The hosts share a relaxed start discussing recent drives and car maintenance projects, including detailed updates on their Porsche 996 and GT3 restorations. They delve into the challenges of sourcing quality exhaust systems and the importance of sound quality and longevity. The episode also highlights the joy of driving after winter, with reflections on the visceral experience of Porsche engines. The conversation balances technical insights with personal stories, setting the stage for exciting news from Porsche Centre Bournemouth and engaging with the Porsche community.
What does it take to design a legend? In this very special episode of 9WERKS Radio, we are joined by a true titan of Weissach and our 2026 Awards Guest of Honour: Grant Larson.
Having officially retired at the start of 2026 after 36 years at Porsche, Grant joins Lee and Andy to reflect on a career that saved the company and defined the dreams of generations. From the original 986 Boxster Concept that rescued Porsche in the 90s to the poster-child Carrera GT and the "return to form" 997, Grant shares the behind-the-scenes stories from the design studio.
The 2026 9WERKS Awards: Alongside Grant, we officially introduce the 2026 9WERKS Awards. We celebrate the cars, the specialists, and the community members who have defined the "Driven Not Hidden" philosophy over the last twelve months. Who will DNHC members reard for excellence in 2026?
In this episode, we discuss:
36 Years at Weissach: Grant Larson on his journey from the 989 to the 992 Sport Classic.
The Boxster Revolution: How the 1993 Detroit show car changed everything.
2026 Awards Reveal: A full breakdown of this year's Awards categories and why they represent the best of the Porsche world.
‘9WERKS Radio’ @9werks.radio is your dedicated Porsche and car podcast, taking you closer than ever to the world’s finest sports cars and the culture and history behind them.
The show is brought to you by 9werks.co.uk, the innovative online platform for Porsche enthusiasts. Hosted by Porsche Journalist Lee Sibley @9werks_lee, and 911 owner and engineer Andy Brookes @993andy, with special input from friends and experts around the industry, including you, our valued listeners.
If you enjoy the podcast and would like to support us by joining the 9WERKS Driven Not Hidden Collective you can do so by hitting the link below, your support would be greatly appreciated.
""So I picked up the heads yesterday. Cool. I know, yesterday. This morning. This morning? Wow, yeah. Yeah, bit those up so that's all good.""
Heads are parts on top of the engine where air and fuel mix to make the car go. They help control how the engine breathes and works.
Cylinder heads are the part of an engine that sits above the cylinders and houses components like valves and spark plugs. They play a crucial role in controlling airflow and combustion within the engine.
""They've been machined, skimmed, valves all sorted out, that sort of thing, new valve guides.""
Machining and skimming mean carefully fixing engine parts by making their surfaces smooth and flat again so they fit and work right.
Machining and skimming refer to the process of precisely removing material from engine parts like cylinder heads to restore flatness and proper surface finish, which is critical for sealing and performance.
""They've been machined, skimmed, valves all sorted out, that sort of thing, new valve guides.""
Valves are like doors inside the engine that open and close to let air and fuel in and let exhaust out, helping the engine run properly.
Valves in an engine open and close to allow air and fuel in and exhaust gases out of the combustion chamber. Proper valve function is essential for engine performance and efficiency.
""valves all sorted out, that sort of thing, new valve guides.""
Valve guides help keep the valves moving straight up and down inside the engine so they work correctly.
Valve guides are cylindrical components that guide the movement of the engine's valves, ensuring they open and close smoothly and maintain proper alignment.
""Yeah, it's been an expensive week with, again, like through the classic team here at Porsche Bournemouth, putting in a monumental parts order.""
The classic team at Porsche helps take care of old Porsche cars by fixing them and giving them the right parts.
The classic team at Porsche is a specialized group that supports maintenance, restoration, and parts supply for vintage and classic Porsche models, ensuring authenticity and quality.
"Yes, exhaust, which is exhausting because I've kind of narrowed it down to the four options I said to you in the car yesterday and that's kind of gone down to three now really. But either way, it's monumentally expensive."
The exhaust is the part of the car that lets out the gases made by the engine. It also helps make the car sound the way it does and can affect how well the car runs.
An exhaust system is a crucial part of a car that directs and controls the flow of exhaust gases from the engine out of the vehicle. It also influences the car's sound, performance, and emissions.
"So your cats were buggered, weren't they? Yeah. The actual ceramic material was breaking down, wasn't it? Yeah. Inside the cat."
A catalytic converter is a part of the car that cleans the exhaust gases to make them less harmful to the environment. It uses special materials inside to change the bad gases into safer ones.
A catalytic converter is an emissions control device that converts harmful exhaust gases into less harmful substances before they exit the vehicle's exhaust system. It often contains ceramic materials coated with catalysts like platinum.
"If they're still serviceable, why? Why go out and buy new mufflers straight away? If they're still serviceable, you like the sound?"
Mufflers are parts of a car that make the engine noise quieter. They help keep the car from being too loud when it runs.
Mufflers are components of a car's exhaust system designed to reduce the noise produced by the engine's exhaust gases. They help control sound levels and can also affect exhaust flow and performance.
"But this is the thing, you know, you don't want to have manifolds from one brand, cats from another and mufflers or silences, as we call them here, for another."
Manifolds are parts that gather the smoke and gases from the engine and send them into the exhaust pipe.
Manifolds are parts of the exhaust system that collect exhaust gases from multiple cylinders and funnel them into one pipe. They are critical for efficient exhaust flow and engine performance.
"But this is the thing, you know, you don't want to have manifolds from one brand, cats from another and mufflers or silences, as we call them here, for another."
Silencers are the same as mufflers; they help make the car quieter when it runs.
Silencers is another term for mufflers, especially used in some regions like the UK and Australia. They serve the same purpose of reducing exhaust noise.
"So they still use the same clamps or clamp system and the position of them might be in the same place. Or you might find another system that goes away totally from the standard setup."
Clamps are like strong clips that hold parts of the car's exhaust together so they don't fall apart.
Clamps are hardware used to join sections of the exhaust system together securely. They allow for easier installation and replacement of parts without welding.
"I have had the GT3 back out. Yes. Oh, my God, Andy B, that I cannot tell you and I cannot overestimate just how wonderful that experience has been this week."
The Porsche 911 GT3 is a fast and sporty version of the Porsche 911. It's built to be great for driving on race tracks and also fun on regular roads.
The Porsche 911 GT3 is a high-performance variant of the Porsche 911 sports car, known for its naturally aspirated engine, track-focused setup, and exceptional driving dynamics. It is a favorite among enthusiasts for both road and track use.
""Um, the first four thousands, that GT3 engine, it sounds like an air-cooled engine. I know it's pretty much an air-cooled engine with water running through it. Pretty much. It's the same. Yeah, same design, really.""
An air-cooled engine is a type of engine that stays cool because air moves over it, instead of using water or other liquids. This makes the engine sound and feel different.
An air-cooled engine is cooled by air flowing over the engine surfaces rather than using liquid coolant. Classic Porsche 911s used air-cooled engines, which are known for their distinctive sound and mechanical simplicity.
""With those early GT3s, you have to be singing past five thousand RPM for it to really start making that Mexican HALD, which is why a lot of people drive everywhere, like the Heads On Fire, I think, in those.""
RPM tells you how fast the engine is spinning. When the number is high, the engine is working harder and can make the car go faster.
RPM stands for revolutions per minute, a measure of how fast an engine's crankshaft is spinning. High RPMs often indicate the engine is working hard and can produce more power, especially in sports cars like the Porsche 911 GT3.
