Consequent lightweight design for 50th anniversary

Stuttgart. Porsche has developed a new GT race car for the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the Le Mans 24 Hours. The new 911 RSR is characterised by consequent lightweight design and sophisticated aerodynamics. The exceptional vehicle styling honours a very special anniversary: From a bird’s eye perspective, the numbers 50 and 911 are visible. These stand for 50 years of the Porsche 911. The Porsche AG Team Manthey works squad exclusively fields two Porsche 911 RSR in the 2013 season.

The new 911 RSR, which is based on the seventh generation of the iconic 911 sports car, follows in the footsteps of its successful predecessor, the 911 GT3 RSR. As with the production vehicle, the wheelbase grew by about ten centimetres. A new wishbone front suspension replaces the previously used McPherson struts. Another new development from Porsche Motorsport is the particularly lightweight racing gearbox. The six gears are selected via paddles on the steering wheel. The 460 hp, 4.0-litre six-cylinder boxer engine was taken from the predecessor and optimised in detail.

One of the priorities in the development of the new 911 RSR was the more evenly balanced weight distribution. The centre of gravity is also significantly lower than that of its predecessor. Carbon fibre played a crucial role in the new design. The front and rear mudguards, front and rear lids, doors, underbody, wheel arches, rear wing, dashboard and centre console are constructed from the very light and strong material. Moreover, all windows are made of particularly thin and light polycarbonate. Also contributing to the weight reduction is the lithium-ion battery known from the GT road-legal models.

The look of the new 911 RSR is dominated by the flared mudguards and the deep cooling air intakes at the front. With the new air ducting, the radiator is now centrally-located in the front and even more effective than in the previous model. At the same time, the cockpit air conditioning became more efficient. The quick-change concept of the body parts was specially adapted for endurance racing, allowing for easier maintenance and shorter repair times. The front end, front lid and rear panel are fitted with quick release systems and can be replaced within seconds.

Competing in the Porsche 911 RSR with starting number 92 are Porsche works drivers Marc Lieb (Germany) and Richard Lietz (Austria), who already shared a cockpit in the 2012 WEC. At the first two races of the season in Silverstone (14.4) and Spa (4.5) as well as at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (22.6), they receive support from their works driver colleague Romain Dumas (France). Factory pilots also drive the #91 sister car, with Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) and Patrick Pilet (France) making up a team. In Silverstone, Spa and Le Mans, the duo is joined by Timo Bernhard (Germany).

Season preparations on the finish straight

Stuttgart. The development of the new Porsche 911 RSR based on the current generation 991 model is nearly complete. On the Sebring International Raceway in Florida/USA the GTE race car from Weissach completed another successful test on Thursday. The successor to the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR will be run exclusively by the Porsche AG Team Manthey works squad at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and in the World Endurance Championship (WEC). The vehicle celebrates its race debut on April 14 at the WEC season-opener in Silverstone.

Sharing driving duties at Sebring were Porsche works drivers Richard Lietz (Austria) and Patrick Pilet (France). Lietz contests the WEC including Le Mans with Marc Lieb (Germany) at the wheel of the 911 RSR with the starting number 92. Patrick Pilet joins forces with Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) in the number 91 vehicle. At the first two WEC rounds in Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps as well as at Le Mans, they receive backup from their factory pilot colleagues Romain Dumas (France/No. 92) and Timo Bernhard (Germany/No.91).

“We are very pleased with how the testing has gone so far,” said Porsche’s Head of Motorsport Hartmut Kristen. “Our goal is to be well prepared for the challenges of the very strong GTE class in the WEC and at Le Mans. The circuit in Sebring is very well suited to put a new vehicle through some demanding trials. For this reason, a test in Sebring is a very good rehearsal for one of the toughest races of all, the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Until the season kicks off in Silverstone, we will conduct some final tests on other race tracks so that our new 911 RSR is well and truly ready for the World Endurance Championship season.”

The Porsche 911 Carrera S has been named the 2013 Robb Report Car of the Year. Captivating the judging panel with its agility, driving dynamics and balance, the 911 bested 12 other competitors for the award and will be featured on the cover of the March issue of the luxury lifestyle magazine.

“Winning Robb Report’s 2013 Car of the Year award for the Porsche 911 is a proud achievement for our brand, especially as we celebrate our flagship model’s 50th anniversary this year,” said Detlev von Platen, president and CEO, Porsche Cars North America, Inc. “This prestigious award means a lot to us, as it was voted on by potential customers, and it further solidifies the 911’s standing as one of the world’s most sought-after sports cars.”

The 20th annual Robb Report Car of the Year award judging process involved extensive test-drives by a panel of automotive experts including Robb Report Editor in Chief Brett Anderson, automotive consultant Robert Ross and approximately 100 members of the Robb Report Club, which includes top corporate executives and influential readers. Other contenders included the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse, Ferrari FF, Audi S8, Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG and BMW M5.

“Porsche has taken a 50-year-old design and constantly refined and improved it without altering a single word from the original mission statement, and it has kept the price relatively affordable,” said Robert Ross, Robb Report automotive consultant. “In the truest Miesian sense, the 911 proves that less is more.”

World premiere at the International Motor Show in Geneva

Stuttgart. The sportiest 911 will have its world premiere at the Geneva International Motor Show: the new Porsche 911 GT3. In the 50th anniversary year of the 911, Porsche is now set to open a new chapter in race track performance sports cars. The fifth generation of the 911 GT3, a complete new development, will take the pole position among the thoroughbred Porsche sports cars with naturally aspirated engines. Boxer engine and transmission, as well as body and chassis are completely new and constitute a further development of the 911 GT3 concept with an impressive performance leap. Power: 475 hp (125 hp/liter). Power to weight ratio: 6.6 lbs/hp. Acceleration from 0 to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds. Top speed: 195 mph. Lap time Nürburgring Nordschleife: under 7:30 minutes. As a technical highlight, it features the first active rear wheel steering in a production Porsche. As well as the optional full LED headlights. The new 911 GT3 keeps all the successful properties of a sports car suitable for racing, with even more driving dynamics, more sophisticated practicality – and a highly emotional fun factor.

The powertrain of the new 911 GT3 is composed of a 3.8-liter boxer engine yielding 475 hp (350 kW) at 8.250 rpm, a Porsche dual-clutch transmission (PDK) and a high-traction rear-wheel drive. The six-cylinder engine is based on the same engine as the 911 Carrera S, although they share only few common parts. All other components, particularly the crankshaft and valve gear, were specially adapted or designed for the GT3. For instance, Porsche designed titanium connecting rods and forged pistons. The basic modifications set the stage for an extremely high-speed engine that reaches up to 9.000 rpm. The Porsche dual-clutch transmission was also specially developed; the characteristics are directly based on a sequential gearbox from motor racing, thereby providing further performance and dynamics advantages to the driver.

For the first time, Porsche is using active rear wheel steering in order to achieve even higher precision and lateral dynamics. Depending on the speed, it steers in the same or opposite direction of the front wheels, improving stability and agility. Other new modules improving driving dynamics are the electronically controlled, fully variable rear differential lock, and the dynamic engine mounts. The newly developed all-aluminium chassis can still be adjusted by height, toe and camber. Contact with the road is made by the new 20-inch forged alloy wheels with central locking.

The 911 GT3 is based on the light, yet stuff body of the current generation 911 Carrera in hybrid steel-aluminium construction, however, it comes with independent front and rear parts. In addition, the 911 GT3 is 1.7 inches wider than a 911 Carrera S in the area of the rear axle. Another clear recognition feature is again the large, fixed rear wing. This makes a decisive contribution to the exemplary aerodynamics of the new 911 GT3, which combines low air resistance with even more power.

As a result, the new 911 GT3 sets new performance records. At full acceleration from standstill, the 0 to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds, and 124 mph are reached in less than twelve seconds. The top speed is 195 mph in the seventh, top gear of the completely newly adapted PDK transmission. The lap time on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, which the new 911 GT3 manages in under 7:30 minutes, is even more impressive.

The new Porsche 911 GT3 will be launched on the market from August 2013 on, and will be priced from $130,400, not including a $950 destination charge.

By Guy Clerici

Overall the car is much more refined and of a higher build quality than the 997. It feels like a luxury car but not massed produced (like an M3 feels), and capable of much more than mere mortals can push it. Like the 997, the driver is still aware of where all 4 corners are and what the tires are doing, including the front end.

The electric steering does feel more isolating than the 997, the vagueness is more noticeable at low speeds, I note that the car I drove had the low speed steering option, I personally would not want that. It becomes less noticeable at normal speeds, though still not as direct as a 997 – the plus is that it has a “calmer” effect when driving, and it also does not require as much concentration to keep the steering wheel from inadvertently moving when the turns are bumpy.

At first I disliked the PDK, it up shifts very quickly to a gear in which I do not feel that I have as much acceleration control as I would like. I did get to like it as I better understood how to use it – the key is to leave it in sport mode, the gears are more of what I would choose manually– however, sport mode also stiffens the suspension, I think the shifting patterns in sport mode should be the standard setting. I also think that with some experience I would come to better like the “paddles,” though I found it hard to intuitively choose the right gear with the limited time in the car. Overall, I would get PDK if I wanted more luxury or if I had to be in traffic – I will not likely add it to an order car as I like the experience of shifting ( in my mind it gives me driving skill practice at any speed).

I never would have considered the Bermeister stereo – I am now pretty sure I would be disappointed without it. It is very similar to home systems I have heard in the over $30,000 range.

I was surprised to not especially like the sport exhaust, obviously not an option unique to the 991. I found it a bit annoying in normal driving, and the sound with it turned off to be just fine when pushing the rpm’s. There seems to be a “burble” that is pretty cool and that is not there when not in sport mode, but that does not offset the annoyance (for me).

One affect of the longer wheel base is that the rear engine is not as much a central characteristic of the car. If there is any characteristic that I would miss from the 997 it is that – it is a part of the 911 personality that has been muted, admittedly the car probably handles better, more like a mid-engine car, because of the change.

I suspect any controversy, and what seems to be a strong difference of opinion over the car (so what’s new with Porsche guys?) is that this is a much “calmer,” sophisticated car than its predecessor – I am sure that is not some peoples notion of what a sports car should be, particularly some of us old guys that came up with TR6’s, corvettes, old 911’s, etc. – there has been some rawness taken out – personally, I like the refinement, and assume that the those who want a car that is more hard core should buy a GT3.

Mississauga. The all-new Boxster continues to draw positive reviews from the media all around the world. The latest nod comes from Motoring 2013, the established Canadian automotive television show, which named the Boxster best “Sports Car”.
“It is with great pleasure that we accept this award given to the all-new Boxster by Motoring 2013,” said Joe Lawrence, President & CEO of Porsche Cars Canada, Ltd., “We are delighted that the Boxster was recognized as the top choice in its segment. This latest generation of our mid-engine, flat-six roadster is faster, more efficient, more stylish, and more fun to drive than ever.”
Completely redesigned for 2013, the Boxster range is powered by a more powerful and efficient duo of mid-mounted horizontally opposed six cylinder engines. The Boxster’s 2.7-litre unit produces 265 hp while the Boxster S offers a 3.4-litre version generating 315 hp. Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h can be completed in as little as 5 seconds. Fuel consumption is as low as 6.2 l/ per 100 km on the highway, making the latest Boxster the most fuel efficient passenger vehicle ever offered by Porsche in Canada. Pricing begins at $56,500.
A well-respected Canadian automotive television program – and the longest-running of its kind – Motoring 2013 recognizes the best vehicles in each segment every year.

Stuttgart. Nick Tandy wins a contract as a Porsche works driver. The 28-year-old from Great Britain is now the tenth of the by now nine-member driver squad with Joerg Bergmeister, Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas, Wolf Henzler, Marco Holzer, Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz, Patrick Long and Patrick Pilet. With his inclusion in the factory team, this marks the pinnacle of Tandy’s racing career for the time being.

“A big dream has come true. I’m absolutely thrilled,” says Nick Tandy. “Ever since I first drove a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup it was clear to me that there could be nothing better than to become a works pilot for Porsche. It’s great that Porsche recognised what I have achieved so far and that they included me in the factory pilot family. I’ll do everything to merit this trust.”

“I’m delighted to welcome Nick as our tenth works driver,” says Hartmut Kristen, Head of Porsche Motorsport. “His career is exemplary. He followed up his title victory in the Carrera Cup Deutschland with a convincing performance in the international Grand Touring scene. With his ability, he perfectly complements our driver line up which consists of the very best drivers from sports car racing.”

Initially, Nick Tandy’s career was greatly influenced by British motorsport. There he celebrated successes in various series including Formula Ford, Formula Palmer as well as Formula 3. The fatal accident in May 2009 of his brother, who was the boss of the Formula 3 team at that time, almost ended Nick Tandy’s career as a race driver. However, the long-time Porsche one-make series team principal Franz Konrad became aware of Tandy and his impressive performances at guest appearances in the Carrera Cup Great Britain. Konrad put him in the cockpit of the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup for one race in September. The Briton thanked him in his own special way: by clinching second in both the qualifying and the race.

In 2010, five victories in the Carrera Cup Deutschland earned Tandy vice championship honours and in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup only one driver was better than the shooting star from Great Britain. In 2011 in Germany’s fastest one-make race series, Tandy gave no one the chance to nip in front. The championship title opened the door to international GT racing. Team boss Olaf Manthey (Manthey-Racing) contracted the 2011 champion for the fiercely-contested International GT Open. Sharing driving duties with Porsche factory pilot Marco Holzer, he narrowly missed out on the title despite scoring five wins over the course of the season in the 911 GT3 RSR. Moreover, Tandy and his teammate Christian Engelhart won four races of the ADAC GT Masters with a 911 GT3 R. In Le Mans and the American Le Mans Series the 28-year-old gained valuable experience.

Nick Tandy kicks off his first season as a Porsche works driver in Daytona. At the long distance classic in Florida on 26-27 January, Porsche traditionally supplies customer teams with several works drivers. In the 2013 season, Tandy anticipates again contesting the International GT Open among other series and races.

