Home » Shelby, Porsche Rinspeed, GTR1: What It Was Like Driving Extremely Rare Cars To The World’s Swankiest Car Show

Shelby, Porsche Rinspeed, GTR1: What It Was Like Driving Extremely Rare Cars To The World’s Swankiest Car Show

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“I’m picking awesome cars for us to drive to Pebble Beach,” Autopian cofounder Beau Boeckmann told Jason Torchinsky and me. “They’re going to match our personalities, and they’re going to be a surprise,” he continued. Jason and I, longtime purveyors of sub-$1,000 junkers, looked at each other, shrugged, and proceeded to spend the remaining time before Pebble Beach vastly underestimating just how epic our rides were about to be. On Wednesday, we found out; Beau chose from his collection a one-of-12 Porsche Rinspeed 969, a one-of-one Galpin Ford GTR1, and a one-of-60 (or 30, or 80?) Shelby Series I — three extremely rare, and extremely bizarre-to-drive machines. Here’s what it was like piloting them to the world’s fanciest car show.

Beau chose the Rinspeed 969 for Jason Torchinsky because Jason is a VW Beetle connoisseur. And let’s be honest, the Rinspeed is just a Beetle except with more strakes, pop-up headlights, a hilariously-1980s interior, and a much more powerful turbocharged flat-six motor. These may seem like big differences, but the car does still feel rather Beetle-y to drive, per Jason. I agree.

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The car Beau chose for me was the Shelby Series 1, and not just any of the 250 Series 1s ever built: This is a supercharged 450 horsepower version. One of roughly 50 ever produced. The motor is a blown version of the 4.0-liter V8 found in the Oldsmobile Aurora, the sibling of the $1 Oldsmobile Alero that has been ruining my life for almost five years now. Beau figured this vehicle would wash the foul taste of rusty brake fluid and GM-spec Dexcool engine coolant out of my mouth, and allow me to appreciate one of the best examples of Oldsmobile engineering.

Beau himself drove his company’s creation, the GTR1. It’s a Ford GT with significant changes to the bodywork, engine, suspension, and other chassis components. The thing puts out 1,069 horsepower through a six-speed manual, and the noise it produces is absolutely incredible. In fact, I could barely hear the beautiful sound from my supercharged Aurora V8, even though the GTR1 was 50 yards in front of me; it’s that loud.

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Watch the video above to see the three Autopian founders drive priceless cars around Monterey.

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Rollin Hand
Rollin Hand
2 years ago

“There are two dogs mating in there!”

Thus began a DT birthday party tradition….

Happy belated David. I sincerely hope you didn’t vomit in the Shelby, or do a line off the side strakes of the 969.

Mike F.
Mike F.
2 years ago

David Tracy and my mom (RIP) share birthdays? First thought is that this puts to rest any thoughts of astrology having any value whatsoever. But then again, although Mom wasn’t a gearhead, she was smart and good-natured and generally found the best in people. So maybe the astrology thing isn’t all wrong after all? Anyway, happy late birthday, David!

And what a great video…

Jason B
Jason B
2 years ago

Wow, you nerds are so lucky to have a cool guy like Beau showing you around and letting you drive his rare exotic cars. Looks like an absolute blast.

Adriano Nanof
Adriano Nanof
2 years ago

amazing selection of cars!!!! hit me up if you need audio fixup!

Jack Beckman
Jack Beckman
2 years ago

The Autopian – where the cars you are driving are worth more than the motel you’re staying in.

Bracq P
Bracq P
2 years ago

Got it mixed up, the 939, later named R39, was using the 928 front and taillight assembly.
969 carries 944 illumination.

Bracq P
Bracq P
2 years ago

Pretty sure the Testarossa was showing its strakes before the Rinspeed. A quick search suggests October 1984 at the Paris Motor Show versus March 1985 Geneva (Motor Show). Some might say it was actually the Mondial that introduced the theme, the Testarossa only took it further.

Love the parts cross shopping on the Rinspeed, I see 944 tailights that capture the Testarossa’s look perfectly and is the front marker light assembly from the 928?

Paul Brogger
Paul Brogger
2 years ago

As near as I can tell, on point for the cars’ owner (BB), but kinda’ off-brand for DT & JT — am I right?

415s30
415s30
2 years ago

Rinnspeed, your coke boofing source since 1979

05LGT
05LGT
2 years ago

Putting DT in a car with a peekaboo radiator. That’s comedy genius.

Dave Horchak
Dave Horchak
2 years ago

I’d like a boss like Beau and I am currently unemployed and looking.
I can see putting Dave and Torch up at that fleabag hotel but not letting them park those cars overnight.

