Heart of the Sunrise, part 2…

Posted on February 1, 2013 by digitaldtour

For those of you brave enough to venture out into the pre-dawn, cold and crystal clear winter mornings to participate in the weekly event known as Cars&Coffee, your reward is twofold; not only are you assured of finding a great parking space, but you will be treated to an amazing light show, courtesy of the rising sun. And what better object to capture the heart of the sunrise, than the contours and sheet metal found on your favorite make of car.

Obviously for me, Porsches illuminated by nothing more than the dawning light were an experience and photographic opportunity that I could not pass up. And it didn’t hurt to have a pair of willing subjects…

Nothing like coming face to face with a real factory built, right hand drive, fully restored 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS, backed by a 1991 Porsche 964 Turbo…

Moving over to Porsche row, I encountered a first time visitor to Cars&Coffee; a brand new, black 2013 Type 991 Porsche 911 Carrera, as seen below…

complete with discreet Martini graphics and black Ruf 5 spoke alloy wheels…

With the sun continuing to rise, I made my way over to the featured lot, which on this particular morning was home to one very rare, Ferrari 275 GTB/4…

According to my research, the Ferrari 275 GTB/4 was built from 1966-1968, with only 280 examples of the 275 GTB/4 (4 cam V 12 model) created.

Up front and positioned low within the chassis, resting beneath the front hood, was the Colombo, 4 cam 12 cylinder motor, complete with its six, dual choke Weber carburetors.

After shooting the Ferrari, it was time to explore, and look for my next photographic subject. Passing by Porsche row, I noticed that tucked in next to a silver 1957 Porsche 356 4 cam Carrera, was another German treasure, but not a Porsche. Instead, it was a pristine, beautifully restored blue 1965 Volkswagen Type 3 Notchback, as seen below.

In keeping with the Porsche theme, at least the Notchback rolled on a set of Porsche 5 spoke Fuchs alloy wheels; up front, on what appeared to be a set of the increasingly rare and hard to find, 4.5 X 15’s, and on the rear, a set of the wider 6 X 15’s.

Once again, Audi was well represented, with a bevy of R8’s scattered throughout the parking lot, each acting as a canvas, displaying some incredible early morning hood art…

As I completed another lap of the parking lot in search of additional photographic subjects, returning to my starting point on Porsche row, I came across two non-Porsches flanking the red Speedster as seen below. Parked to its right was a green Chevrolet Chevelle muscle car, and to the left, a Fly yellow Ferrari F430 Scuderia.

A quick once over of the Ferrari revealed an abundance of carbon fiber pieces as well as what appeared to be a custom exhaust system. (This assumption was confirmed when the owner returned, fired up the car and drove away; definitely not a stock sounding F430 exhaust).

Even the side mirrors had received the Carbon fiber treatment as seen below…

So should you feel motivated to get up early on a Saturday morning to attend Cars&Coffee, you too will be greeted by some spectacular cars and views similar to the one above. Let’s just hope for a dry, rain free weekend…

(All photos by the author)

One good turn deserves another; A tribute to outstanding customer service

Posted on January 26, 2013 by digitaldtour

Well it finally happened. After 27 years of unwavering service, the VDO quartz clock in my 1986 Porsche Carrera finally quit working. For the past month, it has been an on again, off again condition, which was a clue to its pending failure. So on Friday morning, I made the decision to remove the clock and take it into the team at North Hollywood Speedometer for repair.

This would be my second visit to North Hollywood Speedometer for gauge repair. One year ago, the odometer portion of my speedometer failed, and after reading about similar failures experienced by owners and their recommendations for repairs as posted on the Pelican Parts technical forum (www.forums.pelicanparts.com), one shop was consistently noted – North Hollywood Speedometer. I also recalled seeing North Hollywood Speedometer listed as the source of the Porsche gauge restorations in a variety of Porsche related magazines, highlighting articles about street and race car restoration projects. Based upon these references, I took my speedometer in for repair and within a week, had a fully repaired and detailed speedometer, returned and once again functioning perfectly in my car. They had even cleaned and polished the clear lens, removing the fine scratches on the outside of the face, and the haze that had accumulated on the inside from the past 26 years.

