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News (in descending time order)

Eynesham Hall Porsche Club festival 2006

A great weekend seeing some old faces as well as meeting a few new ones. The Gala dinner went on well into the wee small hours with our noble leader challenging for the last man standing title. We sponsored the fairground rides to ensure they were free of charge for everyone this year so were forced to enjoy more than a couple of sessions on the dodgems, (well we had to thoroughly test them out!). A few cars sold over the weekend and  seeds were sown for the coming months. (click the photo for pictures).

Car Finance

It`s taken over 15 years but finally we think we`ve cracked motor vehicle finance on "older" cars. Click on the logo to get some insight into how finance works and why our solution may be the future. 

GT Purely Porsche

"I couldn`t believe it, I was sitting on the toilet having my morning poo when I turned the page and you just jumped out at me..... at least I had something to wipe my bum on." Chivalry dictates we are unable to confirm from which female long-term friend of 911virgin those words were uttered, suffice to say the female racing star went on to trounce the opposition later in the day, (well she didn`t come last anyway). GT`s Stuart Gallagher came down and penned a few words accompanied by photographer Antony Fraser who performed his usual magic with the camera. Doesn`t the camera put on a few pounds ! (Oh that was a TV camera apparently - sorry I did try Henry).

Total 911 magazine

Jeremy Clarkson must have been quaking in his boots when the latest Total 911 hit the news stands. WH Smiths reported crowds of angry shoppers demanding a copy of the magazine and in one store a fight broke out as two shoppers argued as to who had the last copy available. In years to come a copy will be brought out of it`s protective sleeve to an amazed intake of breath at the Antiques roadshow. The reason for this hysteria - our noble leader's first published monthly column. International copyright laws forbid it`s reproduction, suffice to say Alumni from the Globe`s finest centers of learning are pouring over every word and punctuation mark as we speak. If only his English teacher could see him now - how silly would he feel having said all those nasty things in the school reports.

Britcar March`06 Silverstone

A rather wet and at times trying start to the season. Mechanical gremlins, rain, oil and some determined drivers did their best to scupper our plans for victory but thankfully we managed to pull through taking 2nd in class behind the BMW of Harry Handkammer and former British touring car champion David Leslie. Click on the picture for a full race report.

911 & Porsche World

We had a good spread in the December issue of 911 & Porsche World. After the previous issue's tried & tested feature and coverage of our exploits in the Britcar 24 hour race they did a 9 page feature on what you could buy for £15k. The cars also featured on the cover of the magazine and photographer Graham Harrison took his life in his hands to bring us the shot. Perched precariously on top of the motorhome writer Peter Morgan looked on from the safety of ground level! Click on the photo to see some shots of Monkey man Graham in action.

Zolder October 22/23rd 2006

It was our first outing to this historic Belgian circuit and what a weekend. Over 26,000 spectators added to the atmosphere, the weather did it`s bit and out hosts didn't hold back on the hospitality. Another Podium finish but it wasn`t easy. Click on the photo for a full race report and photos from the weekend.

The Britcar 24 hour

The hardest working team in UK motorsport put in a couple of extra hours over the weekend of September 10/11th. Torrential rain, no sleep for 40 hours, a track we didn`t know and 55 other teams trying to get to the finish line before us. What could possibly go wrong ! Did we manage to finish? Damn right we did. Click on the photo for the full story and more images from the most arduous race on the UK calendar. 

53 used Porsches in Stock

Many of our competitors claim to be the largest specialists in the UK or even Europe, possibly the world !  We make no such claim but it struck us last Saturday (22nd August), that we did have quite a few used Porsches on our books, 53 to be precise. Some had already taken a deposit, a couple were in the workshop and a few were company vehicles but from humble beginnings (an automatic 924 in Mocha Black - brown to you and I), it`s funny how we`ve blossomed into the company you see today. If you`re interested in model breakdown on the day then click here

Oulton Park Britcar August 6th 2005

Oulton Park has a fearsome reputation as a good place to take your car and smash it up. The Cheshire circuit certainly has some technical corners often unsighted and very little run-off but once mastered it will secretly be in all driver's top 3 UK tracks. Pete might as well have been born here he`s done that many laps, Henry hadn`t raced this layout before. A good start from Pete saw him up to 2nd place behind the Noble, mechanical failure put it out of the picture and we were leading the race. Definitely the place to be for a class 2 car ! After the pit stops Barry Horne got the bit between his teeth and muscled his class 1 car ahead to take overall victory. A second pit stop to take on fuel with only 6 minutes to go, (where are the fuel friendly safety car laps when you need them), added some last minute drama. Henry shot off the blocks once topped up like a thing possessed not wanting to relinquish his position to David Backs 360 Ferrari setting his fastest lap of the race on two and a half hour old tyres !  In the end the 911virgin.com GT3 romped across the line to take second place overall and first in class. A good afternoon's work. Click on the photo for more images from Oulton Park.

You want directions from where ?

People always ask us who buys our cars and where do they come from. The answer is of course we don`t have a typical customer. Age-wise it`s anything from 13 (yes really !), to 80 and geographically pretty much anything goes. Our cars cover the country from the tip of Scotland to the foot of Cornwall and most places in the middle. We also sell cars overseas. Take Nick here. "Hi interested in the 993 glass roof targa, what`s it like". Nothing unusual, except that Nick lives in Malta. A couple of phone calls later and Nick`s the proud owner of a Porsche 911 that he`s never seen before. A huge leap of faith and one that we shoulder fairly and squarely. A thorough service later Nick is united with his new stead and drives off into the sunset a happy bunny. Give him a wave next time you're over there.

Britcar / Belcar Brands Hatch GP June 25th & 26th

A cracking race meeting. We got punted off at high speed in the first race but managed to carry on and fight another day. In the second race we were neck and neck trying to get onto the podium, when we finally made it past to get into 3rd place the red flagged the race and we lost out. But every cloud has a silver lining. Click the image for our race report

Britcar - Snetterton May 21st & 22nd

An hour and a half race on the Saturday to warm up and then a 5 hour endurance race on the Sunday. Monsoon conditions at times, some teams suffering 2 or even 3 punctures, a dead rabbit, cremated sausages on the bar-b-que, a disco dancing competition on Saturday night and trying to wriggle our way out when the noble leader forgot his wallet at the petrol station after we`d just filled up 200 litres of Optimax ! Click on the photo to read the (abridged), report and see photos from the event.

Britcar - Brands Hatch April 16th

An eventful race, at one stage we were running in 2nd place overall and 1st in class. To find out how we finished up, to see images from the race and to read the race report click on the photo. Images by world famous motor-sport photographer Paul Cherry

Trinny and Susannah need you !

The BBC have contacted us looking for men. If We can`t help feeling they ought to try and spruce up our noble leader a bit or is he beyond redemption ?

By popular demand, WHAT NOT TO WEAR are making a special ALL MALE programme and are currently looking for middle aged men to take part.

Are you a smooth “fashion” operator?  Do you dress to impress the ladies?  Do you pride yourself on your unique dress sense?  Does your clothing attract attention?  Have you got an individual but strong sense of style?  Do you like to live life in the fast lane?  Are you enjoying re-living your youth all over again?

If the above sounds familiar WHAT NOT TO WEAR would love to hear from you. Either email sarah.allen2@bbc.co.uk or call 0208 752 4577

Silverstone trackday

Tuesday 12th April was the date for our Silverstone trackday and what a great day it was. A wide variety of cars included the cream of Porsche`s output, GT3, 993 Rs, 964 RS, 993 GT2, 911 RSR and even some historic race cars from the 1960`s. As well as the exotic more everyday cars were in abundance, the 944 in particular was well represented. Driving standards were high and everyone was worn out come 5.00pm. Henry was there in the recently re-liveried GT3 cup car giving passenger laps as was Tom in his 944 S2 cup car.

New Sponsor for racecar

Fastlane Paint and Body have teamed up with us to help with our racing this year. The company formed when 3 key members; Mark Hassan, Paul Hassan & Alex Andrea who worked together at a Porsche franchised body shop bought an existing St Albans based VW / Audi approved body shop. Standards of work are spectacular and the guys are always prepared to go the extra mile when the need arises. Handy when they only had 3 days to completely re-paint the car ! Hopefully we won't need to call on their  services too often in the season! For paintwork to your Porsche Alex can be contacted on 01727 852147. Tell them 911virgin sent you !

Britcar round 1 Silverstone

Our first round of the Britcar series took place Saturday 26th March and a most entertaining weekend it was too. Racing against Ferrari F40`s, 360`s, 355`s, Porsche GT3`s, RSR`s, Dodge Vipers, Lotus, BMW and Marcos the competition was very strong. Not only that but the driver line up read like a who`s who of international motorsport wit veterans from British touring cars, British and FIA GT, Le Mans, Daytona and Bathurst. Click on the photo for a full race report and pictures from the event.

Yeah, my first car was a Porsche !

