The idea of “re-imagining” Porsche 911s is something of A Thing now, with companies like Singer hand-crafting some genuinely beautiful machines that capture the essence of what the 911 is while concentrating and intensifying it to remarkable degrees. But these rarified Porsches can get almost too intense and serious, trading some of the car’s fun for gravitas or presence or something serious like that. But there is one company that has been re-imagining 911s longer than anyone else, and they do it with a playful glee that incorporates technology and engineering with just enough fun. That company is bb, and at this year’s Porsche Classic Restoration Challenge at the Werks Reunion, Monterey, Galpin Motors has a re-creation of one of the best of these, a 1986 Porsche bb-Auto Targa Hybrid.
The 1986 bb-Auto Targa Hybrid is a re-creation of a fascinating car, one originally crafted in collaboration with Polaroid for the 1976 Photokina photography show. That’s why the car is covered in those rainbows; the rainbow was a key part of Polaroid’s logo and identity.
As you may have expected, bb Auto didn’t just slap some rainbows on it and knock off early; there’s actual Polaroid technology in this thing, in the form of ultrasonic back-up sensors taken from a Polaroid SX-70 camera, something I’ve written about before.
This modern re-creation also incorporates some pretty advanced and unexpected tech as well; here’s how the press release explains it:
The 1986 Porsche bb-Auto Targa Hybrid seamlessly blends heritage with cutting-edge technology. Under the hood, the precisely engineered Ed Pink Racing engine enhanced with Vonnen hybrid technology delivers an exhilarating 550 horsepower. The Vonnen technology provides rapid bursts of power to the engine and is lighter and more compact than traditional EV batteries. It features a 110-kilowatt electric motor-generator positioned between the engine and transmission. To manage heat, Vonnen includes two cooling circuits with bumper-mounted heat exchangers.
It’s a vintage 911 hybrid! Based on the description, this sounds a bit more like a KERS (kinetic energy recovery system) than a traditional hybrid setup – that motor-generator provides a nice, nearly-150 horsepower! That’s no joke.
The suspension setup is also interesting, with an Active Suspension Management system, custom 18-inch Titan 7 wheels, and Brembo brakes.
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Of course, the easiest part of this re-re-imagined 911 is the striking rainbow stripes over the gloss black base, a combination that, should it fail to make you smile, might suggest that you should have a doctor confirm you have a functioning metabolism.
I especially like the hidden detail of the vivid pink fan shroud on the air-cooled flat-six. Look how it pops in the sea of chrome and black and gray! And it’s sort of an arc, visually, like a rainbow!
The interior is a special treat, with upholstery in a blue velour (I think?) that, in person, is one of those vivid sorts of colors that feels like it’s on the edge of overloading either the rods or cones (whichever ones of those sense color, I don’t feel like looking it up) in your eyes.
This is a really charming and engaging car with a surprising amount of history; bb Auto isn’t that well known in America just yet, but Galpin is bringing the brand to America, so expect to see more bb Auto goodness soon.
I’ve seen this car in person, and it’s one of those cars that you feel happy to be around, and feel drawn to. It’s technically impressive and fast and an overall Serious Machine, but somehow is still approachable and joyful. It’s a good time.
The reasons are likely because of some effects seeing a rainbow has on the human visual cortex; sure, it’s there because of a once-powerful camera company, but that doesn’t change the fact that it just works.
Since we’re talking about rainbows, I’m going to include Kermit singing about them here, because why not, right?
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The post In A Sea Of Re-Imagined Porsche 911s, Nothing Is As Fun As The Porsche bb-Auto Targa Hybrid appeared first on The Autopian.
