RE: Porsche 911 'Black Snake': Showpiece of the Week
Discussion
I'd sooner have a proper 993 RS Clubsport -
http://www.germansportscars.net/en/porsche-993-rs-...
Or a proper 993 GT2 Evo -
http://www.germansportscars.net/en/porsche-993-gt-...
http://www.germansportscars.net/en/porsche-993-rs-...
Or a proper 993 GT2 Evo -
http://www.germansportscars.net/en/porsche-993-gt-...
MDMA . said:
I'd sooner have a proper 993 RS Clubsport -
http://www.germansportscars.net/en/porsche-993-rs-...
Or a proper 993 GT2 Evo -
http://www.germansportscars.net/en/porsche-993-gt-...
You realise that Evo is probably six times the price ? (or probably more) than the car being discussed,so you're not exactly comparing apples with apples...http://www.germansportscars.net/en/porsche-993-rs-...
Or a proper 993 GT2 Evo -
http://www.germansportscars.net/en/porsche-993-gt-...
Slippydiff said:
MDMA . said:
I'd sooner have a proper 993 RS Clubsport -
http://www.germansportscars.net/en/porsche-993-rs-...
Or a proper 993 GT2 Evo -
http://www.germansportscars.net/en/porsche-993-gt-...
You realise that Evo is probably six times the price ? (or probably more) than the car being discussed,so you're not exactly comparing apples with apples...http://www.germansportscars.net/en/porsche-993-rs-...
Or a proper 993 GT2 Evo -
http://www.germansportscars.net/en/porsche-993-gt-...
Slippydiff said:
It’s a tricky one, it’s an amazing piece of kit in its current spec, and it seems a shame to return it back to a standard 993 Clubsport, all the more so when it has such good/interesting and documented provenance. But you’re right, it’s true value lays in being returned to it how it left the factory.
I suspect you’re not a million miles off in your estimate of what it would need to be purchased for to make any project to return it back to standard, viable.
But finding parts such as the correct closer ratio gearbox would be neither easy or cheap (unless you’re happy to pay Freisinger’s exorbitant prices).
With the initial purchase price, the cost of parts and the labour to rebuild it (including what would be a huge bill to return the shell back to its former glory)
I’m doubtful the numbers would stack up, all the moreso as it’s never going to be an “original” car that the collectors now seek.
I did a similar project on the yellow ex-Techart Essen Show 964 RS. It was a labour of love, the end result was stunning, and whilst I made money in what was a rapidly rising market that had just gone past its peak come sale time, it was always going to be a limited market as the car was not original panel.
If as you say, if the Black Snake was £150k it would find it’s way into the hands of an enthusiast who wouldn’t be bothered by its lack of originality, and would actually use and enjoy it for road and track use.
At £150k I think even I might be tempted. At that price it would likely hold its value, and it would be a fun thing to use for trackdays. The only question mark would be reliability - assuming it's straight, which is never certain with old 911s. Another mate raced a (shocking pink) GT2-alike (factory motor) back in the day and that *never* ran right as far as I recall. I don't know how well this thing would fare without a full support crew (and I don't know if the vendor expects the buyer to drive it properly, or just shove it in some anonymous climate-controlled shed as an "investment" without it ever turning over).I suspect you’re not a million miles off in your estimate of what it would need to be purchased for to make any project to return it back to standard, viable.
But finding parts such as the correct closer ratio gearbox would be neither easy or cheap (unless you’re happy to pay Freisinger’s exorbitant prices).
With the initial purchase price, the cost of parts and the labour to rebuild it (including what would be a huge bill to return the shell back to its former glory)
I’m doubtful the numbers would stack up, all the moreso as it’s never going to be an “original” car that the collectors now seek.
I did a similar project on the yellow ex-Techart Essen Show 964 RS. It was a labour of love, the end result was stunning, and whilst I made money in what was a rapidly rising market that had just gone past its peak come sale time, it was always going to be a limited market as the car was not original panel.
If as you say, if the Black Snake was £150k it would find it’s way into the hands of an enthusiast who wouldn’t be bothered by its lack of originality, and would actually use and enjoy it for road and track use.
