Driving Magnus Walker's Porsche 964
Discussion
What a car. What a location. Never really had the desire to own an old banger but would love something like this -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUDB5gISxvU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUDB5gISxvU
t.SRT Hellcat said:
I like Magnus. Whilst I might not be in love with everything or even most of what he does (louvers on top of the front wings). I do admire his passion for the marque.
The louvres look utter gash! I don't get the "Magnus" excitement TBH. Not a patch on what Harris did with Tuthill when he built Kermit which must have been at least ten years ago.
Nothing to do with the perceived excitement for Magnus. Is there really. I just like his enthusiasm and passion for old school Porsche 911's. Whether you like what he does is another matter entirely. Having built a fair few old school 911's the way I wanted to from a shell. They sure would not be to everyone's taste. But it is what I wanted at that particular time. No different to the Singer. Some people adore them and some seem to despise them. RUF maybe not so different although inherently very special.
Anyone come across Workshop 5001 ? I saw Jethro Bovingdon posting on Twitter about them....this car is apparently $500k!
http://workshop5001.com/projects/no1/
http://workshop5001.com/projects/no1/
A couple of touches that don't work for me aesthetically but that's fine. Some key mistakes for a drivers car though imh. First it's too low and suffers horrendous bump steer as clearly seen in the video. Its also far too noisey, you would soon tire of that din on a longer journey. It also looks like he's messed the cooling system up as the car is running way too hot, I doubt the front bumper and rear spoiler are allowing enough air flow to keep cooling under control...hence the smokey engine on overrun as the valve stem seals get cooked.
There are loads of people modifying Porsches for their own benefit, some even more extensively. There are also those outfits who do it for you. Magnus Walker just seems to be one of these people or personalities that people seem to like to write about or make videos on and the popularity/notoriety just continues to build. In any self-build there are always some rare and even unique components, hell I've even got some unique upgrades on my lowly car, but when these come together in a story like this it suddenly becomes awesome and above the rest.
Cheib said:
I don't get the "Magnus" excitement TBH.
In short, it is because a large part of the Porsche world (containing both brand and owner) is utterly bland. Bland cars, bland people (i would have used personality but i was laughing too hard typing). The cars are insipid, designed to play to global markets hungry for risk free brand identities that tell others who they are - Who has time in todays world to work it out for your self? - and project managed by bean counters. Of which I can only imagine Porsche AG recruits the dullest of the dull. The rot has been setting in for a long time so its not the 991's fault. It is just the logical conclusion of a process much in the way that the protestant reformation would ultimately destroy the notion of the church. The clock was ticking a long time back, only most could not hear it.
In a world where stiffness is induced by residuals and new N spec tyres - what are motoring magazines to do? Interview these bland types about the topics dear to them? Fill their pages with pictures of cars that are as bland as the people who want them? Run a 35 page special on the merits of the N rating - and deal with the pitchforked masses should they conclude there are none?
The answer is actually probably yes - but in an industry lacking in any talent such things may require opinions to be informed. You cant get away with a 7 minute video rubbing a tyre - some of it in high res slowmo - containing only a mixture of serious and orgasmic faces and still appear credible. At least not to your target audience. Mental note - register cartyrefetishboners.com
So Magnus Walker offers a simple antidote to this problem. A band-aid to beige. He has safely interesting cars; which people who will never ever change a single thing on their own car can judge and either i) feel smug in their superiority, or ii) live vicariously, deluding themselves that once they get their current life task done they will show him how its done or join him. They wont.
He is media savvy and plays the media game because he is part of it. So I imagine media types find it easy to deal with him. They don't like mixing with everyday folks.
Alternative enthusiasts are too risky - they risk exposure of the journo and his group as lacking knowledge and insight.
R- gruppe for example are the pure version of what Magnus is doing - but too terrifying to engage for outsiders - and too logistically challenging. They don't have a website, how do I find them!!!.......Luftgekühlt have beautiful events with cool cars and cool people - so scratch that!
So Magnus plays the game and gets the attention.
If someone is going to play the game and get the focus I would rather it was him than the alternatives of test drives of 991 versions, hackneyed comparo shootouts and pimps.
I like his cars because they are his. And I like them because they often look cool and I am superficially stimulated. But also I like them because he did what he damn well wanted. And he didnt stop anyone doing their own cars or also playing the game if they had wanted while he was doing it....
Oh and he does it while doing to Porsche cars what folks have always done to Porsche cars.
Edited by fioran0 on Sunday 19th February 11:57
Wouldn't disagree with that,but lol I would struggle to write it
in so well and in som many words.
Some people want something different..
Something just so even though they know they would never get
their money back..my brother could have bought a 997 gt3rs
at the time he had this st replica build.
It wasn't what he wanted though .
in so well and in som many words.
Some people want something different..
Something just so even though they know they would never get
their money back..my brother could have bought a 997 gt3rs
at the time he had this st replica build.
It wasn't what he wanted though .
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