September 2009
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BMW Group Asia appoints Preecha Ninatkiattikul as MINI Manager.
Singapore, 15 Sep 2009 - BMW Group Asia has appointed Preecha Ninatkiattikul as MINI Manager. This newly created position within BMW Group Asia, will oversee the expansion of MINI within BMW Group’s importer markets in the East Asia region.
In this region, MINI is currently distributed in New Caledonia, Singapore and Tahiti. The company will be launching MINI in the Philippines by the end of this year, and will be looking at expanding MINI into other markets in the future.
Mr Preecha was previously the General Manager of MINI at BMW Thailand based in Bangkok where he has held this position for two years. Prior to this, Mr Preecha had been with ExxonMobil Corporation for 14 years.
Mr Krisda Utamote has replaced Mr Preecha as General Manager of MINI at BMW Thailand.
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Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland, Round 7 on the Circuit de Catalunya, Preview
Neck-and-neck into seventh round – Ellen Lohr’s 911 comeback
Stuttgart, 15 Sep 2009 - The fight for the championship title of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland hardly gets more exciting than this. After six rounds, Germany’s Thomas Jäger and Jan Seyffarth travel to the season’s third to last race on the Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona with 104 points each. Under the sunny skies of Spain, the fierce battle for the coveted title of this popular brand trophy series takes off into round seven.
Despite sharing the same points tally, Jäger, a former DTM pilot who competes for the MS Racing PZ Hamburg Nord-West this season, leads the drivers’ classification. Unlike Seyffarth who has claimed two wins for his tolimit/Seyffarth Motorsport team so far, 32-year-old Jäger has seen the chequered flag three times as winner. Jäger took over the points’ lead after his latest triumph on the Nürburgring. “My aim in Barcelona is to further extend my lead,” says Thomas Jäger. “Although it will not be possible to make any great strides in increasing my advantage, it does mean exciting racing.”
The lead in the championship has already seen four changes. After the former Porsche-Junior, Seyffarth, won the season-opener in Hockenheim ahead of Jäger, the two switched positions on the EuroSpeedway Lausitz: Jäger won ahead of Seyffarth. After his second victory on the Norisring, Jäger moved into the points’ lead. He only held the top position until the fourth round in the Dutch dunes of Zandvoort, where 23-year-old Seyffarth finished third to nudge him off his perch. At the fifth race Seyffarth again dominated over the second-placed Jäger, whose revenge and reclaiming of the lead followed on the Nürburgring.
At the 27-lap sprint in Spain, Jan Seyffarth is determined to snatch back the championship. The young racer is regarded as a Barcelona specialist. Last year he celebrated two light-to-flag victories on the Circuit de Catalunya: In both the international Porsche Mobil1 Supercup and the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland, Seyffarth proved unbeatable on the 2.98 kilometre track and saw the flag as winner. “I’ve only driven here twice, and both times I set pole position and won,” says Jan Seyffarth. “That’s not a bad job. It shows that this track suits me. So I have all the cards up my sleeve to win again. Now I just have to play them right.”
Another competitor in the circle of favourites is Jeroen Bleekemolen (Netherlands). The reigning champion of the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup caught up with the front-runners after winning in Zandvoort. After a relatively slow start to the season, he fought back to now lie third in the rankings. Only 17 points separate the ARAXA RACING PZ Reutlingen pilot from the leading pair. Currently sitting fourth in the standings with 71 points, Robert Renauer is now hoping to bring home his first win of the season. Despite being just 24 years old, the Farnbacher Racing pilot has contested the series since 2003 and is regarded as one of the Porsche stalwarts.
In Barcelona, Ellen Lohr (Monaco) celebrates a comeback to circuit racing. The former DTM pilot, who with her 1992 victory in Hockenheim is the only woman so far to win a DTM race, now contests the final three rounds in the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland for the ARAXA RACING PZ Reutlingen team. Lohr collected experience in the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup in 2003 when she raced in the international Porsche Supercup and concluded the season ranking eleventh overall. Afterwards, the professional racer from Germany made the switch to rally and offroad sport, which included three Dakar Rally starts. After conducting initial tests at the wheel of the Cup-911, the 44-year-old commented: “Again, I felt good in the Porsche from the first moment on. I know it will be difficult for me to be competitive against the top sprint specialists. After an absence of five years from circuit racing I now look forward to the challenge, the chaos of the start and the duels.”
Drivers’ classification after six of nine championship rounds:
1. Thomas Jäger, 104 points
2. Jan Seyffarth, 104 points
3. Jeroen Bleekemolen, 87 points
4. Robert Renauer, 71 points
5. Nicki Thiim, 60 points
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Car rental service adds fourth Porsche series to its fleet
Panamera available for Avis Customers
Stuttgart, 15 Sep 2009 - Just shortly after its entry in retail, the new Porsche Panamera is also available as a rental car: the sports limousine stands at the ready beginning on 1 October at many German locations of the Avis car rental service. The models Panamera S and Panamera 4S – the fourth series of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG – will especially be offered at major city and airport locations. The rental price per day (Monday to Thursday) begins at 189 euro, according to Avis. The cost of weekend rental (Friday to Monday) starts at 567 euro for the Gran Turismo. As a longstanding business partner of Porsche, Avis offers the sport saloon as a rental car exclusively in Germany.
With the four-door Panamera, Porsche positions itself in the upper class and addresses customers who expect the consistent sportiness of a Porsche, in addition to the exclusive comfort and spaciousness of a limousine. The use of efficient V8 motors with direct injection, an intelligent, light construction, the start-stop system, optimal aerodynamics, the innovative Porsche PDK dual clutch transmission and additional measures have lead to an ideally low consumption of fuel, with which the four-door Gran Turismo sets new standards in its direct field of competition.
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Italian Grand Prix Debrief – Q+A with Jarno Trulli
15 September 2009
Did the Italian Grand Prix weekend go as expected for you?
In the end it was the kind of tough weekend we were expecting. We knew our car was not particularly suited to Monza so we didn’t expect to repeat our form in Spa, when I was on the front row of the grid. Obviously it was disappointing not to score points because that was our target and if things had gone differently that was possible.
How was your qualifying lap?
I was really happy with my lap in second qualifying; it was very good. We knew it would be very difficult to make it into the top 10 and I was really, really close to doing that. The car felt pretty good and I preferred the medium compound tyres over one lap. I did my fastest lap of all on those and then had a stint on the soft tyres at the end of the session. It just wasn’t possible to do the same lap time and we didn’t quite have the speed to make it into the top 10, unfortunately.
How did you find the new kerbs at the chicanes?
They are a good compromise because the situation is clearer now and having higher kerbs means you can’t really jump over them. They force you to drive around the whole corner which is fine because then it is clear for everyone. The only downside is that if you do have a problem, or you run wide, the kerbs are more extreme so there is a greater chance of damaging the car. But I’m happy with the changes.
The first corner of the race was quite hectic; what did it look like from your point of view?
The first corner is always really tight at Monza and that happened again this year. Quite often you have an incident at the chicane because there are a lot of cars fighting for very little space but everyone made it through safely this time. In the midfield it is particularly close and I lost a position; from then on I was stuck in traffic.
How did the traffic affect your race?
For most of the race I was behind Kazuki Nakajima but I felt I was faster than him. It wasn’t enough to overtake though so I lost quite a bit of time and that cost me any chance to fight for the points. Nick Heidfeld started from behind me on the grid and he finished in the points so that shows it was possible if things had turned out differently.
What happened with Kazuki at the first chicane late in the race?
We were getting towards the end of the race and it was pretty dull for me to be honest. I decided I had nothing to lose so if I saw any gap I would take it and I pushed really hard on the previous lap to close up. Then under braking at the end of the start-finish straight I saw a chance and just went for it. I braked really, really late and got up the inside; it almost worked but I just ran out of room and hit the kerbs. It was a pity but at least I had a go and it created a bit of excitement.
What about your battles with Timo?
I had two little fights with Timo, which were great fun. The first was when he came out of the pits directly next to me and we went into the first chicane together. We are team-mates so we were both very careful to avoid each other but that didn’t stop us having a little battle and I got ahead. Then later, after the incident with Nakajima, we had another fight. After I hit the kerbs I rejoined just in front of Timo and we were battling for position going to the Lesmo corners; I was on the outside so I had a disadvantage but I kept attacking. I just ran out of track so went across the gravel and lost a couple of places. We were fighting hard and fair. Neither of us had much to lose as it doesn’t make much difference if you are 11th or 14th so it was good to entertain the fans a bit. I think the guys in the team enjoyed it too.
What are your hopes for the next race, in Singapore?
Naturally I hope for a better result and our target will be to get back in the points. We were strong in Singapore last year and I would have been close to the podium if I had not had a technical problem. Still, Timo was in the top six so we had a good result. If anything, the field is even closer this year so it’s harder to predict than ever but we will have some new parts on the car and I will be aiming for a strong result.
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Grand-Am Series, Round 11 in Salt Lake City, USA
Porsche works drivers with new confidence
Stuttgart, 14 Sep 2009 - On the way to the final in Miami, the Grand-Am Series heads to the west of the USA: In Miller Motorsports Park close to Salt Lake City, the penultimate round of this popular championship takes place on Saturday. Lining up to compete are again the Porsche works drivers Timo Bernhard (Germany) and Romain Dumas (France), who now travel to the 2002 Olympic City in the state of Utah with new optimism, after their strong performance recently in Montreal.
