California Festival of Speed, and two new Porsche GT3 RS4.0 sightings…

Posted on April 27, 2012 by digitaldtour

Saturday morning, April 21 dawned warm and hazy. However, on this morning I would not be making my weekly trek down to Cars&Coffee/Irvine, but would instead be driving out to the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California to catch day two of the scheduled three-day “Festival of Speed” event. The weekend was marketed as an “Event for Porsche enthusiasts”, however there were other makes and models of street and race cars also present.

After arriving at the race track, my first stop was at the registration building. After signing the required liability waiver, I was issued a black & white checkerboard wristband (secured onto the left wrist of every participant by the registration staff), and given my parking pass. Now it was time to drive over to the infield parking area that had been designated for the weekends festivities. By now, the sun had begun to burn off the mornings haze, and was starting to bring some heat to Fontana. Exiting my car, I could hear the unmistakable sound of Porsche race cars with their distinctive exhaust notes echoing off of the grandstands, as they screamed past the start/finish line, beginning another lap.

As I made my way past the entry portal that divides the parking lot from the infield garage area, I noticed a cast bronze plaque mounted onto the vertical support column and went over for a closer look. It turned out to be a dedication plaque honoring Les Richter, for his contribution to the construction and completion of this racing facility. It also acknowledged his involvement in professional sports with inductions into both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame, as well as the Motorsports Hall of Fame.

Now it was time to find out what treasures awaited out in the infield garages…

First up was this Gray Porsche 997 GT3RS, prepared by the folks from the GMG /Global Motorsport Group.

Its stable mate to the left was this black, GMG prepared Audi R8, with what appeared to be a combination of components sourced from Audi’s R8GT3 and LMS parts bin, and powered by a V-10 motor.

Located on the other side of the block wall, opposite the Audi R8 bay, was a bevy of Porsche GT3 Cup cars, all being prepared for the days scheduled events…

A Porsche 996 GT3 Cup car…

Now imagine my surprise when I looked over and saw this black 2012 Porsche GT3 RS4.0, casually tucked in amongst its GT3 brethren. This is the first and only RS4.0 that I have seen configured for racing, and also marks my 9th GT3 RS4.0 sighting. After I finished shooting the car, all that remained was to discover the series number for this car. A quick look inside, specifically at the cars glove box door ID plaque, revealed this car as being #239 out of 600.

O.Z. centerlock racing wheels…

Positioned next to the Black RS4.0 was the “DISCOUNTECHNOLOGY”, 2012 Porsche GT3 Cup car, and seeing it in person was one of those deja-vu moments; my son and I had watched this very car compete at Porsches Rennsport Reunion IV back in October at Laguna Seca. Here’s the same car at speed, shot while competing at Rennsport IV (see below)…

And located just one bay over to the right, was this spectacular blue 2011 997 GT3. This is the only Porsche GT3 that I have seen wearing this particular shade of blue. After shooting multiple images of the car, my interests in this particular GT3 finally caught the attention of its owner, who came over and introduced himself. I soon learned that this particular color (Aqua Blue metallic), was in fact a very rare color to be seen on a GT3. And apparently the people from Porsche were just as impressed, after seeing the car in person at Rennsport Reunion IV. Because of the rarity of this color being optioned on the GT3 model, the owner was asked by Porsche to put his car on display at Rennsport Reunion IV. The collective belief is that this may be one of the only 2011 GT3’s in North America painted Aqua blue metallic.

A very cool set of GMG / WC-GT centerlock race wheels…

My next stop was Garage 2, where I found even more Porsche GT3 Cup cars…

One of several examples of Porsche brand new 2012 GT3 Cup cars (seen above and below)…

And one of the largest torque wrenches you’ll ever see; the perfect tool for torquing down Porsches GT3 centerlock race wheels to approximately 340 ft lbs…

Located outside and parked in the rows between Garage 2 and 3, was this immaculate gray and red GT3RS, with its identical twin parked just off to its right…

After making the rounds at the two garages, it was time to check out the vendor row. The blue Porsche 997 turbo seen above was on display courtesy of Walter’s Porsche, and paired with a new black Porsche 991 cabriolet. In talking with the sales rep, I learned that this particular color had been sourced from Porsches 356 color palette, originally available for the 1957 to 1959 models, and known as Meissen Blue.

