I dread to think how many glasses/bottles of Rioja I have dispensed with while watching Kevin Jeannette of Gunnar Racing and his awesome Youtube videos. It’s probably a lot, but I’m not complaining: these videos are so much fun.
Kevin is the go-to guy for my dream cars: Porsche sports racers of the 1970s. I’m currently working on a words and pics piece about the David Piper 917 – chassis number 021 – that Kevin restored for a European collector. The car was driven by our friend Gijs van Lennep at the last two Rennsports (I shot my piece at Rennsport IV), so I’ve been watching the videos all over again.
Of the many Youtube 917 resto vids KJ posted, I think this one is my favourite. There’s so much going on here, from Kevin’s love of a good hat (hats are sent in by people following the resto progress) to the obvious depth of knowledge that he totally takes for granted, to his delight in getting bombed on paint fumes and making a fart joke for wife Sharon, who does all the camerawork.
At Rennsport, I told Sharon that I was really into the Gunnar videos and I seriously was not kidding: they are superb. See the lot on the Gunnar Racing Youtube channel.
If you’re not into 917s, then check for a pulse: they are AWESOME! Enjoy this – Kevin just cracks me up.
Every now and then, I get a hankering to sell every car I own bar the 911 and look at buying a used Porsche Cayenne. Yes, I know hardly a classic and to some people not even a Porsche, but I like the cut of the Cayenne’s jib (edit: I now own one and here is my proper Porsche Cayenne buyers’ guide).
Admittedly there are many reasons NOT to buy a Cayenne. Maybe not enough ‘many’s there.
It’s not the prettiest thing in the world
Only the Space Shuttle has worse mpg
Colours available mostly more boring than housepaint
Eats tyres like a thirsty, boring-coloured, tyre-eating thing
Manual transmission is only available with the VW engine
Precious little space for LPG, especially in the Turbo and even on gas only 15mpg (albeit at a lower fuel price)
On the plus side:
Huge
Fast
Sexy V8 noise
Deserves its Porsche badge
Decent 4×4 system, not joke setup
Air suspension rocks
Replaces everything I own except the 911
So, if it has rubbish MPG and is either slow-ish and not that great on MPG compared to the faster one (V6) or prone to chucking pistons through the cylinder walls (V8), why the desire to own one? I don’t know – it’s a regular thing with me. If I could find a nice non-silver/black colour, circa 55-plate with under 90k miles for £10K*, I think I might pull the trigger. That despite the fact that it would probably be an exceptionally bad idea turning up at home with a ten grand Cayenne, when I already have five cars and am in the middle of building a cash-sapping house extension. Not that that ever stopped me…
The plan would be to sell the other cars, though. Newly-restored E36 M3 saloon, classic Landcruiser 80 series, Subaru Outback on new LPG kit and Mk 2 Golf GTi would all go, replaced by just one Cayenne S. Alternatively, can you say “V6 diesel conversion”? Aaargh, that is full-on man maths talking: *la la la I’m not listening*
Cayenne drivers – share your experiences!
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More great Porsche Rennsport Reunion video has just gone up on Youtube. Some of it is from Friday practice, some from Saturday and Sunday racing. All of it is COOL.
Check the skids, and the height that 911 inside front wheels get to when they’re sliding down the Corkscrew! Awesome!
Porsche Rennsport Reunion Video
About Porsche Rennsport Reunion:
Laguna Seca Raceway hosted Rennsport Reunion IV, the fourth installment of the world’s largest classic Porsche motorsport gathering. Rennsport Reunion is sponsored by Porsche Club of North America, and brings together automotive enthusiasts, owners and collectors of significant Porsche race cars, past and present.
Back in the UK after ten days in California at Rennsport Reunion IV. Jet lag be damned – have got straight back to work on the new garage/studio out the back and processing some pictures from my ten-day working tour. Here’s a hole worth 40 tonnes of spoil: 140 tonnes removed from the back so far and I think we may hit 200.
Anyway, back to Porsche. The TwinSpark Racing blog carries the story of Waldegard’s 911T from the 1968 Monte which was at the event. I didn’t spend half enough time with it, but I’m sure I can get more info from Björn when next we meet. I was born the day after this car crossed the line in 10th place. Love that.
Björn is driving a Tuthill Porsche for Race4Change in next month’s Safari Rally: I am blogging for all the interested parties and have a Waldegård feature in this month’s Total 911 magazine. It’s a good piece and a good-looking piece: more details when the issue is on sale.
Friend of Jamie Lipman, J F Musial and his team did the official Porsche video post-Rennsport. Jamie describes it as ‘shrink-wrapped awesome’, and he is right. Have a look at this and put Rennsport 5 on your bucket list. Don’t let us down!
This Porsche 911 RSR at Rennsport Reunion photo is currently going slightly ballistic on my Tumblr page. I call it “Big, Bad and Dangerous to Know”.
I took this at a low point in the weekend. Yes, there were low points! It was late in the afternoon, I’d just been refused a photo pass without prior approval and then scolded by a track lady for standing on a low wall for five seconds. I was dehydrating, sunburnt, carrying a heavy photo bag and life was generally shit.
But life don’t stay shit for long when you’re surrounded by classic Porsche machinery. Standing next to the famous Jeans RSR, the crowds parted for half a second and I was ready to rock. Bam! In the Nikon. I see it as a double page opener for my Rennsport story: we’ll see how that goes.
Ten minutes later, I was in the rental car with a bottle of water, aircon on and the Zuffenhaus boys in the back. We had an early dinner at Baja Cantina, then I dropped them for their flight home and headed off to bed early.
When I woke up, everything was all better. Sleep is the best cure for what ails ya.
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