Best Photos from Porsche's 2023 Rennsport Reunion 7
The quadrennial Porsche gathering in Monterey, California, brings fans of the brand together with famous drivers and cars from the company’s celebrated history.
The first Rennsport Reunion was born after Porsche’s 50th anniversary in the late ‘90s. A celebration in the states proved so popular that racer Brian Redman, and Porsche PR man, Bob Carlson, decided to make it an official and reoccurring party starting in 2001. Since then, Rennsport Reunion has taken place every three or four years—barring the interruption of say, a global pandemic—which put this year’s event (#7) a year behind. The delay certainly didn’t bleed off any enthusiasm, Rennsport 2023 was jam-packed with people and cars. The centerpiece of the Reunion is motorsports, so the famous curves of Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca are squealing with more than 200 racing Porsches, in seven different classes, from glossy bathtub 356s to whale-tailed turbo cars and modern Carrera Cup machines. Even Porsche tractors take a turn on the turns. Equally famous to the cars are the guests, Le Mans winners and F1 champions stroll through the crowds. Where else can you find yourself in line for a hot dog with Jackie Ickx or on a shuttle bus with Hurley Haywood? If you’re more of a production car fan, no worries, even the parking lots are overflowing with rare models in limited edition trims, and on display inside, some of the most important prototypes and first models in Porsche history. Tickets for the weekend cost more than $100, and VIP spots sold out right away. Don’t despair though, because we’ll take you there with us, from packing the car, to scoring a ride on track (but sadly, not on tractor).
Our ride up was a 2023 911 Sport Classic in Sport Grey Metallic. The Sport Classic is a RWD version of the 911 Turbo. You lose the AWD and about 29 horses but gain a seven-speed manual gearbox and a cute retro ducktail spoiler. Luggage for a week at the racetrack fits just fine.
The drive options between Los Angeles and Monterey are an embarrassment of riches.
Gratuitous spoiler shot. Driving a 911 is like being a Tik Tok gymfluencer. It’s impossible to resist posting photos of the rear.
One of the tests of any car is if you find yourself tempted to park it within view of the restaurant window.
Burger recommendation if you ever find yourself on California’s 166 highway through New Cuyama.
Random, but entertaining, stop in a shop entirely devoted to woody wagon restoration. We plan to go back and visit Alex Gurrero at Warrior Wagons again for a future story.
This might look like a slightly off 356, but it’s one of the most important cars in Porsche’s history. This is 356/1, the very first official road car. Its mid-engine design lost out to the rear-engine version we’re all more familiar with, but No. 1 survived and is in drivable condition today. We know, because we got to drive it.
Behind the wheel of Porsche 356/1. Note the odd reverse sweep speedo.
Just your usual 918 hotel traffic.
The parking lots at Laguna Seca looked like someone spilled a packet of Skittles into the valley. Gotta give Porsche credit for offering fantastic colors and convincing people to buy them.
Derek Bell and Jim Busby were just two of the former Porsche drivers in attendance. We asked Jim about driving at Le Mans, and if there was a noticeable difference as the cars went from 500 hp to more than 1000. “You’d get done with the straight quicker,” he said. “Which was good, because it went on forever and your foot would get tired holding the throttle open.” As for the speed itself, he says you don’t even notice it. “Going 200 at Le Mans is like looking over at your neighbor on an airplane,” he said. “You’re all going the same speed.”
There were lots of movie cars on display, including Sally Carrera from Cars and an RS from Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.
Like Lamborghini, Porsche has agricultural history. The Porsche tractor races are one of the highlights of the weekend at Rennsport.
Since there are no seatbelts that need fastening, the tractor races start with a Le Mans style footrace to get in and fired up.
Not sure how slow the shutter on this shot was to make them look like they are going fast. Assume maybe, three days.
Is it even a Porsche event if there isn’t a car there once owned by Steve McQueen? This black ’58 Speedster is a stripped down version with a bare-bones interior and a lower windshield. McQueen ordered it with two options, knock-off wheels, and a cigarette lighter.
There were two Carrera GT concept cars made. Only one still exists. This is it.
When you call your friend ahead of the party to color coordinate your outfits.
Safety first.
Many racing Porsches have been raced their whole lives, even if they’ve moved from driver to driver over the years.
Like a sleeper agent activated late in the game, Elana Scherr didn’t know her calling at a young age. Like many girls, she planned to be a vet-astronaut-artist, and came closest to that last one by attending UCLA art school. She painted images of cars, but did not own one. Elana reluctantly got a driver’s license at age 21 and discovered that she not only loved cars and wanted to drive them, but that other people loved cars and wanted to read about them, which meant somebody had to write about them. Since receiving activation codes, Elana has written for numerous car magazines and websites, covering classics, car culture, technology, motorsports, and new-car reviews. In 2020, she received a Best Feature award from the Motor Press Guild for the C/D story "A Drive through Classic Americana in a Polestar 2." In 2023, her Car and Driver feature story "In Washington, D.C.'s Secret Carpool Cabal, It's a Daily Slug Fest" was awarded 1st place in the 16th Annual National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards by the Los Angeles Press Club.
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