Perfect Moment

Akershus Fortress

Visible from afar, the medieval 13th-century fortress towers high above the port. After a devastating fire in the 17th century, it was rebuilt into a Renaissance castle with magnificent halls, which now play host to special government events. Interesting tours include the church with the royal mausoleum. One of the tables there is permanently reserved for a regular guest – Henrik Ibsen. Because the Norwegian national poet died in 1906, a mannequin has been seated in his place ever since. “That just goes to show that we do things a little differently here,” says Svindal with a wink.

Oslo’s charm is unique – and as if we needed proof, we approach the highlight of the day, at least geographically speaking. The drive from the city up to the Oslo Vinterpark on Holmenkollen mountain takes a good quarter of an hour. Svindal takes his Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo, which he views as the perfect

PanoMaticCalendar

Driving fun: After a long day at the office, Svindal makes his way up Holmenkollen mountain – during the day (as shown here) or at night, when the slope is illuminated with floodlights.

High Performance on Skis

Porsche and Head present the first joint winter sports product range for the 2022/2023 ski season. Two ski models are at the heart of it: the Porsche 7 Series is a high-performance ski inspired by the giant slalom for use on prepared slopes, while the Porsche 8 Series is a handmade high-performance ski designed for use on and off the slope. Both ski models were developed by the Porsche Lifestyle Group and Head in collaboration with Aksel Lund Svindal. In addition, the Porsche Lifestyle Group and Head also produce an entire winter sports collection – from visor helmets to ski poles. companion for his free time activities. “Ready for adventure,” he says. “The car is a lot of fun to drive. And I can bring the stuff I need to have fun.” That’s because the variable cargo space of the all-electric sports sedan offers plenty of room for all of his ski equipment, including a new pair of skis of the Head brand, which was developed in collaboration with Porsche.

The ski lifts on the 1,217-foot mountain stay open until Easter in the winter season and are even busy during the week. For the people of Oslo, heading up to the slopes after a day at the office, with its view of the water, has become a popular pastime. “I prefer to ski at night,” says Svindal. “Fortunately, the slopes are illuminated with floodlights. And there’s almost no one else up there.”

Days near the water, evenings in the mountains – now we understand how Svindal’s old and new life mesh together. He pushes off with his poles and elegantly glides back and forth down the mountain. He takes his time, as it no longer comes down to hundredths of a second. ●

Holmenkollen

The 1,217-foot mountain in northwestern Oslo is not only well worth a visit in the winter. From the Olympic ski jumping hill, you can enjoy a 360-degree view of the city, the Oslo Fjord, and the surrounding forests at any time of year. During the ski season, the nearby Vinterpark offers six drag lifts, three chairlifts, and 14 slopes, which combined measure about six miles in length. Thanks to floodlights, some of the slopes and cross-country courses are open at night. By Thomas AMMANN Photos by Tim WENDRICH;

Nick NIGHT, Gunnar RIDDERSTROM, Alain GEHRI (all Unsplash)

The nearby Holmenkollen mountain:

The Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo offers plenty of space to transport Svindal’s skiing equipment.

Marco Massarutto

Photo by Alessandro BARTELETTI

Born: 1972 Residence: Rome, Italy Profession: Entrepreneur and software developer Porsche: 911 Carrera S, built in 2020 After 13 years of development, Marco Massarutto, the founder of the Italian video game company Kunos Simulazioni, introduces the Assetto Corsa racing simulation in 2013. From today’s perspective, that’s a real milestone for the industry, as the video game becomes one of the most successful of its kind and is now considered by many to be the best racing simulation for vehicles in the GT3 and GT4 class. This success didn’t escape the notice of the sports car manufacturer. In fact, Porsche uses Assetto Corsa in many of its racing simulators today.

What is love?

How are you?

The Porsche 911 in three words?

Which simple things can make you happy?

What would you never do in a 911?

What’s your favorite road?

What can distract you?

Three things you would take to a desert island?

Is there a historical figure you admire?

What on a 911 could you do without?

And what couldn’t you?

