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The Tuthill-built 911 of Joost van Cauwenberge and Jacques Castalein has incurred a 60-minute penalty on the 2012 London to Cape Town World Cup Rally.
Running third at the end of Day 17, the number 45 car has been making ground ever since the rally moved off road. Joost’s experience in Paris Dakar is a big factor in the car’s success but it is also running our amazing EXE-TC dampers, as proven on rallies around the world. The classic category specifies period dampers, hence the penalty.
“We discussed the damper options with the organisers before the event,” says Richard Tuthill. “While we knew our modern-style dampers would eventually incur a time penalty, our substantial experience in Kenya told us it was worth it. The car’s reliability and the speed it can carry over this terrain vindicates the choice. It has backfired a little, as the organisers have now cancelled some of the rougher sections of the event to protect lesser-prepared cars, but the Tuthill 911 is still running a strong pace and giving the crew a consistent package they can trust.”
The extra hour moved car 45 to 7th overall, but when the cars got going again after the rest day in Nairobi, the punishing terrain played back into the hands of the Porsche 911. Now running first on the road, the car began to overhaul competitors in modern 4x4s and finished Day 19 in 4th place overall.
There can be no more convincing testimony to the strength of our suspension than its performance on this incredible rally, and last year’s Safari event. In one stretch yesterday, the roadbook required cars to maintain a 120 km/h average over 32 kilometres: impossible for everything except the 911 – even Francis in his new Toyota Hilux picked up a bent rear axle as a result of the battering the cars are getting.
To get more details on our special in-house parts, or to enquire about having similar cars built here in Wardington, give Richard a call on 01295 750 514. To finish first, first you have to finish!
(Photo by Enduro Rally/Gerard Brown)
