“Five laps around the Nordschleife and your hands aren’t even sweaty. That’s shit” — Jan-Erik Slooten

Jan-Erik Slooten competed in the Porsche Carrera Cup, the ADAC GT Masters, and the 24 Hours of Nürburgring. He built his own motorsports project with IronForce Racing, and today, as a host, entrepreneur, and content creator, he reaches an audience of millions. In an interview with Elferspot, he explains how a boy who loved motorcycles became a Porsche fan and race car driver, why modern GT models now seem almost too perfect to him, and why his spectacular Porsche 992 GT3 RS is set to be replaced by an older 911.

Welcome to Elferspot-Talk, Jan-Erik Slooten! Most people in the Porsche and motorsports scene probably know you. How would you describe your profession today?

Most likely an automotive journalist. I have this wonderful job as a host at GRIP, plus my YouTube channel. I’m not very active in motorsports right now, but I’m currently preparing a project that will allow me to get back into it in a big way in the future. We’re converting a Porsche 992 GT3 RS for the Nordschleife and plan to enter it in the 24-hour race in 2027. To do this, we’ve acquired one of the last RS models brand-new. It was important to us to break in the car ourselves and oversee the build from the very beginning.

What exactly are your plans for the GT3 RS?

This is going to be a pretty wild ride. Right now, we’re mainly struggling with the unpredictability of modern vehicles. As soon as you remove or change something, some control unit goes haywire. On top of that, there are the regulations. You build a car, then the ADAC inspects everything, and suddenly some flaps are seven millimeters too high.

Our particular challenge is that the car shall remain street-legal. The plan is to drive to the Nordschleife on public roads, put on slick tires, and go. In the best-case scenario, we’ll even drive with license plates. Back in 2010, there was a similar project with Patrick Simon and a Porsche 997 GT3 RS. Back then, you could still compete with a bolt-on roll cage, stock fuel tank, and standard brake system. Today, it’s much more complicated.

Has the Nordschleife become too professional for such private projects by now?

Basically, we need both there. The manufacturers bring in money, top drivers, and brutal cars. The fans want to see these GT3 “UFOs” on the Nordschleife. At the same time, unusual private projects and smaller classes are part of the race’s character. The problem lies in the enormous difference in speed. At the same spot, the speed difference between a 911 GT3 R and a Dacia Logan can be as much as 120 km/h. That’s why the slower cars need to get a little faster and the faster cars a little slower. Ultimately, it’s all about safety.

At the same spot, the speed difference between a 911 GT3 R and a Dacia Logan can be as much as 120 km/h. That’s why the slower cars need to get a little faster and the faster cars a little slower.

Jan-Erik Slooten

Which came first for you: motorsports or Porsche?

Actually, my interest in motorsports came from my father. He raced karts and was really good. At some point, Gerhard Noack convinced him to enter a race. It went so well that my father was later even provided with engines. A list of the results still hangs in his office today: first place, Berthold Slooten; second place, Michael Schumacher; third place, Ralf Schumacher. Of course, that was ages ago, and luck certainly played a part. But no one can take that triumph away from him now.

As a kid, though, I was obsessed with motorcycles at first. They even say my first word was “Momorrad.” After a brief stint on a Yamaha PW50 and some kids’ races in Holland, we went to see Michael Schumacher at a junior race at the Nürburgring. On the way home, I said to my father, “Dad, I want to do that, too.”

How did your father react?

A few days later, he put me in a go-kart in Hagen. At first, the thing barely turned, and I wanted to get out. But after my dad fixed it, it ran and turned just fine. Then I drove until the tank was empty. We refueled, and the fun went on like that all day. On the drive home, one thing was clear: the motorcycle was going to be sold, and I was going to drive a go-kart. Shortly after that, I competed in my first race.

When did your passion for Porsche begin?

A good friend’s father owned a 964 Coupé and a 964 Speedster back then. He still has both cars today. Whenever the garage door opened, I was completely blown away. That’s how my fascination with Porsche began. Once it became clear in motorsports that my path wouldn’t lead to Formula 1, my goal was set: the Porsche Carrera Cup. That was the biggest thing for me!

