The casual reader might take the words and photos in Panorama for granted, but getting the story right is a meticulous process. This month contributor Randy Wells uses a photo shoot on an outlaw 356 to explain some of the secrets of automotive photography in “Picture Perfect." Purists live to decry change, calling the 911 too radical a departure from the 356 or the 914 nothing but a VW. So when Porsche introduced the blasphemous water-cooled 996 in 1999, there were legions of critics. But we say “Huzzah to the Haters,” celebrating several PCAers who love their 996s. Continuing on a theme, we next take a look at the 912E and 924, which despite being entry-level four-cylinders appeal to those seeking “Simple Pleasures.” Next, Ezekiel Wheeler explores how to go about modifying an E1 Cayenne Turbo for serious boulder-bashing off-roading in “Going Off.”

In the pantheon of automotive competition, there are a few legendary venues, such as the Nürburgring, the Monaco GP, the Paris-Dakar Rally, and Le Mans. And then there’s Pikes Peak: 12.42 miles and 156 corners, climbing 4,720 feet. Check out “Battle of the Titans,” our look at three 700-hp Porsches that challenged the mountain this year. Also in this issue is the story of Frank Amoroso, who knew he wanted a Porsche when he was 16. “The Hunt” is the story of how his long search paid off with an M491 turbo-look 911. Editor Sass went to the Porsche Ice Experience in Finland, and found driving on ice to be an invaluable way to learn car control in “Slip ’n Slide.” Tom Linder sticks with things, with a long career at the postal service and a 40-year relationship with his 1973 914. It’s all “A Matter of Commitment.” 2020 has been a challenge, but PCA rose above with a “Top-Notch Treffen.”

Inspiring lust and envy wherever they go, the homologation RS Porsches are among the rarest and most exclusive 911s. We took seven to the track to explore how they have evolved over the years in “Rennsports Illustrated." Continuing our theme of desirable high-performance 911 variants is the story of Ray Shaffer’s 1992 964 Turbo. After first seeing the car when he worked at Brumos, Shaffer acquired it and has kept it maintained to factory spec. More than the owner of the car, he sees himself more as “The Caretaker.” We next turn our attention to Jeff Gamroth, who in the late ’90s fitted a 3.8-liter engine into a pre-1974 911. We call him “The Pioneer.” The 2021 Cayenne GTS Coupe has room for five adults, weighs more than two tons, and gets to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds. We take it for a first drive in “Flying the Coupe.”

Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur has released the Targa 4S Heritage Design Edition, the first of several limited-edition models. Come see it in “A Heritage of Design.” After selling his Cayman GT4 to avoid marital conflict, David Mathews looked to the past and found “Ruby,” a 1960 356B T5 Cabriolet. Best of all, his wife loves it. Bob Smith’s Viper Green Boxster, which he calls the “Rufster,” is a one-of-a-kind car from the same company that brought us the legendary Yellowbird. After Candyce Jones lost her husband in 2008, she was left with his 1973 911S. She dove into the Porsche/PCA world, and the 911S became a “Life Changer.” With limits on in-person activities, PCA members have embraced sim racing, an exciting form of competition that’s “All in Good Fun.” The Historic Display from the 2019 Parade is an example of “Making History Come Alive.”

This month’s cover story is a bit different from our usual feature: a visual exploration of the exquisite details of a “Carbon Copy” 935. At 2019’s Parade, we met Patty Reilly, who drove her 2017 Lava Orange 911 Targa 4S across the country to compete in concours, because she does things “Her Way.” Car colors, like styles, come in and out of fashion. But for Craig Staley, his Lime Green Metallic 1979 911 SC is no “Ugly Duckling.” Fifty years ago, Porsche won Le Mans overall for the very first time, in a wet and rainy race. We look back at what it took in “Splashdown.” In September 2019, Porsche completed a massive multibillion-dollar factory to build the Taycan electric sedan. Take a look inside in “Doing it the Hard Way.” Gold Coast Region members Steve and Lynn Bamdas own a rare Meissen Blue 1959 Convertible D. Read about how they found and restored it in “Into the Blue.”

To continue to thrive, a club such as PCA must not only rely on its core members but continue to attract new ones. It is with this in mind that we present this issue, which focuses on the next generation of Porsche enthusiasts. Among those young members who caught the Porsche bug is Katie Mohler, a 21-year-old Bronze-certified Porsche technician and 928 owner who's “Top of the Class.” Porsche ownership is often a multi-generational affair, as we show in “Father Knows Best” and “Humberto’s 914.” In “Changing Gears” and “Goal Oriented,” we meet two young men who took different paths to Porsche ownership but shared the common realization that nothing less than a Porsche would do. We then dive into what $15,000 can buy in “Your First Porsche.” And Ceileidh Siegel finds the perfect child car seats for young parents transporting their “Precious Cargo.”

