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JULY 2022 ISSUE 336
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MAGIC OF LE MANS The ninetieth 24 Hours of Le Mans is almost upon us. No fewer than ten 911 RSR-19s will take to the grid at Circuit de la Sarthe. The Porsche factory GT team is sending two cars into battle: the no.91 RSR will be driven by Gianmaria Bruni, Richard Lietz and Frédéric Makowiecki, while the no.92 RSR will be in the hands of Michael Christensen, Kévin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor. Le Mans is the world’s oldest active endurance race. As most of you will already be aware, Porsche is the event’s most successful manufacturer, having achieved nineteen overall wins and hundreds of class victories. Porsche is also the only manufacturer to have contested Le Mans every year since 1951, when the lone 356 SL Gmünd Coupe carrying the company’s hopes of turning motorsport success into showroom sales kicked off the Stuttgart brand’s account in France in style. Headlines about wins are only half the story, though. For this issue of 911 & Porsche World, we’ve delved into our favourite manufacturer’s illustrious past to bring you forty amazing Porsche tales from Le Mans. From the most amazing highs to the lowest of lows, more than
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seventy years of competing at Sarthe has yielded some of motorsport’s most extraordinary dramas. We’ve also included a number of fun facts from France you might not previously have been aware of. I hope you enjoy the article. At the time of writing, we are a week away from the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, another Porsche stomping ground and one which sees many of the company’s works drivers behind the wheel of 911s fielded by Weissach’s customer teams. If you are yet to attend these daylong enduros in person, I urge you to make sure 2023’s events are pencilled in your diary — these are true bucket list bashes for any Porschephile. In the meantime, you can watch this year’s races live on each event’s YouTube channel. It’s not the same as being there, of course, but it’s a great way to show your support for the 911s batting for victory.
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FEATURES
10 36 48 56 72 80 88 96 102 112
102
DON’T LOOK BACK IN ANGER
Presenting the new 911 Sport Classic.
LOST IN THE SAUCE
A modified 996 and 987 Cayman S Sport.
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The Panamera 4 E-Hybrid Platinum Edition.
40 STORIES FROM LE MANS
The highs and lows of Porsche at Sarthe.
SOUL BROTHER
The base model 996 is everything you need.
TECH: THE ART OF PORSCHE
A behind the scenes look at TechArt.
TECH: A PRICE TO PAY
Porsche auction trends in the past decade.
TECH: BUYING 981 CAYMAN GTS What to be aware of when on the hunt.
80 118
TECH: LIQUID GOLD
Uncovering the truth about engine oil.
TECH: ROHLER ENGINE MOUNTS
How to equip your 911 with uprated parts.
6 July 2022
JULY 2022 ISSUE No.336
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CONTENTS
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56 REGULARS
20 26 33 118 122 124
THE BULLETIN
Ken Block reveals the Hoonipigasus.
ESSENTIALS
Gift ideas for you and your Porsche.
COMMENT
Tim Harvey and Harry King race to the top.
THE FLEET
A shocking time for the RennEleven 996.
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MARKET WATCH
What’s hot (and what’s not) at auction. July 2022 7
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8 July 2022
DON’T LOOK BACK IN ANGER The second of four new limited-run Porsches to be released under the manufacturer’s Heritage Design banner, the new 992 Sport Classic takes heavy influence from the Carrera RS 2.7 and the more recent 997 Sport Classic. All three are linked by massive desirability and factory-fit ducktails...
Words Robert Smith Photography Porsche
10 July 2022
T
his year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the Carrera RS 2.7, one of the most influential sports cars of all time. Pretty much the epitome of ‘race car for the road’, the RS sports a prominent spoiler conceived to reduce high-speed lift at the rear. Subject to functional development at the instruction of Porsche engineer, Peter Falk, and subsequently refined by factory stylist, Anatole Lapine, the resulting ‘ducktail’ has gone down in automotive history as being as iconic as some of Porsche’s most celebrated cars. Not bad for an angled bit of plastic. Surprisingly, prior to development of the RS’s front airdam and rear spoiler, Porsche had conducted little work in
992 SPORT CLASSIC the field of aerodynamics. Granted, a few years earlier, the 917 race car had been tamed, transforming it from a Porsche which factory drivers refused to climb into (on the grounds of massive instability at high speed), to a multiple Le Mans-winning machine respected the world over, but even this work was largely the responsibility of John Wyer Automotive, the Gulf-sponsored outfit enlisted by Porsche to take over the running of its 917 Le Mans programme after disappointing results in 1969. So the story goes, Wyer’s engineer, John Horsman, noticed a pattern of splattered bugs all over the 917’s bodywork, revealing the flow of air around the car. Its long tail, however, was relatively clean, indicating air wasn’t flowing its way over the back of the 917 as well as Porsche
thought. Immediate modification resulted in what would go on to be recognised as the 917 K (Kurzheck, meaning short tail), delivering a huge amount of extra downforce, ultimately resulting in a version of the sportsprototype works drivers were confident wasn’t hellbent on killing them. With the Carrera RS 2.7, the 911 suddenly boasted 210bhp and a lighter chassis, hence the need to tame the beast through improved aerodynamics. The ducktail — also a feature of the RS’s successor, the G-series Carrera 2.7 ‘MFI’, as featured in last month’s issue of 911 & Porsche World —has since gone on to become a staple of the restomod scene, not only for same-age 911s built to RS specification, but also much newer 911s, including those from the water-cooled
July 2022 11
era of production. Indeed, carbon-fibre aftermarket ducktails have become a popular add-on for modified examples of the 996 and 997. Porsche itself even got in on the act, equipping the 997 Sport Classic with a newly fashioned ducktail, along with other retro styling features, such as flat paintwork and classic-style staggered Fuchs rims with black centres and polished lips. Limited to just 250 units, the 997 Sport Classic is now one of the most collectible 911s ever produced.
just announced the release of the 992 Sport Classic, the next in a quartet of low-volume production 911s to roll out of Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur wearing the Heritage Design badge. The first, as featured on the cover of
and marrying them with the mechanical wizardry of its present. The 992 Sport Classic is a similar proposition, though ups the ante by delivering the most powerful 911 currently available with a manual gearbox. We’re talking a cool 542bhp, people. “The Heritage Design models represent the most emotionally driven concepts of the current Porsche product strategy,” says Alexander Fabig, Vice President of Porsche Individualisation and Classic. “This unique approach sees the Style Porsche design department working with Porsche
DON’T LIKE GREY? YOU CAN OPTION SOLID BLACK, AGATE GREY METALLIC, GENTIAN BLUE METALLIC OR RUN RIOT WITH PAINT TO SAMPLE
FORCE OF NATURE
our October 2021 issue, was the 992 Targa 4S Heritage Design Edition, a corduroy-trimmed semi-open-top 911 taking styling cues from Porsche’s past
Above When penning the new 911 Sport Classic, Grant Larson used the 997 carrying the same name as the starting point for his design work Below Carrera RS 2.7 ducktail remains an integral part of Porsche’s identity and continue to influences new product designs some fifty years after the part’s introduction
Truth be told, we’re talking about a 911 which is something of an acquired taste. While the motoring world is universal in its praise for the Carrera RS 2.7, the 997 Sport Classic is, well, a bit ‘Marmite’. The second-generation 997’s rear lights haven’t aged well and the Sport Classic’s overall styling is a viewed by many marque enthusiasts as being too cartoonish — the model’s battleshipesque Sport Classic Grey paintwork (introduced when every other car seemed to getting a lick of Audi Nardo Grey or the near identical Lamborghini Grigio Telesto), large-look wheels and Dodge Viper-like twin stripes do little to flatter the 997’s gorgeous shape. The Sport Classic’s desirability, so it seems, is largely down to the model’s rarity. Nice ducktail, though. Second time lucky? Porsche has 12 July 2022
992 SPORT CLASSIC
Above Grant Larson (Director of Special Projects at Style Porsche), Chris Holzinger (Colour and Material Design) and Boris Apenbrink (Director of Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur Vehicles) gather to talk about the new 911 Sport Classic
Exclusive Manufaktur to reinterpret iconic 911 models and equipment from the 1950s through to the 1980s, whilst reviving design features from those decades.” At first glance, this amounts to Turbo widebody (fifty millimetres wider than standard), a ducktail, fivespoke wheels and a ‘double bubble’ roof. There’s grey paintwork (a metallic version of Sport Grey, inspired by the 356’s Fashion Grey) and twin stripes strewn nose to tail, too. Not a million miles away from 997 Sport Classic specification, then? No, but the 992 pulls off the look far more convincingly than the older 911.
It’s interesting to note how the distinctively styled roof prevented the 997 Sport Classic from being sold in the USA, further contributing to the decision to keep production volume low. Long story short, the change required specific tests to be carried out to ensure the panel’s integrity met Stateside highway safety standards in the event of a roll. Porsche deemed the tests too expensive for the number of sales it expected off the back of the Sport Classic project. Fast-forward to now and the 997 Sport Classic has become one of the most coveted collector 911s in the US.
“For the 992 Sport Classic, we wanted to achieve a smooth sculptural shape, matching the wide Turbo body with uninterrupted curves,” says Boris Apenbrink, lead on the 997 Sport Classic project and present-day Director of Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur. He’s referencing the new Sport Classic’s rear quarters, which Style Porsche designer, Grant Larson, was adamant should be manufactured without the Turbo’s side air intakes. “We couldn’t run up millions in development costs, which is why we had the idea of further developing and using experimental 992 pre-production
July 2022 13
tooling. It was an unusual approach, but one which made the impossible possible,” he reveals, candidly. Larson looks sheepish. “Are we allowed to say that?” he laughs. The increased size of the 992 over the 997 — and let’s not forget how much bigger the 997 is in comparison to the Carrera RS 2.7 — helps carry exaggerated bodywork far more convincingly. Don’t like grey? You can option solid Black, Agate Grey Metallic, Gentian Blue Metallic or run riot with Paint to Sample (sans stripes), though Style Porsche Vice President, Michael Mauer, would prefer you didn’t. “Grey is never boring,” he tells us. Neither are racing numbers, though as was the case with the Targa 4S Heritage Design Edition, these can be left off, with a white circular sticker remaining on each door, presumably for you to apply your own numbers at a later date, should you see fit.
model’s accompanying Porsche Design chronographs. European deliveries will begin in July, with additional markets receiving their allocation thereafter.
features a unique (for now) 3.7-litre twinturbocharged boxer, allied to a sevenspeed manual gearbox. As expected, auto-blip is included, something we enjoyed during our time in the 991 Carrera T (see our August 2021 issue), which utilises the same number of ratios in a manual cog swapper. Put simply, auto-blip Having said all this, the new Sport compensates for differences in rpm Classic’s plus points are more than skin between gears by introducing brief deep. Where the earlier 911 carrying the bursts of revs when shifting down. A same name made use of the 997 Carrera specially tweaked sports exhaust adds S’s familiar 3.8-litre flat-six, this fresh 992 even more excitement to proceedings.
THE NATURAL GRAIN CAN BE FELT BY INQUISITIVE FINGERTIPS, PROVIDING AN EXTRA LEVEL OF SENSORY INVOLVEMENT
Above New 911 Sport Classic is the second of four releases from Porsche’s Heritage Design programme, which brought us the gorgeous Targa 4S Heritage Design Edition in 2020
HALF THE WORLD AWAY
This time around, Porsche is producing 1,250 units of the 911 Sport Classic, though we don’t yet know the number of right-hand drive examples destined for the UK. Whatever the quota, you stand far more chance of getting hold of a 992 Sport Classic than you did its 997 predecessor, a 911 now fetching in excess of £250k as a pre-loved Porsche. A new 992 Sport Classic, meanwhile, will set you back £209,450 in any of the standard colours, saving you more than enough cash to buy one of the 14 July 2022
992 SPORT CLASSIC Chris Holzinger. “We wanted natural materials for the new Sport Classic. Consequently, in addition to leather, paldao wood is used.” Paldao — often mistaken for walnut — features an ‘open pore’ veneer. Thanks to Porsche’s use of a super-thin layer of lacquer, the natural grain can be felt by inquisitive fingertips, providing an extra level of sensory involvement.
PRETTY GREEN
Above Holzinger with the Sport Classic’s paldao wood inserts, which are only lightly lacquered, allowing the grain of the wood to be easily felt
992 Sport Classic suspension is based on that of the 992 Turbo and GTS models, switching damper rates at lightning speed via Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM). Ride height is dropped ten millimetres over standard. Purists will be delighted to learn rear-wheel drive is the order of the day, despite the Turbo The 992 Sport Classic’s interior is a fabulous blend of Cognac leather, colourcoded twin stitching and seat centres
finished in houndstooth fabric. Piano black accents and brushed aluminium also play their part in presenting a delightfully retro-feel cabin, which comes compete with wooden strips running the width of the dashboard, along the door cards and around the centre console. “From 1964 to 1967, Porsche offered its cars with a natural matte-finish mahogany veneer for the instrument panel cover and the steering wheel rim,” says Larson’s Style Porsche colleague,
“We built the millionth 911 as a tribute to Ferry Porsche’s air-cooled Irish Green example and trimmed the new car’s interior with a mix of houndstooth fabric and wood. The latter is seldom seen in modern 911 cabins,” Holzinger muses. “Considering how well it works in the 992 Sport Classic, however, I’m convinced the wonderful appearance and feel of paldao will encourage Porsche customers to consider a new 911 featuring wood as a key interior material from this moment onward.” Houndstooth (Pepita, as Porsche refers to it) was originally offered an option during 356 production, but was only occasionally requested. It was officially mentioned for the first time in a 911 equipment catalogue published in 1965. Today, houndstooth is one of the most popular Porsche fabrics. This
July 2022 15
combination of old and new made it a no-brainer for the interior of the new 911 Sport Classic.
BRING IT ON DOWN
The typeface and green accents of the early 911 and 356 dashboard dials have also been carried over to the new car. “The numbers were green in the 356 and the 911 until 1967. The technology was simple back then,” says Larson. “The numbers and needles were treated with green phosphorus, much like glowin-the-dark toys or the second hand of old watches. There was an offset gap between the chrome ring, glass and the dial, through which the phosphorus was illuminated.” Backlighting wasn’t an available feature, which is why green phosphorous was used to generate visibility for night-time driving. As attractive as the material looks, there’s an obvious flaw to this approach. “I remember sitting in a historic Porsche and hardly being able to see instrument readings. Of course, if the phosphorus no longer works as intended, then nothing glows anymore,” shrugs Apenbrink, quick to emphasise how Heritage Design green clock accents are a good example of technical innovation and tradition merging to great success. “Phosphorus hasn’t been used in Porsche production for a long time, of course,” Larson points out, presumably to reassure anyone
thinking about using the new Sport Classic in the dark. Introducing the 992 to retro styling cues harking back to the Carrera RS 2.7 is an understandable move from Porsche during the air-cooled model’s anniversary year and, perhaps, explains why it has taken two years for a new Heritage Design model to be released into the wild. One of the biggest compliments to the classic Porsche’s period engineering, however, isn’t the fact the RS is being
celebrated, but how its ducktail has endured, to the point it is considered suitable for inclusion at the rear of a new 911 five decades later. Aerodynamic testing is, of course, a major aspect of modern vehicle production, but the Carrera RS ducktail’s lasting influence on Porsche thinking can’t be overstated. We can’t wait to get behind the wheel when the first 992 Sport Classic lands on British shores. And we don’t care if it’s grey. l
Below Apenbrink with a roll of Pepita, which originally appeared on the classic 911’s options list in 1965
16 July 2022
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18 July 2022
THE BULLETIN News from the world of Porsche
KEN BLOCK REVEALS NEW 1400BHP PIKES PEAK HILL CLIMB CONTENDER
Believe it or not, there’s a 912 somewhere in the make-up of the pink Porsche you see in these photographs. We’ll wager even the 917 which inspired the striking livery covering the once four-cylinder Porsche would be jealous of its current 1,400bhp power output, the result of a comprehensive reimagining of the car for rally and gymkhana star, Ken Block. Developed jointly by Mobil 1, Block’s Hoonigan enterprise and (chiefly) the Porsche tuning experts at BBi Autosport in Huntington Beach, California, the ‘Hoonipigasus’ has been created to enable Block to challenge for the overall win at this year’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Block competed at the event — often referred to as The Race to the Clouds — in a Group N Subaru Impreza WRX STi back in 2005, but not for top honours. Now, with the heavily modified Porsche seen here, he aims to bag the most coveted title in North American sprint racing. At the heart of the beast is a mid-mounted, twin-turbocharged, four-litre flat-six making use of a methanol injection system. Allied to an all-wheel drive chassis specifically built to suit Block’s driving style, the transmission tunnel is referred to by BBi Autosport as the ‘Hoonipigasus Chorizo Tunnel’, going from shoulder height down to the front axle, resulting in a lower center of gravity. Weighing just 1,000kg, the extraordinary machine features GPS-linked height-adjusted suspension configured in accordance with telemetry gathered at Pikes Peak, where the car will be competing in the Pikes Peak Open (PPO) class. Block hopes to add overall victory to BBi Autosport’s eight podiums and five class wins at the world-renowned motorsport event. “Pikes Peak Hill International Climb is one of the reasons I became a rally driver,” says Block,
co-founder of DC Shoes. “The list of drivers who have raced and won this event includes many of my heroes, such as Walter Röhrl, Ari Vatanen, Michelle Mouton, Sebastien Loeb and Rod Millen. I’ve always wanted the chance to race Pikes Peak at the top level and compete for the overall win. With BBi Autosport creating this amazing Porsche, I’ve got a good shot!” The car’s production was a decade in the making, beginning with BBi Autosport’s desire to build the ultimate historic Porsche race car. The company’s most recent success at Pikes Peak was in 2021, when the team entered a trio of cars in three different classes, taking home two class wins and a podium finish, a first in Pikes Peak history. For 2022, however, BBi Autosport is going all-in to take the overall win with Block behind the wheel of its eye-popping Porsche. “The Hoonipigasus is an absolute dreamcome-true build,” says Betim Berisha, founder of BBi Autosport. “From a technology, power, aero and visual standpoint, Porsches just don’t come any crazier. Our most talented engineers and designers threw out the rule book out and took an unconventional path to building what we consider the world’s nastiest 911.” This year’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is scheduled for Sunday 26th June and will mark the hundredth running of the event, which features a 12.42-mile course presenting 156 turns and an elevation gain of 4,725ft, rising to 14,115ft above sea level at the finish line. For a full list of entrants, visit ppihc.org.
20 July 2022
NEWS & VIEWS
718 GT4 EPERFORMANCE PROVES POTENTIAL FOR MISSION R CONCEPT With the 718 Cayman GT4 ePerformance, Porsche has started testing the technology components of the Mission R concept study, presented at 2021’s IAA Mobility event in Munich, where the company outlined its vision of a fully electric GT race car for customer motorsport. Now, Mission R’s innovative electric drive concept is demonstrating its potential on international race tracks. The 718 Cayman GT4 ePerformance serves as test model. The all-wheel drive Porsche uses the chassis of the proven 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport, with electric motor and battery technology coming directly from Mission R, which in qualification mode, translates to a maximum output of 735kW (almost 1,000bhp). In simulated racing, a steady 450 kW (600bhp) is available for thirty minutes, the duration of a Carrera Cup race. In terms of lap times and top speed, the 718 Cayman GT4 ePerformance is on par with the abilities of the latest 911 GT3 Cup car (992 generation). “With Mission R, we’ve shown how Porsche envisages sustainable customer motor racing in the future. The 718 Cayman GT4 ePerformance now demonstrates this vision
works impressively on the racetrack,” states Matthias Scholz, Porsche’s GT racing vehicle project manager. “We’re very excited about the positive response to this project — a one-make championship featuring electric racing cars would be an important addition to our existing customer racing programme.” By 2030, Porsche aims to be carbon neutral across the entire value chain and life cycle of new cars sold. By then, the brand’s new vehicles featuring all-electric drive are predicted to account for more than eighty percent of total Porsche sales. The 718 Cayman GT4 ePerformance’s drivetrain is based around a permanently excited synchronous machine (PESM) applied to both the front and rear axles. Together, they create all-wheel drive. The direct oil cooling of the e-motors and battery pack counteracts thermally induced derating. “The integration of oil cooling has significantly impacted the vehicle concept,” explains Björn Förster, GT4 ePerformance
project manager. “With experts in the fields of aerodynamics and thermodynamics, as well as high-voltage and bodywork specialists, the car’s development team created an architecture to tap into the full potential of the battery cells for the first time, since there is no thermal derating. In this way, the power output in racing mode remains constant for half an hour.” Thanks to 900-volt charging technology, the battery’s state of charge (SoC) at full capacity jumps from five to eighty percent in just fifteen minutes. The 718 Cayman GT4 ePerformance will be presented at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, taking place between 23rd and 26th June. At the famous motorsport festival in Chichester, the all-electric racer will compete in the venue’s traditional hill-climb event. The 718 Cayman GT4 ePerformance’s second public outing is scheduled for 20th August at the Porsche factory in Leipzig, the occasion of the factory’s twentieth anniversary.
THE OIL COOLING OF THE E-MOTORS AND BATTERY PACK COUNTERACTS THERMALLY INDUCED DERATING
July 2022 21
NEWS & VIEWS
TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE FOR SCANDINAVIA’S BIGGEST PORSCHE DRIVE Every year, Porsche Servicecenter Vejle celebrates another twelve months in business by inviting marque enthusiasts to bring their cars from all over Denmark to participate in the largest Porsche event in Scandinavia. From the very oldest models to the newest, Porsches gather at Vejle for a celebration of the brand like no other, including a spirited drive through the neighbouring countryside. A static display of Stuttgart-crested machinery is presented at MyGarage, the purpose-built automotive hub Porsche Servicecenter Vejle — and its Classic Partner Centre operation — calls home. “We are excited to be hosting the biggest Porsche drive in Scandinavia once again,” says Lars Paugan, Aftersales Manager at Porsche Servicecenter Vejle. “During previous years, we have welcomed more than two hundred participating Porsches, but this year, we are expecting more than three hundred cars to attend, many from countries outside our borders.” In addition to Porsche owners in Denmark, registered attendees include guests and cars travelling from Germany, Sweden, Norway and the United Kingdom. “2022 marks our first five years of existence
at MyGarage. We have amplified our ambitions in order to create the biggest Porsche meet in our history. We can’t wait to share it with everyone planning to attend,” Paugan adds. Of the currently confirmed cars registered to make an appearance, the oldest is a 1958 Speedster. Other jaw-dropping air-cooled classics set to join the open-top 356 include a 904 Carrera GTS, a genuine 911 RSR 3.0 and MyGarage’s own 964-based Kalmar 7-97, a bespoke 911 powered by a 4.1-litre flatsix developing 400bhp. In fact, pretty much every flavour of Porsche will be in attendance, regardless of whether standard, modified, air-cooled or water-cooled. To this end, we’re looking forward to seeing some of the very latest Porsche products sharing the limelight with the oldtimers mentioned here. For 2021’s event, Taycans and 992-generation 911s represented the most recent of Stuttgart’s famed sports cars, but there were also plenty of Boxsters and Caymans in attendance, as well as
cars from the manufacturer’s transaxle family of vehicles, contributing to a tally of 222 cars descending upon Vejle, located in the southeast of the Jutland Peninsula at the head of Vejle Fjord, where the spectacular Vejle River and Grejs River valleys converge. “Tickets for this event sell out every year,” says Sanne Saaby, Marketing Manager for MyGarage. “We sold a third of the available tickets for 2022’s event as soon as they went on sale,” she adds, acknowledging the success of the annual get-together of like-minded Porsche fans. “We recognise the growing popularity of what we consider will become Europe’s largest Porsche gathering, which is why we’ve installed more parking space for this year’s meet.” Anyone interested in participating in 2022’s event can find general information online at pscv.dk/events. Saaby kindly invites 911 & Porsche World readers to email the team at info@pscv.dk for advice on how to obtain a ticket and register a car for attendance.
A 904 CARRERA GTS, A GENUINE 911 RSR 3.0 AND MYGARAGE’S OWN 964-BASED KALMAR 7-97
22 July 2022
NEWS & VIEWS
944 TO RUN BALTIC SEA CIRCLE RALLY FOR CHARITY 911 & Porsche World readers, Stephen Hughes and Gemma Bullock, are entering a 1987 944 into the Baltic Sea Circle Rally, the northernmost adventure rally on the planet. The event will take the pair through eleven European countries between 19th June and 4th July, covering six thousand miles along the way. Stephen and Gemma hope to raise £50,000 for Arthur Rank Hospice Charity (arhc.org.uk), which provides end-of-life care, as well as support for those suffering from life-limiting illness. Adopting the name team name Wild Spirit, the 2.5-litre 944 will join more than 160 competing cars on the Baltic Sea Circle Rally. Teams are not permitted to use GPS navigation or drive along motorways, restrictions intended to maximise the sense of adventure. At the start of the rally, each team receives a roadbook containing a list of challenges. Points are awarded for completed tasks. Creativity and cunning are key to earning bonus points and scoring big. Come event end, the team with the most points is crowned winner. Why are Stephen and Gemma participating? In September 2019, Stephen’s wife, Jenny, was diagnosed with cancer of the spinal cord. Despite an eight-hour operation to remove the tumour, the prognosis made clear her cancer would return quickly and she would survive a maximum of eighteen months. Sadly, Jenny passed away in March 2020, just six months after diagnosis. She was thirty-five years old. During those six months, Arthur Rank Hospice Charity helped Stephen, Jenny and their children deal with the very difficult situation they found themselves in. The charity’s Life Celebration and Activity Coordinator attended the Hughes family home and hosted relaxed play sessions, as well as helping the children to create memory
books. The hospice care team were able to offer massage therapy to Jenny at home and taught Stephen ways to help soothe her symptoms. When it came to Jenny’s final weeks, Arthur Rank Hospice Charity supported the family around the clock. It provides this service free of charge to thousands of people across Cambridgeshire each year, but relies on charitable donations to keep these hugely valuable services operational. Stephen, a software development specialist, and Gemma, an NHS perinatal mental health nursery nurse, wanted to help support the charity in memory of Jenny. The Baltic Sea Circle Rally provides them with this opportunity. Stephen bought his 944 in 2014. Advertised on eBay as a project, the car had been in storage for four years and was in need of replacement sills. With bids failing to reach £600, he took a punt, won the auction and immediately had the metalwork taken care of. Following Jenny’s death, Stephen took several months away from work. During this time, while trying to master single-parenting, his Porsche became something of a recommissioning project, allowing him to keep his mental wellbeing in check whilst taking care of the kids. Sponsored by Toyo Tires UK, Expedition Foods and Midway Garage in Witchford, the car is now ready for its most ambitious journey to date. The easiest and fastest way to donate to the cause is by visiting wildspiritadventure.co.uk or by scanning the QR code on this page, which will take you to directly to the website. A GoFundMe account has been established with all donations going direct to Arthur Rank Hospice Charity. We’ll be sure to report on Stephen and Gemma’s progress in a forthcoming issue of 911 & Porsche World. Good luck, Wild Spirit!
