Tag Archive for: Porsche

Los mejores Art Cars de Porsche

Los mejores art cars de Porsche

Desde el psicodélico 356 de una estrella del rock hasta un Taycan floralmente decorado, hemos reunido algunos de los mejores art cars en la historia de Porsche para rendir homenaje a los brillantes creadores que los convirtieron en realidad.

¿Es un Porsche el lienzo definitivo? Ciertamente, así se lo parece a los innovadores artistas aquí reunidos. Con motivo del lanzamiento del impresionante 968 L’ART, hacemos un repaso de algunos de los mejores ejemplos de art cars (coches artísticos) de Porsche, desde el 911 hasta el Taycan y el 356. Con esta panorámica, descubrimos que hace falta mucho más que una nueva capa de pintura para convertirlos en piezas emblemáticas del arte automovilístico.

968 L’ART por L’Art de L’Automobile

Encarnando la conexión entre los vehículos y la moda, este extraordinario coche rediseñado, obra de Arthur Kar y Adrien Leborgne, de L’Art de L’Automobile, transporta un aspecto retro a la era moderna. Presentado en la Semana de la Moda de París de 2021, junto con una colección cápsula a juego (conjunto de prendas y complementos que conforman un vestuario completo), los asistentes vieron cómo los mundos de la moda, el arte y los coches se unían para celebrar el 30º aniversario del 968. El modelo cobra vida en un impresionante color verde perla, con el encanto añadido de que parece tener otras tres tonalidades, dependiendo del ángulo desde el que se mire. TAG Heuer ha creado un cronógrafo a juego para acompañarlo. La eliminación del techo, los asientos Recaro, el cuero gráfico que combina con el color exterior o un sistema de audio a medida diseñado por BOSE son solo algunos de los ejemplos de cómo Arthur y Adrien se inspiraron en los coches clásicos que aman para transformarlo en una declaración contemporánea.

Cisne 996 por Chris Labrooy

El cisne se considera un símbolo de la felicidad en China.

Porsche ha ofrecido al artista digital escocés Chris Labrooy la oportunidad de trasladar una de sus obras de arte digitales al mundo real por primera vez. El resultado es el Cisne 996, que fue diseñado para el aniversario “20 años de Porsche en China”. El Porsche 911 de la generación 996 fue el primer vehículo vendido en China hace dos décadas. En este país, el cisne representa la felicidad. El art car hizo su primera aparición pública en Shanghái a principios de noviembre de 2021 y se dejará ver en otros lugares durante las próximas semanas.

911 Carrera por Nelson Makamo

El famoso artista sudafricano Nelson Makamo siempre supo que tendría un Porsche, pero no esperaba la forma en que ocurrió. Tras fantasear desde su infancia con lo que sentiría al tener las llaves de un Porsche, fue un encuentro fortuito con un ejemplar moderno durante una estancia en Western Cape lo que reavivó su sueño. Esto cimentó su compromiso de poseer finalmente un 911 Carrera en color negro azabache. Makamo encargó su primer Porsche con la intención de dejar su huella en su lienzo más inusual hasta la fecha. Pintó a mano varios elementos de su Porsche, desde el paragolpes trasero hasta los asientos, pasando por las inserciones en los paneles de las puertas y las carcasas de los retrovisores laterales. Si nos fijamos bien, encontraremos tres letras “Mma” en el panel de la puerta izquierda, que significa “madre” en su lengua materna, el sepedi. Para Makamo, este art car es el reflejo de su éxito, de las personas importantes que ha conocido y de la esperanza de que su obra despierte la imaginación de los niños de todo el continente africano.

Taycan Artcar por Richard Phillips

Flores y energía eléctrica en el atrevido art car de Richard Phillips.

Este es el tipo de obra de arte que hace que ver cómo se seca la pintura sea un pasatiempo auténticamente divertido. Su autor es el aclamado artista estadounidense Richard Phillips, que ha plasmado su visión en esta segunda piel para el Taycan. La obra cobró vida en Zúrich, creada en directo en el restaurante Leuehof, en la Bahnhofstrasse de Zúrich, en diciembre de 2020. Para esta obra maestra, Phillips aplicó su cuadro de 2010 “Queen of the Night” sobre la carrocería de un Porsche Taycan 4S, donde la exuberante pieza extiende su frondosa y floral disposición desde el capó delantero hasta la parte trasera. Inspirado en la belleza del entorno natural junto con la evocadora silueta del coche, Phillips consiguió otorgar un vínculo con la naturaleza a esta estrella eléctrica. A principios de este año se subastó y todo lo recaudado se donó a una organización sin ánimo de lucro, Suisseculture Sociale, que apoya a los artistas más afectados por la pandemia.

Taycan Artcar por Dale Chihuly

Otra obra de arte electrizante que cobró vida en 2021: el oasis hortícola de los Jardines de la Bahía de Singapur no solo alberga una variada colección de más de 1,5 millones de plantas, también se convirtió en el hogar temporal de este Taycan decorado con pétalos. Con Porsche como socio automovilístico oficial de la exposición “Vidrio en flor”, del artista estadounidense Dale Chihuly, el público pudo apreciar un deportivo más allá de la necesidad de velocidad. Envuelto en la extraordinaria decoración de la serie “Persas de Chihuly”, compuesta por flores ultra brillantes en una paleta diversa, el coche estuvo más que a la altura de su frondoso entorno. Sobre un pedestal, con el telón de fondo futurista del SG50 Lattice, reflejaba de forma armoniosa el ADN sostenible del Porsche Taycan en medio de un oasis verde orgánico.

Taycan Artcar por SUMO!

El código de color crea la ilusión óptica de un cohete entrando en la atmósfera terrestre.

Con motivo de la inauguración del Porsche Centre Roost, Porsche Luxemburgo decidió crear una obra de arte única sobre el tema del “Futuro” en colaboración con el reconocido artista luxemburgués SUMO!. Primero se desmontó el coche con la ayuda del equipo del Centro Porsche de la capital; luego, las piezas individuales fueron transportadas a un lugar desconocido donde SUMO! podría comenzar su trabajo. Se necesitaron más de cinco meses para completar el proyecto. También se pintaron el habitáculo, el interior de las puertas, las llantas y las llaves del coche. El art car ahora se exhibirá en varios eventos en todo el mundo.

Taycan Artcars por Megan Claire Keho y Rei Misiri

En una ronda sin precedentes de la Art Battle Canada 2021, se invitó a dos talentos locales del arte urbano moderno a crear diseños únicos para el Porsche Taycan. Y lo hicieron frente a una audiencia en directo, sobre la carrocería del propio automóvil. Al final de la “batalla”, que duró solo dos horas, Rei Misiri se impuso con su interpretación de “diferentes culturas y elementos estéticos de la naturaleza” (Taycan negro) frente a Megan Claire Keho, quien pintó el modelo blanco. Tras el evento, los vehículos se utilizan en viajes de prensa y eventos.

356 C de Janis Joplin por Dave Richards

La leyenda del rock Janis Joplin cantó “Todos mis amigos conducen Porsches”, pero en realidad ella misma tenía unos cuantos. Compró este coche en 1968, en color Gris Delfín (uno de los nueve disponibles en aquella época), y lo utilizó como medio de transporte diario. Describir el 356 SC de 1964 como un coche con una pintura muy colorida es quedarse corto. Janis pagó a su ayudante, David Richards, 500 dólares para que plasmara en el coche la “Historia del Universo” con casi todos los tonos posibles. Una historia que incluía imágenes de su banda, Big Brother and the Holding Company, paisajes californianos, el ojo de Dios, Capricornio, calaveras, setas y mucho más. El resultado es un vehículo que pide a gritos ser visto. Llegó a ser tan identificativo de su dueña que los fans le dejaban notas bajo el limpiaparabrisas. Cuando lo robaron, en 1969, el ladrón trató de ocultar su delito pintándolo con espray, pero la policía lo atrapó.

Afortunadamente, Richards pudo eliminar esa pintura sin dañar apenas la obra de arte. Trágicamente, Joplin murió en 1970, a la edad de 27 años, solo dos años después de comprar el coche. Su querido Porsche acabó en manos de sus hermanos y uno de ellos, Michael, lo restauró para devolverle su estado original, el Gris Delfín, que se había deteriorado. Luego, en los años 90, se decidió darle de nuevo la gloria psicodélica: su familia encargó a las artistas Jana Mitchell y Amber Owen que replicaran el mural anterior. Después de recorrer museos durante décadas, finalmente se puso a subasta para apoyar a organizaciones benéficas en nombre de su hermana. ¿El precio? La asombrosa cifra de 1,76 millones de dólares, que bate todos los récords de venta de un Porsche 356 en subasta pública. A cambio de esa suma, uno de los art cars más originales de Porsche, en todos los sentidos.

