In 2007, Tafel jumped from Grand Am to the burgeoning ALMS GT2 class in the much quicker 997 GT3 RSR.  Rapid growth combined with an aspirational schedule of improvement proved that Tafel was on a warpath to take down the top teams.  James Tafel jr. would not stop at second best.

Henzler drove the blue and white Tafel car to a third place in the drivers’ championship, even though he didn’t win a single race.  Consistency, combined with respectable finishes allowed him to accomplish that feat.  Jim Tafel, while pleased with the plucky team’s results, was not satisfied with third.  Looking up the grid and peering up at other racers on the podium, Tafel noticed a common theme; F430.

The 2007 ALMS season was dominated by Ferrari with 9 of 12 races being won by Maranello’s finest.  Seeing the writing on the wall for 2008 being much the same, Tafel couldn’t “beat ‘em”, so the team jumped ship from the RSR and “joined ‘em” in a pair of brand new F430 GTs.  The plan sort of backfired, as Tafel came very close to winning the GT2 championship in the 2008 season.  The team won a quartet of races in 2008, falling short of the championship by a measly 16 points.  The only team to beat Tafel?  The mighty Flying Lizards in a 997 GT3 RSR by 16 points.  Poetic justice?

Regardless of the outcome, the 2008 season ended with Tafel succumbing to the pressures of economic downturn.  Even though they had their most successful season ever, the team could not gain sponsorship for the 2009 season, and were forced to shutter their doors.  Team engineer Tony Dowe commented “”It is indicative of the current financial situation globally and in North America that the ability of a team that had such a successful 2008 to attract sponsorship is virtually non-existent”.

Fast forward to 2012 and it seems that little bits of the team have not yet been claimed, or sold into further servitude.  A marketplace post on Forums.RennList.com indicates that someone in the Atlanta area still has a few OEM 997 RSR carbon pieces.  A pair of hoods (one well-used and one minty), a set of fenders with beautiful carbon detail, and a carbon fiber undertray are all on offer by poster “Leeroy”.  Whether you need the parts to repair your own damaged RSR track day or vintage racer, or you simply want to mount a piece of racing history on your garage wall, here is your chance.  RSR pieces don’t come up for sale very often, and they are few and far between.  You can rest assured that Leeroy wants significantly less for the parts than Porsche Motorsport North America would charge

Source/Photos: Rennslist

Porsche Design Group is growing with fashion at 30 per cent

The Porsche Design Group (Porsche Lizenz- und Handelsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG) was able to continue its growth in fiscal year 2011. The company, which is 65 per cent owned by Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, is continuing its strategy for dynamic growth. Business has been extremely strong for the Porsche Design luxury brand. Sales in the franchise business are up by more than 30 per cent over the previous year and by around 46 per cent in the own retail business. Together with the clearly positive business in the vehicle-related brand Porsche Driver’s Selection the Porsche Design Group managed to increase its turnover by around 30 per cent to a total of 79,8 million Euro (previous year: 61,4 million Euro).

“We are very pleased with the development of our business activities,” says Dr. Juergen Gessler, CEO of the Porsche Design Group. “The fact that our luxury brand and its Fashion Collection, in particular, are being so well received in the market gives us confidence. New milestones have been set by the planning permission from the City of Miami for the first Porsche Design Tower, as well as by the first Porsche Design smartphone, which we developed in cooperation with BlackBerry. And with the opening of the first own retail store in Singapore the development of new markets wears on.” In 2011 the company opened more own retail stores in Frankfurt (Germany) and SoHo New York (USA). Additionally Porsche Design was able to enlarge the distribution network by new franchise stores, among others in Johannesburg (South Africa), Doha (Qatar) and Boca Raton (USA), up to a total of worldwide more than 120 Porsche Design stores and shops.

Dr. Juergen Gessler: “Last year the world of luxury has been redefined. Sheer ornament is out of date, in great demand are longevity and sustainability. Since 1972 Porsche Design stays true to its philosophy of creating lifetime companions. Therefore our luxury brand will take an advantage out of this change. Moreover we see huge progress and very much believe in our still very young category of Porsche Design Fashion, for which we won a creative director over in 2011.”

The activities of the Porsche Design Group are concentrated in the business areas of Porsche Design, Porsche Driver’s Selection and the Porsche Design Studio in Zell am See (Austria).

