The Porsche 962 of IMSA; an incredible machine…

Posted on January 26, 2012 by digitaldtour

With the pending 50th anniversary of the 24 Hours of Daytona Endurance race set to coincide with Saturdays start of this years 24 Hours race, I thought it would be an appropriate time to take a look back at a cross-section of Porsche 962’s that competed in IMSA from 1984 through 1988, and contributed to its numerous victories.

For those unfamiliar with the Porsche 962 and its lineage, I offer up this brief overview; The 962 was designed as a clone of Porsches already successful type 956 (see photos directly below), but included a few minor modifications in order to conform to IMSA specifications. Most notably, the design of a revised front suspensions and slightly stretched wheelbase, in order to place the drivers feet behind the centerline of the front wheel hubs for greater safety and driver protection. This safety criteria would subsequently be adopted within Europe and impact the further success of the 956. Ironically, the 962 was later used as a springboard by Porsche for the development of their “962 C” model. This update allowed owners of existing, non-compliant Porsche 956 “Group C” cars to covert their car over to 962 C specifications, by replacing their existing 956 tub with a new factory built “962 C” tub that incorporated the revised pedal box configuration.

With the Porsche 962’s debut at the 1984 24 Hours of Daytona race, and up until 1991 when production ceased ( Porsche produced a total of 77 962 race cars, including the Works cars), the 962 went on to amass an incredible number of victories, dominating the sports prototype classes both here and abroad. This was clearly demonstrated by the results posted from the 1987 Daytona 24 hour race; by the end, Porsche 962’s had captured the top 6 places, led by the #14 Lowenbrau car, piloted by Al Holbert, Derek Bell, Chip Robinson and Al Unser Jr.

The following photos are but a small collection of images taken during the 1986 /1987 IMSA season, showcasing the culmination of several years of refinement, and applied to each Porsche 962 by the teams campaigning them, since making its racing debut in 1984…

Good luck to all of the Porsche teams currently assembled in Florida, anxiously awaiting the start of this weekends 50th anniversary celebration and the running of this years “24 Hours of Daytona”…

(All photos by the author)

The elusive white Porsche GT3 RS4.0 finally captured, and more…

Posted on January 17, 2012 by digitaldtour

Well, it finally happened Saturday morning. I finally came face to face with the elusive white Porsche GT3 RS4.0 that I have been chasing since December. But first, the events that led up to my Saturday morning encounter…

The first part of my morning was spent making my way up and down Porsche row and visiting with friends (“the Porsche faithful”, aka members of the RGruppe). Project cars were on display, with discussions of ongoing restorations and techniques used, and with hoods, doors and deck lids opened to showcase the recent work. A prime example of this process was represented by the beautiful silver,1973 Porsche 911S seen below…

This particular car is a European model, having been delivered by the French dealership Sonauto. This association was commemorated by the small metal badge affixed to the lower edge of the rear deck lid.

And tucked in beneath the rear deck lid was a beautifully restored, 2.7 liter Carrera RS motor. This was the motors first showing, since the completion of its cosmetic restoration as undertaken by the owner, with a re-sealing of the motor performed by ex IMSA racer Wayne Baker out of San Diego, California. This motor was spotless, and looked like it had just rolled off of the assembly bench in Stuttgart, circa 1973.

Up front the same attention to detail was carried through to the assembly of the european spec (French) amber headlights and fog lights. The headlights had been restored using a combination of period and backdated parts; rings, buckets and clips, and highlighted by the rare Cibie Biode headlights, but in this case the proper amber-colored (French) units.

The front trunk lid was then opened to reveal its contents; a new, plastic molded fuel tank, visually perfect and Porsche correct, but re-manufactured using present day technologies, which included a date stamped of 2011, and serves as a direct, bolt- in replacement for the original 39-year-old fuel tank. And as the photo illustrates, the finish and detail found within the trunk, was equal to the attention paid the rest of the car.