Erosión cristalina 911 por Daniel Arsham

Se conoce al artista visual contemporáneo Daniel Arsham por dar vida a objetos inanimados y jugar con el futurismo deconstruido. Tras dibujar coches de Porsche desde su infancia, en 2019 vinculó parte de su propia historia con la de la marca al crear este 911 (992) único y erosionado. El aspecto distópico se consiguió incrustando vidrios en la carrocería, creando un vehículo que no desentonaría en un mundo posapocalíptico. La pieza, que se puede conducir, se expuso en el Selfridges de Londres en 2019, antes de emprender una gira por Asia. Con los objetos contemporáneos sujetos a la transitoriedad, dice Arsham, esta pieza única evoca una sensación de deterioro yuxtapuesta a la decadencia.

911 RSR Le Mans por Richard Phillips

Este Porsche 911 RSR es más que una obra de arte: se convirtió en el primer art car de Porsche que ganó las 24 Horas de Le Mans, dentro de la categoría GTE Am, en 2019. Fue el resultado de la estrecha relación entre el artista, Richard Phillips, y el piloto oficial de Porsche, Jörg Bergmeister, para el que Richard había pintado un casco en 2013. Esto dio lugar, seis años después, a diseñar este modelo, en el que el artista utilizó parte de su trabajo existente para proyectar una intrincada decoración en 2D sobre el coche. Los detalles sobredimensionados y los atrevidos colores contrastados hicieron que no fuera necesario estar cerca para apreciar el diseño completo: los espectadores podían seguirlo fácilmente desde lejos. Y él a ellos, gracias al par de “ojos” pintados en su flanco. Este 911 RSR es un modelo para los libros de arte y de historia.

911 S de 1970 por Ornamental Conifer

Coches, ropa, incluso vajilla: el artista británico afincado en California Nico Sclater (alias Ornamental Conifer) tiene una maravillosa tipografía a mano alzada para todo ello. Y de todo lo que ha pintado, los coches de Porsche están entre lo más destacado. Las obras de Ornamental Conifer se reconocen por su característica combinación de rótulos de estilo pop art, impregnados de humor y combinados con un inteligente uso de juegos de palabras y giros (frases que el propio artista denomina “Coniferismos”). Hasta la fecha, tres Porsche han sido adornados con su estilo: un 911 de 1977 reconstruido para parecerse a un Carrera 3.0 RS de 1974, un 935 exhibido en el Salón del Automóvil SEMA de Las Vegas, y éste, el primer art car de Ornamental Conifer. Diseñado para un cliente de Texas, el mensaje de este 911 S es audaz y libre: “Quédate lejos para siempre”.

“Fat car“ NFT por Erwin Wurm*

Se conoce al escultor y pintor austriaco Erwin Wurm por sus obras de arte más grandes que la vida: durante dos décadas, la temática de su colección de enormes esculturas incluye las casas y los coches. En el 20º aniversario de su icónico Fat Car, en 2021, la peculiaridad de Wurm salió a relucir una vez más para dar vida -literalmente- a su primer token no fungible (NFT), titulado “Breathe in, breathe out” (Inspira, espira). El vídeo muestra su interpretación de cómo se vería un 911 inhalando y exhalando. Conocido ya por sus excéntricas representaciones de la vida cotidiana, y con un guiño característico al mirar de reojo a la sociedad de consumo, el estilo desfigurado que se muestra aquí es un ejemplo del inimitable sello de Wurm.

911 Carrera 996 por Biggibilla

Pintado a mano, en 1998, en la sala de exposiciones del Centro Porsche de Melbourne por el artista indígena australiano Graham J Rennie (conocido como Biggibilla), este 911 Carrera (996) se expone ahora con orgullo y de forma permanente en el Museo Porsche de Stuttgart (Alemania). Si visita el palacio de la historia de Porsche podrá contemplar este mural sobre ruedas, con su inquietante evocación del arte de los antiguos.

Cuando se trata de coches artísticos, esta lista demuestra que nunca se tiene demasiado de algo bueno. Como el trabajo de los artistas y diseñadores que quieren reinventar la norma y sublimar lo inusual. Aquí está el pasado, el presente y el futuro de los coches artísticos de Porsche que inspiran y alimentan el fuego de la pasión en el mundo del arte y la automoción.

23 November, 2021/by Carlos

Coches, Especiales, EVENTOS, MOTOR, MyEvents, Superdeportivos

The Porsche 356 on the road to Rome

The past and present of Porsche customer racing come together at a rendezvous in Rome. Marc Lieb drives one of the most important racing versions of the Porsche 356 and Herbert Linge revisits the birth of a legend.

Piazzale Giuseppe Garibaldi. Marc Lieb raises a piping-hot espresso to his lips, savours it, and revels in the moment. Before him, the Eternal City bathes in the glowing dawn. It’s his first time in Rome, and he’s not alone. He leans against the beauty at his side: a Porsche 356 A 1600 GS Carrera GT with more than half a million kilometres on the odometer. Its official licence plate reads WN-V2 – and in the world of motor racing, this car is a legend. In its day, it started in all the important European road races and rallies, including classics such as the Mille Miglia in Italy, the 1,000 Kilometres of Nürburgring, and the Targa Florio in Sicily.

Long-awaited arrival: Marc Lieb finally brings the Porsche 356 A 1600 GS Carrera GT to Rome—sixty-two years after the city closed its doors to the Liège–Rome–Liège rally.

The car can reach speeds of more than 200 km/h. Lieb is an overall winner at Le Mans and a former WEC champion. The two make a fast couple, that’s for sure. But this story begins with a significant delay: 62 years, to be precise.

Let’s turn back the clock. In 1959, the Liège–Rome–Liège rally was one of the most formidable road races in the world. More than 5,000 km nonstop. The speed restrictions set forth by the event holder, Royal Motor Union in Belgium, were impossible to meet even on the liaison stages. Of 104 starters, only 14 reached the finish, and none did so without incurring penalty points.

The overall victors that year were Paul Ernst Strähle and Robert Buchet. They did alternating stints behind the wheel for a staggering 86 hours. It was the greatest triumph for Strähle, then one of the most prominent German private racers in a Porsche. And it was the greatest victory for this illustrious 356. The name of the rally, incidentally, was a misnomer in the 1959 running. Roman authorities no longer wanted racing cars in the city during holidays; as a result, the route was changed several times and the turnaround point was situated in what was then Yugoslavia.

Role model: born in 1928, Herbert Linge shaped customer racing at Porsche unlike anyone since.

But now the 356 A has reached the Italian capital. Lieb is in love. With the city, with the sound of the Carrera engine, and with the unpretentious handling of this gem of a car. He is well aware of the its significance. After crowning his 14-year Porsche factory driving career with an overall victory at Le Mans and the WEC title in 2016, he shifted gears and got into customer racing management. His great role model: Herbert Linge. “Undoubtedly the coolest man I ever met,” says 40-year-old Lieb with unabashed admiration. Linge was born in 1928. He dedicated his entire working life to Porsche. After starting out as an apprentice in 1943, he became a race mechanic, a racing driver, established the customer service organisation in the US, and was ultimately a guiding light in development.

Herbert Linge as Steve McQueen’s double

He was also Steve McQueen’s double in the driving scenes in the film Le Mans, found the land for the Weissach testing grounds, and received the German Federal Cross of Merit as the founder of the ONS Staffel (Oberste Nationale Sportbehörde crew) – an organisation dedicated to safety in motor racing and a part of Germany’s motorsport governing body ONS, as it was known at the time.

Linge knew all too well the importance of such efforts for greater safety in racing. “We drove Liège–Rome–Liège full bore, day and night, nothing was closed off – completely mad, and completely unimaginable today,” he says of the legendary rally. In 1954, he won it with Helmut Polensky. Later he contested this and many other road races together with his friend Paul Ernst Strähle. “You could only finish Liège–Rome–Liège as a good team,” says Linge. “We alternated about every three hours. You had to be able to sleep in the passenger seat. Strähle could do it. At control points I would sometimes put on his hat and sign for him – he never knew a thing. I, on the other hand, barely got a wink of sleep.

A historic car on an even more historic roadway: in ancient times the Via Appia was known as the Queen of the Roads. The 356 departs Rome along the former trade route, which is more than 2,000 years old.

In 1959, Paul Ernst Strähle and Robert Buchet won the Liège-Rome-Liège rally in the Porsche 356 A 1600 GS Carrera GT—without actually being allowed to enter the Italian capital. Sixty-two years later, Marc Lieb brings the V2 to the Eternal City.

After breakfast at sunrise, the journey begins at Piazzale Guiseppe Garibaldi.

Loyal companion: the decals on the side window bear witness to the racing history of the 356.

Lieb’s happy place: overall Le Mans winner and former WEC champion Marc Lieb sets a course for the Colosseum.

The 1.6-litre Carrera engine produces up to 125 PS. The famous racing car has more than half a million kilometres on the odometer.

Travelling through time across the Tiber: the Porsche 356 A 1600 GS Carrera GT explores the ancient city.