Don`t you just hate some people`s luck. My first car was a knackered old Ford Cortina that wouldn`t pull the skin off a bowl of rice pudding. Fortunately stunning good looks meant I didn`t struggle with the young ladies but a lesser man would have! I`d have given my eye teeth for a little Porker to float round in. Meet Lina and her husband. Lina is standing by her first car - A Porsche 924 S! In fairness we don`t get to see that many these days but this was a lovely little thing that had been well looked after and it`s found a loving new home.

Don`t I know you from the telly ?

We assumed motoring journos were a breed apart from us mere mortals. Larger fuelled lunches and overnight stays in seedy Welsh hotels on expenses coupled with wine, women, fags and golden backhanders from the car giant's grey suited executives meant they had no place in our little world. But no we get a call from James May, Top Gear's quintessentially English gentleman presenter and it turns out these boys are just like you and I and they actually buy their own cars. Despondent with modern day cars that all taste like chicken, James has decided to treat himself to an old Porker. Do give him a wave if you see him in it ! 

More useless website traffic info

From Jan 1st to Nov 30th our website has been asked for and sent out a total of 2,035,203 page impressions to people. Put another way allowing an average of 3 minutes on the phone per page it would have taken someone over 11 years talking 24 hours a day to get that information across verbally - and we would have still had to post off pictures to each of the 601,578 visitors in the mail. That's over £150,000 just for the stamps, even jet's tongue would have struggled to lick that lot!  Isn't technology clever.

Fancy being on telly ?

The BBC have asked us to see if any of our customers or potential customers fancy starring in a new series currently being planned. The idea is simple - they film you working your nuts off to pay back your mortgage in two years. The reward - no mortgage, and even if you fail you get to be on telly and you own a bit more of your house. To be in with a chance you need a house and err... a mortgage! If there are two of you it helps and if you have hidden previously unexplored talents that could earn extra folding then that would be a definite advantage. If you fancy your chances call Cathy Wigley - no that really is her name ! at the BBC on : 020 8752 4457 or email cathy.wigley@bbc.co.uk Tell her Henry sent you !

Our sellers guide has been updated to include fraud and theft risks

If you are thinking of selling your car then you`ll need to have a read of our guide, (click on Cars wanted above). We are always on the lookout for good used Porsches and it will let you know the different ways we can help you. But that`s only half the reason for giving it the once over. It`s a sad fact of life that selling a car is not without it`s risks and we have tried to highlight a number of the more common scams you could encounter when selling either privately or to the trade. It`s by no means a definitive guide but all the most common swindles are illustrated and we have seen every one of them either first or second hand, so it does happen and isn`t just fiction to sell newspapers. One of these 2 is a right dodgy git. (The other one drives a 3 wheeler !) 

Sunday Times recommends our buyer`s guide

Flicking through the Sunday times the other day whilst waiting to set off to church - (see note) - and what should we see but a little mention of our buyer`s guide, contained elsewhere within this hallowed site. A certain Mr Mirfield from somewhere in deepest Yorkshire was writing in to ask their advice on purchasing a Porker and they referred him to our little corner of the internet world. So there you have it, as recommended by the Sunday Times ! (We are working on Her Majesty the Queen). 

-(Note)- Our legal department has requested that we come clean re: the going to church bit. This is of course merely a ruse to make you think we are decent Christian folk who would rather beat themselves with twigs and wear sack cloth rather than tell a lie or do any form of injustice to our fellow man. We were actually in the saloon bar of the Ferret and Badger public house enjoying our 6th bottle of light ale waiting for lunch to be served up by the good landlord's wife 

Some more in-car footage from Spa

We`ve edited up a little snippet from our spa race video to play online. This clip features excerpts from both the racing as well as a bit of the free practice. It`s about 5 minutes long and is in windows media format (as are all our video clips). You will need broadband though, the clip is about 14.0 mb in size. There are a couple of other downloads further down the page as well if this tickles your fancy !

In car lap of Spa

Ever wondered what it`s like to drive round Spa in a GT3 ? Well now`s your chance to find out what 150mph entering the blind corner before Blanchimont feels like. All right so you can`t feel the cornering forces but it`ll give you an idea. A word of warning - it`s a big file, around 8mb which means you`ll need broadband to download at anything like a half sensible speed. It`s a windows media file so you don`t have to wait for the full download before it starts playing. Oh yes, and turn up the volume ! Click on the photo to watch an in-car lap of Spa.   (8.0mb Windows media file)

Donnington Park 23rd/24th October

The final two rounds of the 2004 season started on Saturday and whilst qualifying was just about dry (a car wide strip around the circuit !) the race was anything but. Rupert Lewin`s GT2R managed to find the gravel on the green flag lap and again at the same place on the first lap of the race. The spray was horrific and poor old Henry couldn`t see a thing following the cars. Although a little quicker than the Paul Livesey`s GT2 in a couple of places, particularly around the Craner curves, he could do nothing because of the lack of visibility. At one point it really chucked it down and the whole circuit became a sea of water. Rod Carman came a cropper at Mcleans in his GT3 and Paul who had now pulled out a little gap out-braked himself into Goddards to let the noble leader through. P1 + 2 said the pit board. All he had to do was hang on in there and brave the water. In the end the chequered flag dropped and the pit wall went wild Henry had just taken his first outright race win. To say he was a happy bunny would be something of an understatement. A few beers were drunk that night.

Sunday`s race was delayed and by the time the call to the assembly area came the dark clouds that had been looming started to drop rain on the track. A hasty decision was made to switch to a full wet setting, this could well be our lucky day. Everyone else had made their choice on dry tyres and were starting to regret it. On the green flag lap the track was nice and slippy and off the line Paul`s GT2 took the lead but had to brake early for Redgate allowing Henry to catch up and take the lead at the Craner curves. Things couldn`t go wrong - or could they. From nowhere the sun started to shine down on our little piece of Derbyshire and we were knackered. Richard Chamberlain came past on the next lap to take the lead and one by one cars passed the stricken GT3 struggling to keep the car on the road with tyres falling apart and the car rolling  violently. In the end third in class was the best that could be expected but it was oh so nearly a double victory, they say the sun always shines on the righteous well just for that one day we wouldn`t have minded if it carried on raining. Never mind. A great end to a fabulous season. The trophy cupboard is getting nice and full and the times are coming down. Roll on 2005. 

Spa GTP tour 2004

The Porsche Open series was invited to compete in the GTP tour at Spa this October. The race followed on from Castle Combe the previous weekend with that particular race held is very greasy conditions, just what you needed when you`re heading off for the ferry on Wednesday. Accident damage wasn`t an option! (in the end Henry drove a very conservative race to take another class win).

Spa is a special circuit set in the Belgian mountains amongst the trees. First qualifying at 8.30am was almost a religious experience with the mist drifting across the track from the trees. Time wise Henry set a respectable 1.44 although Tony Brown was a fraction quicker in his 964 RSR. The second qualifying session was rather busy and Chris Egginton had a little moment at the top of Eau Rouge resulting in a caution and Chris needing to order a couple of bottles of T-cut from Le local Alfords. The incident was cleared and with a deserted circuit Henry slipped in his fastest lap beating Rival Tony Brown`s 1.43 with a 1.42.

Race one started on the Green Flag lap when Tony Brown pulled up with mechanical problems, then as the lights went out the drama continued with a bit of contact between the GT3`s of Jason Young and Craig Rapp and Rupert Lewin`s GT2 RSR. In the end Jason Young took 2nd in class on the final corner leaving Henry Third in class and with victory over friend and rival Stuart Scott`s class 1 GT3.

Race 2 started well enough. Tony Brown and Stuart Scott were just where they needed to be - behind our piece of Orange loveliness. Pushing hard to get some air between himself and the two main rivals our noble leader made a rare error and put the car on the grass at Les Combes. This allowed both Tony and Stuart past. Henry was now a man on a mission with Tony the first target. A move down the inside into Eau Rouge now saw Tony in the rear view mirrors. Some late braking at La Source on the next lap and Stuart Scott was also dispatched to admire the rear view of the GT3. So the race ended, another third in class - very respectful given the quality of turnout for the event. (click on the photos for a large selection of images from Spa).    

His wallet opened and out came all the moths

The poor salesman didn`t know what hit him. The moths flew from our noble leader`s wallet as he went to pay for our latest acquisition in the office. Seeking change from a ten guinea note we had to explain that they were no longer legal tender and young man would need payment by a cheque in the normal manner. As befitting our multi million pound status we have changed the drinks machine! The finest beverages from around the world are now on offer for your enjoyment. We are currently seeking out a suitable star from the moving picture industry to formally open the machine but in the meantime help yourself !

As if that wasn`t enough we do of course have a selection of carbonated soft drinks in the chiller below as well, (just don`t tell Henry - he wouldn`t be able to cope !)