Now back to my broken clock… As I pulled into the parking lot of North Hollywood Speedometer, I fully expected (given the volume of work that they normally have from the Porsche community), to be told that I would be looking at a one week minimum for the repair of my clock. When I walked up to the counter, I was greeted by one of their technicians (Jeff) who asked how he could help. I told him about my inoperative clock, and then handed it to him for inspection. While examining the clock, Jeff asked me where I had driven from. I told him that I lived about an hours drive away, near the Los Angeles / Orange County border. Jeff’s next question totally caught me off guard; Would I like to wait for the repair? He said the company tries very hard to accommodate walk in customers from the area, and since I only had the one gauge, thus his offer for same day repair. Fortunately, I had the time to spare, so I replied yes, I would wait.

Jeff took the clock to his workstation, and immediately set about the task of disassembly. Once the inner workings were repaired and tested, his attention then shifted over to the cleaning of the clear lens. After polishing and several cleanings, he brought the lens over to me for approval. The lens once again looked brand new, so with my approval, he proceeded to the final re-assembly.

Once all of the parts were re-assembled ( outer gauge bezel, clear lens, inner bezel, clock face, clock mechanism and external housing), Jeff once again showed me the finished product for final approval.

The clock appeared brand new, just as it had on the day that my dad bought the car, and drove it home from the dealer. Jeff then bagged the clock, and after paying for the repair, I realized that the entire repair process had been completed in under 40 minutes.

Once I was back home, and with the addition of a new gauge seal sourced from the folks at Sierra Madre Collection (www.SMCparts.com), I was ready to reinstall the clock back into my car.

After reinstalling the light bulb into the back of the housing, and reconnecting two electrical leads, it was time to press the clock with its new seal back into place on the dash as seen below…

It’s no wonder that North Hollywood Speedometer has become the preferred shop for Porsche gauge restoration, especially within the Southern California Porsche community. So a big thank you to Kevin and his staff at North Hollywood Speedometer (nhspeedometer.com), for the quality of work performed, as well as the outstanding customer service being delivered to their clients. I would also like to add an additional thank you to Jeff for his meticulous repair and detail work on my clock.

Now all that remains is to figure out a good time for scheduling the cosmetic restoration of my remaining three dash gauges…

( Photos by the author)

The Iceman cometh…

Posted on January 22, 2013 by digitaldtour

I’m sorry to disappoint those of you who thought this post might be written about Formula One driver Kimi Raikkonen. Instead, this weeks title was inspired by the frigid temperatures encountered by those of us present at Cars&Coffee/Irvine, the morning of January 12, 2013. Since I began attending this event back in 2008, the morning of the 12th was by far the coldest one I’ve ever experienced. But even with the record-breaking cold temperatures being experienced throughout Southern California, the Cars&Coffee faithful still showed up in droves, albeit decked out in heavy jackets, scarves, hats, gloves and uggs.

Unfortunately the one piece of gear that I had forgotten to pack the night before were my gloves, and by 7 AM, my right hand (camera holder) was suffering from exposure. My friend Gene, who came fully prepared wearing cold weather gear, magically produced from the back of his car, an extra pair of gloves (fly fishing to be specific), that he kindly loaned me for the duration of the morning. The benefit of this type of glove is that with the finger tips removed, you can still handle your camera and make fine adjustments while retaining a sense of touch. Within a couple of minutes, my right hand and shutter finger had regained color and warmed up, allowing me to continue on my photographic quest.

One of the first cars that I observed drive into the lot by the glow of its headlights, and then settle on Porsche row, was this rare 2011 Porsche type 997 Speedster, in Pure Blue.

To further commemorate the origins of their original Speedster, Porsche chose to limit the production of the 2011 model to a total of only 356 examples worldwide, and restricted the available color palette to only two colors; Pure blue as shown here and Carrara white.

Placed on the glove box of each Speedster is the build plaque, which displays the series number of each car from the total number produced. This particular model is #154 of 356.

Porsche even chose the Los Angeles Auto Show back in 2010, as the venue for their first of their two North American debuts of the 997 Speedster( the second location being Detroit).

Parked immediately to the left of the 997 Speedster, was one of the newest members of the Porsche family; a 2013 type 991 Carrera, in Dark Blue metallic.

Another unique Porsche and frequent visitor to Cars&Coffee, parked just down the row from the Type 991, was this Signal Orange, 1971 914-6 GT, Factory rally car.

The owner even had a small bound book placed on the roof, documenting the history behind this unique vehicle (below).

On this particular morning, the car showed up wearing a set of standard Porsche street wheels and tires, which appeared quite skinny, when compared to its standard Porsche 5 spoke, 15″ Fuchs alloy race wheels.