Rest eluded Linge not only because of the breakneck speed over narrow streets and gravel mountain passes. He was also tapped into the technical state of the 356 with every one of his senses. He knew every last screw. Linge had been a test-driver for all of the early 356 cars. “They knew that I had some previous knowledge from motorcycle races as well, which is why they entrusted me with it. In the early days, we built three or four cars a day. After the test-drive, I had to report to Ferry Porsche that evening which of them were okay and which ones had to go back into the shop.” The factory racing and rally drivers caught wind of Linge’s skills as a mechanic, and by 1954 he was a sought-after second man in long-distance races. “They said to Herr Porsche: ‘When Linge’s on board, he takes care of everything.’”

The fact that the Weissach native was himself a top driver would soon be common knowledge as well. Plus, he was known for a driving style that was easy on the material. Even from the passenger seat, he called for gentle gear changes. “The synchroniser rings were tricky!” As a matter of course, Linge changed the brake pads four to five times over more than 5,000 km. “Before the mountain trials I would change the front ones at least. The car would pull when they were half-worn. We didn’t have disc brakes back then, but drums.” The venerable 125 PS, 1.6-litre engine with four overhead, vertical shaft-driven camshafts burned though spark plugs at a rapid clip. “Before each liaison stage, if we had a few minutes’ head start, I swapped out a plug. It wasn’t possible to do more at one time or we would have lost our lead.”

Racing legend: The Porsche 356 V2 has finally reached its destination. The 1959 rally winner on the trail of its triumphal drive in Rome.

It’s instructive to consider the conditions in place back then: some road races were championship races, and the squads drove the 356 from Stuttgart to far-flung regions of Europe themselves entirely under their own steam. And then they drove back home. Those miles added up too. And the network of filling stations was by no means ubiquitous. Linge thought ahead: “On the special stages we always wanted to have as little fuel weight as possible in the car. Mechanics drove ahead in a VW bus and deposited 20-litre gas canisters on the side of the road at agreed locations. Just like that – no one stole them. We all supported each other. When others were having trouble, I helped them out.” That he himself needed help at some point was the foundation of his friendship with Paul Ernst Strähle.

Linge’s friendship with Paul Ernst Straehle

Linge always had the backing of his bosses. So it came to pass that he was able to borrow a company VW bus over a weekend in 1952. When the bus broke down, he was pointed to the shop of the Strähle family in Schorndorf, and it was a lucky stroke: the junior boss Paul Ernst helped him get the vehicle back on the road. A few weeks later came the next chance encounter. On this occasion, using his VW Beetle, Strähle pulled Linge’s and his friends’ motorcycles out of a mud pit in which the squad had gotten stuck during a rally. It goes without saying that Linge told Strähle to get in touch if he could ever be of service in Porsche matters.

Timeless: the racing car with the Carrera engine represents the early years of customer racing at Porsche. Today, Lieb takes on some of that role, embodying the Porsche philosophy of those who have gone before him.

In 1956, Paul Ernst Strähle, by then a seasoned driver behind the wheel, procured a used 356 – but was still not competitive. With his 1.3-litre engine, he didn’t stand a chance against the 356 cars that were already sporting the Carrera engine out of the Porsche 550 Spyder. The new benchmark was set by the Porsche 356 A 1500 GS Carrera with 100 PS, a total weight of 850 kilograms, a top speed of 200 km/h, and a 0 to 100 km/h time of around 12 seconds. Strähle also knew that Porsche had a GS Carrera GT in the works. The GS stood for Gran Sport, GT for Gran Turismo. The planned GT version included numerous lightweight parts, a racing exhaust and, on request, a larger tank for long-distance races.

Pre-series variant of the GS Carrera GT

Strähle was not in a position to afford any of the letters. But he knew Linge and found out that a rescue vehicle with the desired engine was for sale. The suspension and transmission were also still in working order, though the chassis had suffered irreparable fire damage. The vehicle was actually slated to be stripped for parts. But then Strähle asked Porsche for a replacement chassis, which was then ordered from Reutter with Ferry Porsche’s blessing. Thanks to the assent from the top, Strähle received a pre-series variant of the GS Carrera GT in his desired colour of Adriatic Blue. “The gestation period of the 356,” as Paul Ernst Strähle, who died at the age of 83 in 2010, once called it.

Permanence: work on Rome’s Via Appia Antica – the first and most famous of Rome’s roads – began in 312 BC. A great accelerator of trade, it brought with it success. Something the 356 is familiar with.

What was ultimately born was a race car that contained only the good stuff, and even that was relentlessly improved over the years by the two friends. After finishing work, Herbert Linge would head over to the Strähle workshop to tinker away. In 1957, the new 1.6-litre Carrera engine was installed in the car with his assistance. Linge still exudes childlike glee when he says: “We always had the best material! Sometimes we were able to install parts that the factory hadn’t even finished testing. Shock absorbers and stuff like that.” As a test-driver, he was well aware of the advantages of certain components. In 1957, the two scored the victory for the 356 with the class win and a 14th-place overall finish in the Mille Miglia. Many more would follow before Strähle stopped racing in 1964.

“Customer racing was always a priority”

Although Linge was not as well acquainted with every Porsche race car as with the 356 at that time, one thing is a point of emphasis: “Customer racing was always a priority. Every racing car type had to be available for sale. We immediately built 20 or 30 units – even the Porsche 917 was a customer car. That was very important to Ferry Porsche. Advertising was forbidden. He always told us: ‘Our calling card is racing’.” And racing is every bit as important for the brand today.

Rooflines: the 356 briefly passes beneath the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica.

Even in retirement, Linge followed Lieb’s career, from a standout driver in the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland – which Linge had once headed – and then from customer racing to the factory team and, later, as he scored wins and titles all around the world. Lieb says, “I’ve learned things from Herbert every time we’ve met – his knowledge is an endless treasure trove.”

The qualified vehicle technology engineer looks in the rear-view mirror and indicates for the Colosseum. The large steering wheel in the 356 is surrounded by special instruments installed by Linge and Strähle. The marking at 3,500 rpm is still on the tachometer. The Carrera engine doesn’t like anything less, as Lieb has already discovered. “Porsche now builds between 250 and 300 customer racing vehicles a year, but the philosophy is the same as it was then,” he says. “It’s not just about selling cars; it’s about strategic project planning. Those who take an interest in a model – from the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport to the Porsche 911 RSR, as is used by the factory team – have more than just technical questions. They want recommendations for where to use it, they want to know which factory driver is available, and they want to know what technical support exists.”

Development, motorsport and sales

The German acronym for the department, EMV, stands for development, motorsport and sales – and it is responsible for the intersection of precisely these three areas. Its reach extends into the market organisations and regional managers worldwide. It was with EMV that Lieb started his second Porsche career in 2017. “Just as it was for Herbert, it’s about a shared goal with the customers, and that is to win races.” The private racing drivers of today are, like Strähle was in his day, valuable ambassadors for the brand and have a direct line of communication with the company. Key account managers now maintain the contact, just as Linge did more than 60 years ago. And like satellites launched into the racing cosmos, Porsche engineers transmit the unfiltered customer feedback directly to Weissach. Now, as then, both sides benefit from the arrangement.

Lieb points the 356 swiftly in the direction of the southern outskirts of the city. He swims through traffic in the priceless gem, shifting gently but rapidly; and always double-clutching on the downshift. Unlike in 1959, there are few tourists in the city. Passers-by wave; two police officers give a thumbs-up as the bella macchina hums past with its inimitable sound. The buildings of the Via Appia Antica function as a sound box. Lieb inhales deeply, as if he wanted to breathe in the more than 2,000-year history of the road. “Everything we are is an evolution of the past.” The 356 has arrived in Rome, and he has arrived in it. “500,000 km under the hood, the old seats, the cockpit – everything is different and yet so familiar. You drive off and feel immediately: this is a Porsche!”

Info

Text first published in the Porsche magazine Christophorus, No. 399.

Author: Heike Hientzsch

Photographer: Markus Bolsinger

26 September, 2021/by Carlos

Coches, Concept, Eléctrico, Especiales, MOTOR, Superdeportivos

Porsche presenta su prototipo futurista Mission R

Coincidiendo con el comienzo del IAA MOBILITY 2021 en Múnich (del 7 al 12 de septiembre), Porsche ofrecerá una visión espectacular del futuro de la automoción. El concept car Mission R combina tecnologías de vanguardia y materiales sostenibles, como elementos plásticos reforzados con fibras naturales, con la pasión por las carreras.

El vehículo de competición totalmente eléctrico presenta un diseño armonioso, con las líneas características de los deportivos de Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen y una altura extremadamente baja. Sus dos motores eléctricos de nuevo desarrollo ofrecen hasta 1.088 caballos de potencia (800 kW) en el llamado “modo de calificación”. La capacidad de la batería, en torno a 80 kWh, y el innovador sistema de recuperación de energía hacen posible que las carreras al esprint se puedan llevar a cabo sin pérdidas de potencia.

“Porsche es la marca de las personas que cumplen sus sueños. Y esto también se aplica a los deportes de motor. Experimentamos nuestra fuerza innovadora en las carreras, demostramos nuestro coraje en la búsqueda de nuevas vías de desarrollo y ofrecemos a los propietarios de automóviles auténticas prestaciones deportivas”, comenta Oliver Blume, Presidente del Consejo de Dirección de Porsche AG. “Además de nuestra participación en el Campeonato del Mundo de Fórmula E, ahora estamos dando el siguiente gran paso en la movilidad eléctrica. El concept car que hoy presentamos es nuestra visión de futuro de un coche de carreras para clientes totalmente eléctrico. El Mission R representa todo aquello que convierte a Porsche en una marca fuerte: prestaciones, diseño y sostenibilidad”.

