Earlier this week we showed you Ian Cook creating artwork using RC Porsches. In that post we discussed some of the other items we’ve seen over the past few years showcasing people unique talents and interesting Porsche artwork. We said it in then and we’ll say it again. We thought we had seen it all. We were wrong! This morning we saw the Lego creations of Malte Dorowski. Let’s just say he’s a Lego savant. While others have done excellent work using Legos to recreate the shape of Porsche (Arvo Brothers), this is the first time we’ve seen someone able to create look alikes of famous Porsche racing liveries.
Photos of Lego Porsche Liveries
Malte’s work isn’t limited to Porsche. He’s made Lego creations representing Audi, Mercedes, Peugeot, Toyota and Corvette. There’s even an Ariel Atom. If you have a minute check out his full gallery and see the work for yourself.
“Don’t take it down to your studio, and don’t get paint on it.” That’s what Ian Cook was told one Christmas morning after unwrapping a gift of a radio controlled car. Fortunately for us, Ian didn’t listen. Four years since this Christmas “lightbulb moment” Cook, a trained artist, is still going strong creating artwork the size of three story buidings, using both real cars and RC cars as brushes and traveling the globe to showcase his talents.
After seeing some of Ian’s work ourselves, we caught up with him to ask a few questions regarding his RC collection, methods and Porsche related artwork.
PP: Hey, Ian. Thanks for taking the time to speak with us. We’re pretty big RC fans ourselves. Exactly how many RC cars do you have in your collection?
IC:I have many RC cars in my collection of paintbrushes, I’ve lost count of exactly how many I have. I buy them as I go along, and can be out and buy new brushes when I visit toy shops! Christmas and January is the best time to buy, as so many of the shops stock a range of RC cars over the festive season.
I’m very fussy about which cars I buy, if I am doing a project for a manufacturer I will buy specific branded cars for that event. This has included Jaguar, Land Rover, Ford and Ferrari.
I would probably say I have purchased well-over 300 RC since I first started painting with RC cars.
PP: How do you choose cars to paint with?
IC:Cars are chosen for a number of reasons, generally on their size and what brand they are. However it is like an artist choosing a brush to paint with. [Certain] cars have different wheelbases, power, turning circles, wheels width, height, speed and traction. Over the last three years I have been able to find out which cars react in the best way to the paint.
All these ‘brushes’ are different, and for a show I will generally take between 25 – 40 cars with me to create and paint with.
PP: Do you have any Porsche images you could share with us? What about the RC cars themselves? Any Porsche versions?
IC:Over the past 3 years I have created a number of Porsche artworks, this has included a number of classic and iconic Porsche’s. The 917 Gulf Le Mans and the Martini 911 RSR (see above) have been created. I would like to create more Porsche’s, particularly modern/contemporary ones like the 911 GT3 RS in Green – it would be a great looking artwork!
In terms of paintbrushes, I have a couple of Porsche’s 911 RS’s that I have used previously, they are quite powerful, but great cars to move the paint quickly over the canvas – I have two that have now retired from paint duties.
A Short Video Showing how Ian Creates His Artwork
While I would love to see a video that’s Porsche related, the time lapse below gives you a brief but fun glimpse into the process Ian uses for creating his art.
If you would like to see more of his work or commission him for your very own painting, check out Ian’s web-site at Popbang Colour.
2011 was not a season one would have expected a championship from Brumos Racing. A transitional year, Brumos introduced a brand new No.59 – a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup – to mark their return to GT racing after eight years campaigning Porsche Powered Rileys. Despited the challenges one would associate with starting fresh in a new series, Brumos Racing went on to win the championship in the 2011 Grand-Am Rolex Series GT Class.
Brumos Racing 2011: Tradition, Commitment, Success is a limited edition book by well known Porsche author and sports photographer Bob Chapman. Commemorating the achievements of the entire team, the highs and lows of the 2011 season are covered across 150 pages in this 11″ x 17″ hard bound book.
Get Your Copy Signed
This Limited Edition publication will first be released at a special evening to toast the 2011 GT Championship, Monday, December 19th from 5:30pm-8:30pm at the Brumos Porsche Showroom. Along with the entire Brumos Racing team, the winning drivers Leh Keen, Andrew Davis and Bob Chapman will attend. This will include an exclusive chance to have the author and drivers available for a book signing.
The ultimate gift for any Porsche enthusiast is, of course, another Porsche. In the event your budget doesn’t allow for a new car this year, we’ve put together a short list of ideas you can purchase from the comfort of your computer. If you’re looking for a more extensive list than what’s below, be sure to check out the 8 Most Popular Porsche Christmas Gifts or our comprehensive list of Porsche Christmas Gifts. Remember, not only is this a great list to find a gift for the Porsche lover on your list, it can also be used to give people ideas about what you want (go ahead email it around, people should get the hint)!
