Porsche Club Insider

Martin Simon, PCA member and General Manager of Ourisman Toyota, joins us in studio to talk about the car industry. We chat about how Toyota and Porsche are dealing with changes in the market and we get Martin’s thoughts on hybrids, EV’s and platform sharing. It’s interesting to hear from another brand and how it compares to Porsche.

On this episode we cover our experiences at this year’s Luft 11.  PCAers Bob Miller and Richard Bauer come on the podcast as our special guest.  Bob, Richard, and Manny all entered their Porsches and were accepted into the show.  Vu came down as well to attend his first Luft.  Between the four of us, we’ll give you our thoughts on the show, what it was like getting set up before the show as well as the pre-show activities.  Because there was so much to cover, this is an extended episode.

On this episode, Bob Rassa, PCA member since 1967, talks about what PCA was like in the 60’s, how he joined the club and why he decided to start attending Parades. He also tells us about buying his first Porsche, meeting club founder Bill Sholar and what it was like having Ferry Porsche at the Porsche Parade. This one is a little longer than usual but it’s chock full of interesting stories. We also cover the latest Porsche news to include IMSA results for the 963 and Porsche stock slowdown.

On this episode, which was recorded prior to the announcement that Porsche was repositioning its model lineup, we discuss whether or not Porsche needs to continue to build sportscars or will the cross overs and SUV’s suffice?  We chat about the challenges Porsche leadership will be facing in the coming years and what can be done to keep the company heading in the right direction.  Plus, we review the recent PCA Open House that celebrated 70 years of PCA.  There’s also some Porsche news we cover as well as the upcoming  unStock event and a PCA video update.

On this episode, we report back on the annual PCA Treffen at Sea cruise.  This year, over 900 PCA members spent a week on the Enchanted Princess and visited four ports.  Each one had a PCA region with their Porsches, ready to welcome members as they disembarked.  Plus, we talk about how we prepare the PCA office for its annual open house that attracts over 300 members.  We also discuss the new 911 Turbo S, whether manual transmissions will continue, will the 963 continue to be a factory effort in 2026 and much more.  It’s a jam packed episode, don’t miss it.

Alwin Springer, one of the co-founder of Andial as well as the former President of Porsche Motorsports North America, joins us on the podcast again.  He regales us with stories of some of his favorite people who he worked with during his long career in racing.  We learn how he got hired at the famous Vasek Polak dealership and became head of the racing program, to how he formed Andial alongside Arnold Wagner and Dieter Inzenhofer.  He also tells us about his time as head of Porsche Motorsport in North America and how he continued to help Porsche after he retired.  75 minutes never went by so fast!

On this episode, Harley Magden joins us in studio to discuss a variety of topics around his obsession for cars. He’s primarily a Porsche guy but his collection varies widely and changes often. He and his brother started a successful window business that enabled them to purchase a car dealer that feeds their car collecting habit. It’s a fun hour of getting an inside view of someone who turned his hobby into a business.

We got to spend an hour, talking racing and history, with Gunnar Jeanette from AO Racing during Monterey Car Week. Gunnar was one of the youngest drivers to finish the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He was born into a Porsche family since his dad was a mechanic and crew chief for many Porsche teams during the 935 and 962 glory years. After racing, he partnered with a friend to start AO Racing which is more famously known for the team cars, Rexy, Roxy and Spike. Gunnar’s story telling is on point and he’ll keep you glued to hear the end of each one.

We talk about what we saw and did during this year’s Monterey Car Week. Of course, it was with a focus on our favorite brand, Porsche. We cover the major auction houses and the Porsches we saw. Plus, we chat a bit about this year’s Werks Reunion, some other shows we visited and spending a day with the folks from Gunther Werks at Laguna Seca. So much happened, we hope you enjoy us sharing it with you on this week’s episode.

Peter Simpson joins us again to reveal the 996 that Porsche Owings Mills prepared for the Porsche Restoration Challenge this year. The twist with this car was that they had to make it a wide body to accommodate the Gemballa wheels that had purchased. They didn’t use C4S fender flares. Instead, they widened it themselves along with many other mods. It’s a enlightening podcast that sheds light on this popular competition among Porsche dealerships.

Most everyone dreams of owning a Porsche 904, but it’s current value makes that dream nearly impossible.  For guest Chip Reichhart, the solution was to purchase a recreation at a much lower price. Chip joins us in studio to discuss his Beck 904. He goes over why he decided to buy it, what the differences are between the replica and real one, as well as what it’s like to drive it. He also goes over the buying experience and why he decided to spec his the way he did. As an owner of several vintage Porsches, he is well versed in their driving characteristics and it’s interesting to hear his take on his Beck 904.

