throwback in comparison, with its purist
manual gearbox and normally aspirated
engine but it featured a carbon tub and
subframe, ceramic composite brakes,
inboard suspension and one heck of an
engine. The V10 was originally designed
for the Footwork F1 team after Porsche
delivered them a stinker of a V12.
Footwork ditched Porsche for Ford halfway
through the 1991 season so never got to
race the V10. The engine was then heavily
modified for a Le Mans tilt, but the board
rightly decided that the money would be
better spent developing the Cayenne SUV,
and it ended up in a concept car at the
2000 Paris Show.
Customer interest was sufficient (and
capacity at the Leipzig factory available)
such that Porsche planned to build 1500
cars, but revised airbag legislation in
the US saw that figure capped at 1270.
The production version overdelivered
in one key criterion, though. Where the
concept promised a 5.5-litre V10 with
416kW, customers received a 5.7-litre V10
powerplant good for 450kW and one of the
rawest, most thrilling sports cars available
at any price. Hindsight now shows that
here was a car that represented peak fury;
an era of hugely powerful cars developed
before stability control technology became
a mandatory fit.
Blend the aggression and focus of the
Carrera GT with the technological ambition
of the 959 and you naturally arrive at the
918 Spyder hybrid. In terms of power output,
it is to the Carrera GT what a Carrera GT is
to a modern Boxster S. It’s a pure statement
of intent that, like the 959, will see its tech
bleed into Porsche’s production sports cars
for years to come. It’s also a reminder of
how far the company has progressed. When
959 production officially ceased in 1993,
Porsche was a basket case; the company’s
global sales amounted to little over 14,000
cars per year. Last year it sold nearly a
quarter of a million vehicles. That’s thanks in
no small part to the vision and engineering
genius behind the 959, the Carrera GT and
the 918 Spyder.The super garage
There was only one place we’d
turn in order to assemble three of
Australia’s rarest Porsches in one
place. Dutton Garage has a contacts
book unrivalled in this country,
thanks to a business that comprises
three distinct yet complementary
arms. The owners, Gavin Fernandez
and George Nakas, have created
the largest Australian luxury car
wholesaler, purchasing and selling
13,000 cars internationally. Dutton
Sporting Cars, founded in 1911 by
Albert Octavius Dutton, brings over
100 years of classic car expertise.
To cap off the triumvirate, Dutton
Motorsports taps the huge brain of
Ben Henson and his team of race
car enthusiasts, engineers and
drivers that have established their
own reputation for competition
preparation and forensically
detailed restorations.@wheelsaustralia 63