"The Dunlop team have nabbed a Porsche factory driver as well, Julian and Lauer, they're racing the GT3R. So in the Nürburgring 24 Hours,"
The Porsche 911 GT3 R is a special race car made by Porsche to compete in long races, built to be very fast and strong.
The Porsche 911 GT3 R is a race-spec version of the 911 GT3 designed for GT3 class endurance racing, featuring modifications for track performance and durability.
"I know you frequent the Goodwood Festival of Speed every year during your Porsche years."
The Goodwood Festival of Speed is a big car event in the UK where people race up a hill and show off cool cars. Lots of car fans and famous cars come to this event.
The Goodwood Festival of Speed is a renowned annual hill climb event held in the UK, celebrating motorsport and car culture with historic and modern vehicles. It attracts manufacturers, collectors, and enthusiasts worldwide.
"Sure, various things. Of course, the revival. The funny thing was is I've always talked about I thought about going to the revival and I went there for the first time last year."
The Revival is a special car event in the UK where people celebrate old racing cars and dress up like they did in the past. It's like a big party for classic car lovers.
The Revival refers to the Goodwood Revival, a historic motorsport event held annually in the UK that celebrates vintage racing and classic cars, often featuring period dress and authentic racing experiences.
"Right up your street, Grant, to be honest, in really like adoring particularly three, five, sixes as well, which I guess we can talk about another time."
The Porsche 356 is an old sports car made by Porsche a long time ago. It was one of the first cars they made and is still loved by car fans today.
The Porsche 356 is Porsche's first production automobile, produced from 1948 to 1965. It is a lightweight and nimble sports car that helped establish Porsche's reputation for performance and engineering.
""Early 987s. Really enjoying those cars back in.""
The Porsche Cayman (987) is a sports car made between 2005 and 2012. It is like the Boxster but has a hard roof instead of a convertible top.
The Porsche Cayman (987) is the first generation Cayman produced from 2005 to 2012. It shares many components with the Boxster but features a fixed roof coupe design.
"Obviously, it's well documented where Porsche is at with the 718. That platform is just so popular with enthusiasts."
The Porsche 718 is a type of sports car made by Porsche. It’s known for being fun to drive and is popular with people who like sporty cars.
The Porsche 718 is a mid-engine sports car series from Porsche, including models like the Cayman and Boxster. It is well-known for its balanced handling and enthusiast appeal, making it popular among sports car fans.
"when Porsche announced that there will be a future for the internal combustion engine in the 718 platform, my reaction was almost one of relief."
An internal combustion engine is the part of the car that burns fuel inside it to make the car move. It's how most cars have worked for a long time.
An internal combustion engine (ICE) is a type of engine where fuel combustion occurs inside the engine itself, producing power to move the vehicle. It is the traditional engine type used in most cars before the rise of electric vehicles.
"Singer won the award and then dropped it and shattered.
So I have no physical evidence of what that award was."
Singer is a company that takes old Porsche 911 cars and fixes them up with new parts to make them faster and nicer, but they still look like the original cars.
Singer Vehicle Design is a company known for its high-end restomod Porsche 911s, combining classic styling with modern engineering and performance upgrades.
"I like a red interior. I like a manual gearbox. I like a set of buckets. This has got it all."
A manual gearbox means you have to use a stick and a pedal to change gears yourself when driving. It makes driving more fun because you control when the car changes speed.
A manual gearbox is a type of transmission that requires the driver to manually shift gears using a clutch pedal and gear stick. It provides more driver engagement and control over the car's power delivery compared to automatic transmissions.
"I like a manual gearbox. I like a set of buckets. This has got it all."
Bucket seats are special car seats that hold you tightly when you drive fast, so you don't slide around. They are shaped to fit your body better than normal seats.
Bucket seats are individual seats designed to hold the driver and passenger firmly in place during spirited driving. They typically have higher side bolsters for lateral support compared to standard seats.
"It does have black steering wheel, black lower door cards, Alcantara inserts in the bucket."
Alcantara is a soft, fancy fabric used inside cars on seats or panels. It feels nice and helps you not slip around when you sit down.
Alcantara is a premium synthetic suede material often used in car interiors for its soft feel, durability, and sporty appearance. Inserts of Alcantara in seats or trim add a touch of luxury and improved grip.
Select text to request an explanation
I enjoy these soft starts to the podcast this series.
You enjoy them?
I do.
Are we soft starting now?
We are.
Oh.
We are.
Yeah.
It's just a bit.
Well, I guess for people listening at home, what they don't realise is historically
we've pressed a red button.
And then we freeze.
And then we freeze.
But that red button is pressed sometimes like half an hour after we've been chatting
anyway.
Yeah.
So all we're doing is just leaving in a little bit of this.
It's our little warmer.
It does.
It does warmer.
And hopefully there's some intrigue in there somewhere.
It's quite nice.
It's quite nice.
So nice to be on the road as well today.
Yes.
And yesterday as well.
Yes.
We were out yesterday driving a vintage poor show.
Yeah.
We should save the headline.
The detail.
Yeah.
For another episode because we had recorded some bits, haven't we, but you gave your
conclusion yesterday as did I.
Has that changed overnight now you've slept on it?
No, no.
Still the same for me.
Really?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I've been quite conflicted.
Do you know where the conflict comes from though?
It's because I actually feel like I'm like letting some people down with the opinion.
I really, really, really wanted to like the car and I did for a short window, but I'm
coming at it holistically and like would I spend X amount on that vintage Porsche?
The answer is no, but I know there are people whose opinions and values I really love and
respect.
Yeah.
That, yeah, might be disappointed in that, I guess.
So yeah, a little bit funny, really, but it is what it is.
We're all, it's different strengths for different folks, as the saying goes.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I'm still getting over my, my turmoil of you letting me run out of petrol.
In the middle of a potential petrol crisis as well.
That was so good.
So good.
I loved your Instagram story yesterday.
One picture that went up from the whole day and it's you at the side of the road with
a filler cap open.
That really is behind the scenes at NineWorks Radio.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
Right, with that in mind, shall we head into the main section of the podcast?
Yes.
I'll use it.
This is NineWorks Radio, brought to you by the NineWorks Marketplace and powered by the
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Sign up now at NineWorks.co.uk.
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Bruxy, here at Porsche Centre Bournemouth, how are you, mates?
I am very well.
Very well.
How are you, sir?
Yeah, yeah.
I'm absolutely buzzing.
Thank you.
I'm absolutely buzzing.
For reasons we will shortly disclose.
Welcome to everybody at home.
Thank you for listening to NineWorks Radio.
We're on the road, but we're only up the road, really, for...
Too far, is it really?
Yeah, from our place where we currently reside in Poole.
Yeah.
Yeah, we're at Porsche Centre Bournemouth, where we have some exciting news to announce.
That's coming up very shortly in the programme.
Absolutely.
But yeah, how are things I want to dive into, first of all, with your air-cooled 911?
Because the last time we spoke about this on the podcast, you said you'd just take the
engine out.
Yeah, it's still out.
Okay.
Yeah, I'm picking up some bits today, actually.
Okay.
I've got all my nuts, bulbs and bits and bobs that have all been re-plated, and I've got
a load of bits that are being powder-coated as well, so a little bit of a cleanup.
Still got some work to do on the engine, valve clearances, fitting a load of new gaskets
and parts to get rid of oil leaks, and then it's going back in.
I love the fact that you're doing all of this on your own in your garage as well, do you
know what I mean?
That's so incredible.
It's only nuts and bolts, mate.
It's only nuts and bolts.
It's way more than that.
That's my tagline, that is.
Is it?
Yeah, it's only nuts and bolts.
I like it.
I like it.
It's, yeah, for those international listeners that we're blessed to have on our next radio,
we have enjoyed a rare week of unadulterated sunshine.