The rest of the season’s schedules for the other pilots are also taking shape: Four long-standing works drivers will compete at the Le Mans 24 Hours and the World Endurance Championship (WEC) with the new Porsche 911 RSR. The winning duo Marc Lieb (Germany) and Richard Lietz (Austria) head into the second WEC season under the direction of the newly founded factory squad “Porsche AG Team Manthey”. Newcomers to the sports car world championship are Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) and Patrick Pilet (France). At the season highlight in France on 22/23 June, the two driver pairings receive support from two other top Le Man professionals: Frenchman Romain Dumas is the third driver in the cockpit of the Lieb/Lietz 911, with Timo Berhard (Germany) joining forces with Bergmeister and Pilet. The other four factory pilots will be made available to Porsche customer teams for their Le Mans campaign.

As the youngest works driver at 24 years old, Marco Holzer contests the entire 2013 season of the American Le Mans Series for Paul Miller Racing. Like last year, Wolf Henzler supports the Falcon Tire squad in the ALMS. The American Patrick Long focuses on the ALMS with some races in the Grand-Am Series also planned.

Stuttgart. At its inaugural meeting the Supervisory Board of Porsche Holding Stuttgart unanimously elected Dr. Wolfgang Porsche as its Chairman. The grandson of the company’s founder, Prof. Ferdinand Porsche, and son of Ferry Porsche is also Chairman of the Supervisory Boards of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG and Porsche Automobil Holding SE and a Member of the Supervisory Board of Volkswagen AG.

For almost three and a half decades in a variety of senior positions, Dr. Wolfgang Porsche has played a key role in shaping the fortunes of the Porsche sports car operation. A doctor of trade science, the 69-year-old was elected to the Porsche AG Supervisory Board as the Porsche family representative in 1978 and took over the role of Chairman in 2007. In the same year he was also elected Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the investment company Porsche Automobil Holding SE, which as the key anchor investor today holds the majority shareholding in Volkswagen AG.

As its Deputy Chairman the Porsche Holding Stuttgart Supervisory Board elected Uwe Hück. The 50-year-old employees’ representative is at the same time Chairman of the General Works Council and Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG.

So who really owns who! Obviously Porsche is in the hands of Porsche! Yeah!!!

Atlanta. The Porsche Boxster S has received yet another accolade, as this week it was named the 2013 Best of the Best/Car by Autoweek magazine– defeating more than a dozen contenders. This is the fifth major U.S. award for the Boxster since its launch in June 2012.

“As the only brand to have two models make our list of top five finalists, Porsche showed up in force,” said Wes Raynal, editor of Autoweek. “Both the Boxster S and 911 are stellar vehicles, but ultimately the Boxster S proved an absolute delight to drive, and it claimed the title.”

The third-generation Boxster is the latest mid-engine offering from Porsche and was completely redesigned for 2012. Taking styling cues from its heritage, the new Boxster pays homage to the Porsche 550 Spyder and Carrera GT models from decades past.

The annual Autoweek Best of the Best awards are determined by Autoweek’s team of editors and include car and truck models that are publicly available and all-new or substantially new for 2013. The judges chose five cars and five trucks as finalists from the list of three dozen competitors, scoring each vehicle on various criteria including drivetrain, ride quality, handling, exterior, interior design and “fun factor.” This year, the finalists in the car category were the Porsche Boxster S, Porsche 911, Cadillac ATS, Subaru BRZ and Dodge Dart.

Autoweek editor Wes Raynal presented trophies to the Best of the Best winners in the car and truck categories at an awards ceremony on Tuesday.

For more information about the 2013 Autoweek Best of the Best awards, visit www.autoweek.com

Porsche Tennis Grand Prix is the players’ favourite tournament in 2012

Stuttgart. The Porsche Arena is the favourite meeting place for the players on the WTA Tour. They have voted the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix as their No. 1 tournament for the fifth time. The long-established Stuttgart tournament was previously given the prestigious award in the years 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011.

“It’s wonderful to have received the award. That the players love coming to Stuttgart is shown once again by the top class field, which is headed by Maria Sharapova, for the 2013 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix,” said Tournament Director Markus Günthardt. “The award also spurs us on in our efforts to make our tournament better and better.”

The 36th Porsche Tennis Grand Prix will take place in the Porsche Arena from 20 – 28 April 2013. Advance tickets can be ordered from Easy Ticket Service (telephone: + 49 711-2555 555, Internet: http://www.easyticket.de).

Stuttgart. This year, Porsche AG has delivered 128,978 new vehicles to customers around the world, meaning that the previous year’s figure (of 118,868 vehicles in total) has already been surpassed one month before the end of the year. In November 2012, the Stuttgart-based sports car manufacturer sold a total of 12,928 vehicles, achieving an increase of 38.7 percent over the same month last year.

“Our current product initiative has continuously improved the attractiveness of the Porsche brand in 2012,” says Bernhard Maier, Member of the Executive Board Sales and Marketing of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG. “The fact that we have already surpassed the previous year’s result in November is no reason for us to rest on our laurels. On the contrary, it is an incentive to deliver maximum performance in the next year – in spite of continued uncertainty in the marketplace.”

In November, Porsche reported increased turnover in all regions. The range was in particularly high demand in the US: 3,865 vehicles delivered, representing an increase of 71.4 percent compared to the same month last year. In the second largest Porsche market, China, the sports car manufacturer also achieved an increase of 63.4 percent compared to November 2011, having delivered 2,919 vehicles to customers.

The third generation of the Porsche Boxster is in high demand internationally: deliveries of around 1,200 Roadster cars equates to a near three-fold increase compared to the same month last year. Even the classic sports car Porsche 911 Carrera enjoys great popularity around the world: in November 2012, 2,019 vehicles were delivered to customers – an increase of 91.6 percent over the same month last year.

Porsche is planning a new training centre in Zuffenhausen

Stuttgart. The Stuttgart-based Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG is investing in cutting-edge, future-oriented education and training: A new training centre is to be built in Zuffenhausen, which is set to provide additional capacity for more than 500 career entrants. Porsche has acquired a 9,000 square metre site for the planned facility. The site is located in the immediate vicinity of the plant.

The new centre will bring together the training of all technical and commercial professions and courses of studies of the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University under one roof. In addition to a training workshop, which will focus on the latest technologies, the facility provides training rooms and office space. The centre will also host extensive further training for specialists.

Porsche is planning construction to commence in the new year 2013/2014. Completion is scheduled for the second half of 2015. “The new training centre constitutes an investment in our dedicated junior staff, and therefore the future of our company. The state-of-the-art equipment allows us to meet the increasing requirements for complex and demanding specialisations in the long term. The investment in vocational training is an important guarantee, which ensures that we can continue to manufacture excellent sports cars with highly trained staff. This makes Porsche an even more desirable employer,” says Thomas Edig, Member of the Executive Board, Human Resources of Porsche AG. The training centre even provides the teaching facilities for highly specialised training, such as that of vehicle painters on-site.

Uwe Hück, Chairman of the Group Works Council at Porsche AG, emphasises the social responsibility of the company: “The council has always been of the opinion that we can meet the impending shortage of skilled workers only by offering more and better training. That’s why the Works Councils initiated discussions with the Board in 2011. We have now achieved an increase in the number of apprentices from 100 to 150 per year, which will all be taken on for an indefinite period. The new training centre permits Porsche to meet its social responsibilities. I can only say this is an excellent decision for the youth – and for Porsche”

The new training centre is due to replace the nearby, previous training site. The capacities at that facility are exhausted and cannot be expanded further. Porsche is set to increase the number of apprentices from 300 to 450 young people under the growth-oriented strategy 2018.

With the attractive design of the new facility, the sports car manufacturer will make a further contribution to the enhancement of the urban landscape in Zuffenhausen. The project is part of a package of measures to arrange the Porsche plant structure, which was shaped by the difficult conditions of the past decades. The focus is on the optimal concentration of expertise and capacity.

LMP1 sports prototype to be run by Weissach-based works team

Stuttgart. At the Weissach Motorsport Centre, preparations for the running of the new LMP1 sports prototype at the Le Mans 24 Hours and in the sports car World Endurance Championship are progressing at high revs. For this feat the infrastructure was considerably expanded. A new workshop building and an office complex have been completed. “The first rollout of our new LMP1 car is planned for mid-2013,” announced Wolfgang Hatz, Porsche AG Board of Management Member for Research and Development, on Saturday on the occasion of the end of season “Night of Champions” celebration. “The car will be run by our own works team based here at Weissach.”

Following a re-structuring, the LMP1 project is realised by a new department headed by Fritz Enzinger. With his well established organisational structure, Porsche’s Head of Motorsport Hartmut Kristen continues to be responsibility for all other motorsport programmes worldwide.

The customer sport model 911 GT3 R celebrated 41 wins from 131 starts in a range of GT3 racing series worldwide. For the 2013 season Porsche offers teams an upgrade package which will position the GT3 R even better in the performance window as defined by the FIA.

In his speech, Hatz underlined the importance of GT racing for Porsche and pleaded for two different GT categories for works-supported professional sport and for customer sport: “In factory sport the regulations must be based on technology while in customer racing a stronger alignment of the relative strength by Balance of Performance measures is legitimate.”

In addition to the promotion of four Porsche Juniors, one pilot from the international makes cups will enjoy comprehensive support for the 2013 season. Frenchman Jean-Karl Vernay (25) who won the Carrera Cup France at his first attempt last season receives funding to the value of 200,000 Euro towards his 2013 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup campaign. At a test session in Vallelunga, Vernay won over eight other top drivers from the Carrera Cups France, Asia, Japan, Scandinavia, Italy, Australia, Great Britain and from the GT3 Cup Challenge Canada.

Vernay has already made a name for himself in international motor racing. In 2005 he claimed the championship in the French feeder series Formula Renault Campus and went on to finish second in a Formula 3 single-seater at the Macau Grand Prix in 2009. In 2010 Vernay went to the USA and promptly clinched overall victory in the Indy Lights Series’ in his first season. Peugeot contracted the Frenchman as a test and reserve pilot for their LMP1 project in 2011. At the same time Vernay competed in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup and was crowned LMP2 champion. “The support from Porsche is a great opportunity for me,” says Vernay. “In the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup all drivers have to adjust to a new vehicle. For me as a newcomer this means I’ll have a good chance to be competitive right from the beginning. The Supercup is the pinnacle of the Porsche one-brand cups and has a great reputation as a launching platform to enter professional GT sport.”

With its well-established works drivers, Porsche is relying on continuity. All nine drivers still have a valid contract for the 2013 season or their contract was extended. For six of the nine drivers, the 24-hour race at Daytona on 26 January marks the start of the new season. Joerg Bergmeister drives a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup for The Racers Group. With Kevin Buckler’s squad, Bergmeister scored a sensational overall victory at Daytona in 2003 at the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT3 RS. Marco Holzer competes for Alex Job Racing, Marc Lieb again joins forces with Brumos Racing and Richard Lietz drives for last year’s winner Magnus Racing. Patrick Long goes racing for Park Place Motorsports and Patrick Pilet competes for the NGT team.

For the Porsche Juniors Michael Christensen and Klaus Bachler the race in Daytona marks the first time in their career that they contest a 24 hour race. Christensen receives support in his campaign from Christian Engelhart and Porsche Cup winner Nick Tandy for the Konrad Motorsport team with whom he contested the Carrera Cup Deutschland in 2012. Bachler is competing for Snow Racing.

Take a look at this 911 ST Replica that Cory Friedman of Autometrics brought out to our last Harmony Motors (Porsche of Asheville) Customer Driving  Experience Track Day. This was the cars first outing after assembly. The owner spared no expense or detail to make this car perfect. I wish I would have taken several more shots to share with you.

Nick Tandy wins Porsche Cup

Stuttgart. After his first full season in international GT racing, Nick Tandy (28) from Great Britain can celebrate winning the Porsche Cup as the best private driver in the world. On the occasion of the Night of Champions on 8 December in the R&D Centre at Weissach, Nick Tandy received the Porsche Cup from Dr. Wolfgang Porsche, the Chairman of the Supervisory Board at Porsche AG. Additionally, Tandy was awarded a new Porsche 911 Carrera S. During the past season the Briton scored a total of 7,510 points. Second-placed Raymond Narac is the recipient of 30,000 Euro, Paolo Ruberti’s third place comes with a purse of 25,000 Euro. The Porsche Cup is endowed with a total value of 253,000 Euro. In the competition initiated by Ferry Porsche, drivers earned points in 18 Grand Touring and prototype race series worldwide as well as at selected long distance races.

Professional race driver and part-time farmer Nick Tandy headed into 2012 as the reigning champion of the Carrera Cup Deutschland driving a Porsche 911 GT3 RSR run by the experienced Manthey Racing team in the International GT Open. Sharing the cockpit with works driver Marco Holzer, Tandy won five races.

In the ADAC GT Masters, Tandy competed for the Geyer & Weinig EDV – Schütz Motorsport squad at the wheel of a 911 GT3 R. Here, Tandy and his teammate Christian Engelhart scored four victories. For the Brit, the season concluded with seventh place in the drivers’ classification. Tandy earned further points towards the Porsche Cup competing for Flying Lizard Motorsports and TRG in the ALMS. In the British GT Championship, he manned the cockpit of a Team Motorbase fielded 911 GT3 R at selected rounds. After John Fitzpatrick (1972, 1974, 1980) and Tim Sugden (2005), Nick Tandy is the third Briton to be honoured with the Porsche Cup, which has been awarded by Porsche since 1970.

With a margin of just 170 points, Frenchman Raymond Narac (45) finished the race for the Porsche Cup in second place. The founder and owner of the successful IMSA Performance Matmut team contested three major championships as team principal and driver. In the European Le Mans Series, Narac defended the championship title in the GTE Am class driving a 911 GT3 RSR in last year’s spec. Joining forces with Porsche works driver Patrick Pilet, Narac periodically held the lead in the International GT Open driver’s standings and concluded the season in the hotly-contested championship in sixth. In the World Endurance Championship, Narac scored a class win and second place in Le Mans.

