CAR CULTURE

What’s the world’s greatest sports car? You can probably guess what we think. But if that’s a subjective call, it’s surely objectively true that the 911 tops the tables in terms of sports cars as cultural icons. The Ultimate Sportscar as Cultural Icon from Gestalten publishing explains exactly how ye olde 911 became a global phenomenon and a symbol of aspiration and freedom, and why the 911 continues to fascinate and inspire. Author Ulf Poschardt sends Porsche drivers to the shrink and concludes that a little narcissism can be a healthy thing. Not everyone can, nor indeed should, drive a Porsche, he thinks. Porsche 911: The Ultimate Sportscar as Cultural Icon should be a must read for those of us who are man or woman enough for the challenge. Available for €34.90 or £30 from bulangandsons.com

It’s pretty much impossible to identify the greatest ever racing Porsche. There are simply too many to choose from, each with a compelling story of its own, many with stellar results on multiple circuits. But the 962C would surely make most short lists, especially in iconic Rothmans livery. This gorgeous 1:18-scale model captures the 962 in 1985 Hockenheim-winning spec, as driven to victory by none other than Hans-Joachim Stuck and Derek Bell. It’s listed as “sold out” on the Minichamps website and as a limited-production run of 402 pieces, is probably getting scarce. Happily, you can grab one from our chums at selectionrs.com for €99.95, which works out at a shade under £90. If the 962C is in the conversation when it comes to the greatest racing Porsches, then the 1960 356 B 1600GS Carrera GTL Abarth surely has a look in as one of the prettiest. The Abarth, of course, was all about weight loss, with the car reportedly clocking in at just under 800kg. Made entirely of aluminum, the Abarth’s body was smaller overall than the 356 on which it was based and reduced drag from 0.398Cd to 0.365Cd. This 1:18-scale model from Minichamps reproduces the Abarth as it was for the 1962 instalment of the Le Mans 24 Hours, with Ben Pon and Carel Godin de Beaufort at the helm. Just 200 individually numbered pieces have been produced. You can get yours for €249.95 or £220 from selectionrs.com