4367 Tribute booked the whole Nürburgring for Porsche 911s only

Few word combinations in the car scene trigger as many emotions as “Nürburgring” and “Porsche 911”. Taking the legendary strip of asphalt in the Eifel, which Christian Menzel recently described as the most beautiful playground in the world, under the wheels of a Porsche 911 is the dream of many petrolheads. During the 4367 Tribute, a trackday exclusively for classic 911s, this dream came true for an exclusive group of Porsche enthusiasts. We were there for you and experienced first-hand why people talk about the myth of Porsche and the myth of the Nürburgring! At the same time, we were allowed to find out how a Porsche 911 Backdate performs on the race track. Benjamin Mang from Christian ABT Classic brought the Backdate prototype of the 9RS with him to the Eifel!

The first encounter with the Green Hell – Trackwalk by bus

On the evening before the 4367 Tribute, the participants met up for a joint track walk – not on foot, however, but in the comfort of a coach. The group stopped at the key points. This allowed them to inspect and discuss the sticking points in detail. A valuable experience, especially for complete newcomers. After all, the Nordschleife does not have its nickname “Green Hell” for nothing. Over the course of its history, which dates back to 1927, many drivers have had to pay dearly for their love of racing here. The subsequent dinner in the world-famous Pistenklause provided the opportunity to process what had been learned and to get to know the participants better.

The Nürburgring as a safe place for fans of classic Porsche 911s

Even the registration made it clear that this was a community event with a family atmosphere. Jonas Nilsson greeted all 4367 Tribute participants personally. His wife Cia and daughter Linn took care of registration and handed out stickers and shirts. Many of the participants already know each other from Jonas’ events, such as the 964 Tribe Hangout or the No Nannies Conference, which have already caused a sensation in the Porsche scene.

It is an unusual, perhaps even unique concept that characterizes the 4367 Tribute. Only Porsche 911s from the 964, 993, 996 and 997 model series – including modifieds and backdates as well as special vehicles such as those from RUF – are permitted here. Although racing cars with slicks can also be entered in the fastest groups, there is no timekeeping or even racing. “You can only overtake if the car in front gives a signal using the indicators”, organizer Jonas Nilsson told us at the drivers’ briefing.

We are here as a community and want to have fun together.

Jonas Nilsson

And there is a reason for it. This very strict etiquette ensures that ambition does not get out of hand in any of the three groups on the track when chasing lap times. In other words, the risk of ill-considered maneuvers is reduced to a minimum during this track day among like-minded owners of vehicles, some of which are worth almost seven figures. This makes the Nürburgring a safe place for the drivers. A paradox? Not at all, because throughout the entire event, all participants followed the credo: “We are here as a community and want to have fun together”. We can say this much in advance at this point.

The entire pit lane full of Porsche 911s – the 4367 Tribute offered unique images!

This kind of scenery is otherwise only available with the appropriate prompt from an AI text-to-image-generator: the entire Nürburgring GP circuit’s pit lane was lined with Porsche 911s from four model series and just as many decades. With a total count of almost 70 vehicles it offered so much to see that was almost overwhelming. The range from 964 Carrera and 993 Cup racing cars to RWB conversions, 996 GT2s and Backdates such as the 9RS from Christian ABT Classic was breathtaking.

Next to cars, people talked shop, marveled and, above all, laughed! Of course, this was also due to the fact that numerous regular guests from Scandinavia, the Benelux region, Great Britain and Germany gathered at the Ring. We also met some familiar faces, such as Olav Gelissen from Speed Service in Sittard and Michael Gerischer from Manufaktur 964. They had already prepared their white treasures – a 993 GT2 and a spotless 964 Carrera 4 – for the first laps.

No matter where you look, there’s Porsche 911s everywhere!

Benjamin Mang drove the first turn. The electrics expert from Christian ABT Classic handed me the keys with a big grin on his face. “The car feels good, everything works, just have fun”, he called out to me. Of course I don’t need to be told twice! I put on my helmet and take a seat in the matt black 9RS. The fine Recaro Podium carbon seats promise plenty of lateral support and simply look insanely good. I start the car and get my first taste of the six-cylinder boxer symphony.

Porsche 911 Backdate

1993

Show listing

Even the first few meters into the steeply sloping first corner instilled confidence. Although the Porsche 911 Backdate with regular Hankook S1 Evo tires is not exactly on trackday tires, the featherweight 9RS from Kempten in the Allgäu region, weighing less than 1,100 kilograms, spoils with telepathic steering precision. Shifting gears in the G50 gearbox is also a real pleasure thanks to the short shifter. The car almost drives itself through the Mercedes Arena.

