Porsche celebrated “Independence Day” with its overseas fans by airing a bonus episode of the YouTube Top 5 series. US works driver Patrick Long takes us to his home state of California and presents five “American Icons” from Porsche.
#5 Porsche 356 Speedster
We start in the 1950s. Or 1954 to be precise. This era was characterised by legends such as James Dean and the 356 Speedster. The open-top sports car was developed specifically for the American market: lightweight, affordable and perfect for cruising along the sunny West Coast as an open-top Speedster. This purist vehicle is one of the most popular models today, and always achieves high prices at auctions — in spite of the spartan equipment and the original low purchase prices.
#4 Porsche 911 America Roadster
Number four on the list is the heir to the Speedster: the 911 America Roadster. The 40th anniversary of the 356 Speedster was celebrated with a special edition from the 964 family. Equipped with everything that belongs to a dream car: drive was provided by an air-cooled 3.6-litre boxer engine with 250 PS. Like its predecessor, the 911 America Roadster took a minimalist approach: no rear spoiler and no rear seat bench — following the popular 964 Turbo look.
#3 Porsche 911 RS America
Things are even more dynamic in third place with the 911 RS America. In the middle of the 90s, the Porsche fan community in the US demanded a car for Sunday trackday events. The answer from Porsche was a version of the Carrera RS limited to 701 vehicles: the motorsport edition of the 964 — adapted to the approval requirements in the US.
#2 Porsche 917/10
From a close-to-production race car to a motorsport legend: the Porsche 917/10 is in second place. The vehicle was developed to comply with the rules of the North American CanAm race series. George Follmer replaced his injured colleague Mark Donohue for the 1972 season and won the CanAm championship for the Penske team with the 917/10.
#1 Porsche 934.5
Taking first place in the “Porsche Top 5 American Icons”, Patrick welcomes us in his usual outfit: wearing his racing overalls, he talks about the controversial history of the Porsche 934.5. However, you can tell that he can’t wait to get out on the track. Without any hesitation, he lets facts be facts and shows what this cross-breed from the 934 and 935 is capable of.
