Sneak Peak - the New Porsche Museum...

[Wayne 962]

Very cool:

http://www.motorcities.com/vehicle/09AKF472401637.html

-Wayne

[jpnovak]

Looks nice and clean like the MB museum across town.

So what is this car in the lower left of the second picture? Long wheel base, speedster windscreen, Abarth/904/RS60 like front end? flat fan peeking out through presumably mid-engine chassis? Never seen one.

[Netspeed]

718rsk???

[Paulporsche]

Excellent! Although it could use more yellow cars... Thanks, Wayne.

[jpnovak]

The one on the right is the RS60/RS61. They had the integral fog lights and larger windscreen than the 718RSK. The 718 is also smaller and shorter than the RS60 variant. The car on the left is much bigger (in relative terms).

[Netspeed]

Maybe a one-off Bergspyder of some sorts?

[exc911ence]

Looks like a Spyder version of the 904.

[gtc]

... a 64 ... simply amazing.

The new cars look shabby in comparison.

[fbarrett]

Friends:

Because I'd like to visit the Museum, I'm in the preliminary stages of helping Peter Sontag at Fast Lane Travel (he does the PCA Treffens) put together a four-day trip in late April. The goal is to assemble a group of Porsche history buffs and focus entirely on the museum (no autobahn drives, castles, or oompah bands), with maybe a half-day factory tour thrown in. Details as they develop, very soon.

Frank

[richde]

OMG, they finally set a date, Jan 31st.

Now the dilemma, go now with the Subaru, or wait until spring to drive the 911? I think it's 5-6 hours away.

[3.2Carrera]

we need a Pelican field trip...lol

[Paulporsche]

No oompah bands!? sniff..

[fbarrett]

Originally Posted by jpnovak

So what is this car in the lower left of the second picture? Long wheel base, speedster windscreen, Abarth/904/RS60 like front end? flat fan peeking out through presumably mid-engine chassis? Never seen one.

JP:

That's 718-047, the W-RS, otherwise known as the Grossmutter. It's a one-off, Porsche's last aluminum-bodied race car, very successful.

Built on a 90.6-in wb (4-in longer than earlier 718s), began as 4-cyl, 4-cam in ‘60; upgraded to Typ 771 flat-fan eight for '62; the 771 was a notoriously complicated engine but seems to have been reliable.
‘61 Targa, Gurney/Bonnier, 2nd oa behind Ferrari
‘61 Nuerburgring, Holbert/Gregory, 1st 2-liter, 5th oa
‘61 Le Mans, Holbert/Gregory 1st 2-liter class
‘62 Targa, Gurney, DNF (crash)
‘62 Nuerburgring, Hill/Herrmann, 3rd oa
loaned to Heini Walther for ‘62 hillclimbs, 3 second places
shipped to US for Jo Bonnier in SCCA USRRC; maintained by Vasek Polak
'62 Mosport, Bonnier, 6th
'62 Riverside, Bonnier, DNF (engine)
'62 Laguna Seca, Bonnier, DNF (trans)
'62 Nassau Speed Weeks, Holbert, two second places
‘63 Targa, 7th (trans problems)
'63 Nurburgring, Barth, DNF (halfshaft)
‘63 Le Mans, Barth/Linge, 1st 2-liter class, ? Oa
In '64, Barth then hillclimbed it: won 5 straight events and FIA Championship; it was Barth's last race car.
Raced in US early ‘64 (Daytona or Sebring? I need to check)
‘64 Targa, ?driver?, DNF, (halfshaft)

Frank

[fbarrett]

Friends:

The other day I suggested to Peter Sontag at Fast Lane Travel that he organize a low-budget trip this spring, focused on the museum (no autobahn drives, castles, or oompah bands), and he agreed. Details below:

2009 New Porsche Museum Treffen
Wed., April 22 to Sunday, April 26

Wed, 4/22: Depart North America for Stuttgart or Frankfurt (if the latter, take the high-speed train from Frankfurt airport directly to Stuttgart--it's easy, even I've done it)
Thursday: arrive Stuttgart, check into 4-star Hotel Unger (downtown, near train station); bus to Museum for a quick look, then lunch there, factory tour in afternoon; dinner at Dicker Turm Fortress (OK, just one castle) with Porsche execs.
Friday: all day at Museum, including lunch
Saturday: Mercedes-Benz Museum, local festival (I plan to sneak back to the Porsche Museum); dinner, probably at the CUBE, a skyline restaurant near hotel
Sunday: depart for home

The tab is $1,495 per person, which does not include airfare but does include airport/hotel transport, all meals, 3 nights at hotel (for $200 more, you can stay at the high-zoot Graf Zeppelin), bus transport to and fro, and other goodies. Peter is trying to set up a tour of the Porsche restoration shop, too. Share a room, and it's $1,365.

For details, or to sign up, contact Peter at 813/343-3001 (Eastern Time, office hours) or peter@fastlanetravel.com; the trip is so new that it's not yet on their web site, www.fastlanetravel.com, but look there anyway to get an idea of Peter's 34 years of Porsche tour experience and customer satisfaction.

I'm not involved in this professionally or financially. I'm promoting it here only because I'd like to see the Museum with fellow Porsche history buffs, not just tourists. Am talking with several knowledgeable historians (including Grady) about making the pilgrimage. If you want to, e-mail me at fbarrett@aol.com or call me at 303/237-0911 (Mountain Time).

Frank