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Rennsport Reunion VI  (27-30 September 2018)                                                      ROBERT THORP

The idea of a Porsche racing gathering came about due to a collaboration between Brian Redman and the late Bob Coleman who was then the PR chief of Porsche Cars North America. The first reunion took place at Lime Rock in 2001 but the last three reunions have been at the Laguna Seca raceway outside Monterey on the California coast south of San Francisco. The reunion is held every three years. The initial meeting featured 100 Porsche racing cars. The 2015 event featured more than 60 000 Porsche fans and more than 1 400 Porsche Club America (PCA) members owned Porsches. I am sure that the 2018 event was even bigger than that.

After the 2015 event, I decided that I have to attend the 2018 event and combine that with a visit to my son Ryan who lives in Manhattan, who also just coincidentally happens to be a Porsche enthusiast. I got in early and committed him to such a plan when it is easier to agree to something that is going to take place in a few years’ time.

The plan evolved, with me flying out to New York and both of us flying to San Francisco, renting a Boxster and driving down to the seaside resort of Monterey. Monterey is also well known for the Pebble Beach concours and the Historic Week.

As we were driving a Porsche we were able to book parking inside the circuit. What never ceased to amaze us was the number and variety of cars in the car parks. Many of the cars had customised features which for the most part were extremely well executed. We spent many an hour merely walking through the various car parks admiring the visitors’ Porsches.

One of the first items we saw when arriving at Rennsport was the Singer display. This included a number of their normal reimaginations but also a very special Singer called the DLS which included a Williams developed air cooled four valve motor, something which Porsche themselves was not able to produce. This Singer is priced at USD 1.8m compared to the normal .5m. There was also a bewildering array of purveyors of all things Porsche including on one stand, a 911 with the Porsche developed 1,5 litre turbo motor used in the McLaren F1 car which had been driven by Alain Prost and Nicki Lauda neatly installed in the engine bay. Needless to say the actual Mclaren F1 racer was also on display.

Separately there was the Chopard Heritage display which included virtually all the Porsche racing cars ever made. This display consisted of 55 racing cars ranging from the 1951 356 Gmund coupe to the 919. Other displays were of the various modifiers of Porsches as well as a display put on by the various PCA regions, which were extremely well presented and represented the entire Porsche range including race cars.

Another outstanding collection was fourteen 959s and the whole range of Porsche tractors.

As the Rennsport was part of Porsche’s world wide 70th celebrations the Porsche AG Sales and Marking Director was on hand assisted by Mark Webber to unveil the world launch of the limited production track car the Porsche 935 as well as the first North American unveiling of the 911 Speedster.

Over and above all this was the demos on the track of all the racing cars brought along by the PCA members, including no fewer than seventeen 956/962 racers, six RS Spyders and innumerable 911s. In total nearly 300 racing Porsches were demoed and raced on track. The highlight was the 919 Tribute, which set the outright track record at Spa and the Nurburgring. This was by far the fastest car on track at Rennsport.

Finally there were many interviews with Porsche personalities. This included racers Jacky Ickx, Derek Bell, Brian Redman, Vic Elford amongst many others. From Porsche AG Norbert Singer, two designers Grant Larson and Tony Hatter and the people behind the 919 success, Frank-Stephan Walliser and Andreas Seidl.

This was an extraordinary and mind-blowing experience for me as somebody who has intensely absorbed thing Porsche for literally over 50 years.

 


27/09/2018