porscheclubgb.com
January 2017
£4.25 ISSN 1743--3452
PORSCHE POST
718s IN PERSPECTIVE Four-cylinders past and present
AMERICAN DREAM DRIVE UK 911S from LA to Boston
1 porscheclubgb.com
928 ON TRACK David Hemmings at Oulton Park
WELCOME Cornbury House, Cotswold Business Village, London Road, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire GL56 OJQ Tel: 01608 652911; fax: 01608 652944 e-mail: cluboffice@porscheclubgb.com porscheclubgb.com Patron: Dr Wolfgang Porsche Publications team Chris Seaward, Mike Rees, Richard Rees and Paul Grainger Archive Peter Cook Editorial address As above Email address for editorial copy editor@porscheclubgb.com Disclaimer Directors of the board of Porsche Club GB, Club staff, Register Secretaries and Regional Organisers are often requested by Club members to provide information on matters connected with their cars. Such information, advice and assistance provided by such persons is given in good faith, and is based upon the personal experience and knowledge of the individual concerned. Neither Porsche Club GB nor any of the aforementioned shall be under any liability in respect of such information, advice and assistance given to members. Members are advised to consult qualified specialists for information, advice and assistance on matters connected with their cars at all times. Imported vehicles Porsche cars imported outside the official Porsche Centre network, with a non-C16 specification, may have a lower resale value in the UK, and may also exhibit performance issues. Performance modifications Members are advised that any modification, or the fitting of any non-Porsche accessory, may invalidate their warranty.
Porsche Post is produced on behalf of Porsche Club GB by Archant Dialogue Archant Dialogue, Prospect House, Rouen Road, Norwich NR1 1RE Tel: 01603 664242 e-mail: mail@porschepost.co.uk archantdialogue.co.uk Archant Dialogue is part of Archant Community Media Matt High Managing editor Lucy Perkins Art editor Rachel Stevenson Account director Kay Brown Advertising print production manager Richard Berry Art director Jon Lilley Creative director Isobel Robson Head of advertising Ryan Battles Head of content Zoë Francis-Cox Publishing director For advertising enquiries, please contact Victoria Moore (sales) on 01603 772547 victoria.moore@porschepost.co.uk Porsche Post incorporating Trading Post is published monthly by Porsche Club GB; ISSN 1743-3452 Copyright © Porsche Club GB and various authors and photographers, 2017. Reproduction is forbidden without prior permission Regions & Registers copy dates Issue Copy date Publication date February December 28 January 22 March January 29 February 23 April February 28 March 20 Please remember that all contributions must be submitted before the published copy dates shown above. Editorial contributions Contributions to Porsche Post are always welcomed, but to avoid possible duplication it is essential that subject matter is discussed with the editor (editor@porscheclubgb.com) beforehand. Please submit text as Microsoft Word documents only to the above address or, if absolutely necessary, pasted within the body of an e-mail message. It is also essential that all images are copyright-cleared. Although every care will be taken with members’ documents and pictures, we cannot be held responsible for damage to, or loss of, any material. And while every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of any information within Porsche Post, neither Porsche Club Great Britain nor Archant Dialogue can assume any responsibility for errors or omissions. Published articles do not necessarily represent the views of the editor, other contributors or the publishers, or Porsche Club GB policy. Advertisers are reminded that the Porsche script and crest are protected trademarks. Their use in editorial and advertising requires permission from Porsche Cars GB Ltd. If the Club has reason to believe that any items for publication contravene these guidelines, copy will be returned. The advertiser remains liable for space booked.
Just when it seemed that 2016 had no more surprises in store, Porsche announced that next year’s 911 RSR race car will be mid-engined. The company has, as we well know, never been afraid to innovate, and by shifting the engine closer to the centre of the car there is a clear break from a very long-standing tradition. It’s up to you to decide whether the mid-engined RSR is a true 911 – and its competition record to prove whether or not it will be a success – but there is no doubt that Porsche’s pursuit of excellence is unrelenting and has little room for sentiment. Simon Charlesworth’s story in this month’s edition follows a similar theme, as he looks back on some of Porsche’s earliest four-cylinder cars in the context of today’s 718 Boxster and Cayman range. Meanwhile David Hemmings recalls the enjoyment he had at November’s Oulton Park trackday. For more adventurous members – or the armchairs travellers among us – the American experiences of Andy and Sheila Graham will surely whet the appetite for future trips. It’s good to see Nick Tandy returning to Porsche LMP1 set-up, after missing out on the opportunity to defend his 2015 Le Mans crown last summer. Audi’s departure from top-level endurance racing means it’s looking like a straightforward duel between Porsche and Toyota for the 2017 championship. The Club will, of course, be returning to Le Mans next year, and details about the Lycian-run Village on the Curves campsite can be found elsewhere in this edition. I hope you will agree that it has been a positive year for Porsche Club GB, with a whole host of activities for members to enjoy. Next year’s national calendar is already larger than ever before, so hopefully there will be something for all of you to enjoy. We shall
Porsche Club GB partners:
COVER PHOTOGRAPH: PORSCHE AG
3 porscheclubgb.com
once again be returning in a big way to the Silverstone Classic and in addition to that staging a National Concours d’Elégance at Ragley Hall near Stratford upon Avon. Inevitably, end-of-year editorial columns offer a chance to reflect upon the previous months and take stock of the Club’s activities. Many talented, diligent and passionate people work tirelessly to make Porsche Club GB and ultimately your ownership experience better. There isn’t space here to name them all individually, but I would like to make special mention of the Club’s Chairman, Rob Kellock, whose contribution this year has been immense. And heartfelt thanks also to the Clubhouse team, who consistently go above and beyond the call of duty. In particular Mandy Sutch, without whom Porsche Club would be a much lesser place. Her energy and enthusiasm epitomise everything that makes me so proud to be associated with this extraordinary organisation. I hope, of course, that all of you, the Club’s now 17,000-strong membership, have a wonderful Christmas and New Year. Thank you so much for your ongoing support of the Club, and we very much look forward to seeing you in 2017. As always, please don’t hesitate to contact me should you wish to offer us any feedback on Porsche Post – or the Club as a whole, of course. My phone number is 01608 652911, or you can e-mail me at gm@porscheclubgb.com. Chris Seaward General Manager
THIS MONTH’S COVER
There is a genuinely seasonal feel to this month’s cover, showing a partially snow-covered Gen II 991 Carrera at the Porsche Driving Experience Center near Levi, Finland. Situated in the Lapland region, north of the Arctic Circle, the Center is the home of Porsche’s Camp4, Camp4S, Ice-Force and Ice-ForceS training courses, all offering an unrivalled opportunity to find out what it is really like to drive a Porsche at often high speed on snow and ice. More information at www.drivingexperience.porsche.com
regulars 3 6 18 29 40 45 89 117 138
First words News Events round-up Club shop Vintage View Regions Registers Trading post Q&A
24
FEATURES 24
Four cylinders good Simon Charlesworth offers a thoughtful historical perspective to the current debate about the adoption of a flat-four engine for the latest 718 Boxsters and Caymans
30
18
37
American dream drive ‘Holiday of a lifetime’ is a much over-used phrase, but it’s difficult to see how Andy and Sheila Graham might next year top their nearly 11,000-mile 2016 tour through no fewer than 25 of America’s states in their UK-registered, right handdrive 911S – and that despite a near-disaster at the very start
37
Second time around Even as a track day novice, 928 owner David Hemmings had such a great time at the Club’s 2015 Oulton Park track day that he couldn’t resist a return match this year – and he is already looking forward to the 2017 calendar and the prospect of further honing his skills
42
Cooking up a storm Not even Storm Angus could stop enthusiastic Kent Region members attending the fifth and final Breakfast Club meeting of the year at the American-themed Coast to Coast restaurant in Rochester
30 5 porscheclubgb.com
News porscheclubgb.com
What’s going on within Porsche Club GB and the wider world of Porsche
porscheclubgb
@pcgb
Tandy returns to Porsche’s LMP1 line-up Honorary Porsche Club GB member Nick Tandy will make a welcome return to the top flight of endurance racing in 2017, having been given a permanent seat in a Porsche 919 Hybrid. In 2015 Tandy joined forces with Nico Hülkenberg and Earl Bamber to take a famous victory at Le Mans, but missed out on an LMP1 drive in 2016 because Porsche opted to enter just two cars in the top class. But the departure of Romain Dumas, Marc Lieb and Mark Webber from the LMP1 driver line-up sees Tandy, Bamber and former Audi works driver, André Lotterer, recruited into the team. Lotterer and Tandy will share driving duties in the number one Porsche 919 Hybrid with the reigning World Endurance Champion Neel Jani. Joining the two New Zealanders Earl Bamber and Brendon Hartley in the cockpit of the number two car is Timo Bernhard from Germany. Next year’s 919 represents another step in its technological evolution, says Porsche. Featuring an entirely new colour design, an optimised aerokit, and the complete overhaul of almost all components, the race car will be officially unveiled on 23rd March at the WEC prologue, which for the first time is to be held in Monza, Italy.
6 porscheclubgb.com
porscheclubgb
porscheclubgb
New 911 RSR for Le Mans – with the engine in the middle! Porsche will tackle the 2017 racing season with a newly developed all-out GT race car. The new 911 RSR takes full advantage of the Le Mans GT regulations, and in addition to systematic lightweight design will for the first time have its ultra-modern, flat-six engine positioned ahead
of the rear axle. The four-litre engine features direct fuel injection as well as a rigid valve drive, and is claimed to offer improved fuel-efficiency. The new 911 RSR will make its debut at the Daytona 24-hour race in January. For the 2017 season the factory is expected to
run the new 911 RSR at 19 outings, which will equate to more than 140 hours of racing. With two factory entries, Porsche will tackle the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, as well as the American IMSA Weathertech Championship.
WEC two-for-one ticket offer available until late January Watch Porsche’s 919 Hybrids start the 2017 World Endurance Championship campaign with Porsche Club GB at Silverstone from 14th to 16th April. The Club will have a sizeable presence at the opening round of the 2017 World Endurance Championship at Silverstone. Hundreds of members have enjoyed infield parking in the past three years, and a similar initiative is planned for the April event. The £40 ticket price includes two weekend tickets (Friday–Sunday) with infield parking for Club members. This offer is available only until Monday, 30th January, and members can buy through the Porsche Club GB website at www.porscheclubgb.com. Children aged 15 and under have free entry but do require a physical ticket, so please email events@porscheclubgb.com. 7 porscheclubgb.com
Porsche Update In In his his regular regular column, column, Porsche Porsche Cars Cars GB GB General General Manager, Manager, Marketing, Ragnar Marketing, Ragnar Schulte, provides Schulte, provides Porsche Post with Porsche Post with the manufacturer’s the manufacturer’s latest news and views latest news and views
Date change for Silverstone Classic and Festival of Speed Due to a change of weekend for the British Formula 1 Grand Prix, the dates of the 2017 Silverstone Classic and Goodwood Festival of Speed have moved. The Silverstone Classic is now scheduled to take place from Friday, 28th to Sunday, 30th July, with the Festival of Speed also shuffling a week later than originally planned and now assuming centre stage from Thursday, 29th
June to Sunday, 2nd July. For members that have bought Silverstone Classic tickets already, these will obviously be valid for the revised dates. Anyone who bought tickets between the 5th November and 1st December 2016, and is now unable to attend the 2017 event due to the date change, has until 28th February to request a full refund from Silverstone Classic on their tickets.
Event support sought With Porsche Club GB continuing to expand, unsurprisingly the Clubhouse team is attending and managing an increasing number of events. The Club is now seeking members who would be interested in providing regular on-the-day support for events throughout the UK. An expenses package will be available for those
members interested in offering their services. On most occasions the work would include elements of setting up and later breaking down the Club’s stand, hospitality and not least retail duties in the Club Shop. If you are interested in finding out more please contact Chris Seaward by emailing gm@porscheclubgb.com. 9 porscheclubgb.com
As I write, I am all set for a well-earned The Porsche never home festive holidayfamily breakiswith the more family.atYou than gathered a race know,when German driversatlove theircircuit, winter and it was aand pleasure to welcome many for tyres I am prepared! As so is typical Porsche Club members the British winter ‒ hereto in the the Porsche South at Experience Centre at Silverstone when the least ‒ the temperature is hovering around World Championship visitedtothe the 8°CEndurance point where winter tyres begin Northamptonshire circuit in April. is colder perform. The romantic in me hopesIt for always impressive see so many weather soon, and to maybe even some snow! members bringing cars into the infield. If you have not yettheir considered winter There wereare more than last year, it is a tyres, they worth looking at forand improved unique phenomenon to get such wonderful all-weather grip. And now many Porsche Centres offer storage facilities forworld, the summer support not only in the Porsche but tyres,compared which makes the swap over easier. also to other marques. There hasrace beenon some swapping aroundin The WEC Sunday was bathed in the Porsche lately – sunshine, and aMotorsport spectacularteam debut of the and the goodresulted news for racing –fans 919 Hybrid in British second-place later is that 2015 Le Mans winner Nickvictory Tandy promoted to maximum points for has been promotedoftothe therival 919winner. Hybrid The after the exclusion LMP1 foranext season. 6 Hourfull-time race was flat-out sprintAfter from the another thrilling battle, the Porsche Team start, and you need a strong team behind clinched the World Endurance Championship you to sustain this momentum and maintain for a second year runningwhen and goes into focus – as demonstrated the leading 2017 with the wind Porsche crashed outbehind of the them! lead. I had the There are further new in pleasure to spend the lastdevelopments 45 minutes of the Porsche GT racing arena, with a new the race in the pit garage and it was 911 RSR for the WEC and the IMSA heart-warming to see how the team stuck Championship in America. As you would together and kept spirits high and cheered expect from a 911, this completely new race up Brendon Hartley after his unfortunate car concept has a flat-six, normally aspirated retirement. After all, Porsche is a However, big family engine developing around 510hp. and we winistogether and lose of together. the engine mounted ahead the rear Barely week Silverstone, axle! This one takes full after advantage of the the 718 Cayman coupébywas to join freedoms granted the announced GT regulations for the Boxster roadster thehave range – the 718 24 Hours of Le Mans. in We pushed these new sports to cars the downsizing the 911 concept thetake absolute limit philosophy the1996 919 Hybrid tohad the previously —ofthe GT1 ofLMP1 course road, with a four cylinder turbocharged a mid-mounted engine, and went on to win engine. of course the RSR roadremains cars, Le MansThough in 1998. But theinnew we offer the charismatic engine in a resolutely a 911 in every ‘boxer’ other dimension. flat-four The Cayman a real Later in layout! the Spring, the new has RSRbeen will come personal favourite of mine its and to Silverstone for the WECever racesince in April we lookaforward welcoming Club Smembers launch decade to ago. The Cayman with to thehpPorsche Experience Centre for thea 350 and a manual gearbox achieves weekend. I am sureseconds Nick Tandy 0-60 mph And sprint in 4.4 andwill is in dropfaster in to greet fans.the 997.II Carrera S fact now than There great Wow. partnership with with 385has hp been from a 2008. theAClub this year in sports many respects. Porsche is the car of its In November,and we the welcomed racingthe segment, sports many car among members to Cayenne. the Porsche of Motorsport SUVs is the TheNight new Cayenne for the Carrera ceremony Platinum EditionCup is aawards very well equippedincar Liverpool, in recognition of at thea contribution with basically all you need price of to the –great motor series run by the £55k which may sport be a bit lower than one Club. We shouldexpect. make this tradition! would perhaps Andathe Cayenne S Silverstone was another E-Hybrid modelClassic now reaches the critical collaborative highlight from the summer, threshold of 75g C02, making the car and I remain fascinated by how the prices eligible for quite significant tax incentives for of older Porsche cars are developing. This business-users. of course is driven by the asset economy The next weeks will have a distinct Hybrid at present, but is also a reminder of how tone, not least with the countdown to its the a Porsche has a tradition for keeping Le Mans 24 Hours on 18-19 In value as well as underlining theJune. exclusivity addition to the two 919enjoy. Hybrid LMP1 and desirability owners race cars, 2015Christmas outright winner Nick I wish youthe a great and much Tandy returns tointhe in a factory happy motoring thecircuit New Year. Let’s hope Porsche Teamsnow 911 RSR – be sure to can there is some this winter, so we cheer himthe on,everyday whether usability you are trackside celebrate of all our or tuning in from great sports cars.home! Ragnar Schulte Schulte
How to make the best start to 2017 If your car insurance is up for renewal shortly, it’s worth pondering the old conundrum of price and value. The PCGB Insurance Scheme understands car enthusiasts. As well as an investment, the cars we own personify many of our dreams. That’s why we’ve endeavoured to create the best value owners’ club insurance scheme in the UK – for new or classic cars, for single cars or significant collections. The Scheme, administered by Lockton, offers: Real choice Is there that special garage you trust with your Porsche? Have an accident, and most insurers will insist you use one of their ‘approved’ garages instead. In contrast, the PCGB Scheme doesn’t dictate to you. You choose the garage you want and trust for the repair. Our only stipulation is that genuine Porsche parts are used whenever possible and, unlike others, we don’t make any charge for wear and tear on replacement parts. Fairer cover Most policies insure you for ‘specified perils’ only. This means you’re only covered for the specific events listed in the policy – everything else is excluded. With the PCGB Scheme it’s the reverse. Unless something is excluded (and very few things are), you’re covered – for up to five named drivers. Our ‘all-risks’ approach means you get cover that applies in more situations with fewer conditions, and with no nasty surprises when you make a claim. Cover that includes: agreed value, whatever the age of your car; breakdown and recovery (including Europe and Homestart); and even trackday cover, subject to individual terms and conditions. Superb value None of us believes the cheapest wine is the best. So why believe it of the cheapest car insurance? With insurance there’s nothing that can’t be made a little worse, in order to sell it a little more cheaply. Low price has resulted in lack of choice, small print to trip you up and a mountain of complaints. The PCGB Scheme may cost a little more than the cheapest – although far less than you might think – but our specialist cover and service is praised as exceptional value and our claim service is renowned as the best in the UK. So rather than simply renewing with your current insurer, why not make the best start you can to 2017. Ask for a quote from the Club Scheme by calling Lockton on 0330 123 4317. You won’t regret it.
Fairford 2017 – save the date! The annual Royal International Air Tattoo, or RIAT, one of the UK’s major outdoor events, will take place at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire from Friday, 14th July to Sunday, 16th July, and once again the AUTODROME attraction will be a key feature of the show. Each year a large number of members attend RIAT to display their cars in a designated Porsche area where they enjoy the extremely positive interaction with an enthusiastic general public – 153,000 people attended the three-day event in 2016.
The spectacular air show, the biggest military display in the world, plus the many other showground attractions, makes the experience even more exciting for members. You and your cars can be there for one, two or all three days, and interested owners should get the dates in their 2017 diaries now. In the near future we will confirm the booking process, together with details of how Porsche Club GB will support the event with an exhibition and other displays.
Club donates Llandudno funds Porsche Club GB was delighted to make a donation to Ty Gobaith Children’s Hospice, with funds raised from a raffle held at this year’s Porsches on the Prom event held at Llandudno. A cheque for £500 was presented to Bev Bradley of Ty Gobaith by Porsche Club Director Brendan Daly, and Graham Kellock, father of the Chairman of Porsche Club, Rob Kellock. The annual event was well attended by Porsche owners from across the UK, many of whom travelled from as far away as Scotland and southern England. 10 porscheclubgb.com
Bev Bradley of Ty Gobaith (centre), with Brendan Daly (left) and Graham Kellock (right)
Photo by Ed Pike
March open day – booking now open The Club’s first open day of 2017 will take place at the Clubhouse on Sunday, 12th March. There will be ample parking for all and, as ever,
refreshments will be available throughout the day. Please confirm your attendance by visiting the Porsche Club website and clicking on the
event from the drop-down menu. Alternatively, email events@porscheclubgb.com with your membership number. See you there, we hope!
Silverstone Auctions to host eight sales in 2017 Following a year of record-breaking results, Silverstone Auctions will host eight sales during 2017. The third Porsche Sale, in collaboration with Porsche Club GB, will take place at Silverstone Circuit on 21st October. Through the Club’s partnership, members can benefit from Silverstone Auctions’ expertise in a number of different ways, including free-of-charge consignments (usually £300) of cars to Silverstone Auctions sales; advice and guidance to Club members on the practice of consigning their Porsches for sale, or undertaking a purchase at an auction; highly discounted catalogue prices; and not least privileged membership of affiliation and loyalty schemes. The company achieved a total of 10 new world records in 2016, as well as 445 cars sold with a total sales figure of £26 million. 13 porscheclubgb.com
14 porscheclubgb.com
French 1973 Porsche Carrera 2.7 RS surfaces after 10-year hibernation Following a lengthy negotiation period lasting 11 months, independent Porsche specialist Autofarm has acquired a 911 Carrera 2.7 RS not seen in public for a decade. The Touring specification car, one of the first series produced, formed part of a stunning collection of 911s that had lain undisturbed and idle for 10 years and only came to light after the widow of the original owner, also passed away last year. The now Gulf Orange car, originally Sepia Brown, follows a similar find in Trinidad that Autofarm also purchased and is the eighth 2.7 RS it has bought or sold this year. “It was one of those emails that you aren’t sure if it’s actually real when you read it,” says Autofarm’s Mikey Wastie. “The list
offered some of the most iconic 911s including a 3.0 RS, 2.7 RS and GT2 as available. We couldn’t agree pricing on all the cars but we were delighted to secure this RS that actually did the Tour Auto and Rallye des 10,000 Virages in Corsica around 20 years ago. We suspect that as it was fitted with a cage and other track upgrades, it may have a more extensive competition history. We are now researching this.” Having been well stored, next to a radiator in part of the house, the car had been well preserved. “We initially hatched a scheme to do a light recommission and drive it back but in the end our heads overruled our hearts and we hauled it back on a covered trailer,” adds Wastie.
996 technical seminar at the Clubhouse The Club is excited to announce two modelspecific technical seminars in 2017 – with the first focussing on the 996 variant 911. The seminar will take place at the Clubhouse on Saturday, 1st April with numbers strictly limited to 100 members. The day is set to commence around 10am, will be chaired by Peter Morgan and naturally conversations will focus on all things 996. To register your interest, please email mem@porscheclubgb.com and more details will be sent to you as plans for the day develop. 15 porscheclubgb.com
Detailed inspection in Autofarm’s workshop revealed the car is in impeccable condition and after minor fettling to replace stale petrol and gummed up fuel lines, the car ran smoothly with an MOT swiftly secured. Although the car has acquired a number of modifications such as a roll cage and light clusters, Autofarm secured a horde of original parts and spares. Autofarm will arrange HTP papers for the car before an ultimate decision on plans for its future. “It’s the ideal base for historic racing or a car for long distance tours,” concludes Wastie. “As values have risen, it’s a shame that not more RS are driven on track, its rightful habitat. This car is ideally suited for some proper use!”
OFFICIAL VEHICLE FINANCE PARTNER
OUR CUSTOMERS DEMAND A DIFFERENT LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE…
Call your dedicated Porsche Club Account Manager for a funding solution that’s perfectly tailored to you.
TOP PRESTIGE AND CLASSIC CAR BROKER
WINNER AWARDS
∙ NEW PURCHASES ∙ REFINANCE ∙ EQUITY RELEASE
0845 094 9111 oraclefinance.co.uk/porsche-club
PLEASE NOTE: WE ARE A CREDIT BROKER AND NOT A LENDER. This means we act independently through a wide range of lenders to offer a broad and competitive choice of products and solutions. Oracle Asset Finance is not affiliated to any motor manufacturer. Please contact us for an individual finance quotation on any prestige or sports car. Finance & terms are subject to status. UK residents only. Oracle Asset Finance Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for the sale of consumer credit.
16 porscheclubgb.com
18 porscheclubgb.com
The Porsche month in pictures
Porsche Club GB enjoyed a successful three-day stint at the perennially popular NEC Classic Car Show in early November. A variety of Porsche models were on display as the Club endeavoured to showcase the broad spectrum of the marque. Chris Pruden’s famous 356 coffee machine was in operation throughout, and hundreds of members were able to enjoy refreshments as the weekend progressed. Sincere thanks to those hard-working volunteers who did so much to ensure the event ran smoothly from the outset, and the owners who were kind enough to display their cars for the duration.
19 porscheclubgb.com
Photo by Mike Pollock
NEC Classic Car Show, Birmingham, 11th–13th November
Photo by Ed Pike
There was much confusion among the fans in the packed grandstands of Macau at the famous street race. They had come to experience the world’s most spectacular city race, but the cars covered very few laps at race speed and instead spent most of the time waiting in the pit-lane. Then, in a bizarre twist, the car that ended the race sliding along on its roof was declared the winner! Causing even more bewilderment among fans was the guessing game of who had now actually won the race. The Porsche concluded the race in second position.
Clubhouse, Gloucestershire, 4th December Sporting a Santa hat and a characteristically large smile, Jessica Sutch – the newest member of the Clubhouse team – oversees the Club’s retail offering at December’s Christmas open day. The Club’s Members’ Collection range continues to expand with new products being added all the time. Jessica is tasked with further developing the offerings so if you have any ideas about products which could be a worthwhile addition then please get in touch by emailing retail@porscheclubgb.com.
Photo by Porsche
Photo by Porsche
Macau, China, 20th November
Bahrain, Middle East, 20th November
Photo by Porsche
For the second year running Porsche has taken everything in the FIA World Endurance Championship: victory at Le Mans, winning the manufacturers’ world championship in Shanghai, and now once again the drivers’ world championship at the finale in Bahrain. In the last of nine WEC rounds in 2016 Timo Bernhard, Brendon Hartley and Mark Webber came third, having started second on the grid with their Porsche 919 Hybrid. The new world champions, Romain Dumas, Neel Jani and Marc Lieb, finished sixth.
The Club’s 2016 motorsport season drew to a glamorous conclusion at the Hilton Puckrup Hotel. Over 100 guests came together to celebrate the achievements of the last 12 months with Race, Speed and Hill Climb Championships all represented. Plans are now well under way for 2017 with a full calendar of events due to be released shortly.
20 porscheclubgb.com
Photo by Porsche
Photo by Paul Jurd
Puckrup Hall, Tewkesbury, 19th November
The Porsche month in pictures
Wolfsburg, Germany, November
Photo by Sunny Hoyle
Porsche AG has reopened its pavilion at the Autostadt park in Wolfsburg. The exhibition area inside the pavilion has been expanded from 65m² to 504m². Going forward, this new exhibition space will house two special exhibitions each year. The new area is to be inaugurated with the special presentation entitled Mission Future Sportscar, at which visitors will be able to see the 919 Hybrid, the winning car from the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2016.
Los Angeles, USA, 15th November Porsche has opened a new Experience Center in Los Angeles. On a site spanning 20 hectares, customers and fans can experience the Porsche brand up close and personal and put the power, sportiness and safety of the vehicles to the test for themselves. The Experience Center in Los Angeles is conveniently located on Interstate 405 and is easily accessible from three airports. It includes a 6.5km test- and developmenttrack with eight training modules, a periodically changing racing-car exhibition and a restaurant.
Clubhouse, Gloucestershire, 4th December The Club’s annual Christmas open day attracted an enthusiastic attendance to Moreton-in-Marsh with over 450 members making the most of the Club’s hospitality. In attendance were a majority of Porsche Club’s business partners, and also Stewart McLaughlin from Porsche Cars Great Britain, who was showcasing a 991 Turbo ‘S’. Sincere thanks to everyone who supported the event; it was great to see so many members enjoying the Clubhouse. The Club’s first open day of 2017 will take place on Sunday, 12th March and registration is now open for those wishing to attend.
Planning your Por Thanks to an everexpanding membership the Club is now able to present two flagship National Events in 2017. The first takes place as part of the popular Silverstone Classic weekend in late July while the second will see the Club stage a standalone national Concours d’Elégance at Ragley Hall
Silverstone Classic Friday 28th – Sunday 30th July The Silverstone Classic has once again been designated as a Porsche Club National Event and the necessary discount codes to allow members to secure the 2017 car club display packages are now available. The showpiece gathering will take place from Friday 28th to Sunday 30th July 2017 at the home of British Motorsport. What does the ticket package include?
Two event tickets and one infield vehicle display pass for your Porsche. Booking codes:
Infield parking
Use booking code 17002SCC for 2000 and later model year Porsches. Use booking code 17003SCC for pre-2000 model year Porsches. Tickets will need to be booked directly at www.silverstoneclassic.com or by calling 0871 231 0849 (calls cost 13p per minute plus network extras). Please enter the Club code at the start of your booking. The Club is acutely aware that, at this stage, it won’t be possible for some members to know which model of Porsche they will be bringing to the event. There will, however, be the opportunity up until 31st May to change the car which you have booked into the event, the process for which will be explained in your booking confirmation email. If you have any questions about the ticket purchasing process, please email mem@porscheclubgb.com.
There will be 1,000 infield spaces available each day for Club members.
Saturday night barbecue will be released in due course. What will be different in 2017?
Club marquee
Hospitality, as ever, will be available from the Porsche Club marquee which will be a similar size as the 2016 offering. Grandstand
The Club is working closely with the organisers to ensure members once again have access to the Wellington Straight grandstand which proved so popular in 2016. Porsche Experience Centre
It is anticipated that the Club will once again interact with the Porsche Experience Centre over the Silverstone Classic weekend. Details about driving experiences and the 22 porscheclubgb.com
A designated parking area for classic Porsches will be created and located closer to the Club’s hub. Toilet blocks, exclusively for Porsche Club members will be positioned behind the Club’s marquee. The National Concours now won’t take place at Silverstone Classic and moves to Ragley Hall on Saturday, 23rd September. Hotel
Rooms have been held for Club members at the Hellidon Lakes hotel near Daventry. To secure your room please phone the hotel directly on 01327 262550 and quote ‘Porsche Club’. Rooms have also been reserved at the Best Western Buckingham and can be booked, once again, by quoting ‘Porsche Club’.
sche Club summer Porsche Club Awards and National Concours d’Elégance Friday, 22nd and Saturday 23rd September In 2017 Porsche Club will stage a stand-alone National Concours d’Elégance at Ragley Hall, close to Stratford-upon-Avon. The Concours will form part of a weekend which begins on Friday evening at the Welcombe Hotel where the Club will come together to celebrate some of its hardest working and longest standing members.
Porsche Club Awards, Friday 22nd September
The black tie dinner will have a capacity of 120 guests and a high-profile guest speaker. The evening includes a three-course meal, table wine and a welcome drink. Priced at £45 per head tickets can be purchased via the Porsche Club website.
Tickets
Tickets are priced at £12 per car and include access to Ragley Hall itself. This represents a significant saving on the day rate and members are strongly encouraged to purchase their tickets prior to the event. The relevant passes can be purchased via the Porsche Club website.
Concours d’Elégance, Saturday 23rd September
Hotels
The beautiful grounds of Ragley Hall will play host to the 2017 Porsche Club Concours d’Elégance. This will be a relaxed event with relatively little commercial influence and members shouldn’t expect the same kind of activities on offer at Silverstone Classic. Instead, the Ragley gathering will be a chance to celebrate beautiful Porsches in stunning surroundings. There will be a Club marquee with hospitality and ample parking for Club members.
A number of rooms have been secured for members at the Welcombe Hotel. Please call 0845 074 0060 and quote Porsche Club to secure your booking. If you have any questions relating to the Silverstone or Ragley Hall events then please don’t hesitate to contact Mandy Sutch at the Clubhouse by emailing mem@porscheclubgb.com or calling 01608 652911.
Ragley Hall is located south of Alcester, Warwickshire, eight miles west of Stratford-upon-Avon. It is the ancestral seat of the Marquess of Hertford and is one of the stately homes of England. The house, which was designed by Dr Robert Hooke, was built for Edward Conway, 1st Earl of Conway, and completed in 1680
23 porscheclubgb.com
FOUR CYLINDERS GOOD Some commentators have been forthright in their criticism of the 718 Boxster and Cayman’s cylinder count, yet history reveals that Porsche owes rather a lot to the four-cylinder
Words: Simon Charlesworth Photos: Porsche AG
24 porscheclubgb.com
J
ust as certain celestial phenomena turn up every now and then, so does a Porsche controversy. Last time it followed the coming together of the Porsche crest and a bodyshell with more than two doors; the time before, it was the controversial idea that a 911’s engine could be more quietly cooled by liquid. This time, the fuss is about piston quantity and, harking back to the 996’s debut, noise quality emanating from the 718 Boxster and Cayman. Journalists, reviewers and bloggers started it by claiming to preempt or channel the thoughts of purists. Armchair-bound forum jockeys then took these comments and injected them – like an untested equine steroid – with more distortion whilst disseminating with abandon. Tapping out furious retorts such as: ‘A four-pot is a step too far for me...’ Or ‘Nobody really wants a modern four-cylinder Porsche, let’s be honest!’ Yet were it not for the four-cylinder, or indeed, the mid-engined four-cylinder, would Porsche be the company we know and love today; a premium sporting marque with black and white checkered blood and a trophy cabinet the size of a Cornish fishing village? The answer has to be, no – for the ‘four’ powered the first Porsche and the marque’s first bespoke competition model. Plan A was to build a mid-engined sports car using Volkswagen components, but the redesign from rear to rear mid-engined created handling consistency problems with the tubular chassis 356-1. Plan B, the 356-2, entailed that said drivetrain components revert to a more familiar rear location that echoed Porsche’s pre-War Berlin-to-Rome Type 64 60K10 streamliner. This eventual choice of engine location would
directly sire a sporting Porsche dynasty which is going strong to this day – despite a brief lack of commitment in the 1970s. The 356 may have been a strong and successful foundation for the Porsche marque – with limited success at Le Mans in the early 1950s – but it would forever remain viewed as a road-car that could be campaigned at clubman races and rallies. Perhaps not by Porsche themselves, because the company had other priorities to deal with during its fledgling years, but certainly in the view of their Frankfurt distributor, Walter Glöckler. Glöckler happened to be a keen motorsport enthusiast and, before the war, he had been an able amateur motorcycle racer. The mainstay of Glöckler’s dealership was his Volkswagen concession which meant that he had both the financial backing and facilities to indulge in motorcar racing. First and foremost amongst his ‘facilities’ was the man charged with running his workshop, Hermann Ramelow, who had worked at Adler pre-war. A qualified engineer, Ramelow had managed a brace of Adler Super Trumpf Rennlimousines in the 1937 Le Mans which managed to finish in the top 10. Indeed, before Glöckler retailed Porsches, Ramelow had built him a few lightweight racing specials powered by Hanomag engines in the immediate post-war period. In 1950, Ramelow would design and fabricate another lightweight special, this time powered by the 356’s 1.1-litre Porsche Type 369 engine. Appearing somewhat push-me-pullyou and distinctly non-Porsche, the first Glöckler Porsche was a diminutive mid-engined machine; it had a central driving position and a minimalist slab-sided open body fabricated by Karosserie CH Weidenhausen. To achieve the mid-engined configuration, just as Porsche had done with the 356-1, the VW rear suspension was reversed. This tubular ladder-frame racer weighed under 1,000lb, meaning that even with a modest 50bhp, driven by Walter and Helm Glöckler, Ramelow, Heinz Brendel and Hermann Kathrein, it had sufficient performance to win Germany’s 1950 1100cc sportscar championship. In 1951, the Type 369 was converted to run on alcohol, raising its output to 62bhp to keep it competitive. Success multiplies and, allied to Ramelow’s quality control and attention to detail, subsequent models would bear the Porsche badge and benefit from the factory’s latest engine developments – establishing an informal technical relationship between the companies. Ramelow’s Glöckler Porsche No.2 racer would inherit many details from the first, but this time its Weidenhausen bodywork had become prettier, bearing Porsche and Veritas cues. Improvements consisted of greater power from the latest 85bhp Type 502 1.5-litre engine, less weight and better aerodynamics. No. 2, with Glöckler at the wheel and a hardtop fitted, would set 1.5-litre international speed records at the Autodrome de Montlhéry in 1951, including covering 500km (311 miles) at an average speed of 117mph, 1,000km (621 miles) at 115mph, and averaging 114mph for six hours. Impressive by today’s standards, let alone in the early 1950s. This record activity attracted the attention of US importer Max Hoffman who bought No.2 and raced it in Florida. He achieved some success with it, but it was obvious that it suffered similar handling problems to Porsche 356-1. This was due to the toe-in that deflection of its reversed rear swing-arm suspension’s leading arm layout caused, and which was amplified by No.2’s stiffly sprung chassis under braking and under lateral loads. These issues would be rectified in 1952’s No.3 Glöckler-Porsche – a racer which not only closely resembled the Porsche 356 but would adopt its rear-engined layout and feature more OE Porsche components, too. The successes and fanfare of the Glöckler-Porsches could no longer be ignored by Zuffenhausen and the Type 550 was born ➝
25 porscheclubgb.com
in late 1952. The 550 project would benefit from new personnel joining and from the company’s fortunes growing and getting stronger. Fritz Huschke Sittig Enno Werner von Hanstein – a keen car and motorcycle racer – joined in 1951 and was given the task of overseeing the commercial aspect of Porsche’s racing activities. A year later, Porsche would be awarded a sizeable $500,000 contract to design a new Studebaker. It would be enough to boost investment in a new factory and new models – plus Ernst Fuhrmann, who had been assigned to develop valve-gear and camshaft design, was given the job of designing a new engine for the 550. On May 31 1953, the prototype Porsche 550-01 underwent its first trial at the Nürburgring’s Eifel Races in roadster form. Designed by Wilhelm Hild under Ferry Porsche’s guidance, the 550 owed a great deal to Ramelow’s designs. 550-01 was built on a steel ladder-frame chassis, powered by a 1500 Super pushrod engine running on alcohol and bore a slightly ungainly aluminium Weidenhausen body (with removable hard-top) that would remain exclusive to it and 550-02. At the front the cars were suspended via double trailing arms and laminated-leaf torsion springs, followed by swing axles, control arms and transverse cylindrical torsion bars. Driven by Helm Glöckler, the plan was to use the race as a test session for Les 24 Heures Du Mans. While both car and driver endured horrifically wet conditions, and a problematic carburettor that reduced 550-01’s rev limit from 6,000rpm to 5,400rpm, it managed to score a significant class victory. If only all trouble-shooting sessions were so devoid of trouble... More success followed at Le Mans with the pair of 1448cc
Below: Porsche’s Teloche workshop preparing for the 1954 Le Mans. Includes No. 39, the eventual 1.5-litre class winner Bottom: Umberto Maglioli’s 550A Spyder during the 1956 Targa Florio. This would be Porsche’s first major motorsport victory
26 porscheclubgb.com
550 Coupés winning first and second place in the 1500cc class. In a field full of Jaguar C-types and big-engined Cunningham C5-Rs plus a Ferrari 340 MM Berlinetta, the nimble pair – 550-02 driven by Richard von Frankenburg and Paul Frère, and Helm Glöckler and Hans Hermann in 550-01 – crossed the finishing line in 15th and 16th overall respectively. No mean feat given that the 21st Le Mans was the first time that the race’s average speed exceeded 100mph for its entire duration. In race conditions Motor Sport magazine called ‘excellent’ it described the 550s as ‘super-Porsches [that] were in control of the 1100cc-1500cc class’ – later adding that they were ‘two of the lowest and most built-for-business coupés yet produced by Porsche’. A notion reinforced by the class-winning 550’s performance – for come the end, the von Frankenburg/ Frère car had covered 2,070.43 miles at an average of 86.268mph. Whilst the first four 550s would be retained by the Works, 550-05 was unveiled at October 1953’s 40th Salon de l’Automobile in Paris to gauge public interest in a customer model. The 550’s specification had really been finalised in the construction of 550-03 – the first 550 to run Fuhrmann’s 110bhp four-cam Type 547 engine. In order that the 547 be successfully accommodated, the 550’s chassis was redesigned – introducing a degree of rear-steer to the improved rear suspension – and its body style refined. Where 01 and 02’s profile resembled a frog poised to jump due to its sloping back, 550-05 encapsulated the model’s definitive Works style with its perpendicular headlamps and sleek befinned Erwin Komenda body. The following month, a Sport Haste 1600cc class win in the 1953 Carrera Panamericana by José Sala Herrarte Ariano and Carlos A González, convinced Porsche’s US importer, Max Hoffman, that the 550 would sell well in the US market. It would be Hoffman’s suggestion to change the name of the series cars from 550/1500RS to 550 Spyder and these cars would feature chassis changes, reclined 356-style headlamps and less obtrusive rear fins than the earlier Works racers. Small, beautifully simple and with all the delicacy of a ballerina’s pointe shoe, the first of these Spyders were produced in 1954, selling for $6800 – twice the price of a 356. Drawing the likes ➝
27 porscheclubgb.com
IN THE DETAILS Glöckler-Porsche No.1 with
50BHP 1.1-litre Type 369 engine won Germany’s 1950 1,100cc Sportscar Championship. Glöckler-Porsche No.2 set
1.5-LITRE international records 500km (311miles) at and 1,000km (621miles) at 115mph.
