Is this the world’s best private Porsche collection?
Meet Lisa Taylor – Porsche Driving Instructor, enthusiast, racer and collector
Californian Lisa Taylor has built up an impressive collections of new and classic Porsche cars – racing them, showing them and sharing her love for them
There are 911 fans… and there is Lisa Taylor. It’s more than 40 years since Lisa bought her first Porsche. Since then she’s owned and driven countless others and is still buying new 911 sportscars to this day. Lisa, who lives with her boyfriend, Tom Ridings, on a ranch in Orange County, California, has a Porsche collection – both new and classic – to dream of. She’s also a qualified Porsche Driving Instructor, holds more than 10 autocross championship titles and is one of the few female members of R Gruppe, an exclusive group of passionate Porsche fans based in California. Porsche cars – and the community that has grown around them – are quite simply her life, says Lisa.911 fan Lisa Taylor and her boyfriend, Tom Ridings, boast one of the most impressive collections you will see – all cars to be driven, not kept as museum piecesWhen did your love of Porsche cars begin?“The first time I ever drove a Porsche was a 911 Carrera Targa, back in 1981. And the first Porsche of my own was a 1974 911 Targa in Guards Red. I’ve owned Porsche cars ever since – for 41 years. For the first 25 years, I only drove the Guards Red 911, but every other year I would buy the newest model. I have a lot of Porsche sportscars… although I normally don’t tell people how many I own! But I do have a 2016 911 GT3 RS in Rubystar, a 2022 911 GT3 in Rubystar, a 2021 911 Turbo S in Signal Green, a 2023 911 Targa 4 GTS in Carmine Red and a 1991 911 Targa in Mint Green. I also have a few classic 911 air-cooled Porsche models from 1973 as well as a couple of Cayenne Transsyberias, some more Cayenne SUVs and a Macan. We have a home in the mountains too, and the Transsyberias are great for off-roading and for taking out in the snow on non-ploughed roads.”As you may have spotted, Lisa loves the Porsche paint colour Rubystar – as seen on her 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 (left) and 2016 911 GT3 RSWhat’s it like being a Porsche owner?“The best aspect for me is that I’m a woman Porsche collector and racer, which is rare. I’ve driven every single racetrack in California, Nevada and even the Nürburgring in Germany a few times. I’ve won autocross championships for more than 10 years and even took first place in the Porsche Parade AX, an annual event organised by the Porsche Club of America. Also, I’m one of just four women who are members of the R Gruppe, a group of 300 people here in California with hot rodded air-cooled Porsche cars from 1973 and older. We race these older air-cooled cars at various tracks across the state.“And I own the Pikes Peak Porsche that has won the Hill Climb twice now and which, when it’s not racing, is invited to other car events. Every year, I also get to drive my Porsche Paint To Sample cars on the racetrack before the IndyCar race at Long Beach. They have also been featured as display cars for Michelin when they needed Paint to Sample models at the Monterey Car Week & Concours. And, as well as meeting up with R Gruppe a few times a year, I love getting together with other collectors at the annual Luftgekühlt event here in the US. All my cars are used for some type of fun event each weekend.”Lisa’s Porsche passion extends to other models. She has a number of Cayenne SUVs, including two rare Transsyberia models (fourth and fifth from left)Tell us about racing Porsche sportscars“In the past three years I’ve raced at many private track days at Laguna Seca, Auto Club Speedway, Thermal and Willow Springs in California and Spring Mountain in Nevada. My ‘Lucy’ – a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car – was previously raced by Patrick Dempsey and won (for the second time) at Pikes Peak in June 2021. It held the record for fastest Porsche to win Pikes Peak with my company Flying L Racing. It’s a race that’s not for the timid. You get up at 2am, and spending time at an altitude of 14,115ft is brutal. I’m happy to say that I managed to avoid altitude sickness!”What Porsche models would you like to own in the future?“I’ve just ordered a new manual 911 Carrera T (type 992) and a 911 GT3 RS (type 992) in Paint to Sample. And I recently bought a Racing Yellow 911 GT3 at the Palm Springs Porsche Parade which I’ve named ‘Sunny’ as well as a 911 GT3 from Porsche Colorado Springs, in Paint To Sample Speed Yellow, which I’ve called ‘Speedy’!”A true Porsche fanatic: on any given weekend, one or more of Lisa’s 911 collection is at a show, gathering or track event somewhereWhat’s the most fun that you’ve had in a Porsche 911?“At one event at Willow Springs, actor and comedian Rob Corddry drove our Maritime Blue 2018 911 GT3 for episode 1 of Top Gear America. Rob wanted to buy it after driving it. Jay Leno was filming there on that day, too. The best compliment of the day was when The Stig was supposed to do hot laps in a couple of different sportscars – but the only car he wanted to drive was our 911 GT3. He absolutely loved it and it won the challenge as the fastest and best car of the day.”Lisa takes a break with her 1991 911 Targa in Mint Green with some of her Bernese Mountain Dogs. She has five in total – Turbo, Targa, Tucker, Coupe and RubyWhy is the Porsche 911 so special, Lisa?“Porsche is my life. Every single day is a Porsche day. Each weekend I’m taking a Porsche to a show, a Cars & Coffee event or going on a drive with collector friends. I don’t know what I would do without a Porsche. I’d be bored! The 911 runs through my veins. I’ve driven one every day since 1982 and I can’t imagine life without one. I’ve driven many exotic cars but the Porsche 911 is like no other. The performance, the handling, the quality – there’s nothing that compares to a Porsche 911.”
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