Situated down the row from the Walter’s Porsche display, were these seat shells from Lou’s Metal Shaping (phone# -562-201-4658, email – mr_mallet@yahoo.com). These beautiful, hand formed aluminum seat shells are intended for use in Porsche 356 speedsters, 550 spyders, and for Porsche 911 owners wanting an aluminum Scheel seat shell/s for their 911…

By now it was getting close to noon time; time to grab some lunch and something cold to drink. With food, drink and camera in hand, it was time to find a shady place to sit down, eat and get ready for the afternoons PCA (Porsche Club of America) club racing to begin. Fortunately, this track has covered infield seating that sets on top of the pit lane suites, and runs the length of and overlooks pit lane, offering up a great view of the racetrack, especially the start / finish line.

By 1 PM, the first group of cars was unleashed, and the first race underway, complete with an Audi R8, Lamborghini Gallardo spyder and a collection of Porsche 911’s (see photos below)…

White Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder (above), with blue 3M masking tape applied as a protective covering…

The second race of the afternoon was the Porsche Club of America Club race for the GT2A class. The first two photos below capture the start of the race…

In formation, rolling up on the start / finish line, awaiting the drop of the green flag…

Hard acceleration after crossing the start / finish line…

The afternoons GT2A class winner (as seen above), streaking across the start / finish line…

After the races concluded, I headed back into the garage area, to make one last pass through before heading home. As I was approaching Garage 1, I saw my friend Eric sitting on his bike, visiting with his fellow racers. I had been looking for Eric and his race car all morning ( a red,1999 Porsche 996 GT3 Koni Challenge Cup car), but had been unsuccessful in locating him. I soon learned that he had been out on track earlier that morning (apparently while I was roaming the garages), thus I missed seeing his time out on the track. Unfortunately, with the summer like weather and high temperatures on this day, his car had begun experiencing overheating problems. Rather than risk catastrophic damage to his motor, Eric made the painful decision to sit out the afternoon race, and was now in the process of trying to locate a new water pump for his car ( believed to be the cause of his overheating problem). Eric pointed me in the direction of his car (parked over behind his trailer), so I could check it out and get some photos. He then rode off into the pit area on his quest to locate a water pump.

After shooting his car, I ran into Eric and his wife, still searching for the elusive water pump. As they headed back to their motor home to cool off from the afternoon heat, I said my goodbyes and was off for one last pass through the garage areas.

Just as I rounded the corner of Garage 1, the back-end of a white Porsche 911 caught my eye. As I headed in its direction, I initially thought it to be a GT3RS. However as I got closer, and was able to make out the graphics, I quickly saw that it was instead a GT3 RS4.0.

Given the rarity of these cars, I’m still amazed to this day that I have seen as many as I have in person, and now this latest encounter brought my total sightings up to ten. The day had presented me with another amazing opportunity to witness not just one but two of these rare GT3 RS4.0’s (in person and on the same day). I made my way over to the passenger side of the car to get a look at the glove box plaque, which revealed that this car was series # 331 of 600.

Now all I have to do is find one car from the 100 series and 500 series, and I will have experienced a complete sampling of the entire RS4.0 production range. And who knows what surprises or opportunities await tomorrow morning at Cars&Coffe / Irvine?

(All photos by the author)

Up, up and away, and a Porsche 924 Carrera GTS Club Sport…

Posted on April 20, 2012 by digitaldtour

As a result of my recent encounter with a white, Porsche 924 Carrera GTS Club Sport (two weeks ago at Cars&Coffee/Irvine), and after researching the history of these cars, I have a renewed appreciation for just how rare these cars are and have become since their introduction back in 1981.

Looking back, my first encounter with a 924 Carrera GTS Club Sport occurred back in August 1982, at the Monterey Historics event hosted at Laguna Seca Raceway. We had made the trip up to Monterey for the weekend, to experience and celebrate Porsche being the featured manufacturer for 1982. Little did I know at the time how few of these cars existed, or the impact that this particular model would have on my memory of that weekend.

It was by sheer accident that my dad and I came across this pair of red Porsche 924’s parked side by side in the infield. We had been walking through the infield to access a different section of the race track when we spied these two cars, and quickly realized they were not your average Porsche 924. A close up inspection revealed one to be a 924 Carrera GT, and the second, the race inspired GTS Club Sport model.

I was immediately drawn to the GTS, given its stripped down, race derived look and feel. I have always been a die-hard Porsche 911 fan, but this was a car I admired for its purpose-built intent and aesthetic. It didn’t hurt that its Fuchs alloy wheels and brakes were taken from the 911, or that its trailing arms were cast aluminum instead of the standard steel units, to shave weight yet still retain strength. Its suspension was also altered by the removal of the standard torsion bar setup, and replaced with a more performance derived coil over shock setup. For the interior, a pair of racing seats sourced from the Porsche 935 parts bins were used, along with a full roll cage designed and crafted to meet the rigors of competition and conform to the Group 4 homologation requirements. Ironically, the aforementioned parts when combined with a higher output motor (275 hp vs. 245), and applied to a base Carrera GTS model, created what came to be known as the 924 Carrera GTS Club Sport.

