A show car is basically a “preview” vehicle. It’s built to show what a future production car might look like or how it might be designed.
Concept
Sondervansh secrets
The hosts mention “Sondervansh secrets” as something Porsche is putting more emphasis on. From the context, it sounds like it’s about special customization—making cars that are more unique than the standard versions.
A one-of-one build means Porsche is making a car that’s unique—there’s only that one. The hosts are saying there’s another special, custom-only car coming soon.
Porsche is a German sports-car brand famous for engineering-focused design and motorsport heritage. The speaker discusses internal leadership/design changes at Porsche, including a new chief designer and a shift into a “new era.”
The Porsche 356 is one of Porsche’s earliest classic sports cars. People love it because it’s a lightweight, air-cooled design that helped define what Porsche became.
A dune buggy is a small off-road vehicle made for driving on sand and uneven ground. People often build them as custom projects. In the podcast, they mention buggies that use Porsche engines, showing how Porsche parts can be used in these builds.
This sounds like a Porsche performance project name. “Carrera” is Porsche’s performance branding, and “GT” usually means it’s aimed at faster, more track-style driving.
The Porsche 997 is a specific generation of the 911. It’s the “middle” modern-era 911 that many people consider a sweet spot in look and feel.
Term
advanced roof system
This is about the mechanism that lets the roof open or change configuration. On cars like the Targa, it’s designed so you can get open-air driving while still keeping the car strong and protected.
A “heritage” version is a modern interpretation of a brand’s older design themes—often referencing classic styling cues, proportions, or details. In Porsche’s context, it usually means design work that nods to historical models while still fitting contemporary engineering and brand identity.
Concept
motorsport cars
Motorsport cars are race-focused vehicles. They’re set up to handle hard driving repeatedly—things like grip, cooling, and stability matter more than comfort.
Concept
Le Mans living legend
“Le Mans living legend” refers to a person or car associated with the 24 Hours of Le Mans who has become a well-known figure in that racing world. In this segment, it’s used to describe an “oddball” Porsche project that the speaker says they had access to.
A boxer-eight is a type of engine where the cylinders sit in two opposite sides. The pistons move in and out like a boxer’s punches, and that shape helps with how the car is balanced and built.
Term
lightweight thing
“Lightweight” means making the car weigh less. A lighter car usually feels quicker and handles better because it’s easier to speed up, slow down, and turn.
The Porsche 935 is a famous Porsche race car. It’s based on the 911 but built specifically for racing, with a big focus on speed and track performance.
A spoiler is an aerodynamic add-on that helps press the car down onto the road. That extra grip can make the car faster and more stable at speed, though it may create more air resistance.
A “flat 8” means the engine’s cylinders are laid out flat, with two sides. It helps the engine sit lower in the car, which can make handling feel more stable.
The Porsche 914 is an older Porsche sports car. Some versions came with different engines, and the six-cylinder cars are often the ones people talk about most. It’s remembered as part of Porsche’s history and as a fun, classic sports-car option.
A “6-cylinder” engine has six cylinders. More cylinders can change how the engine makes power and how smooth it feels, and here it’s being used to describe a 914 setup people like.
A “rear mid-engine” car puts the engine in the back half of the car, but not all the way at the very rear. That placement helps the car’s weight balance better for handling.
Concept
Lightweight Roadster
“Lightweight Roadster” refers to a kind of project where the goal is to make the car lighter. A lighter car usually feels more responsive and can be more fun to drive.
Concept
sales were dropping
They’re saying the company’s sales were going down. When that happens, it can make it harder to keep funding new car projects.
The Mercedes-Benz 500E is a special, higher-performance Mercedes sedan. The host brings it up to explain how Porsche’s production numbers were influenced by what other companies were doing at the time.
The Fiat 500e is a small electric car based on the Fiat 500. It’s made to be easy to drive in tight city spaces. The podcast mentions it in the context of how many were produced and how that compares to other cars.
The Porsche 928 is a Porsche grand tourer with a V8 engine. Here, they’re pointing out that only a small number were made, which makes it especially rare.
Concept
unlimited edition models
“Unlimited edition” is a marketing/production term used for limited-run models that are not capped at a fixed number of cars. The host is using it to emphasize how rare certain Porsche variants can be even when the label suggests open-ended production.
The Porsche Boxster is a Porsche roadster with the engine placed closer to the middle of the car. They’re talking about how Porsche used Boxster ideas when planning a mid-engine approach alongside the 911.
The B-pillar is the vertical support post in the car body between the front and rear doors. Saying “from the B-pillar forward” means the front part of the car shares the same basic structure or design.
This is a way of describing exact locations using numbers on a grid. The host is saying the process required very precise placement, which made everything take a long time.
They literally shape the seat shape out of clay first. It helps designers test the look and feel before building the final parts.
Term
clayed it all back in again
They’re describing a hands-on shaping step using modeling clay. They reshape the body surface to get the right look and fit before moving on to the final build.
Term
digital thing
They’re saying these days they can do the shaping/design work using computer tools instead of doing it all manually. That makes the process faster because the changes can be planned and produced quickly.
Wheel size changes how the car sits and what parts can physically fit around the tire. They’re pointing out that with “13-inch wheels,” nothing lined up the way it should on their project.
A movable spoiler is a wing or lip that can move to change how the car cuts through the air. They’re saying their design didn’t allow the spoiler to work as planned, so they had to adjust the rear shape instead.
Concept
mid-engine roadster packaging
Mid-engine roadsters place the engine behind the driver but ahead of the rear axle, which strongly influences how the front and rear volumes can be used. Here, the hosts describe how they had to adapt the front geometry and overall packaging to fit large luggage while working within the constraints of a small, lightweight layout.
Headlamps are the car’s front lights. Here, they’re talking about the specific design and styling of the headlight shape and how it fits the overall look of the car.
Concept
patent out of this
“Make a patent out of this” means the engineers think the idea is new and could be legally protected. In car terms, it usually refers to a special design trick or solution that others can’t copy easily.
The Tesla Model Y is an electric SUV, meaning it runs on batteries instead of gasoline. It’s made for everyday driving and family-friendly space. The podcast mentions it as a specific model being discussed in relation to something else.
The Honda NSX is a well-known sports car from Honda. It’s mid-engine, meaning the engine sits closer to the middle of the car, which helps it handle well.
The Nissan 300ZX is a sports car made by Nissan. It’s a two-door coupe designed for performance and driving enjoyment. The podcast mentions it as one of several sports cars being talked about together.
The Mazda Miata is a small, lightweight roadster. People like it because it’s easy to drive and feels very connected to the road.
Car
Porsche 956
The Porsche 956 is a famous Porsche race car from the Group C era. It was built to win endurance races like Le Mans, where cars have to stay fast for a long time.
Car
Porsche 962
The Porsche 962 is another famous Porsche endurance race car. It was built to keep Porsche winning in the Group C racing era.
A tube frame chassis is a skeleton made from metal tubes that holds the car together. Race teams use it because it can be strong, light, and easier to adjust for track use.
Downforce is the “squish” force from the air that pushes the car down onto the road. More downforce usually helps the tires grip better when you’re going fast.
A facelift is when a car gets a refresh partway through its production—often changes to the front and rear styling. It’s like a “new look” version of the same model generation.
This was Porsche’s idea of making a more enclosed version of the Boxster. The goal was to give people a hard-top feel, while reusing existing rear body parts to keep the project practical.
Term
rear deck lid
The rear deck lid is the panel at the back of the car that you open to access the rear storage area. They’re talking about reusing that part to help build an enclosed version.
A boot lid is basically the trunk lid—what you open to get into the rear storage. They’re listing which rear panels they tried to carry over for the enclosed design.
The Porsche Cayman is Porsche’s coupe version in the Boxster/Cayman family. In this story, it’s mentioned as the reason the earlier enclosed Boxster idea didn’t move forward right away.
“Sonderwunsch” is German for “special wish.” It means a customer asked for something custom or out of the ordinary, rather than just ordering a standard car.
“Paint to sample plus” means you don’t just pick a color from a chart—you start with a known color and tweak it until it matches what you want. It’s a more personalized version of custom paint matching.
“918s” is almost certainly talking about Porsche’s 918 Spyder, a very high-end modern supercar. They’re saying the restoration program covers everything from early classics up to cars like that.
Re-commissioning means “getting the car back into working order.” If a car has been sitting or was taken apart, this is the step where they check everything and make sure it’s ready to drive again.
A one-off means a car that’s made only once. Instead of being mass-produced, it’s built to match a specific person’s request. In this story, it’s a unique Porsche speedster design.
They’re talking about using scanning tools to capture the car’s shape digitally. That lets the team measure details accurately instead of relying only on eyeballing or old drawings.
The Porsche Boxster Spyder is a lightweight, track-focused open-top Boxster variant. Here, it’s grouped with other Porsche models they scanned, indicating they were collecting design/fitment references beyond just 911s.
The Tesla Model 3 is an electric car that uses batteries instead of gasoline. It’s a sedan, so it’s shaped like a typical four-door car. The podcast mentions it because it relates to how an idea can be turned into a real 3D design during development.
Here, “scanned” means they measured the real car with a scanner to capture its exact shape. That helps them design parts that fit correctly instead of guessing.
The Porsche Macan is a compact SUV made by Porsche. It’s designed to be practical for daily driving while still feeling sporty. The podcast mentions it because a part from the Macan was used as a reference for something else.
Rear louvers are vent-like slats on the back of the car. In this case, they’re talking about picking a specific rear-louver look from one 911 generation to match the intended design.
Term
PTS program
PTS is Porsche’s custom paint program. It means you can order a special color (like “Otto Yellow”) instead of only choosing from the usual factory colors.
Term
engine to the transmission
That phrase describes connecting the engine and the gearbox so the car can transfer power correctly. It’s a major assembly step, not just a small adjustment.
“Fried egg lamps” is a nickname for a classic round Porsche headlight look. People use it because the lights are shaped like a round “egg,” and it’s considered the more traditional style.
“Over-engineered” here means the designers put in more complexity or effort than strictly necessary. The idea is that the car’s design and how it opens are built with extra refinement.
Concept
target design
“Target design” means the designers had a specific goal for how the car should look and work. They’re talking about the planned design direction and why they made certain choices.
Concept
pre-advanced engineering development
This phrase describes an early engineering stage—before the project fully ramps up. It’s where ideas get tested and shaped so the final car can be developed properly.
A cabriolet is just a convertible. The speaker is saying that making a car a cabriolet changes the design, because the roof has to fold away and the body has to be shaped to fit it.
The Porsche 918 Spider is a high-end Porsche supercar. In this discussion it’s mentioned because its roof is designed in a way that’s similar to the “split removable top” idea the speaker is describing.
Kinematics is about how moving parts are designed to move. It’s the “motion design” side—how things pivot, slide, and operate—often paired with electronics that control or monitor the movement.
Term
movable parts
Movable parts in a car design can be mechanisms that change configuration—like retracting, folding, or swapping structural elements. Here, the speaker ties movable parts to a “target” concept and contrasts solid versus removable roll-bar sections, highlighting how motion can complicate safety and engineering.
A rollover bar is a safety structure meant to help protect you if the car flips over. The idea is to keep a strong “survival space,” and changing how it’s built can affect how well it works.
A roll bar is a safety structure meant to protect the cabin if the car rolls. The host compares solid versus removable designs to explain how the structure’s job can be harder when it has moving or powered parts.
Term
electric one
“Electric” means the mechanism is powered by a motor or actuator. Instead of moving by hand, it can deploy or retract automatically, which changes how the system is engineered and used.
Term
marketing test
A “marketing test” here is basically: would normal buyers like and understand this feature? They’re checking it against everyday expectations like how easy it is to operate and whether it still leaves room for luggage.
Apple CarPlay is a way to connect your iPhone to your car. It shows certain phone apps on the car’s screen so you can use navigation and music more easily while driving.
