by John Glynn | Mar 3, 2015 | New Models, Porsche News
Transcript of Porsche CEO, Matthias Müller’s address at the launch of the Cayman GT4 and Porsche 991 GT3 RS in Geneva this morning. Interesting that the Glorious Leader’s first Porsche company car was a 997 GT3.
Matthias Müller Porsche 991 GT3 RS launch speech
“Ladies and gentlemen, Porsche builds sports cars. This also applies in an age when the best-selling Porsche today has four doors.
“The great success we have had by transferring sports car genes to our SUVs helps us to expand our lineup of extremely sporty cars. “Fit for the track, and fit for the road,” works in technical terms for each and every Porsche model and in economic terms for the entire Porsche fleet.
“Why is that the case? Well, striving for victory at the absolute limit on the race track was very often a source of information for extreme Porsche sports cars: for Porsche dream cars.
“For instance, the 911 Carrera RS 2.7 from 1972, which today is a coveted collectors’ item, or all past generations of the 911 GT3. I can speak from experience here, because the 997 GT3 was not [just] for a long time one of my dream cars, it was also my first company car when I joined Porsche.
“These two extreme sports cars that I am presenting [to] you here today – the Cayman GT4 and the 911 GT3 RS – follow this tradition and are continuing it with vigour and power. Both of them have set record times on the North Loop of the Nürburgring when they came into production and this says more than anything I can say for our GT customers. Most of our customers regularly drive their cars in races and they know what I am talking about.
“The 911 GT3 RS has a time of 7 minutes 20 seconds which beats many much stronger and more expensive sports cars. It’s 400 horsepower* have their maximum effect on the racetrack and nevertheless in everyday driving they are very comfortable. It is the top 911 that is still allowed to bear a licence plate for on-road driving.
“Ladies and gentlemen, ten years after the launch of the Cayman as a puristic mid-engine sports car, we have the GT4, which is introducing the crown glory of this model series. Its North Loop time of 7 minutes and 40 seconds is also unequalled in its segment.
“A pure racetrack version will follow during the course of the year: 385 horsepower and it’s irrepressibly fun to drive. The Cayman GT4 represents the lowest cost entry into Porsche’s GT world.
“Ladies and gentlemen, it is not a coincidence that we are presenting the Cayman GT4 and the 911 GT3 RS here at the Geneva Motor Show. Switzerland and Porsche: that is a uniquely close connection. 8 million inhabitants: 39,000 Porsche sports cars registered. More Porsche per capita cannot be found in any market in the entire world.
“The Swiss when they select their models often like to go right to the top: more than 40% of all 911s here are Turbos or GT3s. In 2014, when we introduced the Macan, people in Switzerland also decided to opt mostly for the Turbo. Our continuing success here is represented by the sales figures last year, which speak volumes: they were up by more than 29%.
“So, the fact that the new Cayman GT4 and the 911 GT3 RS are being launched in Geneva is, among other things, a homage to our loyal Swiss customers. I am certain that they will provide a very good reception to these new extreme sports cars because dream cars are always in demand. Thank you very much for your attention.”
*as read by the translator. The new Porsche 991 GT3 RS in fact has 500 bhp.
by John Glynn | Feb 25, 2015 | New Models, Porsche News
Porsche will launch the all new Porsche Cayman GT4 and another currently unidentified sportscar at next week’s Geneva Show. This second car will (of course) be the eagerly anticipated Porsche 991 GT3 RS.
Porsche Cayman GT4 lead times for delivery
For all the buzz around Cayman GT4, I see very few people mentioning the delivery times. UK buyers dropping money on the counter now won’t see their cars much before the end of 2016 according to feedback from buyers – someone tell me if that is right! You’d think the cars would be in circulation well ahead of that time.
Porsche 991 GT2 development
Stuttgart’s press release claims a lap time of seven minutes and 40 seconds on the North Loop of the Nürburgring for the Cayman GT4, but “leaked documents” regarding the 991 GT3 RS claim a 7 minute 20 second lap time: just two seconds off the fastest-ever Porsche road car at the circuit – the 997 GT2 RS.
Thanks to hints from component suppliers, we know there is a 991 GT2 in development, although whether it will make it to production or not is a different matter (I think has to happen). So we can count on that GT2 laptime being smashed sometime in the future – maybe even by the new 991 GT3 RS in the right temperatures on the right tyres. That would be pretty amazing.
Porsche 991 GT3 RS launch live webstream
The world premiere will take place during the Porsche press conference in Geneva at 11:30 (CET) next Tuesday morning: March 3, 2015. A live webcast of the Porsche Cayman GT4 and 991 GT3 RS launch will be streamed from the event.
by John Glynn | Feb 4, 2015 | New Models, Porsche News
Porsche has finally released official details of its brand new GT4 Cayman. The car is expected to race.
Powered by a 3.8-litre flat-six engine derived from the 911 Carrera S, the GT4’s 385 bhp is sent through a six-speed manual gearbox with dynamic gearbox mounts. Cayman GT4 goes from 0-60 in 4.4 seconds, and on to just under 300 km/h.
