Eggplant, Oranges, Limes, Fire, Smoke and Mirrors…

Posted on July 4, 2012 by digitaldtour

One of the factors that keeps me returning to Cars & Coffee each week is the diversity of vehicles and owners that come together every Saturday morning. And with each weeks sunrise, the dawning light uncovers and seems to set the tone for the mornings pending explorations. Some weeks the focus is geared visually towards a particular make of car, in part due to the sheer number of similar makes or models present. Other times, the morning may appear like a scene taken directly from the paddock area at a vintage race track. But this past Saturday struck me as a morning set for celebrating the wonder of light and color.

My first encounter that morning was with this beautiful 1973 Porsche 911T as seen below, wearing the rare, period correct color; “Aubergine” (Porsche paint code # 025).

Ironically, the French word for eggplant (which is exactly what this color resembles) is “Aubergine”. And to give you an idea of just how rare this particular color is, this is only the fourth car I have seen in person painted this color, after experiencing it for the very first time back in 1973.

Ironically, that first sighting occurred on the occasion of my dad taking me with him to shop for his very first Porsche. The dealers demo car at the time, and the one that we got to test drive, could have been the twin to the 1973 911T shown here (also Aubergine with a tan interior). On a side note, our 1973 test drive was a huge success; upon returning to the dealership, my dad placed an order for a 911, and two weeks later took delivery of a brand new silver metallic, 1973 1/2 Porsche 911T with black interior.

My next stop was over at the “Featured Lot”, to check out the cars on display. Situated towards the back of the lot, and parked in proximity to one another were two orange hued supercars. The first was this stunning burnt orange, 2012 Lamborghini Aventador LP-700-4 as seen below.

The second car was this 2012 McLaren MP4-12C, painted in the classic “McLaren Orange”…

Returning to the main lot, I picked a route that paralleled motorcycle row. And at the end of the row was this trio of custom motorized bicycles on display. All three were equally impressive, however it was the lime green model that really caught my eye, probably because my very first bicycle had been lime green…

Upon closer inspection, it became obvious that the top tube on this custom bike had been repurposed, and now served a dual function; to not only provide structural support to the frame, but also serve as the fuel tank for the motor, securely anchored to the frame below. According to the builder, the bikes can be configured with either a 2 stroke 49 cc or a larger 80 cc motor.

The fit, finish and detailing visible on all three bikes was top-notch, and the display really drew a crowd. For more information on these three cool bikes and others under construction, check out the builders website – www.dutchmanmotorbikes.com

It was now time for me to check out the cars parked out on the very back rows of the parking lot, and then work my way back towards the front, row by row. Arriving on the back row, I was rewarded by the sight of two more exotics; one French and one Italian. Representing France was a fire engine red Bugatti Veyron 16.4, as seen below.

And representing Italy was a second Lamborghini Aventador LP-700-4, this one however dressed in black.

And parked immediately across from the Bugatti and Lamborghini was the beautifully restored, charcoal gray Ferrari Dino.

The Dino’s front hood made for the perfect mirror, and it wasn’t until I got home and was reviewing my shots that I realized the full extent of the reflections captured. I had not only recorded the reflections from the Bugatti and Lamborghini parked just across the row, but had also captured the images of two of the commentators from the Speed Channel (Bob Varsha and Mike Joy) standing nearby, who happened to be in town broadcasting from the Barrett – Jackson / Orange County auction.

Feeling inspired by these cool reflections, I decided to go in search of other interesting reflections as my quest for the rest of the morning.

Parked just off from the main parking lot, was this beautiful 1962 black on red Chevrolet Corvette roadster as seen below.

And the amazing hidden treasure found beneath the hood…

My last stop of the morning would be back at the featured lot, as my final challenge to capture the last few reflections for the morning. And luck was on my side; the two Lamborghini Diablo’s flanking the orange McLaren MP4-12C were still in place, and capturing some amazing reflections.