Edited by Slippydiff on Tuesday 5th February 09:16
Some factual input.
I was lucky enough to have owned the Black Snake. Also consider myself lucky to still be alive!
Nothing wrong with this extreme car. Benign and wonderful handling in fact - it's just rather fast. Fast with a huge monster capital F. Awesome pace on track equates to scary and silly stuff on A and B roads.
Some comments about the current lump, suggesting it's a bummer... In the Snakes vast volumes of history it states the previous owner invested in the current RS tuning engine, preferring its torque for road use. For me this was key. Not only was this engine eye watering expensive, it offers twist/pull like no other. Any gear, any revs, any time - hit the loud peddle and you'd better hang on. This car accelerates in no 6 like most supercars do in 3rd. And it keeps going. Porsche World featured the car, going over to Germany to drive. The road tester lost his bottle at something like 200. The engine is a peach!
The handling?? Well, it was solely built to do one thing. Set a Ring lap record, which it did. Take a lightweight RS, make lighter still, add a monster power unit, apply race derived suspension with some angry geo, finally give the package a chance with a degree of sanity and endow with 4wd
Hows this stack up on the highway ?? Surprisingly fabulous.. Ok, whilst cold and pottering its twitchy, fidgety, hunting out every rut, camber change and road imperfection. You've got to concentrate- big time, putting in real time effort just keeping it on the straight and narrow. But, like a few rare specials I've driven, up your forward motion and the better it gets. It quickly makes sense with clarity and comes alive, giving quite wonderful feedback and confidence. The way you can pedal this car across ground truly is something special. Subconsciously sourcing the apex with zilch effort or thought then mash the throttle early and marvel, laugh out loud and/or s
t yourself as you get catapulted out with nuclear force. Very exciting stuff!
The way the thing looks was also a major pull for me. Menace. Stance. Hunkered down. Visual presence. Impossible width/girth. Black - not your off black or grey black or metallic black. Just deep flat black (factory) again aiding the 'F right off' evil look.
The sound too. A delicious dirty proper 911 racket. Most air turbos can be a little tame. The Snake sounded like it meant business. Just how it should be.
Again, a few negative comments regarding the cars provenance and identity. Missing the point.
As mentioned. This car was built at huge expensive to achieve a then seemingly far fetched achievement. In doing so it became the Black Snake and Nurburgring lap record holder. An incredible achievement. With ref to history, documentation etc. I've yet to own a car with as much history, monetary expenditure paper trail. Publicity and press coverage. I guess the lap record was set at a time when the Ring was a lesser known entity. All the same the Snake is very well known and famous in Germany and also to any Nurburgring aficionado. It's feat is historic and set in stone. That's gotta be a fair chunk of provenance in anyone's book
Sound like I'm talking the Snake up ??You bet I am - The most exciting car I'll ever own. Dead or alive .....
I was lucky enough to have owned the Black Snake. Also consider myself lucky to still be alive!
Nothing wrong with this extreme car. Benign and wonderful handling in fact - it's just rather fast. Fast with a huge monster capital F. Awesome pace on track equates to scary and silly stuff on A and B roads.
Some comments about the current lump, suggesting it's a bummer... In the Snakes vast volumes of history it states the previous owner invested in the current RS tuning engine, preferring its torque for road use. For me this was key. Not only was this engine eye watering expensive, it offers twist/pull like no other. Any gear, any revs, any time - hit the loud peddle and you'd better hang on. This car accelerates in no 6 like most supercars do in 3rd. And it keeps going. Porsche World featured the car, going over to Germany to drive. The road tester lost his bottle at something like 200. The engine is a peach!