“We’ve never been as good this season as we are now. We know we can win by our own effort. This gives the entire team new motivation,” says Timo Bernhard, who yielded second in Canada at the wheel of the #12 Penske Racing Porsche Riley. Romain Dumas is also optimistic: “Perhaps we can even secure the victory we’ve all waited for so long. Our whole team has never given up and always believed in itself. They really deserve the success.”
The customer team, Brumos Racing, also fields two Daytona Prototypes featuring the 510 hp Porsche six-cylinder engine (maximum revs 9,600 rpm). Taking up the race on the 4.904 kilometre circuit with its 24 corners in the #58 vehicle are David Donohue (USA) and Darren Law (USA), the winners of the Daytona 24 hour classic. Sharing driving duties in the #59 cockpit are again Joao Barbosa (Portugal) and JC France (USA).
Whilst Timo Bernhard and Romain Dumas head to the race in Salt Lake City now ranking third in the points, Dirk Werner (Germany) and Leh Keen (USA) are on a steady course to claim the title in the popular and fiercely-contested GT class. After four wins so far this season with the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup of Farnbacher Loles Racing, the pair hold a clear lead in the championship and, turning onto the season’s finish straight, can now concentrate on defending their comfortable points’ advantage.
The traditionally strong Porsche contingent in the GT class is rounded off by Porsche works driver Wolf Henzler (Germany) and Eric Lux (USA), driving for Farnbacher Loles Racing, as well as three other 911 GT3 Cup racers entered by the TRG team and Miller Barrett Racing.
The race in Salt Lake City starts on Saturday, 19 September, at 15.30 hrs local time (23.30 hrs CEST) and runs over 250 miles.
Facts and Figures: This is the Grand-Am Series
In the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series twelve races are contested in the USA and Canada. A traditional highlight of the season is the 24 Hours of Daytona. Most races run over a distance of 250 miles. The grid is made up of two different vehicle categories: Daytona Prototypes and GT vehicles. With one exception, both categories race together but are separately classified.
Daytona Prototypes (DP): Special manufacturers, like Riley, supply the vehicle chassis. To ensure equal chances for all, large manufacturers are not permitted to enter their own team, but may supply engines. Two Porsche teams, Penske Racing and Brumos Racing, compete with the Porsche 3.99-litre six-cylinder fitted in a Riley chassis. In the Daytona Prototype specification, the engine delivers ca. 510 hp. Minimum weight of the vehicle is 1,021 kilograms.
Grand Touring (GT): The GT class is similar to the FIA GT3 class, where the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is one of the most successful contenders. Equality of chances is attained through tyre size, rev limitations and weight. Minimum weight is between 1,043 and 1,270 kilograms.
A balanced starter field ensures thrilling racing with tough fights for positions and many overtaking manoeuvres. Porsche has won the GT championship seven times in nine years, most recently in 2007 with Dirk Werner at the wheel of a Farnbacher Loles Racing 911 GT3 Cup, and with this is one of the most successful manufacturers in the Grand-Am Series. Porsche works driver Joerg Bergmeister claimed the Prototype class title in 2006.
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Asian Touring Car Series, Round 10
Sunday, 13 September 2009
Bira International Circuit
Pattaya, Thailand
Chin Wins Final Race while Cheung Crowned Champion
After a five year wait, Cheung Chi Sing finally lifted the Asian Touring Car Series Championship trophy in
front of the Thailand touring car fans at the Bira International Circuit today. Cheung was crowned the
champion in a race where Malaysian driver Chin Tzer Jinn claimed the final race win of the year.
Cheung was almost assured of the Championship at the start of the race when the then Championship
leader, Man Ting Yu was not able to start due to suspension problems. Man, although slightly disappointed
at not being able to race was nothing but happy for his Team IMSP-S&D teammate.
“I am happy that Cheung is the winner because he has always been faster than I am. Next year we will
come back and maybe with a new improved team” said Man who took second overall in the Asian Touring
Car Series 2009 Championship.
For the Championship winner, happiness was etched on his face during the trophy presentation. “I am so
happy because the trophy is so huge! I really want to thank the team and everyone for all the hard work
that they have put in this year. I’ve waited for this for five years and I am just so happy” said Cheung after
the race.
Third place in the Championship went to Adrian Henry D’Silva of JPM Nexus Racing. D’Silva played it safe
during the race today, crossing the line in eighth after suffering some suspension problems from a puncture
on lap 3 after a shunt.
“It feels good to claim this trophy after missing it last year. It was also here in Bira that I lost it to Man
because I had two DNF’s. So this year, coming here I said I’m going to finish all my races and Man told me
earlier to just ‘finish your race’” said D’Silva with a laugh.
In one of the closest fought races of the year, race winner, Chin and second placed finisher, Charles Ng
battled for the win from start to finish, driving nose to tail throughout the race. Chin claimed the early lead
before being overtaken by Ng on lap four at the first chicane. Then midway through the race, Ng had some
gear shifting issues that caused him to miss third gear, leaving Chin to take the lead.
Right on the final lap of the race, at the first chicane, Ng made a move on Chin, setting up to overtake at
the next turn where he got it wrong and drove onto the grass, passing Chin. But the move was deemed
illegal and Chin was crowned the winner, (after the Stewards gave him a 10 sec penalty) despite crossing
the chequered flag in second.
Chin had nothing but praise for his fierce competitor, claiming it as one of the best races he has fought in
recent times. “We started fighting from the very beginning of the race and that was quite close. I had a
good start and was ahead of Charles and subsequently due to a loss of engine power I was slightly behind
and Charles took me, to his credit.
“After that he pulled away from me but I had some luck, there were some traffic, he was blocked so I
managed to close the gap and that’s how the race was won” said Chin after the race.
For Ng, coming to the series during the season ender was a good decision and although having had a
tough weekend suffering from a broken drive shaft in the first race and a throttle issue in the second,
getting on the podium after a strong performance was the icing on the cake.
Driving alongside Frank Yee in the S&D Motorsports and claiming a trophy for the team was a good feeling
and having a closely fought battle made it more worthwhile. “I was quite satisfied with my performance.
Towards the end of the race I had a shifting issue and I couldn’t put the car in third gear, so I lost a bit of
time there. It was a good race overall, tough but good”.
“This race I was praying to God that hopefully nothing would break” said Ng.
Hong Kong driver, Gary Sham crossed the line in third for Team IMSP-S&D. Sham who started the race in
sixth showed he had the pace and made his way through the pack early on in the race. He was able to
climb up to fourth by the second lap and made his move on Cheung Chi Sing, who at that time was running
in third, on lap four. From there Sham maintained a great pace to cross the chequered flag in third.
“It was a brilliant race. It is the last race of the year and I came here to enjoy the race and get the best
result as I can and to be on the podium was great. I am happy with how things turned out. I will just have to
try and do better next year” said Sham during the Post Race Press Conference.
Team IMSP-S&D claimed the Asian Touring Car Series Team Championship Trophy after collecting a total
of 244 points over the year. The team was represented by Danny Stacy Chau during the trophy
presentation.
Issued by Motorsport Asia. For results, please visit www.afos.com.
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FIA GT3 European Championship, Rounds 7 & 8
Double Victory for Audi as Haase and Mies Dominate in Portugal
13th September 2009 – The FIA GT3 European Championships’ first visit to the brand new Autódromo Internacional Algarve was dominated by the Phoenix Racing Audi R8 LMS of Christopher Haase and Christopher Mies with a double win in the two 60-minute races.
Race 1
Walter Salles claimed his maiden pole position in Saturday qualifying and the Matech GT Racing Ford GT lined up at the head of the 28 car grid for Round 7 of the 2009 FIA GT3 European Championship. The Brazilian got a good start to lead into turn 1 ahead of Thomas Accary in the Hexis Racing AMR Aston Martin DBRS9 and Christopher Mies in the Phoenix Racing Audi. It took two laps for Accary to find a way past Salles and was quickly followed by Mies a lap later as the Ford suffered problems with engine power.
Further back down the grid Luca Pirri, who had started at the back of the grid in the Marc Sourd Racing Corvette was making rapid progress through the field and up to 11th place by lap 8. Danny van Dongen in the #56 CRS Racing Ferrari had kept pace with the leaders and demoted Salles to 4th place while Accary and Mies continued to battle for the lead.
Mies pitted on lap 14 to hand over to Christopher Haase while Accary continued to circulate until lap 19. Disaster struck the championship leading car when the engine failed to fire up after Julen Rodrigues had been strapped in. The Aston refused to start for three laps and that meant their race was destroyed.
Haase held a comfortable 20 second lead over Phil Quaife, now at the wheel of the CRS Ferrari, who was under pressure from Stefano Gattuso in the Kessel Racing Ferrari. An engine problem eliminated this threat, only to be replaced by the charging Fischer Racing Ford GT of Florian Gruber. On lap 23 Gruber passed Thomas Mutsch in the #1 Matech GT Racing Ford and then two laps later passed Quaife. Meanwhile Diego Alessi in the Marc Sourd Racing Corvette was in 6th place, also passing the Ford GT as Mutsch struggled with limited engine power due to the throttle sticking at 90%. On lap 29 the Corvette passed both the Ford and the Audi of Cesar Campanico to move into the final podium place.
Christopher Haase crossed the line to take the chequered flag on lap 33 to record the first FIA GT3 win for Audi, over 24 seconds ahead of Florian Gruber and 27 seconds ahead of Diego Alessi.