Brands Hatch Festival

The annual Porsche club festival took place at Brands Hatch over the August Bank holiday and we were there. For the first time the event was based around a race meeting with our noble leader competing in both the Bill Taylor memorial race as well as Monday`s round of the Porsche Open. There were some stunning cars on display including one of Porsche AG`s Carrera GT`s driven at full tilt with the traction control off ! Click on the picture for a few photos from the event. Racing pics to follow.

In-car video

If you have broadband and want to see what it`s like racing from inside a GT3 then click on the photo. It`s a 4 minute clip from Snetterton. You will need broadband as the file is just over 9.0mb. It`s a Windows Media file which means you won`t have to wait for the full video to download before it starts playing. Enjoy !! Don`t forget if you want to get involved sponsoring the GT3 and using it to promote your business just click the link at the top of this page.

F1 at Silverstone

Many thanks to Michelin who arranged a trip to the tyre test day in preparation for this year`s Silverstone grand prix. Not only that but after a bit of haggling over the price John Cheadle from Michelin arranged for Henry to pop Kimi Raikkonen`s McLaren Mercedes round the track for a few laps. "It was a bit quicker than the GT3 said the noble leader after posting a mid 1.18. Both Michael and Jenson came up and congratulated me afterwards and we swapped notes around the circuit. Which was nice..." 

New page on the website

We are putting to together a new page on the website to try and locate cars for people. This is going to work in one of two ways. If you are trying to track down your old Porsche then we need a description of the car and it`s (then) registration number. We`ll probably make a small charge to try and see if the reg number is still current and if not what the current reg number is then put the car`s details on the page. The second scenario is where someone is looking for a particular type of car. Again we`ll post the details and see if we can track something down. Try not to be too specific in terms of spec / colour as you vastly limit your choice of cars, and in the case of older cars you really need to buy on condition anyway.

Email details of the car you are looking for  (put "Porsche wanted" in the subject box).

Website Spring clean

The eagle eyed amongst you may have noticed a little tidying up around the edges of the website. This site has evolved over several years and, a bit like extensions on a house, different sections had their own identity. We`ve tried to link the site together with a uniform style that should make it easier to navigate and find the bits you want. As always your comments on the site are welcome. Email you comments (putting "site feedback" in the subject box)

Goodwood festival of Speed

We had both the noble leader as well as his GT3 race car on the Porsche club stand this year. He spent the three days answering questions on Porsche club motorsport activities as well as chatting to people about potential Porsche purchases. By the end of the weekend the poor bloke was just about dead on his feet but it was all worth it. The club signed up lots of new members and publicised the August 29th-30th Brands Hatch Festival. It was also the first exhibition outing of the club`s motorsport / presentation trailer unit. 

Snetterton Porsche Open rounds 6 & 7

Round 6 on Saturday looked promising. A terrific drag off the line, Richard Chamberlain shattered a gearbox bellhousing our Noble leader is now in second place on the track ! Second lap and a little tap going into Riches sent the back of the car round but the lad managed to hold onto the car losing a couple of places, and then it slowly went downhill. Try as he might the times just wouldn`t come and the car was over steering. Braking from 145 miles an hour into the Esses the car felt particularly bad and sure enough the GT3 had picked up a puncture, either from Richard`s gearbox shrapnel or the debris at Riches. A DNF.

Sunday,round 7. New rear tyres, and once again a good drag off the line to slip in front of Gerald Harrison`s GT3. On the first lap he gave us a bit of a broadside going into Russell but in spite of a trip across the grass Henry managed to maintain position. After 4 laps or so Gerald slipped in front at Riches. The 2 GT3`s were never more than 20 feet apart for the whole race. Coming into Russell one of the class 4 944`s appeared to roll across the front of our GT3, Henry claims no knowledge of how that might have happened !! Henry finally managed to make it past Harrison`s GT3 at Sear when he missed a gear at the apex to take third place. A very eventful race and once again lovely close racing with Gerald Harrison`s GT3. To be continued no doubt.... Click on the photos for a selection of larger images 

Who said romance is dead

Romance is clearly alive and well in Didcot, Oxfordshire, either that or our chap thought forgiveness would be easier to ask for than permission. Having bought a lovely little 3.2 Carrera Cabriolet Geoff Cox decided to thank his wife for allowing him his boyhood dream. Unbeknown to Erika her husband had popped over in the week and left a lovely eternity ring in the glove-box for her to discover when they came to collect it on the Saturday. It was an emotional moment with our Tom and Dan close to tears, - we didn`t think car salesmen had feelings either !!  The car is already getting plenty of use with a recent trip to the "French" town of Reading en Thames to watch the 24 Heures Du Mans on their big screen. Erika is accompanied by children Beth and Charlie.

Our Sharon to appear on the telly

If you`re sharp eyed towards the end of the year you may get to see the noble leader`s good lady wife on telly driving the Cayenne for a forthcoming supercar series. As a user of Porsche`s 4 wheel drive machine she was asked to appear on the program driving on normal roads then being driven round a test track. Keep your eyes open for her.

Snetterton - Porsche Open rounds 4 & 5

"Friday`s test day was bloody hard work!" Snetterton is quite a hard circuit to put in an ultimate lap and it was the first time there in the GT3. The data logger really earned it`s keep. Le Mans driver Piers Masserati put a datum lap in the car to work from and the rest was down to the noble leader. 1.17`s by the end of the day with the promise of more to come. 1.16`s in qualifying and a good race 1 managing to get ahead of Tony Brown`s 964 RSR to take 3rd in class, 4th overall, just failing to catch Nick Staveley`s GT3 before the flag. The second race centered around a thrilling 20 minute battle with Gerald Harrison`s GT3. The two cars were rarely more than a few meters apart, often considerably less! Once again passing slower traffic was the deciding factor and Gerald managed to slip past our GT3 when Henry caught up with a car mid corner. The two GT3`s were like Siamese twins for a couple of laps until Henry managed to carry a bit more speed into Russell, get the power on early and out-drag Mr Harrison`s GT3 to the line beating him by 7/100`s of a second, one more pie at lunchtime and he wouldn`t have made it! The was a 1 minute 15 seconds (just) on the fastest rolling lap onboard at the end of the weekend so a good effort. We won`t mention giving the pit wall a demonstration of how to cut the grass coming out of Russell in the first race !

Silvertone - Porsche Open round 3

A very early start in the morning come race day is never particularly welcome but testing had gone well and by the end of the day we`d managed to get the data logging system working on the car which should bear fruit in the future. Testing had been very busy on track and that set the scene for the weekend. A very large grid assembled for qualifying and we ended up on the 4th row of the grid behind the class 1 cars. We started 4th in class behind the more experienced GT3 drivers and ended up 5th when Tony Brown, the runner up in the Porsche Club championship last year managed to find a way past coming out of Luffield after Henry had to brake hard mid corner to avoid spinning of onr of the class 4 944`s. "There was a massive amount of traffic to negotiate and when you bear down on a group of 3 or 4 cars involved in their own battle you have to remember the guy at the front of the pack won`t have a clue you`re coming so diving up his inside is a bit risky." All that said the noble leader is getting faster, lapping the Northants circuit in the 1.02`s almost managing to lap the next placed GT3. Click on the photo for larger images.

Website traffic

You can tell an awful lot about the state of the economy and how people spend their time at work from our website statistics. For instance: peak viewing time is around 1pm when everyone is having a break for lunch and there is another peak at 5pm when people are finishing off for the day. Main viewing is between 8am and 10pm with a bit of traffic outside those times but in essence you`re all keen to use the boss`s telephone line! Numbers are rising with usually between 1,700 and 2,000 different "sites" visiting us daily. A "site" may have several users so if different people from the same company visit us we probably count you as one. We normally send out between a billion and a billion and a half Kb of information per day - one can only assume you don`t get much in a Kb these days! The most popular page is our stock page which was hit just over 45,000 times in April. In terms of geographic location most of our traffic is UK based although amongst the more remote places we`ve sent 318 web pages to Finland and at 358 web pages to Saudi Arabia!

Victory at Croft

First in class / 4th overall for the first race and first in class / third overall for the second race. You can`t ask for more than that. It was an odd weekend, Saturday`s qualifying was cut short twice with cars spinning off the circuit and even the noble leader took an excursion onto the grass when he span on another car`s oil at Tower. Sunday`s race was a wet affair, a good start ensured a class lead from the off and it was just a case of keeping the car on the track from then on. The GT3`s wet weather ability meant class 3 and 4 cars were caught fairly early on in the race but mindful of conditions everyone stayed out of each other`s way. Next round Silverstone May 15th.Click on the photo for more images from croft. (Thanks to Dave & Gill from db racing for the photo).

The 2004 season kicks off at Croft

The 2004 season kicks off at Croft in North Yorkshire on 17/18th April. We were up there early for a test session. The weather was lovely, the car ran well and the locals most hospitable. The circuit it`s self is fairly memorable in a GT3. A couple of the corners are bumpy to say the least and the car gets thrown around a bit. You need to get a good grip of your Jacobs as you take the back part of the circuit flat out and then you need to calm down through the technical complex finishing with a hairpin at the top of the straight. Click on the photo for larger images. Images taken by Stuart Baines - http://www.whatnonegatives.com 

Wives just don`t come any better !

