911 Love

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911 Love

50 Years of Porsche 911 A book that goes beyond merely chronicling history to commemorate­ the anniversary of a remarkable car. An inspiring work of auto­motive literature that shines the spotlight on the 911 and its ­owners. ­Famous stories and lesser-known anecdotes from next door. A declaration of love for the sports car of the heart, 911 LOVE.

911 Love

26

+++ 2002 Class Champion +++ Record Holder +++ 901 Lessons +++ Porsche Shootings +++

name: Jeff Zwart YEAR OF BIRTH: 1955 PLACE OF BIRTH: Long Beach, California, USA Residence: Woody Creek, Colorado USA Profession: Director, Racer, Photographer Passion: Speed, Adventure, Travel QUIRK: Focused

26

+++ 2002 Class Champion +++ Record Holder +++ 901 Lessons +++ Porsche Shootings +++

name: Jeff Zwart YEAR OF BIRTH: 1955 PLACE OF BIRTH: Long Beach, California, USA Residence: Woody Creek, Colorado USA Profession: Director, Racer, Photographer Passion: Speed, Adventure, Travel QUIRK: Focused

+++ Rocky Mountains +++ 911 GT3 Cup Car +++14 years Pikes Peak +++

28

Z J02

+++ 914 +++ Purple Haze +++ 901 +++ Jimi Hendrix +++ Porsche Family Tree +++

From Pikes Peak with Love Jeff Zwart & Porsche 911 GT2, 2002

29

„ I love the focus that is required to race at Pikes Peak. There are no pitstops or laps, just one run to the top. Driving a 911 feels like home to me.“

+ Jeff is quite surrounded by Porsche. In business he produces and directs Porsche commercials in all over the world. In private he races Porsche 911 and pushes himself to the limits.

Text Bruce Bildsten photos Linhbergh Nguyen

First lessons: Taking a seat in a 901

The perfect mix: Racing and shooting Porsche

It’s his home away from home, high up in the sky: Pikes Peak.

He knows the legendary route in the Rocky Mountains like the back of his hand. The photographer and film director has set five speed records in the Porsche 911. A snapshot from the exciting life of the thoroughly laid-back Jeff Zwart.

commercial: 30 seconds of pure adrenaline set to Jimmy Hendrix’s “Purple Haze.” YouTube it: The commercial is still enough to give you goose bumps.

Truly Porsche Passion

+ In the world of Porsche 911 icons, American Jeff Zwart stands alone. As a world-renowned photographer and film director, he’s been responsible for iconic images of the 911, from his stunning photographs for Road & Track magazine to some of Porsche’s most famous print ads and television commercials. But Jeff’s as much of a legend behind the wheel as he is behind the lens. As a driver, he’s logged seven class wins and five records at the famed Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

Fittingly, Jeff learned to drive at the young age of 15 in a 1964 Porsche 901, chassis number 35. His father, a mechanical engineer, had bought the car at a time when one could be had for the same price as a family sedan. His parents were willing to put up with the inconveniences of a sports car as a matter of priorities, if not love.

And those priorities were passed on to Jeff. Upon graduating from high school, using his carefully saved and invested paper-route money, he made a used 914-6 his first car, a car he still owns and races occasionally. + Both Zwart’s prowess with a camera and passion for motorsports began while he was a college student in Europe. He spent his weekends photographing F1 races as a spectator. His photos eventually earned him an actual press pass and a job with Road & Track magazine, where he would go on to shoot dozens of covers.

His work includes calendars and numerous coffee-table books – about Porsche, of course.

The advertising world discovered Jeff next, and his Porsche ads from the late 1980s are as timeless as the 911s he immortalized, both in the pristine light of the studio and at full boil on road and track. Jeff’s photographic style has landed him assignments for virtually every major automotive brand.

It was inevitable that his high-octane vision would eventually graduate to moving pictures. While photographing a 944 Turbo smoking its tires in a drift, Jeff and his art director from Porsche’s ad agency talked about how amazing it would be to capture it on film.

