Porsche Report Issue 1 2023

15 facts about the Porsche 992 GT3 RS

Show and Shine 2023 PCSA Super Sprints 1&2 A wet and wild Motokhana 1 PCSA Dinner at the Caledonian

5. From the Editor

7. President’s Report

9. Drive and Lunch at The Winehouse Langhorne Creek

10. Motorkhana 1 at Mallala

13. PCSA Dinner at The Caledonian

14. Mallala Super Sprint 1

16. Show n Shine 2023

21. Porsche Vision 357

24. World’s First Poreche EV

26. The Marvia 911

30. Batterypowered 911 by Electrogenic

32. Facts About the Porsche 992 GT3 RS

34. What is going on with Porsche and F1?

our supporters

Ahrns Handling Equipment Page 45

Cafasso/ David Burrel Page 63 Collecting Cars Page 4

Copyworld Page 35 Cutler Brands Page 65

Restoration of 959 Paris-Dakar

Porsche SuperSprint 2: The Bend

Porsche Big Electric SUV

Book Review: Brun Motorsport

The Porsche Panamera GTS

Porsche AG Business Future

1965 Porsche 911 Test

Porsche - EV One Pedal Driving

Porsche 911 GT2 RS- Hybrid Halo

Ineresting Porsche Images

Porsche Newsroom: 911 Variant

Roll Of Honour

Shannon’s Insurance Page 59 Richmonds Classic and Sports Cars Page 8 RSR Sports Cars/ Jam Motorsport Page 29 Splash Car Wash/ Wingaurd Page 6 Soul Growers

Page 2 North Terrace Tyres Back cover Deadshort Electrical

Page 20

From the Editor

This year sees Porschephiles around the globe celebrating 75 years since Ferry Porsche, on the 8 June 1948 to be exact, produced the Porsche 356 ‘No 1’ Roadster. This was to be the first automobile bearing what was to become the iconic ‘Porsche’ name and the birth of a brand synonymous with superlative sports cars.

Now, in 2023, we are witnessing an evolutionary advance in automobile propulsion with the increasing uptake of electric vehicles (EVs), battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and hybrid / plug-in hybrids (PHEV). Porsche is no stranger to this technology, as you can read in this magazine. In fact, in 1900 the LohnerPorsche Electromobile was perhaps the first ‘all electric’ Porsche. It was, in fact, a hybrid car but the first true Porsche EV was a 1953 356. The story of this 356 is detailed in this edition. The cover photo of the Porsche Vision 357 concept is a testament to the original legacy of the 356 and an article on this exciting concept can be found in this edition.

With Porsche in the process of preparing for its release of an electrified SUV and the imminent release of Cayman and Boxster in full EV mode, we can see that Porsche is well and truly immersed in this evolutionary wave of change in the way that cars are propelled. What does this mean for all of us currently owning ICE cars and perhaps wanting to continue to use them on our roads? Sustainable fuels might offer a means by which to do this, and Porsche is certainly aware of the desire of owners of its marque to keep using their cars. But I suspect that access to these fuels will be costly

and restricted for many of us. The other aspect of this electrification of automobiles is the impact on market values of ICE cars. I am curious as to how that will pan out.

What this does tell us however is that Porsche clubs around the globe need to embrace and encourage the inclusion of EVs in all aspects of club activity, whether it be social or motorsport. Porsche AG and Porsche Australia are well aware of this, and I am sure we will see various initiatives being implemented by PCSA and other clubs around Australia.

We have several social events covered in this edition, including The Caledonian dinner, the run to a winery at Langhorne Creek and the Show n Shine at the National Motor Museum in Birdwood. In the motorsport section we cover the Motorkhana at Malala, Super Sprint 1 at Malala and Super Sprint 2 at The Bend. Unfortunately no photos were available for SS1 at time of going to press.

We include the usual Book Review and Porsche Newsroom articles, and we have also included from the archives an original Road Test Review of the 1965 Porsche 911.

I hope you enjoy reading this first edition of Porsche Report for 2023 and welcome as always feedback and ideas for articles for future editions.

Chris Baldwin Editor

“Porsche Report” is the official magazine of The Porsche Club of South Australia Inc. (ABN 36 370 887 701)

Publisher: The Porsche Club of South Australia PO Box 2209, Kent Town, SA 5071 web site: www.pcsa.asn.au email: president@pcsa.asn.au

Editor: Chris Baldwin Mobile: 0434 231 840 Email: magazine@pcsa.asn.au

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Subscriptions: Porsche Report is only available to financial members of the Porsche Club of South Australia. Not for individual sale.

Contributions:

Contributions, with quality photographs, are invited. Digital photographs should be 300 dpi jpeg or tiff files. They should be sent to magazine@pcsa.asn.au

Disclaimer: Advertisers should be aware of the laws prohibiting misleading and deceptive conduct. No liability is assumed by the publisher for any losses which any person may sustain as a result of any misleading or deceptive advertisement or article published in this magazine.

Copyright: © 2022 by The Porsche Club of South Australia All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, stored in any electronic format or transmitted in any form by any means without the written permission of the publisher.

Special note: It is the policy of the Porsche Club of South Australia not to publish its membership list to any person or corporation. Its membership list is not for sale or distribution. Any unauthorised use of its membership list or of the material in this magazine may result in prosecution.

Send your mail to: Porsche Club SA P.O.Box 2209 KENT TOWN SA 5071 www.pcsa.asn.au

Dear Members

Vic Moore

It does not seem that long ago that I was talking about the start of the year, and here we are in May 2021 already.

president’s report

A major event for the Porsche Club of SA held at the Bend Motorsport Park over the Easter long week-end, Good Friday and Easter Saturday was a resounding success. Although sixteen of our friends from the Porsche Club of Queensland were locked out of the event, those who were fortunate enough not to be affected by Covid19 still represented other state clubs, along with our large home state contingent.

Welcome to 2023 and it is very hard to believe that we are now into the second quarter of the year. This year is of particular significance with the 75th Anniversary of Porsche being celebrated worldwide. If you go to the PCSA website you will see a 75th Anniversary symbol which you can click on and see what is being organised. As a Club we will be ensuring activities are promoted, so ensure you keep an eye on emails and the calendar for any updates.

to update your club information. We, as the Porsche Club of SA Inc, are moving to a new database, Club Express, to ensure your information and details are up to date and secure. The new system will give member portal access allowing you to enter events, attend functions, contact the committee and update your details from anywhere you can find the opportunity to log in. Johnny Fricke has spent hours researching and questioning the Club Express group to ensure we are getting best platform available to support our growing club and the diverse needs of a database system.

For those who are wanting to enter Motorsport activities, this is an excellent foray into safe, low speed activity for prospective sprint drivers, to really get a feel as to how they can handle their vehicle in controlled low speed environment.

Vic Moore President president@pcsa.asn.au

Club Committee

James Law Vice President & Membership 0416 044 051 vicepresident@pcsa.asn.au

Darien Herreen Secretary & Motorsport secretary@pcsa.asn.au

Darien Herreen and his Motorsport team are to be congratulated for the enormous amount of time and effort that they put into the Porsche Clubs of Australia Easter event, not once but twice!!!! Why twice, the first time the event was scheduled for Easter 2020 and then of course Covid19 caused the major disruption to all of us and so the event was cancelled at short notice. I also need to acknowledge the incredible support from The Bend Motorsport Park and Charise Bristow for all the background work to allow the event to be rolled over to 2021. However, that did not mean Darien’s work stopped there. It was basically start again with all the re-organisation, planning and scheduling and the final result was an event which will continue into the future each Easter. Just a note at this point that I also need to acknowledge, Darien as an employee of Qantas had to juggle many situations at work while still trying to negotiate the future of the event and he acquitted himself in exemplary style in both roles as always, thank you on behalf of all members Darien.

Once again, your hard-working committee had the year up and running early, with two events in January, one social and one motorsport, with the remainder of the year organised and plotted with both calendars available on the Porsche Club website, at www.pcsa.asn.au. Before I move onto more of our upcoming events, a huge thank you to the very generous, anonymous donation of $2,500.00 just before Christmas which went to the Women’s Shelter here in Adelaide. Many thanks to that Porsche Club member for their generosity and thoughtfulness in making others Christmas that much better, and hopefully a little more happiness for those really struggling.

Club person of the year for 2022, was announced at the Annual Christmas Picnic and I am pleased to announce that Ray Pryor is the recipient of the award. Ray epitomises the quiet achiever who so many of you know, and have seen him participating in so many roles within the club with no fuss and unbelievable efficiency. Thank you Ray and congratulations on the welldeserved award.

Mark Coupe was another of the Motorsport team who made the competitors most welcome with his excellent service at the front desk and the great job in form up and of course the support for Darien. As I said the feedback and general comments from competitors, visitors and support groups has been extremely satisfying and we look forward to Easter 2022 when more of our interstate clubs will be joining us for the next chapter of Porsche Clubs of Australia at The Bend.

Our membership is expanding with the number now in excess of four hundred and growing each quarter and with such expansion, we as a committee are looking to support the diverse needs of you the club members. The social calendar is being finalised as I write this article, with three dinners, the AGM and the Black Tie Dinner and a week-end away just some of those to come. Keep an eye on the website for further updates and submit any suggestions to the committee via email of any future social event or idea that you may like included.

Which brings me to the next item of news for you the members to contribute to and support the team who will be producing the Porsche Partners page(s) in the Porsche Magazine. Keep an eye out for the first instalment in this issue.

The 2023 Show and Shine was held at the Birdwood Mill Motor Museum on the delightful lawn area behind the Mill. Everyone who attended had access to the Museum and the surrounding facilities. Numbers were down in the entries of members who either entered or parked in the shady surrounds. Lee and his team did an exceptional job with the organisation of the event and the competition resulted in some extremely interesting models of Porsche being presented with attention to detail and presentation to ensure their entry gained maximum points. A special thanks to Tom Fotheringham and Soul Growers of the Barossa Valley for the generous donation of some of their exceptional wines for presentation on the day.

Historic registration, membership and the new financial year. All members who have vehicles on Historic registration are reminded that they must renew their club membership and have their logbook signed to remain legally registered and insured under the current agreement. I will email details of time and location for logbooks to be presented for endorsement in the next few weeks.

Later in the month on Sunday February 19, Super sprint 1 was held at Mallala Motorsport Park with a good field of competitors attending and many helpers assisting on the day. Moving into March another very successful dinner was held at the Caledonian Hotel at North Adelaide on Friday evening of the 10th, and the next week Super sprint 2 was held at The Bend Motorsport Park on the International Circuit. This allowed our entrants for the Easter Nationals the chance to make sure their vehicle set up was correct and they were ready to make the best of the two-day event.

Steve Thiele Treasurer 0412 195 634 treasurer@pcsa.asn.au

Roger Paterson Motorkhana Director Mobile: 0414 993 930 motorkhana@pcsa.asn.au

Steve Thiele Treasurer 0412 195 634 treasurer@pcsa.asn.au

Ron Wishart Social Secretary / Merchandise social@pcsa.asn.au

Phillip Kellett Magazine Editor Mobile: 0409 931 193 magazine@pcsa.asn.au

Doug McPherson Website/Facebook 0419 704 247 webmaster@pcsa.asn.au

This year started with a drive to Langhorne Creek and lunch at The Winehouse. This is an excellent venue with exceptional food and beverages and great street parking for all in attendance. The owner had ensured the grassed area was cut the day before so we could park on neatly trimmed lawn and show off our cars. I was down there early to find him using the mower as a vacuum to remove all the debris caused by the overnight storm; he removed two large catchers full of leaves and twigs. When I spoke to him, he said it looked so good Saturday and he did not want us to be disappointed with the parking area. Once again dear members you responded to the event Lee so proficiently organised, and attended with an impressive array of Porsches and a Ferrari (Yellow) of course.

If you were not a competitor our Social Committee members, but mainly Lee Fulton, organised a lunch run to the Bend for members to share in the event enjoying the excellent food and beverages track side and an opportunity to have a drive on Australia’s world acclaimed Motor Racing Circuit. Thank you Lee and to all those who made the effort to attend and meet some of our interstate friends. Mark the date in your calendar as part of your 2022 planning.

January also saw the start of the Motorsport year, with the opening Motorkhana held at Mallala Motorsport Park on January 29, with many of the regular competitors in attendance.

Once again, I thank your committee for the excellent work all members give to the organisation to ensure your Social events are to your expectations and the Motorsport events are run to the highest of safety standards, to ensure everyone who participates has a safe and satisfying experience.

It is with great pleasure that we announce that Helen Kowalenko has been made an Honorary Member of the Porsche Club of SA Inc, in recognition of her years of service and dedication to so many aspects of the Club and the Porsche marque. As many of you know the Christmas function and the assistance given to Santa with the suitable present choice for the children has been Helen’s domain for many, many years and Santa sends his congratulations too. More recently Helen with the assistance of her daughter Sarah produced beautiful gift packages (all SA products) for those who attended the dinner at the Bend on Easter Friday. Many of the interstate participants were very appreciative. Congratulations Helen and on behalf of past and present members of the Club thank you for your unwavering support.

Peter Brunnthaler Historic Register/ Licencing 0410 614 911 historic@pcsa.asn.au

Peter Kowalenko Historic Register/ Licencing 0429 390 911 historic@pcsa.asn.au

Mark Coupe

Johnny Fricke

Lee Fulton

Vic Moore, President, PCSA Inc.

I hope to see as many of you as I can at one of our Social events or at Motorsport venues during 2023. If you think you can help at anytime please contact any of the committee and join a group to assist in organisation or supporting functions. Remember your Club is as good as you want to make it, we the committee will always try our best. Thank you in advance for your ongoing support and trust.

