The No. 36 Porsche, driven by Michael Levitas, boasting the latest DSC Sport/Tractive suspension engineering, posted the top Gold Cup class times in two practices, captured pole and earned two wins. The car sailed through the historic circuit, setting a qualifying lap record and race lap record for a Porsche 997, with the only addition this year being the DSC Sport computer and Tractive dynamic dampers.

“The difference from a year ago without DSC is uncanny,” DSC Sport CEO and driver Levitas said. “You can lean so much harder into the turn, and laterally and longitudinally everything is just a dream. It was almost too easy to drive. My times improved by over a second from last year and all we did was change to the DSC Sport suspension package. We customized the mapping and boom we were there.”

Watkins Glen International is an 11-turn, 3.4-mile circuit that is known to sports car fans as a mecca of North American road courses. The fast, flowing track demands respect from the driver, especially in the challenging “The Boot,” one of the most famous turn sequences in North America.

While other cars were sliding through turns and enduring rough rides over the curbing, the No. 36, driven by seasoned veteran Levitas, had minimal drama.

“You couldn’t lean hard enough into the corner,” Levitas said. “I could do no wrong. It may have been the best car I’ve ever been in. I couldn’t even feel the curbing on the way into the Bus Stop (chicane). I was going 97 mph through there, faster than the Platinum (Type 991) cars. And that’s all thanks to DSC Sport and Tractive and the work of our incredible engineering of Doug, Eric and Rob, and the TPC Racing team doing setup at the track. This team seems unstoppable.”

DSC Sport is the leading developer and manufacturer of active control modules for electronic suspension. By controlling the individual damping value of each shock in virtually real time, DSC Sport provides more grip to the tire, greater stability and ride control.

The Lime Rock Park race weekend will have a shortened schedule, only being on track Friday for two practice sessions and qualifying with both races being on Saturday. With the shortened time, the team has been working hard on chassis setup in order to have a strong car right off of the trailer.

Coming off of a successful race weekend at Laguna Seca, Michael Levitas is excited to get back to Lime Rock Park. 2011 was the last time that Levitas raced at LimeRockPark and he is looking forward to being back there again in the 35 TPC Racing / Merkle / Under Armour entry.

“I am very excited to go back to Lime Rock”, stated Michael Levitas. “We had a great race in the Gold Class a few weeks ago at Laguna Seca and I hope to be on the top step of the podium again. The TPC Racing / Merkle / Under Armour team has been working hard and I think we will have a strong car at Lime Rock. Lime Rock is a tight track and not a ton of room to pass, so with that and the limited track time that we will be getting, I believe we will have a strong car to fight with. I am happy to be back in the Gold Class, and after our race at Laguna, I cannot wait to see how competitive our class will be at Lime Rock.”

David Williams has been doing great this season in the 37 TPC Racing / Merkle / Under Armour GT3 Cup and has been reaching each personal goal that he has made. The TPC Racing team has been hard at work with the 991 chassis and Williams will have a strong car to be competitive at Lime Rock.

“I am looking forward to being back at Lime Roc kPark”, stated David Williams. “I have not been to Lime Rock in a long time, but when I was there last for a PCA Club Race I was on pole my first time out. The TPC Racing team has been doing a great job this season with the 991 GT3 Cup and I think that we will be very competitive at Lime Rock.”

Follow along with the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram throughout the weekend for the latest updates!

About TPC Racing:

TPC Racing is the Mid-Atlantic’s premier maintenance, service, tuning and modification center dedicated solely to Porsche sports cars. This long time focus on only one make, Porsche, has enabled us to become experts in Porsche service, tuning and racing. TPC Racing has its roots in the IMSA Supercar Series of the late 1980’s and early 1990s.

By combining a lifetime of automotive enthusiasm, business experience and technical skill with advanced aeronautical training and certifications, Michael Levitas has managed to extend the engineering of some for the most advanced and well-regarded machines in existence – Porsche race cars.

About Merkle:

Merkle is the nation’s largest and fastest-growing customer relationship marketing (CRM) agency. For more than 20 years, Fortune 1000 companies and leading nonprofit organizations have partnered with Merkle to maximize the value of their customer portfolios. Employing data-driven strategies, Merkle combines a complete range of marketing, technical, analytical and creative disciplines to offer complete integrated customer marketing solutions. With a strategically led, consultative approach, we work closely with clients to design, execute and continuously evaluate CRM programs throughout the buying cycle, across channels and media.

About Under Armour:

Founded in 1996 by former University of Maryland football player Kevin Plank, Under Armour is the originator of performance apparel – gear engineered to keep athletes cool, dry and light throughout the course of a game, practice or workout. The technology behind Under Armour’s diverse product assortment for men, women and youth is complex, but the program for reaping the benefits is simple: wear HeatGear® when it’s hot, ColdGear® when it’s cold, and AllSeasonGear® between the extremes.

Under Armour’s mission is make all athletes better through passion, design and the relentless pursuit of innovation.

