To the Cotswolds!

Jamie and I headed out to the Cotswolds early this morning for our very first outing to Cornbury House; Porsche Club GB's Headquarters. It was their last open day of the year, which promised to attract a lot of members, so as 'freshers' we thought it best to poke our noses in and join in the festive cheer (despite the weather being wet & miserable). First stop was Martha's Coffee House in Moreton-in-Marsh to fill up our tanks - a lovely little independent with warm wholesome food and friendly staff, set in delightful stone cottage. Nice to know that the owner is 'one of us', as the 997 parked outside belongs to her! Second stop Cornbury House. As always nice to see a variety of Porsches, old and new, and to grab a quick coffee with a bunch of like-minded enthusiasts, even if everyone seemed that bit older than us - of course there's nothing wrong with that but I did think that our hoodies probably raised a few eyebrows! I was fascinated by the 1:1 wireframe rear-end of a 993, with exposed powertrain, and all those original racing posters and dealership prints that plastered the walls (I think it's about time that I treat my office with one). All in all a nice excuse to blow some dust off the Flat 6s, even if the cars came back looking like a pair of mucky pups that had spent all morning splashing in puddles. Sad to say, but I think that's probably the last outing of the year. So, here's to a bunch more in 2015! I'll drink some mulled wine to that - Cheers! 

Rare beast...

...I just stumbled across this rare beast on Pistonheads - 993 GT2, 1 of 7 UK RHD cars built, with 2 owners from new. POA so I can't begin to imagine how much this is up for, but inevitably there will be somebody out there with deep enough pockets. Whoever you are, enjoy!

The last breakfast...

...rendezvous at the Little Chef on the A3 for the last Goodwood Breakfast Club meet of the year - always a good excuse to all get together for a good old country blat through West Sussex. This time we decided to set off a little earlier as last time we were 'paced' by some pesky Sunday drivers - only this time to find ourselves paced by a pesky lorry on our way down to Petworth. Grrr. Wet, windy, and slippery roads, but nevertheless a chance to convoy, chinwag, indulge in a Full English, and gawp over some motors - this time of the 'Vee-power' variety. Here's to some better driving conditions in 2015!

Left to right: Rupert's 997, Rob's Boxster, my 993, Adrian's 996 Turbo (who we met there and then) and Jamie's 997.

BBS LM appreciation...

...I stumbled across this nice Rennlist thread appreciating the love for BBS LM wheels on 993s. The 'Le Mans Forged Split Rim' definitely goes onto my wish list. Might consider treating myself if I can find a decent second-hand set - I'll reach out to the guys at Jasmine to help with the search. Wish me luck!  

Spotted...

...a lovely 993 C2S on other side of the world in Sydney, courtesy of my good friend Barry.

Aurelia's seat

After some extensive research in child seats for the particularly tiny rear seats of the 993 I learned that the Maxi-Cosi Rodi is ideal. Most recommend the SPS (the budget model) but I went for the AirProtect (approx. double the price at £100 but the best-tested model with some fancy side impact technology for extra protection) - it fits in nice and snug. And not that aesthetics should matter but the full black cover with red accents, matching the body work and brake callipers of my car, was a nice touch I thought. One good tip is the Diono Ultra Mat to protect the leather against wear & tear and prevents the seat from slipping. All in all, I'm very happy - shame Aurelia wasn't! The seat belt around the neck suggests she needs to do some growing before she's ready for her maiden voyage in Daddy's car - but that's okay, at least we're set for next summer. Looking forward to taking her out for her first run. :-) 

Petworth Rendezvous

Rendezvous at Petworth on our way down to Goodwood for the Breakfast Club. Greg, in his lovely Mk1, joined the Porsche convoy for this month's theme: Hot Hatch Sunday. Nice.