Porsche Design is a luxury brand with a special focus on technically inspired products. The Porsche Design brand was established in 1972 by Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche. The products stand for functional, timeless and puristic design, and feature impressive technical innovations. The product portfolio comprises watches, sunglasses, luggage, a sports and fashion collection, electronic products and a men’s fragrance line. All of the brand’s products are designed in the Porsche Design Studio in Zell am See (Austria) and are sold worldwide in the brand’s own stores, franchise stores, shop-in-shops, high quality department stores and in exclusive specialist shops.

Source: Porsche Design Group

“We were able to increase production in Leipzig by 47 per cent compared with the year before and are turning in an increase also in 2012 record performance in 2011,” explained Wolfgang Leimgruber, Member of the Executive Board Production and Logistics of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG. More than 2,400 customers in 2011 collected their Porsche in person in Leipzig and took advantage of the opportunity to try out the location’s own circuit and challenging off-road course.
“Porsche Leipzig is a success story that began in 2002 with the inauguration of the factory on a greenfield site, with new chapters being added continuously ever since. 900 employees are now busy putting top quality Panameras and Cayennes on the road. To meet the high demand, we are introducing a third shift from the end of January 2012,” Leimgruber adds. With the new production sequence, a total of 500 vehicles will roll off the production line.
“The coming year starts with the task of converting the team to the three-shift operation and adapting our lean logistics system and other business areas to the increased output. The factory is also gearing up for a new model line,” said Siegfried Bülow, President and Chief Executive Officer of Porsche Leipzig GmbH. “We are expanding the factory to handle production of a new small SUV with project title Cajun. The outlook is for growth in Leipzig.” Porsche is investing more than 500 million euro in developing its Saxony location, which will become a fully fledged factory with its own paint shop and body assembly by 2013. An additional 1,000 jobs are being created at the Leipzig site for the Cajun project. Recruiting and training new personnel is an important item on the 2012 agenda. “We are continuing to put a lot of effort into searching for the best skilled workers in the region, Germany and internationally.” This is an emerging trend whereby many Saxons who in recent years had moved away to work, train and study are returning home. We are looking in particular for new colleagues in the quality, body assembly and logistics fields. Next year will be busy and exciting and there is cause for celebration,” Bülow added. Because in 2012, Porsche Leipzig celebrates ten years of production and will be staging numerous events on the works premises and in the town.

Source: Porsche

With 700 horsepower and 649 lb-ft torque, edo competition introduces the most powerful Panamera Turbo S ever.

EDO Competition, enabling the Panamera Turbo S to catapult from 0 to 62 mph in 3.5 seconds, is presenting the fastest Panamera Turbo S in the world.

The new edo power package is responsible for the enormous acceleration figures and lofty top speed. With an additional 150 horsepower and 96 lb-ft of torque compared to the production car, the twin-turbocharged V8 engine puts out 700 horsepower and 649 lb-ft of torque. The edo Turbo S sprints from 0 to 62 mph in a phenomenal 3.5 seconds, compared the 3.8 seconds for the stock car, and it hits 124 mph in just 11.4 seconds, as opposed to 13.5 seconds for an unmodified example. These impressive figures make one appreciate the level of power that is unleashed when the driver buries the gas pedal. The top speed of the edo Turbo S stands at 340 km/h, limited by an electronic governor.

The turbocharged engine was modified extensively to make this kind of performance possible. The modifications include new exhaust manifolds and turbochargers, high-flow catalytic converters and air filters, as well as a stainless steel high-performance exhaust system with butterfly valves. The engine management system was re-programmed to make best use of the new hardware.

In order to get this monumental power to the ground, an edo lowering module was fitted, which brings the Panamera’s body up to 30 millimeters closer to the road, providing precise handling and vastly improved driving dynamics. The new 22 in. carbon-fiber-look racing wheels add to the vehicle’s appearance, and different designs and finishes are available to our customers.

And let’s not forget the interior, where the finest leather, paired with other high-quality materials replaces the factory trim. All of it custom-made according to the customer’s wishes.

Source: edo competition

The No. 4 eBay Motors/Children’s Tumor Foundation/Racing4Research Porsche GT3 team raised an impressive $600,000 for the fight against neurofibromatosis (NF) in last weekend’s Rolex 24 At Daytona but the fundraising didn’t stop when the checkered flag waved.  

