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In mid-2008, Zuffenhaus US, based in Charlotte, North Carolina announced a new product, at that time being prototyped and set to enter the product development cycle.

The new arrival was a finned brake caliper which used all the stock internals of the Porsche 917 caliper in a new cast body, made to the same obsessive quality as the originals. The difference was that these new brakes would bolt straight on to stock 911 suspension, with no tricky/risky machining needed, as per the 930 brake conversion for standard-body 911s. The brake package would also fit under 15″ Fuchs wheels.

As my good friend Keith Walters of Zuffenhaus said, when he announced the package on Pelican in July 2008, “they are designed as a complete, bolt on package for either 930s or pre-89 911s, with no wacky cutting & machining rears to fit your aluminum arms. They will be offered in either stock e-brake or RSR handbrake versions (additional cost for RSR handbrake assembly) and consequently will run 930 2-piece rotors up front and OEM 930 rear rotors, or 930 2-piece all around with the RSR handbrake package. These are a brand new, proprietary design.”

Leonard Stolk of TwinSpark Racing was already a fan of the Zuffenhaus spirit, and was excited by the work that Keith and Aaron had put into the project. After discussions with all parties in the US, Leonard put his money where his enthusiasm was and entered into partnership with Zuffenhaus, as European distributor. This meant TwinSpark now acted as European agent for the soon-to-be-released RSR brakes, the beautiful handmade Porsche steering wheels and the unique 17″ forged Fuchs replica wheels.

In late 2008, TwinSpark Racing launched a major advertising campaign, announcing the brakes in the press and online. The production schedule pointed to an early 2009 retail date, and we started getting enquiries from interested parties. We took a stand at Essen Techno Classica, to promote the Zuffenhaus line and our new association with WEVO in California. Things were looking good.

Just as the calipers were expected to enter production, the foundry Zuffenhaus had used in protyping and cast testing decided to close its doors. This was beyond the control of Zuffenhaus, and certainly beyond the control of TwinSpark Racing, retailers of these products in Europe.

It’s since taken unforeseen months of fresh research, development and rigorous production testing to locate a replacement agent, capable of casting the caliper bodies to the exceptional standards insisted upon by the brake test facility and project consultant in the USA, but it looks like we are finally on the home straight. I’m not putting any firm delivery dates in the diary just yet, but we’re advised that the calipers should begin filtering out of production facility at the end of this year, for sale in early 2011.

Ongoing development costs mean retail prices have not yet been finalised but, with some modern Porsche tuners retailing a set of less attractive billet calipers for just under €6000, we fully expect to undercut this price by some margin, with a better-looking, more authentic product. It should team up nicely with the Zuffenhaus centre lock wheels offering:

I am now updating our Porsche 911 RSR Brakes information page weekly, and will advise of progress on a regular basis, until such time as we have the units in stock for immediate despatch. Hopefully this clears up any misconceptions which the Porsche community may have regarding progress on this challenging project.

As is often said of a challenge: “if it was easy, everyone would be doing it”. To do something like this with the highest degree of integrity is neither quick nor easy, especially when specialist suppliers pull the rug out from under production early on. Some will comment that it would have been easier to switch production to Europe or the Far East, but a stated aim of the Zuffenhaus business is to manufacture as much as possible in the USA: a goal we wholeheartedly support. Now that Zuffenhaus have refilled the wind in their manufacturing sails, I hope to be able to pass on some positive stock news very soon.