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Driving an early Porsche 911
A lot happened in 1963. Martin Luther King had a dream, Lee Harvey Oswald and Jack Ruby played with guns, Alfred Hitchcock made a film about birds, Sean Connery was oh-so-cool Bond, Ronnie Biggs stopped a train, some Liverpool lads pleaded to be pleased, and Porsche unveiled a new sports car badged ‘901’. Meanwhile, in a Bristol hospital a baby with the surname Raby breathed his first, somewhat premature, breaths. Yes, that was me, and I guess I would have been walking and talking (well, after a fashion) by the time that the car I’m now driving arrived in […]
Porsche 996 Turbo first drive
A look back at Philip Raby’s first drive in a Porsche 996 Turbo, back in 2004. If you asked your Mr Spocks and Hal 9000s what the best car in the world was, they’d come up with something sensible like a diesel-powered Vauxhall Zafira. A vehicle that would stolidly go about its business of transporting yourself, your family and stacks of cargo from A to B; cheaply and reliably. It would, in short, do everything a car needs to do in a very efficient manner. These logisticians would be wrong, of course; motoring should be about passion, not practicality. The […]
10 things we love about the Porsche 996
The Porsche 996 was a radical car when it was unveiled in 1998 because it was a complete reimagination of the iconic 911. It was the first time that the 911 had had a total redesign, complete with new bodyshell and new engine. Larger, more practical and more modern, the 996 prepared the legendary Porsche for life in the 21st century. In the nearly 20 years since, the Porsche 996 has been loved and hated in equal measures. As the years go on, though, the haters are falling away and the 996 is becoming appreciated for what it is – […]
Porsche Boxster Spyder RS60
I’ve just had a call from someone asking if a Porsche Boxster Spyder RS60 would be a good used buy. Based on the Boxster S of its day, the 2008 limited edition Spyder RS60 echoed the style of the Porsche 718 RS60 Spyder racecar from 1960. Visually, it was distinguished by a unique front spoiler, 19-inch SportDesign wheels, GT Silver Metallic paintwork, and a red or black hood. Inside, the RS60 had Carrera Red leather (or Dark Grey with the black roof) with a unique texture on the seat centres, door linings, steering wheel and handbrake lever, plus ‘RS60’ sill […]
Customer service is everything
Here at Philip Raby Porsche we like to look after our customers well. We may not have a flashy glass and tiled showroom (although we do make a mean cup of coffee and have some tasty biscuits), but we do offer really good service. All our Porsches (and other cars) are put through a thorough mechanical inspection by Porsche service specialist AW Motor Sport, which is conveniently situated next door. Any faults they find are rectified before sale (unless they are age-related and not fixable, in which case we make the buyer aware). We also put a full 12-month MoT […]
Porsche Cayman S Vs Porsche 924 Turbo Photoshoot
This week, we have had Ryan Thorn, a 14 year-old work experience student from the local Bishop Luffa School with us (that’s him trying out a Cayman for size in the photo below). Ryan has been enthusiastically involved in all aspects of the business, including coming out on a magazine photoshoot which he reports on below. The words and photos are all courtesy of Ryan. Today, four of us travelled out to the South Downs near Goodwood to do a photoshoot with the Porsche Cayman S and the Porsche 924 Turbo, a real blend of modern and classic styles of […]
Collecting my first Porsche 964 from Germany, back in 2002
I’ve just received a lovely email from a long-term reader, who said he remembers well a piece I wrote in 2002 for 911 & Porsche World magazine. It was about me travelling to Germany to buy a Porsche 964 Carrera 4 for myself. It was nice to be reminded of it, as it was a thoroughly exciting trip (in more ways than one!). Here’s the text of the article – bear in mind it was written 15 years ago (where has the time gone?) so prices and attitudes have changed. There’s something strangely addictive about 911 ownership. Colleagues have long […]
Taking a Porsche 997 back to my roots
I had a strange coincidence the other day. Someone on a Porsche Facebook page was asking for a Porsche 996 umbrella – one of those that fits in the slot in the passenger-side door sill. I replied, saying I had one and would happily give it to the person in exchange for a donation to the RNLI. My grandfather and great grandfather were lifeboatmen for Barrow Lifeboat, based on Roa Island, where my family lived for many years. And the strange thing was, the person I was giving the umbrella to, his family were also lifeboatmen who lived on Roa […]
Porscheness – what makes a Porsche feel like a Porsche?
I’ve spent the last few days behind the wheel of a Porsche 964; a model of 911 I have always loved. And, increasingly, other people love the Porsche 964, too, and it has become firmly established as one of the great classic Porsche 911s. However, back in the early 1990s, Porsche’s then-new Technical Director, Ulrich Bez, wasn’t impressed. Thankfully, he appreciated the strength of the 911’s brand and persuaded his fellow board members not to drop the model in favour of an all-new car – an option which was on the cards. Instead, it was decided to carry the 911 […]
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