Las carreras de clientes son muy importantes para Porsche

Desde el inicio de la Porsche Carrera Cup alemana hace 31 años, el fabricante de automóviles deportivos ha producido y entregado más de 4.400 modelos Cup en Weissach. Un total de 30 copas monomarca se celebran en todo el mundo sobre la base de estos fiables coches de competición de alto rendimiento. La última versión del 911 GT3 Cup se ha lanzado este año 2021 y se basa en el 911 de la generación 992. El Porsche Mission R es el avance del futuro de las copas monomarca con coches totalmente eléctricos.

El prototipo con tracción a las cuatro ruedas entrega casi 1.100 caballos de potencia en el “modo de calificación” y acelera de 0 a 100 km/h en menos de 2,5 segundos. Su velocidad máxima se sitúa por encima de 300 km/h. En circuito, este vehículo eléctrico logra hacer los mismos tiempos por vuelta que el Porsche 911 GT3 Cup actual. Gracias a los motores eléctricos y a las celdas de la batería de nuevo diseño, ambos equipados con un innovador sistema de refrigeración directa mediante aceite, el Porsche Mission R cuenta con una potencia constante de 680 CV (500 kW) en el “modo carrera”. Los avances técnicos han permitido eliminar la reducción de potencia de la batería debido a las condiciones térmicas.

Tecnología de 900 voltios y Porsche Turbo Charging

El motor eléctrico delantero rinde hasta 435 CV (320 kW), mientras el trasero puede alcanzar los 653 CV (480 kW). Gracias a la tecnología de 900 voltios y al sistema de carga Porsche Turbo Charging, apenas se necesita una parada de 15 minutos durante la carrera para alimentar la batería desde el 5 hasta el 80 por ciento. La potencia máxima de carga es de 340 kW. En materia de aerodinámica, el Mission R incorpora una evolución del Porsche Active Aerodynamics (PAA) con Drag Reduction System (DRS) en la sección frontal y en el alerón trasero. Su parte delantera presenta dos tomas de aire laterales con tres lamas cada una, mientras que detrás lleva un alerón regulable dividido en dos secciones.

El prototipo es innovador por el concepto de propulsión eléctrica y también por su carrocería enfocada a la sostenibilidad y la reducción de CO₂. Está hecha en gran parte de plástico reforzado con fibra natural (NFRP, por sus siglas en inglés), cuyo elemento básico es la fibra de lino. Este material ecológico también se utiliza en el labio del spoiler delantero, en el difusor y en los faldones laterales. El plástico reforzado está muy presente en el interior del Mission R, por ejemplo, en los paneles de las puertas, los asientos y la parte trasera.

El diseño del habitáculo está totalmente centrado en el conductor. Una pantalla perfectamente ubicada entre los controles del volante muestra datos relevantes durante la carrera. En otro monitor situado sobre la columna de dirección se proyectan las imágenes de las cámaras de los espejos retrovisores laterales y del espejo retrovisor central. Una pantalla táctil ubicada a la derecha del asiento permite consultar, entre otros, los datos biométricos del conductor. En el prototipo se pueden incorporar más cámaras en el interior para conseguir extraordinarios planos en una retransmisión en directo.

Con el proyecto Mission R, Porsche acerca más que nunca las carreras reales y las virtuales. El puesto de conducción en el chasis monocasco del vehículo recuerda a un simulador de juegos electrónicos. La estructura de seguridad, hecha de material compuesto de fibra de carbono, combina un alto nivel de protección para el conductor con un peso reducido y un espectacular diseño. Los ingenieros y diseñadores de Porsche han denominado “exoesqueleto” a la estructura de techo de carbono recientemente desarrollada, que integra la jaula de seguridad y la sección externa del propio techo. Con 4.326 milímetros de longitud, el Porsche Mission R es ligeramente más corto que el actual 718 Cayman. También es bastante más ancho (1.990 milímetros) y tiene una altura significativamente más baja (1.190 milímetros).

El prototipo Mission E de Porsche

En el transcurso de los últimos años, con los prototipos Mission E (2015) y Mission E Cross Turismo (2018), Porsche ha sido capaz de ofrecer avances fieles a la realidad que estaba por venir. El Taycan (2019) y su derivado Taycan Cross Turismo (2021), que ya se han lanzado con éxito en los mercados mundiales, se asemejan mucho a sus concept car en términos de diseño y tecnología. En otras palabras: misión cumplida. Ahora, con el Mission R, Porsche presenta su visión sobre el futuro de la competición para clientes. El prototipo celebra hoy su estreno mundial en el IAA MOBILITY en Múnich.

9 September, 2021/by Carlos

Coches, Concept, DESTACADOS, Eléctrico, Especial, EVENTOS, MOTOR, Movilidad, MyEvents

Drive2Extremes: the Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo between ice and desert

In the clip “Drive2Extremes. Taycan Cross Turismo x Johnny FPV”, the CUV demonstrates its typically Porsche sportiness on unpaved roads in the desert and on ice. The precision of the drone pilot Johnny FPV transports the viewer from one world to the other in seamless motion.

A hot-air balloon glides over seemingly endless forests of pine. A sports car is drifting in the snow. Between the two, a drone slices through the air, before it swoops down dramatically and captures the car at breakneck speed. A winter landscape? The eye can scarcely apprehend how the flight manuever suddenly transitions to a desert. The music underscores the dynamic acts of cinematography and driving like a symphony of contrasts. The locations provide the extremes in this action film: snow in Finland, desert sands in the United Arab Emirates. The protagonist is the Porsche Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo.

“It’s important to fly in a unique way, to establish a trademark style.”Johnny FPV

The second hero is somewhat in the background. Johnny FPV has both feet on the frozen ground, about 60 miles north of the Arctic Circle, as he works his magic from the bird’s-eye view above. One of the best drone pilots in the world, he is wearing black video glasses and holding a controller. Gloves protect his hands from the icy air – the filmmaker’s biggest challenge today, as he films against the stunning backdrop of the Porsche Driving Area – a closed course with prepared ice tracks.

The long view: with the camera eye of his drone, Johnny FPV tracks the Porsche Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo on two identical course layouts on two continents.

Born Johnny Schaer, the three initials in his professional handle stand for “first-person view” – the camera perspective of the films that have turned his passion into a career. Thanks to instantaneous transmission speeds, the drone pilot sees the world through the eye of his camera. Later, the viewer experiences the spectacular flights with sensory directness. The 25-year-old from Chicago loves speed, cars and flying, and is known for exceptionally dexterous maneuvers. Few can match his skill in making the viewer a part of the action. He opens up new horizons, offering surprising dimensions in technical perfection. Watching him and his drone at work, one senses how the virtual and real worlds meld into one.

Two-tone: the striking red and blue foiling symbolises heat and cold. The script adds further extremes.

Dancing on ice: there is a spirit of adventure in every detail of the Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo. The snow mutes almost every sound coming from the tyres. A silent drift is all but unimaginable, yet possible.

The film – Drive2Extremes. Taycan Cross Turismo x Johnny FPV – is set in the Lapland town of Levi and the Liwa Oasis on the northern edge of the Rub al Khali desert. More than 3,100 miles as the crow flies and roughly 1400 degrees Fahrenheit separate the two filming locations but in both places the Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo, the first all-electric Cross Utility Vehicle (CUV) from Porsche, conquers identically set courses. The aerial precision of the drone pilot is what allows the gripping splicing of the shots between ice and desert. The film was directed by Los Angeles-based Nicholas Schrunk, who won an Emmy for the documentary Blood Road. He’s a master of the craft of accentuating emotional stories with spectacular stunts.

Teamwork: director Nicholas Schrunk, racing car driver Jukka Honkavuori, and drone pilot Johnny FPV (from left) collaborated on the video spot.

Schaer bought his first drone at the age of 15, followed days later by a second, and shortly thereafter by a third. He practiced relentlessly. He got good. And then he became a pro. “Hand-eye coordination is crucial to being a good pilot. Otherwise it’s just a mix of hard work, good ideas and talent,” he says. In Drive2Extremes, the shots are dynamic in multiple ways. The car moves forward – the drone in all directions. Schaer has developed his own style and it is one that captivates the viewer. “It’s important to fly in a unique way, to establish a trademark style. My videos bear my signature. They’re not jerky, they’re precise and they’re very fluid.”

In just seven years, he’s ascended into the upper echelons of FPV pilots. “It’s indescribable to see and feel how strongly the Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo performs on different surfaces. I knew that electric cars accelerate very quickly, but the fact that the power can be called up like that on ice and sand is something I find incredible.” For him, electric cars are the future. “I’m quite sure I’ll own one too,” says Schaer. With his film, one ‘wow’ moment follows another, punctuated by breathtakingly beautiful slow-motion sequences. The Cross Turismo and its filmmaker – two masters in two different worlds.