117MPH
Porsche 550-01 took its first class win on its first race at the Eifel Races on May 31 1953. 550-01 and 550-02 took first and second places in the 1500cc class of the 1953 Le Man 24hrs covering
2,070.43 miles at an average
86.268MPH. The 550 competed in races, taking 95 overall wins and 75 class wins. The
370 PORSCHE 550A took Porsche’s first overall win at a major race meeting on the
1956 TARGA FLORIO.
of Hollywood great, James Dean, into Porsche ownership; albeit it only for a brief time before a fatal freak road accident in the 550 took Dean from this mortal coil. 1954 would be the year that Hans Herrmann and co-driver Herbert Linge drove a superb Mille Miglia race in 550-08 as it battled with tricky conditions. Motor Sport noting, ‘the 750-1,500cc class, which in all such events is usually the playground of OSCA, was this time severely challenged by the young German driver Herrmann in a factory Porsche. This was the open two-seater with the four-overhead camshaft engine fitted in front of the axle...’ He would do more than just challenge; he scored a 1,500cc class victory and overall sixth place – averaging the 1,000 mile route at a mighty 78.78mph. Although superceded by the Porsche 550A in 1956, the 550’s racing career would continue into the mid 1960s. It is believed that the type has competed in over 370 races, during which it has scored 95 overall wins and 75 class wins at international and national events; many of which took place in Europe or North America. Little wonder this diminutive, beautifully simple, low-slung racer with its angry sharp-edged quad-cam engine note, earnt a reputation for ‘giant killing’. A reputation that thanks to the 550A became historical fact when it won the 1956 Targa Florio with Umberto Maglioli at an average of 88.31mph. Beating the likes of a Works Maserati 300S (third), a Scuderia Ferrari 860 Monza (fourth), and a Mercedes-Benz 300SL (eightth) to score Porsche’s first overall win at a major sportscar race meeting. The 550A would be replaced by the Type 718 in 1957, which Porsche would field in a variety of guises until the early 1960s. Although 1961’s 2-litre 718 W-RS would have its four-cylinder replaced by a flat-eight from Porsche’s 804 F1 racer, and that would compete until 1964 when it would be replaced by the 904. After which, the cylinder count, horsepower rating and number of race wins would steadily climb – ensuring the momentum of the 550’s four-cylinder competition achievements would never be lost. Returning to the current day and the contemporary 718s, it is of course right to be critical of all cars – but the context should be correct. If one were to adopt a pedantic stance, then perhaps concern could be expressed at the use of a classic motorsport nameplate for a road car – but then competitors such as Ferrari have been doing this for years. Or perhaps comment should be made about how this new desire for efficiency of emissions, materials and production costs, might
Below: Huschke von Hanstein (on the right) and co cadge a lift aboard the Olivier/Duntov 550 at the 1954 Le Mans. Bottom: Graf Berghe von Trips aboard an unpainted 550A Spyder. The 550A was superseded by the 718 in 1957
really be a way of ensuring that after the Cayman GT4, the 911’s coat-tails will remain forever untroubled. Indeed it could be argued that the 718 Boxster and Cayman make more sense than their six-cylinder forebears. Rather than sharing a powerplant that is broadly similar to its celebrated big brother’s, but restricted by a glass ceiling, these machines will be able to evolve their own characters unhampered. Yes, the turbocharged ‘four’ is a notoriously difficult configuration with which to goad a pleasing soundtrack, but if it weren’t for its timing – as a sequel to one of the great vocals of earthbound internal combustion – would such criticism be so forthcoming? The answer would probably be ‘no’. PP
28 porscheclubgb.com
Porsche Club’s relationship with adidas motorsport continues to grow with new additions to the Members’ Collection. The winter down jacket has been constructed from high quality fabric, filled with goose down feathers. The Porsche Club logo is displayed on the left chest panel, with the adidas stripes on the left sleeve. Priced at £140 including shipping
AMERICAN DREAM DRIVE
30 porscheclubgb.com
‘Holiday of a lifetime’ is a much over-used phrase, but it’s difficult to see how Andy and Sheila Graham might next year top their nearly 11,000-mile 2016 tour through no fewer than 25 of America’s states in their UK-registered, right hand-drive 911S – and that despite a neardisaster at the very start Words and photos: Andy and Sheila Graham
T
he Pan-American Friendship Rally is a feat of endurance that tests even the most cared-for classics. Included in the spectacular, yet gruelling journey is the iconic 4,300m Pikes Peak in Colorado and the 11 mile-long ‘Tail of the Dragon’. For those that participate, it is two weeks of stunning drives, American culture and cameraderie. September 1
Trip finally under way, after a difficult beginning. My car, a 1969 911S, along with a second 911, was in a container that was somehow accidentally dislodged from the top of a stack in the port at Los Angeles, and sent crashing to the ground. The container landed on its side, having fallen from three storeys high. The tie-down straps securing the car inside did their job, but such was the force of the impact that both cars shifted from their blocks and hit the side of the container. My car came out of it reasonably well, all things considered, with relatively minor panel damage on the left-hand side, but the right-hand front suspension wishbone was bent. Frantic phone calls were made to various contacts to find a reputable classic-Porsche man in the area. Fortunately, the west coast has quite a reputation for classic cars, of course, and for Porsches in particular. As a result, JKX (a reference to its registration number, of course) was collected from San Pedro on Saturday afternoon, and by Monday had been fitted with a replacement wishbone and received a geometry check thanks to Steve Schmidt in Costa Mesa. The panel repairs and realignment of bonnet and engine lids can wait until our return to the UK. While the repairs were going on I had the opportunity to look over Steve’s impressive collection of early 911s and race cars. I was back on the road by mid-afternoon, and caught up with the group (and Sheila, my wife) in Indian Wells. The other 911 (bearing the obviously unlucky number 13), a Tuthill-prepared ex-rally car, suffered extensive body damage that would require both floorpan welding and panel-bashing. Not the start we hoped for, then, but JKX is running➝ 31 porscheclubgb.com
well and there are no obvious issues with the handling. At least I had the chance to meet Jeff Zwart, one of the few people to record a time below 10 minutes on the legendary Pikes Peak hillclimb, in his 800bhp turbocharged GT3. Temperatures are soaring both inside and outside the car as we head to Nevada and the bling and bright lights of Las Vegas. JKX quickly puts behind her the trauma of her arrival in the country and drives as if nothing whatsoever had happened. September 11
Almost at the end of the first leg of our PanAmerican adventure, although we have ticked off only five of the 25 states we plan to visit. Highlights to date have been Death Valley (watching a USAF F-18 flash past at eye level was quite something, especially in one of the hottest places in the world), Yosemite, Napa Valley (where we enjoyed a wine tour at Cake Bread vineyard), Avenue of the Giants, Crater Lake, the Pacific Highway (Route 1), Mount Rainier National Park and the cities of San Francisco, Portland and Seattle. But an issue has developed with JKX that will require further investigation in Portland, Oregon. At high ambient temperatures (49˚C in Death Valley, where naturally I kept a careful eye on the oil temperature) and during enthusiastic driving, the car develops a knock from somewhere in the transmission. Let her cool down and she is fine, though, so proceeding with a little caution is the order of the day. I take the opportunity of a rest day to meet with Jeff at Rothspeed in Portland, Oregon. He is another hands-on classic-Porsche expert and enthusiast who soon identifies the cause of the knock in the transmission as a loss of grease due to a leaking seal in the drive shaft joint. While I take a look at Jeff’s collection of over 25 classic Porsches, he sets about resetting my MFI to cater for the 10 per cent ethanol in the fuel. Throughout the trip petrol quality was a constant source of concern for most of the cars.
With the drive shaft joint resealed and repacked and the MFI reset, driving out from Portland the next day up though the Mount Rainer National Park the 911 pulls cleanly throughout the rev range all the way to 7,000rpm – what a fantastic sound! September 20
Over the last week we have headed north towards the Canadian border before crossing the prairies through Washington State, Idaho and Montana. We seem gradually to be climbing through America’s famous Wild West, and the scenery continues to change. What used to be
‘Before starting on America’s numberone motorcycle and sports-car road, we came across a group of Porsche GT owners – 3s and 4s – who were equally impressed by my 1969 ‘S’ as I was with their modern machinery’ 32 porscheclubgb.com
an area controlled by men on horseback is now a land of so-called nodding donkeys, quietly pumping oil from deep underground. Our drive then takes us south through the Glacier National Park, Yellowstone with its geysers, Canyonlands National Park, Arches National Park, the Mokee (or Moki) Dugway on Route 261 – an old loose-surface mining road with its switchbacks and hair-raising descent – and the Mesa Verde National Park with its Ancestral Pueblo cliff dwellings dating from the 12th century. We have crossed the Continental Divide several times and visited the site where four states meet
– the only one of its kind in the USA. The 911 is still performing well, despite travelling many miles at over 2,000m, and happily cruises at the legal limit and beyond. A few drivers have fallen foul of the law, and it was my turn to be pulled over for a speeding ‘infringement’. I made the mistake of getting out of the car, to the annoyance of the police officer – people have been shot for less. Fortunately his mood soon changed when he came to the car and started to reprimand my wife, the passenger – one of the advantages of having the steering wheel on the ‘wrong’ side. I was let off with a warning and a handshake.
JKX is going well, although the other Porsche has not been so lucky, with fuel issues and a blown Bilstein damper insert. The Ferrari will have to stay a few days longer in Santa Fe awaiting a replacement water pump to be flown in. One of the Aston Martins has had to have its front brake discs replaced and is waiting for a new starter motor to be fitted. A couple of the Jaguar XKs have had overheating problems, and one of the Mercs is struggling with its air suspension. The pace, the heat and the distances are definitely taking their toll. Pikes Peak, with its 156 turns in just over 12 miles to the summit, tomorrow, so hopefully JKX will behave.
33 porscheclubgb.com
October 4
We have been enjoying some amazing drives since entering Colorado and before making our way south via Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas to New Orleans. The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, or ‘Race to the Clouds’, was a challenge, taking the car to well over 4,300m, where the air was a little thin and engine performance considerably down. But it was great to have driven in the tracks of Vatanen, Loeb and Porsche GT3 driver Jeff Zwart (who I had the privilege to meet early on in San Pedro). A puncture in a rear tyre on the way in to Kansas City was followed by another the next morning on the short drive to the mid-point service I had arranged with Karl at RennsportKC and suggested by Porsche Club America. Why do these things always seem to happen on busy four-lane highways? JKX ended up on a flatbed truck because I was without a spare, and a complete set of new tyres had to be sourced and fitted. It was impossible to find the tyre size I was after (185 x 70) so I had to accept the fatter 195 x 65. Apart from that, no other dramas for JKX, and with fresh oil and tyres we were soon under way again. Kansas City also gave us the opportunity to enjoy some local hospitality. What better than a barbecue cooked by a world champion at a ranch with cold beers! Heading to New Orleans for a well-earned rest and live jazz, we enjoyed following the Mississippi for many miles, as well as spending time alligator-spotting on a swamp tour. Once out of New Orleans, and after taking the truck-free 444-mile Natchez Trace Parkway (originally a trail used by early European and American explorers, traders and emigrants in the late 18th and early 19th centuries), it was time to listen to some country sounds in Nashville before the amazing Tail of the Dragon – 318 curves in 11 ➝
Lead feature image was taken at Mount Rainier National Park in Washington where the Graham’s 911S is joined by a Jaguar XK120. Previous page shows the famous 4,300 metre high Pikes Peak hill climb which has attracted competitors since 1916
miles on US129, bordered by the Great Smoky Mountains and the Cherokee National Forest. Before starting on America’s number-one motorcycle and sports-car road, we came across a group of Porsche GT owners – 3s and 4s – who were equally impressed by my 1969 ‘S’ as I was with their modern machinery. Full concentration was required to tackle the road efficiently and safely through the continuous twists and turns. Failure to do so would qualify you for the infamous Tree of Shame. JKX really impressed with its nimble handling due to its relative lightness and good power. On the drive through to the historic colonial town and living-history museum of Williamsburg, we completed the appropriately named Blue Ridge Parkway (originally called the Appalachian Scenic Highway), taking in more beautiful scenery and sweeping roads – perfect for a 911. But at least one of our group chose to ignore the 45mph speed limit and found himself making a contribution to the local sheriff’s office. Seven more driving days to go before Boston. Time has flown by. Not sure we really want it to end. October 12
Heading north-east after our stay in Williamsburg, we received a warm welcome in the sleepy town of Oxford, Maryland. A police escort (pre-arranged, and not for any indiscretions) followed by an evening reception with the locals as well as local TV coverage. An Amish village in Pennsylvania was the next point of interest before we headed to Vermont and New Hampshire for a staggering display of autumn colours from the trees. Not so autumnal was the beautiful 7.6-mile ascent of Mount Washington which, at 1,900m, is the highest peak in the north-eastern US and America’s first man-made attraction – or the road is, anyway. We were greeted by 75mph winds, but fortunately the mountain was relatively clear of cloud which allowed us to enjoy the majestic views. Very, very cold, though.
Into Maine, and only two things on our minds were making it to the finish in Boston and a lobster dinner. Not so fortunate was one of the XKs, which on the penultimate day ended up on a flatbed truck with clutch issues, and a close call for one of the Mercs with air-pump pulley and water-pump problems. Also fortunate was another XK, which made it to the Boston hotel entrance before effectively dying. Postscript
Wherever we went we were always warmly received, and everyone was happy to engage in conversation, particularly if it involved a debate on Donald versus Hillary. The election, and perhaps even the new president’s inauguration, will be over by the time this is published, but if the poster count is anything to go by, Trump will now be in office. Questions throughout our driving adventure included ‘Do you have air[-con]?’, ‘How do you manage to drive with the steering wheel on the wrong side?’, and ‘Does it have a Chevy engine?’. The Pan-American Friendship Rally, organised by our good friends at the Global Rally Organisation, was a great adventure, combining some beautiful drives, 18 pre-1970 classic cars, and not least a fantastic bunch of people. My wife and I felt very privileged to have been able to enjoy the scenery and diversity that America can offer from the relative comfort of our classic car. It was both an experience and an education. We certainly stressed the cars on many occasions, with some long daily drives, high ambient temperatures and high altitudes, travelling over 10,500 miles in a little over seven weeks through 25 states – more than half of ‘the lower 48’. But all the roads, whether highways or parkways, were generally of a good quality, with no speed cameras. JKX did well after the early drama, and apart from a new set of tyres had only an engine- and gearbox-oil change and that rebuilt drive shaft joint. Pretty good going for a 47-year-old classic, I reckon. PP
READ ALL ABOUT IT To find out more about the Grahams’ US adventures in their extraordinary 911S see Sheila’s blog at www.travelpod. com/members/agbucks. For more information on the event itself, and similar tours that may be organised in future, go to www.globalrally.org.uk/ html/pan-american.html.
34 porscheclubgb.com
SECOND TIME Even as a trackday novice, 928 owner David Hemmings had such a great time at the Club’s 2015 Oulton Park trackday that he couldn’t resist a return match this year – and he is already looking forward to the 2017 calendar and the prospect of further honing his skills Words: David Hemmings Photos: George Woodward 37 porscheclubgb.com
‘Reality started to dawn after lunch. I began to get a feel for the combination of steering, accelerator and braking, but not necessarily in that order!’
A
lmost exactly 12 months after my last Porsche Club GB Oulton Park trackday, and here I am again, sitting in my 928 in the pit-lane. The trackday bug had well and truly bitten me. Instructor Howard is in the car next to me, and five refresher laps of guidance are ahead. Let’s go, then!
There is no doubt that I am rusty from last year, but three laps later I felt I was getting into the groove. After 30 minutes I was back in the pits, ready to go out on my own, a daunting prospect, so I limited myself to just three laps of practice, taking care to cool off the brakes at the end. As the morning passed, the track dried out and the sunshine made all the difference on the racing line.
Beware the damp patches off line, though. One added bonus this time was that I had more time to think, and when finding myself inside a ‘bubble’ of space, with no cars ahead or behind, it was much more confidence-building. I felt more at ease with the steep learning curve, literally learning the curve. I have even noticed that my pace is faster, when going more slowly. Lunchtime came pretty quickly,
38 porscheclubgb.com
so I could join up with two other 928 owners I had met just before we went on track, and share their experiences. This camaraderie is a big feature of a day out such as this. Everybody is happy to chat, it’s all calm and collected stuff, talking about getting the power down smoothly, about the satisfaction of a good line, and above all about improving. The lunch break also brought
Porsche Club track days are open to all models of the marque and take place at some of the country’s highest profile circuits. The 2017 calendar will be published in next month’s Porsche Post
the surprise appearance of a bright yellow 928 GTS in full racing livery. Graham Saul had trailered in with his as yet incomplete car to have it noise-tested for future racing. Its V8 engine made a glorious, vibrant growl that could seemingly be heard from the other side of the circuit, and the resulting noise-meter reading was no real surprise, in excess of 120dB – a very loud failure!
Reality started to dawn after lunch. I began to get a feel for the combination of steering, accelerator and braking, but not necessarily in that order! It just felt better, lap after lap, and the car felt good, too. I think 928s seem to ‘warm up’ and become more flexible, I know other owners say the same. I had started with a nearly full tank of fuel, which had undoubtedly
made the car heavy, the optimum balance might have been better at around 50 litres. You have to find these nuances for yourself. Like checking the brake-fluid reservoir and finding it almost empty. I might just have boiled it! I reckon I did over 25 laps that day, and enjoyed every minute. It never felt threatening, even when the car regularly ‘went light’ over the crest at Clay Hill at 90mph –
39 porscheclubgb.com
just be awake. If only I knew what my lap times were, I could say with some conviction that I got better as the day progressed. As a novice I am sure I am overdriving one lap, and then overcautious the next. Now I am so keen that I want to try another circuit. I did Donington Park a few years ago, with its wider run-off areas and higher speeds… must see if Steve Kevlin has it on the list for 2017! PP
40 porscheclubgb.com
VINTAGE VIEW Evocative images from the Porsche Archive
It is so often the peripheral detail that is the most fascinating part of any old photograph, and this lovely image, showing the 911 production line at Zuffenhausen in 1974, is no exception. The car is a standard Rest of the World, ‘impact-bumper’ 2.7-litre 911S in Blood Orange, the power unit identifiable by its green cooling-fan shroud, and thus with 175bhp from its Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection. (It was only the contemporary impact-bumper Carrera 2.7 that had the same 210bhp mechanically fuel-injected engine as the previous season’s Carrera 2.7 RS, and thus is now rising almost as rapidly in value. Although today you would, of course, be quite happy to own the example shown here, too.) Look beyond that first layer of information, however, and you begin to get a real flavour of the way Porsche operated in those far-off days. The shelves in the background are seemingly casually stacked with the parts that today would doubtless arrive on a just-intime basis on robot-driven pallet trucks. (Note the Osram branding on the two boxes over on the far left.)
41 porscheclubgb.com
None of the workers is wearing the eye protection that in modern times seems to have become de rigueur in just about any even vaguely industrial process, and the man in the middle is sporting a splendid haircut so typical of the period. The assembly process itself is wonderfully archaic, too, even at this point little changed from the way the first 356s would have been put together in the 1950s. Indeed, there is no production line at all in the conventional modern sense, just a system of wheeled trolleys to support the body shells as they gradually accumulate components. We are intrigued, as well, by the sling via which the engine and transmission assembly will be raised into the back of the car. Are those drive-shaft joints that have been modified to provide the required articulation in the system, or are they devices that also somehow claw their way up what must be the rubber-based strops hanging down from the ‘A’-frame? Not for the first time in this Porsche Post series does it make you yearn for a time machine to find out. PP
FEATURED REGIONAL EVENT
COOKING UP A STORM Not even Storm Angus could stop enthusiastic Kent Region members attending the fifth and final Breakfast Club meeting of the year at the Americanthemed Coast to Coast restaurant in Rochester Words: Sue Wallace Photos: Mick Dennis and the author
42 porscheclubgb.com
A
fter a wet and windy November night the weather had eased by the time we met at around 9am at Coast to Coast on the waterfront in Rochester. The restaurant serves a selection of breakfasts including the Coast to Coast Breakfast and the famous Feast, which is not for the faint-hearted! It also does a great selection of American breakfast classics such as pancakes, waffles and bagels. This was the last in a series of Breakfast Club meetings introduced at the beginning of 2016 as a new event on the Kent Region calendar. A total of five Breakfast Club meetings were scheduled during the year at venues spread throughout Kent, with the aim of ensuring that all Kent Region members had at least one Breakfast Club meeting close to home. The informal ‘just turn up’ format has proved very popular, with many members attending all five of the Breakfast Club meetings held this year. The first Breakfast Club meeting of the year was held in March at Novell’s restaurant at Polhill Garden Centre in Halstead, Kent. This large establishment, situated between Orpington and Sevenoaks, offers all the usual facilities of a garden centre as well as having a farm shop, a butcher’s and a fresh-fish shop, plus a number of other specialist shops in the shopping village. Following this the second Breakfast Club meeting took place in May at the Riverview American Diner in Bybrook Barn Garden Centre, Ashford. This vintage American diner, which was shipped to England in 2001, made an unusual venue. The beautiful weather on the day meant that we could enjoy our food outdoors, which made a nice change. The al fresco theme continued with Breakfast Club number three of the year, which was held in July at the Waterside Café at Hawkhurst Fish Farm. This quiet and tranquil venue, located on the Kent/Sussex border, is a beautiful fishery consisting of six lakes set in beautiful countryside. The Waterside Café overlooks the main lake, and within the landscaped grounds there are many picturesque features, planted gardens and waterfalls. Upon arrival we were greeted by the owner who made us feel very welcome and explained his plans for further enhancements. We then headed off to the Waterside Café where a large table had been reserved on the patio beside the lake. The fourth Breakfast Club meeting of the year was held in September at Quex Barn, Birchington, which is near the seaside town of Herne Bay and forms part of the Quex Estate, home of the Powell-Cotton Museum. The chefs cook with local produce and design the à la carte menu every day to suit the local ingredients available. There were three sizes of breakfast available: standard, large and mega! Over 30 members attended this one. It is also worth mentioning the farm shop with its fresh meat, fish and deli counters all well stocked and looking appetising. Following the phenomenal success of this year’s Kent Region Breakfast Club, venues are now being explored for a further series of similar events in 2017 which will visit areas in Kent not covered by this year’s meetings. PP
‘The informal ‘just turn up’ format has proved very popular, with many members attending all five of the Breakfast Club meetings’
43 porscheclubgb.com
Regions Regional Director’s report If everything has gone according to plan then you should receive this edition of Porsche Post around Christmas and so may I take this opportunity of wishing you all the very best over the festive season. If the delicacies of publishing deadlines mean we are running slightly late then Happy New Year! 2016 has been a momentous year for Porsche Club GB and the Board has been able to build upon key strategies which have proved to be extremely popular. Putting it simply, we have raised our game. Whilst the full details will be revealed to all at next year’s AGM, the bare statistics for 2016 are truly impressive as not only have we enjoyed unprecedented growth, membership retention rates are extremely encouraging and finances
Scotland South
completely sound. More importantly however, PCGB in 2016 was best and most neatly summed up by Vice Chairman Richard Watling at this year’s workers’ conference: “Porsche Club is a happy place right now”. Our “Striving for Excellence” programme proved very successful – our quest to find talented people to lead the Club forwards, in preparation for vacancies that will arise on the Board of Directors, due to the requirements of the Club’s constitution, over the next 16 months. I am quietly confident that some very strong candidates will be putting themselves forwards for election in due course. None of these achievements would have been possible without the hard work and dedication of our volunteers and team members. To all the Regional Organisers and Register Secretaries, thank you for your contributions. Thanks too to people like Peter Cook who looks after the Club’s archives and those other key volunteers, you know who
you are. To the Clubhouse team – Chris Seaward, Mandy, Chris Sweeting, George, Paul, Steve, Jess, Chris Tooley and Angi what can I say? Thank you so much for an amazing year, it has been a pleasure and a privilege to work alongside you. Finally, thanks are also due to the Club’s partners who have helped us in so many different ways – Porsche, Archant Dialogue, Pirelli, Lockton Insurance, Oracle Finance, Swissvax and Silverstone Auctions, all of whom will be with us in 2017. With the Club’s 2017 calendar of events kickstarting in January with the major Autosport show at the NEC, I hope that you get the maximum benefit from your membership – come to the stand, rest your feet and enjoy a coffee on us. Very best wishes to all our members. Rob Kellock Chairman & Regional Director chairman@porscheclubgb.com
Regions Index Your Regional reports at a glance
Regional Organiser Donald Hossack 07968 724441 – r1@porscheclubgb.com Assistant Regional Organiser Scott Laurie 07803 260417 A very warm welcome to the first PP of 2017. I hope you all have a fantastic and peaceful Christmas and both your pride and joy and you get all the lovely presents you requested from Santa. I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your nearest and dearest a very healthy and happy 2017. Many thanks for the support you have shown the Club and R1 in 2016. I look forward to meeting up with you in the New Year. There were one or two events in the month of November to get us out and about, but with the freezing conditions all too evident a lot of our cars have remained tucked up connected to the trickle charger. I’ve taken both mine out and round the block to get them up to temperature – something I do on a regular basis over the winter months. If we get a mild day, hopefully I can get out for a blast. RECENT EVENTS November 5 Officials’ Conference We met on the Friday night for a get-together dinner and this was a great success as it gave everyone a chance to get to know each other in a relaxed setting. The Saturday conference was very well attended and it was reported that the Club is in the best and
R1 Scotland South p45 R2 Scotland North p46 R3 North East p47 R4 Lincolnshire & Humberside p47 R5 North West p48 R6 North Wales p50 R7 Yorkshire p53 R8 East Midlands p55 R9 West Midlands p56 R10 Milton Keynes & Northamptonshire p58
R11 Essex p60 R12 Norfolk & Suffolk p62 R13 Herefordshire, Worcestershire & Shropshire p65 R14 South Wales p65 R15 South West p66 R16 Gloucestershire p69 R17 Southern p69 R18 Lancashire & Cumbria p69 R19 Thames Valley p70 R20 London p71
strongest position it has been for three years. The number and standard of events is high, merchandise sales are up, all Regions are seeing an increase in new members and the motor sport section is on course to make a profit this year. As reported from the conference in March 2016, exciting times for the Club. November 9-10 Panamera launch at PC Glasgow and PC Edinburgh As ever at this type of event, Porsche provided a fantastic evening of drinks, canapés, socialising and prize draws, as well as a spectacular introduction to the new Panamera. Most models were there in the ‘flesh’ and it is a very impressive looking car with, I’m told, ground-breaking technology. Bookings for test drives were taken on the night and I will be interested in hearing what the general feeling on the car is from those that have driven it. 45 porscheclubgb.com
R21 Chiltern p74 R23 Sussex p76 R24 Cambridgeshire & Bedfordshire p76 R25 Kent p77 R26 Dorset p78 R27 Ireland p80 R28G Guernsey p81 R28J Jersey p81 R29 Surrey p82 R30 Isle of Man p85 R31 Cotswold p85
Many thanks go to Katie at PC Glasgow and Gillian at PC Edinburgh for our invites.
The new Panamera
DIARY DATES FIRST TUESDAY OF MONTH West Coast Club night Sherbrooke Castle Hotel, Glasgow, G41 4PG. 8pm. LAST THURSDAY OF MONTH East Coast Club night Dakota Hotel, South Queensferry, EH30 9QZ. 7.30pm. JANUARY 2 New Year breakfast South Queensferry. JANUARY 15 New Year run and lunch FEBRUARY 18 Breakfast meet
Scotland North Regional Organiser Steve Rose 01224 868052 – r2@porscheclubgb.com Assistant Regional Organiser Gillian Gardiner 01382 778923
meeting with old friends at the Kintail Lodge Hotel where our Gain-an-Hour weekends were hosted in 2009 and 2012. We returned past the Five Sisters range of hills towards Invermoriston then turned off south and then east to Invergarry before following Loch Oich to Fort Augustus and on up the side of Loch Ness to Drumnadrochit. Here we cut off west again to Cannich and up Strathglass to reach Muir of Ord and so back to base. Dinner on Saturday night produced the usual range of fantastic (or fantastical) outfits. Derek ‘Tartan Pyjama Party’ and Ray ‘Sid Snot’ were awarded prizes for their interpretation of the night’s theme. Thanks go to Stuart Macpherson, our host, for judging the winners, and for a great weekend. Thanks also go to our members for the kind gifts they gave to Pauline and me as organisers. There are some more pictures from the event in the Region’s gallery section of the website. The Struie Hill viewpoint
Welcome to the January report from R2. Happy New Year and, if your magazine arrived in time, Happy Christmas!
Photo by Steve Rose
November 24 Queensferry Lifeboat Station visit On what was probably the coldest night of the year so far with heavy, frost-covered roads, 16 of us met at the lifeboat station where Maggie took us upstairs to the cosy lecture room. Maggie and Richie gave a very informative presentation on the history of the RNLI, the organisation’s emergency cover and its capabilities around the UK, as well as showing a video on launches and real life operations. This was followed by time spent crawling all over their lifeboat (a very impressive Atlantic 85) and its equipment. We all then went across to the Hawes Inn for some lovely sandwiches and tea and coffee courtesy of R1. The cold conditions didn’t deter Club member Alan Stamper who came along in his beautiful, brand spanking new Graphite Blue 991.2 Turbo S Cabriolet. What a stunning car this is! Alan can’t speak highly enough of its versatility and all-round performance. Congratulations Alan – I wonder how my 996 Turbo rattler would compare on the road. There is no doubt the RNLI, staffed by volunteers, carry out a critical role around the UK and NI coast and R1 have donated £50 towards funds. A great evening; many thanks go to all those who attended and especially the RNLI, Maggie and Richie.
RECENT EVENTS
R1 members get to grips with the Queensferry lifeboat
Alan’s stunning Turbo S at Queensferry
Regards Donald and Scott
Gain-an-Hour Weekend Back in October we held the 12th ‘Gain-an-Hour Weekend’. This year we were based at Coul House Hotel; a lovely country house hotel set in beautiful grounds with magnificent views in Contin, near Strathpeffer in the Highlands. The excellence of meals, service and fine hospitality we received made this truly a stand-out event. The Gain-an-Hour formula continues to work well, with suggested driving routes for the two days and everyone enjoying dinner together on the Saturday night. As usual, there was a theme for the dinner. This year it was ‘tartan and tweed’, to go with the ‘country house party’ vibe of Coul House. On the Friday our drive headed north, passing Struie Hill and the Cromarty and Dornoch Firths. We lunched at The Pier restaurant at Lairg and then continued on beyond Altnaharra before turning east through Strathnaver via Kinbrace to Helmsdale. Open and treeless for much of the way, the single track roads had good visibility for driving and for the spectacular views. We returned past a sunlit Cromarty Firth down the A9. Saturday’s drive took us southwest via Loch Carron towards Kyle of Lochalsh and a lunchtime
FORTHCOMING EVENTS January 15 Sunday run Important: As usual, there isn’t a meeting at the Lairhillock on the first Thursday in January – it’s too close to New Year. Instead there will be a ‘short drive, long lunch’. If you’ve missed my email about this, call me (Steve) now to book. Don’t forget to check the R2 events page on the website for up-to-the-minute news on coming events, including Sunday runs. Steve Rose and Gill Gardiner
DIARY DATES JANUARY 15 Short drive, long lunch JANUARY 19 Club night, Milton Inn, Monifieth 8pm FEBRUARY 2 Club night, Lairhillock 8pm
NEW CAR DETAILING, PROTECTION DETAILS, ENHANCEMENT AND CORRECTION DETAILS AND PAINT PROTECTION FILM Extensive range of premium car care products available in store and online
01786 447466 I info@ultimateshineautos.com Unit 7 Crest Business Centre, 2 Glen Tye Road, Broadleys Business Park, Stirling FK7 7LH
www.ultimateshineautos.com 46 porscheclubgb.com
North East Regional Organiser Greg Harm 07932 746152 r3@porscheclubgb.com November is always a bit of a strange month in any car club calendar. In most cases members are starting to wind down their participation in club events and their pride and joy has gone into hibernation, safely tucked away for the winter. Not so in R3. RECENT EVENTS DDB Detailing visit At the tail end of October we were invited to DDB Detailing in North Shields. Since our last visit DDB have expanded into new premises and David was keen to show us how they have moved on. After refreshments we were introduced to their additional staff members and shown some of their new equipment. David explained the best practices prior to tucking up our cars for the winter along with some of the current products they use to protect our daily drivers from the elements throughout the winter months. We all headed home with a goody bag following a demonstration on how to use the products they contained.
David Brown of DDB Detailing demonstrating some of his products
Club night By the time Club night rolled around the weather had, in just a few days, dramatically taken a turn for the worse and the first real cold snap was upon us. With a snow and ice warning in place I foolishly predicted a quiet evening. Deb and I arrived early and soon realised, as more and more drifted in with their coats and scarves fastened tight, we looked like having yet another busy meeting; hardy lot our R3, with some even bringing their Porsches.
Arriving in Harrogate, we parked (mostly together) with no issues, donned our hats and scarves and set off on our quest. Unfortunately, I think most of Yorkshire and the North East had decided it would be a great place to visit at the same time – boy was it busy! Too busy it seemed for some, who soon headed off to the Fat Badger pub nearby. Some of our members learnt that shouting to be heard over the heads of tightly packed strangers “I’ve had enough, Fat Badger” to a not so slim bloke who’s rapidly going grey was always going to attract some odd looks. The hardiest among us stuck with it and found some nice and varied items on the stalls before regrouping in the aforementioned pub. Unfortunately, the Fat Badger couldn’t fit us all in for food so we headed out of Harrogate to a lovely little country pub, The Nelson Inn, for a spot of late Sunday lunch. We were made to feel very welcome and allocated our own seating area near the bar – they must have heard R3 were coming and chose our seating plan carefully. The food was great and the service good considering we hadn’t booked; they couldn’t have been more helpful. Overall a very enjoyable typical R3 day out, great fun, fantastic camaraderie and eye-watering banter. PC Newcastle Club night Time stands still for no one and it certainly seems to pass quicker as you get older. Who would have believed it was over four years since our last Regional invite to PC Newcastle. Yes, some of us may have called in to use their services, some lucky enough to have collected their new vehicles, or perhaps even had an invite to a new model launch evening but as an exclusive PCGB evening, time had simply passed us by. Deb and I met with Dealer Principal, Scott Stevenson, a few months ago to discuss the possibility of reinstating a Club meeting at his Centre. He was happy to accommodate and a date was set. On the evening it was just like bumping into an old friend. As soon as we set foot through the doors it seemed like only yesterday that we last visited, with a lot of the same old friendly faces eager to welcome us back and give up their evening to play the perfect hosts. Around 70 Club members enjoyed their hospitality, which included a succulent hog roast. The evening started with a five-minute intro from myself before handing over to Scott to tell us all about the immediate plans to revamp the Newcastle Centre and
Harrogate festive trip Our festive trip to Harrogate Christmas market was initially planned as a coach trip, but as so few members signed up the bus was cancelled and 14 of us decided to take our daily drivers and car share, as we knew parking may be limited. The day started, as a lot of R3 runs do these days, with the first group meeting at Washington Services for a coffee stop. With only two Porsches in our party we were in full festive shopping mood. Not so much ‘three wise men’ as ‘five wise women and us blokes’ set off south in search of a travelling star – namely the three pointed one on Kenny Robinson’s Mercedes, which was planned to meet us at Scotch Corner. On arrival we met a car full of eager members all in fine form and enjoying a coffee not having to worry about parking or mulled wine restrictions.
about the soon to open new Centre on Teesside. He then gave a brief insight into augmented reality technology, which is predicted as a massive leap forward in how all new cars will be serviced and repaired in the future. Scott followed this up with an apology for not having us back earlier and talked us through their fixed price service scheme offers available to members before closing off with a brief chat about potential loyalty cards and a promise of more involvement with the Club in future. Hopefully this is the foundation of a stronger relationship between our Club and our local Centre. Once the presentations had finished we were given access all areas to allow us to take a peek behind their ultra-efficient scenes and admire some of the cars on display. Overall, a superb evening in a fantastic environment with a great informal atmosphere. I can’t thank Scott and his team enough for making this happen. Well done to all involved, and thanks to everyone who supported the event. 2017 calendar We’ll be setting out our calendar of events at our next meeting on January 11, so if you have any suggestions you’d like to include then please let me know. All that remains is to wish you all a merry Christmas, hope you find something Porsche-related under the Christmas tree. Looking forward to seeing you at an event in 2017. Greg Harm
Lincolnshire & Humberside Regional Organiser Rod Stormes 07887 690716 – r4@porscheclubgb.com Assistant Regional Organiser Richard Watkinson 01472 220185 Gavin Marshall 01472 826334 It should be just before Christmas when you receive this edition of PP; maybe you’ve saved it to read over the Christmas period for some respite from the Christmas TV and festivities. We will have had our R4
Scott Stevenson of PC Newcastle explains augmented reality
47 porscheclubgb.com
Christmas lunch and those who attended will have heard about our plans for 2017 – the calendar should now be on our web page. I am not sure if people still get diaries as Christmas presents but, if you have, write the dates into it now, or put them into your iPad, phone, laptop, or on the 2017 calendar you’ll be hanging up. On behalf of Sylvia and myself, I would like to wish you all a happy festive season and a fantastic 2017. RECENT EVENTS Vulcan visit Our Region has a long aviation heritage and, of course, we have the Red Arrows and ‘Just Jane’, the Lancaster, all based in it. We also have XH558, what was the last flying Vulcan, and organised a trip to visit Robin Hood Airport, the former RAF base still known locally as ‘Finningley’ and home to this iconic aircraft. Arriving at the allotted time we joined a growing queue of members in Porsches and other models waiting for the car park gate to open. Demand for spaces was high, with just under 50 attendees. It was great to meet some new members and those attending from outside our Region. The talk on the aircraft was fascinating and had great ambience as we sat next to it. We were then provided with an excellent buffet, which was consumed as we were allowed to wander (or should that be wonder!) freely around the plane and other artefacts. The Trust has also just acquired WK163, a historic Canberra, which attained the world record for aircraft altitude. Their intention is to return the Canberra to flying, and XH558 will also be doing taxi runs. You can read more on their web pages and how you can help keep these planes maintained. XH558 – the last flying Vulcan
obviously has a soft spot for 2CVs (he does point out they have a boxer engine!), and seems to have owned an example (or examples!) throughout his career. He has been involved with numerous makes, including Porsche, and there was a great photograph of his house with about eight Lotus cars parked on the drive and down the road, awaiting him to repair them for their owners – I wonder how many complaints there would be if all those cars were parked up like that today! After the talk Albert and Lynda joined us just down the road for a very nice Sunday lunch at the Farmers Restaurant and Bar in Welton Hill – a great way to round off the event. Albert and Lynda, thank you for a great talk! FORTHCOMING EVENTS Valentines lunch As you will have seen from our events web page we cannot return to The Pier at Cleethorpes as it has been sold. However, the event is still going ahead and we are currently finalising a new venue – keep checking the MailChimps and the events pages for details! DIARY DATES JANUARY 15 Bowling Lincoln Bowl. FEBRUARY 12 Valentines lunch Venue TBC.
“The sale of discontinued ‘Porsche Selection’ items was a great opportunity to secure some early Christmas gifts at hugely discounted prices and was a complete sell-out. “The evening concluded with a series of awards, beginning with the ‘favourite Porsche’ chosen by members who attended the Oulton Park Gold Cup over August Bank Holiday weekend. Robin Longdon’s 1973 2.7 RS was overall favourite with Philip Beechcroft’s 356 coming second and Steve King’s 993 RS taking third prize. Both RSs were on display in the showroom but, unfortunately, Philip could not attend. “In the raffle, the Champagne went to third prize winner Richard Wright with a signed copy of Fitz’s book going to Fiona Bryan for second. To make the first prize a little more special this year the winner, Arran Maclean, will be chauffeurdriven for the Silverstone day out in a new Panamera to ensure arriving fresh for the half-day ultimate driving experience. “Oliver Beddoe proved his knowledge of Porsche by winning the quiz and bagging the Porsche holdall. “Many thanks go to Jason and his staff for supporting R5 with such a wonderful Club night. Thanks also for his generosity in donating the amazing prizes.
