Sportec Project Ferdinand: Swiss Precision Restomod

A lot of good things come out of Switzerland and Sportec’s Project Ferdinand is, for Porsche 911 fanatics at least, the cream of the crop. We spoke to its company owner and project manager about one of its finest creations.

Words: Wilhelm Lutjeharms 

Switzerland is a very interesting country for many different reasons. But for us petrolheads it is especially inviting as they have a plethora of mountain roads, a utopia for people like us who revel in that feeling of the rear wheels on the edge of traction as we power out of a tight, second gear corner... the sound of the engine and exhaust reverberating off the cliffs.

• Find a classic Porsche to buy for yourself.

The Swiss are extremely modest and this reflects clearly in the cars they tend to like. Walk around in the cities or neighbourhoods and you will see that most cars are de-badged. When it comes to cars, you really need to dig deep to uncover what they offer. This is also partly why Sportec’s Project Ferdinand comes as a surprise. But first some history about this company...

Sportec’s history

Founded in 1997, one of Sportec’s main focuses has been racing. However, apart from founding Sportec Motorsport in 2010, now called Sportec Racing, they’ve been involved with classic Porsches for numerous years and even held an SUV top speed record! The company also offers a variety of performance upgrades for modern Porsches. These include the Porsche SUV range, 997 (Turbo and GT models), 991.1 and 991.2 (also Turbo and GT models) and finally the 992 (Turbo S and Carrera S models).

Nearly three years ago, Sportec got a new owner, Gregor Burkard, and he decided it was time for some new projects. “I took over Sportec in 2020. However, my history with the company goes back to 2011. Since then I’ve been a regular customer and a big fan and supporter of the company. Back then they used to tune my Audi RS3 and I subsequently got addicted to it. In the end the tuning was more expensive than the car!

“Then, in 2015 I started to race with Sportec in the Swiss Porsche Cup series, which I’m still participating in today. In 2020 Sportec decided to put things in place to take the next step for the company’s future and today I’m the major stakeholder in the company.” The original founders, Ueli Hodel and Günter Mandl as well as long-term technical lead Andreas Hodel, are all still involved in the company.

“We obviously still have all of our senior members of staff onboard, but to make the company competitive for the future, we have employed many younger staff. It gets more and more difficult to transfer the knowledge from one generation to the next, but that has partly been the aim with Project Ferdinand and the success of this project bears the fruit of this approach. The new bloods built the car, but with the knowledge and input of senior staff.”

There is no lack of supply of restomod 911s on the international market, but Gregor is quick to point out why their Project Ferdinand is different to competitors’ cars. 

Project Ferdinand

“When it comes to Project Ferdinand, our motorsport experience is what sets us apart from most other builders. One of our technicians, Andreas Hodel, for example, has single-seater race car experience in Formula 2. For us the performance of the car is at the top of the agenda. As you can see on the pictures, it is of course also important for us that what the eyes see and the hands feel are pleasant and of the highest quality, too.”

Raphael Jaggi is the project manager of Project Ferdinand and elaborates. “The idea of this project was really a wish of Gregor’s and to also develop Sportec’s classic department. After all, we’ve been building engines and working on classic 911s for more than two decades. The first idea was actually our SUB1000 project (the G-series restomod that weigh less than 1 000 kg and which has just been released) that is all about pure driving thrills. Pretty quickly we realised that some people still wanted air-conditioning, power steering and a sound system. At that stage we came up with the idea of Ferdinand, still offering a lot of performance but with the necessary creature comforts.

“Project Ferdinand is based on a 964. We start off by stripping the car down to bare metal and then the rebuilding process begins. We fit the F-series parts to backdate it in combination with lightweight carbon Kevlar composite panels. The car is also wider on each side by 30 mm.”

The window mechanisms are manual – although, if you prefer, electric windows can also be specified. There is even a PCCM radio with DAB, Apple CarPlay and USB connections. The car sits on very neat 17-inch Fuchs wheels, 8-inch wide in front and 9-inch at the rear. 

“Throughout the process there are many options available to the client. They can choose materials and colours – there is a lot of room for individualism.”