Kind regards,

Vic Moore, President, PCSA Inc.

Peter Panopoulos general committee

Mark Coupe 0423 251 881 mhccoupe@gmail.com General Committee

PCSA Drive And Lunch At The Winehouse Langhorne Creek

What makes for an awesome PCSA drive and lunch? the weather, the drive, the members, the cars and the venue. The drive to The Winehouse at Langhorne Creek ticked all these boxes.

The weather was brilliant, with blue skies, little wind and a temperature which was excellent for the cars and the members.

The drive was memorable with great roads which were demanding but picturesque. It included long straights to test the power of the Porsches without testing the law, twisty sections which engaged the driver and tight sections which highlighted the handling of the respective Porsches.

The members, whether new or seasoned, quickly developed strong connections with each other, which is one of the highlights of all the social runs conducted by the PCSA.

There was, as usual, a broad selection of cars, from the latest 992’s, to a 993, a 928, a 996 Turbo, a 991 Turbo, GT4, Caymans, Boxsters, etc.

The vast array of Porsche DNA was highly represented with over 30 cars on the drive and 40+ members participating.

The venue was exceptional with a sublime setting which enabled many of the members Porsches to be parked on the rear lawns providing great security for their pride and joy.

The Winehouse itself had a high degree of ambience and character with a great range of food, wines and beers, which did not disappoint our discerning members.

All in all, it was an exceptional day and Pam and I would like to congratulate the members for making it such a special and memorable day.

15th of January 2023

Article by: Lee Fulton

Photos courtesy of Pam Fulton

A wet and wild Motorkhana 1 at Mallala

by Ray Clements 29th of January 2023

Photos

David Lucas

Dave Gilbert

Darien Herreen

David Lucas

Darien Herreen

Darien Herreen

Doug McPherson

Dave Gilbert

Stephen Thiele

Doug McPherson

Justin Coote

Roger Paterson

Peter Panopulos

Norm Goodall

Roger Paterson

Peter Panopulos

Norm Goodall

Stephen Thiele

PCSA Round 1 Motorkhana Championship Results

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8 Doug McPherson

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PCSA Dinner at The Caledonian

Article and Photos by:

Mike Potter

10 March 2023

The Porsche Club’s Pub Dinner at The Caledonian Hotel in North Adelaide on March 10th, 2023, was an event not to be missed. It was a fantastic evening full of fast cars (real and imagined), good food, and great company. The renovated hotel looked spectacular and oozed Scottish charm and heritage, adding to the ambiance of the event, which was attended by 40 club members, partners, and friends.

As the evening began, the front bar was bustling with members mingling and chatting with old and new acquaintances. The warm autumn evening weather may have been far from Scottish, but the atmosphere and camaraderie of the group sure set a welcoming tone.

And what a treat it was to see the range of beautiful Porsches on display in the car park, from the stunning yellow Turbo S of Victor Velush to the classic 911s. Let’s not forget the growing collection of Caymans and the couple of gorgeous Macans and electric Taycans that had all car enthusiasts weak at the knees. Although, it’s a shame we didn’t hear the Taycans arrivethose sneaky stealth beasts sure looked great! And Kym and Maria Obst blue Turbo always looked tough.

The menu at the Caledonian was a highlight of the evening, offering a wide range of choices from grills, pub classics to seafood. The fish on the night was a popular choice among the diners, and the food was excellent.

There were lively discussions throughout the night, with hot topics including the forthcoming Easter Nationals with Porsche clubs from Queensland and New South Wales preparing for the Easter Weekend event. Porsche Club Social Director Lee Fulton was also praised for organizing the sensational Saturday morning drives through the Adelaide Hills, which were held most Saturdays. The great Porsche Club Show and Shine day at Birdwood Museum, the February Mallala Supersprint, and the February Motorkhana were also popular topics.

Some members were eagerly awaiting the allocation of new GT cars and excitedly discussing their options, while others restoring and caring for classics shared their experiences of restoring their cars and the enjoyment of driving them in the current beautiful weather.

It was also great to hear members talking about their travel plans, both local and international, as the last couple of years have been restricted due to COVID. From the highlands of Victoria to Tasmania and international destinations in Europe and the USA, members were keen and excited to explore the world in the next couple of years.

As Mad March hit Adelaide, events such as the Fringe and The Adelaide Festival were keenly discussed, with recommendations shared. It was great to hear members sharing their experiences and giving tips on what to see and do in Adelaide.

The night concluded at 10 pm after a great night enjoyed by all members. All expressed their interest in the next pub dinner event. The Caledonian Hotel provided an excellent venue, and the warm and friendly atmosphere made for an unforgettable night. We can’t wait for the next one!

Mallala: Super Sprint 1

PCSA Supersprint #1 Results 19th February 2023 Mallala

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Show n Shine 2023

Super Sprint 1 was held on a glorious Sunday morning with a full field of 30 starters for the day.

Firstly however, I would like to thank all the volunteers on the day who gave up their time to enable the event to run so successfully. Without people to help with registration and flag marshalling these events are not able to run, so hats of to those who come and help make the event possible.

Getting underway with a beautiful clean dry track saw half the field set new PB’s and of course new handicaps. The boys came out

to play with 3 cars in the sub 1:18 category. In particular, Jed Wallis in a fabulous flame throwing turbo 911 made his mark, in a car so wide it just fits on the trailer!

Meanwhile brother Adam was pushing his 992 GT3 so hard the 4th lap was obviously turning into more of a drifting display coming out of the southern hairpin as the tyres started to get hot. It was great to watch, and Adam still pulled of some impressive lap times. Keith Wong was pushing his 996 Cup car hard, but dusting off the cob webs was no easy feat as a slight coolant spray from over-filling led to retirement for the second half of the day.

Article

by:

Darien Herreen

19th of February 2023

Greg Keene was fast and consistent as always, and Shane Wirthensohn was settling into the new GT4RS nicely.

Anthony Sullivan finally broke into the 1:20’s in his 997T, sneaking up on Vic Moore’s 996T. Barret Trenwith was beaming with confidence and destroyed her initial lap times with a 15 second improvement over the day. A big welcome to the group of first timers and a great range of cars were out on track for the day. We are all looking forward to the rest of the Sprint season and the Easter Nationals in particular.

Photos by: Bob Taylor

Show ‘n’ Shine 2023

The 2023 PCSA Show n Shine was held in ideal conditions on Sunday the 5th of February, on the oval adjacent to the National Motor Museum in Birdwood, SA.

Setting up began at 9am and by 11am there were some 100 cars arranged around the oval, with about 30 entrants for judging. Judging categories included Air-Cooled; WaterCooled: Cayman and Boxster; Front-engined 928/944/924/968 and Master Class. It was disappointing that the SUV and EV cars were not represented and hopefully we can ensure that future Show n Shine do include a healthy representation of these important Porsche marques.

These sorts of events are never a success without the hard work of organisers, especially Lee Fulton and his organising committee, and the venue managers. A big thank you must go to the Birdwood Motor Museum for allowing the use of the oval and toilets, and free access to the museum for all participants.

The cars on display were exceptional and a testament to the loving care and attention given them by their owners. The accompanying photos cannot do justice to the appearance and preparation of the cars. Car of the Show was awarded based on voting by all attendees.

The trophy winners in each category are to be congratulated and are listed as follows:

Cat A: Air-Cooled

1. Adam Bruzzone 911 993 2. Mark Poole 911 RSR

Cat B: Water Cooled

1. Benjamin Mooney 992 GT3 2. Matt Draper 997 Carrera 4S

Cat C: Cayman & Boxster

1. James Cowan Cayman GT4 2. Doug McPherson Cayman

Cat D: 928/924/944/968

1. Leith Matson 928

Master Class:

1. Martin Scholtyssek 2001 Boxster

2. Tom Klaveniek 356 Speedster

Car of the Show:

1. Mark Poole 911 RSR

2. Benjamin Mooney 992 GT3

Again, congratulations to all trophy winners and to organisers and participants who helped make this event such a success.

5th of Febuary 2023

Article by: Chris Baldwin

Photos by: Bob Taylor, Ray Clements, Chris Baldwin

Porsche’s Back to

Article by: Michele Lupini (by kind permission Renlist.com)

Porsche is going back to the future, if this 75th birthday present Vision 357 concept is anything to go by. The first of several ‘presents’ to celebrate Porsche’s three quarters of a century as a carmaker, Vision 357 is a modern take on the classic original Porsche 356. It was 75 years ago in 1948 that the 356 became the first production car to carry the Porsche name. It went on to become the basis of the legendary Porsche 911, itself 60 years old in 2023.

The Vision 357 is a modern take on the original classic 356 design. It has similar rounded front and rear ends, and flared wheel arches framing special 20-inch alloy wheels. It wears a special 75th-anniversary livery, giving credence to a similar future production car. “The Porsche 357 coherently combines the past, present and future,” Porsche design boss Michael Mauer points out. “These details visualize the future.” Mauer refused to confirm whether the 357 provides an immediate look into the brand’s future styling. He added that it does not preview the next 911.

“There are elements that maybe will make it one day into production,” Mauer teased. “Look at these headlights and body-integrated taillights. “It’s one possible solution, or vision, or you could almost say dream.” The 357 also has virtual wing mirrors, as on some Audi E-tron models, hinting at a Porsche future for them, too. Vision 357’s cabin is left to the imagination. “This one’s cockpit would be similar to that of the 718 Cayman, were this car ever put into production,” Mauer teased. “We always try to do concepts that aren’t just for the sake of doing something and I would love to have this car as well. “But again, this is a birthday present – wait and see what the next one is!”

Vision 357 gets the 718 Cayman GT4’s 498 HP 331 lb.-ft boxer six turning the rear axle via a seven-speed dual-clutch. Fed by high side air intakes, it’s a significant step up from the original 356 Volkswagen Beetle-derived 35 HP liter flat four.

Will a Porsche 357 ever happen? As designer Mauer suggests, we can only dream!

World's First Porsche EV Surfaces in Australia

A special find, indeed.

Elusive Find

Chassis number 50058 came off Porsche's assembly line in Stuttgart, Germany just like any other 356 at the time, and was exported to America following its completion - which included a gas motor at the time. However, a few years later, Porsche converted the car to an EV. The 356 EV remained a bit of an illusive mystery for some time, however, though a man named Andreas Luzzi became enamored with the project and has since done quite a bit of research on it.

Still Kicking

As most are well aware, Porsche is in the midst of electrifying its lineup, with a bevy of new products such as the Macan EV and Boxster/ Cayman EV set to join the Taycan in the coming years. However, Porsche is no stranger to allelectric vehicles, as the 1900 Lohner-Porsche Electromobile is often referred to as the first "all-electric Porsche." However, that vehicle was actually a hybrid, though the first Porsche EV - this 1953 356 - is still alive, well, and in Australia, according to ABC News.

Contract Job

"Through the [vintage Porsche] circles it was known that General Electric had developed a complete electric drive train for one of these early vehicles," Luzzi said. He also tracked down the GE employee that oversaw the 356's EV conversion - Hal Olson. "The conversion wasn't a hobby - it was a General Electric contract," Luzzi said. "Hal was charged to find a way to develop electric drives for the postal delivery vans that the US postal system wanted to implement in those years."

EV Conversion

GE needed a simple, lightweight, aerodynamic car to test this conversion, and the 356 simply fit the bill. The company nicknamed its project QP - short for "Quiet Porsche" - and set about removing all of its ICE components and replacing them with a DC motor and lead-acid batteries. Top speed was only around 56 mph, but for a mail carrier, that was plenty at the time.

Course of History

Around 1975, the 356 went into storage, and even the gas crisis of the 1970s couldn’t quite prompt folks to ditch ICE vehicles for EVs, mainly because battery technology just wasn’t quite viable enough. The creation of lithiumion batteries has since changed all of that, of course, and Luzzi later located the car that inspired much of this change, negotiating a deal with the previous owner to bring it home.

Piece of History

After sitting for decades, the 356 EV needed a ton of work, and as such, Luzzi wound up selling it around five years ago to a Melbourne, Australia-based car restorer named Greg Newton. Newton has since set about giving the car a total restoration, refusing to sell it to Porsche despite many inquiries and offers as high as $370k. Newton plans to replace the original batteries with lithium-ion units, then drive and enjoy the car, helping to revive a pretty cool piece of history that's more relevant now than ever before.

Disappointing End

The most appealing part of this project, however, was its low operating costs, as the 356 EV only consumed around a penny's worth of electricity for every mile it traveled. Ultimately, however, the post office decided to nix the project, which is ironic as it aims to go all-electric now, many years later. "They gave him a no-go and decided against doing electric drives," Luzzi said. "Hal was a bit frustrated, he told me, but also inspired." Instead, he wound up driving the car himself for 15 years. "It would be out every day, every weather in Pennsylvania," Luzzi added.

of February, 2023

The Marvia 911 was the most brazen Porsche copy in history

We all know “there is no substitute” for a Porsche, but that certainly hasn’t stopped people from trying. There have been countless kit-car imitations over the years, but the Marvia 911 may just be the most brazen copy of them all.

At the time, a company called Indomobil was vying to assemble real Porsches — for Porsche AG — to get around tax laws on vehicles imported into Indonesia. Yet one Indomobil executive had a curious conflict of interest: He owned another business called Marvia Graha Motor, which soon started offering suspiciously accurate-looking kit car versions of the latest 964-generation Porsche 911 in the early ‘90s.

The Marvia 911 truly made the most of what Indomobil brought to Indonesia. It could use real Porsche parts, yet the kit build was based on another car that Indomobil assembled locally: the Mazda MR90, a front-engined, rear-wheeldrive car that was sold. This is the story of the most egregious Porsche copy in history.in North America in the late ’70s as the GLC (or Great Little Car).

