Porsche has announced the new 911 Carrera T: a 911 that is 20 kilograms lighter than the regular Carrera, has a bunch of sporty touches and is sold in a range of bright colours. T stands for Touring, but the car is built with lightweight glass, RS-style pull loops in the doors and a shorter final drive ratio: all hallmarks of a sports purpose machine. The T badging is curious.
The Carrera S (S for Sport) does not come as standard with a shorter final drive, seven speed manual or limited slip differential, while the Carrera T (T for Touring) has all of those things. Twenty-seven litres of fuel equates to twenty kilograms. One could theoretically short fill a Carrera by 27 litres and have a car weighing the same as a Carrera T on full tanks.
The Touring Carrera also comes with less sound deadening (?), no rear seats and an unladen weight of 1425 kilograms. It has a chassis lowered by 10mm (four tenths of an inch), Sport Chrono but without the dash clock (which everyone loves and is sort of the point of Sport Chrono), a gearknob with red shift pattern, something else and some other stuff.
It has a power-to-weight ratio of 260hp per tonne. This is supposed to be viewed as exciting, and it probably is. But I have a twenty year-old BMW M3 sedan with full sound deadening and rear seats (seat belts for five people) that is not a million miles away from this figure. One could get the weight down pretty easily and stick a rocket up the power-to-weight, but that would defeat the point.
Yesterday, I drove a 911R recreation/celebration by the boys at EB Motorsport. It weighs 804 kilograms with a single seat, skinny R wheels and tyres, fully oiled up with a quarter tank of fuel. The twin-plug, 2-litre engine makes 220 horsepower, which gives a power-to-weight ratio of 275 horsepower per tonne (more on this car later).
OK, the Carrera T is £86k and the EB 911R is at least £100k more than that, but if you’re going to market something as lightweight, then it should not weigh the same as 23 people (average adult weight globally is 62 kilograms). The average weight of a (female) cow is 720 kilograms, which is two Carrera Ts. A five-foot Steinway ‘City’ grand piano weighs 252 kilograms, which means that a 911 Carrera T with some fuel weighs roughly the same as six Steinway grand pianos.
“Improved power to weight ratio delivers enhanced performance,” says Stuttgart, and no doubt the 0-60 time of 4.5 seconds – one tenth quicker than the standard Carrera – is quicker than a baby grand, unless the piano is travelling downwards in a straight line towards the pavement. I also like the cool range of colours including Racing Yellow, Miami Blue and Lava Orange: difficult to choose between those three. But something is not right with this T badge.
Everyone knows that the volume sellers are where Porsche makes its money: Macan, Cayenne and Panamera. The 911 remains a desirable car, but are these editions serious, or are they just preening for press releases? The truth is that, these days, if you really want a lightweight Porsche – and trust me, you do – you have to build it yourself. For the £85k cost of a standard Carrera T, one could easily build a lightweight air-cooled 911 and have enough left over to buy a nice grand piano or two. Now that’s an idea I can get with.
The new 911 Carrera T is available to order now from Porsche Centres in the UK and Ireland priced from £85,576.00 RRP inc VAT. First deliveries begin in January 2018, at which point, journos will be freaking out over the transformative effect of the shorter final drive and claiming this as a credible alternative to a GT3 Touring.
News update: my 1976 911 has a shorter final drive, as does every 911 rally car ever. When the national speed limit of 70mph is being ever more rigorously enforced, it is not rocket science to shorten the final drive and have more fun getting to a lower top speed.
I would like to drive this T: I suspect it actually will be rather more invigorating than a standard Carrera. Group test pitch for GT Porsche magazine: my 1020-kilo 3-litre 911 versus six grand pianos with 370 horsepower. Simon will love it.
Ferdinand blogs my freelance adventure with Porsche at the centre. To support the blog or engage with me in other ways, you can:
Porsche has been showing its 991 GT2 RS to a select group of journalists in Germany. Auto Motor & Sport put out a video showing the launch control in action, but it seems that no one actually got to drive it; everyone rode in the passenger seat. Gone are the days when Porsche gave Kacher the keys to a prototype for the weekend.