Porsche Gift Ideas
Hunt for 901 was the first fictional novel we know of that featured a Porsche as central to the plot. Since its publication there are three new works of fiction that can be added to the list. The Lost Spyder, Closing Speed (get the Kindle edition as it’s $20 bucks cheaper than the print version) and The Driver (the cover art on this one looks like a bad video game. However, we’re more than half-way through and can’t put it down. A fun, fast and entertaining read.)
Almost anything from the Porsche Design Driver’s Selection Cyber Monday deal section. We’re talking about some pretty heavy discounts. There are 16 items priced between $5 and $100 bucks. Some items are even discounted up to 85%. Remember, even though you can see the discounted price today, the deal itself is only valid on “Cyber Monday” and it’s first come first serve.
A subscription to Excellence: The Magazine About Porsche always makes a good stocking stuffer and for years it was your only choice for US based Porsche Magazines (not including club offerings like the PCA’s Panorama). Now, however, you have a second choice. For just $13.95 a year you can get six issues of 9Magazine. Definitely worth a look if you haven’t yet checked it out.
PorschePurist sponsor Griot’s Garage has a ton of new products perfect for you or the Porsche lover on your list. A couple of our favorites are the Machine Polish & Wax Kit and Heavy-Duty Wheel Cleaning Kit (which we reviewed earlier this year). Don’t forget, Griot’s Garage is offering Free Shipping on orders over $25!
How about a 2012 Porsche Wall Calendar? Suncoast Porsche Parts has the official Porsche wall calendar or you can get a less expensive one on Amazon (yeah it will tell you the date, but the pictures quality and overall workmanship don’t really compare).
Almost anything made from carbon fiber will do nicely as a gift. We particularly like this Ion Predator Zero Carbon Fiber Case for the Iphone 4/4S and plan on asking for one for ourselves. Some of the coolest products out there are from CarbonFiberGear.com. You can either shop on their site or on their ebay page.
A perennial favorite here at PorschePurist.com is the ultimate racing movie Le Mans. If you’re a Porsche fan and you have yet to see this movie then you definitely need to ask for one for a stocking stuffer.
If cash is no object this year, you might consider this Tag Heuer Monaco Vintage Limited Edition. Made in a finite run of 4000 pieces, this world-renowned watch was launched in celebration of Steve McQueen’s 75th birthday. This version sports a white dial with the famous red, white, and blue bands of the driving suit that the late actor wore in the unforgettable film classic of 1970, Le Mans. We were lucky and bought one when they were first introduced. Today it’s one of John’s favorite watches and gets many compliments every time he wears it.
Porsche Sounds is perhaps one of the coolest Porsche books to date. Forget about the graphical format and archival photographs, it’s all about the sound! Dieter Landenberger, co-director of the Porsche Museum and head of Porsche archives, includes three (3) CDs along with the book. One of these CDs, Technology, contains engine sounds of 30 historic race and road going Porsches. It’s a blast to listen to and is perhaps the best part of the book.
How Your Shopping Can Support PorschePurist
It’s hard to believe, but this is PorschePurist.com’s 4th annual list of Christmas and Holiday gift ideas. That means we’ve been publishing for more than four years. Wow! One of the easiest ways to support your favorite source for original and entertaining Porsche information is to use our site to shop. What does that mean? Simple, a lot of the links above (and elsewhere on the site) are affiliate links. If you click on one of them and make a purchase, we get a commission. You don’t pay a penny more and we use the funds to offset our costs associated with running this site and publishing it for free.
Every year around this time we ask our sponsors if they want to do anything special for our readers. Once again, Flying Lizard Motorsport stepped up and is offering a 10% discount to fans of PorschePurist. To receive the discount, simply entering “PorschePuristNov10” as your coupon code (it IS case sensitive) during the check-out process and the 10% will be automatically deducted. This offer is good for anything on the Flying Lizard web-site and is valid now through Thursday, December 1st at midnight. As usual, the coupon code is only good at the online store and can’t be used in conjunction with any other offer.
Enter “PorschePuristNov10″ at Checkout and Receive 10% Off Flying Lizard Motorsport Gear
It’s not often I get to review Porsche related products specifically for women. So, when PorschePurist sponsor Porsche Design Driver’s Selection sent along a handbag from their new collection I knew it was something John wasn’t going to be using and I would get to review. What follows is for all the ladies out there (or for the smarter guys on our reading list who know enough to share the passion)!
Review of the PTS Soft Top Handbag from Porsche Design Driver’s Selection (PDDS)
I open my email and find out a new bag is on the way from PDDS, hurray! It gets me thinking, How many bags can a woman own? Many, the answer is definitely many. However, the truth is, if you absolutely have to, you can live with a few select choices for different occasions. One of those essentials choices is the tote. The perfect tote is practical, reliable and strong enough to get through a day of errands without compromising style.