A special eBay Motors auction that will raise additional funds for the unique Children’s Tumor Foundation (CTF) Racing4Research (R4R) program has been underway since last weekend’s day-long race at Daytona and continues straight through next week.  On the block is a one-of-a-kind “Rennsport Edition” 2011 Porsche Cayman S race car that has been driven just once in competition in the Pirelli Cayman Interseries Endurance Cup Championship.  

Built and donated by Cayman Interseries founders and owners Napleton Porsche of Westmont, a premier Porsche dealer in the Chicago area, the one-off design was commissioned specifically to pay tribute to this past October’s Rennsport Reunion IV at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.  Held only once every few years, Rennsport Reunion is the ultimate celebration of Porsche’s accomplished racing heritage, and the Cayman Interseries was an honored participant in the most recent event in California.

SEE THE AUCTION HERE:

To commemorate the occasion, Napleton’s in-house racing team, Porsche Napleton Racing (PNR), built the special blue and yellow No. 4 Cayman S that is literally a rolling tribute to Porsche’s accomplished racing history.  The car includes the names of top Porsche drivers from the last half century, many of whom were in attendance at Rennsport Reunion IV and autographed the car.  The “Rennsport Edition” Cayman S also features the names of every factory racing Porsche ever produced and the great international circuits on which these famous drivers and machines raced.

The car was both debuted and raced at Rennsport Reunion, with three-time road racing champion Jack Baldwin at the wheel, and was promptly retired and prepared for special sale at the conclusion of the event. Proceeds from the “Rennsport Edition” Porsche Cayman S auction will go directly to the CTF which benefits children with NF and provides funding for research to find a cure for the disease.  Learn more and make a donation at www.racing4research.org.

At the Rolex 24, Ryan Eversley, Justin Bell, Daniel Graeff and Ron Yarab drove the No. 4 eBay Motors/Children’s Tumor Foundation/Racing4Research Porsche GT3 in what was the fifth-consecutive R4R campaign in the grueling day-long Daytona race.  The team overcame a host of endurance-race related issues to see Bell drive the No. 4 across the finish line when the checkered flag waved.

In addition to being part of the driver lineup, Bell – who has emerged as a popular television host and presenter the last few years – served as an in-race reporter for the live telecast of the race on SPEED.  The No. 4 eBay Motors/Racing4Research campaign will also be featured later this year in a second season episode of The World’s Fastest Car Show Hosted by Justin Bell, a unique web, mobile and app-accessible show available only at eBay Motors and on eBay Mobile. 

The “Rennsport Edition” Cayman Interseries race car is available for bid, after the completion of a simple bidder prequalification process, through next Tuesday, February 7, at approximately 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PST, at eBay Motors.  A specific link for registered eBay users that goes directly to the “Rennsport Edition” Cayman S can be found here. Donations to the CTF Racing4Research fundraising program can be made at www.racing4research.org.

Source: Cayman Interseries

Flying Lizard announced today that the team has received two entries for the 2012 24 Heures du Mansin Le Mans, France, on June 16-17, 2012. The full entry list was unveiled today by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) in a press conference in Paris.

The Flying Lizard entries will be the No. 80, which will compete in the GTE Pro class, and the No. 79, which will compete in the GTE Am class. Both racecars will be Porsche 911 GT3 RSRs.

Flying Lizard team principal Seth Neiman commented, “It’s an honor to be invited to participate at this prestigious event. 2011 was our first year fielding two entries and we are pleased to be able to return in 2012 with the No. 80 and No. 79 Porsches.”

Flying Lizard has competed in the 24 Heures du Mansfor seven consecutive years: 2005 to 2011. The Flying Lizard No. 80 finished third in 2005, fourth in 2006, sixth in 2008 and sixth in 2011.

The driver lineup will be announced later this Spring.

Source: Flying Lizard Motorsports

Photo: Chapman Autosport Image

Here is a great new video posted by Porsche which shows previous generations of the Porsche 911 gathered during Rennsport Reunion IV to hail the latest iteration of the iconic sports car, the new 991 series 911. The new 911 is shown doing some laps at Leguna Seca. The video finishes with a commitment from Porsche… “Our Identity, our Promise. Forever the sports car.”

