Perusing the photos seen here might leave the impression that Porsche enthusiast Nick Londy, automotive photographer Webb Bland and designer/stunt driver Sera Trimble staged a flock of 1984 911s throughout the Central California desert. In reality, every image shows a singular example of a second-gen “G-Series” 911—one with an illusory, awe-inspiring finish and a undeniably cool provenance to boot.
In an email to Maxim, Londy explained that this exact chassis was originally owned by actor Harry Hamlin, star of 1981’s seminal street racing flick King of the Mountain.
“At the risk of car movie-splaining to you, it’s a movie that’s worshipped within the Los Angeles air-cooled Porsche scene,” he says of the gear-headed approved cult classic. “King of the Mountain is loosely based on the original Mulholland street racers, one of whom Harry plays as the lead in the movie, driving an old hot rod Porsche 356. The fact that I have Harry Hamlin’s first Porsche is easily every old-school L.A. Porsche guy’s favorite fact about my car.”
As Designboom points out, the car’s original gloss-black paint had taken a beating after 40,000 miles worth of road rallies. Upon giving it a fresh black base coat and a full protective film, Londy realized he had an opportunity to give this 911 a truly inimitable aesthetic. After creating over 50 renders, Londy, Trimble, and Bland ultimately arrived at a gradient vinyl wrap that begins as black at the nose and goes gold moving rearward across the coupe’s unmistakable lines. The metallic hue in particular proved a challenge, as they searched for a gold shade that was wasn’t too orange or green.
“Matching different mediums and surfaces was a painstaking process as well,” Londy told 911-centric blog Type 7. “How did it look in the sun? What shade of the body fade should we use on the wheels? How would the vinyl print match the powder coating on the wheels? What can be wrapped and what can’t?”
As if the striking scheme wasn’t enough, the windshield banner also features a topographic etching that depicts the peaks and valleys of Wyoming’s Teton Range, a personal touch that harks to Londy’s hometown of Jackson Hole.
“Within the topo banner is the Grand Teton along with its elevation of 13,776 feet,” Londy explained to Designboom. “There are other fake elevations too: my dog’s birthday, the old Cardinals stadium zip code where my dad grew up watching Stan Musial, and my late father’s birthday. You wouldn’t know they’re not elevations, but they’re meaningful to me.”
Upon the project’s completion, Bland captured the pics seen here in Cali’s Alabama Hills, a setting that perfectly complements the car’s warm hues. “I love the concept of a car matching its surroundings in tone,” Bland said. “At first and last light, it becomes something really special.”