It's been very nice, hasn't it?
It's been very nice.
Has, because I don't know about you, I've seen a load of lovely cars come out of the
woodwork.
Now that long winter wait is relenting.
So have you been missing your SE and the weather?
Of course I have.
Yeah, it would be lovely to have it out the last couple of days.
Yeah.
Yeah, missing it, absolutely.
How about you?
How's your engine out?
Andy B.
Thing going?
Yeah, it's going okay.
So I picked up the heads yesterday.
Cool.
I know, yesterday.
This morning.
This morning?
Wow, yeah.
Yeah, bit those up so that's all good.
They'll go.
So they've been machined, skimmed, valves all sorted out, that sort of thing, new valve
guides.
Yes.
I'm glad you know what happened.
I don't.
I just now paid about $1,200 to go and pick them up, basically.
Yeah.
Yeah, it's been an expensive week with, again, like through the classic team here at Porsche
Bournemouth, putting in a monumental parts order.
Yeah.
Thanks to your lovely spreadsheet.
So that's by far and away the most I will ever spend on parts.
And again, a big thank you to people that have helped us out within the Collective for
that because I just wouldn't have been able to even entertain that list otherwise.
So thank you.
And yeah, also ordered a couple of bits from Europe as well.
So I kind of feel like you've got all these parts descending from all over to Dorset.
So hopefully getting somewhere, hopefully.
Excellent.
Got any more decisions to make on the?
Yes, exhaust, which is exhausting because I've kind of narrowed it down to the four
options I said to you in the car yesterday and that's kind of gone down to three now
really.
But either way, it's monumentally expensive.
You know, there's there's a there's a brand that a lot of 996 owners use.
But I feel I've seen the products up close, not great on quality for me.
And they kind of they go on the car if people are kind of kicking the can down the road.
It's a bit different for me.
You know, I want this car to last for a long time.
So like the the the cheapest option, I think it's fair to say, and therefore the most popular
is not particularly something I want to do because I want something with longevity in
mind. Yeah.
But the soundtrack of a car is so important, isn't it?
It is. Yeah.
For a sports car, particularly.
Yeah.
So answers on a postcard from that one.
And then anyone who's got any ideas, anyone in the collective or or or outsiders, you
know, got some ideas.
I need everything back, like from the block back to be honest.
So your cats were buggered, weren't they?
Yeah.
The actual ceramic material was breaking down, wasn't it?
Yeah. Inside the cat.
Yeah.
Your manifolds were absolutely.
Rusty and crusty.
Rusted into a million bits.
They're basically rusted into the block, which I'm telling you, if you own a 996,
especially here in the UK, the same will be happening for you.
Yeah.
And then your back, your mufflers, they were OK.
So they could kind of be reused if you were still sticking with standard.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Exactly that. Exactly that.
But yeah, we'll see.
I mean, again, years ago on Ninewax TV, I lined up 9996 is all with different mods,
exhaust mods to find out the best soundtrack.
And for me, by far and away, the best soundtrack was the Gundo hack.
Three hundred quid or whatever it was to do the hack.
But you need an exhaust system in which to do that.
Yeah.
So maybe maybe you keep those then.
If they're still serviceable, why?
Why go out and buy new mufflers straight away?
If they're still serviceable, you like the sound?
Yeah. Yeah.
The issue where I'm having is that the exhaust companies I've spoken to,
they're apart from one, they're providing full systems.
Yeah.
So you could order it in two parts, I guess, if, you know,
fiscally, that's possibly the best way to go.
But this is the thing, you know, you don't want to have manifolds from one brand,
cats from another and mufflers or silences, as we call them here, for another.
Yeah, it depends how they've been designed.
So you might find that some brands do it
so that each individual part will fit a standard car in effect.
Yeah.
So they still use the same clamps or clamp system
and the position of them might be in the same place.
Yeah.
Or you might find another system that goes away totally from the standard setup.
Yeah.
So the actual interfaces between the different parts are in different places to standard.
Yeah.
And then it's not it's not compatible.
So, yeah, maybe that's something we look at together and see if we can work out what's going on.
I hadn't even thought about that and I was kind of coming at it from, you know,
for example, car graphic, haven't designed their manifolds to work with mil-tech silencers
in terms of knocking out resonance and drone and, you know,
yeah, because again, acoustics is such a big part of it.
Yeah.
It kind of goes down to three, doesn't it?
Some people like to promote a horsepower increase.
I always think that's fairly superfluous.
Yeah, the improvement of the acoustics, but then dealing with flow and pressure
and eliminating back pressure, really.
So I kind of just feel like the safe option is to get a complete system from someone
because that has most likely had the most design and thought gone into it.
But again, answers on a postcard, so if people can let us know that'd be great.
But I have been in one with just Tickle Past the 1st of March.
I have had the GT3 back out.
Yes.
Oh, my God, Andy B, that I cannot tell you and I cannot overestimate
just how wonderful that experience has been this week.
Yeah.
The 1st of March, it was the first time I've driven my own car in three months.
Like any, you know, my own car on the road.
Oh, my God, the freedom.
Two and a half.
No, no, it's three months.
Is it three?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I think it was the 4th of December.
Oh, was it?
Yeah, yeah.
So quarter of a year, if you want to make it sound dramatic,
but actually leaving town as well, you know, Andy, your own steam was brilliant.
And to go from, you know, the bus to a GT3, that's quite a dramatic ramp up.
And just the purity of everything involved with that car.
It's just sensational driving.
Yeah, I've actually done 500 miles in there in a week.
Have you?
No, I've not stopped driving it.
I've not.
You'll have to have some milk.
Yeah, yeah, honestly, I've basically been daling it.
So I picked those heads up in it earlier on.
But yeah, just so fantastic.
That car is so dialed in.
Mr. Sibs and I went out for some dinner a couple of nights ago and she said,
on the way back, you drive differently in this.
And we left the conversation at that because we just had a lovely evening.
I can't understand what she was saying.
But yeah, you'll have to have a go in it, mate.
I've actually realised doing a bit more miles
because a total mileage in that car for me now is just over a thousand miles.
Yeah, because you didn't do too much, did you?
Before before the real nasty weather setting.
Yeah, and again, like November time when it was garaged,
the roads are quite greasy anyway, full of leaves, wasn't it?
Whereas now it's just lovely and dry, nothing in the way.
So I've been able to give it a bit more of a tickle, really.
And what I've actually noticed is it revs to eight.
Yeah.
Um, the first four thousands, that GT3 engine, it sounds like an air-cooled engine.
I know it's pretty much an air-cooled engine with water running through it.
Pretty much. It's the same. Yeah, same design, really.
Yeah, yeah, yes. But like it really does.
And some people, which I guess is is fair,
the modern stuff just sounds amazing.
A real visceral soundtrack right the way through the rev range.
With those early GT3s, you have to be singing past five thousand RPM
for it to really start making that Mexican HALD,
which is why a lot of people drive everywhere, like the Heads On Fire, I think, in those.
But actually, I've come to quite appreciate, again, when just poodling around.
It sounds sounds like an air-cooled 911.
I've really like it. Nice.
Really like it. You need to get your big fan.
Yeah, exactly that.
Yeah. So yeah, interesting getting to know the nuances from that.
And again, you must have a drive of it, mate, and get stuck in.
Yeah, let's do it. So yeah, great stuff.
That's that's our project.
Good to hear. Anyway, just in terms of wider news,
I've had something land in my inbox about Dunlop
returning to the Nürburgring 24 Hours this year.
OK. The Dunlop team have nabbed a Porsche factory driver as well,
Julian and Lauer, they're racing the GT3R.