And when was the first time you drove a Porsche yourself?

That was actually the day after my 18th birthday. My mate Alexandros Margaritis was racing in Formula 3 at the time and later in the DTM. We were in Zandvoort together, and he had driven to the track in his father’s Porsche 996 Turbo. On Saturday, I celebrated my 18th birthday. On Sunday, Alex handed me the keys and said, “Happy birthday.” Then I got to drive the Turbo home. After that, it was finally clear to me that I had to have a Porsche like that one day.

Then I got to drive the Turbo home. After that, it was finally clear to me that I had to have a Porsche like that one day.

Jan-Erik Slooten

How did you end up in a Porsche race car?

In 2005, I drove a wet race on the Nordschleife in a Honda Civic Type R. Apparently, I didn’t do too badly. Suddenly, Peter Schmidt from Car Collection showed up at our pit and said, “We need to talk.” At the next race, I was behind the wheel of a Porsche 996 RSR.

The transition was intense, but it worked out very well. Peter then took me along to my first 24-hour race in Dubai. That’s when the madness began. I’ve now competed in 13 editions of the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring and raced for many seasons in the VLN and NLS. Most of the time, I was behind the wheel of a Porsche.

So Porsche was a mainstay for you on the racetrack from early on. What was it like in your personal life?

Over the years, I’ve owned several special road-going Porsches. Among them were a 991 GT3 RS, a Porsche 911 R from the 991 series, a 991.2 GT3, and a 991.2 GT3 RS. Later, I added a 992 GT3 and, finally, my current 992 GT3 RS. This gave me the opportunity to compare the different generations in great detail.

Which generation hits the sweet spot for you?

Looking back, the 991 models in particular hold a special place in my heart. For me, the 991.2 is the last 911 that strikes just the right balance between modern performance and that classic 911 feel. The cars are already very fast and precise, but they still demand a bit from the driver.

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That doesn’t mean the new cars no longer have character. Porsche, in particular, still manages to give its cars a character all their own. For me personally, though, the 992 was the tipping point. That’s exactly why I’m increasingly feeling the urge to part with my GT3 RS and drive something older again.

What exactly do you feel is missing from your current GT3 RS?

In my GT3 RS, I drove five laps on the Nordschleife in well under seven minutes. Afterward, my hands weren’t even sweaty. And that’s when I thought to myself: That’s shit. Don’t get me wrong. These cars are incredibly good. A 992 GT3 RS is so precise, so fast, and at the same time so accessible that even a less experienced driver can go surprisingly fast in it. Not at a pro’s level, of course, but the car gives you a lot of confidence and takes a huge amount of work off your hands.

For me personally, a car loses its appeal after a while if it does everything so perfectly. I want to be challenged again. I want to drive five laps on the Nordschleife and have to change my T-shirt afterward. That’s why an older car appeals to me again today. I find it much more fun to drive a 996, a 997, or maybe a 991.2 GT3 Touring on the Nordschleife and tease a few guys in the latest RS there.

If you’re already driving a top-of-the-line track weapon and you’re fast to begin with, it gets boring after a while. I’d be tempted by a 997.1 GT3 RS, for example. It still looks like a classic 911, has relatively little aerodynamics, and demands much more from the driver.

Jan-Erik Slooten

In your opinion, have Porsche’s GT models changed too much overall?

In the past, cars were built more in line with what Porsche itself considered right. Walter Röhrl and other developers dictated how a car should drive, and that’s how it was sold. If someone lost control due to hydroplaning, they were more likely to blame themselves and say, “The car is, after all, a weapon.” At some point, however, Porsche realized that they could sell more cars if even my mother could drive one to pick up bread rolls. So even GT models became increasingly accessible. From the manufacturer’s perspective, that’s understandable, of course. For me personally, though, part of the challenge is lost in the process.

Your GT3 RS has long been your trademark thanks to its paint job. How did you come up with the color combination?

I configured the car together with Paul Burek from the Porsche Center in Moers and the Special Orders Department. Paul probably wondered at times whether he should even answer the phone when I called. Originally, I wanted to combine Light Green with Purple. However, it was a very early order, and certain PTS paint finishes weren’t available at that time. I would have had to wait about a year longer. I didn’t feel like doing that, so I switched to Racing Yellow and Purple.

