Blancpain Endurance Series: Porsche sets the pace

ProSpeed Competition Porsche sets the pace

The ProSpeed Competition PRO-AM Porsche 997 GT3 R No.74 of Dylan Derdaele (BEL), Paul van Splunteren (NLD) and Maxime Soulet (BEL) topped the timesheets as Free Practice took place in glorious sunshine at Paul Ricard. The trio produced a best time of 1:59.548 as PRO-AM cars filled the top five positions. 

Second fastest was the PRO-AM No.51 AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia of Gaetano Ardagna (VEN), Daniel Brown (GBR) and Giuseppe Ciro (ITA) with a time of 1:59.925. 

Third quickest was the No.9 Gulf Racing UK McLaren PRO-AM entry of British pair Michael Wainwright and Robert Bell in 2:00.039. 

Air temperatures hovered around the 30C mark, a pleasant change from the torrential rain which marked out the opening two rounds at Monza and Silverstone. 

The best of the PRO class entries was the No.83 SMG Challenge Porsche of Frenchmen Philippe Gache, Eric Clement and Olivier Pla with a time of 2:00.134. 

Leading the way in the Gentlemen Trophy was the French GCR Racing Dodge Viper No.82 of Gael Lesoudier, Giles Vannelet and Luc Paillard in 2:04.050.

The next track action for the Blancpain Endurance Series is Pre-Qualifying which starts at 15:15 local time. 

American Le Mans Series, round 4 in Lime Rock, USA Race fun in the countryside with camping chairs and coolers

American Le Mans Series, round 4 in Lime Rock, USA

Race fun in the countryside with camping chairs and coolers

Stuttgart. US race fans are looking forward to the return of the world’s fastest sports cars: After a break to prepare for the Le Mans 24 Hours, the American Le Mans Series takes off again on 7th July at Lime Rock in the US state of Connecticut. Lining up on the grid are the triple Lime Rock winners Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) and Patrick Long (USA) in the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR fielded by Flying Lizard Motorsports.

The race

The Northeast Grand Prix is the only American Le Mans race in this part of the USA and has been a permanent fixture on the calendar since 2004. Many fans are happy to travel the two and a half hours from New York City. The reason the race is traditionally held on Saturday is that Sunday is reserved for a service in the small church which stands on one of the hills alongside the track.

The circuit

The 2.478 kilometre circuit in the picturesque countryside of Connecticut is the shortest in the American Le Mans Series. The lap times are far under a minute. As a natural-terrain venue there are no real grandstands. On the grassy hills around the track most of the spectators bring along their own camping chairs and coolers to watch the race action.

The Porsche drivers

Porsche works drivers Joerg Bergmeister and Patrick Long, three-time winners of the race here in Lime Rock, contest the fiercely competitive GT class in the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR run by Flying Lizard Motorsports. Their factory pilot colleague Wolf Henzler shares the cockpit of the Falken Tire 911 GT3 RSR with Bryan Sellers (USA). At the wheel of the second Flying Lizard Porsche are Porsche works driver Marco Holzer (Germany) and the American team owner Seth Neiman. Driving the Paul Miller Racing 911 GT3 RSR entry are Sascha Maassen (Germany) and Bryce Miller (USA).

The Porsche 911 GT3 RSR

As the top model of Porsche Motorsport’s customer racing vehicles, the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR headed into the 2012 racing season with extensive modifications. Particularly noticeable is the widening of the body by 48 millimetres. The aero kit is supplemented by a new intake air ducting.

Porsche’s successes

Joerg Bergmeister is the most successful driver at Lime Rock in the history of the American Le Mans Series. From 2006 to 2010, he clinched victory five times in a row for Porsche in the GT and later the GT2 class. He teamed up with Patrick Long for three of these wins, and one each with Wolf Henzler and Johannes van Overbeek. With the RS Spyder sports prototype, Porsche celebrated three class wins on this track as well as an overall victory in 2007.

