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Welcome to AutoQuest Motorsports - A Hidden Gem of Porsche Development
Hello Everyone,
My name is John Gaydos, the new Director of Sales and Marketing for AutoQuest Motorsports. Some of you may already know me or have worked with me in the past. Over the last few years I have been an active member on Rennlist and Planet 9 as the enthusiastic owner of a Cayman R (below), and representing Fabspeed as their dedicated Porsche Specialist. That being said, last month I made a big decision and started a new chapter in my life. I packed my bags, and moved to Florida!
After a successful few years as Fabspeed's Porsche Specialist, I still felt there was a gap I needed to fill. A yearning to learn more about suspension, vehicle setup and the finer details of maximizing performance in a hands-on environment. That opportunity presented itself in the form of AutoQuest Motorsport, a premier Porsche Specialty shop in Ft. Myers, FL that has been in business for over 25 years with an impeccable reputation and massive following in the region.
Gavin and Amy Riches operate AQM and are on the leading edge of Porsche performance development. They have countless hours in R&D at some of the most grueling tracks including Sebring and the Nürburgring, and have a network of resources throughout the US and Europe. For example, AQM and OCD (Jay O'Connell) have just finished a joint project...engineering and developing a new Multi-Link GT4 Rear Suspension System.
The owners are also very involved with Motorsports and track events in North America, and also participate in Targa Rallies around the world. Amy is also one of the few female PCA Chief Track Instructors in the country. Gavin has made the company unique in that they are a true "one-stop-shop"...vehicle sales, full service, niche and exclusive product development, along with the companys racing and track activities. They can accomplish almost anything with decades of experience and in a manner that is always personal and customer-centric, to the point they have had over 100 GT4s/GT3s through their shop in the last year for various upgrades, the majority being shipped in from out of state. AutoQuest Motorsports has been said to be One of the Best Kept Secrets in the Porsche Community, and I must say I fully agree. In visiting them for the first time I was blown away by their products and ongoing development, most of which very few know about outside of their direct client base. The potential of exposing these products nationally and internationally to the Porsche community is very exciting! I am beyond thrilled to be a new member of the AutoQuest team, and the wealth of new resources it brings will make me an even more well-rounded and knowledgeable Porsche enthusiast. AQM also happens to be an authorized Fabspeed distributor, so Id still be happy to work with anyone in regard to exhaust and performance recommendations.
Over the next few months I aim to bring the AutoQuest Motorsports brand and product line to a greater national recognition, while continuing to be an active and contributing member to the Porsche community that I have come to know and love. Here are a couple of teasers of some of our upcoming product releases, some available now.
Custom "GT3" Embroidered and Paint Matched FIA 6-Point Harnesses
GT4 Shorter Final Drive Ratio (coming soon)
Don't hesitate to reach out about any Porsche vehicles/service/upgrades or anything else you may need for various other vehicles. Please feel free to PM me, email me at john@autoquestms.com, or call me at 484 883 6197 if you'd like any additional information. If you are in Florida give me a shout! I'd love to meet up with some of the locals, or those that are visiting the area
Thanks Churchill, glad to be back! I felt like I was going through withdrawal duringthe three weeks or so I was offline haha.
Originally Posted by Jnosol
Congrats John.
I appreciate that Jimmy. Saw a 991 GTS at C+C over the weekend, reminded of you. The wheels were boring though ; )
Originally Posted by br911
Good luck. Great to have options
Thank you, and we are glad to be here! The more we can do to help enhance the driving experience the better : )
Originally Posted by GT3 Jockey
John is a solid guy, a true Porsche-phile and a heck of a driver
Good luck John
Thank you Babak, I appreciate the kind words. Wish i'd had a chance to hit Thunderbolt with you on the RE-71Rs versus those whooped Super Sports I was on last time haha. Come down to Sebring during the winter and have some fun And tell George to stop playing with Vipers and work on a real car lol.
Originally Posted by JD911
Congrats John and good luck with your new endeavor.
Much appreciated Joe! Still enjoying the exhaust on the Turbo? : )
Originally Posted by kfmcmahon
tell us more about that 'GT4RS' in the second picture
Hey Kevin, thanks for chiming in! Did you ever end up doing that GT420/450? I know we chatted about that on occasion.
That GT4RS is essentially our rendition of what we believe the RS should be. We built two of these exact cars at the same time, and on the same tires they dropped an average of 6-7 seconds a lap in testing at Sebring. Gavin personally drove the twin to this car on a set of Pirelli slicks and currently holds the fastest lap time in a GT4 at Sebring with a time of 2:17.53. Both cars will be getting our shorter final drive later this year and we expect to drop that time into the 2:15s.
The mod list on the car is as follows, built from stock at our facility.
When at Fabspeed, John was extremely helpful in setting up the correct exhaust pieces for my GTB1 Cayman. Contacted me after-hours and made sure I had what I needed for the setup in time for an event.
Just wanted to let you all know I've dealt with Gavin and Amy at Auto Quest in Ft. Myers before and they are a stand up great company....very active in the Florida Porsche and exotic car community.
How I wish this product was out when I had my 2012 GTS with Light Weight Buckets!!!!
Hey Kevin, thanks for chiming in! Did you ever end up doing that GT420/450? I know we chatted about that on occasion.
That GT4RS is essentially our rendition of what we believe the RS should be. We built two of these exact cars at the same time, and on the same tires they dropped an average of 6-7 seconds a lap in testing at Sebring. Gavin personally drove the twin to this car on a set of Pirelli slicks and currently holds the fastest lap time in a GT4 at Sebring with a time of 2:17.53. Both cars will be getting our shorter final drive later this year and we expect to drop that time into the 2:15s.
The mod list on the car is as follows, built from stock at our facility.
Hey John!
No, I never did the Fabspeed 420/450...I am focusing on suspension (Tarrett Race camber plates, TPC rear toe links, DSC V2 sport controller, track alignment), brakes (Ferodo DS1.11), wheels/tires (Re-71's and R7's on 19" rims) for now...maybe once power train warranty is over,I will look into your "rs" package..... might be a better route?
John,
Welcome to Florida. Good choice. Gavin and Amy are the core of the PCA DE activity in central Florida and we are lucky to have them. Good luck and see you at Sebring!
08-08-2017, 09:43 PM
Welcome to AutoQuest Motorsports - A Hidden Gem of Porsche Development
And tell George to stop playing with Vipers and work on a real car lol.
