Throughout a current journey to Germany, I visited Dortmund – an interesting metropolis with a historical past that dates again to medieval occasions, located in a picturesque valley between the Ruhr and Emscher rivers. It’s a pleasant place for anybody to go to, however there’s a cause you may wish to journey right here, and it’s all due to Jean Pierre Kraemer – YouTube character, entrepreneur and founding father of JP Efficiency.
Jean Pierre (JP) has been constructing customized vehicles for years, however in 2020 he determined to take issues to an entire degree by beginning work on a model new automotive museum in Dortmund known as PACE (Efficiency and Automotive Training).
PACE Automobil Museum opened its doorways in Might 2022 with a number of exhibitions unfold all through the constructing, which previous to its main renovation was beforehand residence to Citroën and Nissan dealerships. The automobiles on show – many on mortgage from producers themselves – are modified out each six months, so it’s undoubtedly a spot to return to.
As I used to be on the town, I had to cease by and test it out.
As I perceive, I caught the second instalment on the museum, spanning three of the constructing’s 4 flooring. Strolling by the doorways, the first automotive artwork object I used to be greeted by was a burned-down Audi RS4 B5. Effectively, elements of it anyway. The engine was making 1,200hp on the time and, by the seems to be of it, had a severe malfunction.
I didn’t discover it at first, however throughout from the engine on wall was an indication that fittingly learn: No one Stated It Was Simple.
I ventured to the basement flooring first, as I assumed this was the road automobile aspect of the exhibition so I’d discover a few of JP’s private builds. Maybe his rear-engined Golf 2, Beetle GT, or the V10 Supra I noticed at Ultrace final 12 months.
They have been nowhere to be seen, however I did discover them just a little later. Extra on that in a second.
Having these vehicles displayed underground is a transparent metaphor that I discovered amusing. The cool factor about this dungeon is that it’s stuffed with fan-voted vehicles, so anybody with a pleasant sufficient mission may very well be approached by PACE and supplied a short lived spot within the show.
The second flooring has a darkish environment. The partitions are painted black and the gloomy climate exterior didn’t assist both. Throughout my go to, a variety of historic racing vehicles and a few essential highway vehicles have been introduced on this area.
First up was a Mercedes-Benz C-Class DTM/ITC race automobile – ITC being an acronym for the Worldwide Touring Automotive championship, which is what the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters was known as in 1996. Mercedes star driver Bernd Schneider completed the ’96 ITC season runner-up on this 500hp, 11,500rpm- and 199mph-capable machine.
Earlier than transferring to Mercedes-Benz although, Bernd Schneider spent 4 years within the ’80s racing for varied Ford groups. This Ford Sierra XR4Ti is one other DTM automobile he drove.
The Opel Manta 400B Group B rally automobile might need been outclassed by Audi’s 4WD system within the World Rally Championship, nevertheless it loved loads of success in nationwide championships in Germany, Eire and Nice Britain between 1983 and 1986.
Discover how all these vehicles are elevated on platform shows? As automotive photographers know, vehicles all the time look higher when considered from a low angle. JP made a particular level of this, and presents the displays in such a approach that you just solely must crouch to view them from floor degree.
I often don’t get excited about electrical automobiles, however the VW ID. R is a special beast. This explicit automobile reset the Nürburgring EV document and blasted up the the Goodwood Competition of Velocity hill in beneath 40 seconds. It’s an essential case examine for Volkswagen, working with 915 volt structure, two engines and a 40kWh battery, leading to 670hp and a weight of simply 2,425lbs.
One flooring nearer to the sky I discovered ‘Automotive Heaven’.
Seeing a 1996 McLaren BMW F1 GTR was fairly particular. McLaren had received the Le Mans 24 Hour in 1995 and was wanting ahead to a repeat efficiency in ’96, however the competitors was stronger than anticipated with two new Porsche GT1s beating the F1 in its class. Six of the seven McLarens completed although, taking the 4th, fifth, sixth, eighth, ninth, and eleventh locations.
Total, the McLaren F1 received 38 worldwide races. Not unhealthy for a automobile that Gordon Murray initially created completely for highway use.
