Porsche Report - October - December 2022

From the Editor

Well, here I am at the end of 2022, finalising this the fourth edition of Porsche Report for 2022. As I type away with one hand, my non-preferred hand I should add, I am reflecting on what has been a particularly memorable last few months, specifically since 26 August. On that lovely clear morning at Falls Creek VIC, I was careering down the snow slope on my skis in my typical out-of-control manner when I jagged my left pole into the snow and managed to have a spill as well as dislocate my left shoulder. Whilst lying in the snow waiting for help, I could only reflect on how those footballers (AFL that is) must feel as they hobble off the field clutching one or other shoulder after a bad knock. After having the shoulder put back into position in the Medical Centre and my wife selflessly driving the 14 hours straight back to Adelaide the next day, I then discovered that I had torn 3 of the 4 Rotator Cuff tendons and one bicep tendon (a real clean sweep!!!), requiring arthroscopic shoulder repair surgery in late November.

Why am I telling you all this – because I have not been able to lift an arm from the sling to grip a steering wheel since late August, and hence no driving enjoyment of my Porsche. This unhappy situation will last until at least February 23 and has resulted in me having a newfound respect for the physical capacity we all take for granted, required to competently drive a motor vehicle, never mind a Porsche or any other high-performance sports car.

I am acutely aware of the dependency we have on our vehicle to get about our daily activities, and how many people simply see their car as a means to an end, for shopping, visiting friends and so on. For many, the interest and potential shift towards autonomous vehicles would provide them with hassle free transport. That, of course, is not the motivation for you as members of our Porsche community, who have the passion and drive, literally, to extend yourselves in your technical ability as a driver, test your capabilities on the track or on a ‘spirited drive’ through the Hills, and yearn for the pleasure and responsiveness your Porsche delivers to you.

As Porschephiles, readers of this magazine love driving, and driving well, so perhaps there will be no urgent desire to see that autonomous motoring vision come to fruition any time soon. Many of the vehicles reported on in this edition require fine driving skills and reward the driver who can master them. Talking about driving Porsches, there has again been plenty of opportunity for that by club members, both socially and in a motorsport capacity, over the last quarter, as you can see in this magazine. And I would like to give a big thank you to Phill Kellett, who generously stepped in to keep the editorial function going whilst I was incapacitated and going into surgery. Without his assistance this edition would not have been possible.

This is also the end of my first year as Editor of Porsche Report and I would like to thank all those who have provided articles and photos to include in each edition. We have tried to capture the essence of PCSA Inc activity, its supporters and members, and the wider Porsche brand and community in SA and further afield. I will continue to seek ways to enhance the quality and content of your magazine and ensure you are provided with the latest in developments and activities across the Porsche world.

I hope you have a wonderful festive season, enjoy this issue and, as always, I look forward to your comments and ideas.

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

Advertising: Ray Pryor

Email: advertising@pcsa.asn.au

Artwork & Printing Composite Colour 4/347 Bay Road, Cheltenham 3192 Ph: 03 9555 6665

email: info@compositecolour.com.au www.compositecolour.com.au

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

Cover

Photo by Bob Taylor PORSCHE Report

we are in May 2021 already.

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.

president’s report

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.

Dear Members

We are now at the start of 2023 after an eventful 2022. The final events for the year included the Weekend Away to the Yorke Peninsula, another successful social activity well supported by members and their partners and excellent organisation by Lee Fulton. Once again, as soon as this event was announced the bookings came in thick and fast and a waiting list was soon established.

We look forward to the 2023 event and your ongoing support.

The final Motorsport activities were held at The Bend on the International Circuit with a Non-competition round of Sprints, followed by passenger rides and the Trophy Presentations for 2022. Congratulations to all the winners and those who filled the minor places. The 2022 Driver championship was won by Roger Paterson with Norm Goodall in second Place. Winners in the other disciplines were, Sprints, Roger Paterson, Motorkhana, Darien Herreen and Hillclimb, Roger Paterson.

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.

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.

To all of you, the Club members who strongly support our Motorsport program, thank you; it allows the Club to continue with improving and fine tuning the events program and to his credit Darien organises these events so well that our Motorsport is cost neutral and at time shows a profit. Make sure you come to an event at The Bend even as a spectator and take advantage of the world class facilities we are so lucky to have here in South Australia. As competitors, ensure you take up the offer of being a part of the Sporting Car Club State round later in the year, when one of our Sprint Rounds is included in the Race meeting, giving competitors the chance to experience a race meeting atmosphere, and PCSA members the additional bonus of Porsche Sprints and many other categories to watch on the same day. I thoroughly recommend participating in the event proper or as a spectator.

Once again, the Porsche Club Christmas Picnic was a resounding success, even though Mother nature decided we should have lots of rain prior to the event and almost laid on a white Christmas for us at Ashton Oval. A huge thank you to Helen Kowalenko and her team of helpers who gave us a wonderful day for the Porsche Club family to come together to celebrate with each other during the Festive season.

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.

The Adelaide Rally saw a field of twenty-five Porsches of all varieties in the Porsche Club of SA Tour Group. Unfortunately, particularly for my Navigator Gerry Bourke, I contracted Covid and tested positive on the morning of Day One. I would like to acknowledge the time and effort Gerry puts into our event with us covering approximately a thousand kilometres of recce and course checking prior to the event to ensure our competitors have a safe and enjoyable rally. Another huge thank you to the Course car team who so professionally stepped up and supported our group in Gerry and my absence

as Tour Leader. Thanks to Brad and Barrett Trenwith, Tour leaders, ably supported by Peter Mayer and Patricia Melzer, James Law and Rory Niquet.

Our last event for the year was the Hills, Southern Vales drive followed by a picnic at Hazelwood Park, once again organised by our Social Director Lee Fulton. Thank you all for your support.

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.

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.

Special presentations for the 70th Anniversary of the first Porsche Club established by Porsche owners wanting to share their passion with like-minded friends, were supported by Porsche AG. To recognise this milestone Porsche Cars Germany sent out some trophies to be presented to the Club member or members who have made a significant contribution to the Club over an extended period. Currently the Committee is discussing the process and procedures to ensure each club member who is eligible is awarded the trophy, to be known initially as “The President’s Award 2022”. We currently have a Club Person of the Year award which recognises annual contributions by any Club member, with the exception of serving Committee members, and of course the range of Motorsport awards for the various disciplines. As soon as the details are finalised we will announce the recipients of The Presidents Award and the presentation date.

As we progress through 2023 and you partake in the many events on offer, please let us know what we are doing right and if there is anything you would like to see added. If you would like to be a part of organising events, running events or just offering help please let us know. 2023 will be particularly busy with the Show and Shine at Birdwood Motor museum, the Easter Nationals at the Bend Motorsport Park, the Black-Tie Event and many more dinners, morning runs and the Week-end Away. You can offer to assist at one event, social or motorsport, or become a part of an organising team, and if you are willing become a Committee member. All these positions and activities can be personally rewarding and benefit many others. I look forward to being at more events in 2023 and catching up with you.

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.

Kind regards,

Vic Moore, President, PCSA Inc.

Vic Moore President, PCSA Inc.

Tribute package makes new 911 GT3 RS look like Porsche’s original Carrera RS

Article by: Damon Lowney (by kind permission PCA) Photos courtesey of Porsche Article date: 25 October 2022

Did you happen to see the 911 GT3 RS that Porsche had on display at Zentrum in Monterey? It was a prototype, or working show car, of sorts, perhaps to gauge the public’s interest in such a throwback package. Fortunately, it was well received, and now Porsche is offering GT3 RS buyers the Carrera RS 2.7 Tribute package, which takes its inspiration from Porsche’s first 911 RS in 1973.

Here’s the big picture: The 911 GT3 RS with the Tribute to Carrera RS package adds the whiteon-Pyhton Green paint scheme, the Weissach package, and a bunch of other details for an additional USD$49,050 over the GT3 RS with Weissach package. The Weissach package (required when optioning the Tribute package) adds magnesium wheels, a bunch of bare carbon panels and trim, and carbon-fiber reinforced plastic anti-roll bars, coupling rods, and rear underbody panel.

Porsche history buffs might know that the original 1973 911 Carrera RS 2.7 had a different paint scheme: White body with Viper Green accents. The 992 GT3 RS changes that up with Python Green accents and a white body. The Weissach package — required when optioning the Tribute package — adds magnesium wheels and a bunch of bare carbon panels and trim, and carbon-fiber reinforced plastic anti-roll bars, coupling rods, and rear underbody panel.

Back to the Tribute package. Most of what makes it different from other GT3 RSs is due to work by Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur. The customization arm of Porsche lays claim to everything in Python Green: the wheels, mirror caps, side graphics, RS logo with the American flag on the wing end plates, the Porsche script under the wing, and the GT3 RS graphic on the rear fascia. The Porsche Carbon Ceramic Brakes’ (PCCB) calipers are painted high gloss black instead of the normal yellow, too.

Those who opt for the package will also receive some other goodies, including a custom car cover, valve stem caps with RS in Python Green, key caps in Python Green, custom license plate frame, and two 1:43-scale models of the 1973 Carrera RS and the new GT3 RS with Tribute to Carrera RS package. Porsche Design is even throwing in a special watch with a winding rotor in Python Green that looks like the magnesium wheels.

