Featured: This Is The Car That Inspired The Porsche R-Gruppe

This Is The Car That Inspired The Porsche R-Gruppe

By Petrolicious
May 22, 2014

Story and Photography by Alexander Bermudez

Fifteen years ago, Mr. Cris Huergas ignited the early 911 hot rod revolution, by applying a humble list of factory sanctioned modifications to this 1969 911S. The car attracted the attention of Mr. Freeman Thomas who, together with Cris, founded R-Gruppe, a club that in turn inspired countless 911 enthusiasts, to adopt the same modifications as set forth in the factory’s Sports Purpose Manual. Over time however, the tuning became more ambitious, extending well beyond the scope of the original 1968 manual and climaxing with super builds like the WEVO built PVX, a 1969 Porsche 912 with a water cooled, 425hp 996 GT3 Cup engine mounted under its carbon deck lid. Yet Cris’s “sports purpose” car is remarkably simple, bearing little if any resemblance to the latter.

Even among the well-heeled Porsche community, one simply cannot walk into a dealer and buy the kind of cool so effortlessly exuded by this first R-Gruppe build. So when fellow POC member Mr. George Puckhaber, the current owner of the car, suggested that I borrow it for this story, I wasted little time accepting his generous offer.

I have always had a great affinity for the R-Gruppe and their admiration for early 911 hotrods, where creativity is expressed and celebrated, through cars that may otherwise have been lost. On the other hand, my experience with the Porsche Owners Club has been the antithesis of this; where cars are merely tools, subjected to the brutality of racing and while my passion for racing is absolute, the creative exercise and camaraderie the R-Gruppe promises, would be a welcome refuge from the harsh realities of racing.

This however, is all a moot point, as I am not among the lucky few to have been extended an invitation. Quite the contrary, my good friend and long time member Curt Autenrieth has said, and I quote “Bermudez your passion for Porsche is commendable, however you’re still not R-Gruppe material!” So with that in mind, I squeezed into the driver’s seat of the Porsche that started it all.

After exploring the Antelope Valley in John’s SCRS, I felt it was time to go east towards Death Valley, after all, what better place to take a vehicle with no AC?

The following morning started with a brisk climb up Angeles Crest but once above five thousand feet the asphalt turned dark and reflective as rain battered the mountains and everything on them. To my relief, the forty-five year old windscreen wipers performed perfectly, eclipsed only by the magnificent chassis that came to life, as the Dunlop DZ101s floundered in the wet! With the Porsche rapidly approaching Wrightwood, snapping and popping on every upshift, I caught myself giggling like a schoolgirl, at this little car’s natural ability to rotate. If there was ever a vehicle that exemplified the concept of automotive theater, this was it!

As the rain subsided I traveled east from Wrightwood on Lone Pine Canyon Road, a largely forgotten strip of tarmac, which has the eerie distinction of being constructed along the San Andreas Fault. Thankfully, the five-mile stretch was free of seismic activity and I pushed the tachometer’s needle towards its redline. Lone Pine feeds into the 138 about a mile west of Interstate 15, the site of my first pit stop. With forty dollars of gas, and some bottled water, I was on my way to Baker. The next 115 miles of mundane interstate would provide ample opportunity to reflect on George’s car.

In spite of its age, this little 911 feels surprisingly modern, and while its performance pales in comparison to that of the new 991, the joy this car brings comes from maximizing its modest ability, not flashing power in meaningless spurts of short-lived exuberance. Regardless, this car’s reliability, solid demeanor and sublime chassis, are a testament to Porsche’s long-standing commitment to excellence. The glaring exception being the 901 transmission, although cool due to its dogleg configuration, is extremely hesitant into first and painfully slow across the remaining ratios. Only with time and dedication was I be able to cajole the gears into place. Purists would point out that mastering the transmissions, is a right of passage to owning such a car and in spite of my frustration, I would have to agree.

Additionally Huergas’ “sports purpose” treatment complements the car’s already timeless design. Gone is the excessive chrome from the deco molding and front overriders, as are the sugar scoop headlights replaced with European spec variants, all adding to the aesthetic that has come to define the R-Gruppe. Inside, the utility is further enhanced with Recaro competition seats, rubber mats instead of carpet, simplified door trim and the removal of rear seat back rests, all in an effort to shed weight in what is already, the lightest production long wheelbase 911 ever produced; in the words of the great Colin Chapman “to add speed, add lightness.”

