2017-2019 Porsche 718 voluntary recall

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Mar 2, 2019

2017-2019 Porsche 718 voluntary recall: 718 Boxster S and Cayman S poised against mountain b.g. Credit Porsche AG

Porsche Cars North America, Inc., (PCNA) issues a 2017-2019 Porsche 718 voluntary recall for the United States and Puerto Rico. 14,388 vehicles in all 50 States and Puerto Rico are subject to this recall.

The 2017-2019 Porsche 718 voluntary recall involves a potential detrimental outcome of a particular frontal crash test. This entails requirements of UN Regulation R-94 regarding fulfillment of, or possible lack thereof, occupant protection.

Porsche Internal Quality Control independently detected this potential inconsistency. Porsche’s IQC analyses determined that the lower longitudinal crash beam component could penetrate the bulkhead wall. This in turn might trigger a fuel leakage.

Fortunately, though, no reports of accidents or injuries have been recorded resulting from this voluntarily announced recall issue.

PCNA is about to notify owners by mail of the affected 2017-through-2019-model-year vehicles about this recall. PCNA will urge such owners to bring their Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman automobiles to an authorized Porsche dealer.

Once the affected vehicles arrive at the dealerships, each service department will fasten the lower longitudinal crash beam member components with additional rivets. This precautionary reinforcement will further guard against bulkhead penetration.

Each remedial visit and repair should take approximately an hour and a half. Of course, the repair is free of charge.

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February 2019 Porsche USA sales

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The StuttgartDNA Team

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Mar 1, 2019

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February 2019 Porsche USA sales: Grey 911S 991, 50th Anniversary Edition, left front, at rest on track. Credit: Porsche AG

February 2019 Porsche USA sales registered Stuttgart’s ongoing upward regional sales trend — February USA sales of 4,826 vehicles exceeded last February’s efforts by a rosy 10.1 percent. 2019 kicks off two positive months so far, according to Porsche Cars North America (PCNA).

February 2019 Porsche USA sales: Seen here is a chart spreadsheet outlining Porsche's February 2019 Porsche USA sales. Source: PCNA — Source: PCNA

What PCNA did not mention for whatever reason was that Porsche enjoyed an 11.4 percent increase, year-over-year. Not too shabby.

The new Cayenne was leader of the month. Porsche’s larger SUV yielded deliveries of 1,762 units, a remarkable 67.6 percent increase over February of 2018. Who will be next in line? It was Porsche stalwart and iconic 911 delivering 990 units, up a tasty 27.7 percent uptick.

“Our 191 U.S. Porsche dealer partners offer a tremendous customer experience,” noted Klaus Zellmer, President and CEO of PCNA. “These customer relationships, combined with the fascination and product range of Porsche cars, are responsible for another stellar month.”

On the Porsche Approved Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) front, USA sales came in at 1,925 automobiles, an increase of 12.3 percent over last February’s respectable numbers.

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Wimbledon champion Kerber tours Porsche Centre Dubai

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The StuttgartDNA Team

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Feb 18, 2019

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Wimbledon champion Kerber tours Porsche Centre Dubai: Seen here is Kerber posing with a silver 911 GT2 RS in Dubai. Credit: Porsche AG

Reigning Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber breezed into Dubai recently. Ahead of Ms. Kerber’s tournament play in the 2019 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, the principals and staff of Porsche Centre Dubai fêted the Porsche Ambassador and two-time Porsche Tennis Grand Prix winner at their state-of-the-art Porsche sales and service facilities.

Porsche Centre Dubai, Al Nabooda Automobiles LLC, is the official sponsor of the 2019 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. So it is only fitting that the Porsche dealer hosted Ms. Kerber at their dealership.

Ms. Kerber’s brief Middle East sojourn coincides with Porsche AG’s latest announcement that it is extending its prosperous partnership with the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA). This successful collaboration with the WTA involves the following:

Porsche renews its patronage as the WTA and WTA Finals’ official, exclusive automotive partner

Porsche will be the title partner of the qualification ranking to the season-ending championships, the “Porsche Race to Shenzhen”

Wimbledon champion Kerber tours Porsche Centre Dubai: Seen here is the smiling, comely Angelique Kerber behind the wheel of Porsche No. 1 at the Porsche Museum. Credit: Porsche AG — Angelique Kerber behind the wheel of Porsche No. 1 at the Porsche Museum. Credit: Porsche AG

Porsche has sponsored world-class women’s tennis for more than 40 years. It began in 1978 when Porsche initially underwrote the very first Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.

The latest iteration is the 42^nd annual Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, unfolding in the splendid setting of Stuttgart’s Porsche Arena this year from April 20 through April 28.

Always among many players’ top favorites among the WTA tournaments, the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix will host seven of the Top 10 players. All current Grand Slam winners are also slated to participate.

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January 2019 Porsche USA sales

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The StuttgartDNA Team

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Feb 2, 2019

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January 2019 Porsche USA sales: Depicted here is a picturesque vista of 3 Cayennes poised on sands against the wispy backdrop of a clouded sky. Credit: Porsche AG

January 2019 USA sales set another record — an all-time January record, in fact — with purchases of 5,419 automobiles. Porsche Cars North America, Inc., (PCNA) just announced the 12.5 percent record increase over last January. This latest “January best” arrives fresh on the heels of a record year in 2018.