The new Porsche Cayman GT4 shares some components with the 911 GT3. This is nothing super new, as GT3 parts are commonly used in upgrading Caymans: brake master cylinders and so on. But this car goes further, apparently using GT3 parts throughout the chassis. Some will be obvious from the photos, but more details to follow.
New Porsche Cayman GT4 Track Day/Race Mode
Outside, the GT4 majors in race mode. Three large intakes at the front and a sizeable rear wing point to downforce. The aerodynamic package is one part of a track-focused options list that includes ceramic brakes, carbon seats, custom Sport Chrono and a Club Sport package.
The Cayman GT4 premieres at Geneva in March, and can be ordered now for delivery by the end of March. Basic list price in Germany is about €86,000 (which is £65,000, or just under $100,000 according to fxtop.com).
by John Glynn | Dec 3, 2014 | New Models, Porsche News
I passed my first Porsche Macan on the road last Monday. Charging around the M42 motorway, a black 14-plate Macan Turbo in spotless condition was besmirched by the dirtiest car on the road: my hard-used 2004 Cayenne S.
I didn’t take much notice until I was pretty close, but Macan shape and style is quite handsome. It looked big enough to be useful as a people mover, but I wonder what condition the Macan will be in five or six years, when cash buyers like me start considering them.
Macan is made in Leipzig, alongside Cayenne and the Panamera. The production process is well worked out, as it should be thanks to Christoph Beerhalter. A name not heard much in public, Beerhalter is one of those engineers who goes methodically about his business, leaving a quiet revolution in his wake.
Porsche and Toyota Production Methods
When Porsche was hampered by high production costs due to inefficiency in the early 1990’s, Beerhalter was at the front line of sorting it out. Taking inspiration from all sorts of industrial production including the much-discussed Toyota school of kaizen, Beerhalter used what he’d learned from efficient organisations and applied it to Porsche production at the new Leipzig factory.
Twenty years later, Beerhalter’s name is on a number of Porsche production patents, and the Macan is built on perhaps the most efficient production line in the world. Everything from where the trains carrying Macans for export should enter the site to where the production line screws should be kept has been optimised. Control of production costs (and charging a whacking great price for new models) means that Porsche margins sit around 18% – almost twice that of some competitors and up to six times what the parent brand claims for Polo and Golf.
Porsche Macan Tested: 190 Prototypes
It’s still early days in the Porsche Macan’s life, but the margins don’t seem to have come at reduced cost of development. Knowing full well that Macan would have to hit the ground running, the company invested heavily in prototype testing, building a staggering 190 prototypes, according to a Christophorus interview with Uwe Schneider, Porsche’s head of overall vehicle development.
“Only in a real prototype do we see how the vehicle reacts under real-life conditions,” said Schneider. “For every Porsche, those real conditions include use at the limits of performance. No simulation, no matter how good, can determine the wear on the vehicle after 150,000 kilometers on real roads and testing grounds.”
Porsche Macan Recall
The first Porsche Macan recall has already been issued for problems with brake servo fitment. As a brand new model, no doubt there’ll be more, but the real test is long term. I’m not the only used Porsche cash buyer waiting to see how quickly used prices drop to affordable levels, and how real-life reliability stands up over time.
by John Glynn | Jul 15, 2014 | New Models, Porsche News
If you thought special edition 911s were reserved for run-out models, think again. Porsche Cars GB has just unveiled a unique-to-the-UK limited edition of 40 991 Turbo S models, priced from £150,237. Forty for sale marks the 911 Turbo’s 40th anniversary. The ‘from’ in the price sounds a bit ominous.
Based on the 991 Turbo S – we shared this Porsche 997 versus 991 Turbo S for sale choice last week – the Turbo S Exclusive GB has the same four-wheel drive chassis with active rear axle steering, adaptive aerodynamics, full-LED headlights and a 560 hp flat six-cylinder twin-turbocharged engine.
With Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) active anti-roll system, Sport Chrono Package Plus with dynamic engine mounts, and Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB), the 991 Turbo S hits 62 mph in just 3.1 seconds and runs to a top speed of 197 mph.
Porsche 911 Turbo S Exclusive GB Edition
The 991 911 Turbo S Exclusive GB Edition adds some unique features, to help the car stand out versis other Turbo S examples.
A black rear upper spoiler is said to hark back to the 1974 3.0 930, along with twenty-inch Sport Classic wheels in black, black finished exterior door handles, and the black ‘Porsche’ script along the sills. Black leather upholstery features Guards Red contrasting stitching, with an embossed Union Jack flag on the centre storage compartment lid.