Perhaps the most intriguing part of the package is the inclusion of a NFT program that awards customers with digital badges as they visit key race tracks and Porsche events. Porsche also gives buyers a physical representation of the NFT so they can show off their achievements in the real world.

Insider, you’ll find a leather and Race-Tex interior with carbon-fiber buckets. Exclusive Manufaktur added green stitching, illuminated door sill guards that read “Tribute to Carrera RS,” centre console embossed with RS, and keys painted white.

A standard 911 GT3 RS is an eye-watering USD$223,800 MSRP. Add the Weissach package and you’re looking at USD$263,500. Opt for the GT3 RS Tribute to Carrera RS package and you’re staring at a USD$312,550 price tag (not including the $1,450 processing and handling fee).

PCSA Weekend Away 29/30th October To Wallaroo Apartments

“The PCSA Weekend Away to Wallaroo was an excellent trip with passionate Porsche fans, beautiful cars, exceptional food and engaging drives and roads.”

Article by: Lee Fulton Photos by: Kym Obst

Members arrived at approximately 8.15am Saturday morning at The Feathers Hotel and after a chat we departed for the drive at about 8.30am. The route included: Summertown, Uraidla, Lobethal, Mt Torrens and a stop at Mt. Pleasant for a short break before travelling via Angaston and then heading to Watervale Hotel for lunch. Many of the 32 people who were on the weekend away raved over the food, the ambience and the service at The Watervale Hotel. The members saw it as a big highlight of the trip and members including myself have been back since to savour the amazing range of food, wines and beers on offer at the hotel.

From Watervale we then travelled via the Clare Valley to Snowtown, then the challenging roads of Brukunga Gap before going to Kadina and finally Wallaroo and the apartments.

After checking in and appreciating the wellappointed rooms and the spectacular views, it was time to relax and freshen up before drinks on the deck at the Coopers Alehouse which was next to the apartments.

The evening meal was also held at The Alehouse, where they provided a wide range of choices, with ample proportions and good quality pub food.

Breakfast was also served in The Alehouse on the Sunday morning, with buffet style catering for a wide variety of tastes.

We left the apartments at approximately 10.30am heading to Clare for a meal at Mr Mick at 12noon.

Although the weather had been perfect for most of the weekend, the trip to Clare was a little rainy but this only added to the fun of the drive.

Mr Mick’s is in a back street of the main drag in Clare, with a unique setting and a number of buildings being made out of stone. Tapas was a highlight of the meal which included dips, squid, arancini, salad, chicken, patatas and pork.

The food was appetizing and mouth-watering, offering ample quantities and a broad variety of choices.

At the end of the meal everyone was free to find their own way home, trying to avoid the major roadworks taking place in and around Clare. The weekend was well summed up by one of the members, who sent an email to Doug McPherson and me which said: “Just want to thank you and Lee for the fantastic weekend. It was very well organized, and the meals, accommodation and company were excellent”.

Many thanks to Doug McPherson for all his efforts with the logistical side of the event. The members who joined me on the weekend away and I look forward to 2023 to make the next weekend away, even more enjoyable.

Porsche at Shannons Nationals 23 October 2022

The Bend

Photos by: Bob Taylor (the PCSA Inc photographer) 23rd October 2022

Sam Shahin

Theon Design Porsche 911 review

Article by: Richard Lane and Autocar (by kind permission Autocar)

Article date: 12 October 2022

“Stellar engine and easy drivability are deftly paired with hot-rod undertones”

So beloved is the concept of the 'reimagined' Porsche 911 that the whole thing now borders on religious fervour, the reveals never-ending.

You know the recipe: botoxed arches, polished velocity stacks, boudoir-eque cabins. Most of these very fancy creations are based on the 964, which has always been the most obvious sacrificial lamb in the family tree. Are we now reaching a stage where, even though Porsche built some 34,000 Carrera coupes of this vintage, unmolested examples might actually become among the rarest sports cars of all time?

Of course, they won't, but it's pretty easy to get cynical about restomod 911s, isn't it? There is a definite template here, one oft-repeated, and the projects are generally eye-wateringly expensive.

Yet, when you see it done well – 'it' being the process of modernising and enhancing both the looks (although, confusingly, this bit may also entail retrostyling) and dynamics of an older 911 without altering the fundamental feel of the thing – the result can be just a little magical. Familiar but somehow fresh and often achingly pretty, there’s something jewel-like about the best Porsche 911 restomods.

Which brings us to Theon Design. Oxfordshire’s answer to Singer? Perhaps. This Deddingtonbased tie-up between Adam Hawley (styling, engineering) and Lucinda Argy (business) was founded in 2016 by Hawley, whose background as an OEM designer spans working on the visionary BMW Project i concepts to cars for Lotus and cabins for Airbus. He brings not only the impetus for this project, but the CAD expertise required to produce and assemble complex components, not to mention a totally disarming level of enthusiasm and an appropriate level of obsession with all things classic Porsche.

On the day we arrive to try CHI001 – a 400bhp 964 conversion destined for Chile and equipped with the lairiest engine yet conceived by Theon – there are three cars at differing stages of construction inside the discreet workshop. All have been stripped back to the bare metal, straightened, strengthened, and cloaked in hand-beaten steel or, in the case of CHI001, beautifully wrought carbon fibre (though the doors are steel, for crash-protection).

All bear flat-six engines based on the 3.6-litre block they were born with, though the outputs are way in excess of the 247bhp the basic Carrera had back in 1990 and comfortably more than even the 316bhp of the whale-tail Turbo. Go to Theon and your options currently range from around 370bhp up to 450bhp in the case of the middle car of the three, whose Rotrex-supercharged heart nestles beautifully inside its neat, quad-piped tail. One for another time, I hope.

Previously, Theon's engines were built in Brackley by Nick Fulljames, formerly of Autofarm and a man whose experience extends from working with Cosworth in Formula 1 to Jaguar, alongside TWR. However, this latest unit for CHI001 has been made built in-house. At four litres and naturally aspirated it's also the largest Theon offers. The brief from the client was something I suspect we'd all desire: usability with some bare-chested, RSR

headiness. It’s why this car uses a single-mass flywheel and quite fighty cams. There are also individual throttle bodies, which sit underneath stacks (in this case not polished, but cracklecoated) that artfully curve inwards and over the carbon fibre engine shroud. Directly beneath it all sits the G50 transmission from a 993-generation 911, stripped and rebuilt and now equipped with an LSD from Wavetrac.

As for the exterior, you could take in the details for an inordinate amount of the time. The 17in dished wheels are Champagne-hued works of art, the brightwork so nicely done, the carbon body truly glove-like in its fit. It’s all very pretty.

But now it’s time to slide aboard the mechanical blueberry and into the grip of a modern Recaro bucket. Seat aside, this cabin feels of its time – flamboyant as you want and with lots of inventive textures, but of its time and true to the original 964, which I suppose is the idea,

though this doesn't come without compromises. The drilled pedals look fantastic but are typically offset. The Nardi wheel feels so reassuringly simple and firm but is two inches closer to the upright windscreen than you’d want.

Visibility is phenomenally good by modern standards, though, and the dials equally clear. It’s an exciting and tactile place to sit but this is nothing compared to what happens when you fire the engine. At this point the entire chassis begins to pulsate to a syncopated beat, as though some creature is attempting to break its way out. Hawley insists that all Theon’s cars are docile enough for daily driving but CHI001’s hollow air-cooled gargle, the quivering of the bodyshell and the idea of 400bhp pushing against just 1160kg does make me wonder.

Get going and I really need not have worried. At idle CHI001 does a convincing impression of something fundamentally unhinged but the light clutch, gently assisted steering (there’s modern EPAS hardware in the nose) and the manners of an engine sensitively calibrated and under the heel of Motronic engine management mean this is no chuntering 3.0 RSR for the road, hellbent on living its life at 8800rpm. It pulls raucously but smoothly, with responsiveness that is fabulously sharp by today's standards but never jagged. Even the gearshift is totally insouciant. Maybe too light, in fact, but at least it is accurate and missed shifts seem unlikely.

Cross-country cruising is in general undemanding but far from unengaging, with Theon's creation exhibiting far more precision and alertness than any period 964 could muster.

Much of the transformation is down to the Tractive dampers, which are the same used by the current Porsche Carrera Cup car and are adjustable through five modes. CHI001 sits 10mm lower than a period RS 964 but in the softest damper mode its featherweight body still moves silkily over undulations while the fidelity of the steering dials you into the road. The chassis balance is also surprisingly neutral, though there's never any question about where exactly the flat-six engine is positioned. In the firmest damper mode the car is most sensitive to what you’re doing with the steering and throttle, and superbly so, but set as such the ride quality flirts with brittleness on UK roads and so even for pushing on your best in the mid setting. However, the main thing is that you have a choice of usefully spaced parameters when it comes to the suspension and there will be a time and place for all of them. There’s more versatility here than in the latest 911 GT3.

Confidence buffered up, you can really get to know that engine. It’s not exactly a screamer but what it lacks in higher frequencies it makes up for in sternum-buzzing intake roar and a tidal wave of waspish energy that grows inexorably towards the red line. And so much torque. It fizzes with power at higher revs and at full chat CH1001 feels BMW M3-quick – 400bhp-worth, certainly – but just as mighty is what happens when you engage another gear and drop the revs back into the mid-range. The car lunges forwards again with renewed aggression. It’s all pretty shocking for something that while purposeful also remains neat, almost demure, and agreeably small on the road. In short, usable.

