With the Paul Stephens Le Mans Classic Clubsport making headlines all over the world this summer, the limited-edition, hand-crafted 911 has captured both the media and the public’s imagination since its unveiling in London in July.
From there it not only made the pilgrimage to Le Sarthe, the inspiration for its very existence, but also the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Silverstone Classic race in quick succession. However, the finished car is only part of the story and a new video shows the tale behind the scene of how one man’s vision was the catalyst for a truly inspirational car.
The limited run of ten Le Mans Classic Clubsport cars, made by Paul Stephens and the team, have turned a dream into reality. Back home at the firm’s Essex HQ and reflecting on the brand’s journey to where it is today, owner Paul Stephens looks back on his own voyage to create the Le Mans Classic Clubsport in the brand-new video.
A dyed-in-the-wool car fanatic, Paul grew up on a farm, and first experienced the charms of driving a 911 when he was nine years old (on a private road). Having topped out at 100 mph, while barely able to see over the steering wheel, the seed was planted. Paul owned his first 911 when he was 21 and attended his first Le Mans 24 Hour race in 1984, little did he know at the time that he would, one day, race on the hallowed track himself.
Without ruining the plot, or giving too many spoilers, the film shows how Paul’s trip to Le Mans to watch the Porsche 956B win the 1984 24 Hour race was the start of something special, leading for him to help make the first officially licenced Le Mans Classic car with event organisers Peter Auto and the ACO.
Paul, a stickler for detail, has poured everything he’s known from working with Porsches for two decades and racing 911s all over the world, to create a limited-edition run of Le Mans Classic Clubsport models.
Just ten will be made, all available in either Lightweight or Touring variants, weighing as little as 970 kg. A nod to the 1973 Porsche 911 RS, the Paul Stephens Le Mans Classic Clubsport is built to be light, bright and full of 911 charms with a mix of an air-cooled flat-six engine, a narrow-bodied 911 shell as well as a state-of-the-art programmable ECU mapped in-house and a modern GT3 induction.
