Western Vice President Manuel Calo westvp@fsrpca.org
Secretary & Archivist Carl Bess secretary@fsrpca.org
Treasurer John Schwaebler treasurer@fsrpca.org
Activities Officer Dana McKnight activities@fsrpca.org
Tour Meister Dave Wallace tourmeister@fsrpca.org
Past President
Erik Apotheker pastpresident@fsrpca.org
HO Editor Bryan Fox editor@fsrpca.org
Charity Chair Jenny Kay charity@fsrpca.org
Membership Chair Ken Thomas membership@fsrpca.org
High Performance
Driver Education Chair Marco Estrada dechair@fsrpca.org
Safety Chair
Mark Hugel mark.hugel@cox.net
Northern Area Chair Steve Marcom gps@fsrpca.org
Tech Chair
Jim Hamel hameljr@icloud.com
Horizontally Opposed (HO) is the official publication of First Settlers Region (FSR), Porsche Club of America (PCA). All opinions, views and information appearing in HO are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the PCA, FSR, its Officers or the Editor.
The HO Editor reserves the right to edit all material submitted for publication. Permission is granted to reprint any material provided that full credit is given to the author and to Horizontally Opposed
This publication, and previous publications of Horizontally Opposed, are available to view on-line at www. fsrpca.org.
Advertising rates, schedules and commercial partner marketing support is available to all parties interested in engaging the members of the First Settlers Region of the Porsche Club of America. Please contact HO Editor, Bryan Fox, at editor@fsrpca.org for more information.
Background image courtesy of Steve Marcom
Rich Cao
Welcome to Summer! I can’t believe how fast the past few months have gone by. It seems like just a few days ago that a few of us were huddled together at Knott’s Coffee for Rennsport Rendezvous, wishing it was just a little bit warmer. At the time of this writing, we will soon be celebrating our Nation’s 250th birthday and spending some quality time with our Porsches on these beautiful Virginia country roads. Hopefully most of you have been able to take advantage of the fantastic Fun Runs put together by our extraordinary Tourmeister, Dave Wallace, and his group of dedicated volunteers. If you haven’t been able to join us, there is still time to join us as we have events planned for every month leading up to winter. Coming up we have the “Scottsville Two Stop Fun Run” on 18 July, the “Sprint to New Kent III” on 15 August, the “Richmond Porsche Meet Fun Run” on 12 September, and the “Ferry Porsche Fun Run” on 3 October. We also have numerous Fun Runs hosted by Shenandoah Region that FSR members are welcome to attend as our collaboration with our friends to the West continues to grow.
Just recently a few of us made the trek out to Lake Placid, New York for PCA’s 70th Porsche Parade. What an amazing experience it was for all of us to celebrate our Porsches surrounded by the beautiful Adirondak mountains. And First Settlers Region was front and center of all the activities with the various awards brought home by our members! First and foremost, I am so proud to announce that First Settlers Region was awarded SECOND PLACE for the 2026 PCA PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD! What an honor it was to receive this award on behalf of our Region. FSR’s 2025 charity events focused on fundraising, awareness, and engagement for children’s health, food security, family services, and veterans’ support. The objective was to maximize impact by incorporating charitable giving across social, driving, motorsports, and public events. In total, FSR raised and donated $47,511.25 in 2025! And all of this wouldn’t have been possible without our members’ generosity and commitment to our community! And of course, special recognition must go out to our Charity Chair, Jenny Kay, and all the members of the FSR Charity Committee: Ruth Apotheker, Michelle Curtis, Ernestine Hibbert, Scott Hoffman, Betty Kendall, and Kindall Maddox! Without them leading the charge and planning all our charity events, FSR would not have been able to make such a positive impact in our community!
We also had some other amazing winners of trophies at Porsche Parade: George and Pam Michaels in their beautiful Coral Red 928 won 1st Place in their category for the Concours, 1st Place in the Originale Award Presented by Porsche Classic, and 1st Place in the Concours Preservation Group! Colin Wiley took home 1st Place in the PCA Juniors Off-Road RC Car competition! Mike Lenz (driver) and Richie Cao (navigator) won 3rd Place in the Time, Speed Distance Rally! Elsy Cao won 1st Place for Young Artist in the Hans Peter Porsche Art Show! And I am humbled beyond belief for my family and I to be named the 2026 PCA Family of the Year. I can’t tell you what an honor and privilege it has been for myself, Amanda, Elsy and Richie to be recognized with this award. I am so grateful to all our FSR extended family for all the love and support we’ve received through the years. I also owe a big thank you to Josie and Phil Grandfield for thinking so much of us to take the time to formally nominate us for this prestigious award. Thank you so much!
I mentioned earlier that our relationship with Shenandoah Region is continuing to grow more and more each month, and I am very happy to report that our joint planning efforts are going well for the Richmond Porsche Meet happening on 11 and 12 September. Our newly appointed Western Vice President, Manuel Calo, has been on the leading edge of this planning effort as we are excited to be co-hosting this annual event with the Shenandoah Region. For this year’s event we will commence the festivities with a cocktail party in concert with Porsche Richmond on the evening of Friday, 11 September, with the main event happening the next day, Saturday, 12 September. The day will begin with an AutoCross skillfully designed by Master AutoCross Planner, Rick Ebinger, on the oval at Richmond International Raceway, and throughout the day attendees will enjoy a multi-category competitive car corral voted on by the people, a specially catered VIP lunch with various Porsche-related vendors present, and a carefully planned Fun Run to conclude the event. So please mark your calendars and be on the lookout for registration instructions, as well as Manuel’s entertaining social media posts.
At the beginning of September, also consider attending the 944 Fest at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) from 4-6 September. While this is not an official PCA event, FSR and PCA’s 944 Registry will work together to have a significant presence at this celebration of Porsche transaxle cars and all things Porsche. In October, FSR’s annual “Air and Auto Classic 14” is happening on Saturday, 10 October at the Military Aviation Museum in Pungo. Erik Apotheker and Ken Thomas always put on a first-class charity event showing the best cars of the Hampton Roads car community alongside the beautiful World War II-era warbirds of the museum. Also happening on the same weekend, FSR will host our Fall High Performance Drivers’ Education (HPDE) event at VIR. Registration is currently open on MotorSportReg. And the following weekend, PCA Zones 1 and 2 will be putting on the seventh annual “Boardwalk Reunion” in Ocean City, New Jersey with registration opening at noon on 1 August. See www.boardwalkreunion.org for details.
As you can see there is always something going on with FSR and I am so proud of all the work our volunteers are doing to create and organize amazing Porsche-themed events for just about every weekend of the year. From socials and charity events to tech sessions and cars & coffees, to driving tours and drivers’ education events, your club is working hard to bring you some amazing events to bring your Porsches to. I really hope you can all come out to an event soon.
One last thing I want to mention: fellow PCA Member and General Manager at Porsche Virginia Beach, Jimmy Anderson, along with his Service Manager, Will Patton, have gone to extraordinary lengths to support First Settlers Region this past year and I wanted to personally thank them for all their efforts. Not only have they hosted multiple tech sessions at the facility this past year, but they have also come out to our monthly breakfasts at Pop’s with Porsche Swag for those in attendance. For 2026, they pledged to pay for the first year’s membership in PCA to every customer buying a Porsche from them and we are now seeing our membership grow in record numbers. I am also very excited to announce that Jimmy and Will worked with their Checkered Flag leadership team to secure a 10% discount for Porsche Service to all PCA members! So, the next time you visit Porsche Virginia Beach, please stop by Jimmy and Will’s desk and let them know how much we appreciate them and all they do for FSR. And if anyone on their team goes above and beyond to help you out, please consider sending a note to hr@checkeredflag.com and let them know. It really goes a long way.
Drive safe and I look forward to seeing you all soon.