The lady on the left is Gina Alsford, you should have married her. A bold statement and I`m sure you`ll be putting up a strong argument for your current spouse, but you`re wrong, and the reason ? Your missus didn`t secretly buy you a 911 supersport for your 50th birthday. The happy bunny on the right is John Alsford. 15 minutes earlier he was driving back home from a day out at the Hendon air museum when Gina told him she just had to call in somewhere and quickly pick something up. A boyhood dream fulfilled he could have cleaned his ears with the corners of his smile ! Congratulations and enjoy the car.

Looking for sponsors

It won`t be long before the racing season kicks off again and we`re looking for potential sponsors. The GT3 is already in the middle of it`s winter rebuild, the noble leader is trying to get fit and we`re finalising dates. In particular keep the bank holiday weekend of 28/29th August free. There is going to be a massive Porsche festival at Brands Hatch and we`ll be racing. There are many ways in which sponsorship could benefit your business. Click on the link below to find out a little more or speak to Henry.

Find out about sponsoring our GT3 Porsche race car & see how it could help you promote your business

Porsche Club GB Christmas gathering

The Porsche club GB had their annual Christmas gathering at the magnificent Cornbury house headquarters on Sunday 7th December. There was the usual selection of Christmas stocking fillers to buy from the club shop including the stunning motorsport calendar, (in which we feature on the corner of some deserted month !!). They have a permanent display of cars and memorabilia on site and we were honored to be asked to display the GT3. Mince pies and coffee rounded of a lovely bright December day.(click on the photo for more images)     

Bill Taylor memorial, Silverstone November 8th

The Bill Taylor race is the last race of our season and is a one hour, 2 driver event. I was racing with Chris Egginton, a fellow GVR driver with GT3 experience. This year had not gone well, a particularly bad accident at Silverstone earlier in the year when he was collected by another car, not his fault but it was a skeleton he was going to have to put in the cupboard. Friday testing went well, Chris set the marker and we ended the day fairly happy. I started Saturday`s race and off the line Paul Howell`s 993 RSR and Paul Hogans very quick 996 Turbo managed to sneak past into the first bend. Howells took an odd line through Maggots (backwards !), and I eventually managed to take Hogan going into Copse.

Click on the photos for images from this race

It`s handicapped race with a diverse field of cars and drivers so there was lots of overtaking the slower cars to be coped with who were in fierce battles themselves. A potential recipe for disaster but thankfully avoided. Barring mechanical gremlins Rupert Lewin doing a solo drive in his GT2 was always going to be favorite, so handing over to Chris 4th overall was satisfactory. Chris did a sterling job behind the wheel putting in very consistent lap times. There was some drama towards the end when the Young/Healy GT3 took a trip onto the grass whilst overtaking a slower car then slowed down a lap from the end as they ran low on fuel. They finished the race in the pit lane for third place so we just missed the podium. As predicted Rupert Lewin took overall honors with the British GT pairing of Phil Hindley and Tom Shrimpton taking second place.

Noble leader gets award !!!

Our noble leader came back from the recent Porsche motorsport dinner claiming to have been awarded some prize for his driving and clutching a big trophy. We humored him assuming said trophy to have been purchased by the man himself but no ! Believe me no one was more shocked than us as we read in Autosport that he was indeed telling the truth. Not only that but the magazine was scarred by an image of the ugly Mr Firman. Seriously - well done, 2003 has been a steep learning curve that is set to continue into 2004 with the acquisition of the GT3.

Donnington Park October 18/19

I`d forgotten just how quick Donnington was, the bad news - it was going to get a whole load quicker ! Donnington is one of the best circuits in the UK. There are a couple places where you just have to grab hold of the family jewels, take a deep breath and keep you foot down. I was conscious we were still only really settling the GT3 in ready for the 2004 season but a little gentle racing wouldn`t harm anyone. The weekend was a double header spread over 2 days. Saturday`s race was actually fairly uneventful, I found a hole in the field and started to go to sleep. I got a rude awakening when I let Mark Butler, a fellow GT3 overtake me on a blue flag thinking he was another car !! That won`t be happening next year ! 

Click on the photos for larger images of this race

Sunday`s race was a bit more of a battle. John Griffith`s 935 cut in front of me at the bottom of the Craner curves and we shared a few laps. He was quicker on pace, I had the edge under braking and cornering. I was struggling to get past when he overcooked the power coming out of the old hairpin and took a trip across the greenery. That let me get my foot down and make up some ground on Mark Butler hoping to repay the favor from the first race. Sadly it never quite happened, the rain that had held off all day started to fall on the last lap and I backed off. Sadly Peter Cook`s GT2 embedded in the pit wall greeted me as I rounded the esses onto the finishing straight. Thankfully Peter walked away. Once again not too disgraceful for an early outing in the GT3, it`s certainly a bit quicker than the 993.

Oulton Park 11th October

Our first race in the GT3! When we arrived for Friday`s testing the car and I weren`t even on first name terms yet. All was not lost - I had a cunning plan. Spend the whole day testing then by the end of the afternoon we would have bonded and be best mates, I`d be as happy as a pig in poo and Saturday`s race would be a walk in the park. The first session saw a 935 self destruct into the Armco in front of me coming out of a wet druids. The second session saw was going well until I got collected by a 911 which span out at Fosters. I was ready to get my coat and trundle back down the M6 when Gordon and the GVR team swung into action. Suffice to say that by 8.45am Saturday (yes that`s right - I didn`t know there were two 8.45`s in the day either !), I was sitting in the assembly area waiting to qualify. In the race I didn`t set any lap records but finished where I needed so as not to embarrass myself. No dramas, no frills. At 1.33pm the finish line was crossed and the GT3 and I were formally introduced.

First test at Oulton Park

Oulton Park on a damp October morning may not be the best place to try out your new 380bhp Porsche GT3 but who said racing was easy. For those of you unfamiliar with the Cheshire circuit it`s fairly technical with lots of blind sections and virtually no run off! The air hissed as the car lowered off it`s jacks, there was a crackle from the exhaust, a deafening resonance inside the cab, reverse engaged, tight lock out of the garage, first gear, creep down the pit lane, second gear, head down towards cascades, floor the throttle. Wow...........(click on the photo)

Let`s get all the Jaffa Orange jokes over now !!

We`ve acquired a new race car for 2004. It`s a 2001 year GT3. The GT3 in it`s various guises is pretty much the industry standard for current Porsche racing. The GT3 R is the daddy and used in FIA races including Le Mans. Our car is a GT3 Cup and is used in races such as the Porsche cup which supports the British touring car championship (all be it in a slightly different 2003 guise). The car is currently with Team GVR to be set up and checked over. Click on photo for larger images

Adoring fan presents artwork

Well alright maybe not a fan as such! Sarah Bennet-Baggs, the UK face of PSI Porsche engineers and chief of operations for the Rupert Lewin Racing driver experience showed there is more to her than the ability to organise anything at a moments notice, (her ability to find hotel rooms at race meetings is legendary !!). The long time friend of 911virgin.com created this pastel and chalk masterpiece for our Noble leader`s recent birthday. Strangely entitled "Keeping it up at the back" it was very much appreciated. Contact Sarah if you want to make your Porsche go faster, fancy your chances on a top notch Porsche race car experience or want to commission your own work of art. CLICK HERE

Classic & Sports car

The good folk from classic and Sports car magazine were round the other day for a bit of advice on getting their publishing editor Jo Biggs a new set of wheels. Well versed in the art of used car buying Jo came well prepared in a nice lace top and 15 foot long scarf, shoes sported a heel several inches in length, ideal for your first time driving a Porsche 911! Our noble leader gave them some guidance and a couple of test drives. The 964 definitely won favour on the day although the magazine were keen for her to purchase an older car. Henry is a wonderful man, (what`s that you say a pay review coming up soon - well yes I suppose it is now you mention it), but his tongue can be a trifle blue at times, a result of his silk lined education. I`m not sure if anyone else in the publication had the phrase "bollocks" attributed to them that month!

The new Cayenne heads our tow fleet

After years of running Range Rovers we`ve just put our first Cayenne on the road as a tow car and it is absolutely astounding. Compared to the Range Rover it is a more stable car when towing and the handling is awesome, (that from someone who slings Porsches round the race track!!). In the power department it`s definitely not lacking either, (we`ve gone for the Cayenne S). These vehicles will re-define their sector of the market in terms of people`s expectations. If you see us out on the road give us a wave. We`ll still be running the old Range Rovers alongside the Cayenne for the foreseeable future whilst we save up some more pennies! Click on the photo for a larger image

Eynsham hall report

The people who run the Porsche Club know something about the weather that no body else does. Friday was wetter than a wet thing here in Uxbridge but come the weekend the sun just kept on shining. We ended up chatting to loads of old customers, people who had been on the website or seen the adverts and some new faces as well. By the end of the weekend we were all shattered, the noble leader said he could see why mountaineers don`t wear dealer boots as he descended from the rock wall, the new Cayenne tow car got a few looks but nothing like the young ladies we commandeered to hand out brochures, biscuits and toffee throughout the two day event. To top it all we won the award for the best trade stand. Click on the photo for more images from the show.

