Tazio 13 brings ode to lightweight Porsche 718 RS 61

The needle storms past 8000 rpm, that four-pot Carrera engine’s pull gets even stronger. You can throw this little Spyder around, and still it begs for more. In Tazio 13, we bring an ode to the Porsche spyder.

Porsche 718 RS 61. By the time the RS 61 appeared, in 1961, it was the product of almost a decade of development. By embracing the Spyder sportscar formula, Porsche was able to move away from its 356 – and thus Volkswagen – roots.

It was, however, Frankfurt Porsche dealer Walter Glöckler who showed Porsche the way. Ferry Porsche was quick to follow up on the success of the early fifties ‘Glöckler Porsche’, and gave the nod to Porsche’s own 550. It would be the beginning of a long success story that brought Porsche overall victories in the Targa Florio, Sebring 12 Hours and Carrera Panamericana, to name just a few. By making them available to customers as well, the different Spyder generations cemented Porsche’s reputation as a powerful race car manufacturer.

Zak Brown speaks

Just before the F1 team he oversees took the manufacturer’s world title, Zak Brown invited us to the McLaren Technology Centre to talk F1… and to talk about one of his favourite cars from his splendid collection: the Ford Capri RS 3100. One of just four real ones, and still raced by Brown.

F1’s French touch

At Rétromobile in Paris in February, a special exhibition will celebrate French involvement in Formula 1. In a photo story, we look at Cevert, Prost, Behra, Renault, Ligier, Gitanes from the archives of Bernard Asset, who reminds us of the day an on-board shot meant climbing on top of a Formula 1 car.

And we have even more F1, with an interview with Siegfried Stohr, a guide to buying and driving modern Ferrari single seaters and Peter Stevens on his legendary liveries for Bernie Ecclestone’s Brabhams.

Pagoda

Furthermore, we drive Eugen Böhringers 1963 Mercedes 230 SL Pagoda, with which he won the Marathon de la Route, an epic four-day, four-night near non-stop road rally through Europe. And that’s only half of that car’s story.

Also, we have one really dirty car gracing our pages. The Opel Astra V8 DTM won the 2003 Nürburgring 24 Hours in the Green Hell. An unlikely victory for a car that was conceived for 1-hour sprint races. Opel Motorsport boss – and racer – Volker Strycek recalls his finest hour that brought Opel one of its most illustrious wins. The car is kept in the same condition it finished the race. Marvellous.

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