Category: Porsche

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Formula 1 Porsche Red Bull Racing Video WEC

Mark Webber: The road to Le Mans – part 1

Mark Webber - The road to Le Mans

Mark Webber may no longer drive for the Red Bull Formula 1 team, but he’s still a Red Bull athlete. Our Mark, as we like to call him, is being featured in a short series of videos produced by Red Bull media in the build up to Le Mans, which is now less than a month away.

You can watch the video after the break, which backs the truck up a little to his second last F1 race at the United States Grand Prix. If you follow the source link below you’ll also get to read a short interview with Mark. We like this response to a question about his physical preparation for LMP1.

…I still want to stay light. It’s in my best interests. I was very, very light for the last six years of my Formula One career—everyone said I looked unwell—but that’s just how it had to be in F1 if I wanted to stay competitive. I was still 9kg overweight, but I couldn’t lose any more.

[Source: Red Bull Motorsports]

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Porsche

The next 911-beater is actually a Porsche!

Porsche Cayman GT4 prototype

Whenever a new sports car is made manufacturers usually pitch it as the next big thing to knock the 911 off its perch. Well, it looks like even Porsche is getting in on that act now with this Cayman prototype spotted lurking menacingly in Germany.

Expected to carry the GT4 nameplate this Cayman should take its general concept from the 911 GT3. Well, except the dodgy engine, of course. That means it should be a bit lighter, a bit stiffer and have a half roll cage fitted as well.

There’ll be more power, of course, but it’s uncertain in what form that power will arrive. The simplest option would be to upgrade the Cayman’s 3.4 litre flat six. Sliding upwards along the increasingly unlikely scale is the option of a 3.8 litre Carrera S engine, right up to the delightful, albeit cost-prohibitive, prospect of using a descendant of the 2.0 litre turbocharged V4 from the 919 LMP1 car.

Whatever the outcome is we know we’ll want one. Even with its crumby-but-excellent PDK transmission.

[Source: Car & Driver]

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Porsche

The forgotten Porsche?

1970 Porsche 914/6

Put up your hand if you love the Porsche 914?

/me puts hand in the air and looks around wondering why nobody else does.

I really, really love these cars. It’s true the 914 cannot be considered a conventionally beautiful object, but I cannot get enough of them. I think they look great and I love that the 914, perhaps due to it’s co-development with Volkswagen, is the runt of the Porsche litter.

There was a 914/6 racing in Targa Tasmania last week. I spoke briefly with the driver at a lunch stop in Railton and he told me his car had 370 horsepower and weighed just 1100kg. Tell me he didn’t have a fun week! It’s got flared body panels, sits nice and low and was easily the most interesting car in the field.

So, to Jack Griffin, who has his 914/6 featured in this Petrolicious video: You, sir, have an awesome car. Don’t ever let it go!

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Audi Porsche Toyota WEC

Toyota wins 2014 6hrs of Spa

2014 6 Hours of Spa

Toyota has set itself up as the favourite for Le Mans after taking victory in the 6 Hours of Spa on the weekend. The #8 TS040 backed up its success at Silverstone with another win, while the #7 sister car came home third.

Splitting the two Toyotas was the #1 Audi R18, with all three cars completeing 171 laps of the famous Spa-Francorchamps circuit.

The #14 Porsche 919, which started from pole position, started well and established a lead of over 10 seconds in the first stint before a few minor issues with the hybrid system required attention. In the end Porsche had to be satisfied with fourth place, one lap behind the leaders.

A pair of Audi R18s filled positions five and six, with the #3 car running in low downforce Le Mans trim—the only of the three LMP1 teams to do so. Audi will be heading to the Circuit de la Sarthe with a lot more work to do than it is used to. The challenge from Toyota appears very real this year.

The #20 Porsche 919 of Mark Webber, had problems throughout the race. First with the rear dampers and later with the front drive shaft. They were able to finish the race but were 23 laps behinf the winning Toyota.

