Welcome to this week’s FC Throwback, where we take a look back at some of our favourite previous features. This week it’s Brian Henderson’s tuned Porsche 911 Carrera 2 964 from back in 2013…
Feature taken from Fast Car. Words Ben Chandler Photos Paddy McGrath
Rotiform is a wheel company that specialises in making people’s dreams become a reality. But co-founder of the company, Brian Henderson, had his own Wörthersee daydream and here’s how it came true…
In just four years, Brian Henderson, along with business partner, Jason Whipple, has managed to create, arguably, one of the hottest wheel brands in the world. Rotiform is an exciting name in the wheel game.
If you’ve followed Rotiform from the beginning, you’ll know full well that its project build speed is nothing short of relentless. Cars get turned around in an incredibly short space of time. Airlift, KW or H&R suspension boxes arrive at the shop and within a matter of days – sometimes even hours – photos are going up online of the latest project that’s been dropped a whole load closer to terra firma.
Sometimes their cars are built for ultimate handling, other times just to look cool. No matter what though, Rotiform builds are always fun.
So where did this Porsche journey begin? The road to peppermint green started earlier on this year when Brian took the decision to put his beloved 964 into a container and ship it from Los Angeles to London. Richie at Milestone71 was to orchestrate the build and, as always with Brian, time would be of the essence.
The transformation would take weeks and the deadline was the Wörthersee show. This would involve an epic European road trip taking in multiple countries and thousands of miles, straight after the completion of the build. The 950-mile journey to Velden in Austria would be the Porsche’s shakedown. Now that’s pressure!
Would the car be done in time? There was only one answer. Yes. It had to be. Would the car make it? Well, I can’t kid you and hype it up. There will be no sense of drama and no ‘will it or won’t it’ kind of play in this story. Paddy’s photographs of the killer 964 in front of the Austrian mountains more than give the game away.
In fact, the car didn’t just make the journey, it positively tore its way through the night, baiting 997 Porsches and Audi R8s all the way up to speeds of 165mph on the German Autobahns. This is no show queen.
One year earlier, Brian had stood outside this cafe-bar in Reifnitz and dreamt of having his own car at the Wörthersee. Twelve months later and that daydream became a reality.
So, these photographs really do embody the spirit of making things happen. I don’t think Brian stopped smiling all week. Seeing him drive, literally, all around the lake hitting up various car meets in the Austrian hills was really cool. You couldn’t get him out of the car.
The 964’s successful journey to Austria is a testament to Brian’s ballsy attitude. And we have to applaud the commitment to create his dream car and then drive the freshly completed Porsche a very long way.
It is, a massive salute to all those talented guys involved in the build.
Porsche 911 Carrera 2 (964)
Tuning
Milestone71 cup headers, Milestone71 cup cat delete, Milestone71 cup primary muffler delete, Milestone71 exhaust tip, colour matched intake, valve covers and fan, 964 RS clutch and flywheeI
Chassis
AH Exclusive/H&R Motorsport coilovers, H&R sway bars, 18×8.5in & 18×10in Rotiform LHR with ceramic charcoal centres & bolts with brushed and satin clear coat lips, 215/35R18 and 255/30R18 Conti Sport Contact 2 tyres
Styling
964 RS dummy foglights, AP Car Design clear bumper lights, StyleHaus shaved front license plate recess, StyleHaus shaved tow hook front & rear, StyleHaus shaved mirrors, StyleHaus full respray in Porsche Peppermint Green, StyleHaus rolled/pulled/smoothed fenders (arches), AP Car Design carbon cup mirror (driver’s side only), 964 RS clear rear windscreen
Interior
AP Car Design 1/2 cage – leather-wrapped and stitched by Plush Automotive, Recaro A8s re-trimmed by Plush Automotive – leather fronts and Alcantara backs, RUF shift knob re-trimmed by Plush, Momo X Porsche Design steering wheel & hub re-trimmed by Plush, 964 RS door panels re-trimmed by Plush, 964 RS rear carpet kit, Dash, centre console, etc. trimmed by Plush, Kenwood headunit & speakers
Thanks
Rotiform Wheels, Milestone71, Plush Automotive, H&R, Players Show, StyleHaus, Aaron Smith, Ap Car Design, Kenwood Electronics, my wife Deanna for her support