24 July 2022
ESSENTIALS PRODUCT CALL
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CSF INTERCOOLERS FOR 991 TURBO/TURBO S CSF has announced the official release of its high-performance intercoolers for firstand second-generation 911 Turbo and Turbo S models. After these intercoolers made their official world debut at the 2017 SEMA show, a unique sales decision was made to only release the products for a period of one year to a select group of the world’s most highly regarded Porsche motorsport ECU tuners and vehicle builders. During this time, the parts were race-tested, logged and fully validated by all concerned, resulting in what CSF argues are must-have 991 Turbo and Turbo S intercoolers for the best performance and value presently available on the performance aftermarket. CSF’s wind-tunnel-optimised 4.5-inch (115mm) width bar/plate core is a significant improvement over the OEM 3.14-inch (80mm) tube/fin core. Furthermore, CSF’s exclusive thermal dispersion heat transfer coating can reject heat approximately 35% more efficiently than the raw/uncoated aluminium core of the OEM intercooler. The coating is applied in California by an aerospace company also supplying its services to Boeing. This unique coating is a key feature to achieving your 991’s true performance potential and is exclusively available from CSF.
Price: $2,995 csfrace.com or call + 1 800 827 1991
STOMSKI RACING PARADIGM SHIFTER STEALTH EDITION A veritable wolf in sheep’s clothing, Stomski Racing’s new Paradigm Shifter Stealth Edition is everything the Maryland company’s carbon-fibre (CF) shifter is, and less. Yep, you read that sentence correctly — without the carbon-fibre and titanium of the CF shifter, the Stealth Edition rolls in at almost half the cost. Plus, you can continue to make use of your Porsche’s factory-fit shift boot and gear knob, though Stomski Racing includes new parts to replace tired originals. Combining the dark, moody, stealth look with the ultimate in precision shifting, this excellent Paradigm shifter joins a product line-up featuring Stomski Racing’s new 917-styled Paradigm shifter, complete with layered wooden gear knob finished in a choice of matte or gloss to suit your requirements.
Price: $725 ($830 for 917 shifter) stomskiracing.com or call +1 410 571 9779
FORST SUSPENSION TOP MOUNTS FOR 964 If you’re planning an overhaul of your 964’s chassis in readiness for a summer of fun, then suspension components, including bushes, are likely to be near the top of your to-do list. New top mounts should also rank favourably. As a firm believer in providing Porsche and Volkswagen owners with value for money, Heritage Parts Centre is offering high-quality 964 top mounts manufactured by Forst as an alternative to genuine Porsche parts — ideal for the discerning 964 owner and those working with a modest budget. Suitable for Carrera 2 and Carrera 4 models, Forst top mounts retail at £127.95 per side and, in most cases, can be delivered to your home or workshop in twenty-four hours. Look for part number 964-343-018-03 at the Heritage Parts Centre website.
Price: £127.95 heritagepartscentre.com or call 01273 444000 26 July 2022
PRODUCT CALL DANSK ENGINE DECAL SET FOR 356/912 Why compromise? This is the question posed by JP Group, parent company of Dansk, producer of new factory faithful parts for the restoration and maintenance of classic Porsches. One of the latest additions to the Dansk product line is an engine sticker set for the 356 (A, B and C models) and 912, giving your fresh restoration the perfect finishing touch. The set includes stickers showing pushrod play adjustment, as well as decals for the oil filter (H-Filter and Fram) and coil (both six- and twelve-volt variants). All stickers are reproduced to the exact details of the originals, but are made from modern vinyl tape, making them easier to install and less prone to damage than the factory stickers they replace. As Dansk rightly suggests, you shouldn’t compromise on the finish of your build — order this sticker set online from Design 911 in the UK or Aase Sales in the USA.
Price: £35.62 ($39) design911.co.uk or aasesales.com
FABSPEED PRIMARY SPORT CATALYTIC CONVERTER DOWNPIPE FOR 971 PANAMERA V6 (SINGLE TURBOCHARGER) Replace your second-generation Panamera V6’s restrictive OEM catalytic converter with a free-flowing HJS tri-metallic, race-quality, 200-cell core flowing 93% to 95% of a straight pipe. Constructed in-house at Fabspeed’s workshop in Fort Washington and making use of German-imported 200-cell HJS catalytic converters increasing exhaust flow for better power, throttle response and improved engine note, each downpipe is made from 14-16gauge T304L mandrel-bent stainless steel with a brushed finish. Emissionscompliant in forty-nine US states (excludes California), optimised for maximum performance and guaranteed not to trigger a check engine light, this powerful Panamera product is available for shipping direct from Fabspeed today.
Price: $2,795.95 fabspeed.com or call +1 215 910 4648
RIMBLADES WHEEL PREPARATION AND CARE KIT UK-based wheel care company, Rimblades, is famous for its range of high-quality alloy rim protection products, but the company also recognises how the overall cosmetic condition of a wheel can make or break a car, hence the introduction of this dedicated wheel preparation and care kit. Including everything you’ll need to take care of your Porsche’s wheels and supplied in a Rimblades-branded carry bag, the bundle comprises a 250ml bottle of tyre shine remover, a 500ml bottle of alloy wheel cleaner, a 500ml bottle of glue and tar remover, plus a 500ml bottle of waterless wheel and tyre cleaner for when you’re on the move and without access to a water supply. Attractively priced at less than forty quid, the kit joins Rimblades’ already popular multi-surface cleaners and the brand’s new line of ceramic detailing products, all available to order direct at the recently revamped Rimblades website.
Price: £39.99 rimblades.com or call 01823 426641 28 July 2022
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PRODUCT CALL ROHLER VALVE AND CAMSHAFT COVERS FOR 964/993 Porsche regards motorsport success as pivotal to its line of products, which is why owners of the brand’s road cars expect new parts to be manufactured and held up to the same standard. This is especially true when out on a track — you want to maximise the performance return from your Porsche by equipping it with components up to the task at hand. Whether it be engine valve covers or gearbox mounts, the Rohler performance range guarantees assured performance for both street and circuit, providing seamless integration by way of premiumquality, direct fit parts. Highlights of the Rohler range include CNC-machined valve covers (upper and lower) for the 964, plus camshaft covers for the 993, including Turbo models. The 964 valve covers replace fragile, leaking factory covers and accept reusable OEM gaskets. With a corrosion-resistant finish, chamfered edges and tight gasket fitment, these are simply the best valve covers on the market, delivering safety and optimisation in your 911’s engine bay. Similarly, Rohler’s 993 camshaft covers permanently correct the problem of leaks thanks to precision-machined, aircraft-grade billet aluminium construction. They also help the host flat-six to run cooler thanks to vanes promoting increased heat dissipation. To view the full range of Rohler Porsche products, visit the Design 911 website today.
Price: 964 valve covers £280.25 (set of two), 993 camshaft covers £280.25 (set of two) design911.co.uk or call 0208 500 8811
CARBONE CUSTOM-FINISH BF TORINO BUCKET SEATS Since 1968, BF has produced seats, interior trim and upholstery for the automotive industry, including the majority of German and Italian sports car manufacturers. The company is based near Turin, the heart of the Italian automotive supply chain, and is best-known for its high-quality bucket seats, as seen occupying the cabin of many air-cooled Porsches. All BF seats and tracks are tested according to EU guidelines and, with the exception of paintwork, all production steps (not limited to steelwork, padding and trimming) are carried out in-house. For owners wanting something more bespoke, however, CarBone is offering BF Torino bucket seats with custom trimming to match the host Porsche. Choose from a variety of leather and fabrics to suit your requirements. Pictured is a customfinished BF ST rally seat, suitable for most classic Porsches and featuring belt slots for four, five and six-point harnesses. This 1970s-inspired bucket provides a low seating position, thereby offering tall drivers comfortable headroom, and joins other classic BF seats, such as the Le Mans Sport (complete with folding backrest), in CarBone’s line-up of BF products trimmed to your specification.
Price: From €2,017.97 per seat carbone.pl or call +48 429 422 115
WEBCON IDA3C MANIFOLDS FOR AIR-COOLED FLAT-SIXES British fuel system and intake product manufacturer, Webcon, has announced the availability of its long-awaited inlet manifold sets to suit the Weber IDA3C carburettors fitted to air-cooled Porsche flatsix engines. Beautifully crafted by Webcon in the UK, these fantastic new manifolds are 90mm tall and boast extra strengthening to ensure superb performance and longevity. They also feature the correctshaped ignition plug lead holes to allow continued use of OEM plug lead grommets. Suitable for both 40IDA3C and 46IDA3C and perfectly complementing the genuine Spanish Weber IDA carburettors recently reintroduced to the Webcon product portfolio (and pictured in our image), these meticulously manufactured manifolds are available to order direct from the Webcon website and from appointed Webcon dealers around the world. Choose part number MW4340 for 40IDA3C, part number MW4346 for 46IDA3C.
Price: £790.80 webcon.co.uk or call 01932 787100 30 July 2022
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32 July 2022
TIM HARVEY
The challenges of competing at Le Mans can be dealing with traffic, mechanical problems, physical conditioning, poor weather and driving in the dark. Cars can top 200mph up to five times per lap. The unpredictable nature of Circuit de la Sarthe in the wet at night can be terrifying. I defy any driver to say otherwise...
T
he 24 Hours of Le Mans remains one of my all-time favourite races. I’m lucky enough to have contested it four times, between 1988 and 1991 during the fabulous Group C era. I’ve talked about some of my experiences at Circuit de la Sarthe in previous articles, most significantly my first ever Le Mans with the Charles Ivey-backed Porsche Tiga. There’s a book in that race alone, but here I want to talk about working a car around the circuit and what it takes to be a complete driver at this most unique race. The late, great Gordon Spice, whom I was later to drive for both in the World Sportscar Championship and Le Mans, gave me sound advice in 1988, before I actually ever drove the track. “Remember, son,” he said, adopting his usual paternal role, even though I was twentyseven years old, “it’s not about you, it’s about the team. You’ll only get a positive result if you think like this.” It was the best advice I ever had — as hard as it was to reign in my natural instincts to drive every lap like a qualifier, Gordy’s advice made me a better Le Mans driver. The first obstacle to overcome is remembering you’re driving someone else’s car. You need to be accommodating of your co-driver’s seating, mirror, and lighting requirements. Hopefully, you all agree on how you like the setup, not too much understeer or oversteer, even if you personally like a car set-up one way or the other. A neutral car each driver can adapt to is what you’re looking for, assuming you’ve conducted enough pre-event
testing to have this sorted — there is so little time to make changes at the event. Why? Well, with a lap time of three and a half to four minutes, plus an out and in lap, it takes nearly fifteen minutes from garage out to garage in, just to complete a flying lap. Thus, setting up time is severely restricted, as is seat time for each driver. Typically, a driver would do the required three daylight and three night-time laps in practice and qualifying, meaning they might be starting the race with just half a dozen laps under their belt. If things have gone smoothly with no technical issues, then hopefully, all drivers (minimum three, maximum four) will be happy and ready for the race, although in practice, this seldom happens. With no cars on the track, Friday is always a rest day, but not for the mechanics and other team members. At my first Le Mans, I swanned off with my family on the Friday for a river cruise and picnic, which although I have wonderful lasting memories of, probably wasn’t the most professional thing to do. I should have been around the team, helping in any way I could, checking and rechecking details with my race engineer and team-mates, practicing pit stops, driver changes and generally building team spirit. If things turn to poo in the middle of the night, you want all your boys pulling for the team to get things sorted and the car back in the race. Some teams will want to push in qualifying, just for the kudos of being up the grid, but in reality, the starting position matters little by the end of the race. Whilst every driver likes to slap on a new set of ‘stickies’, soft or qualifying tyres
COMMENT Tim Harvey is best-known for being 1992 British Touring Car Champion and for being crowned Carrera Cup GB victor in 2008 and 2010. He’s contested the 24 Hours of Le Mans four times, competed in British GT and currently serves as a presenter for ITV4’s extensive BTCC coverage. Find him at @timbo_harvey
and really go for it, qualifying laps are regularly spoiled by traffic. Also, there often isn’t adequate time available due to yellow or red flags in the session. The start of the race, however, is a whole different ball game. The build-up lasts for hours, with photos (preferably with the Hawaiian Tropic grid girls!), sponsor and press interviews. All the starting drivers want to do is get on with the race — whilst they sometimes appear a little distant during these ceremonies, it’s just because they’re getting ever more focused. It’s amazing how all their nerves and pressure disappear as soon as they put on their helmet and climb in the car. You’d imagine the first lap of a fifty-six car grid to be quite frenetic, but in reality, after the Dunlop Curve and first chicane, things usually spread out pretty quickly. Of course, the first stint is the only time you’re running in what feels like a sprint race, with everyone in order and no back markers, at least for a few laps. At this point, it’s important not to let those sprint race instincts creep in. Many a good 24 Hours of Le Mans result has been foiled by impetuosity in the early laps. A typical stint is between twelve and fourteen laps, depending on the category you’re in and fuel consumption. This doesn’t sound like much and, once the race is well and truly underway, a driver seldom gets clear laps. The skill is in not losing much time in traffic, either when passing or when being passed. Consistency is what’s required. It used to be each driver would do a single stint at the start of the race to get ‘bedded in’ before double stinting as night time fell. Nowadays, teams double stint from the off in order to save a few seconds in the pit, just refuelling and not changing tyres. Every second counts, even though the race lasts twenty four hours. At some point during the event, hopefully early on, but often in the solemnity of the night, the driver clicks into ‘the zone’. This is when they’re driving at near qualifying times, but with seemingly no effort on either their or the car’s behalf. They’re driving so smoothly and precisely, just working their way around the track, exercising mechanical sympathy and achieving effortless laps. These are the moments drivers cherish and long for. It’s what make Le Mans so special. I’m looking forward to this year’s Le Mans Classic and rekindling some of the magic. l July 2022 33
BEVERLY HILLS CAR CLUB
SPECIALIZED DEALER OF EUROPEAN AND AMERICAN CLASSIC CARS
1997 Porsche 993 Turbo stock #15255 Presenting this beautiful 1997 Porsche 993 Turbo featured with 21,588 miles on the odometer and available in its factory color code #39C Midnight Blue Metallic with a blue interior. The vehicle comes with a clean Carfax and is equipped with a 6-peed manual transmission, Flat 6 cylinder 3.6-liter engine, air conditioning, sport seats, automatic speed control, power mirrors, power windows, power steering, power sunroof, 4-wheel disc brakes, Porsche Twist wheels, tool kit, air compressor, jack, and a spare tire. Also includes paint meter reading photos. Both the color code and options sticker are still in place under the hood. An extremely desirable low mileage air-cooled Porsche Turbo that is also mechanically sound. For $295,000
1988 Porsche 911 Turbo M505 Slant 1996 Porsche 993 Carrera Coupe #14647 1994 Porsche 964 Carrera 4 Wide-Body 1990 Porsche 964 Carrera 4 Coupe #12689 Presenting this beautiful 1990 Porsche 964 Carrera 4 Coupe featured Presenting this one-owner 1996 Porsche 993 Carrera Coupe featured Nose #15141 Coupe #14684 with 61,191 miles on the odometer is available in its factory color with 33,589 on the odometer and is available in its factory color
Presenting this 1988 Porsche 911 Turbo M505 Slant Nose (#286 out of 701) featured with matching numbers and is available in its factory color code #80k India Red with a black interior. The vehicle comes with a clean Carfax and is equipped with a 4-speed manual transmission, Flat 6 cylinder 3.3-liter engine, air conditioning, power windows, sunroof, 4-wheel disc brakes, factory slant nose body option, limitedslip differential, Fuchs wheels, air compressor, and a spare tire. Both the color code and options sticker are still in place under the hood. Also includes the original warranty/maintenance booklet. An extremely desirable limited production Turbo M505 Slant Nose that is mechanically sound.
For $119,950
1973.5 Porsche 911T CIS Targa #14626
This matching numbers 1973.5 Porsche 911T CIS Targa is available in its factory color combination of Gemini Blue Metallic with a black interior. The vehicle comes equipped with a 5-speed manual transmission, Flat 6 Cylinder 2.4-liter engine with CIS fuel injection, rubber bumperettes, leather-wrapped steering wheel, fog lights, chrome rocker panels, aluminum door sills, 4-wheel disc brakes, Fuchs wheels, and spare tire. A beautiful color combination 911T CIS Targa that is mechanically sound.
For $79,950
code #908 Grand Prix White with a black interior. The vehicle comes with a clean Carfax and is equipped with a 6-speed manual transmission, Flat 6 Cylinder 3.6-liter engine, automatic speed control, air conditioning, 8-way electrical front seats, power mirrors, power windows, power steering, sunroof, 4-wheel disc brakes, spare tire, tool kit, air compressor, and jack. Also includes service documents and receipts copies dating from 2000 to 2019 totaling over $21,000. Do not miss your chance to jump into the ownership of this low-mileage sports car that has been lovingly cared for by the original owners (husband and wife) since new. This is a well-maintained air-cooled 993 that is mechanically sound. For $96,500
Presenting this amazing and highly collectible 1994 Porsche 964 Carrera 4 Wide-Body Coupe (1 of 267 ever produced). Available in Guards Red with a black interior. The vehicle comes equipped with a 5-speed manual transmission, Flat 6 Cylinder 3.6-liter engine, automatic speed control, air conditioning, power windows, power steering, sunroof, 4-wheel disc brakes, and spare tire. Also includes the original owner’s manual, maintenance booklet as well as service documents and receipts copies dating from 2000 to 2021 totaling over $37,000. Do not miss your chance to jump into the ownership of this one-year limited-production factory Wide-Body air-cooled 964 that is mechanically sound.
1973 Porsche 911E Targa #12666
1978 Porsche 911SC Sunroof Delete Coupe #14204
For $74,500
For $265,000
Here is a recently discovered 1973 Porsche 911E Targa featured here with matching numbers is available in its factory color code Presenting this matching numbers 1978 Porsche 911SC Sunroof #117 Light Yellow with a black interior. It comes equipped with a Delete Coupe is available in this highly desirable factory color code 5-speed manual transmission, 4-wheel disc brakes, G26 Group #275 Light Green Metallic with a black interior. The vehicle comes option: S trim, heated rear glass, sway bars, S instrument, air equipped with a 5-speed manual transmission, a Flat 6 Cylinder conditioning, and Fuchs wheels. This is an extremely original Porsche 3.0-liter engine, 4-wheel disc brakes, and Fuchs wheels. An excellent 911E (please review paint meter reading photos). A very sought-after original blue plate California car that is an excellent addition to any original California car that is mechanically sound. Porsche enthusiast. Don’t miss your chance to acquire this original 911 that is mechanically sound. For $98,500 For $59,950
1980 Porsche 911SC Weissach Coupe 1992 Porsche America Roadster #14374 Presenting this highly desirable 1992 Porsche America Roadster #15073 that is available in its factory color code # 92A Zermatt Silver Metallic
Presenting this limited edition 1980 Porsche 911SC Weissach Coupe (1 out of 408 ever produced) featured here with matching numbers and 61,126 miles on the odometer. Available in its factory color code #655 Platinum Metallic with doric gray leather with a burgundy piping interior. The 911SC comes equipped with a 5-speed manual transmission, Flat 6 Cylinder 3.0-liter engine, air conditioning, power windows, sunroof, 4-wheel disc brakes, Fuchs wheels, spare tire, and tool kit. Also includes service documents and receipts copies dating from 1987 to 2021 totaling over $26,000. An excellent opportunity to jump into the ownership and this gorgeous low-mileage sports car that is mechanically sound.
with a grey interior. The vehicle comes with a clean Carfax and is equipped with a 5-speed manual transmission, Flat 6 Cylinder 3.6-liter engine, air conditioning, automatic speed control, rear seat delete/ storage compartments, 8-way electrical front seats, draped leather front seats, windows, power steering, light root wood shift knob, soft top, boot, limited-slip differential, 4-wheel disc brakes, and spare tire. Also includes the original owner’s manual as well as the warranty/ maintenance booklets (service stamps included). Both the color code and options sticker are still in place under the hood. Don’t miss your chance to acquire this limited-production Porsche America Roadster that is mechanically sound.
For $84,500
code #700 black with a black interior. It comes with a clean Carfax and is equipped with a 5-speed manual transmission, Flat 6 Cylinder 3.6-liter engine, air conditioning, automatic speed control, power windows, power steering, jack, 4-wheel disc brakes, D90 wheels, and jack. Both the color code and options sticker are still in place under the hood. Also included with this vehicle are paint meter reading photos. An extremely desirable low mileage 964 Coupe that is mechanically sound.
1993 Porsche 911 RS America Non-Sunroof #15160
Presenting this highly collectible 1993 Porsche 911 RS America Non-Sunroof (one of 701 examples built for 1993) and is available in its factory color code #741 black with a black interior. The vehicle comes equipped with a 5-speed manual transmission, Flat 6 Cylinder 3.6-liter engine, air conditioning, power windows, aftermarket sound system (factory stereo included), rear seat delete, sports seats, RS door panels, 4-wheel disc brakes, spare tire, and tool kit. Also includes the original owner’s manual, and maintenance booklet, as well as service documents and receipts copies totaling over $38,000 invested in the vehicle which includes a major service done in the last 2 years. Do not miss your chance to own this amazing, strongrunning, and well-maintained RS America that is mechanically sound. For $169,500
For $125,000
1979 Porsche 930 Turbo Coupe #14909
Presenting this amazing color combination 1979 Porsche 930 Turbo Coupe featured with matching numbers and 73,614miles on the odometer. Available in Petrol Blue Metallic with a black interior. The 930 Turbo comes equipped with a 4-speed manual transmission, Flat 6 Cylinder 3.3-liter engine, air conditioning, sports seats, power windows, sunroof, 4-wheel disc brakes, Fuchs wheels, and spare tire. Also includes service documents and receipts copies totaling over $6,000. An extremely sought-after air-cooled Porsche Turbo that is mechanically sound.
For $139,950
1956 Porsche 356 Pre-A 1500S Speedster #15143
Presenting this beautifully restored 1956 Porsche 356 Pre-A 1500S Speedster featured with a matching numbers engine however the transmission has been replaced at some point in its life. Available in Signal Red with a black interior. The Speedster comes equipped with a 4-speed manual transmission, Flat 4 Cylinder 1500S engine, dual carburetors, numbers matching deck lid & hood, soft top, steel wheels, chrome hub caps, spare tire, tool kit, and jack. Also includes a Certificate of Authenticity copy as well as a service receipt copy for a major service done in 2021 at a cost of $2,176. An excellent opportunity to jump into the ownership of this iconic Speedster that is mechanically sound.
LOOKING FOR CLASSIC OR LUXURY SPORTSCARS?
For $350,000
• We Buy and pick up from any USA location • Worldwide Shipping Please check our website as we have cars being delivered daily Alex Manos, BEVERLY HILLS CAR CLUB 4576 1/2 Worth St., Los Angeles, CA 90063 T: (310) 975-0272 http://www.BeverlyHillsCarClub.com E: sales@beverlyhillscarclub.com
HARRY KING
2022’s Mobil 1 Supercup is the thirtieth Porsche Supercup season, kicking off in Imola in April and finishing at Monza in September. To stay sharp behind the wheel of the new 992 GT3 Cup Car, it can pay to run in a second racing programme, such as the excellent Porsche Carrera Cup championships...
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tarting a new chapter with BWT Lechner Racing is incredibly exciting. I’m thoroughly looking forward to getting involved with the team after a strong start — in March, I had a successful weekend participating in the Porsche Sprint Challenge Middle East round at Jeddah, which was a nice way to kick off the season and blow away the cobwebs. My new team-mates are Dylan Pereira and Bastian Buus. Dylan brings a wealth of experience to the table. He’s exceptionally quick in a 992 Cup car and great in a team environment. Bastian is Carrera Cup Deutschland’s runner-up in the rookie programme and is also very quick. I think we form a very good trio. We’re all quite young and, crucially, we’re all hungry for success. We had an intensive pre-season testing programme. With Dylan, Bastian, all the engineers and mechanics, I really enjoyed us working collectively as a team. I feel very much at home and this is a really positive environment to compete in. Of course, racing with Parker Revs Motorsport in Supercup last year was really good preparation. We didn’t complete a whole season because of the Carrera Cup Great Britain commitments I had as GB Junior, meaning there are circuits I’ll be visiting for the first time this year. This is one of the reasons I also added Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux as a second programme for 2022. I took part as a guest last season and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I have good memories of working with Parker Revs
co-owner, Patrick de Groot, securing two wins in two races, as well as our successful time working together in Carrera Cup Great Britain. Just as I did in 2021, I will be driving in the Benelux competition alongside my Supercup commitments in order to further improve my track time and to keep myself race-fresh throughout the season. My aim is to extend my knowledge of key circuits, including Zolder and Hockenheim. In addition, more consistency in the new 911 Cup car will mean I’m more comfortable, which will only help my Supercup campaign. This is the best preparation I could have. I’m not classified as a rookie anymore (despite being at the same level of experience) — I know what to expect. Consequently, I’m a step ahead. I’m excited about the season and racing in Europe, which is always quite different to competing in the UK. There’s a lot more strategy involved. The first Supercup race of the season took place at Imola and was a new challenge for everybody competing — not even participating Carrera Cup Italy drivers had raced the new 992 Cup cars. My expectations were high after free practice, when I ended up P3, but qualifying was a real challenge because the red flag hampered my first run and I didn’t get a clear lap thereafter. When rain fell before the start, the team did a great job to get the car turned around for the conditions, giving me a fantastic platform to move forward. I had so much confidence in the car and could really push to make up places, getting us to a podium finish. It was a great way to set expectations for the rest of the year.
COMMENT Harry King competes in Porsche Supercup and Carrera Cup. In 2020, he won twelve of sixteen Carrera Cup GB rounds, taking the title with a race in hand. He’s one of the BDRC’s SuperStars and was awarded Autosport’s 2020 National Driver of the Year award. Find him on Instagram @harryking.01
We’re happy with how things are looking, but in Supercup, the tides change quickly. In other words, we have to keep working hard and can’t get too relaxed. Every other team is toiling to be where we are, which is why we’ve got to keep our work rate high throughout the season. I’m pleased to be returning to Monaco (for a second year) with a bit more experience and more confidence. We had a really good result on Circuit de Monaco in 2021, despite it being Parker Revs’ first time racing in Supercup. We finished in the top ten and I see no reason why I can’t improve on this result in 2022. Competing in Jeddah has helped me feel more comfortable with the 992 around walls at high speed, which is always a very different experience when you drive on open circuits all your life and suddenly, you’re on a narrow strip of track — if you complete a fast lap at Monaco, you’ve definitely taken risks and are relieved to see the finish line. Supercup at Silverstone will also be a special weekend after we lost out on having a UK round for the series last year. Again, nobody’s really been here with the 992 Cup car. Even though I’m a British racing driver, I’ve yet to compete on Silverstone’s full Grand Prix circuit. Under the BWT Lechner Racing banner, I don’t have any real home advantage. Even so, Silverstone is home of the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC). Being a member of the BRDC SuperStars programme fills me with even more pride at the prospect of driving the circuit. Red Bull Ring is the home of BWT Lechner Racing. Needless to say, support will be high and the team — which has a very good record at the Austrian track — has high expectations for when Supercup rolls into town. I’m looking forward to returning after two wins at the circuit last season. Paul Ricard is another new venue for me. After fun in France, we visit Spa, which is always an enjoyable place to race. I opened my 2022 Carrera Cup Benelux season there. To score pole position and take two wins with two fastest laps was a great way to start the campaign. It’s nice to be leading the championship at this early stage. We’ll be also be racing at Zandvoort, a UKstyle circuit which really suits me as a driver. I’m extremely lucky to be able to do what I love and race these incredible 911 GT3 Cup cars. Rest assured, I will be giving it my all this season. l July 2022 35
LOST IN THE SAUCE
Porsches have always lent themselves to brash colourways, demonstrated by this Mint Green 996 and Orange 987 Cayman S Sport. And, as if their striking livery wasn’t enough, both cars have been enhanced by Suffolk-based marque specialist, Charlie Wildridge...