SquareTaillight2002
SquareTaillight2002
2 years ago

And the cheap hotel still costs $450 a night. Great fun video. Thanks.

Angela Crawford
Angela Crawford
2 years ago

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Look extra details going this web-page………_______ https://homecareer01.blogspot.com/

Shop-Teacher
Shop-Teacher
2 years ago

Wow! My boss is cool, but not that cool!

Mark Tucker
Mark Tucker
2 years ago
Reply to  Shop-Teacher

Beau is awesome. Gracious and generous and just a nice guy. And he seems to really love sharing and showing off his toys.

Nick Fortes
Nick Fortes
2 years ago

Top notch video! Fun!

RC Mil
RC Mil
2 years ago

Great!
Thanks

CatMan
CatMan
2 years ago

That was great! Had Top Gear vibes all the way thru it with Beau in the Clarkson role, Torch as Hammond and David playing May (even to the point of being criticized for driving slow). Now you just need to modify the cars to be able to drive into the ocean and it’s a wrap

Gubbin
Gubbin
2 years ago
Reply to  CatMan

Wow, that’s a great description, and I think the roles fit.

MaximillianMeen
MaximillianMeen
2 years ago
Reply to  CatMan

So is there a second part to the video with all the challenges? Which car holds the most orphaned puppies? Make videos of each car to see which one gets the most TikTok views? Which car has the best traction on a golf course fairway?

Tommy Helios
Tommy Helios
2 years ago
Reply to  CatMan

My (late) comment on the YouTube video before reading yours here:

Maybe it’s just me but this has a bit of top gear feel…you know if the casting director only posted flyers at Detroit area junkyards, sad post communist art houses and then in an LA dive bar and took the first three guys who walked in the door. Loved watching this and thank you Beau for being crazy enough to enable our community.

Keith Godshall
Keith Godshall
2 years ago

Great, entertaining video, and the Shelby sounded amazing.

Always intrigued by the weather there around Monterey. The fog can roll in and it looks like the day is shot and then after a bit, there’s brilliant sunshine.

Enjoy your stay at the Bedbug Inn!!

Segador
Segador
2 years ago

I had a mad grin on my face the whole time watching this video. Kudos to Beau for finding quirky cars that fit you guys but also fit in at concours. What a blast!

Parsko
Parsko
2 years ago

….with a spotter!!! HOLY Heck LOOOOOOOOOL!!! Who wants to be that person.

Happy Belated DT!

David Fernandez
David Fernandez
2 years ago

Happy Birthday David!

CSRoad
CSRoad
2 years ago

Happy Birthday David!
Looks like some fun to be had.

Fe2 O3
Fe2 O3
2 years ago

Yeesh.. I’d be too afraid to wreck these things. Or really damage them in any way. I think I might have to decline. Good content y’all!

Lew Schiller
Lew Schiller
2 years ago
Reply to  Fe2 O3

I would. Friend had a moderately valuable 60’s Italian car that he offered me to drive. Nope.

18.6_MPG
18.6_MPG
2 years ago

This is sort of content that makes me love this website! Awesome job guys!

MiniDave
MiniDave
2 years ago

Seriously? You can’t purge this spambot?

FUCK YOU
FUCK YOU
2 years ago
Reply to  MiniDave

It is getting a little ridiculous. I could kinda understand if it was a neverending parade of different algorithmically-generated accounts, but there are only two accounts doing this and they’re always the same ones. Just freakin’ ban them, already. Can we get a moderator up in here?

Mercedes Streeter
Mercedes Streeter
2 years ago
Reply to  FUCK YOU

So I have good news and I have bad news. We just unlocked the ability to delete individual comments. So we can now go in there and nuke the bots one by one.

Bad news is that we cannot ban them, so they can come back. In fact, I zapped one of the bots earlier and it had the nerve to make another comment. But fear not, we have a team working on a ban function and a spam filter!

Also, I just learned that maybe only we have the comment editing function, so we should probably fix that, too.

Shop-Teacher
Shop-Teacher
2 years ago

Yeah, us regular users cannot edit our comments still.

Glad there’s some progress though!

Space
Space
2 years ago

Thank you for the edited spam bot comments, they were a hoot to read.

Steven Weinmann
Steven Weinmann
2 years ago

This morning I saw a McLaren (570s, I think) parked at a motel only slightly nicer than yours in Monterey, so don’t feel too bad. Looks like you’ll have to sleep in shifts to keep watch over the cars though. Happy birthday David!

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