6 September, 2021/by Carlos

Apps, Blockchain, FINTECH, I+D, TECNOLOGÍA

Blockchain platform for trading cards – Forward31 launches start-up Fanzone

Blockchain platform for trading cards

Forward31 launches start-up Fanzone

Berlin. Porsche drives its digitization strategy forward: through its company builder Forward31, the Stuttgart-based sports car manufacturer is launching the start-up Fanzone. The young company develops and operates a platform for digital trading cards. Thus, Porsche is opening a new business area in online gaming and digital entertainment.

The Berlin-based start-up offers an online marketplace for trading cards. Sports fans can collect and exchange digital player cards over Fanzone and use them in different game variants. The special feature of this interactive offering is that the company uses blockchain technology for the platform. This enables the creation of so-called non-fungible tokens (NFTs), i.e., digital objects that cannot be copied. NFTs guarantee the rarity and identity of collectables. Thanks to verifiable ownership, fans can benefit from value increases, for example, for limited editions. Fanzone’s first partner is the German Football Association (DFB).

New marketing channels for sports institutions and managers
“The demand for classic trading cards and albums has been unbroken for decades,” says Christian Knörle, Head of Company Building at Porsche Digital. “With Fanzone, we are now digitizing this promising market. We look forward to strategically supporting Fanzone and the team with Dirk Weyel, Björn Hesse, and Claudio Weck on this journey.” The founders bring along many years of experience in gaming, sports marketing, and blockchain technology.

In addition to the offering for fans, the platform also provides new marketing channels for sports institutions and officials – as the digital collectables are to depict various sports and leagues in the future. Currently, football player cars for the German women’s and men’s national teams, the U21 youth team, and players from the German third league can be collected. Further partnerships are being planned.

“We are convinced that innovative, digital interaction platforms between sports fans and their favourite teams offer huge growth potential,” says Dirk Weyel, Chief Executive Officer of Fanzone. “That’s why we’re excited to be able to build such a platform sustainably with a strong partner like Forward31.”

Porsche’s start-up ecosystem
Porsche is consistently driving the expansion of its start-up ecosystem forward to strategically increase its innovative strength. In addition to creating start-ups through the company builder Forward31, the sports car manufacturer uses various other instruments: the company invests directly in promising young businesses through its investment unit, Porsche Ventures. With the APX accelerator programme, a joint venture between Porsche and the media company Axel Springer, Porsche focuses on further developing companies that are in an earlier start-up phase. Porsche is also a partner of the open innovation platform “Startup Autobahn”.

About Forward31
The company builder Forward31 is a business unit of Porsche Digital. The focus is on building a portfolio of promising start-ups that tap into new target groups and value chains beyond the core automotive business. Jointly with entrepreneurs, these are founded and further developed as independent companies. Further information can be found at: www.forward31.com

15 June, 2021/by Maria G

Concept, Consola, Especiales, I+D, Juegos, MOTOR, TECNOLOGÍA

Porsche Vision Gran Turismo – the virtual racing car of the future

Porsche and the Japanese video game development studio Polyphony Digital Inc., a subsidiary of Sony Interactive Entertainment, present a spectacular vehicle concept.

The ‘Gran Turismo’ game series has featured Porsche sports cars since 2017, most recently the Taycan Turbo S. For the launch of the game’s seventh edition, Porsche has, for the first time, developed a vehicle purely for the virtual world. The Porsche Vision Gran Turismo is the sports car manufacturer’s first concept study created specifically for use in a computer game. It will be available exclusively in Gran Turismo 7, which will be released on March 4, 2022 for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.

By partnering with Polyphony Digital, Porsche is not only demonstrating its special visionary approach, but is once again also demonstrating the high level of expertise among its designers. Freed from the constraints of developing models for series production, they were able to put their own ideas for a Gran Turismo concept car into practice.

“A vehicle designed purely for the virtual world opens up exciting possibilities for us that are otherwise heavily regimented in a regular design process for a series production car,” says Michael Mauer, Vice President Style Porsche. “Projects such as the Porsche Vision Gran Turismo are particularly valuable for us in the creative process. Further developing our clearly defined Porsche Design DNA and exchanging with designers from other industries is an important part of our work.”

Future-oriented versions of familiar Porsche design elements

The Vision Gran Turismo features future-oriented versions of familiar Porsche design elements. The concept car exhibits the brand’s typical proportions with an especially sporty height-to-width ratio, an extremely low-set bonnet and very pronounced wings. The lights in the particularly purist front and the integrated air intakes create a visual link to the design language of the Taycan – a nod to the car’s purely electric drive. The rear is adorned with a markedly narrow light strip – a further development of the light signature that is familiar from the 911 and Taycan models.

The clear emphasis of the brand identity continues in the interior, with the curved hologram display, tailored to the driver, which appears to float above the steering wheel. The low seating position underscores the car’s dynamic feel. The realistic surface appearances in the interior also play a major role. “We spent a long time considering the right material design consisting of carbon and titanium. The aim was to reduce weight while increasing performance,” says Markus Auerbach, Head of Interior Design at Porsche. “In addition, sustainable aspects also play a role in forward-looking projects. For example, we only used entirely vegan materials in the concept car.”

“The appeal of a Porsche comes from its purist design,” says Kazunori Yamauchi, President, Polyphony Digital. “And in terms of engineering expertise, both we and Porsche follow the same perfectionist philosophy. We share the same passion for racing and are looking to the future of the car.” In addition to purely design-related themes, there are also new functions that contribute to a strong sports car feeling, with players experiencing haptic feedback via the controller, which mimics the feel of the steering wheel. This fast and direct feedback is reminiscent of a real racing car.

Expanding its gaming activities also has strategic significance for Porsche. “We can engage young and digital target groups in the place where their automotive dreams are born: the world of gaming,” says Robert Ader, Vice President Marketing at Porsche AG. “The partnership with Polyphony Digital and ‘Gran Turismo’ is a perfect fit for Porsche, because motorsport – whether real or virtual – is part of our DNA.” The integration of the first Porsche sports car developed purely for the virtual space is an important milestone in the strategic partnership between Porsche and Polyphony Digital Inc.

Porsche stands for authentic and emotive experiences. In this context, video games and the virtual world offer new opportunities to make sports cars interactive, and to make driving them an accessible experience. For this reason, the brand has been cooperating with various companies from the gaming industry for several years and these activities are now an integral part of the marketing mix. The overriding goal is to create a lasting brand experience.

Technical data of the Porsche Vision Gran Turismo

Acceleration 0 – 100 km/h: 2.1 seconds
Acceleration 0 – 200 km/h: 5.4 seconds
Top speed: 350 km/h
Peak power: 820 kW (950 kW with overboost & launch control)
Battery size: 87 kWh
Range: 500 km (WLTP)
Drivetrain: all-wheel drive

About Gran Turismo™

Gran Turismo™ is a video game developed by Polyphony Digital Inc., a subsidiary of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. Having launched in Japan first in 1997, the multi-award-winning franchise is regarded as the best and most authentic driving simulator due to true-to-life graphics, authentic physics technology and careful attention to detail. Polyphony and its famed creator Kazunori Yamauchi have revolutionized the racing game genre.

12 June, 2021/by Carlos

Aniversarios, Coches, Especiales, MOTOR

Innovative by tradition: 90 years of engineering services by Porsche

Weissach. Porsche has been a sports car manufacturer for more than seven decades. However, technological innovations under the Porsche name go back much further: Ferdinand Porsche founded his design office in Stuttgart on 25 April 1931 and had it entered in the commercial register. Since then, the Porsche name has been closely associated with customer development projects. Today, the tradition of engineering services is successfully continued by Porsche Engineering, a wholly owned subsidiary of Porsche AG, with innovative solutions and a high level of digitalization expertise.

Porsche has been driving technological innovations on behalf of customers for 90 years. What Ferdinand Porsche began with pioneering work such as the Volkswagen is being continued at Porsche Engineering since 2001 as a separate legal company and with a focus on technologies for the intelligent and connected vehicle of the future. “The importance of software in the vehicle and vehicle environment is growing all time,” explains Michael Steiner, Member of the Executive Board for Research and Development at Porsche AG and Chairman of the Shareholders’ Committee of Porsche Engineering. “The challenge these days is to combine detailed vehicle understanding with strong software expertise. Porsche Engineering is a pro at this and is therefore of great value to us as a strategic development partner.”

The engineers and software developers analyze global and local market trends, further develop technologies and methods, give impetus to innovative ideas and put those ideas into series production for their customers. “Thanks to getting an early start on areas such as electromobility and high-voltage systems, highly automated driving functions, networking and artificial intelligence, we are now in a position to develop solutions for the full range of mobility requirements of tomorrow,” adds Peter Schäfer, CEO of Porsche Engineering. “We have evolved from a design office into a tech company.”

