Yesterday, I drove some 650 miles over 12 hours up to the Isle of Skye which, it has to said, is a long way. I was in a Porsche Cayman R and, I have to confess, I wasn’t looking forward to going that distance in such an extreme car, with its bucket seats, stripped out interior, simple sound system and no climate control. As it was, though, the car was a delight and not once did I find it tiring on the long motorway slog, during which time it returned a very respectable 30mpg.
I’m on Skye working with Arctos Media, a film production company run by Frank Pereire who is a big Porsche enthusiast – in fact, we also have his modified Porsche 964 Carrera 4 on hand. Over the next week, I’ll report on what’s going on, so stay tuned!
The Isle of Skye has some stunning scenery; I’m sitting writing this at a window with a view of a rocky bay with yachts at anchor, and big bleak mountains behind. I can see why it was chosen as a film location. Today, though, the landscapes aren’t important, as I’m out with the sound engineer recording the Cayman R’s engine note. “It doesn’t sound as good as the 964,” complains Ludovic who, I’m told, is one of the best in his field. He hands me the headphones and I can see what he means; the 964 with its modded engine has a deep growl which is quite unlike the Cayman’s high-pitched rasp.
Ludovic attached a microphone to the rear bumper, mere inches from the twin tailpipes and we tear off down the road. I give him a mix of second and third gear blasts, keeping the revs up and trying in vain to get the exhausts to pop on overrun. Moving the mike a fraction away from the tailpipes improves the sound and, finally, Ludovic is happy with his recordings which, eventually, will be dubbed over the footage which is being filmed over the coming days.
The great thing about all this, is that it doesn’t matter that the car is still dirty from its long journey up. Next job, though, is to get it looking its best for its film debut…
