“Not a trophy, but part of my life”: Lukas Berger on his Porsche 944 S2

The path to the first Porsche is always a very special one and will remain forever in the memory of most people who fulfill this dream. Lukas Berger, the first employee of Elferspot, feels the same way. He took the time to tell me his own story in detail in the office – including why he, who sees countless new Porsche 911s advertised every day, ultimately preferred to drive a transaxle.

Lukas Berger left secure employment for the Elferspot adventure

“I’m now 27 years old, was born in the Mühlviertel region of Upper Austria and now live in Linz with my girlfriend Anna. After graduating from a technical college, I did my community service in the emergency services – a great time! In 2016, my cousin Markus asked me if I could imagine providing technical support for his Elferspot project. Back then, we were still at the very beginning,” recalls the current co-founder. Lukas Berger agreed and helped his cousin – initially on a part-time basis.

“Eight months later, we realized: this has potential. I quit my job as a design engineer, trained in online marketing and SEO on the side and joined Elferspot full-time. It was clear to us: now we’re going to do it properly”, recalls the marketplace insider. “Thanks to my work, Porsche has been a fundamental part of my everyday life for around 8 years.”

With Elferspot came a love of the automobile

Lukas is probably even understating things. Because he knows almost every listing on Elferspot and knows exactly what’s going on in the market. And this despite the fact that he wasn’t very enthusiastic about cars as a child. “When we were younger, my father bought a new car twice – once a Mazda 6 and later a Seat Exeo. Each time was a very special experience for me. It fascinated me to a certain extent, but sports cars weren’t an issue back then. The most I did was play with Hot Wheels with my brother to see which car could loop the fastest,” laughs the Linz native.

The first real sports car moment came quite unexpectedly for Lukas – in the middle of the forest, “logging” with his father. “I was maybe twelve years old, we were out on the tractor when suddenly a bright yellow Ferrari shot past. It was completely surreal – like a UFO in the middle of nowhere”, he recalls. “In our village of just under 2,000 inhabitants, nobody drove anything like that. Nobody had sports cars or classic cars. For me, it was like a glimpse into another world. Mega fascinating – but back then I never even dreamed of driving a classic car myself.”

“My love for Porsche, for classic cars, only came with my work at Elferspot!”

Lukas Berger

His first conscious Porsche moment actually has something to to with cousin Markus Klimesch again: “At a family celebration at Easter, Markus drove his silver 911 Targa. It was an F-Model. I was about 12 at the time, and at first I didn’t think of it as a Porsche in particular, but as a classic car, a sports car. Later, at school in Linz, I perceived the brand itself for what it is. It wasn’t desirable per se because it was unobtainable for me, but I thought it was cool”, recalls the 27-year-old. “My love for Porsche, for classic cars, only came with my work at Elferspot!”

Lukas Berger was particularly enthusiastic about the community surrounding the brand

I would like to know what exactly Lukas attributes this to. “I was suddenly right in the middle of it – in the community, interacting with workshops, dealers and enthusiasts. The enthusiasm for the brand was particularly noticeable on social media. I had never noticed that before. I was carried away by this passion, especially for the classics. It left me deeply impressed by the idea of not just owning old vehicles, but living them. I think it’s cool when old cars are driven and maintained. To see how many companies and workshops are fully committed to preserving classic cars is simply impressive – real passion to keep these cars alive. And that’s exactly the insight I get from the constant exchange with like-minded people at Elferspot.”

As the Elferspot platform grew and the site evolved, Lukas quickly discovered which Porsche models he was most drawn to. “In the beginning, the Porsche 964 Carrera 2 was my absolute dream car. To me, its shape is one of the most beautiful ever designed. Later, the wide-body 993 models really caught my attention as well.”

Why Lukas’ first Porsche still turned out to be a Transaxle

Instead of buying a 911, Lukas deliberately chose a transaxle model as his first Porsche. “What matters to me with classic cars and sports cars are the special details – colors, specs, rare models… At Elferspot, we handle 911s of all generations daily since they’re the most popular Porsches on the market. That’s why I initially had little exposure to transaxles – they were under my radar.”

“Over time, I kept spotting interesting 944s on our Elferspot marketplace they just had something about them. One day, I started to wonder if it wouldn’t be really cool to drive one myself. That’s when the search began. You and I have talked about it many times. I remember my first encounter with an S2 very clearly. I saw a beautiful 944 S2 at Autohaus Stefan. The shape, the pop-up headlights… I was instantly hooked. The deeper I looked into it, the clearer it became: these cars don’t get nearly the attention they deserve – at least not yet”, he explains. “You get a lot of Porsche for your money. And visually, the 944 S2 just clicks with me.”

“The transaxle community offers tons of knowledge, tips, and experience. That’s no surprise – many owners really dig into the details of their cars. Spare parts are easy to source, and if you take care of the car, it’ll be a reliable companion”, Lukas says. Compared to a 911, the running costs are much more manageable. “In Linz, you still see the occasional classic Porsche, but transaxles – especially the 944 S2 – are rare sights on the street.”

A 1,000 Kilometer Roadtrip Home

Naturally, finding a Porsche 944 S2 in a rare color wasn’t easy – especially in Austria. But a tip from the Elferspot network eventually led him to the right car. “Jan Adams from Retrotec connected me with a friend who had restored a 944 S2 for himself. The specs sounded perfect: finished in Cyclam Red Pearl Effect – one of the rarest colors – a beautiful interior, and completely overhauled mechanically. Still, I hesitated. The car was 1,000 kilometers away in northern Germany! On top of the financial decision, there was the complexity of importing it”, Lukas recalls.