So in the Nürburgring 24 Hours,
which is one of the famous twice round the clock races on planet Earth,
alongside Le Mans and Daytona, we'll have the Dunlop team.
You've got the Falcon team as well.
So a couple of different tie brands using Porsches,
but Dunlop have got N rated tyres on Porsches.
So I feel like there's a bit more relevance there.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, for GT cars.
So, yeah, that'd be good.
We very much like that.
So thanks to the PR team for sending us that.
Yeah, any other news that we should
know? I haven't got any.
Be plumbing, there was the first 500 tickets
went for Porsches by the Lake Saturday just gone.
Was that 500 they did? Yeah, yeah, I believe so.
Yeah, they all snapped up straight away,
as you'd expect, fantastic event, one of our favourites.
And there is going to be another drop soon on that.
So if you want like first dibs on it, basically,
make sure you're following the Porsches by the Lake Facebook page
and Instagram page as well.
Get the latest news. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Well, we've got some news of our own handi-beam.
We have. Why we are here in the lavish confines
of the boardroom here at Porsches.
I'm loving your lavish word.
I don't know if anybody else has noticed that lavish
has been used a lot lately.
Has it really? Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's your new word.
Is it? I love it. Beautiful, beautiful.
OK, well, yeah, there's no other word for it, really,
I would say here in the boardroom.
I feel like top dog.
But, yeah, look, we're going to be back here
in around six weeks time.
We're going to be joined by a lot more people
than just you and I. Yeah.
Now, what will we be doing handi-beam?
It's the Nine Works Awards ceremony.
Yes.
April 23rd.
I think we've kind of tickled the date out there before.
But, yeah, this is the official release of it.
Yes, yeah, we are super excited to do this.
So the 2026 Nine Works Awards follows on.
The last time we did this was 2022.
Why have we not done it since?
Well, we've just been too busy.
Yeah, unfortunately.
But we had such a good time back in 22.
We had Tony Hatter as our guest of honor.
And that was up at charade accident repair, wasn't it?
I think you'll remember that night.
Yeah, I wasn't there.
I was very, very ill that day.
Probably the illest I've ever been in my life.
Honestly, I really missed that.
Yeah, I actually thought you died
like because I was trying to call you and it was, yeah.
Yeah, I could not move, do anything.
Yeah.
Well, I wish you better health for the 2026 Nine Works Awards.
But yeah, we're bringing it back
and we're going to do it bigger and better than we did the first time round.
We're going to bring people together from the automotive industry.
Again, calling on the people who we know and trust
and the brands that we are quite happy to stand by reputation.
Lee going to bring everybody together into a room for one night
to celebrate excellence in this lovely, lovely, amazing
Porsche industry that we're part of.
Yeah, it can be good.
It will be.
It will be the there are a couple of tickets going if you're interested.
Yeah, absolutely. Yeah.
If you go on to our website, go on to the shop page and they're on there.
So yeah, if you'd like to come along, please, please get posted in.
Definitely. Yeah.
So you mentioned it's at Porterson to Bournemouth.
Mention it's the 23rd of April.
Yeah, Thursday night.
A Thursday evening. Yeah.
Yeah, which is the new Friday.
Absolutely.
We have secured a decent little discount in a nearby hotel
for you to come down and get stuck in some seaside action.
You want to make a weekend of it? Yeah.
But yeah, by the tickets, if you're interested in joining us,
as I said, the good and great of the automotive industry will be here,
including our 2026 guest of honor.
Who is it, Mr. B?
Oh, my I'm not announcing.
Yeah, yeah, it is Mr.
Mr. Grant Larson.
Yes. Yes.
Superb.
I cannot tell you how excited I am to welcome Mr. Larson.
Shall we go through what he's designed?
Absolutely. What's he been?
Have we got enough time?
Yeah.
And when did when did his tenure start?
Many years ago.
Yeah.
Well, you know, he's got a nose first thing.
I mean, you're the man, aren't you?
Well, he's I think his most famous project.
And the first one that was he oversaw was the 986 Boxster.
So the original Boxster is the work of Grant Larson.
I mean, what a legacy that is, by the way.
But yeah, it seems Grant wasn't finished there.
So he designed the 997,
which many people say returned the 911 to its most succinct
and visually appealing form after the cul-de-sac of the 996.
That's pretty cool.
But then, yeah, look, there's a host of special projects
that have been involved since I can think of like the 93 the new 935.
Yeah.
Race car based on the GT2 clubs, bought 991 with a flat nose.
Do you remember that Bergmeister spider?
Yes.
Design that. I mean, there is there is loads, loads and loads and loads of stuff.
It truly is a glittering career
that Mr. Larson has enjoyed at Porsche until Christmas this year.
Now retired.
So this will probably be one of the first
events Mr. Larson has done as a newly retired ex Porsche employee.
And we are so, so chuffed and privileged
that Grant is going to be coming over to the UK specifically for the Nineworks Awards
to share his story and indulge in a Q&A session
with people attending on the night of the awards.
Yeah, really looking forward to hearing his story.
And I guess in the same vein as Tony did for
a little while ago when he was over doing our 993 event,
Tony did a great presentation and took great, great questions on
on his legacy that he's that he has had at Porsche.
So you could hear the same thing for Grant.
Definitely. Well, we do bring some further good news
because you won't need to wait until the 23rd of April to hear from Grant Larson
on behalf of Nineworks Radio. We're going to speak to him now.
It is our absolute pleasure to introduce to our Nineworks Radio listeners
Mr. Grant Larson.
Well, thank you very much.
It's good seeing you guys and nice being here.
We are so excited to have you over in the UK in six short weeks, really.
I know you frequent the Goodwood Festival of Speed every year
during your Porsche years.
Is there any other sort of, yeah, emotional tie
that over the years has pulled you over to the UK,
whether it be for Porsche endeavors or otherwise?
Sure, various things. Of course, the revival.
The funny thing was is I've always talked about
I thought about going to the revival and I went there for the first time last year.
So that took that took a long time.
But ideally for a perfect life in my current years
would be to attend both both events.
They're both extremely special, no place else in the world.
Those events take place.
So, yeah. Yeah, I can imagine revival being, yeah.
Right up your street, Grant, to be honest, in really like adoring
particularly three, five, sixes as well,
which I guess we can talk about another time.
But yeah, it'd be interesting to know which one you prefer
out of revival and the Festival of Speed, really.
Oh, that's kind of hard to compare them because they're so different.
Paul, that's a tough one.
I'd say they're both they both equally have a high status.
Well, look, I was looking back through the Nine Works archives
during the week prior to this conversation.
And I realised that the last time I had the pleasure of interviewing you
for Nine Works TV, actually, was five years ago.
I couldn't believe it was to celebrate at the time
a quarter of a century of the Boxster over in Stuttgart.
Oh, we were in that. That's exactly it.
Yeah, it was a wonderful conversation.
I implore people to go and check that out on YouTube.
Alongside the many conversations and presentations
that you've been kind enough to dedicate your time to
for the benefit of enthusiasts everywhere, actually.
It's it's it's difficult to pinpoint one specific
achievement that you can lay claim to at Porsche Grant,
because over the 36 years you were at the company,
you yeah, you're responsible for so many things.
It'd be great to know really what you consider
to be your biggest achievement in your time at Porsche.
Hmm. Yeah, that's a tough one.
It's hard to pinpoint one single big, big achievement.
Well, usually it's it's usually the first the first project
that perhaps made a big splash.
In that case, it was the Boxster show car
when we presented that in Detroit of 1993.
That that that really stands out
because that took us all by surprise is how basically
make a long story on that short kind of turn the company around.