Two weeks later, they were back, creating Jeff’s first television

From Los Angels up on the hill climb of Pikes Peak

+ What followed was an entire series of emotionally compelling clips. The 911 has been a reoccurring theme in his work, shooting at various locations, including the fabled 24 Hours of LeMans, all in the name of advertising for the latest and greatest 911 from Porsche.

Although Zwart’s productions often feature multi million-dollar budgets, specialized helicopters, high-speed pursuit cars, and massive crews, Jeff is known for his absolute total calm under pressure. (Likely inherited from that father, who taught him to drive in his cherished 901. And what greater emotional challenge can there be for a father?) Zwart’s demeanor is uncharacteristically soft-spoken in an industry notorious for egos and tyrants.

Fittingly, the camera car of choice for Zwart is also a Porsche: a matte-black Cayenne Turbo with a massive computer-controlled camera crane affixed to its roof. A precision driver takes the wheel while Zwart aims the camera by remote control. It’s with good reason Jeff says with a wink, “My office is a Porsche.”

A particular production story perfectly illustrates how Zwart’s passion for Porsche and his filmmaker’s intuition often overlap.

Jeff was on Pikes Peak filming a commercial for another automotive brand just before the launch of the latest generation of 911, the 991.

Police were temporarily holding traffic to allow a shot to be set up, when Zwart spied a parade of about a dozen disguised pre-production 991s driving toward the roadblock.

It’s not surprising to see testing there, considering the altitude and technical challenges of Pikes Peak. Zwart immediately identified most of the drivers and passengers in the Porsche parade, a virtual Who’s Who of Porsche’s top engineers and executives from Germany and the United States. Of course, they also all recognized Jeff.

One engineer rolled down his window and said, “I only wish I could drive up this mountain as fast as you, Zwart.” + As demanding as Jeff’s schedule is, he still finds time to challenge himself behind the wheel. His passion is rallying, and he ran two full US Pro Rally Championship seasons before switching to the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. At this famous hill climb, Zwart has piloted nine different Porsche 911s in 13 years. In 2007, Jeff led the North American Porsche team in the Transsyberia Rally,

a race from Moscow to Ulaanbaatar in his favorite car: the Porsche Cayenne.

In 2011, in a throwback to the time when racers actually drove their cars to the track, Jeff drove a 620 hp GT-2 RS nearly 2,000 kilometers to Pikes Peak from Los Angeles. Adding nothing more than a factory roll cage, fire-suppression equipment, and a GT3 Cup steering wheel (even keeping the AC and Nav), Jeff “ran what he brought.”

Jeff really seems to really have gotten to know his vehicle on the trip there. After all, he proceeded to knock more than 24 seconds off his time from the previous year, 2010, when he’d set the record for a street-legal production car. It was a new high point in his love of the 911 – in the truest sense of the word.

+++ Rocky Mountains +++ 911 GT3 Cup Car +++14 years Pikes Peak +++

28

Z J02

+++ 914 +++ Purple Haze +++ 901 +++ Jimi Hendrix +++ Porsche Family Tree +++

From Pikes Peak with Love Jeff Zwart & Porsche 911 GT2, 2002

29

„ I love the focus that is required to race at Pikes Peak. There are no pitstops or laps, just one run to the top. Driving a 911 feels like home to me.“

+ Jeff is quite surrounded by Porsche. In business he produces and directs Porsche commercials in all over the world. In private he races Porsche 911 and pushes himself to the limits.

Text Bruce Bildsten photos Linhbergh Nguyen

First lessons: Taking a seat in a 901

The perfect mix: Racing and shooting Porsche

It’s his home away from home, high up in the sky: Pikes Peak.

He knows the legendary route in the Rocky Mountains like the back of his hand. The photographer and film director has set five speed records in the Porsche 911. A snapshot from the exciting life of the thoroughly laid-back Jeff Zwart.

commercial: 30 seconds of pure adrenaline set to Jimmy Hendrix’s “Purple Haze.” YouTube it: The commercial is still enough to give you goose bumps.