A Remastered 911 is a Porsche 911 that’s been reworked to feel more modern while keeping the original 911 identity. It’s the kind of car you’d see at major car events because it’s more of a special build than a standard production model. The podcast mentions it because it’s connected to well-known custom design work and was featured at Goodwood.
A “GT3 RS engine” means the special high-performance engine from the GT3 RS. Here, they’re talking about putting that kind of engine into a different 911 generation for a more extreme setup.
“Black on black” is shorthand for an all-dark aesthetic—typically black exterior paint paired with black interior trim and/or black wheels—creating a monochrome look. It’s a styling choice that can be hard to spot in photos, which is why the hosts are debating what specific “black on black” car they mean.
RestoMod means taking an older car, fixing it up, and then upgrading it with newer tech or parts. It tries to keep the classic style but make it drive and feel better than the original.
“3.2G” means the car was experiencing about 3.2 times the force of gravity. It’s a way to describe how intense the acceleration or forces were—like a really hard corner or jolt.
The Porsche 959 is a very famous Porsche from the 1980s. People love it because it used cutting-edge tech for its era, including a turbo engine and advanced all-wheel drive.
“Restoring” a car means bringing it back to a previous condition—often to factory-spec appearance and function. In enthusiast circles, restoration can range from cosmetic refreshes to full mechanical rebuilds and sourcing hard-to-find parts.
A vetting process is basically a careful approval check. Here, it means Porsche verifies that the shop and technicians can do the repairs to the brand’s standards.
“Electrical” means learning how to work on the car’s electronics. That includes things like sensors and control systems that affect how the car runs.
Term
PCTN plus 5
“PCTN plus 5” sounds like the name of a specific upgrade or product that won the award. The hosts also say Porsche Classic has installed it on several older Porsche models.
An air-cooled engine uses air flowing over the engine to keep it from overheating. It’s different from liquid-cooled engines that use coolant through hoses and a radiator.
A water-cooled engine uses coolant (a liquid) to move heat away from the engine. That heat is then released through a radiator, helping prevent overheating.
Residual value is what a car is likely worth later on. If you keep it looking and feeling good, it can help the car keep more of its value over time.
LIVE
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Driven Not Hidden Collective. Sign up now at NineWorks.co.uk
Andy B, how are you?
I am very well, thank you Mr Sibley, how are the devil are you?
Yeah mate, all good.
Seems a while, seems a while.
It does, yeah, back on the NineWorks Radio airwaves, although this is kind of like week zero, isn't it?
We've got a bonus episode to start the new series.
Absolutely, yeah, let's have a little review of the awards and how it all went.
Yeah, the NineWorks Awards was a big deal for us, wasn't it Andy?
We had a very special guest come over from Stuttgart, the legendary Porsche designer Grant Larson joined us
for a couple of days actually in the UK and we had an event to celebrate excellence in the Porsche industry
and we thought well look, there were people that enjoyed it live in the room on the night,
there were people that enjoyed it digitally via our live stream,
but if you haven't heard the highlights from that event which includes an exclusive presentation from Grant Larson,
well here's a great opportunity to have that, so this is what we're doing.
Brilliant, there was some real sort of moments in his presentation of stuff that I'd never heard of before.
I don't think maybe he hadn't let the cat out of the bag on those bits before as well, it was all fresh.
Fresh info I think.
Yeah, definitely.
Is that how you took it?
Yeah, there was a nugget in there because again, Grant worked at Porsche for 36 years,
like incredible footprint left on the Porsche story, covering many different facets like motorsport,
special wishes, 911 evolution, the birth of a brand new model in the highly successful and much-loved Boxster.
Grant has done so many things, so what does he cover in his presentation?
Again, that's exclusive to us here at NineWorks.
Well, it's the beginnings of the Boxster which is that 1993 show car that Grant designed
and then how that evolved into the production model which arrived in 1996.
And then he also disclosed some Sondervansh secrets, which is something that's becoming ever more important at Porsche.
And he did actually let slip when we can all next expect to see the one-of-one build.
Remember that yellow nine-o-three speed that was released last year?
Oh yes.
So the next one that's in that sort of mould, which again, Porsche will absolutely be making a very big deal of,
we know when to expect that this year.
So there's a few little gems in this presentation.
Oh, I didn't pick up on that.
Okay, I think you and I were maybe clucking at the time or certainly getting ready for our award ceremony that was to follow.
But yeah, the years did pick up at that time.
So yeah, there's much to listen to or indeed watch if you like because you can re-watch the live feed over on NineWorks TV currently.
But yeah, we just thought why not? Let's run that and allow a bit more coverage and more people to hear and see it.
Absolutely, yeah.
And we'll be back in normal form next week with lots of updates really from us.
There's been lots going on, hasn't there?
Yeah, yeah.
We've got another exciting series planned for everybody listening at home.
And yeah, all the usual features will be back from next episode.
What I would say is just a big thank you to everyone because I mean, how good was that awards evening?
It was just a splendid occasion.
Yeah, it was brilliant.
So good to see everybody, both DNHC and people from the trade.
It was just great, wasn't it?
Yeah, from a commercial point of view.
You know, there aren't many occasions where so many people from the industry can be under one roof on the same night.
So it was, yeah, you know, lovely seeing different specialists from around like the NineWorks marketplace,
which really, you know, stretching all four corners of the UK, having a bit of a chim-wag in the evening.
So that was really, really nice as well as, yes, some wonderful DNHCers.
So we're rewarding excellence in the industry.
It's not just businesses.
There are a couple of people oriented awards in there as well.
We reveal who the driven or hidden, collected, voted as best NineWorks radio guest of the last 12 months.
Yeah, as an example.
Who was actually there?
Yeah.
Oh, no, that was best portion content.
Oh, it was.
Sorry.
Yes.
Correct.
Again, was personality led on that.
Yeah.
So we were super chuffed to have the winner of that in the room.
It wasn't us.
If anyone's thinking, here we go.
Here we go.
Giving themselves a pat on the back.
Yeah, it wasn't.
It wasn't us.
But yes, there's a couple of awards.
Again, it's just to reward excellence in the industry.
So thank you to everyone in the driven or hidden collective who cast their votes because without your votes and enthusiasm for such an event,
it just wouldn't happen simple as that.
Yeah.
Okay.
Brilliant.
Before we roll VT, just want to say a massive thank you to Porsche Centre Bournemouth for hosting us for the evening.
The last time we did the NineWorks Awards was up in the Midlands at Sherades Cannec facility.
So it was really nice to bring everybody down to the sunny South Coast and it really was a sunny evening.
It was, yeah.
Down by the water here and yeah, in the Porsche Bournemouth showroom.
Also want to say a massive thanks to Built by Basil who created those beautiful bespoke awards.
And Craig Justice.
Yeah, Justice gets to the toppers.
Yeah.
Yeah, he did.
Very well played.
We had help and support from Sussex Asset Finance, from Elliott Brown Watchers, from Road Trip Tribes, from Sherade UK, from KMS Litho and Promota UK as well.
Yes.
Well remembered.
I don't know how you do it.
Well, the only reason I do is, you know, without the support of the people powering those brands, we just wouldn't have been able to put the awards on essentially.
So it really was a community effort.
So we're super, super grateful and we're delighted to present to you via audio and video for collective members the fruits of that.
So here is the 2026 NineWorks Awards from Porsche Bournemouth.
Yeah, it is.
Welcome everybody to the 2026 NineWorks Awards.
We are so chuffed to have you here.
We are here at Porsche Centre Bournemouth.
And with that in mind, we'd love to invite up John Sullivan, dealer principal from Porsche Bournemouth.
Yeah, you take that one if that's okay.
Yeah.
Okay.
Hello, good evening.
You take that one.
I'll go with this one.
There we go.
There we go.
Thank you so much, Hebronus, in your lovely Porsche Centre.
On the fifth anniversary of the Centre as well.
Oh, absolute pleasure. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.
Thank you very much for allowing us to be a host for the 2026 NineWorks Awards evening.
Lovely, lovely, I nearly said some of that.
Lovely spring evening.
I do apologise for the outcome.
We have tried to remedy that situation.
Unfortunately, I don't think I'll get an engineer out in time to save that.
So as Lee says, use the bar, drink fresh, keep yourself hydrated.
We've opened the doors, so apologies on that.
It is a deliberate tactical ploy.
I promise you.
It's not going to be done with anything like that.
We're feeling it as well today, but I do apologise.
And as we know, heat rises as well.
So there we go.
No, I'll say no more than just really great to see such a bringing...
We were talking earlier this morning about how bringing different parts of the Porsche family together,
sort of like the different aspects that we interact with Porsche.
It's our passion, it's our hobby, it's what we do, all those sort of things.
So now, just thank you very much for attending tonight.
And very much appreciate it, and I hope you have a lovely night.
And good luck if you input an award as well.
Top man, thank you, Jonathan.
It's so lovely that you're so open to us all coming to your courses.
That's a pleasure.
Thanks, guys.
Thank you.
Amazing.
Andy Brooks, we have got not one, but two very special guests.
You're thinking, who are they?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
It's our lovely wives.
Absolutely.
So we need to say thank you to Sarah and Laura for everything, for putting up with us.
So yeah, there we go.
And yeah, yeah, yeah.
Nothing could go wrong now, to be honest with you, so that's really good.
We would like to say thanks to our sponsors.
There are people in this room, everyone in this room is helping us put this event on in some way or other today,
with particular reference to these great guys and girls on these amazing, amazing businesses, OK?
So a big shout out to Shared UK, to Road Trip Tribes, to Sussex Asset Finance,
to our media team, Fletcher and Harvey, to the guys at Promota, to Built by Basil,
Elliot Brown Watches, and KMS Litho.
Market KMS was due to be here, but it's actually having an operation today.
What are the odds on the day?
So, Mark, we know you'll be watching at home, so yeah, wish me well for a great recovery, mate.
We'll speak to these guys and girls a little bit later on.
In the meantime, I said we've got two special guests, but we've actually got an incredible guest of honour,
who's flown out to join us here for this very special evening.
So please do a very, very, very big round of applause.
For a Porsche legend, it's Grant Larson.
APPLAUSE
Thank you.
Did I expect a musical sort of intro?
It's very good, mate, they really are very good.
They're making us look fantastic.
And that's just before hand?
That's for YouTube, yeah, that one, if you wouldn't mind clicking that one.
Would you like me to do that?
Oh, if you take that.
So there's being recorded and sold?
Yes, yes, yes.
I got 20%.
Absolutely, yeah, we'll talk about it later.
Well, thank you very much for having me.
It's really nice to be here, in England, where I can speak English, my form of English.
And I'm just very thankful for the invitation.
And one thing as a designer, you're real happy to, it's a lot of fun to design your projects,
but even more so to present them and talk about them.
Or especially like answer questions.
As long as they're not too difficult.
And I had one little fearful moment, I knew they were eating beforehand.
One thing was that I would spill on my white shirt and be standing up here with food on it,
but that did not happen.
So the first hurdle is over.
So yeah, check it out.
So, yeah, I think that's my little mini intro.
So I'll start talking about myself.
Absolutely.
Are you staying up here the whole time?
No, no.
They just very much also are.
I mean, you can if you want.
No, no, I'll get this still up and pop it down.
As we spoke about off mic, if anybody's got any questions at any point,
just raise your hand and we'll run around and pop the mic out.
Grant's had such a brilliant, outstanding career.
Yeah, I guess.
It hasn't stopped.
It's not stopped.
It's not stopped.
36 years.
And you may see in the back of the room, so I've got Paul and Deb.
I've bought that lovely Seal Grey Society 9x6 Boxer down from Oxford.
John has battled through the traffic from Exeter in the 997.
And James has come down from God's Country in Essex in the sport classic as well.
So all roving examples of Grant's work.
