I'm sure there are some out there who would think that messing with the iconic 911 shape is blasphemy. But for the rest of us, this 911 may just be the prettiest 911 ever made. The reason you probably have never heard of it is because only one was ever made and it was built over 50 years ago. Back in the early 911 days (i.e. 1960's-1970's), Porsche didn't make a 911 Cabriolet. The engineers in Stuttgart didn't think they could design a convertible version (or perhaps feasibly build one) that would meet the American National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) rollover safety regulations, which is part of the reason the 911 Targa exists. Since the American market was quite important to Porsche as far as sales and profitability of the 911, a convertible wasn't built back then. It wasn't until 1981 that Porsche showed the world a concept 911 Cabriolet at the Frankfurt Motor Show and a production version didn't come out until late 1982 as
"Who's your green student today?" asked a friend and instructor at the BMW Club Atlantic Advanced Driver Training (HPDE) weekend in June this year. I said: "The Saleen." The response was: "Oh, boy." Mustangs, generally, have a reputation for being more power than chassis. Mustang drivers have quite the reputation for.. how to put this nicely? Taking advantage of said power/chassis imbalance. To make matters worse, this particular Mustang was a supercharged Saleen, with a honkin' Shaker scoop sticking out of its hood. Did I mention it was also a convertible? And the owner was someone who's never been on track before but clearly has the speed bug. Having had a Mustang for years and driven a few on track, they don't scare me - generally speaking - but the combination of being convertible and supercharged with a new and excited owner worried me a little. Nevertheless, I shrugged it off and got excited about chatting with the owner to find