| |
We're about testing and driving cars, so ride-alongs seldom excite us. But there are occasions when we're happy to take the right side seat. One such deal was at a recent preview drive program for Porsche's much-updated 2009 Boxster and Boxster S. Porsche rented Willow Springs Raceway, brought along a bevy of hot shoes, as well as some of its most significant cars from the past, all in an effort to remind us that even though most people equate Porsche to the 911 and vice versa, the company has a rich mid-engined heritage.  Significantly enough, the first automobile to legitimately wear the Porsche name was mid-engined. Its design is the work of Ferdinand Alexander "Ferry" Porsche, son of Porsche family patriarch Ferdinand. That first Porsche was built in a converted sawmill in Gmund, Austria, and is technically referred to as Type 356-001, or "Number One" for short. The car has lived an amazing life. It is now owned by the company, and likely will be forever.  Number One employs the typical air-cooled flat four, and borrows a lot of VW parts. It is simple, elegant, and of course, priceless. It was the first of the three historic Porsche's on hand that I rode in, and to do so is to sit in the seat of automotive history. You wouldn't call it fast (not with about 40 horsepower) but it is relatively light, and even given the suspension and tire technology of the day, telegraphed the sporty feel that Ferry Porsche likely sought.  Next up was a special piece on several levels. The Porsche 550 Spyder is most famously known for being the car that James Dean drove to his untimely death, but it deserves to be thought of in more positive terms as well. This model enjoyed road racing success the world over, and earned Porsche an early reputation as a "Giant Killer." This particular example belongs to Brumos Porsche, and wears the license plate "Huschke" honoring the one and only Huschke von Hanstein, Porsche's racing team boss and PR wizard from the 1950s and 60s, who won a race in Venezuela in this car.  My pilot for two laps around Willow was as qualified a Porsche pilot as any, that being five time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Sir Derek Bell. The ageless Bell still spews huge enthusiasm for automobiles and motorsport, and enjoyed a long and storied career with Porsche and others. Bell is compact. I am not, and also sit rather tall. I scrunched my frame as far into the Spyder as it would go. Bell looked up at me, laughed, and said "are you in?" Greg Brown photo  The Spyder is faster and sportier than Number One by a fair margin. The 550 was introduced in 1953, and development had come a long way in just five years. "For such a light car, the steering is remarkably heavy" Bell noted, "but it gets down the front straight at an easy 90-95 mph." Sure, an MX-5 would leave it for dead, but we're talking about a 55 year old race car here. The cockpit is a study in elegant, aluminum simplicity, and the view magnificent. Derek Bell  Last up was a 1970, IMSA-spec 914-6. You'll remember the 914-6 as the mid-engined, Targa-topped sports car from 1970-1976, and the "-6" indicates a 911-spec flat-six, instead the usual VW 411-sourced four. This car was driven by the ageless Hurley Haywood to victory in the first IMSA series race ever run, on his way to the IMSA driver's title in 1970. Hurley Haywood  Haywood was on hand to for driver coaching and also to take his old ride out for a few laps, but my pilot was 2007 Rolex Grand Am Daytona DP champ Jorg Bergmeister. The other old soldiers were quaint; this one is still downright fast. The engine makes the usual 911 racer bark, the chassis has been stiffened considerably, and relatively wide racing rubber provides good grip. Jorg was only revving the 914 to about six-grand, but you could tell this guy wanted to run. "It is fun but frustrating -- I want to go fast!" The normally stoic Bergmeister was all smiles, commenting that it did not feel like a 38-year old race car.  I drove my own 911 to and from Willow, just to complete the Porsche-ness of the experience. After spending a day with these guys in these cars, it's no wonder I got home in about 8 minutes less time than it took me to drive there...
Photography by the Author |
0 nhận xét:
Post a Comment