Coupes are about Feel, Roadsters are about Listening
One of the best aspects of the DIY Porsche community is the enthusiasm with which people throw themselves into the hobby. The depth of creativity and mutual encouragement and support is unmatched in most other communities. Also the barrier to entry is surprisingly low. For less than the cost of an entry-level VW Golf, a large number of well-maintained, early water-cooled 996 911s are available.
For the price of a 4 year old Kia Forte, you can have the wind in your hair in a 986 Boxster S.
This is precisely what my friend MD Herald did recently, finding a nice 986 example in San Diego. MD embodies everything that makes the DIY Porsche community great. He is generous with his time, infectious with his enthusiasm, and relentless in the pursuit of the relationships, knowledge and experiences that the DIY Porsche Community delivers in spades. That this new acquisition was MD’s 4th or 5th Porsche and the second in his current garage is not remarkable. What does stand out, is his example of turning the acquisition of a low cost 20 year old roadster into a series of adventures, new friendships, and human connection that escapes us all too often.
James Dean and his “Little Bastard” 550 Spyder
Like many Porsche lovers, MD was always drawn to the original 550 Spyder The 550 has many devotees, most famous among them was James Dean who presciently christened his the ‘Little Bastard’.
The 550 was the first mid-engined production car in the world of which Porsche would produce only 90 road-going examples in its production run from 1953 to 1956. Providing a huge number of benefits in traction and stability, the mid-engine design would be the basis for many of the most legendary sports cars of the 60s including the Lamborghini Muira, the Ford GT40, and the Ferrari Dino 206.
Porsche would revive the mid-engine layout twice again, each time to produce a performance vehicle on a budget designed to help the marque recover from precarious financial positions. First with 914, and again with 986 Boxster, Porsche would use this configuration to produce cars that were unexceptional in their performance figures, but which delivered and balanced and exhilarating driving experience in almost all scenarios.
As the first all new Porsche model in 18 years and only the second in Porsche’s history to have been originally designed as a roadster, the 986 was a huge success, selling over 120,000 units by 2003. That sales volume combined with a lot of manufacturing insight from Toyota, made the 986 a product that is widely credited with saving Porsche from financial collapse in the early 2000’s.
For the price of a 4-year-old Kia Forte, you can have the wind in your hair in a 986 Boxster S
There are many ways to travel. The classic motorcar will always be at the top of our list because of the connections and opportunities for discovery that it offers. There’s traveling by classic car and then there is traveling in a classic roadster. Each keeps you well connected to your surroundings and opens the door to serendipitous connection with people all along your route. With a classic roadster, you are just a little more connected. From a driving perspective, you are that much closer to the road. You can hear your tires working, throwing out pebbles, connecting you to the pavement, making you a better driver.
MD summed this phenomenon up well: “Coupes are about feel. Roasters are about listening.”
Somewhere near Mexico
Connection on many levels is what trips like this are all about. When you are connected to your surroundings and the road, it becomes meditative.
Starting out a trip there are certainly the common worries: What am I leaving undone at work? What about that other thing on the back-burner? After an hour or so, in the right analog car, this all melts away and you are fully present. It’s you, your car, and the road. Everything you need and nothing you don't.
In a roadster, it’s even more direct.
Second, there are serendipitous connections to the people and places that you would otherwise pass by. I am a strong believer that you can only truly connect with a person when you understand the environment that they live in. That starts with the sights, sounds, and smells around you. Driving in an open, analog car just puts you in context. After a few hours of this, you are really in the mode to connect with people, learn about new places, and discover gems that would remain hidden were if not for the freedom and openness of an unhurried road trip on the back roads of our great country.
When you do this sort of trip solo, all of these phenomena are pushed to another level and you become one with the experience.
“Coupes are about feel, Roadsters are about listening.”
Unlocking a new level of fun
That's precisely what MD did. Not long after leaving San Diego, he headed off the beaten path to route 98 passing just north of the town of Mexicali in Baja California. Dipping down into some dirt roads, he quickly unlocked a new level of fun in his 986 and got acquainted with the border patrol who wanted to make sure that some guy tooling around in a silver Porsche knew what he was doing --- Did he ever!