Words Johnny Tipler Photography Dan Sherwood
36 July 2022
FUN FOR £30k
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hat’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, as the saying goes. And since I find both these saucy Porkers – Mint Green and Orange – absolutely irresistible, I hope you will too. Certainly, they caught the attention of the locals where we undertook our car-to-car photoshoot, enough to prompt a call to nearby law enforcement agents, more of which I’ll cover later. What we have here is a 2002 facelift-model 996 Carrera and a rare 987 Cayman S Sport. Both cars have been endowed with improvements, mechanically and externally. They’re also both in the tender care of Charlie Wildridge, proprietor of William Francis Porsche, based at Clopton Green in Suffolk. Here’s the gist. First up, the Minter. My old friends (better known as ‘the reader’) will understand why I’m drawn to it,
having run a Mint Green 964 for more than a decade. Mint was on the Porsche colour chart back in the early 1990s, but the difference here is that the cool coat of colour is, in fact, a wrap — a very good one — applied by B:Spoke, a paint protection film (PPF), signwriting and vinyl wrapping outfit based in Rattlesden, not far from Charlie’s base near Bury St Edmunds. Though very much Mint Green, the colour is actually named Tiffany Blue in the catalogue of vinyl producer, Hexis. Me, I’ll grab Breakfast at Tiffany’s anytime. Charlie is distinctly upbeat about the finish. “It has transformed the car from its original ‘plain Jane’ silver into something which really pops. It brings the details out everywhere.” Indeed, the genuine Porsche Tequipment rollcage is more prominent in your vision and the ducktail really sets things off. There’s a matching vinyl pinstripe around the achingly gorgeous wheels, too. “The beauty of vinyl is how you can have a bit of fun and try different
things. If what you’ve attempted to achieve doesn’t look any good, you simply peel the material off and try something different.” Through strips on the dashboard and seat tops, the Mint detailing is taken further, but personalisation through vinyl doesn’t end there. “Wrapping the mirrors carbon black evokes an RS theme,” says Charlie. “I didn’t want to build an RS replica, though. My intention was, in fact, to build an aggressive 996 amounting to a half-price GT3.” On a recent track day at Snetterton, a friend driving a 996 GT3 RS struggled to keep up, let alone get past the Carrera, which was glued to the asphalt by Toyo Proxes R888R black circles. “He’s a good driver with plenty of trackday experience, but wanted to know what I’d done to my 996 to make it so quick and handle so well. I explained I’d added high-quality Öhlins coilovers and sticky rubber, but otherwise, the car was more or less standard.” Granted, it features a trick exhaust July 2022 37
and a BMC air filter, parts which might free up a few ponies, but the GT3 RS would have had close to fifty extra horsepower on tap. At the time of writing, both these cars are running Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tyres. For the 996, they’re wrapped around BBS E88 split-rims. The eleven inches of width at the rear highlight the fact these rare rims are oversized on the narrow-bodied 996, filling the wheel arches entirely. “The wheels were specially made for a GT3 I recently sold,” Charlie continues. “I’ve never seen E88s with centre caps, which is why I’ve left them bare.”
URBAN TAIL
and the module in the ECU. Porsche left all the wiring in place for the conversion, though. I installed the required relay in the footwell and added the button on the dashboard.” The system makes use of the factory vacuum lines. The head unit, meanwhile, is now an retro-OEM-look Blaupunkt Nurnberg 200 DAB singleDIN offering Bluetooth connectivity to smartphones. As you can see, the centre console has been deleted. I recall how the spray-wrap on my 986 Boxster was immune to stone chips, but how about the vinyl covering Charlie’s Mint marvel? “The wrap has been fully ceramic coated to help protect it. It’s a new ceramic coating designed
specifically for vinyl or PPFs. If you poured some out and left it to dry as a droplet, it turns almost like glass. Our detailer, Nick at NT Detailing, applied the product evenly with a roller. It’s a tricky job — if you’re heavy handed or get a run in the product, you have to sand it off.” Prominent in the 996’s cabin is its RUF-embossed GT3 seats, incorporating houndstooth-patterned cushions. “The interior came out of a 996 Anniversary Edition equipped with various upgrades, including these seats and a roll cage.” Why would you do that to an Anniversary?! This commemorative 911 is far more valuable in its original trim, after all. Long story short, Charlie
Above Tiffany Blue is a close match for Mint Green and extends beyond the 996’s body, around its wheels and into the CAE-equipped cabin
Originally fitted with a factory Aerokit (“my ideal starting point and in timewarp condition”), the 996’s front panel and enlarged side-skirts are still in place, but the ducktail engine lid is an item from independent Porsche parts retailer, Design 911. Charlie has deleted the highlevel brake light, although he’s tempted to fit a race light on the rear of the roof. He’s also taken with the idea of an early 996 high-level brake light sitting at the top of the rear window. His non-sunroof car’s original specification also included a rear wiper (now absent), M030 suspension, switchable exhaust and a BOSE stereo system, including an analogue-type amplifier. “I’ve upgraded the factoryfitted switchable exhaust system to be manually operated,” he tells me. “2002 cars with the optional Sport exhaust were only switchable through the relay 38 July 2022
911 (991) “2S” 3.8 pdk (63 - 2013) Agate grey with black leather 59,000 miles £60,000
911 (997) “2S” 3.8 pdk (11 - 2011) Meteor grey with black leather 40,000 miles £52,000
911 (997) “4S” 3.8 tip (06 - 2006) Arctic silver with black leather 58,000 miles £38,000
911 (997) “4S” 3.8 tip (07 - 2007) Atlas grey with black leather 59,000 miles £36,000
911 (997) “4S” 3.8 tip (06 - 2006) Arctic silver with black leather £35,000 66,000 miles
911 (997) “2S” 3.8 tip (07 - 2007) Basalt black with black leather £35,000 77,000 miles
911 (997) “2S” 3.8 tip (57 - 2007) Arctic silver with red leather £33,000 57,000 miles
911 996 Turbo 3.6 X50 cab (04 - 2004) Arctic silver with black leather £50,000 51,000 miles
718 Cayman 2.0 pdk (19 - 2019) Pure white with black leather £48,000 10,000 miles
718 Cayman 2.0 pdk (69 - 2019) Red with black leather/alcantara £47,000 12,000 miles
718 Cayman 2.0 pdk (67 - 2017) Graphite blue with black leather/ alcantara. 20,000 miles £46,000
718 Boxster “S” 2.5 (17 - 2017) Pure white with black leather £46,000 26,000 miles
Cayman “GTS” 3.4 pdk (65 - 2015) Cayman “GTS” 3.4 pdk (64 - 2014) Carrara white pearl with black leather Rhodium silver with black leather/ 29,000 miles £50,000 alcantara. 48,000 miles £47,000
Cayman 2.7 pdk (64 - 2014) Basalt black with black leather 43,000 miles £33,000
Boxster “S” 3.4 pdk (64 - 2014) Pure white with black leather 23,000 miles £40,000
Boxster “S” 3.4 pdk (63 - 2013) Pure white with black leather 27,000 miles £38,000
Boxster 2.7 pdk (14 - 2014) Black with black leather 24,000 miles £35,000
Boxster 2.7 pdk (14 - 2014) White with black leather 44,000 miles £31,000
Cayman 2.9 (59 - 2009) White with black leather 46,000 miles
Macan “GTS” 3.0 v6 pdk (17 - 2017) Carmine red with black leather/ alcantara. 44,000 miles £46,000
Macan “S” 3.0 v6 pdk (66 - 2016) Volcano grey with black leather 30,000 miles £40,000
Macan “S” 3.0 diesel pdk (16 - 2016) Basalt black with red leather 71,000 miles £35,000
911 (997) “2S” 3.8 pdk (59 - 2009) Basalt black with black leather 51,000 miles £SOLD
£25,000
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bought the Anniversary, restored the car’s interior, reinstated its original seats and plopped the rogue GT3 pews into the Minter. Included in the deal were two sets of 918 Spyder safety harnesses, bequeathed to the Anniversary’s previous owner by the pilot of a 918 who preferred regular seat belts. Needless to say, the Schroth harnesses you see in our pictures are genuine 918 Spyder items. The mounting brackets were TIG-welded to the roll cage — there’s obviously a rear seat delete — to ensure they fit correctly. A seriously OEM+ addition to this 996.
accommodate the CAE apparatus. Mileage is 62,000. Modest distance for a twenty-year-old car, I’m sure you’ll agree. “It had sticky valve solenoids, which I’ve worked my way through. I’ve carried out a couple of engine flushes, fitted a new clutch, upgraded the IMS bearing with a European Parts Solution roller bearing and fitted braided brake hoses. There’s still more to do, though. For example, I’ve got a Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake kit and modified front hubs waiting in the wings. This 911 is now at the point where I’m really happy with the way it looks, though, and the interior is more or less where I want STICKING POINT You’ve probably noticed the miniature it. And, of course, the car handles and Eiffel Tower sitting prominently in the drives fantastically well already.” middle of the cabin. It’s a race-spec short The Öhlins dampers come into play shifter from the Ultra Shifter product here, complete with varying degrees of catalogue of German transmission accessories manufacturer, CAE. “The company has been producing these shifters for a long time,” says Charlie, referencing CAE’s portfolio of short shifters and fly-off handbrakes for a wide variety of makes and models. “I hadn’t tried an Ultra Shifter in a Porsche before. I love it, because it’s parallel to the steering wheel. Consequently, your hand movement is simply left to right, as opposed to left, down, find the gearstick, change, move back up to the steering wheel. At a track, shifts are so much faster when the shifter is upright and high like this. You end up shifting like you would if in charge of a sequential gearbox.” The William Francis team had to modify the 996’s centre console to
stiffness. “There’s thirty settings to choose from,” Charlie explains. “The first ten are circuit settings. The next ten are for fast road driving, then you’re into settings affording the car the compliance of a standard damper. I’ve currently got the kit dialled in to setting number nine, the softest of the track settings. It’s a little firm for the road, but not so your fillings are going to fall out. Put it this way, I drove the car to Snetterton and home again and it performed brilliantly around the track, as well as on the public road there and back. I’ve long considered the build quality of Öhlins products as nothing short of superb.” This beautifully presented 996 serves as something of a flagship for what Charlie does, day in, day out as head of William Francis Porsche. “I’ve been
Above Charlie’s mission was to create a 996 Carrera capable of giving a GT3 a run for its money
40 July 2022
FUN FOR £30k
Above Ducktail is a Design 911 item, while the wheels are genuine BBS E88 split rim wheels
working on 996s for two decades,” he recalls. “I appreciate it’s a bold step for an owner to take a pristine 996 and then fork out for uprated dampers, wheels, tyres, suspension, engine and ECU upgrades. That said, even when taking the purchase price of the car into consideration when calculating the cost of modifying a 996 to this standard, you’re still sitting at half the spend required for GT3 ownership. RSs are obviously in another league again.” With a 911 like his carefully modified 996 Carrera, he suggests, you get the GT3 driving experience without the GT3 price tag. Indeed, William Francis is offering the car for sale in the region of thirty grand. That’s an awful lot of 911 for the money. While our photographer, Dan, is taking care of the statics, I take a look at the Cayman. It’s a 987 S Sport limited edition, number 372 out of seven
bases. They also provide the potential for a crotch strap belt — with a harness bar bolted in behind the seats, it would be straightforward to install five-point harnesses for serious track work. At 38,000, this zesty Porsche has covered relatively low mileage. Charlie explains the attraction. “I originally bought the car because I’d never owned a Cayman. I also like brightly coloured Porsches. The car had been in the possession of a low number of owners, had covered few miles and is a limited hundred units — verified by the silver edition. For those of us who can’t afford glovebox plaque — launched in 2008 a GT3, a GT4 or a special collectible for the 2009 model year. Reflecting my Porsche, the 987 Cayman S Sport ticks a thoughts expressed earlier regarding the lot of boxes. It features a nicely balanced 996 Anniversary Edition, you may wonder chassis, and the 3.4-litre boxer is a sweet why Charlie has tampered with a rare powerplant. This car is one of just sixtyCayman, but a school of thought going nine examples in the UK, which means back a long way considers all Porsches it’s a rarer sight than a GT3.” Being a special model, the car obviously came with all the right ‘sporty’ bits from factory, but it was also equipped with a decent amount of extra comfort equipment, including fair game to be modified or personalised. automatically operating headlights, BOSE The most obvious switch on this car audio, parking sensors and satellite is the carbon-fibre boot-lid tailgate, navigation. Folding bucket seats also providing external confirmation this is a featured, but they’re long gone. “I saw 987 with sporting aspirations (as if the this 987 as an opportunity to start with eye-catching tint wasn’t sufficient!). an already good Cayman and subject it In the cockpit, the seats are the a few tweaks, though I’ve tried to stay latest-generation Recaro Pole Positions. as true to Porsche as I could,” Charlie They’re mounted on runners with continues. “For this reason, the car rolls adjustable tilt angles and heights on Carrera wheels boasting nine and associated with the BBi Autosport a half inches of girth at the rear, just
YOU’VE PROBABLY NOTICED HE MINIATURE EIFFEL TOWER SITTING PROMINENTLY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CABIN
July 2022 41
like the Cayman S Sport in the Porsche Museum, which provided inspiration for the project. There’s also a wheel stud conversion to allow easy spacer options and wheel changing.” Chassis tuning was carried out in-house at William Francis. “I sourced a genuine ceramic brake package and master cylinder for the car, plus it sports £1,000-worth of Pagid RSC 01 brake pads, ensuring it stops as well as any Porsche. It’s got 5mm front spacers, 10mm at the rear, H&R springs and anti-roll bars, but Porsche Active Suspension Management remains in place. The ride height sits a little lower than standard specification, which sharpens the handling. I renewed the bump-stops, top mounts, drop links, refurbished the dampers and set custom geometry to suit.”
Spyder. At the previous owner’s request, Charlie replaced the standard head unit with a double-DIN Pioneer touchscreen, delivering DAB, Bluetooth and CarPlay. “The nice thing is, it’s completely wireless, meaning you can climb out of the car and whatever music you were listening to in the house continues streaming in the Porsche.” Thanks to a pair of Design Tek switchable stainless boxes and sports cats, the Cayman’s lightweight exhaust also makes a really nice noise. In true Colin Chapman dictum, there’s emphasis on shedding kilos. It’s evident by way of a lightweight exhaust, flywheel, boot lid and lighter bucket seats. “It’s all about shaving weight, getting the centre of gravity down and putting amazing stoppers in each corner, which means
you don’t need to modify the engine,” Charlie stresses. Even so, this brightly coloured Cayman has an ECU massage, carried out by Porsche and increasing power to just shy of 312bhp. The boot lid is an Autofarm-authored add-on, constructed from carbon-fibre and featuring an integral plastic rear window. It is not exactly flimsy, but certainly light enough to be held aloft with just one finger. “I’m big on taking weight out of a car, as opposed to just trying to add more power,” Charlie says. “Shedding bulk improves tyre wear, braking, acceleration and handling. The carbon boot lid alone saves twenty kilos. It’s too light for gas struts. It would act like a catapult! I plan to fit a 964 Carrera RS bonnet stay to prop it up.” Not much room for a broom handle, otherwise.
Above Limited edition 987 Cayman S Sport (number 372 of 700) makes use of a carbon-fibre Autofarm boot lid featuring a plastic rear window
PARTS OF THE PROCESS
The Cayman has also been treated to new air-conditioning condensers and a 997 centre-radiator conversion, including coolant and crossover lines. There’s a low-temperature thermostat, new sports manifolds and catalysts, a new switchable stainless exhaust system utilising factory vacuum lines and, as you’d expect, a new clutch, along with a lightweight flywheel, replacement rear main seal and an upgraded IMS seal. The wheels were ceramic-coated after they’d been powdercoated, just to provide extra protection from stone chips. Draped in Alcantara, the Cayman S Sport cabin features a dash binnacle with its cover absent, much like the Boxster 42 July 2022
Both of these cars have track focus in mind, but can be used comfortably on the road. A trip to the Nürburgring in this Cayman would certainly be in relative luxury, what with BOSE audio and airconditioning, which works fantastically well. You’re not driving a hardcore track toy — this 987 is the fine balance between making a car good on track and good on the public highway. It’s devilishly difficult to achieve both at the same time, but the 996 and 987 pictured here are the cusp, working well in both situations.
TASTE THE RAINBOW
I notice the Cayman was first registered to Porsche Cars Great Britain, just like my current 987 Boxster S, which was configured with a raft of factory options by the brand’s marketing department. I wonder what purpose the team had for this Cayman? As a 987 S Sport, it was likely a show car, rather than a press mule. Charlie agrees. “This model only came supplied in Carrara White, Signal Green, Orange, Speed Yellow, Guards Red and a few special-order Basalt Black examples. The palette was kept quite simple. A few ideas were nicked from the GT3 RS colour chart, as was the Alcantara trim, plus the 987 S Sport makes use of the GT3’s short shifter.” Already highly specified and now benefiting from a wave of the William Francis tuning stick, the car also enjoys increased torsional rigidity thanks to a carbon-fibre strut brace. Every little helps, as they say. When Charlie acquired the Cayman,
its service book contained only three stamps, which was not merely inconvenient, but somewhat worrying — it was clearly a replacement service book. Previous owners could shed no light on the location of the missing paperwork. When Charlie set about swapping the Cayman’s seats for the Recaro Pole Positions, however, the original service book and its ‘missing’ records were patiently awaiting their discovery underneath the passenger pew. Despite reassurance of all necessary servicing and maintenance carried out, Charlie nevertheless continued his maintenance programme. “I went through the car, bumper to bumper, installing new
coolant lines, doing the centre radiator conversion, fitting new spark plugs, a new drive belt, new BERU coil packs, refurbished the calipers, added orange braided hoses and renewed many other renewable service items. The car was given a change of brake fluid along with the new brake discs and pads, as well as a new master cylinder to compliment the eight-pot calipers at the nose. It was, in effect, a typical William Francis major Porsche service.” Time for the workout — the Suffolk back-doubles beckon! Magic Mint magnetism notwithstanding, I’m equally transfixed by the Orange Blossom Special, and contort my torso into the
Above Both the 996 and the 987 in our test offer a massive amount of Porsche for thirty grand
44 July 2022
FUN FOR £30k
Above The Cayman was first registered to Porsche Cars Great Britain, leading Charlie (and Johnny) to believe it was used for show purposes
telling in these straitened times. I bring the Caveman back to base and switch to Minty. I should be reminded of my former 996, presented to the reader once-upon-a-time as ‘Pig Energy’ on account of its registration, P16 NRG. My 996 wore similar split-rim wheels and was modified externally with a Carrera Cup front and RUF ducktail engine lid. Minty 996 is a different creature on the inside, as austere as a GT3 RS, with rear cage, those GT3 seats and no centre console. I’m aware of the indulgent body-hugging Recaros. Cosy! The seat Handling is perfectly balanced, turn-in houndstooth and the special 918 seat back is quite upright, and I shuffle slightly absolutely on the button. The firmness belts, not to mention the flashes of Mint more toward the wheel for the perfect in cornering is impressive, and there’s no here and there, but everything in front 987 driving position. There’s an Alcantara roll whatsoever. of me is more or less ‘regular’ 996, even treat, with the suedette material cladding It goes without saying this particular though there’s an extraordinary ‘statue’ the seat squabs, steering wheel rim, Cayman feels a tauter chassis than the standing alongside my left elbow. It’s the gearstick gaiter and handbrake lever, Boxster, and even on a bumpy road, CAE shift-lever and its miniature scaffold while the Pioneer touchscreen radio, pitter-pattering over the undulations, ride tower. In practice, it’s not a difficult shift communications at all, intuitive, and hub and sat-nav slotting fluently appears to be very with short flicks of good, certainly the wrist between when compared to all six forward functionality offered ratios. Introduce by the standard kit. a bit of a lift-andThe flat-six thrust to engage barks into life. reverse. Spine-tingling! The clutch is easy on is adequately smooth. There’s a nagging There’s a different bark when this 996 the ankle, the shift noticeably notchier question mark as to whether an unruffled starts up. It’s more baritone and less than that of my 987 Boxster S. Throttle 987 S Sport would be discernibly any raucous than the Cayman, but still in the response is instantaneous, acceleration less competent than this tweaked don’t-mess-with-me ballpark. Again, I sharp. I rush into a series of tight turns, one, though. Actually, what Charlie’s get a smooth rush of adrenaline under immediately feeling the tautness of fashioned here is more akin to the acceleration, though it’s less dramatic the suspension. This Cayman feels 987 Cayman R, the factory lightweight than the sharper Orange agent. On the trackabilly with fifty-five kilos removed, imperiously torquey, pulling out of same short circuit of Suffolk lanes, bends, hauling from 2,000rpm and plus 10bhp added for good measure. the Öhlins ride setting is beautifully happily zinging up to 5,000rpm with Any downside? I’m noticing average fuel judged and I’m traversing the bumps no fuss, just fluent and rapid progress. consumption is 21mpg, which is slightly almost as smoothly as if on a magic
TRANQUILLITY IS COMPREHENSIVELY SHATTERED BY THE BLUES-AND-TWOS OF A POLICE FOURBY EASING IN FRONT OF THE ORANGE SAUCER
July 2022 45
carpet. Modified as it is, the Porsche is instantaneously compliant on turn-in and the steering feels well-weighted, just as one would expect of a 996. All in, as far as driving characteristics are concerned, this is a very together car. The only minor gripe is that the brakes are a tad spongy, rather than needlepoint sharp, though perfectly adequate in action. Besides, I have to remind myself I’ve just been behind the wheel of a Cayman slowed by ceramics, a car Charlie describes as “one of the best braking Porsches I have ever driven.” Nonetheless, this 996 is a cosmetic pretender that behaves very nicely. And, as mentioned earlier, Charlie has a genuine Porsche ceramic brake kit to fit. He’s also got a limited-slip differential, motorsport shifter cables and GT3 coffin arms to install, all of which will further
enhance the driving experience. But is this a GT3 rival? There’s no Mezger engine, but for less than half the price of the real deal, this 996 can hold its own on any track or fast road outing. Food for thought. Photoshoot done, three cars (the Cayman, 911 and our photography tracking vehicle) sit at the roadside while we chew the fat. Tranquillity is comprehensively shattered by the bluesand-twos of a police fourby easing in front of the Orange Saucer, the move calculated to block any attempted flight. “We’ve had a report of two Porsches racing,” says the young officer. He and his colleague are earnest, but not hostile. “Not at all,” I say, handing him my card. “I’m a senior motoring journalist. I was intent on racing, we’d be at a track.” They were happy to accept my version of
events, especially noting snapper Dan’s mountaineering harness, used to secure him inside his Passat estate. And, after an hour spent establishing Charlie’s trade plates meant the two Porsches were indeed insured, as well as effectively taxed and MoT’d, we were free to go. But which of these saucy Porkers would I spoon with? Like the 996, the 987 is available to buy as a fully sorted package — the asking price of each car hovers at the thirty grand mark. The Cayman is a coiled spring, a mousetrap about to go off, its many horses manifest in constant energy. The Minter rather hides its deeper flavour under that smooth ride — oh, those Öhlins! — perhaps too smooth when even the pitter-patter is subdued. Yet, all the time, 320bhp is ready to blast your taste buds. My new job? The Saucerer’s Apprentice. l
Above Both Porsches are available to buy direct from William Francis Porsche, though Charlie can upgrade your existing 996 or 987 to match the specification of the cars seen here
46 July 2022
NOT DONE YET It might have a name sounding like a remastered Phil Collins album, but Porsche’s Platinum Edition serves to give the Panamera an injection of new life in the face of stiff competition from sector rivals, not least the Taycan. We get behind the wheel of a Panamera 4 E-Hybrid treated to the new trim…
Words Dave Humphreys Photography Porsche
E
ver since the Taycan arrived on the scene, it’s been hard not to feel sorry for the Panamera. The all-electric Porsche is a hugely impressive machine, there’s no argument there, and it’s absolutely a car for the moment. After all, who would have thought an electric Porsche would be not only so well received, but so desirable right from the off? This isn’t something which could be said for the Panamera when it arrived on the scene many years beforehand. Thirteen years, to be exact. The first-generation Panamera wasn’t the prettiest of Porsches. More to the point, it didn’t quite meet the ‘four-door 911’ image many marque enthusiasts had in their heads. Remember the 989 concept? Now that was a proper four-door 911. Still, the Panamera filled up Porsche showrooms alongside the Cayenne and left dealerships just as quickly.
Skip forward a few more years and the secondgeneration Panamera made much more of an impact. Despite small increases in size in every direction, it looked much leaner and was closer to being the fabled four-door 911. Sports car pedigree was on offer, too, with the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid delivering performance leaving a BMW M5 with tail between its legs. There’s also the added bonus of a second body variant in the form of the Sport Turismo. Normally, the Panamera can swallow up to 403 litres of cargo, increasing to 1,242 litres when the rear seats are tilted down. With the Sport Turismo, you get not only a gorgeous design, but also a slightly larger boot, checking in at 418 litres, with a potential maximum of 1,287 litres. With the Taycan arriving when buyers finally seem ready and willing to switch to electrification — as much for performance and tax improvements as environmental benefits — the Panamera must
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PANAMERA 4EH
July 2022 49
fight harder than ever to remain both desirable and relevant. Porsche likes to think it knows its customers — it has one of the best customisation offerings to please those willing to be creative beyond what the standard online configurator can muster. The new Panamera Platinum Edition owes much of its existence to those thousands of customers and the endless hours of configurator times and in-dealer visits. Porsche sifted through huge piles of data to distil the things its customers seem to want in a Panamera. The Platinum Edition is the result.
trims, privacy glass and black sports tailpipes. Exclusive Design taillights round out the rear. Look a little closer and you’ll notice Porsche applies Satin Gloss Platinum highlights to its logo and model
tastefully done in typical Porsche style. LED headlights with Matrix functionality are another nice addition to overall specification and come into their own when driving on unlit sections of motorway in the middle of the night. Pop open the door (Comfort Entry is standard) and you’ll spot brushed aluminium door sill guards carrying the Platinum Edition script, reminding you there’s something a little bit special living on your driveway. The same brushed aluminium effect is applied to key elements of the interior. If you
Above It’ll cost you an extra £8,140, but the Platinum Edition rewards with plenty of dark, moody trim and lashings of upgraded comfort equipment
PORSCHE SIFTED THROUGH HUGE PILES OF DATA TO DISTIL THE THINGS ITS CUSTOMERS SEEM TO WANT IN A PANAMERA nameplate at the rear, to the air outlet trims aft of the front wheels and, in the case of the hybrids, to the script badges on each side. Small details, yet
GRAND UNVEILING
The new specification made its debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show last year and is available to order as a trim option for the Panamera 4 and 4 E-Hybrid, along with Sport Turismo variants using the same powertrains. Porsche describes the Platinum Edition as “a perfect mixture of luxury, comfort features and exclusive design highlights.” In plain English, it’s a tastier specification grade, which, in the case of our Panamera 4 E-Hybrid test car, carries a price premium of £8,140 over the non-Platinum version. Among the highlights are a set of tasteful Platinum-painted twenty-oneinch Exclusive Design Sport alloy wheels, which contrast beautifully against Jet Black paint. Emphasising that darkened look are high-gloss-black side window 50 July 2022
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haven’t sat in a Panamera recently, do so at once – this Porsche makes use of a superbly designed and generously proportioned cabin. Comfort front seats provide fourteenway adjustability. Memory function is a feature, as are headrests embossed with the Porsche crest. Importantly, these seats feel superb from the moment you slide into them. Facing you is the GT sports steering wheel, nicely sized with just the right number of controls, leaving you with a clear view of the instrument cluster. The configurability of the outer pods is a lovely touch, and they complement the analogue rev counter in the centre. As long as you’re running off the battery in ‘e-power’ mode, the needle stays at zero, obviously.
