{"id":7628,"date":"2024-03-28T19:07:24","date_gmt":"2024-03-28T19:07:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.design911.co.uk\/blog\/?p=7628"},"modified":"2025-06-18T09:42:52","modified_gmt":"2025-06-18T08:42:52","slug":"porsche-people-darrens-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.design911.co.uk\/blog\/porsche-people-darrens-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Porsche People: Darren\u2019s Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the latest chapter of our occasional series, we sit down with another Porsche 911 aficionado. Darren Stoddart speaks for many of us \u2013 dazzled as a young lad, having to wait until adulthood to realise his dream, and now so soaked in Porsche there\u2019s no turning back. So, hit the gas, Darren!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

As parents, like it or not, we\u2019re responsible \u2013 to some extent \u2013 for the passions that our children adopt from us. That\u2019s just part of the deal. So, it\u2019s worth making sure that it\u2019s something worthwhile, or at least not inherently stupid, as those of us cursed with underachieving football clubs will testify. Darren\u2019s dad went another way, and it was his love of the 911 that still resonates today with his offspring.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve 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.\u201d It was clearly more than that, though, as the young boy was quickly indoctrinated into car culture.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019d 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\u2019d own a 911 by the time I was 30. I missed that target by 17 years!\u201d<\/p>\n

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Man meets car \u2013 the perfect story.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

However, by the time 2019 rolled around I was finally able to achieve my dream. This is now my second 911. It\u2019s a 2009 plate, 997, Generation 2. These are numbers that will be meaningless unless you\u2019re into Porsches (We are, Darren, we are!). But it\u2019s instantly recognizable as a 911, and that\u2019s what I love about this make and model. It\u2019s not a \u2018supercar\u2019, it blends in with everyday traffic, it isn\u2019t shouty; it\u2019s not the \u2018fast\u2019 version of a family BMW or Audi with something to prove. It\u2019s a 911. Even people who know nothing about cars instantly recognise it and know what it\u2019s about. This is what I find so fascinating about these cars.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you were to venture down the rabbit hole of Porsche motoring history, you\u2019d begin to realise why Porsche has stuck with the same model for more than 60 years; constantly tweaking and improving the original design. It\u2019s 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 \u2013 every generation improves on the last without interfering with the core DNA.<\/p>\n

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Take 2!<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n

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<\/a>, I immediately rang Tom<\/a> 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\u2019s more than enough power and the smaller engine loves to rev.<\/p>\n

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Valuable, but not precious.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve made a few changes to the cabin, but the car\u2019s integrity remains. It\u2019s not trying to be anything beyond a base model Carrera. It\u2019s not even close to a GT3, and never will be. It\u2019s the perfect Porsche for me \u2013 it\u2019s imbued with all the Porsche pedigree but isn\u2019t too precious about itself. Sure, it\u2019s more expensive to maintain than a Golf or BMW, it\u2019s not over-serviced or locked away for the winter. It\u2019s a perfectly usable everyday car that does everything very, very well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, the major differentiator from owning a 911 is the Porsche community itself. When I attended my first Porsche \u2018meet\u2019, I arrived as an outsider but quickly became integrated; networking, sharing ideas, building a sense of belonging. It\u2019s a culture, a movement of people that seems to grow every year. I joined the Redbourn Porsche Owners\u2019 Club<\/a> and now help run the group<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s this level of engagement that helps underline the sense of community that is such a fundamental part of owning one of these cars.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re a Porsche person or know someone as subsumed into Porsche culture as Darren, get in touch with us \u2013 and let them know about Design911!<\/p>\n