I have a recurring bit called “Rich Man, Poor Man” where I joke about things that only really rich and really poor guys have in common. Like spending all day in pajamas. Well, another one of those is super-long dreadlocks, like Magnus Walker, the guy who recently brought a customized Porsche 911T by my shop. Since he owns over 40 911s, I’m going to guess this guy is really rich.
Walker’s a Porsche collector whose obsession started early. Growing up in England in the ‘70s, he says kids either dreamed about Porsche Turbos, the Ferrari 512 Boxer or a Lamborghini Countach. He fell in love with Porsches (especially Turbos) after seeing 930 Martini Turbo at a car show when he was ten years old.
His initial goal was to own a 911 from every year, from 1964 through 1973. After finally getting one of the rare ‘64s, he says that getting ahold of a more common ‘73 lost its significance. That’s when he switched over to finding early Turbos—the cars that had started his love affair with Porsche. But Magnus said finding Turbos that weren’t either slant-nosed or already heavily modded was pretty tough.
And even though he has some numbers-matching, bone-stock 911s, Magnus isn’t too concerned with keeping them all “correct.” He’s breathed on a bunch of his cars and has come up with his own little signature touches. He and I are on the same page in the styling department.
There aren’t too many cars that left the factory with absolutely perfect styling. The Miura SV and maybe the Ferrari 250 GT Lusso are the only two I can think of. But the early ‘70s 911s are pretty damn close. So, he’s got a pretty solid jumping off point for customizing. It’s not like he’s trying to rework Cadillac Cimarrons here.
Magnus added a center fill gas tank and the Turbo flares have been reprofiled a little. One of his signature touches is drilled door handles and louvres on the decklid, which isn’t something you see on a lot of 911s. These are borrowed from the hot rod aesthetic, but he made them work on an import somehow. I love the exhaust, too. It’s straightforward and all business.
So, I’m not a Porsche guy per se, but at least they make sense to me. I scratch my head watching the Barrett-Jackson feeding frenzies where guys spend $2 million on a numbers-matching Hemi Cuda convertible. No matter how rare, perfect or desirable it is, it’s still kind of a junky car with a plastic dashboard that sold brand new for the equivalent of $25,000 in inflation-adjusted dollars. At least when you buy an old Ferrari or Lambo, you’re getting something that was really expensive in its day. Porsche is somewhere in between the Cudas and the Ferraris. They might not have a huge engine up front or a ton of refinements, but they’re engineered rock-solid and have iconic styling. And let’s not forget the sound. Nothing sounds better than an air-cooled flat six knocking on the door of the rev limiter.
And as Porsches go, Magnus’ Porsche really makes sense to me. It looks like he’s only done a little massage on the front apron and the flares. But in fact, he’s done a ton of work. And that’s the sign of a good customizer—he does a ton of mods, but doesn’t hit you over the head with it. The car just winds up looking like that’s the way it always should have been. Like I always say, cars should be like a woman who’s had a little work done. Even if you get a stem to stern refresh, it’s always best if it just looks like a little nip and tuck.
Magnus Walker’s 911 on Carcast with Adam Carolla
Impeccably shot and pure car porn for any sports car enthusiast. You don’t have to be a Porsche fanboy to appreciate the art and craftsmanship inherent in Walker’s style. Sit back and watch the full 32 minute documentary filmed by Tamir Moscovici spawned from a 3-minute short that gained wide appeal and increasing momentum.
URBAN OUTLAW – THE MOVIE from Tamir Moscovici on Vimeo.
Visit Porschephile Magnus Walker’s website: www.magnuswalker911.com
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