It's all about Porsche…if you're an owner of a Porsche,or a big enthusiast of Porsche Cars, Porsche Motorsports, Porsche Design, Porsche History, or a member of a Porsche Club….join me on focusing just about PORSCHE!!
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (February 6, 2012) – Gooding and Company, the acclaimed auction house celebrated for selling the world’s most significant and valuable collector cars, is honored to announce its recent consignment of the Drendel Family Collection of 18 Porsches.
Recognized as the world’s finest private collection of its kind, the Drendel Family Collection consists of both road and race cars spanning 25 years of Porsche history from 1973 – 1997. With 10 of the 18 lots being offered without reserve, the arrival of this extraordinary collection in Amelia Island offers collectors and Porsche enthusiasts around the world the opportunity to own a piece of Porsche’s winning motorsport heritage.
1984-Porsche-962
In addition, the March auction marks the first time many of these historically-important racing stars will have ever been presented at auction. Gooding & Company has moved the start time of its Amelia Island Auction to 11 a.m. on Friday, March 9th to accommodate the extensive 18-car collection, as well as to accommodate the schedules of its guests at the daytime auction.
“The result of well-developed connoisseurship and deep passion, Matthew Drendel built what has become the world’s most significant private collection of turbocharged Porsches,” says David Gooding, President and founder of Gooding & Company.
“It’s a very rare occurrence when a refined, single-marque collection of high-quality road and race cars is offered to the public.
We feel privileged to have been selected to present the Drendel Family Collection in Amelia Island.”
A Passion for Porsche Matthew Drendel was attracted to Porsche automobiles from an early age. Although his personal racing successes were primarily associated with normally-aspirated 911 Cup cars, it was the legendary turbocharged Porsches that most interested him as a collector.
His collection began with a single 930 road car and later expanded to the 18 magnificent cars it is today.
Heritage Motorwerks was founded by Porsche collector, Matthew Drendel. Four of Matthew Drendel’s Porsches were used in filming of the Porsche “Family Tree” video commercial for the Pananmera… the baby turbo, 962 Lowenbrau, the GT 1 and the 917-30 that Matt drove in the PorschePanamera “Family Tree” commercial.
Extended version of the Porsche Panamera – Porsche Family Tree CommercialVideo
“Matthew Drendel maintained a reputation for collecting the very best cars and, therefore, has always been respected in the Porsche community,” says Gooding & Company Specialist David Brynan.
“The overall scope of the collection and focus on factory team cars reflect his tremendous dedication and knowledge of the marque.”
Matthew Clayton Drendel was 35 and died quickly of a stomach aneurysm on November 24, 2010. The Drendel family is highly regarded in the Porsche community and has contributed a great amount to the quality of life here.
______________________________________________________________________ Detailed below are seven of the most significant collector cars being offered as part of the Drendel Family
The Porsche 917 racing program was one of the most successful in the history of motor sport and the 973 917/30 Can-Am Spyder represents its pinnacle. With a 1,000 hp turbocharged flat-twelve, American racing champion Mark Donohue’s 917/30 was so dominant that the Can Am Challenge Cup was disbanded and the other manufacturers withdrew due to their inability to compete. One of four examples completed at the Porsche factory, 004 was intended to be the 1974 Penske-Sunoco team car but was instead sold to Australian Porsche Importer Alan Hamilton. Later purchased by the Porsche factory, this car is now the centerpiece of the Drendel Family Collection. Meticulously restored and presented in the iconic Penske-Sunoco livery, this 917/30 has been raced at the Monterey Historics and has been displayed at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance and Rennsport Reunion.
According to Gooding & Company specialists, this car is the finest example of the Porsche 962 and one of the most successful racing cars of its generation. With only two owners from new, this back-to-back 24 Hours of Daytona winner will be one of the Drendel Family Collection’s most significant offerings at the auction with its immediately recognizable Löwenbräu livery, list of legendary drivers, unrivalled racing record and superb documentation.
Rennsport II HR1 Porsche 962
In 1984 Porsche provided the late Al Holbert this 962 to compete in the IMSA road racing series where it would go on to earn 15 overall wins from 1984 to 1986, this included a back to back Daytona 24 hour overall win in 1986 and 1987. 962-103 scored three Drivers Championships, three Team Championships and three Manufacturer Championships for Porsche! This was the first 962 chassis to score a win and is by far the most successful 962. With names like Derek Bell and Chip Robinson joining Al, it proved to be an unbeatable combination. The 956 and 962 are still today regarded as the most successful sports-cars in history, making this example the winningest sports-car in history.
3. – 1974 Porsche RSR Turbo Carrera 2.14 Chassis 911 460 9016 (R9) Estimate: $1.75 – $2.25 million
The Carrera RSR Turbo 2.14 represents a turning point in the history of competition Porsches when it introduced the use of turbocharged engines in production-based race cars. Used by the factory for development, this hand-built experimental 911 was campaigned as a Martini & Rossi Porsche Works entry in the 1974 season at Nürburgring, Imola and Zeltweg. Few racing cars of this caliber have remained so correct and untouched, making this car an extremely important piece of Porsche history.
This 935, serial number 935-001, is the very first 935 ever made by Porsche. It was built on the very first production 911 Turbo chassis, 930 570 0001. Initially used for testing and development purposes, it was pressed into service near the end of the 1976 season in the Group 5 World Manufacturers Championship, as BMW was closing the gap with Porsche towards points in winning the championship. On its racing debut, 935-001 dominated the Six Hours of Watkins Glen, and went on to win the race overall.
Following the triumphant success, “001” would go on to earn a second place finish at the Six Hours of Dijon, right behind 935-002. The result was at the end of 1976 was a Group 5 World Championship for Porsche. 935-001 is the only former, factory team 935/76 in the world in private ownership. 935-002 is now on display at the Porsche museum in Stuttgart, Germany. 935-001 launched what would become one of the most successful types of road racing sports cars ever. Porsche 935s dominated race tracks around the world for over a decade. Today, 935-001 remains in its original, unrestored state, exactly as it was when it was last raced in 1976.
5.- 1985 Porsche 962 Chassis 962-HR1 Estimate: $900,000 – $1.2 million
During its career, this Porsche achieved 11 overall wins and 19 podium finishes, as well as 2 IMSA GTP Drivers Championships and an IMSA GTP Manufacturers Championship. Along with its Holbert Racing sister car, 962-103, this 962 is one of the most significant 962s in history. Fresh from restoration, 962- HR1 was displayed at RennSport Reunion IV in 2011.
Chassis 993-GT1-004 was part of the family tree commercial filmed for the introduction of the Panamera.
This rare factory team car – one of just four built – has competed at top events (Le Mans, Nürburgring and Laguna Seca) in the highest levels of international racing with known drivers behind its wheel. Later campaigned by Rohr Racing at Daytona and Harry Bytzek in the Canada GT Challenge Cup, GT1-004 has one of the most impressive racing records of any factory GT1.
A restructuring of the rules as handed down by the FIA was largely responsible for the classes known as GT1 and GT2. While GT2 cars were based on production platforms, to call a GT1 anything other than a prototype would be to misconstrue the logic of effort. While a few road going versions of the Mercedes CLK-GTR and the Toyota GT-One were constructed, it was all done at face value. Only Porsche made a complete effort to adhere to the rules by making an actual run of GT1 road going production models. As Weissach was to learn for the 1997 and 1998 FIA GT seasons, no good deed goes unpunished, as their GT1 was a victim of questionable limitations on performance compared to the competition. Only at Le Mans, under the rules of the ACO, was the true potential of the GT1 clearly in evidence.
The genesis behind the decision to build the original GT1 came as an answer to counter the successful road to race configuration of the McLaren F1 which won Le Mans overall in 1995. In reality, this was to be Norbert Singer’s first new real prototype to come from Weissach since the 956 in 1982.
After the initial successful appearance of the Porsche GT1 at La Sarthe in 1996, ( 1st in class, 2nd overall ) McLaren would counter with a new car for the upcoming season. Norbert Singer developed the evolution version of the GT1, which was a considerable improvement over the previous edition. The FIA GT Championship debuted in 1997 and while Weissach entered a pair of GT1’s to contest the series, the major focus was preparing for Le Mans.
GT1 evolution chassis 004 had it’s initial roll out at Weissach for the 1997 season in late March and immediately was used for testing prior to pre-qualifying for Le Mans in May. Wearing number 25 for the actual June race, the trio of Stuck, Wollek and Boutsen quickly established 004 as the car to beat for the overall win. However, in motorsport there is only one certainty and that is uncertainty. With eight hours remaining, Wollek spun and 004 was retired from the race. For the remainder of the 1997 FIA GT season 004 was entered for only two races. However, at Laguna Seca, a new star in sportscar racing was ignited as Allan McNish got the jump on the superior Mercedes squad and kept the Porsche badge in front until the first round of pit stops and a miscalculation knocked 004 out of first place. The duo of McNish and Kellners settled for a podium position of third overall. GT1 004 was returned to Weissach where it was used for extensive tire testing with Michelin in preparation for the 1998 season and a year long birthday party for Porsche’s 50th.
GT1 004 was sold in 1998 and was campaigned successfully, retired from use and eventually sold in 2005 to a private collector. Three years later 004 was obtained by Matt Drendel and restored visually to the way it appeared at Le Mans in 1997. The three year run of werks GT1’s continue to be immensely popular with enthusiasts in the manner of models, books and published material. Porsche requested 004 to be on their stand at the New York Auto Show in 2009 and later that year 004 was part of the family tree commercial filmed for the introduction of the Panamera.
