How to become a rally driver in 48 hours – KALMAR Beyond Adventure Spirit of Speed

Driving in the snow of Lapland at almost -30°C in Porsches that are – in some cases – more than 30 years old. What sounds like a pretty frosty affair at first turned out to be one of the hottest ways to leave the winter blues behind. We were in Levi, Finland, and visited Jan Kalmar, the man behind KALMAR Automotive and Beyond Adventure. A two-day winter driving experience awaited us there with the Spirit of Speed, which is sure to leave no one cold. We’ll take you along on the journey and tell you our impressions of the – I can say this much in advance – brilliant trip to the Arctic Circle.

Finnish Lapland offers the perfect scenery for drifts on snow and ice

The base camp for Jan Kalmar’s Beyond Adventure called Spirit of Speed is located in Levi, the largest winter sports area in Finland. There, 135 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle, the conditions for winter driving training are perfect. From November to March, snow and ice are guaranteed with temperatures sometimes well below -20°C. At Kittilä Airport, you feel like you’re visiting Santa Claus. There is so much snow next to the runway that regular operations would be unthinkable in Central Europe under such conditions.

From the terminal, it’s just a 15-minute drive to our accommodation, the exclusive Levi Spirit Resort. The route leads over icy roads along the World Cup ski slopes of Levi and through the Lappish forest. I immediately realize why Finland, despite not even having six million inhabitants, has produced so many world-class rally drivers. Even driving on the roads in Lapland is much more challenging than on the usually perfectly cleared roads of Central Europe.

When we arrive at Levi Spirit, a typical Scandinavian villa with a dark wooden façade awaits us. The interior impresses with its stylish and luxurious furnishings. Of course, the typical Finnish sauna and jacuzzi are not to be missed. In the briefing, instructor Joe Hopkins prepares us for the two days of driving. The stunt and precision driver has already worked for The Grand Tour, among others, and knows exactly how to control a drift. Together with Jan Kalmar and GT4 racing driver Finn Albig, he was to introduce us to the secrets of drifting on ice over the next few days.

We ask you to race!

Jan Kalmar, Beyond Adventure founder

Probably the coolest shuttle service: In the Expedition Cayenne to the iron ore mine

The next morning, something very special is waiting outside the door. At 9 o’clock on the dot, a Beyond Adventure CS is parked at our villa with its engine running. These specially converted Porsche Cayennes have already been used by Jan Kalmar for numerous record-breaking drives and even participation in the Dakar Rally! “Our” very Cayenne has been used in Kalmar’s Beyond Adventure Namibia Rallies for example. The team affectionately calls the car “Comic” because of its eye-catching livery.

In it we drive to the Rautuvaara mine, about 45 minutes west of Levi. On the site of this former iron ore mine, Jan Kalmar created his very personal idea of the perfect winter driving center. The Beyond Adventure team has carved 14 tracks into the landscape of snow and ice over an area of more than three square kilometers. In the tepee on the frozen lake, the final instructions are given over a coffee and the cars are assigned.

World Rally Championship tires provide breathtaking grip on the 14 ice tracks

There are three different areas to drive through in the former mine. We start on ice to familiarize ourselves with the cars and, above all, the tires. Instead of the standard spike winter tires that are common in Scandinavia, Jan Kalmar goes one step further. Through good contacts, the former racing driver and team manager obtained material from the World Rally Championship (WRC). The 15 and 16-inch tires each contain 300 seven-millimetre-long metal studs to ensure maximum traction even on snow and ice.

Even the first few meters in the 993-generation Beyond Adventure RS on the small paddock track are impressive. The WRC tires offer so much grip in the pylon slalom that it takes quite a lot of courage to reach their limits and force the 911 into a drift. On the relatively small course, I can carefully feel my way to the limit and try things out. Left-foot-braking proved to be particularly helpful in order to load the front wheels and enable better turning. If you need to force the car into a drift using the accelerator, you can make use of the so-called “clutch kick”. This involves staying on the accelerator, “kicking” the clutch down and letting it back again immediately. Due to the sudden increase in eingine-revs, the wheels inevitably spin when the clutch is engaged, forcing the car into a drift.