Now only four days to go until Saturdays sunrise once again reveals its magic, and sets the tone for a whole new set of discoveries…

(All photos by the author)

A Porsche 993 Carrera RS Club Sport comes face to face with its Doppelganger…

Posted on June 26, 2012 by digitaldtour

The morning of June 16, 2012 saw the return of the rare, mexico blue Porsche 993 Carrera RS Club Sport to Cars&Coffee/Irvine. However, parked and lurking amongst the Porsche faithful was a hidden doppelgänger; a rare example of a full race Porsche 993 Carrera RS Cup Car. Webster’s dictionary defines doppelgänger as a ghostly counterpart; double; alter ego. These three definitions could not have more accurately described the early morning encounter between these two Porsches…

And with a little jockeying, suddenly the two cars were parked side by side, each representing examples from the highly developed 993 Carrera RS DNA strand. Both the 993 Carrera RS and the Club Sport variants were built to fulfill the homologation requirements necessary for Porsche to produce their ultimate type 993 genetic offering; the full race Carrera Cup car. Powered by a 3.8 liter air-cooled six cylinder motor producing 305 horsepower, these became the largest air-cooled flat six motors to be built and sold by Porsche. And for those who were fortunate enough to attended Porsches Rennsport Reunion IV back in October, you may recognize this red # 9 Carrera RS Cup car as having been one of the competitors from the weekends Group 6 – Cayman Interseries / 911 Invitational races.

The following photos are a brief glimpse of this rare encounter between the two Porsche Carrera RS models…

And just as quickly as they had appeared, with a twist of their keys, both were brought to life and soon departing, under escort from a trio of early model Porsche 911s…

(All photos by the author)

Observations from the 2012 O.C.T.O Show; a showcase of VW type II transporters…

Posted on June 18, 2012 by digitaldtour

151

Last Saturday morning saw a major departure from my usual weekend routine. On this particular morning, I found myself heading south down the 605 freeway towards Long Beach, to check out the VW type II transporter show titled “The 2012 O.C.T.O Show”. The event was hosted by the Orange County Transporter Organization, staged in the parking lot at Long Beach Veterans Memorial Stadium, as a vehicle display and swap meet. For anyone with an interest in Volkswagen type II transporters (produced from 1949 through 1967), these are the ideal type of event to attend. Then imagine finding yourself surrounded by a parking lot full of nothing but vintage type II buses; with each new row encountered, there existed the possibility of coming face to face with an even more amazing bus than the last…

And in the middle of it all was the events featured “Barn-Door display”, as seen below

No matter ones preference regarding Volkswagen type II’s (barn-door, Single Cab, Dual Cab, Panelvan, Safari windowed bus, etc.), you were assured of finding an example or two on display. And if looking to buy parts to restore a bus, or maybe even purchase a vehicle, the event was able to accommodated either pursuit.

The following photos represent a small percentage of the total number of participants present the morning of the show…

Interior view below, showing optional equipment code # M199 – Drivers seat swivel…

For a listing of upcoming VW shows and events near you, please check out the following website: www.thesamba.com

(All photos by the author)

Something Wicked This Way Comes …

Posted on June 12, 2012 by digitaldtour

As noted in my last post, Saturday June 2nd promised to be a very interesting morning at Cars&Coffee/Irvine, especially in light of Mercedes-Benz being selected as the weeks featured marque. On my drive down to Irvine that morning, I found myself taking a mental inventory of the different 300 SL Gullwings that I had encountered in the past (since they are on my all time favorite cars list), and wondering just how many of those same cars might be on display. Saturday morning would also be an opportunity for the select owners within the Mercedes-Benz community to exercise their supercars, such as the Vision SLR, AMG SLS, and the CLK AMG Black series coupes, and to share them with the spectators for the morning.

By the time I arrived at the event, there was already a line of Mercedes-Benz stretching all the way out of the parking lot, queued up single file and waiting to enter the featured lot. Non- Mercedes traffic was being waved over to the left side of the entrance, in order to avoid this early morning traffic jam. Once I cleared this bottleneck, I quickly found a space, parked the car and headed off to grab a quick bite. After visiting with several of my RGruppe friends (all the while finishing my donut), it was time once again to grab my camera and head off into the crowd that was building over at the featured lot.

