Psssttt… over right here. Ah sure, you in all probability can’t recognise me on this crafty disguise.
Usually I rock as much as a automotive present in some kind of BMW. Those that’ve learn my articles prior to now will know that my alliances with the Bavarian titan are blood tight. Fidowicz with no BMW is like Christmas with no pine tree. However this time I’ve gone undercover. We’re going to infiltrate the Porsche crowd on the 2023 FlatSix occasion from the within, Trojan Horse model. However as an alternative of a horse, it’s a 20-year-old convertible, and as an alternative of a military of Greek troopers sitting inside, it’s simply me holding a digital camera.
I’ve left my BMW at residence, and as an alternative managed to get my pesky fingers on a special set of keys for the weekend. As a result of, what higher option to get entangled with the Porsche group than rocking as much as one among their very own automotive reveals in a Porsche?!
My steed is a 2.7L mid-engined, guide Boxster with a mere 160,000 miles on the clock and its justifiable share of age-related dents and scrapes. However whereas my disguise won’t be the flashiest within the crowd, beneath its look we have a nicely sorted sports activities automotive, fuelled and prepared for the dash down from London to Goodwood Motor Circuit.
Whereas the Greeks needed to endure a sweaty, cramped, wood journey to achieve their goal, I received to get pleasure from my journey on a few of South England’s most interesting B-roads, with wind in my hair and a raspy, induction-filled flat-six on the mercy of my proper foot. It’s an expertise that’s largely unparalleled within the motoring world, and one that gives a lot driving enjoyment that it’s solely persevering with to develop the Porsche model.
A lot in order that it’s inconceivable to go to any automotive occasion within the UK now with out it being dominated by Porsches, particularly the 911. You possibly can go to the annual MGB House owners Membership UK gathering and in some way MGBs will nonetheless be outnumbered by 911 house owners. Head alongside to any Sunday Scramble occasion at Bicester Heritage and you’ll discover a basic carpark that appears extra like a Porsche essential supplier car parking zone.
You simply can’t shake the issues. They’ve all the time been unbelievable vehicles, however not too long ago their presence at motoring occasions appears to have quadrupled.
I feel the current inflow of used Porsche purchases will be largely attributed to the rise of social media creatives and so-called ‘influencers’ getting their fingers on them to get pleasure from as objects of luxurious on prime of simply being nice sports activities vehicles alone. A Porsche is the kind of object that matches a way of life the place your furnishings is from Scandinavia, the meals you eat is plant based mostly, you’ve tennis classes on Tuesday, and also you’re married to somebody who works on Vogue journal.
Individuals need a slice of that life. Porsche themselves are conscious of this, and even fund their very own way of life journal to encourage the mystique.
So the massive query is, how does this new-found Porsche vitality radiate if you lastly get your fingers on a little bit sports activities automotive to take to a Porsche occasion?
Bluntly talking, fairly nicely.
The FlatSix present is hosted by these additionally chargeable for the UK’s present calendar spotlight, Gamers Traditional. Because the identify suggests, it’s finally a celebration of the whole lot Porsche.
The very first thing I realised is that just about each 911 right here appeared to have an thrilling spec. Positive, you had the classier, safer choices like darkish metallic colors too, nevertheless it’s clear that your common Porsche buyer pushes the boat out to get one thing fascinating and distinctive. This orange 911 might be the strongest instance of what I’m attempting to say. Take a look at the contrasting purple inside!
This carries into the actual high-end choices from Porsche, and this 996 GT2 was undoubtedly a spotlight. The way in which we see at this time’s GT3 RS as a ridiculously succesful automotive with the largest rear wing on the planet, this in all probability had the identical influence on of us again within the early 2000s.
Tamer, however not too far down the meals chain have been these two 996s. The wonderful roof down blast with the Boxster actually received me occupied with a 996 Cab, and a green-over-tan one ticks all of the containers for the proper summer season sports activities automotive.
As is all the time the best way with a Speedhunter, you shortly gravitate to the modified part. No quantities of social media affiliation with modern-day structure or finely reduce natural cotton can take away from the pure willpower of taking a automotive and making it quicker.
The primary set of paddocks hosted a line up of modified Porsches. All kinds too, from slammed G-bodys to Sultan Al-Qassimi’s 997 drift automotive.
However the actual gem from the present – and the one that actually made me perceive the love and keenness for Porsche – didn’t even come from a Porsche-badged automotive.
Once I attended this present final 12 months, I got here throughout a Porsche RTurbo – a 996 Turbo that received the RUF therapy at Pfaffenhausen in 2002. The chap who owns it’s referred to as Adam, and he introduced it alongside once more for this 12 months’s occasion. However that’s not all.
Alongside the RTurbo, Adam introduced one other automotive he owns, and this one is actually particular. An precise RUF RTurbo.
That’s proper, not a Porsche, however a RUF, with a RUF car identification quantity and all. Purchased new by his father, the automotive belonged to Adam’s mum who used it as her every day. Yup, Adam’s mum’s every day was a 1-of-25-ever-made, and solely right-hand drive RUF RTurbo on the planet.
At present, Adam makes use of the automotive himself to ferry his youngsters round, while his spouse drives the Porsche RTurbo. We’ve had some fairly cool line ups through the years on Speedhunters, however this one shall be engraved in my thoughts ceaselessly.
I completed my time on the FlatSix present and headed again to the plucky Boxster. My day cosplaying as a Porsche proprietor was full, and I drove residence occupied with the RUF RTurbo. It left me feeling fairly rattling good about that undeniable fact that the steering wheel I used to be holding onto shared the identical DNA as a automotive that blew me away.
I’ll go away you with an prolonged picture gallery from Flatsix 2023 under, and a few closing ideas.
It’s inconceivable to check my love for BMW with what Porsche has to supply. It’s apples and pears on the finish of the day, however the Porsche group’s attraction is simple, thrilling and, most significantly, optimistic. I don’t suppose I’ve ever walked away from a automotive present feeling like that earlier than.
Michał Fidowicz
Instagram: candyshowroom
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