It wasn’t until later that I realized those were the colors of the Los Angeles Lakers. Apparently, that color combination was only produced once across all models. So the car is a true one-of-a-kind. Because of all the buzz, the car quickly became my trademark. Even my logo is now yellow and purple.

Do you find it hard to sell such a personal car?

Very much so. The car has practically become an icon by now. Someone from Porsche once told me it might be the most famous GT3 RS in the world. The car went absolutely viral. I have Reels with 14 million views where basically nothing happens. You see the car for seven seconds – that’s it.

I have so many wonderful memories associated with this car: road trips, snow, the Nordschleife, the Nürburgring Grand Prix circuit, Bilster Berg, and Zandvoort. Still, I’d like to be able to go on weekend road trips again and take a friend along. That’s hardly possible in the GT3 RS because it doesn’t have a real trunk. Then your bag ends up on the passenger seat, and you end up driving alone. We also have a second GT3 RS for our racing project, plus other cars. We can’t do it all. That’s why now is the right time.

Porsche 992 GT3 RS

2023

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Even before the car was delivered, people at the Rennsport Reunion in the U.S. were approaching me about it. They asked, “Aren’t you the German guy who ordered his RS in Lakers colors? Has the car arrived yet?” The response was crazy.

You’ve already owned a few special 911s. Which one do you wish you hadn’t sold today?

Actually, with several of them. Looking back today at the 991 GT3 RS, the 911 R, the 991.2 GT3, and the 991.2 GT3 RS, I think: What a mistake it was to sell those cars. My 911 R was painted in Light Green. I kept it for quite a while and rode out the slump with it, during which prices had dropped sharply. Later, fortunately, the value shot back up significantly, and that’s when I sold it. That’s some consolation, but the car is still gone.

I also had a light green 991.2 GT3. One of my closest friends owns it now. He told me back then, “Jan, if you sell this car and don’t sell it to me, I’m not talking to you anymore.” He still has it today. I keep trying to buy it back from him, but so far he’s said every time: “No way.”

Which Porsche would you recommend to a first-time buyer?

First, I’d ask what kind of car he has in mind. The first idea is often the most honest. Then you have to see if the budget is sufficient. If his idea is a 997 GT3 RS but the budget isn’t enough, I’d currently recommend a good Porsche 996 and explain what to look for when buying one. If the budget isn’t enough for that either, my recommendation is very clear: Buy a Porsche 944. To me, the 944 still flies under the radar. Connoisseurs have known about it for a long time, but many others don’t truly understand the car until they’ve driven it.

Buy a Porsche 944. To me, the 944 still flies under the radar. Connoisseurs have known about it for a long time, but many others don’t truly understand the car until they’ve driven it.

Jan-Erik Slooten, when asked which Porsche he would recommend to a first-time buyer.

For about 15,000 euros, you get a fantastic car. It’s stylish, practical, and works well as your only car. Plus, good examples tend to appreciate in value; the same is true for the 996. Then you can enjoy the car for a few years and keep saving. The money you’ve invested isn’t gone. If you take good care of the car, it’s more likely to increase in value than lose it.

If you could make one wish with Andreas Preuninger, what would you wish for?

A minimalist 911 with an air-cooled engine. Simply a very lightweight Porsche 911 without a lot of bells and whistles. No huge display, no parking sensors, no touchscreen, no multifunction steering wheel, and no PDK. The car could weigh 1,150 kilograms and have 350 or 400 PS. Ideally, it would cost 150,000 euros. I’d order one right away.

What have you learned from motorsports that you can apply to your life as an entrepreneur?

The last three percent are always the most expensive. You have to think carefully about what will really help you move forward. The nicest race truck in the paddock might cost twice as much as a decent, well-maintained truck. The question is: What does it actually do for you? A well-maintained, sensibly equipped race truck often serves its purpose just as well as the absolute top-of-the-line model. This applies to almost every business.

Our traditional closing question: If money were no object, which Porsche would you drive?

No doubt about it: the Carrera GT!

The images were provided courtesy of Jan-Erik Slooten.