About CrunchDaddy Popcorn:

CrunchDaddy Popcorn makes “Popcorn Unusual!™”, an array of sweet and savory inventions that take the sophisticated snacker beyond the common recipes for caramel, kettle and cheese popcorn. All CrunchDaddy Popcorn flavors are available on-line through their website, www.crunchdaddy.com

TPC Racing team owner Michael Levitas and his son Harris visited Mama’s on the Half Shell, Max’s on Broadway and Attman’s Deli. The team even stopped at Eastern Animal Hospital with Daytona Levitas, a Bouvier Des Flanders who is the TPC Racing mascot. While each member of the team had his favorite place to chow down, they all agreed one place around town rose above them all – the street circuit on the InnerHarbor.

“This is our home track and we’re really excited to race on the streets of Baltimore in front of home fans,” Levitas said. “We’re excited for Porsche of Towson, our title sponsor this year, who has given us the inspiration and spirit to drive the way we’ve been doing. Our team always rises to the occasion, they never get down and always keep working hard.”

The team hits the temporary street circuit this weekend for the Grand Prix of Baltimore Presented by SRT. TPC Racing aims to extend its lead in the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama Gold Cup class. The 2.1-mile, 12-turn street circuit presents a new challenge for series participants as IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama makes its debut in Baltimore.

While the TPC Racing team is more than familiar with the track first-year team member David Williams, driver of the No. 37 Merkle Inc. car, will be making his debut at the circuit as well. As a Baltimore native and annual spectator of the event, he is excited to finally be competing.

“The Grand Prix of Baltimore has become a pretty meaningful event in Baltimore,” said TPC Racing driver David Williams. “I’ve been an autosports fan my whole life but it’s amazing how non-autosports people have enjoyed the Baltimore Grand Prix. So just to be a part of that is actually quite exciting.”

Williams made his IMSA debut this year after a career in sports car club racing in the early 90s. He took a decade off from racing before jumping back into the cockpit with TPC. Conveniently located around the corner from his business, Merkle Inc., the TPC Racing shop was a perfect fit for Williams.

As the Chairman and CEO of Merkle Inc., a database marketing company, Williams transfers much of his work off-track to his racing world. The Annapolis, Md.-native has noticed many parallels between the use of data in autosports and his use of data to make marketing more targetable and measureable.

“It’s really interesting to see the use of data in autosports and how we can analyze it to improve lap times, driver skill and focus areas,” Williams said.

Williams has always been into cars, growing up with a sports car fanatic for a father and experiencing his first racing moment at 17 in drag racing. At age 30, Williams bought his first Porsche and became more interested in classic road racing.

“I originally met Mike (Levitas) and the TPC guys back 10 years ago when I was club racing,” Williams said. “I think Mike and TPC played a big role in bringing me into IMSA mainly because they had a lot of experience there and knew how all the processes worked. And they’re located near me here in Maryland and generally just a really good group of people.”

Levitas’ lengthy relationship with sports cars began in 1987. Levitas started in IMSA’s BFG series as an engineer and by the mid-90s TPC Racing was a full-time Porsche racing program. In addition to Levitas, Williams credits his 2013 season success to driving coach Randy Pobst, who has been a catalyst to TPC Racing.

The veteran TPC Racing / Porsche of Towson team and Williams’ eagerness for an experience beyond club racing has combined for a successful run this year in the Gold Cup category. Currently, Levitas leads Gold Cup competition with 184 points after five wins and Williams is in second place after claiming six podium finishes in eight rounds of competition.

“It’s been a fantastic relationship (with IMSA),” Levitas said. “The IMSA teams are so professional and I can’t say enough about all of the tech people. It’s a very professional series and to win in this series is really great. It’s quite an elevated series.”

Ben Keating, not a Baltimore local, is excited to take on the streets of Baltimore in the 35 Porsche of Towson entry. Keating has driven great races with the TPC Racing team in the Platinum Class so far this season and look forward to have a great drive on the streets of Baltimore.

“I am really excited to be in Baltimore and race on the street circuit,” said Ben Keating. “The TPC Racing / Porsche of Towson team has always prepared an amazing car for me, so I am looking forward to seeing what we can do. This is TPC Racing’s home track, their facility is just 20 minutes away from the track, so it will be exciting to have the TPC Racing fans, everyone from Porsche of Towson and Merkle out there watching us.”

About TPC Racing:

TPC Racing is the Mid-Atlantic’s premier maintenance, service, tuning and modification center dedicated solely to Porsche sports cars. This long time focus on only one make, Porsche, has enabled us to become experts in Porsche service, tuning and racing.

TPC Racing has its roots in the IMSA Supercar Series of the late 1980’s and early 1990s, as well in the Grand Am Rolex Series with over 28 race wins and 40 podium finishes. In 2004, the team won the team and drivers championship in the SGS class. In 2006, TPC Racing won the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona in the GT Class.