Truly Porsche Passion

+ In the world of Porsche 911 icons, American Jeff Zwart stands alone. As a world-renowned photographer and film director, he’s been responsible for iconic images of the 911, from his stunning photographs for Road & Track magazine to some of Porsche’s most famous print ads and television commercials. But Jeff’s as much of a legend behind the wheel as he is behind the lens. As a driver, he’s logged seven class wins and five records at the famed Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

Fittingly, Jeff learned to drive at the young age of 15 in a 1964 Porsche 901, chassis number 35. His father, a mechanical engineer, had bought the car at a time when one could be had for the same price as a family sedan. His parents were willing to put up with the inconveniences of a sports car as a matter of priorities, if not love.

And those priorities were passed on to Jeff. Upon graduating from high school, using his carefully saved and invested paper-route money, he made a used 914-6 his first car, a car he still owns and races occasionally. + Both Zwart’s prowess with a camera and passion for motorsports began while he was a college student in Europe. He spent his weekends photographing F1 races as a spectator. His photos eventually earned him an actual press pass and a job with Road & Track magazine, where he would go on to shoot dozens of covers.

His work includes calendars and numerous coffee-table books – about Porsche, of course.

The advertising world discovered Jeff next, and his Porsche ads from the late 1980s are as timeless as the 911s he immortalized, both in the pristine light of the studio and at full boil on road and track. Jeff’s photographic style has landed him assignments for virtually every major automotive brand.

It was inevitable that his high-octane vision would eventually graduate to moving pictures. While photographing a 944 Turbo smoking its tires in a drift, Jeff and his art director from Porsche’s ad agency talked about how amazing it would be to capture it on film.

Two weeks later, they were back, creating Jeff’s first television

From Los Angels up on the hill climb of Pikes Peak

+ What followed was an entire series of emotionally compelling clips. The 911 has been a reoccurring theme in his work, shooting at various locations, including the fabled 24 Hours of LeMans, all in the name of advertising for the latest and greatest 911 from Porsche.

Although Zwart’s productions often feature multi million-dollar budgets, specialized helicopters, high-speed pursuit cars, and massive crews, Jeff is known for his absolute total calm under pressure. (Likely inherited from that father, who taught him to drive in his cherished 901. And what greater emotional challenge can there be for a father?) Zwart’s demeanor is uncharacteristically soft-spoken in an industry notorious for egos and tyrants.

Fittingly, the camera car of choice for Zwart is also a Porsche: a matte-black Cayenne Turbo with a massive computer-controlled camera crane affixed to its roof. A precision driver takes the wheel while Zwart aims the camera by remote control. It’s with good reason Jeff says with a wink, “My office is a Porsche.”

A particular production story perfectly illustrates how Zwart’s passion for Porsche and his filmmaker’s intuition often overlap.

Jeff was on Pikes Peak filming a commercial for another automotive brand just before the launch of the latest generation of 911, the 991.

Police were temporarily holding traffic to allow a shot to be set up, when Zwart spied a parade of about a dozen disguised pre-production 991s driving toward the roadblock.

It’s not surprising to see testing there, considering the altitude and technical challenges of Pikes Peak. Zwart immediately identified most of the drivers and passengers in the Porsche parade, a virtual Who’s Who of Porsche’s top engineers and executives from Germany and the United States. Of course, they also all recognized Jeff.

One engineer rolled down his window and said, “I only wish I could drive up this mountain as fast as you, Zwart.” + As demanding as Jeff’s schedule is, he still finds time to challenge himself behind the wheel. His passion is rallying, and he ran two full US Pro Rally Championship seasons before switching to the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. At this famous hill climb, Zwart has piloted nine different Porsche 911s in 13 years. In 2007, Jeff led the North American Porsche team in the Transsyberia Rally,

a race from Moscow to Ulaanbaatar in his favorite car: the Porsche Cayenne.