January 2019 Porsche USA sales: This spreadsheet chart quantifies Porsche's January 2019 USA sales as outlined in the text of this accompanying article. Source: PCNA — Source: Porsche Cars North America (PCNA)

Ironically, in spite of these record sales numbers last month, the only two gainers in January 2019 were these:

Cayenne — now with increased horsepower, the Cayenne along with its newly added S and Turbo model variants already in dealer showrooms enjoyed a hefty 65.1 percent increase in deliveries to 2,150 vehicles compared to January 2018

911 — the company icon weighed in at 1,101 units, enjoying a 29.1 percent gain over last January’s numbers of 853 cars

“We are grateful to see the year start strong for our 191 U.S. Porsche dealer partners,” stated Klaus Zellmer, President and CEO of PCNA. “After celebrating 70 years of Porsche sports cars last year, this month’s record deliveries show that we are successfully combining our rich heritage with the innovation customers want today.”

Porsche Approved Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) sales in the States came in at 1,562 vehicles for the month of January.

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What are “Porsche Drive” and “Porsche Host”?

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Larry Domasin

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Nov 2, 2018

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What are “Porsche Drive” and “Porsche Host”?: We see a pretty blonde in this image, fetching groceries from the trunk of a light-colored Panamera. Credit: Porsche AG

Once upon a time, to experience the unique thrill of driving a Porsche you had to buy or lease — or steal — a Porsche. Not anymore.

Continue

Porsche wins 2018 WEC Fuji 6 Hours

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The StuttgartDNA Team

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Oct 14, 2018

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Porsche wins 2018 WEC Fuji 6 Hours: Seen here are the ecstatic, victorious Kevin Estre and Michael Christensen (l-r) at the top of the 2018 WEC Fuji 6 Hrs GTE-Pro podium. Credit: Porsche AG — Kevin Estre and Michael Christensen (l-r) atop 2018 WEC Fuji 6 Hrs GTE-Pro podium. Credit: Porsche AG

Porsche wins 2018 WEC Fuji 6 Hours today, the fourth round of the 2018 World Endurance Championship (WEC). Taking care of business at Japan’s historically treacherous Fuji Speedway, the Porsche GT Team emerged victorious at the end of the 6-hour race.

The No. 92 Porsche 911 RSR whooshed cross finish first in class, GTE-Pro, at the drop of the checkers.

Porsche also scored a “double play” of sorts: newbie Project 1 team secured the top of the podium in GTE-Am class at the 2018 WEC Fuji 6 Hours this afternoon. The No. 56 Project 1 Porsche 911 RSR garnered the win for both the team and for Porsche.

Porsche Dominates the GTE-Pro Class at the 2018 Fuji 6 Hours

The GTE-Pro class this date consisted of ten vehicles offered up by five manufacturers vying for victory under shifting weather conditions; Aston Martin, BMW, Ferrari, Ford and Porsche.

Sharing the No. 92 510-hp Porsche 911 RSR and qualifying last in their classification, Michael Christensen (Denmark) and Kevin Estre (France) scrambled all the way up to the top of the podium in their GTE-Pro class – with impeccable class:

Track conditions were not ideal initially. Drizzle fell on and slimed the 2.84-mile / 4.563-kilometer racetrack in the first hour of the race. Finally, a 30-minute safety-car event gradually dried the track.

Then the Porsche GT Team’s optimal set-up and clever pit-stop strategy allowed the Danish-French dynamic duo to get down to serious business after changing wets to slicks.

Methodically the No. 92 RSR picked off the frontrunners, one by one by one. With about an hour and a half left on the clock, Christensen finally muscled his way up to P1.

The crew shoehorned-in a driver change during the last pit stop, Estre anchoring the final stint. Once again, the Porsche GT Team’s timing was sheer perfection – with Estre finishing in first place.

“I’m incredibly happy about our victory,” gushed Estre in the afterglow of the awesome win. “Our set-up was simply fantastic and the good braking performance was an important aspect of our success at Fuji.

“After we changed to slicks during the safety car phase early on in the race, our car set-up allowed us to brake later than the others and thus gain positions. Our pit stop strategy also ran perfectly.”

Christensen seconded that emotion, and further elaborated on it: “The changing weather and track conditions were a challenge, but we mastered them very well. We changed to slicks earlier than the others and that was very probably a key factor for our success.”

Richard Lietz (Austria) and Gianmaria Bruni (Italy) traded piloting duties in the No. 91 sister car. By heartbreaking contrast, though, a fumbled pit stop and degrading tires in the latter laps took their toll. The result was a dispiriting fifth-place finish.

Lietz, however, graciously put the whole weekend in philosophical perspective: “First and foremost I’d like to congratulate the winners in the GTE-Pro and -Am categories here, and of course at the Petit Le Mans in the USA – a great weekend for Porsche, but unfortunately not for our car.