As I picked my way through the crowd, the first Mercedes-Benz I came across was this beautiful 300 SL roadster, with its hard top in place, in pale yellow with red interior. And if I’m not mistaken, this was the first time this particular 300 SL has been displayed at Cars&Coffee.

And parked just behind this pale yellow 300 SL hard topped roadster, was a collection of five 300 SL’s; three Gullwing coupes and two roadsters. The white Gullwing seen below was the only one from this grouping to be actively campaigned in vintage racing. Externally, the visual clues to this cars alter ego was the removal of the front bumper, the application of racing numbers and a large collection of technical inspection stickers proudly displayed on the driver’s side corner of the windshield. Internally, the clues were equally as obvious; the inclusion of a roll bar, fire extinguisher and racing belts.

Immediately to the right was the first of the two 300 SL roadsters, this one in red.

And to its right (as seen below) was the second Gullwing coupe, wearing a set of rare Rudge knock-off wheels…

And this Gullwing’s engine compartment was just as clean and detailed as the rest of the car.

And one space over to the right sat the second 300 SL roadster; this one in a rich slate blue, equipped with european headlights.

The last 300 SL parked on the row was this stunning dark blue on tan Gullwing coupe.

Another of the immaculately detailed engine compartments.

The car’s interior was equally as impressive as its exterior; from the tan leather appointed trim, to its leather seats with plaid patterned inserts, matching fitted luggage and tie-down straps.

The paint job and overall finish on this car was equally mind-blowing; the color depending upon the lighting, appeared as either a very dark blue or a bluish black. I had a chance to ask the owner about this unique color and its spec name, and with a straight face he responded “its blue”… I followed that up by stating that it looked allot darker than any of the other Mercedes-Benz blues that I have seen. He then confessed that this particular shade of blue was in fact a custom color that he created, to insure that there would not be another 300 SL Gullwing coupe painted this same color. The dark blue finish also lent itself well as a medium for capturing some incredible reflections across its flawless contours.

Ironically, as spectacular as this group of 300 SL’s were, there was still one more surprise awaiting. And what a surprise…

Parked on the outside of the median, just opposite of the 300 SL row, was this amazing silver 2012 Mercedes-Benz race car.

My first impression was that this must be a Mercedes-Benz spin-off model from the German DTM racing series.

However, after reading the biography information provided on the clear acrylic display, I quickly learned that this car had been purpose-built to compete in the American based Pirelli World Challenge GT series, by the local Huntington Beach, California firm MBBS Racing, and their affiliate Evosport Engineering.

While walking around the car and after shooting it from a variety of different angles, I struck up a conversation with one of the team members standing nearby. It turned out that the gentleman (Evan Chance) was in fact the race engineer /sub assembly specialist for the team, who was kind enough to share some of the back story regarding this car and the MBBS Racing / Evosport Engineering race team. During our conversation, I was introduced to Craig Stanton, the teams Lead driver and Development Manager, who is a very successful Southern California-based road racer. Craig also has the challenging task of monitoring all of the racing activities to be undertaken by Evosport Engineering.

Shortly after meeting and talking with Craig, I was then introduced to Simon Atik, a team Principal, who shared with me his and the teams excitement in building this Mercedes-Benz race car. He spoke of the teams amazing opportunity to debut a Mercedes-Benz race car into a major U.S. racing series, and the chance to compete against the Cadillac CTS/V, Volvo S60 and the Porsche GT3 Cup car; all competitors in the premier level GT class.