Serving as a visual bookend to Porsche row, was another blue 2013 Type 991 (in Aqua Blue metallic), however this particular model was equipped with Porsche’s 2013 re-interpretation of their classic 1973 duck tail spoiler…

My next stop was over to the featured lot to see what hidden treasure awaited. Much to my surprise, parked amidst a group of Alfa Romeo’s was this beautiful black Ferrari 512BB, with its rear deck opened, revealing its 5 liter, flat 12 cylinder motor.

The paint finish on the 512 had to be one of the nicest black paint jobs I’ve seen on a Ferrari (below)…

with all 12 cylinders of Ferrari magic revealed out back… including the 4 sets of triple choke Weber carburetors (which would indicate that this car is a pre 1981 model), since Ferrari switched over to fuel injection in 1981, and rebadged the car as the 512 BBi.

After heading back over to the main parking area, I encountered Lotus row, however with considerably fewer cars in attendance on this morning…

Then moving down the row, and parked to the outside of the curbing , I came across one of my favorite Porsche models; a 2011 GT3, in black.

Walking around the car and checking it out, was like looking at a black, purpose-built high-speed mirror, capturing and reflecting all of its surroundings…

My next stop would be to the back row of the parking lot, in part to check out why a crowd had gathered. What I found was a collection of McLaren MP4-12C’s and a few select Audi R8 V-10’s thrown in for good measure.

An example of the new McLaren MP4-12C spider in Graphite Grey, as seen below.

And below, the single MP4-12-C painted in the classic McLaren Orange, a color anyone familiar with the classic McLaren Can Am race cars of the 1970s will recognize…

After the departure of the McLaren group, I wandered back through the lot to search for any cars that I had missed or that were late arrivals. As I approached Porsche row, I noticed that my friend Dave had opened up the rear deck lid on his slate gray, 1984 Porsche 930 turbo, revealing his new motor and its highly polished intercooler. I even had a willing subject in the background to serve as a backdrop for a quick experiment in composition…

One of the last cars I came across before packing up for the morning, was this Grand Prix white 1993 Porsche Type 964 RS America, wearing Martini racing stripes and door graphics. This car is another frequent visitor, however this was its first time with its new graphics.

Porsche’s intention was to build this car for the 1993 model year only, however due to increasing demand, production was extended out into early 1994. I recently learned that one of the telltale clues for differentiating between a 1993 and early 1994 model can be found by simply looking inside the car. For the late 1993 / early1994 models, Porsche chose to add the traditional rear folding jump sets, in place of the previously utilized, fixed storage bins found on all 1993 RS America models. Unfortunately, the rear seat area in this car was covered by a Martini racing beach towel, so no way to make a visual check on the rear seat configuration.

And with that the owner returned, opened the passenger door, and his dog climbed up into the back and settled on the towel. Then with a turn of the key, the engine came to life and the RS America and its occupants were gone. Now I will have to wait until the car returns, to determine whether it’s a 1993 or early 1994 model…

(All photos by the author)

Heart of the Sunrise…

Posted on January 11, 2013 by digitaldtour

The first Cars&Coffee gathering of 2013 dawned cool, crisp and clear, and finally without the threat of rain. Obviously a very welcomed sight for those in attendance Saturday morning. And gauging by the sheer number of cars in attendance, all were eager to start the new year off in grand style.

So with camera in hand, I headed out in search of my first photographic subject for the new year. And the clock was ticking; due to a family commitment, I needed to leave early (by 8 am), so I needed to get busy. The cool, clear morning air, combined with the rising sun, made for some incredible lighting conditions, so what better way to kick off the new year than with a shot of a bright shiny red Speedster…

Porsche row illuminated by the dawning light (above, above and below)…

Nick’s always impressive, silver European spec Porsche 911S, reflected above and in person below…

It seemed that in order to park in this particular section of Porsche row, your car had to be either black or silver, and be parked in an alternating pattern… did anyone else notice this?

Even the black Ford Thunderbird convertible, and silver Nissan 370 Z that were parked alongside the silver Speedster, adhered to the Porsche row parking protocol…

Parked directly across the aisle from Porsche row, was this rare black, 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS, configured for right hand drive.