By combining a lifetime of automotive enthusiasm, business experience and technical skill with advanced aeronautical training and certifications, Levitas has managed to extend the engineering of some for the most advanced and well-regarded machines in existence – Porsche race cars.

About Porsche of Towson

Porsche of Towson is Baltimore’s only exclusive Porsche center. That means that our Porsche staff is 100% dedicated to the Porsche brand and nothing else. They will be able to assist you with all of your Porsche needs. On behalf of the entire Priority 1 Automotive Group family of dealerships, welcome to Porsche of Towson. We look forward to meeting all of your Porsche needs.

Porsche of Towson is a part of the Priority 1 Automotive Group which is a family owned and operated group of dealerships. As a family dealership, the family’s reputation in the community is of the utmost importance. Therefore, there is a tremendous focus on providing exceptional customer service. With a brand new state-of-the-art Porsche dealership (completed in 2010), the most elite and experienced group of client advisors for sales and service, and a highly trained team of service and support personnel, your sales and service experience is assured of being second to none. Our clients appreciate the way we do business. We know you will too!

About Merkle

Merkle is the nation’s largest and fastest-growing customer relationship marketing (CRM) agency. For more than 20 years, Fortune 1000 companies and leading nonprofit organizations have partnered with Merkle to maximize the value of their customer portfolios. Employing data-driven strategies, Merkle combines a complete range of marketing, technical, analytical and creative disciplines to offer complete integrated customer marketing solutions. With a strategically led, consultative approach, we work closely with clients to design, execute and continuously evaluate CRM programs throughout the buying cycle, across channels and media.

About CrunchDaddy Popcorn

CrunchDaddy Popcorn makes “Popcorn Unusual!™”, an array of sweet and savory inventions that take the sophisticated snacker beyond the common recipes for caramel, kettle and cheese popcorn. All CrunchDaddy Popcorn flavors are available on-line through their website, www.crunchdaddy.com

JESSUP, MD (December 27, 2012) – After a successful 2012 season, placing third in the team championship in the Canadian Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Gold Class and second in the team championship in the Silver Class, TPC Racing has been hard at work preparing for 2013.

For 2013, TPC Racing will be running two Porsche GT3 Cup cars in the IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama in the Gold Class. Team Owner / Driver Michael Levitas will continue to pilot his 2008 36 TPC Racing Porsche and joining the TPC Racing team for 2013 will be David Williams. Williams will pilot his 2009 TPC Racing / Merkle Porsche GT3 Cup along side of Levitas in the Gold Class.

TPC Racing has been out testing and preparing for next season. We have done more chassis development and David Williams has been getting a lot of seat time in his car to get acclimated to the 997 Porsche GT3 Cup. David got up to speed fast and will be a great addition to the TPC Racing team.

“There is not an off-season here at TPC Racing,” said team owner Michael Levitas. “We have been working to freshen up both cars for next season as well as doing a lot of testing. For 2013 we welcome David Williams and Merkle to the TPC Racing team and I could not ask for a better teammate. We have been working hard to get David up to speed and he is getting fast in his 2009 car. It will be great to race with David and I look forward to running my third Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge season. I am a strong believer in this series. With the combination of the support from Porsche Motorsport each weekend and the amazing staff at IMSA, there is not a better place to race.”

Also for the 2013, TPC Racing would like to welcome new partners Merkle, Red Line Synthetic Oil, Garrett by Honeywell, JRZ USA and BBS. It will be a great season for all involved and we look forward to working with our new partners.

About TPC Racing:

TPC Racing is the Mid-Atlantic’s premier maintenance, service, tuning and modification center dedicated solely to Porsche sports cars. This long time focus on only one make, Porsche, has enabled us to become experts in Porsche service, tuning and racing.

TPC Racing has its roots in the IMSA Supercar Series of the late 1980’s and early 1990s, where team owner and driver Michael Levitas managed the turbocharger programs that gave the fire-breathing Nissan 300ZX, Mazda RX7 Twin Turbo, Lotus Turbo Esprit and Consulier GTPs their prodigious power.

By combining a lifetime of automotive enthusiasm, business experience and technical skill with advanced aeronautical training and certifications, Levitas has managed to extend the engineering of some for the most advanced and well-regarded machines in existence – Porsche race cars.

About Merkle:

Merkle is the nation’s largest and fastest-growing customer relationship marketing (CRM) agency. For more than 20 years, Fortune 1000 companies and leading nonprofit organizations have partnered with Merkle to maximize the value of their customer portfolios. Employing data-driven strategies, Merkle combines a complete range of marketing, technical, analytical and creative disciplines to offer complete integrated customer marketing solutions. With a strategically led, consultative approach, we work closely with clients to design, execute and continuously evaluate CRM programs throughout the buying cycle, across channels and media.

INDIANAPOLIS (Jan. 10, 2012) – TPC Racing owner Michael Levitas is offering fulltime competitors in the new Intercontinental Trophy Cup Racing Series (ITC) GTP class a couple of top-notch incentives to compete in one of the newest Porsche spec series. The top GTP class team that campaigns a turbocharged Porsche Cayman will receive a minimum $5,000 end-of-year bonus, and TPC will provide a 50 percent discount on its turbocharged systems to any team fielding a turbocharged Porsche Cayman this season.