The centre console remains packed with controls, but these days, the button count is far lower than in earlier Panamera models. This is no bad thing. On the entertainment side (aside from driving), is Porsche Communication Management (PCM), featuring online navigation and voice control in addition to connectivity for your mobile device.
demonstrates how nice this thing is to drive, even when ambling around town. An electric driving range of up to thirtyfive miles (rated under the more realistic WLTP conditions) is possible and is a notable improvement over the outgoing Panamera 4 E-Hybrid’s range, though we shouldn’t lose sight of the fact the earlier model was packing a 14.1kWh battery. With the newer Panamera, you get the option to stay in full electric mode until the 17.9kWh battery depletes, or a charge hold, which retains a pre-set level of energy in the battery for use during a later part of your journey. The 100kW (134bhp) electric motor comfortably propels the Panamera around the place. It can even cope with motorway speeds, though this is a surefire way to drain battery charge quickly.
Above The zero to 62mph sprint is completed in just 4.2 seconds — an impressive figure for a Porsche carrying so much weight
USING ONLY THE ELECTRIC MOTOR QUICKLY BECOMES AN ENJOYABLE PRACTICE, EVEN FOR DYED-IN-THE-WOOL PETROLHEADS The system is easy to get around, with Apple CarPlay adding a further layer of user friendliness, though the omission of Android Auto may irk some of you. Easing away in the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid under only its battery power
TECH SPEC Model Price Engine Transmission Economy CO2 emissions Top speed 0-62mph Power Torque Weight
Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid Platinum Edition Panamera from £71,460, car as tested £93,460 2.9-litre turbocharged V6 petrol Eight-speed PDK dual-clutch auto with Porsche Traction Management (PTM) all-wheel drive 113.0-141.2mpg 48-57g/km 174mph 4.4 seconds 456bhp (combined) 516lb-ft combined 2,210kg (DIN)
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PANAMERA 4EH
Above Acid green accents indicate you’re in the presence of a plug-in hybrid, though the colour can be deleted as a nocost option
The quietness of the cabin is paired with a pleasant ride quality thanks, in part, to Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), which makes light work of most surface imperfections.
CARRY THE LOAD
The instant dollop of torque masks the Porsche’s 2,210kg weight, though this is a car feeling substantial, rather than heavy. Solid, as if hewn from one enormous billet of metal. You don’t need to cover many miles to understand why
the Panamera has such broad appeal. The potential of returning 141 miles per gallon and favourable benefit in kind rates don’t hurt, either. Using only the electric motor quickly becomes an enjoyable practice, even for dyed-in-the-wool petrolheads. Instant response and a fill of torque right away can be smile-inducing, even in urban confines. This Porsche feels stealthy, as if flying under the radar due to the near silence. As relaxing as driving with zero tailpipe emissions can be,
twisting the driving mode selector is awfully tempting, especially because, when the 2.9-litre twin-turbocharged V6 barks into life, it adds another layer of excitement to the Panamera’s terrific everyday performance. The force-fed V6 is a sonorous thing, not as vocal as the V8 slung into the Panamera Turbo S, but engaging enough, nonetheless. The Jekyll & Hyde nature of being able to combine both motors simultaneously transforms the Panamera from comfortable cruiser to high-performance bruiser. In the right situation, this car is savagely quick and has an abundance of grip to give drivers the confidence to explore the full bandwidth of power. Maximum outputs of 456bhp and 516lbft are not to be sniffed at. From a standing start, and with Sport Chrono activated, only 4.2 seconds will pass before 62mph flashes up. 12.5 seconds later, you’ll see 124mph tick past (where permissible, of course!). Throughout this dynamic onslaught, the driver’s seat holds you in place with as much grip as its four corners can muster. When you get the Porsche out onto more challenging roads, however, its mass does begin to make itself known. This aspect is clear when scrubbing off speed in a hurry, even though there’s plenty of bite from those luminous six-piston aluminium monobloc fixed
July 2022 53
calipers (deletion of the Acid Green colour is a no-cost option if you want to keep a slightly lower profile). Pedal feel is reassuringly positive, something often lacking in plug-in hybrids due to how they recuperate energy back to the battery. Nevertheless, you are often aware of how hard the brakes are working to dissipate higher speeds whilst keeping everything in check from a directional perspective. This is largely dependent on the frequency at which you’re exploiting the full extent of the electrified powertrain. In reality, the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid is better suited to covering the day-to-day travel needs at six or seven tenths pace. Good thing the steering is still a strong point in the Panamera’s repertoire. In fact, it’s sublime. Porsche remains one of the few companies to produce steering feel excellent at any speed or situation. Another real highlight is the way in which the eight-speed PDK transmission operates — in particular, how it works when the Panamera reverts to its Hybrid Auto setting when battery charge depletes.
of EVs. The Panamera may have a significantly shorter battery range than the Taycan, but filling up the petrol tank is never going to be more than the work of a few minutes and you won’t need any special smartphone apps or club memberships. Thanks to its size, charging the E-Hybrid’s battery at home or work doesn’t take that long, either. The 7.2kW onboard AC charger is ideal for most home-charging setups, though it can’t use the full potential of the wider public charging network, which can often supply up to 22kW on AC. Porsche is aware of this and even recommends its plug-in hybrid models “are preferably charged at home”. The Porsche plug-in hybrid powertrain is not only an attractive proposition from the perspective of sheer desirability, but also the reduced cost of ownership
(compared to purely petrol power and assuming you make the most of the battery’s potential), which can very quickly add up to substantial savings. Putting this aside, the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid Platinum Edition represents one of the best iterations of the Panamera line-up to date, with aesthetic upgrades giving the host ‘more door’ an enhanced sense of class and quality. And let’s not forget, the Panamera is a much more engaging car to drive than many other German luxury saloons. The Taycan, meanwhile, is an altogether different proposition — the potential hurdles some drivers may see with adoption of a fully electric powertrain, especially those drivers frequently covering longer distances, can be overcome by the Panamera. Proof there’s plenty of life left in this Porsche yet. l
Above Stealthy Jet Black Metallic paintwork lets the new Panamera stay under the radar
MATTER OF TIME
There are some who would suggest the arrival of the Taycan could call last orders for at least the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid. After all, the Taycan is sleeker, faster and goes the whole hog with an electric powertrain. That said, some Taycan owners will still be hamstrung by a public charging network struggling to keep pace with the mass adoption 54 July 2022
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Silver Metallic • Velvet Red Leather Seats 16” Fuchs Wheels • One of just 64 UK Cars Porsche Certificate of Authenticity Previously Sold & Serviced by Paragon 29,896 miles • 1989 (G)
Arena Red • Black Leather Sports Seats 18” Turbo Wheels • Electric Sunroof Full Leather Interior • Air Conditioning Previously Sold & Serviced by Paragon 62,139 miles • 1996 (P)
GT Silver • Black Leather Sports Seats PDK Gearbox • 20” Sport Classic Wheels One of just 40 UK Cars • Sport Chrono Burmester Premium Sound System 16,357 miles • 2015 (64)
911 Carrera 2 S (992)
Boxster GTS 4.0 (718)
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911 Carrera T (991)
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Carrara White • Black Leather Adaptive Sports Seats • PDK Gearbox • 19” Centre Lock Wheels • Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes • Sport Chrono 29,893 miles • 2010 (60)
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40 AMAZING PORSCHE STORIES FROM THE 24 HOURS OF LE MANS Porsche is the only entry to have contested the 24 Hours of Le Mans every year since 1951. The Stuttgart brand is also the most successful manufacturer at Sarthe, coining nineteen overall wins, including seven on the bounce from 1981 to 1987. It hasn’t all been plain sailing, though. In this article, ahead of this year’s daylong motorsport spectacle in France, we take a look at forty extraordinary Porsche stories from the world’s oldest active endurance racing event... Words Dan Furr Photography Porsche
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LE MANS
FAME GAME
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Hollywood stars have loved Le Mans for as far back as we care to remember. Patrick Dempsey famously kicked off his Porsche seat time at the event with a 997 GT3 RSR in 2013 before going on to finish second in the GTE-AM class in 2015. Thirty-six years earlier, Paul Newman finished second overall in the Dick Barbour 935/77. Along with co-drivers, Barbour and Ralf Stommelen, Newman seemed destined to win until a stuck wheel nut cost the team twenty-three minutes in the pits. Stommelen fought hard to regain lost time, but an engine piston decided to throw in the towel, allowing Kremer Racing to take the win with a lead of six laps. The bright red Barbour beast remained a fan favourite, however, selling for $4.84m at Gooding and Company’s 2016 Pebble Beach auction.
FOR THE RECORD
Porsche famously won the 1971 24 Hours of Le Mans with an experimental 917 based on a lightweight magnesium-alloy chassis. Less known is that out of forty-nine race starters that year, a record-setting thirty-three were Porsches. Moreover, from twelve classified finishers, all but three were Porsches, including the 917s taking first and second place, plus six privateer 911s and a lone 907, the latter entered by the Wicky Racing team. 1971 would be the last time the 917 would be seen at Le Mans. It was also the last time the traditional Sarthe circuit would be contested — the stretch between Arnage and the grandstands, including Mason Blanche, was redesigned as part of wide-ranging track renovation.
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DIGITAL DELIGHT
Sim racing is one of the world’s most popular sports. It’s serious business, with major manufacturers investing huge sums in establishing their own virtual single-make championships. Sim racing platforms, such as iRacing, also spend big, profiling the world’s most famous cars and tracks. Porsche is one of the leading lights and saw its newly founded eSports team win the first edition of the virtual 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2020. In the hands of works driver, Nick Tandy, and Porsche Junior, Ayhancan Güven, as well as professional sim racers, Josh Rogers and Tommy Östgaard, the digital version of the 991 RSR took the flag in first place after a total of 339 laps.
YOUNG GUNS
The sixty-fourth 24 Hours of Le Mans took place in 1996 and was won by the Porsche-powered TWR WSC-95, a sports-prototype developed by Tom Walkinshaw and campaigned by Joest Racing. The car was by no means the fastest on track, but it reached the front of the running order an hour into the race, only losing position during pitstops. The WSC-95’s excellent reliability saw it through to event end without drama, while other teams suffered mechanical failure or crashes. Joining seasoned Le Mans drivers, Manuel Reuter and Davy Jones, was Alexander Wurz, who, at twenty-two, became the youngest driver to bag overall victory at Sarthe. July 2022 57
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BEAT THE TEACHER
1997 saw Tom Kristensen take his ninth Le Mans win, a record which stands to this day. Just as impressively, he (along with co-drivers, Michele Alboreto and Stefan Johansson), won the race with 1996’s winning TWR WSC-95 chassis, powered by the three-litre turbocharged Type 935 flatsix and run by Joest Racing. This was something of a slap in the face for Porsche, which was once again beaten by the TWR, despite the works team campaigning the all-singing, all-dancing 911 GT1 as a full-fat works entry for the second year running. In 1996, Hans-Joachim Stuck, Bob Wollek and Thierry Boutsen managed to bring the GT1 home in second place (a lap behind the TWR machine), but fifth is the best the notreally-a-911 could achieve a year later. A heavily revised GT1 would go on to win at Le Mans in 1998. Third time lucky, eh?!
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TURBO TALES
In secret, Porsche invested much time and resources into the 944 LM project, hoping to enter three cars and challenge for overall victory at Le Mans in 1981, thereby giving its new 944 production car (released in 1982) a seriously good start in life. Unfortunately, at 500bhp, the LM’s 2.5litre turbocharged inline-four proved too powerful and couldn’t deliver the reliability needed for a daylong endurance race. The plan was scaled back to a single LM entry, which was listed as a prototype and entered into the race with vastly reduced engine output. The car won the GTP class and finished seventh overall. In doing so, it also laid the blueprint for the legendary 944 Turbo, launched in 1985.
34 MAN ALIVE
1984’s Le Mans outing saw the regrettable death of French marshal, Jacky Loiseau, when John Sheldon’s Aston Martin-propelled Nimrod NRA/C2 crashed on the Mulsanne Straight while travelling flat-out at 200mph. Sheldon survived, but pace cars were introduced for an hour while fire damage (including nearby trees) and destroyed Armco was being dealt with. Impressively, come race end, Porsche’s 2.6-litre turbocharged 956 counted for eight of the top ten finishers, with Joest Racing’s yellow and black New Man machine taking top honours ahead of the Swap Shop-entered 956 driven by Jean Rondeau and John Paul Jr. The best-performing 911 was a 3.3-litre Turbo entered by Claude Haldi and finishing sixteenth overall, losing out in the Group B category to Helmut Gall’s BMW M1.
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UNDER THE RADAR
Few people know the 914 was entered into Le Mans in 1970. Then a new model in dealer showrooms, the mid-engined, Targa-topped twoseater was equipped with a two-litre flat-six and run by Sonauto, the Paris-based Porsche dealer whose founder, Auguste Veuillet, scored the manufacturer’s first success at Sarthe with a class win in 1951. Weighing forty kilos less than the competing 911s, the 914/6 GT (as it was labelled) wasn’t the first GT home, but due to the Corvette C3 of Greder Racing not completing the required distance, the 914 was subsequently awarded first-in-class and sixth overall. Dressed in white, the boxy Porsche finished three laps ahead of the Ecurie Luxembourg 911 the 908/2 serving as a camera car for Le Mans. Two privateer 914s were entered into Le Mans in 1971, but neither made it to the end of the race.
58 July 2022
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30 ALL RIGHT NOW
You might not have noticed, but almost all race circuits are designed to be run clockwise. In the UK, Rockingham Motor Speedway, Europe’s fastest track, was an exception to the rule, designed as it was to host ASCAR (essentially, a European take on NASCAR). In 1967, recognising the advantage in placing a driver’s weight nearer the offside wheels (with regard to the many right-hand turns at Le Mans), Porsche entered the first right-hand drive race car into the event. The car was the long-tail 907, designed to reach massive speed on the Mulsanne Straight. Driven by Jo Siffert and Hans Herrmann, it finished fifth overall, Porsche’s best performance at Le Mans that year.
FOUNDATIONS LAID
For 1981, Jacky Ickx was paired with Derek Bell in the 936/81, which the pair drove to first place, completing fourteen more laps than their nearest rival. This victory marked Ickx’s record-breaking fifth overall win at Le Mans. The 2.6-litre turbocharged flat-six pushing the 936 forward proved effortlessly powerful and super-reliable throughout the race, giving Porsche’s engineers great confidence in the engine’s use for the incoming Group C era, which would usher in the 956 in 1982. Bell and Ickx’s win with the 936 was Porsche’s fifth overall victory at Le Mans and the first of seven consecutive wins shared between the 936, 956 and 962.
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POWERFUL PROTEST
The 1969 24 Hours of Le Mans is most famous for Jacky Ickx staging a one-man protest at how dangerous the start of the race had become. While drivers ran across the track to get to their cars and speed off (most without fastening their seat belts) at the traditional beginning of the race, Ickx stayed put, casually walking to his Ford GT40, fastening his seat belt and driving off when all other cars had disappeared into the distance. Vic Elford and Richard Attwood’s 917 was set to win the event, but when the car’s gearbox failed, the GT40 driven by Ickx and Jackie Oliver took the lead, winning by just 120 metres ahead of the 917 driven by Hans Herrmann and Gerard Larrousse. An amazing achievement.
FRESH LAYOUT
For 1986, a new section of track had to be built at Le Mans due to a roundabout being introduced at the Mulsanne corner. Joest Racing had won the two previous Le Mans with the 956, but the Rothmans-sponsored Porsche works team managed to prevent a Joest hat trick by winning ahead of both Joest and Brun Motorsport with a factory 956 driven by Derek Bell, Hans-Joachim Stuck and Al Holbert. Celebrations were marred by the death of Kremer Racing driver, Jo Gartner, on the Mulsanne Straight on the Sunday morning. Even so, as was the case in 1983, nine of the top ten finishers were Porsches, a line-up including the mighty 961 (the racing version of the 959).
60 July 2022
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LE MANS
UNITED NATIONS
In 1980, Porsche entered Le Mans with three examples of a new race car piloted by teams from Germany, the United States and Great Britain. Revealed as the 924 GTP, each wide-arched, front-engined, water-cooled car raced under its team’s national colours in the highly competitive prototype class. 924 GTP 002 remains the only Porsche factory-owned race car ever to compete under a British flag. Having been used as a development mule after the race, the car was officially retired in 1982, before being restored by the UK’s Porsche Classic Partner Centres in celebration of the 924’s fortieth anniversary in 2016.
STUNNING RECOVERY
With great team spirit and an almost superhuman effort, Porsche won the 2017 24 Hours of Le Mans, the manufacturer’s nineteenth and, to date, last overall victory at Sarthe. At 6:30pm on the Saturday, the 919 Hybrid of Earl Bamber, Timo Bernhard and Brendan Hartley was forced to make an unscheduled pit stop. It took an hour and five minutes to change the electric motor driving the front axle. The car re-joined the race at 7:35pm and placed fifty-fourth, nineteen laps down the running order. At 12:50pm Sunday, on lap 330, Bernhard had managed to move the 919 to within a lap of the race leader. By lap 347, he had closed the gap completely. Against all odds, twenty laps later, Porsche took the chequered flag as overall winner.
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PHOTO FINISH
As a guest of Toyota Gazoo Racing, our esteemed snapper, Dan Sherwood, was in the pitlane at Le Mans in 2016. With the team boasting a seemingly unassailable lead, he decided to beat the rush and head home to the UK earlier than planned. After all, he’d seen all there was to see, right?! Listening to radio race commentary as he drove through France, he couldn’t believe what he was hearing — over the airwaves, he learned the no.5 TS050 Hybrid had suffered mechanical failure six minutes before race end, preventing Toyota from claiming its first Le Mans win and allowing the 919 Hybrid driven by Marc Lieb, Romain Dumas and Neel Jani to snatch victory. It was Porsche’s eighteenth overall win and, perhaps, its most unexpected. Just ask Dan.
LAST HURRAH
With cancellation of Group B for both rallying and racing in 1986, the 24 Hours of Le Mans a year later would be the first in the event’s history not to feature any homologated class entries. By now, the 956 had made way for the 962, but racing machinery from rival teams was getting much stronger, making this Porsche’s final Le Mans win as a works entry in the Group C era. It nearly didn’t happen, though — the victorious 962 driven by Hans-Joachim Stuck, Derek Bell and Al Holbert experienced piston failure as a consequence of running lean, the fault of incorrect ECU software. The engine was fixed and a new chip installed, allowing the car to win by a handsome twenty laps. Phew! July 2022 61
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PARENTAL ADVISORY
1985 welcomed the fifty-third Grand Prix of Endurance (the official name of the 24 Hours of Le Mans). Once again, Porsches dominated the grid, taking eight of the top ten finishing places, though the best result for the works 962 — driven by Derek Bell and Hans-Joachim Stuck — was third place. Ahead of the first factory finisher was the Richard Lloyd Racing 956 GTi and the Joest Racing New Man 956, driven by Klaus Ludwig, Paolo Barilla and ‘John Winter’, a pseudonym for Louis Krages, who had been competing at Le Mans in Porsches for Joest and Kramer since 1978, but didn’t want his mother to find out about his expensive ‘hobby’. Media attention after the win in 1985 blew his cover. Oops.
DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES
The darkest day at Le Mans came on 11th June 1955, when a massive crash saw cars and engine components fly into the grandstand by the pitlane at huge speed, killing eighty-three spectators and injuring almost two hundred more. Mercedes driver, Pierre Levegh, was instantly killed after being thrown from his 300 SLR onto the track. Mercedes quit motorsport immediately, not resuming racing until 1989. Despite demands for race to be red-flagged, amazingly, the event carried on, and saw Porsche achieve its best finish yet — the trio of works 550 RS Sypders finished fourth, fifth and sixth. Interestingly, the two leading Porsches covered more distance than the 1952 event’s winning Mercedes W194 300 SL.
23 SHARK ATTACK
21
SURPRISE SILVERWARE
They think it’s all over. It is now! Hold on a second. Perhaps it isn’t over? Funny old thing, motorsport. Proving the point, in 2019, a remarkable turn of events saw Team Project 1 declared GTE-Am class winners after crossing the line in second place. At final scrutineering, the winning Keating Motorsports Ford GT was disqualified on a technical infringement — refuelling time in the pits cannot be less than forty-five seconds. Keating’s fuel stop was observed to have taken place in exactly 44.4 seconds, enough of an error to propel the 991 RSR driven by Patrick Lindsey, Jörg Bergmeister and Egidio Perfetti to an unexpected class victory. They classified thirty-first overall.
Another lesser known Le Mans entry is the 928 S, owned and driven by Raymond Boutniaud and the only ‘land shark’ to have ever competed at Sarthe. You might have seen two very different-looking Le Mans 928s in archive photographs, but they’re the same car wearing different livery. Powered by the 4.7-litre variant of the front-mounted, water-cooled M28 V8, Boutinaud’s Porsche finished twenty-first overall in 1983, dropping a place to finish twenty-second overall a year later. After these consecutive outings, the car was retired from racing and subsequently put into storage for three decades. In 2015, Boutinaud decided it was time to ditch the dust covers with a view to restoring the car to its former glory. Consequently, following a three-year nut-and-bolt rebuild, this historically significant 928 S was exhibited at the 2018 Le Mans Classic. 62 July 2022
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TRIUMPHANT UNDERDOGS
In 2015, F1 star, Nico Hulkenberg, won Le Mans on his first outing, partnering with Nick Tandy and Earl Bamber to deliver the goods on the 919 Hybrid’s second campaign at Sarthe. As if this wasn’t impressive enough, it should be noted the trio were Porsche’s less favoured drivers, with the 919 of Mark Webber, Timo Bernhard and Brendan Hartley expected to be winners ahead of the 919 driven by Neel Jani, Marc Lieb and Romain Dumas. After much team talk, Hulkenberg’s ‘third car’ was allowed to retain its one lap lead, despite Le Mans counting for double points in the World Endurance Championship and therefore being more valuable to the other 919 crews. Hulkenberg was the first modern Formula One driver to win at Le Mans since Johnny Herbert and Bertrand Gachot did so with the Mazda 787B in 1991.
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FORCE OF HABIT
Alpine-Renault dominated Le Mans in 1977. The three works Porsches were relegated to the status of ‘also rans’ following mechanical complaints resulting in long pit stops. Eventually, only one factory entry remained: the 2.1-litre twin-turbocharged 936 driven by Hurley Haywood and Jürgen Barth. Running in forty-first place and fifteen laps down the pecking order, the car was brought in for Jacky Ickx — who had been co-driver with Henri Pescalaro in a retired works 936 — to take control of. His instruction was to drive as hard as he could through the night. An amazing performance saw him cover ground almost as quickly as his qualifying laps, eventually reaching fourth place. Then, to the amazement of all concerned, two of the Alpine-Renaults retired and the third was massively delayed in the pits. Ickx had put the 936 in the best possible position and, quite unexpectedly, secured Porsche its fourth overall win at Le Mans.
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THINK PINK
An experimental race car built for Can-Am development and aerodynamic testing, 917/20 was entered into Le Mans in 1971, though failed to finish. Known as ‘Pink Pig’, the car sat lower and wider than other 917s and remains a unique one-off. In developing the car, Porsche engineers, together with the French wind tunnel testing company, SERA, attempted to combine the advantages of the short- and long-tail 917 in a single body featuring pronounced wheel cut-outs. Track width remained unchanged, which meant the wheels were hidden deep in their arches. With the car painted pink, the livery was designed by Porsche stylist, Anatole Lapine, and features the names of butcher cuts. Named Trüffel-Jager von Zuffenhausen (the truffle hunter of Zuffenhausen), the design was a tribute to rillettes, the local pork delicacy of La Sarthe. Lapine’s design remains one of the most popular Porsche racing liveries.
17
AROUND THE BEND
The famous Porsche Curves represent the most spectacular section of the French endurance classic. Originally, only the long right-hander (turn twenty-three) after the Arnage curve was given the Porsche name. Now, the title also encompasses Virage du Pont, Esses du Karting and Virage Corvette. The flowing combination of two right-hand and three left-hand turns throws major challenges at teams and drivers — when it comes to downforce and grip, the cars reach their absolute limit. The 0.63-mile stretch is over in a brisk seventeen seconds. Despite constant cornering, average speed is in excess of 130mph. Porsche Curves is regarded as the toughest section of Circuit de la Sarthe.
64 July 2022
16
RISKY BUSINESS
Austrian Formula One and sports car ace, Jo Gartner, was killed at Le Mans, driving a 962 for Kremer Racing in 1986. A year earlier, he’d finished fourth, piloting a 956 for John Fitzpatrick’s team. No stranger to Porsche’s Group C weaponry, Gartner had also driven a 962 for Bob Akin in the IMSA GT championship, winning the 1986 12 Hours of Sebring. His successes led to speculation he was a shoo-in to join the Porsche works team, but whilst approaching the Mulsanne Straight at Le Mans, he hit a guardrail at high speed, breaking his neck when the car ricocheted off a barrier. Joest Racing won the race with its New Man 956, but a dark cloud loomed large over the podium.
14
LE MANS
KNOCK FOR A LOOP
Porsche’s rivals at Le Mans in 1994 were less than amused. Regulation changes had limited the 962’s performance, making it hugely uncompetitive. Indeed, the 962 had not won at Le Mans since 1987. A loophole, however, had appeared when race organisers reintroduced homologated GT cars to Le Mans in 1993, with no requirement for a specific number of road cars to be produced. Working with fashion impresario, Jochen Dauer, Porsche helped launch a programme to produce a road-legal variant of the 962, thereby making Dauer eligible to run the car in the 1994 LMP GT class, as opposed to it being forced to run as a Group C prototype. Two cars were entered into the race as ‘Dauer 962 LM’, finishing first and third overall. Dauer went on to sell thirteen street-spec 962s.