The fastest production 911 ever has not yet been fully homologated, so the numbers are vague. For the sake of discussion:
0-60: under 3 seconds
0-124: under 9 seconds
Power: more than 650bhp
Weight: under 1500kg
Weight savings include using smartphone Gorilla Glass
Lightweight Weissach pack lifts 30 kilos and will cost a small fortune
GT2 RS will cost more than the house I am writing this in
Looking at 911R/GT3 RS trends and allowing a bit for the GT2’s rarity, we can roughly predict what will happen with prices.
Say the GT2 RS sells at £250k including Weissach pack, it will top £450k within 6 months of release, probably over twice list price for a while. There is no doubt of this. City traders are earning well over a million quid a year now in the City of London and a GT2 RS will be the big thing. The hunger for GT2 will be strong, so £500k is totally happening.
Once they’ve gone through a 12-to-18-month honeymoon, prices will settle somewhere around £100k or so over list, as the next big thing will be out. If you don’t buy one of these cars brand new, you will probably never be able to buy it for list price. So why should you care about this particular example?
Well, look at the photos. This is a mule: a GT3 RS finished in Lava Orange with a tweaked engine from a 991 Turbo S installed. Engineers hacked the tail about a bit, vinyl wrapped the whole thing in black then screwed some bits to the sides to cover the turbos, drilled a load of heat holes in the rear bumper, made a swanky exhaust and the boss ragged it back and forth from home to work for a few months. It is sweaty, scratched and slathered in duck tape: everything a production GT2 RS will never be.
The new GT2 RS in a showroom will just be another unobtanium Porsche that gets professionally detailed twice a year to take the dust off and occasionally turns up at cars and coffee meets to entertain those who don’t get proper old cars. But the GT2 RS development mule – that is a hot rod from Stuttgart and these are the sex kings.
My good friend RB has decided to sell his modified 911 hot rod, based on a very late 1989/G-reg G50 3.2 Coupe. He’s owned the car for as long as I have owned Porsches, so it’s a big decision to part with the car, but as there’s a new mega-balls 964 Turbo in the garage (amongst other things), he’s not going to be left short of flat-six thrills.
I’ve driven the Guards Red 911 on road and track and it goes along nicely. I’ve lost count of the road trips I’ve followed this car through the UK and Europe on: my second-ever track day was a trip to Spa with this one, just the two of us. It’s a good, solid, fun 911 that can easily be further tweaked to suit a new owner’s tastes. Even better, the owner is not an idiot, so dealing with him will be easy on the brain.
Here is how RB explains it – (note: this car is now sold! Many thanks for reading)
Porsche 911 Hot Rod Explained
There’s much more to tell than I can fit in an advert. The history and development of this car is transparent – it’s all online. I truly hope someone like-minded can buy this special car and have as much fun as I have had. On the right road, on the right day, with the right people, there are not many better experiences.
Unlike many “recreations”, this is not a 1- or 2- year project produced with a view to resale. In contrast to that, I have owned this car for nearly 16 years, slowly evolving it to what it is now. Everything has been done on my watch, at my expense and by my design. If you fancy a walk down internet lane, you can trace much of the car’s history on impactbumpers.com where I have posted under my own name for many years. And what you can’t find there, I have documented in a comprehensive history file.
Based on a 1989 3.2 Carrera, I have taken everything I know about 911s and used that to develop what I think is a fantastic, sports purpose, lightweight 911 with much of the character of Porsche’s own RS cars. Initially built for fast road and track days, but more recently focussed on European road trips, this is one of the most developed G-series 911s you will find anywhere.
