Instagram: @u911y_duck

ABOUT THE DRIVER:

Fabio Martínez Lopez is a Spanish telecommunications engineer, born and raised in the Spanish autonomous community of Galicia. There, Martínez attended the University of Vigo on a scholarship, gaining a bachelor's degree with honors in telecommunications engineering in 2002. He later went on to attend the EAE Business School, where he received his masters in Business Administration. Born and raised in Spain, Martínez was exposed to the diversities of neighboring countries, leading him to pick up on different languages such as English and Portuguese. Martínez made the move to Miami in 2017 due to a job relocation, and since then has been the Information Technology Manager for North and South America at Bosch. Aside from his office life, Martínez is a full on petrolhead, with his love for cars beginning from a young age. From then playing with Hot Wheels to now owning his own set of wheels, Martínez's passion for cars has never driven away.

 Q & A

Q: How many years have you've been driving/riding?

A: Well my first experience with a car was with my dad. I would wash his car and then eventually he taught me how to drive it. From then, I did not get my own car until I went off to university. While in Spain I had owned multiple cars from a Mini Cooper to a Golf GTI to a Mazda.

Q: Does car culture differ a lot from Galicia vs. Miami? 

A: 100%. In Galicia, we have mountains and a lot more up and downs in regards to roads when comparing to Miami. I actually used to participate in a drive from Galicia to Germany when I had my 1990 arbor green Golf GTI, and the views were just breathtaking. I would also say the weather has a lot to do with it because in Galicia it is mostly cloudy, making people less enthusiastic as to taking out their cars for a drive. In Miami, even though there are no hills, the sunny weather calls out to go on a ride. 

Q: How many years have you've been driving Porsche?

A: My interest in Porsche began when I got to Miami. I had actually first bought a Mustang when I arrived, and it was my neighbor who surprisingly got me into Porsche. I was always been a fan of the car, ever since I was a teenager. Of all the styles I had liked of the 911, my favorite was the C4S, due to its model and it is the only one I could afford. I bought my first Porsche from California, it being a 996 C4S. To me, the model of this car is so original and different but others sometimes think of the car as weird-looking.

Martínez pictured with his Porsche 996 C4S.

To many Porsche enthusiasts, the model of the Porsche 911 996 C4S is strange looking and not worth the buy, but Martínez would disagree. one of the biggest things about the model of the 996 that most people do not like is the shape of the headlights. In Porsche history, the cars' headlights were known to be circular, yet when the 996 came out the headlights' conventional shape seemed "runny" and had an orange/yellow turn signal, which leads to the model gaining the name of "the fried egg 911". In addition to the headlights, the car has a wide-rear fender, which adds to the car's shape and unique bumper with ducts. 

Due to the car's different look to the typical Porsche models, the value of the car is much more affordable, making it that much more of a great deal.

Q: What do you personally love most about your 996?

A: Its individuality. Not many people own the model due to its unique features, so the car stands out on its own. Another cool thing about the car is that it was the first to be changed from an air-cooled car to a water-cooled car. I have such an appreciation for the car that I created a clothing store and site called U911Y_DUCK, with the initiative to claim the 996s and to make it inclusive. 

Q: What is the meaning behind the name "U911Y_DUCK"? Do you personally run the account/site?

A: The name U911Y_DUCK represents the 996 and how the world of Porsche views this model of the 911 as the odd one out, or as the "ugly duckling". The name acknowledges the uniqueness of the car. The site is actually run by both my wife, Amaya, and I. She does the more creative and design for the site, while I do more of the petrolhead side such as the car content. The site includes clothing appreciating the 996s and 911s, and has featured 911s dating back since the 70s up until today. We have also been asked by the the marketing dean of Porsche Latin America to be interviewed, which is a big step for the site. 

Q: What have been some of your personal favorite moments when driving?

A: Some of my favorite moments driving have been made while the sun is rising, because everything is so still and you are totally aware of the moment. My drives are also much more special when my son tags along. He's my favorite co-pilot and I love sharing those memories with him. One of my favorites rides has been when we drove to the mountains in Georgia in the fall of 2018, because of all the beautiful scenery, but mostly because of the people. Compared to Spain, I feel like it is much harder to be social here, and thanks to Vintage Vices and this shared passion, my only real friends here were made because of the cars. 

Martínez pictured with his favorite co-pilot and his 996.

Keep up with Martínez and all the latest drops of U911Y_DUCK at https://u911yduck.com, and next time you see a 996, think to yourself, " an U991Y DUCK or a SWAN?"