Race 2
Christian Mamerow had scored his first pole position in the championship – the first for a Viper since 2006 – with the fastest time of the day in Saturday qualifying. The Fischer Racing Ford GT was missing from the starting grid due to engine failure, while the #30 Reiter Engineering Lamborghini was also absent following an accident in race 1.
At the start Mamerow immediately came under pressure from the Hexis Racing Aston Martin of Frederic Makowiecki. Diego Alessi in the Marc Sourd Racing Corvette had an excellent start to move up to 3rd from 8th on the grid by the end of the opening lap. Dino Lunardi had started on the front row in the #2 Matech Ford GT but dropped behind his teammate Thomas Mutsch in the #1 Ford. However on lap two the two cars tangled and both were forced to pit for repairs at the end of the second lap.
Meanwhile the Zakspeed Viper continued to fend off the pressure from Makowiecki until lap 8 when the Aston dived to the inside of Turn 1 to snatch the lead. Once clear the Aston Martin scampered away but for Mamerow his race was over as he slowed at Turn 7 and crawled back to the pits into retirement. This promoted Alessi into second place ahead of Christopher Haase in the Phoenix Racing Audi, who was catching the Italian as the pitstop window approached. Haase pitted on lap 14 and Alessi on lap 19, with the Audi getting the better of the Corvette to be ahead after the pitstops. Meanwhile the leading Aston Martin pitted on lap 20 with Makowiecki handing over to Manuel Rodrigues. On lap 21 the Hexis Racing Aston Martin was caught and passed by Christopher Mies, now at the wheel of the Phoenix Racing Audi. However Rodrigues had a problem and he retired on lap 14 with a puncture.
Mies now held a ten second advantage over second placed Luca Pirri in the Corvette, with Csaba Walter in third at the wheel of the #24 Alpina BMW Alpina B6 GT3. Walter was being caught by Stefano Gattuso in the Kessel Racing Ferrari 430 Scuderia but on lap 26 the Hungarian also suffered a puncture that forced the BMW into the pits and promoted the Ferrari into the final podium position. Meanwhile Jens Klingsmann in the second BMW Alpina was in 4th place but being rapidly caught by the Prospeed Competition Porsche of Niki Lanik. On the penultimate lap the Porsche overtook the BMW to equal Lanik’s best finish of the season.
At the flag Christopher Mies recorded his second straight win, crossing the line 17 seconds ahead of Luca Pirri and 27 seconds ahead of Stefan Gattuso, underlining the team’s domination of the weekend. Christopher Haase and Christopher Mies are now on 40 points in the driver’s championship, 11 ahead of Thomas Accary, Julien Rodrigues, Nicolas Armindo and Cesar Campanico with four races remaining.
The next two races of the 2009 FIA GT3 European Championship will take place at Paul Ricard HTTT in France on 3 and 4 October.
For full results, driver quotes and race facts visit www.fiagt3.com
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Le Mans Series, Round 5 in Silverstone, Great Britain
Porsche works drivers win championship
Stuttgart, 14 Sep 2009 – After a dramatic finale of the Le Mans Series, works drivers Marc Lieb (Germany) and Richard Lietz (Austria) celebrated the first championship title win for Porsche this year. With a clear nine-point advantage, the two had taken up the race in Silverstone from pole position. But the fifth and last round of the season turned into a real thriller right to the flag. In the end, seventh position was enough for the top duo of the German Felbemayr Proton squad to secure the GT2 title. Works driver Patrick Pilet and Raymond Narac (both France, IMSA Performance Matmut team) rounded off the Porsche success by pocketing third place.
“Congratulations to the Felbermayr team on their super performance over the entire season,“ said Uwe Brettel, Head of Motorsport Sales at Porsche. “Under the leadership of team boss Christian Ried, and with their professionalism and passion, the team really deserve their first championship win in the Le Mans Series. We look forward to continuing our co-operation next year.“
“Emotionally, the race felt like a roller coaster,“ admitted the new GT2 champion Marc Lieb candidly, “but now we are all totally over the moon about the title. We had the best overall package this season with the 911 GT3 RSR and the Michelin tyres, which we underlined with three pole positions and three wins from five races.“ GT2 champion Lietz added: “Our success is largely due to our team’s absolutely perfect pit stops.“
Lietz was restrained at the start and initially found himself sitting in sixth: “I wasn’t prepared to take any risks – after all, we only needed one point to win the title.“ The drama began just after the first hour when the favourites’ 911 GT3 RSR began to misfire. “We’d never had this before,“ said Lieb. After two long pit stops it was decided to leave the car to race as it was, as changing the ignition coil would have cost too much time. “We fell back to twelfth, weren’t able to match the pace of the leaders and lost the fuel consumption advantage that our engine normally has over our opponents,“ explained Marc Lieb. “We were totally on edge, even more so when the French Porsche team was nudged from the track and lost the lead to our greatest rivals in the championship.“ Lietz added: “But everyone in the team said we’ll fight to the finish and do everything to make the most of our chances.“ At the beginning of the final race hour Lietz/Lieb had fought their way back into eighth place – to finally claim seventh. “For me personally, this title means a great deal,“ said a visibly releved Richard Lietz. “Apart from that, I’m delighted that the efforts of our team have been rewarded and that we were able to show that the 911 is the best car in its class.“
For Marc Lieb, this marks his third GT2 title in the Le Mans Series after 2005 and 2006. The German launched his professional racing career ten years ago as Porsche Junior and is regarded as one of the most outstanding drivers in the Porsche works squad. The meticulous detail work of the perfectionist Lieb greatly contributed to the ongoing development of the 911 GT3 RSR. He has won every long distance classic in the world, including class wins at the Le Mans 24 hour race in 2005 and Sebring in 2008 as well as overall victory in a GT-Porsche in Spa-Francorchamps. For the last three years in a row, the 29-year-old was one of the winning team to conquer the 24 hour race on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife – his favourite circuit. Parallel to this, he studied as an engineer, which he concluded this year. Lieb is married with a four-year-old son.
His teammate Richard Lietz, 25 years old, has been a Porsche works driver since 2007, but has competed in the 911 for the last six years. The avowed rally fan contested his first season in the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland in 2004 and immediately secured fourth. In the two following years he celebrated success in both the national and international brand trophy series. The vice-championship in the fiercely-contested Supercup series of 2006 was his ticket into the Porsche works squad. Lietz confirmed the trust placed in him – by securing the title of the international GT Championship and the GT2 class win at the 2007 Le Mans 24 hour race. He took off into the current season with a win at the Daytona 24 hour race.
The French IMSA Performance Matmut team concluded the season with mixed feelings. After starting from third, works pilot Patrick Pilet had taken the lead of the GT2 field in the first lap and began to systematically increase the gap lap for lap. He handed the cockpit after the first third of the race to his teammate, gentleman racer Raymond Narac, who was able to maintain the lead – until the driver of a faster sports prototype misjudged the situation and touched the Porsche. Narac went off into the gravel and by the time he got out and rejoined the race he was sitting in fourth. The pair finally secured third. “The first win for our team was again within reach. But like on the Algarve and the Nürburgring others denied us the fruit of our efforts,“ Pilet complained. “Still, we are happy with third as another podium result this year and of course we are pleased that our Porsche colleagues have won the championship.“
The second 911 GT3 RSR fielded by the Felbermayr team, manned by Christian Ried (Germany), Horst Felbermayr Jnr. (Austria) and Francisco Cruz Martins (Portugal), yielded one point with eighth position. The British Porsche team, James Watt Automotive, occupied ninth place in the GT2 class with drivers Markus Palttala (Finland), Paul Daniels and Martin Rich (both Great Britain).
Statistics: Final of the Le Mans Series in Silverstone
Result GT2 class
1. Bell/Bruni (GBR/ITA), Ferrari F430 GT, 172 laps
2. Coronel/Janis (NLD/CZE), Spyker C8 Laviolette GTR-2, 170
3. Pilet/Narac (FRA/FRA), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 170
4. Garcia/Mansell/Melo (ESP/GBR/BRA), Ferrari F430 GT, 170
5. Montanari/Kaffer (SMR/DEU), Ferrari F430 GT, 170
6. Montermini/Cadei/Rosa (ITA/ITA/ITA), Ferrari F430 GT, 168
7. Lieb/Lietz (DEU/AUT), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 165
8. Ried/Cruz Martins/Felbermayr Jr. (DEU/POR/AUT), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 165
9. Palttala/Daniels/Rich (GBR/GBR/GBR), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 164
10. Griffin/Bamford (GBR/GBR), Ferrari F430 GT, 164
GT2 Drivers’ classification
1. Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz, Porsche, 36 points
2. Robert Bell, Gianmaria Bruni, Ferrari, 35
3. Antonio Garcia, Leo Mansell, Ferrari, 24
4. Pierre Ehret, Ferrari, 21
5. Patrick Pilet, Raymond Narac, Porsche, 19
Jaime Melo, Ferrari, 19
GT2 Manufacturers’ classification
1. Ferrari, 72 points
2. Porsche, 52
3. Spyker, 14
4. Aston Martin, 1
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Italian Grand Prix – Race Round-Up
Sunday, 13 September 2009
Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
Grid: 11th
Race Classification: 14th (+1 lap)
Pit Stop Laps: 35
Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
Grid: 16th
Race Classification: 11th (+2m 43.925s)
Pit Stop Laps: 38
Panasonic Toyota Racing concluded the European leg of the 2009 Formula 1 season with a tough Italian Grand Prix at Monza today which saw neither TF109 finish in the points. Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock both started with extremely heavy fuel loads from the midfield in a bid to make up places. Jarno, starting on the medium compound Bridgestone Potenza tyres, jostled for position at the first chicane while Timo, on the soft tyres, had to take avoiding action after being squeezed to the outside. Jarno finished the first lap in 13th with Timo 17th. Both drivers fought hard during long first stints, with Jarno pitting from the top 10 on lap 35 and Timo doing likewise three laps later. Timo, now on the medium tyres, emerged directly next to Jarno, on medium rubber, at the first chicane and they battled for position for half a lap. Jarno completed the lap in 12th with Timo just behind and set about pressuring Kazuki Nakajima in front. He got alongside under braking for the first chicane at the start of lap 48 but bounced across the kerbs and again rejoined alongside Timo. Another exciting battle concluded when Jarno ran wide, leaving him 14th and Timo 11th as the chequered flag flew with the field behind the safety car.