For disclosure, I need to start by pointing out that the car was Cat D recorded almost twenty years ago. Like many other 911s in that era, a small accident plus low values conspired to create an insurance write-off. I had the car stripped and jigged immediately after purchase, and then condition inspected. It’s now straight and has had a full body resto since then. Cutting to the chase:
Bodywork
A rust free car subject to a full body restoration when converted to wide body approx 7 years ago
The rear flares are steel 930 and most everything else is plastic for low weight
The sunroof was deleted and the fuel tank is centre fill under the bonnet
Bumpers are 3.0 RS/IROC pattern and the rear tail is IROC – being the most efficient “non-wing” tail you can get, front bumper just repainted
Headlights were new during the rebuild and the wiring is all through a modern blade fuse style board greatly enhancing reliability
Engine
Engine rebuilt by Steve Winter at JAZ (part of about 15 years of JAZ history) with standard 3.2 pistons and cylinders, 993 Supercup cams and a 964 plastic intake
Built for 7000+rpm but limited to 7000rpm making 283hp via Wayne Schofield tuning
Lots of other good bits in the engine build sheet
Turbo Thomas custom exhaust (just repacked)
Not a (normal) lazy 3.2, but an engine inspired by the MFI RS engines, one that loves to rev and has throttle response that non-MFI 911 engines dream of
With a kerb weight under 1050kg, the power-to-weight ratio is more early GT3 than 3.2 Carrera
Transmission
Being an ’89 car, the gearbox is G50 meaning a 240mm hydraulic clutch, modern shift feel and a largely fail safe shift action
The clutch is a spring-centred 930S clutch, the pressure plate is light aluminium and the diff is a Powerhaus II assymetric plate type LSD – like 993RS
Gearbox mounts are poly as are engine mounts. The shift action is precise and falls naturally to hand with a slightly extended shifter
Suspension/Wheels/Brakes
Carefully and thoughtfully upgraded suspension. Torsion bars are 22/29mm Sander Engineering hollow bars and the rear anti-roll bar is an adjustable 22mm bar
Dampers are custom valved Bilsteins to the JAZ Porsche recipe
Bushes are Neatrix rear and polybronze front
Offset monoball top mounts to remove stiction and add precision
Brakes are 964 front calipers over 944 Turbo discs and C12 rear calipers over 3.2 discs
Wheels are 8 & 9 x 16″ Fuchs with spacers/adapters and good Bridgestone tyres
Interior
A mix of light weight and just enough comfort
Recaro Pole Positions with custom leather covers and alcantara cushions provide the comfort and lightweight sound deadening, closed cell foam and OE carpets keep just enough noise at bay
The cage is an FIA spec OMP 6 point with welded in mounts
The steering wheel is a 996 Cup Car item and the doorcards are 964RS style with alcantara covers
Heat is 3-season with small heat exchangers providing enough to clear the screen and take the chill off
Six-point harnesses and a fire extinguisher complete the mix
The honest truth is that most of this car has been tested and replaced. The fuel pump quit in the Swiss Alps and is now a Bosch motorsport 044 pump. The steering rack was replaced at one point: the list goes on. But what this car is really about, is a platform developed and optimised for great road trips.
Over the last few years, I have been as far as Slovenia, though the Alps twice, the Route Napolean and through the Pyrenees. Track days at Spa, Le Mans and the Ring plus the usual UK tracks are all notches in the belt. I have tested most everything you can test and the car stands ready for it’s next big trip. Ready to create new memories with someone else.
At times, it has felt like I have poured my heart and soul into this car and when the roads and the company are just right, the highs I have experienced are about as much as anyone can hope for in a car. I cannot emphasise just what an amazing package this car is. The handling balance is just perfect, the diff gives amazing drive and the engine sings its little heart out time and again as it reaches for the rev limiter.
I am not selling a concours car or a replica of anything, but I am selling a car that you will build memories with. If you want a car that lets you joins Euro R-Gruppe events, the Bergmeister or my own “Porsche Peleton” trips then this is it.
