Innholdsfortegnelse for December/January 2021 i GT Porsche

Head of UK sports nutrition outfit, Maximuscle, Zef Eisenberg, has died whilst trying to break the British land speed record in his heavily modified 991 Turbo S. Through his MadMax racing team, Eisenberg was already the holder of many land speed records, all verified by the Guinness Book of World Records. As reported in the August 2019 edition of GT Porsche, he piloted his 1,200bhp 911 to 210.332mph at Pendine Sands last summer, the fastest a wheeled vehicle has ever been recorded travelling on sand. Additionally, Eisenberg achieved the fastest flying mile (one way) at 196.970mph, the fastest quarter-mile (one way) at 206.492mph and the fastest flying mile (two-way) at 187.962 mph. The Guernsey resident's latest attempt at making a dent in the history books took place at Elvington Airfield,…

CTEK LIMITED EDITION GULF-BRANDED AUTOMOTIVE BATTERY CHARGER Swedish battery maintenance specialist, CTEK (visit ctek.com), has become the market leader in the care and maintenance of automotive batteries. Thanks to unparalleled knowledge and continuous investment in innovation, the company is the first name in highquality, reliable chargers and accessories that are effective, user-friendly and, most importantly, supremely safe (for user, car, battery and, of course, the charger itself!). In fact, so impressive is the firm’s range of products, it has become an OEM supplier to Porsche. Recognising the popularity of its catalogue of battery charging equipment on the Porsche enthusiast scene, CTEK has just launched its Gulf Limited Edition charger, featuring three key charging and maintenance stages to maximise the power and lifetime of your car’s battery. Not only will this…

The Porsche Cayenne is widely regarded as the SUV that properly added ‘sport’ to ‘utility vehicle’. Sure, it was beaten to the monocoque punch by the appearance of both Mercedes ML and the firstgeneration BMW X5, but it was the 2003 Cayenne that really got driving enthusiasts juices flowing (not least because of the way it handled, belying its considerable mass when on the move) even if the very self-same enthusiasts weren’t as enamoured with the Porsche’s somewhat challenging exterior looks. Save for its little brother, the Macan, bursting onto the scene to rapturous applause for its impressive dynamics in 2014, the exalted position as the SUV all of Porsche’s rival manufacturers aim to emulate has been the Cayenne’s stomping ground for the past seventeen years – so much so…

A major step in the continuation of Porsche’s iconic four-cylinder boxer engine was the decision to replace the unit’s Volkswagen-sourced crankcase with a new design. This took place at the end of 1954, resulting in a three-piece case with a much larger oil sump, all made from aluminium. The new design took into consideration the need to continually increase engine capacity and was a key part of 356 A’s launch in late 1955, which is where the second part of our look at the flat-four’s development begins. Two versions of the old 1.3-litre engine were carried over, powering the 1300 A and 1300 Super. The former, loaded with the Type 506, made 42bhp, while the latter, powered by the Type 589, produced up to 59bhp. The 1.1-litre option was dropped…

VANDOR JANIS JOPLIN MONEY BOX When it comes to icons of entertainment, they don’t come much bolder than gravel-voiced 1960s songstress, Janis Joplin. Known for her wild on-stage performances — and equally wild off-stage lifestyle — the queen of rock thrilled audiences the world over with her various touring bands. When it came to cars, her presence was just as striking as it was when she was strutting her stuff in auditoriums. “Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes-Benz? My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends,” she famously sang in what was to be her last recording before an accidental heroin overdose took her life in October 1970. What the song doesn’t reveal is that she was a Porsche owner herself. Shelling out $3,500 in 1968, she…

Put your foot to the floor and there’s a slug of forced induction power so potent it could out-accelerate a Ferrari. Knock it into top and you can cruise at 1,000rpm, enjoying four seats, the familiar 911 shape and class-leading luxury. The current 911 Turbo is the best of all worlds, continuing the legacy set by its predecessors — 992, 997 and even 964 alike all share a versatile skill set and take inspiration from the original icon: the 930. Turbocharging is a developing art when the firstgeneration 911 Turbo arrives in 1975. Porsche has explored the technology in its Can-Am and Carrera RSR Turbo 2.1 racers and develops the 930 road car to homologate a boosted 911 for Group 4 and Group 5 racing. The new arrival follows on…

The successful Porsche Esports championship (run on the iRacing simulation platform) has been confirmed for its third year, kicking off on the 9th January. Treating fans and drivers to gripping sim racing action with the virtual 911 GT3 Cup during the winter months, ten rounds contested until late April make up the racing programme: in addition to storied circuits, such as the Nürburgring and Le Mans, the virtual Interlagos Grand Prix venue in Brazil, the Formula 1 street circuit of Montréal and the Hockenheimring are among the venues for the first time. Participants will again compete for valuable championship points and a total of $200,000 in prize money. “When it comes to suspense, the current season of the Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup is hard to beat," explains Marco Ujhasi,…

Boxengasse, summer 2019. It’s the inaugural Oilcooled event, hosted by the Porsche-themed venue’s 911-obsessive-in-chief, Frank Cassidy. A sea of air-cooled gems pave the way to the business park’s main courtyard, where the handpicked star attractions of the day are waiting to wow. The highest number of Carrera RS 2.7s you’re likely to see in one place immediately draw the eye, as does the amazing carbon-bodied Schuppan 962 CR, a road-legal version of the legendary Group C Porsche prototype. Taking centre stage, however, is an altogether different take on one of Porsche’s monstrous motorsport machines. 2020 marks exactly fifty years since the manufacturer’s most important competition victory: Porsche’s first overall win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, as documented in the last issue of GT Porsche (order a copy by…

