Blog

1970 S/T flares being fitted on Silverado

What constitutes an R Gruppe car is a question I get asked frequently and it’s time I try to answer that question. As the European Chaptermeister of R Gruppe I should know, right? Well, it’s not so cut and dry…. There isn’t one right answer to this question. There isn’t just a single model or configuration that complies with the definition “R Gruppe car”. The one thing they have to meet is the hurdle of a 1964-1973 chassis number and the car must be a 911. So clones based on later chassis (backdates), strictly speaking, are not invited in.

If we listen to the founders of our Gruppe, Freeman Thomas and Cris Huergas, then we can narrow it down a bit. In a recent web interview (http://unobtaniuminc.wordpress.com/2009/12/) Cris said: “Each R Gruppe car is an extension of its owners and their creativity in building something that adds a sporting flavor to their 911s. Anybody can build their own R Gruppe type car but that doesn’t mean that they are R Gruppe material. It’s the enthusiasm and attitude of the owner that will dictate whether they become a bonafide R Gruppe member. We ask all potential members to attend an R Gruppe event to allow them to get a feel for what R Gruppe is all about. It’s not just the cars that make up the R Gruppe. It’s the camaraderie and friendships that the members build with others that makes this club pretty exclusive in the eyes of many.”

Photo by Randy Wells of Dave Eck's early 911 R Gruppe car

Another clue is provided by the choice of last year’s Best of Treffen (our annual gathering in California) car. Fellow member automotive writer Randy Wells describes Dave Eck’s 911 in Excellence magazine #181 and on his website as: “With its unadorned exterior it might pass for just another Early 911 – if it wasn’t for what lies beneath the standard lids and doors: a 2.7L twin-plug motor with a factory RSR distributor, RS flares, front fender lips that were subtly flared, factory sport seats with the correct houndstooth material, RSR gauges, close-ratio transmission with overdrive 5th gear and limited slip, upgraded suspension and Turbo brakes. When viewed in warm sunset light, the total package glows with a quality of craftsmanship that is reflected in the smallest of details.”

Sometimes the modifications aren’t as subtle and members just create a spectacular vehicle using in period modifications, like wider flares, 930 Turbo engines in narrow body cars, wild color schemes and meters of rubber under the wings. That’s all good too. These cars become an expression of the person driving it. Sometimes they clone a famous race or rally car to n-th degree, with an eye for detail that’s fascinating. Thorough historical research is executed and no compromises allowed on the types of parts used, down to the last screw.

993 Varioram engined S/T clone was a spectacular experience!

I was lucky enough to drive one of my friends from New York’s car on route 229 in California last year. The chassis is a long wheel based early T, modified to look like a 1970 S/T, so with 9 inch wide flares in the rear and slightly rolled front fenders and a 993 Varioram engine mated to a 915 gearbox. The engine transforms the experience of driving an early chassis like this. Torque is massive related to the just around 1.000 kgs this 911 must weigh. At least 285 bhp had me travelling up the straight parts of the road as though the other guys were standing still… and I never had to really rev the engine! The running gear of this car has been put together by WEVO‘s Hayden Burvill’s team and given his attention to detail, you can imagine how this ride felt: unforgettable.

But outside of the cars, what really matters to us is how intensely people use their cars and how they fit in our “no room for attitude” club. So it’s all about the combination of man and machine.