by John Glynn | Apr 2, 2016 | Porsche News, Race and Rally
The 2016 World Endurance Championship has officially kicked off with the recent two-day ‘Prologue’ warm-up event at Paul Ricard. Porsche brought both 2016 919 LMP1 Hybrids to the circuit, covering a total of 2,197 kilometres.
Drivers Romain Dumas, Neel Jani, Marc Lieb ran their car on day one, with reigning World Champions, Timo Bernhard, Brendon Hartley and Mark Webber taking their turn on day two. Each session finished with a Porsche 919 Hybrid leading the time sheets. The overall fastest lap was set by Brendon Hartley.
“It was trouble-free running for both our new cars,” said Fritz Enzinger, Vice President LMP1, “and we have received positive feedback from our drivers. Therefore we are confident for the opening round at Silverstone on April 17. Only there it will be possible to judge the overall competition.”
“Running two cars was a good dress rehearsal for the team before the first race,” said Team Principal, Andreas Seidl (above). “The drivers have done a lot of testing during recent weeks but at the Prologue they were facing on-track traffic for the first time since last year’s finale. By the end of the two days, we had achieved the targets we had set ourselves in terms of season preparation.”
2016 FIA WEC Calendar
The 2016 WEC season starts at Silverstone later this month, kicking off nine races in total: Le Mans at 24 hours and eight more six-hour events. Mexico is a new race for 2016, with the rest of the calendar mirroring last year. “We are proud to have maintained the level of stability in the four years of the WEC,” said Pierre Fillon, President of ACO. “The time is right to expand the WEC, and the nine-race calendar allows us to continue to build the tradition of six-hour events. Of course, the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans is the race that everyone knows about and wants to compete in, but the legend is now being extended to the six-hour races as well and moving into countries with strong historic links to endurance, such as Mexico City.”
The 2016 FIA WEC calendar is as follows:
- 17 April: 6 Hours of Silverstone, UK
- 07 May: WEC 6 Hours of Spa, Belgium
- 18/19 June: 24 Hours of Le Mans, France
- 24 July: 6 Hours of Nürburgring, Germany
- 04 September: 6 Hours of Mexico City, Mexico
- 17 September: 6 Hours of Circuit of the Americas, USA
- 16 October: 6 Hours of Fuji, Japan
- 06 November: 6 Hours of Shanghai, China
- 19 November: 6 Hours of Bahrain
by John Glynn | Mar 15, 2016 | Race and Rally, Porsche News
With less than two weeks to go until the start of the 2016 FIA World Endurance Championship season, Porsche’s LMP1 Technical Director, Alexander Hitzinger, has left the team. News reports claim that Hitzinger has handed in his notice to focus on projects outside motorsport.
To be honest, I find the idea of Hitzinger working on projects outside of motorsport pretty ridiculous. Previously employed as Head of Advanced Technologies for Red Bull Racing (2006-2011), with a year also spent as Technical Director for Scuderia Toro Rosso Formula One Racing, Hitzinger lives and breathes motorsport.
Alex Hitzinger: Motorsport Fanatic
Fascinated by motor racing since his earliest days, Alex Hitzinger studied mechanical engineering at the University of Applied Sciences in Landshut, Bavaria before gaining an MBA from the University of Warwick. His first automotive job was as a development engineer with Toyota Motorsport in 1997. There he met Carlos Sainz, who he followed to Ford in 2000, where he was made Head of Ford-Cosworth World Rally Championship Development and later overall head of the Cosworth-Ford WRC programme, which was based in Northampton.
From Head of WRC, in 2003 Hitzinger became Head of Cosworth-Ford F1 Development, leading the team that built the Cosworth CA 2.4-litre V8, which became famous for peak revs of 20,000 rpm. In 2006, he was poached by Red Bull, where he stayed until 2011 and the move to Porsche.