Special features of the 911 Turbo S Exclusive GB Edition are:
- Choice of three exterior colours: GT Silver metallic, White, Guards Red
- Contrasting exterior features in high gloss black: 20-inch Sport Classic alloy wheels, upper part of rear spoiler, SportDesign wing mirrors, exterior door handles
- Porsche logo script in black along door sills
- Storage compartment lid with embossed Union flag
- SportDesign steering wheel with centre marking in Guards Red and rim with Guards Red stitching
- Black leather interior with Guards Red stitching
- Privacy glazing
- Porsche crest embossed on head restraints
- Seat belts in Guards Red
- Personalised carbon door sill guards with ‘911 Turbo S – Exclusive GB Edition’ in illuminated lettering
- Carbon interior trim, including PDK gear lever, with chrome logo on dash insert
- Bespoke floor mats with leather edging and decorative stitching in Guards Red
- Complementary accessories including personalised indoor car cover, a unique photo book and key pouch in leather with decorative Guards Red stitching
Porsche 997 Turbo S with Delivery Mileage: Half the price of 991 Turbo S GB
Adding a few more options will take the cost of the 991 Turbo S to over £160,000, which is twice the price of the delivery mileage Porsche 997 Turbo S PDK in Guards Red arriving at JZM Porsche for sale later this week.
A superb looking car in a very rare colour, the specification is massive. I hear the Porsche 997 Turbo S PDK will retail around the £80,000 mark.
Will Porsche Cars GB find 40 people to buy the UK-only 991 Turbo S Exclusive GB? Perhaps that doesn’t matter as long as everyone knows Exclusive is alive and well and living in Stuttgart. I like that dash badge, but the standard Turbo S is more up my street.
![Porsche 911 versus BMW i8]()
by John Glynn | Jun 1, 2014 | New Models, Porsche News
My former paymasters at Autocar magazine continue to produce excellent new car features. Their latest sports car test of BMW i8 versus Porsche 911 Carrera 50* sheds more light on the data Ferdinand shared yesterday, comparing lap times around a California race track for our friend Jack Olsen’s 1972 Porsche 911 RSR hot rod, which runs a standard 1995 993 3.6-litre engine, to professional race drivers in a Porsche 918 and Porsche 911 50th Anniversary model.
Porsche 911 versus BMW i8
The 918 set a lap time of 1:23.54, while Jack’s car managed a 1:26.88. “This is beyond an eternity on a race track” was how one Facebook comment put it, but let’s put “eternity” back into context of dollars invested and remember these are road cars. Three seconds over a 90-second lap time is pretty close for an old 911.
Porsche 997 GT3 RS versus Porsche 991
My question was where would/will the 991 GT3 RS fit in? Jack pointed out that “the 997 GT3 RS ran a 1:33 with pro driver Steve Millen at the wheel, so the 1:28.53 for the 50th-Anniversary 991 model is very impressive.” Autocar’s test underscores this conclusion, as it pits a 911 celebrating 50 years of history against a sports car that has been around just a few minutes.
“The Porsche’s (PDK) driveline lacks the complexity of the BMW’s, but it is not shamed for power,” says Autocar‘s Greg Kable.”The 911’s naturally aspirated 3.8-litre flat six engine, mounted behind the rear axle, nominally delivers 395bhp at 7400rpm. Our test car is a US-spec model, and receives a power kit as standard, upping it to 424bhp.
“It can’t match the BMW’s torque, though. With 325lb ft at 5600rpm, it gives away a considerable 95lb ft…but the 911 is not gutless. Above 4000rpm, its naturally aspirated engine provides prodigious shove. But by then, the i8 has already benefited from its initial spurt of electric propulsion and is away down the road. BMW claims 0-62mph in 4.4sec, compared with 4.5sec for the Porsche. However, a constant, linear surge of energy right from the outset makes the i8 feel considerably faster.”
Porsche 911 Hybrid is Coming
While the BMW has that instant hybrid electric torque – torque you know will eventually find its way to a production 911 – the Porsche has something else. Once heavily criticised for terminal understeer in press-on driving, the new 911 has apparently tamed that shrew and passed it to the Beemer. Is this what makes the difference in lap pace compared to the 997 GT3 RS?
“The fluidity of the 911…is so pure and involving that it makes the i8 feel stifled and artificial. The Porsche displays a lovely balance that prompts you to keep pushing at the sort of cornering speeds that begin to trouble the BMW, and there is a compelling completeness to the whole car, even as you approach the limits.
“And then there’s the rest of the 911’s absorbing dynamic character: its superb body control at any speed, the outright grip it generates, the terrific poise when loaded through a quick corner, the traction on the way out, the well-controlled ride and the way that its electronic driver aids allow you to dabble in a spot of tail-out action. Even if you put the i8 on its optional wider and stickier tyres, I still doubt that it could match the 911.” Greg Kable is a fan.
The Moral: Play Nice
Yesterday’s point was don’t put old Porsche 911s in with other old cars: they can more than hold their own when the going gets tough. While BB2 beat the Anniversary 991’s lap time around a California race track, the gap between the two is not “beyond eternity”. It’s just an interesting benchmark and talking point.
Today’s point is don’t do the “life was better when I was a boy” thing and look down on all new 911s. When a 50 year-old concept beats the latest carbon fibre coupe for intoxicating chassis dynamics, its future is bright.
*Autocar material shared for information purposes only with link to original article.