The Indonesian economy was booming in the early 1990s, making it a prime market for a luxury sports car maker like Porsche — if only there weren’t protectionist import policies in the way. The prevailing workaround for Indonesia’s stiff tariffs on imported vehicles was to have a local company like Indomobil assemble those vehicles in the country for the Indonesian market.

Indomobil not only manufactured a range of Mazda and Suzuki cars for the Indonesian market, it also supported the dealership

network for sales and service of those cars, per Driven to Write. The automobile market was starting to open up, too — albeit gradually. In 1993, the Indonesian government lowered its tariffs for local manufacturers on imported automotive components if they increased their usage of locally sourced material, Asian Survey notes. In other words, it was an opportune time to be in the assembly-and-sales biz. Cars like the Mazda MR90 that Indomobil made entirely in Indonesia could make it easier to import foreignmade components for other cars.

According to Mobilmotorlama, Indomobil wanted an upmarket brand — complete with upmarket margins — to compete with Mercedes-Benz and BMW, so it asked the Volkswagen Group if it

Article by: Stef Schrader (courtesy of PCA) 21st of March 2023

could produce Audis for the Indonesian market. The Volkswagen Group initially rejected this, as it did not believe Indomobil could assemble a car that was up to its production standards. Indomobil executive Soebronto Laras fired back, claiming that not only could his company assemble an Audi that was up to snuff, but it could do a quality job assembling Porsches, too. After some back and forth, Indomobil was tasked with assembling two Porsche 911s, but the 911s Indomobil produced at the time didn’t meet Porsche’s quality standards.

Trying to confirm this story and its exact timing is where it gets fuzzy. Mind you, there were three very different 911s made throughout the 1990s — first the 964, then the more streamlined and advanced 993, and then the

first watercooled generation, the 996. I reached out to Indomobil directly for comment, but received no response. I also reached out to contacts at both Audi as well as the Porsche archives to see if they had anything on their end to corroborate this story, but neither did.

What is for certain, however, is that Marvia’s rather accurate-looking replica 964 came out in the early ‘90s towards the end of the 964’s production run. According to Driven to Write, Indomobil was engaged in talks with Porsche over local production in 1993. Indomobil Executive Director Marvy Apandi imported a host of spare parts for the 911 to support Porsche sales in the country, such as taillights, glass, and door pulls, and Porsche even sent the Indonesian company two 911s to study in good faith. After all, Indomobil wanted its dealership service departments to capably perform repairs on Porsche cars once the deal was finalized.

However, Apandi had a side business he wasn’t up-front with Porsche about: He was the founder of Marvia Graha Motor, the kit car company behind the Marvia 911. Marvia Graha Motor specialized in fiberglass replicas, so the company was tasked with building additional replicas of the 911 out of fiberglass so that Indomobil’s service techs could have additional vehicles to practice on, KabarOto reported.

At first, these were allegedly just prototype cars for internal use, but reception to the Marvia-built 911 replicas was good in the showrooms, and Marvia started making more of them to sell to the public. These replicas were accurate enough that Marvia owners could use many authentic Porsche parts in their cars, given that the dimensions of the kit car were spot-on.

However, the only reporting on a possible Indomobil-Porsche deal that I was able to find in contemporary newspaper stories was from the late ‘90s — and Porsche’s possible entry into the Indonesian market would have certainly been headline news back in its day. Details of a finalized deal were finally being hashed out in late 1996 for Indomobil to build between 50 and 200 Porsches per year, according to a report by The Financial Times. Porsche was already sending completely knocked down kits to assemble cars in Mexico to get around Mexican import laws and wanted to do the same with Indomobil to access the Indonesian market. By this point, Indomobil was already starting to assemble Volkswagen and Audi cars to go on sale in early 1997, per The Jakarta Post.

So, it’s hard to say for certain as to whether Marvia really sourced its 964 parts from any kind of official Indomobil Porsche trial run, as per the legendary backstory. That being said, this replica’s mere existence was more than enough to poison the well.

Things get weird when a country severely limits what consumers can import. According to Mobilmotorlama, Indonesia’s 1973 ban on importing used vehicles — including high-value classics and antiques — helped drive the local kit car industry. Marvia Graha Motor was one such kit car maker that got its start in the late 1980s making replicas of much older cars, such as the Jaguar SS100, Mercedes-Benz 500K, and Lagonda LG45.

Marvia’s replicas were based on Mazda and Suzuki cars thanks to the company’s founder, Marvy Apandi, whose executive role at Indomobil allowed Marvia’s replica business to have direct support from Indomobil, per Mobilmotorlama.

When the — ahem — opportunity to create a Porsche 911 copy came around, Marvia picked the Mazda MR90 as its base. It wasn’t perfect, but it was easy to source from Indomobil’s lineup. The MR90 was an Indonesian-made version of the late-seventies fourth-generation Mazda Familia, which had previously been sold as the GLC and 323 in other markets. According to Historia, Indomobil started manufacturing this version of the car in the 1990s as a budget-friendly “people’s car” for the Indonesian market, featuring a lower price point thanks to its locally manufactured components.

The launch date of the Marvia 911 is somewhat fuzzy, with Mobilmotorlama claiming it launched as early as 1992. The Marvia 911 kept the MR90’s carbureted 1.4-liter engine up front, although it had to be moved down 10 centimeters to fit the angle of the 911’s hood, per. While it used the MR90’s suspension, five-speed manual gearbox, and floor, the Marvia 911 used a new chassis made from 3-millimeter-thick square steel. This as well as shortened springs allowed the stock Mazda suspension to be mounted in such a way to give the Marvia 911 a lower ride height, similar to that of a real 911. The body on top was all fiberglass. Later Marvia 911s got a 911-style dashboard inside, notes Driven to Write, but the first models retained the Mazda dashboard. Seating was relatively 911-like, at least, complete with the part-carpet, part-leather buckets in the back.

Adding to the absurdity of it all was the fact that these Marvia-branded replicas were sold through Indomobil’s own dealership in Jakarta. So, as the company was courting Porsche as a new brand to be locally assembled and sold in their dealerships, it had a copy of a 911 right on its dealership floor — not a great look!

The Deal’s Off

On March 29, 1997, The Jakarta Post reported that Indomobil was finalizing its deal to build the 1998 Porsche 911 locally in Indonesia — right at the dawn of the 996 generation. Porsche representatives had visited Indomobil in December 1996 to finalize the deal, which would allow Indomobil to assemble 911s for southeast Asian markets. Indonesia still had a ban on the import of sports cars at the time, but Indomobil was planning on asking the government for an exemption to the ban after a general election in May.

According to Der Spiegel, the 911s would arrive as completely knocked down kits to be assembled at an Indomobil plant near Jakarta that was being built to assemble Volkswagen and Audi cars. An unnamed Porsche official told The Financial Times that Indomobil would initially just assemble 911 coupes, but that the venture could expand to building Boxsters, too, should it go well.

The Jakarta Post notes, “Indomobil has been negotiating with Porsche for a long time to import the car,” lending some credibility to the Marvia origin stories that claim Indomobil had a prior assembly test with Porsche. Yet regardless of how the Marvia came to be, it spelled certain doom for this deal.

According to Driven to Write, Porsche annulled its contract with Indomobil with immediate effect after learning that the Marvia 911 replica was being sold through Indomobil dealerships. At this point, Indomobil was already erecting Porsche signage in its dealerships, but that all had to come down. Porsche then initiated legal proceedings against Marvia and Indomobil for the unauthorized copy, per KabarOto. Mazda also sued Marvia for using the MR90’s engine in the car without permission and recalled all of its tooling from Indomobil. The Indomobil subsidiary responsible for manufacturing Mazdas closed in 1997. Indomobil was ultimately forced to pay a penalty fine over the Marvia 911.

A Short-Lived Copy

While there was certainly a market for Marvia’s Porsche 911 lookalikes, only about 50 were ever made. One issue was the cost. When the Marvia 911 was launched in 1992, a regular Mazda MR90 cost 27 million rupiah, whereas the Marvia 911 cost 35 million rupiah, Mobilmotorlama reports. This cost was still cheap enough to be attractive to some who wanted to use the Marvia VIN and other documents to conceal real 911s that had been smuggled in around Indonesia’s sports car import ban, but even that didn’t sell too many. Mind you, Indomobil hoped to sell its real Porsche 911s for up to 400 million rupiah, according to a December 1996 report in the Indonesian Commercial Newsletter.

Marvia’s ultimate demise wasn’t at the hands of Porsche or any other marque they made copies of, though. It was the late-’90s Indonesian financial crisis. In May 1998, rioters demanding the resignation of Indonesia’s longtime military dictator, President Suharto, set fire to the Marvia factory, Motormobilama reported, and the kit car maker never recovered. The ongoing monetary crisis ensured that the factory stayed closed, never to make another faux-911 again. Porsche did not need to follow through with any legal action as Marvia no longer existed.

Indomobil survived after halting production at the height of the crisis, and lo and behold, today it still works with both Volkswagen and Audi, just as its executives wanted in the ‘90s. There’s still one brand you don’t see in its portfolio, though: Porsche.

The Marvia 911 remains a curious rarity today, and its Mazda roots lend it to cool projects — not to mention newer copies of the MR90to-911 kit. Autologi Autoworks’ turbocharged 13B rotary swap sports some choice aesthetic upgrades (such as actual RUF parts) that were no doubt meant to fit real 964s, but also fit the Malaysian faux-911 body. A “911” with an ultralight fiberglass body, 350 wheel horsepower, and loud braps? It’s total sacrilege, but it sounds like fun — and in the grand spirit of Indonesian kit-car making, Autologi wants to build more of them to sell.

First Drive: Batterypowered 911 by Electrogenic

Article by: Nik Berg (by kind permission of Haggerty)

Article date: 10th of March 2023

Four bolts. That’s all you need to undo to convert a vintage Porsche 911 from gas to electric power with a new drop-in conversion kit from British specialists Electrogenic.

Well, that might be a slight oversimplification. You won’t be able to do this yourself, since the kits will only be provided to shops that have been approved and trained by Electrogenic.

The complete kit comprises an OEM-standard electric motor, reduction gearbox plus front and rear battery-boxes, and Electrogenic’s own control systems, together with all the cabling required. It’s a 15-man-day job to fit into a G-series (1973–89) or 964-era (1989–94) 911. That time estimate includes dropping out the original oily parts, and it assumes no additional upgrades are required.

In the U.K., a ballpark cost for the conversion is £75,000 ($90,000), plus the original car. However, like most vintage vehicles converted to modern running gear, each Electrogenic restomod will most likely be tailored to its owner’s taste, with price fluctuating accordingly.

Customization options extend to the EV powertrain itself, as Electrogenic is offering a choice of two water-cooled motors: a 160-kW (218 hp) unit or a 240-kW (325 hp) version. A 9.6:1

reduction gearbox sends power where you’d expect it to go—to the rear wheels—and the entire setup sits on a replacement subframe that simply bolts into place where the original components would go. That straightforward

install, incidentally, makes Electrogenic’s conversion completely reversible.

A total of 62 kWh of batteries are positioned in the rear and under the frunk to provide a range of nearly 200 miles. The system accepts 50kW fast charging via a Combined Charging System connector, which allows for the Combo 1 port favored by North America and the Combo 2 that’s standard in Europe and Asia. The weight penalty for the swap is around 260 pounds, with a little more over the front axle than a normal 911 would have.

Dive deeper into the EV options list and you’ll find various modes for energy recuperation

under braking, and eco, sport, or traffic profiles for the powertrain. Want one-pedal driving? You got it.

The car’s clocks are repurposed to show EVrelated functions: Fuel becomes state of charge, for example, and where the shifter once sat there’s a simple, rotary drive-selector.

Electrogenic already has approved three U.S. specialists to install the kit, with further announcements coming soon. When I visit the company’s U.K. workshop, I just miss one of the chief mechanics from Xerbera in Dallas, Texas, who’s spent three weeks overseas learning how to install Electrogenic’s electronics. (Xerbera specializes in re-engineering Land Rover Defenders.) Meanwhile, inquiries continue to flood in from Germany, Australia, and New Zealand, plus Europe and the Far East.

After building its business with bespoke classic EV conversions, ranging from Morris Minors to VW Campers, massive Daimlers and even DeLoreans, Electrogenic was facing a growing demand that it simply couldn’t satisfy. Resources were poured into developing conversion kits, steered by the converted models that were proving most popular. Alongside the 911, the firm now offers conversion packs for the Land Rover Defender and Jaguar E-Type, with several more in the pipeline.

The proof is in the driving and, as fortune would have it there’s a rather lovely Irish Green over tan 1983 G-series waiting for me. It’s the first customer car to be completed.

The car is tastefully backdated by the owner, and in keeping with that vision, carries the milder, 160-kW powertrain in its simplest form. Given the wide range of driving modes available, the owner opted for just one, to keep the driving experience as pure as possible.

Aside from some tweaks to the torsion bars, the 911’s chassis is standard. There’s no traction

control or ABS braking. This is very much a classic that’s been converted and therefore a totally different animal than the carbon-fiberbodied, adaptive-damper-equipped Everrati 911.

After several reminders that this is a customer’s car, due to be handed over in a couple of days, I venture out onto the short test circuit at Bicester Heritage. It’s formed from part of the runway and perimeter tracks of a former Royal Airforce Base and its concrete surface is usually pretty grippy. Today, the rain is torrential and the temperature barely above freezing. Given the reputation of early 911s in the wet, this could be … interesting.

