Some parts change how a Porsche looks the second you see it. Carbon fibre aero discs are one of them. Fit a set to a GT3’s rear wheels and the whole car suddenly looks like it’s just rolled out of the pit lane.

Gold Leaf Performance has built its name on them. Each set is designed in house and made by hand by a small team of engineers who clearly care about the details. We already stock part of the Gold Leaf range at Design911, and in this guide we’ll introduce the brand properly. We’ll cover who they are, what Porsche aero discs and turbo fans actually do, and why the set you’re after might exist even if your wheel isn’t listed yet.

Who are Gold Leaf Performance?

Gold Leaf is a team of mechanical engineers based in Slovenia. Between them they have backgrounds in lightweight product design, specifically composite manufacturing, and fluid dynamics. That’s a useful mix when you’re making carbon fibre parts that sit in the airflow.

The brand was started by Martin Paldauf and David, who met at university through Formula Student. Martin had been karting since he was seven and was driving on track by 16. After a few years in corporate jobs, the pair decided to go their own way and build the kind of parts they wanted on their own cars.

That approach still shapes everything they do. Every product is researched and developed in house, then made by hand. They’re also design-led, so each part is meant to look OEM+, as if it could have left the factory that way. Their stated mission is to improve the connection between driver and machine, and once you’ve seen a set of their discs fitted, that starts to make sense.

What are Porsche aero discs?

Aero discs are carbon fibre covers that fit over the rear wheels. They turn an open spoke design into a smooth, closed face, which gives the car that unmistakable motorsport look.

They’re not just there for show, though. In Gold Leaf’s own words, aero discs help streamline the airflow around the rear wheels and cut down the turbulence that can affect how well the rear wing works. On cars like the GT3 and GT3 RS, where the rear wing does a lot of the work, that’s a big part of the appeal.

Gold Leaf’s current EVO range is made from autoclave-cured pre-preg carbon, the same kind of process used for high-end composite parts. Fitting is fully reversible, with no cutting or modification to your wheels, so you can go back to standard whenever you like.

At Design911, we list Gold Leaf EVO aero discs for:

• 992.2 GT3
• 992.1 GT3, GT3 RS and S/T
• 991.2 GT3 and GT2 RS
• 981 Cayman GT4

Turbo fans: a different look

If aero discs are all about the clean, closed face, turbo fans go the other way. The bladed, turbine-style design is a nod to one of the most recognisable wheel looks in Porsche history, reworked in carbon fibre.

Gold Leaf makes turbo fan sets for several Porsche GT models, including the 992.1 GT3, GT3 RS and S/T, the 991.2 GT2 RS and the 981 Cayman GT4. On a number of these, the turbo fan sets are made for the front wheels, which is worth knowing if you’re planning the look of the whole car. Our sales team can talk you through which combinations are available for your model.

Don’t see your wheel? Go tailor-made

Here’s the part most people don’t realise. What you see listed on our website is only part of what Gold Leaf can make.

If you’re running aftermarket wheels, or Gold Leaf doesn’t have a listed set for your stock wheels yet, they can make aero discs or turbo fans to fit them. Tailor-made sets are available for Porsche centre-lock wheels and for five-stud wheels, so they cover virtually any wheel you’re likely to have on a Porsche.

The process is simpler than you might expect. In most cases, Gold Leaf only needs three to five measurements:

1. Get the dimension chart. Download it from our Gold Leaf brand page.
2. Measure your wheel. The chart shows you exactly what to measure and where.
3. Speak to our sales team. Send over your measurements and they’ll take it from there with Gold Leaf.

It’s the same hand-made carbon fibre and the same finish as the listed sets, just shaped around your wheels.

Why buy Gold Leaf through Design911?

We’re Porsche parts specialists, and our sales team knows these cars inside out. If you’re not sure which set suits your model, which wheels you’ve got, or whether tailor-made is the right route, just ask. They’ll help you get the right set first time.

It’s not just for owners either. If you run a specialist workshop and have customers on aftermarket wheels, tailor-made gives you something genuinely different to offer them. Our team can help with trade orders too.

More from Gold Leaf

Aero discs and turbo fans are where we’re starting, but Gold Leaf’s range goes further. It includes carbon fibre brake pucks, an RS-style carbon intake for the 981 and 718 Cayman, and an Aero Kit for the 992.1 GT3 RS. Keep an eye on our Gold Leaf brand page for updates.