Evan then asked if I would like to take a closer look at the car, and in response to my reply, proceeded to open up the doors and then the rear trunk, explaining many of the details and features as we went…

Craig Stanton’s office…

Out back, beneath the rear carbon fiber spoiler and massive trunk mounted rear wing, were some amazing race components…

Mounted on top of and plumbed off of the fuel cell was the fuel pump and filter, and framing each side of the centrally mounted fuel cell were the remote pressure reservoirs for the MCS rear shock absorbers. And the long blue anodized cylinder, mounted just to the right of the fuel cell is an accusump unit; a pressurized dry sump oil tank that will provide supplemental lubrication to the 6.3 liter V8 race motor under severe racing conditions.

Evan then mentioned that the team was just several weeks away from a test session up at Buttonwillow ( a race track located 28 mile northwest of Bakersfield, California), and how much the entire team was looking forward to getting the car out onto the track. He also stated that their goal is to have the car race ready for the last several Pirelli World Challenge GT races of this season.

With the event winding down, and as the crowds began to thin, it was time to button up the Mercedes and load it back into the transporter…

Evan (below), waiting for the transporter lift gate to be lowered…

The Evosport transporter…

Even the undercarriage displayed the same attention to detail and finish as the rest of the car…

Based upon my conversations with the team, and having witnessed firsthand the thoroughness and attention to detail paid in the building of this race car, this is going to be a team to be reckoned with, and one that will quickly become a threat to the competition. Stay tuned for future progress reports relating to this team…

I’d also like to give author Ray Bradbury (who passed away Tuesday, June 5) credit for the inspiration behind this weeks blog post title, taken from his 1962 book by the same name…

(All photos by the author)

“I Keep Holdin’ on to Yesterday”…

Posted on June 4, 2012 by digitaldtour

My title for this post came from what I perceived as the theme for last weeks gathering at Cars&Coffee, and reinforced after recently hearing the song with the same title by the 1970s group Ambrosia. Saturday morning May 26th definitely had a nostalgic feel to it, given the sheer number of vintage cars that were in attendance.

This was especially true regarding the first pair of vehicles I encountered that morning; a Dove Blue Volkswagen type II transporter, parked alongside a pale yellow Porsche 356 A coupe. This setting looked like a scene straight out of the 1950s…

And just two cars to the west of this pairing sat another classic; a black, 1950s vintage Porsche 356 A coupe. In addition to having a flawless paint finish, the car possessed a very interesting interior; one that was finished and detailed in green leather. Combined with its charcoal gray carpet, it made for a very interesting color combination. The green leather actually worked quite well with the black exterior, though not a color combination one normally associates with a black car.

From the outside, it was obvious that a lot of time had been spent on body work; addressing panel gaps, hours of block sanding and the laying down of a mirror like paint finish. The reflections alone were incredible, with body panels as smooth as glass, another testament to the amount of care given to the prep work. And the chrome trim installed was just as pristine as the rest of the car.

And out back, the reflections were just as amazing.

My next stop was just across the aisle at Porsche row, to check out the mornings assembled participants.

My first subject on Porsche row was this beautifully restored, orange 1970 Porsche 914-6. While I was standing at the back of the car, studying the reflections and colors visible across the rear decklid and bumper, the owner approached and suggested I take a look up front, as he had an interesting detail to share.

Once I was positioned up front, and with a twist of the key, the owner powered up the electrical system and up popped the headlights. It turned out that the mystery detail was the white headlight trim bezels (as seen above and below), which are incredibly rare, and as I came to learn, were only sourced from 1970 through 1972. By 1973, Porsche switched over to using only black trim bezels. These were the first white bezels I think I had ever seen on a Porsche 914, let alone on a 914-6, but because of the meticulous concours preparation that this car has undergone, I would expect nothing less than absolute period-correctness. I also received some additional design insight into the origins of the pop-up headlights as used on the 914. Apparently Porsches original design for the 914 had the headlights located just below the bumper (where the fog lights wound up being located), but because of the United States headlight height laws, it became apparent that the original location would not work. Porsche returned to the drawing board and came up with an ingenious solution; pop up headlights. By positioning them above the bumper, at the corners of the front hood, once raised their centerline height was almost identical to that of the 1970 model year Porsche 911s. They now had a design which would be in compliance with the U.S. headlight height law.