The schedule

The race in Lime Rock starts on Saturday, 7 July, at 15.05 hours local time (21.05 hrs CEST) and runs over 2:45 hours. The race is broadcast live on www.americanlemans.com. The GT qualifying will be broadcast on Friday from 21.25 hours CEST on www.porsche.com/alms-live.

Comments before the race

Hartmut Kristen, Head of Porsche Motorsport: “The first race after the long break for the 24 Hours of Le Mans is almost like a second start to the season for the teams. The Flying Lizard squad had to gather its strength after contesting Le Mans. For the Falken Tire team, who used the break to go testing in the USA, their main focus is to now put what they have learned from their tests to use in this tough competition. It will be exciting to see how the teams solve these tasks.”
Joerg Bergmeister: “Although I’ve often won here in Lime Rock it’s not actually my favourite track. There is simply too much traffic. When you’re competing on such a short circuit with 33 cars like last year, it’s not enough to just use clever tactics to drive and watch out for the others. If you want to finish without bruises on your car you’ve got to have a little luck on your side.”
Patrick Long: “Lots of cars and not a lot of room – that normally means a lot of safety car phases. That’s when we need our strategists. Particularly in Lime Rock, the pit stops have to be done fast and the right timing can be decisive between victory and defeat.”
Wolf Henzler: “You never get a chance to relax in Lime Rock. You’re constantly overtaking slower cars and you’re constantly being overtaken by faster sports prototypes. My team used Le Mans to test new tyres and, as my teammate Bryan Sellers said, we took a big step forward. I’m looking forward to seeing what the results are in Lime Rock.”
Marco Holzer: “Last year was my first race in Lime Rock. It was an interesting experience. Now I’m a bit more familiar with the track, and I’m pretty sure that should show in my lap times.”

The American Le Mans Series

The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) was created in 1999 for sports prototypes and GT vehicles. The field is divided into five classes that start together but are classified separately:
GT class: This most popular class amongst car manufacturers traditionally receives the most support: Slightly modified standard sports cars with 440 to 500 hp and a minimum weight of 1,245 kilograms (e.g. Porsche 911 GT3 RSR).
GTC class: This class is reserved for vehicles from one-make race series like the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.
LMP1 class: Sports prototypes with up to 550 hp and a minimum weight of 900 kilograms.
LMP2 class: Sports prototypes with ca. 440 hp and a 900 kg minimum weight.
LMPC class: Prototype brand trophy series for the ORECA FLM 09.

Communication Porsche AG
Motorsportpress
Oliver Hilger

Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, round 5 at the Formula 1 race in Valencia/Spain René Rast clinches second win of season with a gala performance

Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, round 5 at the Formula 1 race in Valencia/Spain

René Rast clinches second win of season with a gala performance

Stuttgart. René Rast is back in the fight for the title of the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup. With a gala performance on the Valencia Street Circuit, the Lechner Racing Team pilot impressively clinched his second win of the season on the street course around the America’s Cup harbour. The German saw the flag 11.539 seconds ahead of Sean Edwards (Konrad Motorsport) from Great Britain, who secured second place in front of the surprisingly strong FÖRCH Racing driver, Robert Lukas from Poland. With this result, Edwards now moves into the lead of the world’s fastest international one-make race series for the first time this season.

It was René Rast’s race from start to finish. At the wheel of his 450 hp Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, based on the street-legal lightweight 911 GT3 RS sports car, the title defender took off from pole to immediately settle in at front of the pack. While his pursuers battled for positions behind him, at times at loggerheads with each other, the winner of the season-opening round in Bahrain concentrated on extending his lead lap by lap. With this, he continued on from his strong showing in qualifying, in which he snubbed his rivals by clocking a stunning lap time. His third victory in Valencia after 2009 and 2010 was never under threat.