Paula and Bryan Fox
As we get into the summer and fall driving season, the topic of “travel” seems to be quite germane. Although there is no official theme for any edition of Horizontally Opposed, travel, and more importantly, the people that you meet, would be the de facto theme of this edition. Roops Ramdon and Mike Lenz have contributed personal travel experiences that may differ considerably from what many of us have embarked upon, but are distinctly Porsche in nature. A fellow PCA member from the Milwaukee region has contributed information about a travel opportunity to Germany with their group as well. From local and regional trips in our Porsches, to domestic Porsche sponsored track events and multiple European Porsche
Travel Experience adventures, Paula and I have thoroughly enjoyed multiple facets of traveling in a Porsche. We would strongly encourage everyone to do so.
Porsche Motorsports Update
1.Customer Victory at Laguna Seca (May 2026)In one of the most exciting finishes of the spring season, the American customer team JDC-Miller MotorSports drove their Porsche 963 to a stunning victory at Laguna Seca on May 4.
❑ The Finish: Factory driver Laurin Heinrich completed a thrilling charge, overtaking the leading Cadillac on the absolute final lap of the 2-hour, 40-minute race.
❑ Significance: This marked the first-ever IMSA race victory for a Porsche customer team since the LMDh era began in 2023.
2. Continued Podium Streak at Long Beach (April 2026)
Following their massive early-season wins at Daytona and Sebring, the Porsche Penske Motorsport factory team maintained their championship leverage during the 100-minute Long Beach street sprint on April 19.
❑ Kévin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor battled intense traffic and five caution periods to secure a 3rd-place podium finish in the No. 6 Porsche 963.
❑ The sister No. 7 car, piloted by Felipe Nasr and Julien Andlauer, finished right behind them in 4th, keeping them at the very top of the championship tables at the time.
❑ Both factory cars turned heads during this event by running in striking, historic Apple Music liveries.
3. Championship Standings (As of June 2026)
After a tighter street battle in Detroit at the end of May, Porsche remains fiercely positioned at the top flight of the sports car world:
❑ Manufacturers’ Championship: Porsche sits in a razor-thin battle at the top of the leaderboard, fluctuating between 1st and 2nd place overall.
❑ Drivers’ Championship: Due to his combined success supporting the factory team at early endurance events and his spectacular win with JDC-Miller, Porsche factory driver Laurin Heinrich emerged as a primary title contender, holding the leader’s circle for much of May.
4. Global Customer Racing Expansion: Spring 2026 also marked the competitive rollout of Porsche’s comprehensively upgraded 911 GT3 R in global GT championships, alongside the debut of the highly anticipated new 911 Cup car making waves across the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup and regional Carrera Cups.
Thanks to Stuttcars.com for their continued support of this publication and access to their Porsche related content. Utilize their discount code FIRSTSETTLERS50 at stuttcars.com for exclusive discounts on membership.
Paula & Bryan
by Carl Bess
We’re officially into summer, so I’ll keep this brief and let you get back to the beach, the garage, or your favorite cold beverage.
As we look back on the past few months, one theme stands out: momentum. Across the region, we’ve seen continued membership growth, successful driving and social events, expanding charitable efforts, and exciting progress on several major initiatives that will carry us through the rest of the year.
Perhaps the biggest headline is our membership growth. FSR continues to welcome new Porsche enthusiasts at an impressive pace. (I don’t want to steal Ken’s thunder, so please read ahead to his article!)
Our Driver Education program also continues to thrive. Thanks to Marco and his volunteer team, April’s DE event exceeded expectations with 151 registrants. In all, the weekend featured smooth operations, excellent participation, and a Saturday evening social attended by approximately 130 members and guests.
Spring also delivered a full calendar of activities. Members enjoyed everything from the Peanut Pursuit Fun Run and Williamsburg breakfast gatherings to Frühlingsfest celebrations, technical sessions, and regional meetups. Several events drew exceptional attendance, including a breakfast gathering at Pop’s Diner that welcomed more than 70 participants, which I believe could be a record attendance. The enthusiasm and camaraderie displayed at these events continue to be among FSR’s greatest strengths.
Community service remains an important part of who we are. Plans are underway for several charitable initiatives, including volunteer opportunities with a local food bank and fundraising activities connected to upcoming DE events.
Behind the scenes, volunteers continue working to improve our website, member communications, and social media presence. While progress sometimes takes longer than we’d like, the goal remains the same: making it easier for members to stay informed, engaged, and connected with everything happening across the region.
No topic has generated more discussion this spring than RPM 2026, our collaborative event with Shenandoah Region that will take place in the Richmond area this fall. Building on last year’s successful event, organizers are developing what promises to be one of the highlights of the year. Current plans include activities at Richmond Raceway, a Friday evening reception, driving events, autocross participation, concours-style competitions, sponsor activities, and commemorative event memorabilia. Planning continues to move forward, and we’ll be sharing additional details with you throughout the summer.
With RPM, Air & Auto, charity initiatives, fall Driver Education events, and many other activities still ahead, the second half of the year promises to be every bit as exciting as the first.
As always, “thank you” to the volunteers who make these events possible and to every member who participates, supports, and contributes to our region.
Well, that’s about it for this installment. In closing, your volunteer Board of Directors remains focused on fostering friendships, creating memorable Porsche experiences, supporting worthy causes, and welcoming the next generation of enthusiasts into the community.
Have a wonderful summer, and I look forward to seeing you at an upcoming FSR event!
About the Cover
The Legendary Manthey “Grello” Porsche 911 GT3 makes its way through the packed streets of Adenau during the traditional Adenauer Racing Day Parade before the 2026 Nürsburgring 24 Hours. The Event celebrates both Manthey Racing’s 30th anniversary and the 10th anniversary of the iconic Grello livery, with thousands of fans lining the streets to welcome the hometown favorite.
Photo by Roops Ramdon
Activities Update
by Dana McKnight
New Members
March, April, May 2026
Welcome to all our new members. We hope you enjoy your membership and all the related benefits. Most of all, we hope you get involved and attend some of the many driving, social and charity events. You’ll enjoy the events and the friendships you make.