(This same design concept would reappear, repurposed for 1977, incorporated into the design of the brand new Porsche 928).

My next stop was over at the “Featured lot”, which on this morning hosted an eclectic mix of automobiles. Tucked away in a corner parking spot, sat this burgundy over tan, “coffin nosed” 1937 Cord 812 convertible, as seen below.

From a historical standpoint, the Cord was the first American front wheel drive vehicle produced, which also included the use of an independent front suspension. Cord produced two different models over a two-year period; the model 810 in 1936, powered by a 289 cubic inch motor.

For 1937, the model 812 was built, which added a supercharger to the base 289 motor, bumping up the horsepower figure to 170, well over the stock motors rating of 125 hp.

The key design feature used to identify a Cord 812 from an 810 model were the external, dual chrome plated exhaust pipes that exited out the sides of the front cowl, merging into the cars pontoon front fenders (as seen above and below).

Parked just across the row and facing towards the Cord, was this beautifully prepared, modified British Racing Green Jaguar E Type roadster, one of several Jaguars on display. This car is still campaigned in vintage racing events, and on this morning was being displayed complete with a drivers helmet resting in the interior.

I immediately recognized this helmet design as being from Formula 1, but could not remember which driver had this as his personal design. After doing some research when I returned home, I was able to confirm that this was in fact the helmet design as worn by Eddie Irvine during his career with the Jaguar Formula 1 Racing team, during the 2002 F1 season. It was also the same helmet design Eddie Irvine wore during his participation in the 2002 United States Grand Prix.

And parked just one row behind the Jaguar, as seen below, was this beautifully restored yet slightly modified, early 1970’s vintage Datsun 240 Z (produced well before the rebranding of the marque, which saw the name change to Nissan).

Back over at the main lot, cars had already begun leaving, but were quickly being replaced by cars that had been queued up and waiting to enter the event. I had observed these changes first hand, especially since the pale yellow Porsche 356 A coupe that had been parked next to the Dove blue VW Type II transporter was now gone. However, in its place was a black Porsche 997 turbo cabriolet.

This also presented another interesting visual comparison; old and new models displayed side by side, providing a clear example of changes in automotive design philosophy, technology and vehicle evolution.

This pairing also made for some very interesting visual imagery: reflections cast across the flanks of the turbo Porsches bodywork…

As I was getting ready to leave the event, I hard a rumor that the following weekends event (on Saturday June 2), would be a tribute to Mercedes-Benz. My immediate thoughts raced at the possibility of another gathering of 300SL gullwings, SL’s, SLR’s and more. Little did I know the surprises that awaited… Please stay tuned for my next post with coverage from another truly amazing event.

(All photos by the author)

“Badges? We don’t need no stinkin’ badges!”

Posted on May 28, 2012 by digitaldtour

As I walked through the rows of cars Saturday morning at Cars&Coffee, it dawned on me that regardless of the makes or models present, each and every car to one degree or another possessed an often overlooked detail; vehicle graphics, be it dimensional manufacturers badges or applied decal/vinyl graphics. And in addition to these basic badges, a large percentage of these cars also displayed secondary ID in the form of car club badges, installed on either vehicle grills or on badge bars (i.e. driving light bars), typically mounted at the front of the car.

If one takes a historical look back at the creation of the automobile, the coachbuilders and subsequent manufacturers soon recognized the value of marking their cars to identify their origins and over time used these emblems or badges as a tool to differentiate between brands and models. Manufacturers also shifted their design focus over to the creation of vehicle radiator caps and hood emblems; starting out as a functional component and over time evolving into visual brand markers.

With the arrival of the automobile, and as public interests grew, these new passions translated into the creation of car clubs. These interests in turn created a need for member identification, thus the creation of car club badges. These became a means for the identification of specific regional club members, and provided the opportunity to commemorate specific events (club tours, driving competitions, concours events, etc). And with each new event, owners had the opportunity to add additional car club badges to their vehicles. For many of the european makes, these club badges were proudly displayed on the front grills of the cars, or if the car was equipped with driving or fog lights, the badges were secured onto the unused portions of the horizontal lighting support brackets, common to so many of the cars of the day.

