by John Glynn | Jul 19, 2014 | Classic Porsche Blog, Market & Prices
Had a great email from Nicolas in Paris, France, with details of his 911 Carrera 3.2 Cabriolet. A 1987 example with the sought-after G50 transmission, it’s just passed 300,000 kilometres.
What I like about this picture is that Nicolas has done the maths and planned how best to celebrate his car’s anniversary. Zero the trip at 299,089 and run it on to 300k, when the trip will also show 911. He has not wimped out on the photo either, taking his chances on catching the reading at 91.1km/h on the open road. A small window of opportunity!
What an excellent job from the French contingent. Also excellent is Nicolas’ day job with GQ magazine, leading to the Carrera finding its way into magazine fashion shoots. This one for Ralph Lauren.
Nothing says style like an old 911. More than mere A-B transport, it has attitude and presence: it speaks of a philosophy. This well travelled dark blue Carrera Cabriolet on Teledial wheels is sublime. Rich in understated luxury, like a perfect Vanity Fair portrait*, age deepens its allure, reaching beyond beauty and into iconography.
I was biased towards soft-tops by my first 911. An SC Cabriolet in white, bought in the south of France, close to Montpelier. We flew in to Perpignan, stayed the night on a roof terrace in Cazedarnes and drove home through the mountains the following day, under the Millau Bridge (not yet built) and up through Paris, to Calais and home.
Nicolas’ 911 has covered many wonderful kilometres and no doubt has many more to cover. Much loved and enjoyed, it seems to have found the perfect owner. Salut, mon brave!
*One of my very favourite books is ‘Vanity Fair: The Portraits’. Discovered in the library at art college, I found more inspiration for my photography in that one book than any other. It’s not easy to find for a cheap price, but next time you are passing a library, seek it out and enjoy half an hour in its company. Some beautiful art is contained in those pages.
by John Glynn | Jul 18, 2014 | Porsche People, Race and Rally
Normally, nothing clears my living room like the sound of Formula 1 engines from the Sky Sports F1 channel. Yet I watched Sky’s F1 show tonight with wife and oldest daughter in attendance. Why? Because Patrick Dempsey Porsche Supercup.
This weekend is the German Grand Prix, and Dempsey has a seat in Porsche Supercup. I know many groan at the celebrity circus of McDreamy in racing but, away from the hype, his racing is serious.
“I am so grateful to Porsche and delighted to be here in Supercup,” Dempsey started off with David Croft, Grand Dame of Sky’s F1 coverage. “Never mind all that, what is happening in Series 11?” demanded Crofty, apparently a fan of Gray’s Anatomy. Dempsey warmed to the kickoff and was most entertaining.
“I get the feeling that you’re not going to be in this next series a lot, because you’re now a proper racing driver, and that’s why you’re here in Hockenheim?” asked Croft.
“I’m having a lot of fun here this weekend,’ said McDreamy. “Porsche Supercup has some of the world’s finest GT drivers, so to be here racing on an F1 weekend is a lot of fun. Although it’s very, very warm this weekend, so lack of grip through the twisty last sector is giving us quite a lot of understeer.”
“Struggling overall? Do you think your lap times will be good enough to give you a decent race on Sunday?”
“I don’t know: we’ll see how we qualify. You know it’s gonna be great [whatever happens]. It’s my first standing start, so I’m looking forward to that. I hope I have a good run; I hope I have someone out there to run with.”
Patrick Dempsey Porsche Supercup
That this is Dempsey’s first grid start is quite a revelation and shows how few competition miles he has clocked up in racing, at least here in Europe. As he’s such a huge part of Porsche’s Le Mans coverage, I forget how new Patrick is to racing, but it’s easy see how Le Mans drives him on.
“Le Mans is it for me really, that’s my dream,” smiled Dempsey. “We’ve come close now the last few times and I really want to win that race in class. It is so competitive – especially this year – that I just need to be training more, which is one reason why I’m over here. I enjoy being around all the drivers who are in the Supercup and have been incredibly supportive, and all my sponsors have been helping out, so I just need to be in the car. I need seat time and I need to be driving with the best drivers in the world to really improve my speed.”
Eurosport did a great documentary series following three drivers through Le Mans this year. Dempsey was one of them, and I really switched on to his focus. Supercup is a brutal barometer – packed as it is with incredible professional talent, all driving very similar cars – so I hope it treats him kindly. I don’t doubt Dempsey can finish up the field a bit, as long as he can navigate the Hockenheim GP circuit. It’s a super tricky place.
by John Glynn | Jul 17, 2014 | Classic Porsche Blog, Market & Prices, Porsche News
The annual Silverstone Classic is next weekend – July 25 to 27 – and of course we will be there to follow the Porsches coming from our friends at Tuthill Porsche, and the mighty EB Motorsport.
This RSR replica has spent the last few weeks at Tuthills being prepared for the Silverstone weekend. Built elsewhere, the car had a number of issues after delivery, so arrived at Wardington with a list of repair jobs to do. It is coming together nicely, so I hope the owner enjoys a reliable weekend.
EB Motorsport’s Light Yellow Porsche 911 3.0 RSR and the Guards Red RS will both run at Silverstone on Friday and Saturday, in the Masters Historic qualifying and race. The SWB 911 sadly won’t be seen at Silverstone but is still looking good for Spa 6-Hours.