The setup is good, too. The contact patch is far bigger than this chassis would have started off with – 225-section front Michelins on the Theon are what this 964 in its original form would have worn at the back – but it doesn’t hunt about on corrugated roads like you might expect. The car's neutrality also allows you to explore the very high limits of grip and traction. Some people would I imagine prefer the car to be more transient in its handling, but if you want security and the ability to uncork this mighty engine at will, this is a fine compromise. That said, through one off-camber corner, taken at pace and with a ridge near the apex, CHI001 does get quite severely flustered for a moment before settling. It’s a reminder that, for all its pace and panache, at speed you still have to think your way down roads in this old-spirited car, in a manner that in modern performance

cars you can mostly get away without doing. But I quite like that about it. You might also want for slightly quicker steering mid-corner. CHI001 gets its friendly-looking face into corners so readily and flatly that the gearing of the rack, which is as per an original 964, can suddenly feel quite lethargic once you’re into the meat of bends. As with everything, you quickly adjust, but it does momentarily lessen your oneness with the thing.

And the cost? £380,000. Or at least that is the point where Theon Design’s creations start. Expensive, yes, but considerably less than what you’ll pay at Singer, which in any case is no longer taking orders for its ‘Classic’ Porsche 911.

Of course, you could buy a nice 964 RS for roughly half what the Theon costs and an early 911 GT3 would give you much of the same sensations, and possibly more dynamic reward, for far less still. But restomods have never been rational purchases and this one, from such a young company, has clearly been made with plenty of expertise and even more love. It’s one of the jewels.

Workmanship

• Expected security and reliability from our market leading Toshiba brand products

• Fully tested, reliable and comprehensive product range for peace of mind

• Quick callout response times so you can get back to business ASAP

• Enjoy the convenience of full local sales and service support with over 30 years in business

• Specialising in servicing the needs of small to medium businesses

Off-road sports car with the genes of a winner: The new Porsche 911 Dakar

Porsche is celebrating an extraordinary world premiere at the Los Angeles Auto Show: the new Porsche 911 Dakar is just as comfortable off-road as it is on the highway. Limited to just 2,500 examples, this exclusive model doesn’t just demonstrate the all-but-limitless possibilities of the Porsche 911 concept: it also evokes the first overall victory by Porsche in the 1984 Paris-Dakar Rally. This momentous win also marked the birth of all-wheel drive in the Porsche 911. This is why the new 911 Dakar is also offered with an optional Rallye Design Package, reminiscent of that iconic winning car.

Stuttgart/Australia. The first striking detail of the Porsche 911 Dakar is its ground clearance, which is approximately 50 mm higher than that of a 911 Carrera with sports suspension. And the standard lift system can raise the front and rear ends an additional 30 mm. Its ground clearance and ramp angle rival those of conventional SUVs. The lift system is not designed merely for driving over obstacles at low speeds, but is rather an integral part of the re-tuned suspension. The ‘high level’ setting is available for ambitious off-road adventures

Complementing the car’s sporty off-road attributes are specially developed Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus tyres (245/45 ZR 19 at the front and 295/40 ZR 20 at the rear). The chunky tread pattern is 9 mm deep and the reinforced sidewalls and the threads consist of two carcass plies. All this makes the tyres of the Porsche 911 Dakar ideal even for challenging terrain and they are highly cut-resistant. Summer tyres are available as an option, also with two carcass plies in addition to the standard all-terrain tyres.

Commanding power on all surfaces

The three-litre biturbo six-cylinder with 480 PS (353 kW) and a maximum torque of 570 Newton metres delivers superior performance with a compelling boxer sound. The new sports car is capable of accelerating to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds.

As standard, the engine comes with an eightspeed PDK and Porsche all-wheel drive. The standard equipment also includes rear-axle steering, the engine mounts from the 911 GT3, and PDCC anti-roll stabilisation. The interplay of all the components results in the 911 Dakar being just as dynamic on sand and loose surfaces as it is on the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Its maximum off-road performance is also thanks in part to two new driving modes, which are selectable via the rotary switch on the steering wheel. Rallye mode is ideal for loose, uneven surfaces and features rear-focused all-wheel drive. In Off-road mode the high clearance is activated automatically. This mode is designed for maximum traction on difficult terrain and on sand. Both of the new driving modes also feature the new Rallye Launch Control, which enables impressive acceleration on loose surfaces.

Optionally available with a roof basket or roof tent

Additional characteristic features of the 911 Dakar include the newly developed, fixed lightweight rear spoiler made of CarbonFibreReinforced Plastic (CFRP), and the CFRP front luggage compartment lid with striking air outlets taken from the 911 GT3. There are also standard off-road details such as the red aluminium towing lugs at the front and back, the widened wheel wells and sills and the stainless steel protective elements on the front, rear and side sills. The side air intakes on the redesigned front end are also protected against flying rocks by stainless steel grilles.

The roof of the Porsche 911 Dakar features a visible 12-volt power outlet for the headlights of the optional roof rack that is available via Porsche Tequipment. With a capacity of 42 kilograms, the rack can accommodate rallying accessories such as fuel and water canisters, folding shovels and traction boards without any problems. A roof tent is also available for the 911 Dakar via Porsche Tequipment.

In the interior, the 911 Dakar underscores its sporting ambitions with standard full bucket seats and the omission of the rear seats. Lightweight glass and a lightweight battery reduce its weight further, enabling the Porsche 911 Dakar to weigh in at just 1,605 kg – a mere 10 kg heavier than the 911 Carrera 4 GTS with PDK.

A defining feature of the Dakar interior is the standard Race-Tex surfaces with decorative stitching in Shade Green. Exclusively for the 911

Dakar is the optional exterior finish in Shade Green metallic.

Rally Design Package with styling that echoes that of the 1984 Paris-Dakar-winning rally car

The foundation of the optional Rallye Design Package is the two-tone finish in White/Gentian Blue Metallic. This combination of two-tone paintwork and wrapping on a standard model is a first for Porsche. On the side of the vehicle, the customer can choose an individual race number between 1 and 999. In addition to decorative stripes in red and gold, the 911 Dakar with the Rallye Design Package – the look of which reprises the winning car from the 1984 Rally Dakar – also features a ‘Roughroads’ logo on the doors. The term is a registered trademark and reflects the concept of the 911 Dakar and its suitability for driving off-road. Optionally available is the Rallye Sport Package with roll cage, sixpoint seat belts and fire extinguisher. Customers of the 911 Dakar can exclusively order the Porsche Design Chronograph 1 ‒ 911 Dakar or the Chronograph 1 ‒ 911 Dakar Rallye Design Edition to go with their car. For the first time, the housing is made of particularly scratch-resistant and light titanium carbide.

In Australia, the 911 Dakar will be additionally equipped only with the tyre sealant and electric air compressor as standard due to its high global standard equipment load. The new Porsche 911 Dakar is available for order now and starts at $491,400**. The Rallye Design Package costs $54,730**. Australian deliveries are expected to commence from the second half of 2023.

Super Sprint #7 / Passenger Laps/ Presentation Day

Article date: 13 Nov 2022

Article and Photos by: Peter Wirthensohn

It was undoubtedly with some trepidation after the storms of the day before, that some 44 club members and associates and a further 20 or so family and friends made their way to the last Super Sprint Day of the season on the International Circuit at the Bend on the 13th of November. But lo and behold, the weather Gods had some sympathy, and the weather was great with mostly sunny conditions and not a spot of rain during the track time. There was the usual range of members’ cars ranging from air and water cooled 911s, a 928, Boxster/Caymans through to a couple of Cup cars and numerous GT cars including the amazing GT2RS Clubsport and GT3R, which of course posted the fastest times of the day, ably driven by the Wallis brothers.

This was a non-competitive sprint day with three sessions for two groups in the morning, followed by some passenger laps for family and friends after lunch. No wonder the numbers were up as friends experienced the excitement and perhaps a little apprehension of experiencing laps at speed, albeit not at top speed.

This was followed by presentations for the last few motorsport events and the Driver’s Championship awards, accompanied by some complimentary refreshments. Many of the motorsport event awards went to Mark Coupe, Roger Paterson and Adam Wallis who clearly all excelled during the motorsport year. Of the associates, Jim Hatzis was the clear outstanding performer during the year, so it was no surprise that he also took out the Associates Driver Championship Award. Roger Paterson was up to his usual form in his new car and took out the members’ Drivers Championship award.

This was again a perfectly organised and run event and many thanks are due to Darien Herreen, ably assisted by his son and Mark Coupe for managing the events of the day. This was a great way to end the season and I’m sure all motorsport event participants look forward to the commencement of the next season’s motorsport program

On the day we had some fun with passenger laps and did trophies for fastest in the following groups

Open Adam Wallace GT2 RS

1:52.173

Modern Tony Keynes 991.2 GT3 2:07.393

Classic Mark Coupe 928S

2:12.895

Associate Ric Hambrook BMW M3

2:10.507

Super Sprint 7 return to the international circuit non-competition round and an afternoon of passenger laps and presentations –a personal reflection

Article by: M Coupe

I think we’ve had an amazing year of competition and how lucky to have a 7th event to challenge ourselves once more and see what we had left in the tank without upsetting our handicaps. Storms devastating suburbs, pulling out trees, ripping down power lines, floods, and the uncertainty of being able to even get to the Bend on Sunday; and when you thought the motorsport year couldn’t get any better, Darien made sure the weather happened on Saturday and a dry track and sunny conditions were on the menu for Sunday. And on top of that, the invitation was there to strap your partner or friend or relative in the passenger seat and experience a quick lap around the Bend International track.