Flawless, mirror – like early morning reflections, and right hand drive…

Located several rows over and positioned perpendicular to Porsche row, was one of several 2012 Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4’s ringing in the new year; this one in Arancio Argos (orange)…

Detail of the rear glass louvers, for heat evacuation and protection of the V-12 motor seen lurking below…

Parked at the opposite end of the row, was one of several Audi R8’s in attendance; this particular model in Daytona Gray Pearl, was one of several V10 variants, and wearing a set of custom wheels by Stasis (above and below).

Another of the Audi R8’s in attendance, this one however parked alongside a brilliant red Porsche 911SC, adding a punch of color in contrast to the R8’s matte gray finish…

As I made my way through the parking lot, there parked under the tress, and just across from Porsche row, were these two rare Porsche 911s (both of which have graced my previous blog posts individually, but never together until now). First up was the Grand Prix white 1991 Porsche 964 Turbo, and parked immediately behind in Riviera blue, was a true, European model 1996 Porsche 993 Carrera RS Club Sport.

The 993 Carrera RS Club Sport… one of only 57 built by Porsche in 1996. For more details and photos of this Porsche 993 Carrera RS Club Sport model, please refer to my previous post via the following link.

The newly established Lotus row (below), rapidly establishing itself over that past several weeks, with an ever-increasing number of Evora’s and Elise in attendance each week…

Parked amidst it German brethren, was this beautifully restored, early 1960s vintage Gray Mercedes-Benz 300 D Automatic, 4 door Cabriolet as seen below.

Early morning reflections captured in flawless paint and chrome trim (above and below).

Even the motor and engine compartment were showroom fresh, and as highly detailed as the rest of the car.

The convertible top and its external chrome plated hinge with reflections…

Nothing like a whirlwind tour of Cars&Coffee in less than two hours, to start off the new year and answer the challenge of trying to capture a good cross-section of vehicles present for the first show of 2013. So here’s to recording and sharing the next 51 weeks worth of Southern California-based automotive events…

(All photos by the author)

A last look at the final Cars&Coffee / Irvine show for 2012…

Posted on January 1, 2013 by digitaldtour

December was a difficult month for Cars&Coffee/Irvine, given the rainy Saturdays mornings that carried over from the end of November and into the first several weeks of December. Fortunately, for the last two weeks, the weather has cooperated and the event has been rain free. However, along with the arrival of winter to Southern California, came cold and brisk Saturday mornings as those experienced over the past two weeks; perfect for dusting off those racing jackets and for the consumption of the events namesake beverage, Coffee…

The final Cars&Coffee event for 2012 stayed true to form, and delivered up another cool morning with scattered gray clouds, but without rain. Porsche row was well represented and filled up quickly with some amazing cars.

The clear weather also brought out another frequent visitor to the show; the white 1966 Porsche 906 Carrera as seen below.

The owner was kind enough to open the rear deck, revealing the period correct, F.I.A. spec 2.0 liter boxer six race motor.

Parked over at the featured lot was this white 2011 Porsche GT3RS, with its tinted windows reflecting the approaching gray cloud banks…

A black, 1957 Corvette roadster, reflecting on its surroundings…

Parked across from Porsche row, was this like-new, low mileage Red 1989 Porsche Speedster, for sale and on display by the firm AutoKennel.

Another frequent visitor to Cars&Coffee is this beautiful silver, 1963 Corvette split window coupe, complete with fuel injected motor.

Another marque represented in large numbers that morning was Lotus, which included several examples of the new Evora coupe.

And located out on the very back row of the parking lot representing Audi, was this brand new 2012 R8, V10 Spyder, in Teak brown metallic.

Back on Porsche row, I had returned just in time for a brief conversation with Magnus Walker, just prior to his getting ready to leave. I wanted to ask him about the status of his latest creation, his 1972 911 STR 002, that I had been reading about on his website. He shared with me that the car was still undergoing its final shake down, fine tuning and detailing, but once the work was complete, he would return to Cars&Coffee to display his latest project. He then reached over to his passenger seat, grabbed several Urban Outlaw stickers and gave them to me, then wished me a Happy New Years, fired up his 911 and drove away.

Shortly after his departure and my grabbing this shot, the gray clouds that had been present all morning grew even darker, and a light drizzle began to fall. Reading this as a sign, I headed back to my car, and packed up my gear to return home. By the time I reached Anaheim on the northbound 5 freeway, the spotty drizzle had turned into full-blown rain, which continued for the rest of my trip home.