When it comes to performance road cars, Porsche and turbochargers have been a perfect pairing for forty-five years. We’ve seen a huge number of boosted belters exit the company’s Stuttgart stable during this time, yet it’s worth remembering that like much of the technology our favourite brand has harnessed and developed, its turbocharging exploits started at the race circuit. The story starts with the 917, a sports prototype based on the 908 and developed by Porsche to achieve top honours at Le Mans. Introduced in March 1969, the twelve-cylinder track terroriser would go on to be revered as one of the most impressive race cars of all time. Countless victories, including Porsche’s first overall win at Sarthe (outlined in last month’s issue of GT Porsche) were achieved by short and…

Upright windscreen, round headlights and an accelerating, sloping rear, intermingled with a high-rise, twin-plane rear wing, wheel arches shouldering far out from the bodywork and a ride height almost skimming the floor. The shape is unmistakably a 964-generation 911, but the additions suggest something far removed from a basic Carrera. Look closer and a firmer idea forms. With deep side skirts and a pair of front bumper cooling vents, this car is wearing a factory Porsche Aero kit. Add the stripped interior and it must be one of the rarest limited editions. Something like a Carrera RS 3.8 or Turbo S 3.3? The badge on the nose disagrees. This isn’t a Porsche at all: it’s a RUF BTR 3.8. Re-engineered in Pfaffenhausen, barely a hundred miles from Porsche headquarters, the…

When asked to bring to mind an image of a Group B motorsport machine, what car do you picture? The transverse midengine Peugeot 205 T16? An MG Metro 6R4? Maybe a Ford RS200? If, as we suspect, a Porsche is at the forefront of your noggin, then you’re likely to be salivating over the thought of a Rothmans-liveried 959 or the Prodrive-prepared 911 SC RS. “That’s all anyone considers when talking about Group B,” sighs race car preparation specialist, John Clonis. “It all went a bit crazy when the rally boys got involved.” In 1982, the FIA introduced a new and simplified set of motorsport categories designed to promote a more level playing field for entrants. Replacing the earlier Group 3, 4 and 5 classes, Group A catered for modified…

For many of us, one of the biggest drawbacks of lockdown has been the obliteration of motorsport. Races have been postponed, rescheduled, even cancelled. Worse still, track attendance is the only way most series can be witnessed. Granted, our very own Tim Harvey does a grand job of commentating on the BTCC for ITV Motorsport each race weekend and, of course, we get to see Carrera Cup GB support races from the comfort of our own homes, simply by pointing a remote control at the tellybox, but if club-level racing is your thing, then getting a fix of fast fun on four wheels at many of the UK's favourite circuits has been something of a struggle. We can, of course, hope for a brighter future — one where talk of…

An exhibit straight from Zuffenhausen arrived in France on Saturday 19th September, when Fritz Enzinger, Vice President Motorsport at Porsche, handed over a 919 Hybrid mock-up to the President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), Pierre Fillon, head of the organisation responsible for organising the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The presentation took place on the start and finishing straight before the official start of the 88th edition of the endurance classic. “Le Mans has been essential for Porsche since 1951,” emphasises Enzinger. “The 919 Hybrid mock-up symbolises the last three overall victories that Porsche achieved in succession at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Following on from the sixteen overall victories between 1970 and 1998, Porsche was able to continue its exemplary success story with this technological masterpiece.…

In the first part our guide to understanding rolling roads, we highlighted how they work, how you can best prepare your Porsche for a power run, and what you should expect on the day. We finished by taking a look at the horsepower and torque figures Barrie Powell’s 944 Turbo delivered at Dyno Developments (dynodevelopments.co.uk), a Stevenage-based company respected for designing and producing the fastest and most stable chassis dynamometer control systems in the industry. Put simply, if you want to find out how well your Porsche is performing, then book a session on a Dyno Developments rolling road! We returned to North Hertfordshire in order to natter with company boss, Mike Gurney, about the printout Barrie was presented with after his modified transaxle was put through its paces on…

Although not directly intuitive, it’s likely you’ve heard the phrase ‘racing line’. In case you haven’t, the term refers to the path followed for the quickest lap of a circuit, far from a simple straight line. You may well scribe a true straight line between corners, but you’ll need plenty of arcs in the bends — these are the bits that make the most difference to your lap time. From this point onward, I’ll refer to your line through a corner. By this, I mean your trajectory through a given bend. But why the precision of a specific line? Essentially, the racer is looking for a path of least resistance – the quickest way from start to finish. Corners, both numerous and ranging in complexity provide a challenge – the…

Porsche experimented with forced induction at the race track at the back end of the 1960s, adventures which led to the development of the 911 Turbo road car a few years later. Essentially a model designed and built to meet homologation requirements for motorsport, the potent Porsche (codenamed 930) became immensely popular with sports car enthusiasts amazed at the big-winged, force-fed model’s otherworldly performance. Initially powered by a threelitre flat-six (borrowed from the Carrera RS 3.0) and equipped with turbocharger technology derived from the 917/30 CAN-AM racing car, the original 911 Turbo delivered more than 260bhp, output bolstered by uprated suspension, superior brakes and a much stronger gearbox (when compared to kit supplied on the standard Carrera). A wider, more muscular rear end allowed for deep dish Fuchs – large…