A Strong Heritage

Porsche has never forgotten where they come from…Their tradition and history are part of their DNA – and they are keenly aware that the heritage is both – an honor and an obligation.
This is why Porsche has built the new Porsche Museum in Zuffenhausen – a place designed to inspire visitors from all over the world and to display the diversity of the Porsche brand.

Vintage 1969 911S Coupe – Perfectly Restored

We can’t say enough good things about Paul Kramer and his uncanny ability to bring in and feature wonderful, one-of-a-kind Porsches at his neat shop, “AutoKennel”. This 1969 911S coupe is just the latest in what’s becoming a long line of great Porsches to come out of his Costa Mesa shop.

Over $125,000 has been invested building this stunning concours winner.   Everything on this car was meticulously restored over a 2-year process.  Either NOS parts were used or original items were restored.  No expense was spared. a complete documented restoration history including over 200 photos as well as spreadsheets is available.

The car was entered at the 2009 Keystone, Colorado PCA Parade Concours d’Elegance in the early 911 Touring class and won first place with a score of 233.2 out of a possible 235.0, a total point loss of only 1.8 points and only .1 of a point was deducted for originality issues.

The owner of this car is a very reputable Porsche 356 person who knows what it takes to build a “correct” car.   He truly is the kind of person you want to buy an early Porsche from.  The car is located with the owner in Colorado, just outside of Denver.   He encourages potential buyers to come look at the car to truly appreciate the level of craftsmanship.

Some of the restoration highlights include:

• Bare metal media and sand blast entire exterior, all wheel wells, the floor pan (inside and lower), epoxy primer and professionally refinished
• All hardware re-plated yellow cad, clear zinc or black oxide
• Exterior door trim re-anodized by Marcos, King of Trim
• Dash re-covered by Just Dashes
• New interior by Autoweave, Denver, CO, to include an NOS headliner, custom made: seats, with hounds tooth inserts, carpets and door panels
• Steering Wheel re-wrapped by Autobahn
• Wheels, original with correct date stamps, restored by Wheel Enhancements and five new Vredestein 185/70 HR X 15 tires mounted and balanced
• Transmission rebuilt
• Engine and MFI pump rebuilt
• Brakes rebuilt
• Suspension rebuilt, but not steering rack, new shocks
• New windshield
• Gauges restored by North Hollywood
• Suspension components and engine sheet metal re-painted
• Gas tank restored with correct gray undercoating
• All chrome re-plated – seat hinges, outside door handles, bumper guards, head light rims, bezels, shift lever, heater control levers, etc.
• Seat sliders re-plated clear zinc and seat stands repainted
• Other new parts include turn signal lenses, shocks, seals, bumper and rocker side trim, etc.
• Meticulous and correctly re-undercoat and restore undercarriage, wheel wells, front and engine compartment
• Sunroof clip was added using a complete 1974 roof
• Radio restored to working condition
• Correct tool kit, jack and Owner’s manuals and original factory paint touch up paint is included

Recently, an enthusiast went out to Denver and inspected the car: here are his comments: “Bottom line- for anyone looking for an original, mechanically sound early S, they are well advised to spend the extra money and get a car like Tom’s that is as good as when it left the factory. Old Porsches, and early S models in particular, are notoriously expensive to restore, and many restorations are done incorrectly. You will not find a nicer example of a ‘69 S than Tom’s. And, I’m a fan of the ‘69 S– it is a single year model, first year longer wheel base, first year MFI, and last year of the original 901 2 liter motor. It is an engineering marvel. A rolling piece of art.”

For further information please contact Paul Kramer at AutoKennel: 714.335.4911  or email: paul@autokennel.com

The West Coast’s largest Porsche Event – This is a “Must Do” if you are in the area.

A Phenomenal 1973 911S Coupe At Truspeed.

The Truspeed Team has done it again. They now present to you this beautiful 1973 black over black 911S Coupe. This is one of the best documented examples the Truspeed Team has seen in a long time. The car is rare in that not only is it a gorgeous Black with a Black interior but it also has some unique options. It’s equipped with sun roof, sport seats, rear wiper, and has been restored to a very high standard. The ‘73 is considered by many to be the best year of the early “pre 74″ 911s to collect and this is certainly a great candidate.