And parked one spot over to drivers left, was this equally impressive Polo red 1966 911, showcasing a beautifully restored 2.0 liter motor…

And parked to the left of the 1966 911, was this beautifully restored Tangerine colored Porsche 914-6; yet another car that appeared to have just rolled off the assembly line in Germany…

After completing my journey down Porsche row, it was time to check out the remaining cars on site. My next stop would be the parking area immediately to the right of the main entrance. And on this Saturday morning, said lot had a very decidedly British flavor. Tucked back into opposing corners of the lot was a collection of Triumph sports cars, and aligned right next to the Triumphs, was an equally impressive collection of Austin Healey roadsters.

And believe it or not, classics wrapped in domestic sheet metal also attend the show each week. Below is an example of an all american made classic; a 1946 Ford woody wagon…

And over in another section of the parking lot was this classic, two – toned Buick “Caballero” station wagon…

And tucked in by the entry to this portion of parking lot, was this very cool, red 289 F.I. A. spec’d Shelby Cobra…

After completing a thorough review of the Cobra, I headed out toward the center of the lot to see what other surprise awaited, and I was not disappointed. Parked next to a lime green Lamborghini Gallardo, was this Carbon black on red McLaren MP4-12C, once again brought out to the show by Newport Beach McLaren. This is the first Carbon black MP4-12C that I have seen, and this color really compliments the contours and body lines.

Another subtle detail was the inclusion of the “Stealth ” finished wheels, which were in turn set off by the visual “pop” of the bright red calipers…

…which in turn was carried over into the black interior and integrated as red leather sport seats with black inserts, and the red dash and door accent trim.

Parked several rows beyond the McLaren, was another black beauty; in this case a beautiful black on red, Mercedes-Benz 300 SL roadster, wearing its optional hardtop…

And two spaces down from the 300SL, was this equally impressive black on tan Mercedes-Benz 190 SL roadster…

As I made my way through the several remaining rows yet unexplored, and just as I rounded the end of the previous row, I spotted a white Porsche 997 parked half way up on the left side, sandwiched between two cars. As I approached, the car to the left pulled out, revealing GT3 RS4.0 graphics on the side of the white Porsche. Could this be the RS 4.0 that I had seen back in December? It had the optional silver wheels which I remembered seeing, but the proof would be its license plate. Sure enough, the California license plate on the back confirmed to me that I had finally caught up with my elusive GT3 RS4.0.

As I waited to speak with the owner, I stepped back to admire the RS 4.0, and add some more photographs to my GT3 RS 4.0 collection…

Once the owner had finished his conversation, I approached and introduced myself, and shared with him my interest in the Porsche GT3 RS4.0 model. I told him of seeing my first RS 4.0 on display at the Porsche Rennsport Reunion IV, and about my success in having spotted four other GT3 RS 4.0’s since Porsche Rennsport Reunion IV held back in October. Seeing his car today would now bring my grand total up to five cars. I also shared how amazing it has been for me to have personally seen this many, given their very limited production (only 600 worldwide). Obviously, my next question was to ask if he could share with me the series number of his car. The owner was gracious enough to reveal that his car is # 270.

After our conversation, two gentlemen standing nearby approached, obviously friends of the owner, to discuss some work planned for his RS4.0. The two men turned out to be the owners of the performance tuning company “GMG” / Global Motorsports Group (James Sofronas and Fabryce Kutyba), based in nearby Santa Ana, California. My interests in the Porsche GT3 RS 4.0 were once again shared with them, and as a result I learned that there may be several additional RS 4.0 models residing right here in Orange County.

Now all I have to do is hope they find their way to Cars&Coffee…

(All photos by the author)

A unique automotive offspring, a Goggomobile, car badging, Porsches and more…

Posted on January 11, 2012 by digitaldtour

What would you call the offspring of a Ford Mustang fastback and a Lamborghini Gallardo? A Forghini, or maybe Lambostang? The answer is neither one, as the badging on said offspring at Cars&Coffee on Saturday morning read “Tractorri”.