I have rambled on in my description, but I have 16+ years of story to tell. I know I have left out a load of stuff, but if my 3.2 sounds like you, then let’s talk. Far be it for me to suggest what a new owner may use this car for, but if they want to join me (and my fellow road trippers) in new Euro adventures, then I sincerely hope that is something that I can look forward to.
Boring stuff – the car will come with a new MOT in May and a service from JAZ. I am happy to deliver the car to JAZ Porsche in St Albans for Inspections. See contact details in the for sale ad here.
I had an email today from my friend Heather, wife and business partner of motorsport artist and designer, Nicolas Hunziker, reminding me that the duo are celebrating ten years in business this month. The mail was well timed, as I am also celebrating a work anniversary today: my seventh year as a full-time freelance, working in and around the classic Porsche hobby.
I still remember parking my company car in the office car park for the last time, returning my work laptop and security pass and catching the train from Weybridge back to Banbury – I think I even kept the ticket stub. Mrs G picked me up in our old Landcruiser and we drove home through the leafy lanes, on a beautifully bright, sunny day. Still got the house, the Landcruiser, the Mrs and the sunshine (today, at least), but I no longer work for a company owned by a hedge fund and run by a revolving door of MDs, each of whom loved to send us on wild-goose research missions to find the secrets of future profit growth, but did nothing in response when we brought home the data.
It’s now seven years since I was a wage slave and I don’t miss a bit of it. What a joy it is to wake up in the morning, walk downstairs, put the kettle on and instantly be at work. I am truly grateful for what the last seven years have taught me and oh, to have learned it all so much earlier! I look forward to reaching my tenth anniversary and considering my own answers to the questions I just asked Nicolas. Here’s what my artist friend says after a decade of working for himself.
JG: How long did it take until you felt the new venture was going to work?
NH: I was fortunate as I was able to quit my job in advertising (I was writing and directing TV commercials) and take up painting full time, one year into my painting career. In the early days, I would deliver a painting without knowing when or where the next sale would materialise. The mortgage was late more than once, but Heather never discouraged me from pursuing my passion. She always stood by me and put her entrepreneurial spirit to work. And if it hadn’t been for the support of a few early patrons – support which continues to this day – I might not be where I am now.
JG: Can you share a high point from the last ten years?
NH: I can think of several. Obviously getting the official nod from Porsche and McLaren, Gulf, Le Mans etc. to gild my paintings with their logos was huge. A couple of corporate commissions that stand out came from the Porsche Museum and PCNA. But one thing that has surprised me more than anything else is all the doors that my art has opened for me: My own racing activities, meeting people who I have long admired and now I’m lucky to call many of them friends.
JG: Has being in business changed your attitude to/experience of the classic Porsche world?
NH: Yes and no. On the one hand, I’ve had a peek behind the curtain through our apparel company where we were a Porsche OE apparel supplier. On the customer side, it’s been very rewarding to see how our creations have been accepted by the Porsche scene. We started our apparel line in 2011 but we still get a kick out of seeing someone wear one of our shirts walking around Goodwood, Le Mans Classic, Monterey or the local Cars & Coffee event.
JG: Have you learned any surprise lessons about people through your work?
NH: I don’t know if there were surprises, but I’ve learned the following:
1. Develop your own style.
2. Passion is the best inspiration.
3. Art opens doors.
5. Defy convention.
4. Art has value.
I love Nic’s approach to creativity: he is always thinking ahead. Hunziker Corp has some interesting projects in progress, all being documented online. Check out the Hunziker Art Car project (a 996 GT3 built through parts donations in exchange for artwork) and, of course, the famous Hunziker Driving Shoes, as worn by half the car guys in America, going by Heather’s Facebook shares.
Thinking about the questions I asked Nic to answer, my own answers would probably be that I knew it would work before I got started, as I had been data researching and writing full-time for ten years, working as a part-time Porsche freelancer since 2005 and already had an independent Porsche client base. There have been a few upsets in my seven years of freelance (mainly debtors going bust and causing a few headaches – not all financial), but I now recognise these as excellent learning experiences. The most recent upset was easier than the first, having learned how to spot, react and mitigate the effects of such occurrences and acting on my instincts early.
