911 & Porsche World Issue 327

Summer is finally upon us, and with it comes the opportunity to indulge in open-top motoring. As far back as the 356, Porsche has offered its loyal fanbase the option of al fresco fun on four wheels, and as the cover of this issue of 911 & Porsche World attests, our favourite manufacturer’s roll-out of roofless sports machines shows no sign of slowing down. The week I spent behind the wheel of the new 911 Targa 4S Heritage Design Edition (Cherry Metallic, of course) presented the perfect opportunity to dedicate an issue of the world’s biggest-selling monthly Porsche magazine to Stuttgart’s devastatingly good drop-tops. Or, as is the case with the company’s long line of Targas, semi-drop-tops. What exactly is a Targa, though? When did the earliest example materialise and why…

Ask a petrolhead to bring to mind the cars of rallycross and they’ll almost certainly conjure up images of the Austin Metro 6R4, Ford RS200, Audi Quattro S1, Citroen Xsara and maybe even a classic Mini mud machine. Air-cooled 911? Not so much, which is why it may come as a surprise to learn a two-litre 911 was campaigned by Vic Elford in the inaugural rallycross event at Lydden Hill on 4th February 1967. Broadcast on British national television, the event was motorsport like no other, and though we’re familiar with the sight of 911s in various road, race and rally trim today, things were quite different in the mid-1960s. Elford began his professional career as a co-driver, teaming up with BMC works pilot, David Seigle-Morris (best remembered for running the…

NEW GT2 RS CLUBSPORT TO MARK 25 YEARS OF MANTHEY-RACING With a production run of no more than thirty cars, Porsche Motorsport is celebrating twenty-five years of Manthey-Racing with an extraordinary new GT2 RS Clubsport designed exclusively for track days and circuit racing. Like the recently launched 935, this new motorsport machine is powered by a 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six producing a shade over 690bhp. Power is transferred to the rear wheels via a seven-speed PDK transmission, with the car’s distinct design adopting many components and elements from past and present Porsche race cars. “Porsche Motorsport and Manthey-Racing have won many races and championships since the team was founded a quarter-century ago,” explains Matthias Scholz, Porsche’s Director for GT Racing Cars. “Since 2013, the two companies have been closely affiliated, and with the…

PERMA-TUNE BESPOKE IGNITION SYSTEM FOR 911 SC Advanced ignition system developer, Perma-Tune, manufactures electronic ignition kits concealing the latest technology inside classiclook product packaging, ensuring seamless integration into the engine bays of classic European sports cars. Offering all-new systems and core exchange products, the company is currently celebrating its fiftieth anniversary and has marked the occasion with a new Perma-Tune offering for owners of the 911 SC. Supplied complete with distributor cap and rotor, the Gen 6 Perma-Tune for the 911 SC comes in two flavours: the 911SC906 Premium ignition module and the 911SC706 Basic ignition module. The Basic model is just that: it performs only the same functions as the analogue Bosch systems from back in the day. For the average street car, this may be all that’s required and, of…

Tim Harvey is best-known for being 1992 British Touring Car Champion and for being crowned Carrera Cup GB victor in 2008 and 2010. He’s contested the 24 Hours of Le Mans four times, competed in British GT and currently serves as a presenter for ITV4’s extensive BTCC coverage. Find him at @timbo_harvey Pet hates in motoring. We all have them and, dear reader, I’m about to tell you mine. It would be easy to cite middle lane drivers, caravans, cyclists and lorries playing ‘race’ for miles on end as they try to overtake each other on two-lane roads, but whilst I could give support to all of the above, my biggest gripe is — wait for it – drivers who sit too close to the wheel. I see this all the…

Paul Woollard has been restoring VWs and Porsches since 1991. A self-confessed 924 Turbo fanatic, he’s owned a wide range of Stuttgart-crested cars. His business, Porsche Spares UK, specialises in the servicing, repair, restoration sales and supply of parts for 924s, 944s and 986s. Visit wooliesworkshop.com Coming from a background spent training as a technical engineer, I can completely appreciate the superior build quality premium German marques are renowned for. At the top of the pile is Porsche. It didn’t take long for me to migrate to the Stuttgart brand’s air-cooled cars after a series of vintage Volkswagens found their way into my garage. Perhaps unsurprisingly, I aimed for ownership of a classic 911, a model I bought as a present to myself on the occasion of my thirtieth birthday. I…