![]() “This moving and heroic medical drama is the very definition of storytelling excellence and what audiences have come to expect from Fox,” said Michael Thorn, president scripted programming at Fox Entertainment. Even with all these technical hurdles we’ve had to overcome, the Intermeccanica six-cylinder-powered 356 reproduction continues to be our flagship reproduction, with more being built every year.Jay Leno Pauses Production on 'You Bet Your Life' Amid Writers Strike This last issue was addressed by lengthening the wheelbase of the body and later, as customer engine choices stepped up several times from 2.2-liter to eventually the ultimate 993 3.6-lite, the rear body track width was also altered to provide room for matching wheel and tire choices. In addition, there was the need to find room for a larger (21 USG) and safer fuel cell mounted in such a way as to counterbalance the added mass of the bigger power unit. We also had to develop custom strut top mounts that not only performed better than the stock 911 units, but also fit under the original-profile fenders. The result is a superb combination - an open-top, air-cooled, Porsche-inspired sports car with the look of the timeless 356-A and the power of the 911, along with a purpose-built steel-tube chassis that weighs at least 500 pounds less than any 911! What is there not to love?Įven so, the challenges of doing so were numerous, such as the need to make the space in the chassis and within the original body profile house the longer six-cylinder engine and five-speed transaxle. The desire to stuff a six-cylinder Porsche engine (and driveline) into the back of one of our Intermeccanicas was there along with the requisite customers. It goes as far back as 1986, when my father and I were developing the tube chassis that would eventually replace the combination of subframe and VW floor pan, upon which all previous Intermeccanica 356 reproduction vehicles had been built. When a customer asks, “Which engine and suspension package would you choose to build the ultimate Intermeccanica?” I always have the same answer: the ultimate air-cooled engine, a Porsche 911 six-cylinder, along with its five-speed transaxle and fantastic suspension, steering and brakes! I guess I like to feel I’m driving that road every time I head out in my Intermeccanica S6. In reality, they are all about nostalgia, and this car delivers it in spades.īurt Levy, the well-known automotive journalist, is famous for the phrase “the last open road,” a reference to the times when driving was freer and less encumbered. Call these cars replicas, continuation cars, whatever you want. And a brand new “real” car would never give me the feeling I get when I push that start button, put the transmission in gear, and head down the road.Īnd what feeling is that? It’s the feeling that I’m back in high school, driving that old Bugeye Sprite once again. I’ve been asked, “Why a replica - why this car?” Why have this car built, when for similar dollars I could have bought a brand new “real” car? My answer is simple: A “real” car could never be as unique or as personal as this one is. (But I’m still looking for that perfect set of wheels to replace the Porsches we put on as a ‘holding set’). Couple that with a hand-finished interior and exterior, and there’s not much more that I could want. With close to 300 horsepower, there is no lack of acceleration, and the Porsche 911 suspension, steering and brakes makes it handle as it should. I appreciate the fact that I don’t have computerization coming between me and the road. ![]() The car as is leaves little to be desired. ![]() I think Henry enjoyed this build as much as I did (note sidebar). ![]() Being almost at opposite ends of the country, it wasn’t as if I could drop in every week to check on progress, but we kept in close contact, including weekends. For close to two years, there were emails and phone calls, sometimes three or four per day, as we sorted through every little detail. It was an intense process, having a bespoke vehicle built, but Henry Reisner of Intermeccanica catered to my every whim.
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