The keys to success in racing are preparation and practice. Or you could be Bill and Don Whittington, who picked up a used 934 race car in 1978, took some driving classes, and entered the Sebring 12 Hours in their “Second-Hand Rose.” Many of us have pondered which 911 generation produced the best GT RS. Fortunately, with the help of member Sri Iyengar, Panorama was able to spend time in four special cars — the 997- and 991-generation GT2 RS, plus the 997 GT3 RS 4.0 and the 991 GT3 RS — to find out which is “The Best of the Best.” Be sure to watch the video comparing the 997 and 991 GT2 RSs. In these uncertain times, relatively traffic-free mountain roads bring real joy. What better time and place to do a first drive of the 2021 911 Turbo S, truly a “Blue Chip Talent.” Longtime Porsche racer Jerry Peters had a vision of a car encompassing elements of both the 356 and the 901. Working with a custom shop, he built a beautiful “Double Bubble” Outlaw.

Porsche owners are a passionate lot who know what they want. Not prepared to wait for the RS 2.7 in 1972, a German entrepreneur ordered a custom 1972 911S 2.6, the only one of its kind, proving that sometimes “Impatience is a Virtue.” The Porsche Classic Center in Oslo, Norway also caters to those who know what they want with a very special retro-build called the Sooner that we got to drive in "The Sooner the Better." Engineer Jim Earlbeck so appreciates the focused purpose of his 987 Porsche Boxster Spyder, it’s almost as if they are “Soul Mates.” Bob and Cam Ingram are mainstays on the concours circuit, but tragedy struck when an explosion destroyed many of their classic cars. Undeterred, they raced to restore a 1961 Carrera Abarth GTL (watch the Road Scholars video here), because “Pebble Can’t Wait.” One of the bright spots on the annual calendar is Werks Reunion, and we went “Back to Werks” for the 10th anniversary, and a celebration of the 914.

The Carrera GT remains in the pantheon of great supercars, but it’s been out of production since 2007. So what’s a man to do who wants a “new” one? Call up Porsche Classic, of course, and let them help you create your very own “Classic Masterpiece.” Editor Sass flew to Portugal to test a couple of new GTS models — the 718 Boxster and the Macan — which are definitely “A Cut Above.” Ryan Carignan got full access to the Pfaff Motorsports team during the 2020 Rolex 24 at Daytona, where he witnessed their trials and tribulations as they raced “Twice Around the Clock.” Rich Sanders purchased a 914-6 from its original owner in 2008 and turned it into a GT tribute. Read about his journey in “Tributaries.” Esther Piller’s 1969 912 “Cricketeer” has been in her family since new and is still going strong.

It takes a special kind of person to look at a supercar and say, “You know what? I think I can make it better.” Bruce Canepa has spent years refining and tweaking the 959, and as with "Blue Note," he will build you your very own. It’s not cheap, but we promise you’ll love it. And watch the video here!. In October 2018, we took a street-legal GT2 RS to Road America to face off against a GT3 Cup racer. This month we return to Wisconsin, but this time the GT3 Cup faces a race-ready GT2 RS Clubsport in a “Road Race.” Barry Goldstein spent $7,800 for a 1983 911 SC and got what you might expect for that money. But due to lots of persistence and a bit of luck, he turned his “Diamond in the Rough” into a head-turning longnose that he loves to drive. From the late 1950s through the ’70s, hill-climb competitions were fierce battles among major manufacturers. Read about Porsche’s lightest-ever hill climber, the “Lightweight Special” 909 Bergspyder.

There are few things more terrifying and destructive than fire. But it can also lead to rebirth, as in the case of Van Bagley’s 1986.5 928S, which was nearly burned up. Read about how his car was “Resurrected,” with some impressive upgrades to boot. In early 2019, Porsche launched the newest 911 with the upgraded S model. But as we found in our first drive of the recently released base 911, “A High Standard,” it is anything but basic. At last year’s Parade, a radical-looking 930 Turbo “Polar 911” caught our eyes, but its history, including 32 years spent in storage, is even more interesting. Northern Ohio Region member Marie Quintana first spotted a Cayman a decade ago, and was absolutely smitten. Read about her custom Cayman in “Instant Attraction.” Designer Grant Larson has had a distinguished 30-year career at Porsche. Read his interview in “Company Man.”

To combat lackluster sales of the 924, Porsche developed a factory racing program for Le Mans in 1980. Learn about the 924’s racing story and our driving impressions of one 924 Carrera GTR that waited 35 years to hit the track in “Better Late Than Never." Every once in awhile, a particular Porsche takes your breath away. One such example is Rob Sewell’s 1997 Vesuvio Metallic Carrera S, which shows that “It’s All in the Details.” After several different owners and decades of restoration, a 1951 356 split-window coupe was finally ready to enter the concours field at the 2018 Parade. It is definitely “The Genuine Article.” In November 2019, two of Porsche’s finest engineers, Norbert Singer and Hans Mezger, celebrated birthdays. We look back on their storied history with the company in “Singer + Mezger” and interview them about their “Major Milestones.”