But obviously, yeah, it goes way beyond that.
So without further ado.
Excellent.
There you go.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
So anytime, what's this thing doing here?
No, let's get this out of the way.
In case I trip over it.
But anytime I give a presentation, like Lee just said,
feel free to answer.
It's such a small group.
I almost feel like I don't need the mic.
But if there's any questions, just fire them out.
It doesn't matter.
So anytime I give a presentation, I talk a little bit about who I am,
like who is this guy.
And one of the things is, I wasn't sure about the type size when I did the presentation,
but it's a little bit far away.
Anyway, I was born in Billings, Montana, a long time ago,
and grew up in Wisconsin because of those are the typical questions.
I'm not German.
And studied industrial design in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
And normally, when you give this presentation to the Porsche Club of America,
which happens a lot, they go, oh, I'm from Milwaukee,
and I'm from Montana, stuff like that.
But over here, it's like, where's Billings and where's Milwaukee?
It doesn't really matter.
And then I studied a second time in Pasadena, California, at the Art Center College.
And that's what kind of was the jump into the international.
I always wanted to work in Germany anyway.
And that was my sort of springboard to that.
So before I came to Porsche, I was, graduated in AD 6,
and I thought I had a job interview with Tony Lapine from Porsche.
It was really interesting because I thought, well, Porsche,
you know, I had an eight semester project with them.
It was a lot of fun, but Porsche was a company where there wasn't a lot going on.
So I went to Audi because Audi at that time was,
well, they had flush glass and advanced aerodynamics and all this Ferdinand Piech stuff.
So I went there for three years to try out the German thing.
It was really nice.
So I left Munich to come to Porsche when there was a lot of management changes,
a new chief designer, which was Harm Legai.
And Tony Lapine had retired and we started a new era, a new era at Porsche.
We thought we started it.
It took three or four years of rough waters to get there.
But it was really interesting to be there at the beginning.
Anyway, so I retired.
That's in quotation marks in December of 25.
But prior to that, I just sort of opened my own company,
which is nothing more than just a tax number in the office in Stuttgart somewhere
for like freelance stuff.
That's another story.
We'll talk about that in five years.
So, yeah, I have a bunch of big 356 fans, a couple of BW,
like Old Buss and Karmagea and Myers-Manx with a Porsche 356 motor in it
and four of those boxers and one of those a 997 since about a year.
So that's so much for that.
That little note on the lower right tells me that per slide
I have 17 seconds per image.
So I already blew that.
So this is like a little overview of the projects I did starting with the...
I'll get back to this later.
That's not really the first car, but the Boxer Showcar,
which led to the 986, the Turbo, which I wrote in today.
And Carrera GT, and then after a couple of the Showcar Carrera GT,
you know, Tony Hatter, you might have met,
he was the one responsible for getting into production
because the Showcar was...
Yeah, I was a Showcar.
And then one of my favorite projects was a 997.
And then I got into derivatives like the Speedster, the Targa.
We had this advanced roof system,
how do you say, development program,
and out of that program, the Targa came out, the Speedster,
as well as, let's see what else, various, I forgot,
various derivatives that sort of really, how do you say,
really supported the brand.
And then one of the very first special,
that's special which the exclusive department was the Sport Classic,
the predecessor to that one,
and the Turbo S exclusive series, et cetera.
And then things got a little bit more exciting with the hot-ball projects
because I was the kind of person who liked this historic stuff.
So the boss came along and said, I'll let Grant do that stuff.
He likes that old junk.
So I took...
So I was able to...
I worked on the 991 Speedster, the Showcars,
and the heritage version together with other people.
I have to point out, at this point in time,
I wasn't the only person involved with these projects.
There's always a team.
And I don't do any interiors.
There's always a team.
And when the interior of some of the race cars,
Torsten Kline, I think somebody might know him.
He jumped in and did that, some of the graphics and things.
So it's always been sort of a teamwork.
So I'm standing up here by myself,
talking about all the other people who worked on the projects with me.
I give them a lot of respect.
So I was always a big fan of motorsport cars.
And in previous management situations,
I always grabbed them in certain moments in time,
whether it's Hartmut Christen or Frank Balliser,
and said that I think there's a lot of potential
for design in some of our race cars
because the way some of the race cars were designed,
were like they'd have a car at the track,
have a rough set of data,
and they need more holes there.
They just cut it out with like a sawzall or some tool,
and then say, okay, that's it.
Good enough for a race car.
But the race cars for a designer were always mentors for us,
whether it's a 718 RSK, one of my favorite Porsches,
a 917, 908, 908 or 3.
They're always our mentor cars.
So why not help design the race cars?
So I got involved with that,
and that just blew up into a whole new category
and kept me really busy for a while.
And then these one cars,
every now and then we have an oddball car.
One of your one was this Le Mans living legend.
It was actually an idea for seven years of Porsche
to do a B8, it has a boxer eight cylinder,
Cayman based car with a visible engine.
Too expensive, so we didn't do it.
And the little bag spider,
that was a fun project with zero money.
But with a lot of motivation,
I got money to make a real car out of it.
And then which eventually got parked in the museum,
and the museum pulled it back out again,
and allowed me to drive up and down this guys bag,
it's called, near Salzburg, the historical track.
And having the absolute time of my life,
following a camera car,
thinking I'm getting paid for this.
Back in the museum, it's one of the inspirational cars for me,
is that how much, what you can do with the car
if you take things away from it,
this whole lightweight thing.
Yeah, a couple of highlight projects for me
with the club sport, the 935,
as well as probably the next page,
the GT3R rent sport,
which were both introduced at the rent sport reunion,
the coolest event in the world,
2018 and 2023.
And a couple of other quick projects in between
where designer has full freedom.
There's the GT3R rent sport,
with one of the biggest spoilers,
I think that we've ever done.
The Sonderwunsch one off speed,
so we'll get into that in a second.
And the malaria picture on the right,
is actually a car I worked on for a client,
the Sonderwunsch one off,
and that's coming up,
the introduced in Monterey in,
yeah, this year, August.
So enough of that old stuff,
because it's 30 years of the box,
I'm going to fly through this presentation
of where it came from,
and believe it or not,
of course,
you look back in Porsche's history,
the very first car was a mid-engine car,
with a famous name, number one.
Looking forward to the 550,
there are always inspiration for a few.
If Porsche was ever going to do a mid-engine car,
you always look back in your history,
because that's your grandfather, so to speak,
and one of my favorites is 718RSK.
I have to say that some of these images,
I have close contacts with the archives,
so any images you have,
I'm hoping you haven't seen,
don't Google and find these,
I kind of like digging in the archives,
also kind of my personal archives,
to show something that you'd never seen before.
It's also not a polished presentation,
typical Porsche AG,
it's more of a personal thing,
talking like one-on-one.
This is one of my favorite cars,
called the Grandmother,
also had this 8-cylinder,
mid-engine 8-cylinder, flat 8,
and of course, this was a picture I took
at the old-timer Grand Prix in Nürburgring
in the early 90s,
and just this car,
the proportions and everything was very,
you can tell because the guy's shorts,
that it was early 90s kind of a thing.
I had some like that too,
from a company called Ocean Pacific,
and I just love this car.
So of course, we have another mid-engine car in the past,
this was not so much an inspiration,
they were great cars, 914s,
especially with the 6-cylinder,
but you have to remember that
we did several mid-engine cars,
and it was time for us to come up with another one.
So what is this leading up to,
the first project I started,
somebody asked me, was the first project you did
when you started Porsche,
it was a 989,
it was a four-door front-engine car
like I was doing in Audi before that,
so I go to Porsche,
and that's what we started working on until 1991,
when, and that's the final model
that was presented,
I did not design it only,
it was designed by another designer called Matthias Kuhler,
I only influenced the front,
they took my front off of that car.
They eventually, nothing happened to it,
but here's where we get into the personal archives,
we didn't have a company photographer at the time,
but we had a Polaroid camera
that was under lock and key,
so you had to,
you had to go bank the secretary
to borrow the Polaroid,
hopefully that had film,
and I took pictures of my project,
so basically what this is,
it's a rear mid-engine,
it's called 996, project 996,
based on a lot of components
from the 989,
which had a front-engine V8,
so imagine the 911,
idea in 1990,
at that time, was a rear mid-engine,
it's like a V8 over the rear axle,
as a successor to the 993,
so this never, this is before the 993 even came out,
so nothing much really happened to that,
but there was a lot of sketches
and things that led up to that,
then we did this project,
sort of like Lightweight Roadster,
kind of a project with the advanced engineering people,
and then one project after another
being canceled and restarting,
you start to almost kind of lose hope a little bit,
and sales were dropping,
these are official numbers from Porsche
that it was reported that we sold
in the fiscal year of 1992 and 1993,
14,000 cars,
and that's three or four years after I've been there,
I'm thinking, can somebody buy us,
so we can, there's Mercedes or VW,
anyone, so we can have some development,
so we can do some new Porsches,
but through the cleverness of Edelene Vita King,
at the time, the CEO, that did not happen.
One thing you can keep in mind
is that we report 14,000 cars,
but if you look back in the history books,
in that year, 1992, 1993,
Porsche produced around two and a half thousand
Mercedes 500Es,
because they were, as well as Audi,
were helping us out,
keeping the lights on.
So realistically, we made 11,000 cars that year.
One of them being the 928 with 730 units,
making it one of the most rare,
and just think of this myself,
one of the most rare unlimited edition models,
this is one third of a typical,
like a sport classic we made, what, 1250?
I forget some of the limited editions were on 2000,
it wasn't even limited,
and we only could sell 730 of them.
This was normal life for us back then,
but things got better.
Right now, in 2020, right now,
two, a couple of years ago,
we were up to 320,000,
still not that many compared to
the Mercedes VW Audi,
still a very low number of cars.
Anyway, so, then,
a new flame, new ideas,
sharing 996 with the Boxster's idea
from Horst Marchat,
he was the development chief at the time,
so we started working on this idea
of not only doing a Boxster,
a mid-engine car,
there was no name of a Boxster,
a mid-engine car, together with the 911,
nearly identical, technically,
from the B-pillar forward,
B-pillar meaning the, yeah,
where the rear window meets the front window,
internal design language.
So, did a few sketches on that,
and we thought, well, let's do,
let's do, it was like 1992,
but we don't want to wait until a car
for 1997 or 98,
so let's do a show car.
So, I put me off in a corner,
and I was working on these ideas in show car,
not quite by myself,
the middle sketch, the red ones,
from Steve Merkitt,
another British designer of ours at the time,
and that turned into,
eventually, the show car that you know,
which basically turned the company around.
These are these full-size drawings we did at the time,
it was like three and a half, four meters long.
We don't do this anymore,
because everything is projected on the big wall,
and kind of lost art,
a lot of sculpture happening with the clay models.
One thing you can notice in the background,
there's some 996s happening from other designers,
while I was working on this car,
other designers were working on 996s.
Yeah, an extremely manual process with tools
that made everything take extremely long,
making X, Y coordinates in space.
You think, could it go any slower than this,
but it couldn't,
so once again, 996 is another roadster in the background,
and a brilliant designer who did the interior,
I don't want to take credit for the show car,
because the interior played the other half of the role,
very talented German designer named Stefan Stark,
and they're even sculpting seats out of clay.
There's a lot of innovations in the car that he had,
which we would have gotten to production,
but he can't do everything.
That's where the Boxster Red comes from,
the color I think was just called plain Boxster Red,
for lack of a better name,
but most of the roadsters in the 50s
that were our inspiration had always silver
and always red seats, sometimes beige.
Yeah, okay, and then more of that.
You can see Tony's 993 here happening on the upper left.
And we got to the phase of the project,
that is the company Lumberjack,
he drove around in a tractor
and now he's had a chainsaw with him.
And luckily he was emotionally stable,
spending most of the time doing trees, tree work,
and we had this idea,
we had spent so much time manually sculpting
the rear end of this car, but was too short.