North West Committee Contact Allan Crosby 01744 894500 – r5@porscheclubgb.com Robin Longdon’s 2.7 RS
RECENT EVENTS
My Life with cars talk Albert Walsh, the Club’s Register Director, kindly agreed to give a talk to members about his life and involvement with cars. When agreeing the date Albert had forgotten he was at a dinner in Gloucestershire the night before, but nevertheless, having had an early start, he arrived bang on time. The varied and entertaining talk was well attended and well received. It brought back many memories of cars through the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s for me. Albert
November 2 Club night at PC Wilmslow Phil Graham reports: “In the 11 years of PC Wilmslow hosting our annual Club night this was our best attended evening, with 192 members signed in and possibly quite a few more besides. “Dealer Principal, Jason Shenton, introduced the proceedings before former English racing driver, John Fitzpatrick, gave a talk promoting his autobiography; ‘Fitz – My Life at the Wheel’ and signed copies of the book. Robin Longdon added to the evening by bringing along a half scale model of the ‘Moby Dick’ Porsche 935 Le Mans car which featured prominently in John’s racing career. “The Great North Pie Co. provided a tasty hot treat for our upper crust members with an artisan pie ‘n’ mash supper – just the job for a cold November night.
Exploring the Vulcan
48 porscheclubgb.com
Steve King’s 993 RS
Fiona Bryan with Chairman Rob Kellock and Register Director Albert Walsh
Arran Maclean with the ‘Cheeky Girls’ Chloe and Samantha
There is no deposit necessary but a credit card is required to guarantee your room. Details for booking the trackday will be announced later in the year. Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year from the R5 Committee Chris Clark
DIARY DATES
“Salford University students, Sophie Davis, Elliot Davies and Lewis Campbell-Thompson documented the evening and produced a very professional video, which is available to view on the R5 news section of the PCGB website. “There is also a gallery of images of the evening on the website.” November 11 Porsche Club Trackday at Oulton Park The Club’s final trackday of the year took place at R5’s local circuit, Oulton Park. The event was fully subscribed, and entrants enjoyed a fine day exploring the handling of their cars on track. Several R5 members participated, including Phil Graham, his son Seb and 928 Register Secretary David Hemmings. Others just came along to watch and chat in the paddock and café. FORTHCOMING EVENTS February 19 Portmeirion The hotel is pleased to be welcoming us back for yet another visit. Similar to previous years, we will meet at the Bison Café on the A5 near Corwen for coffee and a chat before driving the last leg of the journey to the hotel. Sunday night’s dinner, bed and breakfast tariffs will be the same as last year. Hotel rooms, village rooms or rooms in Castell cost £169 per room for double occupancy, including, as always, a £30pp allowance towards the evening meal. Single occupancy is £154 with the same meal allowance. A three-course Sunday lunch including tea and coffee costing £24.95pp will be in the main dining room overlooking the estuary. Bookings to either Phil or Nette Graham by email at: r5porsche.pg@gmail.com or by phone on: 01625 524596 / 07941 109613 / 07941 109638. May 19-21 Weekend in Wales The venue will be the four star St George’s Hotel in the Victorian seaside resort of Llandudno, which is under an hour away from Saturday’s Anglesey trackday and as close as you can be for the Sunday’s Porsches on the Prom. Twenty rooms have been reserved for Friday and Saturday night for an attractive three-course dinner, bed and breakfast package. The cost is £370 for two people or £260 for single occupancy. Upgrades, dependent on availability are possible – see website for details. Dinner for both nights is in the Conway Suite and details for non-residential members to join us will be sent out nearer the event. For those who can make an early start on Friday, the lunch meet at Corwen will be followed by a 72-mile drive through Snowdonia National Park including a circuit of the ‘Evo Triangle’. Please call Freephone on 0808 168 6030 or the switchboard on 01492 877544 to make your reservation quoting 10489717 for the Porsche Club.
JANUARY Club night **Please note: there is no Club night at the Deanwater on the second Wednesday in January** JANUARY 14 New Year dinner at the Deanwater Smart attire is requested. Full details (plus menu) have been circulated via the Regional e-Newsletter. Michael Williams is coordinating the bookings (msw2742@gmail.com). FEBRUARY 8 Club night at the Deanwater Proposed Ninemeister visit – details TBC. FEBRUARY 19 Portmeirion See details left. MARCH 10 RS trackday at Oulton Park
North Wales Regional Organisers Sue Taylor 01928 735357 (01766 890844 Weekends) r6@porscheclubgb.com
Another great turn out included: Dave and Chris; Paul and Jan; Malc and Gill; Mike and Kate; Tony and Angela; Graham and Alison; Nigel and Chris; David and Christine; Gwyn and Diana; Nick and Gill; Al and Debbie; Tudor and Ann; Laurie and Sue2; Gwyn and Rachael; Barry and Julie; Ian and Julia; Dylan and Dawn; and Kevin and Sue3. A few non-Porsches came out to play, but at least they were all German. Al organised a brilliant drive for us. Starting with a cup of tea and bacon butty at Tweedmill in St Asaph, a good number of cars set off via Ruthin, Druids, Bala and then a pit stop at Lyn Celyn to meet up with more of the group. Gwyn and Rachel, in their VW camper van, made an excellent back marker and were easy to keep in the mirror. Al gave us a brief history of the reservoir. It was built in the 1960s by flooding the village of Capel Celyn and the adjacent farmland to supply water to Liverpool and the Wirral. Understandably, there was much opposition from local people and the opening ceremony lasted less than three minutes – protestors, whose chants drowned out the speeches, had cut the microphone wires. In October 2005, Liverpool City Council issued a public apology. Despite all this, the scenery is stunning. After a few photos and a chat, we were off again through Trawsfynydd and Porthmadog before arriving at Caernarfon. Al had warned us that parking could be a problem as hundreds of people were expected at the final day of the poppies. However, we arrived in convoy to be escorted into an area reserved for us by the Harbour Master. Members
Welcome We extend a very warm welcome to Mark Rowland, Pete Marsh, Sam and Clare who all came to our November meeting. Also, welcome to Paul Murphy, Jan Jones, Gwyn and Rachel Jones, Ian and Julia Horsman, who all took part in our Caernarfon drive. Apologies if I’ve missed anyone! We look forward to seeing you again at future meetings and events. RECENT EVENTS
My other car’s a Porsche group
November quiz As ever, the quiz brought out a competitive streak. With 104 questions to think about, the excellent beef and barley stew produced by the chef at The Plough, gave us the sustenance needed to get to the end. It was interesting to see slightly lower scores this year – not sure if that was anything to do with a ban on mobile phones. Probably just a coincidence (?). Final scores were very close but the top team this year was Tony, Jules, Sam and Clare. Well done guys! The other teams will be snapping at your heels next year. Poppies at Caernarfon Gill had the idea that we should visit the poppy cascade at Caernarfon. Al Hughes was in charge of the route. R6 Porsches at Bala
50 porscheclubgb.com
Weeping poppies
who went straight to Caernarfon to meet us said they could hear us all coming long before they saw us. The poppies were amazing and well worth seeing. We saw just the cascade so the full display must have looked incredible at the Tower of London. Once we’d explored the castle and various exhibits, we headed over for a leisurely lunch booked at The Black Boy Inn, the oldest inn in Wales or, possibly, the whole world. A brisk drive, stunning scenery, an amazing, emotional sculpture and great food! What more do we need? Thank you to Gill for the idea and Al for organising the route and lunch. 993 restoration – almost the end From a parts list covering four sides of A4, only one part went on to back order. The sill cover was finally tracked down in Japan. It has now arrived and is with Ninemeister waiting to be fitted. At the same time, I’ve decided to get the front of the car wrapped. Rob suggested that the tracking is not 100% so that will also be sorted. Then, that is definitely that – I hope! DIARY DATES Please see website for more info about the events we have planned. **Please note: from January our meeting nights change to the third Thursday of the month** JANUARY 14 Post-Christmas dinner and catch up Local hotel in Betws-y-Coed. JANUARY 19 Meeting at The Plough Guest speaker – Robin Darlington. FEBRUARY 16 Meeting at The Plough FEBRUARY 26 Electric Mountain, Llanberis MARCH 16 Visit to Ninemeister in Thelwall/ Warrington
be found just up the A62 from the Porsche Centre and just off J27 of the M62, post code LS27 7LY. We aim to kick the night off around 8pm. Club website We’re making a greater use of the Club’s website, so if you haven’t visited it yet, pay our Region’s section a visit. Alongside the events for the year you will also find our picture gallery and other useful resources, such as routes from our runs. If you are planning a visit to the best driving roads in the country, then check out, not only our ideas for great routes, but pubs, restaurants and hotels that are amenable or suitable for groups of Porsches. 2016 review The year was extremely busy with a fantastic number of new and existing members coming along to their first events, which included the New Year dinner, Whitby fish and chips, six Sunday Services, Chatsworth, Yorkshire Porsche Festival, Le Mans Classic, Silverstone Classic, a BBQ, Witton Castle picnic, R4 meet up, the Bradford to Morecambe run, Register Rendezvous, WOTY, Big Breakfasts, and monthly Club nights! I don’t think we could have squeezed much more in if we tried, and for 2017 we will be trying. The year kicked off with our annual New Year celebration at the end of January. This keeps us going
until we kick off our driving calendar in March with the increasingly popular Whitby fish and chip run – great fish and chips and great cars to kick-start the year. In May we kicked off our Sunday Services. Each month we pitched up at a great location in the Region and cooked bacon butties. This was hugely popular with at least 45 members at each event. June saw us visiting our R8 neighbours for their Chatsworth Porsche Pageant, which grows each year. This led into a crazy July where we had our own Yorkshire Porsche Festival, with Strasse and Specialist Cars of Malton, before we travelled to Le Mans for the Classic. We returned home for a Sunday Service and some of us even managed to squeeze in the Silverstone Classic. The holiday month became a little calmer, as we only had our annual pub meet up with R4 and a Sunday Service to keep us going. For September we went just a little mad again, with the Bradford to Morecambe run (including afternoon tea), Register Rendezvous near Derby, a Sunday Service and the R7 WOTY. What an incredible month, with some amazing driving too. We finally ran out of steam in October and only managed to fit in a Sunday Service alongside the autumn Yorkshire Big Breakfast at Specialist Cars. After such a busy year, we would like to thank everyone who was involved in organising and helping
Yorkshire Great Sundays
Regional Organisers Mark and Carol Jessop 07981 412895 – r7@porscheclubgb.com Carol and I would like to wish all the Yorkshire members a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year. We hope you have enjoyed 2016 us much as us, it has been an amazing year with so many new members joining in our activities. Club nights Our Club nights are held on the first Wednesday of the month at the Woodlands Hotel, Leeds, which can
Great Porsches
53 porscheclubgb.com
sight. I think they were all European cars gathered for a 60th birthday reunion – I would have liked to return home with any one of them. Owing to their rarity, Ricky Ceasar’s 924 GTS on the 924 stand and the 968 Turbo RS (loads of money) for sale with Gmund were high on my Porsche favourites. I will be interested to see what Mike’s favourites are.
Great driving
Porsche 968 Turbo RS
East Midlands Regional Organiser Tom Fisher 07768 317346 – r8@porscheclubgb.com RECENT EVENTS Club night at The Coopers Arms We welcomed David Bird for his first visit with us – we hope to see you again. Great friends
out at events and Club nights, and providing photographs for PP. We also have to say a massive thank you to our local dealers and suppliers; Gmund Cars, PC Leeds, RPM, Specialist Cars of Malton and Strasse for hosting and supporting our events during the year. Just in case anyone ever doubted the value for money that your membership provides, then this little snapshot of the last year will show you just what you get. So, if you haven’t come and joined in, then do so in 2017. There is a world of fun just waiting out there. DIARY DATES We are now hard at work on 2017 events; we should have the list pretty much complete by the end of January. JANUARY 4 Club night Kicking off 2017, our first Club night of the year.
Classic car show at the NEC The Club stand was magnificent as usual, with shop and café complimented by a huge neighbouring display of front-engine cars organised by Porsche GB. Together with displays from the 924 Club and Gmund Cars, we nearly suffered from Porsche overload in our hall. It certainly attracted a huge amount of interest and many new members were signed up. The fabulous coffee, expertly served up by our very own Laura Wardle, and somewhere to sit down was very welcome on the stand – Laura did sterling work on all three days. It was great to see so many of our local members enjoying themselves. I am sure there will be a comprehensive article elsewhere in the magazine. I usually pick out my personal favourite car of the show but nothing jumped out this year. Nevertheless, I did spend time enjoying an Austin Atlantic barn find. Imported from America, its sunburnt rust-free patina was terrific. It was for sale at around £6,000 but fitted with an incorrect V8 engine. Also, considering how rare they are, the six Triumph Italias were quite a
The 924 S… …that I recently purchased has been going well, however it was suffering from a smell of exhaust fumes with the window open. A stainless rear box had recently been fitted but it retained the original front section, which is where I suspected the leak emanated from. Happily, with a replacement in situ it is now much healthier to drive along with the window open. I found the headlights to be only barely adequate so have invested in an HID Xenon kit from the NEC (£35 all in). Installation was a bit fiddly because it has its own complicated loom wired directly from the battery but, once fitted, is a fantastic improvement claiming three times the power of the original H4s. The original system stays intact so it would only be a small job to reinstate. Season’s greetings to you all Tom Mike mumblings The events season is slowing down, but the NEC Classic is one of my favourites. We had a superb stand and, combined with the locations of the other
The Porsche Village
DETAILING
˚ WINDOW TINTING ˚ VINYL WRAPPING PAINT PROTECTION FILMS ˚ WALK IN DETAILING SHOP ˚ SWISSVAX APPROVED DETAILER ˚
Unit 3(1b) Acorn Way, Oak Tree Business Park, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire
01623 623866
www.pwpro.co.uk 55 porscheclubgb.com
Keep up with us daily on Facebook
Porsche stands, really had a proper ‘Porsche Village’, which proved extremely successful.
lovely little early Bugatti in maroon and the great coffee. Thanks to all who provided this, especially our own Laura Wardle, for whom Friday turned into a long weekend! My car passed its MOT, but I did have to put the front anti-roll bar back on the right way up, having changed its bushes recently… Now looking forward to the December meeting and dinner, one of the few ‘car events’ I can persuade my wife to attend!
Meeting the wheeler dealers
Mike
DIARY DATES JANUARY 2 Club night at The Coopers Arms FEBRUARY 6 Quiz night at The Coopers Arms MARCH 6 Club night at The Coopers Arms Donation to, and presentation from, the County Air Ambulance.
work in to make it a success. A big thank you to Chris Sweeting who took Kim and myself to meet Mike Brewer and Ed China backstage on their stand. Dave
West Midlands
Barrie Powell’s 944 Turbo under the NEC lights
Barrie Powell’s 944 Turbo at Coventry Motorfest earlier in the year
Barrie’s 1991 944 Turbo looked great on the stand and still gets out and about, including trackdays. With relatively minor, but modern, upgrades and tuning it produces well over 300bhp now, embarrassing much more modern machinery. For me, as a frontrunner fan, the 986 Turbo RS, one of only four built, was the star of the show, and the tag Tom mentioned – £495,000! Other highlights were the wonderful display of newly restored frontrunners on the Porsche Classic stand, a
Regional Organiser Kim and Mandy Sutch 07811 114646 – r9@porscheclubgb.com David Jones 01455 220081 – 07836 374295 Davejones996@hotmail.co.uk NEC Classic Car Show This year I was asked to display my 996 Turbo on the Club stand at the Classic Car Show. I felt this was a great tribute to my car and the hard work I have put in to make it worthy of being on display. My Thursday morning journey to the NEC was dry and the road free from salt and grit, meaning my car was still fairly clean when I arrived. Upon arrival I set to with the final preparations to make the car ready for the display. When all cars were cleaned and ready we manoeuvred them into position on the stand. This took several attempts before we were satisfied they were being displayed to their best. The three days of the show were as busy as previous years, with many visitors commenting on the high standard of all the cars on display. We had a record number of new members signing up and look forward to seeing them at future events. After a most successful and enjoyable show, the time arrived when we had to dismantle the stand and head for home. I would like to give a big thank you to all of the staff and members who put all the hard
56 porscheclubgb.com
New Targa 964 Carrera 2 During October Club night, I was having a chat with Warren, one of our members, and he was saying that the car to buy, if you were in the market, would be a 928 S4. I could see what he was on about – the 928 is a great car. Paul Seagrave had bought one not long back and loves it. Mandy is always surfing the internet for cars – sometimes Jess and I go out and leave her to it. When I told her about my chat with Warren she got quite excited and made it her mission to find good quality 928s in our budget. After a week or so, and when we both had a free weekend, we set off to look at three 928 S4s. The first two were not in the best condition and both needed a fair bit of work and, as we headed to Worcester to look at the third and final car, I suggested we have a look at an air-cooled car as people are always bleating on about how they are the only Porsche to have, blah blah blah. The final 928, although described as a ‘minter’, in fact turned out to be a big let-down and I may have upset the owner when I offered him quite a lot less than what he was after. It’s still for sale now. Whilst I was driving to Worcester Mandy logged on to the ‘interweb’ and found a few 964s; in particular, a nice looking Guards Red Carrera 2 Targa, which I like better than the coupé or convertible. She gave the chap a ring to ask if we could go and have a look, yes no problem, and so we made our way to Hook in Hampshire. Now, I’ve always thought that if we ever bought an air-cooled car it would have to have wide rear arches
and a big whale tail hanging out the back, but when I first saw the Targa I was impressed with its looks and stance and was keen to take it for a drive. When driving the 928s Mandy had not come with me as she wasn’t keen on them, but on this test drive she managed to squeeze herself in the back – things were looking good. The driving position was a bit weird at first with its offset pedals but I soon got used to that and started to enjoy it, a lot. We did look at a coupé but it was decided the Targa was the car for us so, on Tuesday, November 15 at 6.30am, Mandy and I boarded a train from Rugby down to Hook to collect our new addition to the family. It turned out that November 15 was also our Club night so, after a stop off at Zuffenhaus for Paul and Mike to give it the once over, we made our way to The Bear at Berkswell for our usual meal with fellow members. Choosing the 964 meant that our budget was pushed up and, as we didn’t have all the funds to hand, we got in touch with PCGB’s partners, Oracle Finance, to see if they could lend us the extra money needed. After an initial contact, I was put in touch with Oliver Clarkson and he talked me through everything that would happen. After a couple of days Oliver rang to say they could lend us the money required for the purchase – great news! If any of you were thinking of borrowing money to make a purchase, we would highly recommend Oracle Finance – friendly, fast and very helpful. Since taking ownership of the 964 I now understand the fuss that is made of these wonderful air-cooled cars. We love it, and are so happy to be in the air-cooled family. Looking forward to next year. Oh yeah Mandy is now banned from looking at cars for sale. November Club night As I mentioned, Club night was the same day as we bought the new car and, although the day started out bright and sunny, it poured down halfway home. So, by the time we made it to The Bear, the car was pretty dirty and, with this, we thought we might not get a lot of members turn up. Again I was wrong. Another great attendance! More new members, along with our usual suspects, enjoyed a good night with Mandy only having to prompt Dave a couple of times during his speech. Thanks to all who braved the weather – we were so pleased to see you all.
Have a great Christmas and we look forward to seeing you all in 2017. Happy motoring Dave, Kim and Mandy JROs
Porsches on our stand provided plenty of interest and we were fortunate to be in close proximity to Porsche Cars GB and the 924 Owners’ Club as well. All good comments reflect the hard work from the Clubhouse team and volunteers alike – the Club is in a good place. FORTHCOMING EVENTS
Milton Keynes & Northamptonshire Regional Organiser Paul Ebbs 01234 363358 (7pm–9pm) 07769 805594 (daytime) – r10@porscheclubgb.com Now is the time to look forward to the many events available to visit in the New Year. I recently attended the Club Officials’ Conference at Cornbury House and it gives me great pleasure to report that PCGB is in a very positive position for all members and we will enjoy greatly enhanced Club support for many more primary events in this upcoming year. We have a packed provisional calendar for 2017, with no less than two National Events being planned. In the meantime, my kindest regards and thanks for the many regular members’ continuing support, especially all new members this year. Enjoy your break over the festive period. Try and get out and about in your Porsche whenever you can!
Just dreaming...
NEC Classic Car Show A great time was had by all, with an astounding 147 new members signed up during the event. Positive feedback continued from the many existing members who joined us on the stand for coffee and a chat about, amongst many other topical subjects, our shared passion for Porsche. Some outstanding
Start the year as you mean to go on... As seasoned R10 members will already know, many of us start next year on Sunday, January 1, with a visit to Stony Stratford Classic. If you can drag yourself out for this New Year gathering, it’s well worth it for any true petrol-head, then the weekend afterwards (Sunday, January 8), we always have a good showing at the Bicester Heritage site for their ‘Sunday Scramble’ – another goody. If these two events are a bit early in the year for you, then be very sure to inform me if you’d like to attend the joint visit to Dove House Motors (Northampton), for their Open Day on Saturday, January 21. It’s a joint visit with R24 and the 996 and Boxster Registers. Please see more information on this in the November issue of PP or contact me via the R10 address. A newer event at the Excel – The London Classic Car Show (February 23-26) – will again be well supported in 2017 by a special PCGB presence. This sets the stage for many more Club events throughout the country, which will enjoy this high standard of presentation and will place our Club at the forefront for many enthusiastic car driver/owners, whether Porsche or otherwise. Two National Events next year! We have two National Events in the plan for 2017 – Silverstone Classic (July 28-30) and Ragley Hall (September 23). Hopefully this will cater for two distinct camps within the Club – those who like to be part of a very special classic motorsport event and those who may prefer to show their cars off in a more relaxed setting such as this country house environment. For Silverstone Classic (silverstoneclassic.com), the booking is already open and (as far as I know at this stage) the codes for Club discount are 17003SCC for pre-2000 year Porsches and 17002SCC for post2000 year Porsches. Please enquire at Club Office if you need further information and detail on this. As an aside, to those who attended a ‘less than perfect’ Ragley Hall some years ago (when the entrance was akin to a huge traffic jam and some people just turned away), I can say that Chris Seaward has assured us that the 2017 event at the Hall will show none of these problems. It will be organised properly – so come along and have fun! If you need any further information and direction to a specific list of national planned Club events for 2017, I would advise contacting Club Office for details. As always, I would welcome any members’ suggestions or, in particular, offers of assistance in planning any interesting further R10 events for the New Year and this includes a plan for another ‘Show and Shine’ as well as some more different venues to enjoy together. Hope to see you all soon – enjoy your Porsche! Paul DIARY DATES JANUARY 1 Stony Stratford Classic JANUARY 8 ‘Sunday Scramble’ at Bicester Heritage JANUARY 21 Visit to Dove House Motor Company FEBRUARY 23-26 London Classic Car Show at Excel
Mandy and Kim’s new Targa
58 porscheclubgb.com
Essex Regional Organiser Martyn Molyneaux 01245 222937 (7pm-9pm) r11@porscheclubgb.com Assistant Regional Organiser Greg Thompson 01376 573445 – r11gregt@googlemail.com RECENT EVENTS Club night and Peter Bickers For our last meeting of the year at Rivenhall Oaks, we were delighted to have an illustrated talk by PCGB member, Peter Bickers, on what is considered by many to be our most iconic aircraft, the Supermarine Spitfire. Peter started the talk with an outline of the Spitfire designer Reginald Joseph Mitchell who was well known in the 1920s for his Schneider Trophy racing seaplanes. Following this success Mitchell turned to designing a fast monoplane fighter and added the iconic elliptical wing design that we all recognise as the Spitfire. Peter went on to talk about the various marks of Spitfire, of how there was a constant running battle between the performance of Luftwaffe and RAF warplanes. As one side gained an advantage, the other would strive to match or surpass it. For instance, in 1942, the RAF was flying the very successful Spitfire Mk V. However, the Luftwaffe introduced the Focke Wulf 190 which was faster and could out-climb the Spitfire. RAF losses rose and Supermarine quickly lengthened the fuselage to accommodate an upgraded Merlin engine with a two-stage supercharger. This became Spitfire Mk IX. Not only did it counter the FW 190, it caused the Luftwaffe pilots to become very cautious when attacking Spitfires, as they could not easily tell if a Spitfire was a Mk V or a new Mk IX. Innovations and upgrades to the Spitfire continued as the war in the air changed. With the introduction of the massive 37-litre Griffon engine into the Spitfire Mk XII in 1943, the RAF continued to dominate the skies. In all some 22,000 Spitfires were produced, the only allied aircraft to remain in production throughout the war. Spitfires served all allied air forces during the war and fought in the Europe, North African and Pacific Campaigns. Also Spitfires served on the Eastern Front, where over 1,300 Spitfires were flown by the Russian Air Force. By the end of the war, the latest Spitfire Mk 24 was deadlier, more powerful and nearly twice the
weight of the Spitfire Mk I that fought in the Battle of Britain. Peter finished his talk by showing us a video of a flight he took earlier this year in a two-seater version of a Spitfire Mk IX, Peter flew from Biggin Hill towards the south coast and was able to show us the amazing spectacle of flying along the white cliffs toward Beachy Head. During the outward journey, the pilot handed over the controls and permitted Peter to fly the Spitfire. On the return journey, the pilot gave Peter the thrill of a lifetime by doing a ‘victory roll’ just before landing at Biggin Hill. A superb talk, very well illustrated and the 50 or more audience members gave Peter a resounding round of applause. If you would like to experience a Spitfire flight, then visit flyaspitfire.co.uk (see also, p54 of December PP).
Continental GT3 race car. This proved to be an excellent evening with just the right balance between the technical and entertaining. “The Bentley Continental is not an obvious race car but, despite starting with a standard bodyshell taken straight off the normal production line, they have managed to turn a 2,280kg, road-going grand tourer into a race-winning, rear-wheel drive, sub-1,300kg race car. “The car was ready for its first race season in 2014 with the first win coming in the Blancpain Endurance Series at Silverstone in May 2014. This success continued throughout 2015 and 2016, with the car achieving 25 wins, 56 podiums and three championships during 2016. “If the lecture whetted your appetite and you have deep pockets, then you can become a gentleman racer for just £368,000 for the base car!” Panamera Launch In November, members accepted an invitation from PC Colchester for the launch of the new Panamera. The new car has improved looks and performance. The Turbo was especially eye-catching and its performance of 0-62mph in 3.6 seconds, a top speed of 190mph and combined fuel consumption of just over 30mpg looks currently unbeatable in the large saloon car category. Priced from £113,000, the car also looks good value when compared with the opposition. The event was superbly organised with excellent canapés and plentiful drinks. Thanks go to Dan Jones and all the staff. Dealer Principal Dan Jones introducing the new Panamera
Martyn thanking Peter for his talk
Two-seater Spitfire flown by Peter Bickers. Copyright Glyn Baker and licensed for reuse
Bentley Continental talk I thank Chris Binnie for the following report: “We were invited to attend the IMechE lecture at Dunton on the development of the Bentley
60 porscheclubgb.com
R12 at The Ufford Hotel
Panamera Turbo
On behalf of Martyn, Marie, Greg and Kay we wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year with lots of Porsche motoring. DIARY DATES DECEMBER 30 A drive finishing at the Fox and Goose Wyses Road, Chelmsford, CM1 3SN (just off the A414 outside Writtle). If you wish to take part, please contact Greg at: r11gregt@googlemail.com JANUARY 10 Club night We will be discussing the events that you would like us to put on in 2017 and your ideas and offers of assistance will be most welcome. We look forward to seeing you to help us mould the direction in which we in R11 are heading. FEBRUARY 14 Club night FEBRUARY 23-26 London Classic Car Show MARCH 14 Club night APRIL 11 Club night APRIL 22 Oicials’ Conference and AGM
Norfolk & Suffolk Regional Organisers Tony and Colleen Wickins 01379 676251 – r12@porscheclubgb.com We hope everyone had a good Christmas and we wish you all a very happy New Year. After attending the Officials’ Conference at Cornbury House early November, we can look forward with confidence to another great year as members of PCGB. The Club is in a very good place financially with an ever-increasing membership. Two National Events will take place in 2017 with a return to Silverstone in July and a second event at Ragley Hall near Stratford-upon-Avon in September. As we begin another year as ROs it does become more difficult to come up with ideas for Club nights and interesting places to visit as a group. Thankfully, our committee meetings help us to channel our thoughts into keeping the Club active and we hope that in 2017 there will be something for everyone to enjoy and participate in. As you can see to follow several ideas are in the pipeline and, in the New Year, we will begin to finalise dates. We also hope to organise a gliding day at Tibenham Airfield and revisit John and Sue for their famous fish banquet. Can we fit everything in? We will do our very best!
RECENT EVENTS November 5 Oicials’ Conference at Cornbury House Once again, we made the journey to the beautiful Cotswolds for an overnight stay at Ettington Chase Hotel before attending the Officials’ Conference on Saturday. As always, we enjoy meeting up with other ROs and RSs and hearing their views and ideas on running their Regions and Registers. As mentioned above, PCGB is a very successful Club with membership at 16,400 and increasing 20% year on year with an 88% retention rate and many exciting events planned for the coming year. November 15 Club night A packed room saw Tony’s presentation of R12’s German tour which took place in September. Tony spent several hours burning the midnight oil to make the presentation as interesting as possible, including loads of pictures as well as the memorabilia we brought back. We hope everyone enjoyed the evening. We were also very pleased to welcome new members Ian and Nicola and yet another Ian and Kelvin. November 26 Christmas party at The Uford Hotel Twenty-four of us had booked in for the first Christmas party of the season and made our way to Melton, near Woodbridge for a Hollywood themed evening. This was our first time at this venue and we were impressed by the quality of the food and the service. Unfortunately, the disco was aimed at (dare we say) a younger audience than many of us and, after suffering the noise for a while, the majority of us took our bottles of wine and decamped to the lounge bar where we were able to chat without having to scream at each other and enjoy the remainder of the evening. A warm welcome to Mike and Ann who were attending their first PCGB event and we were also pleased to see members Tracy, Chris, Andrew, Heidi, Tom and Sue for their first Christmas party with us. Despite the disco we hope everyone had a good time. Several of us had booked to stay the night while
R12 – the usual suspects
62 porscheclubgb.com
others who lived locally made their way home at the end of the evening. As we had the party in Suffolk this year, we will endeavour to look for a venue in Norfolk for 2017 – any ideas folks? FORTHCOMING EVENTS February 26 POTM The Orwell Hotel, Hamilton Road, Felixstowe, IP11 7DZ. theorwellhotel.co.uk Come and join us at this Victorian hotel for Sunday lunch. Book with Colleen and Tony at the email address: tony.twservices@btinternet.com. Please note that bookings will close on Tuesday, February 21. June 15 WOTY at The Metropole Hotel in Llandrindod Wells A reminder that rooms are still available for this event. See previous PP for prices and do let us know once you have booked so we can track the numbers. Telephone the hotel direct on 01597 823 700 and quote ‘Mrs Wickins, PCGB’. Club nights Club nights are from 7.30pm at The Bird in Hand, Wreningham (NR16 1BJ) on the third Tuesday of the month (except for January and August when there are no Club nights). No booking is necessary for Club nights unless specifically stated below. Our events calendar is regularly updated on the R12 Club Forum at porscheclubgbforum.com with links to full details of each event, including how to book. If you wish to receive our monthly email update, please email: tony.twservices@btinternet.com requesting this. DIARY DATES JANUARY 29 POTM The Ram, Tivetshall St Mary, Norfolk. Contact Yvonne and Alan to register your interest at: yvonneporscheclub@yahoo.com FEBRUARY 21 Club night Guest speaker TBC. FEBRUARY 26 POTM at The Orwell Hotel MARCH 21 Club night with quiz MARCH Possible return visit to Historika Date TBC. APRIL Day out on the Poppy Line from Holt to Sheringham Date TBC. APRIL 18 Club night Meal with Easter-themed raffle.
Herefordshire, Worcestershire & Shropshire Regional Organiser Steve Cutler 01384 370038 – r13@porscheclubgb.com Assistant Regional Organiser Philip Sloper 01562 885740 – philipjsloper@gmail.com RECENT EVENTS November 29 Regional meeting A good turnout of members at November’s meeting to discuss our plans for 2017 following our earlier members’ survey. As always, everyone’s input and participation is most helpful and greatly helps us organise speakers and events that R13 members will enjoy. Our provisional 2017 programme up to, and including April, is shown to the right and any dates beyond April will be added to the main Club calendar. FORTHCOMING EVENTS January 31 Monthly meeting and skittles evening We will hold another of our annual skittles evenings at the Bell Inn, Martley Road, Lower Broadheath, WR2 6QG. Evening includes a two-course meal, for about £10pp. Sit down to eat at 7.30pm, followed by skittles. We have to confirm numbers and menu choices (the menu will be available early January) in advance, so please let Steve or Phil know as soon as possible if you intend to come. bellinnbroadheath.co.uk February 9 Visit to Aston Martin factory A reminder that we have a visit to the production facility at Gaydon, which is near Junctions 11-13 on the M40. More details can be found in October’s PP but, briefly, the cost is £40 and we are limited to 30 people over two tours at 10am and 2pm. At the moment all the places are gone but we do have a reserve list, so please contact Steve or Philip if you would like to be in reserve should some people drop out. astonmartin.com/en/confirmation/visiting-gaydon
DIARY DATES
A photo shoot at Ogmore on Sea
JANUARY 31 Club skittles night FEBRUARY 9 Two tours of the Aston Martin production facility at Gaydon FEBRUARY 28 Club night Presentation from Protyre, a local specialist voted Tyre Retailer of the Year 2016. MARCH 11 A Saturday tour of Chase Distillery MARCH 28 Club night Including a speaker from a local specialist about car alarms and trackers. APRIL 2 The Bromyard Speed Festival See bromyardspeedfestival.co.uk APRIL 25 Club night We plan to visit a local specialist. Details TBC. APRIL 30 Provisional date for our popular annual Secret Hills Tour Details to follow.
South Wales Regional Organiser Huw Jones 07799 532661 – r14@porscheclubgb.com November drive and lunch On a crisp, sunny Sunday November morning 16 members took part in our autumn drive through the Rhondda valleys and the Vale of Glamorgan. Some of the members were brave enough to have the roof down on their cars. The drive was followed by a lovely Sunday lunch at the Copthorne Hotel at Culverhouse Cross. This event was arranged by Paul and Jacqui Jones, for which I thank them. I know they did several ‘recces’ before the drive. Admiring the scenery on Rhigos Road
Location, location, location The first of these Regional events is to be held at the Speech House Hotel, Coleford in the Forest of Dean (GL16 7EL) on January 29. This has been provisionally booked and the lunch menu will be sent out at the beginning of the year. The second of the social events is to be held on May 7 around the Newton and Welshpool area. If you live in this part of the world please do suggest a suitable location. The third meeting is to be held on July 30 in the Carmarthen, Pembroke and Fishguard area. Again, if you know this area please do let me know of an appropriate venue. Finally, the fourth event will be held on October 15 at Paul Howells’ Royal Lodge Hotel in Symonds Yat East. This has been provisionally booked. For those of you not familiar with Paul, as well as being an hotelier, he is a PCGB member, the current Porsche Club Hillclimb Champion and the 993 RS Register Secretary. 2017 Region weekend Just a reminder about our WOTY at the Metropole Llandrindod Wells on June 23-25 as we have a few rooms left to fill. Twenty rooms have been reserved for the Friday and Saturday night. Package includes accommodation, breakfast and evening meals and members can book directly by telephoning the hotel and placing a £40 non-refundable deposit (see December PP for pricing details). On Sunday a nearby modernised country house, Abbey-Cwm-Hir, has been booked for 11am for a two and a half hour tour of the 52 rooms. As a group, the price has been reduced to £14pp. This will be followed by a lunch at the village before going home.
March 11 Visit to Chase Distillery A tour of Chase Distillery near Hereford. Arrive at 12 noon for a visit lasting about two hours with tea, coffee and biscuits being provided. The cost is £25pp and this includes a tour of the distillery, a tasting session of their award-winning products, a 5cl bottle of their potato vodka and £10 off when you spend over £20 in the distillery shop. Chase produces a range of gins, vodkas and liqueurs, including Williams GB gin which has won gold awards in international competitions. They need full payment in advance, so please contact Steve or Phil to book your place and for payment details. Chase Distillery, Chase Farm, Rosemaund Drive, Preston Wynne, HR1 3PG. For more information about the distillery, please visit chasedistillery.co.uk Regional events and calendar Unless otherwise stated, Club nights are on the last Tuesday in the month, 7.30 for an 8pm start, at The Manor House of Whittington, on the A449 near Kinver, DY7 6NY. themanorhouseofwhittington.com As well as being shown in PP, our events calendar is regularly updated on the R13 section of the Club Forum.
Plans for 2017 We held our planning meeting on November 22 at Ty Risha Inn, Bridgend, who had kindly set a room aside for us. Eighteen members attended and various suggestions for events and activities were made for next year. Due to the size of the Region and the distance involved, instead of having a social get together evening every two months on a week night, it was decided that we would have a Sunday luncheon/ social get together in a different geographical location. The areas chosen will hopefully cover all our members and make attending easier.
DIARY DATES
Enjoying the luncheon at Copthorne Hotel, Culverhouse Cross
65 porscheclubgb.com
JANUARY 29 Sunday lunch and social At Speech Hotel at Forest of Dean. MARCH 7 Quiz night at Ty Risha Inn Jackie Thomas to arrange details. MARCH 19 Pembrey trackday Brian Jones to confirm date at the beginning of the year. APRIL 9 Sunday drive and lunch in West Wales
South West Joint Regional Organisers Keith Young and Alan Stoneham 07769 320379 (Keith) 07803 237610 (Alan) r15@porscheclubgb.com New Year May we extend a very happy and prosperous New Year to our friends in R15. We look forward to seeing you out with your Porsches at meetings and Club nights in 2017. Please be sure to visit the website to see the updated R15 calendar and synchronise your diaries. Catch up with events and book those popular dates early to avoid disappointment. Our Spring Drive, for example, gets a huge following, and it’s worth booking a place now to join us in the first real run of the season.
roving ‘lens-man’ Wayne Blackhall and Steve Shabytah from the commercial team. The outward route took the group west on a scenic drive including the Horse and Groom, Bittaford, Ivybridge for the planned car and driver swaps. Each couple was able to sample all of the five Porsches so that the nominated pilots could evaluate the cars. Further into the country, towards Bodmin and another ‘swap-stop’ and refreshment at the delightful Lanivet Inn, which is, apparently, the geographic centre of Cornwall. Then on to the coast at Watergate Bay and Jamie Oliver’s ‘15’ restaurant for a memorable lunch where the relaxed drivers enjoyed each other’s company so much that a re-run of the whole event, albeit in their own cars, is being planned for the future. A fab day was had by all concerned. Thank you to everyone involved for bidding for their places and to the very generous hospitality of PC Exeter.
R15 Member of the Year 2016 Congratulations go to Roger Cole, selected by the committee as Member of the Year 2016. Roger organised and hosted the excellent Spring Drive and memorable BBQ on his grounds near Rock, Cornwall and has actively represented and rallied the Region in all matters Cornish, including the Wadebridge Wheels Show and the VAG show at the Royal Cornwall Showground. Thanks to Roger and his team of pros for their contribution to the Club’s westernmost Regional events. Five go mad in Cornwall The five distinguished couples who successfully bid for the PC Exeter ‘ride and dine’ day met early on a cold but dry November 17 at PC Exeter for a breakfast briefing with their host, Dealer Principal Kevin Turner, who introduced them to their range of five new Porsche vehicles. He calmed them down, assiduously advised them against exceeding speed limits and (probably) proposed the correct etiquette to use when encountering errant Jaguar XJs, Audi A8s, S-Class Mercedes and small Bentleys while piloting a new, large autobahnstormer. Don and Jude Hands, Sid and Sue Ingleton, Nick and Carole Hartley, Jeff and Hilary Lee and Phil and Linda Carter, duly fortified with bacon butties and refreshed by lashings of fresh coffee, made their way to their chosen rides for the day; a 718S Boxster, a 911 C4S, a Cayenne, a Macan and a brand new Panamera Diesel S. Wow, what a start! The Porsche Centre team bade them farewell as they set off under the guidance of service guru and
Quiz success We had a big win at the Truro and District MC event in November, when Toby Bryant, David Lloyd and this author, informally representing R15, pulled off the Paul Munroe Trophy against 19 other teams of car buffs. The event raised nearly £600 for Macmillan Cancer Support.