The racing variant of the road-going 930, the 934 expanded on the success of the RSR, winning the European GT Championship as well as the TransAm Championship in North America. The second 934 constructed, this car was actively campaigned through the early 1980s, culminating in a first in class at the 1982 24 Hours of Le Mans.
In regards to this car, noted Porsche authority Bruce Anderson was quoted as saying
“it is the most successful 934 to race in international competition.”
Only the second 934 of the 31 produced by Porsche, “930670155” has a wonderful story to tell. Competing successfully for seven consecutive seasons, this 934 has won more races and had more podium finishes than any other 934 in history. It would go on to earn both a Group 4 class win at the 1982 24 Hours of Le Mans. Powered by an air-cooled 3.0L, turbocharged, flat six, this example would go on to make an amazing 630hp!
The remaining cars of the Drendel Family Collection, 11 offered without reserve, are listed below:
8. – 1980 Porsche 924 Carrera GT Le Mans Chassis 924-003 Estimate: $450,000 – $600,000, Without Reserve
One of three Works entries at the 1980 24 Hours of Le Mans; placed 13
th Overall with Bell and Holbert
Born as a project of Porsche AG, to show that the front engined 924 was just as suitable for racing as their other models, the 924 Carrera GT Le Mans (924-003) was a remarkable success in so many ways. Credited for being the car that originally brought Derek Bell and the late Al Holbert together, this car was already off to a good start before there’s even a mention of its successful racing career. This 924 certainly proved its worth amongst others in the Porsche range, as it would go on to be a popular choice for several other private racing teams following the success of the Factory 924 Carrera GT Le Mans at the challenging, 24 Hours of Le Mans. In total, there were four of these cars produced, this is the only example in private hands, with the other three still belonging to Porsche today.
9. – 1980 Porsche Indy Car Chassis 0031 Estimate: $350,000 – $550,000
Intended as Porsche’s return to open-wheel racing, the company’s ground-breaking program was cancelled a month before the Indianapolis 500 s a result of last-minute USAC rule changes
10 – 1987 McLaren-Porsche MP4/3 Formula One Chassis MP4/3/1 Estimate: $450,000 – $600,000, Without Reserve
The first MP4/3 built and the only example in private hands
11. – 1981 Porsche 924 GTP “Le Mans” Chassis 924-005 Estimate: $375,000 – $450,000, Without Reserve
Factory prototype and development car, built to compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
12. – 1995 Porsche 911 GT2 Evolution Chassis WP0ZZZ99ZTS393062 Estimate: $375,000 – $425,000, Without Reserve
The Champion Porsche, 1996 12 Hours of Sebring class winner
All the way from Pompano Beach, Florida, this 911 GT2 Evolution cut its teeth racing for Champion Racing in the ‘Sunshine State’, where it earned everything from a GT1 class win at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1996 to a second in class finish in 1997 at the grueling, 24 Hours of Daytona. Taking several other podium finishes throughout its racing career, this chassis, #393062, is one of the most successful 993 GT2s to ever compete thanks to an impressive list of endurance racing legends that piloted it during its career, including Hans Stuck, Thierry Boutsen and Bill Adam. This iteration of the (993) 911 GT2 is proof that evolution is very effective within the Porsche Motorsport department, as this GT2 Evolution produced 600hp, growing 150hp from the original “GT2” to make it competitive within the GT1 racing class.
13. – 1992 Porsche 968 Turbo RS Chassis WPOZZZ96ZNS820065 Estimate: $250,000 – $325,000, Without Reserve
Factory prototype with Le Mans and Sebring race history
With 450 horsepower and nearly 500 foot pounds of torque this is anything but your typical 968. The 968 Turbo RS was a product of the men at Porsche Motorsport in Weissach, Germany. Featuring the familiar 3.0L engine block, but utilizing a SOHC cylinder head, the 968 Turbo RS was fitted with a large, KKK L41 Turbocharger that helped make it so competitive that the entire project was eventually abandoned because of what some might call ‘sibling rivalry’. The 968 Turbo RS had the basic ingredients to embarrass its older brother, the 911. With an extensive use of Carbon Fiber and TAG engine management, this 968 proved to be a cutting edge weapon within its career. This particular example is undoubtedly the most desirable of the four produced, as it’s the prototype chassis and is the only example to be raced during the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1994.
14. – 1994 Porsche 911 Turbo 3.6 “Bad Boys” Movie Car
The 964 chassis 911 Turbo 3.6 marks the end of an era for Porsche, as it was the end of the single-turbo, rear-wheel driven 911 Turbos, making it especially prominent amongst discerning Porschephiles. This particular example is especially significant as it is the exact car used in the popular film “Bad Boys”, starring Will Smith, Martin Lawrence and Tea Leoni.
15. – 1986 Porsche 944 Turbo Cup Chassis WP0ZZZ95ZGN154076 Estimate: $65,000 – $85,000, Without Reserve
Underneath this 944’s relatively unassuming exterior lurks a beast. The 944 Turbo Cup, or “944 Weissach Turbo” as the factory would call them, were gifted with all the best secrets from Porsche Motorsport. Featuring everything from lightweight body panels to significant suspension and chassis modifications, the 944 Turbo Cup is already off to a good start before you even mention the significant power increase over the standard model. Shedding over 400lbs from a showroom 944 Turbo, the Turbo Cup could now accelerate to 60mph in under 5 seconds! A frequenter of victory lane, this chassis would go onto be highly successful during its racing career even at one point earning six consecutive wins while competing in the Firehawk endurance showroom stock series. Since its retirement from racing, it was given a FULL ground up restoration by the experts at Rennsport Porsche in Louisiana, and now enjoys its life as a true race car for the street!
16. – 1988 Porsche 944 Turbo S Chassis WP0AA2957JN151272 Estimate: $50,000 – $65,000, Without Reserve
17. – 1994 Porsche 968 Turbo S Clone Chassis WP0AA2961RS820772 Estimate: $45,000 – $55,000, Without Reserve
If you are thinking this is your typical 968 Turbo S, think again. Mr. Lloyd Hawkins, then owner of the prototype 968 Turbo RS s/n 820065 and the owner of Rennsport Porsche in Louisiana wanted nothing less than a road going version of his 968 Turbo RS prototype.
In collaboration with Porsche Motorsport North America and Porsche Motorsport in Germany, the trio of experts went to work on Mr. Hawkins wish. When they were finished, they created a true one off beast! If ever there was a “Wolf in Sheep’s clothing”, this is it.
Able to produce over 500 horsepower at the wheels from it’s 3.0 liter 4 cylinder engine at 26 psi or about 1.75 bar, with a quick change to racing “slick tires”, this car would be at home on any race track, or by simply switching back to “street tires”, you could set the cruise control on for a long journey down the interstate.
While the project was no doubt expensive, costing over $200,000 dollars and over 1800 man hours to complete, the project was a huge success! NO detail was overlooked. Carrillo “H-Beam” connecting rods were used, along with Mahle pistons, an actual 968 Turbo RS 3.0 liter racing engine block, ARP studs, three angle valve cuts, “O” ringed heads, stainless steel brake lines, 964 Turbo S brakes with ABS, adjustable coil over springs with Bilstein shocks, adjustable sway bars, carbon fiber clutch, 968 Turbo RS G44/01 transmission with limited slip differential, and that is just to name a few, all the correct parts to go racing with are present and accounted for.
Inside the car however, it features many comfort amenities, such as heated leather Porsche sport seats, Porsche/Alpine Hi-Fi stereo system with 6 disc changer, power steering, front airbags, rear foldable seats, full lightweight carpet (without sound deadening material) throughout, air conditioning, removable/tilting sunroof, power windows, power rear window wiper and even a fully functioning adjustable rear wing to add or remove downforce at the rear of the car as needed.
This 968 Turbo RS really embodies the “best of both worlds”‘ and in some ways pays homage to the great racing cars of the past. The racing cars that could truly be driven to the track to compete, and then be driven home again. It is, without question, one of Mr. Drendel’s favorite street cars. He was once quoted as saying, “For me, this car is much more fun to drive than my 959 Sport. With a perfect 50/50 weight distribution, once I got my set up dialed in just right within the suspension, there isn’t anything else I would do to change this car, I don’t know how it could possibly get any better.”
Gooding & Company will be conducting its annual Amelia Island Auction on March 9, 2012 at 11 a.m., at the Racquet Park located at the Omni Amelia Island Plantation at 6800 First Coast Highway in Amelia Island, one mile south of the Amelia Island Parkway.
Guests may preview the cars on Thursday, March 8th from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Friday, March 9th from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
An auction catalogue for $75 admits two to the viewing and auction. General admission to the viewing and auction can be purchased at the tent for $30 per person.
Bidder registration forms, press credentials and additional auction information are available at www.goodingco.com or by calling (310) 899-1960. Auctions are broadcast Live at www.goodingco.com/auction
About Gooding & Company
Gooding & Company, internationally celebrated for its world-class automotive auctions, provides unparalleled service in the collector car market, offering a wide range of services including private and estate sales, appraisals and collection management.
In the past two years, Gooding & Company has realized the most prestigious automotive records in the world for a Car Sold at Auction with the iconic 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa Prototype at $16.39 million, an American Car at Auction with the 1931 Whittell Coupe Duesenberg Model J at $10.34 million, and the undisclosed private treaty sale of the world’s Most Valuable Car with the 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic.