What music did you wake up to this morning?

Your favorite film?

Your favorite book?

Where do you long to be?

Your most treasured possession?

Your secret?

The 911 moment of your life?

Your best advice?

Making the people you love happy, and treating others as you would like to be treated.

Pretty good, but I would feel better if there weren’t so many problems and social conflicts in our society.

Cool, versatile, eternal.

When I see people smiling and on their best behavior.

Drive off the Grand Canyon like Thelma and Louise.

Passo della Futa around Tuscany and the roads of Rome at 6 a.m. in August.

Animals and kittens, and bad manners.

My love, a knife, a camera.

Anybody who gives their life to save others.

The rear seats.

The rear.

Birdsong.

The Shawshank Redemption by Frank Darabont.

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas père.

Santa Barbara in California, USA.

The pictures of my family when I was a child.

I’m lucky.

Standing at the gate of Nordschleife, waiting to get in the first time.

Be good, whatever the others do.

Playing soccer. However, I’m so bad at it.

Daredevil

The 911 Dakar can navigate terrains of all kinds, offering a unique option for sports car drivers in search of adventure both on and off the paved road. An irresistible temptation for professional rally drivers and more.

911 Dakar – the best of both worlds

Test, part 1: Works driver Romain Dumas races the 911 Dakar on the Châteaux de Lastours course in the south of France.

Premiere: In the South African desert, the 911 Dakar unveils its features for the first time.

Off-road specialist:

The 911 Dakar can navigate terrain that has up until now only ever been mastered by genuine off-road vehicles.

Test, part 2: Former rally world champion Walter Röhrl conducts tests in extreme conditions in Sweden’s Lapland region.

The all-arounder for ice, gravel, and desert

Test, part 3: The 911 Dakar prototypes conquer gravel surfaces just as well as they do the dunes of Dubai.

According to Ferry Porsche, the Porsche 911 is “the only vehicle you can drive from an African safari to Le Mans, then to the theater, and finally on the streets of New York.” Though he may not have meant it literally, it demonstrates just how versatile its creators thought the sports car of the century could be. And now you can also navigate gravel, sand, and rocks in a 911 – even at higher rally speeds when necessary.

Porsche developers have accomplished quite a feat with the 911 Dakar, which is a sports car and off-road vehicle in one. The vehicle first unveiled its features in the desert near the city of Springbok, South Africa. The all-wheel 911 was safely delivered by truck, before embarking on the virtually endless route. Porsche pulled all the stops for the first photo shoot – with fans that send dust whirling, specially trained test drivers, and a Cayenne with camera crane.

Frank-Steffen Walliser, Head of the 911 and 718 Model Lines at Porsche until autumn 2022, also played a role in ensuring the 911 Dakar feels right at home in the desert. As Head of Complete Vehicle Architecture and Characteristics, Walliser is responsible for the technical design of the future Porsche models of all series. “We managed to achieve the perfect balance,” the expert says, delighted. “With high performance, outstanding driving characteristics on the road, exceptional suspension comfort, and sensational off-road characteristics.” This technical masterpiece wouldn’t have been possible without the targeted optimization of the 911 Carrera 4S (992), which, with the drive of the 911 Carrera GTS, served as the technical basis. Developed specifically for off-road requirements and loose surfaces, the Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) and other chassis control systems allow you to choose not only between the usual driving modes, but now also between rally and off-road. The 911 Dakar’s all-terrain tires were specially developed in collaboration with Pirelli, and the ground clearance increased by 1.6 inches. And if that’s not enough, the vehicle body can be raised hydraulically another 1.2 inches with the four-corner lift.

“Porsche developers consistently pursued their objectives,” explains Achim Lamparter, manager of the 911 Chassis, “ensuring optimal vehicle performance everywhere and in all conditions.” Testing was conducted in extreme conditions before the desert premiere. According to Lamparter, they navigated “terrain the 911 had never seen before,” including bumpy rally courses in France, frozen lakes in Lapland, and the dunes of Dubai, throughout the extensive phase of development and test-driving. Experience gained through the development of Porsche’s SUV models came in handy.