Behind the Monaco winner Sean Edwards, Robert Lukas put in a surprising drive at the eventful race. Third place marks the first podium result in the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup for the Pole, but he profited in the final lap from a spin by his compatriot ahead of him, Kuba Giermaziak (VERVA Racing Team). The incident threw the two-time season winner from last year back into fifth place behind Frenchman Kévin Estre (Hermes Attempto Racing). The second rude awakening then came after the race: Due to a jumped start, Kuba Giermaziak as well as Kèvin Estre, Norbert Siedler, Christian Engelhart, Alessandro Zampedri and Mateusz Lisowksi were subsequently handed a 30-second time penalty by the stewards of the meeting. This jumbled the results dramatically with points’ leader Norbert Siedler suffering the worst consequences: The VELTINS Lechner Racing pilot from Austria was only classified as eleventh and as a result lost his points’ lead. Germany’s Christian Engelhart, who had travelled to Valencia ranking second overall and after a drive-through penalty was classified as eighth at the finish line, was then shuffled back to 15th after his false start.

As the best Supercup newcomer, Nicki Thiim (Hermes Attempto Racing) saw the flag in fourth place. With his performance he replaces Germany’s Michael Ammermüller (VELTINS Lechner Racing) at the head of the rookie classification.

René Rast (winner): “That was a perfect race. Taking off from first and finishing in first – it doesn’t get better than that. There was quite a melee behind me with some competitors, and that gave me the chance to build on my lead in the first lap. I then tried to drive consistently quick lap times and not be too hard on my tyres. That worked. Thank you to my team for putting a perfectly prepared car on the track for me today.”

Sean Edwards (second): “What a crazy race. My start was actually quite good, but suddenly Christian Engelhart pulled alongside, and then came Kévin Estre. It was pretty tough going in the early phase. And because I had to go hard at that point, I was happy that I could conserve my tyres a little later on. For the championship second place is a great result.”

Robert Lukas (third): “It’s great to stand on the podium in third. Everything ran perfectly today. I took it real easy on my tyres early on and then the car became increasingly faster. Things really went well for us. The entire team has worked so hard over the last months for such a result, and I want to thank them very much for that.”


Race result
1. René Rast (D), Lechner Racing Team, 30:40.893 minutes
2. Sean Edwards (GB), Konrad Motorsport, + 11.539 seconds
3. Robert Lukas (PL), FÖRCH Racing, + 17.643
4. Nicki Thiim (DK), Hermes Attempto Racing, + 26.975
5. Philipp Eng (A), MRS GT Racing, + 30.511
6. Sebastiaan Bleekemolen (NL), Team Bleekemolen + 35.350

Points’ standings after 5 of 10 races *
Drivers
1. Sean Edwards (GB), Konrad Motorsport, 61 points
2. Norbert Siedler (A), VELTINS Lechner Racing, 59
3. René Rast (D), Lechner Racing Team, 58
4. Christian Engelhart (D), Konrad Motorsport, 49
5. Kévin Estre (F), Hermes Attempto Racing, 47
6. Kuba Giermaziak (PL), VERVA Racing Team, 36

* The race in Barcelona was cancelled. However, the extra points for pole position were still awarded.

Silverstone: Preview for the 6th of 10 races on 8 July

On the Silverstone Circuit, one of the world’s most storied race tracks, the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup heads into the second half of the season. Drivers rave about the ultra fast circuit, whose legendary corners Copse, Stowe and Brooklands provide a unique challenge. Last year victory went to title defender René Rast. This time, local hero Sean Edwards is eager to win the race in his native country after claiming victory at his adopted home of Monaco and to improve his title chances. TV stations Eurosport and Sky broadcast the race live.

Communication Porsche AG
Motorsportpress
Oliver Hilger

International GT Open, races 5 and 6 in Spa-Francorchamps/Belgium Double win and points’ lead for Porsche teams

International GT Open, races 5 and 6 in Spa-Francorchamps/Belgium

Double win and points’ lead for Porsche teams.