In addition to the $5,000 end-of-year bonus, Levitas will add $2,500 for every two cars that compete, beginning with the second round in May at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, N.J. To be eligible, cars must compete in six of the seven races during the 2012 season.

TPC, a Porsche aftermarket supplier based in Jessup, Md., has put up the extra incentives following the announcement of the GTP class last month. Levitas, who has raced Porsches for more than 20 years, was instrumental in the development and design of the Porsche Caymans that will compete in the GTP class. In addition to its contingency support and building the turbo kits for Porsche Caymans racing in ITC, TPC Racing also builds and supplies full suspension kits to ITC teams. TPC Racing is also expected to field Caymans in the ITC in the future.

“I want to motivate people to come into ITC, and I think this will do it,” Levitas said. “This should inject some excitement into this series. If someone is going to build a GTP car, they will get back 50 percent on a turbocharged kit for any team that registers for the season. In addition, TPC will offer support the teams with parts at each track, help with dyno time and help teams with anything it takes to be competitive.”

The GTP class features a mix of 3.8-liter naturally-aspirated and 3.4-liter turbocharged Porsche Caymans, becoming the only class in North America to do so within the same chassis. The cars, built in or after 2006, will feature a full carbon fibre body for weight reduction, along with added aerodynamics, and are expected to produce around 400 horsepower.

“We are extremely excited that Mike and TPC Racing have joined the ITC family as a contingency sponsor, and feel both the bonus and discount will provide the series a big boost,” said ITC series principal Dougie Livingston. “This has already attracted the interest of other sponsors, and we are happy that Mike and TPC Racing realize the value that ITC is trying to build.”

The inaugural race for the GTP class is the 2012 Intercontinental Trophy Cup Racing Series season opener, scheduled for Feb. 2-5 at Sebring (Fla.) International Raceway.

About TPC Racing
TPC Racing is the Mid-Atlantic’s premier maintenance, service, tuning and modification center dedicated solely to Porsche supercars. Based in Jessup, Md., TPC Racing has an aggressive engineering program, focused on developing powerful superchargers, responsive shocks and dampers for professional and clubsport cars, which keeps performance-hungry Porsche owners fed a steady diet of racing-derived aftermarket parts. To this day, TPC uses its professional, club racing and street Porsches to develop engine and suspension components for its partners. The racing team, which began in the 1980s in the IMSA Supercar Series, has won races and championships in several disciplines, including the 2006 Rolex 24 At Daytona and 2000 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series GT team title.

About Intercontinental Trophy Cup Racing Series
The Intercontinental Trophy Cup Racing Series (ITC) is a defined path for new and upcoming talent coming from a variety of disciplines, including karting and club-racing. The series, which races exclusively with Porsche Caymans, began in April 2011 and is the first nationally-touring semi-professional series sanctioned by the National Auto Sport Association (NASA). The ITC provides a structure to assist the enhancement of drivers and teams not only on the track but also off, fostering business partnerships and developing marketing strategies. For more information, visit the series website,www.trophycupracing.com, and follow the series on Twitter, @itcseries.

Article copied from: Trophy Cup Racing Article

The research and developemnt of new products is a never ending job, here at TPC Racing. We are always looking for ways to improve upon factory components, and develop brand new ones, from the ground up. This requires us to purchase the vehicles we wish to modify, as we generally do not do any development on customer vehicles.

This has lead to the purchase of many vehicles, including our 987.1 Porsche Cayman, 987.2 Porsche Cayman, 997.2 Carrera S, 997 GT3, 997Turbo, 997 GT2, and more! It is now time to add another test vehicle to our fleet. Introducing, TPC Racing’s brand new Porsche GT3RS.

As our newest R&D vehicle, the GT3RS had to go through the same baseline shakedown tests on track that we put all of our development vehicles through. This means several weekends at the track for some serious driving. We use this time to see how the chassis works; how it puts down power, how it allows the driver to use the brakes, its cornering abilities and limitations, the range of its swaybar settings and more!

We are very excited to add one of Porsche’s most hardcore track machines to our garage, and look forward to truly pushing the limits with its development in the coming months!

TPC Racing to Supply Intercontinental Trophy Cup Racing Series

Lets go out and burn some rubber…

At TPC Racing, we have racing in our blood. It flows through our veins and is the driving force behind everything we do. After several years out of the spotlight of pro racing, TPC Racing is ready to get back to what we love most. Not only are we jumping feet first back into pro level competition in the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama, but we are also very proud to announce our partnership with the newly formed Intercontinental Trophy Cup(ITC) Racing Series. Officially sanctioned by the National Auto Sport Association(NASA), this will be the organization’s first nationally touring semi-professional racing series. This is an excellent opportunity for serious club racers to experience top level door-to-door racing.