As the production Boxster was taking place,
there was some package issues,
and we had put so much time
into that one little area where the license plate is,
we had him come and cut it off,
and we slid it back a couple hundred millimeters,
I don't remember how much,
and then clayed it all back in again just to save time.
These days it's a digital thing,
you stretch it and you do it overnight,
and it's done.
But we had the Lumberjack solution here.
Yeah, as you can see,
that's where we're dealing with the production car,
nothing fit, we had 13-inch wheels,
an exhaust pot, I don't even know what you call that thing,
nothing fit, no movable spoiler,
so a high rear end, so it was a rocky,
it was basically a rocky road.
So what happened is basically,
we had a lot to share with the 996,
you can see from the front,
we had to fit two big suitcases in there,
the boxer had space in the back,
the 996 did not,
so therefore we had to make kind of like a,
geometrically a 996 on the front
of our small, lightweight, mid-engine roadster.
So a bit of a challenge.
Yeah, and you can see here that the Friday headlamps,
I don't want to get too much into that, right, Lee?
We think we covered that, where are you?
Well, Friday eggs, is it Friday egg time yet?
So we're almost done with that,
we just started and we're almost done.
So a lot of the 996s and boxers did not have that,
we put it on the show car,
just as an innovation,
not thinking that anything was going to happen,
but some other engineers thought that,
ah, we can make a patent out of this,
and someone's, with their patent,
someone's going to make a lot of money with it,
like him, himself.
But we weren't really sure about this being recorded, right?
That's to be careful what I'm saying.
So that's my model on the upper left,
having a little bit of, after the show car,
was done having a little bit of influences,
but that changed as soon as we,
as soon as we produced the car.
This is an interesting photo from the company,
photographer with the board of directors,
the guy in the middle,
the guy in the middle,
Tilo Brodbeck, he was the guy responsible
for the DuckTales spoiler of the 73RS,
and then Wendell Nvidi King,
I think standing next to Arno Bone,
who was our, at that time,
he was probably telling him his days are numbered,
because shortly after this,
he had left the company and Wendell Nvidi King took over.
It's interesting to see what kind of comparison cars
we had in the background.
There was no 993 at that time,
so we pulled out a 964 Cabriolet,
Roland Heiler, one of the younger designers,
his 356 Honda NSX,
I think that's a Toyota MR2,
and a Nissan 300ZX,
and behind that is a Mazda Miata,
so we always have these reference cars.
They're brand new cars at the time.
Anyway, so then we decorated up
for the racing department,
just for fun to see if they were interested in,
I still want to build this car, by the way,
and then we cast off the model,
and with the real innovative process,
we had all these interesting people
in the same workshops
that the 956 and 962 at all are racing,
same people as well,
the guy on the right that you can see him
as a younger guy in some of the racing photos
from when Porsche continually won Le Mans,
and we had one of the racing department's
chassis engineers who did a complete,
complete tube frame chassis,
we even had it in the show,
this is the show car,
we even had a 962 motor in there briefly,
just for fun,
but the car never ran.
So I had longer hair back then.
Yeah, then we finished that car,
and then we're basically off and running,
here I'm making up time,
because 17 seconds I used that up before.
And then because I had zero engine,
we rolled out, we took it out to the test track
and found a hill,
pushed it down the hill with me pretending to drive it,
and the car was all over the place,
I think there's something wrong with it,
one of the wheels was falling off,
so I pushed it back up the hill,
tightened the wheel up,
and I thought, jeez, a brand new show car,
and just barely induced it,
it had to go to Geneva after this,
and I thought I was going to crash it,
but luckily nothing happened.
So let's see what happened after that,
the other nice little photo,
once again a lot of people from the racing department,
then we showed it in Detroit,
and overnight,
the opinion, the mindset,
the hope of Porsche had changed,
they thought, oh great, Porsche's back,
prior to that you could feel it,
it's like, what are you doing at Porsche?
What does a designer do at Porsche?
When this car came out, then things changed,
like I said overnight.
Yeah, but it wasn't that easy,
we were doing the production car at the same time after that,
and the faces in the background,
we're looking at the spoiler,
because we thought we'd like to have a nicer spoiler than that,
or maybe not at all, but it needed downforce,
so it was a safety issue.
And then this is a funny photo,
the boss was unsure about the tail lamp shape,
the fried egg was sort of nailed,
but every designer that walked by,
they said, okay, right away on the spot,
do a tail lamp for us.
So it's Steve Murkitt on the upper left,
and then Tony Hatter,
Stefan Stark, the interior designer,
Matthias Kula, and on the right,
the 928 designer, Wolfgang Mobius.
So everyone had their hands on that,
but I eventually had to take all the ideas and put them together.
Anyway, so getting close to the finish,
we had to take over the bumper from the 996,
which was not very nice in the very last minute,
we were able to change that into,
now that's the facelift over there,
into the one that showed up,
still had the 13-inch wheels,
eventually got through it all and came out with an okay car.
So the sales were quite good,
it was very innovative,
it looked like a little funny spaceship
when you saw them on the road,
and then they started blending into the traffic a little bit,
and now you hardly see them at all,
and when you do see them,
they stand out a lot again,
because they're on the market for a while,
then kind of drifted off, some have crashed,
some are wherever they are,
or just don't run anymore,
and now when you see them on the road,
it's real pleasant.
Anyway, so something else,
we parallel to doing a Boxster,
we also did this car called the Boxster Coupe,
and using the, how do you say,
without changing the rear end,
the rear deck lid, the rear trunk lid,
boot lid, there we go,
we tried to make the best out of an enclosed version,
so in case somebody wanted a hard top,
but the problem is that it had to end,
so we carried over the rear boot lid,
and it wasn't quite attractive enough,
we did not have the capacity to build it,
and it eventually was put on hold until the Cayman showed up
a couple of years later.
Anyway, so I was also asked by Lee,
where is he again, I can't see him anywhere,
getting water again,
he asked me to shine a little bit of light
on the subject of Sonderwunsch,
that's a German word for special wish,
that's been around since the 80s,
the, in case you see cars out there that,
oh where'd that color come from,
or what's this, what's that,
one of this 993 Speedster that we came up with recently
with a special customer,
but to explain Sonderwunsch in one sentence,
it's special ideas or wishes or configurations
that are outside or over and above the Porsche,
the configurator that you can just log into
on your computer or laptop.
So it starts small with this household called
it's very special configuration,
special materials, stitching,
first of all getting a slot,
that's the first thing,
getting a slot for that is a challenge in itself,
usually the Porsche dealerships
should help you out there,
but they're all well informed,
sometimes they come to us and they say,
well we don't know what this is all about,
how do I get a slot,
I will talk to your dealership,
they say I did that already,
so this is a couple of years ago,
meanwhile everyone's well versed,
but also under the subject to Sonderwunsch
there's a very special configuration,
special paint, paint to sample, paint to sample plus,
what's paint to sample plus,
is a paint that doesn't exist,
that you match,
sometimes it's based on existing color,
but you don't like it 100%,
you do something to it,
for example the Jackie X edition,
we did 70 cars for the Belgian market,
painted the same color as Jackie X's helmet
with white accents,
that was paint to sample plus,
so you take an existing color and you modify it,
it's a very special,
and it could also eventually be added
into the paint to sample collection,
which is, I should know the number of that,
but I forgot, it's a huge number,
but also under the umbrella of Sonderwunsch
is a factory restoration that's been going on forever
from 356 all the way to 918s,
and the other thing called re-commission,
re-commission is a car that you purchased already,
it's in your ownership,
maybe it's licensed and you're driven,
you bring it back and you have whatever you want done to it,
and then on the very tip of the iceberg
of the Sonderwunsch thing is the one-off,
which is a car such as this one,
this is the very first one-off that we did
from an Italian designer named Luca Tracci,
it was his wish that Porsche built a 993 speedster,
the reason is he has all of the speedsters
that Porsche ever made, except for a 993,
and he knows that there were,
he knew that there were two others out there,
one from two and a half,
one from Buzzi Porsche, F.A. Porsche,
one from Jerry Seinfeld,
and the other one from 2018, 2019,
that's in Taiwan, so that's why I called two and a half,
one was done a little bit later,
official Porsche 993 speedsters,
that's what he wanted, but his own design,
so being a designer, everything took a lot longer,
it was all about the experience,
and the experience was the longer it takes,
the more fun it is,
so the cost went up too,
but it's kind of like my 356 project
that I didn't talk to a couple of you about that,
I don't care when it's done,
as long as something's happening, it's there,
it doesn't have to be finished,
while I'm working on it, and not finished,
that's the enjoyment, that's the enjoyment of it.
So what makes Sonderwind so special?
Anywhere can go, there's a lot of 993 speedsters out there,
made by companies, maybe hobbyists or whatever,
so when you come to Porsche with the idea,
it makes it sort of special,
it's all about this experience,
so these Sonderwind's one-off customers,
they go everywhere, everywhere in the company,
they go to the special,
it's not only a museum, there's a workshop
in the back of the museum, you can go there,
you go to the,
the Kallenberg was a Porsche
storage facility,
Porsche owns about 700 cars,
like 450 or 500 are there in that facility,
normally the public's not allowed,
there's a historical race car workshop
in Flacht, which is right next to Weissach,
where the racing department is, they go there,
so these people, they just go everywhere in the company,
they get their own badge,
that gets them in the doors on that day,
and then it's taken away from them as soon as they're gone,
but when they come back, they use their badge
just like every Porsche worker does,
and it gets them through all these different doors,
so they're the bots of the project,
and so we pulled out Bootsy Porsches,
that's the very first 993 Speedster that we built,
we pulled that out, and we scanned all of the cars,
964 Speedsters, Cabriolets, Turbos,
even Boxster Spiders,
we even used the 991 Speedster as an influence,
so only Porsches able to do that
is to pull all these resources together,
and especially Bootsy Porsches,
the family member's car,
to measure it and scan it and analyze it,
and they had, this is a cold wind time, obviously,
the same equipment, the same people,
the same engineers as if they were doing a production car,
so when it's said and done,
it's that car that was eventually used for this,
which is 993 Cabriolet,
becomes a Porsche product,
bless you, and has a place in the Porsche books,
and that's what makes it extra, extra cool,
and then what we also did,
we are in work one, Weck Einz,
which is closed right now due to renovation,
we were there and were doing all kinds,
we had a workshop and he defined
how he would like to have the car in the morning,
and we had offline a digital modeler in Blender,
we were talking about that program Blender,
3D digital program, building the car,
and we came back from lunch, the guy worked through lunch,
we came back from lunch, and he had the car,
the customer's idea sort of roughed in as a 3D model,
so that was pretty cool, I was even impressed.
So, yeah, more cutting around in foam pieces
and things like that with a Bootsy Porsche's car,
and we even scanned Luca in the donor car
to find out how much space his had,
he was a fairly tall guy with a lot of white hair,
and we wanted him to fit in the car,
so we scanned him in the car,
and we even built a little transparent scale model
with himself that we gave to him later,
we scanned his whole body,
and he got a little statue of himself,
one of those little prizes.
Yeah, and then details some of the ideas that didn't work,
the headlamp was basically a Macan unit
that was a challenge to, how do you say,
splice into a 993, but we got that to work.
Yeah, more working stuff,
and then workshop after another,
and then we had some prototype parts,
and he came and made some modifications.
It was really fantastic,
you get to know a person really well after that,
so good friends forever.
And then working very closely with his ideas,
he wanted this checkerboard thing going through the middle of the car.
Thankfully for me, as the 997 designer,
he wanted the rear louvers,
not like the old 993, but like the 997,
so we included that.