Porsche club annual show Eynsham Hall 30/31 August

We`re going to be attending the annual Porsche club event this year held at Eynsham Hall near Witney in Oxfordshire. If you`re going to be there then pop in to put some faces to the names. You`ll also be able to see the new 911virgin passion wagon. We`ve got hold of a Cayenne to work alongside our Range Rovers for towing and transportation duties.

Porsche open - Pembrey August 23rd/24th

After Snetterton we booked the car into GVR to get the suspension mended and set up properly. The difference is astounding. A thin field on the Welsh circuit left our battle with Pete Moris - again!! the highlight of the race. There was never more than 200 yards separating the two cars for the entire time. Fastest laps were just 0.1 of a second apart. Morris clearly had the faster car and would pull away a hundred yards on the back straight only to have it taken back round the twisty bits. Twice we got alongside but he just managed to power out of trouble to take the class victory leaving us to collect 2nd.

Porsche open - Snetterton August 23rd/24th

We struggled with the car a bit all weekend. The fact that we hadn`t got ABS brakes and there are 3 huge braking areas didn`t help. We also had an under-steering problem to add to the pot. That said we did manage to have a good race with Pete Morris in his 964 RS club sport. The lead for class 3 swapped between us on several occasions but he eventually found his feet to romp away leaving us to pick up 2nd in class. 

A new driver in town

Thanks to Mark and Pip Sumpter from Paragon for sorting Emily out with this little replica of our racecar. Electrically powered she is already nipping at the heels of our noble leader, (mind you a reasonably fit pensioner in a decent pair of training shoes could probably do the same !). Her first outing was at Snetterton and heads were turned. It just goes to show you don`t need to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on a set of wheels to look the part, lets hope she remembers when she starts driving and wants to borrow some keys !

2002 - 2003 figures

Our end of year figures for July `02 through to July `03 have been provisionally calculated and show continued growth. Sales for the year were almost exactly £5 million with around 330 cars sold. Thank you to everyone who helped us achieve this. We aren`t the only company who sell used Porsches and we acknowledge you have a choice of where to buy your car. We don`t intend to rest on our laurels. We`ve taken on 2 new people this year, Dan in sales / marketing and Steve in logistics to improve the buying experience and to allow us more uninterrupted time with customers when they come to see us, which is a posh way of saying the phone won`t keep ringing in the middle of giving advice. As ever we are always happy to spend time talking and won`t pressure you into making any decisions. Once again thank you very much - Henry.

Porsche open and ROL - Brands Hatch June 14th/15th

A blisteringly hot weekend and two long races almost back to back. Brands Hatch is a small tight circuit which tends to get busy during the race. There are lots of chances to overtake and corners such as Paddock hill are legendary. The Open race saw us caught behind the theoretically faster car of Paul Hogan. There was some tight racing particularly at druids and clearways where Dave Bennett`s car introduced it`s self to our rear bumper. Finally we got past Hogan at Graham Hill bend only to have him power past again on the straight. Finally over driving saw him in the Armco coming out of druids and we pulled away from the group to chase Stephen Archer`s 993 RS. We never quite got there finishing 4th in class. 

As usual we struggled a bit with the Michelin tyres but used the trusty Dunlop D01`s for the ROL race. This was a close fought race with Stephen Archer. Almost half an hour`s racing with no more than 50 yards between the two cars. Thankfully we ended up in front to take 2nd in class.

911 & Porsche world magazine

We had 911 & Porsche world round the other day and the resulting article is now in print. Obviously our noble leader is complaining that their camera man is clearly just out of training and the resulting photos of a fat ugly bloke stood next to some cars bear no relation to him at all, for fear of losing our jobs we are saying nothing. Bring in the article next time you visit and he`ll sign your copy for you !!

Porsche open - Castle Combe May 26th

Our car and Castle Combe go back a long way. It was there that the Jones Brothers launched the car (and that of Pete Chamberlain) over the huge earth mound that adjoined camp corner. Following that meeting the circuit was modified to prevent a similar incident re-occurring. The circuit still retains an air of mystery and myth. Everyone has had "a big one at Combe". The main straight (actually a sweeping curve), is incredibly bumpy and corners such as quarry and Tower often take prisoners with little run off. We got off the line in what can only be described as a miraculous fashion. By Quarry we were 3rd overall having overtaken all the class 2 and most of the class 1 pack !! Obviously it wasn`t going to last and steadily normal order returned. A spin coming out of the Esses put us behind Wayne Jackson`s 968 and in hindsight it might not have been that wise walking the track with him the night before imparting tips. We got alongside a couple of times but couldn`t make it stick crossing the line 5th in class.

Porsche open - Silverstone May 11th

A bit of eleventh hour work to the suspension in an attempt to get the most from the Michelin Pilot Sport cup tyres we are having to use as a control tyre this year saw us arrive at the Northamptonshire circuit not too sure how the car was going to handle. In the event we still struggled a bit for grip but managed to qualify 4th in class. A blinding start off the grid was marred by having to brake hard when Rupert Lewin`s GT2 became acceleration challenged on pole position (it didn`t go anywhere !) In the first lap our noble leader pulled back a couple of places but sadly on the second lap a combination of cold tyres (please please please can we use our Dunlop D01`s next year !!), a slippy track and a driver who thought he was Ralph Firman not Henry Firman saw a potentially excellent move round the outside at Maggots / Beckets end up in a remarkably visual spin into the gravel trap. Broken - 1 mirror glass. Dented - 1 pride !! Joking aside we`re starting to get on the pace quite well now and stood a genuine chance of winning the class. Who knows what the remaining rounds will bring.

No Daniel`s mum didn`t write it

A happy customer writes in to a magazine and suddenly everyone phones in to take the p*ss. It didn`t help that he also wrote into Porsche Post, the owner`s club magazine, and they decided to publish it as well. Honestly the chap really does exist !! His efforts were much appreciated. We don`t always get it right but we do try and if things go wrong that`s when we can go the extra mile. A faulty alternator that got overlooked on a pre-delivery service was the culprit so unfortunately Mathew had to use on of our lovely Diesel Range Rovers for a couple of days while we got the problem fixed.

RMA Spa spring break 5th - 6th May

We must have had a terrible accident on the way to Spa Francorchamps and ended up in heaven. How else can you explain GT1`s, GT2`s, GT3`s, Turbo`s, 993 RS`, 964 RS`, Ferrari 550`s, 360`s, Testarossas, a handful of the most delightful racing cars from the 50`s and 60`s, not to mention several Le Mans drivers past and present including none other than Paul Newman, lovely sunshine, 4.5 miles of rolling Belgian tarmac a full tank of gas and a new set of Dunlop D01`s. Graham and the crew from RMA must surely be disciples to some higher being. Awe inspiring fun. Can we go again next time please mummy !

Rockingham - Intermarque & Porsche Open round 2

Saturday 12th April saw Henry`s first venture into the Intermarque series. A fairly high level event both in terms of vehicles and their drivers this can be a little daunting for the first timer. Henry set second fastest time in Class A qualifying and took third place in class A in the Race it`s self, a good solid first effort and hopefully indicative of the Sunday`s Porsche Open race. Click on the small picture for a larger image.

Sunday`s qualifying for the Porsche Open saw Henry struggling a little with the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tyres. He was a second or so down on the previous days run using Dunlops, this in spite of very committed driving on the infield section of the circuit. The fast banked corner - a unique experience in UK motorsport - saw the car drifting with under-steer and going past the start line the car was a little unsettled at high speed. At the start of the race Henry got held up first by a 964 RS and then by a 996 GT3 finding it`s feet. He eventually managed to take 3rd place in class by following Richard Chamberlain`s 935 through the chicane coming off the banked section and slipping past Anthony Oliver`s 964 RS. But for getting hemmed in off the line at the start a good race and the first silverware of the season!

Porsche open round 1 - Donnington

The first round of the Porsche Open took place on 16th March. Our man Henry had visited the circuit for a winter test day alongside Mark Sumpter and Mike Jordan in their delicious new FIA GT GT3R. It paid off with lap times down around 6 seconds from his previous race visit. Qualifying saw him 3rd in class. On the second lap of the race though he got knocked off the track at Redgate. Luckily no lasting harm was done and he rejoined to work his way back through the field to finish 4th in class. A good solid drive with definite hope for the future!! Click on the small photo for a larger image.  

Track days for 2003

We`ve teamed up with RMA for some fantastic trackday offers both in the UK and Europe. We`ll be attending a number of the events ourselves if you fancy being driven round in one of our house Porsches!! You can save money just by telling them Henry from 911virgin sent you. There will also be a chance to join us at Le Mans on July 15th & 16th. Two days of driving your car round the most famous GT circuit in the world - fantastic. As if that wasn`t enough they offer on road driver training on a one-to-one basis for around £300 per day. Click the Track Days link at the top of this page for more details.