The handling?? Well, it was solely built to do one thing. Set a Ring lap record, which it did. Take a lightweight RS, make lighter still, add a monster power unit, apply race derived suspension with some angry geo, finally give the package a chance with a degree of sanity and endow with 4wd
Hows this stack up on the highway ?? Surprisingly fabulous.. Ok, whilst cold and pottering its twitchy, fidgety, hunting out every rut, camber change and road imperfection. You've got to concentrate- big time, putting in real time effort just keeping it on the straight and narrow. But, like a few rare specials I've driven, up your forward motion and the better it gets. It quickly makes sense with clarity and comes alive, giving quite wonderful feedback and confidence. The way you can pedal this car across ground truly is something special. Subconsciously sourcing the apex with zilch effort or thought then mash the throttle early and marvel, laugh out loud and/or s
t yourself as you get catapulted out with nuclear force. Very exciting stuff!The way the thing looks was also a major pull for me. Menace. Stance. Hunkered down. Visual presence. Impossible width/girth. Black - not your off black or grey black or metallic black. Just deep flat black (factory) again aiding the 'F right off' evil look.
The sound too. A delicious dirty proper 911 racket. Most air turbos can be a little tame. The Snake sounded like it meant business. Just how it should be.
Again, a few negative comments regarding the cars provenance and identity. Missing the point.
As mentioned. This car was built at huge expensive to achieve a then seemingly far fetched achievement. In doing so it became the Black Snake and Nurburgring lap record holder. An incredible achievement. With ref to history, documentation etc. I've yet to own a car with as much history, monetary expenditure paper trail. Publicity and press coverage. I guess the lap record was set at a time when the Ring was a lesser known entity. All the same the Snake is very well known and famous in Germany and also to any Nurburgring aficionado. It's feat is historic and set in stone. That's gotta be a fair chunk of provenance in anyone's book
Sound like I'm talking the Snake up ??You bet I am - The most exciting car I'll ever own. Dead or alive .....
Edited by jonny finance on Tuesday 5th February 23:03
jonny finance said:
Some factual input.
I was lucky enough to have owned the Black Snake. Also consider myself lucky to still be alive!
Nothing wrong with this extreme car. Benign and wonderful handling in fact - it's just rather fast. Fast with a huge monster capital F. Awesome pace on track equates to scary and silly stuff on A and B roads.
Some comments about the current lump, suggesting it's a bummer... In the Snakes vast volumes of history it states the previous owner invested in the current RS tuning engine, preferring its torque for road use. For me this was key. Not only was this engine eye watering expensive, it offers twist/pull like no other. Any gear, any revs, any time - hit the loud peddle and you'd better hang on. This car accelerates in no 6 like most supercars do in 3rd. And it keeps going. Porsche World featured the car, going over to Germany to drive. The road tester lost his bottle at something like 200. The engine is a peach!
The handling?? Well, it was solely built to do one thing. Set a Ring lap record, which it did. Take a lightweight RS, make lighter still, add a monster power unit, apply race derived suspension with some angry geo, finally give the package a chance with a degree of sanity and endow with 4wd
Hows this stack up on the highway ?? Surprisingly fabulous.. Ok, whilst cold and pottering its twitchy, fidgety, hunting out every rut, camber change and road imperfection. You've got to concentrate- big time, putting in real time effort just keeping it on the straight and narrow. But, like a few rare specials I've driven, up your forward motion and the better it gets. It quickly makes sense with clarity and comes alive, giving quite wonderful feedback and confidence. The way you can pedal this car across ground truly is something special. Subconsciously sourcing the apex with zilch effort or thought then mash the throttle early and marvel, laugh out loud and/or st yourself as you get catapulted out with nuclear force. Very exciting stuff!
The way the thing looks was also a major pull for me. Menace. Stance. Hunkered down. Visual presence. Impossible width/girth. Black - not your off black or grey black or metallic black. Just deep flat black (factory) again aiding the 'F right off' evil look.
The sound too. A delicious dirty proper 911 racket. Most air turbos can be a little tame. The Snake sounded like it meant business. Just how it should be.
Again, a few negative comments regarding the cars provenance and identity. Missing the point.
As mentioned. This car was built at huge expensive to achieve a then seemingly far fetched achievement. In doing so it became the Black Snake and Nurburgring lap record holder. An incredible achievement. With ref to history, documentation etc. I've yet to own a car with as much history, monetary expenditure paper trail. Publicity and press coverage. I guess the lap record was set at a time when the Ring was a lesser known entity. All the same the Snake is very well known and famous in Germany and also to any Nurburgring aficionado. It's feat is historic and set in stone. That's gotta be a fair chunk of provenance in anyone's book
Sound like I'm talking the Snake up ??You bet I am - The most exciting car I'll ever own. Dead or alive .....
