We’re all Porsche fans – it’s our pleasure to look at, discuss, and better still drive them. But what if your business is Porsche? Not the showrooms, but the artisan engineers dedicated to rolling back the years on these classic cars. What’s their take on Design 911? Let’s ask one.

Paul Cockell, who co-founded Rennsport in 2015, freely admits to “living the dream, because it’s a job I enjoy doing.” It’s been in his blood since he left school at 15, serving his apprenticeship at the main Porsche dealership in Warwick. And why wouldn’t he? The Rennsport workshop is a hub of Porsche-driven creativity, with cars in different stages of transition on their journey to perfection.

About Rennsport

Rennsport works purely with the Porsche 911 – and only the air-cooled versions at that. It’s a niche business model, but a successful one – and likely to grow further as the discerning motorist looks to the past for automation inspiration, rather than a super-efficient (but not half as exciting) future. As Design 911 can confirm, the interest in specialist Porsche recreations and restorations might be in the rearview mirror but it gets bigger by the day.

A Rennsport renovation is a journey from the initial selection of a donor car, through the entire build, to the moment the happy driver keys the ignition and eases their new favourite car on to the A44.

Bespoke – with added poke

With so many true-to-the-original configurations in design and finish available, no two cars will ever be the same. And who needs uniformity when you can have a blueprinted and balanced Rennsport engine growling beneath the most beautiful skin in motoring?

When Design 911 visited Paul took us out in a beautiful, chrome-heavy, racing green 911 ST – it’s on the gallery page – that he built himself. It’s a great example of what a restoration should be: respectful of what made the original so special, but mindful of how new technology can augment, rather than replace, standard issue parts and components.

Engineering exclusivity

As Paul explains, the green machine put through its paces here, is powered by a 3.4 litre high compression engine based on the original 3.2 mill fitted as standard on the air-cooled Carreras. These blueprint engines are fed by throttle body kits, developed for this specific application by AT Power. Now available in a ‘plug and play’ format and supported by a standalone engine management system.

Paul believes that alongside the AT Power units, Rennsport fit TracTive Suspensions to around 80% of the restorations he’s involved in. These semi-active electronic systems are another example of how a sensitively applied upgrade can make all the difference in restoring a motoring marque not only to its best, but beyond. And, as Paul is keen to admit, “just work really well”.

Brakes are also upgraded on the car used in our shoot, but those three elements are probably the only elements one Rennsport customer will share with another. Everything else…. Well, it’s up to you.

Paul’s philosophy of ‘quality first’ extends beyond the workshop and into the wider world. For his flagship ST, Paul chose Recaro Sportster CS seats, trimmed with Muirhead leather and finished with Harris Tweed “to give it the feeling of quality”. The quality extends to the Rennsport workshop, where Paul’s handpicked team are “good at what they do. We look for not for speed, but quality of work and knowledge, which is what you need when you’re building a car like this”. It underlines the importance of those in the small world of Porsche renovations to work together in getting the best result for care and driver alike. Which is where Design 911 comes in.

Design and conquer!

“We use Design 911 for a lot of the products that we have, certainly all the panels. We get them at a better price than others in the market”. But it’s the knowledge that Paul values the most. “When you call Design 911, you are on the phone to someone who knows exactly what a big end bearing is and what size it is, rather than someone who just wants the part number. Porsche main dealers don’t know what you’re talking about when it comes to an air-cooled car.”

The Rennsport Difference?

“We’ve built that many 911s we know exactly what works for the car in the resale market. Other companies doing this will offer you a selection of different colours and interiors. Only Rennsport will offer you a completely bespoke, end to end restoration.”

Learn more here.

Watch the full feature here –