And the color was,
you could have picked any yellow,
but from all the four to six to eight yellows that Porsche ever did,
none of them were correct,
so the one he chose was,
that's a long story how that happened,
but he named it after his dog,
and his dog's name is Otto,
Otto, O-T-T-O,
and so the car is called Otto Yellow,
and I think it's now part of the PTS program,
you can also order Otto Yellow in the next years,
if you wish,
if you like that yellow.
They also actively get involved.
We had one guy as Paolo Barilla from Barilla Pasta family,
who mounted this different project from his GT3.
He mounted the engine to the transmission himself in Sufenhausen,
put gloves and safety glasses on him,
and he did that.
Luca got to paint an uncritical part of his car in the trunk,
because he was fearful of messing it up,
so it's always kind of neat that the customers
actively get involved with their cars.
Yeah, all in all, a very fun project,
and it was basically finished.
One and a half years later,
it was supposed to be for his 60th birthday in 2022,
and it was shown a year and a half later in Monterey,
so going back to that,
I think it's still at Porsche having small stuff done to it.
So going back to what I said before,
the longer the project takes,
the more fun it is, it's all about the experience,
and that's what he's doing.
So I'm looking forward to the next two, I think,
are coming out this year.
They're not speedsters, again, there are other derivatives.
Wait, when is the speedster?
More, you don't know.
But other derivatives,
and it just keeps going on.
The list is really long.
And yeah, if you feel like you're up for something like that,
get on the list, wait a couple of years,
and you should get a call and save your money.
They're not cheap, but they're special.
So that last slide says thank you.
There's no questions in between,
so that was kind of good,
but you can ask questions now if you want,
or I can go sit down and have a drink of water.
You've spoken about the derivatives using...
I want to stand here.
...using the clay models.
How would you compare that before the design
of the modern version now with digital?
Much faster.
Was it more enjoyable?
Oh, thank you very much.
That's very kind of you.
Is it what?
I think for the clay modelers,
it's a real talent.
We use the clay modeling where it makes sense,
say for example, a long, simple surface,
or for mirroring it over to the other side,
or you do a set of data in the afternoon
and you mill it overnight and you show up the next day.
All you have to do is sweep up the crumbs off the floor
and it's all done.
So that makes life simple for the modelers in that case,
but it could take away from some of the creative sculpture of it.
That's my point, the emotional input for design.
Was it better with the clay model
or the digital clinical side?
Have you noticed that in some of the recent designs?
No, but I think the form language is a little bit less bionic
or whatever you call it, it might appear that.
I know there are some companies, no names,
but they use a lot more digital than all of them.
A digital modeler is like the digital modeling
takes place on the computer
and then the milling of it in clay is just a visualization of it.
We do that a little bit, but we always go back
in the critical areas, we always work over by hand
and then it's re-scanned and goes back to the computer.
We always have to communicate with the engineering
or that or to mirror it over.
It's a real time saver.
It shouldn't have a negative effect on the design at all.
It looks like that's it.
Any questions that I learned something just a week ago
and it's really interesting,
this guy was giving a presentation,
a bunch of tourists, friends of mine from the States
and he said that if you don't know the answer,
you say it's a secret and it works, it works.
Because otherwise you go, I don't know what the answer is.
You say it's a secret, you don't know.
I hope I know your answer.
So Grant, I just want to ask you a question for a friend.
In terms of the Friday headlight, sorry.
Here we go again.
Do you think they're finally coming of age?
I think it depends upon, it's an excellent question.
It's not a secret.
That I think it's a generational thing.
I think people like my age and older
or maybe from 50 or so, it's a different mindset.
We are next Sandovunskar, not the one in Monterey,
but one in between.
Wait, I blew it already.
Let's backtrack.
So we had a customer.
He wanted to have, he had a 996 cabriolet
and wanted to backdate the head lamps to the fried egg lamps.
So 996 second generation.
And I thought, ooh, that surprised me there.
What did you want to do that for?
And he said that that was a new 911
that came out when he was a little boy.
That for him was new.
993 and all the glass, all the round stuff.
That new plastic sculptural thing with all the different features.
That was for him the new 911.
I heard that from someone else too recently.
Maybe that's Instagram.
No, it's a customer that just earlier this week,
he goes, I really like those.
That to me was a new 911.
Anything older than that was like vintage, like grandpa stuff.
Whoa, okay.
Interesting mindset.
So I think it's a generation in each thing.
Thank you.
Could you talk us through the thinking behind the current
target design, kind of over-engineered aspect
how it opens in the order?
Over-engineered, yeah.
Did you start out by wanting to make something dramatic
and possible, really cost-effications?
What's the plan of thinking around that?
You mean the target as it is today with the bar
and the kinematic entertainment stuff?
Well, that was also a good question
because it was a project that I was very deeply involved with
in this, Fortenvikling is called,
the pre-advanced engineering development stuff.
And when we first did that car, there were two different directions.
Well, first of all, I didn't think I wanted to do that car at all
because it was like the duck tail.
I hear something retro again.
The idea comes from someone else, not made here kind of a thing.
But then because the target in its original form to me
was not a smooth line, I always loved the coupe line of 9-11s
and all of them.
And as soon as you make a cabriolet or going back to the target
from the 964 on backwards, it was all straight lines,
very straight, very geometric.
The bar was really high and had a real hard edge.
I thought, how do you reinterpret that?
So we established a real smooth line with enough headroom
and we said, well, this is the line that the engineers have to meet.
There's a perfect line, it's a beautiful line.
So you meet that line and we'll make a car out of it.
And they did it.
And there's two different directions.
Going back to your question, there's two different directions on that.
One of them was a removable top, just like the old one.
But in two pieces, split in the middle, kind of like Courage GT
and a 918 Spider before the Courage GT just existed,
before the 918 Spider.
But those parts are very thick because of the curvature of the roof.
It wasn't a flat, like an F model roof.
And there was no place to store those in the car.
It was really tricky.
And to nestle those together, it was just a not very everyday use
of what Porsche is known for.
And then they had this idea because these advanced engineering guys,
they were really well versed and real proud of the kind of work that they could do,
which was a lot of kinematics and electronics and things.
They came up with the idea of the target, as we know it,
with all of the movable parts.
And they showed how it was and showed what it would be like.
And I was thinking at the time, you have this rollover bar,
and it's like cast and solid aluminum brushed or not.
And then you split that with a movable part,
and you just sort of take away the whole function of it,
like cutting through a roll bar, a functional structure.
But then we had a presentation of A and B, the solid roll bar,
and the two removable parts and all their problems,
and then the electric one.
And the electric one was a kinematic wonder.
It was very impressive.
But that wasn't what impressed the marketing people.
They said, at this price class, this is what people are going to expect from Porsche,
not to stop if it's raining or whatever to its sun.
Stop, pull over, put it up, take it out, use all your luggage space.
So that won the marketing test.
And also at the Auto Show in Detroit,
2014 contributed to dead batteries constantly,
because people were always, always, always asking,
open, close, close.
So to me, what I learned is, forget this whole design thing
where you're cutting through some structure with a cut line,
but that the kinematics, the movement, was part of the emotional aspect of the car,
and that's how it stayed.
And that's how it probably, won out.
Does that sort of answer it?
Yes, it does.
That's a long story.
I'm glad you didn't say, it's a secret at the beginning.
Well, it's already out, so I couldn't use that.
Luckily for you and me, it was one of my projects.
I went through all the issues that made it tricky.
Just, sorry, the last one with Andy, and then we'll crack off.
If anyone's got any other questions, we'll save it for the end, OK,
when we're downstairs in the call.
Thank you.
I just wanted to be a car designer when I was a kid, so it's fascinating.
What was the car that inspired you to want to get into design?
What was the poster car when you were a kid that you go?
Yeah, that aesthetic really makes me like design cars.
It wasn't a car.
It was because, well, I guess there was a certain point in time,
I think I was 11, the formative age in America,
and that was the time when some of the cars were OK.
We were talking, you know, mid-late, 60s, a long time ago.
Some people of you weren't born yet.
That's OK, make me feel older, but so all these cars were changing every year,
and I thought, who's doing this stuff?
And they must have been panicking, because every year a brand new car,
even though it's a facelift, so all these American cars are changing every year.
There's always this, you know, go to the showrooms when they're introduced
in the fall of whatever year, and that was fascinating to me.
My father dragged me there, you just see him in magazines,
but I think what changed my mindset as far as my cars was,
I used to draw a lot, of course, in my own inventions and read a lot of magazines,
but the key toy car was the Mattel Hot Wheels when they first came out in 1967, 1968,
and nothing against Matchbox by Lesney because we're in England,
but those were really crappy wheels and they didn't roll, they're awful.
They were looked OK, they were accurate, and then these Hot Wheels came out
and they just changed the world, and with the Mag Wheels that looked like Fuchs wheels,
they did, with the red lines, and they rolled, they were like super fast,
and they were slightly modified with spectro flame paint jobs.
It sounds like I'm doing a plug for Hot Wheels here.
Probably get a package next week in the mail of free Hot Wheels,
but I think it was like super inspiring for me as a kid at that time,
and I would draw those cars, so it's like slightly modified versions of those cars.
But then later on, poster-wise, I made a poster of the 1973, not in 1973, much later,
a poster of the 1973 introduced Turbo in Frankfurt with a silver car with white graphics,
a gorgeous, gorgeous car, so a poster didn't exist of it, so I made my own,
so that was a poster car for me, and Lamborghini Qantas, the original one.
It was blue, and it was an alpine, this one was blue, I think it was an alpine,
you know, the stereo equipment, alpine poster.
It was much better than Lamborghini didn't do posters and things like that.
So I think Lee's got a microphone standing there, wanting to, are we good?
Only if it's on, is that on?
Amazing, cheers, guys.
Ladies and gentlemen, please give the biggest round of applause for Lee.
Right, right.
It's such a privilege to have you here, so thank you so much.
Thank you so much.
Well, a pleasure.
Right, ladies and gentlemen, we will press on with the 2026 Nineworks Awards here at Porta Bournemouth.
Again, quite lacy fare, do what you need this evening, OK?
So, yeah, fill your boots at the bar, take a look at the beautiful Elliott Brown timepieces
at the back of the room, the lovely examples of Grant Larson's work at the back as well.
Just do what you need, ensure everybody's comfortable, OK?
We've got nine categories today, because Nineworks, I think I've said that before.
And, yeah, we're going to get the winners of each category up on stage.
Just have a very quick word and press on, I think.
Absolutely, let's do it.
Yeah, I asked a racing driver, actually, at Laguna, Pateco, Wrensport Reunion.
I think this was the 2018 edition walking past, and I said,
can I just have a quick word for telling our leather magazine?
And he said, yes, velocity, and I thought that was an exceptional response.
An exceptional response.
But we will grab a quick word with our winners, if we so may.
Is that OK?
Let's do it.
Yeah, excellent.
So, mainly for the livestream, why are we doing this?
Well, at Nineworks, we just try to work with great people.
And, again, our experience in the industry now, 15 years, really.
We know who's good, and we know who's great.
And we just try to bring all of that together for the benefit of the enthusiast,
which can be the customer, whether you're buying a car, servicing a car,
going on road trips, meeting new people.
We just try and bring all of that together.
And the award is the epitome of that.
So it's very community-led.
The voting has done over two stages, really, to ensure this is not a popularity contest,
and also to ensure that Andy and I just don't have carte blanche,
because that's obviously not fair.
So they've driven our hidden collective, cast all the votes.
We then get finalists, and then they go through to our specialist panel,
essentially, which is our hero drivers and Andy and I at that point.
So it's super transparent, so it's not a popularity contest.
And again, the whole idea is to promote excellence in this fantastic industry
we've got, predominantly here in the UK, but also globally.
Phillip Raby and Williams Crawford, all on the Nine West Marketplace.
And as we say in all of our media, all of those cars are exceptionally prepped
and come with fantastic warranties.
If you're buying a car from the Nine West Marketplace, it's the best of the best.