Rockingham Track day

We will be attending the book-a-track Rockingham track day on Sunday 23rd March. If you want to join in then go on their website and book yourself up for the day. Cost is £185 which might even include some scran at lunchtime if you`re lucky. Rockingham is a peach of a place to drive your car, there are two banked corners, unique in this country, and a lovely infield circuit. As usual if you`ve never attended a trackday before don`t worry, share our pit garage (and they are wonderful pit garages too!!), and we`ll point you in the right direction. They do have paid instruction available for hire (although it`s not the best in the world as our noble leader can testify !!). Visit their website at http://www.bookatrack.com 

Our youngest customer

Young Daniel Martins currently holds the record as being our youngest customer at the tender age of just 13, (Daniel is the one on the right by the way). He`s bought the car as a joint venture with his dad. Rather than risk the long arm of Norman the Lawman by driving his new purchase on the Queen`s highways, (or paying the £5 and using Red Ken`s Central London highways), he`s going to attend under 17 car club events. Taking place at Castle Combe and Pro-drive, they allow youngsters to get used to car control techniques before they start driving on the road. It can also lead on to them competing in motor sports events. All the best and we look forward to seeing you at Le Mans in a few years time.

How many people visit the website?

It`s quite interesting to see how many people come onto the 911virgin website. At the moment we get around 1,600 - 1,700 people a day. You each view an average of around 3.5 pages. Obviously some view more and some, realising we haven`t got loads of photos of naked 30 stone women, click off. Peak viewing time is around 12.00 noon - 1.00pm weekdays so although you`re all using the governor's phone bill at least you have the decency to do it in your lunch break! Weekends are quieter with around 800 - 900 people a day coming on the site. We also get some visitors from fairly distant shores including Japan, Bermuda, Finland, Singapore and Saudi Arabia. Obviously the bulk of traffic comes from good old Blighty with a bit from the States as well. The most popular page is the stock page. Final bit of useless info, Christmas day 2002 saw 491 people on the site trying to get away from the in-laws for a couple of hours ! Have a prosperous, happy and above all healthy 2003.

Emily`s 2 years old

It`s hard to believe but young Emily is now 2 years old. Born 22-11-00 you`ll see her running round the yard from time to time. Here she is trying to look like her father ! One of her birthday presents was a Boxster which she is learning to clean in the hope we can have her earning her keep fairly shortly. And no - we aren`t that silly, it`s a little plastic one with pedals. (Click on the photo for larger image)

Bill Taylor Memorial Silverstone 9th November

This is an annual race and traditionally the last race of the season in memory of much loved Porsche enthusiast and racer Bill Taylor. Bearing in mind the last time Henry raced here 6 weeks previously was his first ever race he actually did rather well. The previous day`s practice was cancelled due to torrential rain and qualifying was a wet affair, the end of which saw our intrepid leader placed 8th on the grid out of 50 or so drivers !

(Click on the photos for larger images from the race)

The race it`s self saw Henry take a gamble on tyres opting to run wets which, it turned out was the wrong decision. At the start he was left standing struggling to select any gears and when he did eventually get rolling he was the second to last car. The next two laps were, and it pains me to admit it, awsome ! He overtook cars two at a time in some cases to get back up the field. Just as at Donnington the tyres soon reached the limit of their adhesion and lap times were well down with him being the only car on wets. Lap 20 saw 3rd and 4th gears decide to pack up and go home for an early bath so sadly the race was over and car 22 rolled into the garage. But just for a brief moment there was some light at the end of the tunnel. we may yet make a racer out of the old git yet !

Rockingham Porsche Open 2nd November

Once again a damp qualifying this time using the Dunlop Formula R01 tyres normally run in the dry. The circuit retained a lot of water and so Henry was well off the pace and started from the back of the grid of the wet tyre shod cars. The race was a full wet affair and a good start away from the lights saw him gain 2 places. There was a bit of confusion as some cars went their own way off the banked first turn but they all met up again at the first hairpin left hander! By some fluke of luck our noble leader found himself 2nd in class and had built up a good lead over the 3rd placed car when Mr Chamberlain`s 935 gave up the ghost in the middle of turn 6 and the race was red flagged. 

The re-start meant all the poor boy`s efforts were to no avail as the cars were bunched back up. Once again he managed to fend off the 3rd placed car to finish 2nd in class and get a cut glass trophy. Future employment prospects permit me from using words like lucky, old and git or mentioning the fact that there were only 5 cars entered in the class. Our apologies in advance for your being forced to admire said trophy on your next visit. I can assure you as well, that rumours of a Christmas DVD and video featuring Henry`s driving are all lies, even Help the aged refused to stock it saying it wasn`t worth the shelf space ! 

Donnington Porsche open 12th October

Qualifying was in the wet and as if that wasn`t bad enough oil on the whole of the circuit made the whole thing look like Swan Lake on ice. Richard Chamberlain (faster than a speeding bullet), qualified 5 seconds slower than the middle group on the Porsche club track day. They got the calendar out to time our dear leader ! It carried on raining right up to the race when it dried out completely, half the field were on wets, the other half on dry tyres. Needless to say Happening boy opted for the wets and so was sliding round the corners sideways on tyres that really wished they hadn`t got up that morning, (the wet tyres get too hot in the dry and lose grip and rigidity). 

Just to add a dash of spice they had combined the Open with the last championship race of the Classic series. The classic drivers were on a mission to decide championship standings. Number 22 took it`s first racing "kiss" from one of the classic cars who shall remain anonymous but we know who you are Barrie !! At the end of the day 6th in class was nothing to be too ashamed of and a lesson learned in having the confidence to run dry tyres in drying conditions. Click on the little photos for larger images.

Silverstone AMOC meeting September 28th

Well the boy finally popped his racing cherry ! Qualifying saw him go round the national circuit in 1.07 which for a first visit to the track wasn`t too embarrassing. The race it`s self saw a good start and by lap 2 Henry had found a hole in the field and was keeping pace. Lap 3 saw the race stopped for a shunt at Beckets. The re-start found our intrepid leader in a battle for the whole race with a brace of Aston Martins and a little Elise nibbling at his heels. The Astons whilst weak under braking and cornering thundered up the straights and undid all the poor chap`s hard work each lap. Position changed 3 or 4 times each lap for the whole race with literally inches between the cars at times and a happy bunny emerged out of the car after the chequered flag had dropped. A first lesson in race craft well learned. Next stop Donnington park on October 12th......Click on the photo for a larger image

Snetterton September 16th 2002

Sunday saw a gaggle of cars searching the local villages for clues, the locals being a little surprised by the sudden influx of Porsches. The Coussey`s were the overall winners in their 911 Turbo 2 even if they did cheat by substituting a scampi for the required chicken nugget. The track day it`s self was a great success. Track sense organised the day, Tom and Henry were giving laps in the 993 and 944. The winner of the James Dean challenge shield was Deepak Madan in his 993 Cabriolet. His 3 spins should have seen him taking an early bath but as 1 happened when he was under instruction he was allowed it for free! For many it was their first venture onto a race track and all vowed to return. (click on the photo for a larger image)

The race car

This is it. The 911virgin.com race car for 2003. As raced by the Jones brothers in 1997, 1998 and early 1999. The car is a standard 993 with the addition of some aerodynamic aids as allowed in the Porsche cup in 1998. It`s got Penske adjustable suspension. At the moment the car is very heavy (even retaining electric windows!), as even in this trim it had to carry penalty ballast in 1998. If the driver improves we`ll look at reducing the weight / increasing engine power to get closer to the allowed class 4 limit of 4kg per 1 bhp.(click on the photo for a larger image).

The driver

Michael Schumacher has shown us that even the might of Ferrari can`t win races without a good driver and that sadly is where we struggle, having to rely on the fumblings of our noble leader behind the wheel. He`s done a few track days in the past but this will be his first foray into competitive motor sport. On the plus side his new race overalls really do look the business and all the top Le Mans drivers wear the same nomex socks ! He may well surprise us - just don`t hold your breath.(click on the photo for a larger image).

We`re off racing

The noble leader has somehow managed to persuade the relevant authorities to grant him a race licence and so keep your eyes out at the back of the grid for the Porsche open series at Silverstone on September 28th and also the Donnington Park round on October 12th. Options for next year include the Porsche open, the 750 motor club sports car series and possibly even some trips into Europe. The car is a 933 model 911 as raced with great success by the Jones brothers (currently British GT contenders), and originally built my Mike Jordan and Eurotech (currently GT Lister, international Porsche events for many years etc, etc !). Photos of the car shortly....