Drivers in the new ITC Race Series will be piloting Porsche Cayman prepared racecars and will be divided into two classes, P1 and P2. The P1 class will focus on the 2009MY and newer Porsche Cayman, while the P2 class will feature the 2008MY and earlier Porsche Cayman vehicles. These vehicles will be prepared according to very strict guidelines aimed at making the racecars as even as possible with a strong focus on maintaining certain power-to-weight ratios. ITC Series races will will be run at some of America’s top road racing venues. Drivers will run in two 50 minutes sprint races per weekend featuring a standing start that will definitely get the adrenaline flowing.

All racecars in the ITC Race Series will be prepared using brand specific parts. This will help ensure an even playing field for all of the competition, as well as help control costs for the race series participants. As one of the ITC Race Series Development Partners, TPC Racing will be supplying a number of our track developed and proven suspension components for racecars in both the P1 and P2 classes. The TPC supplied components will include:

• TPC Racing Pro Race Adjustable Sway Bars
• TPC Racing Pro Race Adjustable Drop-Links
• TPC Racing Pro Race Adjustable Toe Links
• TPC Racing prepared JRZ RS Pro Coilovers and camber plates

These components will help transform these fun sportscars into asphalt devouring racecars; and will provide serious racers a competitive and adrenaline filled racing experience.

Adding to the excitement in the ITC Race Series is their partnership with RaceFansTV.com. RaceFansTV.com will be broadcasting the ITC Race Series on their website. RaceFansTV.com has exploded in popularity over the past year with over 250,000 page views and 50,000+ visitors. RaceFansTV.com is packed with racing content, with nearly 1000 videos on file featuring everything from vintage road racing/rally/circle track/powerboat/motorcycle racing/automotive documentaries/current racing series; with lots of new content being added daily. Hardcore racing fans; RaceFansTV.com has you covered.

View the 2011 ITC Cayman Race Series Schedule

The OFFICIAL Intercontinental Trophy Cup Race Series Website

The UK’s premier Porsche specialists, PARR, have been featured in 911&Porsche World Magazine with their client’s modified Boxster S. The center piece modification on this car is the addition of a TPC Racing Boxster Turbo Kit. Producing over 100whp, over stock, this Boxster is ready to move!

CLICK HERE to read the entire article from the September 2010 issue of 911&Porsche World Magazine.

CLICK HERE for more information about the TPC Racing 987 Cayman/Boxster Turbo Kit.

OR

CLICK HERE to learn more about the TPC Racing 986 Boxster Turbo Kit.

Seven-hundred horsepower.Seven… hundred. Whispering it a few more times to yourself doesn’t make it seem any less daunting. Consider for a moment that it exceeds the horsepower of two new Carreras! What will the first foot-to-the-floor spin to redline in second gear feel like? Nauseating?

Two gleaming 700-hp 997 Turbos sit in the paddock of Virginia International Raceway, waiting to answer the question. Today’s mission: Pit AWE’s 750R against TPC Racing’s 775 Blitzkrieg on road and track. What we want to know: Which best embodies the dual-nature “tuner Por­sche?” After all, lap times aren’t everything when it comes to street cars.

Excellence regular Bob Chapman will help assess road-going performance while ALMS driver David Murry will help assess track performance at VIR. The ground rules are simple: No slicks, one set of tires for both tests, valid registrations and insurance, and no tweaks other than tire-pressure adjustments between the street and track tests.

We’ve all read articles about high-power cars that try to convey the feeling that such power imparts. But without personal experience of those g-forces, we’re forced to think about it in terms of something we have experienced. Is 700 horsepower like that vague recollection of the first time you crossed the 100-mph threshold. Is it laugh-out-loud fun? Or is it like the time you first did something fearless, like jumping out of an airplane — an electric feeling that is simultaneously terrifying and exhilarating?

The TPC Racing 775Blitzkrieg

Like many creations of its kind, the TPC 775B is a reflection of its owner. On first glance, it’s as understated as any Porsche can be. Well, any in Guards Red, anyway! It looks like it could have just rolled off the showroom floor. The only visible modifications are the stance, GT2 wheels, and a small sticker with the company logo. In other words, it’s a sleeper.

Owner Michael Levitas is a bit of a sleeper, too. The easy-going Baltimore native is a Grand-Am champion and a Daytona 24-hour winner, but he spends most of his days at his company, TPC Racing. He gets there in this car, his daily driver. Race wins, and especially championships, require attention to detail and Levitas has it. Ask him about the development of the 775B and he launches into a high-octane discussion of custom-valved shocks, proprietary springs, the impact of front versus rear spring rates on a 997’s handling, and how optimal setup differs from previous 911 platforms — complete with hand gestures that only race-car engineers can understand…

He says TPC achieved 700 horses on pump gas by modifying the turbochargers with larger compressor wheels, with major (exducer) and minor (inducer) dia­meters enlarged by 1.5 mm and 2.0 mm respectively. TPC also modified the turbine in an effort to create a wide torque plateau for a claimed 600 lb-ft available from 4000 to 6500 rpm. Says Levitas: “Our turbo is more efficient than a factory GT2 unit by one-third.”