Katherine Morrison
Nicole Baggesen
Jeff Branflick
Marcus Holland
David Scott
Austin Coleman
March 2026
Virginia Beach
2019 718 Boxster S
Henrico 2019 911 Targa 4 GTS
White Stone 2002 911 Carrera 4 Cab
Chester 2020 911 Carrera S
Virginia Beach 1994 968 Cab
King George 1989 911 Carrera 4
Stuart Bailey Henrico 2014 Cayman
Robert Murdock
Jon Felton
Raffaela Marchigiani
Luis Morales – Dual Member
Raffaela Marchigiani
Matthews 1998 Boxster
Glen Allen 2010 Boxster S
Virginia Beach
2020 Taycan 4S
Stafford 2015 Panamera GTS
Virginia Beach 2020 Taycan 4S
Christopher Boyles Toano 2002 911 Carrera
Jason Morris
Erik Vap TI Ohio Valley
James McCartney
Sean Doherty
Albert Shultz
Elliott Buckner
James Croke
Shawn Wilson
Tucker Tammaro
Billy Foster
Michael Warren TI Shenandoah
Darren Witte
Steven RIvera
Tarrance Holcombe
John Crea
Latisha Tarrant
Harold Mobley
Nuno Valentine TI Shenandoah
William Soine
Glenn Torres TI Potomac
Johnathan Thompson
Jody Miller
Stephen Inman
Virginia Beach 2012 911 Carrera
Virginia Beach 2009 Boxster S
Virginia Beach 2026 Macan GTS
Chesterfield
Virginia Beach
April 2026
Midlothian
Midlothian
2004 911 Carrera 4S
2008 911 Carrera
1987 911 Turbo
2005 911 Carrera S
Norfolk 2026 911 Carrera
Virginia Beach 1999 Boxster
Virginia Beach 1986 911 Carrera
Mechanicsville 2007 911 GT3
Chesterfield
2019 911 Targa 4S
Chester 2017 911 Carrera
Norfolk 2025 911 Carrera
Williamsburg 2021 Cayenne S
Norfolk 2023 911 Carrera
Virginia Beach 2018 Panamera 4
May 2026
Richmond 1997 911 Carrera
Richmond 1964 356
Fredericksburg
2009 Boxster
Newport News 2013 911 Carrera 4S
Yorktown 2004 Boxster
Henrico
1997 Boxster
Jonathan Deantonio Moseley 2008 911 Carrera 4S
Brent Collins
Al John Guerrero
Devan Basnett
Chesterfield 2002 911 Carrera
Virginia Beach 2017 Panamera Turbo
Williamsburg 1999 Boxster
Andy Lesemann
Christopher Elliott
Trisha Beute
John Magyar
Jacob Van Spanje TI Palmetto
Derrick Oden
David Darche
William Burke
Matthew Kirkland TI Potomac
Melissa Bedford
Christiaan Tjia
Andrew Adams
Midlothian
2015 Boxster
Virginia Beach 1985 944
Suffolk 2002 Boxster
Virginia Beach 2028 Macan S
Newport News
Henrico
Williamsburg
1999 911 Carrera
2011 Boxster
2017 911 Carrera S
Richmond 1990 944 S2
Fredericksburg
2017 911 Carrera 4S
Chesapeake 2025 911 Carrera
Virginia Beach 2021 Macan S
Virginia Beach 2026 911 Carrera GTS
Michael Boran Norfolk 2021 Macan
James Gray
Alicia Davis
Matthew Sawyer
Norfolk 2026 911 Carrera
Chesapeake 2025 Macan
Suffolk 2019 911 Carrera
Member Anniversary Milestones for the First Quarter 2026
Ken Thomas, Membership Chair
Congratulations to all our members who celebrated a membership milestone in the Second Quarter of 2026. Thank you all for your loyalty to the Porsche brand, the Porsche Club of America and First Settlers Region.
We hope you continue to enjoy your membership and all the benefits that are available to you. If you haven’t come out to an event lately, consider joining us for an event in 2026. First Settlers offers many popular events throughout the year with a focus on driving, social and charitable activities. Our monthly breakfasts are very popular also. Hope to see you at an event soon.
40 Years
25 Year
20 Years
15 Years
10 Years
5 Years
Guy Fridell III
Dennis Daugherty
John Barnes
Chrisstopher Champeau
Robert Levendakes
James Leidman
Bill Borowey
Paul Poggi
Frank Watson
Trey Davis
Mike Monteith
Thomas McCue
Michael Caines
Darrien Ruffin
Christopher Stringer
G Phillips
Tyrone Murray
Jeffrey Lackler
Jerry Kent
Jennifer Kenny
James Kendall
Dan Meisenhelder
Joseph Morris III
Michael Moreland
Jodse Luis Lopez
Randy Thomas
Robert McMahon
Terry Thomann
Lee Forman
Cliff Gravitte
William McAllister
Chip Huling
Carter Rise
Mike Helpinstill
Richard Emanuele
Paul Hill
Steven Gilman
Keith Stone
Charles Nevin
Joel Ross
Nick Balson
Christopher Lopez
FSR Charity Update Giving Back Together
Photos and article by Jenny Kay, FSR Charity Chair
Wasserhund Brewing Company’s Charity Night Sponsored
by GREAT SCOTT! Entertainment
March’s charity event in Virginia Beach brought members together for an evening of music bingo, dancing, raffles, great food, wine, and craft beer in support of Samaritan House! Thanks to Wasserhund Brewing Company’s generous donation of $423, along with attendee donations and raffle ticket sales, we raised a total of $831 for Samaritan House.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for fun, fellowship, and fundraising for a great cause!
Looking Ahead
13th Annual Air & Auto Classic
Join us this year on October 10th (rain date October 17th) at the Military Aviation Museum. Erik Apotheker and Ken Thomas are still seeking sponsors, show car participants, and volunteers. This signature event has raised more than $123,000 for local charities over the years, and FSR member participation is key to its continued success! For more information or questions contact Erik at eapotheker@comcast.net.
If you have items to donate for the raffle, please contact me at charity@fsrpca.org.
October HPDE Charity Laps to Honor Damien Walsh
Damien Walsh served FSR in many roles, including President, Concours Co-Chair, longtime Virginia International Raceway senior driving instructor, and dedicated PCA volunteer.
His greatest passions were his family, golf, and sharing his love of Porsches with others. He was happiest on the track, whether driving, teaching, coaching fellow enthusiasts, or competing. Funds raised during the October HPDE Charity Laps will benefit the Wounded Warrior Project, one of Damien’s favorite charities.
For those unable to attend, donations in Damien’s memory are always appreciated. Please contact me for details.
Thank You!
Together, we are making a positive impact in our communities while enjoying the friendships and experiences that make First Settlers Region so special.
There’s a moment before any long trip in a vintage Porsche when you pause, hand on the door handle, and ask yourself: Is this a good idea? Should I really do this?
Find your answer below.
Last year, in March 2025, I hauled my Guards Red ’88 911 Turbo all the way from Newport News, VA to Hill Country, TX and back with my RAM 1500. The trip was an adventure, and the Hill Country Rallye was everything I had hoped for. Yet something felt missing.
I wasn’t one of the cool guys who arrive covered in road grime after crossing half the country in an air cooled Porsche, whose cars wear bug splatter like campaign medals. I wasn’t one of the guys who know every vibration, every squeak, every smell of hot oil because they’ve spent days living inside their machines.
They arrived with stories and a smile stretching ear to ear. I arrived with a trailer. They were living the dream. I was hauling it. I needed to fix that.
But I wasn’t going to flog the 930 across Interstate 10. I love that car too much, and I 10 loves nothing and nobody. What I needed was a different weapon, something that wouldn’t break my heart or my bank account, yet still possessed that pure, mechanical soul. Something wildly underappreciated. And if I’m honest, I had always secretly wanted a Porsche 914. The idea was born.
Naturally, I did what any rational Porsche enthusiast does late at night: I went shopping on Facebook Marketplace. I found an Ancona Blue 1975 Porsche 914. The seller, a pharmacist from New York, assured me it was a solid car. “Everything works,” “no rust,” he said. That should have been my first warning.
When the car arrived on July 3rd, I learned that the pharmacist had sold me what could generously be described as “an opportunity.” The car still looked decent from 20 feet away; from 10, it looked more like a welding class final exam.
The front right brake was frozen. The parking brake was just a handle. Moving the turn signal switch caused smoking amps. The ventilation fan didn’t work. Parts of the heating system were in the rear trunk. Keys for the door locks could not be found at all. And the advertised “no rust” turned out to be several enthusiastic interpretations of the phrase.
I cried for help, and a fellow First Settlers friend jumped in, bought my first welder, and taught me how to weld.
The entire winter became an obsession, welding patches, rebuilding the top end of the Type 4 engine, and discovering that every time I crossed one item off the list, the car politely added two more. Somehow, I turned a questionable internet purchase into a car I trusted enough to cross the country. Half a week before departure, my 914 fired up again. A few quick cleanups, a transmission/ shifter adjustment, and off we went.
We left Newport News on a Saturday morning. With the targa top stowed in the trunk, my nearly unbolstered posterior just inches above the tarmac, and the mechanical thrum of the air cooled flat four humming behind my shoulder blades, I set off.
The first miles were a mixture of excitement and paranoia. Every sound seemed suspicious. Every vibration felt like the beginning of catastrophe. Was that normal? Had it always done that? Was that valve train noise getting louder?
