Latest news with #TimoResch
Top Gear
10 hours ago
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Oh yes, Porsche has built a one-off, 671bhp road-legal* V8 963 hypercar
*sorta. In honour of Count Rossi's glorious silver 917 comes this glorious silver 963 Porsche has shocked the motoring world by unveiling a brand-new road-going performance car. While it shares many things with road-going performance cars – headlights, turn indicators, a horn – it is unlike almost anything you can currently purchase. Because this one's spun directly off a car that's won multiple endurance racing world titles. Welcome, one and all, to the mad, bad, and entirely brilliant Porsche 963 RSP. It's a version of Porsche's WEC and IMSA competitor built to mark 50 years since a certain Count Rossi drove the all-conquering Porsche 917 from Zuffenhausen to Paris. Like that car, this one's been tweaked so it's street legal. Sorta. 'How could we reimagine [the 917's] story in today's time?' asked Porsche's North American boss Timo Resch. The answer, as you can see, is quite clear. 'The 917 from the story was every inch a race car – albeit one driven on the road – and we took the same approach with the 963 RSP,' added Resch. 'It uses beautiful materials of the best quality available, but is still every bit a race car underneath.' A fine place to start. For this very special project, the small team in charge of the RSP - including Porsche's Sonderwunsch department - decided early on that they'd need a brand-new 963 chassis, not an existing one. To which a number of very subtle, very important and likely mind-blowingly complicated changes were made. The 963's ride height was raised from a hair's width to something more suitable for general roads, while the adjustable Multimatic DSSV dampers – designed for sports prototypes, don't forget – were gaffer taped into their softest setting. Then came one of the hardest bits: allowing the 4.6-litre, twin-turbo V8 hybrid powerplant to run on regular unleaded. Not race fuel, but the stuff you can get out of a forecourt pump. 'Not a small undertaking,' explained Porsche Penske Motorsport MD Jonathan Diuguid. Amazingly, it's in race trim, which means the 918 Spyder-derived V8, e-motor and battery combo punches out an incredible 671bhp, only here it's been treated to an ECU remap to smooth out the power delivery. Top Gear has not long forgotten what the nat-asp 918 Spyder's V8 sounds like, nor the 963's race-bred unit. This Will Be Loud. Not when running on e-power alone, which the 963 RSP is capable of for short stretches. Though Porsche has ensured its lucky new owner will want to do rather longer stretches because the interior is, of course, the biggest departure from the race car.
Motor 1
12 hours ago
- Automotive
- Motor 1
963 RSP Revealed: Meet Porsche's Street-Legal Le Mans Hypercar
For years, the difference between road car and race car was a bit more nebulous than it is now. Especially at places like Le Mans, it wasn't until the 1960s that the paths for road cars and top-flight prototypes started to diverge. Now, the stuff you see at the pointy end of the grid at La Sarthe has more in common with a Formula 1 car than, say, a 911. Which is precisely why the Porsche 963 RSP is so remarkable. This is a real-deal 963 LMDh car , tamed just enough for road use, wearing a set of French license plates. We spoke with those who turned a crazy idea into reality. Photo by: Porsche At last year's IMSA-season-ending Petit Le Mans, a group of Porsche folks got together to talk about how they could commemorate the 50th anniversary of the company's creation of a roadgoing 917. Porsche made the car for Count Rossi, heir to the Martini & Rossi liquor fortune. Despite a fully-trimmed interior, Rossi's was a full-on Le Mans-winning race car for the road. The Italian managed to get a license plate from the state of Alabama, of all places, and actually enjoyed the car on the street. 'October 12th was the very specific day where a couple of people sat together and we were brainstorming. 'How could we reimagine such a story as of today?'' recalls Timo Resch, CEO of Porsche Cars North America, in a virtual media roundtable. 'And we started on that day project where only very few people were involved.' They created what in Germany is referred to as a submarine project—one involving as few people as possible, existing beneath the visible surface, only emerging when absolutely necessary. The team quickly deemed creating a fully road-homologated version of the 963 impossible. A car like this is just too far divorced from the requirements of street cars, so Porsche would have to alter it to an unrecognizable state to get it homologated. Instead, Porsche would create a one-off that hewed as closely to the race car as possible, and a car that could get special dispensation for very limited road use. Photo by: Porsche Obviously, Porsche would have to work with Porsche Penske Motorsport to make the car a reality, and the team decided that Roger would be the car's ideal owner. The name RSP are the captain's initials, Roger Searle Penske. Porsche Motorsport in Germany prepared a new chassis for the 963 RSP—this is not a reused tub from a race car. Under designer Grant Larson, Porsche Exclusiv Manufaktur did the design work, but the car was actually put together at Porsche Cars North America's headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. There, it was worked on behind temporary walls, so the other technicians wouldn't know what was going on. 