During the circular drives through the dunes of Dubai, the 911 Dakar left a spectacular fountain of sand trailing behind it. Despite the theatrics, however, the actual purpose was to take sound

The first Porsche works car in the Paris–Dakar Rally in 1984 was a success. René Metge together with codriver Dominic Lemoyne secured the overall win with a 911 Carrera 3.2 4x4 Paris Dakar (953) specially prepared for the route, which is around 7,450 miles long. It was the first 911 to feature all-wheel drive. The engineers also increased the suspension travel to 10.63 inches and fitted a double wishbone suspension with two shock absorbers at the front and a reinforced axle with two additional coil springs at the rear. Two further tanks – in the trunk and behind the driver’s seat – ensured there was enough fuel. Alongside the winning team, Jacky Ickx and Claude Brasseur were also participating. After a cable fire, they found themselves in 139th place in their 911 – but fought their way back up to sixth place. The winning vehicle was the first sports car to win the legendary rally.

Watch now: The new rally sports car in the 9:11 Magazine Historical photo material – this may not meet today’s legal requirements for advertising.

measurements. “Use on the road and racecourse can be simulated. Driving on dunes cannot,” explains Achim Lamparter. “Practical tests are necessary to make the systems safe. And you can’t drive too slowly, otherwise you’ll get stuck.”

The testing program also included driving in rally conditions. Former Porsche works driver, multiple Dakar Rally participant, and two-time Le Mans champion Romain Dumas was given the opportunity to race the 911 Dakar on the Châteaux de Lastours course in southern France. Measuring around 50 miles in length, the off-road course in the heart of the vineyards is popular with rally professionals, as it allows them to conduct durability tests in extreme conditions. “When the Porsche engineers told me they were coming here for testing, I said, ‘Are you sure? There’s nothing here but rocks and gravel,’” recalls Dumas. But according to Dumas, the 911 Dakar lived up to its name and was able to conquer rough terrain just as well as the race cars that are specially prepared for the world’s most demanding rally. “Before that, driving a sports car here was unimaginable,” he explains. “But not anymore.”

That wasn’t Porsche’s first foray into Dakar, which is why the name of the new model evokes memories of the company’s successful rally tradition, which began in 1965 with the 911 in the Rallye Monte-Carlo and continued later on with the East African Safari Rally. These activities culminated in

the 1980s with the dramatic works campaigns in the Dakar Rally (see info box on page 26). Optional designs in the typical safari or Dakar look of earlier years are available for the new models to mark the 911’s upcoming 60th anniversary and recreate this tradition in the South African desert.

However, the 911 Dakar will not be used for professional rally campaigns. “In particular, we want to address Porsche collectors and enthusiasts who would like to own an extraordinary 911 and – more importantly – drive one,” explains Frank-Steffen Walliser. The special series is limited to 2,500 vehicles.

The developers have already managed to win over one special fan. During the test-drives, former rally world champion and Porsche brand ambassador Walter Röhrl summarized his impressions in a single sentence: “The car is simply addictive.”