International GT Open, races 5 and 6 in Spa-Francorchamps/Belgium

Double win and points’ lead for Porsche teams

Stuttgart. Torrential rain and difficult track conditions made just the right ingredients for a sterling showing of the Porsche teams in Spa-Francorchamps. At race six of the International GT Open on Belgium’s challenging 7.4 kilometre circuit, works driver Marco Holzer (Germany) and Manthey pilot Nick Tandy (Great Britain) clinched their third win of the season driving a 911 GT3 RSR fielded by Manthey-Racing. The pair saw the flag 34 seconds ahead of the second-placed Porsche team with works driver Patrick Pilet and his compatriot Raymond Narac. The Frenchmen saw the chequered flag almost half a minute ahead of the third finisher.

After the clear double victory of the 911 GT3 RSR – Porsche’s top model for customer racing – four Porsche drivers head the standings, albeit in reverse order. Pilet/Narac are the new points’ leaders thanks to two podium results and consistent points finishes in the first six races of this gripping international GT series. Holzer/Tandy follow in second. The German-British pair travelled to Spa as the championship leaders but retired from Saturday’s 70 minute race after suffering tyre problems and a puncture. Porsche teams also occupy the two top spots in the team standings, where IMSA Performance Matmut leads ahead of Manthey-Racing in second.

Marco Holzer took up Sunday’s race from the second grid spot but took the lead before the first corner. Patrick Pilet catapulted from fourth on the grid to second, putting pressure on his makes colleague in the Manthey-911. The Frenchman briefly disappeared out of Holzer’s mirrors when he slid off the track into the gravel on deep water but recovered to take the lead with an inspired move in the Bus-stop Chicane. The Manthey squad called Holzer into the pits for the scheduled driver change earlier than the IMSA crew. Running in second, Holzer handed the car to his team mate Nick Tandy. With a brilliant first lap, Tandy managed to put his car ahead of Raymond Narac’s 911. The reigning champion of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland never looked back and defended his position to the flag. The success in Spa marks the third win of the season for Holzer/Tandy after their double victory at the season-opener at the Algarve.

“This success feels really good,” said a very exhausted Marco Holzer. The former Porsche-Junior went into the weekend with a cold and slight fever. “Today’s rain was lucky for us. On the dry circuit yesterday we had some real trouble with our tyres and had to give up after a puncture. Today I immediately took the lead after a perfect start. It’s good to lead the field because you haven’t got the spray but at the same time you’ve got to be very cautious not to aquaplane. Our Porsche was perfect today, great under braking and with an excellent balance for the fast corners. The duel with Patrick was great, but we weren’t too tough on each other. After all, our aim was a double success for Porsche. And there was no way we were going to put that at risk.”

“Man, that was quite a race,” said Patrick Pilet who finished Saturday’s race in fourth with Narac. “In the first lap I was chasing Marco. But with all the spray I had zero viz, and I kept on hitting deep water on the track. And then it happened: I slid off the tarmac. I was really lucky to save the 911. And then I pushed like crazy. I desperately wanted to overtake Marco and make up some time. I knew that Spa is not one of my teammate Raymond’s favourite tracks. At the Bus-stop Chicane I finally made my move on Marco and handed the car over to Raymond in the lead. His task then was not to make a mistake and reach the flag safely. He did it under those incredibly difficult conditions. We are totally happy with second place and the points’ lead.”

Autorlando Sport’s Italian-British driver pairing of Marco Mapelli and Archie Hamilton was not entirely happy after Sunday’s race. Although the two clinched fifth place, repeating their result from the day before with the 911 GT3 R, more would have been possible in the race on Sunday. In the closing laps Hamilton found himself in a dramatic four-way battle only to lose third place while trying to avoid a spinning competitor. Still, the team are satisfied with third place in the GTS class. This category is based on the FIA GT3 regulations, in which the Porsche 911 GT3 R competes. The Porsche 911 GT3 RSR contests the Super GT class for more powerful racer cars, which is based on FIA GT3 rules.

