James Bullen

Herts, UK

Model 991 50 JAHRE Year 2014 Acquired 2022 Model 992 GT3 Year 2022 Acquired 2022 Model 996.1 CARRERA Year 1999 Acquired 2023

I’ve sold my 50 per cent stake in the Carrera Cabriolet I co-owned with fellow 911 enthusiast Rich Russell. This means he’s now the sole owner of the car and is already enjoying its charms alongside his brace of GT3S. I’d always envisaged moving it on once the ‘Cabriolet season’ appeared on the calendar, but was pleased Rich decided to continue his interest in the car, for now at least.

Driving and working on the 996 reopened my eyes to these lovely 911s and some months ago I began the search for another standard Carrera, but in Coupe form. The hunt eventually took me to Friends Green Porsche (FGP), a UK independent Porsche specialist that’s become synonymous with the

996 and 997 generation cars. It had a standard, low-owner/low-mileage car in stock, which had been well maintained throughout its life, came with a comprehensive history file, and was nicely presented in Arctic silver over Black leather. The original owner eschewed any of the performance options when ordering the car, resulting in one of the most basic specifications I found when shopping – something I was especially keen on.

Spending just a few minutes with them, it’s obvious that Luke and the gang at FGP are passionate about this era of 911 (although they do work on and sell all 911s and other Porsche, too). It was good to see their business up close because I, like many others, have enjoyed their Youtube content in recent years.

I engaged the services of the guys at Porsche Inspections to assess the car from a neutral and practical perspective. Their comprehensive report highlighted the car’s strengths, weaknesses and potential areas for expenditure. After identifying the car as worthy of serious consideration, the findings gave me the confidence to strike a deal with the seller and various upgrades were soon added to improve its day-to-day comfort and usability. Some interior enhancements have lifted the cabin space, while a GT3 short shift kit and PCCM+ have made the driving experience more enjoyable. I have a few other light modifications planned and will chart the progress through this column as it all comes together.

I made the journey down to Goodwood for the Sunday of the 80th Members Meeting, which was a fantastic day. Porsche-a-plenty on track and in the car parks ensured lots of variety for Zuffenhausen aficionados, with the highlight being the mid-afternoon Porsche Demonstration. This saw a wealth of rare Motorsport 911s hit the track in striking racing liveries from years gone by. The sight and sound of a bunch of Martini-striped RSRS roaring past in convoy is not something those in attendance will forget any time soon.

This outing got me excited for the strong programme of events our independent club, RPOC Gruppe 37, has committed to display our cars at over the summer. We’ll be at established gatherings such as Simply Porsche at Beaulieu along with some cracking recent additions to the calendar: Porsches by the Lake at Little Easton Manor and Flatsix at Goodwood, some of which will have taken place by the time you read this. In addition, the club will also attend a new event organised by good friend Robbie Parker, who took the leap and announced his own dedicated gathering, Porsche in the Park, which is being held at Beechwood Park, Herts on 15 July from 11am. Although display tickets for the event have sold out, entry is free for visitors and with a host of family-themed entertainment lined up as well as trade and specialist stalls, the inaugural event looks set to be popular with Porsche fans.

All of these events take a great deal of preparation for the organisers as they look to create memorable and unique platforms. For us enthusiasts this is great news, because the choice of dedicated Porsche events has never been wider.

Strolling around the car parks of these events can be just as enthralling, if not more so, than checking out the paddocks, pit lanes and display areas. There are so many great cars to be seen, so don’t dismiss a walk around before making your way home.