For me it was time to see what the experimental rear aero felt like. After season end testing in the wind tunnel, the truth is in how it feels around the track. It’s always a trade-off, down force stability and grip verses top speed. Truth be known, I was a little uncertain as to how much it would affect the front-end grip. Anyway, we had a blast, 3 sessions before lunch allowing us to set tyre pressures and get in the groove for a few cool calm passenger laps.

We had a great mix of seasoned sprinters and new members and associates, all checking times and questioning lap times and improvements, the usual banter!

I must say I was not that interested in times, more the feel of the car with the aero changes, but more than happy to be recognised for the Fastest Classic Porsche on the day. Might even do a quick lap once the manual gearbox goes in!

The day was well rounded with presentations for the years commitments and for the day recognising our 4 categories during challenge, non-club championship events.

PCSA Motorsport 2022

Top

places

Drivers Championship = 72 drivers (4 entered all three disciplines)

Motorkhana = 20 drivers (6 did all three events)

51 drivers (3 did all six events)

Porsche at Valo 500

Photos by: Bob Taylor, the PCSA Photographer.

PCSA Christmas Picnic

Planning for this year’s Christmas began early as we had to move dates due to the changing landscape of motor sport in SA. This year’s Christmas party, although held in November before the Xmas rush, was well attended with numbers higher than previous years.

Our venue again was Ashton, usually a great venue with opportunity to see all the cars lined up against the backdrop of the beautiful Adelaide hills. Unfortunately, this year, due to the excessive and continual rainfall, we were not able to use the oval to park the cars. That however did not stop members arriving in their Porsches and it was great to see so many brave the conditions on the day. We had a variety of weather on the day itself, including fog, heavy rain and sunshine, but it did not spoil the Christmas spirit of those that attended.

The catering by Mediterranean Excellence was as usual excellent, with an amazing array of gourmet foods including barramundi prawns, roast turkey and a large selection of antipasto to name but a few. Feedback from members indicated again this year that the food was outstanding and plentiful. It was topped off with ice-creams for the children and specialist cupcakes in the Porsche theme made by my daughter Sarah.

Of course, the highlight was the visit by Santa (unfortunately he had to arrive by foot as it was too wet for the Porsche sleigh). It was great to see the children all lining up waiting in anticipation for what Santa had brought them and watching them unwrap their gifts.

Lee Fulton provided a moving tribute to the recently deceased club member Jim Pierson and Vic Moore, Club President, made the announcement of the Club Person of the Year award, a first for our yearly Christmas party. It was awarded to Ray Prior. Congratulations Ray, a very well-deserved recognition of your long-term commitment to the club!

Thank you to those that kindly donated gifts for families who are currently living in woman’s shelters in SA. To add to this story the club also donated $2500 to the shelter (Woman’s Support Safety Service) and Lee and I had the privilege of delivering both the cheque and the gifts to them. On the day we made the presentation the Women’s Support Safety Service were holding a XMAS event for the children and did not have enough gifts, so our donations certainly made a real difference to those children that day. The monetary donation would contribute directly to these families at a difficult time of the year, providing food, clothing and those little extras that we all take for granted. It was a great opportunity as a club to feel that we had in a small way made a difference to a SA charity that continues to support children and woman who need it the most. (log on to their website and see the post they put up around the donation)

Planning is of course already happening for Christmas 2023. Thanks to Lee Fulton for all his support and to all our club members who made what could have been an ordinary event due to the weather into another great Christmas party

Article by: Helen Kowalenko

Photos by: Peter Wirthensohn, Pam Fulton and Helen Kowalenko

Article date: 20 November 2022

Porsche CEO Confirms New Hypercar Is Coming After 2025

Article by: Thanos Pappas (by kind permission)

Article date: 12 December 2022

While the GT2 RS and the GT3 RS variants of the 911 are amazingly fast, Porsche fans are dreaming of a new flagship model in the lines of the Carrera GT and the 918 Spyder. Thankfully, such a project is under development, although it won’t reach production before 2025 as Porsche prioritizes other EV launches.

The new halo model was confirmed to be under development by Porsche CEO, Oliver Blume. In an interview with Car Magazine he said: “The hypercar is always a part of Porsche’s strategy” adding that “Porsche was always successful with this kind of hypercar showing what is possible, showing future technologies, cuttingedge products”.

While a new hypercar from Zuffenhausen is certainly good news, the project is not as close to production status as one would hope. Blume said they are now “concentrating on electromobility” with many new products coming up in the next few years. It is only after

those EV launches that Porsche will leverage “when will be the right moment” for the new hypercar and which “cutting edge” technologies will be highlighted in it. Blume became more specific saying that the new flagship won’t come before 2025.

While it is too early to talk about specs, there is a high chance that the new Porsche hypercar will use a fully electric powertrain. In previous statements, the CEO made it clear that Porsche is investing in high-power and high-density battery cells which could be used in a highperformance model in the second half of the decade.

Looking back to the Porsche lineage, every decade had its own “flagship” model. The Porsche 959 appeared in 1986, the ultralimited track-focused 911 GT1 Strassenversion followed in 1997, the Carrera GT was introduced in 2003, and the latest 918 Spyder entered production in 2013 featuring a hybrid powertrain. Honouring tradition, the next chapter will be written by the yet-unnamed model before the end of the decade.

In the past years, Porsche showed us several “secret” concepts that could fulfill the role of a flagship hypercar including the 918 RS and the 919 Street, the 917 Living Legend, and the Vision 920. More recently, the automaker revealed the Vision GT concept for the Gran Turismo gaming series, featuring a quad-motor EV powertrain producing 1,274 hp (950 kW / 1,292 PS).

2024 Porsche Macan EV Will Have 603 HP And Over 738 LB-FT

We’ve been talking about the electric Macan for several years and yet deliveries to customers won’t start until 2024. As some of you will recall, Porsche had planned to commence sales in 2023 but recently decided to delay the EV due to problems encountered by Volkswagen Group’s software division Cariad. To ease the wait, Zuffenhausen has now released some preliminary technical specifications, and they’re quite juicy.

As previously reported, the Macan sans ICE will ride on the new Premium Platform Electric co-developed with Audi. The most potent version will have as much as 603 horsepower and more than 738 pound-feet (1,000 Newton-meters) of torque from a dual-motor configuration with all-wheel drive. PPE is also being engineered for a rear-wheel-drive specification with a single electric motor mounted at the back.

While the curb weight remains a mystery, we do know it’ll be distributed 48 percent at the front and 52 percent at the rear. The pair of e-motors will draw its juice from a lithium-ion battery pack with a gross capacity of 100 kWh (96 to 98 kWh usable). Thanks to the 800V architecture, owners of the 2024 Macan EV will be able to juice up the battery pack with its 12 prismatic cells at over 270 kW.

Porsche told InsideEVs that a smaller battery will not be available while a bigger one is not supported by the PPE platform. Range remains a secret for the time being, but we do know owners will be able to replenish the battery from 5 to 80 percent in 25 minutes. To boost the charging speed, clever engineering has gone into developing the battery so that it can work better with 400V chargers by splitting the 800V pack into two halves.

Other confirmed details for the electric Macan include a rear-mounted electronic locking differential and an increase of 15 percent for the steering angle to make the vehicle more maneuverable. For the same reason, there’s also rear-wheel steering at up to five degrees that works at speeds below 50 mph (80 km/h).

As a final note, it should be mentioned the ICE and EV Macans will peacefully coexist for a number of years before the former will be discontinued.

Bore and Stroke, there is no substitute for horsepower! Part 3.

The saga continues with an engine build from a 30-year-old 5 litre quad cam V8.

SO what happens when you turn a 5.0L engine into 6.55L’s….. more HP, and along with more HP comes more heat, hopefully more speed therefore creating the need for improved heat management and bigger brakes. Heat management was a huge task and still needs some work. Firstly, I replaced the radiator with a larger core “500hp” capacity aluminium unit manufactured by ADRAD. In addition, I added a large oil cooler and removed the oil routing through the radiator. Airflow to the radiator was next, improved by creating a more direct air flow through a front scoop and front splitter.

With custom shrouding and high flow fans installed, I was provided an opportunity to mould custom air intakes for better “cold air” induction.

Luckily wind tunnel testing at Adelaide Uni provided certainty when creating rear wing designs but also allowed us to assess the front end, highlighting some opportunities to modify the engine airflow, and increase the air dam effect; something for later.

Braking capacity has always been a challenge in the 928. I had already upgraded the S4 large brakes to 993TT “big reds” and 322mm rotors, but still had to use 700-degree synthetic brake fluid to get through a track day, and they worked really well. I wanted to get a percentage increase over what I had, just to be sure, so I looked for 6 pot callipers which gave me enough mounting pitch to design an adapter plate and squeeze in 355mm 2-piece rotors.

Custom hats designed and then manufactured in Melbourne came out a treat and given the profile of the calliper chosen, they just fit inside a 17” rim.

The introduction of Pagid LS1 yellow Pads on the front and Pagid RS4 black, on the rear, provided unbelievable bite, making this 33-year-old car feel like it was built yesterday.