Result race 5
1. Bruni/Leo (I/I), Ferrari 458 GT Italia, 1:10.58.776 hours
2. Barba/Malucelli (E/I), Aston Martin Vantage, + 28.057 seconds
3. Lopez/Montermini (ARG/I), Ferrari GT 458 Italia, + 34.956
4. Narac/Pilet (F/F), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 44.646
14. Hamilton/Mapelli (GB/I), Porsche 911 GT3 R, + 2.17.424 minutes
17. De Castro/Amaral (E/E), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 1 lap

Result race 6
1. Holzer/Tandy (D/GB), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 50:31.198 minutes
2. Narac/Pilet (F/F), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 34.050 seconds
3. Dalle Stelle/Zampieri (I/I), Ferrari 458 Italia GT3, + 1:01.411 minutes
10. Hamilton/Mapelli (GB/I), Porsche 911 GT3 R, + 1:35.486

Points’ standings after 6 of 16 races
Driver
1. Narac, Pilet, Porsche, 80 points
2. Holzer, Tandy, Porsche, 76
3. Barba, Malucelli, Aston Martin, 64
4. Bizzari, Ferrari, 57

Driver GTS
1. Bizzari, Ferrari, 38 points
2. Zampieri, Dalle Stelle, Ferrari, 32
3. Hamilton, Mapelli, Porsche, 27

Teams Super GT
1. IMSA Performance Matmut, Porsche, 35 points
2. Manthey-Racing, Porsche, 34
3. Villois Racing, Aston Martin, 29

Manufacturer Super GT
1. Ferrari, 67 points
2. Porsche, 66
3. Aston Martin, 29

Race 7 and 8 of the International GT Open will be run from 13 to 17 July in Brands Hatch/Great Britain.

This is the International GT Open

Inaugurated in 2006, the International GT Open features two races per weekend with identical points’ allocation – the first race on Saturday runs over 70 minutes, the second on Sunday over 50. Two drivers share the cockpit. A handicap system ensures more suspense at the head of the field. The top three drivers of each race are handed a 15, ten or five second penalty respectively for the following race. The calendar of the race series includes eight races on selective circuits like Silverstone, Spa-Francorchamps and the Nürburgring.

One of the keys to success in the International GT Open is the stable technical regulations and the capping of costs, for instance through control tyres. The grid is divided into two classes, the stronger Super GT category and the GTS class.

Super GT: This class is based on the FIA GT2 regulations - the 911 GT3 RSR competes here. The particularly efficient six-cylinder boxer engine in the International GT Open version delivers significantly more than 500 hp.
GTS: Based on the FIA GT3 regulations. The Porsche 911 GT3 R is fielded here, now delivering 500 hp after the new model year underwent improvements.

In 2007, Autorlando Sport won the overall classification for drivers and teams with Porsche works driver Richard Lietz (Austria) and Joel Camathias from Switzerland.

Communication Porsche AG
Motorsportpress
Oliver Hilger

Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, round 5 at the Formula 1 race in Valencia/Spain René Rast gives his team boss pole position as a birthday present

Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, round 5 at the Formula 1 race in Valencia/Spain

René Rast gives his team boss pole position as a birthday present

Stuttgart. At the return of the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup to the Valencia Street Circuit, René Rast (Germany) takes up Sunday’s race from pole position. At the wheel of Lechner Racing’s 450 hp Porsche 911 GT3 Cup which is based on the street-legal lightweight 911 GT3 RS sports car, the title defender nailed the fastest time shortly before the end of the qualifying session. Securing the best time on the street circuit around the America’s Cup harbour was a perfect birthday present for his team boss Walter Lechner Jnr.