Indeed it is, but not quite in the manner I expect. On paper the car’s 218-hp doesn’t sound like that much, but it’s complemented by 310 Nm (220 lb-ft) of torque, the delivery of which is absolutely instantaneous. There’s a little work to do on the calibration of the CANBUS-driven speedometer, so I can’t say for sure how fast I’m actually going, but the 911 feels a lot more rapid than it ought to. The more powerful motor has been clocked at 0-to-60 mph in under four seconds, but I’d peg this at not much more than five.

The standard brakes need a fairly hefty stand-on to slow the car; the regenerative effect seems quite minimal, and, on standard suspension,

there’s a fair amount of body movement in every direction. Pitch, roll, yaw? Yep, that’s all boxes ticked.

The unassisted steering is heavy, loads up further in the bends, and then unloads quite dramatically when I apply all the power on corner exit. This car doesn’t have a limitedslip diff, and, as it lights up a one-tyre fire, the steering self-centers sharply. An over-correction could send the car the other way, but I do sense that the extra weight of batteries up front makes this less likely to happen than it would be in the gas-powered version.

Slightly reduced pendulum-effect aside, much of the character of the original 911 remains. Of course, the driving experience is a little less involving without a manual transmission, and lacking in the aural and olfactory entertainment of a car fueled and lubricated by big oil, but a lot is left.

That will never be enough for those for whom gasoline is the life-blood of driving. But for lovers of the classic car aesthetic who don’t want to dirty their hands or the air that they pass through, usable and entertaining conversions such as this are starting to make a lot more sense.

15 facts about the Porsche 992 GT3 RS you may not have known

1

PCNA has come out with a special 50 Years Tribute to the 1973 911 Carrera RS in Python Green and White, which is made only for the US market. Only 150 cars will be made. The model will have Python Green accents with the Weissach Package. It’s the first production Porsche with the US flag on it (found on the wing’s end plates).

4

The RS has a 7-speed PDK instead of the 8-speed found in the Carrera line. The 7-speed PDK, shared with the GT3 (but with some key upgrades), weighs approximately 44 pounds less than the 8-speed. Additionally, the RS has a shorter final drive gear ratio.

2 5

The center radiator concept was inspired from the 991 RSR. By using one central radiator instead of three, engineers were able to create a “S” duct that sent the air under the bumper and out through the hood. This also increased front downforce while reducing the overall weight by 15 pounds as compared to the three-radiator design.

At 177 miles per hour, the new GT3 RS produces 1,896 lbs of downforce. Even at 124 mph, it produces 895 lbs of downforce which is more than the 991.2 GT3RS did at 177 mph. At its full downforce setting, the car produces the same level of downforce as Le Mans GT3 911 Cup cars.

3 6

Camshafts were redesigned to operate optimally between 5,0009,000 rpm. This power curve favors track duty. Additionally, the cylinder head oil passages were modified from GT3 to RS due to the anticipated higher g-loads while on track.

The rear wing on the GT3 RS is the first production wing on a Porsche to be higher than the roof of the car.

14th of March 2023

Article by: Manny Alban (courtesy of PCA)

Photos by: evoindia.com

7

When in Auto DRS mode (Drag Reduction Setting), it looks for the following parameters before it engages: Speeds greater than 62 mph, an accelerator position at 95%, engine revs greater than 5,500, and a lateral acceleration that produces less than 0.9 g force.

10

On the GT3RS, the shift paddles incorporate a magnetic switch which is not only different than the GT3 but louder as well. This gives a different shift “feel” compared to the normal GT3.

8

Engineers learned from the 918 to use the shape of suspension components as an aerodynamic advantage. By designing them as such, they generate 88 lbs of downforce on the front axle.

”

Porsche has really narrowed the gap between race car and street car with this new model

9 ”

The steering wheel is starting to resemble a race car’s with the amount of adjustments that can be made to affect performance. While a switch may say PASM, simply pressing that one switch suddenly converts the other switches to work as part of the PASM adjustments. This is all done on the fly and does not require you to bring the car to a stop.

13

Warm air coming out of the radiator openings on the hood is pushed around the sides of the car. Roof fins/vanes help channel cold air into the engine lid. This was tested extensively at Weissach.

11

There is no “Sport” switch or mode found on the GT cars because the factory feels that the GT line of models is always in a sport mode.

12 14

Designers opted not to use the retractable door handles found on the Carrera models. The amount of aerodynamic advantage by using a retractable door handle is negligible.

The only part of the GT3 RS that is metal is the rear quarter panels. For the first time ever, the doors are made of carbon fiber.

15

Once again, no Club Sport option available for US customers.

What in the World is going on with Porsche and F1?

The tumultuous tale of Porsche’s interest in F1 took another turn after reports that it was walking away from entering the sport in 2026.

Porsche’s on-again, off-again relationship with F1 is drama fit for its own series on Bravo. Reports speculating that the German automaker will sideline its bid to enter the world’s richest form of motorsport don’t necessarily confirm Porsche won’t line up on the grid in 2026—the report from The-Race.com doesn’t point to any source of the information—but it certainly doesn’t help. And if we’re left to guess whether Porsche is going to race in 2026, we’ll reach for our nearest 8-ball. Porsche told us that F1 remains an "interesting racing series" but will concentrate on WEC, IMSA, and Formula E for now. "There, we want to fight for overall victories. That is our tradition and main focus."

Here's the recap up until now: In November 2021, Porsche’s motorsports boss reportedly helped to develop engine regulations for the 2026 season, which will emphasize hybrid technology. Working on F1 tech isn’t new, the company also allegedly built and tested a powertrain as far back as 2017 before shelving the program. Complicating Porsche’s interest was fellow VW Group-brand Audi’s foray into F1, which materialized in a controlling interest in Swiss-based Sauber, and will lead to Audi entering the sport in 2026. Nonetheless, VW boss Herbert Diess told the world in May 2022 that both Audi and Porsche would take advantage of the new rules to compete. Porsche

22nd of March 2023

Article By: Aaron Cole (courtesy of The Drive)

even went as far as trademarking “F1nally,” although the landing page laughably told the world, it was definitely “not Porsche.” (Eds note: A-plus smokescreen, Porsche.)

That best-laid plan met its eventuality in September 2022 when Red Bull and Porsche announced they wouldn’t continue to talk further, like a celebrity divorce. The reason why became clear in February, when Ford announced it would partner with—or at least write checks to—Red Bull to become an engine supplier in F1, seemingly taking Porsche’s place. Reportedly, Red Bull wanted a check more than a partner, and Porsche wanted to tell a five-time constructor’s championship winner how to build engines. Porsche reportedly approached McLaren, but branding spiked any potential deal.

That brings us to about now. Porsche’s bid could transform into a fully-fledged F1 team on its own, although that’s significantly more expensive than being an engine supplier. It’d hardly be a surprise if Porsche walked from potentially competing in F1 for a second time, but it wouldn’t be surprising if it was yet another plume of smoke to keep us guessing at what comes next from Stuttgart.

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Porsche preserves the history of the 959 Paris-Dakar

The recommissioning has been carried out over the past few months by the Porsche Heritage and Museum team together with their colleagues from Porsche Classic.

Acar that can survive 14,000 kilometres in the deserts and savannahs of Africa can go anywhere in the world. The Porsche 959 Paris-Dakar mastered the gruelling rally from France to West Africa in 1986. The 959, in which Jacky Ickx and Claude Brasseur finished second behind the winning French team of René Metge and Dominique Lemoyne – in an identical car – is now ready to by driven once again. The recommissioning has been carried out over the past few months by the Porsche Heritage and Museum team together with their colleagues from Porsche Classic. The multi-part documentary "959 Paris-Dakar" on the Porsche YouTube channel offers exciting insights into the recommissioning process.

1st of Febuary 2023

Article & Photos by: Porsche Newsroom

In the 1980s, the team spent two years transforming the 959 into a rally car. The engineers reinforced the suspension with double shock absorbers on the front axle and fitted all-terrain tyres. If the surface didn’t require allwheel drive, the electro-hydraulically controlled centre differential distributed the power variably between the front and rear axles. As a result, the Porsche is able to reach speeds of up to 210 km/h.

Racing director Peter Falk recalls the first three rallies: 1984 with the Porsche 953 and the following two years with the 959 Paris-Dakar: “It was really great that we got all the cars across the finish line and won the race at our first attempt. Then Mr Bott said: ‘We have to go again, once isn’t enough.’ Then, in 1985, all three of our cars dropped out of the race. That was devastating. After that we were determined to race again. Even though we were all a bit sick of the whole thing after losing everything. Then in 1986 we did it again. All three cars finished and we had a 1-2 victory.”

Overhaul: telling the story of the car authentically

We want to keep the original condition and only lightly overhaul the car while eliminating any technical flaws... ”

“The 959 Paris-Dakar is a prototype, one of the reasons why its recommissioning is such an emotionally charged affair,” says Uwe Makrutzki, Head of Porsche Classic factory restoration. “In 1986 the car faced a challenge, and now we faced another one.” The teams of Makrutzki and Werner worked hand-in-hand and discussed everything in great detail. Porsche Classic dismantled, overhauled and reassembled the engine, gearbox and drivetrain for

“We want to keep the original condition and only lightly overhaul the car while eliminating any technical flaws,” says Werner. Because the second-placed car from 1986 was still in very good shape, those responsible for the recommissioning managed to replace as little as possible while keeping the maximum number of original parts. There were around 18,000 kilometres on the clock of the 959 Paris-Dakar – the length of the rally plus a few thousand

kilometres on top. Like its series production counterpart, the rally car was also powered by an air-/water-cooled flat-six engine with compound turbocharging. Due to the low-quality fuel, the output of the six-cylinder engine was reduced to 294 kW (400 PS).

the project. All the parts showed little or no damage. “The car was in very good condition, with no major defects or corrosion. As with any restoration with the specific mission of preserving as much substance as possible, the team looked at each part individually and made partial repairs where this was unavoidable. Many of the original parts had near-series production prototype status,” Werner concludes.

For this gruelling long-distance endurance rally, the sports car manufacturer optimised many features during the 1980s, among them the installation of the engine control units (ECUs). These were positioned high up in the car, to enable it to cross rivers without the ECUs

being damaged. Porsche also prepared the oil cooler and oil lines under the rear wings for the rally and transferred motorsport genes into the car by perforating the aluminium support. To reduce the weight further still, the sports car manufacturer punched holes into the brake discs and decided on a body, doors and bonnets made of Kevlar. The experts in Stuttgart therefore achieved a comparatively low dry weight for the car of 1,260 kilograms.

Sand and dirt from the

During the 959’s disassembly, the team discovered sand and dirt from the African desert. Since the car’s return from the rally, the body and mechanical parts had never been separated. “As this was not an everyday thing for us, it was fascinating. Muddy dirt showed us today that the 959 Paris-Dakar went through rivers and had experienced water in its interior,” says Werner. Small areas of corrosion where the Kevlar body parts ground against the metal frame as a consequence of the physical pressures of high-speed rally driving were conserved rather than repaired in order to preserve the history of the car.

We even left the cable ties exactly where they were after testing and overhauling all of the parts. After all, the car’s appearance cannot be recreated.” Gearbox expert Klaus Kariegus is also a fan of the African dust on the car and the authenticity it represents. “The car has proven its quality and durability. Even sand and dust from hard racing use could not harm the technology. High-quality materials were also used back then,” says Kariegus. Makrutzki’s team, which consists of four 959 specialists, looked after the functionality of the technology and the conservation of the historical traces from the rallies. “Only by keeping the damage from back then can we tell the story authentically and preserve it, ” Werner concludes.

Snow and grit: a spectacular setting for the reveal

To tell the story from 1986 as authentically as possible, the Porsche Heritage and Museum team invited Jacky Ickx to the car’s reveal following its gentle overhaul. The former pilot of the second-placed 959 Paris-Dakar had the honour of being the first person to drive the recommissioned car, in a stone quarry. “In the car the memories came back to me immediately as I remembered the people who made it all possible back then,” he says. The team at the time numbered just 18 people.

The team spirit was strong and made no small contribution to the success that followed. “Everyone wanted to drive the car on the road. Then Porsche decided to enter the 959 in a rally in the desert. It’s fantastic that I get to be a part of this story,” says Ickx. The rally was an unbelievable challenge and also the perfect testing ground for all-wheel drive. Nobody expected this success from him and his rally team. “The desert is like the ocean – no two sand dunes and no two waves are the same,” he concludes.

African desert

For Le Mans winner Timo Bernhard, who accompanied Ickx at the reveal of the overhauled car, the experiences of his fellow racing driver from 1986 are fascinating. “I remember extraordinary rally scenes in which the helicopters were unable to follow the cars because they were going so fast,” says Bernhard. Almost four decades later, Ickx sums up the first race in three words: “Memories, emotions, passion.” For Kuno Werner, Head of the Museum Workshop, the reveal is also something very special: “The 959 stood idle for many years before being given the opportunity of a whole new reunion with its original driver on this snow and grit. This has been a source of pride for our entire Porsche Heritage and Museum team.”

To be featured at Retro Classics and on the Porsche YouTube channel

From 23 to 26 February, visitors can see the car in Stuttgart at the Retro Classics event, as part of the ‘75 Years of Porsche Sports Cars’ special exhibition in the atrium / east entrance to the exhibition centre. For those unable to visit in person, exciting insights into the recommissioning process can still be enjoyed. A camera team accompanied both the Porsche Heritage and Museum and Porsche Classic teams leading up to the recommissioning. The first part of the ‘959 Paris-Dakar’ documentary will be available in full from 1 February 2023, on the Porsche YouTube channel. Five more films will follow on 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 February.