My bag arrives on a rainy afternoon in November. I think this sporty tote will fill a gap in my bag collection nicely.
PDDS has created a soft top luggage collection. The Soft Top Handbag is one of four pieces in this Porsche Travel System (PTS). What’s cool about this collection is that all of the pieces are made with genuine Porsche car materials. My bag uses original Cabrio soft top material and the shoulder strap is crafted from the same material that Porsche seat-belts are made from. The closure, at the top of the bag, is an original red door pull you’ll find in the Boxster Spyder and snaps closed using a Tenax stud (the buttons that snap closed parts of the ragtop).
Did I mention it was pouring rain when I first “road tested” this bag? No worries there because the material is completely water repellant. Not only can I let the rain have at it but I could spill my whole water bottle inside. Yes, I usually have a water bottle in my bag along with sunglasses, regular glasses, wallet, phone, keys, lipstick, lip balm, pen, dog poop bags, etc. I could go on. My point is that this Porsche Design bag can hold a lot and still look pretty sleek. You just have to be careful because the black interior can easily turn into an abyss. Fortunately, there is a zip compartment inside perfect for those smaller items as well as slit compartments for a phone and pens.
The interior is even designed to fit a 15” laptop. Best of all the main compartment can be zipped closed securing all those loose items.
Out and about town doing some errands I find the bag compliments my casual attire. This bag not only looks great, it’s comfortable on my shoulder and fits close to the body. As I sit down for lunch I place the bag on the floor and am pleasantly surprised that this tote can stand on its own despite being quite narrow.
All in all the PTS Soft Top Handbag is a great everyday bag.
It’s sporty, stylish, durable and functional; everything you would expect from Porsche Design. I’m now one bag closer to finally completing my collection; all I need now is the matching Boxster Spyder (hint, hint).
Features of the PTS Soft Top Handbag
Triple- layered Porsche Cabrio soft top material
Water and dirt repellant
Resistant to UV radiation and temperature
Porsche original red door pulls and Tenax studs
Internal zippered pockets
Fits a 15” laptop
Dimensions: 32 x 38 x 10.5 cm or 12.60 x 14.96 x 4.13 in.
It’s not often that a book grabs my attention to the point where I don’t want to put it down. The fact that the book in question is this author’s first makes it that much more remarkable. Yet that’s exactly how I feel once I start reading C.S. Michael’s “The Lost Spyder“*.
About The Lost Spyder
J.C. Callahan is a man on a quest. Little does he know that finding the object of his desire, a Porsche once thought to be more fiction than fact, will set off a complex and near deadly set of events.
Used to doing things his own way, Callahan isn’t one to take advice easily. While his brash and stubborn attitude bring success in the business world, his pattern of otherwise ignoring well intentioned counsel quickly lands him in trouble during what should be the successful completion of a long and tiring search.
When Callahan goes missing, taking a fortune in cash with him, the only one who seems to care about his whereabouts is his estranged and beautiful daughter, Kristen. Known as a “free spirit”, about the only trait the young heiress shares with her father is the love of Porsche.
In the search to find her missing dad, the younger Callahan enlists the help of one Charlie Byrd; “a second-tier law student and low-rent detective.” The story that ensues follows the exploits of Kristen and Charlie as they search the globe for her missing father.
Worth the Time. Worth a Read
From Birmingham, Alabama to Antigua, Guatemala (and points in between) “The Lost Spyder” is a wonderful first novel that weaves mystery, violence, intrigue, sex and Porsche lore into a page turner you can’t put down. Porsche fan or not, this is a fun read and one we eagerly recommend.
Email
was the first fictional novel we know of that featured a Porsche as central to the plot. Since its publication there are three new works of fiction that can be added to the list. 
, 
(get the Kindle edition as it’s $20 bucks cheaper than the print version) and 
(the cover art on this one looks like a bad video game. However, we’re more than half-way through and can’t put it down. A fun, fast and entertaining read.)
always makes a good stocking stuffer and for years it was your only choice for US based Porsche Magazines (not including club offerings like the 
on Amazon (yeah it will tell you the date, but the pictures quality and overall workmanship don’t really compare).
. These Lego like models let you build your own 
with over 630 pieces or you can go smaller with a 
and just 55 pieces. If building isn’t your thing, MegaBlok offers the 
for under $15 bucks. This would make a great stocking stuffer.
. If you’re a Porsche fan and you have yet to see this movie then you definitely need to ask for one for a stocking stuffer.
is perhaps one of the coolest Porsche books to date. Forget about the graphical format and archival photographs, it’s all about the sound! Dieter Landenberger, co-director of the Porsche Museum and head of Porsche archives, includes three (3) CDs along with the book. One of these CDs, Technology, contains engine sounds of 30 historic race and road going Porsches. It’s a blast to listen to and is perhaps the best part of the book.
for less than half the price.
