New 911 Targa 4S Recasts Steve McQueen's "Le Mans"
Porsche pays tribute to 50 years of Le Mans with a modern makeover of the most famous 911 movie scene ever.
Paying Tribute
It's been fifty years since iconic actor and all-around car guy Steve McQueen began shooting his film Le Mans. That movie, of course, just so happens to feature the most famous scene starring a Porsche 911 in history. So to pay tribute to this historic piece of big screen time, Porsche recently decided to recast it with the new 911 Targa 4S Heritage Design Edition, itself a model that's more than happy to pay homage to its predecessors.
Photos: Porsche
Star of the Show
The first 30 minutes of Le Mans carries on with zero dialogue, which is something you rarely see in any movie. But the power of images is what captivated audiences here, and that's not a problem for the Heritage Design Edition. Like the original 911 S from the film, the newer Porsche makes its grand entrance at the track like the star that it really is.
Photos: Porsche
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Masterful Recreation
The Christophorus backdrop is modeled after the renowned Porsche workshop in Teloché near the French racetrack, which served as the team’s Le Mans base until the 1980s. Sitting on the Targa 4S is Johann Ritter's helmet, one of McQueen's bitter rivals from the movie. Both new and old 911s are present for a bit of context, too.
Photos: Porsche
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Ultra Realistic
Le Mans is particularly fascinating because of its numerous film shots from the real twenty-four-hour race of 1970, which are seamlessly interwoven with the storyline. The race car from McQueen’s film company, Solar Productions - a Porsche 908/02 Spyder - drove along as a camera car and captured many kilometers of footage of real racing scenes.
Photos: Porsche
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A Real Throwback
The Porsche 911 Targa 4S Heritage Design Edition is a loving nod to Porsche history, with gold-colored lettering on the Targa bar and the rear. The unique interior features club leather and corduroy in Atacame Beige. The instrument cluster and Sport Chrono stopwatch provide further nostalgic nods in the cockpit.
Photos: Porsche
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Ingeniously Simple
In the very last scene, when rivals Erich Stahler (Siegfried Rauch) and Michael Delaney (Steve McQueen) cross the finish line with the crowd roaring in the background - neither victorious, yet both full of respect for each other - a gesture with just two fingers is enough to say it all. Really great cinema can be so ingeniously simple.
Photos: Porsche
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Supporting Role
Surprisingly, Le Mans was not a box-office success following its debut in 1971. It was simply too experimental for its time, but went on to become a cult classic and set forth a blueprint for all the many racing movies that followed. Regardless, even with McQueen's enormous star power, it was a Porsche that arguably played the most important supporting role in the movie.
Photos: Porsche
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