In the latest chapter of our occasional series, we sit down with another Porsche 911 aficionado. Darren Stoddart speaks for many of us – dazzled as a young lad, having to wait until adulthood to realise his dream, and now so soaked in Porsche there’s no turning back. So, hit the gas, Darren!

As parents, like it or not, we’re responsible – to some extent – for the passions that our children adopt from us. That’s just part of the deal. So, it’s worth making sure that it’s something worthwhile, or at least not inherently stupid, as those of us cursed with underachieving football clubs will testify. Darren’s dad went another way, and it was his love of the 911 that still resonates today with his offspring.

“I’ve been into cars for as long as I can remember. As a child growing up in the 1970s, I was heavily influenced by my dad, who owned an engine reconditioning business and was always driving different cars.” It was clearly more than that, though, as the young boy was quickly indoctrinated into car culture.

“He’d take me to the Motor Show at Earls Court, Hopwood Racing and others and I have extremely vivid memories of these events. The smell and noise of these events were intoxicating for a young boy. By the turn of the eighties, my bedroom wall was covered with car posters. But I was always drawn to the 911. By the time I left school and started work I promised myself I’d own a 911 by the time I was 30. I missed that target by 17 years!”

Man meets car – the perfect story.

However, by the time 2019 rolled around I was finally able to achieve my dream. This is now my second 911. It’s a 2009 plate, 997, Generation 2. These are numbers that will be meaningless unless you’re into Porsches (We are, Darren, we are!). But it’s instantly recognizable as a 911, and that’s what I love about this make and model. It’s not a ‘supercar’, it blends in with everyday traffic, it isn’t shouty; it’s not the ‘fast’ version of a family BMW or Audi with something to prove. It’s a 911. Even people who know nothing about cars instantly recognise it and know what it’s about. This is what I find so fascinating about these cars.

“If you were to venture down the rabbit hole of Porsche motoring history, you’d begin to realise why Porsche has stuck with the same model for more than 60 years; constantly tweaking and improving the original design. It’s this intrigue that really captured my imagination and inspired me to own a 911 and discover what all the fuss was about. Why were so many petrolheads this passionate about the 911? The evolution of the 911 has been so impressive – every generation improves on the last without interfering with the core DNA.

Take 2!

For the second generation 997, Porsche added a completely new engine, refined, and improved the cabin. When I decided to swap from first to second generation 997, it had to have a manual gearbox. Finding a good one wasn’t easy. When Porsche launched this second generation in 2008, it was during a global recession, and they built far fewer of these cars compared to the first generation. Most new owners opted for the powerful 3.8 S version, and 80% of them opted for the PDK automative gearbox, which meant that those looking for the 3.6 manual shift were fighting over maybe 200 cars.

So, not rare as such, but it does make the search a little harder. I waited for nearly 12 months for this car to turn up at my local Porsche dealership, 911 Virgin, I immediately rang Tom as I knew it would be a good one. And having now owned it for two years I firmly believe that the 3.6 manual is the sweet spot: there’s more than enough power and the smaller engine loves to rev.

Valuable, but not precious.

“I’ve made a few changes to the cabin, but the car’s integrity remains. It’s not trying to be anything beyond a base model Carrera. It’s not even close to a GT3, and never will be. It’s the perfect Porsche for me – it’s imbued with all the Porsche pedigree but isn’t too precious about itself. Sure, it’s more expensive to maintain than a Golf or BMW, it’s not over-serviced or locked away for the winter. It’s a perfectly usable everyday car that does everything very, very well.”

“For me, the major differentiator from owning a 911 is the Porsche community itself. When I attended my first Porsche ‘meet’, I arrived as an outsider but quickly became integrated; networking, sharing ideas, building a sense of belonging. It’s a culture, a movement of people that seems to grow every year. I joined the Redbourn Porsche Owners’ Club and now help run the group.

“It’s this level of engagement that helps underline the sense of community that is such a fundamental part of owning one of these cars.”

If you’re a Porsche person or know someone as subsumed into Porsche culture as Darren, get in touch with us – and let them know about Design 911!

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