I’m a sucker for a safari-spec Porsche so seeing the true deal was an emotional second. Does it get any higher than an ex-works 1978 911 SC Safari in Martini Racing colours?
Subsequent to the Porsche sat one other icon from the identical 12 months: the Mercedes-Benz 450 SLC AMG Mampe. Liqueur producer Mampe was considering selling its Lufthansa Cocktail and located a companion in Mercedes. This ‘Silver Hammer’ had one of many greatest engines on the grid, a 4.5L V8 that produced 375hp. The automobile was able to 170mph with a 3-speed automated gearbox.
this Judd-powered V8 BMW E36 belonging to the late Georg Plasa, I wanted the climate exterior was be higher. Think about golden hour gentle streaming by the home windows and bathing over this wonderful machine…
Across the nook was one other show-stopper. Audi’s legendary Sport Quattro S1 E2 – an actual deal. There’s nothing I can say about this automobile that will be authentic, so let’s simply admire it.
Even after the E1 S2, there was one other automobile that gave me goosebumps.
Round a decade a go, this brutal 1,000hp VW Golf constructed by Dahlbäck Racing was everywhere in the web, so seeing it in particular person was fairly cool. It was featured right here on Speedhunters again in 2008, so examine that out if you wish to study in regards to the brilliance of this fire-spitting machine.
On my approach again down, I seen one other small room with a bunch of thrilling vehicles inside. A McLaren supercar, backdated Porsche RWB and a Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R would undoubtedly make an ideal combo in any automobile nerd’s storage.
The PACE Automobil Museum was the whole lot I had hoped it could be and extra. It’s wonderful to assume that this was all made attainable due to JP’s big fanbase.
The following day, after driving between a bunch of cities, I made my approach again to Dortmund. As a result of I used to be hungry, however primarily as a result of I wished to go to JP Efficiency headquarters.
Basically, that is Jean-Pierre’s tuning workshop, the place all his vehicles are constructed. The showroom space all the time hosts a number of modified vehicles, efficiency elements and a wide range of aftermarket wheels.
Since I got here uninvited, there wasn’t anyone who may open the precise workshop doorways for me and present me what JP Efficiency was engaged on on the time. I’ll be sure that I’m a bit extra ready for my subsequent go to.
As I discussed, I used to be hungry, so I ran throughout the highway to the quick meals joint that additionally operates beneath the JP empire – Huge Increase Burger.
And right here they have been – Jean-Pierre’s private mission vehicles that I had anticipated to search out on the museum.
JP’s rear-engined Mk2 Golf has featured on Speedhunters, whereas the opposite vehicles simply acquired a few snaps throughout my 2022 Ultrace occasion protection. The Beetle GT is JP and Prior Design’s Andras Belzek’s imaginative and prescient of a automobile that by no means went into manufacturing, and contains a 2.5L TFSi engine from an Audi RS3.
JP’s Mk5 Toyota Supra additionally options an engine swap, nevertheless it’s not the 2JZ you may anticipate. This A90 has a BMW M V10 at its coronary heart.
The mysterious Pandem-kitted 86 is 2JZ-swapped although.
On the opposite aspect of the room was the newest BMW M4 CSL parked subsequent to a white VW Polo, which was JP’s first automobile.
Regardless of Huge Increase Burger being a restaurant before everything, the world by some means looks like just a little enlargement of the underground a part of the museum, with automotive artwork items on the partitions, a pool desk illuminated by Golf GTI headlights, and a window into JP’s dyno tuning facility.
After the tragic occasions on the 2nd of January, seeing this entrance bumper from Ken Block’s rallycross Ford Focus hits in a different way.
After a second of reflection, I made my strategy to the counter, the place I ordered – after which consumed – a juicy cheeseburger.
Having visited all three of JP’s areas, it’s exhausting to underestimate how a lot of his life Jean Pierre devotes to automobile tradition. His dedication is inspiring, from the eye to element to the sheer degree of madness he places into each mission automobile. I simply can’t wait to see what rolls out of his storage this summer season season.
Vladimir Ljadov
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