Our friend James, on DRIVEN

Friend of Automobiliac James Lamdin looking good in his Porsche 912 on Urban Daddy's "Driven" blog.

Porsche 912 and Alfa GTV6: a Study in Contrasts

I went on a country drive with my buddy James the other day.  He has a gorgeous Porsche 912 in a beautiful shade of Dark Green. His car has been previously featured on Automobiliac, but this time it was out on the open road.  I found it fascinating to compare the two cars aesthetically. One is the epitome of prewar low-drag theory (from Dr. Erwin Komenda) taken to its logical and aesthetic conclusion, with a sloping tail and tapering organic curves.  The other represents late 1960's aerodynamic thinking (aka "the wedge"), with a kick-up over the trunk lid, and more of a kamm tail.  All the contours are folded crisply rather than rounded off, providing more planar surface area for downforce over the hood.  While the 912 is undoubtedly more beautiful than the GTV6 they make a fantastic pair when parked together. We drew lots of looks, especially from the local police...

Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?

I can never understand how people just walk by cool cars without even breaking their stride...

This red 912 was parked on Broadway, right by ABC Carpet. Very cool!

Sleeping Beauty: Porsche 912

This morning, I was fortunate enough to drop in on a friend of mine who has recently acquired a very nice piece of machinery for himself.  He hasn't sorted it out yet, but the car's sheer presence was enough to make me catch my breath as its timeless form emerged from the hulking, modern SUV it was parked behind.  This dark green Porsche 912 really looks fantastic in person, having benefitted from a top notch respray 8 years ago, yet it retains a lived-in feel that I found intoxicating when I sat inside.  My friend has some big plans for this car, and I can't wait to see how it comes out once he goes through it and makes a few tweaks.  Let's have a vote: Who thinks he should keep the original wheel (shown), vs. replacing it (dont worry he isn't throwing it out, folks!) with a 3-spoke 917-style leather/matte black racing wheel?

Enjoy the full gallery HERE. Sorry there arent more exterior shots, as it was close quarters in the parking garage!