With engine installed, it started first time; so amazed and congratulated myself on the achievement by signing up for the next track day….ha,ha,ha. Sounds awesome, but most critically I needed to check the air fuel ratio, so off to the dyno and surprisingly a perfect ratio right up to WOT (wide open throttle) and measured approximately 450hp, so a 50% increase.

Compensates for the 30% loss through the auto trans! Now to put a few k’s on it and put some real oil in to feel the result.

The first 2 outings were not as stable as planned, even with an additional cam cover breather and a small catch can, I had oil running everywhere, crankcase pressure pushing oil mist as hard as you can imagine, then a second, modified, set up had the AC belt spin off and rip out the catch can drain line, so both outings were cut short, but they provided very valuable learnings. The end result was 4 cam cover breathers and 2 large catch cans so no-one complains that I may be oiling the track.

It’s impressive to feel how much air is being pushed out the back of the exhaust, it really makes you understand how much volumetric difference there actually is.

Specs: Porsche 928 S5 6.55L 4 spd Auto RS

1989 Porsche 928 body, rear wheel arches stretched 15mm, front guards stepped out 35mm

Custom front air dam

Custom rear wing

Front 265 x 40 x 18 Rear 295 x 35 x 18

35mm solid spline front sway bar

750lb front springs 450lb rear

Front 6 pot Brembo 355mm x 32 brakes

Engine 6.55l CR 11.3:1 98+ octane

Large 968 intake valves ported, polished heads

Custom Cam shafts, extended duration and lift

Custom knife edge hollow crankshaft

Crank scraper plate and baffle system

Extended drop sump, accusump system and custom oil cooler

Custom throttle body mods

LCB custom headers, 3” single exhaust, ceramic coated

Custom front air dam and rear wing.

With a good increase in horsepower the next weak link is the auto box, said to be good for 600hp but probably ok for normal driving, not track days spending hours at full power and torque. After a few outings the old Mercedes 4 speed needed a rebuild and I cannot speak highly enough of MV Automatics in Blackwood. Everyone seems scared of a 928 Auto rebuild but Michael Vidau (Max Vidau’s father, top 10 runner in Carrera cup series) has no problem; “it’s a standard big 1980’s Mercedes box strong as an ox and very straight forward to rebuild.” Knowing I was planning to continue with this strategy for a while longer Michael suggested he could laser cut additional clutch plates and add a couple more clutches in the pack to prolong the life but had little ability to upsize the clutch bands and drum. Nevertheless, how awesome to just throw in a few technical upgrades to try and increase the life. In addition, he took out a return spring to allow the clamp force on the 2nd / 3rd gear change to increase, amazing knowledge and really great service. Anyway, I think it’s time to consider a six-speed sequential for my next engineering project. Sounds fun and about 12 months.

Time for a bigger trophy cabinet !

Article by: M Coupe

New electric Porsche Boxster caught testing for the first time

Porsche Boxster and Cayman will ditch combustion by mid-decade, and the EV convertible has hit the road first

New spy shots claiming to show the electric successor to the wildly successful Porsche 718 Boxster have surfaced, giving a first look at Stuttgart’s highly anticipated third EV model line.

The next-generation Porsche 718 Cayman and 718 Boxster are set to adopt a bespoke electric sports car platform designed to mimic the current combustion cars’ mid-engined characters and which could go on to underpin future Audi and Lamborghini models.

It has been confirmed that Porsche intends for the next-generation 718 duo to be offered exclusively with electric drivetrains, and that it intends for them to be on sale by the middle of the decade. It is likely the electric two-seaters will be the third electric model line in the Porsche line-up, following several derivatives of the Taycan and the arrival of the Porsche Macan EV in 2024.

These new images show what looks to be the fifth-generation, or ‘983’, Boxster in prototype form but with seemingly production-ready styling - at least at the front and rear. There

are no obvious giveaways to a zero-emission powertrain, but Autocar’s spies say the exhaust outlet is a red herring, and the visible headlights and rear light bar are designs shared with the Porsche Taycan and upcoming Porsche Macan EV.

But beyond that, it is difficult to gauge just how different the electric Boxster will be from today’s petrol-powered proposition. Porsche’s earlier Mission R concept gave clues as to the company’s plans for electric sports cars, and indeed the lighting details seen here bear a resemblance to that car, but the side profile is much closer to the Boxster which has been on sale since 2016. Porsche declined to comment on the pictures, but with a projected launch in two year’s time, it is reasonable to suggest that test mules would be hitting public roads at around this time.

The company is aiming for pure-EVs to account for 50% of its global sales in 2025 and 80% in 2030, but has yet to confirm launch dates for pure-electric equivalents to the Porsche 911 sports car and Porsche Cayenne SUV.

Using a novel battery arrangement referred to as the ‘e-core’ layout, Porsche’s entry-level sports EVs will offer as low a seating position and centre of gravity as possible, in line with their dynamic billing.

Porsche has admitted that the Mission R reflects work being done in parallel in the firm’s design studio on future EVs, hinting that certain styling elements will in due course be seen on production models. The car is also close in dimensions to the current 718 Cayman and Boxster.

Porsche used a reworked version of the 718 Cayman chassis to make the Mission R concept, but when asked about a possible production version at its unveiling, company boss Oliver Blume said: “When we electrify a model, we won’t do a carry-over of the combustion engine [platform] because there are too many compromises.

“When we are looking to future sports cars, we would develop its own platform but connected with some modules coming from other cars. But the platform will be unique.”

The Mission R is designed to mimic a midengined sports car design by placing the batteries – the heaviest element of the vehicle – behind the driver but ahead of the rear axle where the engine would usually lie.

Porsche technical chief Michael Steiner said the decision to adopt the unusual layout had been driven by a need to make the car as low as possible in order to reduce drag, but that approach prohibits the traditional EV ’skateboard’ chassis with underfloor batteries. That design is featured on Porsche and Audi’s shared J1 architecture, used by the existing Porsche Taycan, and the forthcoming PPE platforms.

“With a typical two-door sports car, you see the car is really low because to reduce drag you want the silhouette as low and flat as possible,” said Steiner. “To do that you should have the driver sitting as low as possible, and if you do that there is no space for a battery below the seat of the driver.

“It’s the same reason why a lot of super-sports cars today have a mid-engine design, with the engine behind the driver. With today’s battery cell technology, the batteries are the biggest and heaviest part of the car – and this could be true for the next decade or so – so we developed what we call the e-core battery design. Packaging-wise and centre of gravitywise, it’s more or less a copy of a mid-engine design.”

Steiner added that the design also aids the weight distribution and balance, especially with the Mission R concept’s two electric motors –one on each axle – biased towards rear-driven power. But while the Mission R concept uses a specially adapted platform, Steiner echoed Blume by ruling out such an architecture for production models.

“There is no platform unchanged by electrification, but the only platform within our portfolio that might not change that much would be for mid-engined cars like the Boxster and Cayman,” said Steiner. “Ten years ago, we started with prototypes of electrification with this mid-engined layout because you could use the space of the engine and transmission for the battery”.

“But we decided within Porsche, starting with the Taycan, that we will do no conversion-type design, with space for an internal combustion

engine, plug-in hybrid or fully electric options, because there is always some compromise in weight, package and other dimensions”.

“So even for mid-engined cars, we still see a good reason to just design a full-electric platform. That might change, but not in the next few years.”

Steiner said Porsche was investigating ‘midengined’ battery design ahead of trying to mimic a rear-drive car such as the 911 because, with current EV technology, the firm wanted to keep the batteries within the central crash structure of the car for safety reasons.

Steiner hinted that such a platform layout could also be used for higher-performance cars in future, perhaps from sibling brands Lamborghini and Audi, noting that you could develop a concept such as the Mission R with a layout “in the direction” of a super-sports car.

“This is not only driven by technology,” he added. “Often, the main direction comes from what we expect the market would favour, and then we try to develop the technology in that direction.”

Article by: James Attwood (by kind permission Autocar)

Article date: 8 November 2022

Photos courtesy of Autocar

Asked if there was customer acceptance for an electric Porsche similar in performance to the 718 Cayman, Steiner said: “I would say yes, but this needs weight reduction. If you drive and push a real sports car on the race track, you would still feel this [weight]. You might not notice it on the highway, but a real sports car has to perform on the race track.”

The Volkswagen Group is currently developing the SSP platform, which in effect fuses the Volkswagen-led MEB and Audi/Porschedeveloped PPE architectures and features a skateboard chassis-style design with underfloor batteries.

The group is also working on a unified battery cell design, which it says could be used for more than 80% of the EV models it produces. However, that would still leave significant room for cars using a different design of battery, which might be required to fit the ‘mid-engined’ layout of the potential new platform.

Article date: 13 Dec 2022

Article By: Adrian Padeanu (by kind permission motor1.com)

2025 Porsche 718 Boxster EV Spied In The Cold Pretending To Have Exhaust Tip

The electric convertible was spotted near the Arctic Circle.

Already officially announced, the allelectric Boxster won't debut until 2025. Nevertheless, Porsche has been repeatedly spotted testing the sporty convertible without a combustion engine. What makes this new batch of images different is that the 718 EV has now been caught by car paparazzi cold-weather testing near the Arctic Circle. We're being told temperatures dropped to minus 25°C (-13°F), which are less than ideal conditions for an electric car.