It also became apparent that most vehicle manufacturers utilize a two tiered system regarding vehicle identification; a primary graphic ID (hood of front grill brand ID), along with a secondary graphic( usually found at the back of the car), and used to identify the specific models.

The following photos recount a few of the observations I’ve made on this topic…

And as seen above, Porsches new 2012 type 991 with its new branding design layout, reintroducing the PORSCHE copy as a dimensional element in concert with the model ID. However, for those within the Porsche community, the concerns being voiced seem to be over branding; how much is too much? What do you think?

(All photos by the author)

A stranger in a strange land…

Posted on May 21, 2012 by digitaldtour

Saturday morning May 12 saw many of the Porsche faithful return after their previous weekend’s RGruppe Treffen event in Solvang, California. The discussions that morning focused on personal accounts from the previous weekends activities, along with a rumor that one of the rare, standout cars from Solvang would be attending Cars&Coffee on this particular morning. And as if on cue, a Mexico blue Porsche 993 was seen entering the driveway into the parking lot, aimed towards Porsche row.

Once parked, the view from behind revealed this 993s true identity. This particular car is not only an example of the rare, european only Carrera RS models, but also has the distinction of being one of the limited production, highly desirable performance variants – a 1996 Carrera RS Club Sport.

For 1995, Porsche produced a total of 1130 Carrera RS models, followed in 1996 by a final batch of only 57 RS models, making this particular car by virtue of its build date one of the last type 993 RS models produced. And from the total number of Carrera RS models that Porsche produced, only 47 examples were constructed to accommodate the right hand drive (RHD) marketplace.

Three visual cues can be used to differentiate and identify a Club Sport variant from its base Carrera RS sibling. The first and most obvious is the large dual plane, adjustable angle rear wing and with added cooling and induction intakes, instead of the flat profiled, whale tail spoiler found on the base Carrera RS. The two remaining cues are both found within the car: the pair of lightweight sport seats ( reported to save 66 pounds each over a stock seat), and an installed welded in roll cage, instead of a bolted together cage.

Returning to the exterior, another prominent but unique detail to the Carrera RS are its wheels. For both the RS and Club Sport models, the cars came equipped with 18 inch, Speedline 3 piece modular 5-spoke race wheels as seen below; sized 8″x18″ up front, and 10″x18″ at the rear…

Speedline 10″X18″ rear wheel (as shown above)

Speedline 8″X18″ front wheel (as shown above and detail below)

Another unique, yet less obvious performance component fitted to the Carrera RS Club Sport model is the front hood. For this model, Porsches weight savings efforts focused on material options, and as a result manufactured all of the RS Club Sport front hoods from aluminum. This demonstrates a classic example of Porsches attention to detail; studying the cumulative effect of component weight reduction for an increase in vehicle performance.

The photo above and those following provide a glimpse of the design evolution that occurred between 1996 and 2011, as witnessed by the recent performance offering; the 2011 Porsche 997 GT3 parked beside the Carrera RS Club Sport. It was also interesting to observe one of Porsches latest color offerings, especially this interpretation of blue. Case in point, the 2011 Type 997 GT3 dressed in Porsches Riviera blue. Each of these cars when viewed by themselves appeared to be very similar in color to the other. However when parked side by side, their subtle color differences became much more apparent.

Residing beneath the Carrera RS Club Sports rear wing is Porsches purpose-built, 3.8 liter motor, tuned to deliver 300 horsepower. This potential translates into 0-60 times of 4.7 seconds, with the capability of producing a terminal velocity of 174 MPH.

Parked side by side, these two Porsches provided the casual observer an opportunity to view the design changes that have occurred over the past 16 years, not only to the overall styling, but to Porsches revised approach towards aerodynamics.