Eventually a couple years down the road
when they sort of restructured the whole product strategy.
And the latest, the latest one, the last one is
I really enjoyed working on the GT3R Rensport.
That was a fantastic, fantastic project
that was all with the racing department, really efficient,
super highly motivated team, culminating at Rensport Reunion.
In 2023, that long ago already,
in 2023 with the event, how it was presented.
You know, stand there with Mark Webber and
Jörg Bergmeister getting out there and driving it around as a dusk
sent set in over the hills of Laguna Seca.
It was those two, I guess those two really stand out the most.
Mega moments, they are, aren't they?
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
But the original show car was quite something, wasn't it, when that came out?
What did you feel to the to the actual final production car?
Because that watered down some of the design elements.
Yeah, it was, I guess I could say it was probably never our intention
to produce exactly that car as a production car,
knowing that when we're parts sharing with the 9-11,
with the next generation of the new 9-11, you know, 9-96,
there will be some compromise that had to be made.
In the first dreamy phase of any project,
you just use the freedom, you use the freedom, even harm the guy,
my boss at the time, chief designer boss at the time,
he said, just make it, make it, make a show car out of it,
just make it, give it a lot of pizazz,
I'm not sure if that's the word he used, it's kind of like a 70s word.
This was the 90s, although it was our intention to give it a lot of show effect.
But of course, that was a good three years before the introduction of the show car
and a lot of development, a lot of cost analysis took place.
I mean, you could say watered down, but it was more like
coordinating the efforts to, in a really, really difficult situation,
of course, a really difficult situation, to keep the company afloat.
So we were already willing and able to make compromises everywhere possible.
And that's what basically turned the company around.
As we were progressing on a side note, as we were progressing on both those projects,
we had more and more, how do you say, cost reductions imposed to us
than we expected or that we wanted.
So just because a car is out there, out and about and finished,
it doesn't mean that's exactly what the designer wanted.
But we were full of, we had to make a lot of compromises at that time,
which, having said that, in the generations afterwards,
once we were earning money, we were able to turn that around a bit
and get more differentiation between those two cars, the Boxter and 911.
Fantastic. Wonderful to hear those insights.
And so looking forward to hearing more about the award ceremony.
Yeah, definitely.
Definitely.
Grant, you mentioned, or first of all, I should say, for those that are unaware,
36 years at Porsche is such incredible longevity.
Obviously, finished at the end of 2025.
You've just said, away from the mic there, that you don't like the word retired.
But I wonder if you could shed a bit of light in terms of,
yeah, what you're up to these days and what the plan is for you.
Yeah, so retirement, I mean, the word is basically like
hanging it up, putting your feet up, sitting on the terrace with cocktails.
But it's, I'll do that anyway.
But being retired is, I mean, it even has the word tired in it.
So it is anything but that, anything but that.
And it's really strange.
I've had some some question of people see the retirement coming up.
Maybe it's been spoken of by myself or whatever.
And they say, hey, what are you doing?
What are you up to? And what's next?
And think, yeah, well, there is something next.
So, to be honest, I've never been so motivated in my life to keep going.
And, you know, how do you say the projects that I determined and not from someone else?
I mean, I've got a lot of projects behind me, but what's still missing are my own special project.
Look forward to that.
Yeah, yeah, very, very much looking forward to hearing what the next chapter is for you
and your incredible talents, Grant, to be honest.
Yeah, Grant, as we said, we're so delighted that you'll be joining us in the UK in April
and taking part in a Q&A session with people in attendance on the night.
It will be amazing.
With that in mind, it would be great to know what is the most oft asked question that you're faced
and what's the answer.
And then hopefully we can chalk that one off on the night.
Yeah, yeah.
Well, the one you already asked, one of them was already asked just a couple of minutes ago.
The differences between the show car and the production car.
So we'll steer around that one a little bit.
I think one of the ones that's...
Well, first of all, I have to say that you can spend 36 and a half years working at Porsche.
But that Boxster thing is the one that stands out the most in a lot of people's eyes.
And you get introduced as, oh, there's a Boxster designer.
One point, keeping in mind, there's other people involved with the project.
They also deserve a lot of credit.
That's also that way with many projects, for example, interior wheels, details, support.
So that's that thing.
The other thing is the fried egg headlamps.
That's that we get asked about.
I get asked about those sort of harmless guy and anyone that worked on those cars.
Asked about a lot like that.
That's the gets the most hits, I think.
Yeah, yeah, I've got to ask one quick follow up on that.
I have to, yeah, I have to.
It's when you look at those lights in 2026 grant, do you look at them with any degree
of fondness or do you wish they never existed?
Question. Oh, no, no, it existed, of course.
I know all the reasons behind it, why we did it.
It was also one of those decisions out of economical decisions.
It's either you make the compromises here or you make them somewhere else,
which would in a much worse area or something.
But in the case of the headlamps, it was they're very innovative.
It's one of the very, very first plastic, all of them are plastic these days.
And with plastic lenses is the first thing you get a lot of design freedom.
The second point on those lamps is that we were
forced or convinced to put all of the functional elements of the lamp,
which is the high beam, low beam blinkers, of course, a fog light and a windshield washer.
There's a thing in German called Standlicht, I forgot what that's called,
little parking light.
So all that stuff in one element and that saved us a lot of money.
But where I do have my regrets is the time pressure that we had
is that we were not able to execute.
I mean, I still like the idea and I know why we did it.
And we were not able to execute it in the quality that I had wished at that time.
That's all. Yeah.
Yeah. Superb to get your thoughts on that.
I've often wondered, Grant, as the 997 designer, if you just basically couldn't
wait to get to the drawing board and scribble those lights out and get the
off your 9-11 lights back in again, all the oval lamp.
Well, yeah, also separate them, separate.
We have to keep in mind that the 996, that was going its own way,
parallel to the Boxer, with its own oval lamps.
It was fairly late in the program that they said, OK,
you're carrying over the front bonnet, the doors anyway,
the windshield, a windscreen, a geometry, just a different cutout.
And then when it got to one of the most costly elements, the headlamps,
it was decided that that put the Boxer headlamps on the 996.
And that is where that was where we thought, oh, boy, this is this is going to be tough.
This is going to be a tough one, but it was the only way.
It was the only way out of the rut that we were in.
And knowing that down the road in a few facelifts and generations later,
we were able to deviate from that.
Yeah, yeah. Oh, brilliant.
That's so good. That is so good, Grant.
Thank you. Yeah. And we'll make sure, therefore, that on the night in April,
any headlamp referrals or questions, we'll veto them straight away.
We've got it out the way. So yeah, that is so fantastic.
Again, we're so grateful and truly privileged that you'll be joining us in April, Grant.
So thank you very much.
And yeah, very much. Excellent.
We'll see you in April. Thank you.
Great. Excellent. Thank you.
It's a good start, Andy B.
Certainly is. Looking forward to that.
Really am. Yeah. Six weeks and counting.
How will the awards work?
Well, it's going to be split down into a two phase voting system.
Reason being is we don't want it to just turn into publicity contest.
Yeah.
As has happened with other awards kind of previously.
We want that to be genuine merit to this.
So their first phase will be voting open to Driven Not Hidden Collective members.
So if you'd like to have your say for the awards,
all you need to do is join the Driven Not Hidden Collective, Andy.
Absolutely. Please do.
Simple as that.
The finalist from that vote will then go through to our expert panel
who will then choose the winner from the shortlist that the public have propped.
So that is how we will do it.
It is in terms of we want to just mention
because the 2022 awards was a black tie event.
We're not doing black ties anymore.
Yeah. Keeping it a bit more casual.
Yeah. A bit more modern day.
Yes.
