Octane July 2017

WE’VE ALL HAD a Ferrari crush at some time, haven’t we? It might feel as obvious as supporting Manchester United but, if there’s fuel in your veins, it’s hard to resist the unmistakeable rasp of a Ferrari exhaust. My teenaged Ferrari crush was the 308 GTB, then F40 in my early 20s, with (perhaps perversely) the 308 GT4 a little later in life. The earlier cars never did it for me until I drove a few and began to understand their intoxicating blend of brutishness and delicacy. And then I sampled Bruce Meyer’s 250 GT SWB ‘SEFAC Hot Rod’ – the perfect spec for a ’60s Ferrari. But I still dream of owning that F40. Fellow-editor Robert Coucher is also a fan of the 250 GT SWB. ‘By far the…

MASSIMO DILBÒ We couldn’t put together a celebration issue for Ferrari’s 70th anniversary without asking our Italian correspondent Massimo for his input. For the inside story on Modena, Auto Avio, Giotto Bizzarrini, the Palace Revolt and more, see our 59-page Ferrari special. The Octane A-Z of Ferrari: pages 61-119 . PRISTON LIRNIR ‘I’ve written a lot of stories about American sports car racing during the 1950s, so I’d seen plenty of period photos of the Ferrari 625/250 TRC. But to see it in the flesh – well, aluminium – in gleaming silver was a real thrill. And then to hear the V12 engine! Magic, as owner Bruce Meyer put it.’ W is for Winning: pages 106-113. ANDRIW INGLISH ‘There’s something about steam trains that appeals to the schoolboy…

AT 09.30 HOURS on 11 May 2017, the millionth Porsche 911 – a Carrera S, specially finished in Irish Green, with gold badging – drove off the end of the production line at the Zuffenhausen factory. That’s 52 years, seven months and 27 days since the first customer production 911 did the same thing on 14 September 1964, a year after the prototype 901 had been revealed at the Frankfurt show. On the one hand, that’s a lot of 911s. On the other, why did it take so long? That depends on whether you view the 911 as a specialist sports car with enough appeal to make a lot of people want one, or a mass-produced car with expensive components tailored to expensive tastes. The answer, of course, is a…

1970 911 2.2S The epitome of the light, lithe early cars: revvy and talkative. 1973 2.7 RS Carrera Everyone’s favourite pre-impact 911, properly rapid and ultra-tactile. 1987 Carrera Clubsport Tougher-feeling than RS, slightly faster, same pared-down vibe. 1992 964 Carrera 2 Last proper-looking air-cooled 911, great mix of trad and modern. 2009 997 GT3 Gen 2 The purest, friendliest, most thrilling of the modern-era GT3s. 2011 997 GTS Last of the 997 line kept the compactness, sharpened the focus.…

Masters launches new Historic Le Mans series The new Masters Le Mans Legends series is open to all cars eligible to race at the Le Mans 24 Hours between 1995 and 2011, and will be split into three eras of cars – 1995 to 1999, 2000 to 2005 and 2006 to 2011. Each era will then be divided into LMP1, LMP2, GT1 and GT2 categories. The first race will be held at Spa-Francorchamps in September this year, followed by a full race season in 2018. Mille Miglia exhibition Brescia’s Museo Mille Miglia is celebrating the 90th anniversary of the famous endurance road race with an exhibition of original Mille Miglia race cars (pictured above), representing the event’s 1927-1957 glory days before safety concerns killed it off. The exhibition runs until…

‘It was not a drama’ Jochen Mass on his abortive transatlantic balloon crossing in 1992, when he ditched mid-ocean and awaited a rescue in turbulent seas for more than nine hours. ‘To negotiate such legendary corners as Becketts and Stowe is just such a thrill’ Star Trek actor Sir Patrick Stewart on obtaining his race licence ready for Silverstone Classic’s celebrity race. ‘Amazing par-three at Pebble Beach’ Nigel Mansell in disappointing use of Pebble Beach Golf Links for golf rather than a concours. ‘Leaving a man to die and eating monkey brains’ Cult bike magazine Sideburn previews ‘anxiety-inducing’ Royal Enfield adventure in its next issue. ‘All too often these cars were tossed aside, but now a new generation of buyers are saving them’ Gill Campbell, CEO of Mazda Raceway Laguna…