I never realized what constituted the difference between a base 924 GTS and the Club Sport model, until I decided to research the car after encountering and photographing the white GTS Club Sport recently at Cars&Coffee / Irvine. Even with the internet, it’s hard to beat the old school method of fact-finding through the use of books. And my books of choice for studying and researching all things Porsche, have been the three-volume set written by Karl Ludvigsen; Excellence was Expected. These book have proven invaluable for providing me with information, in addition to establishing a perspective and context regarding the history and significance to many of the Porsches I have been fortunate enough to see in person and photograph.

The second 924 to this pairing (as seen above), was a Carrera GT, complete with a trunk full of stuffed cars, and that possessed an interesting story. The owner of the car turned out to be none other than Southern California-based race driver Margie Smith-Haas, and who was also the owner /designer behind the company TFA (Toys for Adults). Their speciality was the design and manufacturing of the stuffed cars as seen in the 924’s trunk. For this event, she was showcasing a variety of her firms Porsche offerings, but they also produced other makes of cars and various race cars of the day, all in a variety of different sizes and color. Shortly after, our household became the owners of two of Margie’s creations; one a stuffed, yellow Porsche 911, and a bit later for my son, a Rothmans Porsche 956.

The owner, Margie Smith Haas, taking a moment to detail her car…

So I now have another Porsche to add to my vehicle spotting list, along with the running tally of my ongoing Porsche GT3 RS4.0 sightings. Given the much smaller number of 924 Carrera GTS Club Sports built versus the GT3 RS4.0 (15 vs. 600), I feel very fortunate to have seen two 924 GTS Club Sport models in person so far. Now only 13, GTS Club Sports to go, compared to my 591 remaining GT3 RS4.0’s…

(All photos by the author)

A tribute to Ferdinand Alexander Porsche at Cars&Coffee/Irvine…

Posted on April 13, 2012 by digitaldtour

Saturday morning, April 7th saw the coming together of the Porsche faithful at Cars&Coffee/Irvine, as a tribute to the recent passing of Ferdinand Alexander (Butzi) Porsche. An email was circulated on Friday April 6, and forwarded to many within the Porsche community about a plan to pay tribute to and honor the memory of F.A.”Butzi” Porsche. The intent was to gather up as many Porsche 911’s as possible, to represent the model range from 1965 up to the latest 2012 iteration. Also hoped for was participation by any of the local Porsche 904 owners. The destination Saturday morning would be the “featured” parking lot area at Cars&Coffee. To further this cause, I forwarded the email to my friends Gene and Dave, both owners of Porsche 930 turbos, in hope of their participation come Saturday morning.

For a change, the early morning skies Saturday morning were clear and dry. As I pulled into the parking lot still cloaked in darkness, I was waved into the “featured” lot, to join the already present assortment of rainbow-hued Porsche 911’s. As I rounded the parking median, I encountered my friend Gene backing his black 930 turbo into a corner parking spot, and after he was settled in, I grabbed the space immediately to his right. As the lot continued to fill with even more 911’s, my friend Dave arrived in his 1984 Slate Gray 930 Turbo, debuting a brand new, upgraded turbo motor. By the time the sun had risen, the lot was filled with an even greater variety of Porsches, and what an amazing, colorful collection it was…

Dave’s slate gray 1984 930 turbo, and the first photos of his brand new turbo motor with mirror polished intercooler…

And parked shoulder to shoulder with the Porsche 911’s was this ultra rare, Grand Prix white, 1981 Porsche 924 Carrera GTS Club Sport. According to Porsche, a total of fifty-nine GTS Carreras were built (50 to meet the Group 4 homologation requirements back in the day, plus an additional nine for good measure). And of the fifty-nine total cars built, only 15 were further modified to Club Sport specifications…

In fact, this is the only GTS identification displayed on the entire car, and almost invisible due to its monochromatic design…

From week to week, one never knows who might be seen strolling through the parking lot at Cars&Coffee. On this morning, local resident and American racing legend Dan Gurney (in the white jacket and blue sweater) and his wife were present (see photo above), taking in the sights and examining the mornings diverse gathering of Porsches…

And obviously, the tribute email reached the owner of this beautiful Porsche 904 Carrera GTS as witnessed below. A fitting tribute, since the Porsche 904 was the second milestone car penned by F.A. Porsche, shortly after his completion of the design for the 911…

Several other rare and unique Porsche models were also represented Saturday morning, and ironically were each parked in close proximity to one another.