Once again, I feel very fortunate to have been able to experience this car in person given its rarity, and to have recorded each encounter photographically. This type of experience is what makes events like Cars&Coffee or an RGruppe Treffen so amazing; one never knows exactly the type of vehicles that await discovery…

(All photos by the author)

From the outside looking in; Observations from the 2012 RGruppe Solvang Treffen

Posted on May 12, 2012 by digitaldtour

As noted in my last post, I had been invited by one of the members from the RGruppe (Porsche car club) to drive up to Solvang on Saturday May 5, spend the afternoon hanging out with the group, shoot some photos, and experience Porsche 911 overload as only the RGruppe can deliver.

The club’s home base for the weekend would be in Beulton California, specifically at the Santa Ynez Valley Marriott Hotel, located just off of the 101 freeway. The Marriott’s proximity to the 101 freeway as well as highways 246 and 154, afforded the members easy access to a wide variety of back roads to explore, and on which to gauge the latest modifications made to their 911s. The hotel also offered up a secluded, secure parking lot out back, and which was large enough to contain the 100+ Porsches that turned out for the event. And turn out they did, from club chapters across the United States and even Mexico.

So Saturday morning May 5 saw my wife and I pack up the Carrera, and head North on the 101 freeway to Solvang. When we arrived at the Marriott around noon, the parking lot was bare, with only a handful of Porsches present.

Apparently the majority of cars were still out on their morning tours, enjoying the warm, sunny spring weather, clear blue skies and twisty roads. Instead of waiting at the hotel for the cars to return, my wife suggested we drive into Solvang and grab some lunch. So we fired up the Carrera, and headed off to explore the town. After a short 3 mile run down highway 246, we found ourselves right in the middle of Solvang, and looking for a place to grab some lunch. After parking the car and a short walk, we found a restaurant (The Mustard Seed) situated right off of the town’s main street (highway 246). They even had a patio out front, so we took advantage of the weather and sat outside. Halfway through our lunch, I heard the unmistakable rasp of a Porsche sport exhaust, and looked up just in time to see a trio of Porsche 911s exploring the rpm range of second gear. Unfortunately, several of the patrons at the restaurant (obviously Solvang locals) took exception to the drivers exuberance, and began yelling and waving at the cars as they passed. We even heard the guy at the table next to ours tell his friends the joke about the difference between a Porsche owner and a porcupine. His friends thought it funny; I found it in poor taste and rather judgemental.

My eldest son and his girlfriend were supposed to have met us for lunch, but because they were running late, my wife decided she would stay behind in Solvang to wait for them. Their delay allowed me to head back to the hotel a bit sooner than planned, but with hopes of finding a good selection of RGruppe Porsches on site, ready to be photographed.

I knew as soon as I pulled into the parking lot that the afternoon was going to be amazing…

Just one of the several, real 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS models in attendance…

Parked amongst the other RGruppe 911s, was this beautiful silver 1968 911L coupe. I recognized this car immediately, having seen it in person at Porsches Rennsport Reunion IV in October 2011, and from photos posted on the owners blog -www.werkcrew.com

The owner (Bob Tilton) has written about a variety of his Porsche projects on his blog, and includes some very creative photographs to document his process and progress, most recently his extensive cockpit renovation efforts, in preparation for the RGruppe’s Solvang Treffen. Bob’s posts afford the reader an insight into the thought process and attention to detail that he applies to each and every one of his projects.

I have long admired Bob’s blog for its content and his photographic skills, and had the pleasure of meeting him in person on this particular Saturday afternoon. Ironically, my introduction occurred as a result of my friend Dave and I walking into a low perspective shot that Bob was composing from behind of one of the many 911s assembled. After apologizing for our misstep, and a formal introduction made by Dave, I spent the next 40 minutes talking with Bob about Porsches, graphic design, creative influences, writing a blog and photography. I was also able to share with him that my reading of his blog was what had inspired me to create a blog of my own. After thanking him for taking the time to talk with me, we both returned to our individual photographic explorations.