The little 914 happily ignored my concerns and headed southwest.
Two hundred miles in, I pulled into an auto parts store parking lot, re-torquing wheel bolts, checking oil, and inspecting everything I could think of while the 914 ticked and cooled beside me like a patient dog.
A couple of people wandered over, curious. One asked, “What year is this?” which is polite code for “I’ve never seen anything like that before. Is it a real car?”
From there on, every stop became a conversation. Every gas station became a meet and greet. If I pulled over for a photo, someone would stop to ask if I needed help. It was the opposite of Virginia, where stopping on the shoulder earns you a horn blast and a cloud of exhaust.
The 914 may be one of Porsche’s most underrated models, but it is also one of the best conversation starters ever built. People were genuinely curious, and conversations could last two or twenty minutes.
The farther I traveled, the more I realized something important.
Yes, the driving was wonderful. The removable roof panel stored away, warm air flowing through the cabin, the mechanical soundtrack behind my shoulders, sitting inches above the pavement while the landscape rolled past like a movie. You feel every curve, every hill, every change in temperature.
But when people take the time to talk, to help, to just be themselves, that’s when you start realizing what it is all about. Driving a 914 isn’t transportation, it’s participation. Modern cars isolate you from the world. A vintage air cooled machine aggressively introduces you to it.
The planned stop was Atlanta to visit an old friend I’d met at a previous rally. I wanted to spend Sunday afternoon with him and his family doing what car people do: telling stories that get slightly better with each retelling. But the universe had editorial notes for my journey.
Somewhere short of Atlanta, the 50 year old chrome window frame gave up and launched itself into the great unknown. Simultaneously, the starter motor developed intermittent amnesia about its job description. So, we spent Sunday afternoon troubleshooting with the help of my friend’s mechanic, who found giving advice via video chat far more interesting than going shopping with his wife. But we achieved exactly nothing, and on Monday morning the 914 and I found ourselves at a legendary institution: Auto Atlanta.
Walking into that shop is like stepping into a Porsche time capsule. Meeting George Hussey, the famous “Dr. 914” and his team in person was worth breaking down for. They fixed the starter issue and provided me with a used window frame that matched the wear of the remaining parts perfectly. I took some time to chat with Dr. 914 and admire the unique 914s in his personal collection, as well as customer cars from all over the US, before continuing the journey.
The remaining drive to Kerrville was surprisingly uneventful. The 914 settled into a comfortable rhythm. And eventually, Texas appeared on the horizon.
The 914 rolled into the host hotel in Kerrville just a couple of hours before sunset, one day before the official arrival day. Early the next morning, right after sunrise, I checked valve clearances, changed the oil, and repaired the exhaust that had cracked about 40 miles before arrival. Everything was cleaned up and ready to go when the other participants started rolling in.
It felt like a grand homecoming. Friends from previous rallies, my Flat Sixes family from Albuquerque, NM (Roadrunner Region), and dozens of new faces that became familiar faces inside of twenty minutes.
The driving tours were pure, unadulterated bliss. Out in the twisty, undulating roads of the Texas Hill Country, the 914 danced through sweeping curves and elevation changes with an enthusiasm that made me laugh out loud. Light, nimble, and infinitely tossable, it pinned itself to the apexes. For brief moments, it felt less like driving and more like flying, like chasing clouds in a vintage fighter jet on a perfect, sunny day.
As incredible as the roads were, the real magic happened when the sun started settling. Every evening, the parking lot transformed into a campground without tents. We stood around with cold drinks, leaning against fenders under the Texas stars, listening to and telling automotive hero stories late into the night. It was, without a doubt, my vision of a perfect vacation.
Too soon, the rally was over. People hugged goodbye. Engines started. Convoys dispersed. And everyone pointed their Porsches toward home.
That’s when the real adventure began.
Day 1 was hot with massive crosswinds and gusts hitting 70 mph, but the low slung 914 cut through the gale like an arrow.
Day 2 opened with rain that graduated into heavy snow and freezing temperatures that followed me almost all the way to Atlanta. My heating system consisted of a small handheld 12V fan aimed at the windscreen to defog a tiny patch of glass. My insulation consisted of two sweaters and work gloves. I accepted the possibility that I was simply cold now and would remain cold indefinitely. Past Atlanta, the sunshine returned until the clouds thickened again passing Charlotte. The rain came down with a vengeance, and suddenly my phone lit up with an emergency alert: a Tornado Warning covering all of Eastern Virginia. Wisdom finally defeated stubbornness, I stopped for the night.
The next morning arrived clear and cool. The 914 started immediately, then gave a serious misfire, forcing me to stop at a nearby gas station; the start of an epic parking lot diagnostic odyssey. Despite carrying enough tools to rebuild half the car on the side of the road, I realized with a sinking heart that I had forgotten one vital piece of equipment: a voltmeter. Without it, I was flying blind. I methodically replaced every single ignition and electrical spare part in my kit, checked connections, and ran out of ideas. Eventually, I admitted defeat and called for help.
That decision introduced me to the team at Sonderwerks. After waiting several hours for a tow truck, I finally arrived at their shop and met Dave van Epps and his crew, legends in the air cooled world. The moment they learned I had broken down while driving home from Hill Country Rallye in a 914, they were all in. They worked all afternoon, long past closing hours, and jumped right back on it the next morning, even driving to a neighboring VW specialist to source used parts.
While the team worked on my car, I wandered the shop, watching talented craftsmen do their thing with absolute soul. I can say without hesitation that they are the shop closest to Virginia that I would trust with a serious air cooled restoration.
Chasing electrical gremlins through a wiring harness modified by five decades of previous owners is a monumental challenge. Despite the daunting odds, team Sonderwerks took a professional, highly logical approach. They came incredibly close.
But the 914 made its own decision. It had carried me 3,600 miles across mountains, plains, storms, and snow. It had reached Texas. It had completed the rally. It had nearly made it home. And now it wanted a ride.
Ultimately, just like last year, I hooked up the trailer and brought my little Porsche home behind the RAM.
Oddly enough, I wasn’t disappointed.
People often ask why we do these long rallies. The easy answer is the roads. The better answer is the cars. But the real answer is the people.
The roads create memories, and the cars create stories, but the people create friendships.
After thousands of miles, one lost windshield trim piece, one starter repair, one snowstorm, countless gas station conversations, and one final trailer ride home, I learned something.
The old German saying is right.
The journey really is the destination.
But the destination is the people you connect with when you’re out there enjoying your dream. Share some of your happiness with them, making their day and yours better with a quick chat, a smile, or just a wave as you pass by in your Porsche.
A Cold January Surprise: Winning PCA’s Fall 2025 Raffle and the Real Costs Behind the Dream
by Patrick “Shawn“ Faherty
On a cold January afternoon in Fredericksburg, VA — the kind of day when the wind slices across the Metro Diner parking lot and even the bravest Porsche owners keep their jackets zipped — a larger-than-normal group of us gathered for the monthly Metro Meet–I didn’t suspect anything. Looking back, I wondered why Mike Youngblood asked if I needed a ride and what drove Mike Kelly out of his 944 racing-focused shop. The usual rhythm was there: familiar faces, warm coffee, good food, and the comfortable hum of conversations about exhaust notes, debating tire choices, and who was “definitely not buying another Porsche this year!”
I walked in expecting nothing more than a quiet afternoon with frunk friends. I had no idea what was about to unfold.
Midway through the meal, Rich Cao, our First Settlers Region President, stepped aside to take a call from Vu Nguyen, PCA’s National Executive Director. When he returned, he held his phone with the kind of expression that makes you wonder whether someone just got an allocation or a speeding ticket. I hear Vu say, “I’m looking for Patrick…” and I tell him I’m Patrick Shawn and he asks to see my name tag! By this time, my heart is racing–did I mention that I had a heart stent installed in early December? This was a stress test!