Timo Glock
“It wasn’t the result we wanted but at least it was good entertainment. I had already been fighting with Jarno when I came out of the pits; it was quite tight but he got ahead. Then towards the end I could see him try to overtake Kazuki Nakajima but he hit the kerbs and bounced wide. We had a nice battle and made sure we kept it clean. In the end I was on the inside so I won the fight. Overall it was never going to be easy to get much out of this race but Singapore is a different track and we will have some new bits on the car so we should have a decent chance.”
Jarno Trulli
“We expected a difficult race and that’s what we got. I was behind (Kazuki) Nakajima for much of the race and I felt I was able to go faster but it was difficult to overtake. Towards the end I was getting a bit bored to be honest and I tried really hard to find an opportunity. As soon as I saw a little space I just dived in and braked very late. The move was almost okay but there wasn’t quite enough space and unfortunately I hit the kerb and then I had a bit of a fight with Timo. That was good fun and I enjoyed it. I was always on the outside line but I kept fighting because it is better to have a bit of action and in the end it doesn’t make much different if I am 11th or 14th. At least I tried because it wasn’t an exciting race for me otherwise.”
Tadashi Yamashina – Team Principal
“It was a disappointing race result for us after a frustrating qualifying but we knew it was likely to be hard for us here. At least we provided some exciting action for the fans with Jarno and Timo battling towards the end of the race; they showed their fighting spirit. Monza is a unique circuit which places unique demands on the car so I am convinced we will improve for the next race in Singapore. It is a completely different kind of track and we will work hard to get a better result there.”
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Porsche-Mobil1-Supercup, Round 11 at the Italian Grand Prix
René Rast’s win in Monza keeps title race open
Stuttgart, 13 Sep 2009 – The overall winner of the 2009 Porsche Mobil1 Supercup will only be decided after the final in Abu Dhabi. With his Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, Renè Rast clinched his fifth win of the season on Sunday in Monza’s Royal Park and keeps the title race open. Scoring a clear light-to-flag victory, the German VELTINS MRS Racing pilot pulled away from the Dutch title defender, Jeroen Bleekemolen (Konrad Motorsport), to cross the finish line 6.226 seconds ahead of his toughest opponent.
After an excellent start from pole, Renè Rast immediately took the lead and easily defended it on the ultra-fast track to the flag. Jeroen Bleekemolen, who has four wins to his credit so far this season, was not able to match the pace of his title rival and opted for a safe second place finish in the 14-lap race. Heading into the two final rounds on the Persian Gulf, he holds a comfortable lead of 43 points and travels to the largest of the United Arab Emirates as title favourite.
Behind the two outstanding drivers of the season, Austria’s Norbert Siedler (VELTINS MRS Racing) finished third ahead of Slovakia’s Stefan Rosina (Walter Lechner Racing School), who currently ranks third overall. Fifth place went to his teammate Damien Faulkner (Ireland). The SPS Performance pilots Patrick Huisman (Netherlands) and Lance David Arnold (Germany) secured positions six and seven. Jiri Janak from the Czech Republic (Konrad Motorsport) took up the race from third and managed to overtake his teammate Jeroen Bleekemolen before he left the track and lost touch to the leaders. Janak finally had to settle for eighth.
Alessandro Zampedri (Konrad Motorsport Austria), as the best guest driver from the Carrera Cup Italia, secured ninth ahead of Konrad Motorsport’s Supercup rookie Siso Cunill from Spain.
René Rast (winner): “That was a great race and I’m very happy that we managed to keep the title fight open. I had a super start and was able to pull away considerably in the first lap. After that it was almost like a free practice for me. I could have continued for many more laps. We had such a perfect setup that my tyres simply didn’t seem to get tired. I’m very pleased with the two podium places for our team.“
Jeroen Bleekemolen (second): “I’m thrilled. We earned crucial points and that is the most important thing. My start wasn’t good and I even had to let my teammate Jiri Janak overtake. Luckily, I managed to get by him again but the leaders had already gone. I’m happy to climb the podium at Monza as well. I’m looking forward to the final at Abu Dhabi. I only need one more point to clinch the title and I hope to do this.“
Norbert Siedler (third): “That’s my second podium result after Spa. I’m happy that I was able to repeat my performance from two weeks ago on this track. As far as I’m concerned it can continue like this in Abu Dhabi. It’s thanks to my team that things are now going well for me. We have worked together on my style and this has paid off.“
Race result
1. René Rast (GER), VELTINS MRS Racing, 26:46.829 minutes
2. Jeroen Bleekemolen (NED), Konrad Motorsport, + 6.266 seconds
3. Norbert Siedler (AUT), VELTINS MRS Racing, + 12.980
4. Stefan Rosina (SVK), Walter Lechner Racing School, + 13.563
5. Damien Faulkner (IRL), Walter Lechner Racing School, + 14.310
6. Patrick Huisman (NED), SPS Performance, + 17.886
Drivers’ classification after 11 of 13 races
1. Jeroen Bleekemolen (NED), 212 points
2. René Rast (GER), 169
3. Stefan Rosina (SVK), 136
4. Patrick Huisman (NED), 130
5. Norbert Siedler (AUT), 107
6. Damien Faulkner (IRL), 103
Rounds 12 and 13 of the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup take place on 31 October and 1 November as support to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
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Jarno Trulli charity auction brings in €300,000
Sunday, 13 September 2009 – Jarno Trulli hosted a charity auction in the town of Monza last night, raising €300,000 for his Abruzzo nel Cuore appeal.
Jarno has spent the past six months raising funds to help the victims of April’s earthquake in the Italian region of Abruzzo, Jarno’s birthplace. Through the website www.abruzzonelcuore.net and a charity football game, he had already raised around €150,000.
That fund was significantly increased last night in Monza when memorabilia from Jarno, Giancarlo Fisichella, Brawn, Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull, Renault and Williams, as well as a unique Audemars Piguet watch designed and donated especially for the occasion, was put up for auction in front of an exclusive VIP audience of around 100.
Among the lots was a Jarno racing helmet, which was sold for €40,000 to two of the most dedicated fans of Panasonic Toyota Racing and Jarno; a Japanese couple who regularly attend overseas events to lend their support.
The Abruzzo nel Cuore appeal now has a grand total of around €450,000, which will be put towards reconstructing the affected areas and the use of this money will be personally overseen by Jarno. A similar auction will be held around the Singapore Grand Prix weekend, featuring items from Mark Webber, David Coulthard and Kazuki Nakajima.
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FIA GT3 European Championship Rounds 7 & 8 Qualifying – Algarve, Portugal
Lanik Gets to Grips with New Portuguese Circuit
Sunday, 13 September 2009 – Austrian Sportscar driver Niki Lanik has been joined by a new driving partner for the fourth round of the 2009 FIA GT3 European Championship. Lanik, who hails from Vienna but lives in England, will race the #12 Prospeed Competition Porsche 911 with FIA GT driver Marco Holzer in the two 60-minute races at the Autódromo Internacional Algarve in Portugal.
This weekend is the 22-year-olds first visit top the new Portuguese circuit but quickly adapted to the tricky 4.7km circuit in the two 60-minute practice sessions before taking to the track in the first 20-minute qualifying period. The busy track caused Lanik problems and he was unable to get a clear lap before his tyres went off. However he qualified in 16th place, out of twenty seven starters, and is the top Porsche for the first race which takes place at 10:30 on Sunday 13 September.
Niki Lanik said: “I did test here in April, which did help a little bit. I was a little disappointed in the result when we qualified 11th and 16th as we did think we would get into the top ten. It is good that we are first of the Porsches as am I currently second in the Porsche Cup and this is the main focus at the moment. I think this is more of a Ford or Viper circuit as we are down on speed on the long straights but we are very good through the tight bends. The goal in the races is to be the top Porsche and some championship points.”
In the second qualifying session Marco Holzer qualified in 11th overall, and was once again the lead Porsche, for the second race of the day.
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FIA GT3 European Championship, Rounds 7 & 8 Qualifying
Maiden FIA GT3 Pole Positions for Salles and Mamerow
13 Sep 2009 – The FIA GT3 European Championship saw a double first in qualifying today with both Walter Salles and Christian Mamerow claiming their maiden FIA GT3 pole positions for rounds 7 & 8 respectively. Mamerow also gave Zakspeed their first Championship pole, the first for a Viper since July 2006 at Spa.