Proud winners of the Paul Munroe Trophy; (L-R) Toby Bryant, David Lloyd and Keith Young
The group assembles
Monthly meetings Last meeting, we had an excellent talk from Steve Paver, paintwork specialist, who presented a compelling case for using Dr.Color Chip method of DIY stone chip repair. This month’s meeting will take place on the Sunday morning at the Lord Haldon Hotel, Dunchideock, where you can meet friends, discuss Christmas, swap unwanted gifts and enjoy lunch in the Garden Room. We will have an address from Children’s Hospice Southwest and listen to Sally Norden our contact at the Hospice, Little Bridge House, on the wonderful work they do there. WOTY 2017 The Region WOTY for 2017 is now full with a waiting list. Thank you for your support.
The fleet of five
Lunch at Watergate Bay
Keith and Alan
DIARY DATES JANUARY 8 Club Sunday lunch meeting Lord Haldon Hotel 12noon. FEBRUARY 12 Club meeting Pre-Valentine’s lunch. Lord Haldon Hotel.
The only independent purely Porsche specialist in Devon. Purpose built Porsche dedicated workshop with Porsche trained technicians for all your Porsche needs. T: 01404 549921 M: 07762 244477/07770 933054 E: scsporsche@btconnect.com www.scsporsche.co.uk 66 porscheclubgb.com
Gloucestershire Regional Organiser Elaine Gammon 07854 868396 Stuart Ings 07942 184927 – r16@porscheclubgb.com Happy New Year to you. Region events in 2017 We never know how the year is going to pan out but we do know there is a bumper line-up of events planned, not only in our Region, but also Club events. At the time of writing the Club’s list is provisional and we still have to sort out some dates for ours. Just to whet your appetite on our provisional list we have some drives (including the Mendips, Salisbury, Tintern and two Cotswold drives). We have a couple of visits to Stefan’s popular distillery, with a BBQ and another visit to Williams Automobiles (by popular demand). There is also our weekend away in Snowdonia around March 26 and our main event for the year is the trip to the Dijon Prenois in June. Still to be confirmed for September 1-2 is the Club’s possible visit to Prescott or Castle Combe for the Classic and we will be supporting the same event. It is going to be a busy year and we will get the full list out as soon as possible so keep an eye out on the Forum and the PCGB website. On top of that, we have our monthly meets at the Huntsman Inn and possibly the static displays at Castle Combe. As ever, we look forward to meeting you at some events this year. Elaine and Stuart
Southern Regional Organiser Charlie McLaughlin 02380 694081 M: 07966 126464 r17@porscheclubgb.com Hopefully, by the time you get to read this, you will be relaxed after a few days at home, with or without the children, and are now looking forward to the year ahead and getting some more use out of your car.
RECENT EVENTS Gunwharf Casino We had our casino evening on November 19, and 20 of us made good use of the Gunwharf Casino, enjoying a drink, good food and a £5 betting voucher, all for £15. At the end of the night, somebody even made about £25 from their free £5 bet, so they nearly had a completely free night out. Once again, Kath Fisher showed her prowess at the roulette table, she even had her own ‘banker’ in the form of Jacqui Scaysbrook, who enjoyed stacking up the ‘chips’. Thank you to Peter Blackler for organising the event. FORTHCOMING EVENTS New Year plans Region 17’s committee have met and we have a varied programme of events provisionally planned for 2017. I hope you will find them attractive and make the organisers day by coming along for some more fun with your car. Dinner dance now full Our dinner dance is now fully subscribed, so apologies if you missed the event – next year, remember to book earlier to ensure your participation. WOTY The only thing left to mention is next year’s overseas WOTY which is now finalised and can be advertised and deposits taken. We are going to Belgium, Holland and Germany over five days and four nights. Leaving via Eurotunnel on Friday, April 28 we will go to Leuven in Belgium, where we will stay for two days and nights enjoying the local delights, including visits to local chocolate shops and the Stella Artois brewery. We depart on Sunday for a brief visit to the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps where I have arranged a two-lap, leisurely drive around this famous F1 circuit, after which we will then make our way to Venlo in Holland for our two-day stopover. On the Monday, we will have an early start to drive to Dinslaken for a German ‘Porsche meeting’, where over 2,000 Porsches are expected and we have privileged parking in the infield. That only leaves the return journey on Tuesday where, time permitting, we may visit the ‘Lion’s Mound’ Waterloo battlefield memorial on our return to the Eurotunnel. So, a packed long weekend, all underwritten by Scenic Car Tours for a bargain price of £425pp (based
on two sharing). Telephone 01732 879153 to reserve your place. Happy New Year Charlie McLaughlin DIARY DATES JANUARY 10 Club night Empress of Blandings starting at 7pm. JANUARY 14 Dinner dance Elvetham Hotel.
Lancashire & Cumbria Regional Organiser David Baker 01772 451970 – r18@porscheclubgb.com Happy New Year New Year greetings to you all. I hope you are having a good Christmas and will be refreshed for a busy 2017 in PCGB. By the time you read this edition of PP the winners of the R18 photographic competition will have been announced. At the November meeting Sean Conboy, who had the extremely difficult job of picking the 12 winning photographs, gave a critique of the top 25 images as well as leaving a rolling slideshow of all 145 entries running while we had sandwiches. There may be some spare calendars available from me at £9 each. Member of the Year Congratulations to Martin Mackay, 2016 Member of the Year, who was presented with his award at the excellent Christmas lunch at Armathwaite Hall, Bassenthwaite. Martin has been a great supporter of R18 events over many years, travelling down from his home in Gretna. He has been a very active
Martin Mackay receiving his 2016 Member of the Year Award
INDEPENDENT GARAGE SERVICES With the acquisition of the latest Porsche diagnostic equipment, we can offer menu servicing to factory specifications. Whether you own the latest 911 Turbo, Boxster or Cayenne we offer a real alternative to main dealers.
Tel: 02380 629606 Fax: 02380 629329 www.independentgarageservices.co.uk Unit 5 Stanstead Road, Boyatt Wood Industrial Estate, Eastleigh, Southampton SO50 4RZ
69 porscheclubgb.com
Concours entrant, often bringing along two cars and was 2016 PCGB National Concours ‘10 Years Plus’ class winner with his 964 Jubilee. Martin is also a great help to ARO Mike Trotter when he is organising lunches and joint meetings with other Regions. Thanks also to Mike Trotter for organising yet another successful lunch, with members from Lancashire travelling up to join Cumbria members. Thank you also to Les Morton for putting the quiz together (Google was no use this time as mobile and WiFi signals in the area are very weak). 2016 review Normally in this edition I review the events we attended during the year. Many of us have attended the monthly breakfast Preston SuperCar Meets at the Phantom Winger. At November’s meeting we had a good turnout of Porsches as usual, but it must have been too cold for the McLaren, Ferrari and Lamborghini contingent. Other breakfast meetings have been held at Mitton Hall, near Whalley and The Cornerhouse at Wrightington. A fairly new event, Cars and Coffee, was another breakfast meeting on Columbia Quay, Liverpool, where as many as 600 cars attend each month. We have visited Myerscough College Motorsports where we saw how the students learn motorsport engineering and how they prepare race and rally cars. Students from this course have been successful in getting jobs with McLaren and Red Bull, as well as at M-Sport in Cumbria who prepare Ford’s rally cars for world championships. Other visits have been to David Hayton Cars, Bolton and Wilmslow Porsche Centres, as well as Jasmine Porschalink’s Open Night where over 100 Porsches attended and enjoyed a tour of the facilities and a hot buffet. This was a free event and the raffle proceeds were for an east Lancashire hospice. PC Kendal hosted the Regional Concours and provided prizes as well as hospitality. We attended several car shows including Mawdesley, Gawsworth Hall, The Elite Car Show at Kendal, Cleveleys, Stanley Park, and Fairhaven organised by Blackpool Vehicle Preservation Group, Grasmere, Cumbria Car Show, Carlisle, and Miller Park, Preston. In addition, several members attended the Register Rendezvous at Kedleston Hall, Derby. We have had drives and lunches organised by Mike Plank and David Nightingale, which were well attended, and we have joined other Regions at their events, including Lotherton Hall, Yorkshire, Witton Castle in the north east, Oulton Park Gold Cup with R5, Porsches on the Prom with R6, as well as meeting up with R3 at Sally’s Café, Warwick Bridge. As mentioned, Martin Mackay won a trophy at the National Event Concours with Mike Trotter also picking up a class prize. I know Mike and Tim Roelech are already busy preparing their Boxsters for the 2017 National Event at Ragley Hall.
Brace of 964s at the Phantom Winger
Gullwing Tesla with 964 at the Phantom Winger
welcome. I will be organising the usual new member night in spring and I hope many of you will come along and meet existing R18 members. Welcome to new members Sajid and Sophie Omer, Gary Cole, William Armstrong, John Young and Andrew and Alison Howarth. We all look forward to meeting you at some of our events. David, Judy and the R18 organising team DIARY DATES
Six-seat gullwing Tesla from Holland at the Phantom Winger
May 14 Cumbria International Classic Car Show, Kendal This will be our major show, replacing the old Woodvale Rally. Mike Trotter and his team have been working on planning our presence at the event and we hope to accommodate 90-100 Porsches with entries from adjacent Regions, including the North East and Yorkshire Regions and Scotland South. North West and North Wales Regions have also been invited. Porsches in the Trough Our main event was again Porsches in the Trough, ably organised once more by Sue and Mac McLeod. This was the seventh year they have organised this event that, as you know, is free to enter and attracts members from throughout the UK. All we ask of entrants is a donation to Rosemere Cancer Foundation based in Preston where several of our members have received cancer treatment. This year we raised £5,000 for this charity. Rosemere are also able to claim back an additional 25% through Gift Aid. As Sue and Mac have now resigned as AROs they also decided to step down from organising the 2017 Porkers event, as well as the 2016 Christmas lunch. This lunch is being organised by Judy and a full report will be in February’s PP. Judy and I have also taken over the organisation for Porkers VIII. The date is confirmed as Sunday, July 9 and the halfway halt will be at Lytham Hall, with about 30% of the route already planned. Our main sponsor, 9-Apart, has again agreed to sponsor the rally plaques and we have also secured sponsorship from Jet Petrol, Beech’s Fine Chocolates and Gorilla Glue. I am also targeting other sponsors of products for the ‘goody bags’. We look forward to this event in 2017 and being able to support our local charity, Rosemere Cancer Foundation, and trust you will all support it by entering or helping out on the day, as you have done in the past. New members I am delighted that we have had 88 new members join R18. I hope you have been able to attend some of our events where I know you will have been made 70 porscheclubgb.com
JANUARY 1 Classic car breakfast meeting The Cornerhouse, Wrightington 10.30am–2pm. An excellent lunch is also available. JANUARY **No meeting in Cumbria this month** JANUARY 22 Preston SuperCar breakfast meeting 9.30am-12.30pm. FEBRUARY 7 Social meeting Castle Inn. FEBRUARY 19 Preston SuperCar breakfast meeting FEBRUARY 19 Visit to Portmeirion with R5 See R5’s report in PP to book. Several R18 members will again be attending this excellent event. MARCH 7 Social meeting Dirty Harry’s on the A6 near Carlisle. MARCH 26 Visit to Lord Leverhulme Museum and Port Sunlight Including lunch in the village.
Thames Valley Regional Organiser John Barnatt 01628 471985 – 07890 181495 r19@porscheclubgb.com The Region has benefitted from a number of associations with PC Reading recently, so it is only fair that, every now and then, the Region devotes some of its column inches to the benefit of the Centre, and this is one of those times. If you were at PC Reading on November 9 you would have seen five members of R19 and myself enjoying Porsche hospitality at the launch of the new Panamera. This is a beautiful and accomplished car, make no mistake. It is a well-appointed four-door, four-seat hatchback with performance to match. The three models on display at Reading were the Panamera 4S, a 2.9-litre V6 twin turbo, powerful and torquey enough at 440bhp and 550Nm of torque. A 4-litre 4S diesel V8 was also on display (422/850) and, if you really felt the need for speed, the flagship 4-litre V8 turbo of 550bhp and 770Nm of torque. Porsche themselves are keen to emphasise the crankshaft-twisting 770Nm of torque and, with 550bhp on tap, the turbo-charged V8 in this refined autobahn stormer will, if you so desire, lap the Nordschleife a full two seconds faster than a 997 GT3. That is quick! In an incredible feat of engineering, Porsche have been able to design the engine in such a way that enables the twin turbochargers to be retained within the ‘V’, thus improving thermal efficiency and keeping the exhaust tract to the turbo chargers as short as possible; pushing fluid around a 90° bend is the equivalent of moving the same fluid along an extra foot of pipe of the same diameter so, the fewer the bends, the better it is. All three engines are mated to eight-speed PDK gearboxes and have independent
aluminium double wishbone suspension at the front and independent, multi-link rear suspension with chassis sub-frame. Steering is electro mechanical power assisted with six-pot, aluminium monobloc fixed calipers at the front and four pot calipers at the rear. Standard wheels on the Panamera 4S and 4S diesel are 9J x 19 at the front and 10.5 J x 19 at the rear, shod with 265/45 x 19 tyres front and 295/40 at the rear. The different profile height is not unusual. My 996 has a lower profile tyre on the rear. As you might expect, the Panamera Turbo has 9.5 J x 20 wheels on the front and 11.5 J at the rear wearing tyres of 275/40 (F) and 315/35 x 20 at the rear. Considering the size and weight of the cars the fuel consumption is reasonable – the combined consumption figures respectively are 34.9, 41.5 and 30.1mpg for the 4S, Diesel 4S and Turbo. There are other Panamera models in the range, namely the rear wheel drive, 330bhp 3-litre V6 Panamera, the similarly powered all-wheel drive Panamera 4 and the Panamera 4 electric hybrid of 462bhp which, given that the 3-litre V6 produces 330 ‘gee gees’, seems to suggest that the electric component gives 132 more and 15-31 miles on a full charge depending on how it is driven. With the exception of the two-wheel drive Panamera and the V6 diesel there is an executive version of the other respective models too and, with prices ranging from £66,300 to £122,480, you should be able to find a model to suit your needs and budget. I’ll be kind and say that the styling of the outgoing model was an acquired taste but I believe that even the most vituperous member of the Top Gear team would find the external styling of the new model more than satisfactory. The lines flow as one panel
feature blends almost seamlessly with the next. At the back you may notice something unusual. The rear spoiler has a join in it and you could be forgiven for thinking that Porsche could have engineered it better than that but, once the Panamera reaches a certain speed, all becomes clear when the rear spoiler raises, and extends sideways making it higher and wider. It’s a clever little touch. Unfortunately, I am not able to bring you all a report on driving impressions of the new Panamera yet. The launch of any new model is an incredibly busy time for Porsche and demand from the press and the buying public places high demand on the availability of any model. A provisional plan by PC Reading to get me behind the wheel fell through at the last minute but I am hopeful of an opportunity, perhaps, when demand for test drives has diminished from a torrent to a steady flow. Of course, it does give me a chance to be more detailed in a future report, instead of trying to cram it into this report using the remaining 200 words. Instead, I am going to give over the balance of my word count to dealing with something of a thorny issue regarding the privacy of email addresses.
The new Panamera has created a lot of interest
Driver’s view of the new Panamera
Emailing When I assumed the role of RO and replaced Fabien Latailleur, I made the mistake of sending out newsletters (200 at a time) to some 900 members. In my innocence and inexperience I put all the extra names in the CC box. The upshot was that roughly 199 members got to see previously unrevealed addresses, and several recipients complained. Since then, my ‘right-hand man’ and I have vigorously avoided making the same mistake. Let me make it very clear that I am intransigent on this position. Until confirmed otherwise by participating members all bulk mails will use the BCC box. This is for your privacy as much as theirs. They may be the unscrupulous person we are trying to circumnavigate; don’t forget, if you get the address of this hypothetical person, this hypothetical person also gets your email address. R19 meetings First Sunday of the month, from midday at The Novello (SL6 3RX). That’s all for now. PCGB, you know it makes sense John Barnatt
London Regional Organisers Nick and Ed Pike 01189 473925 – r20@porscheclubgb.com Twitter: @PCGB_London
Panamera launch at PC Reading
71 porscheclubgb.com
Ace Cafe Boxing Day meet If you are reading this as you enjoy your Christmas lunch and are looking for an excuse to get out and
drive, then join us at Ace Cafe for our Boxing Day meet. We can guarantee good company at this casual and welcoming meet with Porsches as far as the eye can see. A perfect antidote to Christmas excess. Bring your Porsche from 6pm onwards. Review of the year 2016 What a year 2016 has been. Close to 50 Regional events have taken place. Smithfield ‘meat’ (third Saturday of the month) has established itself as our London home, while Ace Cafe (last Monday of the month), our iconic West London meet, has grown and grown. Each meet attracts a wide range of cars from classics to moderns, modified to pristine and, most fun of all, your first Porsche. This year, we have welcomed a Carrera GT at Ace Cafe, a 918 with Weissach package, a split-screen early 356 and a recently restored 2.7 RS at our Smithfield ‘meat’ along with some gorgeous transaxles and Chris’ immaculate white 991 GT3 RS. Our drives remain popular with over 100 different member cars enjoying great roads and excellent company. The road of the year was the B1039 from Barley to Wendens Ambo, perfect for our Porsches. Our favourite lunch stop was the Fish Shack on Dungeness beach on a perfect summer Sunday afternoon. We hosted our first track evening at Brands Hatch, which quickly sold out and will be back on the schedule in 2017. Our longer breaks took us to the New Forest for fantastic driving across the open moors and to Honfleur for roads that hugged the clifftops. The Le Mans 24-hour and Classic were as popular as ever. Our social media goes from strength to strength. In 2016, we added over 1,000 new Facebook followers, who enjoy seeing our events and content, and an Instagram page. We published 550 photographs in 44 event galleries on the Club website. Our Twitter feed and Instagram page have been regularly re-tweeted, liked and commented on by the Porsche LMP1 team, Porsche AG, Porsche Retail Group and PCGB. And, best of all: smiles. Lots and lots of smiles, laughter and happy faces. The heart of our Club is the members. You are what make our Region what it is; a welcoming and friendly place to spend time with other enthusiasts, enjoying your Porsche ownership. A consistent theme with new members is how welcome they feel. Thank you. Coming up in 2017 If you like what you have seen or done this year, there is more in 2017. The full calendar is on our Regional website page. Some highlights: an ‘Ice Breaker’ in early January; two weekends away to Zeeland in the spring (‘Clogs and Curves’) and, in the autumn, a return to the Isle of Wight, (‘Treasure Island’). We will lead a big group to the Le Mans 24-hour to watch the title defence. If you have never been, make 2017 your year.The big treat is a ‘Great Escape’ to the best alpine roads in Switzerland and Austria. Provisional dates are August 24-September 3. Look out for your R20 newsletter and a link to the online brochure with more details including a day-by-day schedule, answers to your questions and pictures from our last visit. Interested in what you see and would like to take part? To sign up for a drive, first check when booking opens and, second, send an email to us at: r20@porscheclubgb.com We take reservations on a first-come-first-served basis. Our events are popular and we run a reserve list. We have been known to put on a second run if there is enough demand. Our gallery page on the Club website gives a great sense of what our events are like. If that wasn’t enough, ad-hoc events and drives are organised casually at our meets. In 2016, a group headed to Scotland for the North Coast 500 and to Lincolnshire.
Autumn colours
RECENT EVENTS R20 Sunday Escape – ‘Ups and Downs’ A long overdue return to one of our favourite playgrounds, the South Downs; it has been two years since we last drove the sweeping countryside. Leaving our start point for the drive south it was sports exhausts on for the Hindhead tunnel, the roars reverberating throughout the arches. A great way to wake everyone up! Soon, we could be found on our favourite B roads. The undulations and sweeping bends of the Downs are a great joy and test for your Porsche. The autumn colours were in full flow and we drove through golden tunnels of trees, kicking up leaves as we went. A short stop high on the Downs gave us a break and a chance to stretch our legs. Past Goodwood racecourse with views out to sea as we exited the woodlands we searched for the roads less travelled and found them. Quaint villages, wineries and a brewery distracted us as the sunlight filtered through the trees giving a dramatic Game of Thrones feel. The Swan Inn at Chiddingfold welcomed us warmly for a hearty Sunday lunch before heading home. We enjoyed it so much we did it again two weeks later. Note to self; don’t leave it so long before we return.
Ups and downs
Smithfield ‘meat’ An eclectic selection at Smithfield in November from an immaculate red 968 to a recently restored 2.7 RS Touring. The bays quickly filled and the weather was kind; crisp but dry, the conversations turned to next year’s events as we enjoyed the procession of Porsches that stopped by. It was dark as we left, which gave a chance to see the Christmas lights on the way home. If you plan on visiting Smithfield ‘meat’, we are on the north side from 2pm onwards.
2.7 RS at Smithfield
Ace Cafe Even a crisp freezing night was not enough to deter you from turning up to our November Ace Cafe meet. With a steady flow of arrivals, we were excited to see a GT3 RS 4.0 in black, a statement car and one that
Ace Cafe
GT tail at Ace Cafe
73 porscheclubgb.com
would have had pride of place on most evenings. However, this was not a usual night and 20 minutes later a Carrera GT pulled up and took its place, exhaust growling away, then the outer line of 964 ‘outlaws’ were joined by an RWB RSR in Metallic Orange and three 968s, much to the delight of our regular transaxle crew. You can never tell what will turn up at Ace Cafe. Join us on Boxing Day to see what all the noise is about. FORTHCOMING EVENTS February 23-26 – R20 ‘On Tour’ at the London Classic Car Show A great way to spend a blustery February weekend surrounded by beautiful classics. If last year is anything to go by, Porsches are very well represented. March 5 R20 Sunday Escape ‘North by Northwest’ We will be heading to Oxford and beyond to find the roads less travelled. Likely to be a slightly longer drive but one which will delight. Sign up from January 9. April 8-9 R20 Spring Break ‘Clogs and Curves’ A return to the delights of Zeeland in western Holland. Islands, bridges, and some amazing driving. Register your interest now. August 24-September 3 The Great Escape in Switzerland and Austria The best of the passes and some superb driving. A real treat. Watch out for the online brochure for more details and to register your interest. Enjoy the festive season and we will see you in 2017. Ed and Nick DIARY DATES DECEMBER 26 Ace Cafe Boxing Day meet The regular monthly Porsche-only meet at Ace Cafe on the North Circular Road, Stonebridge, London, NW10 7UD, from 6pm. (Last Monday of the month). JANUARY 8 Sunday Escape ‘Ice Breaker’ JANUARY 21 East London Smithfield ‘meat’ North side of Smithfield Market (Charterhouse Street, EC1M 6HL), from 2pm onwards (third Saturday of each month). JANUARY 30 Ace Cafe London meet
Watford Rd, St Albans, AL2 3DS and includes a three-course dinner, wine, disco and festive novelties all for only £29pp. If you would like to come or have any questions please phone the organiser, Jo Walker, on 01296 688760 or 077917 32133. Special accommodation rates are available if you wish to stay overnight, please book rooms direct with The Noke Hotel (01727 854252) and quote ‘PCGB’ or ‘PORS070117’ when booking. R21 WOTY 2017 Rooms are now fully booked for members wishing to stay all three nights but there are a few rooms left for the Friday and Saturday evening. If you would like to join us please book direct with the Metropole Hotel. Prices and further details can be found in November PP. In brief, we will be staying in Llandrindod Wells for the weekend of May 5-7, meeting for drinks and dinner on the Friday and driving in the area on Saturday, including visiting the Elan Valley. On Sunday we plan to visit the Vale of Rheidol Railway running from Devils Bridge to Aberystwyth. Contact the Metropole reservations department direct on 01597 823700 and quote ‘PCGB WOTY May 5-7’. I would also appreciate it if you would drop me an email at: r21@porscheclubgb.com to let me know that you have booked. PC Hatfield Along with a few other R21 members, Kathy and I attended the Panamera launch at PC Hatfield in November. It was, as these launches always are, a glitzy affair with copious quantities of champagne and other drinks on offer along with some interesting canapés. We arrived reasonably early to be able to get a look at the cars before they were surrounded by hordes of people and I must admit the new model is a very impressive looking car. I was never quite certain about the shape of the original Panamera but this new model has addressed those concerns. The interior is particularly striking; the touchscreen in the centre of the dash is huge and incorporates numerous features. However, given all the recent focus on texting whilst driving and the driver’s attention being taken away from the road, you do wonder if a large screen with lots of functionality also constitutes a similar risk to the driver’s focus on the road. Tucked away in the corner of the showroom was a very attractive 1974 Kremer 935 which was originally owned by Mickie Most of RAK Records.
The Panamera on show at PC Hatfield
Some of you may not be aware that Mike Murphy is no longer the Centre Principal at PC Hatfield. Mike has supported the last couple of our Concours events and was our guest at the 2016 R21 dinner. He left the business earlier this year and his replacement commenced at the beginning of December. We will be seeking a meeting with the new Principal in January to explore how best the Club and the Centre can work together for mutual benefit. 2017 events Plans for the New Year include a trip to the Prodrive operation in Banbury, Sunday lunch runs, a visit to the Brooklands Museum and more breakfast meets at Denham Airfield. Details and dates will be published in future editions of PP and the website. In addition, we would like to hear from you with any ideas that you may have for trips and events for the Region. Please drop an email to me at: r21@porscheclubgb.com or give me a call for a chat with any thoughts that you have. Your Region needs you! We have a small committee that organises the Region’s events and we are looking for another member or two to join the group. It’s not too onerous, we meet every couple of months and organisational responsibilities are shared so that no one person has to take on too much. If you are interested please give me a call, drop me an email or talk to me at a Club night. Terry Perry DIARY DATES JANUARY 3 Club night at The Black Horse JANUARY 7 R21 New Year dinner at The Noke, St Albans
Chiltern Regional Organiser Terry Perry 07748 555333 r21@porscheclubgb.com January Club night The Club night on Tuesday, January 3 will be a social evening at our normal venue ‒ The Black Horse, The Vale, Chesham from 7pm onwards. This is normally the Club night with the lowest attendance because of its close proximity to Christmas and New Year celebrations but don’t let that put you off – join us for a chat and a drink and maybe a bite to eat. January 7 R21 New Year dinner There is still just time to join us for the annual R21 dinner if you have not already purchased your tickets. The dinner is at the Mercure St Albans Noke Hotel,
Stunning ex-Mickie Most Kremer 935
74 porscheclubgb.com
upgraded suspension and brakes. Power output for this lightweight car is around 200bhp. John intends to make the most of his new purchase and already has plans to meet up with other 924 owners at the weekends – I’m sure we will also see him at quite a few Club events throughout the coming year!
Sussex Regional Organisers Chris and Martin Woolger 07720 849982 or 07802 409272 chris@woolgers.co.uk or martin@woolgers.co.uk
A ‘new’ 924 Carrera GTS After returning from three years living and working in New Zealand, R23 member John Warren treated himself to an unusual Porsche, a 924 Carrera GTS replica. After collecting the car from Cotswold Porsche Specialists in Gloucestershire it was only a short drive to visit PCGB Clubhouse in Moreton-inMarsh where the proud owner and his new purchase were photographed. The car is beautifully put together, apparently regardless of cost. The recreation started as a 924 Turbo donor car to which a range of modifications were added including a chargecooler kit fitted to the stock turbo engine, 924 Carrera GT bodywork, fibreglass doors, Carrera GTS front lights, roll cage and
JANUARY 3 Monthly meeting The Bolney Stage (RH17 5RL) from 7pm. FEBRUARY 7 Monthly meeting The Bolney Stage from 7pm. MARCH 7 Monthly meeting The Bolney Stage from 7pm.
Cambridgeshire & Bedfordshire
RECENT EVENTS Shoreham Airport Our last Sunday Breakfast meeting of 2016 was at the iconic Shoreham Airport terminal building. The turnout for this was terrific with 44 members attending despite the weather. Unfortunately, this was the morning after Storm Angus had swept across the south of the UK during the early hours – sorry, there are no photos as it was simply too damp and windy.
DIARY DATES
Regional Organiser John Dunn 01954 789764 – r24@porscheclubgb.com A stunning recreation
A thank you We would like to thank all the members that have supported us in this, our first year as ROs. So far during our tenure, the numbers are getting bigger at each event so, hopefully, we are doing something right. We have lots planned for 2017 but are waiting for dates to be confirmed and then the calendar will be emailed to you early in the New Year. We also look forward to seeing you at the regular monthly meeting on the first Tuesday of the month at the Bolney Stage. We wish all members, old and new, a very happy Christmas and look forward to seeing you in the New Year. Happy and safe motoring
RECENT EVENTS Club night November A quiz prepared by Karen Scorer saw a good number of members turn up at the Ferryboat for our November Club night. Along with a great variety of questions were some ‘dingbat’ questions. Don’t ask me (no pun intended) what a dingbat is but at least someone knew (apparently, it is a ‘visual word puzzle’). Well done to the winners Peter and Julie Lamb who won the tub of chocolates and kindly proceeded to hand them around to those present. Well done also to Karen for the quiz and thanks again Peter and Julie. The raffle, ‘TOM’ (tip of the month) and ‘JON’ made their usual contributions prior to our departures for home.
Christine and Martin
John Warren and 924 Carrera GTS replica at PCGB Clubhouse
76 porscheclubgb.com
New Panamera launch The launch of the new Panamera took place at PC Cambridge. Guests were treated to bubbly and nibbles while they viewed the car, which was presented in three versions. To my eyes, the latest Panamera is a more sporting-looking car. What was more impressive than the looks were the statistics; 0-60 in no time (dependent on version) and decent miles per gallon that were unheard of only a few years ago for a performance vehicle. A quiz also kept guests busy and I am pleased to say that Regional members Colin and Sarah Fox were the lucky winners. Also in attendance was Richard Attwood, ex-BRM Formula One and winner of the 1970 Le Mans 24-hour in 1970 in a Porsche 917K. As always, it was great to chat with Richard as he shares his experiences racing various cars. If you attend the Porsche Experience Centre, Silverstone you may be lucky enough to be allocated Richard as your
instructor for the day. Of course, you could make sure you have the top man in the seat beside you by requesting Richard in advance to be your instructor.
January 21 Visit Dove House Motor Company Several Registers and Regions (R10, 996 and Boxster Registers) have been invited to attend an open day at Dove House Motor Company, NN10 6BS. Dove House Motor Company have been running since 2001. As well as selling prestige cars they also offer an after-sales and service facility. Our morning will commence at 10am and will include access to the showroom, a tour of the workshops and refreshments will be provided by Dove House. Further details on the company can be found at dovehousecars.com As ever, first-come, first-served. Email me if you wish to join us.
the Region for their support during 2016. As has already been said, we are currently planning events that we hope will keep you busy and bring you an enjoyable and exciting 2017. On behalf of your committee, I wish you all season’s greetings and all the very best for the New Year. R24 Club nights Club nights for Region meetings are on the second Wednesday of each month (unless otherwise advised). The venue is the Old Ferryboat, further details at: oldenglishinns.co.uk/our-locations/ the-old-ferry-boat-st-ives Enjoy your cars, Club and 2017 events
The new Panamera at PC Cambridge
Richard Attwood at the Panamera launch at PC Cambridge
January 22 Post-Christmas lunch This is your last chance to book for our post-Christmas lunch which will be held at the Bedford Barnes Hotel. We have reserved the dining room. Please make your menu choice and payment in advance. Tickets are priced at £20pp. This price is subsidised by a raffle and we are asking all attendees to please bring along a raffle prize. Previous experience has shown that wrapping the raffle prizes has proved popular since everyone then has a chance a winning the top prize. We will also be joined by a guest of honour from Porsche who, no doubt, will be updating us on all things new from Porsche Cars GB and existing offers from our local dealership. Advance booking only. Please email me for details. February 8 Club night Come along and join us on our first proper Club night of 2017. We hope to be able to bring you something a little bit different for our February night. We should also have a further update on more of the Regional events for the 2017 calendar. Region 24 WOTY Honfleur France With just a few spaces left we have opened the Regional WOTY to non-R24 members. Our destination is France, Honfleur on August 18-21. With only 20 spaces we already have bookings into double figures. See November PP for details or please email me at: r24@porscheclubgb.com for flyers and terms and conditions. A £100 deposit will secure you a space.
January Club night Wednesday, January 11 is our first Club night of the New Year and, as ever, the first meeting of the New Year tends to be a quiet affair. The committee will be holding a meeting and putting the finishing touches to the events schedule for 2017. Do come along if you wish and enjoy a ‘pie and a pint and a natter’ but none of the normal features of Club night since we would like to see you all at the post-Christmas lunch.
Other matters I would like to thank our committee members Edward Parry, Steve Gillings and Wayne Helme for their support and work during 2016 bringing us a range of events that I hope you all enjoyed. Thank you gents. Season’s greetings In signing off we would like to thank all members of
77 porscheclubgb.com
John Dunn
DIARY DATES JANUARY 11 Committee meeting – Pie and Pint night JANUARY 12–15 Autosport International FEBRUARY 8 Club night FEBRUARY 13–26 London Classic Car Show MARCH 8 Club night MARCH 12 Spring Open day at Cornbury House APRIL 12 Club night APRIL 15–16 Factory visit APRIL 15–17 FIA WEC Silverstone
Kent Regional Organisers Phil and Pearl Sharland 01797 344121 – r25@porscheclubgb.com Happy New Year everyone. RECENT EVENTS Unfortunately, due to staff sickness, our Club night in November was cancelled at the last minute by Brands Hatch. Although we sent out an email to advise everyone it was a bit late for some. Please accept our apologies if you arrived at Brands Hatch only to be turned away, it really was beyond our control. The last Breakfast Club meeting was held on the morning after Storm Angus hit the south east! Thanks to everyone who braved the weather to make it an enjoyable morning. A review of all the Breakfast Clubs held this year can be found on p42 of this issue.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS January 21 Post-Christmas party night A reminder that, for our party night at Hadlow Manor Hotel (TN11 0JH), menu choices and final payment are required by December 31 at the latest. Details can be found in previous PP but, briefly, the evening starts at 7.30pm, and offers a black tie (optional), three-course dinner and disco for just £22pp. Discounted rooms are still available so please book soon and get your reservation code. Monthly meetings Our monthly meetings take place on the second Wednesday of each month at The Kentagon at Brands Hatch from 7.30pm. Access is via the main gate on the A20. If you are a new member attending one of our Club nights then look out for the yellow T-shirts and sweatshirts worn by us and our committee members. We are there to introduce you to other members and generally make you feel at home. Don’t forget — if you want to come along to any of the events advertised then please make sure you let us know in advance. Telephone 01797 344121 or email: r25@porscheclubgb.com. If you have not registered your email address with the Club, please do so soon so that we can send you our regular updates on all our events. Our calendar of events for 2017 should be sent to you shortly. Happy and safe motoring — wishing you smooth and empty roads. Phil and Pearl
DIARY DATES FEBRUARY 8 Club night At Brands Hatch. FEBRUARY 26 Breakfast club At Chart Hills Golf Club. TBC. This will be an alternative car event so you won’t have to bring the Porsche out in bad weather. MARCH 8 Club night At Brands Hatch. MARCH 19 Drive and Sunday lunch MARCH 25 Car detailing demonstration by ‘Wow Factors’ At Motor Care Body Shop, Tunbridge Wells. APRIL 8 Spring Health Check APRIL 12 Club night At Brands Hatch.
distrustful, especially when they say ‘I really like Porsches’. So, you can imagine my surprise and delight when I drew up at Beaulieu on a fresh autumn morning to find insurance representative and organiser of our visit, Kaye Crouch, had arrived in her red 968 Cabriolet. Karl had seized on the offer of a VIP tour of the workshops at the National Motor Museum when he met Kaye at a PCGB event in the summer and, with numbers limited, this event was fully subscribed in no time and those lucky enough to bag a place proved to be very lucky indeed! “Split into two groups, we were taken through the various areas of work at the museum. At this point, I must confess that old vehicles really don’t do anything for me - I can’t relate to them so I view them with little interest or affection, they don’t ‘float my boat’. However, the enthusiasm of those involved was infectious and their anecdotes and stories really brought the cars to life and I think I now ‘get it’ (if anyone has a spare seat for the 2017 London to Brighton, I’m your man!). Some of the stories are rather juicy, precluding them from the public display boards — it is a family friendly museum after all! In the workshop at the time of our visit was a Blower Bentley and a Rolls-Royce, favourite exhibits of the curator and the chief engineer respectively and their enthusiasm for these historic vehicles was compelling. We were told that the Bentley was in for a rebuild because of the miles covered — it is really used as W.O. intended. Surprisingly, the museum works to a tight budget, scrimping and scraping for parts and relying on favours to keep the cars in top fettle – something that will be familiar to many of our members trying to run a Porsche on a budget. It was a treat when the Rolls-Royce was started for us and the unusual starting method demonstrated – we were told of the idiosyncrasies, primarily the possibility of the engine running backwards! ‘Blower’ Bentley, in for a rebuild
of memorabilia in the care of the museum has continued to grow. But that doesn’t mean the items currently hidden behind closed doors are gathering dust, destined to never be seen again, far from it — it is carefully stored and catalogued and available for exhibitions to which it is relevant, either at Beaulieu or elsewhere. Indeed, we’ve visited the National Motor Museum several times before and it’s different every time, there’s always something new to keep it interesting. We were free to ask questions throughout the day and of course, there were many (we are an inquisitive lot in Dorset!) which were answered very knowledgeably. What really surprised many was that despite the size of the collection, the museum is on the constant look-out for more, with many specific items included in their wants list. “Some of our members whiled away their time in the library, but I managed to resist the opportunity to start browsing because, if I had, I fear I would have become too engrossed and probably missed the rest of the tour! However, there was plenty to occupy those interested in Porsche history, with the museum going to the trouble of customising a display of some of the literature in line with the main interest, so ours included plenty of Porsche references and one particular item caught my eye — I think we are all familiar with the tale of how, thanks to Peugeot, the 901 came to be the 911 soon after it was launched, so nobody would have expected to see any 901 literature, but there, on the table in front of us, was a brochure for the new 901! “The hospitality of the Beaulieu staff was first class, the lunch was most welcome and without exception, an excellent day was had by all. Everybody left feeling privileged to have been given a unique opportunity to delve into the history of motoring – of which the National Motor Museum and the Montague family are an integral and important part. I would like to pass on my personal thanks to all the staff at Beaulieu and Kaye Crouch for organizing the visit.”
Dorset Joint Regional Organisers Trefor Willingham and Geoff Fields 01747 838158 r26@porscheclubgb.com November meeting Clashing with Sharon’s daughter’s wedding, I was absent from the November meeting so, without further ado, I’ll get straight down to presenting a couple of important event reports. Recent events and news VIP visit to Beaulieu (report held over from last month) Tref reports: “I am sure I’m not the only one, but when I hear someone works for an insurance company, I become
Geoff could never be accused of being two-dimensional
“We had free access to the museum itself but, of course, anyone can wander round there and very interesting it is too, but this visit was all about going behind the scenes, to see the things not on display to the general public. First opened in 1952 and consisting of just five cars displayed in the front hall of Palace House, the museum quickly expanded until it was relocated to the current purpose-built building in 1972. However, history waits for no man and, while the available space in the museum has remained much the same, the number of vehicles and volume 78 porscheclubgb.com
It’ll come in useful one day
Original 901 brochure in the archives
January Offers Porsche Cayenne 25555VR18 Pirelli Scorpion Zero N0 £136.95 29535ZR21 Pirelli PZero N1 £228.95 Porsche Cayman Boxster 23535Z19 Pirelli Pzero N2 £162.95 26535Z19 Pirelli Pzero N2 £206.95 911 991 24535Z20 Pzero N0 £206.95 30530Z20 PZERO N0 £268.95 911 993 20550ZR17 Pirelli Pzero Rosso N3 £131.95 25540ZR17 Pirelli Pzero Rosso N3 £160.95 911 996 22540ZR18 Pirelli Pzero Rosso N4 £125.95 26535ZR18 Pirelli Pzero Rosso N4 £165.95
Panamera launch – PC Bournemouth Over to Karl: “This was a very interesting evening with the Ferndown showroom given over to, among other things food, drink, entertainment and three new Panameras; a Turbo, a 4S Diesel and a ‘blue one…’ “The live band was superb with a singer named Fola at the far end of the showroom keeping us entertained throughout the evening. After the speeches from Dealer Principal Neil Lines and a Porsche Cars GB representative, there was a short film featuring the Panamera which focused on the fact that it had done a 7.38 lap of the Nordschleife – actually faster than Geoff’s GT3! Performance aside, the other main focus was on the in-car entertainment system and dash. The 2017 Panamera gets an all-new cockpit, which includes a large touchscreen front and centre and digital gauges in the instrument cluster. “The new style spoiler was quite cool. Fitted to Turbo and Turbo S models, the ‘Turbo wing’ splits and expands to cover the rear when activated and like the 991 Targa roof, it will really appeal to those who like a bit of showmanship included with their car. “Once we had seen the car we were treated to a comedy routine when a female chef left the kitchen, pretended to drop something and then started singing before being joined by another woman and a man, who then went on to perform a medley of stage songs and Three Tenors-style music. “The food was superb, as usual but the musical element to the evening was a big step up from previous evenings and almost like a stage performance. “As always, thanks go to all the staff at PC Bournemouth for hosting another memorable vehicle launch evening.”