The auction house ignited 2012 achieving extraordinary results at its annual Scottsdale Auctions in January with more than $39.8 million in sales and 98% sold. Preceding each auction, a complete catalogue is made available online at www.goodingco.com and a
virtual auction guide is published via Gooding & Company’s IAC award-winning iPhone and iPad app.
For additional vehicle information and up-to-the-minute results, follow Gooding & Company on Facebook and Twitter @GoodingCompany. Renowned for its annual standing as the official auction house for the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Gooding & Company will return to Pebble Beach, California on August 18 & 19, 2012.
Thanks to Michael Jordan at Insideline for sharing!
This is Zwart’s street car, so he selected his options appropriately.
“Since I’m using it as my every-day car,” he says, “I got nav and XM satellite radio and all that funny stuff that really doesn’t line up for a full race car for the street, but I do need some things. Also I got a little red stitching inside.
“I deleted the graphics so I can go slightly low key. My last RS was black with black graphics, which worked well. It’s always dicey to order a color like this that is not usually available, but I must say I am very pleased how it came out.”
As Circle Porsche’s Michelle Larson says, “It’s the best part of this business. Everybody leaves here happy; after all, they’re taking a Porsche with them.”
The RS 4.0’s key feature is a 4.0-liter street-legal version of the racing-type RSR engine and it delivers 500 hp at 8,250 rpm and 339 lb-ft of torque at 5,750 rpm. The chassis setup is mid-way between the GT3 RS 3.8 and GT2 RS, and it includes rod-ends in the rear suspension. If you look closely, you’ll also notice the aero whiskers forward of the front wheels and a steeper, 9-degree inclination of the rear wing. Overall the car has 450 pounds of downforce at its top speed, some 82 pounds at the front and 348 pounds at the rear. The RS 4.0 gets to 100 km/hr (62 mph) in 3.9 seconds on the way to 193 mph.
Stuttgart.In the opening tie of the 2012 Fed Cup season, Porsche Team Germany thrilled the sell-out crowd in the Porsche Arena with their great fighting spirit and excellent tennis – even though it did not suffice for them to progress to the hoped-for semifinal berth in the first round match against title-holders the Czech Republic.
Image via Wikipedia - Eingang Porsche Arena in Stuttgart
Barbara Rittner (l.), Angelique Kerber, Porsche Team Deutschland
“We’re leaving Stuttgart with a great feeling,” said captain Barbara Rittner when summing up the Fed Cup weekend.
“I’m so-so proud of the girls. They’ve showed they’re highly talented and can excite the spectators.
Everything is very positive even though it wasn’t enough to win against such a strong opponent. Now we’re hoping for the luck of the draw and will do our very best to stay in the World Group.”
After Sabine Lisicki surprisingly lost the first rubber on Saturday 6-2, 4-6, 2-6 against Iveta Benesova and Julia Görges’ 6-3, 3-6, 8-10 defeat against Petra Kvitova in a high-class tennis thriller, Porsche Team Germany stood with their backs to the wall on Sunday.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Sabine Lisicki had to win to keep her team in the race to the semis, Cheered on by the Stuttgart crowd, the German, who played nowhere near her best the day before, took the first set 6-2.
Sabine Lisicki, Porsche Team Deutschland
She continued to play well in the second set against the Wimbledon champion and the current world No. 2 but eventually succumbed 6-4. In the third, the Czech proved to be too strong when running out a 6-2 winner.
“We’re obviously very disappointed. Nevertheless I’m very proud to have played much better today than I did yesterday,” said Sabine Lisicki, the world No. 14.
“Yesterday, I immediately lost plot when things weren’t going well. Today I served far better and my groundshots were also better. Unfortunately though I didn’t win the vital points and it made all the difference.
However these kind of matches are the ones that help me to improve this aspect of my game.”
With a bit of luck in the draw, the play-off, whereby the winning nation will contest the 2013 World Group, could also be staged in the Porsche Arena on 21 and 22 April.
Sabine Lisicki, Porsche Team Deutschland
Sabine Lisicki would be more than happy:
“It’s great playing at home.
The atmosphere in the Porsche Arena is awesome. It’s such fun and really motivating.”
In the second rubber of the day, Angelique Kerber notched up the first point for Porsche Team Germany.
Angelique Kerber, Porsche Team Deutschland
The German, who was one of last season’s top up-and-coming players after reaching the semifinals at the US Open, had relatively little trouble in overcoming Lucie Hradecka 6-4, 6-4.
Lucie Hradecka (CZ)
Angelique Kerber, Porsche Team Deutschland
“I’m so proud to have won my first Fed Cup singles for Germany,” she said.
“Even though it made no difference to the result, I gave my all – also for the crowd which has given us such fantastic support over the past two days.”
Iveta Benesova/Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova won the concluding doubles 6-3, 7-6 against Julia Görges/Anna-Lena Grönefeld.
Tennis Fedcup World Group First Round 2012 – Germany Czech Republic in Stuttgart Germany – Porsche Team Deutschland: Anna-Lena Grönefeld, Sabine Lisicki, Barbara Rittner, Julia Görges, Angelique Kerber (v.l.)
Stuttgart. Porsche Team Germany hasn’t give up hope yet of reaching the Fed Cup semifinals.
Porsche Team Deutschland: Julia Görges, Angelique Kerber, Barbara Rittner, Anna-Lena Grönefeld, Sabine Lisicki (v. l.)
Even though, in spite of putting up stiff resistance, they are 2-0 behind at the end of the first day of the first round tie against title holders the Czech Republic in the Porsche Arena, captain Barbara Rittner still feels they are in with a chance of advancing.
“We’re not going to let our heads drop,”
she said, “Nothing’s lost yet.”
At the premiere of Porsche Team Germany, the sell-out crowd in the Porsche Arena experienced an unbelievably exciting tennis thriller. Julia Görges, who celebrated the biggest success of her career by winning the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix at the same venue one year ago, played out of her skin against Petra Kvitova.
Julia Görges, Porsche Team Deutschland
Petra Kvitova (CZ)
In the third set of the top class match, she had the Wimbledon champion and winner of the WTA Championships 2011 on the verge of a defeat. The German eventually went down 6-3, 3-6, 8-10 against the current world No. 2.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
“In the first moments after such a tight match one’s naturally disappointed,” she said, but, “I can’t put any blame on myself but it just wasn’t enough in the end.
Nevertheless we’re not giving up. We’re a strong team and it’s not all over in such a situation.”
Commenting on her return to the Porsche Arena she said: “I had goose bumps all over. I really enjoyed everything out there. It’s an unbelievably nice feeling when everybody’s right behind you.”
In the opening rubber, Sabine Lisicki surprisingly lost 6-2, 4-6, 2-6 against Iveta Benesova. After taking the first set comfortably, it seemed the German, the world No. 14, would win the first point for Porsche Team Germany.
Sabine Lisicki, Porsche Team Deutschland
Iveta Benesova (CZ)
But then in the second set she failed to convert the chances she had to break and proceeded to let the match slip.
“I played aggressively from the start and kept fighting to the end,” said the visibly disappointed Lisicki, “but I didn’t serve hard enough and I couldn’t get any length in my shots.
It was the main reason why I wasn’t able to turn the match around in the third set.” She had no problems with pressure of being the team’s No. 1: “I normally play better under pressure.
But unfortunately it didn’t work out that way today. I hope I can show it again tomorrow.”
In spite of trailing the defending champions, Barbara Rittner is still hoping her players can pull off a surprise on Sunday.
Barbara Rittner, Julia Görges, Petra Kvitova (v.l.)
“Julia forced Petra to dig very deep physically in a fantastic match and Sabine can definitely play much better than she did today,” said the German captain.
“Up until the moment the Czech Republic wins the third point, then nothing’s decided.”
Starting at 11.00 am (local time), two further singles and a doubles will be played in the Porsche Arena on Sunday.
1948 Porsche 356 Roadster – the good Doctor’s First. She rolls and steers but the brakes are to fear- By Joe Kyte
What is Topiary? Topiary is the art of creating sculpture in the medium of clipped trees, shrubbery and vines. Joe Kyte provides traditional cutting frames of all sizes yes, but he goes way beyond that!
Topiary Joe builds giant planted topiary animals, Living Logo public art work, huge Mosaiculture and giant steel wire green sculpture World Wide.
Conservatory grade planted character figures, green roof/green wall integrated sculpture, geometric box shrubbery cutting frames of horses, dinosaurs, vintage cars – even Lions, Tigers and Bears!
He creates large scale 3D sustainable advertising sculptures to your specifications, on the job site or in his shop.
Porsche Team Deutschland: Sabine Lisicki, Anna-Lena Grönefeld, Barbara Rittner, Angelique Kerber, Julia Görges (v. l.)
“We’re always in with a chance”
Stuttgart. Porsche Team Germany are highly confident going into the Fed Cup 2012.
“We’ve got some strong players and we can beat anybody on a good day,” said team captain Barbara Rittner at a press conference in Stuttgart’s Porsche Arena where the first round match against the Czech Republic will be staged on 4 and 5 February. “We want to show that we’re in the World Group by right.”
In the opening tie of the world championships for women’s national teams, Barbara Rittner is pinning her faith in Sabine Lisicki, whose great performances have moved her up to 14th on the WTA World Rankings, Julia Görges (No. 21), Angelique Kerber (No. 27) and doubles specialist Anna-Lena Grönefeld.
Andrea Petkovic, last season’s most successful German player, is not available due to a back injury.
Porsche Team Deutschland bei der Pressekonferenz in Stuttgart: Angelique Kerber, Julia Görges, Barbara Rittner, Sabine Lisicki, Anna-Lena Grönefeld (v. l.)