“We had several problems, which we now need to analyze and, of course, fix,” Mr. Lietz continued. “There was certainly nothing wrong with the performance of the drivers or the speed of the 911 RSR.”

No matter. Their Fuji result also earned the No. 91 crucial championship points – points that have extended Porsche’s lead in both the manufacturers’ and drivers’ championship classifications.

“We almost always made the right decisions during the race and the car was good and fast,” asserted Alexander Stehlig, Program Manager of Factory GT Motorsports. The No. 92 car drove a flawless race.”

“Our No. 91 unfortunately had problems during the pit stop. On top of that, the balance wasn’t great in the last stint. But all in all, we’re very satisfied.”

Stehlig ought to be quite content on balance. The Porsche GT Factory Team not only put in a strong performance in spite of circumstances, but the entire field of Porsche GTE-Am privateer teams also demonstrated even grander Porsche excellence.

Porsche Also Rules the GTE-Am Class at the 2018 Fuji 6 Hours

The Project 1 Team, new to WEC, scored its maiden first-place win in GTE-Am. Pilots Patrick Lindsey (USA) and Egidio Perfetti (Norway) shared the No. 56 Porsche 911 RSR with all-around nice guy and veteran Porsche Works driver Jörg Bergmeister (Germany) (l-r above).

Bergmeister drove the win home, crossing the finish line under checkers.

“At first the race ran like the entire weekend: Not so satisfactorily,” Bergmeister confessed. “We had contact, a spin and had to change the door. But midway through the race the tide turned in our favor, and we brought home a pleasing victory.

“It’s the first WEC win for me and also for Project 1. That’s a great step for us in terms of collecting points. We’re all happy with this and it’s going in the right direction.”

Dempsey Proton Racing’s No. 88 Porsche 911 RSR and its pilots enjoyed their first podium. Porsche Young Professional Matteo Cairoli (Italy), Satoshi Hoshino (Japan) and Giorgio Roda (Italy) were all thrilled – and thrilling – in their runner-up triumph – contributing to Porsche’s one-two punch in GTE-Am.

“A good result for us. The first podium in the WEC season,” Cairoli celebrated. “I very much enjoyed driving the 911 RSR here. It felt really great – especially the overtaking maneuvers and duels out on the track. I was particularly impressed by my teammate Hoshino. This was only his second time in the RSR and he was really fast.”

The Gulf Racing Team and its No. 86 Porsche 911 RSR also put in a fine effort. Sharing driver’s duties with Michael Wainwright (Great Britain) and Ben Barker (Great Britain), Porsche Junior Thomas Preining (Austria) stinted the car last in his debut. He finished in fifth place.

Preining summed it all up: “That was a good first experience in the WEC. At one point we were even leading with our team, and my teammates did a fantastic job. At the end I drove a double stint and managed to work my way up to fifth place with our RSR.”

Dempsey Proton Racing’s second car, the No. 77 Porsche 911 RSR, finished in eighth place. Porsche Young Professional Matt Campbell (Australia), Christian Ried (Germany) and Porsche Junior Julien Andlauer (France) piloted the No. 77 RSR.

An unscheduled repairs pit stop tumbled the racecar down through the field. Hence the 8^th-place finish.

Nonetheless, the No. 77 car and team garnered critical championship points. Therefore, they retain their lead position in the GTE-Am class championship.

“I’m a bit frustrated,” confided Campbell. “In the middle of the race we were looking promising, we were fast and within striking distance of the leaders. Unfortunately an electrical problem cost us 25 laps.”

Andlauer picked up the story on that critical aspect of their race: “I could only rejoin the race 25 laps later. The car then felt good again – the balance and the speed were excellent.

“It’s a pity because no one made a mistake; it was the technology that hampered us. There’s nothing you can do about that. I think we could have won, but that’s racing.”

Round five of the FIA WEC World Sports Car Championship is next up, this time in Shanghai, China, on November 16, 2018.

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Race result

GTE-Pro class

Christensen/Estre (DK/F), Porsche 911 RSR, 207 laps
Blomquist/da Costa (S/P), BMW M8 GTE, 207 laps
Priaulx/Tincknell (GB/GB), Ford GT, 207 laps
Pier Guidi/Calado (I/GB), Ferrari 488 GTE EVO, 207 laps
Lietz/Bruni (A/I), Porsche 911 RSR, 207 laps
Mücke/Pla (D/F), Ford GT, 206 laps
Sorensen/Thiim (DK/DK), Aston Martin Vantage GTE, 206 laps
Tomczyk/Catsburg (D/NL), BMW M8 GTE, 206 laps
Lynn/Martin (GB/B), Aston Martin Vantage GTE, 206 laps
Rigon/Bird (I/GB), Ferrari 488 GTE EVO, 202 laps