Ironically, I checked out the Magnus Walker website on Sunday the 30th and found the following post (Sunday December 30, 2012, “Hoosier in the rain”), recounting his sketchy return trip home from Cars&Coffee in the rain, which can be accessed via the following link.

This marks my last blog post for 2012, and I would like to thank everyone who visited digitaldtour.com this past year, and also to take a moment to wish everyone a Happy and prosperous 2013.

(All photos by the author)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year…

Posted on December 24, 2012 by digitaldtour

The Christmas Porsches of 2012…

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours from digitaldtour…

(All photos by the Author)

A Potpourri of Porsche GT3…

Posted on December 22, 2012 by digitaldtour

With winter weather having blanketed Southern California over the past several weeks, washing out each weekends planned car shows, I figured this was as good a time as any to revisit my photographic archive, for inspiration and as potential imagery to use in my next blog post.

One of my favorite cars, and a fixture within many of my previous posts has been the Porsche GT3, along with its performance enhanced brethren, the GT3RS and GT3 RS4.0. However, due to the lack of recent cars shows to attend, now seemed like an ideal time to select some of my favorite GT3 images, as source material for use in my next blog post, showcasing this amazing car. And in regards to my ongoing interest in the Porsche GT3 RS4.0, I’m still pursuing my quest to photograph as many GT3 RS4.0 models as possible, in addition to recording each cars unique serial / build number. And even though my RS4.0 sightings have slowed, I’m still determined to try to capture as many of the 600 total that Porsche produced (my current tally stands at 10 cars). I was even fortunate enough during 2012 to have experienced some seat time behind the wheel of a friends 2007 GT3RS (thanks Matt), which was an eye-opening experience to say the least, especially when compared to my 1986 Carrera coupe.

The following GT3 images were shot at a variety of automotive events, and were all sourced from the digitaldtour archives…

And last but not least: Santa’s sleigh of choice for 2012, staged and awaiting Christmas Eve…

(All photos by the Author)

The 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show: Porsche returns to Petree Hall, and the World Debut of the redesigned Cayman…

Posted on December 6, 2012 by digitaldtour

With the opening of this years 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show, and Porsches return once again to Petree Hall, I was once again faced with the anticipation of the design layout created for the exhibit space, as well as the content to be found within.

In the weeks leading up to the November 30 opening date, word was out that Porsche had selected the LA Auto Show as the venue for the World debut of their newly redesigned Cayman coupe. There were also speculation regarding whether Porsche would recognize the passing (earlier this year) of Ferdinand Alexander (Butzi) Porsche, and acknowledge his most identifiable automotive designs, in particular the 904 Carrera GTS and the original 911.

Approaching the entrance to Petree Hall, there was no question as to the design and theming for this years show. Visible through the entry row of glass double doors, was the first glimpse of things to come (see below).

A beautifully restored silver Porsche 904 Carrera GTS, with its photographic background, that appeared to have been taken from the start of the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans race…

Centrally located along the entry corridor, leading into the main exhibit area, were two examples of the recently redesigned Porsche Boxster; the lead car a base model Boxster, while the second was a Boxster S. Both cars were dressed in Platinum silver metallic (silver being the predominant vehicle color for the exhibit). The base model Boxster was even unlocked and available to try on for size…

This lead car also served duty as one of several photo opportunities for aspiring dreamers of all ages…

The new, wider width rear spoiler that integrates into the dimensional detail found on each rear tail light as seen on the Boxster S (below).

And positioned directly behind the Boxster S, sat the first example of the featured model for this years show; just one of the multiple, redesigned Porsche Cayman making their world debut…

And sharing center stage were a pair of Cayman coupes…

One dressed in Racing Yellow,

and the other in Agate Gray Metallic.

Panoramic view, with a trio of Pamamera centrally located, just to the left of the Cayman display (below)…

Located directly across the exhibit from the Cayman display, were a trio of Porsche type 991, 911 Carreras; the model shown below being the new 911 Carrera 4S, with two type 991, Platinum Silver Metallic Cabriolets just off to its right.

The backside of the new type 991, 911 Carrera 4S, complete with a retro design touch unique to both the Carrera 4 and the 4S models: the addition of a red horizontal reflector, bridging the void between the rear tail lights.

And situated over to the far left of the exhibit, were a trio of Porsches latest Cayenne SUV’s.