A better business radar is one good thing that has come straight from freelance, but it has not arrived at the expense of being harder with money. I started my freelance career working with people who charged for every single thing they did and I followed their example in the early days. I don’t do that so much nowadays: my attitude to earning has mellowed substantially. Going easier with this aspect has brought in many fun experiences and also taught me to say ‘no thanks’ more, and earlier. Time is the most valuable commodity for any creative, so better to draw a line under things as soon as warning flags are raised and move in a better direction.
Have I met inspirational people? Most definitely: valuable lessons have been learned from good friends all over the world. Have I inspired other people? One or two would say yes. Do I still feel the same passion? Yes, I maintain a deep love for the cars and people of this excellent hobby, but no doubt the movement is different today compared to seven years ago. A new generation has taken the world of classic Porsche in many different directions and we oldies accept that this is how all things go eventually. Some of the hot new trends are nothing new at all, but no point losing sleep over it. Things that don’t excite us so much are the best things ever for other folks, and that is OK.
As layers pile on top of layers, the core just gets buried slightly deeper, so we must dig harder to find it. The passion, support and encouragement I get from my hardcore Porsche friends (i.e. most of the people I work with) deliver all the energy one needs to press on. These people have shaped my last seven years and continue to exert a huge influence. I guarantee that if you are thinking of starting something new, it is your similarly passionate friends who will help get you through it. That said, all final decisions on what to do next are yours alone to make.
Freelance Advice (if you need it)
For anyone considering leaving their job and trying something new and different, I urge you to go for it, especially if you have a unique skill that is sought after. Do your research well and include contingency plans for all realistic worst case scenarios (not zombie attacks or nuclear holocausts) before walking away from the wage packet. With due diligence done and dusted, stop worrying and think and talk positive.
Walk away from anyone negative. They will kill what you are about to embark on. Avoid all negativity: negative people have nothing to offer the entrepreneur. They are not realists, they are buzzkill and you have already done your homework. Put your headphones on and walk away. Do not let buzzkillers inside your energy fence (I just made that up: please use it unwisely).
Add a few marketing skills to package the products/skills you intend to sell and then work your butt off doing something you love. It is so easy to work doing something that just flows in and around you. It is also incredible fun, most of the time. When it’s not fun, know you are learning something important. Also, never forget that the lesson may be to quit and do something different: I have changed tack many times in the last seven years.
Verify the market you are aiming to work in, nail the skills required (night school, online, private tuition or whatever) and as soon as you are ready to start, go for it. Worst case scenario: you get another job when the money runs out. Best case: there is no limit. You are the limit. I know so many of you have wonderful talents: let them shine brightly, follow the light and see where it leads!
Credits
ps: I have a few people to thank for their unflinching support over the last seven years (even over the last twelve years) but none of them would want to be mentioned in public: that’s just not how we do things. I am sure they know who they are – I talk to most of them daily! One or two people not so often nowadays, but the feeling is still the same. Thank you.
So I’ve done a couple of blogs on the new 991 GT3 up to now. That car is an interesting piece of news for 911 fans, but you know I’m not big into new stuff. Air-cooled is my thing, specifically 3-litre 911s and, more specifically, LHD 3-litres where possible. But, when my friend Simon invited me to come get his sweet RHD 1979 Porsche 911 SC for a day and help him move it up country, what kind of snob would say no to that? I was booking a train ticket faster than you can say “pedal offset”.
The destination was Tower Porsche: south of the river off Tower Bridge Road. I’d not been south of the river for a couple of months and I do miss my old stomping ground after a while, so I caught an early train, got to London at 7 and walked along the Thames for an hour or so, stopping to get some breakfast en route. All those people heading for work in the City and me heading for a day in a 911 SC – what a joy it is to be alive.
