“Racing has and always will be both a creative and competitive outlet for me.”
How did your passion for automobile and motorsport begin?
(Betim Berisha, Founder and CEO at BBI Autosport)To be honest, I don’t know. My love for cars has just always been there, even before my earliest memories. But I can tell you the exact moment I fell in love with Porsche. I was 8 years old living in Bellevue, Washington playing in the front yard with my cousin, when we thought we saw a Porsche 959 drive by. My cousin and I ran to his room where we had posters of the car, and sure enough, it was in fact a 959, and not just any 959, but the first (grey market) 959 on American soil. I later found out that the car belonged to Bill Gates. Fast forward to last August. I was in Monterey, CA when a 959 pulled up and parked next to me. I struck up a conversation with the man and told him the story and how special the car was to me. He casually said “This is that exact car you saw 34 years ago…the exact one.” Immediately I had goosebumps all over, maybe a small tear.
Please walk through what BBi Autosport specialises in? (BB) BBI was founded on the principle of tuning the Porsche platform while utilising the latest design technologies and manufacturing practices. Our company comprises of 4 primary verticals: 1. Projects and racing. 2. In-house engine building. 3. Parts manufacturing and sales. 4. Consulting and engineering. This allows us to take on lofty tasks with innovation and agility.
“We like to focus on tailoring the suite to the client or task at hand. Like Tom Ford or Brioni.”
What types of cars are you building at BBI? (BB) We like to focus on tailoring the suite (so to speak) to the client or task at hand. Like Tom Ford or Brioni, Porsche makes an amazing car. However, like everything, we need to tailor that suit for that perfect fit for the client or event. For example, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb requires a very narrowly focused build to be successful. While if you wanted to perform well on a circuit like SPA or FUJI, you would have to change the cut of the suit for the occasion.
The Hoonipigasus built by BBI Autosport
“A Porsche is an understated supercar that you can daily drive. With the proper modifications, one could compete at Lemans, NORA 1000, the Dakar, hill climbs, rallies, club races, or off-road, all while utilising the Porsche 911 platform.”
What is so special about working with Porsche? (BB) Simple. A Porsche is an understated supercar that you can daily drive. With the proper modifications, one could compete at Lemans, NORA 1000, the Dakar, hill climbs, rallies, club races, or off-road, all while utilising the Porsche 911 platform. They are wildly robust.
“The Hoonipigasus. It’s very loosely based on a 1966 911…VERY loosely. It’s a tube frame, carbon fibre-bodied, AWD, mid-engine, 1400hp twin-turbo, sequentially shifted hill climber.”
The Hoonipigasus built by BBI Autosport
Please walk through your creative and work process? (BB) Our biggest hurdle is time; the green flag doesn’t care about your supply chain issues. That puts us in a position to really explore unorthodox solutions that fit within our budget. When we “Clean Sheet” a car, I ask, “How fast do you want to go and for how long?” I start this process by looking at thermal dynamics, since the real question is “How much heat can you shed for how long?”. That applies to tires, brakes, engine, turbo, transmission ,and so on. Once you are realistic here, you can start the creative process. We applied this same process to building one of our favourite projects to date – the Hoonipigasus. It’s very loosely based on a 1966 911…VERY loosely. It’s a tube frame, carbon fibre-bodied, AWD, mid-engine, 1400hp twin-turbo, sequentially shifted hill climber.
Why do you think LA is the quintessential car culture? (BB) Aside from California having a great car culture with a rich automotive history, it also boasts the highest number of Porsches sold in a particular market. I looked this up 19 years ago trying to decide where I would start this chapter of my career. It was SoCal or Florida… and I didn’t want to live in Florida. So, my journey began.
“Racing has been a platform for me to work with some of the most talented people out there.”
What is the meaning for car and racing for you? (BB) Cars are a way of life for me. I have wrapped my entire life around them. I have a shop in the hub of car culture and bought a home just two miles from that shop, allowing me to always be close to family and work. Aside from a crystal engraving job I had at fourteen, I’ve only worked in the auto industry. That said, racing has and always will be both a creative and competitive outlet for me. While extremely serious, it’s fun. I get to see if what I imagined will actually work. You find out very quickly if it doesn’t. Racing has been a platform for me to work with some of the most talented people out there.
What are you working on currently? (BB) We’re starting to transition BBI Autosport into coach building. We’re going to build an 11-unit “restoration” tribute car. Yes, it’s air-cooled. Yes, it’s turbocharged and yes, it’s raced at Le Mans. But more on this later.
