Video: Driving a Porsche 911 into the dark abyss

24th June 2024

Russell Campbell

Driving in the dark can feel very different to driving during the day. With fewer visual references, you can easily barrel into corners carrying too much speed; surface changes, cambers, and bumps are all hidden in the shadows as you home in on the dancing tail lights of the car in front.

That's the challenge laid down in today's video as once again we join God Save the Wheels (GSW) in the pitch black for an endurance race at the Circuit Paul Ricard in France. GSW's 1965 Porsche 911 2.0 SWB is as zingy as ever, the needle on its rev counter the only illuminated gauge on the dash – sucked towards the redline like a gravitational pull.

The endless darkness (there are circuit lights, but they're not Singapore F1 standards) and the Porker's modest horsepower can make the straights seem almost endless until you turn onto the well-illuminated main straight and release that miles are being covered much, much quicker than you thought.

As GSW notes, slow and steady wins the race (particularly a night race with antiquated headlights), and this ethos saw our driver take first in the rre-1966 class in front of a Jaguar E-Type and a Ford GT40, both of which were nursing mechanical issues. GSW, we salute you.

Welcome to Goodwood Elevenses, a helping of motoring-related amusement to help break up your day. Watch the last video: The ultimate F1 track day at Hockenheim