GTE-Am class

Bergmeister/Lindsey/Perfetti (D/USA/N), Porsche 911 RSR, 201 laps
Hoshino/Roda/Cairoli (J/I/I), Porsche 911 RSR, 201 laps
Yoluc/Adam/Eastwood (TR/GB/GB), Aston Martin Vantage GTE, 201 laps
Dalla Lana/Lamy/Lauda (CDN/P/A), Aston Martin Vantage GTE, 201 laps
Wainwright/Barker/Preining (GB/GB/A), Porsche 911 RSR, 201 laps
Flohr/Castellacci/Fisichella (CH/I/I), Ferrari 488 GTE, 200 laps
Mok/Sawa/Griffin (MAL/J/IRL), Ferrari 488 GTE, 200 laps
Ried/Andlauer/Campbell (D/F/AUS), Porsche 911 RSR, 176 laps
Ishikawa/Beretta/Cheever (J/MC/I), Ferrari 488 GTE, 14 laps

All results can be found at the following site: http://fiawec.alkamelsystems.com

Porsche wins 2018 Petit Le Mans

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The StuttgartDNA Team

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Oct 13, 2018

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Porsche Wins 2018 Petit Le Mans -- The No. 911 Porsche 911 RSR racing into the history books as winner in its GTLM class at the 2018 Petit Le Mans. Credit: Porsche AG — The No. 911 Porsche 911 RSR is on fire racing into the history books as winner in its GTLM class at the 2018 Petit Le Mans. Credit: Porsche AG

Today Porsche wins 2018 Petit Le Mans, the final round of the 2018 IMSA Weathertech SportsCar Championship. In Braselton, Georgia, at famed Road Atlanta, the Porsche GT Team emerged victorious at the end of a grueling 10-hour endurance marathon.

Porsche Finishes First in GTLM Class at the 2018 Motul Petit Le Mans

The No. 911 crossed the finish line first in class at the checkers to win the 2018 Motul Petit Le Mans. This clinched the Porsche GT Team’s third GTLM class win of the season.

Porsche wins 2018 Petit Le Mans: pictured here are the ecstatic Makowiecki, Tandy and Pilet celebrating at the top of 2018 Petit Le Mans podium, with first-place trophies in hand, held high above their heads. Credit: Porsche AG — Makowiecki, Tandy and Pilet (l-r) at the top of the 2018 Petit Le Mans podium. Credit: Porsche AG

Piloted by Frédéric Makowiecki (France), Nick Tandy (Great Britain) and Patrick Pilet (France), the No. 911 510-hp Porsche 911 RSR began the race P5 in class. Then to all Porschephiles’ delight, the No. 911 RSR methodically worked its way up through the field.

Although, No. 911’s steady advance was like swimming against the raging current of brutal competition in the GTLM class, both today as well as throughout the entire neck-and-neck season. This was fierce determination to just win, baby — in tandem with perfect team tactics. Result: A near-flawless race.

“It was a gripping race with highs and lows,” conceded Pascal Zurlinden, Director of GT Factory Motorsport. “Minor errors on the racetrack cost us some time, but with perfect strategies and tire choices, we made it to the front of the field.

“After victories in Sebring and at Le Mans and now Petit Le Mans — the entire team simply did a perfect job,” Mr. Zurlinden continued, “and today we extended the contract with the squad for another three years. Now we’ll prepare for next season.”

The No. 911 racecar was clad in legendary blue, red and orange Mobil 1 livery stripes (as was the sister No. 912 car). This livery was chosen to evoke fond memories of the famed and fierce-looking 1998 911 GT1-98 from 20 years earlier. We’re glad the result lived up to the nostalgic image.

So the third act of the 21^st Don Panoz-originated Petit Le Mans cast the No. 911 in the role of grand-finale hero of this perennial epic. That is when Makowiecki asserted Porsche’s dominance. With about three hours left in the race’s countdown, Makowiecki scaled the podium’s precipice to a provisional P1 and never looked down from there.

Then Tandy grabbed the baton for his anchor stint to glory — ultimately rocketing across the finish line to win his GTLM class, with a cozy 11.443-second margin down to the second step of the podium.

“What a crazy race!” Nick Tandy called out. “We were relegated from the front to the back and then came back to the front. When you’re a lap down and still manage to win, it shows just how brilliantly the entire team worked. Our focus was on ensuring that the car was still fast in cool temperatures at the end. And it worked perfectly. And that was the key to victory.”

Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser, Vice President of Motorsport and GT Cars, voiced his own excitement: “Patrick laid the foundations for this success with a strong double stint. Nick and Fred then brought it home… Petit Le Mans was a huge race. This victory fits perfectly with the successes that came just in time for Porsche’s 70th anniversary.”

Unfortunately, the No. 912 sister car wasn’t as lucky.

Shared by Laurens Vanthoor (Belgium), Earl Bamber (New Zealand) and newcomer Mathieu Jaminet (France), the No. 912 racecar commenced the race as a serious contender for victory across the first 71 laps.

However, an early puncture threw a monkey wrench in it all. Then a drive-through penalty sounded the death knell, tumbling the trio headlong down the field. The No. 912 racecar tried every angle. All for naught.

That’s because the sickly relentless GTLM competition thwarted all noble attempts. Despite this tenacious resistance, though, the No. 912 racecar persevered to finish only one minute behind the winning No. 911 sister car.

