A day with Guy Pasmans – perhaps Belgium’s biggest Porsche fan?

At Petrolhead Sunday in Zolder in June, the Porsche 911 Dakar Owners Club met for the first time for a joint drive. There, the owners of what is probably the most versatile of all 911s drove their cars around the Circuit Zolder and later even on rallycross tracks. It was an absolute show as the drivers drove their Dakars over hill and dale. After returning to the paddock at Circuit Zolder, I had a chat with Guy Pasmans. As is the way with petrolheads, the ice was quickly broken on the subject of Porsche. Without further ado, he invited me to his home to talk more about our shared passion.

Even as a child, Guy Pasmans was crazy about motorsport

On a sunny day, Guy Pasmans welcomes us to his home near Antwerp. The CEO of a logistics company lives there with his wife and two daughters. He opens his door to us in a friendly and cheerful manner. Guy Pasmans is tall. His sun-tanned face with a friendly, awake look gives us an idea of how much experience he must have gained in the port of Antwerp over the decades. We quickly move on to the subject of cars. At Pasmans, everything revolves around Porsche. Not only is his Porsche 992 Dakar parked in front of the door, but also a Porsche 968 convertible. “It belongs to my son”, says the father of the family, not without pride, and invites us in.

When I ask Guy how it all started, he has a clear answer: “I was crazy about Formula 1, sports car racing and rallying as a child. Jacky Ickx was my hero”, he recalls. Guy devotes a lot of his rare free time to his hobby, as evidenced by his extensive collection of literature. “I’ve read countless books about the Porsche brand. I dedicated myself to the boxer engine from an early age”, the manager explains. But his knowledge is not just theoretical. “In the 80s, I bought a VW Beetle. I restored it myself and was able to earn a bit of money by selling it a few years later.”

Today, Guy Pasmans drives his dream Porsches all over the world!

After the initial spark of the Beetle, Guy Pasmans fulfilled his dream of owning his own Porsche 911 around 2000. His 1974 Porsche 911 S, christened the Rolling Stone, has accompanied him through thick and thin. Guy refined the car with a 3,2 liter engine and doesn’t just take it on short tours on Sundays: “I regularly take part in classic car rallies at home and abroad. I’ve already been to Greece, Ibiza and Morocco with the Rolling Stone. My personal highlight, however, was the Tour Americal 2013, when we drove the Rolling Stone across the USA, even through Times Square in New York!”

In general, Guy drives his cars as the designers intended. The Belgian also regularly uses his Porsche 356 pre-A 1500 Super Cabriolet for classic car rallies, even though there are probably no longer 20 of this model left in the world. “These cars are made for driving. Despite their age, they are still a joy to drive”, says the collector.

Following an extensive restoration, this rare cabriolet with the charismatic bent windscreen is in impressive condition. However, apart from lowered seat consoles and a Blaze Cut fire extinguisher system, only original parts were used. “I’ll probably never sell this car, it’s something very special”, says Guy, looking at the oldest car in his collection.

“My collection doesn’t have a specific theme. I buy and drive what I like!”

Guy Pasmans doesn’t follow any fixed principles when putting together his car collection. “My collection doesn’t have a specific theme. I buy and drive what I like”, that’s his credo. This quickly becomes clear when you look at the other cars in his garage. In addition to a Citroen DS, this also includes a Porsche 992 Turbo S. “I also had a 981 Boxster Spyder and a 997 GT3 RS in the past, which I sold to Canada via Elferspot”.

His bahama yellow Porsche 718 Spyder RS is particularly eye-catching. “This is the only Paint-to-Sample Spyder RS to be delivered in Belgium. I ordered it before it was even officially confirmed that it was available!” How did Guy know that? “I had heard something here and there”, says the manager with a twinkle in his eye.

The soundscape in the Porsche 718 Spyder RS is breathtaking. I love it! Unfortunately, the Bahama yellow usually comes across as a bit orange in photos. But in person, it is simply beautiful!

Guy Pasmans on his Porsche 718 Spyder RS

To go with the Spyder, Guy also has a very special motorcycle in his collection: a 1973 BMW R100, completely converted to a café racer look. “I’ve been riding BMW motorcycles for decades, always with a boxer engine of course”, explains Guy. Like the Spyder RS, it shines in Bahama yellow. Its special feature: “This motorcycle can completely change its appearance in just a few minutes. I have color-matched fuel tanks and seats to my cars!”

A passion for design that extends beyond cars and motorcycles

Guy loves a good design, not just with cars or bikes, but also in terms of architecture. He designed his whole house by himself and had very strict specifications for his architect. “It was important for me to have a line of sight from our house to the garage. I always dreamed of being able to look into the garage from the kitchen, the living room or the dining table”. He even designed the bookshelves and display cabinets for the countless souvenirs, books, helmets and model cars himself.

The car, Guy currently drives the most is his Porsche 911 Dakar. “This car is so versatile. The performance is equally impressive on tarmac or loose surfaces. And you don’t have to worry too much about potholes or speed bumps.” As a big rally fan, his choice naturally fell on the Roughroads decor package. Inside, he enhanced his Dakar with the matching limited edition seat inserts by Justin Placek. Incidentally, Guy Pasmans was one of the first members of the Porsche 911 Dakar Owners Club.

Through the port of Antwerp in a Porsche 911 Dakar

After a cup of coffee, I ask Guy where he prefers to drive his Dakar. “I’ll show you, come with me”, Guy tells me. He is going to the place where he has experienced so much in the last 20 years – the port of Antwerp. Here, in Belgium’s largest port, Guy Pasmans knows everything and everyone. He navigates us safely through the logistics hub, sleepwalking through many small streets. The Dakar glides over the potholes and speed bumps, as if its chassis could anticipate and cushion bumps.

We stop at the water’s edge, right next to a container ship. It’s an exciting picture of contrasts. The 911 Dakar concept was born in the desert. Now the finished product stands here at the gateway to the world. It represents a little of what makes this car so special. Because the Porsche 992 Dakar cuts at least as good a figure on a rally stage as it does in front of a casino. Can any other sports car do that?

To finish, Guy Pasmans shows us his favorite route on the dyke

And as if Guy wanted to show us the breadth of the Dakar once again, he took us on one of his favorite routes for an after-work drive. We cross the border into the Netherlands and head towards the dyke via the Tholensebrug. The small, undulating roads through the Scheldt-Rhine delta are the ideal playground for the Dakar.

The small roads in the shadow of the dyke are a real Eldorado for the Dakar. Grass pavers are laid along the fast bends – almost like kerbs on race tracks. And the gravel along the way gradually creates the feeling of a rally’s special stage. This is where the Porsche 911 Dakar feels at home!

After work, I like to drive along this roads in the 911 Dakar and take a break at the top of the dyke. The view is wonderful!

Guy Pasmans

Before we say goodbye, I ask Guy Pasmans our traditional final question: “If money was no object, what would be your absolute dream Porsche?” After a moment’s thought, Guy replies: “There would be two. One would be a Porsche 911 Carrera RSR Turbo 2.1 in Martini design. Secondly, it would be the Porsche 550 Spyder for me.”

If you want to follow Guy Pasmans on Instagram head to @gpantwerp!

© images: David Fierlinger, Elferspot