AirCool

Within the car community and society-at-large, Porsche owners have often been regarded as yuppies, posers and elitist douchebags. Maybe this stems from the fact that, since the '80s, virtually every new Porsche model's Monroney proudly displayed a 5 or 6 digit number greater than the median household income of most of our 50 little commonwealths. Limited edition models stickered higher than giraffe genitalia and often trade for tens, even hundreds of thousands more. New Porsches were never cheap in my lifetime and most owners and enthusiasts will proudly remind you of such, with or without provocation.

It's understandable to be proud of such a purchase as VW's Zuffenhausen-based subsidiary invests tremendous capitol, energy and resources to make their backwards jellybeans outperform their rivals from Italy, England and Detroit while maintaining an unmistakeable identity despite evolving with technology and taste. I admit that I let the stigma of Porsche owners dissuade me from taking much interest in the cars that they praised more than their ridalin-fueled offspring. I had absolutely no interest in hanging with dudes who obsessed over factory slant-nose production numbers or tartan upholstery authenticity- they just seemed to take the shit too seriously.

Through my career, I’ve had the good fortune to experience all the newest, hottest 911s, Panameras and Cayennes and I must admit- they all impressed. Tremendously. The 997 was the first 911 that I really acclimated to- the 997.1 Turbo, Techart GT Street R and the almighty (In my humble opinion) 997.2 GT3 RS all left me grinning and honestly longing for more- I finally "got it". Outrageous acceleration and insane lateral grip combined with the daily comfort and usability of an Audi- what's not to love?

I started to look around and realize that my favorite clients and friends that dailied 991s and Panameras were adding air-cooled garage mates as their weekend toys. I had to ask- what does that 20, 30 or 40 yr old Porsche provide that your new one doesn’t? The answer always included words like joy, authenticity and exhilaration. It became impossible to ignore the swelling community of air cooled enthusiasts as they began to take over all the local meets and the favorite canyons.

The dread of unavoidable interaction with Porsche fanatics was quickly replaced with the thrill of learning what exhaust, wheel fitment or shift knob they were running and why. The wide array of personalization and performance options are overwhelming and the vast well of historic motorsport inspiration make each part or finish selection so significant.

Luftgekuhlt (Air-cooled auf Deutsch) is the preeminent show/celebration of vintage Porsche and the culture that surrounds the machines. Luftgekuhlt 4, held at the Port of Los Angeles/Crafted Market in San Pedro, CA on May 7, 2017 was a mind-blowing array of Zuffenhausen's best dating from the 50s to the late 90s.

Everything from this gorgeous Ruf CTR Widebody (Replica?) to Outlaw 356s to the 1979 LeMans winning Kremer K30 was on hand for visual consumption.

This car is just everything. I mean ERRYTHANG.

This 1969 RSR tribute spoke to me as well. The blend of modern performance parts and seating with classic finishes and materials make this a sophisticated sprinter. While tonally subtle, intriguing detail abounds wherever the eye moves to next.

This gorgeous fuel filler cap struck me like a beautifully crafted set of brass knuckles.

Precipitation from that morning and the night before provided somepeaceful moments of reflection. Oh, hey Larry Chen!

It's difficult to fathom that these two models were designed and engineered within 15 years of one another. The 959 was such a quantum leap in technology and performance, it's easy to forget that it debuted more than THIRTY FUCKING YEARS AGO!

As the king of the air-cooled jungle, the placement of this 959 amongst it's much less scarce and valuable brethren was curious to me. But then again, it was this lack of pretense and classicism that really made Luft so refreshing and enjoyable. You couldn't avoid a row of cars just because they all looked identical and boring; you had to really get in the mix to see what was hiding where.

I doubt Magnus Walker had to twist too many arms to convince a few friends to help him caravan a few cars down the 110 from his DTLA digs. I don't think its his but I tried to wait out his barrage of fans and friends to get the story on that red wide body slantnose but...ain't nobody got time for that. Its no coincidence that his name so closely resembles magnanimous; the dude is so congenial, knowledgable and generous with his time.

There were 5 generations of air-cooled 911s with innumerable build styles but these slammed 964s were two of my hands-down favorites. Their owners eschewed performance and utility for style and stance. I am biased as the OZ Futura is my favorite wheel of all time (I have two sets on ice awaiting the right projects) but that dumped C2 on fucking Turbofans!!! is perfectly irreverent. Love, love, love.

Speaking of perfection, Jon Sibal's RWB is the smoothest 964 in the Rough World.

Champion des 24 heures du Mans.

Security appeared lax as some riff raff clearly found a few loose boards in the fence.

They were probably just there for the beer. The brewery's interior provided an appropriate industrial backdrop as well free-flowing craft beverages but I was there for the cars. I assume you're here for the same reason so I'll leave you with a gallery of the "best of the rest". I gladly concede that I had these Porsche guys wrong all these years. I just wish I had the joined the party years ago as the price of admission becomes less attainable with every season change. At least we have Luftgekuhlt!