Jay Leno Loves Driving The LuftAuto 911 Off Road
Jay Talks LuftAuto with Porsche’s Pat Long and car owner Eli Kogan
In the spring of 2016, Porsche factory racing driver Pat Long worked with myriad parts suppliers and local shops to create something they could auction off for charity during the third annual Luftgekuhlt aircooled Porsche show. The car they ended up creating, with the help of Braid Wheels, Pelican Parts, Joey Seely, Benton Performance, and Emory Motorsports, was dubbed the "LuftAuto", and was clearly inspired by Porsche's off-road history. With a phenomenal welded in roll cage, a roof rack, skid plates, auxiliary lights, and bumper protection, this car is ready for all the two-tracking and fire-roading you can throw at it.
In this week's Jay Leno's Garage episode, below, Pat Long himself is in the garage to give Jay the rundown on how and why this car was built, and what went into it. The proceeds of the sale were destined for pancreatic cancer research, and the auction ended up driving bidding far higher than anyone expected. Ultimately it was Eli and his family who purchased the car for $275,000. It was for a good cause, and in the end they got a phenomenal car that continues to provide some excellent experiences.
Jay then takes the car next door where they can get it up on a lift to check out the underside of the chassis, where the magic is made. After the discussions are over, Eli rides shotgun as Jay gives his lovely 911 Carrera a go both on the road and off it. They find a hill that is in need of climbing, and shoot straight to the top. Jay seems to be pretty impressed with the car's wheel travel and 10 inches of ground clearance. It's a great 20-minute segment with a really cool car built and owned by really cool guys. Check it out when you get a chance.