Leading the trio was the new Cayenne GTS; visually distinct due to its lowered stance and 20″ wheels. Immediately to its right, was an example of the new Cayenne Diesel, powered by a 3.0 liter, 24 valve turbo diesel V6. And off to its right an example of the new Cayenne hybrid.

Given all of the design activity and model updates that have occurred at Porsche this past year, along with their very cool styling study; the Panamera Sport Turismo (a plug-in hybrid wagon) debuted at the recent Paris motor show, not to mention the amazing Porsche 918 Spyder lurking in the shadows awaiting final production, 2013 promises to be an amazing year for Porsche. They even announced the return of a factory backed Works racing team, fielding two brand new type 991 GT3RSR’s. And who knows what Santa has up his sleeve this year for Christmas; perhaps you’ll wake up Christmas morning and find yourself staring at a crest similar to the one above, but one adorning the hood of your favorite Porsche…

Happy Holidays.

(All photos by the Author)

Rot,Weiss und Blau: Technicolor Porsches and the return of a unique blue GT3RS 4.0…

Posted on November 24, 2012 by digitaldtour

Once again, while the rest of the country continued to experience the effects of a stormy winter, Saturday morning (November 10) in the early pre dawn hours here in Southern California dawned clear, but as I walked out my back door and headed towards my garage, I was greeted with a chilly embrace. Winter temperatures had finally arrived. So protected from the morning chill by my trusty jacket, I fired up the Carrera, and headed south to Cars&Coffee.

By the time I arrived in Irvine, the temperatures seemed even cooler than when I left my house. Pulling into the parking lot, I quickly looked around to see if my friends (Gene, Ryan, Dave or Jeff) had arrived, since we usually park as a group. No sign of them, so I decided to park with the regulars over on Porsche row. And that’s when I saw it; the blue, Porsche 911 GT3RS 4.0 had returned. So with camera in hand, I was off to take another look at this truly unique car.

As noted in one of my previous posts (see link), this particular RS 4.0 was a special order car, not only for its Dark blue paint, but the graphics delete / elimination of the traditional RS 4.0 exterior stripes and Porsche text usually found on the rear wing.

One exception made to the graphics delete option, and located out back, was the retention of the RS 4.0 badging found on the rear deck lid, just below the rear wing.

However, since the cars last appearance, there has been a subtle graphic added to the rear valence, placed just to the right of the rear bumperette (as seen above and below). The significance of this graphic affixed to this car makes perfect sense, given the owners record of multiple class wins at Pikes Peak behind the wheel of various Porsche 911s.

Parked immediately to the left of the dark blue GT3RS 4.0’s, was this beautiful 1971 Porsche 911E, painted in another of the rare Porsche blues.

Depending upon the lighting that morning, this cars color shifted from the bright blue as seen above, to the darker, blue – gray value as seen below.

This Porsche also happened to be another car that has been absent from this event for some time, but is always rewarding to see in person. A 911E that has been beautifully restored, both inside and out.

And for anyone interested in restoring an early 911, this is a car that needs to be seen in person, to fully appreciate the level and attention to detail employed on this restoration, and the results that can be achieved when done correctly.

Parked towards the opposite end of Porsche row was another unique example, this one a beautiful red1996 993 turbo, wearing a set of RUF wheels, RUF lower front spoiler/valence, and running a sport exhaust system. I learned that this car was the latest acquisition made by Truspeed Motorsports, to be added to their current “for sale” inventory.

Parked across the aisle from Porsche row, was another very cool 911; in this case a Grand Prix white, ’07/’08 vintage GT3, that has been configured for club racing.

The track set up goodies for this GT3 also included a set of the very cool, 19″ GMG WC-GT Monoblock wheels in Charcoal gray (above and below).

Following on the mornings apparent rot, weiss und blau Porsche theme but with a twist, was this pair of Arena Red metallic Porsches, ; a 993 turbo on the left, and to its right, a 986 Boxster.

After making the rounds on Porsche row, I headed off to explore the rest of the parking lot. Just two rows over, and parked on the outside end of the row, I encountered this modified 2011 911 GT3RS, with GMG license plate.

After taking a quick visual inventory, it became apparent that the most obvious changes made over a stock GT3RS, were to the wheels and rear wing.

Given the overall width and profile of the carbon fiber rear wing, as well as the taller, red support struts, it appeared these parts had been sourced from the Porsche Motorsports / GT3 Cup Car parts bin (above and below).