Great post I was lucky enough to have owned the Black Snake. Also consider myself lucky to still be alive!
Nothing wrong with this extreme car. Benign and wonderful handling in fact - it's just rather fast. Fast with a huge monster capital F. Awesome pace on track equates to scary and silly stuff on A and B roads.
Some comments about the current lump, suggesting it's a bummer... In the Snakes vast volumes of history it states the previous owner invested in the current RS tuning engine, preferring its torque for road use. For me this was key. Not only was this engine eye watering expensive, it offers twist/pull like no other. Any gear, any revs, any time - hit the loud peddle and you'd better hang on. This car accelerates in no 6 like most supercars do in 3rd. And it keeps going. Porsche World featured the car, going over to Germany to drive. The road tester lost his bottle at something like 200. The engine is a peach!
The handling?? Well, it was solely built to do one thing. Set a Ring lap record, which it did. Take a lightweight RS, make lighter still, add a monster power unit, apply race derived suspension with some angry geo, finally give the package a chance with a degree of sanity and endow with 4wd
Hows this stack up on the highway ?? Surprisingly fabulous.. Ok, whilst cold and pottering its twitchy, fidgety, hunting out every rut, camber change and road imperfection. You've got to concentrate- big time, putting in real time effort just keeping it on the straight and narrow. But, like a few rare specials I've driven, up your forward motion and the better it gets. It quickly makes sense with clarity and comes alive, giving quite wonderful feedback and confidence. The way you can pedal this car across ground truly is something special. Subconsciously sourcing the apex with zilch effort or thought then mash the throttle early and marvel, laugh out loud and/or s
t yourself as you get catapulted out with nuclear force. Very exciting stuff!The way the thing looks was also a major pull for me. Menace. Stance. Hunkered down. Visual presence. Impossible width/girth. Black - not your off black or grey black or metallic black. Just deep flat black (factory) again aiding the 'F right off' evil look.
The sound too. A delicious dirty proper 911 racket. Most air turbos can be a little tame. The Snake sounded like it meant business. Just how it should be.
Again, a few negative comments regarding the cars provenance and identity. Missing the point.
As mentioned. This car was built at huge expensive to achieve a then seemingly far fetched achievement. In doing so it became the Black Snake and Nurburgring lap record holder. An incredible achievement. With ref to history, documentation etc. I've yet to own a car with as much history, monetary expenditure paper trail. Publicity and press coverage. I guess the lap record was set at a time when the Ring was a lesser known entity. All the same the Snake is very well known and famous in Germany and also to any Nurburgring aficionado. It's feat is historic and set in stone. That's gotta be a fair chunk of provenance in anyone's book
Sound like I'm talking the Snake up ??You bet I am - The most exciting car I'll ever own. Dead or alive .....
So we pretty much concur then ? Especially on the RS Tuning engine and it providing "a wall of torque"
I'd have loved to have bought the old girl, but she's so difficult to value currently.
Never you mind said:
Ive been looking at this on an almost weekly basis. Can't afford it but if I could I would buy it in a hear beat. It just looks fking evil! And I like that.
Black is the colour for them:-)king evil! And I like that.Here's my 1998 993 GT Evo that I purchased in 2004 from the Porsche main dealer in Aachen who supplied it new to it's then one former keeper, one of 21 made all LHD that I gave the relatively paltry sum of £85k.
Had a full welded in clubsport cage courtesy of Tony Littlejohn.
Last I heard it went for £750k a couple of years ago so one for the 'should have kept it' list. Great machines.
[url]And to prove there were no garage queens back then!
|https://thumbsnap.com/2ZQeDFSr[/url]Edited by 993rsr on Wednesday 6th February 16:10
Slippydiff said:
jonny finance said:
Some factual input.
I was lucky enough to have owned the Black Snake. Also consider myself lucky to still be alive!
Nothing wrong with this extreme car. Benign and wonderful handling in fact - it's just rather fast. Fast with a huge monster capital F. Awesome pace on track equates to scary and silly stuff on A and B roads.