The first was the pristine white, 1962 Porsche 356 Carrera 2, powered by the model specific, Carrera 4 cam motor as seen below…

The second model was a silver,1961 Porsche Carrera Abarth GTL (shown below), also sporting a 4 cam motor, and backed by a freestanding display that chronicled the cars racing history. This particular Abarth GTL is another example of a very rare Porsche, being part of the initial, limited production run of 21 GTL’s from back in 1960. This particular car (serial #1015), was the fifteenth of only 21 produced during that time frame.

And last but not least was the second Porsche 904 in attendance ( the blue model shown below), and the only 904 model to possess a very special connection to Ferdinand Alexander Porsche…

This particular car, a 1964 904 Carrera GTS, serial # 904-002 (of which I have written about previously), is not only historically significant because of its status as one of the surviving pre-production prototype models created, but also because of the unique design features unique to this car only. And no less important is the fact that this is the single 904 Carrera GTS to have been owned and routinely driven by the designer himself (Ferdinand Alexander “Butzi” Porsche).

Thus the personalized California license plate that adorns the rear of the car; a clue to the cars historic significance, and reference to the identity of 904-002’s original owner.

As the morning came to a close, and the sound of Porsche boxer / flat six motors coming to life echoed throughout the parking lot, it was time to reflect on the event that had brought us all together that morning. And what better tribute and reminder to all present, than the photo of a young Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, photographed sitting on the fender of his design come to life, the Porsche 911. One only had to look at the Porsche participants that Saturday morning, or recall the Porsche 911 parking corrals at Porsches Rennsport Reunion IV, filled to capacity with 911’s from every model year and color as far as the eye could see, to understand the impact of this designers creative genius. And hopefully, the DNA from his original 911 design will continue to thrive, for future generations of aspiring Porsche 911 owners to experience and enjoy…

(All photos by the author)

Of Speedsters, Spyders, Porsche GT3 RS4.0’s, and more…

Posted on April 7, 2012 by digitaldtour

Saturday morning, March 31 once again dawned cool, gray and damp. So much for spring weather here in Southern California… and for the past several weeks, we have been witness to storm fronts blowing in, just as the weekend was coming into view. Lately, my Friday evenings have been spent watching the 11PM news, to see what possible surprises Mother Nature has planned that could negatively impact Saturday morning’s Cars&Coffee event. And this past Saturday was no exception. However instead of rain, we were treated to sporadic, light drizzle. Just enough to mess with a freshly detailed car… My first encounter with the drizzle was while heading down to connect up with the southbound 5 freeway. I was definitely becoming concerned, especially with each new pocket of drizzle that I encountered. Luckily, the further south I drove, the drier it became. By the time I arrived in Irvine, there were low, gray clouds everywhere, but no rain. And gauging by the number of cars already present at 6AM, there were a lot of other drivers with similar hopes for a dry morning.

While I was assembling my camera gear for the mornings shoot, I noticed what appeared to be an early 1970’s vintage, white Porsche 911 make its way up the nearby parking row, and come to a stop one row over behind where I was parked, faced towards me. From the sound of the exhaust, it was apparent he was running a modified exhaust system on a healthy sounding motor. After shutting off the motor, the driver exited, locked his car and disappeared into the crowd. The glowing white visage was enough to get my attention, so I headed over for a closer look.

The interior was in keeping with the race inspired exterior; stripped down with an RS carpet kit, door panels, roll bar, RS steering wheel, shoulder and lap belts, and dual racing sport seats…

Even the fuch wheels (front and rear) received the race prepped treatment: long wheel studs with steel lug nuts, to securely anchor each wheel in place.

This is only the third Porsche 911 that I have ever seen fitted with a set of the rare Cibie Biode headlights ( as shown above).

And situated just one row over from this white 911, was Porsche Row. Below is a small sampling of a few of the cars found along the row…

My next stop was over at the featured parking lot, where this beautiful red, Porsche 356 Speedster was being displayed…

This particular car has a rare, hardtop option, which includes a hinged vent window, located just behind each door window…

The Speedster reflected in the yellow, award-winning (European model) Ferrari 246 Dino’s rear wheel knock-off, parked to the left of the Speedster…

And then along came a Spyder…

…a white Boxster Spyder to be precise, complete with Porsche 934 styled rear fender flares, GT3 RS4.0 fender flares up front, and a GT2 RS inspired front hood.

And parked several rows over, back on Porsche Row, was this beautifully restored, green 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS (as seen below). And yes, it is a REAL 911 Carrera RS (# 280), and not a clone.

