made the decision to add some more aesthetic changes. Inverting the carbon fibre design found on the bonnet of the Weissach specification cars was the start and applying satin PPF to all of the factory gloss carbon fibre was another change that we are over the moon with. 

You can read about the transformation process in more detail in Instalment 07 of our 992 GT3 RS Build Blog - HERE 

Now, back to those wheels and callipers that we previously mentioned. The brake calipers had spent some time with the wizards at Brake Calliper Refurbs and were fully refinished in Satin Silver to match all of the satin silver accents across other areas of the car. With the full car wrap being the main modification, the next biggest change was to paint the wheels in Navy Blue to match the body colour. The only people for this job were the team over at Muffwash. The guys there did a fantastic job of creating a custom paint colour which perfectly matched the Inozetek Navy Blue wrap material. This took some trial and error however the finished results were nothing short of perfection.

As well as the exterior modifications, we also made the decision to swap out the factory seat cushion covers for a pair of JCR seat cushion covers in a custom cloth to compliment the exterior aesthetic. All of the small details added together are starting to make for quite a unique GT3 RS build.

With the car arriving back at Porsche Centre Sutton Coldfield, it was time to the second collection only seven days after the car first arrived at the showroom. We couldn’t believe how good the car looks and we are beyond excited to start putting the miles on our car, both on road and track.

You can read about the collection day in more detail in Instalment 06 of our 992 GT3 RS Build Blog - HERE

Speaking of being on track our first outing in the car was only 4 days after our second collection. Time to get some running-in miles under our belt. We had two days to complete the running in miles, easily done.

With hundreds of miles covered before the track day, it was time to make sure that our 992 GT3 RS was ready for the circuit and who better to carry this out, than the team at JZM Porsche. The starting point for these changes was to alter the factory suspension geometry. We started out with a reasonably conservative set up which would offer us a great base line feeling to work from. With the factory suspension now adjusted, it was time to make some serious noise and power!

For our first exhaust modification we opted to remove the entire factory exhaust system. Installing a set of our Inconel Race Manifolds was an easy decision to make, both for the power increase as well as the incredible sound. On top of this, we also chose to install our Titanium Silenced Race Pipe and Titanium Megaphone Tips to add that unmistakable JCR sound, as well as providing the motorsport aesthetic that we all know and love.

In addition to the exhaust and suspension changes, we also opted to install Surface Transform Carbon Ceramic brake discs, Pagid RSC-1 brake pads and Manthey Racing braded brake lines. Now it’s time to get on track and put all of our modifications to the test.

You can read about the mechanical changes in more detail in Instalment 08 of our 992 GT3 RS Build Blog - HERE 

The BRDC host two track days each year at the world-famous Silverstone Circuit, the first of these two days also happens to be our first track outing in the JCR 992 GT3 RS. Having run our car in on the road, it was time for a clean before heading out on track. This is where Top Marqs detailing came in, prepping the car before the track opened, ready for us to cover in rubber. With the car now clean and ready to hit the track, we made the choice to add one last modification. Installing a Titanium folding tow hook, fitted with a custom Satin Silver Tow Hoop and Polished Titanium Shaft, once again perfectly complimenting the other silver details on the car.

Now, it’s time for what we’ve all been waiting for, let’s get back on track. The main aim of the day was to get a really good baseline understanding of the car and to have a point to work from for future modifications. After the first run, we pulled into the pits and made a few changes to dial in the car for our next run. These changes had exactly the desired effect and after a few more runs, it was time to pack up things and head back to JCR HQ before going on to our next event with the JCR 992 GT3 RS. 

You can read about our first track test in more detail in Instalment 09 of our 992 GT3 RS Build Blog - HERE

After giving the car it’s first round of track testing, it was time to show you all the car before heading back out on track. Making the journey down to Bicester Heritage for the Sunday Scramble was the perfect event for the first public outing of the car. As always, the event blew us away. The team over at Bicester Heritage always put on an incredible show and the cars on display and in the car park blew us away. 

You can read about our first public outing in more detail in Instalment 10 of our 992 GT3 RS Build Blog - HERE

As soon as we were back from Bicester Heritage, we started preparation for a very rare track day. A completely no noise limits event at the wonderful Donington Park GP circuit. In preparation for this day, we chose to swap out our Silenced Race pipe for a Non-silenced Race pipe. Pairing this race pipe with our Inconel Race Manifolds made for an amazing sounding car, perfect for a non-silenced day! As well as being able to run the 992 RS nice and loud, we also had our 718 GT4 RS delivered to the circuit with a very noisy system installed.

With all of the work that’s been happening on both of the cars, this was the first time we’d actually had both of the cars together so of course, we had to get some shots too!

Moving on from a very successful day at Donington Park, it was time to get back to JCR HQ and begin preparations for the first European road trip of 2024.

You can read about the Donington Non-silenced day in more detail in Instalment 11 of our 992 GT3 RS Build Blog - HERE

In the early hours of a very rainy Sunday morning in Warwickshire, we were on the road and making our way down to the channel tunnel. The early start being very worthwhile with the two days that we had in store. Driving through the UK and across Europe never gets boring when you’re surrounded by like-minded people and cool cars and that we were. Arriving at MY Hotel Malmedy, we gave the cars another quick clean before snapping a few pictures and getting an early night ahead of the following couple of days ahead.

Driving under the tunnel into the Spa Francorchamps Circuit is something that simply never gets old. The sheer scale of this circuit as well as the dramatic elevation change of the famous Eau Rouge is something that staggers us every time we visit. As usual we weren’t just here to enjoy this amazing circuit, we had some serious testing to complete.

As we previously mentioned, establishing a clear baseline is the key to any sort of testing, this baseline changes from circuit to circuit so a stock run at Spa was the first action taken. Once this baseline information was gathered, we then started making our changes. The parts in question are all based around improving the Aerodynamic performance of the car. The 992 GT3 RS is known for its pretty staggering levels of aero but there’s still room for improvements to be made.

During the test we changed the factory roof strakes, added a carbon fibre rear gurney as well as adding front dive planes and replacing the whole rear wing end plate with our own design. The results of the testing were extremely encouraging, and we achieved exactly what we set out to do. With that said, there’s more changes required and next time out on track we’ll be continuing with our testing with some small adjustments made.

You can read about the Aero testing in more detail in Instalment 12 of our 992 GT3 RS Build Blog - HERE

With all the new component testing now complete, it was time to get some more miles on the car and enjoy some laps around Spa-Francorchamps in some lovely sunshine. After a fantastic few days out at our favourite circuit, it was time to get back in the car and head back to the UK with a nice overnight stay in Bruges.

So, that’s our 992 GT3 RS project up to now. There’s been a lot happening on this car in a very short space of time and we can’t thank all of our suppliers and followers enough for the ongoing support and making all of our JCR car builds become a reality. 

Over 2000 miles, 4 days on track and many parts tested already. All within the first month of ownership. Anyone would think we like using our cars!

Now, it’s time to make some more changes ahead of our next track event being held at the stunning Brands Hatch GP Circuit on the 23^rd of May.

See you on track!

JC