Andy Brookes
Poole, UK @993andy 9WERKS Radio Model 993 CARRERA Year 1995 Acquired SEPTEMBER 2018
My visit to Magnus Walker wasn’t the last of my car-related activities in the US. Our trip to California culminated in four days in Palm Springs, although this was meant to be a little less about cars and more about houses. But while in California it seems you’re never far away from some car culture.
I was fortunate to be staying in the excellent Parker Hotel in Palm Springs. It’s run by fellow Porsche enthusiast Brandon Mccurley, who owns a 912 and a 992 GT3. We arranged an early morning blast up a fantastic road called the Palms to Pines highway in his GT3, and friend Dan joined us in his early 70s Targa. What a road, and what a car! Brandon drove up and I did the return leg. It was great chasing the Targa up the mountain side. I can’t thank Brandon enough for the seat time and the hospitality. Cheers dude.
Being the host with the most, Brandon also told me that I needed to take a trip across to Palm Desert to see the R Gruppe guys. They were in town for their Palm Springs get-together weekend, staying at a small hotel. I felt a little awkward arriving on my own, and was greeted by a car park full of R Gruppe cars (such great cars!), but the people were even better. Brandon predicted I’d find them all around the pool with cocktails and beers in hand, and he was right! Thank you Ray, Dan, Tom and Thorsten for your hospitality. It was lovely to chat Porsche with you all for a while that evening.
The next morning I decided to take another early morning run up the Palms to Pines road in the rental Dodge Charger.
I felt a little more relaxed in a car that wasn’t a friend’s car and could push on. I had so much fun! While up on the hill I ran into the R Gruppe guys again. This time they were on the move, and seeing the cars in motion and chasing them around in the Dodge was so damn good… but I did feel like I was driving the backup car for one of those Top Gear challenge episodes, always at the back by a few hundred yards trying to stay inconspicuous!
We had the most fantastic time in California. I’d like to thank everyone who we spent time with during our visit. The Porsche/car community is wonderfully welcoming. I would love to list everyone we met, but there just isn’t enough room on this page. See you again soon, good people of California.