A quick inspection of the wheels revealed what appeared to be a set of the GMG, WC- GT Monoblock centerlocks, color matched to the cars red graphics and accents…

As the mornings participants began to thin, this beautiful red, Porsche type 997 GT3 was revealed, parked all by itself…

And what Porsche fan in his right mind would not stop to check out a pristine red, Porsche GT3?

Porsche’s GT3 rear wing, specific to the 2007/2008 models (below). I’ve also heard this rear wing referred to as the “taco wing”, due to the folded contours and profile of the wing, and its resemblance to a taco shell…

These wings also came equipped with a black “Gurney strip”, located immediately behind the dual air intake scoops, to enhance and balance the aerodynamic downforce (as seen below).

It wasn’t until I arrived back home and began looking through my photos, that I suddenly realized the mornings theme obviously had to relate to the range of Technicolor Porsches that I had been fortunate enough to photograph that morning.

(All photos by the author)

“When everything is art, you’ve gotta take it in”…

Posted on November 12, 2012 by digitaldtour

On Saturday November 3, those of us here in Southern California experienced another weekend of extended summer like weather. As a result, those in attendance at Cars&Coffee were treated to a truly eclectic gathering of automobiles.

With such a diverse cross-section of vehicles represented, I really felt as if I were walking through an outdoor art gallery, experiencing row after row of 4 wheeled art and sculpture. And with each new row, the experience resembled that of entering a new and different wing within a museum, and discovering the treasures within. And that was exactly the type of experience that would unfold before me that morning.

My first stop of the morning, with illumination courtesy of the rising sun, was with these two examples of classic, post WWII automotive art; in this case a pair of 1930’s vintage, American bred hot rods…

The 5 window coupe’s motor (as seen below).

The pickup truck even displayed what appeared to be a flying eyeball hood ornament, perhaps influenced by the famous flying eyeball logo /graphic created by California pin striping legend Von Dutch (below)…

Over at the featured lot, I encountered this beautiful British Racing Green Jaguar, with its sculpted curves being accentuated by some amazing reflections, courtesy of the early morning light.

There was no mistaking the origins of this particular model due to its unique design, and the badge on the front hood only reinforced the fact that parked before me was one of the very rare,1957 Jaguar D-type XKSS roadsters.

With the sunrise and reflections both working their magic, the shapes and contours of the front hood and fenders were beautifully displayed, and further illustrated the sculptural impact to the styling of this car.

Even when viewed from behind, the subtle contours of the body along with the angular, almost pinched profile of the side windows were further revealed and accentuated by the early morning sunrise.

Seeing this car in person brought to mind a magazine article I remembered reading years ago about Steve McQueen, in which the author described his ownership of a 1957 Jaguar XKSS. The article had mentioned several specific modifications that McQueen had made to his car. The first was to repaint the car a proper British Racing Green. The second was to add a locking door to the glove box cubby in the dashboard ( the cars were delivered without glove box doors). McQueen turned to one of his friends (Pin striper Von Dutch) for the fabrication of a locking glove box door, to correct the oversight by Jaguar. The third modification made was to have the original interior kept stock, but to have the upholstery redone in black leather, by none other than the Southern California-based drag racer turned custom car upholsterer Tony Nancy. This particular car parked in front of me possessed all of the aforementioned details, so the question remained; could this car be the ex-Steve McQueen Jaguar XKSS?

(Postscript: After publishing this post, I received an email from the owner of the XKSS one week later, wanting to clarify the origins of his car. I learned that it is in fact an XKSS re-creation, and not an original model. The amazing fiberglass body was created by Realm Engineering, located in the U.K., and is mounted to a Reynard Racing chassis, specified with Jaguar running gear. Power is produced by a 4.2 liter Jaguar motor, pumping out 300 horsepower, and is transferred to the rear wheels via a Tremec 5 speed transmission. Seeing this car in person puts the automotive re-creation industry in a whole new light).

My next stop would be to Porsche row, for my weekly visit.

A trio of early Porsche 911s, with the outer two displaying the optional Lietz roof racks…

Caught in the middle; the white, 1972 911 RGruppe GT 2.7 coupe, complete with its unique, rear quarter window graphic.

The early 911 triplets as seen below (foreground to background)- 1969 911E, 1972 911 GT, and 1973 911E.

