TELLING PORKIES

2013 seems to be the fashionable year to have a big birthday. It’s been 50 years since Bruce McLaren founded his racing team, Aston Martin is celebrating its 100th anniversary, Lamborghini is honouring the 50th year of the raging bull, the all-American icon of the Corvette is definitely not showing its age at 60, and the Porsche 911 has hit its half-century mark. It’s time to crack out the champers. Just don’t step foot in any of the aforementioned cars afterwards.

So to help celebrate the 911 launching back in 1963, we thought what better way to mark the occasion than to have a Porsche mini-theme. So whether it be a Gatebil track car…

… a tour around the workshop of the hugely successful Porsche race team, Manthey Racing…

… or perhaps something a little less conventional, we’re aiming to celebrate the anniversary of the 911 in true Speedhunters style.

We won’t be restricting ourselves to just the cars bearing the 911 badge though. No, we want to share the love around. From Dino’s Dream Drive with the Cayenne S…

… to some content which, at times, less loosely reflects Stuttgart’s original vision – we welcome all-comers. The celebration will be starting on the 11th, so make sure you tune in to satiate all of your Porsche desires.

Elsewhere on the site, Ben and Jonathan will be bringing you coverage from the ever-popular VW show, Edition 38…

… while Jonathan and myself head to Silverstone this weekend for a dose of track action at TRAX.

On the other side of the Atlantic, Larry and Mike will be heading to Sonoma Raceway this weekend to bring you full coverage from the WTCC…

… for some full-on door-to-door racing…

… as well as conducting a full #FeatureThis photoshoot at the on-site Slammed Society Showcase.

Our viking friend Egil Håskjold bravely heads back to Rudskogen for another weekend of tyre slaying at the Gatebil fall festival.

Back in the UK, we’ll have a team of Speedhunters heading to the Players Show on 15th September at North Weald.

Showcasing everything from tuned Japanese machinery to slammed VWs, we’ll be there in force to bring you coverage from the day as well as shoot the finest selection of cars as part of our second #FeatureThis program this month.

Not to mention put on a second showing of the #JoyOfMachine exhibition that we first ran at DMPD. So if you missed it then, head over to the Players show to get a glimpse.

Larry’s Formula Drift coverage will be spanning the globe, from the FD Asia event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia…

… to the penultimate FD event at Fort Worth in Texas.

In Australia, Brad will be getting up close and personal with some of wildest sport compact machines on the planet at the annual Brisbane Jamboree…

… while over in Japan, Dino will be bringing us coverage from the R’s Meeting at Fuji Speedway.

Of course, we wouldn’t reserve all of our love for the more recent models of GT-R.

Meanwhile, out in the woods of Japan, something lurks…

Mike’s come over a bit rotary this month with a visit to the Mazda museum…

… and a tour of legendary rotary tuner RE Amemiya’s premises.

As usual, we’ll be bringing you the hottest car features around, from some of the finest machinery on offer in Europe at DMPD…

… to a world exclusive feature on one of the hottest time attack machines around.

Back at Speedhunters HQ, we have something new brewing. Something secret. Something soon to be revealed. Want to know more? Then make sure you stay tuned…

Suzy Wallace

Air-cooled excellence: 2.2-litre Porsche 911S Targa

With a first overall win at Le Mans under its belt that June, 1970 was a good year for Porsche. And introduced only a few months earlier, in August 1969, was a bigger capacity version of its classic production flat-six. So, this 911 Targa is now carrying a 2195cc motor.

In 1970, just 729 2.2-litre 911S Targas were built...

As it’s a 911S, it’s probably producing around 180bhp from the mechanical fuel injected unit. Okay, the power might well be coming in way up the rev band, but isn’t that the allure of an early 911? But compared with earlier, two-litre cars it’s more flexible – and carries a different type number, too. Yes, the ‘901’ designation was finally dropped. From now onwards all engines would be prefixed with ‘911’.

‘Weltmeister 1969/70’

That might just be of interest to the cognoscenti, and visible only with the aid of a torch, but displayed proudly on many a car’s windscreen was the ‘Weltmeister 1969/70’ sticker - a reference to Porsche’s by now total domination in long-distance racing.