After the first Scandinavian flicks – that’s what rally drivers call entering a bend by provoking a weight transfer from one side to the other, while staying on the brakes – went well, we set off on the circular track known as the Arctic Circle. The aim: to remain in a constant drift for at least one lap. Here we get some more practice in the interaction of steering and throttle before we switch to the big tracks.

Kalmar’s Spirit of Speed offers almost endless driving time and an extremely steep learning curve

After this little warm up, technically demanding ice tracks await us. On tracks with illustrious names such as Cayman R, Carrera, Targa and GTS, we have to move the car from one drift to the next. Some of the radii open up, some of the bends tighten late. It takes several minutes to drive from one drift to the next without ever just driving straight ahead.

We switch back and forth between the 993 and 964, so we can compare the cars. And lo and behold: although the 964 is easier to drive to a certain extent, it needs a little more revs to keep it drifting. On the chassis side, neither car is a slouch and harmonizes perfectly with the WRC tires. I immediately sense that Jan Kalmar knows exactly how cars need to be prepared for these conditions. Everything works intuitively, nothing rattles, even bumps in the drift don’t upset the cars, there are no surprises. If I do start to understeer, I know immediately that there are no excuses and that I have to look for the fault in myself.

We save the high-speed track called GT3, which is more than three kilometers long, for the afternoon. Looking at the clock, it becomes clear that the first half day with more than three hours non-stop behind the wheel has flown by. I can’t remember ever having so much driving time during a driver training course, especially in one go. Admittedly, I notice the adrenaline on the way from the parking lot to the quaint restaurant. My knees are already tingling a little… After a traditional Lappish stew with flamed salmon for lunch, however, we could hardly wait to get back into the cars.

In the Cayman at over 100 kph through the Finnish forest

For the next stages – you could also call them special stages – we change cars again. I take a seat in the Beyond Adventure RS-C, a poison green Cayman R with Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK). We set off for the peninsula. Narrow ice channels and some topography await us there. Letting the mid-engined Porsche fly over the crests is a real pleasure. But it takes a lot of courage and effort to fire the Cayman into the bends on the very narrow stretches.

After a short acclimatization period, Joe Hopkins sends us straight to the forest onto the rally track called Moby Dick. Joe drives ahead in the 964, I follow behind in the Beyond Adventure RS-C. We drift in tandem through the Finnish forest towards the sunset – wow! The beauty of the icy cold winter landscape is particularly evident on the stage in the forest thanks to the interplay of light and shadow. I will certainly never forget this experience for the rest of my life!

The supreme discipline awaits – feel like a rally driver and follow the pacenotes

By now it has become noticeably darker. Joe and I head towards the GT3 high-speed track. Here, Joe makes good on Jan Kalmar’s promise from the day before. He first ahead, then I do. It almost feels like a race. The speeds on track are enormous. The speedometer reaches up to 160 kph! Thanks to the incredibly bright auxiliary headlights on the roof, visibility on the track is even better than in daylight. You have the feeling of having a lunar landscape all to yourself – with the exception of a 964 driving directly behind you…

You have the feeling of having a lunar landscape all to yourself.

This day’s highlight came in the timed final stage over the Rally Grande course. The supreme discipline is a combination of the most beautiful routes on the frozen lake. So that I don’t lose my bearings on the special stage, which lasts more than eight minutes, instructor Joe Hopkins turns to co-driver Joe and reads the pacenotes.

I feel like I’ve travelled back in time almost 20 years to my racing simulator at home. The virtual rally experience makes it at least a little bit easier to follow the pacenotes. “Three left, into four right, tightens…” In view of the speeds we set, I realize once again why blind trust between driver and co-driver is so important in rallies.

After this crowning finale, our first day of driving comes to an end. On the way back to Levi, we reflect on our experiences and drive back to our villa with a sparkle in our eyes. After the traditional Finnish sauna, a genuine Lappish dinner with regional specialties such as leipäjuusto and reindeer awaits us. Back at the Levi Spirit, we enjoy a Lapin Kulta, a beer brewed in Lapland, and then dream of the sound of six-cylinder boxer engines and large drift angles.