After securing second in last year’s Porsche Cup, Paolo Ruberti again climbs the “podium” in third. The 37-year-old Italian secured this success predominantly in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Driving Felbermayr-Proton’s Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Ruberti won the GT Am class at the Sebring 12 Hours and the 6 hour race in Bahrain. Ruberti secured additional points thanks to a victory and a second place in the Italian GT Championship.

New edition of the world’s most successful race car

Stuttgart. The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is the most successful race car in the world. Since 1998, 2,395 units of the near standard vehicle for customer sport were produced. The new edition of the 911 GT3 Cup is the motorsports version of the future 911 GT3 and as such is the first race car that is based on the seventh generation of the sports car icon from Zuffenhausen. The 911 GT3 Cup will be run exclusively in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup in 2013. The car for one-make racing made its debut on the occasion of the end of motorsport season “Night of Champions” celebration at the R&D Centre in Weissach.

The new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is powered by a 3.8-litre six-cylinder flat engine. It generates 460 hp (338 kW) at 7,500 revs, surpassing the predecessor by 10 hp. A six-speed dog-type gearbox developed by Porsche Motorsport which is operated via shift paddles at the steering wheel for the first time in a Porsche brand trophy race car transmits the power to the rear axle. The single piece race wheels with centre mount were also newly designed by Porsche Motorsport. The width of the Michelin race slicks was increased by two centimetres to 27 centimetres at the front and by ten millimetres at the rear axle to now measure 31 centimetres.

A newly developed race braking system further improves the excellent endurance qualities compared to its successful predecessor. The 380 millimetre slotted and inner-vented steel brake rotors at the front axle are decelerated by six-piston aluminium fixed callipers. The rear axle features a four-piston version.
During the development of the new car a particular emphasis was put on the driver safety. A newly designed safety cage protects the pilot in case of a roll or a collision as does a newly developed race seat which is distinctively shaped around the head and shoulders and can be adjusted individually with the help of padding. A rescue hatch in the roof provides easy access for primary medical attention and for the extrication of the driver.

“The new 911 GT3 Cup is much easier to drive at the limit,” says Porsche works driver Timo Bernhard, who was significantly involved in the development of the new vehicle. “The car is excellently balanced. The new axle geometry is enormously positive for the handling. Apart from that the new Cup 911 is great fun to drive.”

Like its predecessor the new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is produced in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen on the same assembly line as the road legal models. At the Motorsport Centre in Weissach it receives a general set-up for the circuit and is tested by a professional race driver before delivery to the customers. The basic price for the vehicle, which is available exclusively in white, is 181,200 Euro plus the country-specific value added tax.

I WANT ONE!!!!

This is from Autoweek:

By: Mark Vaughn

“If you didn’t go to Rennsport,  you have to go to this,” said curator (and Autoweek contributor) Ken Gross. “Even if you did go to Rennsport you have to go to this.”

“This” is a great collection of fantastic Porsches,  brought together at the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh Oct. 13, 2013  through January 20, 2014. Yes, that’s a year from now, so you have some time to  plan your trip. It’s NCMA’s first design show.  Gross, former director of the  Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles and now a sort of car-collection  curator-to-the-world, gathered them all together.

“The factory is loaning us some very impressive cars that you would not  otherwise see in the U.S.”

Those will number around 20 when the show comes together two weeks before next  Halloween.  Among the Porsches will be:

- A Type 64 from the Automuseum Prototyp in Hamburg, Germany

- Ralph Lauren’s 959

- Miles Collier’s 917 in Martini & Rossi livery

- The factory 16-cylinder race car that never ran but which they made just to  show they could

- A Gmund Coupe

- Steve McQueen’s 356A Speedster on loan from son Chad

Gross points out that the NCMA also has “the largest Rodin collection in the  U.S.” So you’ll be getting a twofer.

See http://www.ncartmuseum.org/

Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20121129/carnews/121129844#ixzz2EOBpDFDp

David Grandt shared this video with me, you have to watch it! Please click on the link below. Magnus has a passion and vision that will blow your mind.

http://www.reelhouse.org/mos/urbanoutlaw

In the December edition of Excellence Magazine I read a very amazing story about a very amazing young man, Aaron Prevost. Blind at birth he has become an automotive technician, rides ATV’s, snowmobiles, bicycles and now DRIVES a Porsche around Mosport International Raceway with Press Fleet Manager for Porsche of Canada and racer Rick Bye as co-pilot.

If you are not a subscriber to Excellence I would encourage you to go buy a copy and take the time to read the article. The next time I am facing a difficult time or situation or having a pity party, I will be thinking of this young man’s determination and commitment to succeed!

Maria Sharapova back in the Porsche Arena

Stuttgart. Tennis superstar Maria Sharapova will once again grace the Stuttgart tournament. Last year’s winner has affirmed to the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) that she intends to play the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix from 20 to 28 April 2013. In addition to the Russian, six other Top 10 players have also entered the world class event in the Porsche Arena. “I’m really pleased we’re again able to present the public with the world’s top players. Maria Sharapova’s signing up for the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix is another indication of just how much at home the players feel here,” said Tournament Director Markus Günthardt.

The Stuttgart entry list published by the WTA is headed by Maria Sharapova, the current world No. 2. Especially pleasing for German tennis fans is the fact that a home player is second on the list. Angelique Kerber, who has climbed up to fifth in the rankings, this year won the indoor tournaments in Paris and Copenhagen. Another player due to appear at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix is Sara Errani. Presently world ranked No. 6, the 25-year-old Italian managed to win four WTA tournaments in 2012. At the French Open this year, she went all the way to the final where she was only stopped by Maria Sharapova. The following Top 10 players have also entered the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix: the Chinese Na Li (No. 7), the Czech Petra Kvitova (No. 8), the Australian Samantha Stosur (No, 9) and the Dane Caroline Wozniacki (No. 10).

The 36th Porsche Tennis Grand Prix will take place in the Porsche Arena from 20 – 28 April 2013. Advance tickets can be ordered from Easy Ticket Service (telephone: + 49 711-2555 555, Internet: http://www.easyticket.de).

Porsche works team fields two 911 RSR in 2013

Stuttgart. For the 2013 racing season, Porsche AG will field two new GT racecars based on the newest generation of the Porsche 911 at the Le Mans 24 hour race and in the World Endurance Championship (WEC). For the first time since the overall victory in 1998, a factory team from Porsche will tackle the famed long distance classic in France.

The two new Porsche 911 RSR, which race in the GTE category, will be run by the Porsche AG Team Manthey. The role of team manager goes to the experienced endurance specialist Olaf Manthey, who has celebrated five overall wins with Porsche at the Nürburgring 24 hour race and recently fielded a 911 GT3 RSR in the International GT Open.

“The new 911 RSR is currently being developed by our engineers and tested by our works drivers,” says Porsche Head of Motorsport, Hartmut Kristen. “What better time could there be to introduce the new car than the Porsche 911’s 50th anniversary.”

The sporty Gran Turismo wins readers’ award

Stuttgart. The Porsche Panamera GTS is a four-door sports car. It was honoured with the “Auto Bild Sportscar of the Year 2012″ award in the category “Series Sedan”. In the Porsche world, GTS stands for Gran Turismo Sport and has been a mark of extraordinary Porsche performance since the legendary 904 Carrera GTS of 1963. The Panamera GTS is powered by a dynamic, naturally aspirated V8 engine with 4.8 litre displacement, generating 430 hp (316 kW). The maximum torque is 520 Nm. The series sports exhaust system of the Panamera GTS sounds exceptionally emotional. The body, lowered by ten millimetres, and the extremely sporty chassis with adaptive air suspension and Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) make it highly suitable for the racetrack ─ without limiting suitability for everyday life.

This was the eleventh readers’ award held by specialist magazine Auto Bild Sportscars. Around 72,500 readers participated this year. The majority picked the 430 hp Porsche Panamera GTS for the category “Series Sedan”. Dr. Stefan Utsch, Project Manager Sales for the Panamera series, accepted the prize presented by the Editor of Auto Bild Sportscars, Ben Arnold, this evening.

Sporty, functional, efficient: Panamera Sport Turismo

Stuttgart. Porsche is presenting the Panamera Sport Turismo concept car to show how amazingly intelligent and efficient drive technology might look in the design language of tomorrow. The Sport Turismo unites the next generation hybrid drive with new ideas for an evolutionary, sporty body concept; it combines Porsche performance with comprehensive everyday practicality.

Body: sports appeal and functionality in further developed design
The body concept of the Panamera Sport Turismo is an outlook on a possible Porsche sports car of tomorrow: The overhangs are short, and the boot lid is large – both sporty and functional. The concept car combines the dimensions of a premium vehicle with the interior comfort of the luxury class. The Sport Turismo is 1,990 mm wide, a low 1,401 mm in height and 4,950 mm long. Its direction indicators and sidelights are integrated in C-shaped lighting units – known as C-Blades – mounted in the large air inlets at the front end. Together with four-point LED headlights in an innovative design, they define the front end appearance of the concept car.

The smooth and taut exterior skin is not interrupted by add-on parts – there are no con-ventional exterior mirrors. In their place, the Sport Turismo has two cameras mounted in the side air outlets whose images are shown on the displays in the cockpit. The rear body has been completely reshaped, yet it retains all of the characteristics of a Porsche. The rear lights in LED technology and the tail-light panel with the “Porsche” badge are sculpted in three dimensions, and the brake light is positioned between the four-point LED rear lights. Forming the roof termination is an adaptive carbon rear spoiler that produces improved downforce.

The new Liquid Metal Blue colour gives the concept car a surface that resembles liquid metal and highlights its contours and design lines more distinctly. The wheels in dual-spoke design have a bi-colour look, and the brake callipers are painted Acid Green. The hub locks of the wheels recall the origins of every Porsche – which is motorsport. “e-hybrid” badges on the sides refer to the car’s drive concept, while the name “Sport Turismo” at the rear, framed in the same Acid Green colour, emphasises the car’s concept character. The milled aluminium battery housing is mounted under the boot floor, which is made of electrochromatic glass and reveals a view of the energy source illuminated in Acid Green at the press of a button.

“e-hybrid” stands for plug-in hybrid technology from Porsche
The drive technology of the Panamera Sport Turismo completes the next development step towards the plug-in hybrid, symbolised by the “e-hybrid” badge on the front wings. The car’s new ability to be charged from the electrical power grid has been combined with even higher performance components. The concept vehicle with its 416 hp (306 kW) of peak system power is designed to be driven in pure electric mode up to a speed of 130 km/h and can cover distances of over 30 km. The Sport Turismo also exhibits impressive fuel economy per the NEDC standard; its combined fuel consumption is less than 3.5 litres per 100 km, while CO2 emissions are under 82 g/km.

The drive system of the Panamera Sport Turismo is an advanced development of the parallel full hybrid that Porsche already implements today in the Panamera S Hybrid and Cayenne S Hybrid. The new electric motor produces about 70 kW (95 hp), which is around twice as much as in today’s Porsche hybrid drive, while the supercharged three-litre V6 engine still produces 245 kW (333 hp) here. In their interplay, they accelerate the concept car from zero to 100 km/h in less than six seconds.

Power pack: lithium-ion battery with external charging capability
The electric power pack of the Sport Turismo e-hybrid consists of a lithium-ion battery whose performance is several times that of the nickel-hydride battery currently used in production, although it has practically the same dimensions. Its 9.4 Kilowatt-hours of energy storage capacity and high peak power enable faster acceleration, longer electric driving range and higher speeds when driving without the internal combustion engine.

The default operating mode of the e-hybrid prioritises all-electric driving, but the driver may deactivate this by pressing a special button on the steering wheel. In addition, when the car is being operated in hybrid mode the driver can select the e-charge mode by pressing the steering wheel button to intentionally intensify charging of the high-voltage battery. This is especially useful when one section of the driving route on a motorway is followed by a section through a city that should be driven in pure electric mode without local emissions. In the e-charge mode, the internal combustion engine charges the battery by load point shifting, while satisfying rational energy management criteria.

As a plug-in hybrid, the fluid-cooled lithium-ion battery is not only charged while driving; it can also be externally charged within 2.5 hours (depending on the power supply) via a charging interface on the vehicle. Porsche systematically thought through all aspects of the concept car’s plug-in system; it utilises a universal charger (AC) that is wall-mounted in a home garage and has a standardised charging plug.

Familiar and yet completely new: touch displays for instruments and controls
The interior of the Sport Turismo is a forward-looking interpretation of purist sports car thinking: as little as possible and as much as necessary. Instead of classic instruments, a large central TFT colour display is positioned in front of the driver; it is used to call up and display any vehicle information as needed – from the tachometer to driving data or navigation. Two monitors, one to the left and one to the right of this display, show images from the “exterior mirror” cameras. Two additional displays in tube form provide information on the hybrid-specific driving states, e.g. pure electric driving, as well as other functions. The power meter in the instrument panel illuminates in Acid Green and shows the combined system power of the two drives.

A press on the touch-sensitive colour display starts the e-hybrid. Naturally, on the side that is typical of a Porsche: the left side. A completely new type of touch display in the ascending centre console incorporates additional controls; this is the control centre for the e-hybrid and all other functions that is implemented in black panel technology. It offers the driver the option of influencing the hybrid drive via smart keys to choose maximum driving fun, maximum performance or maximum efficiency. All driving indicators and control functions are also intuitively operated by multi-touch functionality, such as automatic climate control, seat adjustment, lights, reversing camera and the functions of Porsche Communication Management (PCM).

Wide-ranging communications and control via smart phone app
The Panamera Sport Turismo gives the driver entirely new options for customised communications. The driver can use mobile online services to access and control all key vehicle information with a smart phone app. Charge control by mobile phone shows the user just how much electricity the battery has already stored at any given time and predicts how much more time the charging process will take. In addition, there is a charging timer with user-defined charging times. Moreover, the vehicle’s interior can also be preconditioned by mobile phone, e.g. by turning on the air conditioner, and the vehicle will already be at the right temperature before driving with electricity supplied from a household electrical outlet.