There’s no higher form of praise. ●

PUBLISHING DETAILS CHRISTOPHORUS Porsche Magazine

70th year, no. 405, 4/2022, ISSN 0412-3417. Price per issue in an annual subscription: €6; USA: $8.50. Christophorus is published in 13 languages: German, English, French, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Portuguese, Dutch, Russian, simplified Chinese, traditional Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. • Christophorus on the internet christophorus.porsche.com • Editor Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Germany; Public relations, press, sustainability, and politics: Dr. Sebastian Rudolph • Head of channels and publications, managing editor Sabine Schröder • Head of channels and media Daniela Gutfleisch • Christophorus editorial management Alexander Günzler • Editorial staff Dieter Gross, Nico Esch, Hermann-Josef Stappen • Distribution / Coordination Simone Kühner / Kathrin Breuning, Christina Hettich • Editorial office Delius Klasing Corporate Publishers (DKCP), Germany; Editors-in-chief: Thomas Ammann, Edwin Baaske; Head of content: Matthias Kriegel; Editor: Heike Hientzsch; Project management: Stephanie Bremer, Marco Brinkmann, Laura Holstein; Image editing: Markus Bolsinger; Head of production: Michael Reinfarth • Graphics design hoch drei GmbH & Co. KG, Germany; Art direction: Wolfram Schäffer; Layout: Ioannis Karanasios, Mark Ch. Klein, Freya von Bülow • International editions Apostroph Germany GmbH • Contact Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Christophorus, Porscheplatz 1, 70435 Stuttgart, Germany; Tel.: +49-711-911-25278; Email: christophorus@porsche.de • Advertisement marketing EV Media, Alsterufer 16, 20354 Hamburg, Germany; Advertising director: Armin Roth; Tel.: +49-40-6077193-11; Email: armin.roth@ev-media.com • Production and printing The Hennegan Company, An RRD Company, Florence, KY. All rights reserved. Reprint of articles or portions thereof only with permission of the publisher. We are not responsible for the return of any unsolicited photographs, slides, films, or manuscripts. • Subscriptions Christophorus can be obtained by calling 1-800-PORSCHE, Option 3. The subscription runs for at least a year and is also billed for this period. Please make payment only upon receipt of the bill.

Porsche Teens

It’s 1984 and the teens are on safari in Senegal with their parents. On today’s agenda: the Paris-Dakar Rally finish. Drawn by tobias pahlke. Wow! So many people here in Dakar.

Of course! It’s the capital of Senegal. And it’s market day, too. How nice!

Dad, did you see that? There was a poster for the Paris-Dakar Rally.

Paris-Dakar?!? That sounds like a flight, doesn’t it? There’s even a Porsche 911 with all-wheel drive this time.

You don’t really want to go, do you?

Please, Mom! It’s so cool! When have we ever had a chance to go to a rally?

The rally finishes tomorrow. We can’t miss out on that, can we? Look up there, a helicopter!

That’ll be the camera team. It won’t be long now until the winner crosses the finish line! Amélie, let’s go up front where we can see better!

Well, if that’s what you want. So, we’re off to Lac Rose tomorrow ...

And we can have a cup of tea, Jean-Pierre!

Hey, are you in charge here? Yes, I guess you could say that. I’m Thierry Sabine!

Hello. We’re Luc and Amélie from France! How do you get such a cool job?

That’s a long story. But we still have some time.

It all began at the Abidjan-Nice Rally in 1977. I was on my motorcycle in the Libyan Desert and had gotten lost. I spent days wandering around and was finally found at the last minute.

Luc: What an adventure!

Exactly! And I wanted to do it again. With a motorcycle, car, and truck. In a race through the sandy wasteland. And today we’re competing for the seventh time. Through France, Algeria, Nigeria, Upper Volta, the Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and on to Senegal.

I want to do that, too.

Crew to Sabine. They’re coming! Porsche 911 with starting number 176 in the lead.

Cool! Porsche is winning!

Look, Luc! I’m sure they can tell us something about this Porsche. Hey, are you with Porsche? What kind of 911 is that?

It’s the new 911 4x4 Paris-Dakar. The first Porsche with all-wheel drive. Hostile terrain like this requires very different equipment, of course. Now we have an off-road sports car that offers the best of both worlds - rally and motorsport. The perfect combination!

And what exactly did they change?

The desert route is 7,456 miles long. For that, you need all-wheel drive. A raised chassis. Suspension at 10 1/2 inches. Double wishbone suspension with two shock absorbers at the front. A reinforced body. Two additional tanks. 330 hp. It’s a sports car like no other before it. And here it comes after 19 days in the rally - the first of 313 vehicles, with René Metge behind the wheel and codriver Dominique Lemoyne. A sports car wins for the first time! Legendary!

What a cool car!

Hey, kids! Wasn’t that an amazing experience?

Oh, yeah! And you know what? I want to compete someday too!

And I’ll be your codriver!