Kudos. Not bad. Not bad at all.

“We definitely had a winning car today. That’s why it was extremely disappointing to receive a drive-through penalty,” vented Bamber, with some understandable emotion. “It ruined our chances of winning.”

Porsche Finishes Just Shy of the Podium in GTD Class at the 2018 Motul Petit Le Mans

Meanwhile, Porsche in the GTD class experienced similarly mind-blowing melodramas.

Veteran sole-American Porsche Works driver — as well as all-around good guy and family man — Patrick Long (USA) fought the good fight in GTD alongside Porsche Selected Driver Christina Nielsen from Denmark and Germany’s Robert Renauer.

Not unlike the Factory No. 912 team, the trio in their No. 58 Wright Motorsports 500-hp Porsche 911 GT3 R also suffered a drive-through penalty. It too spelled curtains for the team, which finished a hair off the podium in fourth place.

But the worst luck of all befell the No. 73 GTD-class Porsche 911 GT3 R. Fielded by Park Place Motorsports for the 2018 Petit Le Mans, the No. 73 car grudgingly retired early in the fray after only 122 laps. Wolf Henzler (Germany) shared the grief with Americans Timothy Pappas and Spencer Pumpelly.

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Race result

GTLM class

Tandy/Pilet/Makowiecki (GB/F/F), Porsche 911 RSR, 419 laps
Milner/Gavin/Fässler (USA/GB/CH), Chevrolet Corvette C7.R, 419 laps
Krohn/Edwards/Mostert (FIN/USA/AUS), BMW M8 GTE, 419 laps
Sims/De Phillippi/Auberlen (GB/USA/USA), BMW M8 GTE, 419 laps
Briscoe/Westbrook/Dixon (AUS/GB/USA), Ford GT, 419 laps
Vanthoor/Bamber/Jaminet (B/NZ/F), Porsche 911 RSR, 419 laps
Hand/Müller/Bourdais (USA/D/F), Ford GT, 418 laps
Magnussen/Garcia/Fässler (DK/E/CH), Chevrolet Corvette C7.R, 417 laps
Vilander/Molina/Bertolini (FIN/E/I), Ferrari 488 GTE, 416 laps

GTD class

MacNeil/Serra/Jeannette (USA/BRA/USA), Ferrari 488 GT3, 407 laps
Legge/Parente/Hindman (GB/P/USA), Acura NSX GT3, 407 laps
Sellers/Snow/Lewis (USA/USA/USA), Lamborghini Huracan GT3, 406 laps
Long/Nielsen/Renauer (USA/DK/D), Porsche 911 GT3 R, 406 laps
Henzler/Pumpelly/Pappas (D/USA/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 R, 122 laps

Full results are available on: http://results.imsa.com

Porsche unveils official Rennsport Reunion VI poster

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The StuttgartDNA Team

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Jun 29, 2018

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Porsche unveils official Rennsport Reunion VI poster - Rennsport Reunion V: We see here Porsche Gulf-liveried 917s and other Porsche racecars winding down Laguna Seca's famed Corkscrew at the 5th Reunion. Credit: Porsche AG — Rennsport Reunion V: Porsche Gulf-liveried 917s and other Porsche racecars winding down Laguna Seca's famed Corkscrew. Credit: Porsche AG

Porsche unveils official Rennsport Reunion VI poster, the artwork of which Porsche Cars North America (PCNA) commissioned for the upcoming rare, spectacular motorsports event in September.

Porsche Rennsport Reunion VI — The Event

Once again hosted by PCNA with support and assistance from the Porsche Club of America, Porsche Rennsport Reunion VI (as its “VI” implies) is the sixth iteration of “the world’s largest gathering of all generations of Porsche racecars and their drivers,” touts the PCNA announcement.

This year, Porsche Rennsport Reunion VI will be expanded from the three-day duration of past Reunions to an unprecedented four-day “family reunion.” Once again, this historic event is set at world-renowned WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, just off the Monterey Peninsula, from September 27 through 30, 2018.

In 2015, Rennsport Reunion V attracted close to 60,000 fans from all over the world to Laguna Seca Raceway.

As was the case then, Rennsport Reunion VI will be another aforementioned family reunion of the largest gathering of vintage as well as contemporary Porsche racecars, their drivers past and present, their engineers, and, of course, thousands of Porsche fans from around the globe.

Rennsport Reunion VI is one of many events taking place this year to commemorate and celebrate Porsche’s 70^th anniversary of its very first sports car.

Here are some links that you need to bookmark to stay up to date on the latest developments about Porsche Rennsport Reunion VI:

The official Parade Lap registration link (to purchase Parade Laps which went on sale on July 11, 2018, at noon EDT — supplies are severely limited and can be purchased only if you have already pre-purchased a PCA Corral Pass).

The official Laguna Seca Raceway website (to learn more about the event directly from the Raceway and to obtain tickets to the event).

The official Porsche website about all Porsche Rennsport Reunions (to learn about Reunions past, present and future).