After shooting the Carrera RS, I moved down the row and noticed some of the reflections being cast onto the cars by their neighbors…

It was while I was walking back to have another look at the red Speedster, that I saw this white 2011 GT3 RS4.0 parked at the end of the aisle. After noticing the red-painted headlight washers, I realized this was a car new to Cars&Coffee, and one that I had not seen before. A BRAND NEW SIGHTING, making this the 9th car to be added to my GT3 RS4.0 sighting list…!

Knowing that the dash mounted plaque would reveal this cars series number, I walked over to the passenger side, and peering through the open window, saw that this car was # 222 of 600.

I suddenly realized that this was A BRAND NEW SIGHTING, making this the 9th car to be added to my GT3 RS4.0 sightings list !

And just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, as I walked back to my car I spotted a second white GT3 RS4.0 parked right behind my car! Not recognizing any of the people standing nearby, I walked over to get a look at the cars series number dash tag. I immediately recognized the number (#490) as being my 7th RS4.0 sighting, made several weeks earlier at Cars&Coffee. And with different lighting conditions this morning, it was time to capture a few more shots to add to my ever-increasing archive…

(I received an email from a friend this afternoon, letting me know of a special tribute being planned for tomorrow morning (April 7) at Cars &Coffee, in remembrance of Ferdinand Alexander (Butzi) Porsche who passed away on Thursday. Please stay tuned for my coverage from Saturdays event…

(All photos by the author)

Remembering Ferdinand Alexander (Butzi) Porsche…

Posted on April 6, 2012 by digitaldtour

It was with great sadness that I read the news today announcing the passing of Ferdinand Alexander Porsche. His passing is not only a terrible loss for the Porsche family, but a sad day for the global Automotive and Design community.

His automotive design and styling influences will be forever linked to the company founded by his grandfather and father, and by two of his penned automotive masterpieces; the iconic Porsche 911, and shortly after, the fiberglass bodied 904 Carrera GTS as seen below.

A beautifully restored example of a 1966 Porsche 911…

…And the historically significant 1964 Porsche 904 GTS (shown below), ironically with special ties to F.A. Porsche. This particular car is serial number 904-002, a pre production model possessing many one-off, custom features, and a car actually owned by its designer, Ferdinand Alexander Porsche. Thus the “Butzi S” reference on its license plate…

Then in 1972, Ferdinand Alexander Porsche shifted his design focus, and created the product design firm that came to be known as Porsche Design. His innovative designs for the satin black, chronograph watch with a face inspired by the gauges found within the 911, and the satin black framed, aviator style sunglasses with interchangeable lenses, both went on to become instant classics, and established Porsche Design as a force to be reckoned with. As a testament to his sense of design and creative vision, the original Porsche Design chronograph has become a highly sought after collectible watch, and their aviator styled sunglasses are still being produced to this day.

So thank you Professor Porsche, for elevating the art of Automotive and Product Design, and for giving life to the Porsche 911 and 904. Godspeed…

Reflections on a summery Saturday morning, and two new Porsche GT3 RS4.0 sightings…

Posted on March 14, 2012 by digitaldtour

For the second weekend in a row, Southern California was once again blessed with summer like weather, complete with warm breezes and sunny, cloudless crystal blue skies. This past Saturday was another stunning example, and what better time to undertake another study of reflections, and explore the contrast of shadow and light and their collective impact on the automotive form.

The following photos represent my latest study, with lighting effects provided courtesy of Mother Nature, and additional fill provided by my Nikon SB600 Speedlight…

After shooting the Ferrari Daytona coupe seen above, I ran into a friend who asked if I had seen the Ferrari Enzo and Bugatti Veyron parked by the catering tables. I told him no, and then asked if the Bugatti was the blue-tinted carbon fiber model that had been at the event 2 weeks earlier. He said no, that this one was a two-tone, red on black, and that the Enzo parked just in front was a blood orange color. So off I went in search of these two cars, which can be seen below. I was definitely surprised to see each car displaying a KONY 2012 placard, an apparent effort by each owner to draw attention to the atrocities committed by African warlord Joseph Kony, against the children of his country…

I then noticed that another crowd was gathered towards the middle of the parking lot and decided to find out what was drawings the crowd. There parked at the end of the row, was a spectacular looking hot rod, and then it hit me. This was a Chip Foose creation, and walking towards the back confirmed it. This was the Foose HemiSFear…

And with the rear deck opened, even the valve covers confirmed that this was in fact the HemiSFear.

My next stop was on Mercedes row, to check out a beautifully restored Triumph motorcycle parked next to an amazing black Mercedes-Benz 190 SL roadster, both the source of some amazing shadows and reflections…

And now an update on my two latest Porsche GT3 RS4.0 sightings…

On Saturday March 3, I added another GT3 RS4.0 sighting (#7) to my list of cars encountered since October 2011 at Porsches Rennsport Reunion IV. This car was another example of the white exterior with the RS4.0 exterior graphics package, with the white wheel configuration.

