Innholdsfortegnelse for Summer 2021 i GT Porsche

I’ve always loved the idea of a 996. A manual Carrera in a discreet metallic would be perfect for regular use. Of course, a GT3 RS is the ultimate tool, but with high values a GT3 will provide most of the enjoyment for much less outlay. Ben Barry jumps into a close to factory fresh example on page 26, and Kieron Fennelly quizzes specialists on page 34 for what to look out for when buying one. On a more sombre note, unfortunately this will be the final editorial for GT Porsche as the publisher has taken the decision to close the title due to reduced commercial spend. But I would like to thank the readership for your ongoing support and those of you who offered feedback when I took the…

On average, Porsche has taken around three seconds off the 911 GT3’s Nürburgring time every year for the last 22 years. Modest increments, perhaps, but ones that allow the new 992 to lap almost one whole minute faster than the original 996 - 7min 56.33sec plays 6min 59.93sec. There is almost no comparison in terms of performance, and yet without even driving the 992 we know it will continue to feel and sound like a GT3 – still raw and focussed, still with a naturally aspirated flat six, still rear drive and even with the option of a manual gearbox. As the breed evolves once again into its seventh generation, it’s a timely moment to revisit driving the car that laid down the template in 1999 and – with our…

Despite considerable motorsport success, by the 1970s, Porsche road cars were not seen as equal to those from the truly exotic supercar manufacturers such as Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini. That all changed with the arrival of the Porsche 911 Turbo, or 930, which elevated the 911’s performance and the standing of the marque to hitherto unseen heights. As is often the case in Porsche’s rich history, motorsport played a major part in advancing its road cars. In this instance, inspiration came from the mighty turbocharged 917 used in the Can-Am race series to huge success in 1972 and 1973. Ernst Fuhrmann had progressed from being Porsche’s Technical Director to Chairman of the board at this time and he is credited with bringing turbocharging to the 911. In a telling 1972…

For years, Porsche had contested FIA sports car events with machines that were largely – or more correctly, loosely – based on their road cars. Historically there had been no problem with this for as far back as 1976, Porsche had been dominant in Group 5 with the 911 Turbo-derived 935. This legendary car had been developed for the FIA’s Group 5 championship, otherwise known as the Special Production car category. This was a class open to all production-based models eligible for the strictlycontrolled Groups 1 to 4, but with the rules relaxed to allow further more radical modifications. However, most importantly, there still had to be clear links between a production car and the racer. The 935 appeared towards the end of 1975 and was based on the central…

Even before the Sanction Lost programme 356s, the Zagato workshop was no stranger to Porsche. In a similar way to the birth of the original Storez 356 Speedster, in 2013 the carrozzeria was commissioned by Swiss Porsche collector and ex-racing driver Ernst Berg to clothe his Carrera GT supercar in a bespoke carbonfibre body. No bumps in power were planned, so the new bodywork had to improve airflow around the car itself as well as showcase the typical and graceful Zagato look. Christened the ‘GTZ’, the resulting machine featured the coachbuilder’s trademark ‘double bubble’ roof, with two dome buttresses leading off the elegantly curved roof and enveloping the 612bhp, 5.7-litre, mid-mounted V10 engine. Understated and classy, a new rear bumper and diffuser completed the makeover. Even by mass-production standards, the…

There’s a theory that’s oft abounded in creaky corners of the internet that one day we’re going to run out of songs. “There are only so many notes, and so many sequences in which to play those notes,” these troubled worriers proclaim. “We’re already at a saturation point where everything sounds like something that’s come before it – when are we going to reach the point when there just aren’t any more songs to write?” This is, of course, hogwash. Music doesn’t work like that – these misguided worrywarts are flagrantly disregarding arrangement, context, equipment, mood, method, not to mention nuance, pitch, tone and vibration… there are far too many variables. Sure, the ingredients are all plucked from the same menu, but it’s like saying that one day we’ll run…

Frédéric Makowiecki (France), Gianmaria Bruni (Italy) and Richard Lietz (Austria), will be driving the #91 911 RSR at Portimão and 24 Hours of Le Mans. While the #92 car will be driven by Neel Jani (Switzerland), Kévin Estre (France) and Michael Christensen (Denmark). “Between them, these six nominated drivers have a total of 59 Le Mans races under their belts. This experience is invaluable,” said Pascal Zurlinden, Director Factory Motorsport. “There’s absolutely no doubt that we’ll be very well-positioned for the highlight of the year. The eight-hour WEC race in Portimão is the perfect complement to our intense preparation for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.” Portimão is an eight-hour race, so all drivers will get plenty of track time. This will be taking place on the original Le Mans…

In 1995 Porsche decided to concentrate its racing efforts on the GT3 class. This would be less expensive than continuing to pursue GT2 where the 600bhp 993 GT2 Evo had reached the end its development possibilities in the face of new generations of mid-engine competitors; a lower cost GT3 would also open the door to a wider range of potential clients. Design work for the new competition versions was underway by the time the 996 was launched in 1997 and Porsche Motorsport’s workshop at Flacht (at the southern end of the Weissach site) would build the 996 GT3 R and the Carrera Cup GT3 models in time for the 1998 and 1999 seasons. Under the auspices of Roland Kussmaul, a homologation GT3, like the 964 RS and 993RS before it,…