For more information, please call Dick Shear at Truspeed Motorcars. 800.498.1710, or 714.424.0251

1993 Porsche RS America – The best normally aspirated, driver’s 964!

1993 Porsche 964 RS America Coupe with a 3.6 liter 247 hp engine, mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. It is finished in black with black cloth interior. 31,360 original miles, and delivers an estimated 17/23 mpg. This is the 20th anniversary commemoration to the famous 911 2.7 RS. It was only available in North America. Victorymotorcars 30+ years of direct experience with Porsche has provided the Victory Team a great depth of knowledge and expertise in the Porsche product line. Our presence spans the globe with the ability to sell and deliver worldwide. Victorymotorcars aims to provide the very best products and services available.

The thoroughness of the engineering, quality materials and pride of workmanship make each and every Porsche a prize and a pleasure to own. possibly the only one of its kind built. All Porsche models integrate optional luxury, convenience, sporting, entertainment and security equipment into one. Some of the features of this RS America Coupe are:

• Factory Alarm
• Power Windows
• Black Cord Fabric Sport Seats
• Air Conditioning
• Blaupunkt Cassette Player
• Power Sunroof
• B+B Dual Exhaust / Factory Exhaust
• Locking Differential
• 5-Speed Manual Transmission
• Only Made Available In North America
• Books/Records
• Clean Carfax

Contact Robert Neal for more information: 713.783.6555 or Toll-Free – 888.217.9424

The 48th running (2009) of the Rolex 24 at Daytona marked the 42nd anniversary of Vic Elford’s victory in the Porsche 907, Porsche’s first 24 hour endurance win. To celebrate the occasion, David Donohue piloted a 2010 Porsche GT3 around the Daytona road course while Vic Elford, the Grand Marshal for the 2009  race, tells the story of his victory for Porsche.

The 911 GT3 R Hybrid is a perfect example of the Porsche Intelligent Performance philosophy, a principle to be found in every Porsche: More power on less fuel, more efficiency and lower CO2 emissions – on the track and on the road.

After its debut in Geneva the 911 GT3 R Hybrid will be tested in long-distance races on the Nürburgring. The highlight of this test programme will be the 24 Hours on the Nordschleife of Nürburgring on May 15th and 16th. The focus is not on the 911 GT3 R Hybrid winning the race, but rather serving as a spearhead in technology and a “racing laboratory” providing know-how on the subsequent use of hybrid technology in road-going sports cars.

The innovative hybrid technology featured in the car has been developed especially for racing, standing out significantly in its configuration and components from conventional hybrid systems. In this case, electrical front axle drive with two electric motors developing 60 kW each supplements the 480-bhp four-litre flat-six at the rear of the 911 GT3 R Hybrid. A further significant point is that instead of the usual batteries in a hybrid road car, an electrical flywheel power generator fitted in the interior next to the driver delivers energy to the electric motors.

The flywheel generator itself is an electric motor with its rotor spinning at speeds of up to 40,000 rpm, storing energy mechanically as rotation energy. The flywheel generator is charged whenever the driver applies the brakes, with the two electric motors reversing their function on the front axle and acting themselves as generators. Then, whenever necessary, that is when accelerating out of a bend or when overtaking, the driver is able to call up extra energy from the charged flywheel generator, the flywheel being slowed down electromagnetically in the generator mode and thus supplying up to 120 kW to the two electric motors at the front from its kinetic energy. This additional power is available to the driver after each charge process for approximately 6 – 8 seconds.

Depending on racing conditions, hybrid drive is used in this case not only for extra power, but also to save fuel. This again increases the efficiency and, accordingly, the performance of the 911 GT3 R Hybrid, for example by reducing the weight of the tank or making pitstops less frequent.

Welcome to our new, much improved PML Blog/Website!  We’re glad you’re here and can’t wait to show you around.

For starters, take a quick look at the top of the home page – you’ll note two Navigation Bars:

1. The upper bar is where you’ll find info on PML, The PML Team, Past & Present Contributors, How To Subscribe, How To Place A Classified Ad, Resources, and Contact Info.

2. The lower bar is where you’ll find Current News, Model Information, Racing News from around the world, Technology Features, A “Salon”,  New Car Sales Data, Featured Cars For Sale,  Galleries,  and much more!

Over to the right you’ll find a link to our current issue which you will be able to view online. This feature was a long time coming and we couldn’t be more excited to finally make this happen.