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Test drive in the KALMAR 7-97 RS-R, a hypermodern rally car in classic 911 guise

There was not much time to process the experience. Because on day two, it’s back to the drawing board. Jan Kalmar hands me the keys to the KALMAR 7-97 RS-R, the most extreme car in the Spirit of Speed fleet. This 1,125-kilogram 993-based featherweight is a real feast for Porsche enthusiasts. Beneath the Kevlar body with carbon roof lies an air-cooled 4.1 liter engine with 401 hp and 450 Nm of torque. In addition to Kalmar’s specially developed electronic engine management system, real rally technology is on board. The RS-R offers electronically adjustable suspension and a hydraulic handbrake.

The driving experience in this car can hardly be put into words. Especially as at first glance you would not expect to see the technical innovations in the KALMAR 7-97 RS-R. From the outside, the carbon fiber bodywork is reminiscent of a rally Porsche from days gone by. Only at second glance do the numerous modifications become apparent. The engine responds silky smooth and offers an addictive sound. Its intake duct, which supplies the individual throttle bodies with fresh air, runs directly behind my ears instead of the rear side window.

KALMAR’s 7-97 RS-R feels like a “Go-anywhere-car”

The way this engine pushes the lightweight car forward right up to the limiter just shy of 8,000 rpm is breathtaking. It offers purring intake noise and rubber-band-like thrust. If I didn’t know any better, I would almost suspect a supercharged engine. Quick gear changes are a breeze thanks to the short-shifter right next to the steering wheel. This Safari Porsche has been thought through down to the last detail. It is designed for the most extreme conditions and meant to be used at every terrain, on any place in the world. After a few laps on the lake, I’m reluctant to get out of this luxury conversion, which costs over 400,000 euros.

KALMAR Beyond Adventure Spirit of Speed offers a huge playground for grown-ups

But there is still more to discover. As a personal treat, so to speak, Jan prepares the Beyond Adventure RS-6, a safari conversion based on the Porsche 996 Carrera. With conversion costs of 45,000 euros, it is almost the polar opposite to the RS-R, marking the entry-level into the KALMAR Automotive world. David’s choice for our last laps on the forest course known as Moby Dick is the 993-based Beyond Adventure RS.

We both drive these incredible cars one last time in the beautiful afternoon sun of Lapland. As I drift the RS-6 through the forest right up to the lock-stop, I find myself thinking about whether I could somehow raise the money for a 996 Carrera and the conversion at KALMAR Automotive.

Intoxicated by the many impressions, we can’t help but savor the scenery and this surreal experience with all our senses. We gaze happily and silently over the site of the old mine. This adventure playground for grown-ups inevitably leaves us with a surreal feeling of gratitude for being able to experience such an event.

“Why not make something good even better?” – About Beyond Adventure

Jan Kalmar is a genuine guy. The Danish-born mastermind behind Beyond Adventure doesn’t mince his words and freely says what he thinks. For many years, he organized winter driving training courses for manufacturers and one day asked himself: “Why not make something good even better?” Driven by this goal, he developed the concept behind Beyond Adventure. And this is exactly how his concept should be understood – Spirit of Speed goes beyond what many would consider to be an adventure. It’s about pure driving pleasure, without any distractions.

The days here in Finland were a brilliant experience. From the organization to the great team to the cars, everything was perfect. If you needed help, someone was there immediately. The fact that we were even able to see northern lights and reindeer was the icing on the cake.

David Fierlinger, Elferspot

After two days of Beyond Adventure Spirit of Speed, we can confirm that the mission was a success. This winter driving training offers so much driving time and experience every day that it requires concentration as well as a good level of fitness. And that is exactly what we want. Because in the end, the participants benefit the most – apart from the obvious driving pleasure itself – when they get out of their comfort zone and go beyond their previous limits.

Spirit of Speed is a unique experience. The terrain, the cars and the scenery create a breathtaking overall picture. Jan Kalmar and his brilliant team encourage and challenge without overtaxing. I’ve probably never learned as much in two days as I did here.

Richard Lindhorst, Elferspot

© photos: David Fierlinger, Elferspot