For many years now, the name ‘Carrera’ has been associated with Porsche sports cars. But the story of how the fledgling 356 first got its ‘Carrera’ name is a fascinating one. This required the far-sightedness of the company founder, Ferry Porsche, and a young engineer who was prepared to think outside the box. This story follows a long and twisty road which started in far-off … [Read more...]
My Porsche
Pic of the Week – 2011 Porsche Carrera Cup Thruxton UK
Imagine our surprise when this #4 Motorbase Performance Porsche GT3 Cup, driven by Steve Parish in the Carrera Cup at Thruxton on 1st May 2011, came around for the penultimate lap onto the start/finish straight ‘pushing’ this Dunlop advertising board. Thruxton circuit is the UK’s fastest race circuit, and the driver had apparently collected the board when he went a bit … [Read more...]
Porsche 1958 356A Speedster 1.6 & 1997 Boxster 2.5
The day dawned bright and clear with little sign of any clouds, a typical Highveld winter’s day. After an early morning meeting for coffee, the small group consisting of two owner/drivers, a journalist (myself), a photographer and support crew, headed north-west from Johannesburg. The convoy included a 1958 356A Speedster 1.6-litre, a (then) new 1997 Boxster 2.5-litre and our … [Read more...]
Pic of the Week – 2007 FIA GT Silverstone RAC Tourist Trophy
Were you there? The 2007 FIA GT Silverstone RAC Tourist Trophy was the second race of the season in this 11-year old championship. This racing series allowed for GT race cars in two classes, GT1 and GT2, where the races were two hours long and required two mandatory pit stops. Cars ranged from the mighty Maserati MC12 (6-litre V12), Aston Martin DBR9, Lamborghini Murciélago … [Read more...]
Pic of the Week – 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed
Hans-Joachim Stuck was observed trying to squeeze his lanky frame into the seat of the 935/78 Moby Dick at the 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed. But even with the help of one of the car’s crew, there was just no way he could shoehorn those long legs into the cabin, no matter which way they tried. Klaus Bischof (left) looks on hopefully, but it was no good. Instead he had to opt … [Read more...]
Pic of the Week – 2010 Le Mans starting grid
On the 2010 Le Mans starting grid before the race was the (foreground) #76 IMSA Performance Matmut Porsche 911 GT3 RSR driven by the familiar trio of Raymond Narac/Patrick Pilet/Patrick Long. The #76 car qualified in sixth place in class and 41st overall out of 54 starters. The #97 BMS Scuderia Italia SPA Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (background) was driven by three Le Mans … [Read more...]
Pic of the Week – 2018 Le Mans Scrutineering Ebimotors Porsche 911 RSR
Looking back to the 2018 Le Mans scrutineering of Monday 11 June, the teams, spectators and assembled media enjoyed equal quantities of bright sunshine and torrential downpours. The Ebimotors team gathered with their #80 Porsche RSR for the family snap just as another downpour descended upon all and sundry (drivers: Fabio Babini, Christina Nielsen, Erik Maris). On the right of … [Read more...]
Pic of the Week – 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 Touring
The Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 was introduced to the public at the Paris Motor Show in October 1972. With the decade of the 1970s came a fresh, loud and colourful outlook on life and even sports cars were subjected to a bold makeover. Gone were the plain white, cream, silver, or black colours, as the ‘70s shouted lime green, yellow, blue, orange, and many other radical shades. … [Read more...]
Pic of the Week – 2006 Porsche 997 GT3
Porsche Club GB Festival, Eynsham Hall, 2006: On display at the PCGB annual festival was this pre-production Porsche 997 GT3 Gen. 1 – looking resplendent in front of the fountain and with a superb backdrop of Eynsham Hall itself. On the licence plate – BB EM 812 – “BB” refers to Böblingen, the town in the region of Weissach, and “EM” means Entwicklung and Motorsport. This is … [Read more...]
Pic of the week – 1980 Porsche 935 K3
It has been one year short of four decades since this 1980 Porsche 935 K3 was fabricated by Kremer Racing in Germany. Today this race car is every bit the race car it was intended to be back in the day – fearsome, awesome and very capable. It is powered by a 3.2-litre flat-six engine and fitted with twin KKK turbochargers, developing upwards of 700 bhp depending on boost. This … [Read more...]