Viewers can look forward to exciting insights into the original condition of the car, the dismantling of the engine, the bodywork, the overhaul and reinstallation of the engine, and the overhauled car’s first drive. Information and trailers for all further episodes can be found on Facebook and Instagram @porsche.museum.

Porsche Super Sprint 2: The Bend International Circuit

Photos by: Bob Taylor 19th of March 2023

2

Porsche

Big Electric SUV To Cost Three Times More Than A Cayenne: Report

The seven-seat sport utility vehicle is

said to have off-road chops.

In mid-2022, Porsche CEO Oliver Blume announced plans to expand the lineup by adding a new SUV positioned above the Macan and Cayenne. The electric-only model will be made at home in Leipzig, Germany and target a higher-end segment of the market with bigger profit margins. The peeps from Zuffenhausen have been tight-lipped about the model, but Autocar is attempting to fill in the blanks ahead of the vehicle's expected market launch around 2027.

While a Cayenne starts at £63,700 in the UK, it is believed the seven-seat electric SUV will be three times more expensive before adding options. It apparently carries the "K1" codename and has been in development since 2020 on the Premium Platform Electric architecture Porsche is co-developing with Audi. PPE will premiere with the next-gen, electric-only Macan and the Q6 E-Tron, but Autocar reports Porsche's zero-emission luxobarge will use an evolution of the dedicated EV platform.

The three-row SUV is rumored to benefit from a 920V electric system with quicker charging and boast a large battery pack with a capacity exceeding

100 kWh. The most frugal version of Porsche's largest vehicle ever is rumored to offer a maximum range of 435 miles (700 kilometers) in the WLTP cycle. Oil cooling for the electric motors is said to be planned, along with all-wheel steering tAs far as styling is concerned, expect to see a "part sedan, part crossover" silhouette measuring over five meters (nearly 197 inches). It's said to have a gently curved roof, a steeply raked windscreen, a short hood, and a liftback-style tailgate. It is believed Porsche intends to give the K1 real off-road chops with a dedicated driving mode that will considerably jack up the air suspension.

The K1 will allegedly become the fifth EV from the brand as Autocar reports the Taycan, Macan, Boxster/Cayman will be joined in 2026 by a purely electric Cayenne. Logic tells us the latter will be smaller and more affordable than the three-row model, which Oliver Blume has described as being "a very sporting interpretation of an SUV."

When it does eventually arrive, the K1's main markets are going to be North America and China.

6th of Febuary 2023

Article by: Adrian Padeanu (by kind permission Motor1.com)

Book Review: Brun Motorsport 1966-2009

B28th March 2023

Article by: Benjamin Shahrabani (By kind permission)

run Motorsport was a Swiss motorsport team founded in 1983 by successful serial entrepreneur Walter Brun. The team would enjoy a long and successful motorsports career with multiple wins in endurance racing and sports car competition, including German, European, and World Championships. Not merely content to utilize a manufacturer’s established racing model, Brun would consistently improve his cars beyond factory limits, often adding innovations and even building his own sports prototype for Group C racing during the 1991 World Sportscar Championship. Published by Sportfahrer Verlag and initiated by Sacha Brun, one of Walter’s sons, with additional writing by serial automotive author Thomas Nehlert, Jägermeister Racing founder Eckhard Schimpf, and engineer Peter Wyss, Brun Motorsports 1966-2009 recollects over four decades of racing exploits by Walter Brun and company.

Beginning his racing career in a Lotus Cortina in the mid-1960s, Brun would “graduate” to a BMW 2002 Ti, subsequently winning the 1971 European Hillclimb Championship. Starting an association with Porsche and further proving his mettle, Brun would take the wheel of the Andre Wicky Racing Porsche 907 the same year finishing first in class and seventh overall at the Le Mans 24 Hours race. After a further decade of honing his talents in touring car competition, Brun would finish an impressive sixth overall and first in the GTO class at the 1981 Daytona 24 Hours driving with Hans-Joachim Stuck and Alf Gebhardt in a BMW M1.

Forming his eponymous team in 1983, Brun became one of the first privateer teams to run a Porsche 956, with its first win coming shortly thereafter at an Interserie race at Autodrom in the Czech Republic. Brun would enjoy other success in the 956, winning the DRM teams title, as well as a fine third place at the 1984 Spa 1000 Km, and fourth overall at the Le Mans 24 Hours. Brun would later try his hand at

Formula 1 in 1988 as a constructor, however after three lacklustre and expensive seasons, the team withdrew from competition. Brun would continue to own and manage his team until the early 1990s when financial difficulties forced him to disband. While personally retiring from racing after the 1991 season, Brun continued to be involved in motorsport and served as a consultant to other teams. Once again returning to the cockpit in 2000, Brun raced intermittently until 2009, when he turned 67 years old.

Comprising of 964 extremely well-rendered pages with 1,200 photographs and other illustrations, seemingly every pivotal and ordinary moment in Brun Motorsport’s history has been captured in this sumptuous three volume set. While perhaps lighter on text and detail than one might wish for, the Brun Motorsport story as it were is nonetheless told through the copious photographic assets, which are meticulously and informatively captioned in both English and German languages. Made available in Collector’s Edition (limited to 99 copies, signed by 14 Brun drivers, €695.00 and sold out), Walter Brun Edition (350 copies, signed by Walter Brun, €450.00) and “regular” limited edition (1,000 copies, €375.00), Brun Motorsports 1966-2009 is a worthy inclusion to the ardent motorsport enthusiast’s bookshelf.

Title: Brun Motorsport 1966-2009

Authors: Sacha Brun, Thomas Nehlert, Eckhard Schimpf, Peter Wyss

Publisher: Sportfahrer Verlag

Format: 3 hardcover volumes with slipcase; 964 pages; 1,200 images

Where to Buy: Sportfahrer Verlag

How Much: €375 (at time of publishing)

of December 2023

The Porsche Panamera GTS

When the Porsche Panamera first emerged in 2009, reactions were mixed, to say the least. As a body politic, we’d just gotten used to the idea of Porsche making things that aren’t two-door sports cars, and blammo—here comes this odd, front-engined sedan-thing with whose chunky design roughly recalled a mutated 911. It stood out, and not in a great way.

Jump forward to 2022, though, and the vibes around the Panamera couldn’t be more different, and especially around the 2021 Panamera GTS we tested for a week. Today, this flavor of Porsche’s luxury saloon feels more and more

like a rare, precious thing: a straightforward V8 performance car designed to fit into your life without a second thought. Part of that is due to where we’re at with electrification, with SUV-ification, and with the computerization of high-end sports cars that make a show out of how much software can be layered between the driver and the road. The GTS has plenty of tech, to be sure. But it adds up to an experience that feels a lot more uncomplicated than the spec sheet would suggest.

In Porsche’s world, the GTS trim is often referred to as the Goldilocks model, with just the right amount of performance cred and

luxury touches to act as a true all-rounder. And if you think about what that means in totality for a Porsche—something that can serve as a functional daily driver, while also looking and driving and carrying itself through the world like a real P-Car—then the Panamera GTS emerges as possibly the most complete experience the company offers today.

• 2022 base price (as tested) $136,550 ($158,680)

• Powertrain: 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 | 8-speed dual-clutch automatic | all- wheel drive

• Horsepower: 473 @ 6,500 rpm

• Torque: 457 lb-ft @ 1,800 to 4,000 rpm

• Seating capacity: 4

• Curb weight: 4,561 pounds

• Cargo volume: 17.4 cubic feet seats up | 47.1 seats down

• 0-60 mph: 3.2 seconds

• Top speed: 186 mph

• EPA fuel economy: 15 mpg city | 21 highway | 17 combined

• Quick take: The most well-rounded example of the most well-rounded Porsche.

• Score: 9/10

2021 Porsche Panamera GTS Review Specs

Article By: Kyle Cheromcha (by kind permission PCA and The Drive) 30th

The Basics

For 2021, Porsche gave the Panamera a midcycle update that sprinkled power upgrades and some new standard feature sets around the lineup. What it didn’t change is the sheer breadth of the portfolio—there are no fewer than 24 different Panamera trims available between the sedan, wagon, and long-wheelbase body styles. The Panamera GTS gained +20 horsepower and a bit of a visual lift from the now-standard Sport Design package outside, but otherwise marched into 2021 (and 2022) mostly unchanged.

Not that that’s a bad thing—the Panamera’s design took a huge leap forward when the second generation launched on the Porschedeveloped VW MSB platform, shared with Bentley, in 2016. In particular, the rear was reshaped to hew closer to the 911 template, with the roofline arcing down the back glass to a sharpened rear fascia complimented by a light bar spanning the taillights. In many ways, its looks finally match the congruity of the 928, another Porsche with grand touring aspirations. The current Panamera feels like a natural expression of Porsche’s design in a novel form, and the restraint exercised in visually separating the GTS—clear taillights, red brake calipers, and unique 20-inch wheels—is most welcome.

I’ve seen some people complain that the Panamera is looking a little too plain next to the electric Taycan, which seems poised to replace it in the not-so-distant future. Personally, I think that’s criticism for criticism’s sake; the Panamera is a beautiful machine.

Inside, it’s no less a refined experience, though here’s where the restraint does start to feel like a little much. The Panamera GTS shares the same dash and center console design as all Porsches today—clean lines, a modern twist on the five-pod gauge cluster with a physical tachometer front and center, and a panel of touch-capacitive non-buttons flanking the gearshift. Bonus points for Porsche resisting the stuck-on iPad design trend and embedding the 12.3-inch infotainment screen in the dash.

Standard, the GTS offers an all-black colorway mixing in leather and Race-Tex fake suede, and the dark motif is a little muted. A full leather interior with more interesting colors is available as a no-cost option, and I’m not sure why you wouldn’t go for that. Overall, it’s a comfortable and spacious cabin that packs an impressive 47 cubic feet of storage with the rear row down.

Speaking of which, there are only two seats back there as standard.

The GTS is special for many reasons, high among them that it’s the cheapest V8 Panamera, starting a full 50 grand below the Panamera Turbo S. The 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 is a real gem, pushing 473 horsepower and 457 pound-feet of torque to all four wheels through an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, and it sings through a special sport exhaust in the GTS. Porsche said it’s also retuned the engine to produce a more linear power delivery— more on that in a bit. That’s all packaged in a super sharp chassis honed even further with the addition of Porsche Adaptive Suspension Management, Porsche’s active damping system. This car was specced with the optional Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control active anti-roll bar system ($5,010), a must-add if you plan to drive it hard, as well as rear-wheel steering ($1,650), which is not.

Driving the Porsche Panamera GTS

No one would call a $150,000-plus Porsche a simple machine, but the way the GTS presents itself is comparatively straightforward. You’ve got three drive modes, two suspension settings, and one loud button for the exhaust. The rest of the experience was dialed in back in Stuttgart— and there’s a real joy in that as a driver.

Around town in Normal mode, it’s every inch a luxury sedan, comfortable and solid, just one that happens to have livelier-than-normal steering. There’s a hint of slack in the throttle, enough to smooth out your inputs while still

bottom end of the tach until the turbos come on hard around 2,500 rpm. I appreciated the engagement it delivered, but it also made some low-speed situations a little too choppy. And the auto start-stop—on by default in Normal mode—now activates at low speeds as you’re approaching a stop. But it’s not smart enough to know when you may be slowing momentarily to a crawl instead, leading to times when it’ll shut off the engine and start it back up within the span of a second as you speed up again. To anyone outside, it sounds like you’ve stalled the car.

feeling plenty responsive for a performance car. The suspension is supple enough to absorb a speed hump at 30 mph, but otherwise remains taut in a way that reminds you this car is capable of something. Though it comes with a lift function for tricky driveway transitions, the Panamera GTS isn’t absurdly low to begin with. It’s pretty quiet, returns great real-world fuel economy in 8th gear on the highway, and has plenty of space for all your junk. I would drive one across the country tomorrow without a moment’s hesitation.

If there’s one fault to its daily drivability, it’s that the retuned V8’s linear power delivery doesn’t quite pan out. There isn’t much torque at the

But up in the canyons, or out in the hills, or down in the valley, or wherever your great driving roads are: Man, the Porsche Panamera GTS is phenomenal. The sonorous V8 is worth the price of admission—between 3,200 and 4,300 rpm, it develops this super throaty, muscular, almost percussive note as it hammers its way up the tach. Brutal yet exquisite. Keep it in fourth gear and you’ll find that linear power Porsche promised, forward progress synced up with your right foot. The transmission is unsurprisingly stellar too, though even in Sport+ I found it more rewarding to use the paddles than wait for the occasional late downshift.

Because when you’re in the zone with the GTS, you don’t want anything taking you out of it. It’s quick as hell, snapping off a 3.2-second zeroto-60 mph time, but between the all-wheel-drive and the relatively sensible power figures, it feels altogether manageable, even friendly, as you leap out of a curve and line up the next one in your sights. The steering is super direct, though numbed a bit by the suede steering wheel, and you know how we feel about those.

Brakes on this particular car are the optional mirror-finish Porsche Ceramic Composites, and the six-piston calipers gripped strong and true with no hint of fade over a two-hour spirited drive through Angeles National Forest. They’re another must-add despite costing nearly $9,000—so often on these not-quite-track models, the standard brakes are a weak point.

To go back to what I said earlier, the GTS is a highly complex vehicle managing a whole bunch of performance tech in a way that feels natural and easy. You could even call the result old-school—when competitors like the BMW M5 offer a thousand different ways to dial in your perfect custom driving mode, Porsche’s approach is to say, “You know, we’re pretty good at building cars. We got this. You just enjoy the drive.”