Round 7 Qualifying
The first 20-minute qualifying session started with Luca Ludwig setting the early pace in the Marc Sourd Racing Corvette but his time was soon bettered by Marc Bronzel in the Zakspeed Racing Viper and then by Walter Salles in the Matech GT Racing Ford GT. With most of the front runners on the track the lap times continued to fall with Thomas Accary (#3 Hexis Racing AMR Aston Martin DBRS9) and Albert von Thurn und Taxis (#31 Reiter Engineering Lamborghini Gallardo) going better than Salles before the Brazilian crossed the line to go back to the head of the timing screens. This happened on the next few laps, with Salles staking his claim on the top spot with a 1m46.310 before he came back into the pits with five minutes left on the clock. Accary was second quickest just 0.08 seconds behind the leading Ford. Christopher Mies (#26 Phoenix Racing Audi R8 LMS) made a late dash for pole but was only able to set the third fastest time to head the second row just ahead of Phil Quaife (#56 CRS Racing Ferrari 430 Scuderia) who leapt onto the second row at the chequered flag.
Walter Salles (#1 Matech GT Racing Ford GT): “Of course this is great but an unexpected feeling. The circuit is really unique and I tried to understand it on the first practice. Thomas (Mutsch) was very generous on the second practice as he let me drive almost for the whole time and this has allowed me to understand what the limit could be in different corners. My thanks also go to the team because the car was really on the ground, which allowed me to push in certain sectors where this morning it was more difficult to transmit power. Portugal certainly feels like a second home to me, at least I can understand the language, and it certainly feels good to take pole position here for the first time.”
Round 8 Qualifying
The second qualifying session of the day was no less frantic with the Fischer Racing Ford GT of Florian Gruber getting an early quick lap in the bank, with the German holding the top spot for the first half of the 20-minute session. Gruber was challenged by the Trackspeed Porsche of Tim Bergmeister, the Marc Sourd Racing Corvetter of Diego Alessi and the Matech Ford Gt of Thomas Mutsch but it wasn’t until the clock counted below 10 minutes remaining that Dino Lunardi (#2 Matech GT Racing Ford GT) finally knocked the Fischer Ford from the top of the time sheets and then proceeded to stake his claim on provisional pole position by going quicker on the next lap. Frederic Makowiecki (#4 Hexis Racing AMR Aston Martin DBRS9) went into second place just 0.050 seconds behind Lunardi but they were both bumped down a grid slot when Christian Mamerow made a late appearance in the Zakspeed Racing Viper Competition Coupe and underlined his free practice pace by taking pole position on his second flying lap.
Christian Mamerow (#37 Zakspeed Racing Viper Competition Coupe): “It is great to stay in front of all the others. I’m not sure how the car will behave for the whole race, so when I get in the car tomorrow in the first race I will get a first impression. We found a pretty good setup but the conditions were very difficult. I had a lot of traffic on my first flying lap so I slowed down to keep my tyres for the second lap but everything worked out fine and P1 is good, we will see what happens tomorrow.”
Round 7 of the 2009 FIA GT3 European Championship is due to start at 10:30 on Sunday 13th September with Round 8 getting underway at 15:00 the same day.
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Le Mans Series, round 5 in Silverstone, Great Britain
Pole position for title favourites in Porsche 911 GT3 RSR
Stuttgart, 13 Sep 2009 – Porsche works drivers Marc Lieb (Germany) and Richard Lietz (Austria) are just one point off winning the GT2 class title of the Le Mans Series. In a thrilling qualifying session, Lietz clinched pole position in the 911 GT3 RSR of the German Felbermayr-Proton team and, with this, extended the advantage of the top duo to nine points heading into the season’s final 1,000 kilometre race. With a top time of 1:48.638 minutes on the 5.141 kilometre time-honoured circuit, the Austrian relegated their only remaining rival in the championship, the Ferrari F430 GT manned by Gianmaria Bruni and Robert Bell, to second on the grid by 0.192 seconds.
“We’re of course very happy with our pole position and another point,“ said a thrilled Richard Lietz. “Although we’ve always said that pole position is not so important to us, I felt quite nervous and tense today. We are so close to winning the championship and that is a fantastic feeling. But we also know that you can easily be knocked out of contention through no fault of your own.“ His teammate Marc Lieb added: “We are well prepared for the race. Our goal in all practice sessions was to find a good set-up that reliably gets us over the 1,000 kilometre distance. We did manage this. And now to have Richard bring home the top qualifying time is fabulous.“ Heading into the fifth round of the LMS, the two have three wins this season (Barcelona, Spa, Nürburgring) and three pole positions (Spa, Algarve, Silverstone) to their credit.
Rounding off this good result with the third grid position is Porsche works pilot Patrick Pilet (France) at the wheel of his 450 hp 911 fielded by IMSA Performance Matmut. “We’re basically pleased with our position,“ claimed Pilet. “Only one and a half tenths of a second separate us from second place, and that means our speed is good. The car felt great right from the first practice session and the configuration is perfect for the race. Having never competed on this circuit before, I’ve quickly become familiar with it.“ Hobby race driver Raymond Narac already knows the Silverstone circuit and its fast corners, but was able to benefit from the support of his professional teammate. “Patrick shared a few helpful tips about the ideal line with me,“ said the Porsche dealer from Rouen. “After all, we both want to bring home the first win for our team in the Le Mans Series tomorrow. And the competition in the GT2 class is unbelievably strong. We only hope that no over-motivated rival ruins our chance again.“
The trio in the second Felbermayr-Proton 911 GT3 RSR, Christian Ried (Germany), Horst Felbermayr Jnr. (Austria) and Francisco Cruz Martins (Portugal), take up the race from twelfth on the grid. The English Porsche team, James Watt Automotive, starts from 14th in the GT2 class with drivers Markus Palttala (Finland), Paul Daniels and Martin Rich (both Great Britain).
The final race of the Le Mans Series takes off tomorrow at 11.35 hours local time (12.35 hours CEST) and receives the flag after 195 laps or a maximum of six hours. The TV station “Eurosport“ broadcasts the final live from 11.30 hrs to 12.30 hrs local time (12.30 to 13.30 hrs CEST) and from 16.45 hrs to 17.30 hrs (17.45 to 18.30 hrs CEST).
Result Qualifying GT2 class
1. Richard Lietz (AUT), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 1.48.638 minutes
2. Gianmaria Bruni (ITA), Ferrari F430 GT, + 0.192 seconds
3. Patrick Pilet (FRA), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, + 0.346
4. Jaime Melo (BRA), Ferrari F430 GT, + 0.720
5. Pierre Kaffer (DEU), Ferrari F430 GT, + 0.932
6. Jonny Cocker (GBR), Aston Martin Vantage GT2, + 0.956
7. Andrea Montermini (ITA), Ferrari F430 GT, + 0.974
8. Dominik Farnbacher (DEU), Ferrari F430 GT, + 1.424
9. Tom Coronel (NED), Spyker C8 Laviolette, + 1.704
10. Matt Griffin (GBR), Ferrari F430 GT, + 2.072
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Porsche-Mobil1-Supercup, round 11 at the Italian Grand Prix
René Rast secures fifth pole position
Stuttgart, 12 Sep 2009 – The race for the title of the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup remains gripping. In the qualifying session for the eleventh round of the season on the Grand Prix track in the Royal Park of Monza, René Rast (Germany) claimed his fifth pole position of the year at the wheel of his VELTINS MRS Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. With this, he closes the gap to the leader of the overall classification, Jeroen Bleekemolen (Netherlands), by two points. Competing for Konrad Motorsport, the title defender turned the second quickest time, just 0.363 seconds behind Rast.
Nevertheless, the Dutchman can claim the championship title again on Sunday. With his current 45-point advantage, he only has to see the chequered flag ahead of his strongest rival René Rast to clinch the title prior to the two final rounds on 31 October and 1 November on the new Formula 1 circuit in Abu Dhabi at the Persian Gulf.
Jiri Janak (Konrad Motorsport), a surprising third in qualifying, takes up the race from the second row. Lining up alongside the Czech is Slovakia’s Stefan Rosina (Walter Lechner Racing School), who relegated his teammate Damien Faulkner (Ireland) to fifth place. The sixth quickest time went to Austria’s Norbert Siedler (VELTINS MRS Racing), who notched up his best result of the Supercup season a fortnight ago in Spa with second place.
The fourth grid row is reserved for the SPS Performance pilots Lance David Arnold (Germany) and Supercup record winner Patrick Huisman from the Netherlands. Rounding off the top ten on the grid are two guest drivers from the Carrera Cup Italia series: Andrea Sonvico (Centro Porsche Padova) and Massimiliano Fantini (Ebimotors).
René Rast (pole-setter): “We did everything right again today. If I can bring home victory tomorrow I’ll be really happy. That was my fifth pole position this season and I was even four-tenths of a second faster than Jeroen – and that’s significant. Again our strategy was different from our competitors’ and it worked. It would be great if things ran as smoothly in the race.“
Jeroen Bleekemolen (second qualifier): “I’m very pleased. In my fastest lap I unfortunately lost some time, but the first row of the grid is always good – especially on a fast circuit like Monza. Let’s see was happens in the race. In any case, I’m feeling very confident.“
Jiri Janak (third qualifier): “That was a great qualifying session for me. I’m completely satisfied. In the first section things didn’t run so well, I had several problems with the track, but when we came out for the second part everything was almost perfect. I didn’t make one mistake and now I’m looking forward to the race.“
Qualifying
1. René Rast (GER), VELTINS MRS Racing, 1:52.484 minutes
2. Jeroen Bleekemolen (NED), Konrad Motorsport, + 0.363 seconds
3. Jiri Janak (CZE), Konrad Motorsport, + 0.569
4. Stefan Rosina (SVK), Walter Lechner Racing School, + 0.595
5. Damien Faulkner (IRL), Walter Lechner Racing School, + 0.595
6. Norbert Siedler (AUT), VELTINS MRS Racing, + 0.649
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Porsche-Mobil1-Supercup, Round 11 at the Italian Grand Prix
Jeroen Bleekemolen can secure title in Monza
STUTTGART, 09 Sep 2009 - With the race on the Grand Prix circuit in Monza’s Royal Park, the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup farewells the season in Europe on Sunday. Jeroen Bleekemolen will do his very best to win his fifth race of the season at the wheel of his 420 hp Porsche 911 GT3 Cup on the traditional, ultra-fast circuit to take home his second title before the final two rounds in Abu Dhabi.