Barbara Rittner nevertheless sees Porsche Team Germany as being in with a good chance.
“We’ve got strength in depth,” she said. “It can make all the difference in the end.”
With Petra Kvitova in their team, defending champions the Czech Republic will be lining up with one of the world’s top players. The current world No 2 last year won the Grand Slam tournament in Wimbledon as well as the WTA Championships in Istanbul and she recently reached the semifinals of the Australian Open.
Her teammates are Lucia Hradecka (No. 47), Iveta Benesova (No. 49) and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (No. 53). Barbara Rittner:
“Obviously in the opening tie, I’d have wished for an easier opponent than, of all people, the title-holder. But if our players play to their limits, and with the crowd behind us, then we definitely stand a good chance.”
Sabine Lisicki, who has no qualms at being the German No 1 for the tough encounter, sees things the same way.
“For me it doesn’t mean any extra pressure, I see it more as being as a form of motivation,” said the world No 14 who lives in Berlin.
Julia Görges, who celebrated her biggest career success by winning last year’s Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in the Porsche Arena, is primarily pinning her hopes on the home advantage.
“The spectators will be right behind us for sure. For me personally, it’s doubly motivating to play in the Porsche Arena. Just entering the hall two days ago was a fantastic feeling.”
Angelique Kerber will be playing for Germany in the Fed Cup for the first time after a four-year absence. “It’s great being back in the fold,” she said.
When asked whether Porsche Team Germany have got a chance against the strong Czech side, Anna-Lena Grönefeld simply replied: “We’re always in with a chance.”
After the Opening Ceremony at 11.45 am (local time), two singles are on Saturday’s schedule in the Porsche Arena.
Starting at 11.00 am, Sunday’s play will take in two singles and the doubles. Tickets are available at Easy Ticket Service (telephone +49 711-2555 555, internet http://www.easyticket.de).
If you’re the sort of person who gets unfeasibly excited and lightly feverish when presented with a classic, mint condition old-school sportscar previously owned by someone very cool and very famous, then, frankly, you’re our sort of person.
And thus, today is a good day for you, because a Porsche 911 previously owned by Top GearMagazine’s Man of the Year (2011) Jenson Button is up for sale.
Formula One ace Jenson Button is selling his classic Porsche 911 – for a staggering £210,000. The Somerset-born star owns a string of supercars made by Ferrari, McLaren and Bugatti.
But his 1973 Carrera RS is considered the ‘holy grail’ of 911 models and is highly sought after by collectors.
Porsche wanted to race the 911 but was required to build 500 ‘homologation’ models which could be driven legally on roads beforehand.
So they launched the Carrera RS – with Button’s sports car the first Porsche which wealthy businessmen could drive to work in during the week and thrash around a racetrack at the weekend. It was a stiffer, lighter, more powerful 911 fitted with a 2.7-litre engine developing 210bhp.
A huge demand meant Porsche ended up building 1,590 models, with Jenson’s 1,280 off the production line.
And it’s no ordinary Porsche 911.
It is a 1973 2.7 Carrera RS.
This very fact should send a shiver of fizz right through to your extremities. Don’t forget, it’s the car Porsche had to homologate in order to go racing back in the 1970s.
They had to build a minimum of 500, but actually churned out 1590 because of the demand.
Compared to the standard 911, the 2.7 Carrera RS models featured stiffer suspension, larger brakes, wider rear wheels and arches and, of course,
……that fabulous ‘duck-tail’ rear spoiler.
The engine was a 2.7-litre flat-sixer producing 210bhp and became the fastest road-going car in Germany of its day.
0-60mph took just under six seconds and flat out, the RS would top 152mph.
Jenson picked up this ultimate collectors’ Porsche just two years ago, number 1280 of the 1590 model run, which has covered just 25,000 miles.
It reportedly spent most of its life in Italy, owned early in its life by Mario Angiolini, founder of the ‘Jolly Club’ Italian racing team.
So you can imagine that being a rare 2.7 Carrera RS, in black, previously owned by the 2009 Formula One world champion and all-round top bloke, would command a significant premium over its lowly siblings.
You’d be right.
This particular Porsche is on the market for £209,850.
Stuttgart. The 24 hour race in Daytona remains Porsche territory:
At the cliff-hanger 50th anniversary of the long distance classic in Florida/USA, the Zuffenhausen sports car manufacturer celebrated a convincing triple triumph in the GT class against strong opposition from the likes of Audi, BMW, Corvette and Ferrari.
(l.-r.): Andy Lally, John Potter, Richard Lietz, Rene Rast
Victory went to Porsche works driver Richard Lietz (Austria) in the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup fielded by Magnus Racing with teammates René Rast (Germany) as well as Americans Andy Lally and John Potter.
Porsche Factory Pilot Richard Lietz (Austria) – Magnus Racing
Magnus Racing – René Rast (Germany)
Magnus Racing – American Andy Lally
Magnus Racing – American John Potter.
#44 Magnus Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
After a thrilling finale in front of record crowds on the Daytona International Speedway, Lietz saw the flag 9.412 seconds ahead of his factory pilot colleague Wolf Henzler.
#67 TRG Racing’s Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
The previous year’s winner from Germany shared the cockpit of TRG Racing’s Porsche 911 GT3 Cup with Jeroen Bleekemolen (Netherlands), Marc Goossens (Belgium), Spencer Pumpelly (USA) and Steven Bertheau (USA).
Jeroen Bleekemolen (Netherlands), Marc Goossens (Belgium), Steven Bertheau (USA), Factory Pilot Wolf Henzler, Spencer Pumpelly (USA)
Scoring third place was Porsche works driver Marc Lieb (Germany) with Americans Hurley Haywood, Leh Keen and Andrew Davis in the legendary starting number 59 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup run by the Daytona-winning squad Brumos Racing.
Porsche works driver Marc Lieb (Germany) with Americans Hurley Haywood, Leh Keen and Andrew Davis – Brumos Racing Team
“Today we all witnessed why Daytona is one of the world’s most fascinating races,” said Wolfgang Hatz, Board Member for Research and Development at Porsche AG.
“For me that was a 24 hour sprint. The front-runners were incredibly close right to the flag. I’m very pleased to see that we had virtually no technical problems with our cars and the teams and drivers did such a magnificent job under difficult conditions.
Congratulations and well done to you all.”
Joerg Bergmiester, Patrick Long, Marc Lieb, Marco Holzer, Patrick Pilet, Wolf Henzler, Richard Lietz – Porsche Factory Pilots
Porsche’s head of motorsport, Hartmut Kristen, commented after this latest success:
“The 50th running of this classic was unbelievably exciting. For much of the time, there were ten GT cars in one lap. The spectators were again treated to some fantastic motorsport. And it’s great of course to celebrate an impressive victory in front of such spectacular crowds. The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup again brilliantly underlined its outstanding reliability at this extremely difficult race.”
With its latest win, Porsche has now scored 22 overall and 74 class wins, making it the most successful manufacturer in the history of this race.
The anniversary race of the endurance classic in Florida, at which the new Porsche 911 ran as the safety car, was stronger than ever before. In the GT class alone, 45 cars lined up to start.
“To beat so many great drivers, the crème de la crème of GT pilots, is simply awesome,” said the winner Richard Lietz.
“Winning this race for Porsche is a highlight of my career, comparable only to my two victories in Le Mans.”
His teammate René Rast, the two-time champion of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, to whom Porsche gave the chance to compete at Daytona in recognition of his excellent performance last season, said:
“Everything ran smoothly. We didn’t experience a single technical problem. That was only the second 24 hour race of my career and undoubtedly the toughest. During one of my stints I spent three and a half hours at the wheel. That was incredibly exhausting.”
In the gripping final phase, Wolf Henzler again pulled out all stops, but the leading Richard Lietz managed to stave him off to the flag.
Porsche Factory Pilot – Wolf Henzler
“He was just too quick today,” Henzler stated. “But to climb the podium again after my win last year is a huge success for me.”
With the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup fielded by Brumos Racing, which took off into the race from pole position, Marc Lieb pitted shortly before the flag for a ‘splash and dash’ refuelling stop.
Porsche Factory Pilot – Marc Lieb
Despite having led the race for long distances up until this point, he was unable to rejoin the fight for victory.
“We experienced a bit of bad luck towards the end with our race strategy,” he said. “But although I was rather disappointed initially, it’s still a great team effort to come third against such an incredibly strong GT field.”
Andrew Davis, Leh Keen and Marc Lieb – Brumos Racing
Turning the fastest race lap of the entire GT field, Porsche factory pilot Marco Holzer (Germany) turned heads at the classic on the Daytona International Speedway.
Porsche Factory Pilot – Marco Holzer
Alex Job Racing #23
He didn’t, however, manage to reach the flag.
“Everything was running beautifully with our car until the retirement,” he commented.
“But we had a bit of bad luck under the yellow flag. Three times we came in to refuel just before a caution phase and lost laps because of it. That’s rough.”
Lady Luck wasn’t with Porsche works drivers Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) and Patrick Long (USA) either.
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup of Flying Lizard Motorsports
With the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup of Flying Lizard Motorsports, which they shared with American Seth Neiman and Mike Rockenfeller (Switzerland), they were holding their own with the front-runners early on, but fell back and had to settle for 15th place at the flag.
Bergmeister/Long/Neiman/Rockenfeller (D/USA/USA/D), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
“Early on in the race we were running in the top three,” said Patrick Long. “Our pace was very fast.
But Seth’s collision with a Daytona prototype put us out of serious contention.”
