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The Outlaw Magnus Walker's Verdict - Why Porsche is Losing the Halo Race

The Outlaw Magnus Walker's Verdict - Why Porsche is Losing the Halo Race

Cars & Money Jul 02, 2026 91 min
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About this episode

Legendary Porsche collector and customizer Magnus Walker joins the show to share his unfiltered thoughts on the state of the brand today. From criticizing Porsche's lack of a true modern halo car and the "scam" of modern allocations to celebrating the humble Boxster as the ultimate entry-level sports car, Walker pulls no punches. He reflects on his journey from a working-class kid in Sheffield to an LA-based outlaw builder, explaining why he daily drives a 209,000-mile Turbo S and why modifying Porsches is in his DNA.

Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Concept

halo car

"What Porsche needs is a halo car. Too many variants."

A super-expensive, ultra-high-performance car that a company builds to show off what it is capable of. It acts like a mascot for the brand to make all their other, cheaper cars look cooler.

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Person

Magnus Walker

"But the best entry level bang for the buck is a... Magnus Walker. Best known for his rare Porsche collection and his insane custom 911."

A famous car enthusiast and builder with a long beard and dreadlocks who became well-known for customizing classic Porsches in a cool, rebellious style. He started out in the clothing business before his passion for cars made him an internet celebrity.

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Car

Porsche 911

"Best known for his rare Porsche collection and his insane custom 911. This is not a fashion statement or a trend."

The most famous sports car made by Porsche, recognizable by its round headlights and curved shape. Unlike most cars, its engine is located in the very back behind the rear wheels.

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Car

Ferrari F40

"I am scared to death of an F40, a Carrera GT, Do you think the way the allocations of these bits and pieces"

A legendary red Ferrari supercar from the late 1980s with a giant wing on the back. It was built to be as light and fast as a race car, with no carpets, no radio, and no power steering.

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Car

Porsche Carrera GT

"I am scared to death of an F40, a Carrera GT, Do you think the way the allocations of these bits and pieces"

An incredibly fast, rare Porsche supercar from the mid-2000s with a loud V10 engine and a manual gear shifter. It has no modern computer safety nets to help the driver, making it famous for being thrilling but very dangerous to drive fast.

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Person

James Dean

"That's great because that leads me into James Dean and the little bastard, the 550 Spider, right?"

A famous Hollywood actor from the 1950s who loved racing cars. He tragically died in a crash while driving his silver Porsche race car, which he had nicknamed 'Little Bastard.'

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Car

Porsche 550 Spyder

"That's great because that leads me into James Dean and the little bastard, the 550 Spider, right?"

A tiny, low-slung, open-top Porsche race car from the 1950s. It is incredibly rare and famous both for winning races and for being the car actor James Dean was driving when he died.

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Term

air-cooled

"The greatest thing about Porsches, especially early ones, mostly air-cooled, is everything is interchangeable."

An older type of car engine that cools itself down using air and a fan, instead of using liquid coolant and a radiator like modern cars do. Enthusiasts love the unique sound and simplicity of these older engines.

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Car

911 930 Turbo

"So that Porsche would have been a 930 Turbo. White 930 Turbo, that was the poster on the wall to me."

A classic, very fast version of the Porsche 911 from the 1970s and 80s that used a turbocharger to get extra power. It is famous for being difficult to drive because the power would kick in suddenly, but it is highly prized by collectors today.

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Term

slant nose

"You know, there's a slant nose version of it right behind me. When I think of Porsche, that's what I think of."

A special body style for the classic Porsche 911 where the front of the car is flattened out and has pop-up headlights, making it look like a race car instead of having the usual round, upright headlights.

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Term

whale-tail

"Whale-tail. Yeah, I think any kid growing up anywhere in the 70s and 80s,"

A nickname for the large, flat spoiler on the back of classic Porsche Turbos that looks like the tail of a whale. It helps keep the back of the car pressed down to the road at high speeds.