As always, Silverstone Auctions is holding a sale at the event. Running over two days, there are a number of Porsches listed for sale. A 1974 Porsche 911 S restoration project is estimated at £10-15k, while an allegedly stunning Carrera 3.2 Cabriolet is estimated at £18-22k. Seems low to me for a three-owner car with 81,000 miles. In Iris Blue, the colour may not arouse a majority of buyers, but only takes one to make a sale (or two to make a war).
The 1967 Porsche 911 2.0 ex-California car in Sand Beige seen above, with low mileage since a full engine rebuild is estimated at £45-55k: sounds alright for a left-hand drive car if it’s in good condition. But my favourite photo from the catalogue must be this Mini Cooper S, which has lived in the seller’s living room since purchased in 2006. It’s been recommissioned and MOT’d since leaving the sofa.
As ever with auctions, do your homework before committing to anything. Estimates are usually low, so expect some auction fever to knock prices up a notch. We’ll be around somewhere to watch how the bidding goes.
by John Glynn | Jul 17, 2014 | Project Cars
One big problem with the Porsche Boxster is caused by its defining feature: that convertible roof. The soft top needs regular maintenance, just like the rest of the car.
Even in the UK’s water-dominated climate, a Boxster’s convertible roof sees regular use and is exposed to plenty of stress. Controlled by a series of cables, over time these cables can slip out of adjustment: the tell-tale being a rattling sound behind the driver. If the roof cables are left unadjusted, the mechanism invariably starts to malfunction.
This would not be such a serious issue, except that if the roof is left without attention for a prolonged length of time, the drain tubes for the hood box that the roof folds into can get blocked by dirt and debris. The roof box then fills with water, which usually enters the car directly overhead electrical control boxes situated in the left rear floor.
The Boxster above had a lucky escape. When the car started leaking water, the owner brought it in for a look. The water had entered the car due to blocked roof drains, but only on the right side, missing the expensive control boxes (phew). The roof box was checked and the problem was found. A pop-on ball connector for a hood cable had fractured and – as the perfect size and shape – dropped into a drain tube and blocked it.
This was the first such hood box blockage I have seen, where the ball connector caused the problem, but where there’s one failure, there are many more like it waiting to happen! When servicing your Boxster, have that hood adjusted and lubricated, and make sure the garage checks the drain tubes. It could save a fortune in the long run.
by John Glynn | Jul 15, 2014 | New Models, Porsche News
If you thought special edition 911s were reserved for run-out models, think again. Porsche Cars GB has just unveiled a unique-to-the-UK limited edition of 40 991 Turbo S models, priced from £150,237. Forty for sale marks the 911 Turbo’s 40th anniversary. The ‘from’ in the price sounds a bit ominous.
Based on the 991 Turbo S – we shared this Porsche 997 versus 991 Turbo S for sale choice last week – the Turbo S Exclusive GB has the same four-wheel drive chassis with active rear axle steering, adaptive aerodynamics, full-LED headlights and a 560 hp flat six-cylinder twin-turbocharged engine.
With Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) active anti-roll system, Sport Chrono Package Plus with dynamic engine mounts, and Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB), the 991 Turbo S hits 62 mph in just 3.1 seconds and runs to a top speed of 197 mph.
Porsche 911 Turbo S Exclusive GB Edition
The 991 911 Turbo S Exclusive GB Edition adds some unique features, to help the car stand out versis other Turbo S examples.
A black rear upper spoiler is said to hark back to the 1974 3.0 930, along with twenty-inch Sport Classic wheels in black, black finished exterior door handles, and the black ‘Porsche’ script along the sills. Black leather upholstery features Guards Red contrasting stitching, with an embossed Union Jack flag on the centre storage compartment lid.
Special features of the 911 Turbo S Exclusive GB Edition are:
- Choice of three exterior colours: GT Silver metallic, White, Guards Red
- Contrasting exterior features in high gloss black: 20-inch Sport Classic alloy wheels, upper part of rear spoiler, SportDesign wing mirrors, exterior door handles
- Porsche logo script in black along door sills
- Storage compartment lid with embossed Union flag
- SportDesign steering wheel with centre marking in Guards Red and rim with Guards Red stitching
- Black leather interior with Guards Red stitching
- Privacy glazing
- Porsche crest embossed on head restraints
- Seat belts in Guards Red
- Personalised carbon door sill guards with ‘911 Turbo S – Exclusive GB Edition’ in illuminated lettering
- Carbon interior trim, including PDK gear lever, with chrome logo on dash insert
- Bespoke floor mats with leather edging and decorative stitching in Guards Red
- Complementary accessories including personalised indoor car cover, a unique photo book and key pouch in leather with decorative Guards Red stitching
Porsche 997 Turbo S with Delivery Mileage: Half the price of 991 Turbo S GB
Adding a few more options will take the cost of the 991 Turbo S to over £160,000, which is twice the price of the delivery mileage Porsche 997 Turbo S PDK in Guards Red arriving at JZM Porsche for sale later this week.
A superb looking car in a very rare colour, the specification is massive. I hear the Porsche 997 Turbo S PDK will retail around the £80,000 mark.
Will Porsche Cars GB find 40 people to buy the UK-only 991 Turbo S Exclusive GB? Perhaps that doesn’t matter as long as everyone knows Exclusive is alive and well and living in Stuttgart. I like that dash badge, but the standard Turbo S is more up my street.