Porsche Engineering has established an international development network with almost 1,500 employees at locations in Germany, the Czech Republic, Romania, Italy and China. And it’s not only the parent company which draws on this expertise. As a strategic partner, Porsche Engineering also develops new, forward-looking systems and functions for other brands of the Volkswagen Group, other automobile manufacturers, automotive suppliers and even companies outside the automotive industry.

And just like it was 90 years ago, anyone developing advanced solutions must always be one step ahead of the present. Ferdinand Porsche was a pioneer in the mechanical development of new vehicles and vehicle systems, and today Porsche Engineering combines this tradition with in-depth digital expertise. Although the possibilities are different today than they were 90 years ago, the mission remains unchanged: to develop the mobility of the future.

About Porsche Engineering
Porsche Engineering Group GmbH is an international technology partner to the automotive industry. The subsidiary of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG is developing the intelligent and connected vehicle of the future for its customers – including functions and software. Some 1,500 engineers and software developers are dedicated to the latest technologies, for example in the fields of highly automated driving functions, e-mobility and high-voltage systems, connectivity and artificial intelligence. They are carrying the tradition of Ferdinand Porsche’s design office, founded in 1931, into the future and developing the digital vehicle technologies of tomorrow. In doing so, they combine in-depth vehicle expertise with digital and software expertise.

90 years of engineering services by Porsche: Milestones

Company
1931: Founding of the Porsche design office
At the height of the world economic crisis, on 25 April 1931, the “Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung, Konstruktion und Beratung für Motoren- und Fahrzeugbau” (Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Ltd., Design and Consultancy Company for Engine and Vehicle) was entered in the Stuttgart commercial register. In addition to Ferdinand Porsche, who invested 24,000 Reichsmark in seed capital in the burgeoning corporation, his son-in-law Dr. Anton Piëch and Adolf Rosenberger become managing partners with contributions of 3,000 Reichsmark each. In the 1930s, Porsche’s enterprise became one of the most important pillars of automotive technology and at the same time paved the way for German mass motorization.

1961: Ground-breaking ceremony for the Porsche testing grounds
In the 1950s, increasingly complex vehicle development led to the decision to build a dedicated test track, which was to be designed according to the wishes of the testing departments. On 16 October 1961, ground was broken for the construction of the facilities in the Weissach and Flacht districts, 25 kilometers west of Stuttgart. A circular track called “skid pad” was built to test driving behavior and lateral acceleration, as well as two circuits. Other special sections were also built, including the pothole and rough pavement sections.

From 1971: Establishment of the Weissach Development Center (EZW)
At the end of the 1960s, plans for the Porsche Development Center Weissach (EZW) began to take shape. In the autumn of 1971, the entire development department, including design, was relocated from Zuffenhausen to Weissach. From 1974 onwards, a building in the shape of a standard hexagon was constructed, which ensured perfect working and collaboration capabilities. The following years saw the successive expansion of the EZW. The Measuring Center for Environmental Technology (MZU) was equipped with six exhaust gas test benches in 1982. Construction of the test building for engines (PMA) began in 1983. In May 1986, Porsche opened what was then the world’s most modern wind tunnel. The third construction phase was completed on 29 September 1986 with an extensive crash facility. The new facility offered modern testing capabilities with weather-independent test conditions and could be flexibly adapted to new testing techniques.

1996: Founding of Porsche Engineering Services GmbH (PES)
In October 1996, Porsche Engineering Services GmbH was founded as a separate legal company for Porsche’s well-established engineering activities for external customers. Since then, the Bietigheim-Bissingen location has been an important center for Porsche Engineering’s project teams.

2001: Founding of the Porsche Engineering Group GmbH (PEG)
In 2001, Porsche Engineering Group GmbH (PEG) was founded as the central holding company for engineering services by Porsche. The Weissach-based wholly owned subsidiary of Porsche AG coordinates worldwide development projects. Thanks to the networking of Porsche Engineering locations in Germany and abroad, Porsche Engineering engineers are able to develop solutions for a wide range of requirements.

2001: Porsche Engineering Prague location
Porsche Engineering took its first step on the road to international expansion in 2001 with the opening of the company location in Prague. Specializing in complex technical calculations and simulations, Porsche Engineering Services, s.r.o., with its focus on electromobility, connectivity systems, advanced driver assistance systems and vehicle structures, is now a key component of Porsche Engineering’s international engineering capacity.

2012: Acquisition of the Nardò Technical Center
With the Nardò Technical Center in Apulia in southern Italy, Porsche acquired one of the world’s best-known automotive testing grounds in 2012. Since then, the testing facility has been operated by Porsche Engineering. The 700-hectare grounds feature more than 20 test tracks, including a 6.2-kilometer handling track, a 12.6-kilometer circuit, dynamics surfaces, acoustics and off-road tracks, and numerous workshops. Porsche Engineering also offers on-site engineering services.

2014: Subsidiary in China
Engineering services for Chinese customers have a long history at Porsche. Projects have been carried out for more than 20 years. In 2014, Porsche Engineering founded a subsidiary in Shanghai. Since then, the location has been the interface to local companies, but also a strategic partner for Porsche developments for the Chinese market. It specializes in chassis, electronic components and systems, test automation, rapid charging and technology scouting.

2016: Founding of Porsche Engineering Romania
Porsche Engineering expanded its in-house expertise in the field of digitalization in 2016 by establishing Porsche Engineering Romania. The Cluj-Napoca location specializes in software and function development, with close links to the other Porsche Engineering units. Laboratories for software and hardware are available for testing.

2018: Ostrava location in the Czech Republic
Since 2018, an office in Ostrava in the Czech Republic has strengthened Porsche Engineering’s expertise in the field of software development.

Developments “Made by Porsche”
1931: Porsche Type 7 for Wanderer
The design office received its first official order from the automobile manufacturer Wanderer in the spring of 1931. In an extremely short development time, Porsche designed a six-cylinder engine with an initial displacement of 1.5 liters and the corresponding chassis with a swing axle. Built as the Wanderer W21 and W22, the model, known internally as the Type 7, was distinguished by its innovative light-alloy engine.
The Porsche torsion bar suspension, used for the first time in automobile construction, would prove a trend-setting development in chassis technology.

1933: Porsche Type 22 Auto Union race car
In the spring of 1933, Ferdinand Porsche was commissioned by Auto Union to develop a 16-cylinder race car. The first test drives with the Auto Union race car took place in November 1933, and during its first season in 1934 it set three world records and won several hillclimb races as well as three international Grand Prixs.

1934: Porsche Type 60
The impetus for the design of the now world-renowned Volkswagen “Beetle” came in 1934, when the Reich Association of the German Automobile Industry commissioned Ferdinand Porsche to design and build a German Volkswagen or “People’s Car.” In 1936, the Reich government decided to build its own factory for the Volkswagen, which Ferdinand Porsche was also commissioned to plan.

1938: Porsche Type 64
In 1938, the Porsche design office received an order from Volkswagen to develop a racing car based on the Porsche Type 60, which was to compete in a planned long-distance race from Berlin to Rome. Under the internal designation Type 64, Porsche engineers developed three racing coupés by the spring of 1939. With a streamlined aluminum body, covered wheel arches and a modified Volkswagen boxer engine, the car, which weighed around 600 kilograms, reached over 140 kilometers per hour.

1947: Porsche Type 360 for Cisitalia
The first large order of the post-war period came from the Italian company Cisitalia. The result, the Type 360 race car completed in 1947, featured a state-of-the-art chassis with double longitudinal control arms at the front and a double-joint swing axle at the rear, as well as an all-wheel drive.

1952: Porsche Type 542 for Studebaker
Between 1952 and 1954, Porsche developed a four-door sedan with a self-supporting body in a modern pontoon design for the US car manufacturer Studebaker. Porsche engineers designed a six-cylinder, three-liter engine and an output of 78 kW (106 hp), which they tested in both air-cooled and water-cooled variants.

1973: Long-term car research project
The long-life car research project (FLA) commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Research and Technology (BMFT), was developed as an automobile concept adapted to the changed environmental conditions. Porsche developed the concept car, internally known as Type 1989, with the aim of maximizing resource conservation. It was designed for a useful life of twenty years and a mileage of at least 300,000 kilometers. The basic idea included not only a targeted selection of materials but also the deliberate reduction of wear and tear on technical components.

1981: Collaboration with Linde
As a follow-up to its commissioning of planetary and chain drives, in 1981 warehouse technology specialist Linde Material Handling entrusted Porsche with the overall design of a new generation of forklifts. In addition to the functional design of the vehicle, the engineers paid particular attention to the development of a new driver’s seat concept based on ergonomics research.

1983: TAG Turbo Formula 1 engine
Thanks to financial support from Saudi Arabian businessman Mansour Ojjeh, the British racing team McLaren was able to commission the development of a Formula 1 turbo engine in Weissach. The engine, which could produce up to 1000 hp, made its debut in the 1983 season, was virtually unbeatable between 1984 and 1986 and helped McLaren win three drivers’ and two constructors’ world championship titles.

1990: Mercedes-Benz 500 E
In 1990, the engineers from Porsche created a particularly powerful version of the Mercedes W124 for Mercedes-Benz, equipped with a 5-liter V8 four-valve engine. Porsche was responsible for the entire project up to small-series production at Porsche in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen.