His chances of travelling to the debut of the popular brand trophy series in the largest of the United Arab Emirates as the new champion look good. Heading to Monza, the Konrad Motorsport pilot from the Netherlands holds a 47-point advantage over his arch rival for the title René Rast (VELTINS MRS Racing). With 66 points still up for grabs at the remaining three races, this is quite a comfortable lead. Bleekemolen thinks so as well: “I can’t really do much wrong at this stage,” says the four-time winner this season, who has also climbed the podium at all ten rounds to date. “If I see the flag in Monza the title should be mine.”
After notching up four straight victories from pole position, René Rast possibly lost his title chances at the previous race in Spa, when he retired shortly before the finish line with power steering problems. The reigning Carrera Cup champion travels to Monza revved up and ready to attack. “I have to try and win the rest of the races and see what Jeroen does,” says the German before raving about the high-speed circuit on which he secured pole position last year. “I like Monza because of its extremely quick corners.” Jeroen Bleekemolen, who made the pilgrimage to the Formula 1 race in the Royal Park as a toddler with his father, shares this fondness. At the same time, he is not prepared to be led into taking too many risks: “There is no way I’ll compromise the title just to win a race – even if that is particularly difficult in Monza.”
Other drivers will do everything to win in Italy. Austria’s Norbert Siedler (VELTINS MRS Racing) for instance, who celebrated his best Supercup result with second in Spa, is determined to win, as is Slovakian Stefan Rosina (Walter Lechner Racing School), who gave an impressive performance on the Nürburgring to net third place. With a total of 24 Supercup wins to his credit, stalwart Patrick Huisman from the Netherlands regards the healthy ambitions of his young rivals with benevolence. However, he is not about to make room on the ideal line for them in Monza – victory number 25 is a goal worthy of the effort.
Television stations “Eurosport” (11.45 hrs) and “Sky Sport 2” (11.30 hrs) broadcast the race live in Monza on 13 September. Moreover, “Eurosport” televises highlights on Sunday evening in its “Motorsport Weekend Magazin” programme.
Drivers’ standings after 10 of 13 races
1. Jeroen Bleekemolen (NED), 194 points
2. René Rast (GER), 147
3. Stefan Rosina (SVK), 122
4. Patrick Huisman (NED), 120
5. Norbert Siedler (AUT), 91
Damien Faulkner (IRL), 91
Rookie classification after 10 of 13 races
1. Matt Halliday (NZL), 69 points
2. Siso Cunill (ESP), 58
3. Abdulaziz Al Faisal (KSA), 28
Team classification after 10 of 13 races
1. Konrad Motorsport, 275 points
2. VELTINS MRS Racing, 233
3. Walter Lechner Racing School, 216
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Dealer network in Germany launches sale of new Gran Turismo
On September 12, the start flag will signal the launch of Porsche Panamera sales
STUTTGART, 09 Sep 2009 - Stuttgart. On September 12, 2009, the Panamera of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart will be officially released on the German market. Effective immediately, demonstration cars will be on display at authorized dealers in Germany; fixed purchase agreements with delivery promises and dates can then be signed.
Along with the 911, Cayenne and Boxster/Cayman, the Panamera is the fourth Porsche model and will first be available for delivery in three versions. The Panamera S disposes of a 400 HP strong fuel efficient eight cylinder motor, which drives the rear wheels via a manual six-gear transmission. The base price in Germany amounts to 94,575 Euros including 19 percent VAT. At request, the Porsche PDK dual-clutch transmission with seven gears, which further improves the fuel consumption, can also be delivered. The PDK is also a standard feature of the 400 HP strong Panamera 4S, which also disposes of the intelligent PTM all-wheel drive and costs 102,251 Euros including 19 percent VAT. The top model is the Panamera Turbo with a 500 HP eight cylinder, PDK dual-clutch transmission as a standard and PTM all-wheel drive. The price including 19 percent VAT and a country-specific configuration amounts to 135,154 Euros. Later the entry-level model with a V6 engine and a Panamera with a hybrid drive will follow.
Panamera sales will also begin in the rest of Europe, South America and parts of Asia in the course of September. North America and Australia will follow in October and China in early 2010.
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Italian Grand Prix Preview Q+A – Jarno Trulli
Is it different for you to be racing in your home Grand Prix this weekend?
For me, the Italian Grand Prix is a very special occasion and I always look forward to this weekend. It’s great to drive in front of your own fans and there are always a lot of people supporting me at Monza. In the past we had two Grands Prix in Italy, plus some testing, but this weekend is the only time I will be driving on my home ground this year and I only live a couple of hours or so away in St Moritz so it is really local for me.
Why is Monza such a special venue for Formula 1?
Because it is in Italy and the Italians make it special! Monza is just a very different circuit from any other in Formula 1 because you have the long straights, high speeds, low downforce, heavy braking and the chicanes. It is not the most technical circuit but it is unique in Formula 1. I think the Italian fans make Monza really special as they are passionate about motorsport in general, whether it is Formula 1 or whatever. The Italian Grand Prix is a major event for all Italians and Monza is the home of Italian motorsport.
Do your home fans motivate you more?
It’s impossible to be more motivated or to push harder than I am doing! As a driver you do notice when you have more support than usual and you appreciate it, but there’s no way you can try any harder. If I wasn’t giving 100% at all Grands Prix, I would not be doing my job, so in that sense Monza is just like any other race. Perhaps it would just make it a bit sweeter if I could get a great result…
What was it like to race in the wet at Monza last year?
Monza is definitely a track where you want good weather. Wet conditions are not the best for this track, especially on the long straights where visibility is virtually zero. At the moment the forecast looks much better than last year which is good for everyone.
What are the key attributes you need in a car to be quick at Monza?The main things are good top speed because of the very long straights then braking stability and the ability to ride the kerbs at the chicanes. You can gain a tenth of a second or so at each chicane if you can ride the kerbs well so you have to find a set-up which allows you to jump over the kerbs smoothly and get good traction at the exit. Exit speed is as important as top speed because if you are slow out of a corner you carry that disadvantage all the way down the long straight.
What are your memories of racing at Monza?
I think my first visit to Monza was in 1997 when I raced there in Formula 1 for the first time. From what I can remember it went quite well and I finished in the top 10. I have been strong several times at Monza; I finished fourth in 2002 to equal my team’s best result of that season and in 2005 I was fifth. But I’ve had some really bad luck as well. Three times in four years I qualified in the top six and was in good shape but had to retire on the first lap, twice because I was hit from behind and once because of a technical problem. This year I want to create some more positive memories!
Is there one thing you particularly look forward to at Monza?
Apart from racing in front of my home fans it is definitely the food. I am Italian so there is only one type of food for me! There are so many great places to eat around Monza but the hotel where I stay has a very good restaurant so the Italian Grand Prix weekend is my favourite from that point of view.
Do you expect a competitive weekend?
I hope we can be competitive. It is quite hard to predict this season because our relative performance has changed from race to race sometimes. We were strong in Spa which has some similar characteristics to Monza, and it was encouraging to see our improvement in qualifying. I don’t want to make any predictions but as always I will give my all and I hope we can be fighting at the front again.
Can you explain what is happening on Saturday night?
Since the terrible earthquake in Abruzzo, which is my home region, I have been raising money to help the victims through the Abruzzo nel Cuore appeal. We have already raised over €75,000 through www.abruzzonelcuore.net and we expect to raise a lot more on Saturday night in Monza. There will be an auction of overalls and helmets from different drivers, as well as watches from Audemars Piguet, to raise money for Abruzzo. We have had support from the other drivers and the other teams. We also received a lot of help, in terms of donations and organisation, from Audemars Piguet and I’m sure this will really help the people of Abruzzo. The money we are raising will be used to help them rebuild their lives and I hope we can build a new school or something useful for their community.
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Porsche is awarded multiple international awards for its online marketing campaigns
Porsche website for the new Panamera distinguished
STUTTGART, 08 Sep 2009 - The Panamera, the new sport sedan of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, is already in the spotlight, even before its sales launch. The online campaigns for the fourth model have already earned numerous awards.
The web special: “The 4th Dimension. The new Panamera,” with an interactive online magazine at its core, was awarded Summit gold in the category “Interactive Media” by a high-profile jury at the Summit Creative Awards out of over 3,000 contestants from 26 countries. The International Academy of the Visual Arts recognized the online campaign with the Communicator Award of Distinction (silver status) in the “Interactive” category, and the Design Centrum North Rhine-Westphalia presented it with the red dot design award in “Communication Design.” In Munich, the web special also received a further accolade from the International Forum Design (Hanover) with an iF Communication Design Award in the “Digital Media” category.