'A lot of changes have been made to suspension and systems to make it more tame and more like a road car, but still keep the pedigree of the 963 race car,' says Jonathan Diuguid, managing director of Porsche Penske Motorsport. 'On top of this, what the restoration group in Atlanta has been able to bring forward is a level of quality that is not aligned with the race car at all, whatsoever.' This isn't to say the race cars aren't Penske Perfect. But the finish on their carbon-fiber body panels is rough, and wrapped simply with vinyl. Here, PCNA craftspeople sanded down the carbon fiber bodywork and painted it in the same Martini Silver as the Count Rossi 917. They also trimmed the interior in Alcantara matching the tan of the 917 as well, and there are other nods to road usability. There's leather on the steering-wheel grips and even a 3D-printed removable cup holder. Photo by: Porsche There are some bodywork changes, too. Racing rulebooks require huge vents over the wheel wells to prevent the car getting blown over in the case of a spin. For the RSP, Porsche created pieces that close in gaps, while still allowing for some ventilation. Also, the team had to make accommodations for front and rear license plates. Despite such niceties, this is very much just a 963. You get a 4.6-liter V-8 twin-turbo V-8 paired with a spec hybrid system consisting of an electric motor and power electronics from Bosch, and an XTrac seven-speed sequential transmission. The battery is a small, 800-volt lithium ion unit from Fortescue Zero that bolts into the carbon-fiber tub from below. The engine is derived from the naturally aspirated V-8 in the Porsche 918 Spyder hypercar, which itself was a development of the RS Spyder LMP2 car of the 2000s. It shares about 80 percent of its components with the 918 Spyder's engine, so adapting it for road use wasn't as difficult as it could have been with a bespoke racing engine. Still, adapting the V-8 to run on pump gas was a significant calibration challenge. Porsche Penske Motorsport also tweaked the deployment of the hybrid system to be smoother, better suited for low-speed driving on the street. Porsche doesn't quote a power figure for the 963 RSP, but the race car is capable of around 700 horsepower, split between the hybrid system and the V-8 depending on balance-of-performance. Porsche 963 RSP 20 Source: Porsche The 963 RSP sits on the same Michelin treaded rain tires the race cars use in inclement conditions, and they're wrapped around 18-inch OZ wheels. Porsche set the ride height as high as it could, and put the dampers in their softest settings to make the car drivable on the street, though one imagines the ride quality will be a bit firm still. And yes, the 963 RSP has turn signals and a horn. Famously, the 917 starts on a key drilled out to save weight. Starting the 963 is a bit more complicated—it requires a laptop, and the assistance of a race team that knows how the car works. So, Penske will need to do a bit of planning ahead if he wants to exercise the car, though as Porsche points out, he owns a race track and a race team, so using the 963 RSP won't be too difficult. Porsche got special permission from French authorities to drive the car on the roads around Le Mans, and the license plates it wears are for automakers testing prototypes. Longtime Porsche works driver and current brand ambassador Timo Bernhard drove the car on the roads near the circuit alongside the Rossi 917 earlier today. 'That was an experience that will stay with me for a lifetime,' he said in a statement. 'Driving down a public road with a 917 beside me—it felt unreal. The car behaved perfectly—it felt a little friendlier and more forgiving than the normal 963—and felt super special and a lot more comfortable, especially as I was not needing all my safety gear.' Penske will have to wait a bit before he can take the car home. It will be on display at Le Mans, and then at the Porsche Museum. Next month, Porsche plans to take it to the Goodwood Festival of Speed to run it up the hillclimb. Then, the car will head to California for Monterey Car Week in August for more road drives, and the final handover to the Captain. For now, at least, Porsche doesn't have any specific further plans for another roadgoing 963, but that doesn't mean it might not make one. 'Of course we will not build exactly the same car again because of the nature of the project… but as I said before, never say never,' says Urs Kuratle, head of the Porsche LMDh project. 'As Porsche, we like to sell cars first of all, and if there is an opportunity or possibility to do it again at a later stage, why not? But at the moment, there's nothing planned.' So if you want one and you've got oodles of cash to spend, get in touch. More on Porsche Is the 911 Hybrid Still a True Porsche? Video Review Porsche Shifts Course, Leans Into Hybrids Instead of EVs Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
