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 AG Deliveries	November			January – November
	2012	2011	Variance (%)	2012	2011	Variance (%)
World	12,928	9,318	38.7	128,978	109,709	17.6
Europe	3,743	3,506	6.8	44,965	39,599	13.6
Germany	1,195	1,096	9.0	16,100	13,857	16.2
America	4,447	2,655	67.5	37,581	32,289	16.4
USA	3,865	2,255	71.4	32,091	27,189	18.0
Asia-Pacific	4,738	3,157	50.1	46,432	37,821	22.8
China	2,919	1,786	63.4	29,268	22,473	30.2

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