What followed was a sentence that instantly froze the room more effectively than the January air outside:
“You’ve won the Second Grand Prize in the Fall 2025 PCA Raffle — a 2026 911 Carrera allocation.”
For a moment, the diner fell silent. Then the table erupted — laughter, disbelief, congratulations, and the kind of wide eyed excitement only Porsche people truly understand. My coffee went cold instantly, but I barely noticed. Vu told me to take the weekend to look at the Porsche Configurator and that we would talk the following week.
The Prize: A 2026 911 Carrera Allocation — and a Thoughtful Decision
I’m sure you will agree that winning a 911 allocation plus $35k cash is the kind of moment that makes your pulse quicken. But once the adrenaline settled, I did what any responsible enthusiast does when faced with a six figure decision:
I called my financial advisor and CPA. Then I sat down with my wife, a notepad, and a calculator. Together, we walked through the implications — the tax impact, the timing, the options, and the realities of taking delivery of a brand new 911 versus exploring alternatives. And note that since PCA gives you a base allocation, I would be responsible for any options on the car: Premium Package, PSE, PASM, etc. As you know, it is pretty easy to drive the price of a car up into the $175k+ range–again, all that would be out of my pocket. One alternative was to take the cash prize $95k cash alternative. If you do that, you can expect the following: $95,000 – 25% submitted to IRS, leaving $71,250 to you
In the end, we made a decision that fit our life as a recent retiree, our finances, and my 1-car garage: I selected a CPO 2018 Carrera 4S I had located at a dealership out of state.
It was the right car, the right moment, and — importantly — it came with a bill of sale, which allowed me to use my 100% disabled veteran Virginia sales tax exemption. From what my research revealed, that exemption applies only to purchases, not prizes, and it made a meaningful difference.
The Delivery: Porsche Virginia Beach and the Big Reveal
Once the CPO 4S was secured, I arranged to have it shipped to Porsche Virginia Beach. That’s where Jimmy Anderson, the General Manager, and his team transformed the moment into something unforgettable. They detailed the car, staged it, and prepared a full “big reveal” — the kind of presentation usually reserved for brand new GT cars or long awaited allocations. Their professionalism, enthusiasm, and attention to detail turned the delivery into a celebration. It wasn’t just a handoff. It was a moment I’ll never forget..
The Tax Reality: What Every Future Winner Should Know
Winning a PCA raffle is thrilling, but it comes with real financial considerations. One of which, for us, was a 10% tithe on the total amount. Other financial considerations are:
Federal Income Tax
The prize’s fair market value — in this case $167,300 ($132,300 base Carrera + $35k cash) — is treated as ordinary income. As of this writing, I have yet to receive the IRS form from PCA, so I truly don’t know the whole impact. Most winners should expect:
• 25–37% federal tax, often $42,000–$65,000+
• A higher marginal bracket for the year that needs to be planned for
Virginia State Income Tax
Virginia taxes prizes as income and is payable at the DMV when the car is titled and registered.
For a $132,300 prize, the state Motor Vehicle Sales and Use Tax (SUT) estimate is: 4.15% of $132,300 ≈ $5,490
Virginia Locality Personal Property Tax
For most winners, the next question is: “What will my city charge me every year?”
In Fredericksburg, the numbers matter:
• Tax rate: $3.40 per $100 of assessed value
• Assessment: 90% of NADA clean retail value
Example for a $132,300 car, with assessed value of: $119,070, Annual tax: (119,070/100)×3.40= $4,048
Important caveat: Virginia exempts one vehicle from personal property tax for 100% disabled veterans, but this does not apply to most owners.
The Bigger Picture: Ownership Costs Beyond Taxes
A higher value Porsche also brings:
• Insurance
• Maintenance
• Tires (perhaps summer and winter)
• Fuel (or electrons if you play that way)
For many owners, annual costs can reach: $12,000–$25,000+, depending on usage and model
Winning the car is just the beginning.
Reflections on a Cold January Afternoon
Looking back, the moment at Metro Diner feels surreal — a simple club meet transformed into a life changing announcement. But the experience also reinforced something essential about PCA:
This club is about more than cars. It’s about people, community, and the shared joy of the unexpected.
Winning the raffle was an extraordinary blessing –it’s a great problem to have! Navigating the decisions that followed was educational. And taking delivery of a beautifully prepared Carrera 4S at Porsche Virginia Beach was unforgettable.
If you’re fortunate enough to hear your name called in a future raffle, my advice is simple:
• Celebrate the moment
• Consult your spouse/significant other and financial team
• Understand the tax landscape
• Choose the option that fits your life
• And enjoy every second of the journey
Because sometimes, on a cold January afternoon, life hands you a Porsche!
Air & Auto Classic Charity Car Show 2026
OCTOBER 10, 2026 | RAIN DATE: OCTOBER 17, 2026
One of First Settler Region’s premier charity events returns to the Military Aviation Museum
The Air & Auto Classic is more than a car show. It is a chance for FSR members to come together, celebrate our passion for automobiles and aviation, and make a meaningful impact for our local charities.
Whether you are showing your vehicle, volunteering your time, donating a raffle item, or supporting the event as a sponsor, your involvement helps create an unforgettable day for our participants and spectators!
Held at the Military Aviation Museum, Air & Auto features an incredible mix of vintage and modern automobiles, historic aircraft, live music, food trucks, vendors, and friendly competition. Admission includes museum entry, and all proceeds benefit CHKD’s Cancer & Blood Disorder Center, Horizon Hampton Roads and Samaritan House.
Come enjoy the cars, the planes, and comradery and help us make 2026 our best year yet!
Ready to Get Involved?
Event Coordinator: Erik Apotheker
Email: eapotheker@comcast.net
Sponsorships: Ken Thomas
Email: 993ken@gmail.com
Raffle Item Donations: Jenny Kay
Email: charity@fsrpca.org
This year’s event will benefit
2025 Special Guest Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Great cars of all makes and eras on display.2025 Sam Gassel took top honors with his 1973 Porsche 914-6
The Nürburgring Did Not Just Give Me a Car Experience.
Article and photos by Roopchan “Roops“ Ramdon
There are certain moments in life where you realize you accidentally stumbled into something much bigger than what you planned.
That was Germany for me. What started as a few final sightseeing days before flying home from my three-week Europe trip somehow turned into one of the most unforgettable automotive adventures of my life. Not because of the cars alone. Not because of the Autobahn. Not even because of Nürburgring itself.
It was the people. As Porsche enthusiasts, we spend a lot of time talking about machines. Horsepower numbers. Suspension setups. Tire choices. Lap times. Exhaust notes. But this trip reminded me that the greatest part of car culture has never really been just the cars. It is the human connection that forms around them.
A Morning on the Autobahn
The day started innocently enough. I woke up planning to casually explore Germany one last time before heading toward the airport. No strict itinerary. No schedule. Just a rental car, open roads, and the kind of freedom that only comes when you are thousands of miles from home with nowhere you absolutely need to be.
For a car person, Germany already carries a certain magic. The roads, the engineering culture, the driving discipline, the history, and of course, the Autobahn. Even before I reached the Nürburgring, the morning felt special.
There is something surreal about being on the Autobahn for the first time as an enthusiast. You have heard about it your whole life. You have seen videos. You have imagined what it must feel like. But when you are actually there, watching traffic flow with purpose and confidence, it feels different. It does not feel wild or chaotic. It feels deliberate. It feels like driving is taken seriously. That alone would have made the day memorable. But after the Autobahn, the roads became even better.
I found myself carving through German mountain roads that seemed designed for anyone who loves to drive. Endless curves. Smooth pavement. Elevation changes. Small villages tucked into hillsides. Castles in the distance. Forests surrounding the road. Every few miles looked like a scene that belonged on a postcard.