Driving his team’s newly prepared 911, René Rast, winner of this race in 2009 and 2010, was an unbelievable 0.592 seconds quicker than the second-placed Monaco winner from Great Britain Sean Edwards (Konrad Motorsport). In the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup, which gains it appeal not least due its extremely tight competition and tough fights for positions, this gap is huge. Competing for VELTINS Lechner Racing, Norbert Siedler from Austria occupied third place another two-tenths of a second behind. The winner from Bahrain shares the second grid row with Frenchman Kévin Estre (Hermes Attempto Racing), who clinched second at Monaco.

Germany’s Christian Engelhart, the pole-sitter from Barcelona, planted his Konrad Motorsport 911 on fifth place. The sixth spot went to Poland’s Kuba Giermaziak (VERVA Racing Team), who is still trying to find his old form this season after winning twice last year. As the best Supercup newcomer, Germany’s Michael Ammermüller (VELTINS Lechner Racing), leader of the rookie classification, achieved the seventh quickest time. Lining up alongside him on the fourth grid row is Robert Lukas (FÖRCH Racing) from Poland in eighth. Behind him on the ninth and tenth position, the oldest and youngest Supercup pilots stand side by side: Alessandro Zampedri (Team Bleekemolen) is 42, Poland’s Patryk Szczerbinski (VERVA Racing Team) is just 18 years old.

René Rast (pole-sitter): “That’s my first pole this year, so I’m feeling very, very happy. My team put a perfect car on the track for me today, thanks for that. I like this circuit. We were very quick here in 2009 and 2010. Now I hope I can use this pole tomorrow to bring home a win.”

Sean Edwards (second qualifier): “Today was much better than yesterday. After free practice we changed a lot on the car and that paid off. I only managed one fast lap but luckily that was good enough for a spot on the first grid row. Now we are feeling very optimistic for the race.”

Norbert Siedler (third qualifier): “The third spot is really good, but I’m not particularly happy with the qualifying. The first lap was okay, but I made a braking mistake and it possibly cost me a better time.”


Qualifying result
1. René Rast (D), Lechner Racing Team, 2:08.298 minutes
2. Sean Edwards (GB), Konrad Motorsport, + 0.592 seconds
3. Norbert Siedler (A), VELTINS Lechner Racing, + 0.773
4. Kévin Estre (F), Hermes Attempto Racing, + 0.951
5. Christian Engelhart (D), Konrad Motorsport, + 0.984
6. Kuba Giermaziak (PL), VERVA Racing Team, + 1.156

The race on Sunday will be broadcast live by TV stations Eurosport (11.45 hrs) and Sky Sport 1 (11.40 hrs). Moreover, Eurosport also airs highlights on Sunday at 20.30 hours in its “Motorsport Weekend Magazin”.


Communication Porsche AG
Motorsportpress
Oliver Hilger

Tandy (Manthey Porsche) in pole in Race 1

Tandy (Manthey Porsche) in pole in Race 1

Nick Tandy took his first pole in the International GT Open, as he topped the rankings today in the Qualifying 1 for the first race in Spa. The Brit, with the Manthey Porsche, preceded Gimmi Bruni (AF Corse) by 142 hundredths of a second, who fought for pole in the initial phases with Matteo Malucelli (Villois Aston) and Philipp Peter (Kessel Ferrari).

In GTS, four Ferraris F458 GT3 took the first four positions, with Michael Dalle Stelle (Kessel Ferrari) also taking his first pole. Ahead of Bizzarri, Ladygin and Alexa       nder, with the Autorlando Porsche of Hamilton in fifth.

Weather and track conditions were excellent. The AF Corse #57, victim of yesterday’s accident, has been withdrawn from the event following the damage sustained, and Claudio Sdanewitsch, who suffered a broken knee, flew back to Switzerland for treatment. The other driver involved in the incidente, Maurizio Mediani, will not race, as he suffers from a broken rib. He is replaced in the Russian Bears Ferrari #66 by Russia’s Sergey Zlobin.

GT Open International.

GT Masters Practice day at Spa.