1993: Audi Avant RS2
Audi and Porsche jointly developed a high-performance sports station wagon, which was presented in autumn 1993 under the name Audi Avant RS2. The 232 kW (315 hp) RS2 variant was built in Weissach using numerous components from the Porsche range.

1994: Opel Zafira
When the Rüsselsheim-based car manufacturer Opel wanted to enter the growing market for compact MPVs, it commissioned Porsche to develop the Zafira based on the Astra model in 1994. Porsche engineers designed the body-in-white, adapted the powertrain, suspension and electrics, and took over prototype construction, vehicle testing and production planning.

2002: Racing luge for Georg Hackl
Porsche Engineering developed a competition sled for luger Georg Hackl in which he could change the damping while driving and thus achieve a higher cornering speed. The result: a Silver medal for “Hackl Schorsch” at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City (USA).

2007: Cayago Seabob
The Seabob from the manufacturer Cayago is designed for battery-powered fun on the water’s surface and in the depths below. In 2007, Porsche Engineering engineers developed three electronic components for the water sports device: the battery manager, the motor control unit and the control panel with graphic display.

Since 2014: High-voltage technology for electric vehicles
For high-performance electric vehicles, Porsche Engineering develops drive systems and other solutions based on innovative 800-volt technology. In doing so, Porsche Engineering is building on a wide range of experience gained with the Porsche 919 Hybrid, for example. Porsche Engineering developed the complete energy storage system for the LMP1 prototype – from the mechanical structure to the complete system control and testing. The battery system of the 919 Hybrid paved the way for the introduction of the trend-setting 800-volt architecture in the Porsche Taycan, which today helps the electric vehicle to achieve its outstanding driving performance.

2016: Scania S-series and R-series
Porsche Engineering developed a completely new generation of cabins, including the necessary production processes, for the new model series of heavy commercial vehicles from Swedish manufacturer Scania, which was unveiled in 2016. With their expertise in the development of decidedly stiff and light body structures, the Porsche engineers developed a particularly crash-proof cabin bodyshell utilizing steels of various strength levels.

2019: Cayenne Coupé
In 2019, Porsche unveiled the Coupé variant of the successful Cayenne series, for which Porsche Engineering acted as general contractor for the overall vehicle development. The project included control of the complete process as well as development of the individual assemblies, validation of the technical properties and support during the run-up to production. In the implementation, Porsche Engineering primarily used simulation and virtual development tools instead of time-consuming and cost-intensive tests of real components and vehicles.

Since 2019: Virtual ADAS development methodology
Porsche Engineering has created a simulation environment in which functions of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) can be trained and tested virtually. Among other tools, programmers use game engines for this purpose. Game engines are software tools that are actually intended for graphical and physical simulation in computer games, but are also suitable for ADAS development due to their realistic reproduction of driving conditions. Within a very short time, the software experts can run through complex traffic scenarios, change parameters such as sunlight, weather conditions or the behavior of other road users at the push of a button, and also cover borderline situations that could not be recreated with real tests on the road, or only at a high risk.

2020: MAY sunshades
Due to their large contact surfaces, sunshades are subject to strong forces even at low wind strengths. In order to ensure the stability of the individual components and the overall construction, the MAY sunshades were subjected to load testing under extreme conditions in Porsche’s wind tunnel.

2021: The intelligent and connected vehicle of the future
The vehicle of the future has a perceptive ability, processes the impressions, learns and thus adapts increasingly well to requirements. It forwards information to the back end, where all fleet data is validated and optimized in the cloud. It then receives new software packages with improved and enhanced features “over the air”. As the overall vehicle developer, Porsche Engineering is implementing the new functions in their entirety, including software, hardware and the necessary networking. In its international network of locations, Porsche Engineering brings together in-depth software expertise, comprehensive know-how in the field of driver assistance systems and artificial intelligence, as well as cloud connectivity.

24 April, 2021/by Maria G

Coches, MOTOR

Porsche 911 GT3 with Motorsport expertise

Stuttgart. Porsche takes the new 911 GT3 off the leash. The seventh edition of this high-performance sports car was also developed in close collaboration with Porsche Motorsport. It transfers pure racing technology into a production model even more consistently than ever before: the double wishbone front axle layout and sophisticated aerodynamics with swan neck rear wing and striking diffuser originate from the successful GT race car 911 RSR and the 375 kW (510 PS) four-litre six-cylinder boxer engine is based on the drivetrain of the 911 GT3 R, tried and tested in endurance racing. The acoustically impressive, high-revving engine is also used practically unchanged in the new 911 GT3 Cup. The result is a brilliant driving machine: efficient and emotional, precise and high-performance – perfect for the circuit and superb for everyday use.

Porsche 911 GT3 with Motorsport expertise

The distinctive strength of the 911 GT3 lies in the sum of its characteristics. With a top speed of 320 km/h (318 km/h with PDK) it is even faster than the previous 911 GT3 RS. It accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds. Porsche also offers the new model with a six-speed manual transmission for a particularly puristic driving experience. The sophisticated aerodynamics benefit from the experiences gained from motor racing and generate significantly more downforce without noticeably affecting the drag coefficient. In the performance position, the manually set wing and diffuser elements significantly increase the aerodynamic pressure for high cornering speeds.

This is, however, reserved strictly for outings on the circuit, as it is there that the 911 GT3 can play all its trump cards. During final testing, it lapped the Nuerburgring-Nordschleife, traditionally the ultimate proving ground for all sports cars developed by Porsche, over 17 seconds quicker than its predecessor. Development driver Lars Kern took just 6:59.927 minutes for a full 20.8-kilometre lap.

Holger Maske Juli 2020

The shorter 20.6-kilometre track, which had previously served as a benchmark, was completed by the 911 GT3 in 6:55.2 minutes. Running on the optionally available Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tyres, the new model consistently delivered its performance over several laps in the expert hands of Porsche brand ambassador Jörg Bergmeister. For Bergmeister, it is “by far the best production car” that the experienced professional driver has ever driven in the “Green Hell”.

Holger Maske Juli 2020

Despite a wider body, larger wheels and additional technical features, the weight of the new GT3 is on a par with its predecessor. With manual gearbox it weighs 1.418 kilograms, with PDK 1.435 kilograms. The front bonnet made of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP), lightweight glass windows, optimised brake discs and forged light-alloy wheels ensure weight discipline, as does the cover for the rear seat compartment. The lightweight sports exhaust system reduces the weight by no less than ten kilograms. With infinitely electrically adjustable exhaust flaps, it harmonises a highly emotional sound experience with the Euro 6d ISC FCM (EU6 AP) emissions standard. The combined consumption of the 911 GT3 is 13.3 litres/100 km (PDK 12.4).

Its racing genes are expressed in practically all the details of the new 911 GT3. The cockpit is in line with the current model generation. A new feature is the track screen: at the touch of a button, it reduces the digital displays to the left and right of the central rev counter, which reaches up to 10,000 revs, to information such as tyre pressure indicator, oil pressure, oil temperature, fuel tank level and water temperature, which are essential when driving on the circuit. It also includes a visual shift assistant with coloured bars to the left and right of the rev counter and a shift light derived from Motorsport.

Especially for the Porsche GT models, customers are increasingly requesting customised equipment. For this reason, the Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur range is also available for the new 911 GT3 and is supplemented by GT 3-specific options such as a lightweight roof made of exposed carbon fibre. Other highlights include exterior mirror tops made of carbon, darkened LED matrix main headlights and matching Exclusive design rear lights with an arc of light with no red components. Guards Red or Shark Blue painted wheel rims enhance the black alloy wheels. In the interior, equipment details such as the dials for the rev counter and Sport Chrono stopwatch, seatbelts and trim strips set elegant accents in the body colour or other desired colour.

As exclusive as the 911 GT3 itself is the individual chronograph that Porsche Design offers exclusively to customers of the high-performance sports car. Like its motorised role model, it boasts a dynamic design, consistent performance and high-quality workmanship. Its housing reflects its Motorsport genes. Just like the connecting rods of the GT3 engine, it consists of robust, lightweight titanium. The timepiece is powered by an individual winding rotor reminiscent of the wheels of the 911 GT3. The coloured ring of the dial can be customised in the paint colours of the 911 GT3.

Holger Maske Juli 2020

Porsche is offering the new 911 GT3 with a starting price of 152,416 euros including VAT and country-specific equipment*. Delivery is set for May 2021.
*The equipment options and price may change for the change in the model year.

21 March, 2021/by Carlos

Coches, Especiales, MOTOR, Superdeportivos

Porsche collaborates with Balmain’s Creative Director Olivier Rousteing

As part of its communications approach for the current Panamera models, Porsche is working together with one of the most famous faces in the fashion scene.

This is none other than the Creative Director of the Paris fashion label Balmain, Olivier Rousteing, who is launching a video series on social media together with the sports car manufacturer. The series of videos focuses on Rousteing’s exceptional personal story.