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STREET RACER
15
Vern Schuppan’s win at the 1983 24 Hours of Le Mans and the same year’s All Japan Sports Prototype Championship, both in the 956, inspired the creation of the sleek Schuppan 962 CR, a street-legal version of the 962 based around a carbon-fibre monocoque and powered by a near 600bhp IMSA-specification twin-turbocharged 3.3-litre flat-six. Unfortunately, the investors who supported Schuppan’s title win in the Land of the Rising Sun failed to make good on their promises. With each car retailing up to $1.9m and global recession hitting hard, only six 962 CRs were built. Only four survive to the present day.
SINGER WHEN YOU’RE WINNING
In 1998, with the 911 GT1, Norbert Singer achieved his sixteenth and final overall victory as race engineer at Le Mans. “We won the race because the GT1 was the most reliable car in the starting line-up,” is how Singer summarises the success. “The car had a carbon-fibre monocoque and carbon-composite brake discs, a first for a works racing car.” These measures made it possible to reduce the GT1’s weight by around ten percent over the GT1 fielded for the 1997 season. The reward was a one-two finish and a black eye for McLaren’s F1 GTR programme. July 2022 65
12
TAKE ACTION
Most remarkable about Steve McQueen’s 908/2 entry into the 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans isn’t the fact the car was barely recognisable from its second-place finish at the year’s 12 Hours of Sebring — a result now the subject of a popular Porsche poster — nor the fact it captured some of the greatest live action motorsport footage ever seen on the silver screen (after the car was converted to carry cameras front and back for the filming of Le Mans). No, it’s the fact it crossed the finish line in eighth place, ahead of seven 911s and a Ferrari 312P, despite the lengthy amount of time the McQueen machine spent in the pits being loaded with fresh rolls of film. Driven by Herbert Linge and Jonathan Williams, the car wasn’t classified due to not covering the required distance, but the result stands tall as one of the more remarkable achievements for Porsche at Le Mans. Today, the car is restored and kept in private ownership in Munich.
10
PERFECT START
1982 heralded the beginning of the Group C era, now considered one of the greatest periods in motorsport history. Porsche was ready. In fact, its new 956 proved so dominant, it locked out the podium on its first attempt — the works team scored first, second and third place overall at Le Mans. This amazing achievement gave Jacky Ickx his sixth win at Sarthe, not to mention handing Porsche its seventh overall victory. There was even more reason to celebrate when Porsches followed in fifth and sixth place (modified 935s fielded by John Fitzpatrick and Cooke Racing respectively, the latter a Kremer K3). In fact, Porsche won every class in 1982 and, impressively, the works squad was the only participating team to see all its cars finish the race. The Group C game was on and Porsche was determined to dominate.
9
WOW FACTOR
11
After unsuccessfully campaigning the Martini-liveried 935/78 ‘Moby Dick’, Porsche didn’t enter Le Mans as a works team in 1979 or 1980, instead offering parts and technical support to customer teams. This paved the way for wild modifications of the 935 design. The most prominent reimagining of the model was the Kremer K3, featuring a new rear profile, wide running boards to optimise airflow beneath the car, a carbonKevlar composite body, an air-to-air intercooler and new intake ducting. With power knocking on the door of 800bhp and low engine operating temperature, the K3 won Le Mans in 1979, finishing ahead of the factory-specification 935 entered by Dick Barbour and Kremer’s own same-spec 935, which finished third.
MAKING A SPLASH
It’s a race car recognised the world over, but despite being constructed specifically to win Le Mans in 1978, the 935/78 failed to score victory, though qualified third. Multi-valve water-cooled cylinder heads and displacement of 3.2 litres saw power output reach 850bhp, with weight tipping scales at 1,030kg. Jacky Ickx and Jochen Mass won the 6 Hours of Silverstone as a ‘practice run’ for the distinctive long-tail many would go on to refer to as ‘Moby Dick’ (on account of its ‘whale tail’), which went on to record a top speed of 228mph on the Mulsanne Straight at Le Mans, overtaking every other car with ease. Long stops in the pits due to mechanical problems put paid to any chance of a win, however, with eighth overall being the best car and crew could achieve. 66 July 2022
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6
TURBO TEARAWAY
For 1976, Porsche launched three new race cars: the 934, 935 and 936 for Group 4, 5 and 6 respectively. BMW and Alpine-Renault fancied their chances against the Stuttgart squad, but the 936 simply proved too powerful, demonstrated by Jacky Ickx and Gijs van Lennep taking the lead and building a significant gap ahead of Porsche’s nearest rivals. Ickx and van Lennep maintained the winning position throughout the race, finishing eleven laps ahead of American outfit, Grand Touring Cars, and its Cosworth DFV three-litre V8-powered Mirage V8. The 936 was using a comparatively small 2.1-litre turbocharged flat-six.
SECOND COMING
Once? You’re lucky. Twice? You’re good. And so it was with the 917. Despite being expected to win at Le Mans in 1969, the now iconic sportsprototype brought home Porsche’s first overall triumph at Sarthe a year later. It took top honours again in 1971. For this second win, however, the conquering 917 was based on a chassis made of lightweight magnesium, a highly flammable material which had proved dangerous in race car chassis design, leading to fatalities in F1. Legend suggests Porsche motorsport engineering boss, Norbert Singer, instructed his staff not to tell drivers, Helmut Marko and Gijs van Lennep, what materials car was made from. Ignorance is bliss, as they say. This particular 917 was immediately retired after the race.
5
PIG PRAISE
7
SAFETY LAST
After winning Le Mans with the 919 Hybrid for a third time in 2017, Porsche abandoned its LMP programme and shifted its attention to Formula E. The company’s presence on the grid at Le Mans remained, however, thanks to a doubling down of factory commitments to GT racing. For the company’s seventieth anniversary in 2018, the works team entered four 991 RSRs to Le Mans, the winning car wearing a surprise take on the famous 917 ‘Pink Pig’ livery from 1971. Driven by Kevin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor and Michael Christensen, the brilliantly styled 911 finished fifteenth overall, clocking in forty-four laps. The overall win went to Toyota and two-time F1 champion, Fernando Alonso, whose brilliant drive ensured he’d successfully completed the second stage of the ‘triple crown of motorsport’ (the Monaco Grand Prix, 24 Hours of Le Mans and Indianapolis 500), a feat only Graham Hill has thus far accomplished.
Earlier, we spoke of Jacky Ickx’s protest at the traditional Le Mans start, where drivers ran from one side of the track to the other, hopped in their cars and sped off. Carnage almost always ensued (Willy Mairesse was seriously injured in 1968 after his poorly fastened driver’s door flew off down the Mulsanne Straight), but one of the biggest dangers was drivers attempting to improve their getaway times by not fastening their seat belts. Tragic events vindicating Ickx’s concerns would ensure 1969 was the last time the traditional start was seen at Le Mans — Brit, John Woolfe, jumped into his privately entered 917 and drove off at warp speed without fastening his seat belt, going on to flip the Porsche at Maison Blanche curve. He was violently thrown from the car and died of his injuries en route to hospital. A standing start was introduced for 1970’s race, but even this was superseded by a rolling start. 68 July 2022
4
MOVING STORY
Steve McQueen’s motorsport movie magnum opus, Le Mans, wasn’t a hit on release, but has since gone on to become a cult classic. Filmed on site during the 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans, the movie follows McQueen’s character, Michael Delaney, as he attempts to win the race in a Gulf-liveried 917. Many famous Porsche drivers assisted with production of the movie, which saw McQueen’s personally owned 908/2 converted to a camera car and entered into the race to capture the most accurate visual documentary of driving the Le Mans track in period. The film also serves as an unintentional document of Porsche’s first overall win at Le Mans, highlighting Richard Attwood and Hans Herrmann working their magic in the Salzburg 917 short-tail. Now a staple of Porsche culture, Le Mans is also responsible for making Slate Grey air-cooled 911s mega-desirable. Yep, the King of Cool owned one of those, too.
3
AIR CONDITIONING
The no.3 956’s win at the 1983 24 Hours of Le Mans almost didn’t happen — the car’s engine seized just as the chequered flag fell. The most enduring image from the race, however, is that of Vern Schuppan driving the winning car at full chat along the Mulsanne Straight... with no door. “I was travelling full pelt when the left-hand door blew off. It was like an explosion in the cockpit!” he told us during a rare and exclusive interview earlier this year. “Knowing there was no spare door waiting for me in the pits, and to afford the team enough time to organise a replacement part, I decided to stay out until I was black flagged. When I eventually swept into the pits, the door was riveted in place in seconds. Off I went! A race official visited the pitlane, however, telling the team the car no longer complied with regulations — the door had to be fixed in such a way the driver could open it and escape in the event of accident. Back in again, the door was re-fitted, this time with a leather strap and buckle. Although this satisfied the officials, the ill-fitting door affected airflow to the neighbouring radiator, which, in turn caused the engine to overheat. The extra pit stop also lost us time in the race. With thirty minutes left to run, I handed over to Al Holbert for the last few laps, explaining to him the temperature on the lefthand bank was running hot. As he crossed the finish line, the engine seized completely.” There are many things which make a great racing victory, but the two obvious contributors are a quick car and a fast driver. Clearly, luck can also influence proceedings!
2
LE MANS
CLASS ACT
At the suggestion of Auguste ‘Toto’ Veuillet, Porsche’s official importer in France and founder of the Sonauto luxury vehicle sales company, the Stuttgart concern was the first German marque to enter Le Mans after World War II. Ferry Porsche recognised race wins would translate into showroom sales, primarily because the reliability and pace of Porsche sports cars — should they turn in an incident-free performance at the track — would be well documented in the motoring press come race end. This was, as he saw it, a cost-effective form of advertising likely to reach the kind of automotive enthusiast Porsche wanted to attract. Consequently, a brace of 356 SL Coupes was entered into the brand’s first 24 Hours of Le Mans, which took place on 23rd June 1951. The construction of these 356s is worth a mention — during the first year of assembly in the now famous former sawmill at Gmünd (the Austrian town the Porsche family relocated to during the war), 356s were aluminium bodied, but using this material was proving too expensive for the long term, which is why Reutter adopted steel bodies when commissioned by Porsche to take care of 356 production from 1949. A handful of the aluminium bodied Gmünd cars remained in Porsche’s possession, however, and were completed by wage workers at Tatra before being delivered to Zuffenhausen following Porsche’s return to Stuttgart in 1950. And with lightweight construction offering obvious performance advantages, the Gmünd coupes served as the basis for the 1.1-litre 356 SL (Super Leicht) Coupes prepared for Le Mans. Fast-forward to preparations for the race itself, and Veuillet (accompanied by his fellow countryman, Edmond Mouche) was drafted in to drive the no.46 356 SL Coupe (equipped with aerodynamically superior underbody cladding, brake cooling ducts, a larger fuel tank, uprated dampers, structure reinforcement plates and quick release body panel fasteners), while Grand Prix veteran, Robert Brunet (paired with Rudolf Sauerwein) was tasked with pitching the sister car, decorated with the number 47. Sadly, during a wet practice session, the latter suffered catastrophic accident damage, leaving the fate of Porsche’s first appearance at Le Mans entirely in the fortunes of a single 356. Despite constant heavy rain causing half the sixty-strong field (chiefly entries from Aston Martin, Frazer-Nash, Healey, Jaguar, Renault and many privateer teams, with star drivers, including Stirling Moss, Briggs Cunningham, Juan Manuel Fangio, Jean Behra, Pierre Veyron, JeanLouis Rosier and overall race winner, Peter Walker) to retire, the lone Porsche put in a sterling performance, tackling the difficult driving conditions without complaint to bag the 1.1-litre class win and a welcome twentieth place overall. This impressive result marked the beginning of an exceptional relationship between Porsche and Le Mans lasting to the present day, making the race as much a part of the Stuttgart brand as the famous three-digit nomenclature, nine-one-one. July 2022 69
1
RAISE THE BAR
The 917 made its debut at Le Mans in 1969, but clutch failure forced early retirement after what had been a strong start. The story was very different at the beginning of the new decade. Porsche racing stalwart, Hans Hermann, partnered with Le Mans and Formula One veteran, Richard Attwood, to hammer the no.23 Salzburg 917 K (the K standing for Kurzheck, roughly translated as ‘short-tail’) across the finish line in an eventful race marred by heavy rain. In fact, the weather was so bad, only sixteen participating cars reached the end. Twelve of them were Porsches. Herrmann and Attwood’s 917 short-tail ended the race five laps ahead of the Martini Racing 917 long-tail driven by Gerard Larrousse and Willi Kauhsen, while the same team’s 908/02 took the final podium place thanks to 335 laps completed by Helmut Marko and Rudi Lins. As we’ve already mentioned Auguste Veuillet’s Sonauto concern entered a 914/6 GT into the race, taking the two-litre class win and finishing three laps ahead of the non-classifying Solar Productions 908/02 Le Mans camera car. A 911 S driven by Erwin Kremer rounded out the points scoring results, with six more 911s (five S-badged machines and a lone 911 T entered by Switzerland’s Wicky Racing Team) crossing the finish line behind the Greder Racing Corvette C3, a pair of Ferrari 512s and a single 312P Coupe. Ferdinand Piëch’s dedication to investing in the development of championship-winning cars capable of beating Ford’s ‘unlimited budget’ GT40 was paying dividends. “The first time I sat behind the wheel of a 917 was in 1969, during qualifying for Le Mans,” recalled Attwood. “Make no mistake, the car was incredibly difficult to drive. Its aerodynamics were wayward and I detected worrying lift at speed. Thankfully, by 1970, the guys at the factory had ironed out these complaints. We were now ready to go racing in a fully sorted Porsche. The event itself was full of incident, lots of crashes and retirements, bad weather, aquaplaning, the works. Surprisingly, these terrible driving conditions worked in our favour, allowing us to take the lead after just ten hours. It was ridiculous position to be in, primarily because Hans and I were by no means piloting the fastest car on the track.” Despite battling electrical problems and misfires caused by heavy rain,
Hermann and Attwood managed to secure Porsche’s first overall victory at Le Mans. It was a momentous occasion, and one which took on growing significance with each subsequent overall win Porsche would go on to achieve in France — as outlined earlier, another 917 triumph at Le Mans arrived twelve months after the distinctive red-and-white Salzburg-liveried short-tail bagged sports car racing’s ultimate prize. Floodgates open, this second victory occurred exactly two decades after the aforementioned 356s heralded the start of our favourite manufacturer’s commitment to the world’s most famous endurance contest. l
70 July 2022
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SOUL BROTHER Founder member of the water-cooled 911 family, the 996 has been derided for mechanical issues and less-than-sharp build quality. Yet, it exudes more charisma than its successors and, today, represents the best-value 911 available. We track a long-term high-miler…
Words Johnny Tipler Photography Adrian Brannan
72 July 2022
996 CARRERA
Above A base model 996 is the cheapest route into 911 ownership and has everything you need to enjoy the Porsche driving experience
P
erhaps you’ve been hankering after a 911 for a while, uncertain where to jump into the plethora of variations on the theme? Inevitably, price has much to do with your choice and, unless you have deep pockets, air-cooled classics are a great deal of money these days. This puts you in more recent water-cooled territory, with the 996 and 997 your potential entry-level 911. Sure, there’s a broad range of cars within the price range of, say, between £15k to £25k, with good 996s vying with mediocre 997s through the whole span, but let’s stick with the 996, because a good one represents better value. I’ll tell you why in a minute. It hasn’t always had an easy ride,
the 996. Announced in 1996 together with the 986 Boxster, Porsche’s radical communal-platform philosophy contributed immensely to the company’s salvation as a manufacturer ahead of its other saviour, the game-changing Cayenne. Not many Porsches polarised enthusiast opinion as markedly as the 996, however, successor as it was to the beloved air-cooled 993. The 996’s Boxster stablemate was less criticised due to treading what many saw as new ground (914 aside), whereas the 996 sought to reinvent the 911. Propositions seldom come more audacious. In production from July 1997 and on sale from late autumn that year, the 996 was, at the outset, a love-it or loathe-it car. And, unsurprisingly, given fifty years of air-cooled antecedents, many Porsche
buffs were prepared to loathe the model with an almost sectarian fanaticism. Air-cooled die-hards considered it to be little short of an abomination, never mind that it looked a bit like an overbaked 993 (it was seven inches longer, two inches wider and shared much of the same suspension layout), or that, from the front at least, it looked very much like its junior sibling, the entry-level Boxster, with which it shared most of its frontal body panels and hardware. Notwithstanding how the 996 maintained the marque’s tradition of a rear-mounted flat-six powerplant, what really upset naysayers was the fact the engine was water-cooled. This, of course, is why liquid-cooled 911s are known as ‘kettles’, somewhat overlooking the manufacturer’s transaxle family of products, which had been thus chilled since the late 1970s. The cognoscenti, on the other hand, knew, for several reasons, Porsche simply couldn’t carry on building aircooled engines — emissions legislation and performance limitations were at play — and welcomed the 996 with open arms. It was as modern, as contemporary, as aesthetically stylish and, above all, as fresh as Porsche devotees could have realistically hoped for. Moreover, it had just the right blend of restrained aggression and timeless elegance to make it as much at home in Knightsbridge as the Nürburgring. Little wonder, by the time production ended in early 2005, the 996 had sold well over 150,000 units of all derivatives. More significantly, on a corporate level, in consort with the 986 Boxster, the 996 transformed Porsche from its mid1990s status as one of the world’s most July 2022 73
endangered independent car companies to the most profitable of all. Performance-wise, the 996 was no slouch, even in base 3.4-litre format. The first water-cooled 911 went, and still does go, remarkably well, too. From standstill to 62mph in 5.2secs and on up to a maximum of 174mph, allied with flawless brakes and a poise which belied a quarter of a tonne of engine slung out aft of the rear wheels. It sounded good, too, even though the flat-six bark was somewhat muffled when compared to that of an air-cooled boxer. Here was a 911 you could drive every day and in all weathers, and which, with 10k-mile service intervals, wouldn’t cost an arm and a leg to maintain. To this day, the 996 remains every inch a proper Porsche. The 997 which followed on is better — marginally in some ways, significantly in others — and you’d expect nothing less, but only because of what Porsche learned and acted on while it was building and marketing the 996.
value for money, too. They stopped depreciating several years ago, and indeed, values are climbing. Gone are the days when you could pick up a usable one for £10k, which is what our featured car cost owner Andy Whittle back in 2012. You need to be thinking along the lines of £15k in the present, even for a less favoured Cabriolet or Tiptronic, though there’s nothing amiss with either of those configurations. And don’t overlook the clever sliding glass-roof Targa, either. The 996 Carrera was launched in rear-drive format, with either a six-speed manual gearbox or a five-speed Tiptronic semi-automatic. The Tiptronic is a
superb system, if a little tardy, especially compared with its PDK successor. Some drivers prefer it to manual. It’s worth trying both shifts — you may decide Tiptronic will do nicely. It actually learns to adapt to your driving style according to use of throttle pedal. In chronological terms, the all-wheeldrive and Porsche Stability Management (PSM)-equipped Carrera 4 was released in 1999, closely followed by the rear-drive and manual-only GT3. And that particular masterpiece was followed a year later by the wide-bodied 420bhp four-wheel drive 996 Turbo and, to celebrate the new millennium, the limited-edition normally aspirated Millennium model. In early
Above Andy is looking forward to reaching his target of 200k miles in the early 996 Carrera, which has remained completely reliable at all times during his ownership, despite his enthusiasm for regularly bouncing off the rev limiter
ON THE MENU
There are plenty of 996s to choose from. The range quickly diverged into a cluster of different models, from reardrive Carrera to four-wheel drive Carrera 4, begetting the S version, Cabriolet, Targa, Turbo, GT2 and GT3. Now, as in its heyday, there’s a 996 for everyone and, like any 911, it makes you feel better about yourself than you would imagine any car ever could. That’s positive automotive therapy for you! A good 996 represents amazing 74 July 2022
2001, the 462bhp twin-turbo GT2 was discharged, featuring Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB). A year later, Porsche broadened the range’s appeal with the glass-roofed 996 Targa. The model’s intriguing electronic slide-back roof was developed from that of the aircooled 993, where the glass roof panel retracted into the rear screen, which also conveniently doubled as a hatchback. 2002 also ushered in the Turbo-bodied, normally aspirated Carrera 4S. A few months later, along came a new GT3. During 2004, there was one launch after another, including brand-new Cabriolet versions of the Carrera 4S and Turbo, a 381bhp GT3 RS, another special-edition anniversary Carrera to celebrate forty years of the 911, the 450bhp Turbo S and an uprated GT2. These standout models are well outside the scope of our feature, but I flag them up to illustrate the broad appeal of the 996. A host of minor improvements were introduced throughout the 996’s production lifespan, but by far the biggest changes were wrought for the 2002 model year. Externally, the 996 received revised front and rear aprons with improved aerodynamics and, most obviously, updated headlights. Inside, there was a new three-spoke steering wheel, and, for the first time, an opening glovebox, complete with cup holders. The Cabriolet gained a glass rear screen. If you fancy a 996 drop-top, it’s worth noting you can turn it into a coupé by fitting a factory hardtop. Way more significant than all this, though, were the changes to the engine. The previous 3.4litre VarioCam unit was replaced by the 3.6-litre flat-six with Porsche’s VarioCam
Plus technology, previously reserved for the Turbo. This not only gave the basic models more low-speed punch, but also increased reliability. Other factors influencing desirability include bore-scoring and IMS bearing failure, which I mention later on, and crankshaft-seal oil leaks, but these issues don’t affect many cars, and there are now well-known solutions and cures for most of the major maladies, short of a replacement engine. Besides, typical prices for earlier models are low enough to take a chance on.
SILVER SURFER
Back in 2017, my own mission into 996 ownership was as risk-free as could be. Armed with a Cayenne and trailer, I ventured to the Netherlands to view an engineless Speed Yellow Carrera 4 at breakers and parts purveyors, Van Zweeden. I settled on a going concern, an Arctic Silver 996, at Halesowen-based PorscheShop. With 45k miles on the clock, PorscheShop Managing Director, Ian Heward offered to equip the car with a carbon-fibre Y-pipe induction kit, installed with a pair of K&N cone filters at either end. He got the ECU remapped too. In addition, the car already made use of a short-shifter, Alcantara headlining, Dansk exhaust and GT3-style sills. By way of 30mm H&R lowering springs, I had the ride height lowered by STR Service Centre in Norwich. Latterly, it had a set of Cargraphic silencers fitted, which I watched being made and fitted at Phoenix Exhausts at Cullompton, Devon. The aural benefits were immense. As I’ll demonstrate, it’s entirely feasible to make your standard 996 look like a
snarling Carrera Cup bruiser, and it was only a matter of time before I swapped the front panel of my 996 for something racier. I also switched wheels, from perfectly decent eighteen-inch Carrerastyle five spokes for imitation split-rims. Sure, the hot GT3 is subtly different from the standard 996 in the looks department, and not difficult to imitate, but why stop there? Let’s get into more rarefied territory and go Carrera Cup. Or something like it. Design 911 offered just the look I wanted, though it wasn’t absolutely specific to any particular hotted-up 996, which made it even better. I wasn’t seeking to emulate anything precisely, just give the car more of a sporting image to match its modest power upgrades. Having ordered up the new fibreglass nose, I booked it in with Wayne Parker at Norfolk Premier Coachworks to for paint and fitting. Next up on my reckless
Above Once derided, the early 996’s ‘fried egg’ headlights have now found favour
76 July 2022
996 CARRERA transformation agenda was a firstgeneration GT3 swan-neck rear spoiler. Once again Norfolk Premier Coachworks did the honours. Gilding the lily? Yes, and why not, when the car can always be returned to standard if necessary. I’ve always had a thing for ducktail spoilers, and on a visit to RUF Automobile in Pfaffenhausen, Alois Ruf Jr very kindly donated a leftover ducktail of the pattern featuring on his 996-based RUF RTurbo. This wasn’t quite the last body update carried out, though. Eventually, I got fed up with grinding the Carrera Cup nose on traffic humps, leading me to get PorscheShop to paint and fit a secondhand 996 Turbo nose panel. You may wonder why, having lavished so much on the car, I sold it. Laid up in hospital with sepsis (burst appendix) and time to kill, I decided I didn’t want to have such a large whack of money sitting around doing nothing, and that a 986 Boxster S, at half the price, would be plenty good enough. With hindsight, I would probably not have gone down this route, but it’s done now. But enough of my shenanigans. Our feature car is more to the point,
representing typical 996 ownership, being unmodified and having been run as a daily driver for the past decade. The original supplying dealer was Lancaster, now known as Porsche Centre Colchester, and the only aftermarket parts are Dansk exhaust boxes. Andy bought his 996 from MR Performance Cars at South Newton near Salisbury, Wiltshire, in 2011. It was listed on eBay for £11k, but when he went to have a
of oil since I’ve owned it. And I like to put the car through its paces — it regularly gets bounced off the rev limiter.” Way to go, Andy! He’s obviously spent a fair amount on regular servicing and maintenance over the years, but he’s determined to get his 996 to 200k miles pretty soon, without it having to undergo any major mechanical work or significant spend. An RMS upgrade is a sensible precaution if a new clutch is needed, but in my experience, stories about IMS bearing failure is overblown. It’s not a myth and, as a precaution, I did get the IMS changed on my own 996. The work was carried out by Autofarm. The company’s technicians found the old IMS was in perfect condition. This is the thing: you can’t be sure without dismantling. Andy eulogizes. “These are great cars! In its most basic form, like mine, the ordinary 996 is the most distilled example of the 911, delivering the purest interpretation of the 911 driving experience. Some people say the 996 is the black sheep of the 911 family, but actually it’s got everything you really need to enjoy
WHETHER 3.4 OR 3.6, THE 996 PROVIDES GREATACCELERATION, A PERFECTLY DECENT RIDE AND EXCELLENT HANDLING IN STANDARD FORMAT
Below No frills, no fancy extras, just the base model Carrera, offering arguably the most undiluted drive of the 996 range
look, they dropped the price to ten grand. “When I first got the car, I took it to the official Porsche dealer in Guildford to be serviced,” Andy reveals. “I then had it serviced back at MR Performance for seven years or so. More recently, the car has been serviced at Eporsch in Bisley, Surrey, primarily because the company’s base closer to where I live. I’m proud to say my 996 has now covered 172,674 miles and is going better than ever. I know 996s get a lot of flak for IMS and RMS issues, but mine hasn’t used a drop
July 2022 77
Porsche ownership.” His is no show queen, obviously. Indeed, by Andy’s own admission, his 996 is a wee bit rough around the edges as well as being a highmiler, but all this is testament to the fact that he drives it hard and on a daily basis. And that, after all, is the point of a 911.
performance by the rear-drive car, though the all-wheel drive 911’s poise and control gives it the nod when the going gets meteorologically tough. In practice, the four-wheel drive chassis declares itself pretty quickly, dictating one’s efforts to strong-arm the turns, though when the surface is damp, you can’t MAKE THE DROP knock the confidence-inspiring security My own 996, known as ‘Pig Energy’ that the all-wheel drive system imparts. in deference to its number plate, P16 It’s less enthralling than the Carrera, NRG, bore me to Portugal, Brittany, though rewarding in its own competent Normandy, Germany and Belgium on way. Instantly, the steering feels heavier, several occasions, as well as locations thanks to the intruding front-wheel all over the UK. In two years, I clocked up driveline, and the additional weight around 30k miles on a vast cross-section makes it seem a slightly bulkier beast. of roads, including Zandvoort race While the Carrera 4 lacks the sprightlier circuit. Lowering the suspension makes character of the Carrera, however, it feels for focused handling, with more acute more planted on serpentine roads and, turn-in and harder ride. Some might find on a smooth straight, the Carrera 4 feels this tiresome after a while, but it suited more placid than the jiggy Carrera. me perfectly at the time. Why change the In a few instances, such as a habits of a lifetime?! simple turn-around, the four-wheel I did the same with the subsequent drive becomes even more obvious, an 986, but changed the 30mm H&Rs for impression completely absent in the 10mm lower KWs to get a less jarring more delicate steering response of ride. The 996’s controls are pretty much the Carrera. In a really fast twisty road identical to the contemporary 986 scenario, the four-wheel drive traction Boxster: unfussy, logical and intuitive to is amazing — it just sticks and goes. use and comprehend. Whether 3.4 or It’s not as enthralling as rear-wheel 3.6, the 996 provides great acceleration, drive, though. It is extremely efficient, of a perfectly decent ride and excellent course, but the Carrera 4 driveline rather handling in standard format. It’ll return lacks the soul of the Carrera. about 28mpg on super unleaded. Porsche made a lot of money out of All-wheel drive Carrera 4 against rear- the ‘less is more’ mantra, certainly in drive only Carrera? Comparative weights respect of stripped out RSs, but the basic are 1,320kg for the Carrera against 996 really does provide a strong case for 1,375kg for the all-pawed Porsche, and the same argument, being undoubtedly this is manifest in a slightly more athletic the most cost-effective route into 911
ownership, and as such it deserves to be taken more seriously and awarded more acclaim and respect. Still not convinced? Torn between 996 and 997? Perhaps you’re thinking about saving up for a 997 and enjoying the later 911’s superior build quality? I don’t think you need to. It’s an attitudinal thing as far as the actual cars are concerned — it’s about their personalities. The 996 is of a more amiable, lighter disposition than the harder-edged 997. It has an easier-going ambiance, it’s more benign and less hard-nosed and you forgive minor foibles. And I don’t think this is an infinitesimal thing — live with a 996, jump into a 997 and it’s right there, manifest in the cold inscrutability of the newer model. The 996 has way more soul. And I think, traditionally, that’s what 911s were always about. Soul, man. l
Above Prices are rising, but budget fifteen grand for a decent 996 Carrera
78 July 2022
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TECH: SPECIALIST
THE ART OF PORSCHE
SUBSCRIBE TO SEE PAGE 122 FOR DETAILS
Currently celebrating its thirty-fifth anniversary, TechArt has grown from a niche automotive trimming business into a global powerhouse of Porsche customisation and turnkey vehicle production...