TPC designed and built its own intercoolers, moving from Por­sche AG’s tube-and-fin design to a sturdier and significantly larger (by 52 mm) 127-mm hybrid bar-and-plate core with tube-and-fin type internals. Levitas says the design significantly improves torque at lower rpm. The intercoolers bolt into the factory positions and use lightly modified factory ducts. The exhaust system is a collaboration between TPC and Europipe.

The last piece of the puzzle is custom TPC ECU tuning with adjustability offered via a plug-in switcher to select power modes based on octane. Of the power on tap, Levitas enthuses, “The car will run mid-tens in the quarter-mile at over 135 mph.” He goes on to explain that his last trip to the drag strip ended when he was kicked out for running a sub-11-second pass without a roll cage.

AWE’s 750R

The Meteor Gray AWE car belongs to another racer, this one ALMS shoe Tim Pappas. Its color is tastefully set off byBBS LM-R wheels framing yellow PCCBcalipers. The only other visible modification is the small AWE 750R sticker. It’s understated and cool in a laid-back sort of way. Again, it doesn’t fall far from the personality of its architect, AWE’s Todd Sager, a measured man who seems to embody the maxim “Walk softly and carry a big stick.”

AWE’s approach to increased power follows a general OEM fitment philosophy. Comments Sager: “We wanted easy modularity to allow consumer choice across the broader parts market. We find that our customers value that.” Addition­ally, Sager aimed to develop parts that would operate safely within the limits of the stock engine’s internals: “We wanted to maximize power reliably, without having to crack open the engine.”

Forged aluminum, CNC-machined compressor wheels replace the stock cast-aluminum compressor parts, increasing reliability at higher rotational speeds. Intercoolers are direct bolt-on replacements, designed in-house and 37 percent larger than stock, yielding a 55º F temperature drop with a one-psi pressure increase. Sachs’ Racing Stage 2.5 clutch ensures enough clamping force to handle a claimed 646 lb-ft at 5000 rpm.

AWE designed headers that incorporate HJS200-cell cats which feed into AWE mufflers. It also designed a ten-percent-larger throttle body adapter, which measures 82 mm. Finally, in collaboration with chip tuner GIAC, a unique tune was created that offers five profile op­tions: premium fuel (700 hp), 100-octane race fuel (750 hp), valet mode (50 hp with a 30-mph speed limit), ignition kill (car will not start, even with the key), and stock boost — all accessed using a handheld switcher that plugs into the OBD II port under the dash.

One look at the stance of these 997s is enough to know that they’ve got chassis upgrades. The AWE 750R’s suspension modifications are pretty modest, consisting of Bilstein Damp­tronic coil­-overs, a 24-mm H&R adjustable rear anti-roll bar set to full soft, and GT3 two-piece lower front control arms. TPC’s 775B has more extensive changes: Bilstein Damp­tronic coil-overs with custom valving and custom springs, a front anti-roll bar that’s 50 percent thicker than the stock piece, a rear anti-roll bar 30 percent thicker than stock, TPC’s adjustable drop links, 997 GT3 Cup control arms in front (machined to fit), and front-end geometry changes to TPC specs. While AWE was running stock ceramic brake pads for the 750R’s factory PCCB brakes, TPC chose Pagid Yellow (RS19) pads for the 775B.

On The Road

Time to get moving. I nab the bright red 775B’s keys first and Chapman climbs into the gray AWE 750R. Levitas’ final imperative (“Don’t disengage PSM!”) includes a cautionary wag of the finger. I never kill PSM on a first drive, but his words keep echoing in my head.

Tooling through VIR’s interior roads at 20–25 mph, the 997s feel remarkably stock. Both start and drive almost exactly like their unmodified counterparts. At this point, the only noticeable difference be­tween the two is the sound: the AWE 750R has a more explosive, raspier note than the 775B, a facet that magnifies exponentially under more aggressive throttle.

A lengthy flat section of road comes soon enough, and I see and hear Chap­man disappearing down it in the 750R. Game on. With this first exploration of the car’s power, Levitas’ cautionary advice, along with everything else in my brain, is compacted to the back of my skull.

Liter­ally is a word misused too often, but it’s appropriate here: Literally, I’m not sitting on the seat; the full weight of my body is suspended against the seatback. Even so, there’s no explosion of power, just relentlessly increasing acceleration. The steering wheel feels smaller, further away as I reach for the shifter. The shift from second to third is violent.

It’s like an aerobatics lesson — physically taxing and almost sickening — and yet it’s utterly amazing and surreal in its intensity. Your brain can’t quite comprehend all that is happening, but your body knows something’s not right. Even for a veteran Porsche racer, it’s an altogether new experience. While my mind struggles to process the rate at which the 775B gains speed, I simultaneously want to lift to make it stop and keep the throttle pinned to see where exactly it might go.