Specifications Panamera Sport Turismo concept car:

Porsche Cars North America celebrated a landmark groundbreaking

Stuttgart/Atlanta. Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA), importer and distributor of Porsche sports cars, Cayenne SUVs and the Panamera four-door sports sedan, today celebrated a landmark groundbreaking of its new headquarters, to be known as One Porsche Drive. Located adjacent to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the 26.4-acre site is the first complex to be built in the “Aerotroplis Atlanta” business district.

Employees from Porsche Cars North America and its affiliates Porsche Financial Services, Porsche Business Services, and Porsche Consulting attended the event alongside executives from Porsche Group companies in North America and Germany, as well as local dignitaries. Most of Porsche’s North American operations will be consolidated under one roof once the new facility is finished in the second half of 2014.

“Porsche’s presence has been embraced by Atlanta and the state of Georgia for the last 14 years,” said Matthias Mueller, President and CEO of Porsche AG. “We’re happy to reciprocate the sentiment with this new facility, which contributes to the state’s economic development and also adds a bit of glamor to the local community.”

Mueller also reminded the audience of the lasting love affair of the Americans with Porsche, which goes back to the early fifties and is a powerful incentive for the company to safeguard and nurture this extraordinary relationship. “Our investment here in Atlanta is a testament to our belief in the future of this great nation and, above all, our confidence in this very important market,” he said.

Together with Dr. Wolfgang Porsche, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Porsche AG, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, Bernhard Maier, Member of the Executive Board Sales and Marketing of Porsche AG, Detlev von Platen, President and CEO of Porsche Cars North America, Matthias Mueller celebrated the landmark groundbreaking for this project.

Ultimately, One Porsche Drive will house 400 employees, including 100 jobs that will be new to Georgia. In addition to corporate offices, it will also be comprised of a Technical Service and Training Center, a Conference Center and a Museum. As an industry first, the Porsche headquarters campus will feature a Customer Experience Center including a 1.6-mile test track and handling road course to showcase the capabilities of Porsche’s industry-leading vehicles.

“This world-class facility underscores our commitment to customers and dealers in the United States, which remains the single largest market for Porsche vehicles,” said Detlev von Platen, President and CEO, Porsche Cars North America. “Today’s ceremony also symbolizes Porsche putting down permanent roots here in Atlanta, a city we have proudly called home since 1998.”

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and Georgia Governor Nathan Deal were among the event attendees. “I am delighted to extend a warm welcome to the first tenant of the Aerotropolis development site,” said Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed.  “Porsche’s presence here underscores the City of Atlanta’s continuing commitment to attract world-class companies and iconic brands to our city.  Furthermore, it sends a clear and unmistakable signal to other companies that Atlanta is open for business.”

Neighboring facilities currently include the Delta Air Lines world headquarters, Wachovia Bank’s principal processing center and the world’s busiest airport, which served more than 92 million travelers in 2011.

“Porsche’s new headquarters is a terrific asset to Georgia’s economy and a unique travel destination for the millions of travelers who arrive in our great state each year,” said Nathan Deal, Governor of Georgia. “I’m confident One Porsche Drive will become a renowned address that stands for vision, innovation and success – as well as one of the greatest driving experiences in the world.”

Lighter, lower, more agile: World premiere of the new Porsche Cayman

Stuttgart. Porsche AG is celebrating the world premiere of the new Cayman at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show. The third generation of the Cayman has been completely new developed. It is lower and longer, lighter and faster, more efficient and more powerful than ever. A longer wheelbase, wider track and larger wheels enhance the driving performance of the mid-engine sports car to a level without equal in its competitive class. The new two-seater is – after the 911 Carrera and Boxster – the third sports car model line from Porsche to feature innovative lightweight body design. The new Cayman is up to 30 kg lighter, depending on the specific model and equipment, and it consumes up to 15 per cent less fuel per 100 km than the previous model – despite higher engine and driving performance.

The new generation of the two-seat mid-engine sports car is debuting in two classic Porsche versions: the Cayman and the Cayman S. The base model is powered by a 2.7-liter flat six-cylinder engine with 275 hp (202 kW). It accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 5.4 seconds, depending on the equipment, and reaches a top speed of 266 km/h. Its NEDC fuel consumption lies between 7.7 l/100 km and 8.2 l/100 km, depending on the selected transmission.

The 3.4-liter engine of the Cayman S produces 325 hp (239 kW); the best possible acceleration from a standstill to 100 km/h is 4.7 seconds with appropriate features. The Cayman S can reach a top speed of 283 km/h, and its NEDC fuel consumption value lies between 8.0 l/100 km and 8.8 l/100 km, depending on the selected transmission.

Both sport coupés are equipped with standard manual six-speed transmission. The seven-speed Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) can be delivered as an option; it enables faster acceleration and better fuel economy.

Porsche is also upgrading the Cayman with new optional features. For example, the sport coupé is now available with Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) for the first time, which controls the distance to the car ahead in traffic and vehicle speed, as well as a specially developed Burmester sound system. Another new feature for the Cayman is the keyless Entry & Drive system, which is available as an option.

Design: new proportions, prominent lines
The new Cayman is more distinctive than ever. Its proportions are new, and yet it is clearly a Porsche sport coupé; an extended wheelbase with shorter overhangs and 18- and 19-inch diameter wheels with larger rolling circumference are identifying visual characteristics of the car’s more enhanced driving performance. Its styling is marked by precise lines and razor-sharp sculpted edges. They emphasise the car’s low, extended silhouette with the windscreen shifted forward and the roof line that reaches far back. Especially expressive and characteristic are the dynamic recesses in the doors, which guide induction air into the distinctive air scoops on the rear side panels and then directly to the engine. This offers the most prominent visualisation of the concept of a mid-engine car.

From the front end, the new Cayman is marked by its dominant cooling air inlets, which increase in size towards the sides of the car. Just as unique to the new generation of the sport coupé are the large, low rear lid made of aluminium and the rear section with its wrap-around edges. Mounted directly to the rear lid is the thin blade of the rear spoiler, which – in contrast to that of the Boxster – is higher and deploys at a steeper angle. The overall appearance of the Cayman is more independent than before, and it is well-differentiated from the previous model.

The market launch of the new Cayman generation in Europe is scheduled for March 2, 2013. Base prices in Germany are 51,385 euros for the Cayman and 64,118 euros for the Cayman S, each including 19 % VAT.

Le Mans 1987

Porsche congratulates Peter Falk on 80th birthday

Stuttgart. Former Porsche engineer and race manager Peter Falk will be marking his 80th birthday on 27 November 2012. Peter Falk was a Porsche AG employee for more than three decades. Not only did he play a vital role in the development of many legendary sports and racing cars such as the Porsche 917, as racing director he was also primarily responsible for the greatest successes of the Porsche 956/962 in the Group C Sports Car category.

In 1959 Peter Falk began his career with Porsche as a young road testing engineer in the vehicle testing department. There he not only played a crucial role in the development of the original 911, he was also behind the wheel for the first race of the brand-new Porsche 911, taking a very respectable fifth overall at the 1965 Monte Carlo Rally with co-driver Herbert Linge. In the following years, many race car types from the 906 all the way to the 917 were designed under his responsibility as the head of pre-series and race car development with which Porsche established itself among the leaders in international motor racing.

From 1973 to 1981 Peter Falk was the head of road testing for series development of the 911, 924 and 928 models. His special areas of expertise were bodywork and transmissions as well as track testing and endurance tests. As the head of racing development and racing director, starting in 1982 Peter Falk was responsible for the highly successful era of Group C 956 and 962 sports-prototype racing cars. With seven overall Le Mans wins and eleven world championship titles, this racing car project proved to be the most successful in company history. Two overall victories at the Paris-Dakar Rally in 1984 and 1986 were additional high points in his career.

As the head of chassis development, from 1989 until his retirement in 1993 Peter Falk was responsible for many successful vehicle projects. He thus had a key role in the development of the 911 derivative 993 as well as advance development of the 911 derivative 996 and Porsche Boxster. Peter Falk also remained very active in the motoring world after his retirement. In addition to his work as a participant in and organiser of classic car rallies, Peter Falk is high in demand as an interview partner on automotive topics.

Porsche Experience Center in Shanghai to begin construction

Stuttgart/Shanghai. Porsche China and Shanghai International Circuit Co., Ltd. held a foundation ceremony to celebrate start for the development of the Porsche Experience Centre in Shanghai. To be established adjacent to the current Formula One track at the Shanghai International Circuit (SIC), it will become the first Porsche Experience Centre in China and in all of Asia, joining an exclusive group of other Porsche Experience Centres in Leipzig, Germany; Silverstone, England. The innovative facility will offer Porsche customers and enthusiasts from across the country the opportunity to discover the pleasure of driving and to hone their skills on the track by experiencing the full range of premium Porsche cars.

With construction scheduled to be completed by late next year, Porsche targets to open the Experience Centre by early 2014. The facility will be directly managed and operated by Porsche China, and it will represent a total investment by the marque of more than 135 million RMB.

Created to make it easier than ever before for enthusiasts to immerse themselves in the world of Porsche, the completed Porsche Experience Centre will be a 100,000 square-metre driving facility including a handling circuit, slalom module and low-friction circle – and a three-storey Training Centre. Through both, guests will optimise their driving knowledge and technique. Each and every one of them will have the chance to experience the superior performance and capabilities of all Porsche cars as they learn to achieve the full force of Porsche. Making it a reality that all the Porsche customers and enthusiasts of China could enjoy such regular and convenient opportunities to steer the full range of Porsche cars has long been a goal of Porsche. Therefore, after initially beginning preparatory work towards that end more than one year ago, Porsche has since been steadily moving forward with plans to found this new destination for Porsche customers and enthusiasts. This February, the marque signed an agreement with Shanghai International Circuit Co, Ltd to locate the Porsche Experience Centre beside the SIC, putting it in the company of one of the most renowned destinations for motorsport in China where the F1 Chinese Grand Prix is held every year.

At the ceremony, the Shanghai International Circuit Co., Ltd. expressed its excitement for the foundation of the new Experience Centre and its continued collaboration with Porsche. The company also remarked that the facility is sure to provide an unforgettable driving destination for China’s Porsche enthusiasts as the SIC has long hosted a regular stop on the Porsche World Roadshow’s four-city tour through Mainland China.”

Mr. Matthias Mueller, President and Chief Executive Officer of Porsche AG, said, “This new facility will join a selective group of other Experience Centres worldwide, built to reward our most loyal customers, and China was the next natural choice. Having been here for over a decade, our continual success has shown that our valued Chinese customers have an unrivalled passion for Porsche. As a result, we are now moving into the next stage of Porsche’s growth strategy, by giving something back to our customers and offering them more unique Porsche driving experiences. We could think of no better way to embark on this journey than by creating this Porsche Experience Centre right here in Shanghai, the city that we call our home in China.”

“This is a tremendous milestone for Porsche in China,” said Mr. Helmut Broeker, Chief Executive Officer of Porsche China. “The establishment of this facility truly is a testament to the dedication shown by our countless loyal customers across the country. So to demonstrate our commitment to the loyalty of these customers, and in recognition of the outstanding growth we continue to enjoy in this rapidly expanding market, we are building this centre. We hope that the Porsche Experience Centre will prove to be a great addition to the history of motorsport in China and, most importantly, a destination for all who share our love for Porsche sports cars.”

Stuttgart. In October 2012, Porsche sold 11,688 vehicles, achieving growth of 24.1 percent over the same month last year. This year, the sports car manufacturer has delivered a total of 116,050 cars to customers – an increase of 15.6 percent compared to January to October 2011. In particular, the buyers of the new 911 Carrera 4 all-wheel drive models were delighted to enjoy the first trips in their Porsche at the start of autumn.

“Strong sales in the Americas and in Asia in October more than compensated for the purchasing reluctance in Europe,” Bernhard Maier, Member of the Executive Board Sales and Marketing at Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, explains: “We have thus delivered nearly as many vehicles as in the entire previous year in a mere ten months. We are thus expecting strong year-end business.”

In October, the sports cars made by Porsche were in particularly high demand in the Middle Kingdom: 2,439 vehicles were delivered to customers in China – an increase of 57.8 percent compared to October 2011. In the Americas, the 911, Cayenne, Panamera, Boxster and Cayman were very popular, and sold 3,764 times (+42.6 %). In the U.S., Porsche handed over 3,211 vehicles to customers, amounting to an increase of 41.5 percent compared to the same month last year.

The best seller among the Porsche models continues to be the Cayenne: In October alone, the sports car manufacturer sold 6,897 SUVs, that is, 34.2 percent more than the same month last year. The 911-series also outperformed the previous year’s figures: 1,522 new cars were sold – an increase of 30.8 percent. With 1,149 vehicles delivered, Boxster sales more than tripled compared to October 2011.

PORSCHE AG Deliveries	October			January – October
	2012	2011	Variance (%)	2012	2011	Variance (%)
World	11,688	9,419	24.1	116,050	100,391	15.6
Europe	3,707	3,881	-4.5	41,222	36,093	14.2
Germany	1,251	1,250	0.1	14,905	12,761	16.8
America	3,764	2,640	42.6	33,134	29,634	11.8
USA	3,211	2,270	41.5	28,226	24,934	13.2
Asia-Pacific	4,217	2,898	45.5	41,694	34,664	20.3
China	2,439	1,546	57.8	26,349	20,687	27.4

Newsletter 8 – 2012

Stuttgart. The Motorsport Newsletter regularly provides information on Porsche Motorsport around the world. More detailed information and additional photographs are available for accredited journalists from the press database.

Youth Development: Porsche works drivers as mentors
The Porsche youth development programme is running at high revs, and the seasoned Porsche works drivers are passing on their knowledge to the younger generation. Early in October, Patrick Long shared his experiences at the inaugural “Porsche Motorsport North America Driver Academy” with four selected young drivers. Patrick Pilet is mentor to the “Matmut Jeune Talent” programme in the Carrera Cup France. Timo Bernhard provided back up to the Porsche Juniors at three Carrera Cup Deutschland races as substitute for the regular junior coach Sascha Maassen.