It's as simple as that.
So there is a strong lineup there.
Absolutely.
And you've got the golden envelope.
And the winner this year is Paragon Porsche.
There you go, it's always you.
It's always you, it's always you.
I can't find which one it is.
I won't give a sec.
They have lost it.
Here we go.
Oh, look at that.
Nice.
Well, yeah, you want this to be brief, don't you?
Let's take that microphone away from it.
I'd like to say thank you to the Padme.
And our tears, we need tears.
Oh, yeah.
Thank you very much.
It's lovely to be a member of this theme of punch, really.
It's great fun.
We've got some road guys up here,
who have been nominated for this and stuff.
It's a very welcome thing.
So thank you, and thank you all,
and thank you for whoever voted for us and stuff.
You know, we're trying to keep it simple.
I'm the epitome of that.
Obviously a simple tune.
And Jamie's the brains of the operation
and Mark makes it all happen.
So, what more can I say?
Yeah, thank you, everybody.
It's great. It's great to be part of NineWorks.
Very well deserved.
Who said that is a strong line-up.
So that's a high escalation praise for you guys.
So very well done.
And congratulations to all the finalists as well.
Yeah, absolutely.
Thank you.
Very well done.
Thank you.
Very well done.
Petrified, we're going to press it,
and it goes too far, and we'll all know.
And there we go.
Category 2, best resto mod.
We've got a lovely sponsor
for this category, which is Roadtrip Tribes.
Johan's actually based in Belgium.
Can't be here today.
He was going to come over.
We're big advocates of the app,
and you've used it in the last week
on an almost road trip.
We did. We used it in Wales.
I think we agreed that it got us
where we wanted to be,
kept us all together.
We had a couple of issues,
but nothing that
made any real dramas.
So yeah, it was excellent.
What does it do? It plans your route step by step.
Yeah, so it keeps you on the road
that you want to go on to
rather than something like
Google Maps will take you
whichever way it thinks is the better way
at that time.
And then you miss out the great roads
that you're actually wanting to drive.
I don't think we missed any.
Maybe we might have got that one on the dead end,
but we were right, weren't we?
Of course, not much.
But yeah, it was a great weekend.
Yeah, it's
Apple CarPlay is
dropping or dropped
the last piece. It's dropped, yeah.
So we were starting to use it.
Some of the guys
that had Apple CarPlay were trying it.
But yeah, we had a great weekend with it.
Excellent. So yeah,
on Android and if you have a phone
of the fruit-based variety as well,
head over to the App Store, download
Roadtrip Trials. Yeah, like I said, we really rate it.
We really back it. That is all Roadtrip companion.
And the guys,
Johan and the team, have sponsored
Best Restone Mod.
The winner actually had to come in and go away
again very quickly, unfortunately.
There was an unexpected hospital appointment.
So we'll announce
the winner, but there's nobody to come up.
And the award's gone.
Yes, the award has gone.
I think you might have taken the wrong one.
Oh, yes, there is.
Are you announcing this?
I use that for an idea.
You've got the power.
Who were the nominations for this?
There should be an image there.
There should be an image there.
Again, strong lineup.
I mean, where do you start with the Singer creations?
Let's be honest. Singer vehicle design.
Central feature at Goodwood Festival Speed
this year. Great news for the enthusiast.
The 1511, 914,
we love that. That was actually taken off.
Dorset roads.
The 997 GT3 touring by Sharpworks
is an incredible car.
An incredible car.
You've got the Tatt Hill 911K
and you've got the Re 964
which, Henry, I know you've driven.
Very good car.
Really enjoyed that.
GT3 RS engine in a 964.
And what is the black on black?
What do you mean?
The black on black. The one that's missing.
I've got absolutely no idea.
Absolutely.
I'm glad it's on the winner.
He's not one.
So the winner of RestoMod
2026
is the 911K
by Tatt Hill.
What a car.
Congrats to the Tatt Hill team.
Amazing.
Charlie, thanks for your flying visit.
Hopefully you're seeing on the live.
Maybe we could grab the Tatt Hill team on the podcast
to have a bit of a chat about that.
Going forward.
Top stuff.
OK.
You're ready for number 3.
Your Tied.
Best 9-wights Porsche servicing partner.
Ian, would you mind popping up?
From Elliot Brown watches.
Thank you very much, sir.
I'll give you this.
It's a pleasure seeing you again.
We were on track last weekend
and then your 3.2G was on its door handles.
Well, thank you for dragging me out there.
I was a bit afraid to take my old car to France.
I thought I might not be bringing it back.
Because it's four years old
and it's become quite special, don't you?
I think I've thought he won the Monaco
a bit too much.
Your kind words. It's a great track.
It's a great event. Bring it out. You'll love it.
Thank you. One of the best days I've ever had on the car.
So good.
Your timepieces
I've said this to you previously.
They remind me of a Porsche.
High performance.
They speak of their performance
quietly. I'd say not a shouty watch.
They're very ruggedised.
Again, I've worn your stuff
like the last 11 years most days.
And the same watch I'll go kayaking
in Paul Key.
And then I'll wear it for our wedding day as well.
So they're beautiful.
That kind of duality of performance
is a bit like a 911 to me.
So it's a beautiful, beautiful thing.
Is there anything that you could add
to the Elliott Brown story for those that aren't quite aware?
We are quite undisputed.
We're not really shouty or salesy.
We just kind of do our thing and follow our own heart
to start the business.
We made watches that were just tougher than anything else.
And we launched them
at a price point that was really awkward.
It was like
four to 600 quid.
And it was, you know, it was like
people were either buying really cheap watches
or really expensive watches and we were just kind of
all good middle ground.
And then Apple came on the Apple Watch
and that was a massive favour.
Because it's about the same sort of money.
And then people would buy that
and get used to wearing something on their wrist
and then not.
It was a bit switched on all the time.
We did half our businesses
military projects that we were going to talk about.
And that just suits us perfectly
because we just get to do our thing.
We get to hide really cool stuff in plain sight
for all those groups that use us
as special forces and government agencies
and things like that.
And we just feel very lucky to do some stuff that we love.
A couple of ads in the very garden digging around the watches
and we don't take ourselves too seriously,
but I'm like, we shoot and we fire bomb them.
We've got a cabinet.
If you ever want to come to Lego and have a coffee,
we've got a cabinet with watches that we've tried to destroy.
Some we did. Some we definitely did destroy.
But it's very honest
and raw.
And you can handle the watches
when you wear them three times.
And it still does.
Well, I think
I think Grant has had the best
job in the world, I think, having his sketches
come to life in cars, but I think yours is a close
secondary and attaching scent text
to timepieces and seeing what happens.
Pretty cool.
It's good fun though.
We've got a gold envelope here to reveal
who the winner is to hold the mic for you, if you like.
So, yeah, the winner of best portion servicing.
Oh, sorry.
One moment. Who are the nominees? Yeah, very good.
Now, that really is a challenge
because I'm not sure where are
some of the labels have got, but we've got
right tune, we've got RPM Technic,
we've got Philip Rabie, we've got Williams Crawford,
a paragon should be in there as well
on that top left. I apologize, guys, for the logo's not in there.
But, yeah, the winner is
the winner is RPM Technic.
APPLAUSE
There you go, Sam.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Big thank you. I'd like to do more about the watches,
frankly, but...
Yeah, I mean, obviously, we have a big team
at RPM Technic.
My job's actually sales, sort of, a little bit.
Our base is empty in this,
but I'm sure the guys back at base
and the girls back at base will be very much appreciative.
And anyone who's used us
over the last 25 years,
it's our 25th anniversary year this year.
A big thank you.
We've just extended our showroom.
We've got more space to keep cars indoors.
We've got a lovely bar area.
But, yes, thank you very much.
I do just want to say that the title
almost does you a bit of a disservice
because alongside the servicing,
you've got the special projects division as well.
That is a very cool place to hang out.
Yes, yeah, there's some cool cars in there at the moment.
Multiple 959s,
Carrotty Tees, and some other
very rare Porsche models.
But we do everything.
Aircon, change your tyres, restore your car,
build your engine, sell your car.
Yeah, very much the salesman.
Indeed. But thank you very much.
Nice talk. Excellent.
Very well done.
Right, where are we?
Best nine much radio guests.
You're on it today, aren't you?
Right.
We've had a good year on the podcast, Andy.
We have indeed.
Often when we lost Max.
But he's out there somewhere, guys.
Who was about last night?
We saw him last night.
What a guy.
Move on.
So, our final is
for those that are unaware, we've got Sir Chris Hoy,
we've got Boris Appenbrink,
Grant, I guess you all know Boris
at Top of Venge.
Fantastic interview with Boris.
Actually, not Patrick Long,
unfortunately, but Alwyn Springer,
standing next to him. What a guy.
Gave us two episodes.
Brilliant guy. And then Nicole Johnson as well,
who's inspired,
inspired interviewee.
Huge amounts of energy.
Yeah, wonderful.
So, strong lineup again
for best podcast guests
as voted by the DNHC.
We sponsored this ourselves, didn't we?
Yes, we did. Yeah.
I'd better read them out. Yeah.
I wish you'd better read them out.
The winner is Sir Chris Hoy.
I do just want to
say, here we go.
Unfortunately, Chris can't be here today, obviously.
We were so grateful to even get Chris's time on the podcast.
And again, by the way,
Max's work on that podcast on that evening.
I know I said that so many times,
but what a first-class lesson in journalism
for any young journalist out there.
Max, top, top workmate.
But Chris, we could have spoken to Chris all evening.
We really could.
A huge, huge automotive enthusiast
and a Porsche guy through and through.
I recommend his book.
That's Out All That Matters.
It's a brilliant insight into Triumphing Over Adversity.
And there's more than the old mention
of Porsche in there as well,
which I know will appeal to everybody.
So, it's a fantastic book. I encourage you to read it.
We dropped Chris a message and said,
congratulations on winning the award.
And, yeah, very briefly,
he said, funny, your emotion landed my inbox
was just listened to your pod,
which is very nice.
Great news I won, best guest.
I can only suggest you need to up your game
on who you invite on in the future.
Either that or I order a recount.
So, yeah, fantastic, Chris.
Thank you very much, sir, Chris.
And we'll get you all to you.
Great stuff.
Category 5.
Best Porsche content.
Oh.
Strong lineup.
Again, we want to just have a shout out
to Mark at KMS Litho,
and he's impressed specifically.
It's Litho, not Litho.
So, yeah, Cotswolds based
a small yet robust
fine art print company.
We're working with KMS Litho
to bring a printed
product for nine works
for Porsche and Puget,
because we definitely believe there is a market for that in the UK.
Mark and the team are going to
be more than a debt to helping that.
So, any of your print needs
and print is still very much alive
in a lot of sectors in this country
and beyond, and KMS Litho,
they are absolutely your guys.
The attention to detail that we've witnessed already
working with them for our print product
has blown my mind.
Coming from a big PLC company
where things have done very differently
in the print industry.
I can assure you previously.
Yeah, we've had a couple of meetings up at
its place
and it's got the big print press
right in the middle of the floor.
You know, as a mechanical person,
I was just there rubbing my knees, because
it's not walking.
Yeah, and once it's going,
it's like proper old school,
modern machinery, but it feels old school, doesn't it,
because it's pumping out paper.
Yeah, it's good.
Really good attention to detail.
So, yeah, KMS Litho.co.uk
Please do check that out.
Best Porsche content, Andy,
you're definitely the man
in the envelopes.
There we go. Best Porsche content.
Oh, hang on, sorry mate. The winner is.
We need to do this, don't we, right?
Because, again, this is
an amazing line-up.
So we've got Jethro Bovingdon,
we've got Henry Capspole on the other side,
we've got Chris Harris,
and we've got Harry Metcalf as well.
And again, they're all long-time stalwarts,
I would say, of the British
journalist industry. So it's going on now.