Details

A closer look at the cabin reveals some very high-quality materials and fittings. However it is very evidently still an air-cooled 911 cabin, but with very inviting touch points. The name “Ferdinand” is put on the back of the car where the usual Carrera or Turbo badge would have been. The name is also neatly embossed in the main headlights, featuring Bi-LED components. Lift the front bonnet and it almost seems pure race car. A small carpet is fitted on the floor, but the beautiful fuel tank and strut brace clearly indicate the car’s aim and potential.

“The aluminium parts you see have all been milled, with the client then being able to select their own finishes. It is all our own products. For example, with the steering column we sat with the designer who designed it in CAD, thereafter it was 3D printed and then eventually milled on the CNC machine. That is where a lot of time and effort goes into.”

The basic layout of the suspension stays the same, but a lot of development is done on the upgrades and various parts. 

“The car is fitted with Bilstein two-way adjustable dampers. Currently we are working with MCS from the USA. It is still, in essence, a 964-suspension layout, but has been upgraded with new bushes, joints, stiffer roll bars and motorsport components.”

It is when we discuss the engine where the balance, which seems the perfect word to describe this project, is again evident. 

“We take the 3.6-litre engine and enlarge it to 3.8-litres. This is done by increasing the bore. We fit higher performance camshafts and do some work to the engine head. There is also an improved intake system and software. For the pistons we use the OEM parts from MAHLE for example.”

The result is 242 kW at 6 100 rpm and 394 N.m at 5 380 rpm, the weight of Project Ferdinand being only 1 190 kg. Sportec has not released acceleration figures or Project Ferdinand’s top speed yet, but we can safely assume it will be "brisk". 

Sportec was kind enough to supply us the dyno graph of the engine. Apart from the torque that rises consistently from 2 400 to around 5 400 rpm, the power delivery is nearly linear with a constant increase to just over 6 000 rpm. This should result in exactly what Project Ferdinand aims to be, a true daily driver with a sporty side. Most of us love a high revving flat-six engine, but here you have a lightweight car and an engine that does not need to be revved that high to get the most out of it. 

“We keep the 964 transmission. We open it up and rebuild it to make sure it is perfect. We don’t touch the ratios for now. What we do add is a motorsport differential and we also shorten the shift throw, allowing the driver to have a more engaging experience when shifting gears. A stronger clutch is fitted to match the increase in performance of the engine, however all are still original Porsche parts.” Even just looking at the engine, it is clear to see that it is a beautifully built, a fresh combination of classic air-cooled 911 with a strong modern twist. 

We are told the next engine in the line-up will offer around 268 kW, Raphael confirming that this engine will offer a longer stroke and also new crankshafts. 

To finalise the handling setup of the car, Sportec has Marcel Fässler onboard, a former Swiss professional racing driver with several successful stints in Le Mans, DTM and the FIA Word Endurance Championship.

However, even with all this development effort, Gregor makes it clear what the aim of the car is. “Even with all these suspension upgrades and modifications, the aim remains that you must be able to use the car every day. Project Ferdinand still needs to offer the ability to be a daily driver. Whether it is ferrying your child around, going out for dinner with your wife or tackling your favourite mountain pass.” 

Sportec can source a 964 or the client can supply their own donor. It is obviously important that the base car is in good shape. It doesn’t matter what the mileage is, as long as the car hasn’t been in a significant accident. Building a left- or right-hand drive car will not be a problem for them either. They simply rebuild and develop the car they receive.

Gregor ends our interview with the following words: “For us as a Swiss company, quality is very important. We have done several projects in the past, but nobody knew about it. Maybe it is the Swiss mentality of not bragging about your achievements. This is just the beginning for us, because already we see where we can improve, from the engine to the interior.

“Our aim is to eventually offer clients a range of models that is wide enough to satisfy many different potential buyers. One of our strengths is that we are capable of manufacturing nearly everything in-house. Whether a client comes to us and says he wants a Cabriolet, or even a Safari, we will be able to do it. We are always looking forward to improve and evolve the product.”