NO, YOUR EYES AREN'T DECEIVING Nyou. This is a Fast Fleet update on my 964 RS. For those of you unfamiliar with the 'Unicorn', I bought J74 KAE back in the spring of 2006. Just typing that seems surreal, as I refuse to believe my name has been on the logbook for 16 years. With 2022 marking its 30th birthday, this means I've owned this RS more than half its life.
It's long been a joke that I don't drive it anywhere near enough. Some would contend I don't drive it at all, which is a little harsh, especially as in the last year or so I've resolved to drive it more. Most recently that included heading to North Yorkshire for a gathering of journos photographers and other motoring sorts.
It began with evo's ace photographer, Aston Parrott, and ex-evo designer/writer Will Beaumont meeting at Meaden Towers in their respective modified Porsche 993 and resto-modded BMW 2002. Fuelled with coffee and bacon rolls, we then headed in convoy up the Al towards Pickering and our rendezvous with the rest of the crew.
A black car with no air-conditioning in the height of the hottest summer on record made for a sweaty northward schlep, but despite its hardcore character and lack of creature comforts the 964 is a strangely satisfying machine in which to cover mundane motorway miles. With zero distractions - that's to say no infotainment screens, hands-free phone or even a functioning radio - the RS fosters a Zen-like state in which the open road and gruff air-cooled flat-six make the best companions.
Once up on the moors we paused long enough to grab some lunch and admire one another's cars (everything from a fabulous Corvette Stingray and petite 205 1.9 GTi to a Mk1 Escort Mexico running a Vauxhall redtop motor and sequential gearbox) before Parrott, Beaumont and I headed off to enjoy roads we know so well from countless evo tests.
This story is from the December 2022 edition of Evo UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 2022 edition of Evo UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
BMW M135 xDrive
The M135 has lost an and gained chassis revisions and a restyle. Is it enough to make it a benchmark hot hatch?
Audi S5
S5 by name, S4 by nature, is Audi's new mid-size petrol-powered saloon a step in the right direction?
Lamborghini Urus SE
Lambo's super-SUV gets a major mid-life overhaul, going hybrid in the process. Has it become any easier to like?
HALL evo OF FAME
The evo Hall of Fame was established to recognise the great and the good of our corner of the universe. Prepare to welcome this year's inductees
CIRCUIT DAY
After three days of assessing their behaviour on the road, it's time to head to the Circuito de Navarra to find out how our nine contenders respond when their handling limits are explored
EVO CAR OF THE YEAR 2024
Nine brilliant cars, from flyweight roadsters to bombastic supercars to a be-stickered estate(!), do battle on some of Europe's finest and most spectacular roads. Which will emerge victorious? Place your bets now.
Porsche Panamera GTS
It lacks the raw power of its hybrid rivals, but does the new GTS’s more traditional approach give it its USP?
Alpine A290 GTS
The new electric Renault 5 has won plenty of plaudits. Is the hotter Alpine version a car to win petrolheads' hearts too?
BEST BUYS BMW M CARS
THE PERFORMANCE CAR LANDSCAPE WOULD HAVE looked very different over the last five decades without BMW. Its M division, founded in 1972, has produced some of the best driver’s cars ever to hit the road, and in the process has provided a stream of benchmark models for its rivals to chase. In recent years, stricter emissions regulations, downsizing and electrification have seen some of those rival cars falter, yet by and large BMW’s M machines have remained strong. In fact, some rank among the greatest the department has made think of the eCoty-winning M2 CS and M5 CS while others are the only options worth recommending in their respective segments. Price tags have risen with performance, however, putting those latest offerings out of reach for many, but the marque’s popularity means there are numerous earlier M models available on the second-hand market for far more attainable figures. Here are four of our favourites.
TYRE 2024 TEST
Want to fit the very best tyres to your performance car? The annual evo Tyre Test identifies the cream of the current crop