It reminded me why we chase roads in the first place. Yes, we love the cars. But what we are really chasing is that feeling. The rhythm of a good road. The way a car settles into a curve. The way the scenery opens up after a climb. The way time seems to slow down when you are fully present behind the wheel.
At one point, I stopped for lunch in a small mountain town overlooking a valley. I sat there quietly, looking out over Germany, thinking about how unreal the entire trip had already become. I have been in Europe for weeks. I saw amazing places. I experienced things I would remember forever. I thought I was already having one of those perfect travel days. I had no idea the best part had not even started.
The Road Led to Nürburgring
Later that afternoon, I made my way to Nürburgring. Like many car enthusiasts, Nürburgring had always been one of those names that lived in my imagination. It is not just a racetrack. It is a legend. It is the place where manufacturers test their best cars, where drivers challenge themselves, and where motorsport history seems to live in the pavement.
I did not arrive with some grand plan. I was not there with a tour group. I did not have a detailed schedule. I was simply going to stop by, look around, take in the atmosphere, and then continue with my trip. At least, that was the plan. What I did not know was that I had arrived during the week of the twenty-four-hour Nürburgring race. I accidentally walked into one of the biggest car culture events in the world.
The atmosphere hit me immediately. This was not just a race weekend. This was an entire world built around motorsport. Race cars screamed through the mountains, the sound echoing through the forest. Fans were everywhere. Campsites stretched deep into the woods. Smoke from grills drifted through the air. Music played. People laughed. Flags flew. Everywhere I looked, there was something happening.
It felt like another planet. And for a Porsche enthusiast, it was almost overwhelming in the best possible way. There were GT3 cars, race teams, paddock energy, Porsche fans from all over Europe, and a level of passion that was impossible to miss. The whole area around the track felt alive. It was not polished in a corporate way. It was raw, real, loud, muddy, smoky, and full of character. It felt like motorsport had taken over an entire mountain region.
The Track Was Closed, But the Door Opened Anyway
Originally, one of my hopes was to drive the Nürburgring myself. That is probably what most of us dream about when we think of the place. You picture yourself pulling up, paying your fee, entering the track, and finally experiencing the famous Nordschleife from behind the wheel. I had that same thought. I wanted to drive it. I wanted to check that box. But because of the race week activities, tourist drives were closed. At first, I was disappointed. Honestly, I was more than disappointed. I had come all that way, and I wanted my chance to drive the Ring. I wanted the personal story of taking a car onto that legendary circuit. But looking back, I think not driving it may have been the best thing that could have happened.
Because if the track had been open, I probably would have driven a lap, taken some pictures, bought a sticker, and moved on. Instead, I stayed. And because I stayed, I found the real story.
Then I Met Tim
I was walking around, taking in the race cars and the atmosphere, when I randomly started talking to a guy named Tim. It was one of those conversations that could have lasted thirty seconds. Two car people standing near race cars, making a comment, smiling, and moving on. That happens all the time at car events.
But this conversation did not end there. Within minutes, Tim was treating me like an old friend. He was warm, welcoming, and genuinely excited to share the Nürburgring experience with someone who had never been there before. He introduced me to his friends. He explained things. He pulled me into the world around him.
Before I fully realized what was happening, I had basically been adopted into their Nürburgring family. That changed everything. Suddenly, I was no longer just a visitor wandering around by myself. I was experiencing the event through the eyes of people who knew it, loved it, and wanted me to understand why it mattered so much. That is when the trip became more than sightseeing. It became connection.
Into the Forest
Every night after that turned into another adventure. Tim and his friends brought me deep into the forest campsites surrounding the track. I had never experienced anything quite like it. The campsites were not just places to sleep. They were entire communities. Some groups had built elaborate structures. Others had grills, fires, music setups, lights, flags, and gathering areas that looked like they had been perfected over years of returning to the same place. It was muddy. It was loud. It was chaotic. It was hilarious. It was welcoming.
People were celebrating everywhere. Some had traveled from different parts of Germany. Others came from other countries. Some were there for the race. Some were there for the tradition. Many seemed to be there because Nürburgring week was simply part of who they were.
At one point, they had me playing a German drinking game where you hammer nails into a log while everyone cheers and laughs. I had no idea what I was doing half the time. I did not understand all the rules. I probably looked completely confused. But that made it even better.
Everyone laughed with me, not at me. That distinction matters. There I was, a guy from Hampton, Virginia, standing in a forest in Germany, surrounded by people I had just met, playing a game I had never heard of, while race cars screamed in the distance. It was one of those moments where you pause internally and think, “How did I get here?” And then you realize you do not need to know. You just need to enjoy it.
Car Culture Without Borders
The thing that stayed with me most was how quickly the barriers disappeared. Different countries. Different languages. Different backgrounds. Different life experiences. None of it mattered as much as I expected it to. The moment people realized I loved cars, driving, Porsche culture, and the experience of being there, I was no longer a stranger. I was part of the group. That is the part that hit me.
Car people speak a language that does not always require perfect words. Sometimes it is the sound of an engine. Sometimes it is pointing at a car and smiling. Sometimes it is a shared laugh when someone tries to explain something and the translation does not quite land. Sometimes it is standing shoulder to shoulder near a racetrack, both understanding that you are witnessing something special.
That feeling is universal. It made me think about our own First Settlers Region and the Porsche Club of America community back home. We gather for drives, events, meals, tech sessions, and parking lot conversations. On the surface, it may look like the cars are the center of everything. But those of us who have been around long enough know the truth. The cars bring us together. The people keep us coming back. Germany reminded me of that in a powerful way.
The Joy of Being Welcomed
There is a special kind of joy in being welcomed by people who did not have to welcome you. Tim and his friends owed me nothing. I was not part of their group. I was not from their region. I did not speak their language fluently. I had not earned my way into their tradition. I was simply a random American Porsche enthusiast who showed up during race week.
But they made space for me anyway. That kind of hospitality changes how you experience a place. You stop feeling like a tourist. You start feeling connected. You are no longer just looking at the event. You are inside the story. That is what made the Nürburgring experience so special.
I could have walked around, watched the cars, taken pictures, and still had an amazing time. But because I met Tim, I got to experience the human side of the event. I got to see the friendships, the traditions, the laughter, and the pride that surround it. That is the part you cannot buy with a ticket.
Why I Changed My Flight Twice
I was supposed to leave Germany days earlier. I changed my flight once. Then I changed it again. That sounds ridiculous until you understand the feeling of being in the middle of something you know you will remember for the rest of your life. I kept thinking, “I cannot leave yet.” There was too much happening. Too many moments. Too many people. Too much energy. I knew that if I left too soon, I would regret it. So, I stayed. And I am glad I did.
Sometimes the best decisions do not make the most practical sense on paper. Sometimes you have to recognize when life has handed you something rare. This was one of those times. Travel has a way of rewarding flexibility. You can plan every detail, and there is value in that. But some of the best experiences happen when you are willing to let the plan change. This was not the Germany trip I expected. It was better.
The Nürburgring Was Not What I Expected
Before going, I thought Nürburgring would be about the track. I thought the story would be about standing near one of the most famous circuits in the world. Maybe watching some race cars. Maybe driving a lap if I was lucky. Maybe buying a souvenir and taking a photo to prove I had been there. But Nürburgring gave me something different.
It gave me the feeling of being surrounded by pure automotive passion. It gave me the sound of race cars echoing through the trees. It gave me mountain roads, forest campsites, late night laughter, and conversations with people I never expected to meet. It gave me Tim. It gave me a reminder that the car world is bigger, warmer, and more connected than we sometimes realize.
The track itself is legendary for good reason. I still want to go back and drive it one day. That box remains unchecked, and maybe that is a good thing. It gives me a reason to return. But even without driving the Ring, I left with something more meaningful than a lap.