Besides, I don't think my tiki bow and I know the shirt doesn't fit.
And I'm sure the trousers don't fit anymore.
So yeah, yeah.
It could be expensive.
Yeah. Yeah.
Well, it's reflective of the fact that suits are actually removed from the retail price index.
Shopping basket, essentially.
And funny enough, it's replaced by gym wear,
but we're not all coming here in latex.
Don't go that casual.
No, don't go that casual.
Please, you might not get let in at the door.
But yeah, the dress code is smart casual.
So I don't know about you.
I'm going to be going dinner jacket.
No, not dinner jacket.
I'm going to be going jacket.
Maybe some sports jackets.
Yes. Yeah. Yeah.
Well played.
Certainly not top and tails.
Yeah.
And yeah.
So yeah, please do get involved and come along with that,
but don't wear black tie.
Yes.
Well, you can do if you want.
Might look a bit of a charlie in the corner.
You may end up having a secondary role as master of ceremony.
Or be mistaken for a waiter.
Yeah.
Well, we've got nine categories for the 2026 Nineworks Awards.
Yeah.
We'll reveal them shortly, but shall we have a chat
with Jonathan Deela Principal here at Porsche Centre Bournemouth,
who is very kindly giving us the floor for the evening.
We're delighted to be joined by Deela Principal here at Porsche Centre Bournemouth.
Jonathan, thank you so much for joining us on Nineworks Radio
and for allowing us to tip up here for the Nineworks 2026 Awards in six short weeks.
Not a problem.
Great to see you both again.
Thank you, firstly, for allowing us to host you.
I think that's very exciting.
I think that's really cool.
Very exciting.
Very much looking forward to the event.
I know last year, well, sorry, the last one you ran went down really, really well.
I spoke to a couple of people who went to that,
and they really enjoyed that.
And obviously you guys said it was a great success as well.
So no, very honoured to be chosen as the custodian of that one.
That's a great way to look at it, actually.
Yeah, in the 2022 awards by some quirk, Porsche Centre Bournemouth,
you actually won an award, wasn't it?
For best Porsche centre, I think it was for sales.
That's right. It was, yeah.
So I think reflective of the fact that as classic partners,
you've got a wealth of classic cars for sale alongside the new stock as well,
which I think at the time really resonated with people,
and which you guys have since gone from strength to strength with.
We really enjoy featuring those cars here.
Yeah, no, thank you.
Well, look, I mean, we don't take anything for granted.
And for me, with classic, as we've said before,
it expands the range that you may not normally see at another centre.
That's what gives us our USP, and especially now with Mantai,
what we do as well with Mantai.
There's some really cool things as to what we can do.
But we've talked about it a lot.
You know, the modern classics that they're essentially even be deemed
as classics in my mind.
We've done incredibly well with the 997s and 996s,
whether they're Gen 1s, Gen 2s.
We've done some 993s, 964s, 986s with the boxers as well.
Early 987s.
Really enjoying those cars back in.
I'm probably a little bit biased because it's my era,
19 years now with the brand.
So 07 was when I started.
No, no, genuinely, it just opens out the range and reach for us.
And people potentially who may not have thought
they could find a car like that at an official Porsche centre.
Yeah, yeah.
We're very grateful that you guys here at the centre
have shared with our audience the journey that you've been on
because this is coming up to your fifth birthday this year
at the new centre, which is amazing how quickly time has gone.
There have been an array of events that the team have put on since
Trap Day, I can think of that obviously we did last year.
I don't know if you've done an awards event before,
but how important is it to curate certain events
or to at least host them here in order to bring people in?
I think it's a great idea because the whole concept that Porsche wants,
the centres, and especially the newer centres now,
are to be destination hubs.
And what a perfect excuse to be, you know, for firstly,
we've got the, for a start, we've got the floor print,
which allows us to host that type of evening.
So we're very lucky there.
We've got a wonderful facility.
We've got, again, silly things like adequate parking,
all these things that you take into account.
But for me, really great if you can bring people in
to the business that may not either know us
or necessarily think they've got a reason to come and see us.
I just think that's brilliant.
Why not?
Why not?
I think it's just a, it's a great way.
And, you know, you see it now with the customers,
you know, we have plenty of customers who will,
because we've got our lounges and, you know,
we've got all the areas where people can come and work,
whether they just want a desk,
they want to work at the coffee bar,
they want a private room,
will always facilitate and accommodate.
And I just think it's a nice thing to do.
And we'll make sure you've had them watered,
make sure, you know, if you need anything, we'll help,
because why not?
It just, it's just nice.
It helps to make it a hub for people.
Yeah, for me, as a customer and a consumer,
it helps reinforce the Porsche brand
as an element of your lifestyle,
rather than just a quick touch point for a single purchase
that, you know, you might be lucky to do once,
or maybe more, you know, every few years or whatever.
Agreed, agreed.
It just feels much more approachable than it used to, didn't it?
I was almost scared to walk into a dealership of any sort,
and you see it with all of the car industry now,
it seems that they're a much more friendly place
to visit and to enjoy.
And that's right, and I think you're right.
I think there has been a change.
I think there has been a change across the industry.
I can't really comment too much on other brands,
because actually I don't actually go to many other dealerships,
because obviously this place takes up a lot of time,
but I take your point acutely, Andy, I do.
You know, and I've tried very hard,
and I think also, I think Porsche get that as well,
that they definitely do want to make it a welcoming place,
you know, any centre that you go to,
or any Porsche hub that you go to,
they want that welcoming feel, and rightly so.
But with high standards,
with high standards, because it is a, you know,
it's an aspirational brand,
and it's a lifestyle point, as we say,
but I think that's the first thing,
is make sure that people feel comfortable,
or not scared, if they want to come in and just have a look,
have a browse around, have a walk,
you know, doesn't mean you've got to walk in
and necessarily buy a car, just come and have a look.
And we welcome that, you know, we get plenty of,
we get plenty of, you know,
we get plenty of younger people in, you know, children,
teenagers, all ages really, and why not?
It's good PR, and I don't think it should be hidden away.
It's like, well, some of these cars we have
are absolutely incredible, very unique.
Some of them are very, you know, rare,
you know, one-off, or very, you know,
one that you may not necessarily see out in the wider world.
So, come on down, come and have a look,
come and have a, you know, touch and feel, not a problem.
Yeah, the, obviously,
we're recording this the first week in March,
which new car registrations, right?
So, is this a really busy week for the Porsche Centre Bournemouth,
or has the hard work already been done prior?
Bit or both, bit or both.
So, yeah, it is busy for us.
March is always busy, March is always busy.
Feels like to me, the March registration
carries slightly more weight than the 75.
Feels like, but then also as well,
I do sometimes think that is because
when Porsche have their factory shut down for the holidays,
they're closed virtually most of August.
So, to get going again, post-August,
normally would normally sort of like a month in a rears,
whereas now the factory's been open all the way since September,
they're geared up very much for that sort of spring into summer feel.
But, yeah, I always like March.
I think maybe because it's spring as well,
I feel like springs in the air, we start getting lighter, warmer, brighter.
People coming out to hibernation there, I say.
And I do, yeah, always enjoyed March.
Always enjoyed March, I just think it's a great month.
A great month, always a great start to the really,
those sort of really solid six months of the year,
which we can enjoy, or people and customers can enjoy,
especially some of the sports cars as well.
Yeah, yeah.
I'll be interested on the topic of sports cars.
Obviously, it's well documented where Porsche is at with the 718.
That platform is just so popular with enthusiasts.
I'll be interested to get an understanding of how you navigate that as a centre,
because I know Porsche Centre Bournemouth as a classic partner.