After talking with the owner, I learned that he’s had the car for only three months, but from the smile on his face it was obvious he thoroughly enjoys ownership. It was then time to ask him my standard GT3 RS4.0 question – What series number is your car out of the total 600 built? Fortunately, every RS4.0 owner faced with my question has been gracious enough to share their cars series number. And keeping the trend alive, this owner shared with me that his car was #490 out of 600.

Sighting #8, and my second sighting for March, occurred this past Saturday, and was once again at Cars&Coffee /Irvine. This particular car appeared to be brand new; also white and wearing the traditional RS4.0 exterior graphics package, but in this case its wheels were black.

Realizing that this was a brand new car, and not one that I had seen before, I immediately looked around for the owner in hopes of asking him about his car, and adding its series number to my GT3 RS4.0 sighting list. No owner was to be found, so I circled that car a few more times, adding more images to my collection and studying the various reflective surfaces found on the car.

I returned to the car a little later and was lucky enough to catch the owner, just as he was getting ready to leave. I quickly introduced myself, and explained my interest in the Porsche GT3 RS4.0, along with my quest to document each of my RS4.0 sightings since seeing my first at Porsches Rennsport Reunion IV. I learned that the owner had also attended Rennsport Reunion IV, and had even participated in the weekends racing. It was then time for me to ask my question, and this owner kept the tradition alive by sharing with me that his car was series #491. I then shared with him that I had encountered another white GT3 RS4.0 one week earlier, which was series # 490. We both agreed on the rarity of finding two cars with sequential series numbers, from such a limited worldwide production.

Now only 592 GT3 RS4.0’s remaining…

(All photos by the author)

Observations on Southern California’s all Porsche Swap and Car display, March 4, 2012…

Posted on March 9, 2012 by digitaldtour

Once a year, the “Porsche literature, toy/model and memorabilia meet for Porsche and Vintage VW’s” comes to town, and is followed up by the all Porsche Swap and Car display on Sunday, held at the Phoenix Club located in Anaheim, California.

Last weekends weather could not have been better suited for a Porsche swap meet and car display. Sunday morning dawned bright and sunny, with a cloudless blue sky and summer like temperatures. And the Porsche community showed up in droves…

By the time I arrived at the Phoenix Club (at 7:30 AM), I was greeted by one very long, single file line of Porsches, queued up nose to tail, awaiting entry into the event to be part of the car display. So I tucked in line, to wait with the rest of the assembled masses. As soon as the gate opened, we were routed through the aisles of the already active swap meet, with our final destination being the grassy field at the back, selected for the days display parking.

The welcome committee (above and below), parked along the swap meet aisles, greeted those driving into the event…

Various car clubs and their members (the 356 Registry, Early S Registry, POC, and the RGruppe just to name a few), had been granted priority parking, and were already staged about the grounds. (I found out later that they had all arrived at 6 AM for positioning). Once parked on the lawn, and after a quick scan of the surrounding cars, it was time to grab my camera and head off to check out the undiscovered Porsches.

Centrally located on the site, was the huge green tent (“Festhalle”), which housed a large collection of vendors, all hawking Porsche related products and services. And strategically placed around the perimeter of the tent, were the different cars clubs, each displaying a variety of Porsches; from 356’s to 911’s, 912’s, one Brumos Porsche 935 (courtesy of Pelican Parts), and even a Porsche Junior tractor…

In addition to the Brumos Porsche 935, there were several other Porsche race cars present; the Wynn’s Porsche 962, and the red Coca-Cola Porsche 935…

And just around the corner from these two cars was another hidden gem; the historically significant, blue 1964 Porsche 904 GTS Carrera, serial number 904-002. For those unfamiliar with this particular car, this is one of only two pre- production prototypes built, and that served as the personal car of its designer Ferdinand Alexander (Butzi) Porsche…

After shooting the 904, it was time for a closer look at some of the remaining cars staged throughout the grassy display area…

And hidden out in the back corner of the field was this rasberry colored 1973 Carrera RS…

After making the rounds through the car display area, it was time for one last pass around the Festhalle tent, in case I missed any cars…

And with one last Carrera RS sighting, it was time to head home.

Note to self: the next time you come across a 1/43 scale GT3 RS4.0 model, don’t delay in deciding whether or not to buy it…

(all photos by the author)

A Carbon fiber Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, and a smorgasbord of Porsches…

Posted on February 28, 2012 by digitaldtour

Sunrise this past Saturday morning revealed a treasure not seen at Cars&Coffee in some time: a Bugatti Veyron. But this particular model was not just any Bugatti, but one of the latest Veyron Super Sports, optioned out in Dark blue-tinted carbon fiber bodywork.