“It took a few weeks to finalize everything. Then I headed from Linz to Bremen with one of my best friends, Elias. We left at 4:00 am by train and didn’t arrive until 6:30 pm. The moment I saw the car in person, I was blown away. The color, the Speedline-style wheels, the subtle drop from the KW V3 suspension – it looked even better than in the photos! I’ll never forget the feeling of sitting in it for the first time and turning the key. Even the solid clunk of the door – this honest, classic Porsche sound—gave me chills.”

I’ll never forget the moment I sat down and turned the key for the first time.

Lukas Berger

After signing all the paperwork, Lukas and his buddy Elias set off on the 1,000-kilometer road trip back home. The proud new Porsche owner was not only able to chech the mechanical health of the 944 S2 for himself, but also get to know the new car properly.

The driving experience – still fantastic after 30 years!

And Lukas has high praise for the driving experience. “It’s very special. I’ve driven a few Porsches before, from old to newer GT models. But the feeling of driving the car I’d dreamed of for so long for the first time – especially as it drove so well – was simply different. I’m not a racing driver, but the low seating position, the balance in the corners and how fast the car can corner, even though it’s so old, is impressive.”

“My girlfriend can confirm this, by the way. I go into raptures on pretty much every ride: “Can you feel that? How stable it is in the corners? How it pulls out?” – I think she knows my comments on cornering by heart by now. But that’s what makes it so special. You don’t just drive – you experience it. Although it’s older than me, it feels totally solid”, summarizes the proud owner.

“The 1,000-kilometer journey back home wasn’t even strenuous. Volume, equipment… None of it feels ‘old’. My first car was 20 years younger – but you still had to crank the seat yourself”, grins the newly minted transaxle driver. “The 944 S2? Has an electric seat, of course”, he adds with a wink. “Even after more than 30 years, the Porsche 944 S2 is still a dream car!”

Valuable first-hand knowledge – buying abroad as a real alternative

What lessons did Lukas Berger learn from his own buying experience abroad? “Thanks to Elferspot, I was used to looking abroad anyway. That wasn’t a no-go for me. That’s why I was very open-minded – after all, the Porsche market is not a regional market, but a generally international one. In my opinion, you shouldn’t limit your search to the domestic market. That limits your choice unnecessarily.”

And what were the import procedures to Austria like? “You have to pay attention to a few things with old cars: All modifications have to be type-approved, for example. However, historic vehicles have the advantage that no NoVA (“Normverbrauchsabgabe”, a tax based on fuel consumption) has to be paid. I did the transfer with a German export license plate for 30 days. This meant I could drive in Austria for a few more weeks without too much stress and take care of all the documents for the individual permit”, Lukas explains.

As is so often the case in life, the problems fade with a little distance. I was a little frustrated here and there during the process because there were always new hurdles to overcome. But all in all, the effort was worth it.

Lukas Berger, Elferspot

Sunrise drives and spur-of-the-moment adventures

I ask Lukas what he has already experienced with his S2. “I immediately think of a trip, very early in the morning. Together with my girlfriend, I drove up the Loser Panoramastraße. It was still dark at the foot of the mountain and we were almost alone at the summit waiting for the sun to rise. While there are usually a lot of people on the Grossglockner, it’s not very busy there even on beautiful days. And the light was great!”

“I’m more the spontaneous type – if something grabs me, I’m there. I then like to share such experiences. Generally, I like to combine trips and experiences. “I recently went to the Klaus reservoir with our photographer David. We spontaneously did a shoot there, later took a boat trip across the reservoir and then ended up at a skate event. A day without a concrete plan – but with everything that sticks.”

These little spontaneous trips without great expectations are what make the difference in the end. If you plan too much, expectations are often too high and the experience itself is not the focus.

Lukas Berger

Small escapes, great freedom – with thoughts towards Tuscany

However, Lukas Berger also has a few dream routes that he wants to drive in the 944. “Firstly, I want to see as many Alpine passes in Austria as possible. On the other hand, there is already an area on my bucket list. Over time, the idea of driving through Tuscany in a classic car has grown – the landscape, the atmosphere… that would be something. But even the little moments have their charm: a short drive to clear your head – just get out and about. Or spontaneous rides at home in the Mühlviertel. You quickly realize that the most beautiful places are often not that far away.”

Another topic that the Linz native can’t let go of is the performance of his Porsche 944 S2. “At meetings and events, people are always saying how good the transaxle Porsches are to drive on the racetrack. I would love to experience that too. Not so much because I have ambitions, but because I would like to feel the car at the limit”, summarizes the SEO specialist.

If money were no object, what would be your dream Porsche?

“First of all, I would have my 944 on the list if I didn’t already have it. Cyclam pearl color exterior and grey interior with seat covers in the typical Porsche script design – a color combination that is not only rare, but also really harmonious. And you should realize what you already have. For me personally, this car is something very special – you quickly forget that in everyday life. Just a few years ago, a car like this was miles away for me. So it’s all the nicer to realize from time to time what you can drive today – and what a small dream has come true.”

“Without any budget restrictions, I would probably think in two directions. As a classic, a Porsche 964 Carrera 2 in Dark Sea Blue would come to mind. I generally find classic cars more exciting than modern sports cars. But a 991 GT3 Touring in a classic 356 color like Ivory would also be great. Having the courage to go for color is generally something I would advise every buyer to do. And if we’re really dreaming big: a Carrera GT in white – that would be absolutely amazing. For me, the ultimate. But hey – you can dream.”

You can find Lukas and his 944 S2 on Instagram at @lksberger or on TikTok at @zyclam944s2!

© images: David Fierlinger, Elferspot & Daniels Photofactory