The official Porsche Club of America website (to get the latest updates on PCA’s plans for and activities at Rennsport Reunion VI)

The official StuttgartDNA website (to learn about the latest general developments on Porsche Rennsport Reunion VI).

Porsche Rennsport Reunion VI — The Official Poster

The official poster for Rennsport Reunion VI depicts three significant players in Porsche motorsport history (from top to bottom):

The 1960 12 Hours of Sebring winner — the Type 718 RS 60 — Porsche’s first overall endurance race winner

The 2008 RS Spyder which, to everyone’s amazement, from its LMP2 Prototype class won races overall ahead of presumably more dominant LMP1 cars in the American Le Mans Series, and

The groundbreaking 959 Group B rally car, which not only won the punishing 6,200-mile 1986 Paris-Dakar off-road rally, but also subsequently evolved into the world’s fastest street-legal production car of its time.

The poster is a reproduction of the original painting by celebrated automotive artist Dennis Simon, the creator of four of the previous five Reunion posters. Here are descriptions of his previous Reunion works:

2004 Rennsport Reunion II poster — set at the 1968 24 Hours of Daytona as three 908s cross the finish line

2007 Rennsport Reunion III poster — depicts the formidable 917 and 962 in Gulf and Löwenbräu liveries, respectively

2011 Rennsport Reunion IV poster — adorned with Al Holbert’s 911 RSR from 1974 and the 1981 factory 935 long-tail, notoriously known as “Moby Dick,” in world-famous Martini Racing livery
2015 Rennsport Reunion V poster — rendered on this poster from the last Reunion are the 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans-winning 917 K, the now-retired Le Mans-winning Porsche 919 Hybrid and LMP1 WEC Champion, and the class-winning 356 SL at the 1951 24 Hours of Le Mans

Porsche Rennsport Reunion VI — Ticket Availability

As of this writing, very few tickets and General Camping spots for Porsche Rennsport Reunion VI are still available — but they won’t last very much longer.

Grab them fast while you can by calling the Laguna Seca ticket office at 831-242-8200. Also call this number to inquire about the availability, if any at this late date, of Premier and Reserved Camping reservations.

You can also check availability and purchase any remaining tickets by clicking here on this link to the Laguna Seca / TicketMaster ticket portal.

Sadly, though, all Porsche Corral tickets are sold out, as are all Premier Pit Row Suites, and all Flagroom and Preferred Parking options.

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2017 Panamera and 2018 Panamera voluntary recall

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The StuttgartDNA Team

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Jun 28, 2018

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2017 Panamera and 2018 Panamera voluntary recall: A dark-grey Panamera Turbo is seen here from the left rear in studio. Credit: Porsche AG.

Porsche Cars North America, Inc., (PCNA) just issued a voluntary recall and stop-sale notice regarding certain 2017 Panamera and 2018 Panamera model variants. This 2017 Panamera and 2018 Panamera voluntary recall refers specifically to a subset of second-generation Panameras (Type 971).

To date, the Panamera recall alert applies only to Panamera models sold in the United States and Puerto Rico — about seven-hundred fifteen (715) Panameras, so far.

Porsche’s internal testing revealed possible issues concerning the Panameras’ connecting links. According to that testing, Porsche determined that the connecting links on the rear-axle anti-roll bar do not meet Porsche’s installation quality standards.

Here’s the potential issue: A connecting link could detach from the anti-roll bar. In turn, here’s the hypothetical result: The detached part(s) could make contact with the surrounding suspension components, thus damaging those components.

Fortunately, as of this writing, there have been no reports of any accidents or mishaps.

PCNA will notify all affected Type 971 Chassis G2 Panamera customers by mail about the voluntary recall. Those customers will thus receive instructions to take their vehicles to an authorized Porsche dealer.

The dealership’s service department will install stronger, improved connecting links to the rear axle’s anti-roll bars free of charge.

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Porsche wins both 2018 Le Mans 24-Hour GT classes

By

Larry Domasin

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Jun 18, 2018

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Porsche wins both 2018 Le Mans 24-Hour GT classes: Seen here in vivid relief is the No 92 Pink Pig RSR tking th checkered flag, with PEC in bg. Credit: Porsche AG — Credit: Porsche AG

Porsche wins both 2018 Le Mans 24-Hour GT classes – GTE-Pro and GTE-Am classes – in the 86^th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans classic.

This double win in both classes are Porsche’s 106^th and 107^th class wins in the 24 Hours of Le Mans is very special for Porsche – wonderful celebratory achievements coincidentally occurring during Porsche’s anniversary year of “70 Years of Porsche Sports Cars.”

The No. 92 Porsche 911 RSR led its GTE-Pro class through two-thirds of the Sarthe classic, and subsequently for most of the balance of the race. Their nighttime laps of the race were virtually flawless in defending their lead.

After a truly flawless 344 laps, the No. 92 factory Porsche 911 RSR whooshed cross the finish line first in GTE-Pro class on Sunday afternoon.

“An absolutely perfect weekend for Porsche,” noted Dr. Wolfgang Porsche, Chairman of the Supervisory Board. “You can’t wish for more than this in our anniversary year. It’s impossible to plan such a thing, but when it happens, it’s an indescribable feeling.