My internal debate is decided for me, because I soon find Chapman sitting at a stop sign. Thoughts are mixed. Should I try this again? Or should I just bring it back now and pronounce the car too powerful to handle on public roads? The very same voice that whispers “Second place is just first loser” refuses to accept anything less than victory pipes up. And it wins the argument: I’m jumping out of this airplane again!

After more time spent acclimating to the 775B’s amazing acceleration, we’re on a series of interconnecting roads that form a perfect street-test course. It’s a combination of a long straight, curves, and gentle hills. Just as confidence is growing and familiarity with our test circuit is reaching a comfortable level, Chapman pulls over to switch cars for the first of several exchanges.

He says he had a near-identical experience in the AWE 750R, and was at least as floored by the intensity of its power. “The first time the boost came on, it literally pushed all the air out of my lungs,” he notes. “I was momentarily disoriented.” However, we both agree that once acclimated to the power delivery, the flash of uh-oh-what-have-I-gotten-myself-into desperation is replaced by an all-consuming thrill. No, an addictive, all-consuming thrill. Before turning the 775B over, I say to him: “This car is nearly perfect, and if yours isn’t, I don’t want to switch.” He admits the 750R isn’t perfect, but promises I’ll like it anyway.

He’s right. Incredibly, the 750R feels even faster. Acceleration seems stronger and begins lower in the rev range. It’s an overstatement to characterize its boost as an on/off switch, but it comes on significantly stronger than in the 775B. But it also wanes sooner.

Through the curves, AWE’s 750R displays a more agile character. It feels lighter (it’s not). Its steering feels faster (it isn’t). Interestingly, unlike the 775B’s custom-valved and proprietary-sprung Bil­stein Damp­tronic electronically adjustable suspension, the 750R is suspended by off-the-shelf Damptronics. Some difference in feel on the street may be attributable to the car’s much-lighter PCCB ceramic-composite brakes and, more likely, its Michelin Pilot Sport Cups versus the TPC 775B’s Toyo R888 tires.

The Michelins display all the characteristics so polarizing of that tire: very quick turn in, stiffer ride, difficulty in maintaining desired slip angles at the limit without entering a stuttering slide. By comparison, the Toyos endow the 775B with more suppleness but deaden and delay feedback in their slower response. Like so many things, it’s a tradeoff.

In some ways, the edgy Michelins go with the car. The 750R is more brutal and aggressive. It’s no less sophisticated under normal driving conditions, but it’s clearly more primal near the limit. And that’s only enhanced by its ripping-100-yards-of-cardboard exhaust note. Chap­man finds the 775B to be softer and more compliant as it rotates around the driver rather than the more pointy, nose-first corner-entry feel from the 750R.

“In the TPC 775B, I always felt it was underneath me,” he says. “In the (AWE) 750R, I sometimes felt like I was a hair’s width away from getting way sideways,” he explains, indicating that he found the quicker reflexes of the AWE 750R more intimidating on these roads. That said, he admits a preference for the deft initial turn-in offered by the 750R. We are in agreement here, as I prefer to be more involved in a street car, and perfection does not always go hand-in-hand with one-with-the-machine immersion in the driving experience. The driver is more responsible for the outcome of every maneuver in the 750R, and I like that.

Even so, when pressed to pick one, Chapman gives a slight nod to the 775B for spirited road driving, finding it more manageable at the limit and easier to catch. I prefer the 750R better for its more involving driver experience; to me, TPC’s 775B lacks a bit of…what was that old VW commercial?…Fahrvergnügen.

We agree to head back to VIR’s 3.27 miles to let the cars duke it out, with AWE holding the barest of advantages.

Our comparo ramps up a few notches with the participation of an obviously enthusiastic David Murry. He promises to bring considerable experience and talent to the driver’s seat, even in the midst of the bustle of his first David Murry Track Days event. Also, the addition of a Traqmate data-acquisition system will yield objective measures of performance. Murry is first behind the wheel of the 750R, so I grab the keys for the 775B. After a few laps, we’ll switch.

AWE specifies Sport on and PSM off for the track run — and that’s how Murry goes out. Entering some corners hard, he triggers the 750R’s ABS, causing PSM to intercede even though it’s off. He has no complaints about that, though, feeling that, with PSM on, some unwanted slide angle might be reduced. The PCCBs display noticeable front brake bias as delivered, which Murry says hampers deceleration a bit by overworking the front tires, causing them to overheat. The pedal gets a bit soft after a couple laps, and Murry suggests that a different proportioning valve might be a simple cure for track work with an experienced driver. I wonder, though, whether a few other tweaks might be in order first, as great braking feel can often be found with improved chassis setup.

Heading out in the 750R, I find it has less body roll than the 775B. It feels good in the corners until it reaches the actual limit. At that point, it’s challenging to maintain your desired slip angle because the drop in grip as the tires slide is significant, scrubbing off a bit of speed and costing you time in the corners. Also, its suspension is a little harsh over bumps and curbs, upsetting the car just enough to briefly lose grip and more time. This is likely due, in part anyway, to the Sport Cups’ at-the-limit characteristics.

