Monthly Archives: March 2015

MARCH EOMM.

This is cool. Here’s a write up on the March EOMM from the perspective of an ‘old’ bloke who rocked up in his Porsche 911.
Read: http://1-of-1.com.au/zen-garage-eomm/

Originally written for Car Throttle. You can visit the feature here: https://www.carthrottle.com/post/i-was-given-afterhours-access-to-the-first-ever-porsche-918-spyder-and-it-was-incredible/

When I was a kid, I used to dream about spending the night in a department store. IE: I’d hide somewhere, wait for them to turn off the lights and shut the doors, then I’d rummage every floor; especially the toy department and the candy section!

North Shore’s Porsche Centre Willoughby (PCW) is currently housing the Porsche 918 Spyder that Mark Webber drove around Albert Park during the Australian Grand Prix (it’s build number 000 of 918 to ever be produced!). Last weekend they hosted an open day and invited anyone who’s interested to come and see the amazing hybrid hyper-car, as expected, the 918 was roped off so that no-one could touch it, and like a motor show unveil, it was so packed that hardly any great photos came out of the event.

Enter lady luck.

I got a call from PCW asking if I’d be interested in some one-on-one time with the 918 Spyder after hours on a Monday night. How could I refuse?! Despite my hang over from last night’s party I managed to get to north Sydney by just over 6PM and was let loose in a completely empty showroom where all but one staff had gone home.

Yes! I felt like a kid trapped in a candy store, after hours. As the lone PCW staff member excused himself and went back to his office to continue working (or surfing Facebook, or watching the security cameras to make sure I wasn’t up to no good… the mind wanders!), I was literally left with access to all areas, some of which were completely dark, eerie and totally amazing!

I started in the mezzanine.

And then, over the railing, I spotted her.

Speed Racer.

I made my way downstairs. Emptiness. All PCW staff had gone home for the day.

Oh hai! I made a bee-line for the 918.

Carbon everything!

It’s not every day that you get to sit in a $2 million dollar car (on road price in Australia). Getting into the 918 is a lot like getting in and out of a Lotus, looks like lots of people had scratched up the carbon on the way out.

I was able to hear all sorts of electronic wizardry as the 918 started up in electric mode. Rolling it around in the showroom in electric mode was so strange as the car was so quiet. Flick it to race mode though and the engine comes to life. The little ball like controller on the right changes data in the right gauge from G-Sensor to tyre pressures and even a lap timer.

The right gauge showing the G-Sensor. I got to hear the beast too. Revving it to 4,000rpm which is the highest you can rev to whist stationary (4k was more than enough to send electricity through my veins!).

She’s not a massive car, but she sure has a huge butt.

I wasn’t able to get the engine covers off unfortunately.

Wide tyres and camber, plenty of it!

Insane lines, and you can really see how much wider the rear is from the front.

Huge internally ventilated and perforated ceramic disc brakes.

This 918 was sporting the Salzburg Racing design livery.

It’s a wild livery, one that will surely polarise. I’d seen photos and footage of this car and wasn’t a fan, but in all honestly it’s not so bad in real life.

The circuit is where this car belongs. I thought that even seeing footage of Mark Webber punt it around Albert Park was exciting (whereas usually seeing factory cars around a race track looks pretty boring and slow).

Since I wasn’t able to open the back. I opened the front!

Jurassic tech?! Porsche gives 918 owners a freestanding carbon stick (felt like Harry Potters wand, but in carbon!), to which you then have to figure out which holes to put it in to keep the bonnet up! Wild!

I could have literally spent all night locked up with the 918, but at some point, almost 2 hours in, my conscience felt guilty for keeping the one PCW staff from going home to his family. I grabbed him from his office and one more time we fired up the 918, this time in race mode, with evil grins on our faces we gave it a few more happy revs to 4,000rpm then parked it up in it’s final resting space by the window and called it a night. I left with a huge smile on my face, but at the same time a blue balls like frustration that I didn’t actually get to drive the car… but where would that end? If I drove it around the block I’d surely be left wishing that I could take it to the track, and if I drove this hyper car around a track surely I’d want to have one in my garage?! That train of thought was so unrealistic that I ended up just being happy that I got to spend some quality one-on-one time with build 000 of the amazing 918 Spyder.

I got a message from Automotive Photographer Matthew Everingham who happened to be in my hood and had some time to kill. I happily invited him over, and he rocked up in this bright red Audi RS Q3. What a strange looking car! It’s stumpy, tall, just really mixed up! Can’t say I’m sold on it’s looks but as soon as I got inside I forgot all about it’s wombat like looks, damn Audi sure know how to make amazing interiors. This car in particular had interior upgrades. The carbon trim was bang on, so too the pleated leather seats.

A quick blat, and yeah, the car is just that, quick! It’s grunty and even in dynamic suspension mode it was a little wallowy, but hey what do you expect! It’s an SUV!

I directed Matt to a few spots around my hood which I thought would be good for him to take some shots. Matt’s got the car for a review on Speed Nation. Be sure to keep an eye out for it (and his amazing shots, some of which you can already see here, and here).

Dropped in to Spinning Wheel to get my new R888’s fitted today.

Screwed! Tyre technician Mick was quick to find out why I’ve had a slow leak in my drivers side rear.

From the inside.

Turns out my old set of R888’s were manufactured in 2007! I knew they were old, but not 8 years old!!!

Mick fitting the tyres with my wheels upside down for that little bit safety against rim lip damage.

Ready for air! Damn they look so good right?!

Pressures set to 36 all-round, all balanced and ready to go back on the car.

265 all round. Nothing quite like fresh rubber!

Back to me. Man the drive home was awesome!

Had my tyres fitted today at Spinning Wheel Tyres. Got to meet 2 cool dudes there; Mark who’s got a clean R32 Skyline, and Mick who was my tyre technician for the day. It’s been a long time coming. I’m all set for a track day, bring it on!

Look at me. So happy! Nothing quite like new tyres!!!!!!!

Got a brand new set of Toyo R888’s (my fave semi-slick in terms of value and how quickly they warm up). SO EXCITE! Last time I was out at Wakefield I did a 1.09.6 on a very old set of R888’s (took ages to warm up, and once they were warm I only had a lap or 2 before they completely went off).

These tyres should see me smash my 1.09 lap time!

View photos from the last track day out in my GT-R here: http://www.justinfox.com.au/private-track-day-6