Further awards were earned by the online campaigns “Sturm und Drang. The new Cayman Models” (iF Gold Award; Communicator Award of Excellence, gold status), “Aus tiefstem Inneren. The new 911 GT3″ (iF communication design award; Communicator Award of Distinction, silver status) and “Power. Play. The new Boxster” (Communicator Award of Excellence, gold status.
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Le Mans Series, Round 5 in Silverstone, Great Britain
Porsche works drivers confident in title race
STUTTGART, 8 Sep 2009 - Porsche is in a promising position to win the title at the final round of the Le Mans Series in Silverstone. After notching up three victories at the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, the Porsche works drivers Marc Lieb (Germany) and Richard Lietz (Austria) have pulled away from their strongest rivals in the GT2 class and travel to the 5.141 kilometre time-honoured English race track with a clear points’ lead.
“We know with the reliable 911, the Michelin tyres and our professional pit crew we have a very good package to secure the title. So we head to Silverstone feeling relatively relaxed,” says 29-year-old Marc Lieb, who already claimed the GT2 drivers’ title in 2005 and 2006. “Still, you have to take care in such a situation not to lose your edge. If we have the chance to win, we’ll certainly try to use it. That would be a perfect finish to the season. But we won’t be taking any risks.”
Richard Lietz, his teammate at Felbermayr-Proton, is also excited about the Silverstone event. “The track is very demanding and flowing. I particularly enjoy the high speed corners,” said the 25-year-old Austrian describing the former military airfield which has hosted car races since 1948. “I’m confident that this circuit will suit us better than the Nürburgring. Driving in England is always an experience. The fans are enthusiastic and, above all, Silverstone has a huge sports car tradition and you sense this everywhere.”
Also heading to the season finale with optimism are the pilots competing for the IMSA Performance Matmut squad. Patrick Pilet (France) and his compatriot Raymond Narac have pocketed a second place as their best result of the season. They now hope to secure their first victory on the Grand Prix track in Silverstone. Although Patrick Pilet is not familiar with the circuit, he is not unduly worried. “Last year in America I was constantly confronted with new race tracks and didn’t find it particularly difficult,” says the 27-year-old. “Unlike me, my team has huge experience in Silverstone – and at the 1,000 kilometre race, where strategy and teamwork play a major role, this is very important.” For Narac, this marks his fifth race on the legendary circuit. “I love the corners – they take a lot of courage. And the 911 has always done well here,” says the Porsche dealer from Rouen. “Twice this season we’ve had competitors spoil our chances for top results through driving errors. Now we are hoping for a reconciliatory finish to the season and we want to celebrate the final round on the podium – preferably as winners.”
After two seventh places, the driver trio in the second Felbermayr 911 GT3 RSR are now striving for another points’ finish. As in the last four races, team boss Christian Ried (Germany), Horst Felbermayr Jnr. (Austria) as well as Portugal’s Francisco Cruz Martins again share driving duties in the #88 cockpit.
The final race of the Le Mans Series starts on 13 September at 11.35 hours local time (12.35 hours CEST) and receives the flag after 195 laps or a maximum of six hours. TV station Eurosport broadcasts the final live from 11.30 to 12.30 hrs local times (12.30 to 13.30 hrs CEST) and from 16.45 to 17.30 hrs (17.45 to 18.30 hrs CEST).
GT2 drivers’ classification after 4 of 5 races
1. Marc Lieb, Richard Lietz, Porsche, 33 points
2. Robert Bell, Gianmaria Bruni, Ferrari, 25
3. Pierre Ehret, Ferrari, 21
4. Antonio Garcia, Leo Mansell, Ferrari, 19
5. Allan Simonsen, Ferrari, 16
GT2 manufacturers’ classification after 4 of 5 races
1. Ferrari, 57 points
2. Porsche, 48
3. Spyker, 6
4. Aston Martin, 1
Facts and Figures
This is the Le Mans Series
Contested for the first time in 2004, the Le Mans Series (LMS) is open for sports prototypes and GT vehicles. The regulations are based on the rules of the Le Mans 24 hour race. Five championship rounds are contested this season on traditional circuits throughout Europe. The races run over a distance of 1,000 kilometres.
The starting field consists of two different sports vehicle categories: Sports prototypes and standard sports cars. They are divided into four classes:
LMP1 class: Sports prototypes with up to 700 hp and a minimum weight of 900 kilograms. Power to weight ratio: approx. 1.3 kg/hp.
LMP2 class: Sports prototypes with around 440 hp (with normally-aspirated engine) and an 825 kilogram minimum weight. Power to weight ratio: approx 1.8 kg/hp. The Porsche RS Spyder competes in this class.
GT1 class: Heavily modified standard sports cars with up to 650 hp and a minimum weight of 1,125 – 1,325 kilograms.
GT2 class: Slightly modified standard sports cars with between 450-460 hp and a minimum weight of 1,145 – 1,345 kilograms. The Porsche 911 GT3 RSR competes in this class.
All race cars start together but are classified separately according to the class. This system ensures gripping racing with many overtaking manoeuvres. Points are only allocated for placings in each class. Championship titles are awarded for drivers, manufacturers and teams in all four classes. Porsche works driver Marc Lieb won the driver’s title in the GT2 class in 2005 and 2006. In 2008, Porsche won the LMP2 titles for driver, manufacturer and team
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Italian Grand Prix – Preview
Monday 7 September 2009
Date: Sunday, 13 September, 2pm CET
Round: 13 of 17
Venue: Monza
Distance: 5.793km (53 laps)
Lap record: 1min 21.046s (2004)
History: Monza first held the Italian Grand Prix in 1921 and the race has been part of the Formula 1 World Championship since 1950. Monza has held all bar one of those races, with Imola hosting in 1980.
Panasonic Toyota Racing travels to another of Formula 1’s most historic venues for the Italian Grand Prix this weekend at Monza. The track is high speed and was a venue on the original World Championship calendar, both attributes it shares with Spa-Francorchamps, host of the Belgian Grand Prix two weeks ago. The Italian Grand Prix is not only hallowed ground for Formula 1; it is also home turf for Jarno Trulli whose best finish at Monza was the fourth place he secured in 2002. Timo Glock has happy memories of the track having won and finished third in the two GP2 races there in 2007. Toyota’s Monza highlights include fifth and sixth place finishes in 2005 while the team has qualified in the top 10 on five of its seven visits. Monza is characterised by long straights and tight chicanes, so the team will bring a similar low-downforce aerodynamic package as used at Spa with some adjustments. After regaining its qualifying form in Spa, the team is aiming for a return to the points this weekend.
Jarno Trulli (Car 9): “It is always a great occasion for me to be racing in front of the Italian fans and I really love the atmosphere at Monza. Of course, this is a home race for me so I have a lot of supporters in the grandstands and I really enjoy competing in front of such passionate fans. It would mean a lot to me to achieve a strong result in this race and I will be doing everything I can to do that. It was very encouraging in Belgium to start on the front row and hopefully this is a sign that we are now able to get the full potential out of the car in qualifying. I was unlucky in the race but I enjoyed the chance to fight at the front and I hope to be able to do that again in Italy. Our car looked quite strong at Spa and there will be a few changes for this weekend too; I am sure the competition will be very tight but we have the chance to get back in the points. Monza would be the perfect place to return to form so I am ready for the challenge.”
Timo Glock (Car 10): “Monza is all about speed but my memories of the track are of the rain last year because the whole weekend was wet. We got it right in qualifying and looked really strong for the race, but the conditions changed at the worst possible time so we missed the podium. The atmosphere is always incredible at Monza and it is a special experience to race there in front of such passionate fans. Every Formula 1 driver loves driving fast so Monza is obviously a fun place to race because it is all long straights broken up by chicanes, and the Lesmo corners are really exciting. Our car was competitive in Spa so it was a pity things didn’t go well in the race, although it was a promising sign to see how well we qualified. Our target is again to be both in the top eight on Saturday because this gives us the best chance of getting the kind of result our car is capable of. I’m raring to go for this weekend and I’m determined to give the team a result to celebrate.”
Pascal Vasselon, Senior General Manager Chassis: “In the past we always prepared a complete specific aerodynamic package for Monza but it is a little different this year. Considering the reduced downforce levels, as well as their proximity on the calendar, we will use a similar package to Spa because these are now the only two tracks requiring significantly reduced drag compared to our baseline configuration. As Monza remains the most demanding in terms of top speed we will have updates to our front and rear wings and we expect to be competitive again. But Monza is different to Spa because of the chicanes, which generate greater braking energy and require good braking stability. We will have a heavy-duty brake configuration with improved cooling so that the excessive wear Jarno suffered in the race at Spa should not be repeated. Our package performed well in Belgium and we were unfortunate that other circumstances prevented us from fighting for the podium. But that’s what racing is about and we will fight hard again this weekend.”
Today, Tomorrow, Toyota This year, as part of a global Toyota campaign, the TF109s feature messages used by local Toyota distributors to thank them for their continuing support of Panasonic Toyota Racing. For the European races ‘Today, Tomorrow, Toyota’ is inspired by Toyota in Europe.
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Porsche presents the new 911 GT3 in conjunction with the Changi Airport Race
New Porsche 911 GT3 makes its Asia Pacific Debut
SINGAPORE, 05 Sep 2009 - More than 500 invited guests experienced a car launch like no other as the new Porsche 911 GT3 made its Asia Pacific debut at the most unusual of venues – the gatehold rooms in Changi Airport Terminal 3. The unveiling of the new Porsche 911 GT3 also set the stage for the tantalizing race between a Porsche 911 GT3 Carrera Cup Car and a Jett8 Boeing 747 jetliner.