20-25 cars on our monthly drives and regularly have over 30 member travelling to meetings. On behalf of the R27 committee a very genuine ‘thank-you’. RECENT EVENTS Shannon’s Jewellers Our November meeting was held at Shannon’s Jewellers in Lisburn. Proprietor Mervyn Shannon was kind enough to invite the Region along to an exclusive night in the former bank building which is now home to the family-owned jewellers. Mervyn is sponsoring our Tag Heuer draw, where members have a chance to win either a gents or ladies wristwatch. Tickets are priced at £10 and are strictly limited to a maximum of 100 and exclusively for R27 members and their spouses. They are on sale at Region meetings and available by post.
If you would like to enter but cannot make it along to a meeting, please just give me a ring and we can arrange to post a ticket or tickets to you. The draw for the watch will take place in the New Year. Following a glass or two of hot punch for the non-drivers, members had the chance for some early Christmas shopping and to enjoy some very special R27-only discounts! For anyone who missed the evening, the good news is that the discount continues for members. When visiting Shannon’s, a PCGB membership card is all you need to secure a special R27 only price! Thank you to Mervyn and his staff for a great evening. R27 committee Earlier this year I offered members an opportunity to get a little bit more involved in the running of the Region by joining the committee. I am delighted to say that two volunteers have come forward and next year Geoff Moore and Paul McAleer will be assisting with events. There will be more about the committee and our 2017 programme of events in PP next month. Annual dinner and Panamera launch News hot off the press; I can announce that our annual pre-season dinner will take place on Saturday, February 11 at Edenmore Golf and Country Club in Magheralin, just outside Moira. A full, three-course dinner followed by tea and coffee and our now ‘infamous’ tombola! All for just £30pp.
Some early Christmas shopping. Nice handbag, Eddie!
DIARY DATES JANUARY 19 Monthly meet FEBRUARY 16 Monthly meet FEBRUARY 19 Scenic drive, treasure hunt and pub lunch (details TBC) MARCH 16 Monthly meet APRIL 20 Monthly meet MAY 7 Lunch at Bridgehouse Hotel
Mervyn Shannon (centre) shows off one of the Tag range
Ireland Regional Organiser Ken Mack 07860 850444 – r27@porscheclubgb.com Assistant Regional Organiser John Hilditch 07907 437303 REGION 27 – CELEBRATING 30 YEARS! Season’s greetings! I suspect many members will be settling down to read this edition of PP in between Christmas and New Year so I hope all those carefully crafted letters to Santa were forwarded in good time to Club Shop at Cornbury House or, indeed, to PC Belfast! Either way, I wish everyone in R27 a very happy New Year. End-of-year round-up As our 30th anniversary year draws to a close I would like to take this opportunity to thank members for their fantastic support throughout the year. With your support, we now see around
Thanks for a great night Mervyn
80 porscheclubgb.com
Panamera launch at PC Belfast
January 11 Monthly meeting Please note a change of venue for Wednesday 11 January — 7.30pm for 8pm. Monthly Meeting will now take place at Ulster Transport Bowling Club, Lynda Avenue, Newtownabbey BT37 0NX. February 8 Monthly meeting On Wednesday evening, 7.30pm for 8pm, we are at Gowdy’s of Down Royal, 60 Gravelhill Road, Maze, Lisburn, BT27 5RW (‘Early Bird’ menu is available until 6.30pm). Meeting will include a short presentation by Prostate Cancer UK. Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer in men, yet many are embarrassed or just do not want to discuss it with their GP. It is very important to be aware of the risks and potential symptoms. In a very informal presentation find out how to identify the signs of a problem and ladies are welcome to stay for the talk! Top tip from PC Belfast We are not recommending anything to purchase! Or even suggesting anything you should be doing to prepare for any Siberian-style winters. It is something much more basic and yet is probably one of the tips least listened to by PC Belfast customers. It is simply this; drive your car! PC Belfast definitely recommends that everyone’s Porsche should be started, run and driven at least once every week throughout the winter. This simple act of preventative maintenance will help the battery and, by allowing the engine to run at temperature and tyres and brakes to operate during the dormant months, it will help increase the longevity of the car as a whole, giving it much less of a shock in spring after hibernation! Also, another important point... think of the fun when you drive it! So, there you have it – no excuses!
Abu Dhabi Do!
supermarket in the Caterham however... Most of the party arrived nice and early to experience the building atmosphere, the drivers parade and pitlane interviews. A quick poll revealed that the overall sentiment was definitely in favour of Rosberg winning, but with one ardent Hamilton fan and one definite anti-Hamilton fan someone was destined to be disappointed by the end of the afternoon. There was also a lot of interest in the performance of ex-Porsche works driver Nico Hulkenberg, ex-Guernsey resident Jenson Button and rumoured potential future Porsche works driver Fernando Alonso. Bolstered by a huge amount of food and one or two fizzy beers, we were entertained by a great strategic battle, a dominant drive in the lead by Lewis, some brave overtaking by Nico, and in the closing laps, according to our anti-Hamilton fan, some dirty driving to try to push Nico back into the clutches of Vettel and Verstappen. At the end of the afternoon all were happy (some more than others) but after the last-minute change in arrangements were delighted at the request of a repeat booking for next year. Thanks to all who came along and to Angela for handling the majority of the day’s festivities.
That’s it for this month, have a great time over the festive period and I look forward to seeing you in 2017.
2017 We are just starting to put together next year’s programme of events and suggestions for new ideas are always welcome. Depending on when this edition arrives, I’d like to take this opportunity of wishing you a very merry Christmas, or alternatively hope that you had a very merry Christmas. Happy New Year and we look forward to welcoming you to our events in 2017.
Ken Mack
Ian, Angela, Jean-Marc and Sebastian
Channel Islands, Guernsey Regional Organisers Ian and Angela Banneville 01481 715678 – r28g@porscheclub.com Twitter: @PCGB_Guernsey November – Abu Dhabi Do As the Red Onion had cancelled our booking, due to a 21st birthday party consisting of football fans having booked the entire restaurant, we decided to celebrate the championship deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at our house. Although this did mean some preparation work for Angela in particular it meant, at least, that I did not have to drive home. While Angela baked home-made sausage rolls and cooked home-made chutney as part of the offerings for lunch, I also got busy with preparations by watching the GP3 race, putting on my Williams special edition deodorant, my Renaultsport shirt and my, er, McLaren Hondapants. I did go to the
Directors and staff prior to the conference the following day. This format was a feature of Officials’ Conferences in previous years and was adjudged to be very worthwhile. Congratulations must go to Mandy for sourcing the venue and organising and overseeing the excellent arrangements. At Cornbury House the agenda for the Officials’ Conference followed the well-proven pattern of the Club Directors taking the morning session and bringing attendees up to date with the specific aspects of PCGB for which they have responsibility. The Club appears to be strong in all areas, particularly in current membership, where General Manager Chris Seaward informed us that the total members had risen from 12,000 to 16,000! In the afternoon, after the lunch break, ROs and RSs split into two separate groups resulting in an afternoon of enthusiastic discussion. Launch of the new Panamera As featured on the cover of last November PP, I discovered that Porsche Cars GB were intending to introduce the new, updated Panamera model by way of a number of launch events at Porsche Centres throughout the UK. Unfortunately, it appeared that there was no launch scheduled for PC Jersey but I was able to accept an invitation from Lorraine Winder, Centre PA and Reception Manager at PC West London, where the facility has just completed a major refurbishment. And what an impressive showroom and service area has been created! You now drive your Porsche into a covered area that is adjacent to the showroom reception, you step out, and your vehicle is then taken away to the allocated bay in the service building, which now houses three floors and a waiting car park! The new showroom has been greatly enlarged and although, I understand, around 400 guests attended, there was plenty of room to move around and view the Panameras on display. Lorraine and her team had organised a constant stream of delicious canapés to accompany the perfectly chilled champagne being served for the evening, all this while guests enjoyed the additional pleasure of the striking young saxophonist, Julia Harrison, who serenaded us throughout the night! With best wishes for a happy and prosperous New Year Roger Theaker
Channel Islands, Jersey Regional Organiser Roger Theaker 07979 652525 – r28j@porscheclub.com RECENT EVENTS The Club Officials’ Conference I was able to attend the Officials’ Conference held at Cornbury House in November. On this occasion, PCGB Chairman Rob Kellock had invited participating officials to stay the night before at The Ettington Chase Hotel, which is about 20 minutes’ drive from Moreton-in-Marsh, and is an impressive country venue set in its own extensive grounds with superb parking. The Club’s Membership Engagement Manager, Mandy Sutch had arranged for an evening meal to be taken in a private dining room, with the purpose of allowing ROs and RSs to have some informal time together in the company of the Club’s 81 porscheclubgb.com
Sparkling entertainment at PC West London Panamera launch
Photo by Roger Theaker.
And, just ahead of our top tip from PC Belfast, congratulations to Carl, Paul and the team at PC Belfast on their very successful launch of the new Panamera. If you have not had the chance to get up close with what Porsche justly describes as ‘the stunning sports car without compromise for everyday use’ then a visit to Boucher Road is overdue.
Surrey Committee Chairman Mike Lucas Regional Contact Keith Morgan 07833 206078 (before 9pm) r29@porscheclubgb.com We’ve had another good year in R29 and the committee would like to thank all of those members who have supported us, both by attendance at Club nights and by participating in the events put on throughout the year. We’ve been particularly happy with the move in June to our new venue at the Inn on the Lake at Silvermere Golf Club. This has given us a bigger meeting room and more space to park our cars and we are pleased to see that we have also attracted a number of new faces to the Club as well as retaining those members who have given their unending support to the Region over the years. I would like to thank Mike, Marian and Brenda for their work on the committee, particularly Brenda for her efforts in organising and keeping track of the events, a thankless task at times I’m sure. I’d also like to thank Dan for his support to the committee on all things website and IT related. We’ve tried to satisfy all interests for both members and their partners with a variety of activities over the year and we would also like to thank those members who have joined in with the organising. It just remains for me to say, on behalf of the committee, thank you for your support and a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year to you all and we hope to see you again, or for the first time, in 2017.
had all the right answers, just in the wrong sequence and for different questions! Despite all this, the embarrassment finally ended and a winning team emerged from the fray, so congratulations to Adrian Wood, David Drury, Peter and Eve Smith and Leigh and Justine Wakeford. Thank you, Peter Keel, for all your hard work in both compiling the quiz and keeping order as the evening progressed - I hope that you still have the energy next year to go through it all again!
Quizmaster Peter in relaxed mode with his audio system
All smiles in the winning quiz team
RECENT EVENTS November meeting November 8 was the night when all the anticipation regarding Peter Keel’s quiz finally came to a head and we were treated to a feast of intellectual and brain sapping questions that most of us should have known the answers to but didn’t! Peter applied his car parking skills to us all and tried to organise us into some semblance of a group of highly skilled, University Challenge-style teams, but failed miserably. However, all the teams became very competitive as the quiz progressed. Scores were given out regularly and it soon became clear that there was actually a lot of effort being made by some teams to achieve the lowest score and the team I belonged to was an expert in this respect. We
82 porscheclubgb.com
Petworth Railway Station Jo Evans reports: “On a dull winter’s afternoon in November we looked out of the window and decided that our shiny Boxster should stay mollycoddled in its warm garage and not come out to play on the muddy roads as our everyday car was already muddy! We made our way cross-country from Alton to join our Surrey Region friends for afternoon tea at the Old Petworth Railway Station. Although dull and overcast it was a pleasant drive across the Sussex countryside. “The old station is tucked way down a lane just outside of Petworth and was originally built in 1892 for the Prince of Wales, later Edward VII, to give access to Petworth House and Goodwood. “The station has been beautifully restored and 26 of us enjoyed a beautiful cream tea. Afterwards, we viewed the outside of the Pullman carriages that have been sympathetically restored and are available as ‘bed and breakfast’ accommodation. The old platform is still in situ and is used for tea outside when the weather is kind. “It was lovely to see so many of our long-standing friends and meet new members who have recently joined the Club. Hopefully, this splendidly organised afternoon will encourage new members to take part in other events in the future.
WANTED Harbour Cars buys the finest used Porsche. For a polite, professional and friendly service please get in touch with us.
01243 530630 info@harbourcars.com
Birdham Road, Chichester, PO20 7DU
Leading Independent Porsche Specialists in the North West
ENGINE REPAIR SPECIALISTS 986 987 996 997 Cayman
T: 01204 302809 E: auto@hartech.org www.hartech.org
by PCGB Directors and staff helpfully outlined aspects of the Club’s operation, its financial position and future strategy. These also covered PCGB motorsport operation. The bottom line is that the Club is in a very healthy financial position with solid, long-term relationships in place with its key strategic partners, and it continues to grow ahead of targets in signing up new members and retaining existing ones
Tea and scones in the ‘waiting room’ at Petworth station
Monthly meeting On a dark autumn evening, the Region’s regular monthly evening meeting took place at The Carpenters Arms in Fulbrook. As is frequently the case at this time of the year, most members opted to leave their Porsches at home and members who came along nevertheless enjoyed an especially pleasant evening in one another’s company in a warm Cotswold pub.
“Thank you to Brenda Wareham for organising the event.” FORTHCOMING EVENTS April 21-23 WOTY to Stratford-Upon-Avon The weekend will cost £324 per couple for bed, breakfast and evening meal. If you want to join us we need your deposit of £34 per couple by the next Club meeting on January 10, so please get in touch to register your interest. For up-to-date information on these and brief details of other events, please see the Surrey Region area of the Club’s website.
Panamera launch It was good to catch up with several members at the recent launch of the new Panamera at PC Swindon. As well as an all new chassis, the new version gets new engines and, best of all, a far more aesthetically
Club nights Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of the month at the Inn on the Lake, Silvermere Golf Club, Redhill Road, Cobham, Surrey, KT11 1EF starting at 8pm.
the former hangar on the old RAF Wroughton airfield, members lined up on the grid for a 30-lap race. With a grid of eight drivers, the action was brisk and competitive. Without exception, everyone put in surprisingly good lap times, several drivers managing under 30 seconds with guest driver Peter managing to achieve an indecently quick lap time of 28.36 seconds, something of an achievement given how cold the circuit surface and tyres were. The well-deserved winner was Peter, with Nathan and Ollie taking second and third place respectively. Cayenne GTS We were lucky enough to get the opportunity to test drive a Cayenne GTS over a weekend recently. Looking at the GTS parked on our drive next to a Boxster, it’s a huge car. The large slab sides and styling kit emphasise its size and its big on-road presence. Fortunately, once on the move it’s much less like a truck to drive than its looks might suggest. Over the three days we put it through its paces, we clocked up almost 200 miles in the process. This is probably too few to know what the GTS is really like to live with but we felt it was enough to help answer a few basic questions.
Keith Morgan DIARY DATES
The new Panamera bristles with technology
JANUARY 10 Club night at Silvermere Golf Club FEBRUARY 14 Club night at Silvermere Golf Club FEBRUARY 26 Drive and pub lunch Details of this (bookable only) event to follow. MARCH 4 Go-kart racing Details of this event (bookable only) to follow. MARCH 14 Club night at Silvermere Golf Club MARCH 19 Clay pigeon shooting Details of this event (bookable only) to follow. APRIL 29 Paintballing, IPG Cobham
pleasing body shape. The second generation ‘Hunchback of Zuffenhausen’ is undoubtedly a stunning example of design and leading-edge automotive technology. Porsche are no doubt destined to expand their market share with this re-designed model. Karting Our group karting session took place at the indoor Swindon Karting Arena on a cold Saturday morning. After a briefing and a 10-minute practice session in
Geoff Davis enters turn one ahead of Ian Duffy and Ollie Payne
Isle of Man Regional Organiser Julian Chappell 01624 816563 (evenings) iom@porscheclubgb.com Assistant Steve Morrow 07624 433268 Steve_m2@manx.net
Regional Organisers Alan and Fiona Bartlett 07785 928687 – r31@porscheclubgb.com @PCGB_R31 Officials’ Conference For us, November kicked off with the Officials’ Conference at Cornbury House. Presentations
Photos by Alan Bartlett
Cotswold
The participants
85 porscheclubgb.com
Several other members adjourned to the car park to do some serious tyre-kicking and look over the Cayenne GTS we had taken along. With lunch and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix beckoning members bade each other farewell just after midday. FORTHCOMING EVENTS
Photo by Alan Bartlett
Was it quick? The Cayenne’s 3.6-litre, turbocharged V6 certainly got things going but it really wasn’t hard-core quick. Somehow, it lacked the grunt and musicality of its V8 predecessor. One niggle was that the steering felt a bit blunt, giving little feedback to the driver even though there wasn’t a moment when you didn’t feel it wasn’t going to go where you pointed it. Was it fun? Sadly, not quite enough to put a huge grin on your face. Actually, after about 20 miles of playing with Sport Plus mode, back in normal mode it felt very relaxing to drive in the same way that your favourite armchair is to sit in. Nevertheless, on the road its bulk diminishes and its superb chassis handled twisty B roads at the national speed limit without a moment’s trepidation. Somehow, Porsche’s chassis designers seemed to have defied the laws of physics with the GTS. Was it usable? From a driver’s perspective, once the initial new toy thrill had passed, the car’s massive transmission tunnel made the cabin feel a bit claustrophobic. Amongst other things, we felt the placement of controls made selecting driving, transmission and chassis modes something of a voyage of discovery, particularly at night. As dog-owners, the Cayenne’s load-space was of particular interest. We found the rear space was less than ideal and the automatic upward-opening tailgate was awkward for our Setter, Paddy. Lack of interior storage space was also noticeable in the cabin. We felt Porsche could take a note of Land Rover’s
Paddy enjoys the view from the GTS
Discovery and Range Rover that have much better usability in these aspects. Would we buy one? We thought long and hard about this but concluded the GTS was too much of a compromise, trying to be both a highperformance car and off-road, load-lugging, GT SUV at the same time. Even with judicious use of the accelerator pedal, we couldn’t manage any more than 24mpg on a run or 17mpg around town. And, talking of town, the GTS’s appearance with its gloss black detailing and quad tailpipes seemed to attract looks like daggers from other road users; it seemed that no-one wanted to let us out at several road junctions. Overall, it’s a truly impressive piece of automotive engineering but like Marmite, you either like it or hate it. In this case Fiona hated it while I rated it, so it seems the jury’s still out on the Cayenne GTS. Sunday Cofee Cruise On a grey and overcast late November morning we drove over to the Gateway Hotel in Burford for the Region’s monthly Coffee Cruise. On the drive there, we reflected on how lucky we’d been for weather for this event throughout the past year. Somehow though, the weather doesn’t really matter as these events are simply great opportunities to catch up with all our Club friends and meet new ones in a very convivial atmosphere.
Would you? Wouldn’t you? Photo by Alan Bartlett
87 porscheclubgb.com
Alan and Fiona
DIARY DATES JANUARY 8 12th Sunday Scramble Bicester Heritage Centre. JANUARY 11 Monthly Regional meeting At The Carpenters Arms, Fulbrook. JANUARY 22 Sunday Cofee Cruise Cotswold Gateway Hotel, Burford. FEBRUARY 8 Monthly Regional meeting The Red Lion, Long Compton. FEBRUARY 25 Drive and visit to Nimrod XV232 Preservation Group Coventry Airport, Coventry. FEBRUARY 26 Sunday Cofee Cruise Cotswold Gateway Hotel. MARCH 8 Monthly Regional meeting The Carpenters Arms, Fulbrook. MARCH 19 Sunday Cofee Cruise MARCH 26 Spring Tea Bun Run Starts at Cornbury House to drive to Bampton. APRIL 12 Monthly Regional meeting The Red Lion, Long Compton. APRIL 23 13th Sunday Brunch Scramble/ Drive it Day Bicester Heritage Centre. APRIL 30 Sunday Cofee Cruise
Photo by Alan Bartlett
The Cayenne GTS. Photo by Alan Bartlett
As you read this, we’ll be preparing for the Region’s first event of 2017, the Sunday Scramble at Bicester. If you can’t make it, we’ll be meeting at the Carpenters Arms in Fulbrook on January 11 and at the Cotswold Gateway Hotel on January 22. Details of all Cotswold events can be found in our events area on the Club website and on our Facebook page (facebook.com/pcgb.r31). Before setting out, please check the R31 Forum Area and/or Twitter feed (@PCGB_R31) for any last-minute updates. Last, but not least, we’d like to thank all our Regional friends for all their support in 2016. We wish you all a very happy New Year.
REGISTERS Register Director’s report Welcome to all. November was, for me, a hectic month, starting with the Oicials’ Conference, which was followed by my attendance at the NEC Classic Car Show where I managed to field all manner of technical queries from members, and non-members who were persuaded to join the Club in order to gain access to expert help and all the other benefits of membership. Judging by the number of new
356 Register Secretary Fred Hampton 020 7262 8695 – 356@porscheclubgb.com November proved to be a busy month for ‘happy wandering’ and included the NEC Classic Car Show, the Porsche and Mercedes museums in Stuttgart, the Schorndorf Swap Meet, Karl Hloch’s workshop and the Milano AutoClassica, which included the RM/Sotheby’s Duemila Ruote (crazy) auction.
members joining, it proved quite a success. The stand, manned by Club staff and volunteers, was busy all three days – a credit to all involved. I hope I managed to chat to many of you, the members – apologies if I missed you. I was also privileged to attend the end of season Porsche Motorsport Awards Dinner in Gloucester. The camaraderie of all the competitors was amazing and the recipients of the trophies well deserved. Congratulations to you all – I hope to see you all next season. Following that, on the Sunday, I travelled from Gloucester to Lincoln to present my talk on my life and cars to R4 members. Again, it was a pleasure to meet another group of Porsche enthusiasts,
waiting patiently for my arrival from the other side of the country! As there were no yawns or slow handclaps – I think it went well. Thank you for your hospitality – looks like the North East and Cambridgeshire are next on the hit list! As always, please keep your Register reports coming into PP – members DO read them and look forward to seeing them.
of their rarer items – if not over ambitiously priced – before the public entered. My 1500 GS Carrera oil tank with dipstick, Halda Speedpilot and a few other items were gone almost as soon as they were out of the box and on the table. However, there were no takers on the 6V pre-A horns, the 1970 Heuer split timer or 356 Carrera workshop manuals, which all returned home.
Of more interest was the sight of newly manufactured four-cam crank cases and cylinder heads, which enabled Karl to show a complete new four-cam engine on his pitch in the Swap Meet hall.
Karl Hloch’s workshop Whilst in Schorndorf there was the opportunity to visit Carrera four-cam specialist Karl Hloch’s new workshop where at least 10 four-cam engines were to be seen along with an Abarth Carrera awaiting engine installation.
NEC Classic Car Show The Club presentation at the NEC was enhanced by the presence of Mark Wrigley’s Togo Brown 356 Coupe and the recently Jaz-restored Gulf Blue RHD 2.7 Carrera RS M471 Sport aka ‘lightweight’, which, being something of a rarity, attracted much attention (more in the RS section) and a good deal of disbelief at the seven figure sum recently paid to own it. It was nice to see, amongst others, Eric Lanz who stopped by to say hello, and 911 race ace John Fitzpatrick. Schorndorf Swap Meet This year the title of the annual Porsche Swap Meet was not prefixed ‘Strahle’ as usual, but, thankfully, another promoter, enabling the 10-year tradition to continue, took on the organisation. The usual hall was used to host the sale of parts and attracted buyers and sellers from all over Europe. Some even came from further afield, including John Willhoit, the well respected classic Porsche restoration specialist, from the USA. The change of organiser may have appeared to diminish the number of traders present but activity was about the same level as usual. As traders scoped the tables to see what may be on offer, most of the serious buying took place before the public arrived, with sellers often managing to dispose
An Abarth Carrera awaiting engine installation
Have a great Christmas and a prosperous New Year. Albert Walsh Register Director register@porscheclubgb.com 01282 456371 (evenings)
Milano AutoClassica Along with Torino and Padua, this is one of the three big ‘classic’ shows in Italy. This year’s event had the added attraction of the massive RM/Sotheby’s auction of cars re-possessed by the Italian Tax Office from one criminal miscreant. The ‘Duemila Ruote’ billing referred to the 2,000 wheels on the number of cars, motorbikes, cycles and boats on offer. Every make and model imaginable was represented. The quantity of lots filled the floor space in one huge hall and meant the auction took place over three days. Elsewhere, in the two other exhibition halls were mainly Italian vehicles with all the obvious marques (from Lamborghini to Stanguellini) to be seen. Amongst cars offered for sale several Porsche 356s were present with a few notable pseudo-barn finds as well as numerous early Porsche 911 models. Quality was variable but there were a few very nice cars, which did sell for respectable figures during the show and some, which were so ambitiously overpriced, that did not.
Milano AutoClassica
Karl Hloch’s workshop
89 porscheclubgb.com
The RM/Sotheby’s auction itself proved to be a spectacle of excessive bidding despite dubious quality and authenticity. In some scenarios, bids reached excessive sums for models in deteriorated condition
Depending on when PP is delivered I hope all 356 owners have or had an enjoyable Christmas. Fred
912 Register Secretary Rowena Purdy 01472 399381 – 912@porscheclubgb.com Assistant Register Secretary Vacancy Happy New Year to all my readers. Still at home Still slowly recovering and I have managed to do a few short walks around the Patch, and to what I laughingly call my garden! With helpful lifts from friends I have also managed to break the bounds of Brookenby, so progress is happening, albeit more slowly than I thought. Still, this surgery has to last me the rest of my life, so I’m not going to push it too much! The indicator saga is almost concluded – or is it? Full of optimism when I penned December’s edition, I had expected to be able to regale my readers with the final saga and a full set of working indicators on the 912! Unfortunately, this is not the case and the car is still enjoying its holiday in the garage connected to the battery conditioner – just to keep a trickle charge available and hopefully an easy start (apart from the usual fuel flow issues with a mechanical pump in a rear engine!) when I need to take the car for a run. The best laid plans and all the rest of the quotation… With the number of stitches I have had, and still have, inside me, I decided that bending over wings and sliding around the front of the car to access the relay area was not a good idea. Therefore, I have decided to throw in the towel and ask someone else to do the job for me so, once fit, I can start driving again. I have thus located a mobile auto electrician and hope that he can do the job… I can but wait and hope. The saga should, with luck, be concluded by the time I write February’s report, by which time it’s due a visit to Ben in Retford for its annual servicing and a reconnection of my Brantz Tripmeter (but that’s another story for another time!). Milano AutoClassica
The ‘Duemila Ruote’ auction
–even though similar models could have been bought in a perfectly restored condition for less money in the adjacent halls. Despite this, the frenzied bidding at the largest auto-themed collection ever achieved €51.26m in sales! The significant subsequent shock factor was a 37% add-on to the hammer prices and costs incurred removing the lots from the hall post auction into bonded storage prior to each sale being sanctioned by the Ufficio Fiscali, with the buyers paying a fee per day for the storage.
Vulcan visit I understand from R4’s ROs that there were over 50 Porsche owners who attended the Vulcan Day in late October. I hope you all enjoyed yourselves and learnt a little more about why the aircraft was built and how it helped maintain our ‘Cold War’ deterrent. It’s eye opening to stand beside it and see how large the Vulcan actually is – despite the cramped cockpit with five aircrew squeezed in. Very friendly! I remember arriving at a NASA base (yes, really) in the US and being asked, after we had all disembarked, where the rest of the crew was and to be met with expressions of surprise. But we were all presented with the official NASA flight overall badge and asked to wear it – for which we had to gain approval from RAF authorities, as only flying badges and squadron badges were allowed. We managed to get our approval! Register Director’s talk to R4 Thanks to a friendly R4 member (Ian – I know you read this!) I was able to attend Albert’s ‘auto-biographical talk’ in late November, followed by an excellent lunch in a local hostelry. The talk was very detailed and very 90 porscheclubgb.com
amusing in parts. It was also a pleasure to meet up with Lynda, Albert’s lady friend, whom I had not seen since Silverstone. As all I had to do was sit, listen and eat, I decided I needed to react with real people again, so thank you to R4 members for their encouragement. 2016 comes to an end With the sun shining over the Wolds and my outside weather station indicating an air temperature of 12.5°C, I thought I’d look over the past year to consider what the 912 Register has achieved. Members have been out in their cars taking part in Historic Rallies in Britain and Europe, we’ve had the odd 912 racing round Blyton Park on trackdays (both with the Club and supporting charities), there have been 912s displayed at various shows and events around the UK, such as Stanford Hall, Silverstone, Keddleston Hall and even a lone 912 at the NEC on the owner’s local car club stand. There are bound to be others, which I have forgotten or of which I have no knowledge as many get out and about and keep such activities close to their respective chests. The Register was, of course, awarded the trophy as the Outstanding Register for 2015 at the 2016 AGM. That is something to be very proud of. The Register has also increased in size, due in no small way to the activities of Membership Secretary, Chris Sweeting, who is very pro-active in pushing the Club at various displays and shows and thus discovers a few 912 owners in his work. (Two at the NEC.) To all those members who joined us in 2016, welcome and I hope to be able to meet you during 2017 – just come up and introduce yourselves to me (I don’t bite!). While we are still looking back over 2016, I proffer grateful thanks to the Club management team, members of which work tirelessly ‘upstairs’ to ensure that PCGB is the premier ‘one make’ Club in Britain. Thank you to Chris Seaward and team. Now to 2017 Where will we all be going in 2017? My last MailChimp pointed to some events, mainly Club events, where I hope we may be able to congregate and discuss our steeds. I shall still attempt to offer members the opportunity to take part in various local shows and events, which may be of interest to some, but not to all. 2016 was a difficult year for me for various reasons and I now hope that I can become more visible in 2017. I plan to attend the Club’s Cornbury House Open Days, which are always well attended, and very good fun, as well as major events such as Silverstone National Event and Ragley Hall (although not the Concours!). Other events on my calendar are the R4 trackday at Blyton Park, Stanhope Hall (if invited again), London Classic Car Show, Goodwood Festival of Speed, RIAT and Hedingham. Silverstone National Event This will again be spread over three days and it seems likely we’ll be in the same area as 2016. Currently, there has been no decision on whether there will be dedicated Register areas as this is yet to be discussed and decided upon. (I hope there will be, personal feelings!) I am currently starting to compile a list of Register members who plan to attend, mainly for my own benefit as your Register Secretary. For those 912 owners who attended the 2016 Silverstone Classic, it seems we shall again have dedicated access to the grandstand from where sight of classic cars being driven as they ought can be enjoyed. This was a great attraction – even to non-members who had to be turned away, unless they joined the Club!
I’d like to see more 912s there this year – you don’t need to attend every day. Discounted tickets are already available, I believe. Christmas quiz question As I was asked to provide a quiz for R4’s Christmas lunch in December I had the opportunity to put my research ‘talents’ to the test. I was asked not to concentrate all the questions around Porsche, so it was all general knowledge – with the exception of the tie-breaker, with which I can now exercise your minds – without going through Google, as members of R4 would not have been able to access it for the purposes of this test. What was the Type 542 Porsche? The story is available on Google, however, and does make for very interesting reading. (Anyone know what the ‘Lark’ was?) And, as Looney Tunes used to say; “that’s all folks”. Rowena
Early 911 (2.0,2.2 &2.4) Register Secretary Ian McLeod 07810 493287 911@porscheclubgb.com It is always an exciting moment when an email pops into your inbox with news of a previously lost ‘barn find’ car. This month there have been two such emails relating to original RHD AFN cars. The first car to turn up was a 1973 T Targa in Oxford Blue (this colour has various names, but was always recorded in the AFN records as Oxford Blue), which is now undergoing a full restoration at a well-known UK Early 911 specialist. With only 49 of the RHD T Targa ever coming to the UK, this is indeed a rare car to find. With so few of these cars still remaining in existence I hope we will see the car and owner at events once the restoration is complete. The second car was described in the email as ‘discovered sitting in a shed’, but, as this particular email came all the way from New South Wales in Australia, the shed in question is somewhat larger than
NEC highlight The recently sold Gulf Blue M471 – 397 was a highlight on the Club stand at the NEC and attracted a lot of attention on its post-restoration debut. Only 17 RHD M471 Sport specification RS Carreras were sold via AFN in the UK market and this was the only one factory-painted Gulf Blue.
The 1968 T’s engine in its discovered state
we tend to have over here. In recent years a surprising number of cars that came through AFN have been found in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. I also believe there was an AFN car that turned up in the Caribbean not too long ago, so they have travelled far and wide over the years. The car in question is a short wheelbase 1968 T and it is good to see one more added to the list of surviving cars. Originally delivered in Polo Red with Sportomatic transmission, the car will now be undergoing the full ‘from the ground up’ restoration it requires. I have included a couple of pictures of the car in its discovered state. It will be interesting to see if we can find out how long it spent in the UK before going to Australia as it was originally registered as ‘1 SPU’, a quite distinctive registration that would likely have belonged to somebody fairly ‘well to do’. I would like to wish both owners success with their new projects and to wish you all a merry Christmas and happy continued Early 911 ownership during 2017.
911 Sportomatic Register Secretary Peter Cook 01789 400832 sporto@porscheclubgb.com
911 Carrera RS
A reminder to those who are often confused by the term ‘lightweight’ Even if a customer ordered the M472 specification Touring model in the first 500 and beyond, the body shell would also have been ‘lightweight’ but with the car made heavier with the addition of the comfort trim of the ‘S’ model of the period with soundproofing, steel seat chassis, electric windows, sunroof etc. ‘Sport M471’ editions with chassis numbers late in the third series had almost no lightweight panels or lightened glass. 1528, which was the fifth, last M471 2.7 RS Sport (former owners being Mike Chadwick and myself) had only the front and rear GRP bumpers, the rest of the body shell was 911 S heavy. Chassis number confirmations Chassis number confirmations continue to come in at a snail’s pace, however, John Mexborough emailed to inform that he still has RGO 2L. Roll up roll up – proposed RS Day at Duxford Air Museum I am willing to organise an RS Day in 2017 at Duxford, which is easily accessed by motorway, but there will need to be a minimum of 25 (real cars please) present to qualify for entry discount and parking fronting the Battle of Britain hangar. The responses to the call at Hedingham a few years ago resulted in a magnificent turnout, including five RSRs, but since then, many of the cars present have changed hands. The date will most likely be May or June so, if you are willing to support the suggestion with your presence, email me to indicate a possible/ probable by the end of January and I will progress according to response. Fred
Register Secretary Fred Hampton 020 7262 8695 carrerars@porscheclubgb.com Assistant Mike Chadwick 01454 232232 – mvc@fly7.co.uk Former Regional Director, Nick Dunlop, now based for many years in America, sent pictures of his RS on a ‘Graffiti Cruise’ in downtown Houston, Texas. Nick has owned this car for many years and also has a very nice red 356 Speedster.
911 2.7 Carrera & 3.0 Register Secretary Guy White 01493 750278 91127carrera3@porscheclubgb.com Technical Assistant Tony Ruggles 01992 892333 Carrera spoilers Following on from last month’s article about the ‘Carrera’ and ‘Porsche’ scripts fitted to 1974 to 1977 models, this month I will detail the various options for the aerodynamic aids fitted to the models at the factory. The variations of spoilers and air dams fitted served to both reduce the aerodynamic lift at the front and rear of the car as well as reduce the coefficient of drag. The first Porsche road car to feature an aerodynamic aid was the 1972 911 S, which had a front air dam significantly reducing front-end lift at high speed. This was continued for 1973 911 S models and was also available as an option for the 911 T and 911 E. For the impact bumper models, a front spoiler was
Nick Dunlop’s RS in downtown Houston
The 1968 T discovered sitting in an Australian shed
92 porscheclubgb.com
incorporated into the design of the front valance and was fitted to all models of the 911 improving highspeed stability and lowering fuel consumption. A rear spoiler, however, was only fitted to Carrera and Turbo models not the narrow bodied 911 and 911 S – the first being the ‘ducktail’ fitted to the 1973 Carrera 2.7 RS. On early homologation models of the RS this was constructed of fibreglass bonded to an aluminium frame, but was superceded by a steel frame on later production models. The steel and fibreglass version was carried forward to the 1974 model year Carrera 2.7 but with minor modification. Because the impact bumper model featured licence plate lights in the rear bumperettes the cut outs in the ducktail for the 1973 model lights were not required. On early production 1974 models these cut outs were covered with blanking plates, but later in production the steel frame was modified to exclude them. It is well documented that the ducktail was not available to the German market due to a perceived risk of injury to pedestrians, however, as it was only an option, most 1974 Carrera 2.7s were, in fact, supplied with flat engine lids. The ducktail was also not compatible with a rear window wiper or air conditioning and none were fitted to cars with metallic paint due to paint matching problems with the fibreglass.
Ducktail
For the 1975 model Carrera 2.7, the ducktail was replaced by the ‘whale tail’ but fitted in conjunction with a front rubber lip mounted to the bottom of the valance. The rubber lip was required to balance the much more efficient whale tail and it should be noted that these spoilers must only be mounted in combination to avoid adverse aerodynamic effects, which could otherwise occur. This version of the whale tail was again constructed of fibreglass on a steel frame but with a polyurethane lip around it, which mitigated the risk to pedestrians and allowed it to be fitted in Germany. The whale tail was also compatible with fitting a rear wiper or air conditioning and was also offered with metallic paint.
Polyurethane whale tail
the right-hand hinge of the engine lid to keep it open. The presence or not of this additional mounting is a good indication as to whether a car was supplied from the factory with a spoiler or one had been added later. There were also two further versions of the fibreglass with polyurethane surround whale tail, which were fitted to the 3.0 Turbo. The first was for cars without air conditioning and featured an additional small five louvre grille, with ducting leading directly to the engine fan to improve cooling. There are suggestions that this was fitted also to the Carrera 3.0, but I have not come across any proven examples that were fitted at the factory – although there are examples of these being retrofitted. The second Turbo version had a much larger secondary grille behind which was mounted the condenser on cars fitted with air conditioning – this version was definitely not fitted to the Carrera 3.0 by the factory.
Have you seen this car?
Turbo small secondary grille Whale tail
Numerous examples exist of replica versions of both the ducktail and whale tail, but in almost all cases these are constructed solely of fibreglass rather than having a steel or aluminium frame and are therefore easy to spot. Guy
911 SC
For the 1976 model year, this same version of the whale tail was carried over to the Carrera 3.0 but was replaced in 1977 by an all-polyurethane spoiler mounted to the normal steel engine lid. This spoiler was, however, much heavier than the previous version and so featured an additional gas strut on
First, a plea from Mark Oldham – in 1998 he sold his red SC Coupé to a dealer in London and has regretted it ever since. He has searched all the usual sources to no avail – it is still on the road and he would like to buy it back. The car’s registration number is UDW 363Y; so if anyone knows of the car, please contact Mark or me (his mobile phone number is 07788 244486).