U
Words Dan Furr Photography TechArt
nless you’re new to the Porsche scene, TechArt is a name you’ll have come across time and again. Founded in Fellbach, Germany, in 1987 by a small team keen to provide owners of premium marque sports cars with custom leatherwork, the company soon narrowed its attention to exclusively cater for Porsches. It also extended its portfolio of products and services to include all aspects of vehicle styling. The launch of a custom body kit for the 928 signalled the direction TechArt was heading in, but
after the decision was made to build completely new TechArt vehicles based on unmarked Porsche chassis (cars assembled using TechArt’s own parts and materials, and carrying TechArtspecific vehicle identification numbers, achievable after the German government officially recognised the firm as a manufacturer), the arrival of the bespoke 993 CT3 established the brand as one of the world’s leading Porsche specialists. TechArt’s basic 993 upgrade package consisted of engine, transmission, wheel, brake and aerodynamic improvements, making the last generation of air-cooled 911s faster, quicker and slicker than
when they rolled off the assembly line in Zuffenhausen. For the CT3, however, a reimagined 993 was developed around a supercharged 3.8-litre flat-six producing 462bhp. This was big power for a road car in the mid-1990s and caught the attention of Porsche enthusiasts, many independent tune shops and, of course, Porsche itself. Following launch of the 986 Boxster, a new generation of marque enthusiasts became switched on to the idea of Porsche personalisation. TechArt — by now occupying premises in Leonberg — released a hugely successful line of power and styling upgrades for the
80 July 2022
Above Tobias Beyer, TechArt's Managing Director, gave us a peek behind the scenes of the Leonberg company, which is currently celebrating its thirty-fifth birthday
mid-engined drop-top accordingly. Even so, the company’s now famous GTstreet programme wasn’t launched until the turn of the century. “The 996 Turbo changed everything,” says TechArt boss, Tobias Beyer. “We looked at what Porsche had produced and immediately realised there was an opportunity to further develop it with more trackoriented aero, making the Turbo a more aggressive and more focused driver’s car, but without sacrificing comfort equipment, such as climate control.”
aerodynamic package. It proved to be a big hit, giving owners the perfect blend of optimised performance for trackdays and superior comfort for daily driving. The floodgates opened thereafter — among the different 996 offerings produced by TechArt was the
flaps, small wings and lots of carbonfibre.” The 997 GTstreet RS (based, as the name suggests, on the 997 GT2 RS) really shook things up — in May 2008, a GTstreet RS driven by Porsche Supercup stalwart, Jörg Hardt, ran the fastest time at Hockenheim’s annual Tuner Grand Prix. The event record remained unbroken for many years. A few months after Hardt’s Hockenheim triumph, the GTstreet RS completed a record-breaking lap of the Sachsenring. Leasing German automotive magazine, Auto Bild, confirms no other Porsche was faster at the Hohenstein-Ernstthal circuit until 2015. “Despite our focus on developing 911 tuning and aero packages, we experienced huge demand for our products from Cayenne owners,”
SO GREAT WAS ENTHUSIASM FOR TECHART’S CAYENNE MODIFICATIONS, THEY WENTON TO BECOME THE COMPANY’S MOSTPOPULAR PRODUCTS
ON THE RIGHT FOOT
Despite TechArt’s work on Porsche body styling in years previous, the Turbobased GTstreet was the realisation of the company’s first truly functional
GTstreet S package for the GT2, setting a strong foundation for what was to follow. “We’ve produced a GTstreet version of every 911 since the 996,” Tobias tells us. “The 997 saw us develop the concept further with the GTstreet R, featuring an even more aggressive aero package, complete with Gurney
July 2022 81
TECH: SPECIALIST
Tobias continues. “In the early days of the Cayenne, in terms of sportscarlike driving characteristics and looks, no other SUV came close. We found ourselves producing and shipping many full TechArt Cayenne aero kits, activity which accounted for a sizeable part of our business.” In fact, so great was enthusiasm for TechArt’s Cayenne modifications, they went on to become the company’s most popular products, with more than five hundred complete kits being shipped each year. “The Cayenne became the subject of our biggest research and development programme, though we continued our work with the 911, continually refining and further growing our GTstreet range,” he adds.
becoming increasingly challenging. “By the mid-2000s, so many niches within the 911 line-up existed beyond Targa, cabriolet and coupe body styles,” Tobias remembers. “Where once TechArt was producing a single kit for the 911, we now had up to fifteen different variants to suit different models.” With new-tomarket sporty SUVs from Porsche’s rivals competing for space previously dominated by the Cayenne, however, plus the inevitable migration of some
Cayenne owners to other brands (“they now had choice”), products for the 911 once again became TechArt’s most popular output. Since 2018, the company’s attitude toward product development has changed. “We appreciate Porsche owners enjoy design language from many different aspects of life,” Tobias tells us. “For this reason, we seek to incorporate influence from beyond the automotive sphere into our work.
Above TechArt's in-house operations mirror those of any major premium car manufacturer, including Porsche Below TechArt's GTstreet programme began with the 996
SET THE BENCHMARK
A widebody Boxster package also proved popular, while introduction of the Cayman saw TechArt produce the 987 GTsport, pre-dating the factory GT4 by a decade. “The GTsport was powered by a 3.8-litre flat-six, wore a big rear wing, chunky side skirts and a deep front apron. This car was on the market ten years before Porsche released the similarly configured GT4,” says Tobias, proud TechArt was once again ahead of the curve. That said, trying to develop a complete aero and tuning package for every Porsche model — such was TechArt’s mission — was 82 July 2022
The original
Evolution
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TECH: SPECIALIST
Aesthetically, our products are arguably more pronounced as a consequence of this approach, but we never forget the lines of the 911. In every sense, TechArt products are a perfect fit for a Porsche.” Headcount has grown to sixty-four members of staff, while overseas outposts have been established in the USA, India and Thailand in order to meet demand in local markets. “We’re like a small version of Porsche,” Tobias smiles. “We have every department necessary for vehicle production, whether it’s engineering for chassis development, wheels, exhausts, body styling, aerodynamics, engine tuning, parts production or testing. Naturally, we also have offices for marketing, domestic sales and export functions, plus our leatherwork division, paint shop and carbon-fibre parts manufacturing branch.” Dyno, emissions and impact testing is also caried out at the company’s base, while wind tunnel testing and TUV approval is conducted at off-site locations in and around Stuttgart. A carefully curated network of independent Porsche specialists can supply and install TechArt equipment in countries where Tobias’ team doesn’t
have its own hub of operations. In the UK, for instance, Tech9 and Parr Porsche are TechArt’s official partners. Unsurprisingly, there’s also space at Leonberg for customer cars to be equipped with TechArt products by the very technicians responsible for their design and manufacturing. Sure, you can order individual components by mail order, but for a full GTstreet R conversion,
you can leave your car with TechArt and allow the team to expertly apply each component. How, you might wonder, does this affect your 911’s factory warranty? TechArt has taken steps to reassure owners by expanding its Protect warranty programme — already proven in Europe — to North and South American sales markets, as well as Asia, Australia and the Middle East.
Above and below As a registered vehicle manufacturer in Germany, all of TechArt's products are subjected to super-strict TUV testing and evaluation
84 July 2022
Above TechArt's product catalogue caters for every currently available Porsche, though legacy products are still available to order Below Beginning with the 996 GTstreet project and stretching all the way to the present day, all of TechArt's upgrades are designed to improve aerodynamics, meaning plenty of wind tunnel testing
Essentially, after determining the condition of your Porsche with a 111point check, TechArt guarantees the entire vehicle, including all standard Porsche parts — engine, transmission, suspension and all other components previously covered by the factory warranty are, in effect, covered by TechArt. “Let’s say you take advantage of TechArt Protect cover because your 911 has been subjected to a GTstreet R conversion,” Tobias suggests. “Then, completely independent of any changes you’ve made to the car, its sat-nav fails. We take on responsibility
for the fix. The same is true of all components on your Porsche.” All parts and labour costs are included. Mileage under warranty is unlimited. Additionally, in Germany, TechArt Protect customers benefit from the availability of more than two
Protect user’s Porsche is out of action, they can claim costs for overnight accommodation, rental car hire, train travel and transfers. In rolling out this comprehensive warranty programme around the globe, TechArt seeks to remove the psychological barrier many Porsche owners have when it comes to experimenting with performance upgrades. To this end, TechArt Protect guarantees your car’s combustion engine or electric motor, thousand roadside assistance and components of hybrid drive, fuel and towing vehicles in the event of accidental cooling systems, drive systems, gearbox, damage or breakdown. While a TechArt suspension, steering, brakes, heating, air-conditioning, electrics and bodywork. Owners have free choice of workshop for repair and won’t be required to make any contribution toward material or manhour costs. Cover can be taken out for between one and seven years.
ELSEWHERE IN THE TECHART LINE-UP RESIDES A RECENTLY INTRODUCED SELECTION OF AERO PRODUCTS FOR THE TAYCAN
ELECTRIC DREAMS
We’ll cover the latest GTstreet R developments in a separate article to be published in a forthcoming issue of 911 & Porsche World, but as regular readers will know, elsewhere in the TechArt line-up resides a recently introduced selection of aero products for the Taycan. “We’ve enjoyed big take-up of Taycan products from our client base in North America and Asia, but Europe is still playing catch-up,” Tobias explains. “Electrification is regarded as new automotive technology by many people. They want to see how their Taycan drives for the long term, how practical it is and how easy it is to live with in a real-world driving environment. Essentially, they need to trust their Porsche before they July 2022 85
TECH: SPECIALIST
commit to investing time and money personalising and enhancing it.” He’s confident the Taycan is a game-changer in the EV stakes and looks forward to further expanding TechArt’s already widereaching range of products for owners of the all-electric Porsche.
LATEST AND GREATEST
This dedication to serving drivers of every currently available Porsche sees TechArt offer premium customisation for the new 911 GT3, which can benefit from a new TechArt carbon-fibre body kit, bespoke door mirrors, side skirts, a
freshly developed rear wing and a more aerodynamic bonnet, all manufactured from lightweight weave. The full kit also includes wide carbon-fibre front wings (extending the host GT3’s body by thirty millimetres) and a wealth of interior upgrades. Last, but by no means least, TechArt’s stunning Formula VII centrelock wheels join the party. The firm’s products for legacy models remain available, but pushing forward with production of components for new Porsche sports cars, as well as continued expansion of the GTstreet programme, is where TechArt’s main
focus lies. What’s in the pipeline, then? “We can’t say too much right now, but later this year, TechArt fans can expect far more motorsport and trackdaydirected products to come to market,” Tobias teases. “We’re also working on further expanding our 992 GT3 line of products, as well as those for the excellent Cayenne Turbo GT. Your readers will notice a big change to the way we approach product design, but this is all I can reveal for the time being. Watch this space!” We certainly will. Here’s to the next glorious thirty-five years of TechArt. l
Above Tobias considers Taycan owners in Europe a little reluctant to modify, but is encouraged by take-up of TechArt products for the allelectric Porsche in the USA and Asia
86 July 2022
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1994 PORSCHE 911 993 C2 £57,995.00 Midnight Blue 993 C2 first registered on 30th
March 1994. 99,600 miles and 6 owners. 6 speed manual gearbox mated to a 285bhp 3.6 litre engine. External bodywork, wheels and interior are in very good condion. Full Service History and a comprehensive invoice file from new.
2001 PORSCHE 986 BOXSTER S £12,495.00 Lapis Blue with wind deflector and Metropole
Blue interior. First registered on 1st January 2001. 45,500 miles and 8 owners. This beauful ptronic 986 Boxster S is very low mileage and a well cared for example which has been properly serviced and maintained.
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TECH: AUCTION TRENDS
88 July 2022
THE PRICE TO PAY
Auction industry experts outline their experience of demand for classic and modernclassic Porsche products during the past decade, as well as revealing which models are the movers and shakers we should be keeping an eye on in the future...…
D
Words Dan Furr Photography Historics Auctioneers, Gooding & Company, Silverstone Auctions
espite economies being subjected to turmoil because of the Great Recession, Brexit, the pandemic and international conflict, classic and modern-classic automotive auction market trends have defied expectation during the course of the past decade. To find out how the Porsche sector has performed in this space since 2012, we spoke to representatives from several high-profile auction houses and asked them to reveal what they’ve witnessed during the past ten years, not only from a general Porsche sales perspective, but also how different Porsche models have fared against one another. We also asked them to pinpoint the ‘ones to watch out for’ and where the Porsche auction sales market might be heading as we look set to dive head-first into a cost-of-living crisis and a return to recession. “The first thing to take note of is how, from 2012 to 2022, the marketplace for Porsches has grown from a marque enthusiast-driven space to one with much broader appeal,” says Gooding & Company’s Hans Wurl, a man formerly responsible for the care, procurement and sales of vintage European and American historic race cars for a prominent private collection in the Pacific Northwest. “Spurred on by Porsche’s own relentless offering of special and sometimes limitedproduction models, the brand has become synonymous with not only high-
quality sports cars, but also collectability and appreciation. Gooding & Company has seen prices for bellwether models, such as the 959 and Carrera GT, increase two-and-five-fold, respectively, as they become more significant in the eyes of collectors,” he adds, highlighting the $2,012,500 paid for a 2005 Carrera GT at this year’s Amelia Island auction. “Racing Porsches have also seen incredible gains in popularity over the past decade, with the 917 and other legendary racers, including the RS Spyder, taking their place among the most valuable models in their respective
models, such as the 928 and 944, are gaining in both popularity and value.” Hi view is shared by Mathew Priddy, Head of Business Development at Historics Auctioneers. “We are seeing increasing interest in transaxle models, not least due to their comparative affordability, although it’s hard to believe that we sold an original, immaculate, right-hand drive 924 Carrera GT at our October 2011 auction for just £15,680!”
CREAM OF THE CROP
He cites the huge volume of 924, 944, 968 and 928 vehicles produced between 1976 and discontinuation of the transaxle line in 1995 as key to offering buyers choice and, historically speaking, keeping prices low, but due to their status as a ‘last hurrah’, he reckons the 968 and 928 GTS are segments,” Wurl continues. He cites the becoming increasingly collectible. “We 1970 917 short-tail previously owned recently sold two exceptional examples by former factory driver, Jo Siffert, and of the latter, both right-hand drive, both used extensively during the production equipped with automatic transmission of Steve McQueen’s motoring movie, Le and both from House of Bolkiah, the Mans, as a prime example of historic ruling royal family of Brunei, for close Porsche race cars fetching top dollar. to £50,000 each. It’s interesting to note Admittedly, this particular 917 offered some two years earlier, a lovely manual bidders a rare opportunity to acquire example changed hands with us for a sports-prototype of uncommon even more money, while back in March significance, but few expected the final 2017, a delightful and well-cared for 968 sale price of $14,080,000, making it by Club Sport sold at our Spring auction for far and away the most valuable Porsche £20,000. Months later, another reached ever sold at auction. £26,880, yet a decade ago, a similar What about real-world Porsches, example failed to find a buyer, despite though? “"Unlike ten years ago, not all of carrying a lower estimate of £10,000 and the hottest Porsches are air-cooled,” Wurl an upper estimate of £14,000.” reveals. “Front-engined water-cooled Today, you’ll need to budget nearer
THIS PARTICULAR 917 OFFERED BIDDERS A RARE OPPORTUNITY TO ACQUIRE A SPORTS-PROTOTYPE OF UNCOMMON SIGNIFICANCE
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forty grand for the same model. That said, the one caveat to Porsche values — and this is true across the board — is that only the very finest examples reach top money. All industry figures we spoke to expect this to remain the case. “Older, numbers-matching models of exceptional quality will always command the highest prices, though the knock-on effect is, of course, many buyers perceiving all values rising, resulting in this being the case — perception makes its own reality,” reasons Chris Pollitt, Head of Editorial at Car & Classic, Europe’s largest online classic car marketplace. “One interesting trend for Porsches sold by Car & Classic’s online auction platform during the past twelve months is a rise in the number of cars sold for more than £40,000, which has almost doubled, whilst the number of Porsches selling for below £15,000 has halved. For example, a 2004 997 Turbo sold for £37,750 in May 2021, but a similar 911 Turbo fetched £54,500 only nine months later. Similarly, a 928 GTS sold in November last year for £25,000, but at one of our latest sales, in April this year, a similar example of the same model attracted bids reaching £41,000. It points to demand for finer and more
exclusive Porsche sports cars, but also a general shift in values across all of Porsche’s legacy models.” Broadly speaking, air-cooled 911s remain firm favourites for generating a strong return, but there can be no doubt water-cooled 911s are starting to see upward movement — some of the higherend models, such as the 996 Turbo and same-generation GT3, which had been nothing short of performance bargains until recently, are seeing significant
1970s were the most popular Porsches at auction some years ago, we are now seeing cars manufactured in the 1980s and 1990s very much in the same bubble,” he says. “This has affected the sustained level of growth in the value of Porsches produced in the earlier era of the Stuttgart brand’s history, but aircooled 911s remain iconic, propped up by Porsche’s gold-plated brand image, meaning demand remains extremely robust irrespective of the surge in interest for what were traditionally considered ‘lesser’ models.” Of course, the fact early 911 buyers need deep pockets has cascaded interest into later water-cooled models, where better specification and increased creature comforts are appealing to a much wider (and younger) market. And while the very best examples of highly original classic and modern classic Porsches will continue to command the strongest sale prices — just as they have at every turn during the past decade — values commanded by modified Porsches are on the up, reflecting the less ‘purist’ attitude of a new generation of enthusiasts. “In the relatively haphazard market for the altered 911s of yesteryear, when the aim of the modifier was often to create
VALUES COMMANDED BY MODIFIED PORSCHES ARE ON THE UP, REFLECTING THE LESS ‘PURIST’ ATTITUDE OF A NEW GENERATION OF ENTHUSIASTS momentum. As we’ve highlighted elsewhere in this issue of 911 & Porsche World, even early base model 996s (the so-called ‘fried-egg’ cars) are becoming more appreciated. It’s not just the coupés, either. “Car & Classic has sold a number of 996 convertibles in recent times,” Pollitt tells us. “One found a new home in January, not the ideal time to sell a drop-top, but still fetched more than £20,000. Another, sold in February, went for £22,500.” Priddy observes the same spike in interest for early water-cooled 911s. “Whereas classics from the 1960s and
Above This 1970 917 short-tail was previously in the possession of race ace, Joe Siffert, and played an important part in the making of Steve McQueen's movie, Le Mans, before becoming the most expensive Porsche ever sold at auction and taking up residence in the Brumos Collection Previous spread All our experts agreed that while the highest values are reserved for the most original and most historically significant Porsches, the restomod scene has come a long way, attracting a new generation of buyers prepared to shell out handsome figures for top-quality reimaginings of the air-cooled 911
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a Carrera RS 2.7 lookalike, values were inconsistent, but this sector has matured a great deal,” says Priddy. “The growth of restomod culture, doubtless fed by the fame and successes of Singer Vehicle Design and other high-profile companies reimagining air-cooled 911s, fits the classic Porsche market like a glove. Our recent sales results prove the point — a wonderful 1986 Carrera 3.2 restomod, which sold at our November 2021 sale, crested the typical value of concours 911 Turbos, going under the hammer at £133,280.” Wurl is as pleasingly enthusiastic about reinterpreted 911s. “The collectability of tuner cars, such as those produced by RUF Automobile, has grown significantly since 2012. Some of these amazing creations create quite a stir in the marketplace.” He goes on to talk about the 993-based RUF Turbo R Limited (the final aircooled model from the Pfaffenhausen concern). Only seven examples were built, thereby offering lucky buyers extreme exclusivity, but standing out in a crowded car park comes at a price — the sole Turbo R Limited finished in Riviera Blue sold at Gooding & Company’s 2022 Amelia Island auction for a whopping
$2,040,000, significantly more than the upper estimate of $1,800,000. “Looking at the generic classic car auction scene, the market is extraordinarily resilient, despite significant pressures which started with Brexit,” Priddy muses. The pandemic impacted even more profoundly on all of us, and yet successive Historics auction results have pointed to far greater market stability than could have been expected, which is good news for existing Porsche owners and for the collector car market
such a fluid market,” Pollitt suggests. “Simply put, the purchasing power of wealthy buyers has stayed the same, perhaps even increased, in the face of recent economic uncertainties. Consequently, in terms of financial appreciation, the Porsches these buyers seek remain unaffected. In fact, where a surge in interest for a particular model occurs, values are likely to increase, the result of competitiveness among wellheeled collectors. On the other hand, if a less wealthy individual’s disposable income has been hit by what’s currently happening with the economy, this will influence the demand for — and value of — cheaper classic cars, unless the rise of their higher-priced siblings as a whole. Now, of course, we are facing heightens perception of all Porsches as a cost-of-living crisis. It’s impossible potential investment opportunities.” to predict to what extent this will have Which models does he consider an effect on auction sales, but we’re likely to appreciate in the near future? certainly not predicting a tail-off in “Generally speaking, as the more demand,” he adds, citing significant exclusive Porsches get increasingly interest in the next major Historics sale, expensive, lesser models tend to become which takes place at Windsorview Lakes more desirable and back-fill the values. on Saturday 16th July and is currently Because the 944 Turbo has gained inviting consignments. strong momentum, for example, less “The more expensive models are not desirable 944s have been pulled up the particularly affected by the vagaries of value ladder, a consequence of many
BECAUSE THE 944 TURBO HAS GAINED STRONG MOMENTUM, LESS DESIRABLE 944sHAVE BEEN PULLED UP THE VALUE LADDER
Above Rare 944 Turbo S 'Silver Rose' is in remarkable condition and promises to impress when it goes under the hammer at June's Silverstone Auctions summer sale Facing page 1972 911 T boasts just 49k miles, a fact contributing to its final sale price of £140,000 at the Historics Ascot Racecourse sale in May, smashing the estimate of £95k-£125k
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buyers being priced out of the Turbo market, but still wanting to be an owner in that particular part of the Porsche scene.” In other words, demand is increasing for the non-Turbo 944 range. “To a lesser extent, the 996 Turbo is pulling 996 Carreras along with it.” It'll be interesting to see how the 1988 944 Turbo S ‘Silver Rose’ being offered by Silverstone Auctions performs when it hits the block at the company’s summer sale on 18th June. Seen by many as the very best of breed, this special edition model was produced in small numbers, with only seventyseven right-hand drive examples landing in the UK. Exclusive and firmly in the modern-classic category, the sale of this 944 may serve as something of an indication of how the Porsche auction market is performing in general right now. “As far as long-term value increases are concerned, recent trends have shown excellent 944s are solid bets,” says Silverstone Auctions representative, Helen Allman. “Porsche’s continued theme of low production numbers for
highly desirable performance versions of the 911 also underpins the brand and its ever-growing appeal to the wider buying audience.” The estimate for the turbocharged transaxle, which is presented in pristine cosmetic condition and recently underwent a mechanical
of all cars consigned were Porsches (predominantly post-1970s models). Furthermore, unlike offerings from other marques, every single Porsche on sale was sold, proving demand for the cars we love remains strong in the face of economic uncertainty. “Already, in 2022, Car & Classic’s online auction platform has sold its four most expensive Porsches since being established,” Pollitt explains, referencing the 1961 356, 1973 911 Targa, 1987 911 Turbo and 1968 911 T listed on the website in recent weeks. Moreover, Car & Classic’s overall sales up to May of this year match the total number of cars sold through brand in 2021, but the bottom line is forty-eight percent higher in 2022. “Our top eight sales have been achieved in the last eight months. Overall, prices are on the rise,” he concludes. l
EVERY SINGLE PORSCHE ON SALE WAS SOLD, PROVING DEMAND FOR THE CARS WE LOVE REMAINS STRONG overhaul at William Hewitt Porsche in Norfolk, is £35,000-£40,000. “The future looks bright for all original-specification Porsches, which we think will continue to lead market share and popularity in the performance sector,” Allman smiles, mirroring Wurl’s outlook — at Gooding & Company’s most recent sale, exactly one third
Above 1998 RUF Turbo R Limited is one of only seven examples produced and, with only 932 miles covered from new, generated huge interest, resulting in a winning bid of $2,040,000, well above estimate
For further information about each of the auction houses contributing to this article, visit their websites, where you'll be able to view sale results in detail, discover information relating to forthcoming auctions and peruse the list of lots consigned. And, of course, you can register to bid. Good luck!