Some comments about the current lump, suggesting it's a bummer... In the Snakes vast volumes of history it states the previous owner invested in the current RS tuning engine, preferring its torque for road use. For me this was key. Not only was this engine eye watering expensive, it offers twist/pull like no other. Any gear, any revs, any time - hit the loud peddle and you'd better hang on. This car accelerates in no 6 like most supercars do in 3rd. And it keeps going. Porsche World featured the car, going over to Germany to drive. The road tester lost his bottle at something like 200. The engine is a peach!
The handling?? Well, it was solely built to do one thing. Set a Ring lap record, which it did. Take a lightweight RS, make lighter still, add a monster power unit, apply race derived suspension with some angry geo, finally give the package a chance with a degree of sanity and endow with 4wd
Hows this stack up on the highway ?? Surprisingly fabulous.. Ok, whilst cold and pottering its twitchy, fidgety, hunting out every rut, camber change and road imperfection. You've got to concentrate- big time, putting in real time effort just keeping it on the straight and narrow. But, like a few rare specials I've driven, up your forward motion and the better it gets. It quickly makes sense with clarity and comes alive, giving quite wonderful feedback and confidence. The way you can pedal this car across ground truly is something special. Subconsciously sourcing the apex with zilch effort or thought then mash the throttle early and marvel, laugh out loud and/or st yourself as you get catapulted out with nuclear force. Very exciting stuff!
The way the thing looks was also a major pull for me. Menace. Stance. Hunkered down. Visual presence. Impossible width/girth. Black - not your off black or grey black or metallic black. Just deep flat black (factory) again aiding the 'F right off' evil look.
The sound too. A delicious dirty proper 911 racket. Most air turbos can be a little tame. The Snake sounded like it meant business. Just how it should be.
Again, a few negative comments regarding the cars provenance and identity. Missing the point.
As mentioned. This car was built at huge expensive to achieve a then seemingly far fetched achievement. In doing so it became the Black Snake and Nurburgring lap record holder. An incredible achievement. With ref to history, documentation etc. I've yet to own a car with as much history, monetary expenditure paper trail. Publicity and press coverage. I guess the lap record was set at a time when the Ring was a lesser known entity. All the same the Snake is very well known and famous in Germany and also to any Nurburgring aficionado. It's feat is historic and set in stone. That's gotta be a fair chunk of provenance in anyone's book
Sound like I'm talking the Snake up ??You bet I am - The most exciting car I'll ever own. Dead or alive .....
Great post I was lucky enough to have owned the Black Snake. Also consider myself lucky to still be alive!
Nothing wrong with this extreme car. Benign and wonderful handling in fact - it's just rather fast. Fast with a huge monster capital F. Awesome pace on track equates to scary and silly stuff on A and B roads.
Some comments about the current lump, suggesting it's a bummer... In the Snakes vast volumes of history it states the previous owner invested in the current RS tuning engine, preferring its torque for road use. For me this was key. Not only was this engine eye watering expensive, it offers twist/pull like no other. Any gear, any revs, any time - hit the loud peddle and you'd better hang on. This car accelerates in no 6 like most supercars do in 3rd. And it keeps going. Porsche World featured the car, going over to Germany to drive. The road tester lost his bottle at something like 200. The engine is a peach!
The handling?? Well, it was solely built to do one thing. Set a Ring lap record, which it did. Take a lightweight RS, make lighter still, add a monster power unit, apply race derived suspension with some angry geo, finally give the package a chance with a degree of sanity and endow with 4wd
Hows this stack up on the highway ?? Surprisingly fabulous.. Ok, whilst cold and pottering its twitchy, fidgety, hunting out every rut, camber change and road imperfection. You've got to concentrate- big time, putting in real time effort just keeping it on the straight and narrow. But, like a few rare specials I've driven, up your forward motion and the better it gets. It quickly makes sense with clarity and comes alive, giving quite wonderful feedback and confidence. The way you can pedal this car across ground truly is something special. Subconsciously sourcing the apex with zilch effort or thought then mash the throttle early and marvel, laugh out loud and/or s
t yourself as you get catapulted out with nuclear force. Very exciting stuff!The way the thing looks was also a major pull for me. Menace. Stance. Hunkered down. Visual presence. Impossible width/girth. Black - not your off black or grey black or metallic black. Just deep flat black (factory) again aiding the 'F right off' evil look.
