POLES APART

Poles Apart

Author: Thomas Walk

Photographer: Thomas Walk

Hugh Feggans and his collection of Porsche opposites

Father, husband, architect, Porsche enthusiast. Enthusiast being a key word here, the cars stacked in Hugh Feggans' garage all serve a purpose. Garage queens simply don’t exist here. All driven, some on winding roads, some on race tracks. Most importantly, they all serve their own unique purpose - like life itself, it’s all about balance.

A 1969 911T and an early 996 GT3 serve as good examples of such balance. Each have their own strengths and weaknesses. Used properly, Hugh manages to dip his toes into the best both worlds. “Having variety is one of the best ways of developing a deeper understanding of these cars” Hugh explains.

A firm believer of the mantra ‘form follows function’, Hugh respects the unique characteristics of each car, striking the perfect split between old and new, mechanical versus technical - and if you could, why wouldn’t you? “If you have the luxury of experiencing the two separate worlds, one car simply enhances the other.”

6AM. The sun is trying to pierce through the clouds, the song of a 2.7L flat six at full chorus echoes through the trees. This is Feggans’ ritual, the Sunday morning drive.

His 69’ 911T is a raw, responsive and no holds barred early 911, without excessive modifications, as so many cars like it are guilty of having. “All the enhancements on the car don’t upset the balance, and that’s the trick, not to overwhelm the simplicity of an early 911” explains Hugh.

The ‘T, for the most part, is the creation of a fellow Melbourne Porsche figure John Forcier. Hugh took possession of the Ossi Blau 911T purely to get his kicks on the weekend, without the need of packing racing gear. “I’ve always wanted a long hood, but not a concours car or an investment. Something I could sink my teeth into and drive. Like any early 911, the ‘T doesn’t flatter or compensate for any inadequacies as a driver - you’ve got to understand these cars.”

The magic is all in the details. The perfected setup, the RS interior, tartan seats, and Wevo shifter all compliment what you see on the outside. Only a few touches such as the Minilite wheels and the Cibie lights on the hood announce this 911T as a capable weekend racer. “I never wanted the car to be over the top. Most importantly, I really wanted a car that was as fun to drive as it looks!”

Pushed by a very lively 2.7L power-plant, this car drives a point home. That less is more, that excessiveness would be to completely miss the point of an early car. It’s about feel, noises and smells - things newer, and arguably more capable cars lack. “For me, early 911s have never been a horsepower thing. They’ve always punched above their weight. It comes down to you as a driver. The real fun is driving slow cars fast and that’s when you learn to be a better driver” says Hugh. It’s a sophisticated car with enough of a tactile response to remind you that you’re behind the wheel of early an air-cooled 911.

On the other hand, Hugh suggests “If you take all the things I love about an early 911 like the T and give them steroids, you end up with a 996.1 GT3.”

An hour north of Feggans’ home is Haunted Hills Hill Climb track. The ideal track to stretch the legs of his 996 GT3, Clubsport package.

This is a very different proposition to earlier cars. True Porsche nerds like Hugh (note the Hans Mezger number plate) know that this is the definitive GT3, the one hand built at the Weissach Porsche Motorsport factory. The one that homologated the GT3. “Pre-GT3RS, pre-cup car, pre-anything. The most uncompromised version. It’s got that inherent racing pedigree” Hugh explains.

“All the enhancements on the car don’t upset the balance, and that’s the trick, not to overwhelm the simplicity of an early 911”

Only 77 were delivered to Australia, most were given a hard life. Some like the one above survived and serve as fine kept examples - this doesn’t excuse it from track use. “As you start to test the capabilities of these cars, you eventually find yourself needing to go to a track“, Hugh says. Really, it’s precisely what they came out of the factory to do. Equipped with a roll cage from new, harnesses and 355hp, and lacking traction control and ABS, there’s no mistaking its purpose. Other notable appointments include a lightweight flywheel, titanium rods, and factory bucket seats. Thankfully, given the Australian climate, there’s air-con.

“The fundamentals of good architecture and the fundamentals of a good car all come down to some basic, key ingredients. There’s a common thread of simplicity and balance.”

“It’s a happy medium. It has all the characteristics of an early 911 wrapped up in a more sophisticated package, yet not taking anything away from you as a driver. Most Porsche fans are pure driving enthusiasts. They want a raw, basic car they can push” says Hugh.

Sitting in the passenger seat doing laps, you observe that it’s not all about speed, but delivery. Something the ‘69T also does well, but in its own unique way. This car does that too, but with an enhanced sense of agility and aggression.

These cars are thirty years apart; both follow in the same footsteps, putting driving engagement above all else. Paired together, you begin to appreciate the very basics that make these cars unique. “The fundamentals of good architecture and the fundamentals of a good car all come down to some basic, key ingredients. There’s a common thread of simplicity and balance.”