The Highs and Lows

The Porsche Panamera GTS’ greatest high is probably the complete experience it delivers as a Porsche. From the look to the drive to the way strangers stare at it in parking lots—the way they never would at a Cayenne or Macan—the Panamera fulfills the promise of the badge while also being eminently usable as a daily driver. (It actually has more cargo space than the Macan!) Behind the wheel, staring out past the five-pod gauge cluster and analog clock and arcing hood with the same low vantage point as a 911, feeling the engine’s power with your right foot and the responsiveness of the chassis in your hands… the GTS is like a classic hit remixed into another banger in a completely different genre of music.

But no car is perfect, and frustratingly, the GTS’ biggest stumbles come from the cabin tech that you use every day. The PCM infotainment software went through a major upgrade in the time since we drove this car, but the version we experienced had inconsistent boot times that approached 20 seconds on multiple occasions (though PCM in general is responsive and intuitive once it gets going). Wireless Apple CarPlay is on tap, but it too was spotty. Use the wired connection, you say? The Panamera only has two USB ports up front, one of which is USB-C. The backup camera is strangely low-res. And the center HVAC vents can only be adjusted with touchscreen controls, which is going to annoy some people.

Panamera GTS Features, Options, and Competition

Also like a true Porsche, the Panamera GTS comes pretty unadorned out of the box. On the performance side, you get the V8, adaptive air suspension, adaptive headlights, and the sport exhaust. Inside, freebies include a heated sport steering wheel, 18-way front power seats, brushed aluminum trim, and GTS stitched into the headrests. There are only two packages on offer—the $5,100 Premium group, adding four-zone climate control, front and rear heated seats, a Bose sound system, soft close doors, Lane Change Assist, and multicolor ambient lighting; and the $2,750 Assistance Package, which brings adaptive cruise control, a head-up display, and a surround-view camera.

Everything else, from a white tachometer face ($420) to a rear middle seat ($1,000) is an à la carte option. This particular car had about $23,000 in options, but most of that was for the brakes, PDCC, 21-inch 911 Turbo wheels, and rear-wheel steering. The à la carte addition of Lane Change Assist, the Bose surround system, and soft close doors tacked on just $3,400. I would drop the 21-inch wheels and add ventilated seats, a full-leather brown interior (with a different exterior paint), a middle rear seat and adaptive cruise control.

The Porsche Panamera’s most direct competitors are its German performance saloon brethren: the Audi RS7, BMW M5, and Mercedes-AMG E63. All have V8s, fancy AWD systems, zero-to-60 times in the low threes, and prestige for days. The Panamera starts out as the most expensive and stays that way if you spec them like-for-like. These are all excellent cars, and whether you find the Porsche premium worth it will come down to the subjective experience. The RS7 is clinical, the M5 is a bruiser, the E63 is a hot rod, and the Panamera GTS is a precise, ultra-engaging machine.

Sustainability

The elephant in the room is that the gas Panamera is currently sold alongside its electric replacement, the Taycan, which makes any talk about recycled materials or powering the supply chain with green energy feel a bit flimsy if you’re justifying the Panamera as a sustainable choice. It’s not—but it is surprisingly economical, especially for such a capable performance car. The GTS is a rare example of a big V8 car that handily outperforms its EPA fuel economy ratings of 15 city, 21 highway, and 17 combined. I saw around 22 combined in mixed driving, boosted by a solid 29 mpg on the highway.

Value and Verdict

Between the high starting price and expensive options tree, the Porsche Panamera GTS doesn’t appear like a great value until you consider what it really represents: a four-door option that truly looks like a Porsche, swims like a Porsche, and quacks like a Porsche. You’re not getting this level of verisimilitude in a Cayenne or Macan, great as those vehicles are in their own right. I would ask why people choose a Cayenne over this in droves, but the Cayenne GTS is $20,000 cheaper than the Panamera GTS, so… the value proposition for most is kind of cloudy.

And that’s too bad, because the premium is worth it. The Porsche Panamera GTS is the most well-rounded version of the most wellrounded model the company offers today. That premise alone makes it well worth a look, and the follow-through is there. Let’s just hope more people realize that before it’s too late.

Porsche

The Future Of Porsche Involves Three Electric SUVs And Even Wilder Specs

Porsche has pulled the wraps off its longer-range business plan and unlike Tesla’s four-hour filibuster earlier this month, the plan involved a bunch of announcements on products like an electric Cayenne, plus it defined business plans that should make a ton of money. Without further ado, here’s what Porsche has planned in the coming seven years or so.

Three Electric SUVs Are On The Way

We all knew that Porsche would make an electric Macan, and Porsche re-iterated that the electric Macan is coming in 2024. We also knew that Porsche is working on a massive new electric SUV and Porsche has provided some details on that. Not only will it be positioned above the Cayenne, but it’ll also ride on Porsche’s upcoming SSP Sport platform. What’s more, it’ll have a next-generation interior that Porsche claims will offer “a completely new experience inside the vehicle.” Key markets for this flagship include China and the United State of America.

However, it turns out that an electric Cayenne is coming sooner than we might expect. Porsche claims that the fourth-generation Cayenne will “underline Porsche’s goal of delivering more than 80 per cent of its new vehicles as allelectric models in 2030.” Figure seven years or less until we see the EV Cayenne, so if you want a combustion-powered one as a tow rig, you might want to adjust your timeline.

Article By: Thomas Hundal (by

kind permission The Autopian)

Photos courtesy of Porsche 13th of March 2023

The Next 718 Will Be Electric (For A While)

In a few years, Porsche will pull the wraps off its most ambitious electric model yet. The small 718 sports car is going battery-power-only for the next generation, which is expected to arrive in the next few years. However, it might not be powered solely by batteries forever. Porsche claims that “In the medium term, it will only be available as an electric model.” So that’s the medium term but what about the long one?

Sure, it could be possible that the next 718 will receive a combustion engine option running on e-fuels at some point, but it’s also possible that you could be killed by a cow. Porsche could eventually once again shoehorn a flat-six into its smaller sports cars, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. It’s equally possible that Porsche fits a hydrogen generator to augment the batteries, or that a lightweight model will come without floors and force owners to Fred Flintstone it. Yabba dabba doo!

Porsche is

targeting an operating return on sales of 20 percent, a very high figure for a car company

What Does ‘Carbon-Neutral’ Mean To Porsche?

While EVs can be dirty to produce, it typically doesn’t take long for them to break even with combustion-powered equivalents on a wellto-wheel basis. However, Porsche has a bold claim that its EVs will go far beyond the point of breaking even.

Within the scope of its strategy, the company is working towards a net carbon neutral value chain for its vehicles in 2030. This also includes a net carbon-neutral use phase for future BEV models (based on an assumed total mileage of 200,000 kilometres per vehicle).

Carbon neutral means that the amount of carbon emitted into the air is equal to the amount of carbon emissions removed by a given entity. As such, Porsche’s e-fuels are carbon-neutral in that the process of making

them scrubs carbon from the air and processes it using wind power. Sure, burning the resulting fuel emits CO2, but it’s not spewing out any carbon dioxide that wasn’t in the air in the first place.

Similarly, the use phase of an electric car is only carbon-neutral if the electricity used is generated in a carbon-neutral way. Wind, solar, and hydroelectric power are all clean. Natural gas is no bueno. Unfortunately, electricity sources aren’t Porsche’s domain, so the use of electric vehicles won’t be carbon neutral in all jurisdictions unless governments put an end to fossil fuel-based electricity generation or scrub as much carbon from the air as fossil fuel power plants put out. Maybe the value chain is carbon-negative and will offset use emissions of the EVs? Even then, what energy mix model is Porsche using? Needless to say, we’ve reached out to Porsche for comment. Explain yourselves, crafty Germans.

Porsche Still Plans On Making Loads Of Money

Of course, the goal of a car company isn’t to make awesome cars, it’s to make money. Sure, someone could start a company that exclusively builds brown, manual, rear-wheel-drive diesel wagons, but it would probably go bankrupt in three-to-five business days. As such, Porsche is targeting an operating return on sales of 20 percent, a very high figure for a car company. For context, the business analysts at Bain & Company found that the average automaker return on sales (also known as EBIT margin) was 7.8 percent in the third quarter of 2022.

So what sort of moves will Porsche make to get there? According to Chairman of the Executive Board Oliver Blume, “We are expanding our product portfolio with more sports car concepts. We will also continue to focus on limited editions and expand our Sonderwunsch programme in the future.” Put simply, expect to see wilder and wilder Porsches as time goes on.

So, that about sums up what we can expect to see from Porsche over the next few years. I’ll really miss the dino-burning current generation of 718 sports car but am curious to see what new special editions and wild Sonderwunsch specs will arise in the coming years. What are you most looking forward to from Porsche?

13th of March 2023

1965 Porsche 911 Test: The Stuff Legends Are Made Of

Article courtesy of PCA 28th of January 2023

From the Archive: A new generation of Porsche proves they still have the master's touch...and then some.

No contest. This is the Porsche to end all Porsches—or, rather, to start a whole new generation of Porsches. Porsche's new 911 model is unquestionably the finest Porsche ever built. More than that, it's one of the best Gran Turismo cars in the world, certainly among the top three or four.

Porsche enthusiasts used to insist that the 356 model was as nearly-perfect an automobile as had ever been designed, an immutable classic that couldn't be im¬proved upon. Oh, no? Put a familiar 356 up alongside a 911. Only yesterday, the 356 seemed ahead of its time. Today you realize its time has passed; the 356 leaves you utterly unimpressed and you can't keep your eyes off the 911. The 911 is a superior car in every respect...the stuff legends are made of.

From the April 1965 issue of Car and Driver.

Overview

The 911—so-called because it is the 911th design project since Porsche opened its doors in 1931—is also the first all-Porsche Porsche. The 356 was the first car to carry the Porsche name, although when it was con¬ceived in 1948 it was little more than a souped-up, special-bodied version of an earlier Porsche design, the Volkswagen. The 911, while true to the 356's basic configuration, is an entirely new and different car. The engine is again aircooled, again hung out behind the rear axle, but it's a single-overhead-cam six-cylinder whereas the 356 was a pushrod four-cylinder (and the Carrera a four-cam four-cylinder). The new body is far more handsome—the work of old Professor Porsche's grandson, Ferry, Jr. The 9ll's 5-speed gear¬box, already in service

Let it be understood at the outset that the 911 does not replace the 356, according to the factory. In the catalog, it replaces the fussy, little-appreciated Carrera 2 while the 356C (ex-Super) and 356SC (ex-Super 95) still roll off the assembly lines at about their normal rate. However, we can't believe that Porsche will con¬tinue making two entirely different cars, side-by-side, beyond the immediately foreseeable future. And let it also be understood that the 911 is not readily available. The first six month's production is completely sold out and there's a line of expectant owners going halfway around almost every Porsche agency in the country.

in Porsche's 904 GT racing car, is probably the new car's best single feature. Even the suspension is new, though tried-and-true torsion bars are retained as the springing medium.

The 911, or 901 as it then was, was introduced at the 1963 Frankfurt Auto Show. It was very much a prototype and its debut may have been premature. More than a year was to pass before it went into pro¬duction, during which time the model number was changed (to indicate that it was a later model than the Frankfurt car and also because Peugeot reportedly had a lock on three-digit model numbers with zero in the middle), the price estimate dropped, the performance estimate rose, and a demand built up that the current four-a-day supply won't be able to satisfy for some time to come.

The 901/911 was not the "best" car Porsche could have made. Porsche could have put the storied flat¬-eight engine into production, bored out to, say, 2.5 liters and tuned up to 240 horsepower. That would have put the 901/911 into the Ferrari-Corvette-Jaguar performance bracket. It also would have raised the price considerably, and Porsche was understandably nervous about entering the No-Man's-Land market for $9000 GT cars. On price alone, it would have been beyond the reach of anybody but the Very Rich, and the V.R. are noted for such capricious perversity as preferring a $14,000 car to a $9000 car simply because it costs $5000 more. The four-cam flat-eight also would have had the same kind of maintenance and reliability problems the Carrera engine had; problems that are hopefully nonexistent in the 9ll's SOHC six-cylinder.

Body

The 9ll's eye-catching body is distinctive— slimmer, trimmer, yet obviously Porsche. While not as revolu¬tionary as the original 356 design was in its day, the 9ll's shape is far less controversial and slightly more aerodynamic. Though the frontal area has grown, a lower drag coefficient (0.38 vs 0.398) allows it to reach a top speed of 130 mph with only 148 hp. It ought to weather the years without looking dated. Compared to the cur¬rent 356 body, the 911 is five inches longer (on a four-¬inch

Interior

The ads tell you a Porsche is "fun" to drive. Fun? A Mini-Minor is fun to drive because it can't be seri¬ous; everything about it is incongruous—it defies all known laws of nature...and marketing...and gets away with it. The Porsche—any Porsche—is no fun at all; Germans aren't much given to frivolity. Porsches are designed by drivers, for drivers, to be driven very matter-of-factly from Point A to Point B in maximum comfort, speed, and safety. Form soberly follows func¬tion, and the cockpit of a Porsche is laid out to achieve just that end. The controls and instruments are effi¬ciently positioned, and this economy of effort and mo¬tion is why Porsches aren't tiring to drive. But fun? Porsches are for driving.

