Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 347 i 911 & Porsche World

WELCOME NEXT ISSUE ON SALE FRIDAY 26th MAY PRE-ORDER AT bit.ly/911PW202307 Ordinarily, when we gather a collection of cars together for a 977 & Porsche World photo shoot, the vehicles we’re pointing our cameras at are in the possession of multiple owners. Not so with this issue of the world’s best-selling monthly Porsche magazine — the quartet of mouth-watering 911s gracing our front page is the property of just one discerning marque enthusiast. The Porschephile in question is none other than Vivian Campbell, formerly guitarist with Dio, Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy, but best-known as a member of rock band, Def Leppard, which he joined in 1992. Viv’s Porsche journey began when bought himself a Grand Prix White 964 Carrera 2 not long after he started working with the group. He…

VIVIAN CAMPBELL Cast your mind back to the mid-1990s and, though it may seem difficult to believe for anyone new to the Porsche scene, our favourite manufacturer was in a perilous position. Earlier, the boom and bust of the 1980s saw the 944 become the biggest-selling Porsche product of all time, before speed machines from the Land of the Rising Sun swallowed a significant percentage of market share enjoyed by European sports car makers, which were facing accusations of poor build quality, poor performance and poor fuel consumption from showroom visitors equally disturbed by high price tags. Demand for Porsche products beyond marque die-hards was drying up, a trend exacerbated by severe global economic downturn as the new decade got underway. The company’s antiquated manufacturing processes didn’t help — each…

COMPLETE YOUR 911&Porsche World COLLECTION ORDER BACK ISSUES AT bit.ly/issues911pw The good folk at Porsche Cars Great Britain contacted me to say they’d never seen a 911 as magnificent as L31CHT, my 2006 997 Carrera 4S. With the Basalt Black beauty considered the greatest individual Porsche ever assembled (“the missing piece of our Porsche Museum puzzle,” as a representative from Zuffenhausen once described it), I was asked whether I’d be happy to loan the car for study at the new Porsche Technical Training Centre in Reading. Feeling sorry for the company’s technicians, who are forever surrounded by inferior sports cars, such as the brand-new 992 Turbo S you see on these pages, I could do nothing but agree to help. The suitcase full of gold bars hand-delivered to my door…

992 TURBO S Although it has plenty of heritage, the 911’s Turbo badge doesn’t sit especially comfortably in the current Porsche product range. Even the decidedly non-turbocharged Taycan EV is offered as a Turbo, relegating this once hugely symbolic moniker to the basic role of trim identifier. Considering every new 911 Carrera produces big power by way of twin turbochargers, and with the aforementioned Porsche EV proudly sporting a Turbo badge, is the 911 Turbo relevant in this day and age? Purists flocking to GT3 models would suggest not. Porsche, however, says the 911 Turbo is just as important now as it ever was. Well, providing you add an S to the model name. To prove as much, the 992 Turbo S is treated to myriad upgrades to cement its…

As readers of our April issue will know, chiefly as a result of the magazine’s cover story announcing the 991 Carrera GTS as a future 911 icon, there was a time when the Carrera GTS offered Porsche customers the perfect sports car. Built as a halfway house between the hardcore GT3 and the more touring-oriented Carrera S and Turbo models, the GTS made the most of the 911’s dynamic potential, while providing everyday usability. The 992-generation GTS coupes, however, have failed to convince, with overly stiff suspension making them almost unacceptably uncomfortable on anything other than a perfectly smooth surface. They’re wonderful on track, but as roadrunners, they’re less than ideal. This leaves the 992 GTS Cabriolet (particularly this rear-drive, PDKequipped version) in something of an odd position. Old-school Porsche…

Last month, we brought you news about The Carrera Collection, an exciting auction of hugely collectible Porsches scheduled to go under the hammer in Switzerland on the 7th July. The sale is being managed by international auction house, RM Sotheby’s. When we announced the news, details of the available lots were limited, but not long before this issue of 911 & Porsche World went to print, we were treated to a long list of the star cars set to spark bidding wars at the Meilenstein in Langenthal, a hotel complex and business centre chosen to host the auction on account of it having an integrated vehicle museum (recognised for its Formula One exhibits). In addition to the astonishing selection of Porsches on offer, a variety of fascinating models from other…

TECHART ANNOUNCES STRICTLY LIMITED 790BHP GTSTREET R FLYWEIGHT Since 1987, TechArt has provided its customers with a wide range of customisation options for Porsche sports cars. With the brand’s new GTstreet R Flyweight, limited to just nineteen units and based on the 992 Turbo S (reviewed earlier in this issue of 911 & Porsche World), the German brand takes lightweighting to a new level. “Through consistent weight reduction and advanced racing technology, combined with a refined Flyweight Clubsport interior, we have created a unique package. We can’t wait for our customers to experience it for themselves, both on the world’s most demanding race tracks and, of course, on the road,” says Tobias Beyer, Managing Director, TechArt Automobildesign GmbH, before revealing the order book for this new Porsche-based TechArt product is…

YOU & YOURS Fraternising with a fellow 964 enthusiast is always a heart-warming experience, especially when there are numerous modifications to chew over, some of which I applied to my own 964 back in the day. Jon-Allan Butterworth and I swap photos and jaw about our respective mutually experienced and overlapping preferences of 964 aftermarket kit and upgrades. Double respect, considering he’s a star of the 2012 and 2016 Paralympics Games. Let’s deal with this bit first. After serving with the Royal Air Force in Afghanistan, Jon-Allan lost the lower part of his left arm in 2007, when an insurgent rocket attack struck the Basra airbase in Iraq, where he was stationed as a senior aircraftman weapons technician. His beautiful blue 964, then, has obviously been adapted to suit his…

SUBSCRIBE TO 911&Porsche World SEE PAGE 118 FOR DETAILS Hot on the heels of accompanying editor Dan to the United States for photographing the amazing collection of modern and classic Porsches owned by Def Leppard guitarist, Vivian Campbell, I had a forty-eight-hour turnaround at home in North Yorkshire before I was back out the door. My destination was Cork, the second largest city in Ireland. The assignment was given to me by Peron Automotive, the exclusive B2B distributor for Akrapovič exhaust systems in the United Kingdom. A pioneer in its field, Akrapovič is widely recognised as a highly innovative materials technology company. The brand is synonymous with the highest level of design, performance enhancement and the creation of an unmistakable exhaust sound. The company’s products are designed and manufactured by…