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Porsche WEC

Porsche on pole for 6hrs of Spa

Porsche 919 Hybrid

Porsche has given the WEC a bit of a shake by claiming pole position for tonight’s 6 Hours of Spa. The #14 919, qualified by Neel Jani and Marc Lieb, came up trumps as the track began to dry at a typically wet Spa circuit.

The #8 Toyota TS040 has backed up its win at Silverstone well and will share the front row with Porsche. The first of three Audi R18s will start from the second row, joined by the #7 Toyota. Mark Webber and his mates will start their #20 Porsche from from P5, followed by the remaining R18s.

Qualifying in the WEC is a combined effort with the results from two drivers averaged out. As the weather improved an otherwise relaxed Marc Lieb was almost caught out.

“This pole position means a lot to me,” Lieb said. “It has been hard work for a long time for many people. Taking pole position today came as a total surprise. On my first run the track wasn’t dry enough for slicks and then Neel got into the car.

“I was having a coffee in the back of the garage and watching him. Then I was suddenly told get your helmet back on and improve your earlier lap time. It was tough time management to get these two laps and I’m a very happy man. Now I hope for a good race.”

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Porsche

You’re not buying an SUV, it’s a Le Mans racecar!

Porsche UK Macan launch

The Porsche Macan is going to smash sales records for the Stuttgart brand. In Australia demand is already outstripping supply and it’s not even in showrooms yet.

The reasons for this early success are pretty simple; the Macan looks good and it will undoubtedly drive very well. Plus, for a Porsche, it’s pretty damn cheap.

It doesn’t need to be marketed in order to be a sales phenomenon. And yet Porsche is intent on making potential Macan owners know they also make sportscars. And fancy racing cars, too!

Inside every Macan SUV is a little bit of Porsche 917. It’s true, I saw it on the internet…

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Porsche

Porsche 911 GT3 wins 2014 World Performance COTY

Porsche 911 GT3

We love Porsche. And although we’re yet to drive one, we love 911 GT3s. Indeed, if when our lotto numbers come up, the first task will be deciding which GT3 to buy while we wait for the new one.

Just as essential as it is to have fine taste in motor cars, it’s also best to have a healthy sense of humour as you make your way through life. It would seem the World Car of the Year judges share this view, too, after awarding the 991 911 GT3 the 2014 World Performance Car.

The joke, of course, being that the car named the world’s best performance weapon cannot be driven. Not until it has a new engine, anyway. Fires tend to attract a bit too much attention, you see.

For now, the 911 GT3 is the ultimate garage queen, with the trophy to prove it.

Despite this minor oversight, the judges proudly state: “The latest 911 GT3 is 100 percent at home on any track, with surprising buckets of fine balance and handling prowess even with the engine theoretically in the ‘wrong’ place. Heavy aero work, the stripping down of the car’s weight, and 469 horsepower from the 3.8-liter flat-six engine, all help with lap times and launch time.”

The GT3 was named ahead of the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray and Ferrari 458 Speciale for the shiny trophy.

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News Porsche Video

The money or the Porsche?

Nick Murray, former disgruntled Porsche owner

Yes, Nick Murray should get his money back. This, we know, because Nick’s recent YouTube video and its 1.3 million viewers gained enough traction to force the hand of Porsche Cars North America. The company has agreed to offer Nick a full refund or a brand new replacement vehicle.

So, then, the money or the Porsche: which would you choose?

Oh, we forgot this with the last video—sorry—there’s a language warning, in case you’re watching in an office without headphones. With any luck the screen grab above gives you an idea that this may be the case.

[Thanks to Alex and Mark for the tips]

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Audi Porsche Toyota WEC

Toyota wins 2014 6hrs of Silverstone

2014 6 Hours of Silverstone

The 2014 WEC season got off to the best possible start overnight after Toyota claimed a dominant 1–2 victory in a rain affected 6 Hours of Silverstone. Two laps behind the winning #8 Toyota TS040 (Davidson, Lapierre, Buemi) was the #20 Porsche 919 (Bernhard, Hartley, Webber). That result marks a promising return to the LMP1 category for Porsche.

“The team did a fantastic job all weekend,” said Anthony Davidson after the victory. “It looked like it would be an epic fight with Audi and Porsche if it had stayed dry, but we knew the rain was coming and we had set our car up for wet conditions.