As soon as the driver from Symbolic Motors parked the Bugatti, it was immediately swarmed by those in attendance, and remained that way until it departed. It was flanked shortly after by two other vehicles, also from Symbolic Motors, and both Lamborghini Gallardo Spyders. One in bright yellow and the other in matte black. Combined, they served for the morning as protective bookends for the Bugatti.

At one point, the driver of the Bugatti climbed back into the Veyron, started the engine and after flipping a switch or two, the rear wing and air brake ascended from their resting place in the rear bodywork for all to see…

Equally impressive were the components revealed by the raising of the wing; heat shielding throughout the compartment, what appeared to be a titanium exhaust, silver expanded metal mesh cladding, in addition to the silver, satin finished rear wing struts, machined linkages and hydraulic fittings. Not to mention some amazing reflections cast in the surrounding surfaces from a variety of hardware.

And tucked in beneath the streamlined rear cowling was the motor, set like an ornate piece of jewelry, displayed within a protective blue-tinted carbon fiber jewel case…

But now it was time to check out the rest of the show, so off I headed to Porsche row… Once again there was a diverse collection of Porsches present from early 911’s, several different models of 911 GT3’s, a 2011 GT3RS, as well as a brand new 2012 911 Carrera S (type 991)…

After checking out the Porsches and then the other cars in attendance, I made my way back to the Bugatti and check out the crowd…

And I was just in time to observe the driver climb back into the car, fire it up and watch the rear wing retract (refer to the photos below)…

And with the engine sufficiently warmed, the Bugatti was put into gear and rolled out towards the exit. As it made its way, it collected a huge procession of bystanders, who followed it out with cameras and cell phones capturing the action, recording its very presence that morning and its departure.

I found out later that morning from my youngest son, that someone had already posted photos of the blue Bugatti from Cars&Coffee on Facebook. The passion for all things automotive is definitely alive and thriving here in Southern California…

(all photos by the author)

The shiny, happy cars of Cars&Coffee…

Posted on February 24, 2012 by digitaldtour

Shiny, happy cars, and hordes of happy people. That’s the atmosphere experienced each and every week at Cars&Coffee, and this past Saturday was no exception.

Under the cover of darkness, two white on white Lamborghini’s rumbled in, circled the lot and parked side by side. One was an early Countach 5000 S, and the second, a Diablo VT Roadster.

With no rain in sight, and the light morning overcast rapidly burning off with the sunrise, an amazing collection of bright shiny cars were soon revealed. The pair of Lamborghini’s acted like a glowing beacon within the parking lot, with their scissor doors pointed skyward like searchlights, and quickly began drawing a crowd…

Over at Porsche row, I was pleasantly surprised to see that on this particular morning, the entire row was occupied by Porsches; from 356’s, 914’s, 911’s, 912’s, and a rare 911 GT2RS …

And parked immediately behind Porsche row, was this beautiful blue 1965 Porsche 356 SC cabriolet…

And parked on yet another row, perpendicular to Porsche row, was this pair of modified Porsche 997 GT3 coupes…

And over at the “Featured lot”, was a gathering of the Roush Road Crew / Ford Mustang car club…

And situated opposite from the Roush mustangs, were several vintage Ford roadsters seen below. The black roadster was a highly modified 1933 model, complete with tan leather interior and matching rumble seat, and burl wood dash. Under the hood sat a highly modified Chevrolet power plant that was just as impressive as the rest of the car. The body work and paint finish alone were spectacular, delivering reflections from every angle, like a black mirror…

And representing Chevrolet, was this amazing silver Corvette Sting Ray coupe, complete with a L72, 427 cubic inch motor…

And every so often, one comes across an interesting radiator cap secured to a massive chrome grill…

Or a time capsule, 1951 Studebaker Champion, with fighter plane styled influences…

Perhaps a P-38 lightning influenced front end?