Spa Francorchamps May 6/7

Spa is a bit special. Set high up in the mountains it weaves it`s way up and down over 4 miles or so of rolling Belgian countryside. The F1 drivers say it`s their favourite track in the series and it ain`t hard to see why. Some fairly spectacular machinery and equally well qualified drivers saw the noble leader christened with fire in the little RS, some of the single seater race cars were taking no prisoners! 2 days of heaven (although the heavens themselves stayed closed for both days which is virtually unheard of in that part of the world), organized by RMA. Some superb in car camera footage for anyone sad enough to want to see it !! Click on the little photo for a big piccy (Clive from Paragon about to be overtaken - again !!)

Autocar trackday Mon 29th April

What a day! It rained buckets then the sun beat down, then it rained buckets, then the sun beat down, then it rained buckets some more. As usual we had the RS and the 944 shod with the Dunlop D98`s (soon to be replaced by the D01 - although Dunlop are crap Re: stock availability so who knows when they`ll actually arrive!). They did time us and the combination of driving rain and slick like tyres meant we were well down the field - then the sun shone !!!!! Drying tarmac and warming tyres meant for some flying laps. Our noble leader even managed to overtake a balls out Tiff Needel driving an Autocar reader`s varioram 993, ( will he ever stop going on about it ?). More rain meant sliding around again but what a circuit to practice wet weather 911 handling on. Even their noble leader Jonathan Palmer flew in by helicopter for the day. Most enjoyable.

Snetterton Sept 16th 2002

If you want to go we`ve finalised the price. It`s £150 for the day including instruction. If you are a customer of ours and want to go we`ll chuck some money in the pot for you and it`ll cost you just £95. That`s for the whole day including instruction if required. Let us know fairly soon as we only have a limited number of spaces available.

Format for Snetterton Track day

Right then, how does it work. The track day is on a Monday (16th September), We`ll probably go up there on Sunday and have a bite to eat in the evening if you`d like to join us. On the Monday there is a driver`s briefing and we`ll split up into 3 groups, Novice, Intermediate and Advanced. It`s a lovely circuit, don`t be afraid to run in Novice if you`re new to it all, no one is going to judge you, all we want is for you to have an enjoyable day. There is instruction available which will be free of charge. We will also run the RS and 944 in the advanced group so if you`re in the novice / intermediate groups and want a few hot laps with us that`s fine, again no charge for that (other than the usual beer the night before of course). The organisers are really super guys and tend to keep the "hooligan" element away so it really is no pressure, no one diving in on the inside of you etc. Try it - you`ll love it we promise. Book early as we only have limited places available and once the sun starts shining they will go very quickly.

Do you want to do a track day ?

We`re trying to arrange a couple of track days this year. One possible date is Monday 16th Sept at Snetterton in Norfolk. The event is going to be organised by Track sense and although we`ve not used them in the past they come highly recommended for a good safe day. The circuit it`s self has good run off. The days`s use of the track will cost around £150 and as well as driving your own car round (individual tuition is available one on one), you can sit in for a couple of laps in either our 964RS or orange 944 and give us some tips ! If you want to go call up ASAP and we`ll book you in. Don`t be afraid if you`ve never driven on track before, it`s not a race, no one is looking to see how slow or fast you are, it`s just a chance to have good clean fun driving your Porsche without worrying about oncoming traffic or Norman the lawman hiding round the next bend.

We are a bunch of cowboys

Last Easter saw the introduction of Cream Eggs to our bag of goodies in the sales office. This year we`ve gone one better. Not only have we managed to pinch a brand new second hand drinks machine off the painters we`ve also (for a limited time only mind), decided to offer those 70`s classics Wagon Wheels to keep you going while you count out the money. You try getting that from your local main dealers !

Rolex 24 Hour at Daytona

Our noble leader was out in the USA in February keeping the young Mark Sumpter from Paragon (dodgy cars dealers somewhere in Sussex !), company whilst he competed in the Rolex 24 hour. It was their first attempt at the race, one of the most demanding tarmac trials in the world. Unlike over half the feild they managed to complete the event despite the usual mechanical gremlins racing throws up. Valiant efforts by the Eurotech pit crew at 3.00am saved the day. Well done to Mark, Graham, Mike and David. We are thinking of entering one of the diesel Range Rovers for next year`s event, a couple of 200 litre oil drums full of diesel in the back and a steady 85mph should prevent the need for time wasting pit stops, the spare drivers could kip down on the back seats. What was that thing about the Hare and Tortoise

Big black and tasty

Following on from Bedford we`re off to Goodwood Friday 14th December for the day and we`re trying out some interesting tyres. Dunlop Formula R`s. Whilst being road legal they claim to perform as close to slicks as is possible. The benefit is not having to take a spare set of wheels with you to the track (and carrying the car on a trailer). Let`s see how they fare ! (click on the small picture to see it enlarged)

Track day fun

We`ve sorted out a couple of trackday cars for next year and they had their first outing at Bedford Autodrome on the 28th November. Click on the small photos for larger images of each car.

The first is a 944 lux, 2.5. Stripped out with a roll cage but standard engine. We`re running that to show you how much fun can be had for less than £5k. It won`t blow cars away on the straights but we think you`ll be surprised on the bends. We`ve already killed a few giants with it. It`s superb fun and throughout the year we`ll outline little changes we make.

The second car is a 964 RS. Again not the fastest car in the world on a straight but fairly nimble round the bends. The first trip out saw a bit of experimenting with tyres. As with the 944 we`ll keep you posted of any work we do to the RS. If you see us on the circuit and want a ride in either of the two cars just ask.

Thanks to Mark Sumpter of Paragon for allowing us to steal a couple of his old tyres - incidentally look out for him at the Deytona 24 hour race Jan/Feb 2002 - Le Mans next ?????

It`s Emily`s birthday

Little Emily is one year old. Born on 22-11-00 she thankfully shares none of our noble leader`s looks or miserable temperament. She is however a chip off the old block in other ways though - she dribbles most of the time, often has a rather strong smell, sleeps for a large part of the day and is always nibbling women`s breasts. Click on the photo for a couple of other photos of our next chairman.

Ancient Mariners of the world rejoice

Our noble leader featured in Motor Boat and Yachting`s November issue. That`s impressive I hear you all shout, was his luxury 4 million pound super yacht being reviewed ? Had he just circum-navigated the globe ? Had he rescued the crew of a sinking vessel in their hour of need ? No the fat old git was waddling around the southampton boat show and just happened to get in the way of an otherwise excellent shot ! (Prizes (for anyone who can actually be bothered to look) if you can spot him.

Famous Car

Bought the original 911 Turbo 4 (velvet red used to wear 911 HUL), the other day, still looking resplendent and drove like it had just left the showroom. Strange to see articles and posters of the car and then look at it in the yard ! Also bought a strange orange 944 with a roll cage the other day as well. Turns out the car was given away 4 years ago by performance car magazine after they had featured it being built. Keep your eyes open, we`re thinking of keeping it as one of our track cars as well as possibly a 964 RS we sold a little while ago which is coming back as a p/x soon.

911 & Porsche World

The recent article on buying a 993 featured some wise words from our noble leader, sadly no photos of the great man (couldn`t fit his ever widening frame into the standard format publication )! We`ll have to invite them down soon for a look round and a chat !!

Trackdays 3 and 4

Both 911 and Porsche World events at Bedford Autodrome were well received by both Tom and our noble leader who drove the events. Our noble leader even managed a 2 inch photo in the specialist Porsche publication, though he did comment that the camera seemed to put a few pounds on you around the stomach, (are you going to tell him or shall we!). Good to see some old customers there as well as a few specialists from the world of the independent Porsche people.

Trackday 2

Many thanks to Paragon for inviting us to Castle Combe for the day one Monday after the power tour had passed through town. Masses of track time in a relaxed atmosphere and a delish lunch.Our noble leader was forced to allow the "much slower" hosts past on several occasions although he did comment that their Mark Sumpter progressed well throughout the day and by close of business was really getting the hang of driving on a race track !

Who says the French Smell ?

Had a wonderfull long weekend in France near Reimes. Drove (or was it flew !) down in the company of brand new 911 turbo, Ferrari 355, 348, 993 3.8 RS, Turbo S, 964, turbo 2, 3.2 Carreras, to name but a few with some Alfa SZ Zegato, Merc SL, BMW coupe shrapnel thrown in. To the good people of France we thank you for your warmth and general waving as we passed through the villages. To Bernard we thank you for the Champagne tasting (or was it drowning), and to the man who built Folembray Race circuit we thank you for providing us with a base on which to play for 6 hours on the Monday - now that was a track day, 14 cars open pit all day in the company of lovely people. Many thanks to Nick Duncan of Late breakers for the organisation - he counted us out and he counted some of us back ! There is a short video of the trackday if anyone wants to see us all in action next time you`re round, just ask.

Our most maddest customer ever ?