If I wasn’t beaming with joy after the first few meters under my helmet, I would be at the exit of the Mercedes Arena at the latest. Because what I see in the rear-view mirror reminds me of scenarios from a racing simulator. Porsche 964 Carrera follows 997 GT3 and RWB 964. 964 Cup and a few Carreras are also in front of me. Madness!

Driving on track with the Christian ABT Classic 9RS prototype

A lot has happened since my first encounter with the Christian ABT Classic 9RS at Porsche’s Experience Center in Hockenheim. The suspension set-up has become even more harmonious. Understeering or harsh load change reactions are a foreign concept for the 993-based Backdate. The 9RS is stable under braking into the famous Dunlop curve, and can then be rotated unerringly into the 180-degree bend with a bit of trailbraking. In typical 911 fashio, there is also plenty of traction at the exit.

In the following Schumacher-S, the Bilstein suspension is also largely unimpressed by the curbs. This is where the decades of racing experience of Sebastian Riedl’s team come to the fore. Although most other cars drive on much sportier tires, the ABT 9RS performs excellently. And that’s how I make my way around the Grand Prix circuit. My confidence in the 911 Backdate grows with every lap.

Incidentally, the exemplary behavior of all participants on the route also plays a large part in this. If you get close to slower cars, they dutifully put their indicators on so that you don’t have to squeeze past anywhere on the brakes. And if a modern, faster GT-Porsche did come from behind, I did the same. A track day free of egos and competition – that was a completely new experience that I can highly recommend. At no time do you worry about your expensive car, because no hot hatch is pushing you in attack mode. Everyone here is aware of the financial and emotional value of the precious 911s and behaves accordingly.

Dinner in the Porsche Lounge: an evening full of conversation and jokes

In the evening, we met for dinner together in the Porsche Lounge at the Nürburgring. Between courses, there was an entertaining program organized in collaboration with Manthey. I had the honor of interviewing two special guests on stage: Jörg from Hamburg and Pål from Stockholm. Both are passionate Porsche enthusiasts and told me how they discovered their passion for the brand.

When I asked when Jörg’s passion for Porsche began, he told me a story that his parents once told him. Jörg is the child of a roadtrip in a Porsche 356 Speedster. Someone from the audience interjected: “I didn’t even know it had enough space for that!” – Loud laughter filled the hall. The ice was broken and the evening developed into a lively exchange between like-minded enthusiasts.

In addition to the conversations on stage, the dinner provided the perfect opportunity to catch up with enthusiasts from all over the world. Alan from the USA, the Kent-family living in Luxembourg with their daughter Shenna, who is currently looking for a Porsche 944, or Matt from Scotland, who proudly talked about his restored Porsche 996 GT2 – it was a colorful mix of people who all had one thing in common: their love for Porsche.

Finally, the Nordschleife

The crowning glory of the 4367 Tribute was a day on the most challenging race track in the world: the Nordschleife. Despite the thick fog on the track, there was a great atmosphere at breakfast in the Devil’s Diner. Some used the time to give their vehicles a final check by Manthey’s technical support team.

The course, which was still damp in many places, finally opened at around 10 am. However, the difficult conditions offered the opportunity to get to know the track in peace and quiet. Especially as not all cars were immediately rushing onto the track. This allowed newcomers in particular to familiarize themselves with the track at a more leisurely pace. I noticed this particularly on two co-driver laps with Michael Gerischer, who was taking on the Nordschleife for the first time. It was no comparison to the wild hustle and bustle of public Touristenfahrten.

As on the Grand Prix circuit the day before, the focus was on the shared experience. Those who approached slower cars patiently held back.This meant that nobody had to worry about their car because over-motivated drivers were chasing their personal best lap time. This made the 4367 Tribute more of a get-together among friends than your typical track day. Circuit newcomers and die-hard racers alike get their money’s worth at the 4367 Tribute!

An unforgettable track day for true Porsche enthusiasts

The 4367 Tribute was much more than just a track day. It was a meeting of like-minded people who were able to share their passion for the Porsche 911 on the racetrack. The skillfully created family atmosphere with shared meals and a colourful supporting program showed that trackdays should not just be about fast laps. Instead, the 4367 Tribute focuses on the shared experience. Jonas Nilsson created an event that brought together Porsche fans from all over the world. So I went home knowing that I had met up with old friends and made some new ones…

© Fotos: Claes Nilsson / cnfoto.se & Rebecca Winter / @ringraceshoot, Iris van Beek / @camerasandclassics