THE NORDIC OUTLAW

The Nordic Outlaw

A moment away from Norway’s Fjordluft to catch up with Steffen Westbye and his impeccable custom Porsche.

During the festivities at Fjordluft we found ourselves atop a nearby mountain pass with Steffen Westbye, one of the minds behind the event, and we had a little opportunity to chat about the car breaking the tranquility - his "Nordic outlaw" 911T, lovingly called Bonnie.

Q: How did you first fall in love with Porsche?

"It's always been more than a car brand to me, it’s a design language. I started out as a graphic designer and that still shapes how I see the world; form, contrast, how things are put together and sit. The 911 nails that balance - feminine and masculine, friendly and aggressive, refined and raw. That tension fascinates me.

Driving one was when it really clicked: how it rewards you, the sound, feel, honesty of it all. In the films and culture I grew up with it wasn’t just a car, it was part of the character - it told you exactly who someone was, or at least wanted to be.

I’ve always been drawn to that - maybe part of me wanted to feel like the protagonist too. There’s something about stepping into that role, even for a moment, when you turn the key."

Q: Was this 911 your first air-cooled car?

"My first air-cooled. I’ve had vintage cars before, always built with the same mindset - but I didn’t exactly ease into it with this one. It’s a 1970 911T that had already been messed with when I found it, which made it perfect. It had nine layers of paint and felt like an old washed-up rock star.

I actually found the car from a hospital bed after a motocross crash. That quiet space kind of kicked things off, I had a lot of time to think and to scroll. The car became 'Bonnie' and it turned into more than a project - it was therapy, a way to make something real again with my own hands. Pretty ambitious for a “computer guy,” I’ll admit.

After I finished it my younger brother bought in so now we co-own her. It’s this slightly chaotic mix of shared passion and sibling negotiation - he brings the polish, I bring the patina, somehow it works. It’s the most personal thing I’ve ever owned and probably one we’ll still be arguing over when we’re old."

"The ideas started long before I got the car," Westbye continued, "going deep into forums, archives, IG rabbit holes. One of the moments that really stuck was seeing a 911R at the Porsche Museum - Light Ivory, that color had this calm energy. I knew I wanted to build something clean, mechanical, but warm. A kind of 'Nordic outlaw'.

The build took about a year with help from friends and the Porsche Classic Center Son. She runs a healthy 2.7L with triple Webers, a 901 gearbox with a RennShift shifter, and a Dansk sport exhaust that makes itself heard. I added a bunch of small personal touches - a burned ash shift knob, a Marshall speaker under the dash, Pepita-patterned luggage to match the seats. It was all about creating something that felt honest and intentional.

There’s even reason to believe the car was once a police car in Sweden. They actually ran 911s for highway patrol - made it feel even more right to turn it into an outlaw, like a full-circle moment."

"In the films and culture I grew up with it wasn’t just a car, it was part of the character - it told you exactly who someone was, or at least wanted to be."

"There’s even reason to believe the car was once a police car in Sweden. They actually ran 911s for highway patrol - made it feel even more right to turn it into an outlaw"

Q: Why is this part of Norway - and Fjordluft - so special to you?

"This mountain pass, Aurlandsfjellet, feels like something from a dream. In early summer the big snowbanks create this winding white maze. You don’t just drive it, you become part of it.

Lærdal has the same feeling. It’s tucked between ancient mountains - it feels like it’s always been there. Remote and grounded in the best way.

Fjordluft started as a passing idea on a road trip. I mentioned it to my friend and colleague Jonas Fritsch, who manages Porsche Classic in Norway. We both felt it could be different, perhaps it was needed in the Norwegian Porsche-scene. So we just did it - Lærdal gave us the perfect canvas, it just clicked. Since 2019 it’s grown naturally, just people bringing people.

I wanted it to feel more like a shared experience. A bit of a drive-out, part party, part reunion of kindred spirits. It’s about chasing that feeling when everything lines up. The road, the car, the people. The music, the mood. That moment when you remember exactly why you fell in love with all this in the first place."