Janick and his first Porsche

We at the Elferspot magazine are always looking for interesting, exciting or unusual Porsche stories. But first and foremost, we’re interested in the people behind the wheel. People, who make these cars their personal treasure, driven by love and passion for Porsche. The world wide web with all its social media platforms is a wonderful playground to get in touch with interesting personalities. This time, we had the chance to talk with fellow Swiss Janick Dähler, who recently bought a 964 model 1989 Porsche 911 Carrera 4.

Hey Janick! Instagram brought us together. We’ve been following you some time and are well informed about your passion for the Porsche brand. We want to know more about you, hence a very simple question: Who are you?

Hi, I’m very glad we’ve got in contact. What’s to say about me? I’m 30 years old, live in Thun, near the Swiss capital of Bern. I’m an entrepreneur and would describe myself as enterprising. My brother and I are running a painting and plasterwork business which has its origins in the Thun region in 1952. As a person, I am very enthusiastic and love to interact with other people more than anything else.

Scrolling through your Instagram page, one cannot overlook, that cyclic plays a big role in your life. Where did that come from?

As a 12-year old kid, I started to cycle competitive. For the following six years, I had a bicycle racing licence. As work and competitive sports don’t get along together all that well, I had to stop, but the passion for it is still unbroken. Today I see it as a way to escape from everyday life and stay in shape.

Interesting fun fact: You’re the founder of a cycling league in Switzerland. Can you tell us more about that?

Last year, I’ve had the idea of founding the Bern Cycling League. I think, it’s similar to Elferspot: A few guys and I had the desire to celebrate our hobby, but there was no such thing. So the logical thing to do was doing it on our own! The Bern Cycling League is now a synonym all across the country for lifestyle, great tours and the passion for cycling. It’s all about great monthly tours, without putting the focus on performance. Our “League” isn’t about competition, we’re not doing any races.

Now, let’s talk about Porsche. You’ve bought yourself a Porsche 964 Carrera 4 just this year, right?

Exactly, I was in the market for some time already. Since my childhood I was dreaming about buying a Porsche 911 G body or a 964. For my 30th birthday this year, everything came together and I was able to realize that dream.

Why did you choose the 964? What about this model appeals to you?

When I compared the G model with the Porsche 964 (which worked pretty well, thanks to your website) and had driven both, the differences were pretty obvious. Driving dynamics and responsiveness of the 964 was way ahead of the 911 G, if you ask me. And that’s before taking additional features like anti lock brakes and power steering into consideration. I think both are very pretty cars. Design language and the 964’s shape itself is still very pristine and that’s what appealed to me. This Porsche 911 is a work of art. But I can’t deny that the development of the Porsche 964 market played a role in the decision process as well.

How often do you drive your 911? 

Weekly from April to October. I try to avoid driving it in the wet, but to me, this 911 is still usable and suitable for a short blast to the shops or visiting friends. I’ve bought this very Porsche to enjoy many nice things with it. You can’t do that in the garage, so you have to get out and drive. It’s huge fun to drive and the spontaneous drives in the evening are just as fun as the Sunday drives in the Swiss alps. I store the 964 in winter, but I cannot wait for the new season, next spring!

I’ve bought this very Porsche to enjoy many nice things with it. You can’t do that in the garage, so you have to get out and drive.

And what about your fiancée? Does she share your Porsche passion? Did she drive your 964 already?

She already locked the Porsche in her heart. From the very beginning, she supported me to acquire it. I think, she needed some time to understand the fascination for the Porsche 911 but now she’s living it as well. Yes, she already drove the 964, but if I’m with her, she friendly waves aside.

Your Porsche is 30 years old now. What do you think about new, modern 911s? Would that be an option for you as well?

I am very much thrilled by the Porsche brand in general. I’ve already driven the new Porsche 992, which is an almost unbelievably good car. But I prefer naturally aspirated engines. The 991-series Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 made a very lasting impression. Dynamically and even more in terms of its precision. Driving that car really draw me in and who knows… you’ve got to have dreams!

I’m still pretty much divided about Porsche’s electric car development program…

I’m still pretty much divided about Porsche’s electric car development program. In everyday life, I may drive a hybrid, but for spare time, fun and especially emotion, I’m not entirely convinced, if there is a way around the internal combustion engine. 

Is there something, you want to enjoy with your 911 in the future? Are there plans or goals already?

I would love tour the alps for several days – ideally with like-minded enthusiasts. By the way, I think that there is a market for such tours. Of course, there are Porsche clubs, but something fresh for the younger generation would be great for sure. Maybe a future branch for Elferspot.com?

Surely, we’re heading for the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart next year. Apart from that, there are no plans. But for the Porsche 964 itself, there are some plans: I wanna get it detailed by a professional from the inside as well as on the outside, so it looks the part.

As we now know, you just recently bought your first “Elfer”. What were your experiences, searching and buying? Is there a specific hint, you would give to other potential buyers?

I could write a book on that. Luckily, a friend of mine is very experienced with all sorts of Porsches. Together with him, I’ve checked several models and I’m absolutely sure, that I wouldn’t be as happy today without his help. Many cars aren’t maintained properly, have an incomplete history or former owners just didn’t really cared for them. I’ve had to learn, that confidence in the seller is not enough. Faults on a Porsche 911 can become very expensive. Therefore, I highly recommend to consult an independent specialist. Of course, I’ve read quite a lot myself, but I think, that’s no substitute for experience with these cars.

I’ve had to learn, that confidence in the seller is not enough.

Personally, I was pretty lucky in the end, to get in touch with an honest Porsche enthusiast, who entrusted me his Porsche 911. For the seller of such a classic car, selling it is a pretty emotional and wistful experience as well. You not only part from your car, but for countless beautiful memories and stories you experienced with that car. But at least, the memories stay.

Today, the internet offers many ways to compare specific models and a lot to read and learn about a topic. I did that on Elferspot as well and very much enjoyed it, to be honest. On your platform I’ve found a few models, that really caught my attention. In the past, I loved to read in your magazine as well. I learned a lot here and gathered up a few tips & tricks.

I really want to point out here, that you guys are doing a fantastic job!

Thanks a lot Janick, for the interview and your laudatory words. We’re very glad about that! It was a pleasure to talk to you.

Finally, we want to say thank you to david&kathrin photography and film for the wonderful pictures. More about these two photographers can be found on Instagram as well.