by John Glynn | Mar 25, 2013 | Classic Porsche Blog, Porsche News
The Porsche Museum has a new exhibition open until May 26, 2013. For the first time since the museum opened in 2009, the building will stage an exhibition of itself: detailing the design and architectural challenges that were overcome to bring this amazing structure into being.
The structural geek facts around the museum are impressive. There is more steel in this building than in the Eiffel Tower. The 35,000-ton structure rests on three v-shaped columns, and rises 45 metres above the outside ground level.
Visitors will get a chance to understand various techniques through material samples, and by perusing plans and models submitted as part of the original competition to win the design commission.
The “Built in Zuffenhausen” exhibition supplements the one-hour architectural tour. At 1500 hrs on Wednesdays and Sundays, visitors can take advantage of an extended themed tour, covering both the museum itself and the special exhibition at a price of €4 per person, on top of the normal cost.
The Porsche Museum is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays to Sundays. Admission is €8 for adults, €4 for children and concessions. Children up to the age of 14 are entitled to free admission when accompanied by an adult. It’s a great place that I cannot recommend enough.
by John Glynn | Mar 24, 2013 | Classic Porsche Blog, Race and Rally
The intrepid WEVO Porsche team has reached the tip of South America in the 2013 Great South America Challenge.
The month-long rally drew to a close in Ushuaia, with landing-craft transport across the Straits of Magellan, from Patagonia to the southernmost tip of this epic continent. High winds and dirt roads kept the teams honest in Argentina, but WEVO’s Hayden Burvill reports the rally as much tamer than previous marathon events including Peking to Paris, and London to Cape Town.
“Not much to report, no challenge for Lola, me or Steven. Great scenery and a lovely introduction to Argentina, that will lead to future visits, hopefully on better rallies! The event is now officially finished: we finished 1st in class, 2nd overall. Good fun being with my two drivers thsi time out and great to be 54deg South.”
Not sure what marathon is coming up next. Porsche friend Alastair Caldwell is just back from a month-long thrash through India in his Pagoda Mercedes and his in-house mechanic has finished refurbing a classic Rolls Royce after its last rally event.
Tuthill Porsche is working on cars for the next Peking-Paris and the forthcoming London-Sydney, which should both be interesting. I’m looking forward to more desert miles to blog about.
by John Glynn | Mar 20, 2013 | Classic Porsche Blog, Project Cars
I’ve been storing an original 3.2 Carrera Speedster hard top for a Dutch R Gruppe mate for a couple of years and he’s finally coming to collect it.
The email announcing his imminent arrival was accompanied by these pics of his latest build: Project 913.
913 is the codename for a 911 ST/930 hybrid with a bit of backdating, a lot of fabrication and many retro cool tricks in between. American Racing mags, slick red early-style interior, an air force blue colour scheme that could well become his trademark and something that should be a heap of fun to drive.
Sadly he’s not coming here in it any time soon. Could be time for another trip to Amsterdam: roll on summer!
by John Glynn | Mar 15, 2013 | Art and Books, Classic Porsche Blog
An exciting design exhibition will grace North Carolina’s Museum of Art this Autumn. Twenty-plus Porsche cars will make up the museum’s first design exhibition, celebrating the “consistency of the Porsche esthetic over decades of engineering innovations”.
“Porsche has had a very distinctive look and way of building its cars,” says NCMA curator and former Petersen Museum director, Ken Gross. “The line of its first car – the 1938/39 Type 64 Berlin-Rom Racer which will be shown at the museum – can be seen sweeping through whole history of Porsche.”
The concept of a Porsche line comes up at every cars and coffee meeting I’ve ever been to. Accepted as the key to Porsche identity, kudos to North Carolina for stamping it with art approval. Porsche will support the event by shipping four cars from Stuttgart, with other cars coming from famous US collectors, including Chip Connor and Ralph Lauren. Chad McQueen will lend his dad’s 1600 Speedster, with a 904, 908 and 917 also on the list.
Porsche by Design: Seducing Speed opens on October 12 and runs to January 20, 2014. Pics courtesy of the NCMA.
by John Glynn | Mar 8, 2013 | Classic Porsche Blog, Modified Porsche Hot Rods
Good times last weekend, as I spent Saturday covering the Saturday Surgery: a three-hour morning tech session. This is where owners can bring cars like this classic Porsche 964 Turbo in for a proper 45-minute inspection free of charge, and get some advice on keeping it right.
My friends pioneered the idea of these free inspections. They promise no hard sell and so it transpired, as four different owners brought their cars for attention, with only one spending money: on a much-needed battery. Two other 911s were new owners, checking the boys out for future servicing, and finding out if they’d bought a good car. The fourth Porsche was a silver 964 Turbo, not long sold but in for a trial fit of Fuchs alloy wheels.
The UK distributor of genuine Fuchs forged Porsche wheels always has sets in stock. The 17″ versions are still eagerly awaited, but these 18″ wheels were test fitted to the 964 and really did look a treat.
Fronts went on without a spacer while the rears tried a 20mm wide one that could easily be replaced by 10mm or less. I’d probably do something with the ride heights on these wheels, but it looks pretty good. What do you think?
by John Glynn | Mar 4, 2013 | Classic Porsche Blog, Market & Prices
Following my brief daydream of 928 ownership after watching the Wheeler Dealers’ Porsche 928 episodes last night, I couldn’t resist a quick eBay search of what was available.
I kept my search under £1000 and found two: a 1981 example which was utterly falling apart on a £1500 Buy It Now, and a D reg model with no wheels, horrid rear spoiler, no interior trim and a dead engine for £800. Forgive me for not sharing links to either.
A quick check on Twitter before bed showed my mate Nick Appleton had found something rather more impressive: this 1993 5.4-litre GTS Auto in Amethyst.
The seller’s text is as follows: 1993 L registration finished in Amethyst metallic with contrasting silk grey leather/rubystone trim with small wood pack, spec includes eight way electric seats, air conditioning, electric sunroof, cup 1 17″ alloys, cup mirrors, 84,000 miles with full service history, stunning colour combination, very rare car in today’s market, very clean throughout, £15,995
It’s not the sort of Porsche I’m interested in spending sixteen grand on, but what a peach if it’s your kind of thing. The sale is here on eBay.