Visually, the car appeared to be a lowered, customized Ford Mustang fastback, however upon closer inspection, it became apparent that the low profile wheels, tires and running gear had been sourced from a Lamborghini Gallardo. And looking beneath the opened rear hatch revealed another surprise; the heart and soul of a Lamborghini Gallardo – a mid – chassis mounted, Lamborghini V-10 power plant. And keeping in character, positioned along the rear flanks, and located just behind each door, were truly functional air intakes.

And located out back, a set of Lamborghini Gallardo tail lights and a vertical, rear mesh grill had both been seamlessly integrated into the Lamborghini contoured rear fenders and bumper.

Inside, the cockpit was a lift right out of a Gallardo, correct right down to its black leather dash, door panels and seats, all with the contrasting stitching.

With the front hood opened, yet another surprise was revealed…a relatively empty front “engine” compartment, with the exception of the strut bar, cockpit ventilation / blower assembly, anti-lock brake system and a painted and striped sheet metal shroud (all located where the Mustang power plant and radiator would normally reside).

For the rest of the morning, this car was surrounded by a crowd that was at least 3-4 people deep, which made getting additional photos of the car difficult. (These photos of the Tractorri were taken at 6:30 AM while still under the cover of darkness, and before the arrival of the crowds).

Talk about a wolf in sheep’s clothing. And what about that name…

Was this perhaps an obscure reference made by the builder of this car, as a tribute to Ferruccio Lamborghini’s business interests prior to the building his automotive empire?

(For those of you unfamiliar with Lamborghini history, Ferruccio Lamborghini was the premier manufacturer of tractors in all of Italy, prior to his start as a manufacturer of exotic sports cars).

The Porsche community was once again represented by a diverse cross-section of models, color and vintage…

My next stop was to check out the British imports assembled. I started by checking out this nice black on black Triumph TR3, identical to the one my dad owned when I was 5 years old.

I then came across a trio of Austin Healey roadsters, each one a different model representing the 3000 series. From left to right, a red, 3000 Mark II series, in the middle, a green 3000 Mark III series, and on the right, a red 3000 from the original series.

A few row over from the Healeys, was this stately Jaguar sedan…

And another couple of rows over was this amazing Rolls Royce…

Another interesting aspect of this show for me is the ability to focus in on just details, whether it be unique wheels, hood ornaments, badging or reflections…

Out towards the back rows of the parking lot, I came across this pair of McLaren MP4-12C’s. The “McLaren Silver” MP4-12C model below is the first example I have seen with the “Stealth” finished wheels…

This Volcano Orange MP4-12C is apparently a demo model from the local McLaren dealership located in Newport Beach, and has become a frequent visitor to the show.

As the parking lot began to thin out, a tiny red and white car was revealed. The badging identified it as a 1958 TS 400 Goggomobile; a rear engined, rear wheel drive “Micro car” complete with suicide doors…

The rumor was that the car was powered by hamsters, as evidenced by the little guy caught resting and still in his wheel, tucked in behind the driver’s seat…

However, in reality the car is powered by a 400 cc, 2 cylinder motor, good for a whopping 20 horsepower.

Another facet of this event is the opportunity to observe and attempt to decipher a multitude of personalized license plates attached to a broad range of vehicles. Some can be very challenging, whereas others are pretty basic. They also appear to reflect the passion found throughout the Southern California car culture. The following are just a few recent observations…

(All photos by the author)

London fog, Jaguars, the Porsche faithful, the fraternal GT3 RS4.0 twins and more…

Posted on January 4, 2012 by digitaldtour

A fog, like something out of a Sherlock Holmes mystery, descended on the Orange County, California coastline last Saturday morning, and stretched inland well past the 5 freeway. As I made my way south down said freeway, I began hitting patches of very heavy fog with severely reduced visibility, and then a few miles further south, clear sections with no fog at all. Unfortunately, the closer I got to Irvine, the heavier and wetter the fog became. By the time I arrived at Cars&Coffee, my car was cloaked in condensation.