Remember how the 775B felt faster, lighter, and all-around more powerful on the street? In the experienced hands of David Murry, that starts to make sense. It’s down to turbo-lag characteristics. It isn’t a huge difference, but it’s enough of one to be noteworthy. Says Murry: “The 750R builds boost at low rpm but is very hard coming on,” says Murry. “It was nice to have that power down low but a bit hard to drive.”

At the top end, the 750R loses boost earlier than the 775B. When the 750R’s boost drops during shifts on the straight it recovers more slowly than the 775B, interrupting acceleration as boost rebuilds. So even though the 750R has good power in the lower range, it is more difficult to modulate in corners and it falls off with each shift. Ultimately, this costs it both while exiting corners and on the straights.

Shifting in the 750R is noteworthy for another reason: its short-shift kit. The concept of speeding up shifts by shortening the physical movement of the stick seems a good one at first blush. It feels good, too. But in execution, especially with street-car transmissions in a track setting, the transmission itself turns out to be the limiting factor. Notes Murry: “The shorter shift loses feel of where the gate is, and it ends up being harder on the gearbox and really no faster.” Murry’s best lap in the 750R? A 2:06.499.

On the track, TPC specifies Sport off, PASM stiff, and PSM on. So from the outset, we are destined for a different experience. Exiting pit lane, the first thing noticed is power delivery. Here, the TPC Turbo comes out on top. Says Murry: “I never had to worry about the boost giving more power than I called for. It was so subtle I could drive the car and not worry about when the power was going to explode. It just didn’t.”

For all its power, there is little turbo lag in the 775B, and the flow of torque is controlled and consistent, building gradually with revs — evidence that a lot of work went into theECU mapping. In the upper range, even when it feels like it’s time to shift, the 775B just keeps pulling. And shifting the car feels just like Porsche designed it, with longer throws and easy-to-find gates resulting in confident shifts.

Speed and power are only part of the track equation, though. Stability, braking, and overall handling are the components that inspire speed and ultimately provide the confidence to push outside the traction circle. The 775B is great on its brakes. The pedal is solid and doesn’t seem to lose anything during a three- to four-lap stint. This gives the driver confidence to carry the brake point to the limit and push that much harder.

The 775B is easy, and tele­graphs every signal before making a change. In contrast to the 750R, this 997 Turbo is very good over VIR’s bumps, maintaining better grip. It’s also easy to slip at the desired angle through the corners, maintaining your line and picking up speed through the turn. That means speed can be carried deeper into the corners, too, without having to focus as much on driving the rear of the car. Clearly, Murry is impressed: “The more power a car has, the harder this is to accomplish.” A high compliment, and part of why he was able to turn a best lap of 2:03.405 in the 775B.

At the track, Murry and I agree: TPC’s 775B takes it — and not just because of the faster lap. No, it’s because of its better level of driver comfort at the limits.

So, which one? If your primary interest is street use, you can’t go wrong with either car, though we’ll give a slight nod to AWE’s 750R for its fun factor and more engaging experience. If your interests lie at the track — or if you are looking for a clear dual-purpose car — the TPC 775B is a better-rounded package thanks to its smoother power delivery and confidence-inspiring handling.

As for the price of taking a 997 Turbo to 700 horsepower? Both AWE and TPC charge roughly $23,000 for the privelege (the AWE parts run $20,326, plus $2,645 worth of installation while the TPC setup goes for $21,500 plus installation). That’s a lot of coin — on top of a car that came with a six-figure price tag when new and trades in the high fives used. On the other hand, just ten years ago there were only a handful of circuit-racing cars with the kind of horsepower these road cars churn out. Some would argue the same is true even today. In either case, there’s no possibility of driving such a race car on the street, and certainly not in the do-anything comfort of a modern Turbo.

Yet here are two factory 911s with bolt-on kits and 700 horsepower which, on the street, are every bit as docile and comfortable as a stocker. Just remember: When you first push the gas pedal to the floor, we recommend heeding Levitas’ warning: “Don’t disengage PSM.”

After many months of R&D, the TPCRacing Single Turbo System for the Porsche 997, is ready to hit the dyno. Drawing from our hugely successful Cayman Turbo Kit, we decided to move on to Porsche’s flagship model, the 911. Designed to work on vehicles with both the 3.6L and 3.8L engines, the TPCRacing 997 Single Turbo Kit will provide more power than our previous Supercharger system as well as providing an easier installation and a lower cost to the customer. In addition, this brand new turbo conversion will provide customers many options for performance upgrades for those seeking more than 500hp. We are currently adapting this system for 996 models featuring the 3.4L and 3.6L engines as well.

On its first run on the dyno, the TPCRacing 997 Single Turbo Produced very promising numbers. On pump fuel, pushing a mere 4.5lbs of boost, the Turbo put down 406hp to the rear tires.