Alex Hitzinger: Future Directions
In 2014, Hitzinger was voted the Rising Star for Engineering in the prestigious Automotive News Europe Rising Star awards. An interview for the awards PR asked Alex what job he really wanted to have in the future. “I am very happy with what I am doing right now,” he said. “This is what I always wanted: to have a challenging leadership role in a very demanding project in top-level motorsports. But I could also imagine changing directions at some point in the future, to broaden my horizons. I am entrepreneurial in everything I do, always seeking a challenge.”
Perhaps Alex Hitzinger has changed direction to find a new challenge. But to do it within weeks of the WEC season start and just days after pre-season F1 testing finishes? That is a heavy coincidence for one of the people best placed to bring real success to a struggling F1 hybrid programme. We could see a non-compete contract clause playing out before he pops back up in an F1 paddock. Whatever happens, his departure is a blow to the Porsche LMP1 team. The team has no immediate plan for Hitzinger’s replacement.
“On behalf of Porsche I want to thank Alexander Hitzinger very much for his huge contribution to the outstanding successes of the Porsche 919 Hybrid,” said Fritz Enzinger, Porsche’s VP of LMP1. “Alexander was one of the first people to come on board at the end of 2011. I appreciate his desire for a new challenge.”
by John Glynn | Feb 3, 2016 | New Models, Porsche News
Porsche CEO, Dr Oliver Blume, has revealed that the company will spend one billion Euros* (just under $1.1 million at today’s exchange rates) putting the Mission E concept into production by the end of this decade. The all-electric car will be built at Zuffenhausen, which is receiving the lion’s share – €700 million – of total investment.
“We are not just experimenting around to see what comes out of it,” says Blume. “We’re investing heavily in our future because we are convinced of doing the right thing at the right time. The next few years will see a new paint shop and a separate assembly plant in Zuffenhausen. The existing engine plant will be expanded for the production of electric drives. In addition, we will be extending the existing body shop. All together, more than 1000 jobs will be created there.”
Low Oil Prices vs Mission E Electric Vehicles
Newspaper headlines predicting the end of electric vehicles thanks to low oil prices continue to sound ridiculous to most straight thinking people, and Blume is on the same page. “You don’t have to be a clairvoyant to predict that the oil price will go up again. The current trend is deceptive.
“We don’t want to and can’t reverse the developments [already made] – we have no choice. Our innovations are the crucial factor. They are what it all depends on. Market leadership does not come from subsidies but from superior technology. Once we have it, everything comes automatically.”
Is Porsche really targeting market leadership in electric vehicles? If yes, could it ever get there? Porsche has no plans to dilute its brand by bringing small or medium electric cars to market but, by continuing to stretch its hybrid and pure electric expertise in premium product development and fitting that technology to the ultimate cars of the future, Porsche will pick up opportunities to licence derivations of its electric powertrains elsewhere, in much the same way as the company licenced patented transmission synchros for decades. No doubt Porsche electric drivetrain technology will also inform cheaper hybrid and full-electric powertrains used by other brands within the Volkswagen parent company.
How Much is a Billion?
*UK readers informed mainly by 1960s road test articles note that one billion is now accepted to equate to one thousand million and that the ‘British Billion’ – a million million – is now classed as one trillion. Denis Healey officially adopted the thousand-million billion for UK Treasury reporting in the 1970s (apparently).
by John Glynn | Jan 21, 2016 | Market & Prices, Porsche News
Official UK Porsche dealer, Porsche Centre Bolton has lost a court battle with the aggrieved would-be buyer of a Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 who was gazumped by the dealership following confirmation of order.
Portrayed in a slightly frantic local press report as a duped and dispossessed pensioner (the buyer may not be entirely delighted about this), local enthusiast and classic car restorer Kevin Hughes (67) put a £10,000 deposit down on a 997 GT3 RS 4.0 back in March 2011 and was emailed by the sales department to say “I can confirm that you will get the first one from Porsche Centre Bolton if we get one, which I am very confident that we will”.
Some time later, OPC Bolton told Mr Hughes that they had actually not received any 4-litres, and returned his deposit. When Mr Hughes discovered that they had in fact been allocated a 4-litre RS but had secretly sold it to someone else, the shit hit the fan and Hughes commenced proceedings against OPC Bolton’s owners, Pendragon Sabre Ltd.