Porsche collaborates with Balmain’s Creative Director Olivier Rousteing

Video series with the central theme “Drive Defined”

The short videos will be published on Porsche’s social media channels and Olivier Rousteing’s Instagram channel between the middle of March and the end of April. The central theme is entitled “Drive Defined” and relates to Rousteing’s powerful inner driving force. Many similarities between the fashion designer and the sports car brand also become clear here: Rousteing is renowned for repeatedly pushing boundaries. In this way, he has successfully guided the tradition-rich company Balmain into the young pop world in recent years and turned it into one of the most important Paris fashion houses.

Porsche collaborates with Balmain’s Creative Director Olivier Rousteing

“Olivier Rousteing is not just an authentic Porsche enthusiast, he is also a perfect fit for us with his desire to make Balmain a modern brand with the highest standards of quality and luxury,” says Jelena Batic who is responsible for the cooperation at Porsche. “Together, we explore his exceptional driving force in the films by examining the connection between the worlds of sports cars and fashion, which creates relevance for our existing customers, as well as for younger and female target groups.”

Fascination for Porsche since childhood

“I have a role in my world, to push the boundaries and to establish aesthetics, and a new world, the world that I want to live in,” says Olivier Rousteing, Creative Director at Balmain. “All of this fits perfectly with Porsche – a brand that has fascinated me since my childhood, and that stands for design and tradition combined with innovative strength.”

Porsche collaborates with Balmain’s Creative Director Olivier Rousteing

Olivier Rousteing was born in 1985 in a confidential birth and was later adopted from an orphanage. He grew up in Bordeaux, and then attended the fashion school École supérieure des arts et techniques de la mode (ESMOD) in Paris. In 2011, he started work as Creative Director at Balmain at the age of just 25 – the youngest person to take on this role at a Paris fashion house since Yves Saint Laurent.

Porsche collaborates with Balmain’s Creative Director Olivier Rousteing

The video series about the Porsche Panamera is a first step in the collaboration between Olivier Rousteing and Porsche. Further joint activities are being planned.

17 March, 2021/by Carlos

Coches, Entrevistas CEO, Especial, EVENTOS, INTERVIU, MOTOR, MyEvents, RELOJES, Relojes de Hombre, Relojes de Mujer

Porsche and TAG Heuer enter into strategic partnership

Stuttgart/La Chaux-de-Fonds. Porsche and the Swiss luxury watch manufacturer TAG Heuer have joined forces in a strategic brand partnership. Within the framework of the holistic and long-term alliance, the premium manufacturers intend to jointly approach both sports competitions and the development of products. As a first step, the partners unveiled a new watch, the TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph.

Porsche and TAG Heuer enter into strategic partnership

“The strong friendship of our brand with TAG Heuer exists since decades and I am more than happy that we are now taking the next steps in the frame of a strategic partnership,” says Detlev von Platen, Member of the Executive Board for Sales and Marketing at Porsche AG. “We bring together what our customers love the most about both of us: authentic heritage, thrilling sports events, unique life experiences and the fulfilment of dreams. We both strive to create some unique, magic moments for our communities. We now look forward to doing it together.”

Porsche and TAG Heuer enter into strategic partnership

“TAG Heuer and Porsche have common history and values, of course, but more importantly, we share an attitude,” says . “Like Porsche, we are disruptors at heart, always in pursuit of high performance. With this alliance, TAG Heuer and Porsche finally come together officially after decades of close encounters and will create unmatched experiences and products for customers and fans that are passionate about both our brands and what we stand for.”

Two histories – one passion
For over half a century, the stories of the two companies have intersected. Similarities of heritage can be traced all the way back to the entrepreneurs of Porsche and TAG Heuer. Edouard Heuer and Ferdinand Porsche were pioneers whose visions changed their chosen fields forever. Heuer was responsible for the first manufactured chronograph and Porsche constructed a new electric wheel hub motor. Both these accomplishments earned medals at World Fairs held in Paris 11 years apart. Heuer was honoured in 1889, the first Lohner-Porsche Electromobile with this innovation was presented at the Expo in Paris in 1900.

Porsche and TAG Heuer enter into strategic partnership

The true cornerstones of today’s partnership, however, are descendants of the brands’ founders. Ferdinand Porsche’s son, Ferdinand Anton Ernst or “Ferry”, joined his father’s engineering office in 1931 at the age of 22 and founded the car brand that bears the family name in 1948. Within a few years, the name of Porsche would be inextricably linked with race track success all around the world – including a class win in the Carrera Panamericana race of 1954. In honour of its successful participation, Porsche calls its most powerful sportscar engine at this time ‘Carrera’.
Edouard Heuer’s great-grandson Jack led his family’s company for decades. In 1963, he created the first Heuer Carrera chronograph, designed to let drivers tell the time at a glance in the heat of action. Jack Heuer was also responsible for the Heuer Monaco, the first square-faced, water-resistant automatic chronograph watch. Its name evoked the Monaco Grand Prix as well as the Principality’s renowned Monte Carlo Rally, which Porsche won in three consecutive years, from 1968 to 1970, with its 911 model.

Steve McQueen and the Heuer logo
Just as the Porsche 911 had done for automobiles, the Heuer Monaco broke with the familiar design codes of traditional watchmaking. Its innovations had come at a significant financial cost and as an alternative to an expensive advertising campaign, Jack Heuer further cemented his brand’s link to the renowned sportscar manufacturer with a creative sponsorship arrangement with Fribourg, Switzerland-based racing driver and Porsche dealer Jo Siffert. In 2005, at the premiere of the film Jo Siffert: “Live Fast, Die Young”, Jack Heuer remembered the terms of their contract: “In exchange for CHF 25,000, he would put our logo on his car and suit. In addition, he could buy our watches at wholesale prices and resell them to his racing friends at a substantial profit. Which he did with great success because half of the paddock was wearing Heuer watches by the end of the 1969 season!” It was this connection that led Steve McQueen to wear the Heuer logo on his racing suit during the filming of Le Mans in 1970, in which he drove a Porsche 917. The American actor said at the time, “I drive the same car as Jo Siffert, and I want to wear the same suit as him.”

TAG-Turbo Engine – made by Porsche for the McLaren team
With its sale to the TAG Group, Heuer became TAG Heuer in the mid-1980s. At this time, the Porsche and TAG Heuer jointly developed and produced the TAG Turbo Engine that enabled the McLaren team to win three consecutive F1 world titles: with Niki Lauda in 1984, followed by Alain Prost in 1985 and 1986. In 1999, the relationship between Porsche and TAG Heuer grew even stronger – from the Porsche Carrera Cup and Supercup competitions, followed by the Endurance World Championship and more was yet to come. Porsche created its own Formula E team with TAG Heuer as title and timing partner in 2019, marking a starting point for an even more powerful and far-reaching collaboration.

New sports partnerships
In its second year, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team will now fight for the World Championship. Behind the wheel of Porsche’s all-electric racecar, the 99X Electric, will be drivers André Lotterer and his new teammate, Pascal Wehrlein. Porsche has long distinguished itself in endurance events and together with TAG Heuer its GT Team is well prepared for the coming FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). The milestone year will also include series partnerships in ten editions of the worldwide one-make cup series Porsche Carrera Cup. In addition to physical competitions, TAG Heuer also engages in virtual racing by supporting the Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup. In addition, the watch brand is stepping in as global partner in Porsche’s ‘classic’ events and rallies.

Moreover, both brands share their strong passion for tennis and golf. The main tennis event is the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. This was launched in 1978, and the sports car manufacturer has been the organizer since 2002. TAG Heuer will accompany the event, which has repeatedly been named the most popular tournament in its category, as an official partner for watches and chronographs. In golf, Porsche has been the title sponsor of the Porsche European Open, one of the most traditional tournaments on the European Tour, since 2015. This year, TAG Heuer will be present as a partner for the first time here.

Finally, the brands are committed to creating unforgettable moments together in the future through the various Porsche Experiences.

The TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph

Carrera as an icon of a name has been associated with Porsche and TAG Heuer for generations – so it was a natural choice for the first creative product collaboration. A tribute to the heritage of two brands, the new chronograph offers a first glimpse at what they can achieve together and is a seamless blend of the Porsche and TAG Heuer universes, reflecting the excellence of both names without diluting the essence of either.

Porsche’s engraved inscription is visible on the bezel and the unmistakable font is also used for the indexes. The Porsche colours of red, black, and grey – which also recall historic Heuer models – are incorporated throughout the watch, and on clear display through the transparent cristal case back is the oscillating mass, which has been redesigned in affectionate tribute to Porsche’s celebrated steering wheel. It is printed with “Porsche” and “TAG Heuer”.

The dial’s asphalt effect, created especially for this watch, expresses a passion for the road, while Arabic numerals suggest the numbers on the dashboard of fine Porsche sportscars. The timepiece is presented either on a soft strap in luxurious calf leather and innovative stitching that echoes the Porsche interior or on an interlocking bracelet reflecting streamlined racing design. At the heart of the timepiece is the in-house Calibre Heuer 02 manufacture movement with an impressive 80-hour power reserve.

4 February, 2021/by Carlos