In 2011, in a throwback to the time when racers actually drove their cars to the track, Jeff drove a 620 hp GT-2 RS nearly 2,000 kilometers to Pikes Peak from Los Angeles. Adding nothing more than a factory roll cage, fire-suppression equipment, and a GT3 Cup steering wheel (even keeping the AC and Nav), Jeff “ran what he brought.”

Jeff really seems to really have gotten to know his vehicle on the trip there. After all, he proceeded to knock more than 24 seconds off his time from the previous year, 2010, when he’d set the record for a street-legal production car. It was a new high point in his love of the 911 – in the truest sense of the word.

40

+++ First registered owner: Ferry Porsche +++ Restoration: Three years +++ Found in a field in Michigan +++

name: Jerry Seinfeld YEAR OF BIRTH: 1954 PLACE OF BIRTH: New York City, USA Residence: New York City, USA Profession: Comedian Passion: The art of German engineering QUIRK: Would rather talk about cars than tell jokes

40

+++ First registered owner: Ferry Porsche +++ Restoration: Three years +++ Found in a field in Michigan +++

name: Jerry Seinfeld YEAR OF BIRTH: 1954 PLACE OF BIRTH: New York City, USA Residence: New York City, USA Profession: Comedian Passion: The art of German engineering QUIRK: Would rather talk about cars than tell jokes

+++ Jerry owns the 908/3 that won the Targa Florio +++ Porsche can become an obsession +++ A perfectionist +++

42

JS 64

Text Jürgen Lewandowski PHotos Mark Seliger

The Keeper of the Treasure Jerry Seinfeld & Porsche 911, 1964

“Please don’t try to be funny.” Jerry Seinfeld, one of the world’s most famous stand-up comedians, doesn’t care for funny intro‑ ductions. “After more than 40 years on stage, I know every joke on the planet. So let’s talk about Porsche – about the greatest car company in the world.”

I can’t say no if an interesting Porsche comes along

Why Porsche ?

technical design of this classic car. “The 911 is an original, with its six-cylinder engine mounted behind its rear axle – and air-cooled for decades, at that. No wonder people in the US often said it looked funny. But over the past decades, it’s proven on the road and on the race track that it’s the best sports car in the world.”

The American comedian and author has it. The first 911.

Serial number 1, that is. A visit with Jerry Seinfeld, and a special look behind the scenes.

The first 911 was rotting away in a pasture

+ Even though the name Jerry Seinfeld may not ring much of a bell for those living outside the United States, the actor, comedian, and author is a big hitter in his native country. Seinfeld, his highly successful eponymous sitcom that ran for more than 200 episodes on American television network NBC between 1989 and 1998, remains a staple of reruns worldwide to this day. And then there’s the animated hit flick Bee Movie, a favorite of kids around the world for which he wrote the screenplay. Today, the likeable 59-year-old remains a major draw on the comedy circuit, selling out theaters and auditoriums everywhere he goes with little effort. But there’s entirely something else on his mind this day in his office on New York’s Upper West Side: His love of Porsche and the 911 in particular. This passion has led him to amass one of the largest – and one of the best – Porsche collections in the world. “I know you ought to be able to say no now and again, but I just can’t do it to a famous Porsche.

And then, there it is, the next Porsche in my collection.”

Why Porsche? + “Because it’s the quintessential sports car. The obsession started – I was a kid back then – with a glance at a perfectly designed dashboard with a big, round tachometer in the middle. It was the dashboard of a Porsche 911. And I had been bitten by the bug.” Of course, it took a while before Jerry Seinfeld was able to afford his first 911. But then he became hooked on the quality of the vehicle, both in terms of its beauty and its technology. “The form is so perfect, as if it was made out of water, in a wave. And I never understood why a car needed a big front with lots of chrome, lots of drag, and a gigantic grille. And what do you need big, plushy seats in a car for? When I want to sit in an armchair, I do it at home, in my living room.” Of course, Jerry Seinfeld knows that the unique form of the 911, a fixture for the past 50 years, also owes a lot to the

The 1,200 hp put the fear of God into you

+ Jerry Seinfeld’s remarkable collection, which ranges from one of the few 356s built in Gmünd to the latest Carrera GT3 RS 4.0 (“my everyday car right now”), contains many rarities, such as the first-ever Porsche 911 to be delivered – the mother of them all: serial number 1.