Register Secretary Paul Thompson 01531 822 305 Mobile: 07836 261 365 911sc@porscheclubgb.com Technical Advisor David Sewell dave.autohaus@gmail.com 93 porscheclubgb.com
My three grandsons are all Porsche fans; they, having watched Disney Cars, told me that SC obviously stands for Sally Carrera! To my surprise two of my three granddaughters are now also Porsche fans too. Apparently, my eldest granddaughter’s boyfriend is a Porsche nut and he has pictures of Porsche all over his bedroom! (I wonder how she knows that, or am I old-fashioned?) Therefore, my granddaughter is now a fan of my SC! She has been talking to her little sister and she now wants a Playmobil Porsche 911 for Christmas. The elder granddaughter is coming with me to the pre-Christmas Open Day at Cornbury House and has promised to write an article for the SC Register section about her thoughts on us ancient members. Rear spoilers Thank you all for your answers to the request for information on spoilers. I should question you all again and ask if there is anything else you would like the combined skill of the SC owners to answer. Here, below, is your combined skill on the SC spoiler: Spoiler number one (all black) was fitted from ’78 to ’80. Thanks Mark Leonard, Anne Adams, John Williams and Paul Ebbs. That was the easy one; after all it was fitted to my SC! I was told at the recent Officials’ Conference at Cornbury House that if your early SC had the all-rubber spoiler it was fitted with two rather than one strut because of the extra weight. From ’81 to the end of the SC production the spoiler fitted was the tea tray. Sorry to confuse you, my version of the tea tray was actually a Turbo! Thanks Mark Leonard, John Williams, Paul Ebbs and Thomas Murray.
997 Carrera 2S Coupe (2006) Atlas Grey £27,995
996 Carrera 4 Cabriolet Tiptronic (2003) Silver £19,995
996 Carrera 2 Coupe Tiptronic (2000) Ocean Blue Metallic £13,995
would like to see covered, please get in touch and we will try and request that some of the most popular topics are covered. In the meantime, do remember that we are very fortunate to have Charles Marsland as our Technical Advisor, so if you need technical expertise on your 3.2, please get in touch with him on the telephone number at the top of the column. Winter storage For those who are laying up their cars either short or long term over winter, do remember to keep your fuel tank full, over-inflate your tyres and keep your battery on trickle charge between runs out. If you are not using the car for a few weeks/months, as well as the usual winter routine, perhaps try the electrics to exercise the switches/motors and to keep everything moving.
The tea tray spoiler, fitted from ’81 onwards
an SC Sport, with front lip and spoiler, the total lift at 152mph is only 17kg, while for the standard SC without front lip and spoiler it is 180kg. You can understand why I am keen to be racing with a spoiler!” Have a wonderful 2017 driving your SC... Paul
911 Carrera 3.2 The all black spoiler, fitted from ’78 to ’80
Another view of the tea tray spoiler
The Weissach special edition had a slightly different spoiler but was a USA-only model, and only 400 were made, so we will forget it to make life simpler! Finally, if you paid both Porsche and the dealer they would do whatever you wanted so, if your SC has the wrong spoiler, it still could be original! Mark Leonard recommends you look at the following website where rear spoilers are detailed very well: members.rennlist.com/imcarthur/tail%20tales.htm The site also shows the effect of the spoilers on stability. I would like to quote John Williams: “I have spent the last year racing a 1979 SC on the HSCC ’70s Road Sports series and it is currently equipped with a fibreglass 3.2 Carrera spoiler. Regarding the aerodynamic effect of the spoilers, I would point you to the chapter in Paul Frere’s ‘Porsche 911 Story’, which goes into detail about the front and rear lift, and side wind effect on the early cars. He points out that for
Register Secretary Steve and Sue Edwards 020 8366 7770 911carrera32@porscheclubgb.com Technical Advisor Charles Marsland 01732 848323 Servicing the car The service, mentioned in a previous column, has now been carried out. I took the car to PC Cambridge for a standard service, with a couple of additional requests. I find them very flexible when discussing my workshop requirements, including the use of my own oil. I am always happy with their work and would recommend them. To be honest, the main reason for visiting the Centre is to get a dealer stamp in the service book. Everything they did I actually would have been able to complete myself, which is why I have only been there on average every three years! As yet, one job I haven’t done myself is replacing the fuel filter – maybe I’ll do that next time it’s due. Between my servicing, and that of the Centre, there have been many other jobs that have been beyond my capability. When they have come up, I have called upon Charles Marsland, the Carrera 3.2 Technical Advisor. Charles has got me out of trouble a couple of times when something urgent has come up, typically just before going on a European tour! Cornbury House technical seminars In a similar vein, you may be interested to know that there are plans for a series of model-related technical seminars to be held at Clubhouse, commencing in 2017, although, as of now, no date is available for the air-cooled seminar. Numbers of attendees will be limited, but there are plans to video conference the event, enabling live interaction from a remote audience. The fall back position, for those who can’t ‘attend’ on the day, is that there are also plans to professionally record the event, making it possible to view a recording YouTube style. If there is a particular area that you 95 porscheclubgb.com
National Event As you will have read in PP last month, the Club is expanding the 2017 National Event by supporting both a stately home visit and a return to Silverstone. We feel this is a great idea, appealing to more members by giving them the opportunity to attend their preferred style of event or, in some cases, both! A quick thank you… …for your calls and emails again this year. I’m pleased to have heard so warmly from a number of you where my car-related experiences have helped you with your car. It is great to know my missives in PP are useful to you. Sue and I have also thoroughly enjoyed meeting many of our Register members at various Club events during the year, and hope to meet even more next year. We have a potentially busy year in 2017 so have not currently arranged a WOTY. However, we have an idea in the pipeline and will email you if it becomes more concrete. We normally only email our Register members a few times per year, usually regarding the National Event or a WOTY. If you wish to receive these emails, you need to check that the Club has your current email address. To do this, go to the PCGB website and click on ‘My Profile’ on the home page. Whilst checking/updating your email address, to assist the Register, please could you add any car details that may be missing from your records. **Please note: Clubhouse staff and officials can only view this information, other Club members or the public cannot access it** As this issue of PP should be hitting your doormat in late December, may Sue and I take the opportunity to wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy New Year! Steve and Sue
911 Carrera Club Sport Register Secretary Alan Cordery 01798 344481 alan_cordery@yahoo.co.uk
964 Register Secretary David Bladon 07771 194507 – 964@porscheclubgb.com Register Assistant David Moulton-Bark 07775 821715 davidmoultonbark@googlemail.com
‘40 Years at the Front’ Restoration Competition, Body and Paint Winners and Spectators choice 2016 Porsche Restoration Competition Overall Winners 2015
A couple of months back I was intrigued by a post on the Forum about a member who’d copied an idea he found on a US website for stopping wind noise in his Targa when travelling above 50mph. So, I contacted Paul Matthews and we passed a few emails back and forth and more recently had an hour-long chat on the ‘dog and bone’ to enable me to explain a little about what it’s all about. Never having owned a Targa, I’ve had to learn what the roof is all about and where the problem arises. Thinking logically, I suspect that the rush of air over the bonnet and then over the windscreen will cause a low pressure zone immediately after the windscreen and as a result will pull the roof slightly upwards causing it to flex and break contact with the seals – only slightly but enough to increase the wind noise to the detriment of the occupants.
Roof brace in position
The roof can be detached and folded away into a compact space and easily placed under the bonnet. What Paul has done is make a brace that can be easily fixed into position, when the roof is on, and stops any tendency to flex.
It’s seated on the end by using a substance called Sugru, which I must admit I’d never heard of but, according to Paul, is like ‘Play-Doh’, which, when exposed to air, slowly hardens into whatever shape it’s put. This is to make sure that the brace doesn’t scratch the surfaces of the roof frame. Paul Matthews comments: “I chose a 964 because it still has the classic 911 shape and yet has the more modern coil over spring suspension all around with power-assisted steering but is without the large fixed rear spoiler of the earlier models. I bought the car in 2005 and joined the Club the same year. It’s a 1993 C2 in black, is LHD and was imported from Germany in 1999. Registered to Porsche AG for the first 18 months, it has some exclusive extras, such as all leather interior, which is green in colour and a nice contrast to the black exterior. It also has green tinted glass all around except the windscreen where it is just at the top. The registration plate was bought by the previous owner when the DVLA was just starting to sell numbers, and quite suits the car. “It’s used mainly as a weekend car with regular annual trips abroad, especially when the kids were younger. These included road trips through Germany, to the Nürburgring, and France to visit family graves, WW1 battlefields, Normandy beach landings and, of course, Le Mans most years. I’m lucky in that my brother runs one of the hospitality companies and, over the years, has made a large network of contacts in France. He knows Neel Yani (one of the 919 drivers this year) quite well. He gets me pit passes and a couple of years ago we had access to the pit lane at the end of the race and I ended up running behind the 919 as it made its way through the crowds. When it stopped and everyone was crowding round we found ourselves in front of Dr Wolfgang Porsche who was very friendly, chatted to me and even allowed me to take his picture as I wished him congratulations. I won a commendation for that photo when it was published in PP.
Targa brace tip
It’s made from a length of carbon fibre rod, which can be easily bought on the net. At one end is attached a plastic nut with a groove cut into it to snug against the frame.
Nut and Sugru
Paul Matthews’ black C2 Targa
“I know Bob Arnold at RGA Centre, an ‘indy’ in Vauxhall where I often get work done. He told me that he knew of someone who’d had their Targa roof stolen from their parked car. The replacement costs from a Porsche Centre is £13k. Wow! So I’ve been thinking of ways to make mine more secure. Most of us keep the key used for removing it in the glove box, so one thing to do is not keep it in the car. It might also be possible to fix it more securely by using a chain and padlock when parked – that’s my next project. So, if there is anyone who has any ideas regarding that or any questions regarding the roof brace, contact me through the 964@porscheclubgb.com email account and David will forward it on to me. I would also gladly allow any owners who live in the south London area to 97 porscheclubgb.com
trial the brace and see if it helps with their car. It took me an hour to make and I’m a corporate banker, not an engineer, so anyone could make one. I have now tested it up to 110mph before noticing any wind noise.” It’s a very nice looking car Paul, and well done on the brace. I hope other Targa owners will be inspired to make one too. A very merry Christmas and a happy New Year to you all. David
964 Carrera RS Register Secretary Melvin Spear 07860 595355 – 964rs@porscheclubgb.com A random photograph popped up on Facebook recently. It was of Spa in 2005 and featured my 964 Cup and Phil Schyn’s 964 RSR. So what, you may say? Well, this wasn’t the first time they had met!
Mel’s 964 Cup and Phil’s 964 RSR at Spa in 2005
Both cars competed in the 1998 Toyo Tyres Porsche-Ferrari Challenge at Zandvoort, Spa and Hockenheim. Both cars weren’t in the prime of youth, but the racing looked close and exciting with a mix of Ferrari F40s, 355 Challenge cars and Porsche 993 RSs, 964 RSs, 964 RSRs and Cups. The following year was opened up to 935s. I must assume that at about this time, after work from RS Tuning, my car was increased to 300bhp in order to make it more competitive. With two firsts and a second this must have worked! The 993 Hot Film that was fitted then has been slowly breaking down over the last 12 years and has now been replaced with a 964 flap system and remap by Paul McLean at GT Classics in Andover.
Ferrari-Porsche Challenge. Zandvoort 1998. Left is Mel’s Cup, in its yellow and green colour scheme of the time, Phil’s RSR is front right
993 Register Secretary Maurice Piper 993@porscheclubgb.com Register Assistant Christian Sanger 07968503385 cjsanger@gmail.com Let me begin by wishing all 993 owners and drivers the very best for the festive season! It will be in full swing by the time you read this, so sit back with a smile and reflect how wonderful it is to have such a rewarding Porsche as ours. Officials’ Conference Now, some notes on the recent Officials’ Conference. You may have already noticed that the Club is in rude health, with membership climbing to historic levels. Well, the finances look pretty good too, and long-term strategies are in place to improve Clubhouse facilities. Club staff are growing in a properly targeted manner, and relations with Porsche GB and our major sponsors continue to improve. One thing, which gave me renewed heart, was Board level support for technical seminars to be run at Cornbury House. Longer-term owners will remember 993 Register seminars, such as the one covering on-board diagnostics. I gave a presentation on the history and capability of the system, followed by practical hands-on testing a couple of ‘guinea pig’ cars (including mine!) with a laptop and interfaces built from a design published on Rennlist. The then Register Director, Robin Walker, signed off for the circuit boards and component purchases for the interfaces, which I built and tested. These still exist; indeed I fired up the ancient IBM ThinkPad just recently and was surprised to find it still happily booted up. The interface requires a laptop with a serial interface, not often found on modern laptops. Anyway, I ramble, so the point is to remind owners that we have the capability to run these events, and, with the renewed health of our finances, the Club is happy to support them. Now subjects can be narrow focus such as on-board diagnostics, or broad ones like the ‘993 Question Time’ run a year or so later, which had a panel of widely known experts (including Christian) answering a diverse range of questions on topics like oil recommendations, N spec tyre testing and purchasing a 993 etc. We now have a pretty vast set of FAQs, pointers to factory information and technical articles on the 993 Register section of the Club Forum, but a healthy discussion with sometimes differing views can be quite entertaining too! So, do let me know if you have a pet topic we could explore... other Registers are going to catch up first, but we can certainly do something later in 2017. Likewise, if you wish to partake in a grand gathering of 993s, this can be arranged. For instance, Christian and I have both booked the RS day at
Oulton Park on March 10, so there will be at least two 993s on track, and we would welcome a show of strength in support! Or, what about a 993 spring/summer/autumn drive? I live near the Welsh border, so that might be something to organise on proper roads... My car is getting a 20th birthday treat over the winter, so it will be resplendent for the 993 Carrera S 20th anniversary displays I hope to have next year – Silverstone Classic would be rather nice, I think. Speaking of renovations, the North Wales RO Sue Taylor has just got her 993 Carrera 4S back after a comprehensive restoration. Her car’s refresh will be featured in PP when the forthcoming article has been completed in conjunction with the staff at 9M, who completed the work and documented each stage. And, the Stealth speaker upgrade will become a proper feature in order to get a full pictorial spread! Do let me know what you want... Cheers Maurice
993 Carrera RS Register Secretary Paul Howells 01594 833238 993rs@porscheclubgb.com Happy New Year all. Let’s hope it’s a good driving season.
engine. The last corner onto the pit straight is a real ‘bum clencher’ – you’re pulling fifth before you turn in and sixth just after exit. It’s then flat out for a long run down the pit straight to another downhill with very hard braking for turn one, a fourth gear corner. Great fun! 17th annual RS trackday The 17th annual RS trackday at Oulton Park on March 10 sold out in less than 10 days. It’s always a popular day and a great kick-start for the season. I took great pleasure in learning, over dinner at the Officials’ Conference, that I had taken our new chairman out for a few laps around Oulton Park in my 993 RS many years ago and helped to inspire him to get out on track himself, which is great, and part of what the RS trackday is all about. Instead of the 2.8 RSR that I have used for the last few years, I am taking the 993 RSR for an outing again. So, if you want a few passenger laps, just come and ask. I still owe Maurice Piper a few laps – it might need a sick bag though! Silverstone Classic With logistics and time to get parked up etc., it was deemed a bit difficult to organise Register parking for this year but there will be parking for Porsche Club cars. Come down to the new pits and say hello – I will have the 993 RSR out on track. With the GT90 crowd, it’s always guaranteed to be a nice little group of cars; from 964 RSR, 993 RSR, 993 GT2R, McLaren F1 etc. Forever lightweight... Paul
996 RECENT EVENTS Portimao Algarve Classic Just a short report on the Portimao Algarve Classic, from October, where Paul Mclean of GT Classics and myself had fun chasing each other around the circuit in the 993 RSR pair with guest driver Peter Fairburn. I had not driven the RSR in anger for some time and forget how good these cars are. The gearbox is sublime for a ‘H’ pattern box with quick changes allowed. Helped by the triple plate five and a quarter inch clutch, it revs like a motorbike
Register Secretary Andy Willis 07775 138527 996@porscheclubgb.com Magazine interest This past year we’ve had a great deal of interest from the motoring press in relation to the 996 and its ownership. This included requests for members’ cars to participate in photo-shoots for their publications. Alistair Albrecht was the proud owner who responded to one such request from Classic & Sports Car magazine in May. It was a very memorable experience for Alistair and I have attached just two of the many photos that were taken on his day out in the Cotswolds with the publication. With the coming year being the 20th anniversary of the 996, I’m sure there will be a lot more interest from motoring
Portimao Algarve Classic
Maurice’s car awaiting its 20th birthday treat
Portimao Algarve Classic
99 porscheclubgb.com
Alistair Albrecht’s Cotswolds photo-shoot
PORSCHE QUALITY THAT YOU EXPECT YOUR INDEPENDENT PORSCHE SPECIALIST
PIEPERFORMANCE.. T 01787 249924 E INFO@PIEPERFORMANCE.CO.UK WWW.PIEPERFORMANCE.CO.UK UNIT 9, HILL FARM, BRENT ELEIGH, CO10 9PB
RECENT EVENTS
Alistair Albrecht’s Cotswolds photo-shoot
November 2 Aston Martin factory tour It was under a clear blue sky that we gathered in the car park of the new flagship Aston Martin dealership in Bristol. We were soon inside enjoying excellent bacon sandwiches and coffee. Matthew Parham, General Sales Manager, hosted the day and, after breakfast, we had a tour of the showroom. The front half of which houses a large variety of brand new Astons with the rear half housing a selection of immaculately prepared used Astons. We were then taken downstairs to the workshops, full of an eclectic mix of Astons.
journalists in the model, which hopefully should lead to more such requests. 996 technical seminar Plans are going well for this event, which will be held at the Clubhouse on Saturday, April 1. The provisional format of the day will be as follows. With a 10am registration for a 10.30am start the day will include an overview of the 996, any issues and ownership. After lunch there will be breakout sessions before a Q&A session. The proposed panel will consist of Peter Morgan, Steve Winter (owner of Jaz Porsche), Richard Hamilton, a technician from Porsche and myself. The Clubhouse can accommodate about 100 members and it should be a very informative day. We need to know numbers so, if you wish to attend, please look at the events section of the Club website for registration details. Any issues? Please don’t hesitate to contact me via phone or email. If you own, or are looking to purchase a 996, this is the event for you and I look forward to seeing as many of you there as possible. Register members in print Two members have contacted me with a photo of their car to be included in this month’s column. Nick Flowers Nick sent me a photo of his C4S Cabriolet, which he’s had for just over a year. It came with factory hardtop and matching blue seatbelts. I must say it looks great in this colour combination.
had for just over two years. In that time he’s spent a small fortune bringing her up-to-date – with the usual suspects dealt with. A joy to drive and great fun! Inside the immaculate new showroom
A very warm welcome to all new members and please remember, if you would like an image of your 996 (preferably yourself with it) published in this column, then just email me a photo, together with a few words if possible, for inclusion. 996 technical issues Please keep your 996 technical questions coming through via phone or email to Gary Sorrell (gary.sorrell@porschecolchester.co.uk) or me. You can also use the Forum to contact Richard Hamilton. Lastly, 2017 is just around the corner and I would like to wish all members and their families, a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year. I look forward to meeting up at an event soon. Enjoy your 996… Andy
Register members exploring the Gaydon HQ
DIARY DATES JANUARY 12-15 Autosport Racing Car Show NEC JANUARY 21 Dove House Motor Company visit Crown Way, Rushden, Northamptonshire NN10 6BS. JANUARY 23-26 London Classic Car Show APRIL 1 Technical seminar – 996 Cornbury House.
997
Nick Flowers’ C4S Cabriolet
Darren Walker Darren sent me this photo of his early C4, which he’s
Darren’s early C4
We then set off for a highly spirited drive across country to Aston Martin HQ at Gaydon where, after being welcomed, we were ushered into a designer dining room for an excellent buffet lunch. After lunch the 16 couples were split up with the 16 guests taken on a comprehensive tour of the factory. The remaining 16 drivers were split into two further groups, with each group having a chance to both drive and also to have a brief tour of the factory.
Register Secretary Clive Wratten 997@porscheclubgb.com Register Assistant Jonathan Lennard
Ready to go
101 porscheclubgb.com
The factory tour was extremely insightful. Every car produced is truly bespoke, the options amazing and the manufacture individually tailored to the customers’ detailed orders – no mass production here. Some of Aston’s iconic and famous cars were also on display. The driving experience was incredible; the cars we handled included the new DB11, the Vanquish V12 and Rapide S. We went out in pairs (say in a DB11 and Vanquish V12, for example), had a half hour drive in that car, then swapped cars and drove back to HQ. The Aston Martin professional drivers who accompanied us were, as you would expect, experts, knowledgeable and relaxed, and did not mind the use of the right foot! Although we continue to be Porsche enthusiasts through and through we certainly admired the power, noise and the delivery of the Astons. So, after our drives and tours it was time to depart. Everyone without fail had enjoyed a truly unique day.
the middle of the track, far enough ahead for us to stop safely. Still smiling, this marked the end of the session and a great end to George’s first experience on the track. There are lots of people who would love a passenger ride and much better drivers to take them and share the joy.
Spring Tour
This was made possible by the superb team at Aston Martin. Our grateful thanks go to Matthew and staff at Bristol and all the staff at Gaydon for making it such a special day.
Oulton Park, full of smiles
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
FORTHCOMING EVENTS May 5-7 Spring Tour We will be returning to Devon and our base will be the Highbullen Hotel Golf and Country Club in Chittlehamholt – a good quality family-owned Gold Award country house hotel, quietly situated amidst rolling North Devon country with excellent facilities including indoor swimming pool, spa, gymnasium, 18-hole golf course and tennis courts. Designated safe and secure parking has been arranged, which is adjacent to the hotel’s main entrance and luxury rooms are reserved for both Friday and Saturday. We have negotiated a concessionary rate of £369 for the weekend, based on two people sharing to include bed and breakfast, plus pre-dinner drinks and a three-course dinner on Saturday evening. We have some cracking roads for you to enjoy, designed to give both driver and 997 a bit of a workout against a backdrop of wonderful scenery. The driving takes the usual weekend format – a full day’s drive on Saturday interspersed with brief stops and a light lunch, returning to the hotel late afternoon to allow time to relax and enjoy the facilities before the evening festivities. The tour will resume on Sunday with a further half day’s drive and a lunchtime finish, leaving the afternoon free for the homeward journey. Places are limited so email Jonathan and I ASAP to reserve yours or for more details. More information on this event can also be found on our 997 Register pages of the website. 2017 Register calendar Thanks go to Alan Stoneham for organising the 2017 997 Register calendar. Alan received a number of excellent photographs for inclusion so, by now, those of you who placed an order will be enjoying the shots of members’ cars – and some members – looking fabulous! Members’ cars
Marcus Burley’s GTS – stunning in white!
Paul Barlow’s GTS – stunning in Ipanema Blue!
Safe motoring and enjoy your 997s... Clive and Jonathan
991 Register Secretary Phil Graham 01625 524596 991@porscheclubgb.com
February 19 Portmeirion Members of 991 Register are invited to R5’s annual trip to Portmeirion. Similar to previous years, we will meet at the Bison Café on the A5 near Corwen for coffee and a chat before driving the last leg of the journey to the hotel. Sunday night’s dinner, bed and breakfast tariffs will be the same as last year. Hotel rooms, village rooms or rooms in Castell cost £169 per room for double occupancy, including, as always, a £30pp allowance towards the evening meal. Single occupancy is £154 with the same meal allowance. A three-course Sunday lunch including tea and coffee costing £24.95pp will be in the main dining room overlooking the estuary. Bookings to either Phil or Nette Graham by email at: r5porsche.pg@gmail.com or by phone on 01625 524596 / 07941 109613 / 07941 109638.
RECENT EVENTS November 11 Oulton Park After days of heavy rain, the sun shone for the final trackday of 2016. A frosty start and damp conditions provided challenging driving until after lunch when the track was as good as it was going to get. I shared the day with my son Seb driving his Cayman S before venturing out onto the circuit myself in my RS for the first time. It took a few laps for the tyres to warm up and get enough grip to build up some confidence to pace some of the faster drivers but I was always driving well within my capabilities. Seb didn’t need asking twice if he would like a drive and he spent a good few laps getting the feel of the car before being let out with one of the instructors. This experience as a 25-year-old is a memory that will stay with him forever. It is very satisfying to be able to share something as special as this with family and friends. PCGB Media Executive, George Woodward, was there in his official capacity for the Club. He has attended many trackdays in the last couple of years so I was surprised to learn that, other than parade laps, he had not driven or been driven around a circuit. It was another first as he joined me in the RS for a few laps at slightly higher than parade speeds. Allowing the faster cars to pass, we settled down behind a more confident GT3 driver maintaining a safe distance and enjoying some exciting driving for a few laps. George had a great big smile on his face speeding past the pit lane. As we entered Old Hall the GT3 spun out in front of us – after a few seconds of screeching tyres and a couple of 360s his car came to a halt in 102 porscheclubgb.com
Exotic Portmeirion
May 19-21 Weekend in Wales The venue will be the four-star St George’s Hotel in the Victorian seaside resort of Llandudno, which is under an hour away from Saturday’s Anglesey trackday and as close as you can be for Sunday’s Porsches on the Prom. Twenty rooms have been reserved for Friday and Saturday night at an attractive three-course dinner, bed and breakfast package. The cost is £370 for two people or £260 for single occupancy. Upgrades, dependent on availability are available – see website for details. Dinner for both nights is in the Conway suite and details for non-residential members to join us will be sent out nearer the event. For those who can make an early start on Friday, the lunch meet at Corwen will be followed by a 72-mile drive through Snowdonia National Park including a circuit of the ‘Evo Triangle’.
Please call Freephone on 0808 168 6030 or the switchboard on 01492 877544 to make your reservation quoting 10489717 for the Porsche Club. There is no deposit necessary but a credit card is required to guarantee your room. Details for booking the trackday will be announced later in the year.
St George’s Hotel, our Weekend in Wales venue
Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year. Phil DIARY DATES FEBRUARY 19 Portmeirion Sunday lunch and Sunday night stay See previous. Full details are shown on the website.
930 (911 Turbo) Register Secretary John Ward 01844 237508 911turbo@porscheclubgb.com Apologies for a lack of copy last month – I became pre-occupied with other issues, and suddenly it was November 5 – way past copy deadline. Not a great deal to report this month, other than that I attended the Officials’ Conference. There were some really constructive ideas discussed with regard to possible benefits specifically aimed at Register members, including technical workshops. Watch this space. Another matter that was briefly discussed was the question of insurance valuations for PCGB members. It seems that Club Office is now on top of what has, at times, (historically) been a pretty horrendous task, essentially faced alone by Steve Kevlin – I don’t know what he did to deserve that punishment! I’m sure that current market volatility isn’t going to make the task any easier. Please be aware that values can go down as well as up – there are already some classic car ‘investors’ who have reason to regret the choice(s) they have made… and that includes some Porsches. Penny’s piece The east wind doth blow... we have had storm Angus with violent winds and rain, and now the wind has come back, but not as yet named. Fortunately, in this part of the world we do not get snow very often and, at the moment, the nasturtiums, along with one or two geraniums, are still flowering. It still feels jolly cold and I have foregone my walk on the beach with John and the dog so I can write this. There’s dedication for you. We have lit the wood burner and the house is warming up nicely. This year, despite the fact that ‘winter is coming’, two of the three Porsches are still on the drive. Builders have the use of the garage that John borrowed last year and, as he is very loath to let his babies stray too far from
home, there they sit, tucked up in their fitted all weather covers. They’re polished, petted, started up and run every so often in order to circulate the vital fluids. Hopefully (!) no mice are nibbling at parts and nesting under the boot, trunk, hood, bonnet or whatever – that was the fate of the Volvo left sitting for too long last year – the mice had a lovely time and made a very cosy home in the wiring loom. Fortunately a very efficient Polish mechanic in Plymouth was able to fix it, but we’d rather not have to revisit him with a Porsche. John is hoping that the builders next door will soon be finished so that he can revert to his previous arrangement. I did suggest that it might help if he sold a car (instead of looking for another one to buy), but that fell on deaf ears, as do so many of my brilliant suggestions! Failing that, I have been trying to get John to sort out his two thirds of the garage so that it could accommodate the two cars it was designed for, but as yet no joy. The other Porsche is parked in such a way as to take up all the available floor space. I have to limbo around it to get at anything. Usually when John cries “Do you know where ***** is?” – insert almost any word you like – I am sure to have put it somewhere he can’t find it. My third of the garage is sorted – utility and tidy storage. John did help by ordering the shelves for it, but there is still too much stuff. True, many of the boxes of model Porsches and sundry other cars have been unpacked and now reside on top of the bookcase in the sitting room. My grandsons look at them in amazement: “John’s got another speedy car.” “Why do you need all those cars John?” questions the elder of the two (my thoughts exactly), whilst the little one solemnly declares, albeit a little sadly, “John’s cars; just to look at, not to play with”. Maybe, when they are older, they will be allowed to touch and wipe the dust off them, but I expect when they are deemed old enough they will have lost interest and want to drive the real thing. No chance then! Still, maybe next year it will all be sorted, or perhaps he will win the lottery and buy us a big house somewhere nearby with a barn that he can fill with stuff… then what will I write about? May 2017 be good to us all. John and Penny
914 Register Secretary Kevin Clarke 07946 080454 – 914@porscheclubgb.com Assistant Rob Taylor 07900 164546 – rt9146@hotmail.co.uk International Events Co-ordinator Bruce Manning 07887 380914 porsche@brucemanning.co.uk
Brooklands Breakfast Meeting
104 porscheclubgb.com
One year on It is all most a year since I was in a café, early one January Sunday morning having breakfast with Brian McDonnell and Kate Maynard. While we were enjoying breakfast, Brian mentioned that most Sundays he and Kate would go for an early morning drive in their 914 stopping at various locations for breakfast. This got us all thinking that, once a month, we could have a 914 meet up and drive to various locations for breakfast. The ‘914 brunch runs’ were born and have evolved into a monthly run/get-together for breakfast, lunch or a picnic at a variety of locations from Worcestershire to the south coast since the first one in March. Many 914 owners have come forward and organised one of them throughout the year. We have tried to keep them all simple – a route and venue where we follow one another, snaking our way in a 914 convoy, while others have chosen to meet the group at the venue. I would like to say a very big thank you to all those that have organised a 914 monthly event and the 914 owners that have supported the events, as, without your support as a 914 owner, they would have fizzled out. In 2017 these will be continuing and we have a few ideas and commitments from one or two owners for events to enable them to carry on throughout another year. If you have an idea for one of these monthly events or have enjoyed taking part and would like to give something back by organising a future one, please get in touch. In February we are having a stopover in the Midlands to visit Coventry Transport Museum with a visit to the Race Retro Show the next day. Later on in the year is a run in Cambridgeshire, a Welsh 914 weekender and our annual run to the seaside for fish and chips and a paddle in the sea. These are just some of the planned 914 events to attend and enjoy with other 914 owners in 2017. RECENT EVENTS Brooklands Breakfast Meeting At the end of October, a week after our run to Arundel, a few 914 owners met up at the Brooklands Breakfast Meet. It gave us a chance to catch up on the Museum’s progress of putting up a new building, the ‘Flight Shed’, and relocating the Wellington hangar (a 1940 Bellman re-locatable hangar put up many years ago for aircraft production) off the racetrack to in front of the new Flight Shed, thus freeing up the finishing straight. In the Jackson Shed there is a McLaren F1 simulator and, keen to have a go, Brian McDonnell made very good timing. Brian challenged me to beat his time, which I did by a second or so! All good fun! The 914 Register will be back at Brooklands for their New Year’s Day Classic Gathering – a great way to kick off 2017. Hope to see you there! NEC Classic Car Show Many 914 owners attended the three-day show. Two Register members’ 914s were on display – Paul
Chare’s Signal Orange 1.7 on the PCGB stand and David Watson’s Zambezi Green 1.8 on the TIPEC stand. It was interesting to see the 914s being admired by members of the public attending the show and hearing the many exclamations of “Wow, look, a 914”. On Saturday evening a group of 11 914ers headed to Ladypool Road to enjoy a Balti curry at Al Frash.
I would like to wish you all a happy Christmas and all the best for 2017. Looking forward to seeing you all in the New Year and hearing all about the fun you have been having restoring/driving the 914. And, don’t forget the Christmas present for your loved one… the 914. Happy Fourteening… Kevin
DIARY DATES
Paul Chare’s Signal Orange 1.7 on the PCGB Stand
914ers enjoying a curry at Al Frash
JANUARY 1 Brooklands Museum New Year’s Day Classic Gathering Just turn up on the day, get parked up by the marshals and enjoy the museum with hundreds of other classic car owners. FEBRUARY 25-26 Weekend away in the Midlands Visit to Coventry Transport Museum and Race Retro. Contact Kevin for more information. MARCH 11-12 VW Show Ninove, Belgium Leave Saturday morning and return Sunday evening. Contact Kevin for more information. APRIL 30 Stanford Hall VW Show As in previous years, I have booked a 914 Register display at this very popular show. Please let me know if you would like to display your 914.
924 except GT
7 Hotel & Diner For the November monthly get-together we went back to basics and met up for breakfast at the 7 Hotel & Diner, an American diner in Halstead, Kent. Some went for the American while others had the full English. A nice venue, which I’m sure we will be going back to again sometime in the future. Enjoying breakfast American or English style at 7 Hotel & Diner
Register Secretary Paul Hedges 07940 441452 (6-10pm) 924@porscheclubgb.com November has been a long and busy month for me, with the 924 acting as first car while my partner’s car was out of action; it must have been its busiest month for mileage for five years or more. It started with the Officials’ Conference on the first weekend where the most relevant Register news is a planned technical seminar at Cornbury House for transaxle models, so stay tuned for that. I have been looking at many small projects revolving around the 924 since. As I write, nighttime temperatures have dropped as low as -5ºC and the car powers on, once the windscreen has defrosted that is... My car As mentioned last month, I have now fitted a new handbrake switch and the bonnet struts to HTT. The former was easy enough to fix, I just needed to borrow 105 porscheclubgb.com
On the ramp at Kwik Fit
Photo by Paul Hedges
David Watson and his Zambezi Green 1.8 on the TIPEC stand
an electrical cable crimper and buy small crimp connectors from Halfords (HEF122, two-amp female spade connectors £1.69). The struts were more of a handful, removing the old Stabilus Lift-O-Mat items was simple enough, but the new SAGlo struts needed slightly compressing to get them onto the car. I had been advised to use a trouser belt, wire, or a ratchet strap to do this, but ended up using a mix of cable ties and Blu-Tack! These struts have 270Nm of force, so I had to push down with my full body weight then zip up the cable ties, whilst ensuring the loose end was stuck down in place before releasing the pressure to take the force. The cable ties have to be quite beefy and appropriate hand and eye protection are advised, but it did the trick for me. Not having working struts brings home just how heavy the bonnet is. A long-standing issue on my car (and others it seems) has been a broken door-strap bolt on the driver’s door pillar. One bolt head has sheared and the other just spins. I have been advised, on the Forum, that the captive nut/s on the closed-in side has/have escaped and there is no easy way to access it/them. It may be quite drastic, but as the driver’s side front wing will need some work, it could be that the wing may have to be removed to access them. I will be offering an update in the next few months. In the same area of the car, a faulty driver’s interior light switch seems to have benefited from removal, cleaning and reinstallation. I have been tempted by LED interior lighting upgrades and, while I am a purist at heart, I have no problem with a product that offers an improvement, both in terms of lighting and power efficiency (I assume). I haven’t yet found a small LED glove box unit, and a trip to both my local Halfords and Motor Serv proved fruitless for the interior units. Next stop would seem to be logging on to design911.co.uk who offer units for around £15 (less if you register with them for PCGB discount). If you have upgraded the lights in your own car drop me a note with details – and the same applies to the next subject. I bought a Ring RBGDC50 Compact HD dash camera from Screwfix for £39.99 as a starter unit. I tidied up the wiring, plugged it in, set it up and started to use it. The 924 has a continuous supply to the cigar lighter socket so needs unplugging every time you get out of the car. I came up with a tidy system to simplify the use of it and all the other equipment that gets used in the car, using a three socket extension to the glove box and routing the wiring next to the hinge so it can be closed. When my car last had an oil change it had Quantum Synta 10W-40 Semi Synthetic put in as it comes recommended from Trefor who had a major role in my car’s restoration to the road. I picked up a five-litre bottle for £10.79 including VAT from TPS Milton Keynes, a VW subsidiary for VW, Audi, Seat and Skoda. Lastly, but by no means least, I want to give my local Kwik Fit garage a big thumbs up. I had an exhaust gas leak from the central joint and the Wolverton branch was able to see me immediately on November 29.
Photo by Paul Hedges
Technician adjusting the exhaust
Pedro Diogo’s 928 – one of only 20 pre-production models from 1977
Whilst the car was on the ramp, the mechanic showed real enthusiasm for the car and fixed the leak. When I went back to reception to pay they declined to take my money. Many thanks. Remanufactured parts #5 Each month I feature a part that is featured for each model of 924 (as well as other models they apply to). Its inclusion here is not a guarantee of availability or suitability for your car. Your local Porsche Centre will be able to guide you in these respects. Remember you can find the full list on the PCGB 924 Forum – don’t forget to have your membership card handy and ask for PCGB discount! Brake pad repair kit: 92835295102 – 928 (1978-1986), 924 (1976-1985) Distributor rotor: 93160290600 – 924 Turbo (1981-1985), 924 GT (1981-1985) Floating frame: 94435142900 (left) 94435143000 (right) – 924 S (1986-1988), 944 (1984-1989) More next month... Paul
930 Turbo SE Register Secretary Robert Day 07786 396925 (evenings) slantnose@porscheclubgb.com
924 Carrera GT Register Secretary Ricky Caesar 07796 935550 924carreragt@porscheclubgb.com
928
You are sure to find pictures of a red 928 taking pride of place on the Porsche stand. (Make a mental note of the red car with white leather interior*.) You might also find pictures elsewhere of a much younger Jeremy Clarkson casually leaning against another 928 somewhat later; but that’s another story. As a further diversion you might also like to look over the website: wheelsage.org/porsche/928/tuning and be surprised at the variety of left-hand drive variations that have been recorded, in full colour pictures, since that time. They still look new today! However, the story here and now is of a certain red 928 that took part in that launch. The owner is Pedro Diogo in Portugal. Here is the history of his car as he tells it: “Porsche built 20 928 pre-production models for the press presentation in the south of France in February 1977, and for the world premiere at the Geneva Salon in March 1977. “Chassis 928 810 0030 was the one made to be on display at the Salon. It had white phone dial wheels and a white engine intake – the production cars were silver in these parts. The interior was all white leather (even the roof headlining) with ‘Pascha’ seat inserts. The window frames/trim were stainless steel, not matt black like in the production cars, and the sill covers were plain black trim without the 928 lettering. The rest is almost like a 1977/78 ‘regular’ 928. “After the Salon it went to the factory to have a new interior fitted by ‘special request’. This special request was allegedly by Ferry himself. Ferry’s previous 356 and 901 were all red and there are three photos – one with the 356, one with the 901 and one with the 928 – with Ferry always in the same pose; sitting on the hood/bonnet. The car now had special (and unique) electric Recaro seats fitted and the white leather of the dashboard was painted black. When still at the factory service department, four holes, two in the dash and two in the door cards, were made for ‘stereo tests’. The car stayed there until 1979, when it was finally sold to a Czechoslovak from Prague with businesses in Switzerland.
The 928’s interior, note the unique Recaro seats
“In 1981 the Czech sold it to a Portuguese business partner in Switzerland who used the 928 for trips between Portugal and Switzerland. “The last of these trips was in the mid-’90s when it was locked in a garage until the end of 2014 with 125,000km on the clock. “This is when I bought the car and have been gently restoring since. I do not intend an extreme restoration, I prefer to maintain the patina of 40 years.” If anybody has any information on this car, or others from that time, Pedro would like to know. What did happen to the other 19 cars for instance? * We hope you made the connection that the red car at the show was almost certainly the same one now owned by Pedro! Oulton Park trackday If you want to know how my second session went in November 2016 after my first one in 2015, then just click on the ‘Resources’ section and follow the link on the 928 Register page of the Club website. Here is the picture of Graham Saul’s bright yellow 928 GTS with the huge exhaust roar! It’s not exactly suitable for local road use, but lots of fun – so enjoy it Graham!
Register Secretary David Hemmings 07768 983743 928@porscheclubgb.com Assistant Register Secretary Andrew Brierley 01204 491573 brierley28@virginmedia.com The year of 1977 It was 40 years ago that Porsche launched the 928 at the Geneva Salon/Motor Show in Switzerland. If you follow the link at 928classics.com you will go straight to the heart of that show.