Also in attendance, and representing Jaguar, were these three examples of their latest high performance offering – the 2012 XKR-S. Interestingly, two out of the three XK’s present, (one in French Racing Blue and the second in Italian Racing Red Metallic / both in coupe form), looked identical to two of the cars currently represented in Jaguars new commercial for the XKR-S. Shown below (in Polaris white), was the sole convertible…

What makes these three cars even more unique, in addition to their being powered by a four cam, 5 liter supercharged V8, pumping out 550 horsepower, and rolling on 20″ wheels, is the fact that Jaguar only manufactured 25 examples of this particular model for 2012. Apparently Jaguar is already at work on a second limited production run of XKR-S models (100 only) for 2013…

And with several 1960’s vintage Jaguar E type coupes on site for comparison, it was easy to see where the designers drew their inspiration and historical references from for this new model…

And in what seems to be becoming a trend, the Lamborghini owners once again converged along the very last row of the parking lot, with the landscaped hillsides serving as a photographic backdrop…

Lamborghini row with a silver McLaren MP4-12C slipped in for good measure below…

And tucked away over by the Mazda facility loading docks, was this amazing gray (Grigio Medio) Ferrari 599…

And last but not least, hidden away in the furthest back corner of the lot, and at the opposite end of Lamborghini row, was this beautiful white Porsche 911 GT3RS with titanium colored graphics…

Given the massive turn out that was experienced last weekend, one can only speculate as to the hidden treasures awaiting discovery this Saturday…

(all photos by the author)

A Coventry inspired rain, reflections and rainbow colored cars…

Posted on February 16, 2012 by digitaldtour

This past Saturday morning saw scattered English country like showers pass through the Cars & Coffee parking lot several times in the pre-dawn hours. And how appropriate for christening the local Jaguar Clubs rally participants, all gathered together for a Saturday morning event at Cars&Coffee…

Once again the parking lot to the right of the main entrance was called into action to serve as the venue for a wide variety of Jaguar models, including an incredible array of XK and E-types roadsters and coupes, all on display as part of the clubs early morning get together.

In between the episodes of drizzle, the Jaguar owners would break out their chamois or microfiber towels to quickly dry off their cars and the exposed leather interiors…

And then there were the Jaguar owners who had the foresight to install their tonneau covers in case of rain…

Located at the end of the first row of Jaguars was this beautiful black on red, 1956 Jaguar XK 140 MC OTS. The owner even included a biography about the car, posted on his windshield (see below)…

And parked just across the aisle, was this amazing pale green on red, Jaguar XK 150 coupe…

And then there were the E -type Jaguars; in an assortment of rainbow colors, lined up side by side… dark green, light green, metallic green, yellow, dark blue, red and white.

It was amazing to see so many E -types gathered together in one setting…

And down at the opposite end of the Jaguar E -type row, was this pair of beautiful red and blue XK 150 roadsters…

Over on Porsche row, no car had been safe from the rain. These particular Porsches seen below had arrived in the early morning hours, evidenced by the amount of rain drops still clinging to their highly polished exteriors. What I found equally interesting, was the unique water droplet run-off patterns found on each cars roof and hoods…

And as I reached the end of the row, I encountered an unexpected surprise; a brand new white, 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S (type 991). This is the first 2012 model that I have seen on the street, since witnessing its debut back in October at Porsches Rennsport Reunion IV…

I’m still having to get used to this new design and styling, along with the various Panamera influences found about the car. Personally, I’m disappointed that the new 911 (type 991) has lost some of the unique characteristics that over the year have come to define the Porsche 911. Or maybe its just the references to the Panamera, used in context to this new model that I find troubling…

Moving on, my next stop was to the very back row of the parking lot, which on this cold, rainy morning looked like a scene straight from the local Lamborghini dealership. Here sat a rainbow assortment of Lamborghini Gallardos, with a couple Gallardo Superlegerra models squeezed in for good measure…

Then just as I finished shooting the Lamborghini’s, it started to drizzle again. Out came the umbrellas (for those with umbrellas), and signaled to me it was time to head back to my car.

On my way back, I came across this bright red Porsche 550 spyder replica below, still dry having escaped the earlier showers. However it didn’t look like it would stay that way for long, as the drizzles intensity began to increase. And with that, the remaining cars on site began to depart, returning to the shelter of their garages, in preparation to do it all over again the following Saturday morning, rain or shine…

(all photos by the author)

digitaldtour

A photographic journey through the Southern California car culture

Category Archives: Porsche

California Festival of Speed, and two new Porsche GT3 RS4.0 sightings…

Up, up and away, and a Porsche 924 Carrera GTS Club Sport…

A tribute to Ferdinand Alexander Porsche at Cars&Coffee/Irvine…

Of Speedsters, Spyders, Porsche GT3 RS4.0’s, and more…

Remembering Ferdinand Alexander (Butzi) Porsche…

Reflections on a summery Saturday morning, and two new Porsche GT3 RS4.0 sightings…

Observations on Southern California’s all Porsche Swap and Car display, March 4, 2012…

A Carbon fiber Bugatti Veyron Super Sport, and a smorgasbord of Porsches…

The shiny, happy cars of Cars&Coffee…

A Coventry inspired rain, reflections and rainbow colored cars…