The deposit was paid in March 2011, but the case has only just come to court. This tells you that the legal costs are not insignificant. The court ruled that OPC Bolton had lied, found in favour of Hughes and awarded him £35,000 in damages, which was said to be the current value of a RHD 4-litre minus the original cost new. They also awarded costs, so Pendragon will have to pay Hughes’ legal bills as well as its own.
“Plain as a pikestaff” is how the judge described the binding contract between Mr Hughes and OPC Bolton. By paying a deposit up front, Kevin Hughes had done more than just expressed a passing interest and the sales team had promised him the first car in writing. The secret sale behind Hughes’ back of the one car which the dealership received was therefore a clear breach of contract, according to the judge.
Given that RHD 4-litres are fetching far more than £170k to collectors, I think Pendragon has got away lightly. Thanks to a decade valuing cars for a living and now running my UK Porsche insurance valuations service, I get called in to legal disputes as an expert every once in a while. Hughes’ legal team should have googled a values expert for this one: their client might be a hundred grand better off now.
An old friend of mine works at OPC Bolton. I’m sure there are two sides to the story – maybe one day I will hear the rival viewpoint – but it seems to have looked pretty cut and dried to the judge.
by John Glynn | Jan 20, 2016 | Market & Prices, New Models, Porsche News
Porsche is currently hosting the press launch for its newest 911: the 991 Turbo S. The event is being held at Kyalami Circuit in Johannesburg, South Africa, but more of that later. The car will apparently outrun a 918 Spyder from 50-75 mph (count 1.8 seconds in the Turbo), but some reviews seem to suggest that the £150,000 991 Turbo S is just not special enough.
These days, we do not have to wait until the earliest print date for journalists’ first impressions of a new car: reviews are online by lunch in the era where web content is king. The verdict seems to be that the Turbo S is unbelievably fast but it’s not as special as similarly-priced alternatives. Unless you are a Porsche nut, in which case it’s the hottest Turbo yet and therefore must be owned.
The Turbo S produces 572bhp at 6,750rpm. Peak torque of 553lb/ft runs from 2250 to 4k rpm. PDK is the only transmission on offer, which all the Turbo S owners I know will be quite satisfied with. Who needs a manual option confusing future values/residuals? That’s what the 991 GT2 will be for.
How much faster a GT2 manual might be is anyone’s guess. Official 0-60 time for the Porsche 991 Turbo S PDK is 2.9 seconds, but engineers claim that they can fling it to sixty in 2.6 seconds under optimum conditions. Top speed is 205 mph: this thing is unmercifully fast.
Porsche 991 Turbo S Magazine Reviews
Greg Kable’s Porsche 991 Turbo S review on Autocar is perhaps the most enthusiastic summary available for now, and reads like Greg had a day in the car while other journos made do with just a few laps. “[The 991 Turbo S] represents a significant step in terms of dynamic prowess and ability to entertain. While a lot about the facelifted 911 Turbo S remains the same, its intrinsic character has evolved, making it more memorable to drive than ever.”
Dan Prosser is rather more restrained in his review of the Porsche 991 Turbo S for Evo Magazine. “Given that the revisions are quite subtle, the 911 Turbo S’s overall proposition remains the same – for everyday usability, and for those buyers who require two small rear seats, it’s in a class of one. The similarly priced McLaren 570S has the more engaging chassis, while the Audi R8 V10+ has a massively more exciting drivetrain.”
Reviewing the Porsche 991 Turbo S for CompleteCar.ie, Kyle Fortune gives the car four out of five overall, noting: “If the engine’s lacking in any area it’s in the aural department. That remoteness is present in the steering too, which, while undeniably accurate, lacks the weighting and feel that’s present even in the four-wheel drive 911 Carreras.”