As befits a driver's car, the controls are superb. The steering wheel is a special joy; the shallow "X" of the black anodized spokes provides perfect thumbrests without obscuring any of the unusually comprehensive instrumentation.

longer wheelbase), three inches narrower (on a one-inch wider track), and just about the same height. The body structure is still unitized, built up of in¬numerable, complicated steel stampings welded to¬gether (with the exception of the front fenders which are now bolted on for easier repair of minor accidents). The glass area and luggage space have been increased by 58 percent and 186 percent respectively, and the turning circle is a bit tighter. The fully trimmed (with cocoa mats) trunk will hold enough for a week's vacation for two; additional space is available in the rear seat

The reach to the wheel is just right, and all the secondary controls are operated by stalks on either side of the wheel. The driver can signal for turns; flash, raise, and dip the headlights; and operate the windshield wipers and washers, all without moving his hands from the wheel. The gearshift lever has less travel than the 356's, is smoother, and requires no more effort. The pedals are beautifully positioned for long-distance touring or fancy heel-and-toe footwork; there's even room to rest the left foot between the clutch and the front wheel arch.

Considering what the Stuttgart design office has turned out in the past, Porsche could have come out with a supercharged six-liter 550-hp V-16 GT car to sell for $30,000 and not lose a drag race to anybody but Don Garlits, but their production facilities are hardly geared for that sort of thing, and it would be getting pretty far away from the Porsche image, wouldn't it? In fact, Porsche had a full four-seater on the drawing boards at one point, but Ferry Porsche felt that his company's business was not selling super¬-duper sedans or ultra-ultra sports/ racing cars but optimum-priced, optimum-size, optimum-performance Gran Turismo cars, which is exactly what the 911 is.

At $6490 POE East Coast (or $5275 FOB Stuttgart), the 911 isn't what you'd call cheap— no Porsche ever was—but then, quality never is. Porsche's kind of quality cannot be had for less, viz. Ferrari 330GT ($14,000) or MercedesBenz 230SL ($8000). It's of more than ordinary interest that the 911 costs a whop¬ping thousand dollars less than the Carrera 2 it re¬places. A Porsche is either worth it to the prospective buyer or it isn't; he can't justify the price tag by the way the body tucks under at the rear or by the way the steering wheel fits in his hands or the way the engine settles in for a drive through a rain-filled afternoon. But let's see what he gets for his money.

area. The trunk and engine lids can be opened to any angle and held by counter-springs and telescopic dampers—¬a nice touch. These lids, as well as the doors, are larger than the old Porsche's, making access to the innards much less awkward. The gas filler cap nestles under a trap door in the left fender, and the engine lid release is hidden away in the left door post.

The seats have the wondrously-comfortable

Reutter reclining mechanisms, and are softly sprung and up¬holstered in cloth with leather edges. They will adjust to fit anybody under seven feet and 300 pounds. Head-¬and hip-room are similarly commodious; shoulder room is about the same as in the 356. The rear seats are a different matter. Though the 911 is occasionally described as a 2+2, the space back there is very cramped. It can hold an adult-sitting sideways with head bent forward—or a child, but neither for very long. It is more properly a luggage area, and for that purpose, the seat backs fold down to form a shelf for a couple of fair-sized suitcases.

The dashboard is a magnificent edifice. The instru¬mentation is complete even to an oil level gauge (no messy mucking about with a dipstick for the 911 owner). Directly in front of the driver is a huge, 270° electrical tachometer. To its left are gauges for oil and fuel levels, oil pressure

Engine Details

The 911's engine is Porsche's first at¬tempt at a six-cylinder; the two extra cylinders were added for smoother, less-highly-stressed oper¬ation. The prototype we drove at the factory had twin exhausts and sounded uncomfortably like a Cor¬vair. The production cars have a single exhaust and a sound all their own. It's rated at 148 SAE horsepower.

The engine idles somewhat uncer¬tainly at 800 rpm but is smooth as a turbine from 1000 rpm on up to the 6800 rpm redline. It revs quickly and freely, like a competition engine with a light flywheel. Around town, the 911 can be driven in first and third (up to 93 mph) alone; on the highway, it will pull from 2000 rpm in fifth. Sixty mph is less than 3000 rpm (100 mph is only 4900 rpm), making turnpike cruising relatively quiet and effortless on the engine.

During the 911's gestation period, a lot of attention was given to the carburetion, but it still isn't perfect. The 911 has six individual single¬throat Solex PIs, "floatless" car¬buretors in which the fuel level is maintained in a separate reservoir and recirculated by a second fuel pump (mechanical, like the primary pump). All this is supposed to elim¬inate flat spots, hesitation, and the like. Not quite—they're still sorting it out in Stuttgart. After meticulous adjustment by Wolfgang Rietzel, Porsche of America's service repre¬sentative, one of our otherwise-¬stock test cars clocked 0–60 mph in 6.8 seconds—substantially better than the average 911 fresh off the showroom floor. Hopefully, the prob¬lem will be solved in Germany and not require tedious fine-tuning at local Porsche agencies. On the plus side, the new Solexes are injection¬-like in their freedom from varia¬tions due to lateral or vertical ac¬celerations.

and temperatures, and sundry warning lights. On the right are a speedometer, odometer, a clock, and a few more colorfully flashing lights. About the only thing we didn't like about the dash was the strip of teak running full-width below the instruments. The Porsche people are extremely proud of it, it's supposed to look elegant. It looks as if someone said, "Let's put a strip of teak here; it'll look elegant." It doesn't. If we owned a 911 (dare we dream...?), we'd paint it flat black to match the rest of the leatherettecovered dash.

The normal heater, which draws heat from the en¬gine, is supplemented by a gasolinepowered device hidden away under the floor of the trunk compartment. The normal heater, controlled by a small lever just forward of the gearshift, has outlets ahead of each door (which can be closed—or adjusted—by sliding covers), at the base of the windshield, and at the rear window. The auxiliary heater, primarily

a defroster, draws air from a grille behind the front seats and pro¬vides instant heat. It exudes a faint odor of gasoline but is only used in slow traffic or until the engine warms up. A variable-speed fan circulates air from either heater.

Draft-free ventilation with the windows rolled up is possible at any time of year; fresh air is picked up from the high-pressure area ahead of the wind¬shield, controlled by a lever on the dash, and exhausted through the headliner material and out nearly-invisible slots just above the rear window.

The handbrake is between the front seats, whence it migrated from under the 356’s dash. The doors and dash abound with armrests, grab handles, door pulls, push-button door openers and locks, map pockets, a cigarette lighter, an ashtray, and a lockable glove box.

The crankcase is composed of two lightalloy castings bolted together on the crank centerline. The crank itself is a beautifully counter¬weighted forging running in eight main bearings (the "usual" seven plus one outboard of the accessory drive gears), the first time Porsche has put a main bearing on either side of each rod journal.

The distributor, fan, valve train, alternator, and oil pumps are driven from the rear of the crankshaft. Dry sump lubrication (a la Carrera) is employed, with two whole gallons of oil circulated, by a scavenger and a pressure pump, through a thermo¬statically-controlled oil cooler and full-flow filter. The overhead valves are driven by a pair of chains (one per cylinder bank; each tensioned hydraulically) via short rocker arms. The rockers allow the valves to be disposed at an angle to each other rather than in-line.

Six individual cylinder heads are clamped between the cylinder bar¬rels and camshaft housings. The fully-machined combustion cham¬bers are hemispherical with fairly large valves (1.54-inch intake, 1.50 inch exhaust). The ports look restrict¬ed for 333 cc displacement per cylin¬der, the valve timing and lifts are conservative and the compression ratio is only 9: 1, indicating that Porsche is holding quite a bit in re¬serve. We would estimate that 180 horsepower is within reach, either by the factory for a super street ma¬chine or by individuals for amateur racing in the SCCA's class D Pro¬duction. The upper limit for GT racing, either in a lightweight 911 or the six-cylinder versions of the 904 must be in excess of 200 horses.

The barrels have alloy cooling fins and shrunk-in "Biral" (a spe¬cial cast iron) liners. The bore and stroke, at 3.15 x 2.60 inches (80 x 66 mm) are fashionably oversquare, with a ratio of .825

Transmission and Clutch

As mentioned, the five-speed, all¬-synchro gearbox is the 911’s best single feature. Actually, the torque and flexibility of this engine are such that a three-speed would suffice, but it was Porsche’s aim to be much more than merely sufficient. There is, in effect, a gear for every occa-sion: one for starting, one for cruis¬ing, and three for passing. It is to Porsche’s everlasting credit that it didn’t make first gear superfluous by having second an alternative start¬ing gear—you must start in first, and it’s a pretty long gear at that. In fact, 6800 rpm through the gears gives 44, 65, 93,

Steering, Suspension, and Brakes

Porsche is also trying rack-and¬-pinion steering in a production car for the first time on the 911. It's fast, precise, incredibly direct, and—like the carburetion—a little late in being perfected. The prototype we drove was subject to torque steer, i.e., changing the throttle position would change the car's direction. This had been eliminated on the pro¬duction car, but a new bug had cropped up: The steering felt too direct, like a racing Ferrari—you could feel every ripple in the road. Revised front-end parts are coming through on the latest cars, but it's almost impossible to make a rack¬-andpinion system completely free of kickback. Doubtless, Porsche will work out an honorable compromise between damping action and road feel that will satisfy most customers. Incidentally, the steering column contains two U-joints, not to clear any obstacle (the steering box is on the car's centerline), but so that it will collapse toward the dash in case of a crash, a good safety measure.

The 911's suspension is a depar¬ture for Porsche. A damper strut system is used at the front with longitudinal torsion bars. This lay¬out takes much less trunk space

(vs. .895 for the pushrod engines and .804 for the 2.0 liter four-cam engine). The pistons are sharply domed with healthy valve recesses.

The axial fan is fiberglass, sur¬rounds the alternator, and is driven from the crank by a V-belt. Single ignition is used in conjunction with 12-volt electrics, replacing the old 6-volt system. Porsche has indi¬cated its confidence in the new en¬gine by extending the warranty from six months/6000 miles to a full year and/ or 10,000 miles.

118, and 138 mph. All the gears are indirect, with the famous—and flawless—Porsche servo-ring synchromesh. Fourth and fifth gear are actually overdrives, but pulling power is not lost as the upper three ratios Operating the shift lever is con¬fusing at first. First gear is to the left and back, with the other four gears in the normal H-pattern. Re¬verse is to the left and forward, but to go from first to second, you just push forward—toward reverse—not forward

than the transverse bars of the 356. It also improves control and reduces roll (by raising the front roll cen¬ter), and has the odd effect of bank¬ing the wheels into a turn, like a motorcycle rider. To avoid oversteer, a linktype rear suspension with semi-trailing arms (and transverse torsion bars) was adopted. There is very little camber change on jounce and rebound, so the cornering power is not as variable on an undulating surface as the 356. Koni telescopic shocks are fitted all around, but no "camber compensator" is used, as the new suspension makes it unneces¬sary. Body roll is moderate, pitch and harshness seem well under con¬trol, and the ride is surprisingly soft. In all, it's a great improvement over the 356 suspension.

The 911 uses 15-inch wheels. A 14-inch wheel would be more aes¬thetically pleasing (and add to the available interior room) but would have restricted brake size, so we're not complaining. We will complain about the wheel width, however. The rims are only 4.5 inches wide¬—what's happened to all that racing experience? Porsche does have 5.0 x 15 and 5.5 x 15 wheels (from the 904) that will fit; substituting these wheels would yield greater corner¬ing power (and less tire wear) at the penalty of a slightly stiffer ride. We

and right. You half expect it to go into reverse, but it won’t—scout’s honor. Everything else is a piece of cake (the linkage is not as remote as other Porsches’), in¬cluding changing down to first gear for those mountain-pass hairpins.

Clutch diameter is up to 8.5 inches, and the mechanism should prove more robust than older Porsche clutches.

recommend them, and also the ZF¬-made, U.S.-design limited-slip dif¬ferential—if you can get them.

The brakes are virtually the same as the fourwheel discs of the 356C. In the 1965 Car and Driver Year¬book we said: "There's nothing like four-wheel discs...that halfway business with discs at the front and drums at the rear doesn't even come close. In an emergency, good brakes are probably the single most im¬portant factor in avoiding an acci¬dent." The Porsche's brakes are without peer; smooth, positive, un¬affected by water, and absolutely fade-free.

Performance

The performance figures on the specifications page speak for them¬selves, but while we're on the sub¬ject of quotes, David Phipps, our European Editor, had this to say about the 911's handling: "Both di¬rectional stability and cornering are far better than they have any right to be in a car which has the engine in the extreme rear. In corners, you can forget all the things you have been told about the sudden, vicious oversteer of rear-engine cars. The 911's handling characteristics are basically neutral, progressing to slight understeer. It takes a ham¬-fisted clot to upset the back end in the dry, and even in the wet you will only get the tail out by using lots of revs in the lower gears."

The 911 performs better than any previous street Porsche, including the two-liter Carrera.

It's kind of a pocket battleship: What it can't out¬-accelerate it can out-handle, and what it can't out-handle it can out¬-accelerate. There probably aren't five comparable sports/touring cars in the whole spectrum that could lap a road course faster than the 911. And—back to the pocket battleship analogy—those that could probably would fall by the wayside long before the Porsche expired.

The best gas mileage we could re¬cord flat-out on the Autobahn was 24 mpg, but oil consumption was minimal. The oil change interval is up to 3000 miles, and the number of grease fittings has been reduced to zero. There are no other surprises in the 911 for any driver familiar with Porsches. The fan noise and growl of an air-cooled engine are typically Porsche. Getting in and out—despite the wider doors— still requires a supple spine, and so on.

What Porsche has wrought in the 911 is a worthy replacement for all the models that preceded it. Race breeding and engineering refinement ooze from the 911's every pore. The whole package, especially the powertrain, is designed to be more reliable and less difficult to service, thus all the better suited to the factory's concept of the Porsche as a sealed machine for ground transportation. Although the 911 costs a lot less than the Carrera—and a lot more than the current C and SC—it's worth the price of all the old Porsches put together. Most importantly, the 911's appeal should be considerably wider than the earlier models— which, in truth, you had to be some¬thing of a nut to own. Any¬body who ever felt a flicker of desire for a Porsche before will be pas¬sionately stirred about the 911.