YOU CAN SEE THE VIDEO HERE:

Source: Youtube / Porsche Channel

The 2012 iteration marked the 50^th anniversary of the Floridian endurance race.  To commemorate the anniversary, Grand Am and the track worked in tandem to bring back a large contingent of the overall winners from the previous 50 years to compete in a short vintage race event on the high banks of the track.

The car that I immediately gravitated toward was the 1970 victor, a Gulf-Wyer 917 KurzHeck.  As it turns out, Dario Franchitti was driving the car in the race, and we got the opportunity to sit down for a few minutes between the 24 minutes and the 24 hour to chat; about the car, the upcoming race, and his season prospects in IndyCar .

9Magazine: Dario, Can you give us a quick impression of how it felt to drive the Gulf 917 in this morning’s 24 Minutes of Daytona vintage event?

Dario Franchitti: Yeah, it was… um, well it was incredible.  It’s one of those cars that’s on my short list of cars to drive, so to get to do it here, today at Daytona was very exciting.  It’s everything I thought it would be.  You know, it’s a lot of…um, a lot of power.  It handles quite nicely.  Fantastic seating position.  You know, I guess it was…  Parts of me were very excited, parts of me were terrified.  It’s a pretty intimidating car to drive on the banking.  There were times where we weren’t hanging around, so the experience just adds to the respect I already had for the people that drove them.

9M: Before the cars went on track, I saw you put your helmet in the car.  Was that your way of calling dibs on it, as if to say “This one’s mine”?

DF: No, what happened was, Bruce Canepa, whose car it is, asked me yesterday if I would drive it.  So, I asked Chip [Dario’s boss, Mr. Chip Ganassi] last night for permission, and Chip was like “Absolutely, go ahead, man!”  You know, and so, that was it.  Going to sleep last night, I knew I was going to drive it; I got really excited about it.  Now I’ve got to go from that part, having fun, to getting serious about the race.

9M: Alright, well, settle in and get serious.  How do you think you are going to do over the next 27 or so hours?

DF: It’s a long way to go, I don’t know.  We’ll go out there, we’ll do our best.  It’s a fantastic team, we have, I think, the best team in the business, but a lot of things can go wrong.  Anything that does, you just have to be prepared to deal with it.  Hopefully we, as drivers, won’t make any mistakes.  It’s all about getting close at the end and going for it.

9M:  How would you rate your chances for another IndyCar championship this year?

DF:  [Laughs] Uh, who knows?  For sure it’s not going to be easy, but that’s what we’re here for.

9M:  Well, we appreciate you taking the time to chat with us.  I wish best of luck to you, here at Daytona, as well as the remainder of the season. 

Photos: Brad Brownell

Sales Up Six Percent

Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA), importer and distributor of Porsche sports cars, Cayenne SUVs and the Panamera four-door sports sedan line-up in the United States, today announced January 2012 sales of 2,550 vehicles.  The sales compare to 2,400 vehicles sold last year – a 6 percent increase.

“We are about to launch the new seventh generation 911 on February 4th and we have a limited supply of Boxster models, which ceased production in 2011 to prepare for changeover to the new model,” said President and CEO, Detlev von Platen. “For these reasons, we are extremely pleased with our January results.”

When compared to the prior year, Porsche sold 681 911 models, an increase of 56 percent. Panamera sales were up 16 percent to 703, compared to the same period last year.

For the month of January 2012, Porsche’s Approved Certified Pre-Owned vehicle sales were 812, compared to 650 last year – a 25 percent increase.

Source: PR/Newsource

The newly annouced Porsche Boxster was recently caught on film parked in Stuttgart. The video gives us our first glimpse of the new Boxster in a real-world environment.  Parked next to a Panamera, we can get reference as to the size of the new 981.

The new Boxster’s base model delivers 265 hp from a 2.7 liter displacement – ten hp more than its larger displacement predecessor. The Boxster S now delivers 315 hp, which is five hp more than before. Both models feature a manual six-speed gearbox as standard with the seven-speed Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) available as an option. Both sports cars achieve their best fuel consumption and acceleration performance with the PDK. The Porsche Boxster’s fuel consumption with PDK is 7.7 l/100 km and 8.0 l/100 km for the Boxster S. With gear changes without interruption to the power flow, the Boxster sprints from zero to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds, the Boxster S in 5.0 seconds.

Source: Toldi / Youtube