GERMAN CAR NEWS

Stuttgart. The new Porsche LMP1 sports prototype, which will compete in the sports car World Endurance Championship (WEC) and in the 24 Hours of Le Mans from 2014, successfully completed its first rollout today on the Porsche test track in Weissach. Before the eyes of some board members of Porsche AG, Porsche works driver Timo Bernhard took his new ‘wheels’ through its initial function check.

The LMP1 racer turned its first laps on the circuit several weeks earlier than originally planned. “We are well on schedule,” says Fritz Enzinger, Head of LMP1. “Our newly formed team has worked with utmost concentration on getting this highly complex vehicle on the track as soon as possible. This allows us a few additional weeks for more testing and further development. From 2014, the regulations are primarily based on efficiency. This makes the competition amongst engineers more interesting and presents us with completely new challenges.”

Since the decision in mid-2011 to return with the LMP1 racer to top motorsport as a works effort, the Motorsport Center at Weissach has grown significantly. A workshop and an administration building were built and accommodate around 200 employees who are responsible for the design, assembly and deployment of the LMP1 car. From the 2014 season, the racer will be fielded by a Weissach-based works squad.

“I was involved in the development of the new car right from the outset,” says Porsche works driver Timo Bernhard. “I’m very proud that I was the one to take our baby through its first paces today. Already now the car feels great. I look forward to testing the vehicle in the coming weeks and months with my friend and colleague Romain Dumas.” Bernhard (32) and Dumas (35) are the first two regular drivers in the LMP1 project and will carry out the majority of testing on various international circuits.

“During the development of our new LMP1 vehicle, we faced the same challenge as in the series production development of our road legal cars,” says Wolfgang Hatz, Board Member for Research and Development at Porsche AG. “Our aim was to achieve the best possible efficiency without compromising performance.”

Matthias Mu?ller, Chairman of the Executive Board at Porsche AG, particularly emphasizes the benefits customers will enjoy from the development of the high-tech race car. “The engineers were able to start with a blank sheet of paper in the design of the new LMP1 car that was out here today on the Weissach race track for the first time. Hence, they were able to apply many new technologies within the framework of the regulations that will also benefit the customers of our road legal automobiles in the future. After all, there’s a race car in every Porsche.”

About Porsche Motorsport North America
Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA), located in Santa Ana, California, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Porsche AG and the sole sales and service provider for the German sports car maker’s North American customer sports programs. Porsche is the largest manufacturer of race cars with a wide range of products from the 911 GT3 Cup car to the ultimate 911 GT3 RSR. PMNA sells these models to customer teams in North America and provides them with parts, service and expertise in between races and at the track. The PMNA service truck is a fixture at most race tracks in the U.S. and Canada, staffed by factory engineers to service all of Porsche’s customer teams.

About Porsche Cars North America
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA), based in Atlanta, Ga. is the exclusive U.S. importer of Porsche sports cars, the Cayenne SUV and Panamera sports sedan. Established in 1984, it is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Porsche AG, which is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, and employs approximately 220 people who provide parts, service, marketing and training for 190 dealers. They, in turn, work to provide Porsche customers with a best-in-class experience that is in keeping with the brand’s 63-year history and leadership in the advancement of vehicle performance, safety and efficiency.

ATLANTA, June 3, 2013 – The Porsche 911 resolves apparent contradictions like no other sports car – such as between tradition and innovation or between exclusivity and high social acceptance, and of course between performance and efficiency. And so, Porsche is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 911 at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt with a special anniversary model based on the 911 Carrera S: like the original 911, the 911 50th Anniversary Edition is a coupe with a flat-six rear engine and rear wheel drive. Its efficient performance, active sport suspension – and special body have current relevancy: the anniversary 911 features the wide body, which is typically reserved for the all-wheel drive Carrera 4 models. This special edition will be limited to 1963 cars, a number that represents the year of the 911 world premiere.

For the US market, the 911 50th Anniversary Edition will be equipped as standard with a Powerkit, which increases engine performance to 430 hp and includes the Sport Chrono Package. The 911 50th Anniversary Edition sprints from zero to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds (3.8 with PDK) and can reach a top speed of 186 mph (185 with PDK). The limited edition models will be available at Porsche dealers this fall and will be priced from $124,100, not including a $950 destination charge.

Porsche will present the limited edition model in time for the 50th anniversary of the 911 at the IAA motor show in Frankfurt, which opens its gates to the public on September 12, 2013. In 1963, Porsche presented the original model to the public at this leading international show for the automotive industry. Since its first presentation – initially as the type 901 – the sports car icon has excited automotive fans across the globe, and today it is considered the reference for all other sports cars. Since making its debut in 1963, the model series has progressively developed without interruption. In the process, the unique character of the 911 was always preserved. The result of this evolution over a 50-year period – which included countless race victories as well – is a sports car that fully embodies the authenticity of the Porsche brand. Its DNA is reflected in all Porsche models.

This limited edition of the 911 Carrera S includes features that have contributed to the 50-year success story of the 911. For example, the limited edition includes Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) with special tuning to complement its increased track width and to add support to the exceptional cornering dynamics of the 911. The sport exhaust system outputs a fitting emotional sound. Special 20-inch wheels are a visual tribute to the legendary “Fuchs” wheels and are finished in matte black paint with machine-polished centers. Chrome trim strips on the front air inlets, the fins of the engine compartment grille and the panel between the rear lights emphasize the distinctive appearance of this limited edition model. Another technical highlight of the car’s equipment is the Porsche Dynamic Light System (PDLS) with bi-xenon headlights and dynamic cornering lights.

Two unique colors are available for the anniversary 911, a darker graphite grey and a lighter geyser grey metallic. In addition black monochrome is also available. Each of the cars has a two-tone 3D-effect badge on the rear lid with the numbers “911 50″. This is repeated in three color embroidery on the headrest and in two colors as a logo on the tachometer and the aluminum door sill plates. It can also be found on the cup holder panel together with the limited edition number of the individual vehicle. Other exterior characteristics of the special model are high-gloss window frames and sport design exterior mirrors on the doors panels.

There are tributes to the original 911 in the interior as well: green labeling on the instruments with white pointer needles and silver caps on the instrument pivot pins, just like 50 years ago. Another special feature is the center panels of the leather seats, which are designed with a fabric pattern reminiscent of the “Pepita” tartan design from the 1960s. The full-leather interior is designed in agate grey or black with decorative stitching, some in contrasting color. The driver and front passenger experience typical 911 driving fun in 14-way sport seats or optional 18-way sport seats plus. The gear shift or selector lever – which matches the decorative panels on the dashboard, doors and center console in brushed aluminum – comes from the Porsche Exclusive program.