“Congratulations to the drivers, the teams and all the employees who made this success possible. It makes me very proud,” Dr. Porsche emoted.

In the “Pink Pig”-colored (aka the “Truffle Hunter”-liveried) No. 92 car, lucky dog Michael Christensen (Denmark) was behind the wheel to revel in the glory firsthand. Ecstatically his fellow No. 92 pilots Laurens Vanthoor (Belgium) and Kévin Estre (France) cheered him on from the pits.

“Today is one of the most beautiful – no, the most beautiful day – of my career: I’ve won Le Mans,” gushed Laurens Vanthoor. “I can’t describe my emotions and I still can’t believe it. Kevin, Michael and I complemented each other perfectly. The entire team was just brilliant today.”

Kévin Estre chimed in: “It’s simply unbelievable. I just can’t describe my feelings. Today is the best day of my life. We have won the world’s most difficult and wonderful race. That can’t be put into words.”

“It was an incredible race. I don’t know what to say. The car was fast right from the start,” added Michael Christensen, summing it all up. “We had a little luck during a safety car phase, and we managed to pull clear of the field a little. From that point on, we focused on extending our lead.

“In the final third of the race we simply tried to avoid taking any risks and bring the car home safely. This worked perfectly.”

The Pink Pig’s marathon triumph represents the unprecedented 106^th class win for Porsche at the 24 Hours of Le Mans on the 8.47-mile storied Sarthe race circuit.

Equally stunning after an entire 24 hours, the No. 91 sister car took the checkers next in second place, piloted by Frédéric Makowiecki (France), in the GTE-Pro class. Fellow No. 91 Factory drivers Richard Lietz (Austria) and Gianmaria Bruni (Italy) also cheered on Makowiecki in their garage.

“Today is a banner day for Porsche – this double win is a wonderful gift for the 70th anniversary,” declared Lietz. “It was a great race, and it doesn’t get much better than first and second place. This shows that GT racing is the future and we need to invest in it.”

As the veteran newcomer to the Porsche works drivers, Gianmaria Bruni had the following to say: “This double victory is fantastic – for Porsche and our team. We had a great race and a great fight with our No. 92 sister car. We tried everything but our team colleagues didn’t make any mistakes and they deserve this win.”

Makowiecki furiously contended non-stop with the No. 68 Ford GT for more than hour. The Frenchman totally kept his cool all the while in his the blue-and-white “Rothmanns”-liveried 911 RSR, hanging on to second place for the most precious last third of the race.

“Our car was very fast, but we simply couldn’t keep up with our sister car, which was incredibly consistent,” confessed Makowiecki.

“For over an hour, I battled hard with a competitor for second place. That makes my job as a race driver really fun, but we couldn’t make up ground in this phase. I’m thrilled for the team with our second place at Le Mans. We’ll be back next year to fight for victory,” Makowiecki vowed.

So how is it so momentously possible that Porsche wins both 2018 Le Mans 24 GT classes – seemingly with the greatest of ease?

For one thing, Porsche had history on its side – Porsche has “been there, done that” so many times before that Porsche seems unstoppable over time at this rate.

This is very reminiscent of all foregoing triumphant times in Porsche motorsport. (Parenthetically, we thank and love you eternally, Baron Fritz Huschke von Hanstein, Porsche’s original motorsports impresario, in effect for inaugurating this long, unprecedented legacy.)

This year’s GTE-Pro victory represents the extraordinary 106^th class win for Porsche at Le Mans. Amazing. . .

Not so happily amazing is what happened to the third factory Porsche 911 RSR, the No. 93 car. Piloted by Patrick Pilet (France), Earl Bamber (New Zealand) and Nick Tandy (Great Britain), No. 93 lost 25 minutes due to repairs and ultimately finished eleventh.

No. 94, the fourth and final factory Porsche 911 RSR, suffered an even worse fate. Shared by factory teammates Romain Dumas (France), Timo Bernhard (Germany) and Sven Müller (Germany), the No. 94 car retired after nightfall — the culprit: suspension failure.

“Obviously I’m really disappointed,” Dumas volunteered. Most of all I feel sorry for the team because the guys have worked hard and did a great job. But things like this can happen in motor racing.”

The second Porsche win came in GTE-Am, of course, memorializing the 107^th class win for Porsche at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The No. 77 Porsche of the Dempsey-Proton Racing customer team crossed the finish line first in its GTE-Am class. Porsche Young Professional Matt Campbell (Australia), Christian Ried (Germany) and Porsche Junior Julien Andlauer (France) shared driving duties in the No. 77 Porsche.

Julien Andlauer is now the youngest class winner at Le Mans, at just 18 years old.

“At 18 years of age,” enthused Andlauer, “I was given the chance to contest Le Mans for the first time, and then we won. I’m very proud of the whole team and I can’t really believe it yet. Now I’m the youngest Le Mans winner – incredible.”