On this episode we have Rob Sass in studio who helps us navigate the most interesting Porsches coming up for auction in Monterey. We start off by chatting about what we did over the Porsche weekend. This includes tire repair, air conditioning and fan resistor tips as well as why Orlando Bloom is promoting the PCA Porsche Design watch. We then go over cars from RM Sotheby’s, Gooding, Broad Arrow, Bonham’s and Mecum auctions in Monterey. This one is a little longer than usual but as always, it’s filled with great information.

Damon Lowney shares with us his ownership experience with his 2005 Cayenne V6 that he purchased earlier this year.  Damon has racked a good amount of miles on the car and has a list of things that need to be fixed. Vu also shares his ownership experiences he’s had with his 2006 Cayenne he’s owned for almost 20 years.  If you are in the market for an older Cayenne and are tempted by the low prices or even if you’re not going to buy one, it’s still an interesting show to learn more about Porsche’s first SUV.

We had the opportunity to sit down with Alois and Aloisa Ruf during the Porsche Parade to hear their story of how the company started, recent innovations, and their current line up. We hear about how Ruf and Gran Turismo exposed the Ruf brand to gamers who are now buying the real cars. We also hear about the first Ruf built, Alois’s connection to PCA and Oklahoma. Plus Aloisa tells us what its like to grow up a Ruf. There’s a lot covered in less than an hour. If you’ve heard the name Ruf but weren’t sure how it was associated with Porsche, this is the episode for you. Chapters (00:00:00) - Intro(00:01:33) - Guest introduction, Alois and Aloisa Ruf(00:02:14) - What is Ruf?(00:05:01) - Early years of Ruf(00:06:31) - The first Porsche in the Ruf family(00:10:09) - What’s it like growing up Ruf(00:11:23) - Fascination video(00:12:53) - What inspired you to modify 911s(00:16:17) - Why did Ruf become a manufacturer?(00:17:41) - Selling the 356 Notchback(00:22:00) - How does Ruf position itself with other tuners?(00:25:14) - What did Ruf change when it received the 911 chassis from the factory?(00:26:16) - Ruf’s employee structure(00:31:10) - How Ruf’s lineup is structured(00:36:11) - Is there a Hybrid or EV future for Ruf?(00:39:29) - How Ruf keeps the new cars feeling like the old ones(00:44:33) - Gran Turismo and the Yellowbird(00:46:41) - Review of the current RUF lineup(00:49:12) - The new RUF 993 lighting system(00:50:12) - Alois’ connection to Oklahoma(00:54:00) - Upcoming PCA events

This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the 2025 Porsche Parade in Oklahoma City, on the fourth day of Parade. Vu, Manny, and Damon welcome Nathan Merz to the podcast. We talk about all we did at Parade, which includes setting up, concours, RC cars, Tech Tactics, bowling, and more. This was a very memorable Parade and hopefully this episode will convince you to come next year.

This is a special episode that was recorded several weeks ago since this car was still a secret. It is split into three sections because we wanted to interview the key people involved with the development of the newly announced PCA70 911 Club Coupe. We start off with PCA President Aaron Ambrosino, who details how the Executive Council conveyed their wishes to the staff the Porsche Exclusive. We then bring on Michael Tam, PCNA's Product Manager for sports cars, who details how special cars like this are planned and executed. Lastly, we bring on Alexander Fabig, VP of Individualization & Classic at Porsche AG, and Grant Larson, renowned designer and Director Special Projects, Style Porsche, Porsche AG. They give us the story of what happened with the car in Germany and how so many of the special details came to life. PCA Club Coupes only come around every ten years, so we are super excited to bring you behind the scenes. Chapters (00:00:00) - Show introduction(00:01:23) - Guest introduction, Aaron Ambrosino, PCA National President(00:04:01) - History of Club Coupes(00:06:35) - When did planning start on the 70th Club Coupe?(00:12:40) - How was the color chosen?(00:16:27) - What’s special about the interior?(00:17:42) - The story behind the No Delay button(00:19:07) - How do you buy a 70th 911 Club Coupe?(00:20:00) - Guest introduction, Michael Tam, Product Manager, Sports Cars at Porsche Cars North America(00:23:16) - What are the first steps when planning a special car?(00:27:38) - Why was the Carrera T the perfect choice for the Club Coupe?(00:29:12) - What can you NOT get on the Club Coupe?(00:30:06) - How much difference is creating a Club Coupe as compared to a regular model?(00:31:02) - What’s the relationship between Porsche AG and PCNA for a model like this?(00:32:04) - How much work was involved in bringing the debut 70th Club Coupe?(00:33:46) - Where is the customization work done?(00:38:39) - Will you be overseeing the delivery of the Club Coupes in North America?(00:38:49) - Guest introductions, Alexander Fabig, Vice President Individualization and Classic and Grant Larson, Special Projects Style Porsche(00:39:36) - Did you look back at previous Club Coupes for inspiration?(00:42:36) - What role did In and Out have with the creation of the Club Coupe?(00:46:07) - Why was the 911 Carrera T chosen as the base for this car?(00:47:52) - Tell us about the color from a designer standpoint(00:50:39) - Explain how you came up with the wheel design?(00:54:36) - Special Easter eggs on the car