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Car

Lamborghini Countach

"The Turbo, Lamborghini Countach, Ferrari Boxster. That, those were the hero Athena posters on the wall cars"

A legendary, futuristic-looking supercar from the 70s and 80s with sharp angles and doors that open straight up. It is one of the most famous exotic cars ever made.

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Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer
Calreyn88 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer

"The Turbo, Lamborghini Countach, Ferrari Boxster. That, those were the hero Athena posters on the wall cars"

A classic, low-slung Ferrari supercar from the 1970s and 80s with a flat 12-cylinder engine mounted in the middle of the car. (Note: The podcast host mistakenly calls it a 'Ferrari Boxster' due to a slip of the tongue or transcription error).

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Car

Porsche 356

"But in reality, it started with the 356. We all know that back in 1948 in Guamund, Austria."

The very first car that Porsche ever made. It is a small, rounded, classic sports car that paved the way for the famous 911.

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Car

Porsche 968

"...actional cars, the entry level, 924s, 928s, 944s, 968s, 914s, and then almost one of every generation of..."

The 968 is a front-engine sports car made by Porsche in the early 1990s. It is known for having its engine in the front and its transmission in the back to help balance the car's weight.

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Car

Porsche 928

"...ll the transactional cars, the entry level, 924s, 928s, 944s, 968s, 914s, and then almost one of every g..."

The 928 is a classic luxury sports car made by Porsche with its engine in the front instead of the back. It was designed to be comfortable for long road trips while still being fast.

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Car

Porsche Boxster

"how many people are boxed out and came in owners here at this event. I know, it's madness. Way more so in the States."

A smaller, convertible Porsche with its engine in the middle of the car. It is cheaper than a 911 but still offers amazing handling, and it famously saved Porsche from going bankrupt in the 1990s.

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Car

Porsche Cayenne

"And the Boxster sort of, the Boxster and the Cayenne saved Porsche. Oh, wow. Because they were struggling 30 years ago."

Porsche's first SUV. Purists hated the idea of a Porsche family SUV at first, but it sold incredibly well and made the company enough money to keep building sports cars.

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Car

Porsche 911 S/T

"with people trying to get allocations for STs and Rs and, you know, sport classics and all of these things that to me,"

A very rare, expensive version of the modern 911 designed for driving purists. It has a race-car engine but a manual shifter and no giant wing on the back, making it look more subtle.

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Car

Porsche 911 Turbo S

"My daily driver and the newest car I own is a 2014 991 Turbo S that currently has 209,000 miles on it."

An incredibly fast, all-wheel-drive version of the modern 911. It has twin turbochargers for massive power but is still comfortable enough to drive to work every single day.

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Car

Alpina B10

"And by that, I mean, if you've got 2,000 horsepower in a hypercar and you're in a 200 horsepower box, you're not getting from A to B 10 times quicker with 10 times the horsepower because the road determines the speed."

The Alpina B10 is a modified, high-performance version of a mid-sized BMW sedan. It is built by a specialized company called Alpina to be very fast and luxurious for highway driving.

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Part

center lock wheels

"like center lock wheels on a street car are annoying. Because I must have had half a dozen punctures because LA's got really bad roads"

Wheels that are held onto the car by one giant bolt in the middle instead of five smaller bolts. They look cool and are used on race cars, but they are very hard to change on the side of the road if you get a flat tire.

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Part

PDK

"I didn't like that it was PDK because I figured had to be a manual. But let me tell you, it's as fast as any GT3 car in the canyons."

Porsche's special automatic transmission that uses two clutches instead of one. It changes gears much faster than a human can with a manual stick shift, making the car accelerate faster and drive smoother.

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Car

Porsche 911 GT2

"Like I had a GT2 that, you know, I was more concerned about that. It was too nice for me. But I had a 996 GT2."