The prototype seemed to have a mishmash of old and new parts, some hiding under bodycolored camouflage. As with test vehicles of the Taycan and 2024 Macan EV, Porsche decided to have a bit of fun and add a fake exhaust tip in the rear bumper's center, below the license plate. Its shape tells us the folks from Zuffenhausen were trying to emulate the look of the base Boxster. The 718's mid-engined proportions are still there despite the ICE's removal.

Last year's Mission R concept provided an early look into the design of Porsche's electric cabrio. Granted, that was more along the lines of a Cayman EV for the track, but some of the design cues are likely to be inherited by the road-going 718 duo. Porsche has said the zero-emission machines will ride on a dedicated platform but with some bits and pieces from other cars.

The Mission R sat on modified chassis adapted from the current Cayman. However, rest assured the subsequent 718 EVs will represent an all-new development as Porsche has said it won't carry over any hardware from the gasoline-fueled models. By the way, the ICE-

powered vehicles are expected to bow out in 2025 when their electric successors are slated to arrive. With the Macan, the German brand is doing things differently since the crossover will be sold for a while with both types of propulsion.

Weight is always a concern with performance cars, and EVs are notoriously heavy. However, the Mission R tipped the scales at approximately 1,500 kilograms (3,306 pounds), thus making it only about 85 kg (187 lbs) heavier than a Cayman GT4 RS. It had a dual-motor configuration, meaning a potential entry-level variant with a single electric motor would be slightly lighter.

Hopefully, it won't put on a lot of weight from concept to production. With advancements made in energy density, the weight penalty caused by the battery will be kept in check. The 718 Boxster/Cayman EV won't be an experiment to test the waters for an electric sports car, but rather a stepping stone to an ambitious goal. Porsche projects 80 percent of annual sales by the end of the decade will be generated by vehicles without an ICE.

Drive and Picnic at Hazelwood Park 11 Dec 2022

Article

On a beautiful, sunny Sunday morning 20+ cars and 30+ people met at The Feathers Hotel at 9.30 for a spirited drive through the Adelaide Hills, with our final destination being Hazelwood Park for a picnic and a chat under the beautiful gum trees.

The cars included GT3RS’s, early air cooled 911’s, 997 Carreras and GTS, Lotus Elan, GT4, 991 Carrera/S 992 Carrera S and a Taycan. All in all, an excellent array of the Porsche marque on show.

Fun fact: 70% of all Porches built are still on the road today

Once we left The Feathers the drive travelled through the following towns in the Adelaide Hills including: Summertown, Uraidla, Lenswood, Cuddlee Creek, Gumeracha, Mt Torrens, Lobethal and Ashton before arriving in Hazelwood Park for our picnic.

As I highlighted before, there was an excellent array of cars, including Bao’s recent purchase of a 991.1 Carrera S from the Porsche Centre.

Pam and I would like to thank those who joined us on the drive and helped us close the PCSA Social Calendar for 2022.

by: Lee Fulton

Photos by: Pam Fulton

This Is The First Porsche 911 (964) EV By Everrati For The US Market

The company has several more 911s for North America currently in build.

Everrati, the UK-based company specializing in electric restomods of vintage and classic cars, has completed the first Porsche 911 from the 964 generation for the US market. The blue vehicle you see in the gallery below has been carried out by Everrati’s California-based partner Aria Group, as demand for Everrati’s products in North America is going stronger than ever with multiple 964-generation models currently in build.

This fully electric 911 (964) is based on a fully restored example of the sports car with carbon fiber body elements and a widebody package.

Under the Mexico Blue exterior, Everrati puts its own electric powertrain featuring a 62-kilowatt-hour battery pack and a bespoke battery management system. The company doesn’t say what the output of the EV system is, though it says the car now has a 0-60 miles per hour (0-96 kilometers per hour) acceleration time of less than four seconds.

In terms of a range between two charges, Everrati says more than 200 miles can be expected in normal driving condition. Standard AC and DC fast charging are available, though the maximum charging power remains a mystery for now. However, Everrati says it has put big efforts into developing a car that retains the “timeless quality” of original vehicle’s character combined with a powertrain that “will exceed the performance specifications of the original 964.”

The electric powertrain has been designed, developed, and produced at Everrati’s headquarters in Oxfordshire, England, while the firm’s US strategic partner Aria Group is responsible for the full build of this particular car. Everrati currently has a number of 964-generation 911s in build for customers in the United States and Canada. Some of the previously completed projects by the manufacturer include the Porsche 911 (964) in Coupe, Targa, and Cabriolet forms, as well as a Range Rover Classic, Land Rover Defender, Mercedes-Benz W113 SL Pagoda, Ford GT40, and others.

“It is a huge milestone for Everrati to see the completion of our first US customer car, which will now undergo final pre-delivery testing before handover to the customer," Everrati Founder and CEO, Justin Lunny, comments. "This is both a sign of our rapidly growing presence in markets around the globe, especially North America, and a representation of the shifting paradigm in car ownership for a conscious, progressive, and responsible generation."

Article By: Angel Sergeev (by kind permission Motor 1.com)

Article date: 20th December 2022

Fastest-ever Nurburgring lap times: the definitive rundown

The Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo holds the outright Nurburgring lap record, but who holds the other records?

The Nürburgring is the ultimate test track for developing new cars, whether they are out-and-out supercars or more modest hot hatches.

The challenge posed by the circuit and the variety of corners along the 13-mile (20.9 km) course gives car makers unparalleled insight into where their machines work best, as well as where they need to improve. As such, a Nürburgring lap record is something of an accolade for a manufacturer, and several have spent years honing their machines around the Nordschleife in the hope of being crowned the fastest of all.

These record laps can be divided between several different types of car. There is a caveat, however, in that the 'official' length of the lap was increased in 2019. Before this, all time were logged on a 12.8 mile (20.6 km) circuit that effectively left out a short stretch of the T13 straight at the end of the lap. Yet with so much emphasis being placed on setting a fast time, the Nurburgring decided that only the whole 12.944 miles would count. As an example of the difference that makes, the current production car record set by the GT2 RS (below) would be 6:38:835 under the old timing method.

Article and Photos by: Jonathan Bryce (by kind permission) Autocar Article date: 25 December 2022

Fastest road-legal lap around the Nürburgring

1 - Mercedes-AMG One - 6:35:18

The Mercedes-AMG One has set a new fastest lap for production cars at the Nürburgring, eclipsing the previous record by almost 10sec.

The 1049bhp hypercar posted a time of 6min 35.183sec around the 156-corner circuit, driven by Mercedes DTM driver Maro Engel on 28 October. This lap time also took the record for the super-sports car category.

Dubbed a Formula 1 car for the road, the £2.2 million hypercar is the most potent MercedesAMG road car ever made, combining a modified version of the firm’s turbocharged 1.6-litre V6 grand prix engine with four electric motors.

2 - Porsche 911 GT2 RS (with Manthey Performance Kit)6:43:30

Guided by Porsche works driver Lars Kern, the Porsche 911 GT2 RS completed a lap of the Nürburgring in 6 minutes 43.30 seconds, breaking the previous record by 4.747 seconds with an average speed of 115.5mph.

The GT2 RS was equipped with the Manthey Performance Kit, with changes to the chassis, aerodynamics and brakes, all of which have been specifically designed for the car. The kit also extends to additional flaps on the front spoiler, a carbon underbody and additional air guide elements around the front wheels. At the back of the car, there’s a new spoiler, a modified diffuser and aero discs on the wheels, overall increasing front downforce from 49 to 70kg at 124mph, and from 93 to 200kg at the rear.

However, Kern has gone faster around the track, clocking an incredible 6:40:30 in a GT2 RS MR in October 2018. Effectively the same car, it had a suspension and aero set-up specifically for the Nurburgring without any compromises for the road. It was, however, a completely street legal car featuring upgrade parts that anyone with deep enough pockets could buy off the shelf.

- 6:43:62

The ultimate version of Mercedes-AMG’s flagship (for now) two-seater took the production lap record crown from the Aventador SVJ by just over 1.3sec. The 720bhp model, driven by the brand’s GT3 racing driver Maro Engel, was unmodified from stock bar the addition of the optional Track package. The adjustable aero, camber and suspension were all optimised for the track, but Mercedes claims conditions were “less than ideal” due to low temperatures and some damp patches. This means another attempt could be in the works down the line.

4 - Lamborghini Aventador SVJ6:44:97

Lamborghini used active aerodynamic upgrades to transform its Aventador supercar into a record-smashing track weapon, letting the V12powered Aventador SVJ break the Nürburgring record for a production car with a 6:44:97 lap time. That knocked the Porsche 911 GTS RS down into second place at the time, claiming a win for the Italians.

3 - Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series

Next is the Lamborghini Huracán Performante, which lapped the 12.9-mile Nordschleife in a hair over 6min 52sec.

The 690bhp 911 GT2 RS blasted around the 'Ring seven-tenths of a second faster than the Radical SR8LM, making it the fastest rear-drive production car to lap the infamous Nordschleife at the time.

The Radical SR8LM had held the lap record since 2009, when it lapped in just 6min 48sec in the hands of Michael Vergers, until it was dislodged by the Porsche GT2 RS. The king may be dead, but the Radical still holds a place in the top five. Vergers was driving the car just 24 hours after it was driven from England to Germany for the record. Controversially, the SR8LM only has British single-vehicle approval, not full type-approval, and so there's some debate as to whether it qualifies as a true street-legal production car record.