94 July 2022
AUCTIONS & PRIVATE BROKERAGE
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1965 PORSCHE 904/6 SOLD $2,205,000 Amelia Island Auction 2022
1970 PORSCHE 914/6 GT SOLD $995,000 I World Record at Auction for the Model Scottsdale Auctions 2020
1998 RUF TURBO R LIMITED SOLD $2,040,000 Most Valuable RUF Ever Sold at Auction
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2005 PORSCHE CARRERA GT SOLD $2,012,500
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TECH: BUYING GUIDE
981 CAYMAN GTS
B
If a GT4 is too track oriented for your tastes, but a Cayman S is a little too soft, then the 981 Cayman GTS is the perfect in-between, combining huge comfort with a sharper chassis...
Words Robert Smith Photography Chris Wallbank y the time of the 981-generation Boxster/Cayman's arrival in 2012, Porsche's calculated merging of 911 and Boxster assembly lines as a means of radically cutting the cost of vehicle production (and, crucially, helping the company to return to financial stability) was less pronounced, allowing the 981 Boxster/Cayman twins to finally branch out on their own.
The Boxster and Cayman remained inextricably linked, of course — whenever one of the 981 twins was released as a special edition (Boxster Spyder, for example), the other was immediately ready to answer back (Cayman GT4) . The Cayman GTS, launched in 2014, however, provided the mid-engined coupe with the right kind of appeal to attract a new audience of buyers who didn't want to engage in open-top motoring, but liked the idea of a
nimble, mid-engined two-seater Porsche with enough attitude to make buyers of the Cayman S wonder if they'd made the right choice. In truth, the GTS produces only a small amount of extra engine output over the S (335bhp versus 321bhp, with the dash to 60mph from rest taking just 0.3 seconds less in the Cayman S) and utilises the same 3.4-litre flat-six, but the exquisite styling and chassis package developed for the GTS makes it seem like a
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BODY Porsche more closely associated with the 3.8-litre GT4. The newly developed bumpers and lashings of Alcantara applied to the Cayman GTS were accompanied by the option of a passive sports suspension system in place of Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), introducing a drop in ride height of twenty millimetres over the base Cayman. The Sport Chrono package was standard equipment, as were twenty-inch Carrera S wheels and a new sports exhaust system. Porsche quoted a top speed of 177mph. The approach the Stuttgart squad took in developing the 981 Cayman GTS resembled their thinking with development of the 987 Cayman S
Sport (featured elsewhere in this magazine) and the celebrated 987 Cayman R, but where those models were produced in small numbers, the 981 Cayman GTS was the subject of much higher-volume production, making it available to many more Porsche enthusiasts. At its original point of sale, the GTS would have set you back an extra £6,500 over the cost of a Cayman S, bringing spend to £55,397. Even taking the price of adding Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB) into consideration, the GTS was fantastic value for money. With prices now starting around £40k, the GTS represents an even better buy today. Acquire one without delay. l
Even the oldest 981 has seen less than a decade on the road. Combined with modern automotive manufacturing techniques and anti-rust measures put into place by Porsche, this means finding body corrosion anywhere on a 981 is virtually unheard of. With this in mind, evidence of poor panel gaps, difference in shades of paint between sections of the car and, of course, any sign of body damage needs to be evaluated carefully — you might be looking at a Cayman which has been involved in an accident, a key consideration when thinking about buying a car previous owners may have been tempted to put through its paces at a track. As mentioned earlier, the 981 Cayman GTS was the subject of relatively high volume production, so don't be afraid to walk away if you sense something is amiss — there are plenty more Caymans of this ilk to choose from. The 981 is still new enough for problems associated with high mileage or major wear not to have presented themselves. Much like the second-generation 997, rear lights can attract frustrating condensation, but don't let this put you off a well-priced GTS in the specification you desire. As a priority, however, make sure the car's extendable rear wing works as Porsche intended. The 981 Cayman GTS features a black chin spoiler at the base of its redeveloped front bumper, paired with black air intakes sitting below bi-Xenon headlights. It's a similar story at the back of the car, where a black lower apron is joined by further black detailing, including the model's badges and smoked lamp lenses. Don't be surprised to learn the car you're looking at is wearing a front bumper subjected to a respray. Naturally, you'll want to be sure the paint colour is a perfect match for the neighbouring panels, and you should be clear motivation for the work wasn't a shunt, but keep in mind many Porsches of this age will have been treated to a 'nose job' to eliminate unsightly stone chips accrued during spirited blasts along backroads. Verify a reputable bodyshop was charged with carrying out the work. If in doubt, ask an independent specialist to conduct a pre-purchase inspection. The upfront cost could save you a lot of money in the long run.
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IDENTITY
981 Cayman or no, the easiest way to correctly verify the identity of the car you're looking at is to check its Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). Make sure it matches what’s printed on the V5. Elsewhere on the same document, you’ll see the car’s engine number. Make sure it checks out. Spend a tenner at mycarcheck.com, where you can download a history report outlining any insurance claims, change of registration
number, recorded mileage and whether there is any outstanding finance on the GTS you're evaluating. You should also enter the vehicle’s details into the DVLA’s online MOT database (access it at bit.ly/dvlamot), a service which will return all passes, failures and advisories registered as far back as records are stored. You can also take advantage of the Suncoast Parts VIN decoder (check it out at bit.ly/suncoastvin), which will provide you with a Porsche-specific
build sheet for just $10. This document will let you know exactly how the car left the factory, including model specification and any Individual Equipment items optioned. We've lost track of the number of Porsche owners who have discovered their car makes use of a special feature they only found out about after ordering this report, though your local Porsche Centre or the car's original dealer may be able to furnish you with the same information without charge.
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BRAKES, SUSPENSION AND TRANSMISSION
The GTS was offered with a six-speed manual gearbox or a seven-speed PDK semi-automatic dual clutch transmission (as per the example on these pages). It's of paramount importance the PDK system is treated to fresh lubricant at Porsche's recommended service intervals (every six years). Check the book pack and service history of the PDK-equipped car you're looking at to ensure this maintenance has been observed. PDK was a £1,900 option, so expect to pay a premium for cars loaded with the system. Clutches should last at least 60k miles before they need to be replaced, costing upwards of £1,000.
ENGINE
The 981's 3.4-litre flat-six is an excellent engine, producing 335bhp and 280lb-ft in GTS guise, compared with 321bhp and 273lb-ft for the 981 Cayman S. That said, cam timing solenoid valves can be problematic. There are two on each bank and we recommend replacing them in pairs on a single side, even if only one is at fault. There is no need to replace all four parts unless your 981 registers a problem on each bank, which is unlikely. If you do find yourself faced with the need to replace all four items, budget three hours labour in addition to the cost of parts. Routine servicing must be observed every 20k miles or at least once a year, even if the car hasn't covered much ground. Service history from Porsche dealerships or independent marque specialists is something you should place at the top of your 981 Cayman GTS wish list. Get on all fours and check beneath the car for fluid leaks. Also, make sure you conduct a test drive before agreeing to pay for the GTS you're looking at. It's imperative you're confident you're not buying a Porsche ragged by previous owners. There's less chance of damage with PDK-equipped cars, where over-revving is virtually impossible, but it pays to experience the feel, sound and performance of a car's engine before committing to purchase. Porsche Club Great Britain recommends connecting any modern Porsche to factory-linked Porsche Integrated Workshop Information System (PIWIS) diagnostic equipment in order to check for stored fault codes and to compare the digital motor electronics (DME) system's registered mileage with what's displayed on the dashboard, which some unscrupulous dealers may have altered. Considering the GTS is less than a decade old, you shouldn't need to worry about replacing the exhaust or any major engine components. Check to see if an aftermarket system is in place.
There isn't anything untoward to report as far as 981 braking equipment is concerned, other than to point out Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB) were a £4,977 option for the GTS. While you might think this is a kit worth holding out for, be aware of the cost of replacing this system's consumables — even aftermarket replacement discs will set you back thousands. PCCB might seem attractive, but if you're looking at a GTS with these awesome anchors in place, carry out a visual inspection of the discs and pads to determine how much life is left in them — you don't want to be saddled with big spend early into your GTS ownership experience. If you suspect replacements are on the cards, factor the cost into the amount you're prepared to pay for the car. The GTS is loaded with Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) dampers as standard. As mentioned earlier, however, passive sports suspension was a cost option, dropping ride height by twenty millimetres. If you're planning to drive your GTS hard, we'd recommend looking for an example with the sport suspension package, which, combined with good quality tyres and skill behind the wheel, will light up any journey, the result of better-weighted steering, firmer springs, a lower centre of gravity and more direct feedback. Sport Chrono is standard and, in Sport Plus mode, will introduce auto-blip rev matching on manual downshifts. Dynamic gearbox mounts are also at play.
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INTERIOR & ELECTRICS
The materials Porsche used for 981 interiors are incredibly robust, but be mindful of possible driver's seat bolster wear, The only real complaint we've come across is weak switchgear. More specifically, the electric window switches, door mirror switches and heater control switches become brittle and can snap. The electrics themselves cause no problems, though dash warning lights suggesting otherwise can be triggered by a battery running low voltage.
Needless to say, it's a good idea to keep your 981 connected to a trickle charger, avoiding low battery voltage during rest. Elsewhere, scuttle drains can get blocked over time, especially on a 981 left standing outside for long periods. It's essential these are regularly cleaned, else rainwater will flood the scuttle pan and litres of water will seep behind the dashboard, playing havoc with some of the 981's electrical systems. If fitted, the Porsche Vehicle Tracking System (VTS) is particularly susceptible to error, causing alerts to be sent to Vodafone, the company
responsible for monitoring the whereabouts and safety of the car. We love the 981 Cayman GTS and can't think of a single reason why you shouldn't buy one. Our only criticism is the in-car infotainment system user interface and display, which looks very dated, though it's worth remembering the 981 platform was first introduced in 2012. A replacement aftermarket head unit boasting smartphone connectivity and integration with all your favourite apps is a wise move. There are many available systems to choose from. l
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LIQUID GOLD
Due to changing environmental considerations and modern engineering practices, the oil recommended for your Porsche’s beating heart when it rolled off the production line isn’t the same as the oil available in the same packaging today... Words Dan Furr Photography Chris Wallbank, Dan Sherwood, Adrian Brannan 102 July 2022
O
Below Manufacturing considerations for modern engine oil is very different to the requirements of same-branded oil produced when older Porsches were new
il’s function in providing lubrication between moving metal surfaces is well known, but it also performs an important role in cooling, moving heat away from the hottest parts of an operating engine. As we discovered during our recent visit to meet Anders Hildebrand, Managing Director of Anglo American Oil Company, engine oil has also become a key component in the battle to reduce emissions and increase fuel economy, as well as to increase the amount of time between service intervals. Consequently, the demands placed on engine oil from modern motoring are very different to the requirements of engine oil in the past, leading to more complex blends and a change to the make-up of even the highest-profile oil products, regardless of whether their packaging remains the same as it did in decades past. From its base in Poole, Dorset, Anglo American Oil Company provides fuel and oil supply, blending, testing, warehousing,
delivery and pumping services. The company was established in 1999 and operated out of two locations (a blending and warehousing plant in Berkshire and office functions in Dorset) before its purpose-built facility was erected in 2015. Comprising a two-storey office block, laboratory, workshop, oil bottling department, warehouse, tank farm and fuel production area, the site serves as the distribution hub for Sunoco Race fuels, which Anders and his team supply on an exclusive basis throughout Europe and the Middle East. Anglo American Oil Company is also the European and the Middle East distributor for Driven Racing Oil and PJ1 track compounds (drag racing strip treatments). Domestically the company distribute, on an exclusive basis, SONAX car care products, Zestino track and drift tyres, and Aspen alkylate petrol for garden and forestry machinery. The company’s R brand represents racing fuels and oils blended in-house to extremely tight specification. Anders tells us Anglo American Oil Company’s main business is built on a dedicated
customer base of 11,500 racers, as well as high-profile tune shops and garages working on premium race and road cars all over the world. Needless to say, he appreciates the confusion engine oil can often present to enthusiasts keen to ensure they’re putting the correct product in their car. “It’s important to realise the oil recommended by Porsche for use in your car when it was new isn’t necessarily the oil you should be buying today,” he says. “Throughout the years, oil specification has changed significantly to keep up with demands from OEMs for longer service intervals and to meet ever stricter environmental standards. Today’s engines also have much tighter tolerances than they did previously, a consequence of vastly improved engineering design, technology and manufacturing practices.” This explains the proliferation of reduced viscosities in recent times, where 10W40 has been superseded by 5W-30 as the most common formula. The very latest oils can be even thinner, some
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as low as 0W-8. And, in an age where turbocharging technology is commonly used to maintain performance following reduced engine displacement, increased operating temperatures ask even more of engine oil, including the demand for maintained viscosity in all conditions.
achieved through the introduction of additives to base oils and is by far and away the best choice for most engines — a straight 5-rated oil would be too thin for use when the engine is warmed up, while 30 would be too thick for use when the engine is cold. Multigrade oils allow use all year THE THICK OF IT round, but it is important to note 5W-30 Oil viscosity (also referred to as oil might become 5W-20 after a while. weight), is essentially a number assigned This is because of the breakdown of oil to oil based on its flow at approximately additives during their service life and 100°C (210°F), the standard operating is one of the reasons we recommend temperature (or thereabouts) for most changing oil around the 5,000-mile mark engines. The higher the number, the (or at the very least, annually, regardless thicker — slower flowing — the oil is. This of mileage). Indeed, the accepted rating obviously influences how effective standard is that engine oil loses forty the oil is at coating engine components percent of its viscosity during its service and how good it is at protecting moving life. Of course, the higher the grade parts against friction and heat stress. of base oils used in the blending of Obviously, a lower viscosity oil flows multigrade products, the fewer additives quicker than oil with a higher rating, are required, but in terms of overall reducing engine energy consumption composition, you can’t rely on a trusted and therefore lowering emissions and brand to provide a consistent product improving fuel economy. throughout the lifespan of your car The two different numbers on engine and its engine. oil rating indicate it’s a multigrade “Simpler oils of the past are no longer lubricant. Put simply, the W represents suitable for modern engines,” Anders winter, and the two numbers indicate continues. “Conversely, modern oils flow characteristics based on aren’t necessarily right for your older temperature. A 5W-30 oil, for example, Porsche. Take a 996-generation 911, for means that during winter conditions example. The environmental standards (below freezing), the oil flows like a engine oil has to adhere to today are straight oil with a viscosity rating of very different to when the model was 5, whereas during regular operation, released, meaning oil you’ll likely put the oil flows like a straight oil with a in your 996 in the present will feature viscosity of rating of 30. This ‘two in more detergents and fewer anti-wear one’ characteristic of multigrade oil is ingredients, such as zinc, phosphorous
and sulphur, when compared to the oil you would have used when the car was manufactured. While major oil producers try their hardest to formulate blends containing ingredients which don’t react to one another, many detergents wash away anti-wear additives, which are designed to stick to metal. Suffice to say, bore scoring is easily achieved,
Below Joe Gibbs Racing initially developed its Driven Racing Oil lubricants for professional motorsport purposes, but the range now caters for road-spec sports cars
104 July 2022
Not just for pros Treat your Porsche to Driven high performance oils
Renowned racer Phil Hindley has been using Driven oils, not only in his race cars but in the Tech 9’s workshop. Driven Racing Oil range of lubricants have higher levels of anti-wear additives such as ZDDP than API rated on the shelf oils. The focus is on protecting the engine from wear and to lower operating temperatures. Check out the Driven high performance and racing range of oils on our online shop www.drivenracingoil.co.uk
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July 2022 105
TECH: TOPICS
especially when a car goes from being used daily to becoming a weekend plaything, as many older Porsches are these days.” As he points out, the balance between additives protecting an engine and those serving to reduce emissions has proved challenging for oil companies and hasn’t come without its problems. Excessive timing chain wear, bore scoring and low-speed pre-ignition are all commonly documented complaints caused by changes in the composition of modern oils. It stands to reason, then, that the oil you’re buying today might not be the same as the oil you bought in years past, regardless of its viscosity and branding. Anders also stresses how, in most cases, oil drains quickly from the top of an engine to the bottom. Consider a Porsche laid up for a significant period of time. It might not have occurred to you, but the engine internals can be dry at the point you decide to turn the key and
head out for your first drive in a while. Obviously, this is seriously detrimental to the health of the engine, with camshaft lobes a prominent victim of wear caused in this scenario. “It’s very important to make sure oil pressure is fully realised before heading off,” he stresses.
supplier of additives and thermal insulation supplements to many of the big oil brands. The Gibbs crew soon discovered their chosen oil’s packaging looked just the same as it did in years previous, but the composition of the oil itself had changed — an increase in
Above Servicing intervals on modern engines are generally much longer than they used to be
HIDDEN DEPTHS
Though the sometime detrimental changes to engine oil blends are now well known (through many high-profile reports of mechanical failure), the problem first came to light in the late 1990s, when NASCAR team, Joe Gibbs Racing, was losing races through repeated engine failure. “Joe couldn’t understand it,” Anders explains. “The problem was costing a huge amount of money in rebuilds, but the team’s technicians were using the same engine oil they’d used to great success in seasons past. Or so they thought.” The team consulted Lubrizol, a
Street Oil Vs. Racing Oil Chemical Comparison
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Above Anders, a former racing driver, founded Anglo American Oil Company in 1999 and is the proud owner of a 928 GTS
the volume of detergents had resulted in fewer anti-wear additives and an inefficiency of those introduced to the new blend, resulting in lower protection, a problem highlighted in the form of catastrophic engine failure. Deciding they needed a bespoke blend to prevent further mechanical maladies, Gibbs’ engineers worked with Lubrizol to develop a bespoke racing oil formula. The result was a thin oil with a short service life, but high anti-wear properties. “It looked like water,” laughs Anders. “The team was going from 20W-50 to 5W-20. Joe’s guys were convinced they would need a product with higher viscosity. It transpired the new oil ran less than half thickness of the older oil at 100°C, but Joe’s NASCAR engines operated
perfectly, and continued to do so without failure, going on to win races.” The upshot of this experiment was an intensive development programme, resulting in the launch of Driven Racing Oil in 2004. Soon, many other NASCAR teams were running the same ‘liquid gold’ to great success. Of course, we’re not suggesting you have a monster motorsport machine parked on your driveway, but the story perfectly demonstrates the problem with age-old oil recommendations. As you’d expect, the Driven product line-up soon extended beyond equipment in an engine bay. “You need to treat the gearbox and differential oils with the same level of consideration as engine lubricant,” says Anders, highlighting
the range of Driven driveline oils now available. The range also expanded beyond the racetrack and onto the street, with many different viscosities developed to suit fast road cars, including Porsches, which are likely to see higher rpm, higher loads and increased operating temperatures when compared to less exotic vehicles. “Circuit-specification Driven oils aren’t designed to have the same service life as a road car oil, which is why the street series was introduced, ideal for Porsches, but also Ferraris, Corvettes and any other sports car with a precision engine in a high state of tune,” Anders tells us. “These oils also feature a bespoke blend of storage additives, dissipating heat quickly, but also
July 2022 107
TECH: TOPICS
ensuring the composition of oil doesn’t break down as fast as a regular lubricant. This is an important consideration for cars used infrequently. Additionally, these oils feature fifty percent more anti-wear additives than standard oil, but less detergents, meaning oil change intervals come around sooner, but the engine is far better protected during operation than it would be if making use of regular engine oil.”
FLUID DYNAMICS
If you are planning to store your car — winter hibernation, restoration or simply long periods of SORN — he recommends changing the oil beforehand. “Contaminants can start pitting bearings and other engine components if left unattended for long periods. It’s better to replace used engine oil with fresh lubricant before putting your car in a state of suspended animation. The most important thing to note, however, is how you shouldn’t use modern versions of established-brand engine oil for any years-old Porsche. With changed blends in circulation, it’s important you stick to a composition close to what the manufacturer recommended at the point the car was assembled — the branded oil recommended in its service book isn’t the oil you’ll find in the same
packaging on today’s shelves.” Obviously, Anglo American Oil Company and other independent retailers are more than happy to talk through your requirements and offer their recommendations. What does the future hold for oil development and production? “Even thinner oils to suit even tighter tolerances, which is why selecting the right oil for your Porsche is more important than ever,” says Anders, the owner of a 928 GTS. “Direct injection engines are particularly at risk. Lots of
cars with this type of engine are being driven around with cracked piston rings due to Low-Speed Pre Ignition (LSPI) caused by the incorrect oil being used.” There are fuel and oil additives which can be introduced to prevent such problems, but they’re beyond the scope of this article. We’ll cover them in a separate feature in the not-too-distant future. In the meantime, visit Anglo American Oil Company’s website (aaoil.co.uk) to view Driven Racing Oil’s full range of suitable oils for road and competition use. l
Above Don't hesitate to give the Anglo American Oil Company team a call to discuss the appropriate engine oil options for your Porsche, no matter the vehicle's age
108 July 2022
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TECH: HOW TO
MOUNT AN ATTACK We all know rear main seals and intermediate shaft bearings can cause trouble for unfortunate 996s and early 997s, but a less commonly reported fault concerns engine mounts, which can wear as soon as the 50,000-mile mark has been reached. In this guide, we show you how to replace tired factory engine mounts with superior 'fit and forget' Rohler semi-solid engine mounts... Words and photography Dan Furr
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Engine mount failure is common on 996 and 997.1 models. The most obvious sign of a problem is a noticeable 'thud' when accelerating or braking sharply, as well as the feeling of movement at the rear of the car over uneven surfaces or when cornering under load. You may also have noticed one set of exhaust tailpipes sitting lower than the other, a tell-tale sign of engine mount failure.
With factory hydraulic engine mounts in place, the drivetrain will move independent of the chassis during acceleration and cornering loads. This movement can upset the balance of your 996/997, resulting in poor handling. Available from Design 911, Rohler CNC-machined engine mounts feature PU bushes, delivering more direct driving feel and a vastly improved service life.
112 July 2022
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Each mount requires two new 13mm bolts. Don't reuse the old bolts. Available from Design 911's online store (alongside the Rohler mounts), the new bolts can be found under part number 90037805501.
Design 911 supplies Rohler semi-solid engine mounts in pairs, complete with the required 19mm nuts and washers, though you'll need to order the aforementioned 13mm bolts.
If you've decided to replace tired factory mounts with new OEM parts (if so, expect to be doing this job again in the near future), you'll need new 18mm retaining nuts, part number 99908421501.
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Lift the Porsche a few inches off the ground in order for you to be able to use a ratchet extension to reach each mount's bottom bolt. Use axle stands to support the vehicle securely.
You will also need to remove the air box for ease of access. It should be noted, Rohler mounts won't adversely effect ride quality or trigger knock sensor warnings (commonly associated with solid mounts).
Our car is a first-gen 997, but the following steps are virtually identical for the 996 and second-gen 997. The Rohler mounts suit all models. Begin by pulling the oil filler neck away from the air box.
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Next, take a flat-headed screwdriver and use it to loosen the jubilee clip fastening the air box intake hose to the throttle body assembly.
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At the base of the vacuum solenoid, potentially hidden from view, is a vacuum pipe feeding into the solenoid body. Gently pull it free.
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With the jubilee clip undone, carefully pull the rubber intake hose away from the throttle body.
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You will now need to remove the mass airflow sensor connector plug located atop the air box. Press the clip on the engine-side half of the plug and wiggle it free.
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A vacuum solenoid is attached to the rear of the air box. You can leave the solenoid in place, but unplug it from the wiring loom.
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Unclip the mass airflow sensor plug wiring from the back of the air box, which is held in place by locating lugs fed into rubber grommets. No tools are needed for removal. Pull the air box free of the engine bay.
July 2022 113
TECH: HOW TO 15
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Put the air box assembly to one side. You will now have uninhibited access to the engine mounts. This is a good time to replace your Porsche's air filter, should you suspect the part is past its best.
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Move your jack (or use a second jack) to support the weight of the engine, which you may need to lift a few millimetres, depending on how much the old mounts are sagging. Use a rubber jack pad.
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This is the view from underneath the engine mount. Take an 18mm deep socket on the end of a ratchet extension and breaker bar, crack the old mount's bottom nut free, then unscrew and remove it.
We'll replace the passenger-side engine mount first. Engine mounts should be replaced in pairs, but we suspect this mount was installed on its own and more recently than the offside engine mount.
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As mentioned earlier, fitting superior Rohler mounts means you will have the required 19mm nuts and washers supplied as part of the kit.
Back in the engine bay, use a 13mm socket to unscrew the old engine mount bolts. If they have been overtightened, use your breaker bar to crack them off before unscrewing.
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Pull the bolts free and discard them.
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Take the opportunity to clean the engine mount recess in the engine bay, which can attract dirt and stones flicked up from the road.
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You should now be able to pull the old engine mount free from the engine bay. The rubber visible here appears compressed, suggesting the mount is well past is useful service life.
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Pictured is the engine mount locating hole. This matches the shape of the locating notch on the base of the new engine mount.
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The old OEM engine mount and the new Rohler semi-solid mount side by side. The Rohler parts dramatically decrease engine movement, resulting in better acceleration and improved handling.
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This is the base of the new Rohler engine mount. You can see the locating notch on the bottom of the part. Slot it into the locating hole.
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TECH: HOW TO 27
With the Rohler engine mount placed in its new home, put your new 13mm fastening bolts in place and finger-tighten them, ensuring the mount is sitting comfortably.
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Back underneath the car, take a 19mm deep socket on the end of a ratchet extension and tighten the new Rohler engine mount lower nut. Make sure you've included the new washer.
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The same nut viewed from the back of the car, peering through the aperture between the top of the offside exhaust tailpipes and the bumper body.
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Unfasten the old engine mount bolts and discard them. Pull the old engine mount free.
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Using a torque wrench, tighten the 13mm bolts to the manufacturer's recommended torque setting of 23lb-ft. Our old mount's bolts were hugely over-tightened. Don't make the same mistake!
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If the engine dropped slightly when you unfastened the old mount, simply raise it a few millimetres to ensure you have enough bolt thread to work with.
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Take your 18mm deep socket and crack the nut free, then unscrew it. As you can see, this entire bolt assembly has become separated from the engine mount body. This won't have helped handling!
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Follow the same procedure we outlined for fitting the nearside engine mount. With both mounts now in place, refit the air box, ensuring the solenoid vacuum pipe and the two wiring loom plugs are reconnected.
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The bottom bolts need to be tightened to the manufacturer's recommended torque setting of 63lb-ft. Again, use your torque wrench to ensure the correct value is applied.
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Here is the offside engine mount lower nut, seen from beneath the car. This area is more heavily populated with parts than where you were working on the nearside. A flashlight will prove useful.
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The part of the engine bay playing host to the offside engine mount is stifled by air-conditioning system pipework, making access to the rear 13mm bolt less straightforward. Persevere!
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All done! Our test drive highlighted a hugely positive difference in ride quality. The Rohler parts have eliminated movement from the rear and provide a much smoother drive. Get yours at design911.co.uk.