The sound too. A delicious dirty proper 911 racket. Most air turbos can be a little tame. The Snake sounded like it meant business. Just how it should be.
Again, a few negative comments regarding the cars provenance and identity. Missing the point.
As mentioned. This car was built at huge expensive to achieve a then seemingly far fetched achievement. In doing so it became the Black Snake and Nurburgring lap record holder. An incredible achievement. With ref to history, documentation etc. I've yet to own a car with as much history, monetary expenditure paper trail. Publicity and press coverage. I guess the lap record was set at a time when the Ring was a lesser known entity. All the same the Snake is very well known and famous in Germany and also to any Nurburgring aficionado. It's feat is historic and set in stone. That's gotta be a fair chunk of provenance in anyone's book
Sound like I'm talking the Snake up ??You bet I am - The most exciting car I'll ever own. Dead or alive .....
So we pretty much concur then ? Especially on the RS Tuning engine and it providing "a wall of torque"
I'd have loved to have bought the old girl, but she's so difficult to value currently.
993rsr said:
Never you mind said:
Ive been looking at this on an almost weekly basis. Can't afford it but if I could I would buy it in a hear beat. It just looks fking evil! And I like that.
Black is the colour for them:-)king evil! And I like that.Here's my 1998 993 GT Evo that I purchased in 2004 from the Porsche main dealer in Aachen who supplied it new to it's then one former keeper, one of 21 made all LHD that I gave the relatively paltry sum of £85k.
Had a full welded in clubsport cage courtesy of Tony Littlejohn.
Last I heard it went for £750k a couple of years ago so one for the 'should have kept it' list. Great machines.
[url]And to prove there were no garage queens back then!
|https://thumbsnap.com/2ZQeDFSr[/url]Oh sweet Jesus titty Christ - please don't!!
I was the tit turd who came to your house early one morning to see and buy it. I was torn between my potential order slot for 997.1 RS in orange (different times, had 3 OPCs chasing this order)
and your stunner. Often think about this car. Another visual treat that looked like a rock hard bare fist fighter !
I foolishly went with the new one
I apologise for getting you up early and also have continued to curse my schizophrenic
other half ever since. There must of been two of me. I personally couldn't have been so dumb.
Not one of my better decisions.
Edited by 993rsr on Wednesday 6th February 16:10
jonny finance said:
Some factual input.
I was lucky enough to have owned the Black Snake. Also consider myself lucky to still be alive!
Nothing wrong with this extreme car. Benign and wonderful handling in fact - it's just rather fast. Fast with a huge monster capital F. Awesome pace on track equates to scary and silly stuff on A and B roads.
Some comments about the current lump, suggesting it's a bummer... In the Snakes vast volumes of history it states the previous owner invested in the current RS tuning engine, preferring its torque for road use. For me this was key. Not only was this engine eye watering expensive, it offers twist/pull like no other. Any gear, any revs, any time - hit the loud peddle and you'd better hang on. This car accelerates in no 6 like most supercars do in 3rd. And it keeps going. Porsche World featured the car, going over to Germany to drive. The road tester lost his bottle at something like 200. The engine is a peach!
The handling?? Well, it was solely built to do one thing. Set a Ring lap record, which it did. Take a lightweight RS, make lighter still, add a monster power unit, apply race derived suspension with some angry geo, finally give the package a chance with a degree of sanity and endow with 4wd
Hows this stack up on the highway ?? Surprisingly fabulous.. Ok, whilst cold and pottering its twitchy, fidgety, hunting out every rut, camber change and road imperfection. You've got to concentrate- big time, putting in real time effort just keeping it on the straight and narrow. But, like a few rare specials I've driven, up your forward motion and the better it gets. It quickly makes sense with clarity and comes alive, giving quite wonderful feedback and confidence. The way you can pedal this car across ground truly is something special. Subconsciously sourcing the apex with zilch effort or thought then mash the throttle early and marvel, laugh out loud and/or st yourself as you get catapulted out with nuclear force. Very exciting stuff!