Like all Porsches, it’s built to perform

As a Targa, this Blood Orange example might be considered slightly softer than the Slate Grey coupé made famous by Steve McQueen in the opening sequences of ‘Le Mans’. But that’s doing it a disservice. Like all Porsches, it’s built to perform: 138mph and seven seconds from zero to 60mph are impressive figures.

This one is rare, too. In 1970, although now a popular alternative to the coupé (representing some 31 per cent of overall 911 sales), just 729 2.2-litre 911S Targas were built.

Photos: Mathieu Bonnevie

This lovely 1970 Porsche 911 2.2 S Targa is currently offered for sale by Automobilia Franco Lembo in the Classic Driver Market.

Rolls-Royce Shooting Brake: Picnic, Sir?

Here at Classic Driver we like to picnic with panache. So too, it seems, did the late John Entwistle – legendary bass guitarist of ‘The Who’. He commissioned this estate conversion for his Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II…

Exactly who undertook the work is not known, although similar coachwork modifications were completed by FLM Panelcraft in the 1980s. The current owner uses it as a runaround on his grouse shoot in the Scottish Highlands, but we’d prefer to imagine it in a more favourable scenario – a family lunch al fresco, perhaps. As luck would have it, only a week after this car (estimate:£12,000 - 16,000) is offered at Beaulieu, the Bond St saleroom will sell a large range of picnic sets at its 14 September, Goodwood Revival sale.

The perfect picnic sets to match the Rolls-Royce Shooting Brake

Auctions | Collectibles

Coracle picnic set for 6 persons by G W Scott & Sons

EUR 3 533 - 4 711

Auctions | Collectibles

'En Route' picnic & tea-set by Drew & Sons

EUR 1 413 - 1 767

Auctions | Collectibles

Veteran tea set for 4 persons by R W Forsyth Ltd

EUR 2 355 - 2 944

Auctions | Collectibles

Wicker-cased Coracle picnic set for 4 persons

EUR 707 - 942

Auctions | Collectibles

Coracle picnic set for 2 persons, by Asprey

EUR 589 - 824

Auctions | Collectibles

Edwardian drinks and sandwich set for 4 persons, by G W Scott & Sons

EUR 2 355 - 3 533

Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 10th Anniversary Edition

If you’re in need of the toughest Jeep Wrangler you’re in luck because Jeep has unveiled the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 10th Anniversary Edition. We don’t know how many examples of this limited edition off roader will make it to British roads, but the 3.6 litre V-6 machine that commemorates a decade of the Wrangler Rubicon will be offered in Europe.

Power comes from a V-6 Pentastar petrol engine that produces 284bhp and 347Nm of torque. There is a choice of six-speed manual or five-speed auto transmission available in the SUV that Jeep have produced after “a decade of winning accolades, awards, and respect”. An increase in the car’s ride height by 13mm helps the Goodyear tyres produce more grip over uneven surfaces and the 17-inch Rubicon wheels they wrap around look functional, strong and stylish. As does the dual-intake ‘Power Dome’ bonnet, which also helps keep the engine cool and the rock rails supplied by Mopar give protection over rough terrain. Mopar also supply the fuel filler cap and the rear light guards.

The Wrangler Rubicon comes with a hardtop and a canvas roof, which can be taken in Anvil grey or white. The cabin has red leather seats with “Rubicon 10th Anniversary”embroidered and a steering wheel and centre console that are also wrapped in leather. A new instrument cluster gives oil temperature and pressure and also has a “10th Anniversary” badge. The air vent rings, steering wheel spokes and door handles are silver and there’s a special commemorative plaque on the dash board.

Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 10th Anniversary Edition

The Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 10th Anniversary Edition will be available as a two or four door SUV. The US price is $35,000 (£22,000) but we’re not sure how many will make it to Britain. Early reports when the car was shown in LA in November 2012 suggested that it was a US only model but we’ve been told that other markets will be getting the 10th Anniversary Edition later in the 2013.

via EUROCARBLOG