The winner is
Henry Capspole.
Thank you.
It's such a pleasure to have you here, Henry.
Thank you so much.
Excellent, well done.
I still
watched that video.
Yeah, I cannot
stop watching that video. That's just
one of my favourites.
Yeah.
How did you, how was that
experience for you going up that mountain?
It was incredible. That was one of those things
where you had no idea what you were going to
get from that event.
I still remember getting into the car,
we were all getting these
sort of packs with pace rates,
essentially sort of to the west going
on the route that they pre-branded,
and I got into the car with him
at the top of the course
of the train, and he
looked down and went, oh, put that on
my head, put that on my head.
So I did, thankfully, because we'd definitely
gone all the way, and
he'd obviously just drive like an absolute
lunatic on public roads, and we had
to edit that video pretty heavily.
Oh, yes.
So that's the very much edited
sanitised version of it.
He was amazing.
What an amazing experience. Great stuff.
Thank you. And thank you for all of the
experiences that you
bring to life for us.
Thank you very much. I'm very lucky to do all that.
Absolutely.
I know you said one question. I've got two.
If you don't mind, that's okay.
Ladies and gentlemen, don't mind.
You've captivated enthusiasts for years
with your work in the written form,
then obviously going over to the video side.
We kind of said previously when you joined us
on the podcast, it was a bit like asking a sparky
to retrain as a chippy overnight.
It's the different skill sets.
How have you found that transition?
Because obviously you've more than dominated
the digital sphere.
It was definitely tricky.
I think my parents
thought I wouldn't have
hope doing that because
I tend to mumble
and talk quite quietly in real life.
it was sort of a
sense of, I was
two years at a time when everyone was predicting
the death of print magazines
which hopefully it hasn't come about
because I still don't know writing for you though.
But
it was worse when I just didn't want my career to
end so I had to adapt
and I liked it anyway
and I liked the output.
I know that she liked talking to Cameron very much
but I had to do that to be part of them
so, yeah.
Excellent. Excellent.
I mentioned to you off the mic downstairs, Henry,
that you're one of the very few people in that sphere
when you create
a video or you're reviewing a car
you're not necessarily selling it, you're just
I feel like you're speaking on behalf of everybody here
you're just a dyed-in-the-wall car enthusiast.
So I'd really love to know
what people here would do too.
What is it about cars that you love?
It's driving.
That's fundamentally what it comes down to
I love
all the, it's about the minutes
it's being behind the wheel of them
and
that feeling
you get from a really great car
many of them Porsche's
where you're on a really good bit of a road
and it's often the drives that you
don't see on the film, obviously
but you try and make the film
sum up those drives that aren't
on camera spaces is what I try and do.
And it happens
that everybody here knows
there isn't no better deal
than driving a car
properly and experiencing it
so that's
what I still really really enjoy about it.
Mega, mega.
Ladies and gentlemen, head in the cash pile.
Very well done.
Thank you again so much.
Wow.
Category 6.
Best product and innovation.
This was obviously a very open field
so we won't list the final list
because we will be here for a very long time.
But it's
again a type of, there's a lot of good stuff
in the industry and again a lot of it emanating out
of the UK.
Well they're not the winner admittedly.
Not the winner, yes. Very good.
The enthusiast's fear is alive
with innovation so.
And the winner is
Oh hang on a minute, I'm so sorry
we need to get charade up. I'm very sorry.
Oh yes, sorry.
Please come up, I'm so sorry.
It's alright.
It's because obviously you recently
are track day as well.
So please take the mic.
Thank you.
So I would like to ask you,
the charade network is ever expanding.
It is, yes.
So business
is 58 years old this year.
Started with my parents.
I started in strategy school.
We've got a share over the years.
We've grown with a long this standard
Porsche
recommended repair and everything in the network.
We became
approved back in 2001.
So obviously we've seen a lot
of change in the products.
And yet back in
it was January
2020
just before
and all that
stuff that we went through. I came up with a concept
of how I could take a charade
brand around the country.
So I brought together a team of people
who went to see the guys at Porsche
and said, I've got an idea.
If we find a shop
when you approve us, which they did.
So during
lockdown, we drove around
Bristol looking for a site
by a white spot there.
Opened our Bristol site,
converted the shop that we bought
into a beautiful prestige shop.
Very nice.
We're so proud of that.
After that then we moved to Cheltenham.
So we've got another site in Cheltenham.
That's not Porsche approved, but we've got
Jaguar Landro over there, we've got Tesla
across a few of the bits and pieces.
And then more recently
last year, Porsche asked us to look at
Tombridge area as well into Kent.
So we've just opened a new facility there
and there, which again
is absolutely spanking from brand new.
So that's got Porsche in there, it's got
Jaguar Landro over there and Tesla.
We're very fortunate
to have an amazing team of people
but with everything
we've got three shops that
are Porsche approved, which is fabulous for me.
Being a massive fan of the brand
yourself. Yeah, yeah, big and famous
Porsche fan. What is
entailed top level?
I'm not the health and safety guy, but
top level, what entails
being Porsche recommended?
Because there's a constant vetting process to that.
It's not just a certificate in a way, isn't it?
Continental certificate.
They start having a run.
Very good.
It's quite simple, yeah.
They are very strict on obviously
what we do. So it's all about the quality of repair.
So before we can even
with what we've just recently
experienced with the Tombridge
size, you have
to go through a process of all the training. All the
technicians have to be trained.
First of all, at Porsche
there's the various regimes,
so NET, so mechanical
electrical, twin panel meters, the panters.
So everybody who touches that product
has to be trained first of all.
So before we can even touch a car
and now approve us, we have to do that.
Then there's all the equipment, but there's the
specific too, and then we have to buy
paint as well, or very specific of which
paint brand that we use.
Because obviously a lot of research and development
goes into that as well, to make sure the
core of replication, as you've seen yourself
with the photo spectrometer, how that
works and how important it is to get
the right shade on it.
So yes, once you've gone through that,
you've bought the equipment, you've
trained with your guys, you've just spent
thousands and thousands of hands on all of that.
And you're on the program,
then you have a handle on it for
all of your systems, your criteria and
all the rest of it, but they also do
dropping spot checks on the quality
repair, which for me is the most important thing.
It's one thing making sure
your paperwork is up to date, but
certainly coming off the workshop form
of quality repair is
the most important thing.
So they just drop in, check to make sure
you do everything properly, the facility
is great and the rest of it. So that's
the basic bones of it.
I really admire the Boucheray, it was
a couple of weeks ago, you can see it
actually on Nine Wax TV, after I pranked
my car on the garage door,
you guys let us come in with the cameras
and it was complete open,
nothing to hide, crack on, this is how
we do it and it was pretty fascinating.
Well that's what we wanted to create, it shouldn't
be a healer, we wanted people to see what
we do, we wanted the owners of the
cars to be part of the process, coming
to talk to the guys, see what we do,
because it's important that you know
how it all works.
So we have an open door policy base.
And the art is in the prep by the way, as we saw it,
exhaustive but you definitely check it out.
Amazing to see, well
Andy you've got to give the goal that I'm going to receive now,
I'll take my microphone. Put that back in.
Has anyone seen it?
OK, so the winner is PCTN
plus 5 Porsche Classic.
Very good.
Amazing.
Thank you.
Congratulations. Thank you sir.
Thank you very much.
You're going to give a mic there. Amazing.
Jonathan thanks for accepting this on behalf
of Porsche Classic, but I know you guys have
fitted quite a lot of these PCTN plus
units to 996, 997
and Cayman Boxster equivalents, they're
awesome little things. Definitely.
For me, just
brilliant that you can
all this is probably the modern tech that we take
for granted in
the new cars now,
whatever brand you're buying,
that a lot of the Porsche,
the older cars or the modern classics
that Porsche being,
you have that facility,
you know, things that I mean, I use
Apple CarPlay, I use
Waze and all those sort of
things that just I think most people do
take for granted in cars, it's just a lovely
fit that you don't have to
sacrifice
any of that sort of modern tech
without any compromise because it's all so
done by Porsche themselves.
So I do genuinely think it's a really, really good
system
and we have quite a high take
up on that.
You've got the singled in system for the
air-cooled cars and then laterally doubled in
for the early water-cooled, but just
yeah, create a greater use case
I would say. So, Jonathan, thanks for
accepting that as part of the Porsche Classic
as well, that's awesome. Thank you guys very much.
Thank you.
Amazing. Best event
promoter, Phillip.
Would you mind coming up please mate?
Thank you.
I've got a mic.
Yeah.
Thank you.
Didn't expect to come up.
I didn't tell you because I thought you would do it.
So how long has the business been going for?
Business has been going for 30 years.
Okay.
So it was a family business.
I took it on about 25 years
ago and we developed
several games.
I think so.
Oh, yes.
Yeah, I took it on and developed it
ever since and we do
promotional displays,
all the display
systems around the world here
and this product.
So yeah, family business
and something that
yeah, we're developing and growing
and helped you today.
Absolutely. Again, it's the help of you
and others are allowing us to put this event on.
So yeah, who knows, maybe
your material could be the
winner of this category.
Well, we do exhibitions, events
so anybody who needs anything like that
can help out with it. Absolutely.
We'd be to be generally, but of course
anybody here who wants anything
to do the nine works, we can
help with that. No problem.
Excellent.
An app sponsor for this category, best events.
I'll take the microphone from you Phillip, I'll hold it
and let you open the brown there,
the brown envelope.
That would be nice, wouldn't it?
I would pass the brown envelope, but there isn't
one for this one. Yeah. Well, there's no envelope.
No, I can't find one. This is
classic nine works, I love it.
You haven't got it. Yeah, okay, well
I'll tell you what then, let's hit this.
Let's hit it.
The winner is, Phillip, we'll let you read it out from the screen.
The winner of best event is
promoter.
The winner is
Porsche by the Lake.
Very well played, I love it.
Classic nine works, I love it.
Well done, mate.
Well done, mate. Here you go.
Can I just actually say
I love Porsche by the Lake.
I almost
didn't get a ticket.
Anyway, I've got one, so well done, guys.
Well, thanks very much, Andy.
Thanks very much, Lee.
Thanks everyone that voted for us.
It's the fifth
Porsche by the Lake, actually the sixth
event in total, which we've done.
We're very proud, and it's
a great charity for
the man who has a charity,
Centro Algarve.
Centro Algarve, which is a holiday
facility for people who are
poor, they may have disabilities,
forces, children, that kind of
thing.
None of us make any money out of it.
It's just
literally for the cause, and it's for
enthusiasts, it's
a word that we use quite a lot.
Much more out now as well.
Yeah.
But, yeah,
I mean, the great thing about, obviously,
it's about the community,
and there's something about the Porsche
community, which is so special.
You can have the same great conversation
with your five grand Boxster person,
as you can with your million pound
Guerrero GT person.
And I think that's the community that
kind of makes it, which is kind of why
the three of us wanted to do something
together, and sort of give back
a little bit, but also, it's fun.
It's a lot of fun.
One little
confession, I guess, is that
actually the idea was my wife's idea
initially,
Michelle, who
didn't ask me about this event anyone, and I said,
it's probably the pairing of old men standing
on a broken green 996, kicking the tiles.
I sat each other on the back,
and we turned that to be white
tag across from the campaign.
So, when this hits
the social media, I could be
explaining to you, but
thank you very much.
Have we impressed you then?
So, yeah, I'm sure everyone knows,
it's 27th of June,
we're for about 870
cars.
We were blown away by the support again this year.
I think we put them on sale
at 9-11, which
actually happened at 9-11, it was 9-15.
My phone was going
bonkers with the tickets.
We sold
350 in five minutes.
People laughed and said, it's like, oh, oh, this is.
So, I had to bring
Jones, who was in France.
He had to bring the ticket, though.
He said, for God's sake, put another 200 on sale,
or we're going to get a league.