Specifications - 1965 Porsche 911

- Vehicle Type: mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2+2-passenger, coupe

PRICE

As Tested: $6490

ENGINE

SOHC inline-6, aluminum block

Displacement: 122 in3, 1991 cm3

Power: 148 hp @ 6100 rpm

Torque: 140 lb-ft @ 4200 rpm

TRANSMISSION

5-speed manual

CHASSIS

Suspension, F/R: struts/semi-trailing arms

Brakes, F/R: 10.8-in disc/11.3-in disc

Tires: Dunlop SP

DIMENSIONS

Wheelbase: 87.1 in Length: 164.0 in Width: 63.4 in Height: 51.9 in Curb Weight: 2376 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS

60 mph: 7.0 sec

1/4-Mile: 15.6 sec @ 90 mph

100 mph: 20.0 sec

Top speed: 130 mph

FUEL ECONOMY

EPA city/highway: 16/24 mpg

Article by: Iulian Dnistran

21st February 2023

Porsche Says OnePedal Driving In EVs Isn't Efficient

The German brand believes there’s a better way to preserve energy.

Alot of electric vehicles today offer what’s known as a one-pedal driving feature, which basically means the electric motor kicks in as a generator as soon as you take your foot off the accelerator pedal, slowing down the car and adding energy back into the battery, increasing the range without plugging into a charger.

But Porsche, which makes the Taycan EV and is working on a slew of new zero-emissions models, claims this isn’t very efficient in the long term and says there’s a better way to go further with an electric car. And that’s by coasting as much as possible.

When coasting, the electric motors disengage for reduced drag, allowing the car to carry along without using barely any energy. Porsche says this is “the more natural process of allowing the vehicle to continue to roll unpowered.”

“This is a more efficient way of driving, because it keeps the kinetic energy in the vehicle,” said Martin Reichenecker, Senior Manager Chassis Testing at Porsche Engineering, in a recent press release. The German carmaker emphasizes that one-pedal driving recuperates first and only then converts the recovered energy back into propulsion, which “results in twice the losses,” adds Reichenecker.

This approach is clearly visible in Porsche’s portfolio, with neither the Taycan nor the upcoming Macan EV featuring one-pedal driving, with the brand noting that this way, the driving characteristics of the zero-emissions models are closer to the internal combustion cars.

With this being said, brake energy recuperation is still a big part of the Taycan. In fact, Porsche says that up to 90 percent of everyday braking can be done using the electric motors alone, without activating the hydraulic braking system. The friction brakes are used mostly at speeds below 3 miles per hour (5 kilometers per hour)

when the electric motors don’t have enough deceleration power, but also when full braking power is needed.

At high speeds, though, a Porsche Taycan Turbo S can generate as much as 290 kW of electric power during braking, enough to top-up the batteries for an additional 0.43 miles (0.7 kilometers) in range after just 2 seconds of deceleration.

Another upside of electric braking is a reduction in wear for the hydraulic braking system, which is rarely engaged, thus the rotors and pads need less maintenance and the intervals at which replacements are needed are higher than in internal combustion engine cars.

What’s your take on this: is Porsche’s approach better from a usability perspective?

6th of March 2023

Article by: Greg Kable (Courtesy of Autocar)

Porsche 911 GT2 RS to return as 700bhp hybrid halo

Le Mans tech for fastest 911 yet, due as one of the final entrants in 992 series

Porsche will lay the foundations for the electrification of the 911 with an advanced new GT2 RS Hybrid – a model that will be the most powerful and fastest-accelerating road-going variant of the iconic sports car yet, according to company insiders. Due in 2026, the topof-the-line, limited-run Porsche 911, which is expected to cost upwards of £250,000, is being engineered with a newly developed hybrid drivetrain that will target “more than 700bhp”.

This will be achieved using tech originally developed by Porsche Motorsport for the Le Mans 24 Hours-winning 919 Hybrid and further developed for its successor, the recently unveiled 963 LMDh racer.

The new petrol-electric drivetrain is envisaged to be launched in the Porsche 911 GT2 RS before being offered in other, less extreme 911 models by the end of the decade.

Contrary to earlier speculation that the 911 would get a plug-in hybrid system similar to that in the Porsche Cayenne and Porsche Panamera, Autocar can confirm that Porsche’s new 911 drivetrain is based around a mild-hybrid system, with an electric motor boosting the internal combustion engine.

The system is described as being “even more advanced” than what has been created for the new LMDh car - a 630bhp turbocharged 4.6-litre V8 petrol engine supported by a 67bhp Bosch electric motor that’s activated above 80mph.

The Porsche 911 Turbo acts as the basis for the new GT2 RS, with its twin-turbocharged

3.8-litre flat six engine being supplemented by a battery like that used by the 919 Hybrid.

How the production car will be set up underneath hasn’t yet been detailed. However, 911 Turbo prototypes fitted with the new mild-hybrid drivetrain have received a gearboxmounted electric motor and air-cooled lithiumion battery positioned low down behind the front seats. The production car will have the battery behind the rear seats for a 39:61 weight balance.

According to patents applied for by Porsche in 2021, this cooling system – not yet confirmed for the production model – uses air from an electric turbocharger, negating the need for an additional fan.

The production battery will, without direct charging, also rely on energy recuperation for storage. Together with a multi-stage brake energy recuperation system, Porsche is said to be developing a variable-geometry turbine within the exhaust tract to allow it to generate

electric energy under acceleration – a Porsche Motorsport system used by the 919 Hybrid.

Unlike the 800V electric drivetrain being developed for the upcoming fourth-generation Porsche Boxster/Porsche Cayman, the 911’s drivetrain operates via a 400V system in the interests of weight and compactness, say Autocar sources, who add that the new drivetrain will deliver “significantly more power” than the previous 690bhp GT2 RS.

While it does allow electric-only propulsion for short distances, the focus of the new mildhybrid drivetrain is very much on “performance enhancement with an absolute minimum increase in weight”.

A target of “more than 700bhp” will be accompanied by a “significant increase in torque”, say insiders. As such, the benchmark performance figures for the new 911 are the 0-62mph time and top speed of its six-year-old predecessor: 2.8sec and 211mph.

Interesting Porsche Images

Porsche 911 Facelift Spied In Coupe And Convertible Forms

The entire Porsche 911 range has a refresh coming. Our spies caught the updated coupe and convertible during cold-weather testing.

Porsche never really overhauls the 911's look. While the refreshed model doesn't appear radically different, there are some big updates. The front fascia has active slats in the inlets on the outer edges. When open, these pieces would provide cooling air to the radiators. When closed, they would provide better aerodynamics.

Like with many refreshes, Porsche's designers don't adjust the styling of the updated 911's flanks. The company might offer some new wheel designs, though.

Porsche doesn't want us to see the refreshed 911's tail. There's a big cover over the whole panel and pieces along the edges of the taillights. The inlets on the rear deck are also under camo. Taken as a whole, this suggests that the updated model could look quite a bit different from the back than the current car.

Previous spy shots let us see inside the updated 911. It adopts a fully digital instrument cluster. We don't have details about tweaks to the infotainment system or center console layout yet. Software tweaks are possible.

Powertrain changes for the refreshed 911 range aren't yet known. A hybrid model joins the range at some point, though. Porsche Chairman Oliver Blume recently described the electrified variant as "very sporty." The setup reportedly puts an emphasis on performance rather than efficiency.

While we don't know the exact date, the first examples of the refreshed 911 should debut this year. We would expect Porsche to start with the entry-level Carrera variants before bringing out the updated GT3 and Turbo.

Article by: Chris Bruce (courtesy of Motor1.com)

10th of January 2023

Past Presidents

1974/75 D. Christison

1975/76 D. Christison

1976/77 D. Christison

1977 /78 P. Dennis

1978/79 B. Clements!

1979/80 B Clements

1980/81 T Klaveniek

1981/82 T Lynas

1982/83 T. Lynas

1983/84 T Lynas

1984/85 T. Lynas

1985/86 J. Nicholls

1986/87 B. Lynas

1987/88 P. Rosenzweig

1988/89 T. John

1989/90 T. John

1990/91 T. John

1991/92 T John

1992/93 T John

1993/94 D. Eckert

1994/95 D. Eckert

1995/96 P. Dixon

1996/97 P. Dixon

1997 /98 P. Dixon

1998/99 P Dixon

1999/00 P. Kowalenko

2000/01 P. Kowalenko

2001/02 P Brunnthaler

2002/03 P. Brunnthaler

2003/04 M. Rooke

2004/05 J. Palmer

2005/06 J. Palmer

2006/07 S. Elshaw

2007 /08 S Elshaw

2008/09 A Sparks

2009/10 A. Sparks

2010/11 N Goodall

2011/12 N. Goodall

2012/13 N. Goodall

2013/14 K. Obst

2014/15 K. Obst

2015/16 K. Obst

2016/17 G. Crowe

2017/18 G. Crowe

2018/19 V Moore

2019/20 V Moore

2020/21 V Moore

2021/22 V Moore

2022/23 V Moore

Motorkhana Champion

2004/05 M Ewer

2005/06 M Ewer

2006/07 D. Gilbert

2007/08 P. Kowalenko

2008/09 R. Paterson

2009/10 D. Gilbert

2010/11 M. Almond

2011/12 R. Paterson

2012/13 R. Paterson

2013/14 R Paterson

2014/15 D. Herreen

2015/16 R. Paterson

2016/17 D. Herreen

2017/18 S. Thiele

2018/19 J. Coote

2019/2020 R Paterson

2020/21 Steve Thiele

2022 Darien Herreen

Hillclimb Champion

2004/05 J. Palmer

2005/06 J. Palmer

2006/07 J Palmer & M. Ewer

2007/08 A. Sparks & M. Ewer

2008/09 G. Keene

2009/10 A. Plate

2010/11 N Goodall & 0. Sheahan

2011/12 R Paterson

2012/13 R. Harrison

2013/14 R Paterson

2014/15 A. Trimmer

2015/16 R Paterson

2016/17 S. Hevera

2017/18 S. Thiele

2018/19 R.Edwards

2019/20 T. Keynes

2020/21 Peter Panopoulos

2022 Roger Patterson

Sprint Champion

2004/05 J. Palmer

2005/06 M. Rooke

2006/07 J Palmer

2007/08 P. Jaquillard

2008/09 0. Sheahan

2009/10 A. Eime

2010/11 N. Goodall

2011/12 M Ewer

2012/13 R. Reynolds

2013/14 A. Trimmer

2014/15 D. Herreen

2015/16 M. Curyer

2016/17 T. Keynes

2017/18 M Rogers

2018/19 P. Panopoulos

2019/20 D. Herreen

2020/21 Peter Panopoulos

2022 Roger Patterson

Club Driving Champion

1985/86 T Lynas

1986/8 7 T. Lynas

1987/88 D. Wallis

1988/89 T. John

1989/90 R Catford

1990/91 T. Gentile

1991/92 T. John

1992/93 R. Catford

1993/94 T. Matthews

1994/95 R Paterson

1995/96 R. Geue

1996/97 P. Dixon

1997 /98 D Gilbert

1998/99 M Ewer

1999/00 M Ewer

2000/01 M Ewer

2001/02 D. Gilbert

2002/03 M. Ewer

2003/04 M. Ewer

2004/05 J Palmer

2005/06 M. Ewer

2006/07 M Ewer

2007/08 A. Sparks

2008/09 G. Keene

2009/10 R. Paterson

2010/11 N. Goodall

2011/12 R Paterson

2012/13 R. Reynolds

Honorary Life Members

2014/15 D. Herreen

2015/16 R. Paterson

2016/17 D. Herreen

2017/18 S Thiele

2018/19 N. Goodall

2019/20 D. Herreen

2020/21 Peter Panopoulos

2022 Roger Patterson

Lady Competitor of the Year

1990/91 S Gentile

1991/92 P. Klaveniek

1992/93 J. Nicholls

1993/94 L. Scammell

1994/95 L. Scammell

1995/96 L. Scammell

1996/97 A. Sparks

1998 to 2004 Not awarded

2004/05 M Ruediger

2005/06 M. Ruediger

2006/07 A Sparks

2007 /08 A. Sparks

2008/09 A. Eime

2009/10 A Eime

2010/11 A Eime

2011-2020 Not awarded

2022 Not Awarded

Club Person of the Year

1987/88 T. Nicholls

1988/89 K. Herbst

1989/90 T. John

1990/91 T John

1991/92 D. Wallbridge

1992/93 L . McDonnell

1993/94 L. Scammell

1994/95 L. Scammell

1995/96 P. Dixon

1996/97 B Smith

1997/98 P. Kowalenko

1998/99 H. Kowalenko

1999/00 D Callow

2000/01 J-A. Brunnthaler

2001/02 M. Rooke

2002/03 K. Somerville

2003/04 C. Johnston

2004/05 G. Cook

2005/06 N. Goodall

2006/07 R. Ruediger

2007 /08 J Sheahan

2008/09 R. Weekes

A. Seaman H. Kowalenko B. Gare R. Pryor

2010/11 K. Obst

2011/12 R Pryor

2012/13 J. Pierson

2013/14 J. O'Connor

2014/15 D. Witten

2015/16 A. Seaman

2016/17 R. Clements

2017/19 Not awarded

2019/20 H Kowalenko

2020/21 Mike Rogers

2022 Ray Pryor

Peter kowalenko Trevor John Kaz Herbst Wayne Obst

Stuart Elshaw David Gilbert Norm Goodall