“We made the right call on tyres, the strategy was just perfect; that’s how you win races.”

Defending champions Audi had a race to forget with both the R18s crashing out of contention. Luca di Grassi was at the wheel when the #1 R18 went out early in proceedings, while the #2 car lasted until mid-race distance having lost time due to a separate incident in the first hour.

The #14 Porsche 919 also went off-track briefly, although no major damage was done. However, its race came to an end early in the second hour due to a “technical problem”. This highlights how valuable the third place for the #20 car was, enabling the team to gather valuable track time and experience in addition to championship points.

In a three horse race, with two established rivals and a new kid on the block, this set of results builds anticipation for the 6 Hours of Spa in two weeks.

The Audis have shown they have raw pace, setting the fastest single lap in both qualifying and the race, and with multiple championships behind them they’re unlikely to repeat the double blunder we saw here at Silverstone.

Toyota has built on its LMP1 experience and this result will give them confidence to carry its momentum to Spa. While Porsche has shown it can have the reliability it needs to keep its more fancied rivals honest.

“It’s been a brilliant day for us,” Mark Webber siad post-race. “I’m happy to have played a small role in the effort that’s gone in from the team and everyone back at the factory to get to this point.

“Timo and Brendon drove exceptionally as well. It was unfortunate for the other car, but it wasn’t their day. It was a tough race for all the drivers with tricky conditions, and drizzle on slick tyres is never easy. We managed to dodge a few bullets and survived some of the tricky phases.

“It was a great experience for me, I learnt so much today in the race. We were spot on with the pit stops in terms of the tyre strategy.”

Official race reports and photos from Toyota, Porsche and Audi can be viewed after the break.

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News Porsche Video

Should Nick Murray get his money back?

Nick Murray's 911 Carrera S

Meet Nick Murray. He’s the not so proud owner of a 991 Porsche 911 Carrera S. He took delivery of his car around the middle of last year and, according to him, it has spent around two months back at the dealer getting a variety of seemingly random and unconnected problems resolved.

In this video Murray details his ongoing discussions with Porsche Cars North America and asks them publicly: “Stop jerking me around and give me my money back, so I can buy another car and then you can get rid of me.”

Based on his own evidence it would seem Nick has a pretty good case for a replacement or full refund under applicable US Lemon laws. Watch the video below and see what you think.

[Thanks to Wes for the tip]

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Porsche WEC

Stuck in a job going nowhere?

Mark Webber FIA WEC promo

Mark Webber and his Porsche 919 buddies make their competition debut in the 6 Hours of Silverstone this weekend. Australian readers can watch the race live and exclusive on Foxtel’s Speed TV channel.

To remind you of that fact Speed TV has come up with a very cool and quite amusing promo which you can see after the break.

Race coverage begins at 9pm on Sunday and runs through until 4am on Monday (AEST). If you don’t have Foxtel or can’t park yourself in front of a telly you can tune into Radio Le Mans for audio coverage.

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Porsche

Porsche to extend warranty of affected GT3s

991 Porsche 911 GT3

Porsche continues to show best practice when it comes to car recalls as new details concerning the campaign to repair 991 911 GT3s emerge.

An email, which you can read below, has been sent to owners in North America explaining the course of action being undertaken by Porsche. In order to remove the risk of engine fire Porsche will replace the engines of all 785 affected GT3s. Production of the new engines will begin on 22 April.

In addition to the engine replacement Porsche will extend the factory warranty on those models for an extra 12 months. Compensation will also be provided to owners, although details of what that may entail are unknown at this stage.

Porsche attracted unwanted attention in mid-February when photos of a flaming 991 GT3 were posted to the internet. In the wake of that incident further reports of similar fires gave Porsche cause to launch an official investigation.

The cause of the fires was traced to a loose bolt in one of the conrods which could cause an oil leak giving the potential for oil to drip onto hot engine parts.

On 18 March Porsche advised all owners to stop driving their GT3s until the engine was replaced.

[Source: Autoblog | Thanks to Richard for the tip]

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