Porsche Junior Programme 2012: Christensen’s premiere at the finale
Denmark’s Michael Christensen celebrated a perfect finale to his first season as Porsche Junior: From pole position, the 22-year-old won the last race of the 2012 Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland on the Hockenheimring (20/21 October). His Junior colleague Klaus Bachler (21) narrowly missed out on a podium spot by just-nine hundredths of a second. In the rookie classification Christensen and Bachler ranked second and third after their maiden season.

Porsche Junior Programme 2013: Six finalists in Vallelunga shootout
Six young pilots took part in a final shoot-out from 29 to 31 October on the Autodromo Vallelunga to determine which two drivers will receive intensive support as Porsche Juniors in the 2013 Carrera Cup Deutschland. Levin Amweg (18) and Jeffrey Schmidt (18) from Switzerland, Dutchmen Dennis van de Laar (18) and Pieter Schothorst (20), Spain’s Alex Riberas Bou (18) as well as American Connor de Philippi (19) had come out on top after a selection process against international competition. The decision on the future juniors will be announced in the next weeks after analysing all information.

Porsche Motorsport International Scholarship: Sights set on the Supercup
After the Junior shootout in Vallelunga, nine drivers from seven Carrera Cups and the GT3 Cup Challenge Canada fought for the Porsche Motorsport International Scholarship: funding to the value of 200,000 Euro is supplied to contest the 2013 season of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. Five newly-crowned Carrera Cup champions, RyoHirakawa (18, Japan), Alexandre Imperatori (25, CC Asia), Johan Kristoffersson (23, Scandinavia), Michael Meadows (25, Great Britain) and Jean-Karl Vernay (25, France) went head-to-head against top competitors André Heimgartner (17, Carrera Cup Australia), Kyle Marcelli (22, GT3 Cup Challenge Canada), Côme Ledogar (21, CC France) and Edoardo Piscopo (24, CC Italia). Porsche Motorsport will announce the winner in several weeks.

World Endurance Championship: Two times podium for Porsche
After their second win of the season at round seven on the Fuji International Speedway (14 October) in the 911 GT3 RSR of Felbermayr-Proton, Marc Lieb and Richard Lietz climbed the podium in second in the GTE Pro class at the final in Shanghai (28 October). In the GTE Am class, Christian Ried, Paolo Ruberti and Gianluca Roda finished in second in a 911 from last year fielded by Felbermayr-Proton. The track record for the year: Three victories and four other podium results.

American Le Mans Series: Unlucky Bergmeister and Long, lucky Dumas
Fifth place after a questionable time penalty cost Joerg Bergmeister, Patrick Long and their Flying Lizard Motorsports squad a podium spot at the ALMS finale in Road Atlanta (20 October) as well as the possible GT vice-championship. On the other hand, their works pilot colleague Romain Dumas had reason to celebrate. As a guest driver, the Frenchman provided support to Klaus Graf and Lucas Luhr in their LMP1 class title win.

International GT Open: Double victory for the 911 GT3 RSR at finale
Porsche works driver Marco Holzer and Manthey-Racing pilot Nick Tandy won the 16th and final race in Barcelona (4 November) at the wheel of the 911 GT3 RSR of Manthey-Racing. After clinching their fifth win of the season, the German and Briton became vice-champions. The duo was just three points shy of the title. Second in the race on the Circuit de Cataluña went to factory pilot Patrick Pilet and his French compatriot Raymond Narac in a 911 GT3 RSR run by IMSA Performance Matmut.

French GT Championship: Hassid and Beltoise crowned as champions
At the first race of the seventh and final weekend (27/28 October) in Le Castellet,  Henry Hassid and Anthony Beltoise won the fight for the French GT Championship in the 911 GT3 R fielded by Pro GT by Almeras. At race two on Sunday, the champions retired with a radiator leak.

Japanese Super GT: Endless Taisan 911 GT3 R wins both titles
Kyosuke Mineo and Naoki Yokomizo claimed their first win of the season in the 911 GT3 R of Endless Taisan at the finale on the Twin Ring Motegi (28 October), and took home the driver and team championships in the GT 300 class. For the Taisan team this marked their eighth title. The favourite Hankook-Porsche 911 GT3 R with Masami Kageyama and Tomonobu Fujii were not able to turn the pole position to their advantage at the rain race. Seventh place handed them runner-up honours for the drivers and the team.

Race notes: Finale of the Italian GT Championship in Monza (20/21 October): Victory for Matteo Malucelli and Christian Passuti in the 911 GT3 R of Antonelli Motorsport at race one. Race two goes to Alessandro Balzan and Giacomo Barri in the GT3 R of Ebimotors. +++ Porsche factory pilot Marc Lieb shines at his guest start in the Australian V8 Supercar Championship in Surfers Paradise (19/21 October) with second place. +++ At the penultimate race weekend of the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia in Surfers Paradise (20 /21 October), two wins hand Craig Baird his tenth title in a Porsche one-make race series. +++ Title decision between René Rast and his teammate Sean Edwards at the final race weekend of the Carrera Cup Deutschland in Hockenheim (20/21 October). Rast finishes in seventh and wins the championship for the second time since 2008. Nicki Thiim wins the race. +++ At the Macau GT Cup this coming weekend (17/18 November), seven 911 GT3 R as well as three 911 GT3 Cup line up on the grid. The most prominent Porsche pilot: Works driver Romain Dumas, who contests the city race in China at the wheel of the same 911 GT3 R with which he drove to second at the Pikes Peak mountain race.

Stuttgart. Snow deserts, icy mountains, frozen lakes and lots of sporty cars: On the training area around the Pasasjärvi Lake near Ivalo and the Arctic Driving Center in Rovaniemi, the Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG is once again offering the opportunity to drive an extensive range of Porsche cars in extreme conditions this winter.

The winter offers of the Porsche Driving Experience give beginners and advanced drivers the opportunity to develop their driving skills under the guidance of experienced instructors, and to build their driving style, step by step, thanks to coordinated theoretical and practical training. Skills such as driving safety are enhanced by appropriate braking, avoidance manoeuvres, or controlled drifting on specially prepared ice courses. In the far north of Finland, participants will learn to gain even more control over their vehicle in three progressive levels of training – Precision, Performance and Master – in icy, but controlled conditions.

More information on all winter offers is available online at http://www.porsche.com/germany/sportandevents/driving-experience/winter/.

On a path to success in the world’s largest Porsche market with two premieres

Stuttgart. Porsche is carrying on its sustained success in the USA with the reveal of a world premiere and a US premiere at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show. The USA continues to be the world’s largest Porsche market. In the first ten months of this year, Porsche delivered 28,226 vehicles there, of which 9,764 were Boxster, Cayman and 911. That represents a 13 per cent gain compared to last year. In October 2012 alone, 3,211 new Porsche cars were delivered to customers for a substantial 41 per cent gain compared to the same month last year.

The world premiere of a compact sports car at the LA Auto Show will give added dy-namic impetus to this trend. Porsche is presenting the new vehicle to the international media for the first time at a press conference at 12:05 pm on November 28 at the Porsche show booth in the Petree Hall. Celebrating its US debut at the show is the 911 Carrera 4, which can be clearly made out by its prominent broad rear section and red rear light strip between the rear lights. The typical Porsche all-wheel drive layout – which emphasises driving of the rear wheels – guarantees maximum driving performance in this latest 911 version on a wide variety of road surfaces and in all weather conditions. With these two sports car premieres, Porsche is creating ideal conditions for continued sales success in the world’s largest Porsche market.

40 Years of Porsche Design

Stuttgart. The world’s first black timepiece, the legendary exclusive spectacles and the Porsche 911 – for decades, all these products have stood for a unique design by Ferdinand Alexander Porsche: In 1972 he founded the “Porsche Design Studio” in Stuttgart, the head office of which was relocated to Zell am See in Austria in 1974. Starting today, the Porsche Museum is marking the company’s 40th anniversary with a special exhibition: from 13 November 2012 to 17 February 2013, visitors can experience the most important, most interesting and most extraordinary products as well as how Porsche Design came to exist.

The focus of the anniversary exhibition is on the “Porsche Design” brand, which in recent years has been developed into one of the world’s leading luxury brands with its own sales network. F.A. Porsche designed numerous classic men’s accessories such as watches, spectacles and writing implements, which achieved worldwide recognition under the “Porsche Design” brand. In parallel, with his team, he designed a plethora of industrial products, household appliances and consumer durables for internationally renowned clients under the “Design by F.A. Porsche” brand. Ferdinand Alexander Porsche won numerous honours and awards for his work as a designer.

For example, the “Chronograph I”, a milestone in the watchmaker’s craft, is a compulsory exhibition piece. The world’s first black timepiece, and at the same time luxury brand Porsche Design’s first product, created a furore in 1972 because the automatic chronograph – considered unthinkable at the time – was designed in matt black throughout and provocatively unadorned. With this chronometer, F.A. Porsche was anticipating a trend that is part and parcel of today’s watch industry and even then was considered to be revolutionary. In addition to the chronograph, the visitor will also be presented with other products from the accessories and spectacles range. For example the Porsche Design P’8478 exclusive spectacles will be on display, already purchased by more than 7 million wearers. Writing implements and pipes will also feature in the exhibition.

A highlight of the special exhibition is the grand piano, which the Porsche Design Studio designed for the Bösendorfer piano factory in 2003. This grand piano symbolises the studio’s design output, characterised by a clear, functional design language, meticulous choice of materials and top quality workmanship. The adjustable “Antropovarius” lounge chair developed by the Porsche Design Studio in 1982 in collaboration with the Institute of Ergonomics of the University of Munich will also be on display as will the “Alternative Motorcycle Concept”, AMK, devised in 1980 as an alternative solution to the car and to conventional motorcycles.

In addition to a selection of special design developments, the visitor will also gain an insight into the everyday creative life of Porsche Design’s employees. This is where those who are interested will discover not just the individual steps in creating the product – from conceiving the idea through to design – but also the sources of inspiration. For example, in the case of the pipe, it is explained that when it came to the cooling ribs, F.A. Porsche took his lead from air-cooled single cylinder motorcycle engines. The Porsche museum also looks back at the life’s work and man that was F.A. Porsche, who created legendary cars such as the 904 Carrera GTS and Porsche 911. In the process the visitor will find out things such as why in 1974 F.A. Porsche decided to locate the Design Studio in Zell am See.

The Porsche Museum is using the anniversary exhibition as an opportunity to extend its tour programme. At 3 p.m. on Wednesdays and Sundays, the visitor has the opportunity to experience the special exhibition in the course of a one hour themed tour at a price of four euro per person. The Store at the Porsche Centre in Stuttgart Zuffenhausen also offers a ten per cent discount on Porsche Design products upon presentation of the museum entrance ticket.

The volume “Porsche Design 40Y – The Book” is also being published in time for the anniversary, available in both German and English for 98 euro in the Porsche Museum shop as well as in book stores. In the course of more than 570 pages, the reader is acquainted with an insight into the history of Porsche Design.

The Porsche Museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is eight euro for adults and four euro for concessions. Further information is available on the Internet at http://www.porsche.com/museum.

Junior Programme

Stuttgart. Alex Riberas Bou (18) from Spain and America’s Connor de Phillippi (19) are the new Porsche juniors for the 2013 racing season. The two young hot shots, who have already achieved successes in karting and various Formula race series, will contest the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland in 2013. After their excellent performance this past season, the Austrian Klaus Bachler (21) and Michael Christensen (22) from Denmark will receive support from Porsche again in 2013 as Porsche Juniors competing in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. Porsche supplies the four rookie drivers with the bulk of their budgets and provides coaching for the talented youngsters on and off the track.

In an extensive selection process, Alex Riberas Bou and Connor de Phillippi came out on top against young pilots from all over the world. Factors taken into account were fitness, mental strength and technical understanding. At the finale on the race track in Vallelunga (Italy), the best six candidates had to prove they could work alongside engineers, drive consistent times over a race distance as well as underline their speed in qualifying laps on fresh tyres.

“The decision was a very exciting one,” says Porsche Head of Racing, Hartmut Kristen. “The finalists were all on an impressive level. In order to select the two candidates with the greatest potential, our engineers carefully examined every single lap. Both Alex Riberas Bou and Connor de Phillippi have the talent necessary to be successful in the sports car scene and to follow in the footsteps of Klaus Bachler and Michael Christensen. Our current Porsche works drivers have shown that the Carrera Cup is an excellent platform for a professional international career.”

The Porsche Juniors themselves will choose the teams with whom they want to contest the Carrera Cup Deutschland. On and off the track, the pilots receive assistance similar to the internationally successful Porsche factory drivers. Fitness tests with constantly adapted training plans as well as media coaching and sponsor obligations are also part of the programme.

Alex Riberas Bou comes from Barcelona in Spain. As a child he initially played soccer for FC Barcelona, and then went on to secure his first successes in kart racing at the age of 13. In 2010, he switched to the Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup and immediately pocketed second in the rookie classification. For the 2011 and 2012 seasons, he established himself as one of the top drivers in the highly competitive Formula series. Aside from soccer, motocross, trial, skiing and squash, the Spaniard is an avid fan of historic Porsche vehicles.

“My biggest dream has come true. I’ve always been a huge Porsche fan,” says the 18-year-old junior pilot. “Although I’ve only raced karts and Formula cars until now, I immediately felt at home at the wheel of the Porsche 911. I can’t wait for the 2013 season and the things I will learn over the winter months from Porsche and my future team.”

Connor de Phillippi lives in the Californian town of San Clemente south of Los Angeles. He began racing karts at the age of five and over the course of the next nine years he notched up 21 national championships. In 2008 he made the jump to Formula racing. Straightaway, he secured the title in the Skip Barber West Coast Series and became champion of the Skip Barber National Championship in 2009. In 2010 the American with Italian roots took the next step on the career ladder and concluded the Formula Star Mazda series ranking third overall. 2011 yielded him vice-championship honours followed by third overall in 2012. Not surprisingly, the dark-haired Californian coast resident loves wake boarding and body surfing in his spare time. On land, Connor de Phillippi keeps himself in top shape on the bike and snowboard.