The 2-liter engine, although left unmodified, was happy to hum its way along the endless freeway. Its light assembly of parts give it a certain eager charm, not found in larger displacement engines. Although one has to work for it, the car is more than capable of “excessive speed,” to quote the nice Highway Patrol officer I met along the way!

Eventually I arrived in Baker, California, home to the world’s tallest thermometer, located approximately ninety miles southwest of Las Vegas; it serves as a rest stop for the gambling hordes, most of them down on their luck. But to the town’s six gas stations, such trivia makes little difference to the price at the pump. At Baker’s only four-way intersection I headed north along SR-127 towards Death Valley.

Once free of interstate traffic, the desert defiantly encroached on the hot pavement, as if to give context to humanity’s fleeting existence, a notion that was completely lost on me as I single-mindedly downshifted to fourth in search of speed. But the landscape was playing tricks, the barren terrain absent of any visual cues masked the sensation of speed within the vast canvas that is the Mojave Desert. No matter how hard I pushed, the majestic scenery barely seemed to move.

The same could not be said for the orange needle, frantically dancing up and down the gas gauge. At any given moment, the car was either two-thirds full or empty with the reserve light on! Under normal circumstances this would not be much of an issue but this was Death Valley. Luckily Furnace Creek, population: 24, was on the horizon, and before long I topped off the tank and headed south, on my final leg towards the lowest and driest point in North America.

As I approached Badwater’s crystallized lakebed, 282 feet below sea level, I marveled at how resolute this 45-year-old Porsche was. I had driven it mercilessly for 322 miles nonstop, through a variety of demanding road conditions and it hadn’t skipped a beat, towards the end, even the transmission gave me a break. Looking back it’s hard to comprehend how this car must have felt in the context of 1969. The new 991 today is competent amongst its peers, but George’s 911 must have been out of this world in ‘69!

Soon after the sun slipped behind the Panamint Mountains, I began the long journey back to Pasadena. For miles I pondered something George had said the day before. The car I was driving once belonged to an acquaintance of his, a fellow Porschephile, who proudly touted its R-Gruppe heritage, and adamantly swore never to sell it. However when George first caught sight of it, he was so struck by the car’s attitude that he gestured to buy it if ever the owner had a change of heart. Much to George’s surprise, six months later, his offer was accepted!

And on that note I would like to publicly extend the same offer to George, if by some miracle you decide to move on, I would very much like to be this little car’s next custodian. What would I want with this little car, I hear you ask? The truth is, contrary to my previous condescension, this car is not little at all; it is in fact a giant among legends.

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rh1iitz
rh1iitz
4 years ago

Who currently owns this car?

ronjoy
ronjoy
6 years ago

I’m a little late to this party but you inspired me. This morning I was telling a friend that the beauty of Porsche’s is that many exotic sporting vehicles (Ferrari comes to mind) are due for major attention at 30k miles. Most Porsche’s with even minimal service are just hitting their stride at 230k miles. Many guys spend big bucks thinking that’s the price you pay for automotive “fun”. Many Porsche owners spend similar amounts then wonder how the folks in Stuttgart can sell such a long lived, enduring and endearing little treasure for so little.

Derek Richards
Derek Richards
8 years ago

great car, terrific journalism, good pics….an excellent piece, thank you.

Jens
10 years ago

Warms my heart to read your article Alex. The car is so very familiar to so many of us. Thank you for taking such care with the car’s story. And the photos; every one is desktop wallpaper!

Jens

Alexander Bermudez
10 years ago
Reply to  Jens

Thank you Jens, I had such an amazing time with the car, it was hard to give it back to George!

Kevin Truong
Kevin Truong
10 years ago

Great write up Alex! Long time no see after I left Greg’s shop. Hope all is well. Motor on buddy!