Porsche at Kyalami Circuit
Perhaps I missed something, as I haven’t been paying that much attention, but I think this is the first time Porsche has used Kyalami in anger since Porsche’s SA representatives bought Kyalami Circuit at auction a year or so ago. The pics I’ve seen suggest the place has been well and truly spruced up. It seemed obvious to me at the time that Germany might have had a hand in the purchase, as Kyalami is a perfect spot for car launches during the cold months of a European winter. Nice to see that prediction has come true: there’s a first time for everything.
by John Glynn | Jan 19, 2016 | Porsche Cayenne, Porsche News
Porsche Cayenne running reports have been thin on the ground lately as not used the car much since November, when I disappeared to Kenya for the Safari Rally. After that, I cleared off to Spain for a fortnight before spending Christmas at home.
The UK weather was mild through the end of last year – mild enough to use the Clio Cup or our Polo on summer tyres – but the mornings recently turned frosty and we finally had some snow here last weekend. It was time to bring the Cayenne into service, and try out some new winter tyres that were fitted to the car at the start of November.
You may not have heard of the tyres in question: Gislaved Euro Frost 5. Founded in Gislaved, Sweden in 1893, Gislaved Tyres built a useful reputation for their ability in snow and icy conditions. When the company was a century old, it was bought by Continental AG and remains part of that group to this day. So the Gislaved brand has some credibility.
I have previously run both Pirelli and Continental winter tyres on the Cayenne, but part-worn versions of either are hard to find and tend to be a few years old. The original equipment Pirelli Scorpions in particular go rock hard after a while and are useless in cold weather at that stage, so when I found a good price online for Gislaveds in the Cayenne’s size of 255/55 R18, I bought a set and had them fitted and balanced.
I bolted them to the Cayenne at home (in my new garage – nice one) as part of some work to change driveshaft bolts and other bits so only drove them long enough to move the car around. Then I headed off to Africa. When we got the Cayenne out last week, I used it on the school run for a few days, then did a few client visits in it and tried the tyres at higher speed. Finally there was some snow last Sunday so that was worth trying too.
Given the cost of just £86 per tyre – £344 for all four – I have to say I am pleased with performance. They didn’t need much weight to balance and are very comfortable on the car. The Cayenne tracks well at speeds up to the maximum rating for these tyres (130mph) and the Gislaveds are not as noisy as some reviews claim. No more noisy than Pirelli Scorpions, that’s for sure. Economy is unchanged at 18 miles per gallon on LPG. Dry grip is fine: slightly more squirm than a Continental summer tyre but not entirely lifeless. There is no tyre squeal on hard dry cornering. But it is on icy roads where these tyres do their thing.
No surprise that the Gislaveds recently made it to the final of Auto-Bild’s winter tyre test, beating more than thirty alternatives. Up against the market leading brands – all of whom advertise with Auto-Bild – these tyres rated in the high teens overall but the big picture was quite encouraging.
On frost-covered roads where other cars are clearly being careful, the Cayenne on Gislaveds is very surefooted. Icy corners present no problems for the Gislaveds: a tiny little slide on sheet ice, which stops almost as soon as it starts, thanks in part to PASM but aided by the grippy tread compound, which feels sticky to the fingers even in sub-zero temperatures.
We often argue over N-rated tyres on Porsche cars but so far I find nothing much wrong with these tyres for the price I paid. Michelin Latitude Alpin XLs in N-rated 109V cost £50 more apiece, so £200 extra a set for tyres that will come off in February/March and be replaced by smoother summer rubber on the 19-inch wheels. Doesn’t seem to make that much sense when winters are this mild nowadays.
Elsewhere on the Cayenne, nothing much to report. The odometer has just hit 154,000 miles and while I have written a for sale ad for it, it’s not been advertised as yet and is unlikely to go on sale anytime soon. I’ve bought some grey carpet to trim the new false boot floor and the starter is getting ever-slower in this cold weather so I reckon it is coming up for rebuild. I’ve got a used one in the garage to send out. Also, the plastic handle to remove the detachable towball has snapped: I blame the last man to borrow the car for overtightening it. He knows who he is!