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup of Flying Lizard Motorsports
GT class
1. Lietz/Lally/Rast/Potter (A/USA/D/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 727 laps
2. Henzler/Bleekemolen/Bertheau/Goossens/Pumpelly (D/NL/USA/B/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 727 laps
3. Lieb/Haywood/Davis/Keen (D/USA/USA/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 726 laps
4. Edwards/Bremer/Liddell (USA/DK/GB), Camaro GT.R, 726 laps
5. Beretta/Bertolini/Vilander (MC/I/SF), Ferrari 458, 726 laps
6. Franchitti/Bomarito/Hinchcliffe/Tremblay (GB/USA/CAN/USA), Mazda RX-8, 722 laps
7. Pilet/Farnbacher/Keating/Simonsen (F/D/USA/DK), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 721 laps
11. Armindo/Curtis/Lewis/Sofronas/Willsey (F/USA/USA/USA/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 713 laps
14. Avenatti/Faieta/Poordad/Sweedler/Wagner (USA/USA/USA/USA/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 707 laps
15. Bergmeister/Long/Neiman/Rockenfeller (D/USA/USA/D), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 706 laps
(l.-r.): Jörg Bergmeister, Patrick Long, Marc Lieb, Marco Holzer, Patrick Pilet, Wolf Henzler, Richard Lietz
Press Release
26/01/2012
Daytona 24 Hours, USA
Porsche starts from pole position
Stuttgart. Setting the fastest time in qualifying, Porsche pilot Andrew Davis (USA) secured pole position in the strongly-supported GT class at the Daytona 24 Hours.
Porsche pilot Andrew Davis (USA) secured pole position
For the 50th anniversary of the long-distance classic in Florida/USA, he shares the cockpit of the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup fielded by the winning Brumos Racing squad with Porsche works driver Marc Lieb (Germany) and American Hurley Haywood. With five overall wins and six class victories, Haywood is the most successful pilot in the history of this race. On board the car with the legendary starting number 59 is Leh Keen (USA) as the fourth driver.
“The Brumos team managed to get me out on the track before any of the others. With a field of 46 cars, this would normally be a huge advantage,” said Andrew Davis, who relegated Jeff Segal (USA) in the Ferrari to the second grid spot. “But my first lap wasn’t so good. I actually set the top time towards the end of the session. My Porsche was prepared perfectly.”
With the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup run by Magnus Racing, Andy Lally (USA) turned the third quickest lap.
Magnus Racing, Andy Lally (USA)
His teammates for the race are Porsche works driver Richard Lietz (Austria), John Potter (USA) as well as René Rast (Germany), the two-time champion of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.
Porsche factory pilot Patrick Long (USA)
Porsche factory pilot Patrick Long (USA), who shares driving duties with his works driver colleague Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) as well as Seth Neiman (USA) and Mike Rockenfeller (Switzerland) in Flying Lizard Racing’s Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, posted the fourth quickest time.
Seventh fastest was Porsche works driver Marco Holzer (Germany).
Porsche works driver Marco Holzer (Germany)
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, Alex Job Racing: Marco Holzer, Cooper MacNeil, Butch Leitzinger, Emmanuel Collard
“We changed a couple of things on the car before the qualifying and that paid off,” said the teammate of Emmanuel Collard (France), Butch Leitzinger (USA) and Cooper MacNeil (USA).
“I had to overtake two cars during my fastest lap and that cost several tenths of seconds. Still, we have a good starting position for the race. We’ve worked very hard on the car following our tests and I’m certain that we’ll do well over the distance.”
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
The 24 hour race starts on Saturday at 15.30 hours local time (21.30 hrs CET).
Result GT Qualifying
1. Andrew Davis (USA), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 1:49.342 minutes
2. Jeff Segal (USA), Ferrari 458, + 0.015 seconds
3. Andy Lally (USA), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, + 0.046
4. Patrick Long (USA), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, + 0.208
5. Gianmaria Bruni (I), Ferrari 458, + 0.319
6. Wayne Nonnamaker (USA), Mazda RX-8, + 0.358
7. Marco Holzer (D), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, + 0.424
9. Martin Ragginger (A), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 0.549
10. Bryce Miller (USA), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 0.702
Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup strongly represented at Daytona
Five Supercup pilots contest the 24 hour classic
Stuttgart. The Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup is strongly represented at the 24 hour race in Daytona. Five drivers from the world’s fastest international one-make race series tackle the spring classic in Florida/USA with the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.
In recognition of their outstanding performances last season, Porsche AG has given the double Supercup champion René Rast (Germany) and Frenchman Kévin Estre as “Rookie of the Year” the chance to participate in the 50th anniversary running of the legendary sports car race on the Daytona International Speedway.
“René and Kévin displayed extraordinary prowess during the 2011 season,” says Jonas Krauss, Head of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.
“So with support from Porsche, they have earned the chance to prove themselves in the fiercely-contested GT class of this long distance classic against very strong competition.”
Other pilots from the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup in Daytona are Britain’s Sean Edwards and Nick Tandy as well as Jeroen Bleekemolen from the Netherlands.
Sean Edwards (GB) – Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Deutschland 2011
Nick Tandy (GB) – Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Spanien 2011
Jeroen Bleekemolen (NL) – Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Italien 2011
On the way to his second title after 2010, René Rast celebrated five victories last year, including races on the storied Grand Prix circuits of Spa and Silverstone.
René Rast (D) – Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Türkei 2011
Moreover, the German won the Porsche Carrera World Cup on the famed Nürburgring-Nordschleife.
“For me, Daytona is a real highlight to kick off the new season,” says Rast about his Daytona campaign with Magnus Racing.
“It’s not every day a race driver gets the chance to contest such a prestigious 24 hour race with Porsche backup. This is really something very special.”
Kévin Estre was not only the most successful Supercup newcomer by far in 2011 – he also secured his first victory in this intensely competitive one-make series in the Royal Park of Monza. The Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup has run as support to the Formula 1 World Championship since 1993.
Estre is excited about his debut in Daytona with TRG Racing.
“I thank Porsche for this unique chance,” he says. “I’ll do my best to justify their trust and to represent the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup well.”
Kevin Estre (F) – Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Italien 2011
Traditionally, the 24 hour race on the Daytona International Speedway is the first highlight of the motorsport season and year after year attracts the best pilots from all kinds of race series worldwide to the ‘Sunshine State’ of the USA.
Spearheaded by title defender Wolf Henzler (Germany), seven Porsche works drivers contest the strongly supported GT class. With 22 overall wins, Porsche is the most successful manufacturer in the history of the race.
The race
The endurance classic, which kicks off the Grand-Am Series season, started out in 1962 as a three hour race. At 1,250 miles in 1964, the race grew to double the distance of the classic 1,000 kilometre races of Spa, Monza and the Nürburgring. The maiden 24 hour event in Daytona took place in 1966. Due to the oil crisis in 1974 the race was not run. Taking their places on the winner’s list are Formula 1 champions like Phil Hill and Mario Andretti as well as legendary Porsche pilots like Hans Herrmann, Rolf Stommelen, Hurley Haywood and Bob Wollek.
The circuit
The Daytona International Speedway is one of the world’s most famous race tracks. The 24 hour race is contested on the 5.729 kilometre track combination of oval with banked corner and the infield. The circuit is also the venue for the famed NASCAR Daytona 500 race with over 250,000 spectators annually.
The Porsche drivers
In the traditionally very competitive GT class, seven Porsche works drivers have victory in sight with the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup:
Title defender Wolf Henzler competes for TRG Racing, Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) and Patrick Long (USA) line up for Flying Lizard Motorsports, their winning team from the American Le Mans Series. Alex Job Racing has Marco Holzer (Germany) onboard, with Patrick Pilet (Franc) taking the wheel of the second TRG-Porsche. Magnus Racing competes with Richard Lietz (Austria), whilst his teammate in the new World Endurance Championship, Marc Lieb (Germany), lines up for Brumos Racing.
One of the partners of the Porsche works driver is the US racing legend Hurley Haywood (USA). With five overall and six class victories, Haywood is the most successful pilot ever in Daytona. On 4 May he celebrates his 64th birthday.
US racing legendHurley Haywood (USA)
Also taking up the race with the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is Audi factory pilot Mike Rockenfeller (Switzerland).
Audi factory pilotMike Rockenfeller (Switzerland)
In recognition of their brilliant performances in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, Porsche AG gave the two-time champion René Rast (Germany) as well as “Rookie of the Year” Kévin Estre (France) the chance to compete at Daytona.
Two-time championRené Rast (Germany)
“Rookie of the Year” Kévin Estre (France)
What they said before the race
Hartmut Kristen, Head of Porsche Motorsport:
“Daytona is always a very special race for Porsche. Our Porsche teams have already yielded many great results here with the Porsche 911. And with 21 vehicles we are very well represented again this year. For teams like Brumos who compete in 2012 as title defenders of the Grand-Am Series, it is particularly exciting that the most important race of the year is also the start of the season. And it will be particularly interesting to see the new competitors who compete with modified and, in fact, more powerful GT3 vehicles.”
Jörg Bergmeister:
“After the long break over winter, this race is a great way to get ready for the new season. Porsche was always very strong in Daytona. I last won the race here in 2009 and I’m feeling quite confident that we’ll be good for a win again this year. The competition was never this strong. It’ll be a tough fight from start to finish.”
Joerg Bergmeister (Germany)
Patrick Long:
“Our excursion into the prototype class last year was an interesting experience. But now I’m looking forward to racing a 911 again in Daytona. The fact that our GT-class rivals are not only much stronger in sheer numbers makes the task for us and our team even more interesting.”