Also along the right you’ll find links to our fine advertisers. A single click on the selected link will take you to that advertisers’ website.  At the bottom of the page you’ll find links for Porsche Sites, Porsche Dealers, and Race Organizations.  Again, a single click will take you to the selected website.

Since this is truly a work in progress, we welcome your comments – Good, Bad, or Indifferent.  Drop us a line, let us know what works and what doesn’t…

Take a look around and enjoy your visit!

Stuttgart. The Motorsport Newsletter for early March brings information on Porsche Motorsport from around the world.

Porsche Fitness Camp: Sweat for success

On the island of Fuerteventura, Porsche works drivers as well as Porsche Junior Marco Holzer conducted their annual intensive fitness training. Firstly, they underwent a performance analysis in Potsdam University’s sports medicine department as well as a very thorough physical examination. Seven hours of weight and endurance training were scheduled daily. Sports medicine specialist Prof. Dr. Frank Mayer: “Even prior to the training, all drivers were in extremely good physical condition. Thanks to the particularly intensive programme they now head into the new season with an extra boost in fitness.”

American Le Mans Series: Test-Fest in Sebring with record turnout

Four 911 GT3 RSR, an RS Spyder and seven 911 GT3 Cup: With twelve race cars, Porsche customers made up the largest contingent at the ALMS winter tests in Sebring (22/23 February), which with 28 vehicles marked a record number of participants. As reigning champions in the GT2 class, Joerg Bergmeister and Patrick Long again compete with the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR fielded by Flying Lizard Motorsports. The driver pairing Wolf Henzler/Bryan Sellers pilots a GT3 RSR for the Falken Tire team for the first time. Jeroen Bleekemolen joins up with team-owner Tim Pappas in Black Swan Racing’s GT3 RSR. Greg Pickett, team principal of Cytosport Racing, runs an RS Spyder. He shares the cockpit with Klaus Graf. Sascha Maassen lends the team support at three races. The seven 911 GT3 Cup vehicles race in the GT Challenge class. Season-opening: 20th March, Sebring.

UAE GT Championship: René Rast beats points’ leader

Pole position, fastest lap and victory: With an immaculate performance, René Rast had the upper hand at the fifth of eight races in the UAE GT Championship on the last weekend in February. In the cockpit of a Mühlner Motorsport Cytech Porsche 911 GT3 Cup S, the reigning Carrera Cup Deutschland champion put a stop to Corvette pilot Karim Al Azhari’s four-race winning streak on the Yas Marina Circuit. Supercup ace Sean Edwards took the flag as third in an ARM Porsche.

European FIA GT Championship: Strong 911 GT3 R contingent

Three top teams plan to bring the 480 hp 911 GT3 R to contest the European FIA GT3 Championship: The Belgian ProSpeed Competition team – 2009 GT2 champions with Porsche – as well as Mühlner Motorsport (Belgium) and Trackspeed Racing from England.

Central American & Caribbean Racing: Four starts, four wins, champions

Putting in an immaculate performance, Jacinto Peynado from the Dominican Republic won the Campeonato Centroamericano y del Caribe de Automovilismo 2009, central America’s most important race series. The Porsche dealer prevailed in the 911 GT3 Cup at the first two races and also proved unbeatable at the last two races.

Matmut Carrera Cup France: Heading for Le Mans 24 Hours

The Matmut Carrera Cup France celebrates the 40th anniversary of Porsche’s first overall victory at Le Mans with a very special event. Several hours before the start of the 24 hour race (12 June), a championship round of the popular race series, now in its 24th year, takes place for the first time on the “big” circuit. Also on the calendar of the 2010 Matmut Carrera Cup France are traditional tracks like Spa, Monza and Magny-Cours.

GT3 Cup Challenge Australia: “Man the lifeboats” at season-opening Bathurst

Torrential downpours at the season-opening round of the GT3 Cup Challenge Australia (12/13 February) at Bathurst, about 200 kilometres west of Sydney: In the first corner, the Porsches of reigning champion Matt Kingsley and vice-champ Sven Burchartz touched, punting both into retirement. Only two clear laps were possible before pole-sitter Rodney Forbes saw the flag as winner. Race two was cancelled due to flooding on the track.

GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East: Prince Abdulaziz Al Faisal clear favourite

With four rounds still to run in the GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East, Prince Abdulaziz Al Faisal (Saudi Arabia) already looks set to become champion after claiming three wins from the last four races in Abu Dhabi (5/6 and 20/21 February). Prince Khalid Al Faisal ranks second. Sheikh Salman Bin Rashid Al Khalifa celebrated his first GT3 Cup Challenge win at the seventh round (20th February).

GT3 Cup Challenge New Zealand: Craig Baird well on way to sixth title

With just three championship rounds left on the GT3 Cup Challenge New Zealand calendar (19-21 March, Taupo), five-time champion Craig Baird is on course for another title. Notching up two third positions and a fifth place on the Manfeild Motor Racing Circuit (12/14 February), the 39-year-old earned himself further points. Matt Halliday, 2009 Supercup Rookie of the Year and Baird’s toughest rival, experienced a weekend of mixed fortunes: Unbeatable in qualifying, third was his best result.

Carrera Cup Great Britain: Record-setting man and team to compete

Tim Harvey is unstoppable: With Red Line Racing, the 48-year-old professional contests his eighth full Carrera Cup season. During this time, the 2008 champion and triple vice-champion has secured 24 race wins. Harvey, however, faces plenty of opposition: Motorbase Performance plan to bring a record six 911 GT3 Cup racers. Parker Racing with 2009 champion Tim Bridgman, as well as the Celtic Speed squad also take up the challenge. Porsche Cars Great Britain takes care of its motorsport customers in its new motorsport centre and at the race track from the 1st March.

Race notes: +++ Five young race drivers are excited about being chosen as “Porsche Motorsport Talents”: Niall Breen (23, Ireland), Jono Lester (20, New Zealand), Tim Sandtler (22, Germany), Harald Schlegelmilch (22, Latvia) and Ferdinand Stuck (18, Germany) asserted themselves over tough competition and will be supported in their 2010 campaign in the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup or Carrera Cup Deutschland.

Porsche Presents The Future…And The Future Is Here Now, In Geneva.

Stuttgart. Presenting a high-performance mid-engined concept sports car with ultra-efficient, low-emission drive technology, Porsche AG is further increasing the Company’s competence in hybrid technology.

The 918 Spyder prototype combines high-tech racing features and electro-mobility to offer a fascinating range of qualities: An emission level of just 70 grams CO2 per kilometre on fuel consumption of three litres/100 kilometres (equal to 94 mpg imp) truly outstanding even for an ultra-compact city car, on the one hand, combined with the performance of a super sports car and acceleration from a standstill to 100 km/h in just under 3.2 seconds, top speed of 320 km/h (198 mph) plus, and a lap time on the Nordschleife of Nürburgring in less than 7:30 minutes, faster than even the Porsche Carrera GT, on the other.

The 918 Spyder is one of three Porsche models with hybrid drive making their world debut at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. This trio – made up of Porsche’s new Cayenne S Hybrid SUV with parallel full-hybrid drive, the 911 GT3 R Hybrid racing car with electric drive on the front axle and a flywheel mass battery, and the two-seater high-performance 918 Spyder mid-engined sports car with plug-in hybrid – clearly demonstrates not only the great bandwidth of this new drive technology, but also the innovative power of Porsche as a genuine pioneer in hybrid drive.

The highly innovative 918 Spyder concept car combines Porsche’s Intelligent Performance technology, high-tech in motorsport, and classic but modern design to make a truly convincing statement.

The Porsche 918 Spyder with plug-in hybrid provides the performance of a thoroughbred super sports car on fuel consumption of just three litres/100 kilometres in the New European Driving Cycle, equal to a CO2 emission rating of 70 g/km.

This open two-seater is powered by a high-speed V8 developing more than 500 bhp and running at maximum speed engine of 9,200 rpm as well as electric motors on the front and rear axle with overall mechanical output of 218 bhp (160 kW).

The V8 combustion engine is a further development of the highly successful 3.4-litre power unit already featured in the RS Spyder racing car and positioned midship in front of the rear axle, giving the car the right set-up for supreme performance on the race track through its good balance.

Power is transmitted to the wheels by a seven-speed Porsche-Doppelkupplungs-getriebe also feeding the power of the electric drive system to the rear axle. The front-wheel electric drive powers the wheels through a firm transmission ratio.

