Learn Everything You Did Not Know About Pikes Peak Legend Jeff Zwart

Photographer, cinematographer, and driver Jeff Zwart sits down with Hoonigan to discuss his career and love of Porsche’s.

byDanny Korecki|
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Jeff Zwart is a photographer, cinematographer, and is most famous for being a driver specifically at the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb. Fresh off co-directing Ken Block and Hoonigan's feature Climbkhana, Zwart sat down with the Hoonigan crew to be featured on this week's episode of A BREW WITH

Zwart is popping up in a lot of things Hoonigan right now. He co-directed Climbkhana, he recently visited the Donut Garage with his Porsche 914/6 to rip some burnouts and donuts for Hoonigan's series Daily Transmission, and he was spotted in Ken Block and Hoonigan's Gymkhana TEN trailer where he was describing Block's skills. 

In the A BREW WITH episode, Zwart starts answering questions about what he is famous for - Porsche's. Hoonigan asks him "Why Porsche?". Zwart responds saying that there is just something special about a six cylinder barking behind you and that when anyone sees a Porsche 911 they turn their head. The motorsport history and the movie Le Mans featuring Steve McQueen all molded his positive opinion on the brand. Growing up he even learned to drive in a Porsche 911, but not just any 911. It was car number 35, built in September 1964, a 901 model. That car was eventually stolen and according to Zwart most likely cut to pieces because parts were worth more than the car at the time.

He mentions his favorite Porsche is a 1953 model, but has no comment on the worst Porsche made. He did not want to burn that bridge.

Next they got into questions about his photography and cinematography. Zwart got into photography because he saw photographers were the closest to the race besides actually being a driver. Eventually his photographer skills transformed him into a cinematographer and he got into filming fighter jets. When Hoonigan asked Zwart to choose between his filming and racing, he chose racing.

Zwart's favorite Porsche car is a 906, but his favorite non-Porsche is a McLaren F1. 

The story of how he got into racing is unique. He was filming cars, doing journalist driving school stories, and eventually participated in a "media challenge" where he did well and it opened his mind that maybe he should do this. Rally was always on his mind and at the time he was working with Rod Millen, father of fellow Pikes Peak legend Rhys Millen, who built him a Mazda rally car to compete with. Eventually his racing career found him at Pikes Peak where his personal record is achieving the climb in 9 minutes 46 seconds. 

Zwart goes through his craziest moment filming, his sketchiest moment on Pikes Peak, as well as many other details about his photography/cinematography and racing careers. 

For more of the details check out Hoonigan's video below.

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