John Morton Tells You What Porsche to Race
Daily Slideshow: John Morton sits down to discuss the best of the best. Wait... you can actually buy some of these?
“Money no object, Morton.”
Those were the words I said to John when he made a crack at whether or not we should include the 917 because of it’s skyrocketing value. Certainly, Porsche mania has hit an all-time high which means these cars and their history are more relevant than ever. Having said that, what are they really like to drive? Sure, we all sit back and dream about what the 917 or 962 would be like on the track at full speed, but remember—most people who get the chance are terrified of crashing them or restricted by the teams who allow them to run. Not John. This guy gets to flog all this stuff decades later and even raced them to victory at Le Mans. Who better to ask then? Let’s dive in at full speed.
image courtesy of kinja-img.net
Cayman S
Seriously? Yup. The first car on John’s list of the best Porsches he has ever driven is the Cayman S. It was also the first car that came to his mind when I asked him which I found very intriguing. A quick probe into the mind of the former Can-Am racer confirmed everything that is good about this balanced and controlled mid-engine scalpel. “I like the mid-engine feeling this car delivers, but primarily I just like the way it looks,” he said. “I’ve driven one so I know they handle really well and there’s a great aftermarket for them.” This was really interesting to me since he’s driven cars at 200mph and beyond in the rain against some of the toughest competition on earth. Cayman S, GT4 and other versions of this platform are so well built they stand out even among race cars that are made from unobtanium. Confirmed then, the Cayman S really is one of the best cars the company has ever made.
image courtesy of carverse.net
Porsche 962
“I drove the 962 for two seasons and it was so much easier to drive than anything else at that time,” the legend informed me. “It was less violent and more comfortable. Eventually, it was outpaced by the Nissan GTP car, but as they became less competitive the rules [at least the American rules] allowed them to have more power and a bigger inlet than the Nissan and Toyotas and they stayed competitive partly because of rule changes that affected their performance in a positive way.” Morton gives great insight here into what it takes to build a truly success race car or even road car. The vehicle shouldn’t tax your brain or body to drive for long periods of time. It’s all down to suspension tuning and power delivery.
image courtesy of kinja-img.net
A Brief Note
It was at this point in the interview that I was quick to ask this driver of all things, Porsche, whether or not he preferred mid-engine machines in general over the famous rear-engine cars that have become so synonymous with the brand. The reply was a simple “yes.” We might be onto something here, but I digress.
Jerry Seinfeld’s 917/30
Well, technically it was Brian Redman’s car. That’s right, this Can-Am monster is something John actually got to test and push harder than most would ever be allowed to. I asked him if it was a nasty car to drive and the answer was shocking, to say the least. “I thought that’s how it would be when I drove it at Willow Springs, but I was really surprised at how nice the car was to drive,” he stated. Not at all what you were expecting, right? He went onto to explain to me that the car had beautiful balance on corner turn in although the shifter was slightly “notchy.” John said that the chassis felt very solid and the overall feeling of the 917/30 was planted. This car truly belongs on any driver’s top 10 list when discussing the greatest of all time.
Best Older Porsche Ever
“I think the best older Porsche that I ever drove—and a lot of people would agree with this—is the 908/3,” Morton concluded. By keeping front and rear overhangs tiny the 908/3 was one of the most agile racing machines of the day which looks every bit like it belongs on the podium. 3.0-liter magnesium alloy engines were good for 360bhp and only had to push around a weight of 1,200 lbs making them plentiful in the power to weight department. So what’s the last car that makes his list of the best of the best? Well, it might sound surprising, but it’s not…
997 Porsche GT2 or Any GT3
“Any newer GT3 for the track or a 2WD turbo on the street would be my pick,” were his thoughts on the current fast batch of road-going 911s. “But I wouldn’t take a four-wheel drive version if I had the choice,” he was quick to add. It makes a lot of sense looking at the list. This guy is used to some serious speed and the challenge it takes to drive racing cars that were born in an era where traction control was a luxury, not the law. He’s the ultimate driver’s driver and a legend among legends who played a critical role in motor racing history for Porsche, Datsun and a number of other manufacturers. It would seem then that the ultimate road-going cars you can buy are the GT2, GT3 and the Cayman S. As for cars like the 962 and 917, you’ll just have to take the man’s word for it. Hope you enjoyed.
For help with your maintenance and repair projects, please visit our How-to section in the forum.