The car was registered to one Ferry Porsche in November 1964. Like so many of these vehicles, this milestone in Porsche’s history would later change hands. Its path became blurred up to the moment Jerry Seinfeld, who was searching for a very early 911, found a wreck in Michigan, rotting away in a pasture, with shrubs growing through its rusted floorboards. Somewhere on the car, he managed to make out the chassis and engine numbers, “and then the Porsche archives confirmed that this was the first 911 to be delivered. It took no less than three years for Porsche’s restoration department to bring this milestone back into the same mint condi‑ tion it was in when it was handed over to Ferry Porsche in 1964. And to bring history full circle, I then also bought the last air-cooled 911.

Now the start and the end of an era are parked right next to each other.” As you might expect, Jerry Seinfeld has not only collected the icons produced for the road, but also the race cars from Zuffenhausen and Weissach that helped Porsche initially build the reputation that made it famous the whole world over. And in his collection, you’ll find practically everything Porsche has ever created, from an early 356 aluminum coupe and the first Carrera models to race cars based on the 911; from the 550 Spyder and its successor to the increasingly powerful models of the Ferdinand Piëch era, such as the 904, 906, 914/6 GT, and 908/3 (the vehicle in the comedian’s collection won the legendary 1970 Targa Florio). + So it’s almost a matter of fact that Seinfeld’s collection also con‑ tains a 917. “I was even able to buy one of the six 917/30s ever built – this one-of-a-kind car was built for the 1974 CanAm season but was sold to Alan Hamilton in Australia after the organizers changed the rules. This ended Porsche’s sweep with the 1,200 hp race car that puts the fear of God into you when you’re behind the wheel.”

+ Always joking around: Jerry’s beloved 1958 Rumi Formichino – Formichino translates as “little ant”.

+++ Jerry owns the 908/3 that won the Targa Florio +++ Porsche can become an obsession +++ A perfectionist +++

42

JS 64

Text Jürgen Lewandowski PHotos Mark Seliger

The Keeper of the Treasure Jerry Seinfeld & Porsche 911, 1964

“Please don’t try to be funny.” Jerry Seinfeld, one of the world’s most famous stand-up comedians, doesn’t care for funny intro‑ ductions. “After more than 40 years on stage, I know every joke on the planet. So let’s talk about Porsche – about the greatest car company in the world.”

I can’t say no if an interesting Porsche comes along

Why Porsche ?

technical design of this classic car. “The 911 is an original, with its six-cylinder engine mounted behind its rear axle – and air-cooled for decades, at that. No wonder people in the US often said it looked funny. But over the past decades, it’s proven on the road and on the race track that it’s the best sports car in the world.”

The American comedian and author has it. The first 911.

Serial number 1, that is. A visit with Jerry Seinfeld, and a special look behind the scenes.

The first 911 was rotting away in a pasture

+ Even though the name Jerry Seinfeld may not ring much of a bell for those living outside the United States, the actor, comedian, and author is a big hitter in his native country. Seinfeld, his highly successful eponymous sitcom that ran for more than 200 episodes on American television network NBC between 1989 and 1998, remains a staple of reruns worldwide to this day. And then there’s the animated hit flick Bee Movie, a favorite of kids around the world for which he wrote the screenplay. Today, the likeable 59-year-old remains a major draw on the comedy circuit, selling out theaters and auditoriums everywhere he goes with little effort. But there’s entirely something else on his mind this day in his office on New York’s Upper West Side: His love of Porsche and the 911 in particular. This passion has led him to amass one of the largest – and one of the best – Porsche collections in the world. “I know you ought to be able to say no now and again, but I just can’t do it to a famous Porsche.