You may have seen the 718RSK we had for sale recently. A little gem, a historic replica of a 1950`s race Porsche. No heater, tiny aero screen (stops the wind hitting your nipples but your face still takes a full on hit!) You will also see it`s sold - to a lovely bloke from Ireland. He bought it on spec and we duely collected him from Heathrow airport. He then drove it all the way back to Ireland - the week before christmas !!!! Our noble leader managed a test run of 800 yards with the chap before his ears froze, tears streamed down his face and his nose dropped clean off!! (well almost). At least it didn`t rain. You`re a top bloke Dennis (and your equally mad friend that just came along for the ride!!!!!) So if you saw a funny looking silver thing going down the M4 that Sunday it was them.

Track days

We may well be offering a limited number of track day places in 2001. At around £150 each they will be very informal affairs, small numbers will mean lots of time on the circuit and there will be no competition from other drivers. If you want to find a quiet spot and tootle round at 55 that`s fine by us. It gives you the chance to get a feel for the car flowing round bends without worrying about oncoming traffic and if you do want to put your foot down a little the boys in blue won`t have your pants down! Nothing definite yet but watch this space and / or the stock page.

Traffic update

As 2000 draws to a close we are welcoming an average of over 2,500 people onto the site every week. From humble beginnings the site is now proving to be the shop front we were hoping for. We are obviously generating hundreds of sales from the site but we are also using it to give advice for potential Porsche owners and so have included lists of service and insurance specialists. This is an avenue we will be building on in 2001 to try and keep us ahead of the game in the 3rd millennium. Don`t forget if there are any specialists you`ve used and think worthy of inclusion do let us know henry@911virgin.com

And another new arrival

We`ve got another person joining the team from March. Tom Harris joins us fresh from his studies at Newcastle University (drinking tax payers hard earned wedge in the student bar!)He will be joining the sales team as well as helping out with the myriad of other jobs around the yard. You will see an even more up to date website and you may well see the site promoted even further afield with a bit more time available for promotional activities. Up to then you may well see him around from time to time as he pops in for a day or so to familiarise himself with the coffee machine and office floor mop (only kidding!!!!!). Some of you may have already seen him but for those of you who haven`t he`s a cracking bloke, very helpful, friendly and efficient (but we`ll soon change all that!). We can`t wait to get him on board full time.

It`s a girl

It`s a girl and she is absolutely gorgeous..... 6lb 7oz, born 22-11-00 at 4.27pm.....mother and baby fine. Name pending but definitely not Portia, Porsha, Carrera, etc! Many thanks for all the e-mails of congratulation, you lovely bunch. Click on the photo for a bigger picture.

We`ll pop it in a plain brown envelope for you sir

We`ve got our first bit of e-commerce on the site. Go back to the stock page and click on the magazine link at the top of the page, you can order a subscription from over 1000 titles with more new ones coming by the day. It`s lovely getting you favourite read through the post and if you are struggling to find a good present for someone they make a killer gift. Every week or month the person gets to think what a lovely person you are !

All right John - I might have a nice bit of business to put your way?

Do you sell a Porsche related service or product? Insurance, parts (new or used), servicing, books or magazines, driving courses or trackdays, clothing, wheels or tyres, memorabilia or models, interior trimmers, cleaning products even artists or photographers (cars of course, I`m sure none of our customers would be remotely interested in the naked body!).Don`t worry if you`re not Internet wise, you don`t have to be an e-commerce giant (though you might be) we`ll do as much or as little as you want. The fact is we get nearly 10,000 people a month on the site and they all have one thing in common they all either own or want to own a Porsche. If you would be interested or want a chat then give us a call(01895 255222) or email us henry@911virgin.com We`ll be producing some layouts and ideas over the next few weeks so keep you eyes open !

We need to build a roundabout with all this traffic

All right so it`s not exactly setting new records in bandwidth usage or phone line blockage but we`re up to around 2,000 "distinct hosts" served a week now and we`ve had around 300,000 page hits over the site. Not bad for a bunch of dimwits from the country. The proof of the pudding is of course always in the eating and sure enough last quarter`s figures to the end of April were (in profit terms) not far behind the whole of the year before last. The best bit is that we`ve managed to do it all with increased turnover of cars rather than increased prices. We really do get asked by some people why we don`t charge more for the cars, well there`s the answer. Once again many thanks to all customers and visitors to the site. In particular thank you to the many customers who have recommended us to their friends. We may well look to arrange some social events in the future to reflect the growing army people flying the company flag. This increase in sales does mean of course that we are always looking for more cars to sell so if you do come across any let Henry know.

They`re havin` a laugh

A letter came from Virgin Enterprises suggesting we might have been passing ourselves off as part of their lot. Our noble leader went ballistic. He wishes it be known he`s never been in a hot air balloon, doesn`t even own a knitted sweater, sports no facial hair, has the body of a Greek god (we only write the stuff!) and rarely smiles (too true). We are of course nothing to do with the great bearded man`s emporium and don`t sell records, CD`s, cinema tickets, popcorn, holidays, would struggle to fly you to Luton let alone America, broadcast no light entertainment programmes - though our leader did once work as a disc jockey - an altogether different and embarrassing episode. Her highness our noble leader`s wife does make wedding dresses though. We think their airline is very good, their holiday`s excellent value, the premier screen in their Slough cinema is the absolute business and a worthy spend of anyone`s £10 - you get free popcorn and nachos and the staff are lovely!!! For legal reasons we have to point out that the dresses at virgin bride may not actually be made by sir Richard Branson himself he probably employs people to make them for him.

Move over Colin McRae

Our noble leader fresh from his Welsh Rally driving is currently hovering around the phone waiting for the call from Subaru offering him the works drive. Sadly (for us), he somehow managed to win the competition at the end of the day and we haven`t stopped hearing about his featherlite throttle control and knife edge cornering ability that combined with his nerves of steel gained him vital competition seconds that clinched the title. Seriously an excellent day out. The school is the Phil Price Rally School, all the top teams practice there and they are an excellent bunch. Telephone 01547 550300 or http://www.kc3.co.uk/rally . Thanks also to Tony Cuming of Grosvenor Butterworth Financial services Ltd for inviting him along. Have a peek at their site http://www.grosvenor-butterworth.co.uk/list.html

Yet more free chocolate products for you

First we gave you free peanut m&m`s, then we offered a non peanut alternative and now we are fattening you up with mini chocolate eggs as well as the ever popular and highly addictive cream eggs. Ever careful of over-spending, our noble leader has managed to track down cream eggs smaller than a pigeon`s egg (which for you city people is very small). A small step maybe but a giant stride for a man who`s wallet is harder to open than a Porsche 944 oil filler cap!

Our customers are the best in the UK

It`s official. Steve and Kerry who run La Foret restaurant in Odiham near Hook, Hants have just been awarded Les Routiers restaurant of the year. Having had the pleasure of dining there on several occasions our noble leader can confirm the award is more than justified. Steve and Kerry currently have a Forest Green (how apt),964 coupe, their second 911 from us. Well done. Book a table with them on 01256 702697 or see their website at www.laforet.co.uk they are just off junction 5 of the M3

New office

The new office is just about up and running and the m&m`s flowing. Early reports are that the normal Ribena is the most popular drink with diet Ribena and Coke following up a close second, if we can fathom out the coffee machine hot drinks may prove flavour of the month!

In the press (again)

We managed a little mention in the March edition of Car magazine on page 136. Our noble leader was quoted with regard to the website. Sadly the article refered to him as a computer dinosaur, this is of course totally untrue. Why only recently he managed to wire in a new printer, (although it must be said it did take 2 days). Anyway top blokes them fellows at Car.

Record Sales

It`s been a busy old time down on the farm. We`ve continued to enjoy record sales. In our financial quarter to the end of January - always our quietest, we trebled last years figures! At the moment the success of the Internet site means some cars are being sold less than 48 hours after arriving with us and happily the trend of customers returning or recommending friends use us is increasing. Thank you all very much.

In the press

We have had quite a bit of press and media coverage over the past few months as well. Classic and Sports Car did a 6 page spread on the Ferrari Testarossa (in stock) and the Lamborghini Countach (sold) for their December issue. We had half a day at the testing circuit near Bracknell putting the cars through their paces for the camera. It`s a hell of a job but someone`s got to do it! The miserable old gits did promise us photos from the shoot but they never materialised, in fact we even had to go out and buy our own copy of the mag. What a tight arsed bunch.

In the bookshop

We did send a silver 911 Turbo (930 VTO), off to Midsummer books in London for a photo shoot with an American supercar book (they were supposed to forward prints which never materialised), keep an eye out for the car in your bookshelves and let me know if you spot the car! Stop press - car back in stock.

On the telly

Channel 4 popped round at the end of last year and spent a day and a half filming a piece on the 911 SC. Mike Brewer hosted the item and was a lovely man in spite of trying to snog Sharon - still when you`re that ugly you`ve got to grab it when you can! Keep an eye out for Deals on Wheels some time in early May.

Rummaging around a scrapyard

Our noble leader has applied to go on channel 4`s Scrapheap challenge. The Sunday evening show where the teams have to make various vehicles, weapons or civil structures using the contents of a scrap yard and a few tools. An a