Patrick Long (USA)
Marc Lieb:
“Our tests ran well in Daytona and I’m sure that we’ll be competitive in the race. The 24 Hours of Daytona is always a cool event, and added to this is the unbelievably big grid for the 50th anniversary. I’m looking forward to driving for such a well established and successful team like Brumos Racing with the legendary starting number 59.”
Marc Lieb (Germany)
Wolf Henzler:
“When we tested I was really impressed by the strength of our competition. With 42 GT cars on the grid, it’ll certainly not be an easy race. I imagine things will get really tough right from the start flag. I’m driving again for TRG, the team with which I won last year. My teammates are very strong and of course I’ll do my best to repeat my victory from last year.”
Wolf Henzler (Germany)
Marco Holzer:
“It’s a fantastic challenge to start the season with a 24 hour race, and a classic like Daytona at that. I very much like this circuit. It’s demanding but real fun. We did a great deal of work on the car with my team Alex Job Racing. I’m quite optimistic for the race.”
Marco Holzer (Germany)
Richard Lietz:
“Great that the season finally gets underway. The GT class booms, the competition is stronger this year than ever before. That will surely be an interesting race. We always had a good car in the last years and we are keen to continue the success streak of Porsche in Daytona.”
Richard Lietz (Austria)
Patrick Pilet:
“Driving in Daytona is something very special for us all. This race is a legend and a great challenge, particularly in its anniversary year. Manufacturers send the best GT teams with very strong driver contingents to Daytona. The fight for victory is open like never before.”
Patrick Pilet (France)
Porsche successes
With 22 overall and 72 class victories, Porsche is by far the most successful manufacturer in the history of the Daytona 24 hour race.
The first overall win for Porsche was in 1968 with Vic Elford, Jochen Neerpasch, Rolf Stommelen, Jo Siffert and Hans Herrmann with the Porsche 907.
The latest win in 2010 went to Joao Barbosa, Terry Borcheller, Ryan Dalziel and Mike Rockenfeller with the Porsche-Riley. In 2003, Joerg Bergmeister, Timo Bernhard, Kevin Buckler and Michael Schrom clinched a sensational overall win with the near-standard Porsche 911 GT3 RS against more powerful Daytona prototypes.
In the previous year, Porsche works driver Wolf Henzler secured the GT class victory at the wheel of the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.
The schedule
The 24 hour race in Daytona starts on Saturday, 28 January, at 15.30 hrs local time (21.30 hrs CET).
Other interesting facts
– Marking the longest winning streak in the history of the race, Porsche notched up a total of eleven overall victories between 1977 and 1987. Add the class victories to this and Porsche has 21 wins in succession between 1966 and 1987 (in 1974 the race was not contested due to the oil crisis).
– According to statistics, Porsche veteran Hurley Haywood has turned more than 18,800 laps from his 37 Daytona starts to date and with this has completed almost 110,000 kilometres – that’s far more than two and a half times the circumference of the earth. For this, the Porsche dealer from Jacksonville/Florida has spent 476 hours behind the wheel and used around 1,100 sets of tyres.
– Right behind front-runner Hurley Haywood with five overall wins (1973, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1991) in the all-time list of winners at Daytona are two further Porsche pilots: Rolf Stommelen (1968, 1978, 1980, 1982) and Bob Wollek (1983, 1985, 1989, 1991) each with four overall victories.
The calendar
Thirteen races in the USA and Canada make up the calendar of the Grand-Am Series for 2012:
28/29.01. 24 Hours Daytona/Florida
01.04. Birmingham/Alabama
29.04. Miami/Florida
13.05. Millville/New Jersey
03.06. Detroit/Michigan
10.06. Lexington/Ohio
24.06. Elkhart Lake/Wisconsin
01.07 6 Hours Watkins Glen/New York
29.07. Indianapolis/Indiana
12.08. Watkins Glen/New York
19.08. Montreal/Canada
09.09. Laguna Seca/California
28.09. Lime Rock, Connecticut
This year marks an important race in the manufacturer’s history because we will be celebrating 50 years at Daytona. As the most winning Marque of the Rolex 24, Porsche will be the official pace car of the 24 hour race, showcasing the new 911. Porsche Cars North America is excited to announce the return of the two-day customer hospitality program at the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Each hospitality package is $300 and includes an official race ticket to the Rolex 24 and access to the Porsche hospitality tent Saturday (Jan 28) and Sunday (Jan 29) with the following amenities:
Food and Beverage (3 meals per day)
Lounge area
Track feed from the race
Team/Sponsor presentations
Driving Simulators for xBox
Gift bag
In addition to the Rolex 24 at Daytona, any additional customer hospitality programs that will be implemented later in the year will appear on the same website. Dealers, customers, and prospects are able to use this site to order any of the motorsport hospitality packages.
For more information on each of the events or to order hospitality packages please visit:www.porscheracingusa.com.
SITTINGDECIDEDLYUPRIGHT, WITHBOTHSHOULDERBLADES firmly planted in the tall racing Recaro and both hands grasping the period Momo wheel, the view forward is paradoxically feminine yet masculine.
This 1979 930’s familiar, voluptuously sensual pontoon fenders are flanked by madly flared wheel arches, leaving you with glimpses of Group 4 domination.
“When I get into a 911 after driving a Porsche racing car, it doesn’t feel like I’m in a completely different car,” said the late Al Holbert, who certainly knew his Porsche race cars and eventually took over running Porsche’s motorsports activities in North America.
After stepping out of the very real 934-002 and into the cockpit of this 934 replica, I know what he meant. But then, this car’s inspiration gives it an advantage, because the 934 remains Porsche’s most street-like race car to date.
After my left hand summons the ignition, a cacophonous rumble penetrates the cabin.
As the big, turbocharged flat six settles into a brutal idle lumpified by the long overlap of 934 cams, the undulations of each stroke of each cylinder pulsate the chassis. It’s such an experience that, before setting off, I open the door, get out, and walk to the back of the car.
Porsche now has 2,000,000+ fans on Facebook and to celebrate reaching this milestone, Porsche would like to say “Thank You” to their followers. Profile pictures from all their Facebook fans decorate a special Porsche Cayman S in the Iconic 917 K livery to be shown in the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart – to be part of this special display from January to Feburary 2012. Porsche used submitted pictures from their followers to re-create a historic race car livery.
Porsche asked their fans to choose which livery to display on the car, choices were…Porsche 917 LH “Hippie” livery, Porsche 917 K red-white Salzburg livery and Porsche 917/30 “Sunoco” livery.
Porsche 917 LH “Hippie” livery, Porsche 917 K red-white Salzburg livery and Porsche 917/30 “Sunoco” livery- Porsche AG
and the votes came in:
The winning design that was chosen and a inspiration was the car that delivered Porsche first overall victory in Le Mans, the iconc 917 K livery.
The 917 K features the red-white Porsche Salzburg livery and won with Richard Attwood and Hans Herrmann at the wheel.
Porsche prepared the Cayman S ( below) and is now displayed at the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart and will be on display January- Feburary 2012 with their Facebook fans’ pictures and the replication of the iconic design.
Jacques Breuer is a Belgian photographer who is finalizing a magnificent book on the Porsche 917…..”Porsche 917 / 0-21 – The Fabulous Story” – + 300 pages – + 500 pictures
Forty years in the history of the Porsche 917-021 described by an enthralling investigation that includes a journey to the heart of deepest Germany, trips to Stuttgart and Hamburg as well as the Black Forest, the Moselle region and the Rhine!
In 1970, 917-021 raced at Monza, Spa-Francorchamps, the Nürburgring, Le Mans, Hockenheim, Watkins Glen and Kyalami in the Endurance World Championship and the Interseries.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Read all about its victories and its two lives! Piecing together the story of this car led to meetings with exceptional people including Gijs van Lennep, Bobby Rahal, Kurt Ahrens, Gérard Larrousse, David Piper, team managers Hannu Kahi (AAW team), Hans-Dieter Dechent (Martini Racing team) and Porsche engineers Walter Näher and Herbert Staudenmaier.
Discover the history and the technical secrets of its legendary 180° V12 engine, the car’s soul. Also pictured are its liveries and decorations starting with the classic red and yellow Shell paintwork and finishing with the two psychedelic colour schemes that marked its 1970 racing career….continue reading here
This book also describes the meeting with Joachim Grossmann, the only other man (with Count Rossi) to have registered a 917 as a road-going car!
The story of the Porsche 917’s exceptional restoration and its return to the track will give the reader never-before published insights into one of the greatest racing cars in the history of motor racing!
Video by Daniel Fery on Vimeo – chassis number 021 and the first laps of its new life.
The story of the Porsche 917’s exceptional restoration and its return to the track.
The Porsche 917, chassis number 021, was built in 1969 and was part of the first batch of twenty-five 917s.
Copyright:www.jacquesbreuer.be
In April 1970, it was sold to the Finnish AAW team and then painted in the red and yellow colours of its title sponsor. The car’s first race, the Monza 1000 kms, was really an extended test session and it saw the flag in eleventh place.
Copyright:www.jacquesbreuer.be
Next came the Spa-Francorchamps 1000 km in which Laine-van Lennep improved to fifth overall. Two weeks later tragedy struck at the Nürburgring when Hans Laine was killed in practice in the AAW team’s Porsche 908/2.