116 July 2022
TECH: THE FLEET We don’t just write about and work on Porsches — we drive and live with them, too! DAN FURR 944 TURBO, 997 CARRERA 4S
ALONG FOR THE RIDE Seán’s 996 attempts to derail his plans to attend an event welcoming Magnus Walker, only for the car to end up working better than before...
The 997’s bonnet, wings and front bumper have been professionally resprayed. Next stop, summer wheels and tyres. Oh, and new Rohler engine mounts, which you can read about by flicking to p112.
SEÁN MATTHEWS 996 CARRERA Excited about the Flat Six show and track day to be hosted at Goodwood Motor Circuit in July. Also excited about ongoing mechanical work further improving the performance of my 996.
JOHNNY TIPLER 987 BOXSTER S The 987 whisked me away for a much needed break to the sandy beaches of Coll, in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Sun beating down, drop-top retracted. It’s hard to beat seat time in a Porsche Boxster!
GARY CONWAY 957 CAYENNE TURBO
It’s not always supercars at GCAP. We enjoy working on hypercars, too! A 918 Spyder came in for maintenance work, as did a 997 GT2 RS, now equipped with a MetaTrak Cat 5 tracking system.
CHRIS WALLBANK 981 BOXSTER S Contemplating new wheels, along with corrective paintwork, just to get the car looking pristine under my ownership. A once-over might be a good idea, too. A trip to Revolution Porsche is in order.
T
he feeling of taking your foot off the clutch to move forward, but the clutch pedal remaining on the floor, is perhaps the most disheartening thing to happen to the owner of a newly purchased car. If you read my earlier 996 fleet update, you’ll remember a prepurchase inspection revealed a heavy clutch. Clearly, the part was getting ready to give up the ghost. I limped the car out of my garage and into the workshop of a local Porsche specialist for a fix to take place. As disappointing as the failure of a part can be, the situation presents an opportunity to upgrade and improve upon factory specification. I didn’t need convincing — no car I’ve ever owned has remained as its maker intended. I just can’t help myself! I wanted to try and get the car sorted quickly because there was an impromptu meet in Sheffield organised to honour the Urban Outlaw, Magnus Walker, who had recently acquired an early cable-throttle 996 wearing a Cup aero kit (later put to good use on the 996 GT3) in Guards Red. Obviously, my taste inspires many people.
Joking aside, our similar-spec 996s made for a great talking point. I would have liked to get Walker’s autograph under my car’s frunk (bearded men who Porsche together, erm, Porsche together, right?!), but the wait for new parts meant I could only take myself to the meet. At least I was successful in getting a photograph of the two of us together. And I got to see a whole host of Porsches gathered on the beautiful South Yorkshire hills.
Above Clutch problems stopped the car ferrying its proud owner to a Porsche meet in Sheffield, Magnus Walker’s home town
COME FLY WITH ME
Back to the car. Although I opted for a standard Sachs clutch, I bought an upgraded flywheel from RPM Technik, as used on the company’s 996 CSR upgrade programme. The idea behind a lightweight flywheel is to spin the crank faster, therefore allowing the engine to climb through the rev range quicker. This makes for easier rev matching whilst performing double clutching and gives the host car a more sporting nature. A 996 carrying an aero kit needs to go a bit quicker to match its looks, after all. The part also gives out a brilliant ‘chatter’, much like a race car. The downside to a lightweight flywheel is you have to exercise better clutch control,
118 July 2022
Top X74 chassis tuning was dialled in, as per Porsche’s rare 996 factory option Above Neither of these Porschephiles support the Los Angeles Clippers
else you could stall and look like an amateur behind the wheel. Ahem. Whilst in for the transmission enhancement, I decided to buy brand new OEM front top mounts and upgraded the suspension after the stellar work completed by Center Gravity, covered in my last update. Coilover options consisted of Öhlins R&T, Bilstein PSS10 and KW V3. For the uninitiated, coilovers combine the spring and damper in a compact package whilst allowing you to change the height, the damping rate and sometimes rate of rebound, depending on the suspension you choose. For me, this freedom is important, but at the same time, I don’t want a million different settings to confuse myself. With this in mind, I chose the Bilstein kit. Being an OEM suspension provider to Porsche, the company and its products made perfect sense. Plus, PSS10 coilovers feature only ten settings for altering damping rates, unlike the other two options I mentioned, which have exhaustive settings by comparison. The ‘Billies’ provide less opportunity to completely screw up settings and mess up the handling. Yes, I’m a simple man. With the new parts installed, I sent the car back to Pete Leason and Chris Franklin at Center Gravity with a request for them to configure the new suspension for fast road use. After much discussion, the parameters set by Porsche with
the factory X74 setup were dialled in, informing ride height and geometry. The X74 suspension option was pretty rare. It is, in fact, lower than both the
delivering the kind of handling I expect from a 911), it is well on its way to becoming the realisation of what I dream of being the perfect 996 driving and ownership experience. There’s now no dead steering — this watercooled wonder beautifully communicates everything the car is doing and what’s happening on the road beneath. The engine feels so much more ‘rev happy’ popular MO30 option and even the factory with the inclusion of the lightweight setup for the first-generation 996 GT3. flywheel, and gives me the opportunity to And I don’t care what anyone says — the practice heel-and-toe whilst on the move. lower the car, the better! And what better way of learning than to With my Porsche returned to me go on a road rally in the climbs of Wales?! and looking even more sporting (and I’ll reveal all in my next fleet report. l
THE ‘BILLIES’ PROVIDE LESS OPPORTUNITY TO SCREW UP SETTINGS AND MESS UP THE HANDLING
July 2022 119
TECH: THE FLEET
SPRING COLLECTION
On a late April holiday to the Isle of Coll, Johnny Tipler’s 987 Boxster S topped 90,000 miles. The Dark Olive Metallic drop-top feels like it’s only covered a fraction of that distance...
T
here’s nothing to beat open-top motoring, especially when the sun is out. This is why I love Boxsters. Not only do they have the bestbalanced chassis of all Porsches — ditto Cayman — but you can get the roof down and revel in the sunshine, aromas and a oneness with the environment. This isn’t easily attainable in a coupé. Our Spring holiday took us to the Inner Hebridean Isle of Coll, a three-hour ferry trip from Oban on Scotland’s west coast. Fortuitously, the trip coincided with a blissful week of blue skies and warm sun. Not hot — there was always a stiff breeze, but that’s what you’d expect out in the Atlantic Ocean. Ahead of the drive, I got local Bimmer specialist, Jaymic, to carry out an oil change, in the course of which it was noted the car’s MoT had expired!
Needless to say, it sailed through, shod with its nearly new Falken boots. Then, with an ominous backdrop of fuel shortages and panic buying — in Norfolk at any rate — and mindful of last year’s drive to the Isle of Man in a Lotus Evora press car under similarly constrained circumstances, Mrs T and I pressed
northerly route requires spending two hours on the A17 going via Sleaford and Newark. Make that two-and-a-half; they’re mending the Victorian Cross Keys swingbridge at Sutton Bridge and the three-way traffic lights are out of synch. A decent run up the A1 with a comfort stop at Leeming Bar saw us make a left at Scotch Corner and cross the heroic A66, pausing to munch sarnies beside the babbling Eden at Appleby, sometime scene of the gypsy horse fair. The brilliant Boxster came into its own over the Scottish border on the largely empty A74 motorway and, in heedless fashion, strode the Relax button and, with Ferdinand up Beattock Summit (1,016ft above sea the miniature Dachshund on board, we level) in excess of the ton. trundled north. Destination for the night was our Boxsters swallow copious amounts of friend, Glenys, at Biggar, Lanarkshire luggage, which was just as well because (London’s big, but Biggar’s bigger), we’d been asked to take bed linen to straddling the attractive A702 in the our Air B’n’B, as well as grub. As for the Southern Uplands. Our other holiday journey, exiting Norfolk by the most direct companion, Frankie, had already arrived
Above Sun out, roof down, time to hit the road... all the way to an island located west of the Isle of Mull in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland
THE BOXSTER WAS ALLOTTED POLE POSITION ON THE FERRY, FACING THE STERN OFF-RAMP
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Above Mister Tipler and Ferdinand contemplate Coll’s random potholes and getting sprayed by fire safety operatives Right 911 & Porsche World reader, Alan Bruce, spotted Tipler’s 987 while he too was travelling around Coll, even sharing the same ferry, where the Boxster was given pride of place at the stern of the vessel
by train from London, and next day we struck out in two cars for picturesque Oban, where we’d catch a ferry. We travelled via Stirling for old time’s sake — I’d been a student there, coincidentally while Mrs T was at St Andrews, though we never knew each other at the time.
ON THE WATERFRONT
Oban has a lively harbourside and seafront, with some great cafés and restaurants, but it would be an early night. The following day’s 7:00am crossing required we doss in a backpacker’s hostel, fortunately with our own rooms. The last such establishment I overnighted in was a mixed dormitory in Mexico City where bedhopping was rife. Caledonian MacBrayne has a virtual monopoly on ferry sailings to-and-fro across the Hebridean waters, and the firm’s staff are unfailingly polite and cheerful. The Boxster was allotted pole position on the ferry, facing the stern off-ramp. From the decks, as we set sail out of Oban, we were treated to stunning views of the inner isles. You see a lot of Mull and the Ardnamurchan peninsular, then it’s open water for an hour or so, until the ferry moors, stern-first, on-quay at the village of Arinagour. The Isle of Coll isn’t large, with no distinctive mountains and very little in the way of hostelries. There’s the friendly café, the amenable Coll Hotel, the obliging Post Office (where a lady sells jumpers knitted from the local black sheep wool), the general stores, an adjacent (gin) distillery and, well, that’s about it. All at Arinagour. What the island does have are miles and miles of deserted sandy beaches, coves and rock pools, and it was no
imposition to walk a fresh one every day. Clear blue seas, tantalizing views out to other Inner Hebridean islands of Tiree, Rum and Eigg, with Skye in the distance to the north and the Paps of Jura vaguely visible through the haze to the south. With random potholes and grass growing out of the middle, surfaces of the island’s winding single-track roads aren’t great. I took it very easy in the Boxster. It probably never saw more than 35mph. At that pace, the 987’s 3.4-litre flat-six is sufficiently torquey to haul from 1,000rpm without straining. Glenys was a little more uninhibited in her Golf. The four of us mostly piled into the Volkswagen to the far ends of the island. One day, the boys from the local fire brigade were out familiarising themselves with their new M-B fireappliance, testing its pump and hoses at a roadside stream, making the jet of water arc thirty feet into the air. Guess who was driving past at that moment in his open-top sportscar?! Still, it did provide an excuse to wash muddy deposits off the Porsche’s bodywork. Geology? Loads of granite outcrops, including glacially-deposited “perched erratics”. Enormous sand dunes, and rough pasture grazed by sheep and cattle. The lapwings entertained with their mating antics, too. Abandoned crofts speak of a population diminished from 1,500 to 500 during the last fifty years. Locals use the hotel bar and restaurant, as did we, and we bought crabs and langoustines fresh off the boat from the island’s single fisherman. The sun shone all the time and the Boxster never looked greener! A relaxing week? Apart from being bossed around by three women and
made to walk vast distances every day — three of us nursing COVID, as it turned out — it was great, though the 987 didn’t see as much action as I’d anticipated. The weather turned on our return voyage to Oban. Next stop was Fort William, forty-five miles north on the A82, mostly driving alongside Loch Linnhe via Ballachulish Bridge to visit our son, Alfie, who these days wields chainsaws on behalf of the Scottish electricity board. We were billeted at Gairlochy in an amazingly well-appointed containersized pod (including hot tub, if you will!), looking down at the locks on the Caledonian Canal and across the valley to the Ben Nevis range. The undulating backroad to Fort William was a singletrack hoot, bereft of most traffic except deer, and the Boxster fairly scudded along when the line of sight was clear through the bends. More next month. l July 2022 121
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Taking Porsche picks from race to road, this month’s look at what’s hot (and what’s not) at auction features a superb selection of modern classics, plus a great pretender...
he 550 Spyder remains one of the most revered of all Porsche sports cars, but with the value of surviving examples stretching into the millions, it’s safe to say all but a small handful of Porschephiles will have to make do with pawing over photographs of the mid-engined 1.5-litre racing legend. We’re not kidding when we reference the strong money being paid for 550s in the present — at a recent RM Sotheby’s auction, one of the last 550 Spyders assembled shifted for $4.9m. Little wonder convincing replicas, such as the 1994 Beck Spyder pictured on this page, have become so desirable. All the fun of a 550 Spyder, but without the price tag, right?! Featuring a hand-laid fibreglass body over steel tube-frame chassis, the car — a replica of James Dean’s ‘Little Bastard’ — is powered by a 1,915cc air-cooled flat-four mated to a four-speed manual transmission. Elevated with James Dean’s signature racing
being retired from professional racing at the end of 1986, the car passed through the hands of well-known race drivers and collectors. It has participated in the 2018 Rennsport Reunion, raced at the 2019 Monterey Motorsports Reunion and made appearances at both the 2019 and 2020 heritage events at the 24 Hours of Daytona. In 2019, in the hands of its current owner, 84G.03 underwent an expert mechanical race preparation rebuild at 901 Shop in Southeast Florida, with receipts totalling nearly $85,000, as well as an additional $20,000 in invoices from Amalfi Racing. Offered with a recently renewed full FIA historic technical passport (valid until 2025) and complete records of the restoration, this fantastic racing machine is yours for a cool $450k. Nothing renews interest in a model quite like an anniversary year. And so, as we journey further along the Carrera RS 2.7’s fiftieth trip around the sun, it should come as no surprise to see the
YOU COULD DO A LOT WORSE THAN BUYING THE MARCH 84G CURRENTLY BEING ADVERTISED THROUGH RACE CARS DIRECT insignias, including twin red stripes down the rear bodywork and his racing number on both doors and the frunk, this high-quality imitator is due to go under the hammer at the forthcoming RM Sotheby’s Sand Lots online auction. No upper estimate has been published, but we’ll wager you’ll get plenty of change out of $4.9m. Probably. If you’re feeling flush and want a genuine historic race car, you could do a lot worse than buying the March 84G currently being advertised through Race Cars Direct. Designed by Adrian Newey and powered by a 650bhp twin-turbocharged Porsche flat-six, this blue beauty boasts a colourful past, one which has seen the car crashed, burned, rebuilt and raced between 1984 and 1986 at storied tracks and endurance events, including Road Atlanta, Road America, Daytona, Le Mans, Nürburgring, Monza, Spa, Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Mount Fuji, Riverside and many more besides. After
ducktailed delight fetching strong sums at auction. Believed to be one of only two hundred examples produced in factory Lightweight configuration, the Light Yellow example sold by RM Sotheby’s just before we went to print with this magazine fetched €1,287,500. This is in stark contrast to the Grand Prix White 964 Carrera 2 Cabriolet featured in last month’s issue of 911 & Porsche World, which failed to find a new home when it went under the hammer at Manor Park Classics in mid-May, despite a realistic lower estimate of £36k. We can only hope the sameshade drop-top (well, semi-open-top) Carrera 3.2 Targa currently being sold through a Car & Classic online auction fares rather better. Keep an eye on the 1988 944 Turbo S ‘Silver Rose’ scheduled to be sold at the Classic Car Auctions Summer Sale on June 18th, too. With a lower estimate of £35k, interest in this 59k-mile minter is sure to be very high. l
124 July 2022
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WWW.MOTORFREEADS.CO.UK CARS FOR SALE
PORSCHE 356
1960, 103000 miles, £69,995. 356B T-5 1600 Super. Manual, ivory with black interior, left hand drive, original condition. Please call 01765 609798, Yorkshire and the Humber. (T) 111326
PORSCHE 911 PORSCHE 3400 2012, £54,995. 2012 PORSCHE 911 CARRERA 991. Finished in unmarked Carrara White with Black Hide PDK 7 speed transmission with steering wheel paddles. Specifications include Sat Nat, Cruise Control and Launch Control, Climate Control, Heated Seats and Rear Park Assist. 66,000 2 012, 66000 miles, £66,000. miles with Porsche Dealer Stamps Registered in 2012 this Porsche at 6231 miles, 22951 miles, 50,139 Boxster S 981 series is fitted with miles and 58,716 miles. Comes with the desirable PDK 7 speed gearbox. all the original Porsche Book Pack Powered by the 3.4 litre flat 6 cylinder in the leather wallet, invoices for all ‘Boxer’ engine, it is one of the last the services etc. Exceptionally well after example with a very good models available with this 6 cylinder looked Free delivery to England, engine, producing 315 bhp. Finished Specification. or to any UK port. International in Platinum Silver metallic paintwork Wales transportation can be arranged. Part with a contrasting black leather exchanges of both classic and modern interior. Please call 07577 575770, cars welcome. Please call 01485 South East. (T) 541526, South East. (T) 113397
PORSCHE 911
PORSCHE 911
1 996, 18700 miles, £125,000. Porsche 911 Carrera (993) 1996 road/race car, N reg., 3.6 lt twin turbo, 6 speed gearbox, turbos recently rebuilt and fuel lines replaced. Engine 500 bhp (approx.) Brembo race brakes (road units also supplied). Gt 2 wide body kit fitted with 8x10x18” BBS alloys. Welded custom cage, fire eater system, air jack system (as per Brit car). Variety of race springs available. Please call 07897602113, East of England.
£99,840. Previously supplied by ourselves in 2019 to the current keeper, this is a GT3 we know well and adore. The comfort spec cars are just so easy to live with and are just as happy on the dual carriageway as they are on track. This example was specified with Axle Lifting system making for a GT3 you really could drive round a city centre as easily as with a Ford focus. This car has total Porsche main agent service history and wants for nothing. Please call 01229 486315, North West.
112858
112557
113651
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PORSCHE 911
2003, £69,950. The vehicle has a service record full of stamps from both Porsche Main Agents and independents. The vehicle will be reserviced and inspected at Jasmine Porsche prior to delivery to the lucky new keeper. The car has just sailed through an MOT with no problems at all. The 996 Gen 2 GT3 is a rare car to begin with, with only 240 right hand drive cars making it to the UK, but this car is even more rare as the previous keeper reliably informs me, there was only between Five and Ten units produced in Cobalt Blue metallic. Please call 01229 486315, North West. (T) 112558
PORSCHE 911
PORSCHE 911
2001, £49,995. The 996 was supplied new by JCT Brooklands finished in Basalt Black Metallic with Graphite Grey full leather upholstery and has covered 89000 miles from and has had just three owners. Please call 01944 758000, Yorkshire and the Humber. (T) 111024
PORSCHE 911
1973, 53700 miles, 911T 2.4L CSI Targa. It is in spectacular condition throughout and a very rare car. Meticulously maintained and always garaged. completely restored in California in 2014. Please call 01765 609798, Yorkshire and the Humber. (T) 111321
PORSCHE 924
PORSCHE 928
PORSCHE 935
1988, 49537 miles, £72,950. We are pleased to offer for sale an extremely rare and iconic Porsche DP935. Supplied with an extensive history file including the original order confirmation, numerous invoices, previous MOT’s and other related material. Please call 01491917444, East. (T) 1 990, 165000 miles, £299,928. South Porsche 928 S4 auto 1990. Restored 111009 by Porsche Portsmouth and Porsche approved Poole body shop for Porsche PORSCHE 944 UK 40 YEARS AT THE FRONT DEALER COMPETITION IN 2016. Very rare in special order Tahoe blue , even more rare is having in excess of £55000 spent in restoring it bodily and mechanically. Done 165k with a large documented service history , all books and receipts showing over £55k being recently spent in bringing the 928 back to its former glory. Everything works 1 990, 133000 miles, £12,950. on car as you would expect ! Full 944S2 Cabriolet, Guards red, black extensive photographic record of epic interior. Lovely condition, total 3 restoration . Been mainly looked after owners, doting last one for 29 years. by Porsche main dealers for the last Every document for that period. 5 years , done several hundred miles Serviced at Northway Porsche, since restoration . Paint and underside are immaculate. Drives great . Far too always garaged. MOT to February much to list that has been replaced on 2023. Spent £3,800 over last 1,500 miles including mega service. Very the car. , Scotland. original. Please call 07711703542, 113608 South East.
PORSCHE 928
113090
PORSCHE 944 £107,950. This car has just been released from the private collection of one of our very best clients and friend of the business. The car must be viewed in order to fully appreciate. The history file is just enormous and contains receipts for recent works carried out by our client totalling £40,000. As such, this is a turn key operation, nothing to sort, nothing to do but just drive and enjoy. The driving experience is superb to this day. Please call 01229 486315, North West. (T) 112561
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1987, 85137 miles, £8,250. Colour Marachino Red Metallic. Interior trim cream Porsche script. Cream carpets with grey overmats. Electric sun roof. Blaupunkt radio CD. New spare tyre C/W jack and wheel brace. Porsche Certificate of Authenticity. Please call 01373812613, South West. 112265
1990, 72000 miles, £49,995. 928 S4 GT. 5 Speed manual gearbox, Limited Slip differential, Full electric seats, Height adjustment, Air conditioning, Electric Sunroof, Electric Door Mirrors, Porsche book pack. Please call 01765 609798, Yorkshire and the Humber. (T) 111328
1989, £13,950. Porsche 944 S2 Cabriolet, 1989 Lovely Looking Appreciating Classic in Black over Cream Leather Interior. New Service as well as New Timing and Balance Shaft Belts, Pulleys and Tensioners, 4X New Hankook Tyres, MOT’d until August 2022. 116,870 miles. Please call 07835 877345 , South West. 111105
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PORSCHE 944
1989, 130000 miles, £7,750. Porsche 944 Lux Auto c/w private plate for sale, I have owned this car for approximately 5-6 years. A very reliable daily classic, easy to own and a great cruiser! In vgc with full service history - refurbished wheels and good bodywork, the underside is solid and has been undersealed for max protection. Black with cream leather interior. Please call 07841757124, South West. 111011
PORSCHE 968
1994, 170000 miles, £20,000. 1994 Porsche 968 Sport C16 Clubsport Chassis car originally supplied with the CS Lux Pack and since reversed to Club Sport Spec. Only offered to the UK market and just 306 produced, this is a superb example of the now rare 968 Sport. Owned and maintained by Hartech with comprehensive engine works carried out by EMC at 156k miles. Upgrades include Koni dampers, thicker anti-roll bars, KW Variant 3 coilovers, and more. Please call 07851694637, North West. 112441
PORSCHE 996
PORSCHE BOXSTER
PORSCHE BOXSTER
2003, 58776 miles, £16,500. 2003 PORSCHE 911 edition with low mileage of 58k. Full Porsche owner manuals and literature folder. No receipts with the car so cannot say what preventative maintenance work may have been done (ims and rms etc) Up to date service book (Eleven Porsche dealership stamps and 1 specialist stamp) Two keys. Please call 01443 206597, Wales.
2001, 93631 miles, Auction. Porsche / Boxster S / Convertible / Silver / Petrol / Manual / 3179cc. Current registered owner since 2012, intermediate service carried out at 92,000 miles in 2019. To bid online please create an account on the Hobbs Parker website. Please call 01233506266, South East. (T)
2003, £57,000. Registered new in May 2003 as a Porsche Boxster 986 2.7, this particular car was transformed into this homage of the original 356 Speedster by Iconic Autobody. With its retro bespoke coachwork there is still the modern drivetrain and chassis of the original Boxster, therefore the same driving characteristics have been maintained. Finished in Porsche Artic Silver paintwork with contrasting Claret Leather bespoke seating and interior, this is a striking looking machine. Standard equipment includes air conditioning, cruise control, electric windows, central locking, speed reactive rear spoiler and electrically folding soft top, all as you would expect of Porsche.In addition, Iconic Autobody have added a bespoke heated windscreen. Please call 07577 575770, South East. (T)
111109
PORSCHE BOXSTER
110643
PORSCHE BOXSTER
113394
2 006, 67000 miles, £11,250. My car is in Arctic Silver with Sand Beige leather interior, registered in November 2006. It’s a Tiptronic with Sport Chrono which is a “must have” option with the auto as it makes it more lively and responsive than without. It’s in great condition. There’s a few stone chips on the front but no rust and she benefits from many optional extras some of which are rarely optioned on a Boxster. Sport Chrono. Extended leather (includes dash and doors). Fully electrically heated and adjustable seats with memory. Bose sound system. Fully specced PCM (telephone module, sat nav, multi-CD player). Boxster S white instrument dials. Boxster S exhaust tips Boxster S 18” wheels (included in sale -see photo-if required but currently not fitted). Standard Boxster 17” wheels currently fitted with recent tyres. Multi-function steering wheel, Wind deflector, Parking sensors, Just serviced, MOT (with no advisories) until December, work undertaken during my ownership: front suspension. Aircon service, condensers replaced, Coil packs, Wheel bolts (corroded) renewed, All exhaust clamps renewed. Nuts/bolts renewed with stainless parts, Front coolant cross pipes and hoses replaced. And more. Please call 07909923202, South East.
PORSCHE BOXSTER 2003, £9,750. 2003(03) Porsche Boxster 3.2 S. Metallic Basalt Black with Black leather and Black power soft top. Facelift model with the glass heated rear window and clear indicator lenses. 6-speed manual, power steering, ABS, Porsche stability management, automatic airconditioning, headlamp wash, factory alloy wheels, xenon headlights, Bose sound system with CD stereo, wind deflector. Please call 01277365415, East of England. (T) 113353
1998, 103000 miles, £5,500. MoT till March 2022. Silver, outstanding condition, receipts for £4,500 for mechanical overhaul by Porsche specialist. Very reliable. Owner purchased new Porsche. Please call 07871 591672, North West. 110304
113703
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RELATED REGISTRATIONS CAR232A 981 RHW 991 PD 98 RSR
KT 911 35 SYX 987 MD 987 EOE 997 AHT 997 CSS 997 RGW POR 997T TON 997X 944 HPK E944 POR WAG 944S
964 GC POR 911N POR 911Y RUF 911T X911 RUF 993 RUF 993 POR P993 POR A993 XXX RSR 911X B911 RSR
XXX 911C REG 911E OWY 911K DJA 911R VOP 911S A911 DPG D911 POR J911 GTN P911 SCH S911 LER
930 FF 911 EH 911 MSD 911 SCR 911 WVS TIL 911 VNZ 911 G13 TRG
S80 XAR 918 MHH S918 POR N321 GTS GT03 AWH GT03 SPJ OO05 CAY GT68 RSR RS68 POR RS68 RSR
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PARTS & MISC.
PORSCHE 911 TURN SIGNALS
PORSCHE ALL
£239. Porsche Durametric Diagnostic Software - AS NEW Only one use! £239 ono. A couple of months old, enables ECU details to be read, service reset and multitude of vehicle error codes etc to be cleared, the list goes on...covers all Porsche models 911 (997),Boxster, Cayenne, Caymen etc from 1999 to 2015 with 16 port OBD2 connector socket. Please call 07470683479, East of England. 110199
£400. Original Porsche 911 turn signals. For sale in, as is condition! Indicators (front - right and left) Porsche 911 (F body) 1965-68 original Porsche/Bosch items. They are in good condition (read note). Part numbers: 901.631.401.02 and 901.631.402.02. Compatible with: all models between 1965 - 1968 (F body). Note: Used item, has an imperfection (last image) on the right side lens (passenger side). Please call 916333141, Rest of the world. 113187
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