After parking, and while visiting with several friends, I noticed a white Porsche GT3 RS as its headlights pierced the fog drifting through the lot, on its search for a place to park. As it approached, I realized it was actually a GT3 RS4.0, and perhaps the one I had been chasing over the past several weeks to photograph. However as it passed, I noticed it was missing the rear license plate, which meant that this was not the car I had seen previously, since the other wore a California plate. This Porsche would be my first photographic subject of the morning, but not until I made my way to the catering table to get some hot chocolate and a doughnut, in an attempt to thaw out from the cold and damp. However, on my way back to my car to collect my camera gear, I stopped to check out the white GT3RS 4.0. While I circled the Porsche, and worked on finishing my doughnut and hot drink, I began to notice a few subtle changes made to the car.

Viewed from behind, one not so subtle change was the inclusion of a white roll cage, adorned with an RSS graphic. As several others stopped to question and comment on the origins of this roll cage (was it factory or aftermarket, and how much larger was the tubing diameter over a factory cage?), a gentleman approached and confirmed that it was in fact a larger diameter, aftermarket cage, supplied by the firm RSS. It turned out that he was in fact the owner, and after we began talking, was kind enough to share some of the details regarding the modifications made to his car.

Starting at the back, I learned that the rear wing struts had been powder coated black, and that the exhaust had been upgraded with the addition of an RSS X -pipe.

In regards to the running gear, the suspension components had been upgraded and the suspension lowered (below an already low stock ride height). The centerlock wheels were now in black, and the rotors and hats had been swapped out to compliment the Porsche Big Red calipers, instead of running the standard issue, yellow Porsche PCCB brake calipers and rotor sets. The interior had also been altered, with the removal of the stock Porsche sport seats (with the red Alcantara inserts), replaced by a set of all black Recaro race seats, each equipped with its own set of competition belts.

I happened to mention to the owner that his car was the fourth GT3 RS4.0 that I have been lucky enough to see in person, and that my first sighting was at the Porsche Rennsport Reunion IV in Monterey back in October. Much to my surprise, this owner knew who the other owner of the RS4.0 from Rennsport Reunion IV was by name. Out of curiosity, I asked the owner what number his car was out of the 600 produced; turns out his GT3RS 4.0 is number 257.

I have now been fortunate enough to have photographed 4 out of the 600 produced. I thanked the owner for sharing the details of his car with me, and then I was off to check out the remaining cars at the show.

Now located just two cars in front of the Porsche, was this stealthy, Black on Black Callaway Z06 Corvette.

Both the hood and rear deck were opened, revealing the contents. Out back, was a custom roll cage complete with chassis bracing, and finished in a dark charcoal gray.

However, up front was an even bigger surprise; mounted on top of the Z06 motor was a shiny silver supercharger, framed on each side by a set of Callaway carbon fiber coil pack covers.

And perched on top of the hood, was a louvered, carbon fiber cowl induction insert…

Now it was time to check out the Porsche faithful, lined up along the first two rows…

( I asked the owner about the significance of the red bow; it turns out that it was the cars 1 year anniversary since being debuted here at Cars&Coffee, upon the completion of its restoration).

Located over in the parking lot, just across from Porsche row, were these two amazing British racing green Jaguars; one an E- type 4.2 liter and the other an XK roadster…

After shooting the two Jaguars, I noticed a white Porsche parked at the opposite end of the row. As I approached, it appeared to be a GT3RS, however as I got closer I saw the telltale stripes of a RS4.0. I could hardly believe it, two out of 600 worldwide, and both in the same parking lot at the same time. However, this car in addition to being brand new, was also completely stock, so only a fraternal twin to the other GT3 RS4.0.

Unfortunately, I was unable to find its owner, to inquire about this cars series number out of the 600 produced. Maybe next week…

The rest of my morning was spent walking the parking lot in search of the next hidden automotive treasure. The following photos represent just a few of the other jewels found scattered throughout the lot…