Ferry Porsche takes up his ‘position’ on ‘his’ car
106 porscheclubgb.com
The 928 GTS now belonging to Graham Saul (R) behind the pits at Oulton Park, with Chris Clark the recently retired Motorsport Director
are getting. Do you remove the wheel arch liners and treat behind them every year? Do you treat the inside of the sills and, if so, with what rust preventer? Do you get the car in the air and strip off any damaged underseal, treat corrosion and re-seal it all? What brought this to my mind, as well as the fact that you can actually see older cars rust before your eyes down here, was an enquiry I had this month from a member concerned about some corrosion in his sills. I replied that they looked very good from the pictures and needed no more than the application of a corrosion inhibitor on a regular basis. The one I’ve been recommending, based on comments from other 944 owners, is Bilt Hamber’s Dynax S50. Rather than just run this old answer out repeatedly, it would be great to get more comprehensive feedback from you all based on your own experiences. We copied Jon Mitchell, the 944 technical advisor, in on the conversation and he added a really interesting thought about the benefits of looking after the original metalwork. We all know that full replacement sills are available from Porsche, and now there are some nice looking aftermarket panels coming on the market (see the Forum for more details and people’s experience of fitting them), but Jon pointed out that, no matter how good the replacement, there will be weak points at the new welds and, therefore, even genuine Porsche panels won’t last as long as the originals, when the whole shell was dipped and painted as one. This did reinforce my own belief that prevention is better than cure: I just wish I’d thought about it years ago instead of now! I look forward to your feedback, and hopefully we can put together a comprehensive how-to guide on looking after the cars now they’re a minimum of 25 years old.
Just a few of the racing cars from the history of Formula 1
968 Members’ banking – the scale of the banking has to be experienced, to understand the size and height!
928 40th anniversary at Brooklands Museum of Transport Brooklands, our choice of venue for the celebration, is now only five months away. Visit their website to see the latest progress on their £3 million expenditure of Lottery funding, due to be completed just before we arrive. Join in the fun of taking your car onto the members’ banking for a historical picture of, what we hope will be, well over 100 cars. General parking is free, and will be specially organised into model groups, so do give your car that extra polish this winter and meet with us during this bank holiday weekend. Admission is £11 per adult, £10 for seniors and £6 for children over six but production of your membership card will reduce the cost by £1 each. Food will be available over lunchtime along with a special presentation by two people closely involved with the car in the UK during the time when the car was in current production. Details will be supplied nearer the time and updates will be sent by MailChimp, as well as appearing on the 928 section of the Club website. We will shortly be asking you to reserve a place in advance. The parking in model groups is one of the keys to your enjoyment, but it will need masterful planning to work easily on the day. We might even group colours together as well. Already booked are the services of Steve Mummery (ex-Editor of PP), a specialist in Porsche photography, so we want to achieve maximum effect on the day. Anybody know how to guarantee the sunshine? The clue is in the date I guess. David
944 Register Secretary Paul McNulty 07971 832780 944@porscheclubgb.com Assistant Register Secretary Andy Watson 07920 589750 (6pm-9pm Mon-Fri and 9am-6pm weekends) andywatson6419@yahoo.co.uk Technical Advisor Jon Mitchell technical@jmgporsche.co.uk 01202 488800 (during normal working hours) Merry Christmas This copy of PP should arrive around Christmas time, so may I wish you all a very happy Christmas and New Year. Bodywork protection I’ve managed, after the car being laid up for most of 2015, to rack up some seven thousand miles in my S2 this year. One thing that it’s done is thrown up a list of jobs needing attention, including the ongoing protection of the car’s bodywork. With the car living outside in the salty air of Cornwall, this is more of a worry for me than in previous years. I’d welcome your stories and experiences of how you are treating minor rust; what products you are using, how you’re applying them and the results you 108 porscheclubgb.com
Register Secretary Ken Coad 01923 262960 968@porscheclubgb.com Assistant Register Secretary Richard Warburton richard@rwarburton.com Technical Advisor Alex Eacock 01213 282225 Hello Register members A happy New Year to 968 owners, and a warm welcome to new Register members. Officials’ Conference I represented our Register at the PCGB Officials’ Conference in November and can report the Board is a ‘listening Board’; they have reacted to ideas from members and plan to introduce technical seminars at Cornbury House, including one for transaxles – 924s, 944s and 968s. The Club is returning to Silverstone Classic in July – I’ve just booked tickets for the Saturday and Sunday at a cost of £111 for the car and two of us. That’s expensive in my book but, being a PCGB member, does include a saving. In September the Club is also planning an event at Ragley Hall, a stately home in Warwickshire, with Register parking similar in concept to Register Rendezvous. Register events for the year We need to plan Register visits this year but I require your support and ideas of where and when you would like to meet up. It’s important you have your say, as we
have not been getting much in the way of commitment. I especially need your help as organising an event takes time and we need numbers to justify the effort. We could consider joining in with the next Bicester event – there’s lots going on and the new venue near Oxford is fairly central. Let’s have your ideas please… My revitalised 968 By the time you read this, my re-sprayed 968 should be back on the road (I hope) – brand new again and in Concours condition. I look forward to driving it but will be avoiding any salt covered roads if possible. I hope the winter does not bring snow or icy conditions. With luck, Brooklands on New Years Day should be something to look forward to. Get there early if you plan to go. I am sorting out my garage and plan to sell off two 968 black Brembo front disc brake calipers at £300 the pair plus a left-hand nearside headlight and bracket etc. for £160 plus postage and packing, and whatever else I might find.
Ken Coad’s 968 having a bare metal respray
Looking back over the year… …we have seen more sunny days than ever. It is said that with climate change it’s getting warmer – good news, we can enjoy our cars more with less rain about. Brexit has opportunities, we are told, but I’m not sure when you read about possible exclusion areas where classics cannot be used in Europe – Paris for example. Will the EU get involved? Will old cars be restricted? I hope not! Then there’s ethanol in pump fuel – 5% in the UK. Let’s keep it that way. Be wary about continental Europe where 10% is more like the norm. My suggestion is – buy the highest octane. Meanwhile, expect to see our cars’ values rise and don’t forget to pass on your car’s valuation to the insurance company and, remember, the PCGB office actually does valuations based on photos and the car’s history – Steve Kevlin and our Register Director, Albert Walsh, are your men to see. My plan is to use my 968 and enjoy the driving pleasure. Next month I’ll update you on my driving experiences in newer Porsches at Silverstone. It should be fun… PDK of course...
Here we are going into 2017 and I am sure a lot of you are waiting to get your pride and joy ready for another year’s motoring. Possibly, like me, you have also started to fill your diaries with all the events coming up over the next 12 months with both Registers and Regions and not forgetting the main Club run events. Already Cliff and I have an event booked for every month of this coming year and will certainly be spoiled for choice. Let me remind you that, with the Club being so healthy and growing in numbers, if you do wish to attend an event then do show your interest and book it sooner rather than later as many events fill up very quickly. We also have this year’s Boxster 20th anniversary events to attend and, although the WOTY is fully booked, we still have other events available. Please see the events diary.
Register Secretary Tracy Wilkins 01992 450740 boxster@porscheclubgb.com Assistant Secretary Cliff Wilkins Contact details as above Technical Advisor Steve Winter steve@jazweb.co.uk Nick Pike 01189 473925 (evenings and weekends)
Tim and Sheila Bright’s 981 GTS
TECHNICAL Q&A As there have been no queries for Steve this month, he has put together a list of tips to keep us safe over the coming months. This is especially helpful for those of us who use his or her car throughout the winter months. 1. Have a good check of your tyres inside and out. They often wear unevenly, so check the full width of the tread. You need at least 1.6mm, but remember if they are low now they will be even lower in 2,000 miles – so think ahead. 2. Check screen wash concentration. If you have been topping up with plain water over the summer it is likely to freeze in the winter and can split the bottle/ pipework. Maybe top it up with neat screen washer fluid now in readiness. 3. Coolant concentration is obviously important. 4. If going on a long journey, take a blanket, can of fuel and water just in case you do ever get stuck in the snow. 5. Please remember not to lower the roof on your 986 Boxster when it is cold, it will split the rear window. I did it on our old car once myself so have first-hand experience! 6. Do not lower the windows first thing in the morning when it is really cold. Frost makes the glass stick to all the rubbers and if you try to lower them it will break the window linkage cable. In fact, you even need to be careful when opening the door as the glass drops four millimetres in normal conditions to allow the door to open and if the window is frozen it can crack. De-icer or tepid/warm (not hot) water is the answer.
Damian Nightingale and his 987 S
Norman Poole’s 986
Out with the old and in with the new Following on with the silver theme, new Club member Andy Nattrass has recently sold his superb 987 for a beautiful 981 S in Rhodium Silver. Enjoy the car Andy.
Thanks for those tips Steve. Also, don’t forget to have your roof reproofed, if you haven’t already done so, and be sure to have good sealant or wax applied to protect your paintwork from the elements. Out with the old
Ken
Boxster
the Boxster Register. Welcome to you all and I hope to meet you at an event over the coming year. As the saying goes, you can have any colour you like as long as it’s ‘silver’!
Breakfast meet We are planning an anniversary Boxster breakfast meet on Sunday, February 26. I am awaiting confirmation from the hosts and, as soon as the venue is confirmed, I will post details on the Forum and our website page (porscheclubgb.com/boxster). Do watch out for this so as not to miss out. Dove House Motor Company We still have a few places remaining for the Dove House visit on Saturday, January 21. Details can be found in last month’s Porsche Post or under January events in the Boxster Register section of the website. New year, new members Over the last few months I have received some great photos from members old and new who have joined 109 porscheclubgb.com
In with the new
That just leaves us all on the Boxster team to wish you a happy New Year. Here’s to 2017. Happy Boxstering... Tracy
HENDON WAY MOTORS ESTABLISHED IN 1952
1998 PORSCHE 993 TURBO S - SPEED YELLOW - 61K MILES
FOR COLLECTORS OF MODERN ART
PORSCHE 993 TURBO COUPE - 1995
PORSCHE 997 GT3 RS 4.0 LTR - 2011
PORSCHE 996 GT3 COUPE - 2003
PORSCHE 991 TURBO S CABRIOLET - 2015
See all of our cars at www.hendonwaymotors.com 393–395 Hendon Way, London NW4 3LP
tel +44(0)20 82028011 fax +44(0)20 82028013
DIARY DATES
Panamera
JANUARY 21 Visit to Dove House Motor Company FEBRUARY 26 Anniversary breakfast meet
Cayman Register Secretary Kevan Sutherns 07733 318671 cayman@porscheclubgb.com First of all let me wish all of you a happy New Year, undoubtedly the first to send this as I write this approximately a month in advance of the distribution date. During the forthcoming year there are changes expected to take place in the Club – some of it being in the way models are to be configured to Registers. Quite what this will mean to our Register is unclear. While some Registers, such as ours and the Boxster Register, cover several generations and share platforms, which could be a reason for a combination of the two, other Registers and how they may be changed remains to be seen since there will be a difficulties caused due to specialised or niche versions within the models’ Register ‘umbrella’. Ours covers the base and S versions for each generation; 987.1S Sport, 987.2R, 981 GTS and GT4, plus, latterly, the 718. Some of the earlier Registers cover just one variant and I know that some members would like their variant to be in a Register of its own. Some of you will have seen the breakdown on Caymans by year and generation I recently did on the Forum – I found it interesting to note that the Cayman 987.1 has the greatest number in our Register for any one generation. Looking at the new membership growth, it has been apparent that many of the newcomers are coming into the marque by virtue of the earlier models, with some having astonishingly low mileage. But, all owners, judging from the phone calls I receive, are just as keen on their Cayman as those who call me to say how terrific their GTS or GT4 is compared to often higher powered vehicles. Some have come from RS and GT3 versions of the 911 but are bowled over by their Cayman. The fact is, whatever Cayman you drive is for your own reasons; be it what you can afford, whether you seldom get opportunity to drive it at speed or that you’re one of those who track it and keep it locked away the rest of the time. I would urge you to take an active interest in the running of the Club by attending meetings, open days at Cornbury House etc. and get to know how the Club can best benefit you in your requirements. The unpaid voluntary Club officers and also the full time staff based at Cornbury House are there to help the membership, and are keen to do so. If you are looking for a specialist to work on your car then a good place to start is by talking to your RO who may well have his or her own preferred specialists. Alternatively, become active on the Forum even if it’s only to ask for opinions. Please note, we are not allowed to name and shame on the Forum, only to say someone is there and we have had good experience of them, but it’s something. Enjoy your Caymans… Kevan
Register Secretary Steve McPherson 07831 346060 panamera@porscheclubgb.com
GT3 Register Secretary Alex Drobik 01628 620702 gt3@porscheclubgb.com
Speedster Register Secretary James Kirk 01252 710479/715185 speedster@porscheclubgb.com
only thing missing is the platinum! Also not found were the expected aero-fins (now a future innovation or an abandoned project?). It has been suggested that this Platinum Limited Edition (styling and features) is a progressive and positive development-step towards the eagerly awaited all new ‘next generation’ models for production and marketing in 2018. Future models will likely incorporate most of the above new features and upgrades, as either part of the standard package, or as optional ‘extras’. A novel gift idea It may not only be the festive season that heralds the arrival of the gift of a new vehicle – there are occasions like a specific birthday, retirement or special anniversary that also spring to mind. A novel idea though comes from Richard Beet whose wife Anje was to take her driving test. Her incentive and reward for passing? The present of a ‘new-to-them’ shiny black 955 Cayenne! Glad to say all successfully achieved and received – very well done! Already, their Cayenne promotes the virtues and practicalities of a SUV for the family – well loaded and shown below at Mapledurham Porsche Club meet earlier in the year. Anje with her ‘new’ car
Cayenne Register Secretary Geoff Budd 01305 889280 cayenne@porscheclubgb.com The present and for the future Doubtless, many of you will have been very pleased to have received thoughtful ‘Porsche-related’ gifts from Santa’s sack this year – both personal and vehicle related. However, there is a present that would have been far too heavy for the sleigh to carry for one lucky recipient – the new upgraded 2017 Cayenne Platinum Limited Edition Diesel! This delightful Christmas addition though cannot yet be unwrapped; the gift label is showing a June 2017 delivery date – but it is something to look forward to. It could well be that it is the impressive array of extra features ordered in the build that has lengthened this forecasted timescale – the special limited production model is certainly offering a wide choice for optional personal preferences. The Platinum Edition can be recognised by its flared, wider wheel arches accommodating the RS Spyder 20-inch alloys – with the vehicle’s front profile ‘less sharp’. The exterior offers a detailed, glossy paint finish from a choice of eight ‘model specific’ colours with some being rather unusual to say the least. There is heated electric Alcantara leather sports seating, which, like the carpeting, is embossed with the Porsche crest – all seen behind privacy glass – with tinted mirrors too. There is ‘park-assist’ – both visual and audio – which is complemented by surround graphics. The usual array of standard fitments is upgraded with a Bi-Xeon headlight system. Connect Plus supports the info-tainment, audio sat nav, system with a seven-inch touch-screen display, plus wi-fi. Bose® provides the entertainment pack. The dashboard has a striking (visually) analogue clock. The front sills are adorned with a plate showing the model name. Doubtless there are additions and other combinations to consider for personal preferences – including a more expensive S E-Hybrid drive-train version – but an impressive list no less. Maybe the 111 porscheclubgb.com
You certainly cannot get all that in a 911!
Enjoy your New Year winter motoring. Happy times... Geoff
Porsche Tractor Register Secretary John Hearn 01206 210553 or 01206 793536 (W)
Modified Register Secretary Desmond Sturdee 07768 814264 (9am-9pm) modified@porscheclubgb.com Technical Advisor Ian Heward ian@porscheshop.co.uk Register Assistant Ralph Forster modpor@icloud.com Hi Modifiers. I hope you are well and enjoying your modified Porsche. The SEMA Car Show in Las Vegas, which I attended a couple of weeks back is, dare I say, something very different. Celebrating 50 years of SEMA was a huge occasion with every gear-head appetite catered for; from early street rods to the latest offerings from all the manufacturers, with every accessory on show. So, on to the modified Porsches at the show. Magnus Walker was there with several of his R Gruppe 911s in different finishes – from Concours to ‘street rat’. He was on the Mobil Booth signing posters and chatting Porsche. We spent a little time together and exchanged our views on Modified 911s. He was very happy when I presented him with a Register sticker. Keep on modifying Magnus. As well as Magnus there were plenty of other modified Porsches – from early 356 to the latest 991 – all expertly done with great attention to detail. There was a Cayman S with a Cleveland Ford 5.0 V8 churning out 420bhp. Don’t think Ralph would approve. Feast your eyes on the photos of the Speedster creation on a 964 platform in Irish Green with 380bhp and surfboard. Happy Modifying… Des, Ralph and Ian
A Speedster creation at the SEMA Car Show
Display
Macan
Register Secretary Mac and Sue McLeod 01253 592755 – display@porscheclubgb.com This month has gone by with some speed – we have been busy with all manner of stuff. Some of you may be aware that we have resigned as AROs of R18 after some dozen years. It has freed up a lot of time and, suddenly, it is filled with other things that we have been neglecting without realising it. As yet, we have not exactly got the full deal on the 50th anniversary of the Targa display at Silverstone, however, we are going to start lining them up in the New Year. We have one ourselves of course but, as you can see by the picture, it has a twin and, to be honest, the twin is in better nick than ours. So, as long as its owner wants to play, it will be there. The 991 in the picture is just so that minds are focused on the fact that Targas are still the business.
Register Secretary Mike Allen 07976697070 macan@porscheclubgb.com Happy New Year! Where did 2016 disappear to? I’m sure, as I get older, the days go by even quicker! Writing these columns seems to be almost every other week, too. As I write this, at the end of November, it’s good to reflect back on a busy Macan-ing year – nearly 23,000 miles on my clock in 12 months – almost due a new one! We’ve held a successful workshop visit at PC Solihull, had a good line-up of Macans at the Silverstone Classic and had another well-attended BBQ in the Brecon Beacons. Plans are in place for a trip to the Champagne region of France in the summer and, if there is enough support, I expect to arrange another workshop visit, maybe this time to a Porsche Centre further south? Meanwhile, the Macan Register now has over 50 members and counting. So, all the best for 2017 and I hope to see you at one or more of the Register/Club events throughout the coming year. Factory collect I am reminded about the option of collecting your new Macan from the factory at Leipzig.
A pair of Grand Prix White 3.2 Supersport Targas at Althorp 2015
My first Macan in the 918 delivery suite at Leipzig, April 2014
A 2015 991 Targa in the Trough of Bowland
If you have one, are planning to attend Silverstone and would like a nice place to park, please give us a nod. If you have a Targa and are not actually on the Display Register, we will still be happy to include you and your car. The other thing is to book early for that event – you can get a Club (two for one) discount for infield parking. If you have never been before, try to make it – we have been going for many years and never tire of the fun to be had. Christmas is upon us and we have had so many parties and lunches to attend that we have had to be picky, which is a shame, as we would like to have been at them all. Salt on the roads keeps all but one of our cars off them. It is as salt proof as possible but still needs the odd pressure wash now and again. The last wash turned our drive into an ice rink – it slopes slightly so we could have had a winter sport drive with the handbrake on. We would like to thank all of you who have responded to requests for cars this year and hope you had fun on your various trips out. Also we would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year.
Russ Gould emailed me to say that he was looking forward to collecting his Macan GTS in early December. Between October and early April German law dictates that winter tyres are mandatory so, whether you wanted all-season tyres or not, you’ll have to spec for them for a winter collection. I know they have a lot colder and snowier winters than we do but just seeing the extreme difference in stopping distances in the wet with winter tyres would be enough to convince most to change their tyres along with the seasons! We look forward to hearing Russ’ report on his factory-collect experience and hope that others are tempted to do likewise, perhaps? Another GTS Robert Bax is delighted with his new, highly-spec’ed GTS, which looks stunning in Mahogany – a rare colour. When he picked it up from PC Portsmouth he was presented with a coveted showroom picture of his
Bob Bax’s Mahogany GTS
Mac and Sue 112 porscheclubgb.com
racing hero Derek Bell, along with a 2016 Le Mans victory T-shirt. Bob doesn’t miss his 997 Gen 2 Turbo as he says his Macan, while being an SUV, drives like a sports car, and as a Porsche should! The Macan petrol-powered GTS/Turbo models are proving a popular choice amongst new members – I have been contacted by no less than four purchasers in the last couple of weeks including Simon GoodyearCox, Geoff Barnes and Nigel Simon. June 27 – July 2 Champagne trip Please email me if you haven’t already done so to obtain details and book your place on our Euro-tour. I need to confirm the hotel rooms by January 31 at the latest. We will travel by Eurotunnel on Tuesday, June 27 and return on Sunday, July 2. We will be staying at Bergères lès Vertus some 17 miles south of Epernay for three nights, taking in a trip to Champagne Jeepers as well as an exclusive visit to one of the top Champagne houses in the area, where we will have lunch before touring their establishment – with of course a chance to taste and purchase. We then move on for a two-night stop at GudmontVilliers where we will enjoy the local roads in the Haute-Marne/Vosges area before heading back to the tunnel. We are limited to a group of 10 cars and several members have already reserved places so, if you would like to be included, please email ASAP to book your place. Both hotels have been tried and tested and we can report that in particular the culinary delights are first rate. I will run a reserve list should the trip be oversubscribed, just in case of any future cancellations.
Diesel Macan recall – reprogramming DME control unit As mentioned in December’s PP, I took my Macan to my local Porsche Centre for the above recall six weeks ago. Subsequently, I noticed that the TPM indicated that I’d lost pressure on the offside rear tyre. I inflated it back to the correct reading and visited my local tyre supplier who found the remains of a very thin metal washer that had cut into the centre of the tread. Fortunately, he was able to fix it. Having had numerous punctures in recent years in both Cayennes and Macans (driving on building sites is often the cause) I was used to being made aware of lost pressure in a tyre by the ping of a warning light appearing in the middle of the instrument panel and remaining on until rectified. If the TPM had not been my default setting on the right-hand instrument binnacle, then I might have only known about a flat tyre at such a time as I felt the car handling strangely or when the tyre was running on the rim! I returned to my Porsche Centre and it would appear that, during the software programming recall, the TPM warning mode was somehow switched off. Whether this was just a one-off or not I can’t say, except to suggest that owners of Diesel Macans who have had this software recall might want to check to see if their car’s TPM responds as it should when they let air out of a tyre. Finally I hope you all had a great Christmas and wish you all the best for 2017. Please join the Register in some of the organised events for 2017 and, if you have an idea for a visit, event etc., email me and I’ll see what I can arrange. Equally, if you have any questions or queries about the Macan and its workings, or if you are spec’ing a new car and want help – again, just email me – I’m here to assist as much as I can. Happy Macan-ing in 2017… Mike
DIARY DATES JANUARY 1 Stony Stratford Classic New Year’s Day Car Show. APRIL TBA Workshop visit
Race Car Register Secretary Paul Ward 07894 877802 (before 9pm) racecar@porscheclubgb.com Champagne trip recce – tried and tested cuisine
The pits at Reims old motor circuit
Graham Saul’s historic 928 GTS
113 porscheclubgb.com
Wishing a happy New Year to all from the Race Register! Thanks to Graham Saul for this contribution for PP. Back in 1994 Mike Jordan, a race car driver and competition car builder at EuroTech, was approached by Godfrey and David Jones to build a Porsche 928 race car for the Porsche Cup. This car, along with another built by Eurotech, was featured in the summer 1995 edition of PP. Some of the history of the car is currently unknown, with Graham Saul, the recent purchaser, still trying to fill in some of the gaps. What is known is that the car was originally a manual 928 GTS registered as a demonstrator by Porsche GB. At only a few months old, and with little mileage, the car began its conversion into a race car, this being completed and it was competing in its maiden race at Silverstone in March 1995, which it won at the hands of Godfrey Jones. The Jones twins were alternating drives in the car that season, so the next outing was with David driving the car at Thruxton on the Easter Monday. The car started in pole and won its second race. Ultimately that season, this 928 GTS was the most successful car in the series, but as the two drivers were alternating races, Godfrey ended the season finishing second in Class One and David fifth. This is where the gaps in the history then start to appear. Rumour has it the car was banned from the series for 1996 and ended up having a bad accident at Oulton Park in 1996 or 1997. The car was then repaired before finding its second race owner some time in 1997. This owner never raced the car and it was tucked away, not seeing the light of day for 19 years. Graham Saul had known its whereabouts for a few years, and has recently acquired this rare 928 GTS racer. Over the past months extensive mechanical work has been undertaken and the car has been returned to race condition. The engine has been rebuilt with hoses, belts, gaskets, fluids, filters and brakes all having been replaced or refurbished. A few safety-related jobs remain to get the car ready for the track again to race in 2017 – a new modern extinguisher system, seat and harness need to be fitted. Once a new set of race tyres are fitted the car will be ready to go out on track for the first time in at least 20 years. Graham said, “This 928 GTS is an important piece of 928 and Porsche history. 2017 is the 40th anniversary of the introduction of the 928 and I felt we had to get this car back out there racing for people to see. I’d really also be grateful if anyone has pictures of the car racing in 1995 -97”. CheeRS racers… Paul
CALENDAR WHAT’S ON IN 2016 & 2017 December 30
15 19 21
Post-Christmas drive (R11)
21
JANUARY 1 1 1 2 7 7 8 8 12-15 13 14 14 14 15
Classic car breakfast meeting (R18) Stony Stratford Classic (R10) New Year’s Day Classic Gathering at Brooklands Museum (914) New Year breakfast, South Queensferry (R1) New Year dinner (R21) Post-Christmas night out at Redworth Hall (R3) Sunday Escape ‘Icebreaker’ (R20) Sunday Brunch Scramble (R10) (R31) Autosport International, Birmingham Skittles night (R13) New Year dinner at the Deanwater (R5) Dinner dance (R17) Post Christmas dinner and catch-up (R6) Bowling at Lincoln Bowl (R4)
22 22 22 23-26 29 31
New Year run and lunch (R1) Short drive long lunch (R2) Visit to Dove House Motor Company (R10) (R24) (Boxster) Post-Christmas party at Hadlow Manor Hotel (R25) Post-Christmas lunch (R24) Preston SuperCar breakfast meeting (R18) Sunday Coffee Cruise (R31) London Classic Car Show (R20) POTM (R12) Skittles night (R13)
19 23-26 25 25-26 26 26 26 26 26
Portmeirion Sunday lunch and Sunday night stay (R5) (991) London Classic Car Show Nimrod XV232 drive and visit (R31) Weekend away – the Midlands (914) Electric Mountain, Llanberis (R6) Anniversary breakfast meet (Boxster) Drive and pub lunch (R29) POTM (R12) Sunday Coffee Cruise (R31)
February
MARCH
9
4 5
11 12 18 19 19
Aston Martin factory visit and tour (R13) Pre-season dinner at Edenmore Golf and Country Club (R27) Valentines lunch at The Pier, Venue TBC (R4) Breakfast meet (R1) Preston SuperCar breakfast meeting (R18) Scenic drive, lunch and treasure hunt (R26)
7 10 11 11-12 16 19 19 19 24-26
Go-kart racing (R29) Sunday Escape ‘North by Northwest’ (R20) Quiz night at Ty Risha Inn (R14) RS Trackday Oulton Park (R5) Chase Distillery tour (R13) VW Show Ninove, Belgium (914) Visit to Ninemeister (R6) Prembrey track day (R14) Clay pigeon shooting (R29) Sunday Coffee Cruise (R31) Wales weekend (R16)
25 26 26
Wow Factors car detailing (R25) Spring Tea Bun Run (R31) Visit to Lord Leverhulme Museum and Port Sunlight (R18)
april 1 2 8 8-9 9 15-16 21-23 22 23 28 May 2 29 29-30 30 30
Technical Seminar, Clubhouse Bromyard Speed Festival (R13) Spring health check (R25) Spring Break ‘Clogs and Curves’ (R20) Drive and lunch (R14) World Endurance Championship, Silverstone WOTY to Stratford-uponAvon (R29) Officials’ Conference & AGM, Clubhouse Sunday Brunch Scramble Drive it Day (R31) WOTY Belgium, Holland and Germany (R17) Paintballing IPG Cobham (R29) Donington Historic Stanford Hall VW Show (914) Sunday Coffee Cruise (R31)
May 5-6 5-7 5-7 7 7 14 14 19 19-21 19-21 114 porscheclubgb.com
WOTY (R21) Spring Tour (997) WOTY (R21) Sunday Escape ‘Down South’ (R20) Lunch at Bridgehouse Hotel (R26) Regional Concours (R13) Cumbria International Classic Car Show in Kendal (R18) Manx Tour, Isle of Man Weekend in Wales (991) WOTY Llandudno (R18)
21 22-28 24 28
Porsches on the Prom, Llandudno Southern Ireland tour (R13) Porsche Design evening, Knightsbridge 928 Register Anniversary, Brooklands
27 – July 2 29-2
July TBC 2
2-4
8-9 9 14
4 7 9-11 15 15-16 16 17 17-18 23 23-25 23-26 25
18-21 20 24 Sept 3
JuNE Boxster 20th Anniversary WOTY (Boxster) Pirelli BBQ, Clubhouse R20 ‘On Tour’ Drive to Nowhere (R20) 2017 International 914 meeting, The Netherlands (914) WOTY (R12) R20 at Le Mans 24hr (R20) Porsche in the Bay (R14) Le Mans Open Day, Clubhouse Le Mans 24 Hours WOTY Llandrindod Wells (R14) WOTY (R14) WOTY (R15) Maldon Motor Show (R11)
Champagne trip (Macan) Goodwood Festival of Speed
15-16 25 23-29 28-30
26-28 28
Yorkshire Festival of Porsche Sunday Escape ‘The Great Western’ (R20) Chateau Impney Hill Climb Porkers in the Trough Weymouth Porsches on the Prom RIAT Fairford Caister Car Museum and Castle (R12) France, Belgium and Germany tour (R23) Silverstone Classic
5 9
Tech Seminar, Clubhouse R20 ‘On Tour’ ‘Summer Cruise’ (R20)
7-8
Great Escape to Switzerland and Austria (R20) Oulton Park Gold Cup Drive and lunch (R14)
18 21
SEPTEMBER 8-10 10 16-17 22 23 23-25 30
AUGUST
WOTY in France (R24) Social Sunday Open Day, Clubhouse
Goodwood Revival Sunday Escape ‘London Landmarks’ (R20) Kop Hill Climb Porsche Club Awards Ceremony National Concours (Ragley Hall) WOTY to Northumberland (R11) Castle Combe Classic
15
R20 Autumn Break ‘Treasure Island’ (R20) Drive and lunch Symonds Yat (R14) Porsche Design evening Silverstone Auctions Porsche Sale
NOVEMBER TBC 5 5 25
NEC Classic Car Show Drive and lunch (R14) Sunday Escape ‘Sunday on Sea’ (R20) Christmas dinner (R14)
DECEMBER 3 5
Christmas Open Day, Clubhouse R20 On Tour ‘Christmas Curry’ (R20)
OCTOBER TBC
Castle Combe Autumn Classic
115 porscheclubgb.com
REGIONS
REGISTERS
MAIN CLUB
Free Porsche related lineage advertising for members
Cars for sale 356
Searc h You “The tube for Blue M eanie PR for 4 m S” inutes 1 secon ds of fu 2 n
LD SO
LD SO
SO
THE BLUE MEANIE
LD 1956 356 T1 Coupe
Mechanically restored to high specification. 1720cc rebuilt engine with disc brakes all round. Outer body has been deliberately left as outlaw/ survivor or rat look. Great to drive and ready for race or road use.
356
964 964 C4 Cabriolet. Alpine White, blue soft top/leather. Full service history, recently serviced/MOT/new front tyres. JL Audio speakers. 112,000 miles. Looks fabulous, runs very smoothly and sounds gorgeous. £29,500. Tel: 07850 365997
ROGER BRAY RESTORATION Milestone Business Park, London Road, Whimple, Exeter, Devon EX5 2QB
CLASSIC PARTS FOR PORSCHE 356 911 912 914 Order your 356 Parts online with ease using our new online catalogue www.rogerbrayrestoration.com
911/912/914 Listings will follow shortly. In the mean time, if you need a part which isn’t listed please call one of our Parts advisers on +44 (0)1404 822005
www.rogerbrayrestoration.com T: 01404 822005 F: 01404 822007 parts@rogerbrayrestoration.com
FREE LINEAGE ADVERTISING FOR MEMBERS
996 Porsche 356C T6 Coupe 1963 RHD Original rhd car supplied by PCGB Reading. Matching numbers in Ruby Red, black interior. Porsche Cert of Authenticity. Beautiful condition. Restored and rebuilt by Ernie Gregory in 1987. Engine rebuild by Barry Curtis in 1999: 22,200 miles since. Full flow oil filter. Full documentation and history file. Present owner 18 years. For sale at £72,500. E-mail: rogerwoodroffe@hotmail.co.uk Tel: 01923 770809
Genuine Porsche 356 parts Massive stock of used 356 parts, and some early 911 parts for sale.
PRODUCT MUST BE PORSCHE RELATED
E-mail us with what you need, and we’ll get back to you with availability and prices.
Please complete the form at the back of the magazine or e-mail tradingpost@porschepost.co.uk
E-mail: ulrich.s.sievers@gmail.com or mikem@businesslinesltd.com
30 WORDS ONLY MAXIMUM
996 Carrera 2, 3.6 Targa. Tiptronic S, 2002, Seal Grey, black leather, split rim alloys, electric seats, BOSE. 92,500 miles. Main dealer/Porsche specialist FSH. VGC. Recent service. Used daily. £17,495. Call Chris 07770 931510 or e-mail: terpetra@gmail.com
Boxster 3.2 Boxster S, 2000. Forest Green metallic. 27,700 miles. 13 service stamps, five brake fluid changes, four previous owners. All MOTs and very good service history inc. rear main seal change. Hard top with cover, latest hood with glass, window, wind deflector, 18” turbo-look wheels, short shift gear change, stainless steel sports exhaust, full grey leather, on-board computer, climate control, CDR-22 CD radio. Porsche certificate of authenticity. Spare key included. MOT to May ‘17, absolute mint/concours condition £9,995. Tel: 01202 280323
117 porscheclubgb.com
928 928 ELECTRONICS SPECIALIST LH AND EZK ECUs REPAIRED. MAFs REBUILT 3 AND 6 PIN 911 CDI BOXES REPAIRED
07002 928 928 01223 709915 www.jdsporsche.com
Cars for sale Number Plates
TRADING POST Parts
PORSCHE RELATED CHERISHED REGISTRATION NUMBERS CAB 911X
RSR 911T
REG 911E
RUF 911T
S911 LER
911 SCR
POR 996T
911 TYR
POR 997T
911 FEG
POR 911K
911 MSD
1974 RS
911 SHE
993 G
CAR 232A
993 POR
930 FF
993 RUF
XXX 911C
X993 POR
991 PD
VNZ 911
911 RWS
964 MC
B911 RSR
964 GC
A993 XXX
RSR 911K
P993 POR
All on retention certificates for immediate transfer
PCGB MEMBER TEL: 07711 349182
996 MAL On retention. £3,000 ono
Genuine Porsche 911 997-2, Carrera 18 inch, TPM, alloy wheels with Pirelli Sottozero winter tyres. Front 265/40, 8J x 18, ET 57; Rear 235/40, 10.5J x 18, ET 60. Used for 3K miles last winter only. More photos available – need garage space therefore £850 plus delivery by agreement. Tel: David at 01989 770370 or e-mail: davidmck18@yahoo.co.uk Porsche Cayman 987 Gen 2 Aerokit indoor cover for sale. Porsche part number 987.044.000.16. As new £200 ono. Call Brian on 07887 502069. E-mail: brian.king@cslcad.com Space saver spare wheel for Cayman/ Boxster. Porsche part number 996.362.130.01. Unused and complete with cover, wheel brace and jack. Replaces supplied gel and fits into front luggage compartment. Will deliver within 50 miles of Bristol or buyer collects. £110. Tel: 01454 414118
L911 BAD Immediate transfer possible, please e-mail: keithnicko@aol.com R330HP registration for sale on retention. Suitable for Cayman R, £1,495. Call Brian on 07887 502069. E-mail: brian.king@cslcad.com A911 WRL on retention, £3,000. Tel 01872 240966 E-mail: mike.phillips322@btinternet.com WRR997 cherished plate for Porsche 997. On retention certificate. £1,500 ono. Please call 07885 201444 SOC1 The perfect number plate for a professional soccer player, serious offer only please to Kevin 07768 681211
NOTICE TO PCGB MEMBERS/ VENDORS
At this time of year, I want to ignore sales offers, talk of ‘values’ and such things but it is time to remind of the services we perform so you can burst into Spring with your Porsche in fine shape to enjoy. We look after the needs of all Porsche owners, from a 356 speedster through to a near new 991’s. Any maintenance, repair, reconstruction, restoration or modification... we can cope with. Graham is our Master restorer and will take care of all requirements for early Porsche, Dean will build an engine for you with care, Gavin will be ultra-neat and careful with all electrical work and modifications, whilst our two Marks will use their experience and sharp eyes on all maintenance work. We offer laser alignment, corner weighting, air con and performance modifications. Parts are handled by lovely Lilly calls by Kim, accounts by Michelle and sales, sourcing, purchasing & brokerage will be Matt, Dale, Adrian or Richard. We are happy to spend the time, happy to give advice and we talk ‘plain Porsche with passion’.
Porsche 911 engine (6530431). Removed from 1972 Targa. Running when removed, £7,500. Tel: 01772 812297 or e-mail ba.williamson@btconnect.com
We welcome your enquiry or visit.
www.williamscrawford.co.uk info@williamscrawford.co.uk | 01752 840 307
944 front bumper, 1986, good condition. £190. Tel: 07909 882947 or 020 8650 2365
Tel: 07917 002993 SWB 65C on retention for your 1965 short wheel base (mine sadly gone). To be sold, best offers circa £4,500. Please contact re@hubhq.com or 07971 561077
We would like to give our best wishes to all you Porsche enthusiasts. Whether customers of ours or not, you all make the Porsche scene one that we love to be involved in. Your enthusiasm for Porsche allows us to take care of a great team and their 13 families. Thank you.
Modern - Classic - Sales - Service - Restoration - Bespoke
Storage Central London classic car storage from £45 a week plus VAT. Smart, discreet, secure, underground W2 location. CCTV, outside Congestion Zone, handy for Underground, W1, SW1, A40, West, South West London, 24/7 access. Please telephone: 01932 808344 or 07831 102030
FREE LINEAGE ADVERTISING FOR MEMBERS
Wanted Wanted 968 Boxster S Handbook. Tel: 07860 328609 Wanted please, a nice 964 C2 manual, by genuine member and Porsche enthusiast. Tel: 07747 333222 Wanted by Porsche enthusiast, 914, in need of some TLC/work, anything considered, distance no object. Please ring Paul 07782 114211 or e-mail p.ellis618@btinternet.com
ALL MODELS ALL AGES Standard or modified. All Porsche needs Call Crispin on 01395 568498 Fax 01395 567000
30 WORDS ONLY MAXIMUM PRODUCT MUST BE PORSCHE RELATED DEADLINE: 7th of the month Please e-mail tradingpost@porschepost.co.uk or call 01603 772547
Before giving out ANY information regarding cars, or any other items for sale, please satisfy yourself that any potential purchaser is bona fide.
118 porscheclubgb.com
or email us at tradingpost@porschepost.co.uk
TRADING POST
Porsche 928 S2 1986 rare manual gearbox interim model. 4.7 V8 R.H.D. S4 running gear. Superb properly maintained car regardless of cost. Iris Blue, royal blue pinstripe trim, air, ES Roof, F.S.H (main dealer and 928 Spares Stroud). 80,000 miles. Correct car, private reg, recently completed 1500 mile European tour. ÂŁ25,999 For sale by private owner, reducing collection. Genuine enthusiasts only please.
For more details call Andy 07595 218406 or 01452 731289 NO PART EXCHANGES/NO CANVASSERS
119 porscheclubgb.com
Cars for sale | Wanted | Servicing
To advertise here telephone us on 01603 772547
Please call us on 01937 574052
Tel: 01376 583 075 or 07774 854 418
PORSCHE WANTED We are always interested in sourcing good quality Porsche with comprehensive service histories. We purchase outright with swift payment upon agreement.
CONTACT Mark Sumpter or Jamie Tyler 01825 830424 mark@paragon.gb.com | jamie@paragon.gb.com
www.paragongb.com 120 porscheclubgb.com
or email us at tradingpost@porschepost.co.uk
TRADING POST
RPM Specialist Cars are an independent Porsche Sales, Service and Race specialist. Established in 2004 we have strived to deliver an ever increasing first class, personal service to our loyal and expanding customer group this all encompassed with an affordable pricing structure.