Copyright:www.jacquesbreuer.be
The 917 did not take part in the following day’s race.David Piper and van Lennep drove 021 in the Le Mans 24 Hours, but the Englishman crashed in pouring rain in the Dunlop curve when in third place. He brought the car back to its pit where it was repaired. Van Lennep went back out and was eliminated when a tyre exploded on the Mulsanne straight due to excessive wear caused by the twisted chassis. The 917 was sent back to the factory for repairs. Given the lack of time available before its next race (Norisring) Porsche took chassis 012 from stock. It had been repaired in Stuttgart and all the mechanical components from 021 were grafted onto it and the chassis was renamed 021.
On 28th June it arrived at the Norisring for the Interserie race with a provisional decoration: a white front bonnet and a yellow engine cover. Hans-Dieter Dechent, the Martini boss, then rented 021. He had it painted in the psychedelic mauve and green livery seen on the long-tail 917 (chassis 043) that came second in the 1970 Le Mans 24 Hours.
Copyright:www.jacquesbreuer.be
He entered it for van Lennep-Larrousse in the Watkins Glen 6 Hours in the USA and the CanAm event the following day. On 23rd August the Porsche sported a new red and yellow psychedelic livery, the AAW team’s colours, for the Keimola Interserie race in which it scored its first win. On 20th September van Lennep clinched victory no.2 in the Zandvoort Trophy.
In the Paris 1000 km 021 retired with blown valves with van Lennep at the wheel. The 917’s last race for the Martini team was the Kyalami 9 Hours with Siffert and Ahrens. The car had a 5-litre engine for the South African event and it saw the flag in second place. 021 then went back to Porsche where its engine was removed and installed in the 917 01-021 spyder for the AAW team in 1971.
Copyright:www.jacquesbreuer.be
The original chassis and bodywork as sold to Manfred Freisinger in 1972. Three years later Joachim Grossmann bought and restored 917-021. He painted it white, detuned the engine and used it as his road car! In 1983, it was sold to American collector Don Marsh. In 1996, he put it back in to its Watkins Glen configuration although the colours and arabesques did not exactly correspond to the original livery.
Bobby Rahal bought 021 in 2002 and sold it on to Juan Barazi the following year.
Copyright:www.jacquesbreuer.be
Vincent Gaye purchased 021 at the end of 2007 and decided to carry out a full restoration. The car turned a wheel for the first time in 2011.
When Porsche launched its new “Engineered for Magic. Everyday” advertising, the company also invited independent filmmakers to submit short films demonstrating how Porsche vehicles fit that motto.
The company let ten filmmakers borrow Porsches to produce their short videos, and has now released the winning video and the two runner-up sports on YouTube.
Check out the winning and two finalist My Daily Magic videos below.
The winning film was “It’s a Magical Life” by Michael Korbel, and follows the life story of a Porsche 911 owner — from meeting a girl on the beach to dropping his son off at school. Korbel’s film will be shown online and before movies at Spotlight Cinema Networks around the country.
Porsche also has published two of the ten finalist videos to YouTube. In “Sweet Dreams,” directed by Rod Guajardo, a young child dreams of the adventures her family will have driving to a picnic in a Porsche Panamera.
In Kristina Woo’s “The Ride”, a father uses his 911 Cabrio to recreate the open-air experience and thrills of a rollercoaster.
To further promote the “Everyday” marketing campaign, Porsche also has a new website where owners can submit stories, photos, and videos about their own vehicle. Called Porsche Everyday, the site contains everything from official Porsche TV commercials, to testimonials from owners with almost 300,000 miles on their Porsche.
Source: YouTube & Porsche
To give credit where it’s due, the winning video was imaginative, documenting the very moment when a new Porschephile is born. As World Car Fans tells us, the 60 second video earns winner Michael Koerbel a choice of prizes: he can opt for a one year lease on a Porsche vehicle (up to $18,000 in value), or can take $18,000 cash and a trip to the video’s Red Carpet Premiere screening.
“The magic of Porsche is how thoroughly the cars transform your everyday, routine driving,” said David Pryor, vice president of marketing, Porsche Cars North America.
“It’s not only about the weekend joyride. It’s the only car in the world that combines true sports car exhilaration and the drivability for daily use. This campaign brings this fact to life, painting a bigger picture of the real Porsche value proposition, in some cases through the words and images of owners themselves.
Royal Falcon Fleet by Porsche Design, Swedish-built luxury catamaran mega yacht.
The ultimate in billionaire boys toys, the Royal Falcon Fleet is truly the first of its kind. Like the bird from which the company derives its name, every vessel in the Royal Falcon Fleet combines grace, elegance and speed. Royal Falcon Fleet – the last word in luxury at sea.
Porsche Design RFF135 Luxury Superyacht
40m Incat Crowther catamaran yacht IC0803 is a luxury vessel with naval architecture, marine and systems engineering and construction oversight by Incat Crowther, created for Royal Falcon Fleet. IC0803 superyacht features exterior styling and interior design by Porsche Design.
Mr M.A. Zaman, President and CEO of Royal Falcon Fleet, said:
“The arrival marks an important milestone in realizing my dream of introducing a completely new type of megayacht to the market. By bringing together the design flair of Porsche Design, the reliability of Swedish marine construction embodied by Kockums , the proven excellence of MTU engines, the meticulous attention to detail of Greenline Yacht Interiors, as well as the vision and energy of many other top-flight specialists and suppliers, I am confident that the RFF135 will be as spectacular in its looks as it will be as impressive in its performance, a new world-class brand name.”
Porsche Design RFF135 Luxury Superyacht topview
“Unlike most 135 foot yachts, the complete hull of the RFF135 is not made of fibreglass, but entirely of aluminium”, said Roland Heiler, Managing Director of Porsche Design Studio in Zell am See. “Inside, you will find materials typical for Porsche Design: brushed stainless steel and aluminium, leather for the seats and wall coverings, together with carbon fibre. The customer has the final say. They can personalise their catamaran in cooperation with us, entirely to their own taste.”
Royal Falcon Fleet commissioned Kockums and Incat Crowther to build the catamaran. Kockums, the Swedish ThyssenKrupp subsidiary, stands for state of the art technology in the field of marine technology. Incat Crowther, a firm of shipbuilding engineers based in Australia, has decades of experience in the construction of large motor catamarans.
Royal Falcon Fleet
Royal Falcon Fleet, a Singapore-based builder of luxury yachts, was founded by a Swedish investor. The goal of the firm is to develop mega-yachts that stand out for their innovative design, cutting-edge technology, and handcrafted European interiors.
Main Salon on the luxury catamaran yacht Porsche Design
Porsche Design Group
The Porsche Design Group, based in Bietigheim-Bissingen, is a majority-owned subsidiary of Porsche AG in Stuttgart. The activities of the company are concentrated on the company divisions Porsche Design, Porsche Design Driver’s Selection and the Porsche Design Studio at Zell am See in Austria.
40m Porsche Design Catamaran Yacht IC0803 – Main Salon
Porsche Design Studio
The Porsche Design Studio at Zell am See, Austria, stands for the clear, timeless, unmistakable design signature that distinguishes all products of the Porsche Design Group. Moreover, the studio also handles industrial and product design for other companies. The Porsche Design Studio is one of the most renowned design houses in Europe.
40m Porsche Design Catamaran Yacht – Cockpit
Technical specifications of the 40m Porsche Design yacht IC0803 by Incat Crowther:
Length Overall: 41.40 m
Length Waterline: 35.70 m
Beam: 12.50 m
Fuel: 52 000 litres
Fresh Water: 5 000 litres
Main Engines: 2 x MTU 16V4000M93L
Installed Power: 2 x 3440 kW
Propulsion: 2 x MJP 850 waterjets
Generators: 2 x Kohler 150 EFOZD 150kW 50Hz
Construction Material: Marine Grade Aluminium
Porsche Design RFF135 Luxury Superyacht
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
The RFF 135 is arranged over four decks: upper deck, mid deck, main deck and lower hull deck.
It boasts over-the-top luxury spectacles with a helipad, sunken pool on the deck and a rear mounted Jacuzzi. Conceived as a spacecraft on the water, this 41.2 meter yacht is particularly extraordinary in every detail. The interior is styled in a highly modern way and captures the dynamic contours of the hull.
And the megayacht will have enough space to accommodate 10 guests and 10 crew members, with four guest suites and one presidential suite – below decks 472 sq m of area, with another 208 sq m of deck space up top.
The yacht will achieve a speed of 35 knots with 2 x MTU engines producing 3440kW of power at 2450 rpm, alongside two Rolls-Royce Kamewa 80S3 water jet propulsion units.
Accommodations
The RFF is arranged over four decks: upper deck, mid deck, main deck and lower hull deck.
The upper exterior deck includes a by bridge controlstation with associated navigation equipment, helm chairs, jacuzzi, bar and sun lounge.
The mid deck encompasses a pilothouse, captain’s cabin, guest suites, luxurious owner’s suite, owner’s private lounge and owner’s private dining and entertaining exterior deck.
The main deck includes an entertainment lounge forward, three guest suites, well equipped galley, crew mess and a large dining lounge area opening onto the main exterior deck.
A tender garage is integrated into the aft main deck. The two independent hull decks include four crew cabins, chief engineers and chief officers cabins, laundry, associated storerooms and spaces for ships systems.
♥´¯`•.¸¸★°•.☆.•°´¯`•.★°•.☆.•°`•.¸¸★°•.☆.•♥
☆☀☆Warmest thoughts and best wishes☆☀☆
☆☀☆For a Happy New Year☆☀☆
☆☀☆May health, peace, love and prosperity☆☀☆
☆☀☆Follow you always☆☀☆
♥´¯`•.¸¸★°•.☆.•°´¯`•.★°•.☆.•°`•.¸¸★°•.☆.•♥
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
May you always find new roads to travel; new horizons to explore; new dreams to call your own.