You have a bit of a luxury, I guess over others,
in that there's a classic line up to choose from, of course, that you have a sale.
But, yeah, how do you kind of negotiate that?
Is it trying to show customers that there are classics available,
or is it showing them the rest of the line up?
We'll tailor it to what the customer wants.
If we can help, if we've got it.
I mean, 718 is, you know, you both know me.
I'm a massive mid-engine fan.
So, I can't talk highly enough about the engagements I get
whenever I've jumped into any of the mid-engine cars that Porsche have done.
I'm very sad to see it stop at the moment.
I mean, I know, obviously, there'll be, you know,
the replacements on the horizon, although a little bit away.
You know, for me, Porsche's origins all started with two-seater cars anyway.
So, yeah, I always, I think there's, the demand is still there, you know, it is that,
you know, there is a, there's definitely a really comfortable place in the Porsche sphere of
people wanting 718, 981, you know, 987s, et cetera, et cetera.
You know, there definitely is.
They're just great cars.
They're just so usable, so easy, so friendly, so just get in and go.
Yeah.
Aren't they?
It's just the heart, sorry.
I miss mine, I do.
I really do.
I'm going to get one.
I am.
If I hook up my crook, I'll get one.
Is there any news on what's going on with the 718 and the electric?
The only thing that, it's no secret that Porsche have said, you know,
so as we know, production finished on 718s last year.
There's a handful of cars left around.
There's new cars that are already built.
I suspect they're going to sort of very soon they'll have all gone and then you are left
purely with the open market.
There'll be a bit of a gap and then we've still, you know, then we're looking forward to
the electric version of 718 or, you know, I think there's a new model name,
it might be 983, which will be very exciting and very brave really because I don't know any
other manufacturer that's really done sports cars electric, but no in Porsche.
It will be incredible.
I know it will.
I know it will.
So as far as you're concerned, it's still coming.
Yep.
Okay.
Interesting.
Yeah.
And I hope so as well.
Very much hope so.
That's really interesting, really interesting because there are two ways to look at that.
I know like for us as enthusiasts, or I'll speak for myself personally,
when Porsche announced that there will be a future for the internal combustion engine in the 718
platform, my reaction was almost one of relief.
But I wonder if you guys in the industry, you could look at that as a missed opportunity.
Is there a real two ways to look at it, you know?
So yeah, because again, you know, Porsche have said that as well, haven't they?
There's been talk around, you know, as you say, you know, the combustion maybe at the higher end.
And I think that'd be great.
You know, if you've got both, if there's both options, I think that'd be absolutely fantastic.
If Porsche can do that, then I think that's ever, I think everyone's winning.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Super duper.
Yeah.
Amazing.
Amazing.
I've got another question.
I don't know if you've heard the rumour.
Gone.
That there's a new GT3 model coming.
Have you heard anything?
Can you say anything?
Oh, Andy.
Andy!
Andy, Andy, Andy!
Oh, dearie me, dearie me.
What rumour may that be?
No, that's all I've heard.
Excuse me, just having a little drink because Andy's caught me off guard there.
I think there might be something on the horizon.
Oh, interesting.
Might be.
Might be.
So I think it'll be a watch this space.
All right.
I'm sure.
Any date, particular date we should be looking for?
Not sure.
Not sure.
Okay.
Let's try.
You've got to try.
God does love a try.
He's good.
He's good.
He's good.
I can only admire that.
Okay, look, Jonathan, I really am so, so chuffed personally that you're allowing us to host the
NineWorks Awards for 2026 here at Porsche Centre Bournemouth.
I feel like NineWorks has grown alongside Porsche Centre Bournemouth at the new premises
because there's a real overlap.
I think we pretty much to the same month share the same birthday.
Wow.
Wow.
That's brilliant.
It really is.
We're so kind of chuffed and grateful, as I said earlier on in the conversation,
that you're allowing us and our audience to follow you guys on the journey that you're on.
So thank you sincerely for that and we look forward to seeing you on the 23rd of April
here at Porsche Centre Bournemouth.
Yeah, looking forward to it.
No, thank you guys.
Yeah, brilliant.
Have a great day and yeah, we'll get ready for maybe a little bit of a party.
I love it.
Good stuff.
Thank you to Jonathan for spending some time with us.
We are so excited to rock up here on the 23rd.
It's about time we announced the awards.
To breeze themselves.
Shall we?
Let's do it.
Before that, though, we just want to say a massive thanks to our sponsors that are helping us put on.
So far.
So far, yes.
Yeah, if you'd like to sponsor us.
Please, please, yeah, get in contact.
Yeah, yeah, please do.
It really does mean a lot to the following that are helping us out, you know,
especially as we're an independent concern doing this on behalf of the industry really.
So in no particular order, we'd love to say a massive thanks to Charade UK,
to Elliot Brown, to Road Trip Tribes, to Sussex Asset Finance, to KMS Litho,
and to Promota, all of which are helping us put on what is going to be such a top,
top evening on behalf of the entire Porsche industry.
We're so, so grateful of that.
We'll be speaking to some of those as the weeks go on in the run up to the events, by the way.
But for now, in no particular order, Andy, would you like to run through the awards?
Should we go one at a time or what are we going to do?
Should we alternate?
Oh, I like it.
I like it.
Shall I hit the top one?
Yes.
We have Best Nine Works Marketplace Porsche Sales.
That is a high bar in there, by the way.
It is, isn't it?
Yeah, one in 2022 by Paragon Porsche.
Yeah.
As you well know, all of the marketplace partners we have are highly trusted.
So that is a big competition in that category.
Look forward to who's coming out on top on that.
Yeah.
Number two of the nine awards we have,
instantly, why nine?
Well, nine works.
Of course.
Of course.
Of course.
So, yeah.
Number two, Best Porsche Resto Mod.
Again, there are so many projects in there.
Yeah, some big hitters.
Oh, yeah.
Who was the winner last time?
That was...
We didn't actually do Resto Mod last time.
But there was a Resto Mod winner last time, wasn't there?
That's one of the categories.
I just, I can't remember what it was.
Singer won the award and then dropped it and it shattered.
So I have no physical evidence of what that award was.
But they did win.
They did win.
Something along those lines.
It was along those lines, yeah.
So congratulations to Singer UK at the time.
But yeah, we've got Best Porsche Resto Mod as number two.
Excellent.
Number three, Best Nine Works Porsche Servicing Partner.
Again, there's a high bar on that.
A lot of people in the mix.
Some of which are already up for an award in sales.
Yes, because they do both.
Yeah, but then there are some that don't do that.
So if you're in the collective and you want the full list,
obviously that'll be on the voting form that you will very shortly have access to.
Number four, Best Porsche Content.
Easy for you to say.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Best Porsche Content.
Obviously, we're not up for that award, unfortunately.
That's a bit stupid.
I know, yeah, we're doing an evening, but we can't win anything.
Yeah, okay.
So hopefully we can win.
Outside of Nine Works.
Yes, hopefully we can win the hearts and minds of the public,
but possibly that won't happen.
So Best Porsche Content.
That's really open to interpretation there.
There are so many people that contribute so handsomely.
Didn't use lavishly there, by the way.
Well done.
Want that known?
Yeah, contribute handsomely to creating amazing content for us to consume
over a variety of medias.
So we're thinking video, podcast, magazine, print.
Definitely.
Website.
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, that's a big field, isn't it?
It's massive, yeah.
So if you have somebody or a group or an entity,
whatever it is in mind that you think is highly deserving of the accolade
of making Best Porsche Content, then category four is for them slash you.
Okay, number five.
Is it me or you?
Oh, getting confused here, aren't we?
We're so professional.