My quarry was parked just inside the workshop doors. I had a good chat with John the boss, sharing experiences from our recent trip to Techno Classica Essen, but eventually made a move to let him get on with things as they’re not short of work down in that there London. The SC sprang into life first turn of the key and we headed off into the morning traffic.
LHD vs RHD: Classic Porsche
My first 911 was LHD by choice and I have never looked back. The brake and clutch pedals in the RHD cars are offset well to the left of the column, and that 915 shift is a bit of a pain on the 1-2 plane when sitting on the wrong-hand side of the car. If you’ve never driven a LHD SC/impact bumper and only ever driven righties, you won’t give the RHD setup a second thought, but all my SCs and my current C3 have steered from the left. To me it is how they should be, and it is no great hardship to use here in England. That said, one soon adjusts to new surroundings and attention is drawn toward other issues.
One of the most common complaints with pre-G50 impact bumper cars is the weight of the clutch when in traffic. Later 3.2 Carrera G50s bring the hydraulic clutch and it’s obviously a nice thing to have, but when it has to be paired with a 3.2 engine, I think I’ll stick with the weight and the shorter stroke 3-litre, thanks. No problem with 3.2 Carreras, the 3-litre is just my personal preference.
Simon’s SC has comfort seats trimmed in cool Black Watch Tartan and that makes the cabin a nice place to be. Sunroof open and windows down a touch, the SC’s reduced ventilation compared to post-’86 3.2s is less of an issue – on a dry day, at least – and the Arrow Blue paint turns heads almost better than Orange. This is a very pretty car with no shortage of period details, including the chrome brightwork, cookie cutter forged wheels and periscope headlight washers.
Classic Porsche 911 SC Daily Driver
Lots of us once used our SCs as daily drivers, and the niggles had to be worked around, including those weedy wipers and eccentric heating controls. Not much else grates on the nerves: these are great cars to use every day. The lack of power steering was never an issue and remains a delight. I don’t use the radio in any of my cars (apart from the Cayenne since I stuck in a DAB radio), so the noise in the cabin has always suited me fine. The floor-mounted pedals are proper, the super-plasticky column levers for wipers and indicators/turn signals maybe less so, but they feel right nevertheless.
“We used to think that 3.0 and 3.2s were quick,” laughed John as I prepared to set off. “Now you go on track in one of these alongside GT3s and they just disappear into the distance.” Not much point mentioning a little group of IB hot rods that regularly push the GT3 boys along and I suppose the hot rods are kind of cheating anyway. But as outright lap times are not my priority, SC speed suits me just fine.
These light little cars with their superb traction and torque pull away beautifully, whatever the speed. Third gear in a 915 ‘box is such a flexible ratio: perfect for town or on the highway. This SC had the familiar issue of a sticky fuel tank sender due to lack of use for a while and could have done with the front end tracking sorting, but, all in all, it was a joy to drive. I averaged 25 mpg through London, around the M25 and up to the A5 and beyond. Everything in the car worked, without exception.
Towards the end of my day with the SC, I was parked outside my youngest daughter’s school, waiting for her to emerge. A chap in his 50s walked past, turned around, walked onto the road along my side and gave me a big thumbs-up, saying “love it mate, rock on.” Having spent a few hours in the driver’s seat, I was happy to share his enthusiasm. Perhaps SC fans are all in their fifties these days, but it doesn’t bother me much: youth is wasted on the young, as they say. I’m content to be older now, with kids all growing up, a few good friends to relax with and a few quid to spend on old stuff like this. The SC has also settled nicely into seniority, so we made a good pair on the day.
Old 1970s 911 SCs may not be the newest, fastest or prettiest Porsches (albeit they have long been the prettiest to my eyes) but, as solid all-rounders, nothing comes close. I have a big soft spot for the LHD 964RS, but would otherwise take an SC every time, if a certain stripped-out C3 was not available. This SC is now off to a new home: I hope they enjoy it as much as I did.
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