Classic cars - page 24

Porsche has a long tradition of participating in the annual Monterey Car Week. One of the biggest car events on the automotive calendar. It dates back to 1950 when it was held for the first time, as a supplementary event to the Pebble Beach Road Race. Like other automakers, Porsche’s iconic sports cars were an expected sight at the Monterey Car Week, and this year, we got to see a great number of highly original, reimagined, and downright crazy builds, based on Porsche’s greatest sports cars ever made.

The Porsche 911 is one of the most thoroughly engineered cars. German engineers have been perfecting the formula of "putting the engine in the wrong place” for 60 years and counting, meaning each next 911 generation is measurably better than the last. That said, there are companies out there, including Porsche, which offer means of upgrading certain aspects of the rear-engine sports car. The 911 features an iconic shape, dating back to the 1964 original.

There is no shortage of bizarre project cars and this one is definitely one of the more unusual ones. NazMaz OSR, a channel on YouTube that is dedicated to cars powered by rotary engines recently showcased a very interesting project. This is especially true for those lusting after the air-cooled 911 models. Don’t let the modernized looks fool you though. Underneath, this is an early-model classic 911. For whatever reason, the owner has decided to go to town and transform it into an epic "hybrid” between a Porsche 911 and Mazda RX-7. But that’s not everything. Jeffrey, the owner of this car, has also used parts from newer 911 models to update the classic, air-cooled sports car. Some of the engineering decisions behind the build are mind-boggling, and we try to make sense of what could possibly justify turning an early-model 911 into a rotary-powered race car for the road.

Each Porsche 911 can be considered a timeless classic. Hardcore, classic Porsche enthusiasts will most desire the air-cooled 911 models, but sometimes, mixing old with new can be an exciting endeavor. The 911 is one of the most replicated and reimagined sports cars in the world, and while Porschephiles are extremely picky about what can and cannot be done to a 911, we believe they will get behind this super-clean build. It involves a very clean Porsche 964 Carrera that for some reason, has done away with its original, air-cooled flat-six engine. Fear not.

In 1977, Porsche gave us the 928 – a more luxurious take on the German sports cars. Just two years later, at the 1979 Frankfurt Motor Show, the audience saw a Porsche 928 Targa. However, it wasn’t Porsche that made it. Sure. The German carmaker made the donor car required for the conversion, but the Porsche 928 Targa was conceived by Rainer Buchmann. The Porsche 928 was more of a comfortable cruiser that could double as a sports car, instead of the 911’s all-out performance car characteristics.

Boxer and flat engines are a highly-uncommon sight in the modern-day automotive industry. Currently, there are only two manufacturers that continue to produce and develop boxer engines – Subaru and Porsche. The boxer engine is most commonly characterized by its flat design hence it is, often, referred to as a flat engine. The first boxer engine was developed in 1897, by Karl Benz – the co-founder of what would eventually become Mercedes-Benz. There is a common misconception when it comes to these engines. Boxer and flat engines are not quite the same. All boxer engines are flat engines, but not all flat engines are boxer engines. This misconception comes from the 1973 Ferrari 512 Berlinetta Boxer. Despite the name, it does not feature a boxer engine, but rather a flat-12 engine or a 180-degree "V-engine". Boxer and flat engines are more different than you think, and here is what sets them apart.

Porsche sports cars are some of the most replicated and reimagined on the planet. The German carmaker’s road-going models have always benefitted from the brand’s racing know-how, especially when it comes to the German brand’s most iconic model - the Porsche 911. That said, the 911 wasn’t always the most favored model by the company. At one point in time, Porsche wasn’t convinced an air-cooled, rear-engine sports car was the way forward. This train of thought spawned the Porsche 928. Instead of the 911’s rear-engine layout, the 928 featured a water-cooled V-8 engine in the front. The 928 was also bigger and more of a grand tourer than an all-out sports car.

The Porsche 911 is a perfect representation of the classic sports car. The rear-engine model has been continuously evolving since its inception in 1964, and its lineage is easily traceable through its classic design. That said, under the pressure of increased safety and more modern tech, each new generation has become bigger and heavier. The 911 is no exception as the 992 generation is a far cry from the original models, barely touching 2,300 pounds. This is a follow-up to a recent interview with Porsche design boss, Michael Mauer where he talked about the possibility of a more compact 911 and a potential 911 E.V. We decided to envision a hypothetical, smaller variant of the Porsche 911 and take a look at how possible it is, and whether this will open the door for a fully-electric 911. Can the Porsche 911 as we know it co-exist with a smaller, but fully-electric version of itself?

As a fan of both Mercedes and Porsche, I can’t help but feel a bit giddy when talking about this 1992 Mercedes-Benz 500E (W124). I’m particularly fond of this era of Mercs for their tank-like build quality and frankly, nothing resonates better with that Yakuza mafia look that you get a boxy Mercedes from the 1990s. When it comes to the over-engineered W124, you’ve got the luxury and sophistication of Mercedes combined with the raw performance chops of Porsche. This particular car is a highly modified example that showcases the craftsmanship of Auto Fashion Factory (AFF), a premier automotive tuning shop based in Tokyo, Japan.

When Porsche slaps the RSR (Renn Sport Rennen) designation on a 911, you know it means business. These are the most hardcore, racing variants of the rear-engine sports car and their sole purpose is to race at the highest level of competition possible. The original Porsche 911 RSR was an evolution of the already-iconic, Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 RS. Lighter, faster, and more aerodynamically busy, the Porsche 911 RSR was developed for the 1973, but actually, saw racing in late 1972. In February, 1973, the original 911 RSR won the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Each generation of the Porsche 911 has its highlights, whether through impressive engineering or a special edition. Porsche enthusiasts no longer separate the 911 into just air-cooled and water-cooled. 911s are also separated by the level of technology they offer, and the 997 is generally considered the last of the classic, more analog 911 generations. It is the Porsche 997 that offers some of the most driver-centric and visceral variants of the rear-engine sports car, and it is the swan song of many iconic Porsche 911 features.

The Porsche 993 Speedster is a unicorn in the truest sense. I always like to note how Porsche has a 911 variant for everyone. Between the numerous powertrain, transmission, and body styles, there are well over 30 different iterations of the iconic, German sports car. There is even an off-road variant that pays homage to the 1984 Porsche 953 Dakar rally car. But by far, one of the more unique and desirable variants of the Porsche 911 is the Speedster, which at its core, is a lightweight, bare-bones variant of the 911.