Patrick Dempsey, co-owner of Dempsey-Proton Racing, had this to say about his team’s against-all-odds win: “I’m lost for words. Everyone did a fantastic job – it was a victory for the whole team. The race was incredible – we made no mistakes and our work was rewarded with this great success. I can’t tell you how incredibly proud and happy I am for Porsche, too.”

The No. 99 Porsche 911 RSR of the Proton Competition customer team finished just one place away from the third step on the podium. Finishing fourth in class, the No. 99’s All-American team consisted of Patrick Long (Manhattan Beach, California), Porsche veteran pilot Spencer Pumpelly (Atlanta, Georgia) and rookie Timothy Pappas (Boston, Massachusetts).

“It was great fun driving the car here,” Patrick Long mused. “I particularly enjoyed the night stints. The lights on the new 911 RSR are a great development. We’re very pleased about our sister car’s victory in the GTE-Pro class.”

Patrick Long’s WeatherTech teammate in the GT Daytona class and Porsche Selected Driver Christina Nielsen (Denmark) finished in sixth place in the No. 80 Ebimotors Porsche 911 RSR. Christina ran the race along with teammates Fabio Babini (Italy) and Erik Maris (France).

“Sixth place is a very good result, because this was our first time at Le Mans,” explained Christina Nielsen. “We worked hard and made very few mistakes. I’m very proud of the whole team. We will improve and hopefully be back next year to compete.”

Long and Nielsen will resume their IMSA competition during the Six Hours of The Glen on the July 1^st. Both drivers will team up once again in their Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R.

The No. 56 Team Project 1 Porsche 911 RSR finished in seventh place in GTE-Am class. Works driver Jörg Bergmeister (Germany), Egidio Perfetti (Norway) and Park Place Motorsports principal / driver Patrick Lindsey (Santa Barbara, California) shared driving duties in the No. 56 car.

Competing in the WEC during the 2018-2019 “Super Season,” Lindsey made his debut in the Sarthe 24-hour marathon.

“We experienced a race of mixed fortunes,” Jörg Bergmeister confessed. “At one point things looked really promising for us and we were within striking distance of second place.

“However, unfortunately we were hampered by brake problems towards the end of the race and fell back. But we’ve gained a lot of valuable experience, which will help us in the future.”

Bergmeister and Lindsey will return to North American shores (in their own Park Place GT3 R), as will Nielsen and Long, all four campaigning in their respective GT3 R cars at the six-hour endurance classic at Watkins Glen in two weeks.

Consisting of team pilots Mike Wainwright (Great Britain), Ben Barker (Great Britain) and Alex Davison (Australia), the No. 86 Gulf Racing customer team was on the receiving end of a punt by an errant car on the course. The accident knocked the No. 86 car all the way to the back of the field shortly after the race began.

The Gulf team’s pit crew fought tooth and nail to repair the car. Once the racecar got back out on track, the No. 86 Porsche clawed its way back up the leaderboard to finish in a very respectable tenth position – all things considered.

Speaking for the No. 86 team, Ben Barker asserted, “Unfortunately we couldn’t bring home the result we wanted after 24 hours. The car was very fast over the entire race distance, even after our accident. The team did a brilliant job and made no mistakes. The accident at the start was simply bad luck.”

As Porsche wins both 2018 Le Mans 24-Hour GT classes, the triumphant Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen automobile manufacturer stretches further ahead of its competitors in the drivers’ and manufacturers’ classifications of the FIA WEC world championship.

“Victory in the GTE-Pro and GTE-Am class underlines that we’re doing everything right at Porsche in both factory and customer sport,” declared Pascal Zurlinden, Director GT Factory Motorsport. “We were able to extend our lead in the manufacturers’ classification and we also moved into the lead of the drivers’ category. All in all, a perfect day.”

But perhaps Oliver Blume, CEO of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, summed up the double-victory result best by concluding, “…Porsche belongs to Le Mans and Le Mans belongs to Porsche.”

Aaaah, there is no substitute. . .

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Race result

GTE-Pro Class

Christensen/Estre/Vanthoor (DK/F/B), Porsche 911 RSR, 344 laps
Lietz/Bruni/Makowiecki (A/I/F), Porsche 911 RSR, 343 laps
Hand/Müller/Bourdais (USA/D/F), Ford GT, 343 laps
Pilet/Tandy/Bamber (F/GB/NZ), Porsche 911 RSR, 338 laps

GTE-Am Class

Ried/Andlauer/Campbell (D/F/AUS), Porsche 911 RSR, 335 laps
Flohr/Castellacci/Fisichella (CH/I/I), Ferrari 488 GTE, 335 laps
Keating/Bleekemolen/Stolz (USA/NL/D), Ferrari 488 GTE, 334 laps
Long/Pappas/Pumpelly (USA/USA/USA), Porsche 911 RSR, 334 laps
Babini/Nielsen/Maris (I/DK/F), Porsche 911 RSR, 332 laps
Bergmeister/Lindsey/Perfetti (D/USA/N), Porsche 911 RSR, 332 laps
Wainwright/Barker/Davison (GB/GB/AUS), Porsche 911 RSR, 324 laps

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