The way the thing looks was also a major pull for me. Menace. Stance. Hunkered down. Visual presence. Impossible width/girth. Black - not your off black or grey black or metallic black. Just deep flat black (factory) again aiding the 'F right off' evil look.
The sound too. A delicious dirty proper 911 racket. Most air turbos can be a little tame. The Snake sounded like it meant business. Just how it should be.
Again, a few negative comments regarding the cars provenance and identity. Missing the point.
As mentioned. This car was built at huge expensive to achieve a then seemingly far fetched achievement. In doing so it became the Black Snake and Nurburgring lap record holder. An incredible achievement. With ref to history, documentation etc. I've yet to own a car with as much history, monetary expenditure paper trail. Publicity and press coverage. I guess the lap record was set at a time when the Ring was a lesser known entity. All the same the Snake is very well known and famous in Germany and also to any Nurburgring aficionado. It's feat is historic and set in stone. That's gotta be a fair chunk of provenance in anyone's book
Sound like I'm talking the Snake up ??You bet I am - The most exciting car I'll ever own. Dead or alive .....
I know we're only in early February but I'm going to nominate this for PH Porsche post of the year! I was lucky enough to have owned the Black Snake. Also consider myself lucky to still be alive!
Nothing wrong with this extreme car. Benign and wonderful handling in fact - it's just rather fast. Fast with a huge monster capital F. Awesome pace on track equates to scary and silly stuff on A and B roads.
Some comments about the current lump, suggesting it's a bummer... In the Snakes vast volumes of history it states the previous owner invested in the current RS tuning engine, preferring its torque for road use. For me this was key. Not only was this engine eye watering expensive, it offers twist/pull like no other. Any gear, any revs, any time - hit the loud peddle and you'd better hang on. This car accelerates in no 6 like most supercars do in 3rd. And it keeps going. Porsche World featured the car, going over to Germany to drive. The road tester lost his bottle at something like 200. The engine is a peach!
The handling?? Well, it was solely built to do one thing. Set a Ring lap record, which it did. Take a lightweight RS, make lighter still, add a monster power unit, apply race derived suspension with some angry geo, finally give the package a chance with a degree of sanity and endow with 4wd
Hows this stack up on the highway ?? Surprisingly fabulous.. Ok, whilst cold and pottering its twitchy, fidgety, hunting out every rut, camber change and road imperfection. You've got to concentrate- big time, putting in real time effort just keeping it on the straight and narrow. But, like a few rare specials I've driven, up your forward motion and the better it gets. It quickly makes sense with clarity and comes alive, giving quite wonderful feedback and confidence. The way you can pedal this car across ground truly is something special. Subconsciously sourcing the apex with zilch effort or thought then mash the throttle early and marvel, laugh out loud and/or s
t yourself as you get catapulted out with nuclear force. Very exciting stuff!The way the thing looks was also a major pull for me. Menace. Stance. Hunkered down. Visual presence. Impossible width/girth. Black - not your off black or grey black or metallic black. Just deep flat black (factory) again aiding the 'F right off' evil look.
The sound too. A delicious dirty proper 911 racket. Most air turbos can be a little tame. The Snake sounded like it meant business. Just how it should be.
Again, a few negative comments regarding the cars provenance and identity. Missing the point.
As mentioned. This car was built at huge expensive to achieve a then seemingly far fetched achievement. In doing so it became the Black Snake and Nurburgring lap record holder. An incredible achievement. With ref to history, documentation etc. I've yet to own a car with as much history, monetary expenditure paper trail. Publicity and press coverage. I guess the lap record was set at a time when the Ring was a lesser known entity. All the same the Snake is very well known and famous in Germany and also to any Nurburgring aficionado. It's feat is historic and set in stone. That's gotta be a fair chunk of provenance in anyone's book
Sound like I'm talking the Snake up ??You bet I am - The most exciting car I'll ever own. Dead or alive .....
Edited by jonny finance on Tuesday 5th February 23:03
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