Coming Home with a Different Appreciation
When I got back home, I found myself thinking a lot about our PCA community. The First Settlers Region may be far from Germany, far from Nürburgring, and far from the forests surrounding the Nordschleife, but the spirit is familiar. We know what it feels like when a group of people come together around cars and somehow become friends. We know what it feels like when a drive becomes more than a route. We know what it feels like when a simple event turns into a memory because of the people who were there. That is the heart of this hobby.
We are lucky to be part of a club where those connections happen regularly. Whether it is a local gathering, a weekend drive, a casual lunch, a major event, or a conversation in a parking lot, these moments matter. They are the reason the club becomes more than a calendar of activities. It becomes community. Germany made me appreciate that even more.
It showed me that the same spirit exists across continents. The accents may change. The roads may change. The food, language, and traditions may change. But the feeling is the same. Car people are car people. Porsche people are Porsche people. And when you find them, even far from home, you recognize them immediately.
The Real Story
Looking back, I could write this article as a travel story. I could focus on the Autobahn, the mountain roads, the scenery, the castles, the villages, and the racing. All of that was incredible.
I could write it as a Nürburgring story. I could describe the track, the race week atmosphere, the GT3 cars, the forest campsites, and the sound of motorsport echoing through the mountains. That would be enough for any car magazine. But for me, the real story is simpler than that. I went to Germany looking for roads and cars. I found people. I found hospitality. I found laughter in a muddy forest campsite.
I found a reminder that the Porsche community is not limited to where we live, what language we speak, or what region patch we wear. It is bigger than that. It is built on shared passion, shared joy, and the willingness to welcome someone into the experience. That is what made the trip unforgettable. Not just cars. Not just the road. Not just the race. The connection.
Final Reflection
There are trips that give you photos. There are trips that give you stories. And then there are trips that change the way you understand something you already loved. Germany did that for me.
It reminded me that car culture is not just about machines. It is about people who find joy in the same things, even when they come from different parts of the world. It is about strangers becoming friends because they recognize the same spark in each other. It is about the simple but powerful truth that shared passion can make a foreign place feel familiar.
I still want to go back and drive the Nürburgring. But even if I had driven it on that first visit, I am not sure it could have topped what actually happened. Because the best part of Nürburgring was not the lap I missed.
It was the story I found.
General Printing Business
Porsche 959: The Supercar That Arrived From Tomorrow
Article by Roger Ball
Introduction: A Car Out of Time
In the history of high-performance automobiles, few machines feel as if they slipped through a crack in time. The Porsche 959 is one of them. When it appeared in the mid1980s, the supercar world was still largely defined by drama: heavy steering, sudden turbo boost, exotic shapes, fragile manners, and the constant sense that speed demanded compromise. The 959 suggested a different future. It was not only fast; it was intelligent. It did not merely overwhelm the road; it read the road, adapted to it, and made its driver feel as if advanced engineering could turn extreme performance into something usable.
That is why the 959 remains more than a rare Porsche. It is a landmark in the evolution of the modern supercar. Porsche’s own account describes it as a car full of game-changing technology, including active suspension, sequential twin turbocharging, and a top speed close to 320 km/h when launched in 1986. Those figures mattered, but the deeper achievement was philosophical: the 959 proved that electronic systems, all-wheel drive, and advanced materials could enhance the purity of a sports car rather than dilute it.
Born from Group B Ambition
The story begins with competition. In the early 1980s, Group B regulations created one of motorsport’s most exciting and dangerous eras. Manufacturers needed to build road-going cars to qualify their racing machines, and that requirement
opened a window for wild engineering. Porsche saw an opportunity not simply to build a rally weapon, but to investigate what the 911 platform could become. The project began as the “Gruppe B,” a car that would carry the familiar rear-engine Porsche identity into a new technological age.
Helmuth Bott, Porsche’s influential engineering leader, is often associated with the project’s direction. The challenge was audacious: keep the essence of the 911, including its rear-mounted flat-six layout, while solving the traction and stability problems that became more severe as power increased. Instead of abandoning the 911 idea, Porsche used the 959 as a laboratory. Its all-wheel-drive system, sophisticated suspension, and aerodynamic bodywork were not styling tricks; they were answers to problems that would shape Porsche performance cars for decades.
The prototype appeared at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1983, looking recognizably like a 911 but stretched, widened, smoothed, and modernized. Its swollen arches, integrated rear wing, and carefully managed surfaces hinted that it was not just another variant. The 959’s mission was broader than beauty. It had to be stable at extraordinary speed, durable in competition, and refined enough for the road. In that mix of contradictions, Porsche found the car’s character.
Photos courtesy of stuttcars.com reproduced with permission Displayed at the 1985 IAA in Frankfurt, this original porsche 959 cutaway made the car’s real story impossible to miss: the technology itself was the headline. Porsche used the dissected display to showcase a production-ready super car whose twin-turbo flast xix, all-wheel-drive system, and electronically controlled chassis marked it as one of the most advanced road cards of its era
The Engine: Small Displacement, Giant Output
At the heart of the 959 was a 2.85-liter flat-six engine, a compact powerhouse with roots in Porsche’s racing experience. Rather than rely on sheer displacement, Porsche used sequential twin turbocharging to manage the old problem of turbo lag. One turbocharger helped at lower engine speeds, while the second joined in as revs rose, creating a broader, more controlled wave of power. The result was about 450 PS, or roughly 444 horsepower, and 500 Nm of torque, numbers that were startling in the 1980s and still command respect today.
The engine was also technically unusual in its cooling arrangement. Porsche retained the air-cooled character associated with the 911 while using water-cooled cylinder heads to manage the heat generated by high boost and four-valve technology. This hybrid approach captured the transitional spirit of the 959: it belonged to the old Porsche world and the new one at the same time. It was both mechanical and electronic, traditional and futuristic.
Performance was sensational. Porsche states that the 959 could reach 317 km/h, making it the world’s fastest production car when it launched. Acceleration was equally shocking, with contemporary and later sources commonly placing the sprint to 100 km/h in the high-three-second range. Yet the 959’s speed was not merely about numbers. What made it remarkable was how it delivered them. Where many supercars of its era were intimidating and temperamental, the 959 was engineered to make speed repeatable, controlled, and confidence-inspiring.
The PSK All-Wheel-Drive Revolution
If the engine gave the 959 its force, the all-wheel-drive system gave it its mind. Porsche called the system PSK, short for Porsche-Steuer Kupplung. Unlike a simple fixed all-wheel-drive layout, PSK could vary torque distribution between the axles. This mattered because the 959’s rear-engine layout demanded careful management under acceleration, cornering, and lowgrip conditions. Instead of treating traction as a static problem, Porsche treated it as a dynamic one.
The 959 could send more power rearward in normal driving and shift more torque forward when the situation demanded grip. To drivers accustomed to the sudden oversteer and wheelspin of older high-powered rear-engine cars, this was transformative. It made the Porsche feel secure in the wet, stable at high speed, and tractable on poor surfaces. The system also foreshadowed the future of Porsche performance. The 911 Carrera 4 and later all-wheel-drive 911 Turbos would carry forward lessons learned from the 959.
This was one of the car’s greatest achievements: it made technology feel invisible. The driver did not need to think about torque distribution in abstract engineering terms. The car simply found traction. It turned complex mechanical and electronic coordination into a sensation of calm. In that sense, the 959 anticipated the modern supercar, where computers, sensors, and drivetrain logic work continuously in the background to make extreme speed usable.
Shown at the 1983 IAA in Frankfurt, Porsche “Gruppe B” study was the first public preview of th car that would become the 959. Conceived in response to the FIA’s new Group B era, the concept signaled Porsche’s move toward a radically more advanced supercar - one that would ultimately bring all-wheel drive, turbocharged performance, and a new level of technical integration into the brand’s road-car future.