Alexander Bermudez
10 years ago
Reply to  Kevin Truong

Hey Kevin, it has been a long time but I still frequent House Automotive, in fact I brought the R-Gruppe car to Greg before and after the road trip, just to check and top up the fluids… How are things with you? Still racing the Cayman I hope!?!

mike
mike
10 years ago

You, really, should, reconsider, how, many, commas, you, use, and, learn, their, proper, usage.

Ken Shahoian
Ken Shahoian
10 years ago

Actually, I’ll pin R Gruppe down to a couple of earlier occasions–Cris trading up from a 914 to a ’72T in ’80, where I met him at the College of Alameda where we were both taking classes (I had a ’68 wannabe 2.0S coupe I’d scrounged up two weeks out of high school), and his meeting Rodney Chew around town in Oakland.

So onto this car: Cris found it down the street from his house in a driveway, basically abandoned ~1990. Cris called me, I didn’t feel like spending $4K on a dead ’69S, he bought it, and my cousin (the one who does the 910/907 thing now) painted it in his dad’s garage.

Seems like half a lifetime ago.

David
10 years ago

Great story, very well written Alexander! If anybody is interested, I took a look at the aforementioned WEVO 912 with a 996 GT3 Cup engine with a short outline of it’s build here at:
http://www.carbuildindex.com/6342/1969-porsche-912-gt3-cup/#comment-608
Let us know if you are able to persuade him into selling the R Gruppe to you. Enjoy!

Bob Tilton
10 years ago

I can still remember seeing that car for the first time at EASY in Emeryville. It changed everything for me. Truly one of the best examples of an early Sports Purpose 911. Fantastic article and write-up!

Alexander Bermudez
10 years ago
Reply to  Bob Tilton

Thanks Bob, I greatly appreciate your kind words, especially in light of your own efforts.

Jens
10 years ago
Reply to  Bob Tilton

Great article Alex, and great photos,,,,,,
Me too Bob. It was at EASY in ’00 or ’01. I was totally blown away that such a gang with the same mind-set as me even existed. I was adopted on the spot. The first thing I did when I got home was to get a set of RGruppe plates from the registry for my hotrod 911. ,,,,,,,,,, Great story Ken,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,!!

curtisaa
curtisaa
10 years ago

Nice ditty about Cris and his ex-Porsche Alex. You are absolutely the best photographer with an IPhone….bar none !

Mark Sanders
Mark Sanders
10 years ago

“what exactly does it take to become R-Gruppe material? :p”

As Big Daddy Roth once said “If you gotta ask…you wouldn’t understand.”

Alexander Bermudez
10 years ago
Reply to  Mark Sanders

Well there you have it Benjamin, neither of us have much of a chance of being admitted!

John B
John B
10 years ago

Great read.. Love the photography. Any chance for som high res downloads. ? Would love that 1st shot as a desktop.

Keep up the good work

Benjamin Shahrabani
Benjamin Shahrabani
10 years ago

what exactly does it take to become R-Gruppe material? :p

@AmirLovesCars
10 years ago

A black Audi station wagon.

Beck
Beck
10 years ago

Great shots again Alex. Especially dig those interior shots!
Thanks for sharing the stories of the car & owner that brought upon the R-Gruppe German “hotrods”!

Alexander Bermudez
10 years ago
Reply to  Beck

Thanks Beck, it was a really fun day! Stay tuned…

Dustin Rittle
Dustin Rittle
10 years ago

Tons of great pictures as usually Petrolicious! The more and more i see Porsches likes this and read these articles makes me want to buy one more and more each time. There is something just so purposeful about these cars and i really dig it in time where alot people seems to go in a direction more about flash then substance. Great article

Jack Olsen
Jack Olsen
10 years ago

Great pictures and another great Petrolicious article!

And just to stir things up, not all R Gruppe cars “pale in comparison to that of the new 991.” Here’s a Gruppe member keeping up with the recent record-setting effort of a pro driver in the new 918 super car. :p

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNKJMJNlo_o

Fred
Fred
10 years ago
Reply to  Jack Olsen

Hello Mr Olsen, I have seen some of your videos on that track. I also saw the one article when you compare your car to a GT3CUP (wonderful!). question: what is the best time a 996GT3 cup has ever done around this track? I am surprised that a 918 can go quicker than a GT3CUP. thanks

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