And again, I think 20 minutes, they were gone.
How have you done, like,
best parts is 100 tickets in our bank.
So, but that's a measure
of the support we've got.
Yeah, it's just so nice.
And in these times where
prices are going up,
you know, as James did, it's not for profit.
And we feel lucky
we're able to have the support of the landlord
who, I would say, is calm
and he likes the event, he absolutely
loves the event.
And, yeah, we're very lucky
with the support of the team
and the venue.
So, yeah, we're really stoked
for this year.
Bigger, better, more surprises.
And, yeah, if you want a ticket,
you know, we'll come.
Or if we train, you're looking for
places to put your money, you know,
come and see us, we'll sort something out.
And as you can see, this to do with the talking,
I'm just the bounce on the door.
Don't get cheeky on your day.
Worthy winners, guys.
Worthy winners.
Very well done.
Well done, Andy B.
Well done.
Crackers.
Absolutely crackers.
I think those guys are the epitome of this industry,
just, yeah, passion,
as well as fuel in your veins.
And, yeah, in a highly competitive sector,
because there are some amazing events here in the UK,
at national and local scale,
not many of them are, you know, not for profit
and actually helping a worthy cause.
So congratulations, portion by the lake.
An ultimate category,
an outstanding customer experience.
Can we have...
Sponsored by...
Simon at Built By Basil.
We should also say a big thank you to Craig,
that stood over there in the shadows.
There he is. I love it, look at that.
We had both Built By Basil
and Craig
came up with this award,
the award idea for this year.
So the base
is Built By Simon
or Basil.
And Craig designed the toppers
in his amazing
style that he does.
So, yeah.
This is really...
Talking to that.
Yeah.
My name's Simon.
I started Built By Basil in
2017.
Yeah, 2017.
So nine years, and it started off
just as a...
like, just something in the evenings and weekends
and then I went
took a part-time job and
then now I'm
big and grown up and I've got
an industrial unit and it employs me and my wife
and that's what we do.
We make ear knobs and that's it.
It's pretty simple.
If you're interested, speak to me
or look at the website and it's true.
Super.
Yeah, congratulations Simon.
Fantastic, fantastic enterprise.
So, there's a golden envelope.
Where are we?
Custom experience, okay.
I'm glad you're on it tonight.
The nominations.
Oh, well, good job
you're on it.
Well done Simon.
So, we have got, yeah,
garage therapy.
We've got ride tune, we've got
Paragon, RPM Technic
and Harbour Cars as finalists
for outstanding
customer experience.
Very important for the Google reviews.
And the winner is
garage therapy.
Congratulations.
There you go.
Well done to her.
There's a mic and there's Simon.
Well done.
Tell us.
Thank you.
You didn't expect, did you?
I thought you were, you came up to me.
I thought you were in a second.
I think it's because annually
you do, well you do many local events.
You have some of the driven or hidden
collective come to Essex.
You teach us how to wash cars properly
which is probably that new
charade actually, thinking about it.
But yeah, and then give away some products
possibly, but no, the knowledge
you guys have got is incredible.
So again, a worthy winner.
Thanks very much.
It's been a great journey with Nile Works.
Obviously, Maz is a deep
pulch, although you can't be here today
because we're actually that busy.
We can't actually leave both of us away from the unit.
But yeah,
we very much
enter the pulch brand.
It fits a lot of the ethos
with garage therapy as well.
So yeah, we just try
to help everyone
keep their cars clean.
That sounds really boring,
but it isn't.
It's actually kind of holds the residual value
of the cars most of the time.
And a lot of people do make some common mistakes
which are very easily changed.
So yeah, thank you very much for the walk.
Very well done.
Thank you very much.
Category 9, this is community
because away from what we do
on the Nile Works marketplace
and with our journalism,
we are very much about community,
the driven not hidden collective,
as a global community of just
quite simply the most incredible people,
people that have helped us
create amazing experiences.
Kets, you know, green
snotbox 9-elevens that should be
knackered still on the road.
You really are the most incredible people
and you are the energy that keeps
Andy and I going through all of this madness.
So yeah,
you lot are very incredible.
So it's right therefore that our last category
is dedicated to you,
although you voted for it.
Anything to add?
It
astounds me that
the DNHC
and how many amazing people
there are in it and
how there are no dicks in it.
If there is
no one that I can think of
that isn't
amazing and is
great support to us in what we do.
So yeah, thank you to everybody
for I guess looking out for us as well.
As well as each other as well.
And there's great respect within
the community.
Very well said, Brooksy.
Can we have a while
with this turner from Sussex Acid Finance.
Thank you.
Thank you.
There we go.
There we go around with the mics.
Thank you very much.
So you guys at Sussex Acid Finance
are all the great enablers.
I'd like to think so but it's
slightly boring off what we've had so far.
I don't think we've blown anything up in our office
and we don't design anything there.
We haven't got a special projects area
but we do have a new microwave
which we're all quite excited about.
Yeah, yeah.
You did nearly destroy a marriage in October
with the Blue GT3 but we're over that now
aren't we sweetheart.
I know just you were sitting in part.
It's for the best.
It's for the best.
Yes.
The great enablers.
How is business?
I just don't know how you do it.
All these interest rate changes.
The world seems very volatile
and yet you're still enabling people
to get into the car of their dreams.
How do you do it?
I think we've been doing it now.
We set the company up in 2003.
I've always worked for banks beforehand
and I got a bit disillusioned with it.
So we wanted to set up a company
where we were dealing with people directly
and we were trying to give them the experience
that we wanted ourselves.
Luckily we deal with a large number of lenders
who have been doing it a long time now.
You like to think that when interest rates go up
that we'll find a way to still get
someone into the car that they want.
And it's been great.
We've been dealing with the Nineworths community
for a few months now but we've dealt with
quite a few people really enjoying it.
It's just refreshing to deal with people
that are so enthusiastic about what they're buying.
You know, someone buying a Porsche
or we've got someone buying a fleet of Volvos.
You know, I'll take the Porsche
if he says they need it.
Very good, very good.
And you're not scary as well.
That's the big thing, you know,
that we like to have experience with the people we work with.
That's the big thing I found with Sussex.
I said finance twice actually,
with a 40th anniversary before.
You make things not scary.
The scariest bit is squaring things at home.
They're after us.
We have a marriage chance.
Very handy.
Very handy.
I'll see the envelope.
Shall I take the mic from you if you like?
I can hold that.
So the winner of personality of the year is
Ben Bailey.
Yay!
APPLAUSE
No way, no way.
Is this your worst nightmare?
This is definitely my worst nightmare.
I mean, personality of the year.
Just some Jordy idiot having a bit of life crisis
in the public.
What's going on?
I've voted for Geese.
Like, surely Geese is the best party of the year,
if I say.
Oh, what am I doing here?
Just take your award, go on.
Well, thank you very much to everyone
who voted for me, but seriously, guys,
you need to go back to the drawing board.
What we do need to say is, in all seriousness,
we're talking about Sussex finance,
the great enablers, that's very much you,
because you have incredible man-maps,
you've helped a lot of people get
into cars just by not willing them,
talking them round and just offering
some sub-study advice, but also
you live what you preach,
and you just have so many amazing experiences
and bring so many people with you on them,
so you are a worthy winner.
You're doing yourself a disservice.
Absolutely. Well, that's very kind of you to say.
Very kind. I do feel like an ambassador
up here, but...
Oh, yeah, guy King Jordy.
Ben Bailey. Thank you.
APPLAUSE
Very good. Right.
We have got a bonus award, and then we'll let people go,
and we are so grateful, again,
to the Team of Protestants for saying it's so late
to allow us to do this.
I'd be happy to thank you to those of you who are our sponsors.
Yes, we've got a Lifetime Achievement Award,
which hasn't been voted for
by the Driven Not Hidden Collective,
Andy just heavily ensconced
in the world of Porsche we thought there was
an award that we felt was appropriate.
Yeah, and we've got a great guest here tonight, so...
I don't know who it could be.
Any guesses?
36 years of Porsche. It's also 30-year
anniversary of the Boxster,
and again, you know, when you have these creations
that then come to life,
other people all around the world
love that product so much,
and then have all these million miles under the belts
and all these memories created just through it,
and I know Grant, you'll say it's a team effort.
I understand that completely,
but all of that from your work
is just quite something.
I asked your good friend and a fantastic friend
of Nineworks Tony Hatter if he had any words to say
to pass on to you,
and he simply said, Porsche is like the Hotel California Grant.
You can leave.
Someone's got to finish it.
But you can't check out?
Exactly.
So our Lifetime Achievement Award
for Nineworks Awards 2026
to close is Grant Larson.
APPLAUSE
What a change.
What a change.
APPLAUSE
APPLAUSE
Oh, thanks.
Thank you very much.
Congratulations.
I'm not sure if this is justified,
because Ben, I really liked it.
When you got up here on stage,
you just justified your award.
I'm not dead yet.
LAUGHTER
I can say this.
I did not expect this.
I'm very thankful.
Like I said before, I can only reiterate
is that
doing the projects
is one part of the enjoyment.
But to share stories
with the owners of them
is basically
top set.
So that's all I can say.
That's it.
Thank you very much.
APPLAUSE
Brilliant.
You have been so incredible, everybody,
that so many people
have travelled such a long way.
Grant's actually not our only international guest today, by the way.
Owen came from Wales.
LAUGHTER
Mark drove down from Scotland.
So we've gone global.
International.
We are big-time.
In all seriousness, we couldn't do this, as I keep saying.
We really couldn't do about just the love,
support and passion that fills this room
and way beyond it.
So thank you, you.
Thanks to the amazing Porsche Bournemouth team
for being such brilliant players.
Thank you.
Thanks to the caterers, the tech team,
the bar staff,
to you, Andy Brooks.
To you, Lee Sibley.
And yeah, that's over now.
Thanks for joining us on the 2026 Nineworks Award.
Everybody that's won an award,
could you please just pop down to the board
for a picture? That'd be great.
And if you want a picture in front of the board anyway,
because you haven't won an award, just get down there as well.
Yeah, you can AI it these days.
Put the trophy in.
Thanks, everyone. Thank you.
Bye-bye, mate.
Big love to you.
Happy days.
Thank you.
Thank you.
About this episode
Grant Larson takes center stage as 9WERKS Radio’s live 2026 NineWorks Awards roll on at Porsche Centre Bournemouth. Hosts recap the awards format and winners, then pivot into Larson’s design journey—from early Boxster work and roof-system development to 911 derivatives, showcars, and “exclusive” programs. Along the way, the conversation connects Porsche design to motorsport heritage, team-based sketching and clay/digital workflows, and Sonderwunsch “special wish” one-offs. The episode blends awards energy with real design secrets.
The wait is over! In this very special episode of 9WERKS Radio, we take you live to the podium at Porsche Centre Bournemouth for the 2026 9WERKS Awards. Join Lee Sibley and Andy Brookes as we reveal the winners across nine categories, celebrating the very best of the UK Porsche industry. From the Tuthill 911K and Paragon Porsche to RPM Technik and Sir Chris Hoy, this episode is a celebration of the "Driven Not Hidden" mantra in its purest form.
The headline act of the evening, however, was our Guest of Honour: the legendary Grant Larson. In a fascinating and exclusive presentation recorded live on the night, Grant pulls back the curtain on a peerless 35-year career at Weissach.
In this episode, Grant Larson discusses:
The Boxster Beginnings: How a single sketch saved Porsche in the early '90s and the secrets behind the 986’s DNA.
Sonderwunsch Secrets: Grant’s massive impact on Porsche’s "Special Wish" department and the art of modern-day bespoke coachbuilding.
Designing Icons: Insights into the creation of the Carrera GT, the 997, and the recent 992 Sport Classic.
Whether you were there on the night or are catching up from the driver's seat, this is a landmark recording in 9WERKS history.
‘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.