“It’s unbelievable to now be a part of this programme,” says de Phillippi. “It’s a huge step for me to now race in Europe. But as everyone knows, there is no better school in GT racing than to pit yourself against the top specialists in the Carrera Cup Deutschland. Porsche works driver Patrick Long also took this route. He is one of my biggest role model. I hope to be his teammate one day.”

Klaus Bachler and Michael Christensen now move into the second stage of the Porsche junior support programme concept. For next season, the pair is promoted to the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup as support to Formula 1. Bachler concluded his maiden season in the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland ranking eighth in the championship and secured a podium result at his home race in Austria. Christensen claimed third place on the Lausitzring and crowned his season with a victory at the finale in Hockenheim. This earned the Dane seventh place in the championship.

“I’m very pleased that Klaus Bachler and Michael Christensen quickly earned their stripes in the Carrera Cup Deutschland,” says Hartmut Kristen, Head of Porsche racing. “Both show huge potential and are following the path that we had hoped for in our Junior Programme. Their learning curve is steep. I’m certain they will also enjoy success in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.”

Top ranks for Porsche in important reader survey

Stuttgart. The success story of the Porsche 911 Carrera goes on. Now, the readers of Auto Zeitung were also convinced. The innovative sports car was recognised as the best car in its class on the occasion of the 25th “Auto Trophy” award. This is the 19th time, making the Porsche 911 the most successful car in the history of the “Auto Trophy”. Also high on the podium at this year’s readers’ choice of Auto Zeitung is the four-door Gran Turismo by Porsche AG. The Panamera came first in the luxury-car category. Three further second places in their respective classes for the Porsche 911 Cabriolet, the 911 Turbo, and the Cayenne round off this success story. Matthias Müller, President and CEO of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, accepted the prize for the Porsche 911 Carrera in Düsseldorf, presented by Volker Koerdt, Chief Editor of Auto Zeitung. Wolfgang Hatz, Member of the Executive Board Research and Development, accepted the award for the Panamera.

 
Around 111,000 readers of Auto Zeitung in Germany took part in the vote. There was a total of 400 vehicles in 29 classes to choose from. The Porsche 911 Carrera won the sports car category by a wide margin to the closest competitors.

Victory and vice-championship for Marco Holzer and Nick Tandy

Stuttgart. With a double victory for the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR and a true race thriller, the flag dropped on the gripping International GT Open season. For the fifth time this year, works driver Marco Holzer and Manthey-Racing pilot Nick Tandy climbed to the very top of the podium – giving the German-British pairing more victories than any other team and earning the duo the vice-championship title in the GT Open in their maiden season. Holzer and Tandy were just three points shy of clinching the title. The success of the Porsche customer team at the finale in Barcelona was made perfect by Porsche works driver Patrick Pilet and his French compatriot Raymond Narac driving for IMSA Performance Matmut with second at the 16th and final round of the season.

The title decision came in the very last lap. Tandy led the field over the finish line, whilst his greatest rival from Ferrari was running in fifth. This would have handed the title to Manthey-Racing. But a marque colleague let the Ferrari pass in the last corner. Fourth place earned the Ferrari enough points to take the title. “We did everything right today and scored our fifth victory with our excellently set-up 911 GT3 RSR,” said Marco Holzer. “Our retirement yesterday actually should have put us out of contention for the title, but the Manthey-Racing guys never give up! That’s what’s special about Olaf and Renate Manthey. When Nick crossed the finish line today in first we became champions. Then a Ferrari stopped and that put us second.” At Saturday’s race, Tandy had to park the Manthey-Racing 911. “The connecting piece between the wheel and gearbox had broken,” explained team boss Olaf Manthey. “That was the first technical problem this season.”

After four of eight events, Holzer and Tandy travelled home as points’ leaders. Their five victories and three further podium finishes are offset by three blameless retirements. Once an over-motivated opponent shunted the yellow and green 911 GT3 RSR from the track, then tyre damage sidelined the car, and now the technical defect at the 15th race. “I think we’ll be able to celebrate the win and vice-championship title tomorrow,” Marco Holzer said. “We have notched up the most wins, Nick is a great teammate and Manthey-Racing is the best team.”

For the French IMSA Performance Matmut team, the season concluded peaceably with second place at the 16th race. At the 70 minute race on Saturday, works driver Patrick Pilet had put in yet another inspired fight. Raymond Narac handed the cockpit to Pilet lying in 15th. The winner of the last GT Open race in Monza ploughed through the field to finish in fourth. “I pushed like you wouldn’t believe,” said Pilet. “As we weren’t so fast on the straights I had to overtake in the corners. Our 911 got increasingly better towards the end. If I’d had one more lap I reckon I could have stood on the podium.”

On a slippery track on Sunday, start driver Pilet moved to the front of the field after two laps and handed the IMSA-911 to Narac in the lead. The hobby pilot initially defended himself against the charging Nick Tandy at the wheel of the Manthey-911, but the Briton finally passed Narac to take the lead. “Still the race was perfect today,” said a very happy Pilet. “Only the safety car came at an inopportune moment during my stint, and I lost my advantage of a good seven seconds. Our 911 was extremely fast today and Raymond got really close to Tandy at the end.”

The IMSA team had made a great start into the season. After the sixth race of the year in Spa-Francorchamps, which resulted in a double victory for the Porsche squads, Pilet/Narac were even topping the overall points table. But then through no fault of their own the two were kicked out of contention at the following two races. They fell back to sixth overall and because the field is so close in the fiercely-contested GT Open series, they were not able to improve their position even after the sensational win in Monza and the good Barcelona results.

Bad luck plagued the Italian customer team Autorlando Sport, who had won the title of the International GT Open in 2007 and followed up with four straight vice-championships. In the first lap of Saturday’s race, Archie Hamilton (Great Britain) was nudged by a competitor. The 911 GT3 R, which was classified in the GTS class, spun and unluckily became stuck on the high kerbs. This retirement also meant the end of all title hopes. On Sunday, team colleague Marco Mapelli (Italy) took off into the final race of the season from 17th and suffered tyre damage in the melee of the first lap which forced him into an unscheduled pit stop. Again, no points were yielded. In the final tally, Hamilton/Mapelli finished third in the GTS drivers’ classification.

In the GTS class, Autorlando Sport had celebrated a total of five wins in 2012 with the 911 GT3 R plus five other podium results. Three of these were snatched by Hamilton/Mapelli, the two other class victories were thanks to Italians Matteo Beretta and Marcello Puglisi. This secured Autorlando Sport second place in the GTS team classification.

At the final race of the successful sports car race series several guest teams competed alongside the regular squads. Performing the best at the wheel of a Porsche was the 2010 champion of the Carrera Cup Deutschland Nicolas Armindo and his teammate Anthony Beltoise in the 911 GT3 R fielded by PRO GT by Philippe Almeras. The two Frenchmen concluded Saturday’s race as second in the GTS class. All in all, 39 GT vehicles from eight different manufacturers were at the start, ranging from Aston Martin to Audi, BMW, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Mercedes-Benz and of course Porsche.

Result race 15
1. Malucelli/Barba (I/E), Aston Martin Vantage, 1:10.02.764 hours
2. Lopez/Montermini (ARG/I), Ferrari 458 GT Italia, + 5.236 seconds
3. Ramos/Giammaria (P/I), Chevrolet Corvette C6R, + 20.050
4. Narac/Pilet (F/F), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 20.608
7. Beltoise/Armindo (F/F), Porsche 911 GT3 R, + 28.864

Result race 16
1. Holzer/Tandy (D/GB), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 50:40.850 minutes
2. Pilet/Narac (F/), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 0.722 seconds
3. Ramos/Giammaria (P/I), Chevrolet Corvette C6R, + 18.823
4. Bruni/Leo (I/I), Ferrari 458 GT Italia, + 21.189
5. Peter/Broniszewski (A/PL), Ferrari 458 GT Italia, +21.618

Points’ standings after 16 of 16 races
Drivers
1. Leo, Bruni, Ferrari, 195 points
2. Holzer, Tandy, Porsche, 192
3. Barba, Malucelli, Aston Martin, 179
6. Narac, Pilet, Porsche, 152

Drivers GTS
1. Zampieri, Dalle Stelle, Ferrari, 88 points
2. Bizzari, Ferrari, 85
3. Hamilton, Mapelli, Porsche, 70
5. Beretta, Porsche, 43

Teams Super GT
1. AF Corse, Ferrari, 85 points
2. Manthey-Racing, Porsche, 84
3. Villois Racing, Aston Martin, 76

Teams GTS
1. Kessel Racing, Ferrari, 134 points
2. Autorlando Sport, Porsche, 113
3. AF Corse, Ferrari, 95

Roofing Ceremony of Paint Shop in Leipzig

Stuttgart / Leipzig. The next milestone has been achieved: Nearly a year after the foundation stone ceremony, the Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG is celebrating the roofing ceremony for the paint shop at the Leipzig plant today. One of the most modern paint shop facilities in the world, covering 60,000 square metres is being built here, which is also part of the largest construction project in the history of Porsche: The expansion of the Saxony plant into a fully-fledged factory, with on-site body assembly and paint shop for the production of the new model Macan.

 
“A number of aspects of this construction are very impressive. A paint shop is being built on a production area of more than eight football fields in record time, which will set new standards in environmental technology. This represents an important investment for the site, a major economic stimulus for the region, and a key enabler for the company’s growth strategy”, as Wolfgang Leimgruber, Member of the Executive Board Production at Porsche AG, comments on the occasion of the ceremony in Leipzig, which entailed the ceremonial attachment of the last steel beam of the roof structure today.

 
Approximately 113,000 tons of concrete were used in constructing the shell of the new paint shop, which will be about 360 meters long, 72 meters wide, and 30 meters high – a structure that blends seamlessly and harmoniously into the architecture of the Leipzig factory. “Construction works are absolutely on schedule”, as Wolfgang Leimgruber continues to explain: “All efforts are geared at the production launch of the new Macan on time, and at the best quality up to Porsche standards as of the end of 2013.” In the coming weeks, the facade of the paint shop is set to be completed. Work on the interior and the painting equipment will commence immediately thereafter, with operations set to commence in the summer of 2013. The Macan cars manufactured in the Leipzig body assembly are then going to be subjected to a multi-stage paint process on several floors – all in accordance with state-of-the-art sustainability measures. For example, a newly developed separation system for paint overspray is going to be installed. Thanks to the dry deposition on stone dust base, and a downstream, chemical exhaust air cleaning system, solvent emissions from the painting process are reduced to a minimum. The use of waste heat from the electricity generated by a wood chip power plant is also unique. This biomass power plant supplies the paint shop with up to 80 percent of the heat requirements from natural resources.

 
“In our expansion of the Leipzig plant, Porsche is not just setting a clear signal in respect of the environment, but also a clear signal to the people of the region. The plant expansion will create 1,000 new jobs. The paint shop alone will generate jobs for more than 400 new employees”, as Siegfried Bülow, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche Leipzig GmbH comments in his address to the more than 800 guests present.

New Porsche Exclusive Programme

Stuttgart. For its exceptionally performance-oriented customers, Porsche Exclusive now offers a new power enhancement kit developed for the 911 Carrera S. It focuses specifically on the dynamic properties of the sports car. It boosts the power of the 3.8-litre boxer engine from 400 hp (294 kW) to 430 hp (316 kW), producing even better driving performance. Thanks to this Powerkit, the 911 Carrera S Coupé only needs 4.0 seconds to sprint from zero to 100 km/h with PDK in Sport Plus mode. The kit also increases the top speed by four km/h: to 306 km/h with PDK and to 308 km/h with a seven-speed manual gearbox. However, the enhanced power has not affected fuel economy: fuel consumption values in the NEDC are unchanged despite a power increase of over seven per cent.

More power without higher fuel consumption is made possible by carefully tuned modifications and adaptations to the electronic engine management. The core elements of the Powerkit are special cylinder heads with different camshafts and an entirely new variable resonance intake system design with six air flaps and a resonance flap. An additional centre radiator keeps the higher specific power from overloading the thermal management system of the six-cylinder engine. Low exhaust back pressure is achieved by the sport exhaust system that is equipped with two sets of twin tailpipes with independent styling; this system is also included with the Powerkit. At the press of a button, the exhaust system is dethrottled, the two exhaust lines are merged and they generate a powerful engine sound. The Powerkit also includes the Sport Chrono package with dynamic engine mounts for even sportier driving properties. A visual trademark of the Powerkit is the car’s modified engine compartment styling with titanium coloured engine cover and carbon inlays.

Porsche Exclusive also offers aerodynamically tuned exterior components that offer customisation over various expansion levels. The basic component is the front apron that extends low and has powerful air intakes from the Sport Design package. This package also includes a fixed rear spoiler in legendary “ducktail” form. The top upgrade is the Aerokit Cup with an additional fixed rear wing over the rear spoiler and a special front spoiler lip with additional air intakes. Other new Porsche Exclusive products for the 911 Carrera include tinted privacy glass for the side and rear windows and the Exterior package with various components in body colour. Inside, Porsche Exclusive also offers numerous upgrades such as interior packages with decorative trim ranging from brushed aluminium to carbon.

Nine months into 2012, Porsche continues on its record course

Stuttgart. Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG has boosted its sales by 28.1 percent to 10.15 billion euro in the first nine months of the 2012 fiscal year. Sales increased by 20.2 percent to 103,245 vehicles. The operating profit rose by 22.9 percent to 1.88 billion euro. For Matthias Müller, President and CEO of Porsche AG, the thriving business development “is proof for the great appeal of the sports cars and the Porsche brand alike. With an operating profit margin of 18.5 percent being achieved, Porsche AG is taking a pole position in the automotive industry.” Market launches of more models such as the all-wheel drive versions of the new generation of the 911 Carrera ensure that Porsche will maintain its leading position, Mr. Müller declared.

