Max Newman
Aylesbury, UK @maxripcor
Model 991.1 CARRERA S Year 2013 Acquired SEPTEMBER 2020
During my teens in the late 1980s and ’90s there was a successful local businessman who had a succession of immaculate new 911s, often Turbos. They were always Guards red and always wore the same number plate. I’d see him often and resolved to put myself in the same position one day, to buy and daily the latest, greatest 911 – although mine would be black, with silver wheels.
I’d started reading the legendary motoring weekly Motor magazine (Autocar as we know it today) in 1986 – a present from my Dad. Clever, because it was for him really. The road testing, writing and insight was absolutely first class. It was a great period to be falling in love with the 911 and tracking its evolution. I hoovered up all the detail.
The Rubystone 964 RS seemed like the coolest thing ever, and the 964 Turbo S achieved mythical status after the story of a factory collection and drive home, written by Steve Sutcliffe I think, who accompanied the owner. I think at this point my ideal two-car garage would have been a Rubystone red 964 RS and a Nogaro blue Audi RS2. Sadly I was only 15 years old and still at school.
Dad also subscribed to Motorsport magazine and our family involvement with the Vintage Sports Car Club gave me a historical context and a love of vintage and classic racing cars in particular. In Porsche terms I made an early call on the 2.8 RSR as my favourite older 911 – a view which hasn’t really altered over the last 35 years.
What Autocar magazine did though, and by this time Performance Car then
Evo too, was to detail the evolution and constant development of the 911 road cars. It helped not only to inform my views, but the way I approach 911s today.
The 993 was a real high point for me and remains so, especially the RS. Steve
Sutcliffe’s road test of the silver 993 RS press car was music to my ears, and Colin Goodwin wrote inspiring copy about his adventures in it.
I found the transition to the 996 a bit tricky. Not because of the water-cooled thing, it was more the way it looked. So I almost missed the 996.1 completely, but came round to the 996.2 when I read in Autocar about a C2 press car equipped with M030 suspension and an Aerokit, which they rated and it looked great. It was the 997 that really got me back on track though – a taste of things to come.
I haven’t managed to live out my schoolboy dream and order a brand-new black 911 yet, but my approach to how I want a 911 to fit into my life remains the same. I want to be in it and using it. I remain excited about the new cars, and about the development and evolution of the 911 product.
This is my 24th LTL column, my twoyear anniversary, which is why I thought the opportunity for a bit of context might be interesting. It’s a privilege to be involved with the magazine and a pleasure to see my words and pictures in print. However you ‘911’, I look forward to meeting you on the road and hearing about it.