Associated Press
15-04-2025
- Automotive
- Associated Press
Porsche 911 Carrera GTS named World's Greatest Auto Disruptors 2025 Powertrain Disruptor of the Year by Newsweek
Atlanta., April 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Porsche 911 Carrera GTS T-Hybrid is the winner of the Newsweek World's Greatest Auto Disruptors 2025 Powertrain Disruptor of the Year award, which celebrates significant technological advances. The new ' T-Hybrid ' powertrain uses a small 1.9 kWh lithium ion battery to power two electric motors: one between the engine and transmission and the other in the single turbocharger. The powertrain eliminates the need for a starter motor, instead relying on the electric motor to start the engine. The so-called e-turbo does without a wastegate, converting excess pressure to energy that is sent back to the battery to help power the hybrid system. 'The idea of a high performance hybrid Porsche has been alive and well for more than a decade. Like so many other technologies, we forged our expertise on the field of competition in motorsport where the 911 GT3 R Hybrid combined internal combustion with electric performance,' Timo Resch, President and CEO Porsche Cars North America said. 'Today, we use plug-in hybrid powertrains to augment the performance of several variants from the Cayenne and Panamera model lines. The most logical step for the 911 was to apply learning from our prior projects and create an extremely sporty, lightweight hybrid system that would enhance driving prowess without adding much weight. In the sports car segment this is a truly disruptive idea, so winning this award is especially meaningful.' By using a small battery and foregoing a separator clutch to allow for electric-only driving, the hybrid system in the new 911 Carrera GTS adds minimal weight, leaving the new model only about 110 lbs. heavier than its predecessor. Applying electric power to the turbocharger eliminates the need for exhaust gas to spool the turbocharger, meaning boost is immediate. The electric motor connected directly to the transmission also provides immediate torque for a large powerband and highly responsive throttle pedal. The new hybrid system also allows for advances in the Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) system. Thanks to the onboard high voltage system, the newest generation of PDCC is now electro-hydraulically controlled, allowing for much quicker response and even better body control than in prior models. Every 2025 Porsche 911 GTS model variant uses the new T-Hybrid powertrain. This includes the 911 Carrera GTS, 911 Carrera 4 GTS, 911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet, 911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet and 911 Targa GTS. U.S. customer delivery for all five model variants began in the first quarter of 2025. Attachment Frank Wiesmann Porsche Cars North America, Inc. 404.539.5031 [email protected] Luke Vandezande Porsche Cars North America, Inc. 470.363.5001 [email protected]
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Porsche reports record U.S. retail sales for first quarter 2025
Sports car maker breaks Q1 record set in 2023 Porsche reports record U.S. retail sales for first quarter 2025 ATLANTA, April 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA) today announced that first-quarter retail deliveries in the United States totaled 18,884 vehicles, up 40.6 percent from the first quarter of 2024 and up 8.1 percent, from the previous first-quarter record set in 2023. Demand is robust across most model lines and deliveries increased significantly after the supply-constrained first quarter of 2024. "Despite the challenges facing the automotive industry today, Porsche is on solid footing in the United States," said Timo Resch, President and CEO of PCNA. "These record-breaking numbers would not be possible without the enthusiasm of our long-time customers and, of course, those new to the brand. We are grateful for the tremendous response to the new models and powertrains – many of which were introduced very recently. In addition, I am thankful for our teams in our Porsche Centers, in the field and at our headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia for their relentless commitment to supporting our customers.' The Macan, a standout performer, led the quarter's record performance with 7,486 SUVs sold. Notably, the Macan Electric accounted for 44.6 percent of Macan sales for the year to date. Two-door sports cars also posted significant gains. The 911 achieved 2,086 retail sales, while deliveries of the 718 totaled 1,476 units in the first quarter. Year-to-date, Cayenne sales totaled 5,331 and Panamera 1,486. Thanks to the success of the Macan BEV, 23 percent of all Porsche vehicles sold in the first quarter were fully electric. Taycan sales totaled 1,019 this quarter, slightly down from the same period in 2024. Porsche Approved Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) sales in the U.S. totaled 11,587 vehicles in the first quarter of 2025, up 11.7 percent from the same quarter in 2024. Model Q1 (January-March) Sales 2024 2025 ALL 911 1,930 2,086 ALL 718 797 1,476 ALL TAYCAN 1,247 1,019 ALL PANAMERA 523 1,486 ALL CAYENNE 3,261 5,331 ALL MACAN 5,671 7,486 GRAND TOTALS 13,429 18,884 PCNA is reporting new car sales from January 3, 2025, to March 31, 2025. About Porsche Cars North America, Inc. | One Porsche Drive, Atlanta, GA 30354 USA Established in 1984, Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA) is the exclusive U.S. importer of the Porsche 911, 718 Boxster, 718 Cayman, Macan, Cayenne, Panamera and Taycan. The Porsche Car Configurator can be used by anyone to customize and pre-order any vehicle in that lineup at any time. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, since 1998, PCNA is home to the first Porsche Experience Center in North America, which features two module-based 1.6 mile driver development tracks, a business center and Restaurant 356. The campus is also home to the U.S. headquarters of Porsche Classic. The company operates a second Porsche Experience Center near Los Angeles. That complex features a driver development track with eight educational modules totaling 4.1 miles, a business center, Restaurant 917 and the headquarters of Porsche Motorsport North America. PCNA supports 203 independently owned and operated Porsche Centers in the U.S., four Porsche studios and five satellite stores in the U.S., including supplying parts, service, marketing, and training. They, in turn, work to provide Porsche customers with a best-in-class experience that is in keeping with the Porsche brand's 75-year history of leadership in the advancement of vehicle performance, safety, and efficiency. PCNA is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Porsche AG, which is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. At the core of this success is Porsche's proud racing heritage that boasts some 30,000-plus motorsport wins to date. Photos and video footage are available to accredited journalists on the Porsche Press Database and on the Porsche Cars North America Newsroom. Follow us: | | | | | Public Relations Department Public Relations Department Corporate Communications Corporate Communications Jarred Hopkins Jennifer Bixler Phone +1.404.401.4448 Phone +1.470.827.1201 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
Associated Press
21-02-2025
- Automotive
- Associated Press
Porsche and RM Sotheby's 911 S/T auction raises $1 million for American Red Cross
Atlanta., Feb. 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA) and RM Sotheby's announced today that a rare 911 S/T auction garnered one million dollars. All proceeds from the sale will benefit the American Red Cross to help people affected by disasters big and small across the country, including the wildfires in California and recent flooding in the South. The generous bidder, who has chosen to remain anonymous, is known to PCNA having previously purchased the 911 Sally Special, which also benefited charities. 'On behalf of everyone at PCNA, we are truly grateful to the winning bidder for their generosity,' said Timo Resch, President and CEO of Porsche Cars North America. 'Their bid will make a meaningful difference to the outstanding work of the American Red Cross.' The Red Cross responds to more than 65,000 disasters nationwide each year – from single-family home fires to extreme weather events affecting entire communities. Most recently the American Red Cross has been active in California. Since the outbreak of the fires in Los Angeles, the American Red Cross has provided over 14,500 overnight stays shelter, 128,000 meals, as well as over 102,000 relief supplies such as flashlights, face masks, water and other essentials to those directly affected. 'Thanks to the Porsche Cars North America and RM Sotheby's auction, the Red Cross is able to support families impacted by disasters big and small across the country,' said Anne McKeough, chief development officer at the American Red Cross. 'We are grateful for this partnership as we work together to provide help and hope to people in times of dire need.' Painted in Shore Blue Metallic and equipped with the Heritage Design Package, the auctioned 911 S/T is number 1,919 of the 1,963 vehicles created to mark the 60th anniversary of the Porsche 911. It is the only 911 S/T in the United States not yet assigned to a customer. Many connected to Porsche contributed their time and energy to the auction, including actor Orlando Bloom who lent his support to raise awareness of the sale, and RM Sotheby's who waved their usual fees to maximize the amount that reaches the Red Cross. 'It's deeply gratifying to support the American Red Cross in partnership with Porsche Cars North America,' said Gord Duff, President of RM Sotheby's. 'We'd like to send our heartfelt congratulations to the new owner of this amazing car and thank them for their generosity in supporting communities in need.' In addition to the car, the winning bidder will also receive a limited-edition 911 S/T Porsche Design timepiece and an exclusive owner's manual pouch signed by Director of the GT model line, Andreas Preuninger.