And then, there it is, the next Porsche in my collection.”

Why Porsche? + “Because it’s the quintessential sports car. The obsession started – I was a kid back then – with a glance at a perfectly designed dashboard with a big, round tachometer in the middle. It was the dashboard of a Porsche 911. And I had been bitten by the bug.” Of course, it took a while before Jerry Seinfeld was able to afford his first 911. But then he became hooked on the quality of the vehicle, both in terms of its beauty and its technology. “The form is so perfect, as if it was made out of water, in a wave. And I never understood why a car needed a big front with lots of chrome, lots of drag, and a gigantic grille. And what do you need big, plushy seats in a car for? When I want to sit in an armchair, I do it at home, in my living room.” Of course, Jerry Seinfeld knows that the unique form of the 911, a fixture for the past 50 years, also owes a lot to the

The 1,200 hp put the fear of God into you

+ Jerry Seinfeld’s remarkable collection, which ranges from one of the few 356s built in Gmünd to the latest Carrera GT3 RS 4.0 (“my everyday car right now”), contains many rarities, such as the first-ever Porsche 911 to be delivered – the mother of them all: serial number 1.

The car was registered to one Ferry Porsche in November 1964. Like so many of these vehicles, this milestone in Porsche’s history would later change hands. Its path became blurred up to the moment Jerry Seinfeld, who was searching for a very early 911, found a wreck in Michigan, rotting away in a pasture, with shrubs growing through its rusted floorboards. Somewhere on the car, he managed to make out the chassis and engine numbers, “and then the Porsche archives confirmed that this was the first 911 to be delivered. It took no less than three years for Porsche’s restoration department to bring this milestone back into the same mint condi‑ tion it was in when it was handed over to Ferry Porsche in 1964. And to bring history full circle, I then also bought the last air-cooled 911.

Now the start and the end of an era are parked right next to each other.” As you might expect, Jerry Seinfeld has not only collected the icons produced for the road, but also the race cars from Zuffenhausen and Weissach that helped Porsche initially build the reputation that made it famous the whole world over. And in his collection, you’ll find practically everything Porsche has ever created, from an early 356 aluminum coupe and the first Carrera models to race cars based on the 911; from the 550 Spyder and its successor to the increasingly powerful models of the Ferdinand Piëch era, such as the 904, 906, 914/6 GT, and 908/3 (the vehicle in the comedian’s collection won the legendary 1970 Targa Florio). + So it’s almost a matter of fact that Seinfeld’s collection also con‑ tains a 917. “I was even able to buy one of the six 917/30s ever built – this one-of-a-kind car was built for the 1974 CanAm season but was sold to Alan Hamilton in Australia after the organizers changed the rules. This ended Porsche’s sweep with the 1,200 hp race car that puts the fear of God into you when you’re behind the wheel.”

+ Always joking around: Jerry’s beloved 1958 Rumi Formichino – Formichino translates as “little ant”.

+++ Collection contains one of each model +++ I appreciate German engineering +++ The 918 Spyder is a milestone +++

44

45

“ The 911 is the quintissential sports car – and my obsession.”

The best classic car is always an unrestored original

+ It comes as no surprise that Seinfeld is well versed in Porsche’s history, with all its twists and turns. He’s a perfectionist, no matter whether he’s filling the gaps in his collection, contracting the best in restoration, or looking for unrestored and low-performance classics that tell tales of the technical and industrial artistry of the workers of yesteryear. “To be honest, these time capsules are my favorite cars.

They tell us so much of the materials back then, the working conditions, and the skilled hands that built them. I’d much rather find one of these cars than a restoration project. But sometimes you just have to turn to restoration when there are no unrestored originals left.”

And Seinfeld knows the right people to help him on his search and fine tuning of his collection. “Porsche is a German company driven by engineers that keeps developing its models. And there are enough artists within the company and among the top restorers who get these technical miracles on the road again.” And what is the focus of this collection?