Peter (Kessel Ferrari) fastest on Friday in Spa, accident between Sdanewitsch and Mediani

Philipp Peter (Kessel Ferrari 458) posted the fastest time (2.20.760) in today’s free practice in Spa-Francorchamps. The Austrian signed his time in the afternoon session, preceding Marco Holzer (Manthey Porsche 911 RSR) of 106 thousandths and the two fastest cars in the morning session, the AF Ferrari of Gimmi Bruni and the Villois Aston Martin of Matteo Malucelli.

In GTS, the Lapidus McLaren MP4 of Adam Christodoulou (2.22.996) took first spot (and 5^th overall in the afternoon session) ahead of Daniel Zampieri (Kessel Ferrari ) and Lorenzo Bontempelli (Ombra Ferrari).

The two sessions took place under a cloudy sky but in dry conditions and both were red-flagged: in the morning when Luis amaral went off with the Drivex Porsche, with little damage, and in the afternoon following an accident between Claudio Sdanewitsch (AF Ferrari) and Maurizio Mediani (Russian Bears Ferrari). The two collided quite heavily at the bus-stop and both were brought to hospital for checks, with Sdanewitsch complaining about his right knee.

28 cars were on track, with the Swiss Team Maserati Granturismo MC 3 further delaying its debut. At AF Corse, Gimmi Bruni is subbing again for Toni Vilander, while it is to be noted that the two debuting Corvettes of V8 Racing, with Ramos-Giammaria, and Sijthof-Moncini, were constantly in the top ten.

International GT Open.

New Porsche Exclusive Programme More power for the 911 Carrera S and new personalisation products

New Porsche Exclusive Programme

More power for the 911 Carrera S and new personalisation products

Stuttgart. For its exceptionally performance-oriented customers, Porsche Exclusive now offers a new power enhancement kit developed for the 911 Carrera S. It focuses specifically on the dynamic properties of the sports car. It boosts the power of the 3.8-litre boxer engine from 400 hp (294 kW) to 430 hp (316 kW), producing even better driving performance. Thanks to this Powerkit, the 911 Carrera S Coupé only needs 4.0 seconds to sprint from zero to 100 km/h with PDK in Sport Plus mode. The kit also increases the top speed by four km/h: to 306 km/h with PDK and to 308 km/h with a seven-speed manual gearbox. However, the enhanced power has not affected fuel economy: fuel consumption values in the NEDC are unchanged despite a power increase of over seven per cent.

More power without higher fuel consumption is made possible by carefully tuned modifications and adaptations to the electronic engine management. The core elements of the Powerkit are special cylinder heads with different camshafts and an entirely new variable resonance intake system design with six air flaps and a resonance flap. An additional centre radiator keeps the higher specific power from overloading the thermal management system of the six-cylinder engine. Low exhaust back pressure is achieved by the sport exhaust system that is equipped with two sets of twin tailpipes with independent styling; this system is also included with the Powerkit. At the press of a button, the exhaust system is dethrottled, the two exhaust lines are merged and they generate a powerful engine sound. The Powerkit also includes the Sport Chrono package with dynamic engine mounts for even sportier driving properties. A visual trademark of the Powerkit is the car’s modified engine compartment styling with titanium coloured engine cover and carbon inlays.

Porsche Exclusive also offers aerodynamically tuned exterior components that offer customisation over various expansion levels. The basic component is the front apron that extends low and has powerful air intakes from the Sport Design package. This package also includes a fixed rear spoiler in legendary “ducktail” form. The top upgrade is the Aerokit Cup with an additional fixed rear wing over the rear spoiler and a special front spoiler lip with additional air intakes. Other new Porsche Exclusive products for the 911 Carrera include tinted privacy glass for the side and rear windows and the Exterior package with various components in body colour. Inside, Porsche Exclusive also offers numerous upgrades such as interior packages with decorative trim ranging from brushed aluminium to carbon.

Product and Technology Communication
Product Communication
Holger Eckhardt