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Apparently it’s necessary to grow up at some point. No, we’re not overly enamoured with the concept either, but there comes a juncture when you have to accept the linear nature of time and come to terms with your fate, otherwise you’re just going to end up starting arguments with clocks and that’s not a good look. The 944 you see here is, in essence, a physical manifestation of Jon Dryer growing up. Before this, Jon owned a 6N2 Volkswagen Polo, but when the time came to move onward and upward, he was keen to move into something that felt more mature, more of an investment in posterity; “I was never specifically looking for a 944,” he recalls, “but this one came up and I just knew it was the…

Anyone who has given a more than a cursory glance at TV coverage of a Formula 1 motor race can’t help being drawn to the glimpses of the “behind the scenes” in the garage and the frenetic work to get the car out on the track. Gone are the days when a team – even the most professional – turned up, rolled the cars off the transporter and into the garage, adjusted the tyre pressures, filled the car with fuel and invited the driver to climb behind the wheel. I raced a 356 Speedster in the 1960’s and the procedure was much the same. I drove to the track, removed the hub caps, lifted the spare wheel from under the bonnet and asked the pretty girl to step out of…

2018 911 GT3 TOURING The 911 GT3 Touring, built from 2017-19, will forever live in Porsche folklore as one of the all-time great ideas. All the stellar hardware of the eyewateringly good GT3, wrapped up in a subtle body that you could drive to the theatre in without pulling focus. Of course, there was more to the GT3 Touring than merely deleting the wing – the interior was an altogether more cosseting place too; no Clubsport pack or Alcantara trim permitted here, no rollcage, but instead tasteful cloth and leather. The clues are there for the aficionados (no rear seats, subtle ‘Touring’ boot emblem, centre-lock wheels), but the key purpose of the GT3 Touring was to be stealthy. Well, as stealthy as it’s possible for an obviously well-specced 911 to…

Porsche has announced its first all-electric offroad model, the Taycan Cross Turismo. Like the Taycan, the Cross Turismo has an electric drivetrain with 800-volt architecture. Aiding its off-road capability is all-wheel drive and adaptive air suspension. Rear seat passengers will get 36mm additional headroom and a boot with 1,200 litres of load capacity. “In 2019, we sent out a key signal with the debut of our first all-electric sports car,” said Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG. “By 2025, half of all the new vehicles we will deliver will have an electrified drive – either fully electric or plug-in hybrid. In 2020, one in three of all vehicles we delivered in Europe had an electric powertrain. The future belongs to electric mobility. With the Taycan Cross…

Zaur Ezhaev is a numbers man. As a graduate of Russian Higher School of Economics and Moscow State University and now a top-level banker – numbers are his daily diet. Yet one stands out above all others – 23, the number of Porsches that grace his garage. Like all Russians, Zaur is playing catch up. Such cars were not imported until after 1991 when the “wall” came down. But Porsche had already featured in Zaur’s mind. He went on to study mathematics and Higher School of Economics at Russia’s National Research University. Then Moscow State University. In 2013 he bought his first Porsche, a Panamera GTS. With a wife and family to consider, the four-door, four-seater was a “must”. The car was new although most of his cars are second-hand.…

An early development car which despite having full FIA homologation, was never used in competition, chassis 143 0137 was spotted some years ago by early Porsche specialist Mick Pacey. “I had known of this car for a while and was certain that this one had never been dismantled, says Pacey who established his firm Export 56 in the early 1990s. “Most of our work is on 356s and preimpact bumper 911s, but I have a soft spot for 914s. They are a lot less expensive than the rear engine cars so when this 914/6 became available, I bought it.” 143 0137 has a fascinating history: a works car until 1972, it clocked up 28,000 km for its maker in what seem to have been general transport duties before it was…

Late last year, Porsche announced its return to the top-flight of the World Endurance Championship from 2023, with the aim of adding to its record-breaking tally of 19 Le Mans victories. The process of developing the new LMDh racecar is in its early stages, so it’s the perfect opportunity to look back at the gestation and success of its predecessor, the 919. Countless talented engineers, team members and drivers contributed to its domination from 2015 to 2017, but Le Mans winner Timo Bernhard was invested in the process from its inception and drove the 919 to victory in the final stint of its final ever race. No-one is better placed to give us the full cradle-to-grave story. But at one point it looked like Timo might not get his chance,…

If you mention the name Zagato to car cognoscenti, it conjures up a range of very graceful and beautiful sports cars, most of them sporting Alfa Romeo and Lancia insignia. The Italian carrozzeria has collaborated with other marques of course – most notably Aston Martin and its DB4 GT, DBS GT and V12 creations – but whichever auto maker calls on its services, the end result is usually a stunning piece of automotive sculpture, both to look at and own. And while its order books are only very lightly peppered with Porsche references, Zagato’s relationship with the Zuffenhausen manufacturer dates back over six decades. In 1957, French rally and official Porsche racing driver Claude Storez wanted the ‘ultimate’ 356 to race in the 1958 motorsport season. The Speedster was the…