The 918 Spyder has what it takes to become an icon.

Jerry’s already ordered one

+ “To bring together the highlights of the road and racing vehicles; to place the models next to each other that document the evolution and, by doing so, present the artistry of the technicians, designers, and workers who have made this constant flow of development pos‑ sible and continue to do so.” And does that also include new models?

“Sure, of course – if they make it clear that they’re the start of a new chapter. Good collections show these leaps when new models open up new possibilities. That’s why I’ve also ordered a 918 Spyder.

When Porsche installs a hybrid powertrain in a supercar, the result just has to be a milestone. ”

+++ Collection contains one of each model +++ I appreciate German engineering +++ The 918 Spyder is a milestone +++

44

45

“ The 911 is the quintissential sports car – and my obsession.”

The best classic car is always an unrestored original

+ It comes as no surprise that Seinfeld is well versed in Porsche’s history, with all its twists and turns. He’s a perfectionist, no matter whether he’s filling the gaps in his collection, contracting the best in restoration, or looking for unrestored and low-performance classics that tell tales of the technical and industrial artistry of the workers of yesteryear. “To be honest, these time capsules are my favorite cars.

They tell us so much of the materials back then, the working conditions, and the skilled hands that built them. I’d much rather find one of these cars than a restoration project. But sometimes you just have to turn to restoration when there are no unrestored originals left.”

And Seinfeld knows the right people to help him on his search and fine tuning of his collection. “Porsche is a German company driven by engineers that keeps developing its models. And there are enough artists within the company and among the top restorers who get these technical miracles on the road again.” And what is the focus of this collection?

The 918 Spyder has what it takes to become an icon.

Jerry’s already ordered one

+ “To bring together the highlights of the road and racing vehicles; to place the models next to each other that document the evolution and, by doing so, present the artistry of the technicians, designers, and workers who have made this constant flow of development pos‑ sible and continue to do so.” And does that also include new models?

“Sure, of course – if they make it clear that they’re the start of a new chapter. Good collections show these leaps when new models open up new possibilities. That’s why I’ve also ordered a 918 Spyder.

When Porsche installs a hybrid powertrain in a supercar, the result just has to be a milestone. ”

318

+++ Incredible power +++ Impressive chassis +++ Built in 1972 +++

Curves of Steel A fascinating embodiment of absolute potency

Name Michael Furman Date of birth April 7, 1953 Place of birth Philadelphia, USA Camera used

Hasselblad HD1, Phase One P45 digital back Year and location

2006, Philadelphia, USA

It can be a sobering experience when a dream comes true.

Michael Furman’s dream was to drive a 911. He got the ­opportunity for the first time at the age of 30 – on Hawaii, as luck would have it. After nine hours on a plane and arriving in the middle of the night. The 911 was ready to go, but there was no one around to show him the ropes. Where in the world is the ignition? To the left. And how do I put this thing into ­second gear?

Humphrey Bogart taught Michael Furman that minor adver­ sities can be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Although the first Porsche he owned was a 944, the original followed later.

Furman’s been photographing automotive divas for more than 30 years. So successfully, in fact, that he’s today considered the American studio photographer. His focus isn’t so much on technical nuances, but rather on esthetic noblesse, beautiful design, and proportions. He’s into curves. Curves of Steel, as one of his many coffee table books is entitled. And the metaphors he uses to explain why he loves this image of a 911 Carrera RSR Turbo 2.14 in particular are also erotically charged: “Here, I captured the union of impressive chassis and extraordinary power. That captivates me.”

318

+++ Incredible power +++ Impressive chassis +++ Built in 1972 +++

Curves of Steel A fascinating embodiment of absolute potency

Name Michael Furman Date of birth April 7, 1953 Place of birth Philadelphia, USA Camera used

Hasselblad HD1, Phase One P45 digital back Year and location

2006, Philadelphia, USA

It can be a sobering experience when a dream comes true.