An extreme, race-ready version of the 911 from the early 2000s. It has rear-wheel drive, twin turbochargers, a manual shifter, and no electronic safety aids, making it highly respected and feared by drivers.

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Car

Porsche Macan

"... that didn't look like every other switch in your Macan Boxster or whatever, right? It's this sharing of ..."

The Macan is a small luxury SUV made by Porsche. It is designed for people who want a practical family vehicle that still feels fast and sporty to drive.

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Car

Porsche 918 Spyder

"where's Porsche's halo car? You know, it's right there, the 918, right? But that sort of came out in 2011, 2012,"

An ultra-rare, high-tech hybrid supercar built by Porsche in the mid-2010s. It uses a screaming V8 engine paired with electric motors to achieve mind-boggling speeds while still being surprisingly easy to drive.

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Car

Porsche 959

"959, there's a Carrera GT there, and there's a 918 there. So where is the halo car?"

A legendary, high-tech Porsche supercar from the late 1980s. It was originally built for off-road rally racing and featured advanced technology like all-wheel drive that was decades ahead of its time.

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Car

Bugatti Veyron

"...with an Enzo, with a Mercedes SLR, with a Bugatti Veyron, and you know, look at the prices of them."

The Bugatti Veyron is an incredibly fast and expensive French supercar. It is famous for being one of the first cars to reach a top speed of over 250 miles per hour.

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Car

McLaren P1

"I am scared to death of an F40, a Carrera GT, and a P1. When you drive those three cars hard, honestly,"

An incredibly fast, aggressive hybrid hypercar from McLaren. It combines a twin-turbo V8 engine with electric power to deliver wild, race-car-like performance on the street.

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Car

Rolls-Royce Cullinan

"...other day. I was trying to sell him a Rolls Royce Cullinan, and we're talking about other cars."

The Cullinan is a very large, extremely expensive luxury SUV made by Rolls-Royce. It is designed to offer the ultimate level of comfort and luxury, even when driving on rough roads.

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Car

Rolls-Royce Phantom

"... deal. So, but I've got a Rolls, 1970 Rolls Royce Phantom 6. Okay."

The Phantom is the largest and most luxurious sedan made by Rolls-Royce. It is built to provide the quietest, smoothest, and most comfortable ride possible, often for passengers who are being driven by a chauffeur.

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Car

Lotus Europa

"...cally wrong. You might as well be like in a, in a Lotus Europa or Lotus Esprit where you're skewed like this, ri..."

The Europa S is a small, lightweight two-door sports car made by the British company Lotus. It was designed to be slightly more comfortable and practical for daily driving than their track-focused models.

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Car

Lotus Esprit

"... as well be like in a, in a Lotus Europa or Lotus Esprit where you're skewed like this, right? You know, a..."

The Esprit is a classic, low-slung British sports car with a distinctive wedge shape. It is well-known for being featured as a submarine car in a James Bond movie.

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Car

Porsche Boxster Spyder RS

"What I don't get about these Cayman GT4 RSs and these Porsche Boxster Spider RSs, they cost the same money as a Turbo S."

An extreme, loud, convertible version of the Porsche Boxster. It uses a high-revving race engine from the 911 GT3 and has a lightweight fabric roof that you have to clip on and off by hand.

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Car

Porsche Cayman

"Oh my God. What I don't get about these Cayman GT4 RSs and these Porsche Boxster Spider RSs,"

The Cayman is a small, two-door hardtop sports car made by Porsche. It is designed for sporty driving and has its engine placed in the middle of the car for better balance.

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Car

Dodge Super B

"... continuous one. You know, ironically, I've got a Super B tattoo. I used to be into muscle cars."
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Car

McLaren Artura

"...ok, they do lower variants, the 540, the 570, the Artura. I mean, they're just..."

The Artura is a modern, high-performance hybrid sports car made by McLaren. It combines a gas engine with an electric motor to deliver fast acceleration while reducing emissions.