981 Cayman 2.7 11262 miles Full service history Manual gearbox ÂŁ34,995.00
121 porscheclubgb.com
Servicing
To advertise here telephone us on 01603 772547
www.clubautosport.co.uk Porsche Specialists since 1971 • WORKSHOP FACILITIES Servicing, repairs, diagnostics, inspection engine & gearbox rebuilds, MOT work
• LIGHTWEIGHT COMPOSITE PANELS Manufactured in house panels and styling conversions. All models from early SWB 911’s to 997 RSR supplied in fibreglass, kevlar or carbon doors, roofs, bonnets. The list is endless.
• FULL BODYSHOP & REPAIR FACILITIES • NEW AND USED PARTS
Next day delivery or collection
Tel: 01384 410879 email: club_autosport@outlook.com Park Lane, Halesowen, West Midlands, B63 2RA
TO ALL MEMBERS Please ensure that when responding to advertisements that you satisfy yourself of any applicable call charges on numbers not prefixed by usual landline STD Codes. Information can be obtained from the operator.
Unit 6 | Woodgates Farm | Broxted | Essex | CM6 2BN
01223 425300 Independent Porsche service in East Anglia
Sales
Service
Bodywork
Full diagnostics / Engine & gearbox rebuilds / Clutch, brake, wiring fault finding / Four wheel alignment Servicing and MOT / Respray / Restoration / Accident repairs / Aluminium welding
90-92 Cowley Road, Cambridge, CB4 0DL / 01223-425300 / www.barr-tech.com 122 porscheclubgb.com
or email us at tradingpost@porschepost.co.uk
TRADING POST
Merry Christmas or Bah Humbug?
Porsche excellence since 1985
It matters not, it will soon be over... so enjoy
Two top Porsche specialists team up to give insurance and best service on your Porsche
We provide a personal, high quality, guaranteed service.
01702 535 350 I info@sportwagen.co.uk I www.sportwagen.co.uk
Servicing and repairs Free summer check Free PPI and pre MOT checks Upgrades and modifications Engine and gearbox rebuilds Restoration and special projects
01234 210 012 www.porsche-repairs.co.uk 24 College Street Kempston, Bedford MK42 8LU
123 porscheclubgb.com
Servicing
To advertise here telephone us on 01603 772547
124 porscheclubgb.com
or email us at tradingpost@porschepost.co.uk
TRADING POST
QUALITY PORSCHE AUTOMOBILE PANELS www.restoration-design.eu A. Plesmanlaan 24, 9615TH Kolham, Netherlands Tel: 0031 (0)50-5490085 | Fax: 0031 (0)50-5490087 | Mob: 0031 (0)6-53945104 Email: info@rescue-911.nl 125 porscheclubgb.com
Servicing | Parts
To advertise here telephone us on 01603 772547
126 porscheclubgb.com
or email us at tradingpost@porschepost.co.uk
TRADING POST
127 porscheclubgb.com
Servicing | Parts
To advertise here telephone us on 01603 772547
CLASSIC AND MODERN ENGINE SERVICES Specialists in Porsche 996/7 cylinder block repair. Porsche 996/7 cylinder head overhauls. Please see our website for further details. Competitively priced CMES Porsche 996/7 engine parts available soon in our online shop.
www.cmesuk.com | cmesuk@gmail.com 01344 488853 | 18-20 Great Hollands Square, Bracknell, Berkshire RG12 8UX
EBAY SHOP - STEVESTRANGE007 128 porscheclubgb.com
or email us at tradingpost@porschepost.co.uk
TRADING POST
911 UNDERBODY PROTECTION To suit standard 911 lever, £85 alloy lever assy complete replacement...................................£230
Front tank/under bodyguard in aluminium full width, fits from front bumper back rear of front wheel. Complete with fitting kit (welding required) .........................................£290 Rear engine/transmission guard, full width covering heat exchangers level with rear shock absorbers, cover rear exhaust silencer going forward to centre tuned at gear linkage point. Complete with fitting kit (welding required) .........................................£420
Scrutineer compliant handbrake cable kit ...£120
Weld-in 911 Full spec - CDS .............................................£690 Full spec - T45T ...........................................£1200 Fitting prices to a stripped shell - CDS .............£750 T45..................................................................£750 TIG WELDED - Add £350
Designed to bolt directly onto an SC front hub and SC rear alloy arm.
SD 911 bolt-in multi-point cage .........................£670 door bars .................................................£46 each 993 bolt-in multi-point cage .........................£690 door bars .................................................£46 each 996 bolt-in multi-point cage .........................£600 door bars .................................................£90 each
Front kit consists of: 2 Porsche 4 pot turbo callipers, 2 cross drilled discs, adaptor alloy bell to bolt to SC hub, all bolts/fixings etc ...£2600/set Rear kit consists of: 2 Porsche 4 pot turbo callipers, 2 cross drilled rear discs, adaptor bracket to fit directly onto an SC rear arm - no mods. All bolts/fixings etc .....................£2600/set Race pads for front/rear ...........................£148/set
Complete with cylinders - £880 exchange, dash adjuster with machined alloy turn ..................£45
Front coil over including spring etc (choice of rates) complete uses original top mount £400 pair exchange Rear coil over - conversion inc threaded tube, spring seats, spring top and choice of spring rates ....................................................... £200pair Complete front Bilstein leg & inset - new...................................£550 each Rear Bilstein - 911 ................................£140 each Strengthening mods for front leg ................................................. RING FOR DETAILS
129 porscheclubgb.com
RSR rear turrets, accurate reproduction of the original, necessary for FIA use, manufactured by ourselves, in stock. .................£300 per pair
Parts
To advertise here telephone us on 01603 772547
NOTICE TO PCGB MEMBERS / VENDORS Before giving out ANY information regarding cars, or any other items for sale, please satisfy yourself that any potential purchaser is bona fide.
130 porscheclubgb.com
or email us at tradingpost@porschepost.co.uk
TRADING POST
131 porscheclubgb.com
Parts | Storage | Accessories
To advertise here telephone us on 01603 772547
TO ALL MEMBERS Please ensure that when responding to advertisements that you satisfy yourself of any applicable call charges on numbers not prefixed by usual landline STD Codes. Information can be obtained from the operator.
132 porscheclubgb.com
or email us at tradingpost@porschepost.co.uk
TRADING POST
133 porscheclubgb.com
Transport | Storage | Accessories
To advertise here telephone us on 01603 772547
FREE LINEAGE ADVERTISING FOR MEMBERS
SE TO N UC SI H TI VE
30 WORDS ONLY MAXIMUM PRODUCT MUST BE PORSCHE RELATED Please submit online at www.porscheclubgb.com
To protect and preserve
Join the MacWet revolution! After conquering most sports with our multi-purpose MacWet Gloves, they are now being sought by sports car enthusiasts. Why? Simple: perfect fit, choice of colours and washable. Add to this, TOUCH-SENSITIVE, and you have a winner. Wearing MacWets means you can use touch screens on car controls, iPhone, tablet, camera etc. A MUST-BUY!
Satin soft stretch covers in 4 colours from £99 Covers for all other cars too
Online database for the perfect cover at www.carcovershop.co.uk Tel 01780 749449
WWW.MACWET.COM
134 porscheclubgb.com
or email us at tradingpost@porschepost.co.uk
TRADING POST
135 porscheclubgb.com
INDEPENDENT PORSCHE SPECIALISTS Avon Advanced Car Care Unit 3, Fairways Ind. Est. Filton, Bristol, BS34 7QS T: 0870 765 5911/0117 944 1944 E: sales@advancedcarcare.co.uk www.advancedcarcare.co.uk A progressively high tech, fully equipped Porsche servicing facility based in Bristol. The professional personalised care for you and your car is what makes us so unique. We pride ourselves on our integrity, flexibility and understanding of each client’s specific needs. Our friendly and professional staff believe that our best customer is an educated customer. We will take as much time as is necessary to explain what needs to be done to your ‘pride and joy’ and how we will go about doing this. No matter what your needs or desires, if it’s quality main dealer standards you need, we do it here. We don’t cut corners and we don’t rush jobs. At Advanced Car Care we take the time to do it right, first time! Call us for a free estimate, or pop into our Bristolbased premises. Which trusted trader.
Bedfordshire
RPM Technik Units 6 & 7, Old Airfield Industrial Estate, Cheddington Lane, Long Marston, Hertfordshire, HP23 4QR T: 01296 663824 E: info@rpmtechnik.co.uk www.rpmtechnik.co.uk
Cambridgeshire TWG Motorsport Thorpe Road, Longthorpe, Peterborough, PE3 6LU. T: 01733 332911 E: twg@supanet.com www.twgsport.co.uk Since 1982, TWH Motorsport has been dedicated to providing you with quality and dependable care of your Porsche. Expert mechanical repair and maintenance are the cornerstones of our business and, combined with our quality control scheme, give our customers 100% satisfaction. We offer a complete service from minor to major repairs for your car. To find out more about how are comprehensive service and repair can help you with all of your Porsche needs, we invite you to experience first-hand our quality service, staff and technicians.
Export 56 LTD
Export 56 LTD
Unit 9, Blundells Drive, Bradville Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK13 7HA T: 01908 216661 E: enquiries@export56.com www.export56.com
Unit 9, Blundells Drive, Bradville Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK13 7HA T: 01908 216661 E: enquiries@export56.com www.export56.com
RPM Technik Units 6 & 7, Old Airfield Industrial Estate, Cheddington Lane, Long Marston, Hertfordshire, HP23 4QR T: 01296 663824 E: info@rpmtechnik.co.uk www.rpmtechnik.co.uk
Berkshire RSJ Sports Cars 3rd Floor STS House, Bristol Way, Slough, Berkshire, SL1 3QE T: 01753 553969 E: joel@rsjsportscars.co.uk www.rsjsportscars.co.uk RSJ have been established since 1998 as a Porsche dealer and we are focused on the sales of used Porsche cars and the servicing and repair of used Porsche cars. As a Porsche dealer RSJ aims to be the next best alternative to a main dealer. We prepare our cars for sale to a main Porsche dealer standard. Our used Porsche cars have all cosmetic and mechanical refurbishment carried out to the same level as our staff did when they worked at a main Porsche dealer. Our aim is to make your life-long dream come true to buy that used Porsche 911 and have a good experience while owning it. Please call to come and view more than 25 used Porsches in our indoor 6,000 sq foot showroom.
Buckinghamshire Export 56 LTD Unit 9, Blundells Drive, Bradville Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK13 7HA T: 01908 216661 E: enquiries@export56.com www.export56.com Proprietor, Mick Pacey is an enthusiastic and passionate owner and racer of Classic Porsche cars as well as an independent Porsche specialist which helps in his understanding of your requirements, as enthusiasts, running air cooled Porsches. With over 25 years experience Export 56 is dedicated to fine quality restoration and can list a number of rare road and race Porsche cars completed in our workshops. The Export 56 Service Centre is the newest addition to our Classic Porsche facilities in North Bucks. Conveniently located in Central Milton Keynes and provides an exceptional offering to Air Cooled Porsche clients for all aspects of servicing, repair and maintenance. Our experience and enthusiasm gives us a sound understanding of what is required to provide the highest levels of service to you our existing customers and hopefully to you our prospective customers too.
Cheshire Ninemeister 12 Chesford Grange, Woolston, Warrington, Cheshire, WA1 4RE T: 01925 242342 E: ask@ninemeister.com www.ninemeister.com The new 19,000sqft Ninemeister Customer service centre is perfectly located near M6 Jn21 offering ease of access via M6, M62 & M56 for customers across Manchester, Liverpool, Cheshire, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Staffordshire & the Wirral and just 20 minutes from Manchester & Liverpool airports. Our services include OPC quality fixed price servicing & repairs, Hunter 4 wheel chassis alignment & performance tyre service with Hunter Road Force wheel balancing; extensive engine rebuild facility for all 911, 964, 993, 996, 997, Boxster & Cayman; insurance approved repair facility, full body restoration, repair & paint. Performance upgrades include: Klein Innovation UK dealer; KW Suspension fitting centre; Motec engine management dealer; 9m Racing air-cooled fast road & race engines & parts. Please call or refer to website for more details. Unit Eleven Porsche Specialists 10/11 Aston Court, Kingsland Grange, Warrington, WA1 4SG T: 01925 852 000 www.unitelevenporsche.com Specialising in Air Cooled and Water cooled cars, experts at geometry setup, offering regular maintenance services to full restoration services. Tech9 Motorsport Ltd Hale Garage, Hale Road, Liverpool L24 5RB. T: 0151 4255 911 E: sales@tech9.ms www.tech9.ms Engineering dealer since 1993, Tech9 has been providing a high-quality service for the repair, restoration and servicing of all Porsche models. Equipped with the official Porsche PIWIS diagnostic system, our services extend to cover engine and gearbox rebuilding, performance tyre supply and fitting, and we have an on-vehicle brake disc lathe. Highly experienced with R/RS/RSR, GT2 and GT3 variants. Specialising in geometry setting for road/track day or full motorsport use, using our Beissbarth alignment system. Sole UK distributor for TECHART tuning products for all the latest Porsche models. Discount available to Porsche Club members.
Cornwall Location close to Liverpool Airport.
PIE Performance Independent Porsche Specialist
Williams Crawford Ltd
Unit 9, Hill Farm, Lavenham Road Brent Eleigh, CO10 9PB T: 01473 827927, 07789 908303, 07788 410375, 07557 773642 or 07740352488 E: info@pieperformance.co.uk www.pieperformance.co.uk
911 Forge Lane, Moorlands Trading Estate, Saltash, Cornwall, PL12 6LX T: 01752 840307 E: info@williamscrawford.co.uk www.williamscrawford.co.uk Williams Crawford Ltd has been in business for almost 25 years, representing Cornwall dealing in classic and modern Porsche. We service and repair all Porsche models in our modern well-equipped workshops backed up by our highly skilled, dedicated and friendly team. Also on offer is our popular prestige brokerage service designed to take all of the hardship out of selling your valuable Porsche. Call Adrian or Richard to learn how our personal approach is different and can benefit you. CavendishPorscha Ltd Units 6 & 7, Gainsborough Close, Long Eaton, Nottingham, NG10 1PX T: 0115 972 2001 E: enquires@cavendishporsche.co.uk
Devon
Howard Watts Group inc. Riddelsdell Bros Ltd - Est 1900 Ellis Street, Boxford CO10 5HH T: 01787 210318 E: info@howardwatts.co.uk W: www.howardwatts.co.uk A second generation family owned business in the heart of the Suffolk countryside. Our combined passion in Porsche and classic cars has brought together a team able to tackle any of your Porsche requirements, from 356’s to the very latest Porsche cars. Please pop and see us for a chat and a coffee. . Gloucester
Braunton Engineering
Peter Chambers Automotive Ltd
Braunton Garage, Exeter Road, Braunton, Devon, EX33 2JP T: 01271 814144 E: info@brauntonengineering.co.uk www.brauntonengineering.co.uk South West specialist dedicated to Porsche owners. MOT testing station. Bosch car service garage. All Porsches welcome. Diagnostics, service/repair, AC, geometry, restoration, bodywork.
Unit 5, 4,200 Oakfield Close, Tewkesbury Business Park, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, GL20 8PF T. 01684 274168 E. peter@pcaltd.co.uk www.pcaltd.co.uk We are a well-established specialist workshop offering a full servicing, repairs and preparation on any Porsche, be it everyday road car or track day car, right up to full race peparation. Competitive rates and efficient, friendly service.
Oak Tree Garage Newton Popplefield, Sidmouth, Devon, EX10 0ER. T: 01395 568498 Mobile: 07973 550911 Specialising in Porsche since 1974. Full Porsche diagnostics. Mechanical repairs and servicing. Four-wheel alignment. In-house MOT. Air conditioning. Free loan cars. Contact Crispin. SCSPORSCHE Honiton, Devon, EX14 3AW T: 01404 549921 Mobile: 07762 244477/ 07770 933054 E: scsporsche@hotmail.co.uk Independent purely Porsche specialists, factory-trained technicians from 1987 to present. Porsche diagnostic equipment for all your Porsche needs, from fixedprice servicing to full rebuilds, with free loan cars. Collection and delivery service available.
Dorset JMG Porsche 98 Cobham Road, Ferndown Industrial Estate, Wimborne, Dorset, BH21 7RE T: 01202 488800 E: service@jmgporsche.co.uk www.jmgporsche.co.uk At JMG we are dedicated to helping you get the best experience from your Porsche. We service, diagnose, repair and improve Porsche vehicles in our south of England workshops. Marque 21 Unit 20 Dreadnought Trading Estate, Bridport, Dorset, DT6 5BU T: 01308 459106 E: infomarque21@aol.com www.marque21.co.uk We are an experienced, enthusiastic team offering servicing, repairs, restoration, engine rebuilds, Porsche diagnostics and computerised full wheel alignment for all Porsche models from 1950 to 2010.
Essex Lancaster Volkswagen Loughton / Porsche Specialists Specialist Body Repair Centre, Langston Road, Loughton, Essex IG10 3TQ T: 020 8532 5555. Contact Chris Toumazos or Andrew Lester E: chris.toumazos@jardinemotors.co.uk andrew.lester@jardinemotors.co.uk Covering Essex and London postcodes. We provide the highest levels of quality and expertise with Porsche trained technicians. Using the very latest technology when repairing, restoring or enhancing your Porsche. For full details on the services we offer as a Porsche Specialist Body repairers please give us a call.
136 porscheclubgb.com
. Greater
Manchester
Hartech Firwood Industrial Estate off Thicketford Road, Bolton, BL2 3TR T: 01204 302809 E: auto@hartech.org www.hartech.org Ninemeister
M.R Performance Cars A36 Warminster Road, South Newton, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP2 0QW T: 01722 741247 Established for 33 years Mike and Richard have a real passion for Porsches. We offer sales, servicing, repairs, engine and gearbox rebuilds for all models of Porsches from 1960s to current models. With 45 years’ relevant experience and a customer service of the highest standard, we are an ideal choice for all Porsche owners.
Hertfordshire RPM Technik Units 6 & 7, Old Airfield Industrial Estate, Cheddington Lane, Long Marston, Hertfordshire, HP23 4QR T: 01296 663824 E: info@rpmtechnik.co.uk www.rpmtechnik.co.uk Located on the border of Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire RPM has been maintaining both modern and classic Porsches since 2001. In addition to our specialist Porsche servicing, RPM also undertakes warranted car sales, project builds and restorations, engine and transmission rebuilds and track day / race support.
15. Hertfordshire Kent La Rose Porsche Unit F3, Chaucer Business Park, Watery Lane, Kemsing, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN15 6PL T: 01732 763333 E: dee@larose.co.uk www.laroseporsche.co.uk We are a well-established Porsche specialist with more than 30 years’ experience. Our fully equipped workshop, factory-trained technicians and the latest Porsche diagnostic equipment enable us to service and repair your early Carrera or current generation of Porsche.
Lancashire Hartech
12 Chesford Grange, Woolston, Warrington, Cheshire, WA1 4RE T: 01925 242342 E: ask@ninemeister.com www.ninemeister.com The new 19,000sqft Ninemeister Customer service centre is perfectly located near M6 Jn21 offering ease of access via M6, M62 & M56 for customers across Manchester, Liverpool, Cheshire, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Staffordshire & the Wirral and just 20 minutes from Manchester & Liverpool
Firwood Industrial Estate off Thicketford Road, Bolton, BL2 3TR T: 01204 302809 E: auto@hartech.org www.hartech.org
Hampshire airports.
Chapel Lane, Mareham-Le-Fen, Boston, Lincolnshire, PE22 7PZ T: 01507 568474 E: info@gantspeed.co.uk www.gantspeed.co.uk Gantspeed has earned its name as a leading independent Porsche specialist since its formation by proprietor Robert Gant in 1975. We are totally committed to all things Porsche.
David Newton: Keylink SAS Ltd Units 15/16 The Calvert Centre, Woodmancott, Winchester, SO21 3BN T: 01256 397150 E: info@keylinksas.com www.keylinksas.com Sharing one man’s passion. Specialising in precision servicing of Porsche at highly competitive pricing. Collection, courtesy cars and delivery service available. David Newton: Sandydown Bodyworks Ltd
Cavendish Porsche Units 6 & 7, Gainsborough Close Long Eaton, Nottingham, NG10 1PX T: 0115 972 2001 E: enquires@cavendishporsche.co.uk
Lincolnshire Gantspeed Engineering Ltd
London Charles Ivey
Heath House Estate, Stockbridge, Hampshire, SO20 6BY T: 01264 810757 E: info@sandydown.com www.sandydown.com Share one man’s passion. Independent Porsche specialists in paint restoration, bodywork repairs. Fully VBRA and insurance company approved. Modern low-bake ovens. Paint mixing scheme. Full valeting.
160 Hurlingham Road, London, SW6 3NG. T: 020 7731 3612 E: alvaro@charlesivey.com www.charlesivey.com London’s premier Porsche specialist since 1970. Charles Ivey (Specialist Cars) Limited has been selling and servicing Porsches in London since 1970 and we have been at our present site for the past 35 years. We have a team of dedicated people who are committed to maintaining the very high standards that have, over the years, made us London’s leading Porsche specialist.
Independent Garage Services
Chelsea Carrera Ltd
Unit 5, Stanstead Road, Boyatt Wood Industrial Estate, Eastleigh, Southampton, SO50 4RZ T: 023 8062 9606 E: enquiries@independent garageservices.co.uk www.independentgarageservices.co.uk Independent Porsche specialists. Factory-trained technicians. Laserline geometry equipment service available.
203 Seagrave Road, London, SW6 1ST. T: 020 7610 2326 E: zoom@chelseacarrera.com www.chelseacarrera.com High-class Porsche service and mechanical work in Central London. Full engine diagnostic service available. Fourwheel alignment equipment for perfect results. Competitively priced. Collection and delivery service available. Premises outside the congestion charge area.
Parr 5 Faraday Centre, Faraday Road, Crawley, RH10 9PX T: 01293 537911 E: service@parr-uk.co.uk www.parr-uk.co.uk With 30 years’ experience Parr is the leading Porsche specialist in the UK, covering all areas of Porsche maintenance, preparation, tuning (Cargraphic UK importer), motorsport and sales. Whether it is a routine service or part through to a full restoration or engine build, Parr has the skills, experience and facilities to deliver the highest levels of customer care and service. To find out the full range of services, and to explore what Parr can offer you, please visit our website.
highest standard. From servicing to full engine rebuilds, your beloved Porsche is in very safe hands. We use the very latest PIWIS official Porsche diagnostic systems and can offer you the same workshop facilities that you would find at any official Porsche Centre, but at independent prices. We hope to see you in the near future.
Northamptonshire Export 56 LTD Unit 9, Blundells Drive, Bradville Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK13 7HA T: 01908 216661 E: enquiries@export56.com www.
North Wales export56.com
Porsche Torque
Tech9 Motorsport Ltd
Unit C2, Arun Buildings, Arundel Road, Uxbridge, UB8 2RP T: 01895 814446 E: sid@porsche-torque.com www.porschespecialistheathrow.co.uk Service and repair on all Porsches, any year. 30 years’ Porsche experience. Discount given to PCGB members, please mention Porsche Post. Ex AFN & OPC technicians.
Hale Garage, Hale Road, Liverpool L24 5RB. T: 0151 4255 911 E: sales@tech9.ms www.tech9.ms
Xavier Auto Clinic 166-167 Stamford Brook Arches, Hammersmith, London, W6 0TQ T: 020 8741 2251 E: reception@xavierauto.com www.xavierautoclinic.com Xavier Auto Clinic is an independent Porsche specialist based in West London that can offer a full range of service on all Porsche models. Established in 2002, 5-star Good Garage Scheme member. Air-conditioning service and repair. Manufacturer-scheduled service keeping manufacturer warranty intact under block exemption. Customised servicing for three-plus years. Vehicle diagnostics and engine rebuilds.
Manchester Hartech Firwood Industrial Estate off Thicketford Road, Bolton, BL2 3TR T: 01204 302809 E: auto@hartech.org www.hartech.org 986/996/997 and Cayman engine repair/rebuild specialist addressing failed IMS bearings, scored bores, “D” chunk failures, etc. We carry out engine work for many of the UK’s leading specialists and worldwide. Porsche servicing, repairs and maintenance, sales, re-manufactured spares, monthly paid “Lifetime Maintenance Plan” (free labour and services).
Merseyside Tech9 Motorsport Ltd Hale Garage, Hale Road, Liverpool L24 5RB. T: 0151 4255 911 E: sales@tech9.ms www.tech9.ms
Norfolk STR Porsche & Mercedes Specialists 10 Garden St, Norwich, Norfolk, NR1 1QU T: 01603 626668 E: reception@str.gb.com www.porsche-servicing-norfolk.co.uk STR have provided Porsche servicing, diagnostics, engine and gearbox rebuilds, four-wheel alignment and bodywork repairs for more than 12 years. We cater for everyday road cars, track day and race cars, and also provide track day and race licence training through our motorsport division. We pride ourselves on ensuring you – and your car – receive the very highest level of care and service.
Nottinghamshire Cavendish Porsche Units 6 & 7, Gainsborough Close, Long Eaton, Nottingham, NG10 1PX T: 0115 972 2001 E: enquires@cavendishporsche.co.uk We are a Porsche Specialist based in Long Eaton, Nottingham. Our technicians have more than 21 years of Porsche main dealer experience and seven years’ independent experience, so we are more than confident that our work is of the
Oxfordshire Autofarm Oddington Grange, Weston on the Green, Bicester, Oxfordshire, OX25 3QW T: 01865 331234 www.autofarm.co.uk Autofarm has more than 40 years’ experience of maintaining, preparing, racing, restoring and selling Porsches of all ages. The Oxfordshire-based workshop offers servicing using accredited diagnostics equipment, sales, parts, race preparation, restoration and engine build capability. Its extensive road and race engine experience led the company to develop Silsleeve, an innovative and cost-effective method of repairing modern Porsche cylinder blocks. It also offers bespoke builds through its Autofarm 911 programme. Hillcrest Specialist Cars Whitehouse Garage, High Street, Nettlebed, Henley-on-Thames, Oxon, RG9 5DB. T: 01491 642911 E: hillcrestcars@tiscali.co.uk www.hillcrestspecialistcars.com Hillcrest Specialist Cars is a leading independent Porsche specialist based in Henley-on-Thames. We offer a highly professional service at competitive prices. We pride ourselves on our high quality and standard of service. Wrightune Ltd The Croft, WhiTy Road, Hithercroft Industrial Estate, Wallingford, Oxon, OX10 9RG T: 01491 826911 E: info@wrightune.co.uk www.wrightune.co.uk Wrightune was founded by Tony Wright, well known and respected in the Porsche world. 30+ years of continuous experience with Porsche cars results in a wealth of knowledge and expertise.
Suffolk Finlay Gorham Potash Farm, Thorpe Morieux, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP30 0NG T: 01284 827427 Mobile: 07831 444100 E: joffward@aol.com www.finlaygorham.com Finlay Gorham specialises in Porsche and performance cars, and has done for 38 years. We offer full aftersales care backup and servicing, and warrant all our cars. We have full diagnostics and servicing facilities. PIE Performance Independent Porsche Specialist Unit 9, Hill Farm, Lavenham Road Brent Eleigh, CO10 9PB T: 01473 827927, 07789 908303, 07788 410375, 07557 773642 or 07740352488 E: info@pieperformance.co.uk www.pieperformance.co.uk PIE Performance is a family-run independent Porsche specialist in East Anglia. We offer all workshop facilities for servicing and repair, supply new and used parts, vehicle restoration to include back dating, Porsche car sales and many other services needed to support running a Porsche.
Howard Watts Group inc. Riddelsdell Bros Ltd - Est 1900 Ellis Street, Boxford CO10 5HH T: 01787 210318 E: info@howardwatts.co.uk W: www.howardwatts.co.uk A second generation family owned business in the heart of the Suffolk countryside. Our combined passion in Porsche and classic cars has brought together a team able to tackle any of your Porsche requirements, from 356’s to the very latest Porsche cars. Please pop and see us for a chat and a coffee.
Surrey
Sussex (West) Carrera Performance Unit A, Monks Gate Garage, Brighton Road, Monks Gate, Horsham, West Sussex, RH13 6JD. T: 01403 891911 E: info@carreraperformance.com www.carreraperformance.com We offer a complete range of services or all Porsches including engine and gearbox rebuilds and upgrades. Servicing, race and rally prep including four-wheel alignment and corner weighting, suspension upgrades, rolling road service. We also have an in-house machine shop to make those hard-to-get parts.
& key programming etc. Air cooled engine/gearbox rebuilds with 30 years experience! Vast stock of new & used spares at unbeatable prices! Full restoration pre 90’s 911 & panel repairs & specialist paint to highest standards! Servicing all models with free special offer add ons always available! In house MOT station, lazer suspension alignment, air conditioning. Vast knowledge & experience second to none in the area. Please contact Neil Cooper r Anthony Nicholas to discuss your Porsche requirements with confidence
Wiltshire nytime! Fast friendly Service!
Cridfords
Parr
M.R Performance Cars
The Street, Ewhurst, Surrey, GU6 7QY T: 01483 273302 E: porsche@cridfords.co.uk www.cridfords.co.ukCridfords has been established as an independent Porsche specialist for both sales and servicing. We pride ourselves on offering extremely well prepared and presented cars and we are able to provide the best all round servicing options for your Porsche. Talk directly to our service manager who has been servicing and preparing Porsche road and racecars for 40 years, he will be happy to discuss your requirements from a simple MOT to a full engine rebuild. We look forward to hearing from you.
5 Faraday Centre, Faraday Road, Crawley, RH10 9PX. T: 01293 537911 E: service@parr-uk.co.uk www.parr-uk.co.uk With 30 years’ experience Parr is the leading Porsche specialist in the UK, covering all areas of Porsche maintenance, preparation, tuning (Cargraphic UK importer), motorsport and sales. Whether it is a routine service or part through to a full restoration or engine build, Parr has the skills, experience and facilities to deliver the highest levels of customer care and service. To find out the full range of services, and to explore what Parr can offer you, please visit our website.
A36 Warminster Road, South Newton, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP2 0QW T: 01722 741247 Established for 33 years Mike and Richard have a real passion for Porsches. We offer sales, servicing, repairs, engine and gearbox rebuilds for all models of Porsches from 1960s to current models. With 45 years’ relevant experience and a customer service of the highest standard, we are an ideal choice for all Porsche owners.
Philip Raby Porsche Porsche sales and service
Unit 5, 4,200 Oakfield Close, Tewkesbury Business Park, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, GL20 8PF T. 01684 274168 E. peter@pcaltd.co.uk www.pcaltd.co.uk
Parr 5 Faraday Centre, Faraday Road, Crawley, RH10 9PX. T: 01293 537911 E: service@parr-uk.co.uk www.parr-uk.co.uk With 30 years’ experience Parr is the leading Porsche specialist in the UK, covering all areas of Porsche maintenance, preparation, tuning (Cargraphic UK importer), motorsport and sales. Whether it is a routine service or part through to a full restoration or engine build Parr has the skills, experience and facilities to deliver the highest levels of customer care and service. To find out the full range of services, and to explore what Parr can offer you, please visit our website.
Sussex (East) Paragon Five Ashes, East Sussex, TN20 6HY T: 01825 830424 (open 7 days) E: info@paragon.gb.com www.paragongb.com Located in the heart of East Sussex, we offer an outstanding selection of high-quality and expertly prepared used Porsches for sale. Our in-house workshops and parts department are fully equipped and offer a vast depth of knowledge and enthusiasm that enables us to provide complete long-term care for your modern or classic Porsche. Parr 5 Faraday Centre, Faraday Road, Crawley, RH10 9PX T: 01293 537911 E: service@parr-uk.co.uk www.parr-uk.co.uk With 30 years’ experience Parr is the leading Porsche specialist in the UK, covering all areas of Porsche maintenance, preparation, tuning (Cargraphic UK importer), motorsport and sales. Whether it is a routine service or part through to a full restoration or engine build, Parr has the skills, experience and facilities to deliver the highest levels of customer care and service. To find out the full range of services, and to explore what Parr can offer you, please visit our website. Precision Porsche Unit B1/B2, Bluebell Industrial Estate, Sheffied Park, Uckfield, Sussex TN22 3HQ. T: 01825 721205 E: info@precisionporsche.co.uk www.precisionporsche.co.uk We specialise in Porsche maintenance and bodywork repairs – from regular care through to full restorations. We have new dedicated workshops all on one site including the latest Porsche diagnostic equipment and body shop services. Our premises are light, spacious and customer friendly located in Mid Sussex.
137 porscheclubgb.com
Clovelly Road, Southbourne, West Sussex PO10 8PF. T: 01243 780389 Contact Philip Raby, Andrew Windsor E: mail@philipraby.co.uk www.philipraby.co.uk Friendly and affordable help on buying, selling and running Porsches. We sell top-quality Porsches at sensible prices with great aftersales service. We also offer full service, repair and restoration services for all Porsches, classic and modern. Visit our website for more details or please ring for an appointment. We’ll be happy to chat with you.
Vale of Glamorgan Welsh Porsche Specialists The Old Stables, Railway Terrace, Penarth, CF64 2TT. T: 02920 706944 www.welshporsche.co.uk Welsh Porsche are the oldest established independent Porsche specialists in Cardiff and south Wales, ideally located in Penarth. We specialise in: 996 / 997 / Boxster / Cayman and Cayenne engines. Tiptronic and Manual gearbox’s. Service and MOT. Diagnostics. Accident damage. Renovations. Fuel injection / mechanical / K and L jetronic all Bosch types. Our highly trained staff will resolve any problem presented from a Porsche tractor through to 991. Our dealer level diagnostic equipment and vast experience can overcome any situation. Please contact Paul Welsh for an informal chat regarding your requirements. D9 Autotech South Wales Porsche Specialists Unit 22 & 23 South Cornelly Trading Estate, Bridgend,Vale of Glamorgan CF33 4RE. Junction 37 M4 T: 01656 740991 Mobile 07966 166763 E: discount9auto@aol.com www.d9autotechporsche.co.uk Perfectly located on M4 half way between Cardiff & Swansea, serving South, East, & West! Wales leading specialists in 996/997/Boxster/Cayman & Cayenne engine rebuilds & rebores at the best rates in the country. Ceramic Ims bearing upgrades. In house recovery at cost price only any where Wales/UK, free with any engine rebuild 200 mile radius! Full state of the art Porsche diagnostics by Autologic, covering ecu
Worcestershire Peter Chambers Automotive Ltd
Auto Servicing Bromsgrove RSR Auto Services Unit 18 Silver Birches Business Park Aston Road, Bromsgrove B60 3EU E: info@rsr-autoservices.co.uk rsr-autoservices.co.uk T: 07494 450316 / 01527 872656 Find us on Facebook and Twitter 21 year Porsche dealer trained, we offer Porsche servicing and repairs to the surrounding Worcestershire areas including, Redditch, Droitwich and Worcester. Our Service Centre in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire is conveniently situated allowing easy access to motorways and public transport. We provide full servicing including cambelts, fault diagnosis, ECU remapping, mechanical repairs, electrical faults, air-conditioning, MOTs and more Call for a free Quotation
Yorkshire Car-Tech & Care Unit 10, Station Road, Industrial Park, Station Road, Brompton on Swale, North Yorkshire, DL10 7SN T: 01748 810788 E: car-techandcare@live.com www.car-techandcare.co.uk Car-Tech & Care is a Porsche specialist situated south of Scotch Corner just off the A1. Proprietor David Raper has more than 17 years’ Porsche experience. Offering friendly, value-for-money service.
Scotland
Border Reivers T: 01360 870103 M: 07951 112581 www.borderreivers.co Scotland’s Largest independent Porsche Dealer Specialising in the Sale, Restoration & Preservation of Porsche cars Based in the beautiful Loch Lomond and Trossachs national park on the shores of Loch Lomond Conveniently based between Glasgow & Edinburgh Free insurance valuations to Porsche Club Members.
To advertise please contact Angela Thornby-Burt Telephone 01603 772853 email angela.thornby-burt@archantdialogue.co.uk
The great thing is especially during events there is no typical day – one minute I’m doing admin the next I’m help set up the club shop in a marquee or organising catering! PP: How would you describe a typical PCGB member? CS: There is no typical member and lots of characters! They are generally professional people or members who have wanted a Porsche all their life and finally bought one. They are all united by a shared interest in Porsche cars and enthusiasm for the club and marque.
Q A PP talks to Chris Sweeting, Membership Secretary at Porsche Club GB
PP: What excites you most about the Club at the moment? CS: It’s dynamic, accepts diversity, is vibrant and going places – the pace of new membership, retention, club shop sales, new products and new events are soaring. The relationship with Porsche Cars GB has never been stronger and is of huge benefit to both the club and members.
FAVOURITE PORSCHES 991 Targa 4S “Practical performance four wheel drive with almost four seats, PDK and a secure show stopping roof mechanism.” 986 Boxster tiptronic “True to the concept, incredible grip, fun with a capital ‘F’- roof off budget Porsche ownership that can only go up in value.” 968 coupe “The epitome of front engine Porsches – rare and an investment. First six speed manual production car, fantastic balance and stylish looks. Last of the pop lights too!”
PP: What is it that makes the brand so special? CS: Effortless quality, minimalist style, performance and racing pedigree with excellent customer care from early Porsches to brand new ones.
Early Cayenne S “Chunky, stylish, awesome V8 burble, practical - more upmarket and reliable than an early Range Rover!”
PP: Which Porsche do you drive? CS: 1992 968 coupe, 1999 986 Boxster 2.5 tiptronic and a 2003 4.5 V8 Cayenne S.
Carrera GT “Stunning rare supercar with fabulous wooden gear knob, awesome looks and removeable roof panels.”
PP: What’s your dream Porsche? CS: A 991 Targa 4S in Sapphire Blue with PDK.
914 “Quirky looks, practical targa roof, pop up lights.”
PP: Earliest Porsche memory? CS: 20 years ago seeing the concept of the Boxster in Auto Express and thinking it looked amazing. A few months later the Independent newspaper ran a competition to win one of the first in the country and I was the lucky winner! Due to production delays I received the cash alternative and bought my first Porsche – a gleaming Guards Red 924S. PP: How did you become involved with the Club ? CS: I originally joined the club with my partner at a Brands Hatch event – I couldn’t believe the variety and amount of Porsches in one place, how organised the event was and what good value it was to join. PP: What is a typical Club day like? CS: I arrive at 8.30am and like the rest of the team start answering emails of an amazing variety – anything from a request for a Certificate of Authenticity order form to ‘where can I get seat covers for my Cayenne’ before the phone starts ringing constantly. My day works hurriedly to 3pm when the postman arrives – I have to ensure the new member packs go out daily for new joiners, direct debit mandates are sent to banks and any ad-hoc requests are fulfilled. Every Friday I ordered the week’s membership cards; monthly I upload the direct debit run and send out approximately 1,000 renewal reminder letters! 138 porscheclubgb.com
ACQUA DI PARMA ARMANI BELSTAFF BURBERRY CANALI CROCKETT & JONES ETON HUGO BOSS MONCLER MULBERRY NUDIE JEANS PAUL SMITH RALPH LAUREN STONE ISLAND TOD’S
SHREWSBURY - HANLEY WORCESTER - NEWCASTLE - UNDER-LYME - NANTWICH
PORSCHE 997 C4S CAB MANUAL BLACK 2008 - £35,995 PORSCHE 997 C2 TIP GREY 2005 28K MILES - £26,995 PORSCHE 997 GT3 GEN 2 MANUAL 2009/59 - POA PORSCHE 997 GT3 RS BLACK ORANGE DECALS 2007 - £135,995
PORSCHE 996 C4S 2002 LOW MILES ARCTIC SILVER - £24,995 PORSCHE BOXSTER S 3.4 SPORT EDITION WHITE 2008 - £17,495 PORSCHE BOXSTER S 3.4 MANUAL SEAL GREY 2009 - £17,995 PORSCHE CAYMAN S SILVER 2006 - £17,995 PORSCHE BOXSTER S 3.4 BLUE 2009 24K MILES - £18,995 PORSCHE 993 RS RECREATION GUARDS RED 1995 - £39,995
PORSCHE 930 TURBO 1986 GUARDS RED 4 SPEED 47000 MILES - POA PORSCHE 997 C2S 2005 SILVER - £22,995 PORSCHE 964 RS RECREATION IN GUARDS RED CALL FOR FULL SPEC - P.O.A PORSCHE 968 1993 ICE BLUE TIPTRONIC F.S.H - £12,995