Thursday 21st March 2013

Porsche 911 'Project 50' racer

Roots in racing, not posing they say - Porsche GB puts its money where its mouth is

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The 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed is going to be a heavily Porsche-dominated affair, what with the 911’s 50th birthday taking centre stage at the event. PH attended the Goodwood preview event yesterday and among the many 911s on show to tease the featured marque status was this lovely little short-wheelbase race car, christened the ‘Project 50’ by Porsche GB. 

Project 50 racer prepped by Porsche GB race team

A 1965 911, this car was apparently originally sold in Italy, albeit in right-hand drive form. After a period in America it moved to the UK, was prepped for FIA historic racing and has been acquired by Porsche GB to contest Masters Series historic events, the Nurburgring OldTimer GP and Silverstone Classic. Those at the wheel will include Richard Attwood and, it says here, “some other surprise guest drivers.”

After an overhaul at Porsche Classic in Germany the Project 50 race car will be run by Porsche GB’s motorsport team, which will provide a bit of a change from the GT3 Cup cars they’re more used to working on. 

Making the nearby 991 look a bit fat and bloated, and stark in its purity and simplicity alongside the brutal looking 911 GT1, it was sharing Lord March’s lawn with, Project 50’s daintiness is a reminder of how far the 911 has come in half a century. And it looks like a heap of possibly slightly twitchy fun. It’ll be joined at the Festival of Speed in July by Porsche’s 1967 911, which is currently on a world tour to promote the model’s half century. The trip includes stops at Pebble Beach, China and Australia, and can be followed at porsche.com/follow-911. 

Porsche is featured marque at Goodwood

Predictably these won’t be the only 911s, or Porsches, coming to Goodwood in July and with the 911-themed sculpture as a centrepiece you’ll never be far from something with a flat-six in its rump. ‘Significant’ 911s from the Porsche museum – hopefully including the mad four-wheel drive 1984 Dakar Rothmans rally car seen yesterday – will be joining the party alongside others from private owners and collections. Racing Porsches of all types will be there too. 

And, whisper it, if Porsches aren’t quite your thing, there will of course be plenty of other stuff there too…

[tomellingham]

What comes before a 964? Do you call it a classic?

[BS75]

Dunno about you but I call it a 911...

[Caractacus]

tomellingham said:

What comes before a 964? Do you call it a classic?

3.2 Carrera was the one immediately prior, preceded by the SC. And yes, they are classics if you consider how many are now over 25 years of age.

Back OT - I am going t love this years F.o.S So much great metal/carbon on show!!

[Ali_T]

Why is it to be dominated by Porsche when Lambo are also 50 this year, Subaru 60 years and Aston a much more impressive 100 years old.? It's also the 100 year anniversary of the founding of Supermarine, so lets hope for some Spitfire representation.

[405dogvan]

Ali_T said:

Why is it to be dominated by Porsche when Lambo are also 50 this year, Subaru 60 years and Aston a much more impressive 100 years old.? It's also the 100 year anniversary of the founding of Supermarine, so lets hope for some Spitfire representation.

Because they're the featured item - you can't have more than 1 featured item because that's not what featured means...

Maybe Lord Wotsit knew that all Lambo had for their 50th was a Tupperware special and AM couldn't even remember who they were owned-by and thought "let's go with Porsche" then

I'm in for the Spitfire tho

[rogerhudson]

I love the Talbot round mirror and the air slots for the oil cooler, where can we see the full specification of this car? They should swap the glass headlamp lens for the lexan plastic ones on track instead of that gaffer tape.

[rogerhudson]

I love the Talbot round mirror and the air slots for the oil cooler, where can we see the full specification of this car? They should swap the glass headlamp lens for the lexan plastic ones on track instead of that gaffer tape.

[vrooom]

the rear light wrap around years is Porsche best era.

[4a4]

930 - sooooo much want

[85Carrera]

It is a shame how bloated the latest cars have got compared to the purity of the earlier models

[Captain Muppet]

rogerhudson said:

I love the Talbot round mirror and the air slots for the oil cooler, where can we see the full specification of this car? They should swap the glass headlamp lens for the lexan plastic ones on track instead of that gaffer tape.

Tape crosses are more "race car".

I missed mine when I switched to lighter plastic lights. I can see much better at night though.

[canucklehead]

mmmm nice!

wish i could swing a trip across the atlantic for the FoS and revival this year. not to be sadly.

the Project 50 looks sweet. the parade of different models sure shows how the 911 has grown, and grown and grown......like all modern cars it's ginormous.

[J BIRD RACING]

As always, anything Porsche captures my attention.
I began owning Porsche 911's in the late 60's and am interested in comparing what was with what is.
Weight, horsepower, displacement figures on this 1965, 911 beauty would be an addition to this report.

[gdelargy]

I'd like to see someone make a .gif using those rear three-quarter photos of various 911s. You'd end up with an animated bloatathon as the wee car gradually got chubbier and chubbier.

[sebhaque]

gdelargy said:

I'd like to see someone make a .gif using those rear three-quarter photos of various 911s. You'd end up with an animated bloatathon as the wee car gradually got chubbier and chubbier.

Just for you

[ArnageWRC]

Ali_T said:

Why is it to be dominated by Porsche when Lambo are also 50 this year, Subaru 60 years and Aston a much more impressive 100 years old.? It is also the 100 year anniversary of the founding of Supermarine, so lets hope for some Spitfire representation.

Porsche and the 911, and all it's variants have probably had the most success of any car in Motorsport; Le Mans, Sebring, Monte-Carlo, Dakar, etc

[johnyt993]

haha... great! love them all though!

I may be biased, but that 993 clearly looks the best of all of them from that angle!!!

sebhaque said:

Just for you

[medullanocte]

Saw this at the Cayman launch a couple of weeks ago. Awesome car, lovely to see it up close and have a nose around inside.


Portsmouth-20130307-00438 by Phil Tickner, on Flickr

[sebhaque]

johnyt993 said:

haha... great! love them all though!

I may be biased, but that 993 clearly looks the best of all of them from that angle!!!

I'm biased too, being a 997 owner but I agree that the 993 looks undeniably gorgeous from that (and a lot of other) angles.

[PowerfullyBuilt]

But is it faster round the 'Ring than a Datsun 510?