Suspension, Tires, and the Shape of Control
The 959’s chassis was equally forward-looking. It used an electronically adjustable suspension system with ride-height and damping control, allowing the car to adapt to speed and surface conditions. Sources such as Stuttcars note that the 959 used multiple dampers and computer-controlled adjustments rather than relying on a conventional anti-roll-bar setup alone. For a road car of the mid-1980s, this was extraordinary. It gave the car a range of ability that few rivals could match.
Its tire and wheel technology also pointed forward. The 959 is widely cited as one of the first production cars to use an electronic tire-pressure monitoring system, paired with advanced run-flat tire technology. Magnesium wheels helped reduce unsprung weight. Aerodynamics were shaped around stability rather than theatrical excess, with a low drag coefficient and a body designed to reduce lift. The result was not the visual aggression of some Italian contemporaries, but a quieter form of purpose. Every surface seemed to have work to do.
From Desert to Le Mans
The 959’s competition story is unusual because Group B itself collapsed before Porsche could fully exploit the car as originally imagined. Yet the project still proved itself in dramatic ways. In 1986, 959-based cars achieved a famous result in the Paris-Dakar Rally, finishing first and second overall. The achievement mattered because the event was brutally different from the environment of a smooth European road. Sand, rocks, heat, distance, and fatigue tested the car’s systems in conditions that could destroy fragile engineering.
There was also the Porsche 961, the racing derivative linked to the 959 program, which carried the technology to circuit racing. The broader point is that the 959 was not a showpiece built only for collectors. Its engineering was connected to racing pressure, rally ambition, endurance knowledge, and Porsche’s habit of using competition as a development tool. Even when the rulebook changed, the technology remained valuable.
The Road Car: Luxury Meets Velocity
The production 959 was offered primarily in Komfort and Sport forms, with the Komfort emphasizing equipment and road usability. Unlike some supercars that demanded sacrifice as proof of seriousness, the 959 could be trimmed with leather, air conditioning, and features that made it feel civilized. This was central to its mystique. Porsche was not merely asking whether a car could be fast. It was asking whether a car could be absurdly fast and still function as transportation.
That combination was rare. The Ferrari F40, launched soon after, became the 959’s great philosophical rival. The F40 represented rawness, lightness, drama, and analog intensity. The 959 represented systems thinking, allweather capability, and technical sophistication. Both were masterpieces, but they imagined the future differently. The F40 asked drivers to rise to the car. The 959 seemed to raise the car to meet the driver.
Rarity and Cost
Part of the 959’s legend comes from scarcity. Production figures vary slightly by source depending on how prototypes, pre-production cars, and later examples are counted, but most accounts place total production in the low hundreds. Stuttcars lists 337 units, while other summaries identify production
across 1986–1988 and a small continuation in the early 1990s. Whatever exact count one uses, the 959 was never common. It was expensive to develop, costly to build, and exclusive by nature.
That rarity has intensified its status. Collectors prize it not only because it is scarce, but because it marks a turning point. Owning a 959 is not simply owning a fast 1980s Porsche. It is owning a piece of the moment when supercars began to become intelligent machines. Its value is historical as much as financial.
Influence on the Modern Supercar
The 959’s influence can be seen everywhere. All-wheel drive became normal in many high-performance cars. Sequential or carefully managed turbocharging became a central route to immense power. Adjustable suspension, active systems, tire-pressure monitoring, and aerodynamic stability all became part of the supercar vocabulary. Porsche itself absorbed the lessons into later 911s, especially the Carrera 4 and Turbo lines. What seemed radical in 1986 became expected in the decades that followed.
This is why the 959 can be called a bridge. On one side stood the classic sports car: mechanical, analog, demanding, sometimes unruly. On the other stood the modern performance car: electronically assisted, traction-rich, aerodynamically disciplined, and usable in conditions that would have humbled older exotics. The 959 did not remove the driver from the experience. Instead, it expanded what the driver could do.
Conclusion: The Future, Made Collectible
The Porsche 959 endures because it was more than fast. Speed alone fades as newer cars surpass old records. What lasts is vision. The 959 imagined a supercar that could be sophisticated without being sterile, advanced without being detached, and usable without being ordinary. It took the basic idea of the 911 and stretched it toward the future until the rest of the industry had to follow.
In photographs, it may look almost restrained beside the wedge-shaped icons of its era. On paper, later cars have exceeded its performance. But in the story of automotive progress, the 959 remains enormous. It was the car that made the electronic, all-wheeldrive, turbocharged supercar feel inevitable. It arrived from tomorrow, taught the present what was possible, and then became one of the most important classics of all time.
1. Porsche. “Everything you need to know about the Porsche 959 supercar.” Porsche Stories, May 20, 2024.
Germany’s Best Porsche Roads. From PCA Members, for PCA Members.
As Featured on PCA.org
First Settlers Region members know good roads. Two PCA couples, Dorian and Katharina Koch from Milwaukee and Torsten and Susanne Weckmann from Germany, are opening up their annual driving tour to a small group of fellow PCA members this September. Eight days, 900 miles, designed for couples, combining great roads, Porsche history, and new friends sharing the same passion. The route runs from Frankfurt through the Black Forest, along Lake Constance, past Neuschwanstein, to Stuttgart for the Porsche factory tour and museum, through Heidelberg, and back. Local backroads and mountain passes on driving days, with Autobahn legs on the famous no-speed-limit sections. The final night is in Heidelberg, one of Germany’s most beautiful cities, with a farewell dinner in the old town.
Article and Photos by Dorian Koch PCA Milwaukee Region
The Founders’ Tour route: Frankfurt to Black Forest to Lake Constance to Neuschwanstein to Stuttgart to Heidelberg to Frankfurt
Heidelberg, the group stays at the Europäischer Hof, the city’s finest hotel, a five-star grand hotel from 1865, family-owned since 1906.
Dorian grew up near Wolfsburg and worked for Volkswagen Group and Porsche in StuttgartZuffenhausen before moving to Wisconsin. The two couples have been doing driving tours in Europe for over ten years, always as a passion project. This is the first one explicitly opened up for PCA members. After joining PCA, Dorian kept hearing how many members wanted a real driving tour in Germany but found the $15,000+ trips too expensive and not focused enough on driving. This one is $4,000 per person (plus Porsche rental), with locals showing you the country that brought out the cars we love.
4 to 6 couples. That’s it.
Every morning, you can choose how you want to drive: on your own following the GPS route, with the sightseeing group at a relaxed pace, or with the spirited group on the roads Porsches were made for. Both groups drive the same route and end up at the same lunch stop, just at a different pace.
Every hotel on this tour tells its own story. Our hotels are unique, local, boutique or castle properties: Schloss Eberstein is a Black Forest hilltop castle first recorded in 1272, with a Michelin-starred restaurant and its own vineyard. The Seegut Zeppelin is a Design Hotels property on a four-hectare lakeside park in Friedrichshafen.
In Stuttgart, the group stays at the Porsche Design Tower Hotel, Stuttgart’s tallest and most modern building, opened in 2023. In
Founders’ Tour, September 5–12, 2026. 5 of 6 spots taken. Only one remains. See the full route and book at autobahngrandtouring.com dorian@autobahngrandtouring.com (262) 295-2511
Editor’s note:
Having enjoyed several European Porsche driving trips, Paula and I have a passion for this sort of travel. Dorian approached us asking for a place in Horizontally Opposed to offer this experience to our members. Even if you do not participate in this event, you really should consider this sort of travel, you will not regret it!
A lineup of 911’s after a day on Germany’s best backroads.
Following each other through the green canopy of a German backroad.
The Seegut Zeppelin on Lake Constance, a Design Hotels property and home base for the tours lake days. Photo: Michael Hafner