Outside of Yuma, AZ MD put the hammer down on i8 for a blast down to Tuscon for his first overnight. Pulling to a stop at an Embassy Suites he quickly got acquainted with the local wildlife as Havalina surrounded the 986. Havalina or Collared Peccary (Peccary angulatus) are a sort of wild pig or boar that are quite common in those parts. They are mostly docile but can also run as fast as 35mph. They were a surprise for sure, but they were also a reminder that if you put yourself in the right mindset and take your time, places will reveal themselves to you in a way that no planned itinerary or vacation package can ever deliver.
When you do this sort of trip solo, all of these phenomena are pushed to another level
and you become one with the experience.
The Wild Havalina
Unable to sleep in the early morning hours, MD was reminded of this phenomenon again when the mountains of the Gila National Forest erupted in an epic fiery red sunrise. As that sunrise gave way to a cool Arizona February morning, MD hooked a left at Las Cruces and ripped up AZ 70 to the town of Ruidoso where he met up with Harold Lee Jones, a fantastic landscape photographer and proud caretaker of a silver 1969 Porsche 912.
MD had made a connection online with Harold over photography and Porsches, and Harold kindly offered to take the day and show MD some of the best roads in the area. Such is the generosity of classic car enthusiasts and a reminder that we are in a golden age of people sharing their car passions.
Harold and Herald
Seeing these cars together was also quite interesting. In many ways the 912 and the 986 share a lot of DNA. While they are mechanically quite different, they were both attempts by Porsche to share many body components and other mechanicals from the 911 to create a more accessible and in some ways more enjoyable vehicle that would deliver all of the dynamics of their more powerful siblings while remaining reliant on the momentum of the drive to maximize fun and comfort for drivers and passengers alike.
After cementing yet another Porsche driven friendship and enjoying an epic day of driving, MD and Harold parted ways and MD headed off on New Mexico’s route 380. Keeping an eye out for signs of extra-terrestrial life he cruised through Roswell and took 380 all the way across Texas. Enjoying 85 degree weather in February and the top down on a 2-lane straight line road, MD relaxed and let the countryside reveal itself at a cool 75mph. The occasional pickup blowing by at 90mph didn’t faze him at all. When you are in the zone behind the wheel on an open road, there is no need to rush things.
While they are mechanically quite different, the 912 and the 986 were both attempts by Porsche to share many body components and other mechanicals from the 911 to create a more accessible
and in some ways more enjoyable vehicle
The 912 and 986 share a lot of DNA
Occasionally the posted limit would drop 75>60>50>40 and out of nowhere there would be a small 3 block town with maybe an eatery and a non-chain gas station, and then right back to 75mph and open road. Towns like this have seen better times yet remain populated by hardscrabble ranchers and the businesses that supply them. Given that we live in such a divided country these days, one might suspect that people would be suspicious or hostile towards a guy driving through in a now dust covered Porsche.
From town to town, the reality was actually quite different. To a head, everyone along this route was happy to share a story, advice, or make an effort to connect in some simple way, underscoring the reality that our similarities are far greater than our differences. Living in a nation where different groups inhabit increasingly parallel realities, the simple act of exploring a foreign place with an open and present mind is a very important and gratifying thing to do. Sure there are many that will argue that there are limits to this and there are topics that can enflame our divisions. Granted, but that does not detract in any way from the importance of getting out there and making true human connection.
Highway 380 somewhere in Texas
Memphis’ Beale Street in the early morning hours
Making a cut across Arkansas and its herds of semi trucks on i30 MD made his way to his final overnight in Memphis.
Memphis is a city rich in American history. A focal point of many of the racial and political divisions that divided our country in the 20th century. It is also the genesis of the most important soul, country, and rock and roll music in our history. In the spirit of celebrating that which transcends our divisions, there could be no better stopping point before the home stretch of MDs journey.
Stopping to watch the sun rise over a not yet populated Beale street, MD took a further series of great images and hit the road for the final stretch back to Cincinnati to reconnect with his family and share with them his adventure and plan many more in their new 986 roadster.
We can’t wait for the next opportunity to drive with MD or share stories of our adventures. We hope that in some small way his example will inspire others to get out on the road and let the hidden corners of the world reveal themselves at a cadence that only an unplugged analog road trip can deliver.