porsche and the enthusiast
Discussion
another post i was making spurred me on to add this one up too.
there is alot of focus just now on the older aircooled scene, not only here but in the wider motoring media with the whole urban outlaw explosion and a raft of similar cars being picked up on. this isnt a new scene though and it strikes me that this approach to porsche cars has been at the heart of things for nearly the duration of the 911.
the ability to customise ones car, using factory parts either from other models or motorsport is something thats continued throughout and something which many owners over the years have utilised. couple this to the sense of engineering in the cars and it makes it a veritable buffet for anyone that way inclined. any visit to a porsche gathering (or a track) leaves you amazed at the amount of customisation thats around even when some of it is not immediately obvious.
ive had countless talks with owners from another generation and it comes out pretty quickly that this is the very reason they are on their umpteenth car and their enthusiasm remains.
this has really continued right up to the 997. both the 996 and 997 lend themselves to cross model parts swapping, improving etc just as the older cars did (though many dont realise). some of the changes may lack the subtlety of the earlier cars but the fundamentals remain and the space in which an owner can play is really vast.
watching the latest video from porsche with hurley haywood and his sebring winning car and the recent magnus walker stuff it really struck me just how much this whole thing has really been at the heart of porsche. i have a car in my garage just now thats been 2 years in the making and while its watercooled and looks more trick the essence of it all is no different.
the new 991 really seems to be the car that will put an end to this lineage going forwards. the parts across the platform are both more common and complex, everything is increasing in cost and the link with the motorsport seems pretty dead (and understandably so, as it has increased in complexity the ability to keep a link becomes increasingly difficult). at the moment i dont see any avenue for this to continue, atleast with the 991. interestingly the cayman is looking like the car that has some potential to carry this flame forward, albeit in a limited capacity.
with all the talk of what the new car means and brings this has never really been mentioned overtly. i do sometimes wonder if the fondness for the older cars that seems to be increasing is however a subconscious expression of this sense.
there is alot of focus just now on the older aircooled scene, not only here but in the wider motoring media with the whole urban outlaw explosion and a raft of similar cars being picked up on. this isnt a new scene though and it strikes me that this approach to porsche cars has been at the heart of things for nearly the duration of the 911.
the ability to customise ones car, using factory parts either from other models or motorsport is something thats continued throughout and something which many owners over the years have utilised. couple this to the sense of engineering in the cars and it makes it a veritable buffet for anyone that way inclined. any visit to a porsche gathering (or a track) leaves you amazed at the amount of customisation thats around even when some of it is not immediately obvious.
ive had countless talks with owners from another generation and it comes out pretty quickly that this is the very reason they are on their umpteenth car and their enthusiasm remains.
this has really continued right up to the 997. both the 996 and 997 lend themselves to cross model parts swapping, improving etc just as the older cars did (though many dont realise). some of the changes may lack the subtlety of the earlier cars but the fundamentals remain and the space in which an owner can play is really vast.
watching the latest video from porsche with hurley haywood and his sebring winning car and the recent magnus walker stuff it really struck me just how much this whole thing has really been at the heart of porsche. i have a car in my garage just now thats been 2 years in the making and while its watercooled and looks more trick the essence of it all is no different.
the new 991 really seems to be the car that will put an end to this lineage going forwards. the parts across the platform are both more common and complex, everything is increasing in cost and the link with the motorsport seems pretty dead (and understandably so, as it has increased in complexity the ability to keep a link becomes increasingly difficult). at the moment i dont see any avenue for this to continue, atleast with the 991. interestingly the cayman is looking like the car that has some potential to carry this flame forward, albeit in a limited capacity.
with all the talk of what the new car means and brings this has never really been mentioned overtly. i do sometimes wonder if the fondness for the older cars that seems to be increasing is however a subconscious expression of this sense.
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