Lutz Meschke, Porsche AG’s chief financial officer, emphasized that the Stuttgart-based sports car manufacturer is staying on its road to success despite the economic headwinds. “We have almost matched the results of the entire previous year after only nine months in 2012. And we definitely expect to outperform the 2011 record year in terms of sales, revenue and operating profit. That’s an excellent result seen against the backdrop of the ever cloudier market environment in Western Europe. Now it’s become clear just how important a systematic internationalization of our business is,” Mr. Meschke said. Moreover, the high earning power demonstrates the strict cost discipline in the company. “The scalable cost structure with comparatively low fixed costs constitutes a crucial success factor for Porsche AG,” the CFO explained.

The sports car maker sold 24,859 vehicles in China in the first nine month of the 2012 fiscal year, 35.4 percent more in comparison to the same period of the prior year. The growth in the entire Asia/rest of the world region added up to 25.1 percent, going to 41,212 units. In Russia, sales rose by 69.7 percent, rising to 2,628 vehicles. Porsche was able to move up a step in the German market as well, climbing 14.2 percent to 11,905 units. The increase in Europe totaled 13.2 percent, with 34,656 vehicles sold. The United States remained the largest single market from January to September of the current year. Porsche sold 24,982 sports cars there (a plus of 22.1 percent).

The model series showing the greatest growth was the 911: 19,261 sold vehicles translate into a jump of 39.8 percent. The model series with the largest volume was the Cayenne with 54,860 units and a growth rate of 24.9 percent. The figures for the number of Panameras sold reached 21,713 (a plus of 15.8 percent). Within the Boxster model series, the new generation of the Boxster roadster has been on offer only since April 2012 yet the model series achieved a growth of 3.3 percent, reaching 5,817 vehicles. The market launch of the new Cayman generation is still to come – which is why, due to its life cycle, the sales of the Boxster model series have declined by 21.3 percent, falling to a total of the 7,411 Boxster and Cayman mid-engined sports cars.

Production rose by 18.4 percent, to 111,076 vehicles, in the first nine months of 2012. The 911 accounted for 19,980 units of the total (an increase of 27.2 percent), the Cayenne for 60,380 vehicles (a plus of 30.6 percent) and the Panamera for 21,854 vehicles (a rise of 3.0 percent). Of the total of 8,862 sports cars of the Boxster model series produced, the Boxster itself accounted for 8,056 units and the Cayman for 806 vehicles.

The number of people employed at Porsche also grew substantially over the course of the year. With 17,066 persons employed as at 30 September 2012, exactly 11.5 percent more employees were on board than at the onset of the year.

PORSCHE AG Group	January to September
	2012	2011	Change (%)
Sales (units)	103,245	85,872	+ 20.2
911	19,261	13,777	+ 39.8
Boxster/Cayman	7,411	9,421	- 21.3
Cayenne	54,860	43,924	+ 24.9
Panamera	21,713	18,750	+ 15.8
Production (units)	111,076	93,799	+ 18.4
911	19,980	15,709	+ 27.2
Boxster/Cayman	8,862	10,658	- 16.9
Cayenne	60,380	46,223	+ 30.6
Panamera	21,854	21,209	+ 3.0
Revenue (mn €)	10,154	7,927	+ 28.1
Operating profit (mn €)	1,882	1,531	+ 22.9
Employees	17,066	15,307*	+ 11.5

* Reference date: 12/31/2011

Porsche starts at the front of the GT field at Mount Fuji

Stuttgart. A strong showing by Porsche in qualifying on the Fuji International Speedway: At the wheel of 911 GT3 RSR fielded by Felbermayr-Proton, Porsche works driver Marc Lieb (Germany) clocked the best time in the GT class. He contests round seven of the World Endurance Championship (WEC) in Japan on Sunday with his factory pilot teammate Richard Lietz (Austria).

“In the first lap the tyre pressure wasn’t high enough, but it was perfect in the second lap,” Marc Lieb said. “The temperature today was much higher than in yesterday’s free practice, still the car ran beautifully. We are hoping to keep up this pace in the race. Amongst the Japanese there is a huge fan base for sports car racing. A lot of fans even came on Friday because they wanted to take photos and get some autographs. It’s great fun here.”

“This pole position shows that developments with the car are going in the right direction,” said Hartmut Kristen, the head of motorsport at Porsche. “Now we’re hoping that the weather stays pretty much the same as today and it doesn’t get too warm. Then we can tackle the race feeling very confident.”

In the GTE Am category, Paolo Ruberti posted the third quickest time in the Felbermayr-Porsche from last year. “This is a good position to start the race,” the Italian commented. For tomorrow’s race Ruberti shares the cockpit of the 911 GT3 RSR with Christian Ried from Germany and his compatriot Gianluca Roda. “This track is great to drive on and very fast. It’ll certainly be interesting tomorrow.” Two weeks ago the trio won the sixth round of the WEC season in Bahrain.

The six hour race starts in Fuji on Sunday at 11.00 hours (04.00 hrs CEST). Eurosport broadcasts the final phase of the race live from 08.30 hrs and televises highlights on 16 October at 00.15 hrs. Follow the race live on the internet at http://www.fiawec.com.

Qualifying result

GTE Pro class
1. Lieb/Lietz (D/A), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 1:40.289 minutes
2. Fisichella/Bruni (I/I), Ferrari F458 Italia + 0.309 seconds
3. Turner/Mücke (GB/D), Aston Martin Vantage, + 0.509
4. Bertolini/Beretta (I/MC), Ferrari F458 Italia, + 0.913

GTE Am class
1. Bourret/Gibon/Belloc (F/F/F), Chevrolet Corvette, 1:41.386 minutes
2. Krohn/Jönsson/Rugolo (USA/S/I), Ferrari F458 Italia, + 0.315 seconds
3. Ried/Roda/Ruberti (D/I/I), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 0.325
4. Bornhauser/Canal/Lamy (F/F/P), Chevrolet Corvette, + 0.559
5. Camathias/Kobayashi/Daniels (CH/J/GB), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 1.524

The World Endurance Championship
Sports prototypes and GT vehicles race in the new World Endurance Championship. They are divided into four classes that start together but are classified separately:
LMGTE Pro class: This class is reserved for slightly modified standard sports cars with 440 to 500 hp and a minimum weight of 1,245 kilograms (e.g. Porsche 911 GT3 RSR).
LMGTE Am class: Like the LMGTE Pro, but the regulations stipulate that only last year’s cars are eligible and there must be no more than one professional driver per vehicle.
LMP1 class: Sports prototypes with up to 550 hp and a minimum weight of 900 kilograms.
LMP2 class: Sports prototypes with around 440 hp and a 900 kilogram minimum weight.

A sports car in SUV clothing: Cayenne Turbo S with 550 hp

Stuttgart. The new Cayenne Turbo S assumes top position in the Porsche SUV model range with its engine power of 550 hp (405 kW). With its complex active chassis, the top athlete in SUV clothing surpasses the driving performance of many sports cars. All of the basic Cayenne properties such as versatile offroad capabilities, high ride comfort and superior towing power have been preserved without exception. Its NEDC fuel consumption of 11.5 litres per 100 km is the same as that of the Cayenne Turbo, which makes it more fuel-efficient in relation to its engine power. The new Turbo S model has an extra 50 hp of power compared to the Cayenne Turbo, as well as a torque boosted from 700 Nm to 750 Newton metres, and it converts them into faster acceleration and a higher top speed. The sprint from zero to 100 km/h takes just 4.5 seconds (-0.2 seconds), and the SUV accelerates to a top speed of 283 km/h (+ 5 km/h).

The Cayenne Turbo S was systematically configured for maximum dynamic performance. Therefore, it incorporates all relevant control systems as standard equipment. From the Cayenne Turbo it takes the combination of an air suspension and active PASM damping control. Then there is Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC), which reduces the roll angle in curves to practically zero, improving agility and comfort equally. Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus), which is also standard, operates with torque vectoring at the rear wheels together with an electronically controlled rear differential lock, which improves traction and therefore offers more agility in every driving situation. The new Cayenne Turbo S is also equipped with the Sport Chrono package as standard.
The exterior and add-on equipment of the Cayenne Turbo S live up to the high standards of a top model. Numerous exterior features such as the air inlet screens, headlight housings and mirror parts are painted in high-gloss black. The standard 21-inch 911 Turbo II wheels with coloured Porsche badges were exclusively designed for the Cayenne Turbo S; their inside surfaces are painted in high-gloss black.

Porsche designers created bi-colour leather packages in new colours and colour patterns specifically for the new Cayenne Turbo S. These interior features are available in black/carrera red or black/luxor beige colour combinations. The bi-colour leather packages that are reserved for the new top model were extended by adding decorative seams in the contrasting colours carrera red and luxor beige. The Carbon interior package complements the leather features and highlights the sophistication of vehicle and materials.

In Germany, the Cayenne Turbo S is priced at 151,702 euros including VAT and deliveries begin in January 2013.

Porsche customer teams victorious again in final sprint

Stuttgart. In the Royal Park of Monza, the international Porsche customer teams have again scored victories. At race 13 of the International GT Open on Saturday, Porsche works driver Patrick Pilet and his French compatriot Raymond Narac (IMSA Performance Matmut) claimed their first win of the season in the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR under extremely challenging track conditions. Factory pilot Marco Holzer (Germany) and his British teammate Nick Tandy clinched position three in the 911 GT3 RSR fielded by Manthey-Racing – and temporarily moved to the top of the points’ table. And the Autorlando Sport squad also celebrated a victory in the GTS class with the 911 GT3 R on Saturday at their home race. At race 14 on Sunday, Holzer/Tandy scored fifth ahead of Pilet/Narac in sixth. In the GTS class, Autorlando again achieved a podium result.

Especially the 70-minute race on Saturday on the 5.793 kilometre high speed circuit of Monza turned into a real thriller – not least due to the fact that the race started on a wet track, the ideal line then almost dried, only to have rain set in just before the finish. Raymond Narac had taken off from fifth on the grid and handed the wheel of the IMSA-Performance 911, now fitted with slicks, to Patrick Pilot running eighth after an immaculate stint. “That was really difficult, particularly at the beginning of my stint,” said Pilet. “We’re not permitted to pre-heat the tyres in the GT Open – and the track was terribly slippery. But our strategy was perfect. We changed at exactly the right time. During my first lap I got everything I could out of myself and the car. And that’s how I could fight for the lead. When it started raining again towards the end I had to throw my full concentration into my effort. The key to success was the excellent traction of our 911 GT3 RSR on the extremely slippery circuit.” On Sunday, the French duo took off into the 14th race of the season from pole position, but in the dry their rivals proved uncatchable. “The balance of our 911 was good but we didn’t have the top speed on the long straights,” said Pilet.

The Manthey-Racing squad were over the moon with their podium result on Saturday. “We made a mistake in qualifying with our tyre choice,” explained Marco Holzer. “We thought the track would dry quickly.” This put Tandy down on the eleventh grid spot. In an all-out effort, the reigning champion of the Carrera Cup Deutschland moved into fifth, only to slide into a spin and slot back into 14th. By the time Tandy came in for the mandatory driver change he was running tenth. With Marco Holzer at the wheel of the yellow and green Manthey 911, the suspense continued. The German clocked stunning lap times and lay within striking distance of Ferrari, the main rival in the fight for the drivers’ title, when he was also hampered by a minor slide when rain set in. Again, Holzer went on the hunt for the last podium spot – and grabbed it when the Ferrari pilot spun in the final lap. “That was a brutal race – I was always at 120 per cent effort,” said Holzer grinning. “Nick told us via radio that we should switch to slicks for my stint. But the track was still really damp, it was truly a gamble. That we’ve yielded a podium result is good for the driver’s classification.” With third place, Holzer and Tandy temporarily moved back into the lead of the overall classification.

Already in the first chicane a damper was put on any ambitions for Sunday’s race, which Holzer started from second. “It was incredibly tight, I had to run wide otherwise it would have resulted in a collision,” said Holzer. “This caused me to drive on the kerbs and it damaged the front splitter of the 911. This affected the aerodynamics and the top speed. We’re seven points off the points’ leaders heading to the finale and that’s not much.”

For the Italian Autorlando team, the races on their home circuit concluded with a win and a second place in the GTS Class. Matteo Beretta and Marcello Puglisi (both Italy) won on Saturday. With a spirited overtaking manoeuvre, they moved to the front of the GTS category with their 911 GT3 R shortly before the flag and scored their second win of the season. Bad luck, however, hampered their team colleagues Archie Hamilton (Great Britain) and Marco Mapelli (Italy). The pair led the GTS class in both Saturday’s and Sunday’s race over almost the entire distance. This was particularly exceptional because on Saturday afternoon the front splitter of the 911 had been shunted in the melee of the race and the car gradually lost more and more plastic parts. Mapelli had to pit with a damaged tyre, and was finally flagged off as fourth. On Sunday as well, Mapelli/Hamilton looked set to bring home the GTS victory, only to have tyre damage in the last lap rob them of their dreams. Hamilton salvaged position two, with team colleagues Beretta/Puglisi scoring fourth in the GTS class.