As the car below pulled into the parking lot, I watched as a crowd gathered, and immediately began looking at the back of this red 911. Out of curiosity, I went over to see what was happening. As I approached the back of the car, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Did this rear deck lid actually have dual grills? Was this a long-lost prototype deck lid developed by Porsche, as a variation on the dual grill deck lid theme as produced for the 1965 Porsche 356 C models, but adapted for an early Porsche 911?

It turns out that this dual grill rear deck had its origins from the parts inventory out of the Vasek Polak Porsche dealership some time ago, and had been in the possession of a gentleman who had been very active in the Porsche community back in the day. The current owner encountered the rear decklid and had the chance to purchase it, which obviously he did. And what better event to choose for showcasing a one of a kind, custom early 911 rear decklid…

Located on the opposite side of the parking lot was this Mexico blue, ultra rare European only model, 1996 Porsche 993 Carrera RS as seen below.

I had mentioned that there were even participants who had traveled from Mexico to participate in the weekends event. The four Porsches seen above (the red 911 in the foreground, the yellow Carrera RS, the black Carrera RSR clone and the Salmon colored Carrera RS) along with their owners had traveled all the way from Monterrey, Mexico to participate. And once again the event was a showcase for rare models; both of the Carrera RS models were the real thing and not clones…

Another of the rare Porsches in attendance was this yellow Porsche 356 super 90 as seen below. Rumor has it that this is one of only six built…

The last car shown is a 1970’s vintage, factory built rally /race car, complete with twin, triple throat weber carburetors and twin plug ignition…

I’d like to thank Dave Eck for the invitation to experience their event firsthand this past Saturday, along with the other members of the RGruppe for the opportunity to hang out with you, photograph your cars and experience your Treffen as a friend of the RGruppe.

(All photos by the author)

Three to get ready and Porsches to show…

Posted on May 4, 2012 by digitaldtour

100

The last Saturday in April saw a full house at Cars&Coffee/Irvine, in part due to the crisp, clear morning weather that was once again served up but without the threat of rain. And by 7 AM, “Porsche row” was filled entirely by a variety of Stuttgart’s finest.

Several of the cars were even seen previewing the latest magnetic backed graphic, celebrating an RGruppe event…

Over at the “Featured lot” there were a variety of cars on display, and one in particular that stood out from the rest was this beautiful blue Ferrari 275 convertible seen below…

And tucked into the back corner was this stately trio of Jaguars, each having mirror-like paint finishes and brilliant, chrome trim, and all readied for the mornings event.

Located perpendicular to the Jaguars and just one row west, was this beautiful silver Porsche 356A coupe, as seen below.

After admiring the 356, I headed back to the main parking area to see what other cars of interest awaited. And half way up on the second row, was another Jaguar in black. But in this case the model was an E- Type coupe, and absolutely flawless. The owner had opened up the hood and rear hatch, and as I passed by I noticed a flash of blue color being reflected into the surface of the rear hatch. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be the reflection from a Mexico blue Porsche 911 parked behind the Jaguar, just one row over…

The next aisle encountered was “Mercedes-Benz row”, and as I have noted in previous posts, is the gathering area each week for a wide variety of Mercedes -Benz vehicles.

And parked just several spaces over, was this 1935 Mercedes-Benz 200 Cabriolet A as seen below.

This is just one of the many models showcased by the folks from the Mercedes-Benz Classics Center, also located in Irvine. In addition to their Restoration and Parts facility, they also have an automotive museum , so there is always a variety of very interesting cars for them to choose from.

And immediately to the right, was this Silver Mercedes AMG SLS, complete with its gull-wing doors…

This weekend I will once again be absent from Cars&Coffee, and instead be heading North (by invitation) to participate photographically in a special Porsche event. There are some references placed within this post that will serve as a clue to the event in question. So please stay tuned for my next post, which will recount and reveal this weekends special event…

(All photos by the author)

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)