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Car

McLaren 765LT

"...y not get that right? But if you've got a McLaren 765LT, which is an unbelievable performing car when it ..."

The 765LT is an extremely fast, lightweight sports car made by McLaren. It is designed primarily for driving on race tracks but is also legal to drive on public roads.

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Car

Mclaren F1

"Right, right, right. Well, I will go back to McLaren F1, right? This is a Holy Grail car."

The McLaren F1 is an extremely rare and expensive high-performance sports car from the 1990s. It is famous because the driver sits in the exact middle of the car, with room for two passengers slightly behind on either side.

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Car

McLaren 570S

"...n't deal in them anymore, so... But it would be a 570S. What is the number one brand volume-wise based o..."

The 570S is a fast, modern sports car made by the British company McLaren. It features doors that open upwards and is designed to be driven on both regular roads and race tracks.

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Car

Ferrari 288 GTO

"F50, F40, 288, Enzo, LaFerrari, they've all been the same. The Ferrari 5."

An ultra-rare, beautiful Ferrari from the 1980s that was built for racing but sold as a road car. It looks like a muscular, wider version of the classic 308 and is highly sought after by collectors.

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Car

Ferrari F50

"A lot of F cars in the Ferrari brand. F50, F40, 288, Enzo, LaFerrari, they've all been the ..."

The F50 is a very rare, high-performance sports car built by Ferrari in the 1990s. It was designed to bring the technology and feel of a Formula One race car to public roads.

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Car

Ferrari LaFerrari

"...F cars in the Ferrari brand. F50, F40, 288, Enzo, LaFerrari, they've all been the same. The Ferrari 5."

The LaFerrari is a highly exclusive, extremely fast hybrid sports car made by Ferrari. It uses both a powerful gas engine and an electric system to achieve maximum speed.

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Car

BMW M3

"Yeah. Well, the 6 now with the F80, but yeah. 288 GT, that's a Holy Grail car, right..."

The BMW M3 is a faster, more powerful version of BMW's standard small luxury sedan. It is built for drivers who want a practical everyday car that can also go very fast.

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Car

Ferrari A250 Gto

"It wears a very important badge, that car, the GTO badge. So, the car before it was a 250 GTO. And then directly after that, the next GTO was a 288 GTO."
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Car

Ferrari Testarossa

"Talk to me about Testerosa's. Love a Testerosa. Me too. I own one."

A wide, low Ferrari from the 1980s with distinctive cheese-grater-style slats on the sides. It has a flat-12 engine and is famous for starring in the TV show 'Miami Vice'.

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Car

Ferrari 400

"...ean that was a 308 GT4 Dino or it was the Ferrari 400, right? A Mondial."

The Ferrari 400 is a classic, four-seat luxury car made by Ferrari in the 1970s and 1980s. Unlike most Ferraris, it was designed for comfortable highway cruising and was the first to offer an automatic transmission.

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Car

Ferrari 348

"What about the 348? Because I think they just bought one last week. I like them."

A Ferrari sports car from the early 1990s that looks like a smaller version of the Testarossa. It has a V8 engine and is currently considered a more affordable entry point into classic Ferrari ownership.

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Part

IMS bearing

"about a 996 and a bitching about IMS bearings and ugly headlights. But we sort of covered that with no one cares"

A small metal part inside certain Porsche engines from the late 1990s and early 2000s that is famous for breaking without warning. When it breaks, it completely destroys the engine, so many owners pay to replace it with a stronger part before it fails.

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Car

Toyota A90

"the car costs as much as a good service on most cars. You know, it's a 90 grand car. You know, so you go enough to spend two and a half grand"

The Supra is a two-door sports car made by Toyota. It is famous for its speed and its popularity in video games and movies.

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Car

Cayman R

"Leave that market to me. Cayman R is a car I like, which I think is already sort of..."

The Cayman R is a special, lightweight version of Porsche's two-door sports car. It was built with fewer comfort features inside to make it lighter and faster on race tracks.

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