Michael Furman’s dream was to drive a 911. He got the ­opportunity for the first time at the age of 30 – on Hawaii, as luck would have it. After nine hours on a plane and arriving in the middle of the night. The 911 was ready to go, but there was no one around to show him the ropes. Where in the world is the ignition? To the left. And how do I put this thing into ­second gear?

Humphrey Bogart taught Michael Furman that minor adver­ sities can be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Although the first Porsche he owned was a 944, the original followed later.

Furman’s been photographing automotive divas for more than 30 years. So successfully, in fact, that he’s today considered the American studio photographer. His focus isn’t so much on technical nuances, but rather on esthetic noblesse, beautiful design, and proportions. He’s into curves. Curves of Steel, as one of his many coffee table books is entitled. And the metaphors he uses to explain why he loves this image of a 911 Carrera RSR Turbo 2.14 in particular are also erotically charged: “Here, I captured the union of impressive chassis and extraordinary power. That captivates me.”

+++ Sturm und Drang +++ Elegant simplicity +++ Silent grandeur +++

Goethe the Car A focus on what counts as an ideal

Name Georg Fischer Date of birth January 22, 1947 Place of birth Bonn, Germany Camera used

Sinar P2, Sinaron 360 mm Year and location

1999, Pebble Beach, USA

A stone pine. A Porsche. And that’s that! Less is more, or, to put in more literary terms: Sturm und Drang – storm and stress.

Elegant simplicity, quiet grandeur. Truth, beauty, goodness.

Good Goethe! Sturm and Drang: The windswept tree next to the stoic Porsche. The power of opposites. Blue in blue in the middle of nowhere. The mind says: a hill. The eye sees: a desert island, the feeling of sublime independence. Truth, beauty, goodness. The 911.

In a nutshell: power, freedom, virtue. Georg Fischer isn’t a man of many words. So his words carry meaning. His visual language, because it makes due with so little, is emphatically expressive, seems impulsive and suggestive. This reduction, this focus on what counts, is his secret. Georg Fischer doesn’t reveal a lot to begin with. But this much we know: The man doesn’t just know elegant cars; he also knows a thing or two about fine beverages. He’s a wine-­ grower. Here’s why he likes this picture, taken near Pebble Beach in California, so much: “I like simple, yet intense visual language.”

Simply, yet intensely put.

321

+++ Sturm und Drang +++ Elegant simplicity +++ Silent grandeur +++

Goethe the Car A focus on what counts as an ideal

Name Georg Fischer Date of birth January 22, 1947 Place of birth Bonn, Germany Camera used

Sinar P2, Sinaron 360 mm Year and location

1999, Pebble Beach, USA

A stone pine. A Porsche. And that’s that! Less is more, or, to put in more literary terms: Sturm und Drang – storm and stress.

Elegant simplicity, quiet grandeur. Truth, beauty, goodness.

Good Goethe! Sturm and Drang: The windswept tree next to the stoic Porsche. The power of opposites. Blue in blue in the middle of nowhere. The mind says: a hill. The eye sees: a desert island, the feeling of sublime independence. Truth, beauty, goodness. The 911.

In a nutshell: power, freedom, virtue. Georg Fischer isn’t a man of many words. So his words carry meaning. His visual language, because it makes due with so little, is emphatically expressive, seems impulsive and suggestive. This reduction, this focus on what counts, is his secret. Georg Fischer doesn’t reveal a lot to begin with. But this much we know: The man doesn’t just know elegant cars; he also knows a thing or two about fine beverages. He’s a wine-­ grower. Here’s why he likes this picture, taken near Pebble Beach in California, so much: “I like simple, yet intense visual language.”

Simply, yet intensely put.

321

w w w.delius -klasing.de

911 Love

50 Years of Porsche 911 A book that goes beyond merely chronicling history to commemorate­ the anniversary of a remarkable car. An inspiring work of auto­motive literature that shines the spotlight on the 911 and its ­owners. ­Famous stories and lesser-known anecdotes from next door. A declaration of love for the sports car of the heart, 911 LOVE.

911 Love