The Porsche Worth Keeping Isn't the Fast One | Patrick Long & Jeff Zwart

What makes a Porsche worth keeping for the rest of your life?

Patrick Long has raced some of the fastest and most important Porsches ever built. Jeff Zwart has spent decades racing, photographing, filming and living with them. Yet when I asked each of them to choose just one Porsche for the rest of their lives, neither chose the fastest car.

We talk about why older, slower cars can sometimes deliver more of a driving experience, whether you can modify an air-cooled Porsche until you remove what made it special, why Jeff still drives his cars through snow, and how a Porsche becomes a keeper.

We also spend plenty of time talking about Luftgekühlt!

With Luft 12 coming to Town at Trilith outside Atlanta on October 10, Patrick and Jeff take us behind the scenes of how they choose the cars, why the venue matters so much, what makes a Porsche “Luft-worthy,” and why a beat-up old 912 with a great story can sometimes be more interesting than a priceless museum piece. And Jeff explains why, after 53 years together, his Porsche 914-6 would still be the one car he keeps.

And for anyone heading to Luftgekühlt 12 in Atlanta on October 10, let me know. After this conversation with Patrick and Jeff, I moved a few things around and I’m planning to make the trip down as well.

LUFTGEKÜHLT 12 Saturday, October 10, 2026 Town at Trilith Fayetteville, Georgia Tickets & Event Information: https://luftgekuhlt.com/pages/luft-12

Luftgekühlt: https://luftgekuhlt.com/

FOLLOW PATRICK LONG Website: https://patricklong.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plmotorsport/

FOLLOW JEFF ZWART Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zwart/

FOLLOW ELEVENAFTERNINE Website & Porsche Consulting: https://www.elevenafternine.com/ Main YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ElevenAfterNine Podcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ElevenAfterNinePodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theelevenafternine/ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eleven-after-nine-a-porsche-culture-podcast/id1887344928 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0fpVL61pWEZDkaygT7cGZh Contact: [email protected]

CHAPTERS 00:00 What Makes a Porsche Worth Keeping? 02:13 Does Driving Great Cars Change What You Value? 05:30 Why Older Porsches Feel Different 06:28 What Makes a Porsche “Luft-Worthy”? 09:02 How Luftgekühlt Chooses Its Cars 11:40 Why Luft Is More Than a Car Show 12:26 The Cars Outside Luft Can Be Just as Good 15:38 Air-Cooled vs. Water-Cooled Porsche 16:08 How Jeff Zwart Designs a Luft Venue 17:39 What You Should Look For at Luft 12 20:39 What Luft 12 Is Celebrating 21:34 Can Luft Get Too Big? 24:37 Why Patrick and Jeff Stay Approachable 25:48 Jeff Zwart's 53-Year Porsche 914-6 27:28 Can You Modify an Old Porsche Too Much? 30:32 Can a Restoration Remove a Porsche's Character? 33:57 What Makes a Porsche a Keeper? 34:26 Why Jeff Drives His Porsches in the Snow 36:37 The Problem With Saving Cars Instead of Driving Them 38:02 Does a Porsche Factory Racer Still Want to Drive Fast? 41:16 One Porsche for the Rest of Your Life 41:28 Jeff Zwart Chooses His 914-6 42:37 Patrick Long Chooses His One Porsche 44:26 Patrick's Case for Air-Cooled Porsche 46:08 Luft 12 and One Final Thought 46:45 “How Did the Car Make You Feel?”

Buying a Porsche and want a second opinion before you wire the money? One-on-one Porsche buyer consulting is available at ElevenAfterNine.com.

ElevenAfterNine is an independent enthusiast podcast and is not affiliated with, authorized by, or endorsed by Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.