Result race 13
1. Narac/Pilet (F/F), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 1:10.24.578 hours
2. Ramos/Giammaria (P/I), Chevrolet Corvette C6R, + 23.096 seconds
3. Holzer/Tandy (D/GB), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 42.188
4. Bruni/Leo (I/I), Ferrari 458 GT Italia, + 44.030
5. Lopez/Montermini (ARG/I), Ferrari 458 GT Italia, + 45.293
8. Beretta/Puglisi (I/I), Porsche 911 GT3 R, + 1:23.676 minutes
13. Mapelli/Hamilton (I/GB), Porsche 911 GT3 R, + 1 lap

Result race 14
1. Malucelli/Barba (I/E), Aston Martin Vantage, 50:52.490 minutes
2. Bruni/Leo (I/I), Ferrari 458 GT Italia, + 6.062 seconds
3. Lopez/Montermini (ARG/I), Ferrari 458 GT Italia, + 7.836
4. Ramos/Giammaria (P/I), Chevrolet Corvette C6R, + 27.343
5. Holzer/Tandy (D/GB), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 33.792
6. Pilet/Narac (F/), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 47.652
9. Mapelli/Hamilton (I/GB), Porsche 911 GT3 R, + 1.41.769 minutes
11. Beretta/Puglisi (I/), Porsche 911 GT3 R, + 1.41.891

Points’ standings after 14 of 16 races
Drivers
1. Leo, Bruni, Ferrari, 177 points
2. Holzer, Tandy, Porsche, 170
3. Barba, Malucelli, Aston Martin, 155
4. Montermini, Lopez, Ferrari, 135
6. Narac, Pilet, Porsche, 124

Drivers GTS
1. Zampieri, Dalle Stelle, Ferrari, 76 points
2. Bizzari, Ferrari, 71
3. Hamilton, Mapelli, Porsche, 70
4. Rizzoli, Ferrari, 53
5. Beretta/Puglisi, Porsche, 43

Teams Super GT
1. AF Corse, Ferrari, 78 points
2. Manthey-Racing, Porsche, 74
3. Villois Racing, Aston Martin, 66

Teams GTS
1. Autorlando Sport, Porsche, 113 points
2. Kessel Racing, Ferrari, 112
3. AF Corse, Ferrari, 81

The season final of the 2012 International GT Open takes place with races 15 and 16 on 2 to 4 November in Barcelona/Spain.

Second win of the season for Porsche in the GTE Am class

Stuttgart. At the debut of the World Endurance Championship in Bahrain, the Felbermayr-Proton Porsche squad celebrated its second GTE Am class victory of the season. With their Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, Christian Ried (Germany) and his Italian teammates Gianluca Roda and Paolo Ruberti won the six hour race on the Bahrain International Circuit against strong opposition from Ferrari and Chevrolet. After a tough battle in the GTE Pro class, Porsche works drivers Marc Lieb (Germany) and Richard Lietz (Austria) pocketed third place, repeating their recent Sao Paulo result.

“It was a difficult race for us. We had to conserve the tyres from the first to the last lap and this made us somewhat slower than the front-runners,” said Richard Lietz after the race which started at 4 p.m. in 40 degree Celsius temperatures and ran mainly in the dark. “It only became a little cooler in the night and towards the finish the tyres didn’t deteriorate quite as quickly so we could attack.” Marc Lieb added, “We can be pleased with third place. During my first stint I had some problems with conserving the tyres which didn’t work very well and cost me time. Afterwards things ran better. We simply find it hard in such temperatures. We know we have the performance, but not in such extreme heat. We need to work on this. Hopefully it’s a bit cooler at the last two races in Fuji and Shanghai and then we should be back up there again.”

On the 5.407 kilometre Grand Prix circuit in the desert Kingdom, Paolo Ruberti took off from the third grid spot in the GTE Am class. But after a short time he snatched the lead which he and his teammates only relinquished briefly over the course of the race. At the flag they held a one-lap lead over their strongest rivals. The trio started into the maiden season of the new long distance championship with a victory at the twelve hour classic in Sebring, and now clinched their fifth podium result from the sixth race of the year. “The whole team is very pleased with this win,” said Paolo Ruberti. “It wasn’t an easy race under such extreme temperatures but we did our very best. Now we’re looking forward to the race in Fuji.”

Highlights of the Bahrain race will be broadcast on Eurosport on 2 October at 00.15 hours. The seventh round of the World Endurance Championship is contested on 14 October in Fuji/Japan.

Results
GTE Pro class
1. Fisichella/Vilander (I/SF), Ferrari F458 Italia, 170 laps
2. Mücke/Turner (D/GB), Aston Martin Vantage, 169
3. Lieb/Lietz (D/A), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 169
4. Bertolini/Beretta (I/MC), Ferrari F458 Italia, 169

GTE Am class
1. Ried/Roda/Ruberti (D/I/I), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 165 laps
2. Kauffmann/Vickers/Aguas (USA/USA/P), Ferrari F458 Italia, 164
3. Krohn/Jönsson/Rugolo (USA/S/I), Ferrari F458 Italia, 162
4. Bornhauser/Canal/Rees (F/F/BRA), Chevrolet Corvette, 157
5. Bourret/Gibon/Belloc (F/F/F), Chevrolet Corvette, 153

Updated 2013 race calendar
The provisional 2013 calendar of the World Endurance Championship was updated again on Saturday and includes the following races:
14.04. Silverstone/Great Britain
04.05. Spa-Francorchamps/Belgium
22/23.06.         24 Hours of Le Mans/France
31.08. Sao Paulo/Brazil
22.09. Austin/USA*
20.10.         Fuji/Japan
10.11. Shanghai/China*
30.11.         Sakhir/Bahrain

*yet to be confirmed

Second quickest qualifying time for Porsche

Stuttgart. Porsche clinches a good grid spot for the first meeting of the World Endurance Championship in Bahrain: In qualifying on the Bahrain International Circuit, Richard Lietz (Austria) clocked the second quickest time with the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR in the strongly supported GT field. In the race on Saturday he shares the cockpit of the Felbermayr-Proton 911 with his works driver colleague Marc Lieb (Germany).

“We’ve didn’t expect to already reach the peak with our tyres in the first lap. For this reason we didn’t manage to squeeze those last thousandths of a second out of them. Still, it’s the best lap time that we’ve turned here by now,” said Richard Lietz. “Now we just have to hope that the tyres perform well over the whole race distance. Somewhat cooler temperatures would be to our advantage like in Brazil recently where we were very competitive especially in the second half of the race. The track is selective and great fun, particularly with new tyres which you can use in the fast corners to really put the pressure on. The wind is a slight problem – it blows the sand onto the track and is always changing direction. But that also makes things interesting.”

In the GTE Am class, Paolo Ruberti planted the Felbermayr-Proton Porsche in last year’s spec on the third grid spot. “I only drove one fast lap so that I could conserve the tyres for the race,” stated the Italian, who shares driving duties with his teammates Christian Ried (Germany) and Gianluca Roda (Italy). “So I’m pleased with the third grid spot. That’s a good starting position for the race.”

The six hour race starts on Saturday, 29 September, at 16.00 hrs local time (17.00 CEST). Eurosport 1 televises highlights on 2 October at 00.15 hrs.

Qualifying Result

GTE Pro class
1. Turner/Mücke (GB/D), Aston Martin Vantage, 2:00.234 minutes
2. Lieb/Lietz (D/A), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 0.298 seconds
3. Fisichella/Vilander (I/SF), Ferrari F458 Italia + 1.288
4. Bertolini/Beretta (I/MC), Ferrari F458 Italia, + 1.627

GTE Am class
1. Aguas/Kauffman/Vickers (O/USA/USA), Ferrari F458 Italia, 2:02.812 minutes
2. Bornhauser/Canal/Rees (F/F/BRA), Chevrolet Corvette, + 0.441 seconds
3. Ried/Roda/Ruberti (D/I/I), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 0.874
4. Bourret/Gibon/Belloc (F/F/F), Chevrolet Corvette, + 2.122
5. Camathias/Palttala/Daniels (CH/SF/GB), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 2.860

2013 race calendar
The provisional calendar for the 2013 World Endurance Championship has been released in Bahrain and includes the following races:

14.04. Silverstone/Great Britain
04.05. Spa-Francorchamps/Belgium
22./23.06. 24 Hours of Le Mans/France
24.08. Sao Paulo/Brazil
22.09. Austin/USA*
20.10.         Fuji/Japan
10.11. Shanghai/China*
30.11.         Sakhir/Bahrain

*to be confirmed

The World Endurance Championship
Sports prototypes and GT vehicles race in the new World Endurance Championship. They are divided into four classes that start together but are classified separately:
LMGTE Pro class: This class is reserved for slightly modified standard sports cars with 440 to 500 hp and a minimum weight of 1,245 kilograms (e.g. Porsche 911 GT3 RSR).
LMGTE Am class: Like the LMGTE Pro, but the regulations stipulate that only last year’s cars are eligible and there must be no more than one professional driver per vehicle.
LMP1 class: Sports prototypes with up to 550 hp and a minimum weight of 900 kilograms.
LMP2 class: Sports prototypes with around 440 hp and a 900 kilogram minimum weight.

Sporty, functional, efficient: Panamera Sport Turismo

Stuttgart. Porsche is presenting the Panamera Sport Turismo concept car to show how amazingly intelligent and efficient drive technology might look in the design language of tomorrow. The Sport Turismo unites the next generation hybrid drive with new ideas for an evolutionary, sporty body concept; it combines Porsche performance with comprehensive everyday practicality.

Body: sports appeal and functionality in further developed design
The body concept of the Panamera Sport Turismo is an outlook on a possible Porsche sports car of tomorrow: The overhangs are short, and the boot lid is large – both sporty and functional. The concept car combines the dimensions of a premium vehicle with the interior comfort of the luxury class. The Sport Turismo is 1,990 mm wide, a low 1,401 mm in height and 4,950 mm long. Its direction indicators and sidelights are integrated in C-shaped lighting units – known as C-Blades – mounted in the large air inlets at the front end. Together with four-point LED headlights in an innovative design, they define the front end appearance of the concept car.

The smooth and taut exterior skin is not interrupted by add-on parts – there are no con-ventional exterior mirrors. In their place, the Sport Turismo has two cameras mounted in the side air outlets whose images are shown on the displays in the cockpit. The rear body has been completely reshaped, yet it retains all of the characteristics of a Porsche. The rear lights in LED technology and the tail-light panel with the “Porsche” badge are sculpted in three dimensions, and the brake light is positioned between the four-point LED rear lights. Forming the roof termination is an adaptive carbon rear spoiler that produces improved downforce.

The new Liquid Metal Blue colour gives the concept car a surface that resembles liquid metal and highlights its contours and design lines more distinctly. The wheels in dual-spoke design have a bi-colour look, and the brake callipers are painted Acid Green. The hub locks of the wheels recall the origins of every Porsche – which is motorsport. “e-hybrid” badges on the sides refer to the car’s drive concept, while the name “Sport Turismo” at the rear, framed in the same Acid Green colour, emphasises the car’s concept character. The milled aluminium battery housing is mounted under the boot floor, which is made of electrochromatic glass and reveals a view of the energy source illuminated in Acid Green at the press of a button.

“e-hybrid” stands for plug-in hybrid technology from Porsche
The drive technology of the Panamera Sport Turismo completes the next development step towards the plug-in hybrid, symbolised by the “e-hybrid” badge on the front wings. The car’s new ability to be charged from the electrical power grid has been combined with even higher performance components. The concept vehicle with its 416 hp (306 kW) of peak system power is designed to be driven in pure electric mode up to a speed of 130 km/h and can cover distances of over 30 km. The Sport Turismo also exhibits impressive fuel economy per the NEDC standard; its combined fuel consumption is less than 3.5 litres per 100 km, while CO2 emissions are under 82 g/km.

The drive system of the Panamera Sport Turismo is an advanced development of the parallel full hybrid that Porsche already implements today in the Panamera S Hybrid and Cayenne S Hybrid. The new electric motor produces about 70 kW (95 hp), which is around twice as much as in today’s Porsche hybrid drive, while the supercharged three-litre V6 engine still produces 245 kW (333 hp) here. In their interplay, they accelerate the concept car from zero to 100 km/h in less than six seconds.

Power pack: lithium-ion battery with external charging capability
The electric power pack of the Sport Turismo e-hybrid consists of a lithium-ion battery whose performance is several times that of the nickel-hydride battery currently used in production, although it has practically the same dimensions. Its 9.4 Kilowatt-hours of energy storage capacity and high peak power enable faster acceleration, longer electric driving range and higher speeds when driving without the internal combustion engine.

The default operating mode of the e-hybrid prioritises all-electric driving, but the driver may deactivate this by pressing a special button on the steering wheel. In addition, when the car is being operated in hybrid mode the driver can select the e-charge mode by pressing the steering wheel button to intentionally intensify charging of the high-voltage battery. This is especially useful when one section of the driving route on a motorway is followed by a section through a city that should be driven in pure electric mode without local emissions. In the e-charge mode, the internal combustion engine charges the battery by load point shifting, while satisfying rational energy management criteria.

As a plug-in hybrid, the fluid-cooled lithium-ion battery is not only charged while driving; it can also be externally charged within 2.5 hours (depending on the power supply) via a charging interface on the vehicle. Porsche systematically thought through all aspects of the concept car’s plug-in system; it utilises a universal charger (AC) that is wall-mounted in a home garage and has a standardised charging plug.

Familiar and yet completely new: touch displays for instruments and controls
The interior of the Sport Turismo is a forward-looking interpretation of purist sports car thinking: as little as possible and as much as necessary. Instead of classic instruments, a large central TFT colour display is positioned in front of the driver; it is used to call up and display any vehicle information as needed – from the tachometer to driving data or navigation. Two monitors, one to the left and one to the right of this display, show images from the “exterior mirror” cameras. Two additional displays in tube form provide information on the hybrid-specific driving states, e.g. pure electric driving, as well as other functions. The power meter in the instrument panel illuminates in Acid Green and shows the combined system power of the two drives.

A press on the touch-sensitive colour display starts the e-hybrid. Naturally, on the side that is typical of a Porsche: the left side. A completely new type of touch display in the ascending centre console incorporates additional controls; this is the control centre for the e-hybrid and all other functions that is implemented in black panel technology. It offers the driver the option of influencing the hybrid drive via smart keys to choose maximum driving fun, maximum performance or maximum efficiency. All driving indicators and control functions are also intuitively operated by multi-touch functionality, such as automatic climate control, seat adjustment, lights, reversing camera and the functions of Porsche Communication Management (PCM).

Wide-ranging communications and control via smart phone app
The Panamera Sport Turismo gives the driver entirely new options for customised communications. The driver can use mobile online services to access and control all key vehicle information with a smart phone app. Charge control by mobile phone shows the user just how much electricity the battery has already stored at any given time and predicts how much more time the charging process will take. In addition, there is a charging timer with user-defined charging times. Moreover, the vehicle’s interior can also be preconditioned by mobile phone, e.g. by turning on the air conditioner, and the vehicle will already be at the right temperature before driving with electricity supplied from a household electrical outlet.

Specifications Panamera Sport Turismo concept car: