If any two letters have encapsulated Porsche’s sporting prowess over the years, it is these – RS. It is now forty-seven years since the introduction of Porsche’s first RS, the iconic 911 Carrera RS 2.7, back in 1973. For Porsche, the letters RS, which stand for Rennsport, brings to mind today rich images of sporting achievement and excellence, and of impressive roadgoing … [Read more...]
From a 356 to the latest 991.2 GT3 Clubsport
They were all there, from a Pre-A 356 to the latest 991.2 GT3 Clubsport, by way of the most mouth-watering collection of 911s, 956 and 962s, including the indomitable 917. The occasion was the first Rennsport Collective display, open to the public, with quite simply the most sensational and compelling presentation of Porsches you could hope to see. The setting was the 230-year … [Read more...]
Inaugural Rennsport Collective Track Day
Just minutes after I drove out of our driveway at 06h15 on Thursday 18 July en route to the inaugural Rennsport Collective track day, so Darren Clarke teed off in the first covey to start the 2019 Open Championship at Royal Port Rush, in Northern Ireland. Both events were momentous in that The Open is an internationally famous golfing contest where the best in the world battle … [Read more...]
Pic of the week – 1995 Porsche 993 Carrera RS
It is forty years since the introduction of Porsche’s first RS, the mighty Carrera RS 2.7, back in 1973. For Porsche, the letters RS, which stand for Rennsport, inspire images of sporting achievement and excellence earned the hard way through countless racing victories. At the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1993, Porsche unveiled its all-new 3.6-litre Type 993 model, the first 911 to … [Read more...]
Porsche 70 Years – There Is No Substitute
It’s a heavyweight book, landscape in shape, with a cover picture to (almost) beat all other cover shots. Randy Leffingwell needs little introduction to Porsche enthusiasts, and with a publisher such as Quarto Publishing, you know you can expect a quality product. Another book covering the Porsche 70 Years anniversary I hear you say, well there is no substitute as the book’s … [Read more...]
959 Paris-Dakar outstrips pre-sale estimate at RM Sotheby’s Porsche Sale
Lot #196, the 1985 Porsche 959 Paris-Dakar, outstripped its pre-sale estimate at RM Sotheby’s Porsche 70th Anniversary Auction at the Porsche Experience Centre Atlanta. With a pre-sale estimate of between $3.0m-3.4m, the 959 sold for a final $5,945,000, almost doubling its estimate. This was just one of the vehicles at the sale that handsomely exceeded expectations, helping RM … [Read more...]
Sports cars – it’s horses for courses
Owning a sports car is a compromise: on the one hand, it doesn’t have the space of a family estate, and for some it is slightly less practical as a daily run around. On the other hand, it has superior performance and in most cases, better looks, so, it is horses for courses. If you can live with the lack of space and the impractical nature of a sports car, then you have a … [Read more...]
Porsches and wall-to-wall sunshine
I received the email inviting me to join the judges panel for the 2018 Concours Masters Celebration of 70 Years of Porsche on Saturday, 1st September. It didn’t take long for me to accept as this would be an opportunity to get up close to some stunning machinery, and to be involved in a very special anniversary event. As it happened, we had glorious weather with wall-to-wall … [Read more...]
Dr Ulrich Bez – father of the 993
Hailing from the Bad Cannstatt district of Stuttgart, Ulrich Bez, who as Porsche Technical supremo hatched the 993, had two significant stints at Porsche. During the 1970s he worked in research and was responsible for establishing Porsche’s crash test programme; in the 1980s, he followed Porsche’s head of research to BMW and set up BMW Technik, the department which designed the … [Read more...]
Peter Falk – Porsche’s enduring engineer
In a 34-year career at Porsche, the influence of Peter Falk - Porsche's enduring engineer, can be found throughout the air-cooled and transaxle model ranges, and extends even to the 986/996 generation. He was also team manager for many of Porsche’s Le Mans efforts and oversaw the company’s rise from class winner to crushing overall victory in 1970/71, repeating this performance … [Read more...]