Best product-stroked innovation.
Again, we see lots of innovation in this industry.
It's only fitting to reward it.
Some of which is seen, because this is all about component level,
but some of it feeds into what ends up on the Best Porsche Resto mod, for example.
But those Resto mod companies, they create these amazing machines
by working with a variety of smaller independents that, again,
on a granular level, make just outstanding componentry,
but of which is also available to the wider public as well,
which ultimately helps us to use these cars.
So again, it's quite an open field that.
Kind of interested to see where the collective take that in terms of voting.
I think we might see some things that we haven't thought of
that might fit within that category.
Yeah, yeah.
Interesting.
Okay, this is your one.
Number six.
Number six.
Best Nine Wax radio guest slash guests.
So that's for the last year or overall?
Yeah, last year.
So I think for the avoidance of doubt,
we should go from the 1st of January 2025,
up until where we are currently, March 26th.
So yeah, we won't have any more guests on for a bit,
just to keep it a close book.
Well, why don't we do it 1st of January to 1st of January?
It's a great idea, Andy Brooks.
It's a great idea.
Yeah.
There's a finite marker on it.
So yeah, we had some amazing guests and panelists
on the podcast last year joining us.
So again, anyone, so long as you've been on the podcast,
they're entitled to win it,
so long as it can't be yourself,
it can't be myself, and it can't be Max Newman.
Yes.
Because he only put in half a shift.
He left in July.
So yeah, Max could win half an award.
So yeah, best non-mix radio guest is category six.
Excellent.
Number seven, best non-9 works Porsche event
in brackets in the UK.
Yes.
Yeah, very important that,
because there are amazing events all over the world.
Yeah, but we're going to keep it UK centric.
Okay, penultimate award is for outstanding customer experience,
which again, is keeping the floor wide open.
If you deal with the Porsche buying public
as an ironworks partner,
then you're up for the award.
So we really want to reward excellence there.
So that's number eight.
Great stuff.
And the last one is the DNH award.
Should that be a DNHC award?
Or is it a DNH?
It's the Driven Not Hidden Award.
Okay.
Shall I do that again?
Yeah, for one.
And number nine is the DNH award.
What is this, Lee?
DNH stands for Driven Not Hidden, Andy.
Oh yeah, I knew that.
I thought that was like a dictionary corner scenario.
I love it.
So this is a personality stroke engagement of the year.
We've got that as a working title at the moment.
We might refine that a little bit.
We'll roll with it.
Okay.
Yeah.
So there we go.
Personality of the year.
And again, it's a bit of an inwards looking award,
I think it's fair to say,
but we'd like to reward the community.
We say this at the top of our podcast, don't we?
We're powered by the Driven Not Hidden Collective.
And if it wasn't for the enduring support
of a multitude of individuals,
not just in the UK,
but all throughout the world actually,
we wouldn't be doing this podcast now.
So we'd like to just have a bit of a doffer the cap.
We've got two secret awards that'll be announced on the night.
We shall say no more in that regard, really,
because they're kind of off-piste and off-grid,
to be honest with you.
So there are the nine awards
that if you're in the Driven Not Hidden Collective,
you directly can have a say in who wins that.
Again, if you're listening,
you'll have access to the award.
You'll have access to the voting form as of now.
Superb, Andy.
I guess all that's left to say
food will be served on the night.
Yes, yeah.
Got some good people doing some good food.
Yep.
So we're going to have good food.
Amazing presentation.
Again, thanks to Promotor for that.
Yes, yep.
So they'll be doing our display boards around the facility.
Yeah.
So they definitely had a splash of pizzazz.
Yeah, all pizzazz.
Love that, love that.
And if you cannot join us in person on the night,
fear not because you can catch up in one of two ways.
Well, you can catch up via the podcast
because we'll broadcast that the week after.
Yeah.
But if you'd like to watch live,
you can do via Nineworks TV on YouTube.
Yeah.
So it doesn't matter where you are in the world,
you can have a look at who.
And see what you're missing.
See what you're missing.
Yeah, definitely with a view to come in next year.
But also join us in toasting the best of the best
as we seek to, which is exactly what the Nineworks Awards
is designed to do, celebrate excellence in the Porsche industry.
Very well put.
Tops, Andy B, six weeks and counting.
It's going to come around quick, isn't it?
We're going to need a few more chairs.
Yes, yeah.
The moment that showroom's filled with some great cars,
but I think we could still have a few cars about,
but lots of tables and chairs and smiles.
Definitely, definitely.
A couple of bits of admin before we go.
We haven't got a car nundrum today.
We are out of car nundrums from the public.
Please, please bring some more.
We need some.
We know that particular feature has brought a lot of joy to people,
but in order to make that happen, we do need people's car nundrums.
So please do send them in, either if you're in the collective via WhatsApp
or if you remember the general public,
send it to either Andy or myself via Instagram.
Great stuff.
Porsche of the Week.
Porsche of the Week.
Shall I pick one?
Please do.
It's been a while since I've picked one.
Go for it, buddy.
I saw this on, obviously, the Nineworks Marketplace,
the place to buy it from.
I couldn't resist it.
I like a 981.
I like a Spyder.
You do.
I like a red interior.
I like a manual gearbox.
I like a set of buckets.
This has got it all.
You're in.
Yeah, I'm in.
And I quite like a Spyder in white as well, I think.
Okay.
So it is a Spyder you're going for?
It is.
Yes, it's a 981 Spyder.
In white with red interior.
But I would say that it's not all red.
It does have black steering wheel, black lower door cards,
Alcantara inserts in the bucket.
So I think it's got a little bit of restraint.
Yeah, good mix with that two-tone.
Yeah, really well picked, I'd say.
Really nice.
Really, really nice.
Manual gearbox, Carrara white, ceramics in there as well.
It's a really good spec.
It's got all the stuff, isn't it?
Really, really good.
And it is definitely Spyder buying season here in the UK.
We've had the first whiff of sunshine.
And as we said at the top of the pod,
everyone brings the cars out and includes the Spiders
after their winter hibernation.
Well, we saw Neil yesterday, didn't we?
From the collective who bought from RPM,
because this Spyder is from RPM.
He bought his from RPM just before Christmas.
I think he snapped it up.
He was at Phil Rabies yesterday.
I think this had been a reverse camera fitted to it.
Yeah, and Apple CarPlay.
And Apple CarPlay, yeah.
So yeah, it was nice to see that out.
It was silver, isn't it, I think?
Silver, yeah.
Silver manual, again, lovely spec.
I really liked on Neil's car, he had Perpeta seat inserts.
Oh, yes.
With, you know, like in the Ferrari's,
we're like the Daytona seat options.
Kind of had those like wings.
Oh, the little rivets.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Really cool, just a bit of cafe racer vibe in there.
Which I think works really lovely to be honest,
splendidly.
So congrats to Neil on that.
And I think just rear or reverse in camera and Apple CarPlay
just unlocks a little bit more usability, you'd argue.
Yeah, I think this one's got,
that hasn't, it's got a reverse in camera.
Yeah, it has.
Amazing.
So it's got all the right bits.
Price is, there it is, $79.995.
Yeah.
And that is a resplendent with 12,000 miles on the odometer
and RPM are giving this an 11 month warranty
attached to it as well.
So go and check it out on the Nineworks marketplace
alongside a host of quality prepared cars
from only the best outlets in the UK.
If it's on that Nineworks marketplace,
they are the best of the best of the best.
Indeed.
Good.
Amazing.
Anything else?
I think that's it.
All right, let's sign off.
Absolutely.
From the home of the 2026 Nineworks Awards
here at Porsche since Bournemouth, we'll see you next week.
See you next week.
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