Located several rows over to the East, and down the aisle from the weekly Mercedes-Benz 190SL enclave, I discovered this trio of classic Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The first example (as seen below), in red and black, turned out to be a pre-war 1936 Mercedes-Benz 230 W-143 Cabriolet B; a spectacular and beautifully restored, touring car.

Sandwiched in-between the other two Mercedes-Benz vehicles, was this Ivory colored, 1930s vintage two-seat roadster with red interior, also appearing to have been restored.

Parked immediately to the right was what appeared to be a model 260D, W-138 series sedan, also sporting a two toned paint finish, in green with black fenders.

What made the 260 D model unique was that the D designation represented a diesel engined vehicle, and made this particular model the first diesel engined, series produced passenger car. And according to the Mercedes-Benz records, only 2000 of these vehicles were built between 1936 and 1940, at which time their production was stopped due to the war. All three of these cars literally looked like they had just rolled off of a Mercedes-Benz showroom floor.

As I continued my trek through the “gallery”, a white, early model Porsche 911 caught my eye, so I walked over to get a closer look ( see below). I had seen this car arrive earlier that morning, and remembered a comment made by a friend standing over on Porsche Row regarding its exhaust note. He stated that this particular car sounded exactly how a Porsche 911 engine should sound; Tight and clear with a smooth idle, and without any extraneous noise or valve clatter. And anyone who has been around or is familiar with Porsche 911s, will know the specific sound I’ve described.

I soon realized that there was something familiar about this car; I had seen it before, but could not remember where. It was then that the owner came over and introduced himself, as I was photographing the motor. I quickly learned that this car had been previously owned by one of the two founding members of the Porsche car club “RGruppe”, and after being shown an article written years ago in Excellence magazine about this very car and two other 911s, it hit me. That was where I has seen this car before, having read the same article, and obviously it had made an impression.

As a result of this cars previous ownership, this car was equipted with many of the cool, go fast Motorsports purposed, Porsche factory parts. This car would become a visual blueprint used by many a Porsche owner who aspired to building their own unique version of an RGruppe inspired, pre 1974 Porsche 911.

Up front, an example of the custom finished, Porsche factory, 911R inspired “Deep 6” Fuchs alloy wheel.

Race inspired, door mounted Talbot mirror…

Shown below is the performance inspired interior; from the 911R styled, light weight door panels and pulls, to the Recaro sports seats for the driver and passenger, a Prototipo racing steering wheel (complete with the proper patina), and the removal of the radio, with a filler panel added and the void covered over. Even the speedometer and tachometer have been rotated to the left, to allow for the monitoring of critical vehicle speed and engine RPM at a glance; each gauge had been set in order to peg its orange needle at the twelve o’clock position).

A 1969 Porsche 911S, 2.2 liter motor with mechanical fuel injection (as seen below)…

Even the rear deck lid was given the RGruppe treatment. The stock, factory dimensional rear badging was removed, and replaced by adhesive backed vinyl graphics, once again taking inspiration from the early Porsche 911 race cars…

My last stop of the morning was to check out this stunning Orange, 2007 Porsche GT3RS. With the crowds and cars having thinned, I was able to move around and photograph the GT3RS without interference.

The lighting by mid morning created some incredible highlights, reflections and shadows, and created the visual impression of an airbrushed rendering.

A study of light; Ground plane shadows, highlights to define shape and contour, and an ultra reflective carbon fiber rear wing…

Form follows function; the GT3RS rear wing. Purpose built for speed, generating downforce and capturing hidden reflections (see below)…

My last shot of the morning and one of my favorite from the November 3rd event. The sunlight really brought this color to life, and showcased the collective styling cues unique to the GT3RS, re-stating the obvious: There is no substitute.

So should you find yourself in need of some artistic inspiration on a Saturday morning, come take a stroll through the automotive galley known locally as Cars&Coffee. You won’t be disappointed…

(All photos by the author)

digitaldtour

A photographic journey through the Southern California car culture

Tag Archives: Porsche

Heart of the Sunrise, part 2…

One good turn deserves another; A tribute to outstanding customer service

The Iceman cometh…

Heart of the Sunrise…

A last look at the final Cars&Coffee / Irvine show for 2012…

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year…

A Potpourri of Porsche GT3…

The 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show: Porsche returns to Petree Hall, and the World Debut of the redesigned Cayman…

Rot,Weiss und Blau: Technicolor Porsches and the return of a unique blue GT3RS 4.0…

“When everything is art, you’ve gotta take it in”…