True to its car racing heritage, the GT3 Carrera Cup car, helmed by Porsche Carrera Cup Asia driver Mr. Yuey Tan, edged out the Boeing 747 by the narrowest of margins. The race was the perfect opportunity to showcase Porsche’s legendary pedigree in producing championship winning race cars in the world of motorsports. With Porsche’s strong history in producing the everyday sports car, drivers can be assured that the newly launched 911 GT3 road version is similarly equipped with superior design and handling traits exhibited by Yuey on the runway of Changi Airport this afternoon.
Before the race flagged off, Yuey along with Mr Karsono Kwee, Executive Chairman of Porsche Centre Singapore, Mr Christer Ekberg, Managing Director of Porsche Asia Pacific, Mr Tan Lye Teck, Executive Vice President, Corporate of Changi Airport Group, jointly unveiled the all-new 911 GT3 – a sporting and dynamic vehicle that audience in Asia Pacific is seeing for the very first time.
Executive Chairman of Porsche Centre Singapore, Mr Karsono Kwee said, “What an exciting race and a fantastic win for the Porsche 911 GT3 Carrera Cup Car. This race is a stellar advertisement for Porsche’s world-class race cars. One of the things Porsche does best is adapting its race technology for its road cars, and the new 911 GT3 epitomises this. The new 911 GT3 road car that will appear on Singapore roads soon, is definitely one built for the race track with its exhilarating driving dynamics and race car-like performance. It also keeps the owner’s everyday driving needs firmly in mind by designing a car that suits the everyday road conditions as well.”
About the all-new Porsche 911 GT3
The new GT3 road car exhibits impressive performance both on the roads and also on the race track, offering drivers higher standards in vehicular performance. Equipped with a 3.8 litre six-cylinder naturally-aspirated power unit that develops a maximum output of 435 bhp, the new GT3’s performance out-performs its predecessors with an increase of 200cc and 20bhp. With this upgraded power and performance, the boxer engine also offers a significant increase in torque at medium engine speeds, a benefit of particular significance when the GT3 is used for everyday motoring. The new GT3 accelerates from a standstill to 100 km/h in a mere 4.1 seconds and reaches 160 km/h in 8.2 seconds. The top speed the GT3 road car can
reach is 312 km/h.
New enhancements incorporated into the new GT3 to enhance its driving dynamics and handling
capabilities include: revision made to the existing GT3’s aerodynamics to increase down-forces to
both the front and rear of the car; improving the overall brake system under the acclaimed Por-
sche Active Suspension Management. These enhancements offer drivers a better grip and stabil-
ity to handle the improved performance of the new GT3.
The new GT3 also comes with a sporting variant of the Porsche Stability Management (PSM),
which provides drivers with the option of deactivating both Stability Control (SC) and Traction Con-
trol (TC), giving the driver unrestricted, individual control over the driving dynamics of the GT3.
The price for the new GT3 starts from SGD 508,888 and is inclusive of a 5-year free maintenance and warranty program, road tax, COE and GST; price is subjected to change without prior notice.
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MINI’s birthday celebrations continues with DOMINION
… and a MINI gift to the Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund.
SINGAPORE, 04 Sep 2009 - MINI 50th birthday celebrations continues with “DOMINION” at ION² from 4th to 13th September 2009, and the handing over of S$14,280 raised to the Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund.
MINI is showcasing its heritage and evolution to a cultural icon that it is today at the public plaza of the newly opened ION Orchard. MINI’s choice of event venue reflects the perfect symbiosis of the revolutionarily chic MINI against the backdrop of the avant garde architecture of ION Orchard.
“DOMINION” represents the fusion of the cheeky attitude of the MINI brand and the modern, classy disposition of ION. The word “DOMINION” literally brings MINI and ION together, making “DOMINION” the perfect launch pad to showcase MINI’s heritage and celebrates the brand’s 50 years of motoring.
The “DOMINION” display at ION² is the first public installation since the opening of the iconic building at Orchard’s busiest junction. Four new MINI and the 1965 Mark I Mini Cooper will be on display, including the special edition MINI 50 Tattoo designed by renowned tattoo artist, Kirby Lian.
During the same week, MINI and Trans Eurokars, the authorized MINI distributor in Singapore, will be handing over the money raised through activities held in celebration of MINI 50th Birthday at the Changi Exhibition Centre and Clarke Quay to the Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund. MINI owners and MINI fans from all over Singapore joined the celebrations and the money was raised through a convoy formation and drive by 150 MINIs, fringe activities at Clarke Quay, sale of the limited edition MINI 50th Anniversary booklet as well as the ‘50’ formation photo, grand charity auction of the autographed ‘50’ formation photo and a silent auction of items contributed by MINI partners.
“We would like to thank our partners and everyone who came down to celebrate with us. As we celebrate MINI’s 50 years of milestones, we would like to give back to society. Thus, we are glad to raise some funds through our event and contribute it to the Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund to benefit more than 9,000 school children from low-income families,” said Cheryl Chiok, General Manager of Trans Eurokars.
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Trans Eurokars Celebrates a New Era for SAAB
SINGAPORE, 2 September 2009 – To herald in a new era under the Koenigsegg Group, and to celebrate SAAB’s exit from legal reorganization, Trans Eurokars is pleased to announce a Swede offer for SAAB lovers.
For a limited time period, new SAAB customers can look forward to 0% interest on their first year of installments and Trans Eurokars is also offering new buyers their comprehensive five-year servicing plan at no additional charges.
Under the five-year free servicing program, Trans Eurokars will cover servicing needs including the replacements of parts specified in the Service Packages.
The conclusion of the last few uncertain months faced when SAAB was undergoing reorganization is something very much looked forward to by Trans Eurokars, the official distributor for SAAB automobiles in Singapore. Said Mr. Karsono Kwee, Executive Chairman, Eurokars Group of Companies, “We are very happy with this fresh beginning for SAAB. The brand has always been highly reputable and respected and we are certain it will be propelled to new heights under the Koenigsegg Group. Eurokars Group’s commitment to SAAB has never wavered and we’re pleased to say that plans for SAAB are still very much on track and SAAB lovers in Singapore can look forward to exciting times in 2010, including the debut of the new Saab 9-5 Sedan in Singapore.”
The all-new Saab 9-5 Sedan will make its worldwide debut at the IAA in Frankfurt later in September. Sleek, sophisticated and unmistakably SAAB, the new 9-5 is inspired by the award-winning Aero X concept car, and combines visual appeal with advanced technologies that promises to deliver a sporting, and rewarding driving experience. The Saab 9-5 is a fresh alternative choice to the premium sedan market and will reach the shores of Singapore in the first half of 2010.
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Special Series of Limited Edition Models from Porsche
The 911 Sport Classic – Exclusive for 250 Fans of the 911
STUTTGART, 02 Sep 2009 - . Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, has refined the DNA of the 911 to what must be the most supreme standard of class and style in the 911 Sport Classic available to a strictly limited number of very special 911 enthusiasts. Creating this unique model, Porsche is bringing back the tradition of exclusive small series built in very small numbers. The 911 Sport Classic will be presented at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show and is limited in production to just 250 cars.
This very special 911 from Porsche Exclusive has been developed over a project period of about three years, with lots of love for detail, catering especially for the most demanding group of genuine aficionados. Porsche Exclusive is Porsche’s Specialist Department for the most outstanding customised versions of Porsche cars going beyond even the highest standard of the Company’s regular production models.
The unique character of this very special 911 comes out at very first sight in the newly developed double-dome roof. A further highlight of this sports car based on the rear-wheel-drive Carrera S is the wider rear body up by 44 millimetres or 1.73″ and the wider track on the rear axle. The striking SportDesign front apron with its unique spoiler lip and the rear spoiler fixed in position like the legendary ducktail on the 1973 Carrera RS 2.7 round off the unmistakable look of the 911 Sport Classic. Power comes from Porsche’s 3.8-litre with Direct Fuel Injection, increased in this case, also through the introduction of a newly developed resonance intake manifold with six vacuum-controlled switching flaps, by 23 bhp to 408 horsepower for even more outstanding performance.
The 911 Sport Classic comes exclusively with a six-speed manual gearbox. PCCB Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes ideally reflecting the sporting character of this exclusive 911, PASM sports suspension lowering the entire car by 20 mm or 0.79”, as well as the mechanical rear axle differential and custom-made 19-inch wheels with their rim star painted black all come together to offer a perfect match for the character of this most exclusive car.
The very special, highly sophisticated interior of the 911 Sport Classic bears powerful testimony to one of the core competences of Porsche Exclusive and is characterised by new materials never used before even by Porsche. One example is woven leather made up of smooth leather strips and woven yarn featured on the seat centrepieces of the newly designed adaptive sports seats complete with light-grey piping and on the door panels.
The dashboard including a wide range of inserts and add-on components is finished in Espresso Nature natural leather, providing a distinctive contrast to the exclusive body paint in Sport Classic Grey.
Marking the introduction of this special limited edition model, Porsche Design Driver´s Selection is likewise introducing a range of new and very special products at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The limited edition AluFrame Trolley as well as a polo-shirt, a cap and a personalised lanyard take up the colour concept of the 911 Sport Classic, and in good time for the introduction of the new car a top-quality 1:43 model will also be available.
Sales of the Porsche 911 Sport Classic are starting in January 2010. The Euro base price of the car without value-added tax and national specifications is Euro 169,300.-.
The retail price and market launch date vary by region or country. Please contact the Porsche PR Manager of your country in order to receive country-specific information.
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