The SR8's 2.6-litre V8 engine develops 360bhp and broke the Nürburgring record in 2005. This model was also driven by Michael Vergers. Like the SR8LM, it only has single-vehicle approval in the UK, rather than full type-approval, which has led some outlets to exclude it from production car record lists.

The 992.1 generation GT3 RS was prepped with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tyres, an audio system deleted to save weight, and Weissach package (all OEM options, of course) for its attempt to loop the Green Hell. It worked, with Porsche driver Kevin Estre managing to outrun the mighty 918 Spyder hybrid supercar by almost a full second.

This has a single-clutch automated gearbox and is 50kg lighter than the regular Lamborghini Aventador. The 0-62mph time is claimed at 2.8se

The 918 Spyder has carbonfibre construction, a hybrid powertrain and a suspension set-up donated by a prototype racing car. It has a top speed of 214mph.c.

A privateer attempt by German publication Sport Auto saw Ferrari’s track-ready 488 Pista lap the circuit in almost seven minutes dead.

Are we surprised the latest iteraton of the 911 GT3 went faster than its predcessor, and nearas-dammit as quick as the outing RS model? Of course not. The naturally aspirated 4.0-litre flatsix delivers a fraction more power at 503bhp, but it's the revised aero and new double wishbone front suspension that make the bigger difference, allowing it to go nearly 12 seconds faster than its predecessor. What's more, if Porsche used the old, slightly shorter lap then the GT3 would have logged a 6:55:20....

5 - Porsche 911 GT2 RS – 6:47:25

6 - Radical SR8LM – 6:48:28

7 - Lamborghini Huracán Performante - 6:52:01

8 - Radical SR8 - 6:55:00

9 - Porsche 911 GT3 RS (991.2)6:56:04

10 – Porsche 918 Spyder6:57:00

12 - Porsche 911 GT3 (992)6:59:927

11 – Lamborghini Aventador SV - 6:59:73

13 - Ferrari 488 Pista - 7:00:03

Front-wheel-drive Nürburgring lap records

1 - 2019 Renault Mégane RS Trophy-R - 7:40:10

Packing the 1.8-litre turbocharged unit from the already-snorting RS 300 Trophy, Renault's new limited-edition flagship hot hatch took the FWD record (before it even been revealed) in April 2019. The model owes its celebrity status to a 130kg weight reduction, aerodynamic tweaks and reworked axle components over the 'standard' model on which it is based.

2

2017 Honda Civic Type R7:43:80

Honda snatched the front-drive Nürburgring lap record back from the Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport S less than a year after the German opposition took it from the previous-generation Civic Type R. It's got 316bhp – 10bhp more than both the Golf and the previous-generation Civic Type R.

3

Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport S - 7:47:19

Volkswagen’s Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport S broke the lap record twice – first setting a time of 7:49:21 in May 2016, and then in December, when it shaved more than two seconds from its previous lap time. Both lap records were set by VW test driver Benny Leuchter.

The previous-generation Honda Civic Type R also held a front-wheel-drive Nürburgring lap record, after snatching the title in 2015 from the Renault Mégane RS 275 Trophy-R. It was first announced at the Geneva motor show in 2015.

Renault took the record from Seat back in 2014, with the snappily named Mégane RS 275 Trophy-R.

Four-wheel-drive Nürburgring lap records

1 - Lamborghini Aventador SVJ6:44:97

Lamborghini proved you don’t need an electric powertrain with instant torque delivery to break records. The naturally aspirated Aventador SVJ achieved a blistering time of 6:44:97, thanks to some clever aero upgrades evolved from the Huracán Performante.

Nio EP9 - 6:45:90

When it claimed the electric record, the Nio EP9 also earned first place overall in the all-wheel-drive leaderboard, after having previously been sandwiched between the Lamborghini Aventador SV and Nissan GT-R Nismo in fourth place - but now settles for the silver medal in light of the SVJ's recordsmashing time. Four inboard electric motors power all four wheels, and the car's total power output is 1360bhp. Only bespoke tyres used for the attempt kept it off the production car leaderboards, where it would otherwise sit in second place.

3

Lamborghini Huracán Performante - 6:52:01

It might not have taken the overall road car record of the ‘Ring, but the Huracán Performante took the crown as all-wheel-drive record holder before the Nio EP9’s second attempt, and is more than 50 seconds ahead of the Civic Type R’s front-wheel-drive record. It’s now third overall in the four-wheel-drive category.

–

–

4 – 2015-2016 Honda Civic Type R - 7:50:63

5 – Renault Mégane RS 275 Trophy-R - 7:54:36

2 -

-

After nearly five years, the Porsche 918 Spyder’s reign as all-wheel-drive Nürburgring champ came to an end, before it was bumped down again by the EP9, and then two Lamborghinis. It first set the record in 2012, wearing nothing more extreme than its trackfriendly Weissach package and a set of road tyres.

The Lamborghini Aventador SV actually reached a much higher top speed on its 'Ring run than its little brother, the Lamborghini Huracán Performante, reaching 202mph where the Huracán only managed 188, but the smaller car's added agility ultimately helped it to grab the title.

Rear-wheel-drive Nürburgring lap records

The Porsche 911 GT2 RS set a new rear-wheel record with a lap of 6 minutes 43.30 seconds, breaking the Mercedes-Benz’s previous record by 4.747 seconds. It was equipped with the Manthey Performance Kit, with changes to the chassis, aerodynamics and brakes. It also gained additional flaps on the front spoiler, a carbon underbody and additional air guide elements, with a new spoiler and diffuser.

Whether or not it counts as a production car given the questions over its UK single-vehicle approval, there’s no doubt the Radical’s blistering time is impressive. That power is only being sent to the rear wheels makes it all the more so.

The ultimate version of Mercedes-AMG's 720bhp flagship was unmodified from stock bar the addition of the optional Track package. The adjustable aero, camber and suspension were all optimised for the track, but Mercedes claims conditions were "less than ideal" due to low temperatures and some damp patches.

In fact, Radical has two cars in the rear-drive top five, the other being the SR8.

Porsche’s old-school approach to record setting saw few tweaks required to the GT3 RS, with only a racing bucket seat and harness chosen from the options list along with the weight-saving Weissach package.

It may not pack any more power than the standard model, but stiffer suspension and a downforce-enhancing bodykit help the Pro to lap the Nordschleife more than six seconds quicker.

4 - Porsche 918 Spyder - 6:57:00

5 - Lamborghini Aventador SV6:59:73

1. Porsche 911 GT2 RS - 6:43:30

2 - Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series - 6:43:62

4 - Radical SR8LM - 6:48:28

3- Porsche 911 GT2 RS - 6:47:30

5 - Radical SR8 - 6:55:00

6 - Porsche 911 GT3 RS (991.2)6:56:04

Mercedes-AMG GT R Pro7:04:06

Electric Nürburgring lap records

1 - Volkswagen ID R - 6:05:336

Volkswagen's purpose-built ID R racer followed up a historic victory at Pikes Peak by becoming the fastest electric car ever to lap the Green Hell. Driver Romain Dumas took the heavily modified single-seater around the 'Ring 40 seconds quicker than the previous record holder, and blitzed the historical record set by Porsche's Stefan Bellof in the process.

3 - Porsche Taycan Turbo S7:33:00

The Porsche Taycan Turbo S knocked the Model S Plaid off the top spot in August 2022, setting a new lap record for electric production vehicles in the process. It crossed the line in 7min 33sec - two seconds ahead of the Model S - and was equipped with a bespoke performance kit with track-spec tyres and an upgraded dynamic chassis control system, which Porsche says “analyses and synchronises all the chassis systems of the Taycan in real-time”.

4 - Tesla Model S Plaid7:35:91

2 - Nio EP9 - 6:45:90

Nio's EP9 stormed into the history books when the electric supercar initially took the electric 'Ring record for the second time, smashing its previous time by almost 20 seconds. The company has also showcased a more mass-market friendly SUV concept. We doubt it'll match its supercar sibling's Nürburgring time, mind.

5 - Toyota TMG EV P0017:47:79

6 - Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive - 7:56:23

Mercedes’ electric blue SLS AMG Electric Drive is hard to miss, and so was its Nürburgring record in 2013; it walked all over the Audi R8 E-tron’s lap time, trouncing it by more than 12 seconds. Its 740bhp and 737lb ft certainly gave it the required shove.

Elon Musk is never one to pass up on an opportunity for some publicity, so the Tesla CEO took to the digital airwaves to proclaim the Model S Plaid the EV production lap record holder. According to Musk on twitter, the new 1006bhp range-topper lapped the 12.8-mile Nordschleife circuit in 7mins 35.909secs - 12 seconds quicker than the previous record lap set by the Porsche Taycan Turbo in 2019. The Tesla's average speed was 103mph.

It was way back in 2011 when Toyota claimed the 'Ring record with the TMG EV P001, but its record stuck until just a few months ago. The car's 800lb ft certainly helped it attain the title, and what's more, it managed to claim the crown in road-legal tyres.

7 - Audi R8 E-tron - 8:09:09

The Audi R8 E-tron held first place on the electric ‘Ring record charts for almost a year before Mercedes’ SLS AMG Electric Drive came along; the R8 set its 8:09:09 time in July 2012. It had around half the power of the Mercedes, at 376bhp, but had less of a torque deficit, producing 605lb ft.