The energy reservoir is a fluid-cooled lithium-ion battery positioned behind the passenger cell. The big advantage of a plug-in hybrid is that the battery can be charged on the regular electrical network. A further point is that the car’s kinetic energy is converted into electrical energy fed into the battery when applying the brakes, thus providing additional energy for fast and dynamic acceleration.

A button on the steering wheel allows the driver to choose among four different running modes: The E-Drive mode is for running the car under electric power alone, with a range of up to 25 km or 16 miles. In the Hybrid mode the 918 Spyder uses both the electric motors and the combustion engine as a function of driving conditions and requirements, offering a range from particularly fuel-efficient all the way to extra-powerful.

The Sport Hybrid mode uses both drive systems, but with the focus on performance. Most of the drive power goes to the rear wheels, with Torque Vectoring serving to additionally improve the car’s driving dynamics.

In the Race Hybrid mode the drive systems are focused on pure performance with the highest standard of driving dynamics on the track, running at the limit to their power and dynamic output. With the battery sufficiently charged, a push-to-pass button feeds in additional electrical power (E-Boost), for example when overtaking or for even better performance.

With the hybrid drive system offering this wide range of individual modes and applications, the 918 Spyder is able either to achieve lap times comparable to those of a thoroughbred racing car – such as less than 7:30 minutes on the Nordschleife of Nürburgring – or, focusing on a more economical style of motoring, with a reduction in emissions to just 70 grams of CO2 per kilometre.

Like the drivetrain, the lightweight body structure of the 918 Spyder also bears out the car’s DNA carried over directly from motorsport: The modular structure with its monocoque bodyshell made of carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFP) and the appropriate use of magnesium and aluminium not only reduce weight to less than 1,490 kg or 3,285 lb, but also ensure supreme driving precision thanks to the very high level of torsional stiffness.

Reminiscent of highly successful, legendary racing cars such as the Porsche 917 Le Mans and the current Porsche RS Spyder, the 918 Spyder with its design concept so typical of Porsche arouses powerful emotions. The combination of racing car dimensions, clearly structured design with perfectly balanced surfaces, and innovative details all round creates an overall pattern of aesthetic, perfectly balanced harmony in design full of power and dynamics. This indeed is the ideal synthesis of form and function following Porsche’s design DNA.

The smooth balance of tradition and progress gives the car a powerful stance on the road in its combination of dimensions. Variable aerodynamics typical of Porsche ensure both visionary and traditional highlights especially around the rear spoiler. The striking rear hoods extending out of the headrests, in turn, not only fulfil an aerodynamic function on the 918 Spyder, but also accommodate retractable air intakes with a ram air function.

The driver and passenger are not only perfectly embedded in contoured sports bucket seats, but also form part of the cockpit with its synthesis of efficient function and ergonomic high-tech operation offering an outlook at the interior architecture we may possibly see in super sports cars of the future. The three free-standing circular dials for road speed (left), engine speed (middle) and energy management (right) would appear to come directly from a racing car in the ‘60s, bearing out that unique philosophy of driver orientation so characteristic of Porsche.

The centre console rising up towards the front in the 918 Spyder houses a touch-sensitive surface for intuitive control of the car’s functions, serving consistently to reduce the number of visible controls and maintain the principle of direct operation.

The control units relevant to the driver are concentrated in particular on the three-spoke multifunction sports steering wheel, while the variable driving modes, again so typical of Porsche, are supplemented by a map switch enabling the driver to call up various drive programs and serving as the push-to-pass button for E-boosting, for example when overtaking. Instrument illumination, finally, varies from green for the consumption-oriented running modes to red for the performance-oriented driving programs.

The 918 Spyder also comes with further innovative functions such as the Range Manager. After being activated in the Center Display, the Range Manager uses the map in the navigation system to present the remaining range the car is able to cover, naturally allowing the driver to influence that range through the appropriate choice of power and performance. In cities with environmental alert areas the Range Manager also states whether the driver is able to reach a certain destination on electric power alone.

Applying this information and using further info on the availability and location of special energy filling stations, the driver is then able to choose his personal style of driving as well as the right battery charge and filling strategy.

Offering a unique combination of extremely low fuel consumption, supreme performance and long electric range, the Porsche 918 Spyder represents an essential milestone in Porsche’s strategy on the way to genuine electro-mobility.