Porsche History Takes Over Universal Backlot for Luftgekühlt 6

Roughly 600 examples of key air-cooled Porsche road and race cars were on display at popular event.

This past weekend, the Universal Studios Backlot area was packed with some 600 air-cooled Porsche vehicles for Luftgekühlt 6. Making for one of the most unique backdrops of any automotive show in the world, the studio backlot area includes famous movie sets including the Courthouse Square from Back to the Future, along with New York Street, Western Town and Mexican Town, with these fictional locales being lined with an automotive history lesson into the world’s greatest air-cooler performance cars.

Luft 6 was sold out to both spectators and Porsche owners, but one of our photographers was in attendance and he got some great shots, bringing some of the best and brightest of the event to the forum front page.

Off-Road-Ready 911

There were a surprising number of Porsche 911 models that had been modified for off-road racing, with these “Safari” cars becoming more popular as owners look to replicate classic rally racers. As you can see in the car below, these 911s have lifted suspension setups that make room for big off-road tires, while aftermarket lights and a roof rack prepare these cars for lengthy racers through the wilderness.

Media personality Matt Farah was among the Safari 911 owners who were in attendance at Luft 6.

LeMans-Winning 935

Next up, we bring you a look at one of the most recognizable classic Porsche race cars, in the form of the 1979 935 “slant nose”. This car won the 24 Hours of LeMans, the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring endurance races in 1979, making it one of the most successful Porsche endurance race cars ever, but it is also well-known because of who competed in this car.

Over the years, the #70 Hawaiian Tropic 935 was piloted by famous racers including Paul Newman, Brian Redman, Bobby Rahal and Rolf Stommelen.

Record-Setting 911

Magnus Walker is easily one of the world’s most famous collectors of Porsche vehicles and this classic 911 is one of the most unique in his collection. This car was part of a record-setting event where it was driven for 20,000 kilimoeters over the course of 96 hours, averaging a speed of 130.01 miles per hour.

Air-Cooled Legends

In addition to those three unique Porsche 911 models mentioned above, Luft 6 had scores of other distinct air-cooled models from the legendary history of the German sports car brand. Once again, the Universal Studios Backlot served as the perfect backdrop for Luftgekühlt, just a few of which we have showcased here.

Photos for Team Speed by David Ciminelli

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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