Electric Nürburgring lap records

1 - Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo5:19:546

When it derestricted its Le Mans-winning 919 Hybrid prototype racer and sent it on a farewell tour of iconic race tracks before pulling out of endurance racing, smashing the all-time fastest lap of the Nordschleife was all Porsche had in mind.

The car was 39kg lighter than its race spec, with radically reworked aerodynamics that improved downforce by 53%. The 2.0-litre V4 hybrid powertrain was tuned to produce 710bhp, with an additional 433bhp coming from an electric motor.

With Porsche works driver Timo Bernhard behind the wheel, the 919 Evo proceded to obliterate the all-time lap record, first setting a 5:24:375 in practice and then a 5:19:546 in an official run.

2 - Volkswagen ID R - 6:05:336

It's a real achivement that Volkswagen has not only managed to claim the fastest lap time in an electric car with its ID R programme, but also place among the fastest-ever recorded. It has subsequently gone on to set records at the Goodwood Festival of Speed hillclimb and China's Tianmen Shan Big Gate Road, while the technology it pioneered will go on to influence R division's electric road cars.

4 - Porsche 956 - 6:16:85

The 956 holds the fourth-fastest overall time too, although this time with Jacky Ickx behind the wheel. It was at the very same 1000km Nürburgring as Bellof's all-time record lap, although Ickx was almost six seconds off Bellof's blistering pace.

5 - Porsche 956 - 6:25:91

Just to drive the point home, the 956 also set the fifth-fastest time and, yes, this too was at the 1983 1000km Nürburgring. It was Bellof this time (again), mind.

3 - Porsche 956 - 6:11:13

Previously the absolute Nürburgring lap record holder, the Porsche 956, driven by the late Stefan Bellof in qualifying for the 1983 1000km Nürburgring race, set a target that would hold for more than three decades. Due to construction of the Nürburgring's Formula 1 circuit, that race was the only time top-level Le Mans sports cars race on the 12.9-mile Nordschleife layout.

The 956 driven by Bellof, then 25, was powered by a 2.65-litre flat six that produced more than 620bhp and featured a ground effect downforce-producing underbody.

In qualifying, Bellof's goal was to beat fellow Porsche driver Jochen Mass's best lap (see below). Aided by new 13in front wheels, he flew, despite claiming he made two mistakes and was baulked at one point by a lowerclass Porsche 911. His average speed was more than 125mph.

Bellof continued to demonstrate his pace during the actual race, pulling a 36-second lead on Mass in the opening six laps. That didn't entirely please his team, who had been urging him to save fuel. After his car's lead was reduced during team-mate Derek Bell's stint, Bellof continued his tear on his second stint - until losing control and crashing at Pfianzgarten at 160mph. He escaped unhurt.

It remains the fastest car to lap the Nürburgring solely on combustion power.

Porsche to Formula 1: Not Dead Yet

Article by: Ryan Erik King (by kind

Article date: 20 October 2022

The FIA World Motor Sport Council convened at the Royal Automobile Club in London on 20 October for its third meeting of the year. FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem officially opened the session by addressing the members of international motorsport’s highest committee and summarizing the significant developments that took place under the supervision of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile since the council’s previous meeting in June. However, a single sentence in the address piqued the interest of those involved in Formula 1.

Ben Sulayem’s exact words were:

“At Spa-Francorchamps in August, Audi announced it was joining the FIA Formula One World Championship from 2026 as a power unit manufacturer. This announcement was an endorsement of the hard work by all stakeholders to develop those Regulations. We also note that Porsche are still in discussions with Formula 1 teams.”

German automakers Audi and Porsche were expected to enter Formula 1 with the confirmation of the 2026 power unit regulations. Audi officially entered as a power unit manufacturer, but have yet to state which team it is pairing up with for the 2026 season with Sauber being the widely-rumored partner. While it was believed that Porsche had ended its quest to enter Formula 1 after negotiations with Red Bull Racing collapsed in September, Ben Sulayem’s comment has reignited the rumor mill.

The number of candidates for a potential Porsche F1 partnership is small. Mercedes, Ferrari and Alpine are obviously not in the discussion. Red Bull has seemingly cozied back up with Honda after winning back-to-back world championships. Sauber has its aforementioned rumored impending ties with Audi. McLaren brutally shot down Audi takeover rumors earlier this year, and I wouldn’t expect Porsche to get a warmer reception. Haas has its long-standing ties with Ferrari but could make a big switch. All

that leaves is Williams, whose power unit deal and technical partnership with Mercedes expires at the end of the 2025 season.

Despite its future with F1 being unclear, Porsche will re-enter the top class of sports car racing. The German automaker debuts its 963 LMDh at the 2023 Rolex 24 at Daytona next January. Porsche’s factory team, in collaboration with Penske, is slated to compete in both the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and FIA World Endurance Championship in 2023. It will be interesting to see if Porsche actually faces off against Ferrari at both Le Mans and Monaco next year.

The FIA President has stated that Porsche is still in talks with F1 teams.

permission)

Photos courtesy of Jalopnik

Porsche 911 Prototypes with Portal Axles Climbed The World's Tallest Volcano

Article By: Jeff Perez (by kind permission)

Photos by: Motor1.com

The modified sports cars reached an altitude of 19,708 feet.

More than 30 years ago, Porsche engineers fitted an all-wheel-drive system to a 911 for the first time and let it loose at the Paris-Dakar rally – which it won in 1985. But Porsche's historic win at Dakar almost pales in comparison to what engineers recently accomplished during an outing to one of South America's toughest trails.

Porsche took two highly modified 911s and drove them up an active volcano. Not just any volcano, either, but the Ojos del Salado in Chile, the tallest volcano in the world. Led by legendary racing driver Romain Dumas, the duo reached an elevation of 19,708 feet (6,007 meters) while dodging boulders and dealing with temperatures as low as minus 22 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 30 Celsius).

New portal axles helped increase the ground clearance to 13.8 inches (350 millimeters) while revised front and rear clips gave the pair of

Porsches better off-road angles. A set of 12.2inch wide off-road tires afforded both cars tons of grip, while inside, a roll cage, carbon fiber seats, and safety harnesses helped protect Dumas and his team on their way up.

Engineers also added what the company calls the "Porsche Warp-Connecter." Originally designed for track use, it creates a mechanical link between all four wheels and creates constant wheel load – even when the chassis is under extreme articulation.

Even though these two 911s were highly modified for off-road duty, they did retain a few factory components, particularly the powertrain. Porsche took an unmodified version of its turbocharged 3.0-liter flat-six engine from the 4S, good for 443 horsepower (330 kilowatts), and paired it to a standard seven-speed manual transmission.

Of course, the cars wouldn’t be complete without proper racing liveries. One car wears the same scheme found on the current 963 LMDh racer while the other sports a 911-themed livery designed by Porsche’s team in Weissach.

Porsche 956 001: Creating a Legend. The Development and Life of Porsche 956 001” First Edition 2022 - A Review

This book is about the remarkable gestation, design and development and racing of the Porsche 956 001, the first Group C Porsche ever built and thus the ‘grandfather’ of prototype racing as we know it. It was the father of all Group C Porsches and, as the author says, “the starting point of the most successful sports car of the 20th Century”.

The book is written by the automotive author Thomas Nehlert (Gruppe C, Porsche 911 Turbo: Aircooled Years) and comprehensively covers all aspects of the design and development of this legendary sportscar, taking the reader through the stages of its life and introducing you to the principal people at Porsche who, by their efforts and ideas, brought to life such an iconic and pioneering car.

The book’s preface by Norbert Singer, who led the design and development, and Derek Bell, the legendary Le Mans winner and 956 driver, makes clear just how good this car was, both in terms of its engineering excellence and its driveability. Whilst car 001 only had a relatively short racing career, first running at the 6 Hours of Silverstone in May 1982 and being retired after its last outing at the Norisring street circuit in Nuremberg, Germany in late 1982, it represented the start of a new chapter of racing car technology at Porsche. It was the first of a line of winning race cars for Porsche (including

the updated 962) that won all the FIA World Sportscar Championship titles from 1982 –1984, including both driver and manufacturer championships.

The book is informatively written, beautifully presented and includes a comprehensive, and easy to follow, coverage of all the important aspects of the life of the 956-001, supported by a plethora of records, internal documents and original photographs from the car’s development. Many of the photographs are in large colour format and show a wealth of detail. The design and development chapters in particular will be extremely interesting for those interested in sportscar design and development and the engineering detail accompanying it. Needless to say, the book also takes the reader behind the internal management and politics of both Porsche and the FIA / FISA in order to better understand the context in which the 956 was conceived.

This is a book that is recommended, not only for the enthusiast of technical development of Group C sportscars at Porsche in the 1980s, but also for the reader who wishes to immerse themselves in what was truly such a pioneering period for engineer and driver, that witnessed such remarkable success for Porsche in sportscar racing.

Author: Thomas Nehlert

Publisher: Sportfahrer Verlag

Format: Hardcover w/slip case, 272 pages, limited to 750 hand-numbered copies

Where to Buy: Sportfahrer Verlag website

How Much: 175 Euros at time of writing

Review by Chris Baldwin

Soul Growers wines emphasise the regional and varietal flavours of our beloved Barossa Valley. The essence of what we strive for is to ensure a lifestyle that is good for the Soul: wine, food, family, music, mates and fun.