Porsche is commemorating both 60 years of racing at Le Mans and its 2014 return to the storied endurance race with a series of videos.
Porsche will make its return to the LMP1 class of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2014. To celebrate, it has released another teaser video that highlights the brand’s history at the famous race from the early years.
Porsche has more wins at Le Mans than any other manufacturer, including Audi. The company has 16 overall victories, including seven in a row from 1981 to 1987. Scores of famous racers have sat in the driver’s seat, including Jacky Ickx, Derek Bell, Hurley Haywood and Hans-Joachim Stuck.
When the announcement of Porsche’s return came last summer, Penske Racing made it known that it would love to back a Porsche team at Le Mans. Roger Penske said his organization wanted to follow up on its success with the Porsche RS Spyder LMP2 in the American Le Mans Series, though no deal has been made.
The company won’t be back until 2014, which means that Porsche still has some hurdles to jump, such as finding a pilot or two and, well, building a car.
The world’s oldest endurance race for sports cars, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, has tested the abilities of both drivers and manufacturers since 1923. German automaker Porsche has set numerous records and claimed 16 total victories since the inception of this monumental race, more than any other entrant. Porsche presents us with this compilation of hand-chosen clips from the early days of Le Mans, highlighting the car manufacturer’s achievements in the days preceding its era of dominance with the Porsche 936, 935, and 917 between 1970 and 1980. The promotions are in anticipation of Porsche’s triumphant return in 2014 to the circuit.
Porsche owned large swathes of the 1970s at Le Mans, with five overall victories. Starting with the 917 at the dawn of the decade – and leading to the 936 and 935 – legendary drivers paved the way for complete dominance by Porsche in the 1980s. The manufacturer – the most successful in the history of the gruelling endurance race – is now set to return to Le Mans in 2014 with an LMP1 sports prototype.
Building on the great successes of the 1970s, Porsche drivers swept all before them in the following decade, with an incredible seven overall victories throughout the 80s. With the Jacky Ickx/Derek Bell team winning in the 936 in 1981, and then leading in an incredible Porsche 1-2-3 win the following year in the newly developed 956, this was a legendary era for the manufacturer. Enjoy the greatest moments here.
365 km/h top speed. And top performances. In the ’90s, the 24 Hours of Le Mans are again dominated by Porsche Motorsport. New race cars. New drivers. And now, a new show.
A glorious past. And now, a mission: In 2014, Porsche Motorsport will return to Le Mans. With a LMP1 prototype and the determination to add another chapter to this success story.
We’ll definitely be watching. The company is setting up its YouTube channel for a running series of these teaser videos, so stay tuned.
One of the most most fierce and rare Porsche’s ever created is currently for sale again; the 911 GT1 Straßenversion. When it comes to rare Porsches of the modern-era, few are as hard to come by as the Porsche 911 GT1 Straßenversion(radical street version).
Let’s go back to mid July of this year, I blogged about a Rare 911 GT1 Straßenversion for sale in Kyoto, Japan that changed ownership for € 1,200,000 and apparently selling/negotiable at 1,300,000 EUR. Must have sold, as the advertisement is no longer available.
Here we have another 911 GT1 Straßenversion for sale.
A rare 1997 Porsche 911 GT1 Straßenversion Serial Number 396005 -1 of 20 “Evos” built in USA. Oh yes…just in time for the Christmas! Sure, we all would like this one under our Christmas tree…offered at a astonishing $1.950,000 or B.O. Taking interesting trades, up or down, considered….read on below. Contact information is at Michael Sheehan’s Website Ferraris-online.com
1997 Porsche 911 GT1 Straßenversion Serial Number 396005, one of only twenty 1997 911 GT1 “Evos” built and the only 911 GT1 Evo legally in the US and registered under the EPA and DOT “Show and Display” exemption.
Far more exclusive than your neighbor’s McLaren F1, faster on the race track and available at less than one-half the price. This 911 GT1 was delivered new to Germany in May 1998. It has been obsessively maintained and is in excellent condition throughout. With just 7,178 kms on the odometer, this 911 GT1 is “as-new”.
Created to homologate Porsche’s FIA GT1 contender, the street or ‘Straßenversion’, is one of the most uncompromising and rare street 911s ever produced. Other than a surprisingly complete and comfortable “street” interior, little differentiates the 911 GT1 from its race-ready sibling. While the first version of the 911 GT1 debuted for the 1996 season, Porsche only produced two examples. The following year, the “Evo” version was released with new kidney-shaped headlights, improved aerodynamics and many other styling cues that would become part of the new 996-based 911s in 1998. Twenty examples of the 1997 911 GT1 “Evo” road car were produced.
The 1997 911 GT1 was based on the 993 body shell, but with modified exterior panels, the yet-to-be-released 996 updates and aerodynamics and a substantial roll-cage that also supports the engine, gearbox and suspension. Built to homologate the 911 GT1 race car, the straßenversion is a pure-blooded race car in almost every way. It has a carbon fiber body, full width wing, a tiny cockpit and 544-horsepower in an 1,100kg package, and accelerates from 0-60mph in just 3.7 seconds. The GT1’s turbocharged flat-six engine sits in front of the rear axle and is supported by chassis tubes instead of the typical 911 rear sub frame. Sitting behind the engine is a longitudinal six-speed transmission onto which the race-bred rocker-arm rear suspension attaches directly.
Compared to the 911 GT1s that raced at Lemans, the road-going version has minimal but practical modifications. These changes include a higher ride height, softer suspension, road-going gear ratios, steel brakes, a mildly detuned engine and a complete interior, including sport seats and a full dashboard from the 993 production 911s.
Offered at $1.950,000 O.B.O. Interesting trades, up or down, considered.
NITEC Engineering label
Tire pressures label
Manual and tools
Längerer & Reich label
VIN label
Engine bay detail
Features
1997 Porsche 911 GT1 Straßenversion Serial Number 396005, one of only twenty 1997 911 GT1 “Evos” built and the only 911 GT1 Evo legally in the US and registered under the EPA and DOT “Show and Display” exemption. Far more exclusive than your neighbor’s McLaren F1, faster on the race track and available at less than one-half the price. This 911 GT1 was delivered new to Germany in May 1998. It has been obsessively maintained and is in excellent condition throughout. With just 7,178 kms on the odometer, this 911 GT1 is “as-new”.
2003, 26 May, Les Grandes Marques à Monaco, Important Collectors’ Motor Cars, Automobilia and Wristwatches, Monaco. Lot 217: One owner and 4,400km from new,1998 Porsche 911 GT1 Coupé: €640,500 inclusive of buyer’s premium. Sold to a Swiss collector.
2009, 11 May, Florida Motor Vehicle Dept., Tampa, FL: Title issued or updated. New owner reported.
2010, 11 Feb., Florida Motor Vehicle Dept., Tampa, FL: Registration issued or renewed.
2011, December, on consignment with Mike Sheehan’s Ferraris-online.com
Note: The above vehicle information is complete and accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time it is posted to this website. Corrections or additional information is always appreciated.
“Motorsport was always an essential part of the Porsche brand,” emphasises Matthias Müller, President of the Executive Board at Porsche AG. “So for us it was only a matter of time before we returned as a factory to the top league of racing. Porsche’s successes in Le Mans are unrivalled. We want to follow up on this with the 17th outright victory.”
Matthias Müller, President of the Executive Board at Porsche AG
With the RS Spyder sports prototype that was run with great success from 2006 to 2008 by the factory-backed Penske Racing team in the USA and to 2010 by several customer teams worldwide, Porsche has set the benchmark recently in the LMP2 category.
“With the RS Spyder we proved that our motorsport engineers in Weissach are at the forefront,” says Wolfgang Hatz, Board Member for Research and Development at Porsche AG. “For instance, we were the first to run a high-revving race engine with direct fuel injection, DFI, setting new standards in performance and efficiency. Recently, with the 911 GT3 R Hybrid, we adopted a completely new drive technology for racing purposes and achieved a considerable reduction in consumption.”
Hartmut Kristen, Head of Porsche Motorsport, is already prepared for one of the most challenging development programmes in the company’s history.
“We’re looking forward to the task of developing new technologies and to continue on with the success of the Porsche RS Spyder. After the conclusion of our works-supported sports prototype programme in the American Le Mans Series we have kept up with the latest technological advances. Now we will begin with detailed research in order to evaluate the various concept alternatives for our new car. These obviously depend on how the regulations for the year 2014 look in detail. In principle, these regulations are interesting for us because the integration of our hybrid technology in the vehicle concept is one possible option.”
Held every year since 1923, the legendary 24-hour race at Le Mans draws an annual crowd of more than 200,000 spectators to the French region of La Sarthe.
Around the world, this long-distance motor racing classic is viewed as one of the greatest challenges for man and machine. For Porsche, Le Mans is not only the place of famous victories and the ultimate proving ground. It is also their spiritual home.
Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood claimed the first overall victory for Porsche in 1970 with the legendary 917 short-tail. The 16th and by now last overall win was secured by Laurent Aiello, Stéphane Ortelli and Allan McNish in 1998 with the 911 GT1. In the years 2008 and 2009, the Porsche RS Spyder sports prototype won the title in the LMP2 category.
16 overall victories. Countless records. That’s Porsche Motorsport in Le Mans. For more than 60 years: the fastest race cars. The toughest drivers. And now: the best scenes.