On this episode, Mia Walsh, who is PCA’s National Drivers Education Committee Chair, joins us in studio to talk about what a rookie can expect if they come to a PCA DE. Along with hearing about Damon’s recent HPDE with Nord Stern Region at Road America, we chat about what you’ll need to participate, how PCA trains its instructors, and how PCA teaches you how to be safe while having fun. Plus we discuss Porsche news. Chapters (00:00:00) - Show and guest introduction(00:02:25) - Damon’s day at Road America(00:13:45) - What is Driver’s Education?(00:17:00) - Which cars can’t participate in DE?(00:18:00) - What’s required of your car?(00:21:49) - Should you modify your car for DE?(00:24:29) - How PCA trains its instructors to teach students(00:37:00) - Is DE just like racing?(00:40:29) - What you’ll need prepare you come to your first DE(00:45:48) - Do you need a driving suit?(00:50:19) - Are race tires necessary?(00:53:24) - Windows up or down while on track?(00:57:13) - Day of the event, what do I need to bring?(01:01:10) - How fast can you expect to go?(01:03:50) - Is this an activity for both men and women?(01:09:01) - What happens when something goes wrong on the track?(01:11:30) - Is there classroom instruction?(01:13:30) - What if my car breaks down?(01:18:47) - Porsche News: Porsche comes in fourth at 6 Hours of the Glen(01:20:07) - Update on PCA videos(01:23:17) - Upcoming PCA events

PCA member and internationally recognized expert on James Dean, Lee Raskin, joins us in studio for a lesson on everything you didn’t know about James Dean and his love of racing Porsches. Lee explains to us how he got hooked on James Dean, what he’s discovered over the decades of research and investigating James Dean, his cars, and that fateful day. If you want to hear accurate information on this fascinating topic, this is the podcast for you. Chapters (00:00:00) - Intro(00:02:00) - Guest introduction, Lee Raskin(00:03:50) - Why did you get interested in James Dean?(00:08:10) - James Dean books that Lee authored(00:11:49) - How did Lee get into Porsches?(00:15:56) - Why did James Dean drive Porsches?(00:26:20) - How did the 550 Spyder and James Dean come together?(00:40:05) - Why was Dean heading to Salinas?(00:45:45) - What happened on that fateful day?(00:59:05) - Investigation of the accident(01:02:20) - What happened to the wrecked 550 Spyder?(01:14:49) - Porsche News: Porsche 963 finishes third in IMSA Detroit race(01:16:59) - PCA events update(01:17:37) - PCA video update

Michael Maurer was a salesperson at Porsche dealerships for four decades starting in 1982.  He tells us what it was like to sell during lean years, what the 944 and Boxster did for salespeople, the coming of the SUV and luxury four door sedans and the threat of a Porsche bankruptcy.  We talk about how people used to buy Porsches, discounts, selling during the pandemic and much more.  It’s an interesting peek into the dealer sales side of the Porsche world.

Michael Levitas, owner of TPC Racing, joins us to discuss whether Porsche has lost its way with the new cars. Michael owns a variety of Porsches that range from a 1971 911S to a 2024 911 Carrera S. He also owns several examples of Porsche’s competitors that he uses to develop aftermarket suspension and tuning products. We chat about whether newer cars are still visceral, do driving aids make bad drivers seem great, and whether or not it is still possible to modify and improve what the factory produced. It’s always interesting when Michael joins us and this episode doesn’t disappoint.