Quite a few reports out over the last few days that Porsche is no longer an independent company. The latest crop of rumors sprout from a report in Der Spiegel that VW/Piech has completed a reverse takeover and purchased the sport car manufacturing division, Porsche AG, of Porsche SE (and in doing so purchased the option to purchase themselves) yet provide no real proof or facts for the basis of their story.
Porsche spokesman Anton Hunger, when asked if a decision had been reached, said, “we have not been informed of one,” he went on to add that the Spiegel report was speculation that the company would not comment on. My personal experience shows that when Porsche makes it a point to deny something, it usually means that the truth is something very similar and will reveal itself shortly.
If the rumor(s) is/are true, what happens to the point being made by Dr. Porsche in the video below?
I’ve spent some time with Porsche’s PDK in the past, but never quite in the way that Porsche prepared for us at their PDK push in Birmingham, Alabama. After two days of varying driving conditions, on both road and track, I needed to take everything I thought I knew and felt about PDK and toss it out the window. Here’s the thing, if you haven’t lived with PDK in your own Porsche, or more importantly driven it on the track, then I suggest you do the same. At least while you’re reading this post.
What is PDK?
Put extremely simple, the PDK is two manual gearboxes combined into one unit. At its crux, the PDK has a sophisticated electronically controlled valve body overseeing the operation of two separate multi-plate wet-clutch packs, each with its own set of gears. One clutch activates First, Third, Fifth, Seventh and Reverse, the other Second, Fourth and Sixth. In manual mode, under acceleration, the PDK upshifts sequentially, alternating between odd and even numbered gear sets. During downshifts, however, the PDK can skip gears, even going from Seventh to Second.
The PDK (which comes from the German Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe), allows the driver to shift up and down using either steering-wheel mounted paddles or the console-mounted lever. Or, if you prefer, the driver can simply leave the PDK in automatic mode and allow it to operate totally on its own.
Porsche’s PDK is not New
For those of you that think Porsche’s Doppelkupplung insert more unpronounceable German words here (yes, PDK is muck easier on the tongue and ears) is new, guess again. What many of you may not have realized is that not only is the PDK transmission not new, it’s been part of the Porsche racing heritage for more than 20 years.
While today’s PDK transmission is a far cry from the original, the technology is a direct descendant from the PDK transmission introduced as an option on the factory race prepped Porsche 962 C in 1985. Derek Bell, who won the World Championship in a 962 with PDK in 1986, gives a great interview at automobilemag.com about his experience with the car and the transmission.
What are the Benefits of PDK
Actually, there are many, but the two biggest are:
SPEED. The dual clutch provides barely perceptible shift points with little to no power loss. In fact, gear changes happen in a mere 40 milliseconds. Faster than you can blink your eye by a factor of 8 and at least twice as fast as Jeremy Clarkson can come up with a new pithy comment about Porsche. This translates into more speed and faster lap times, much faster.
FUEL EFFICIENCY. Yes, you read that correctly, Fuel Efficiency. When you mate the PDK system with Porsche’s DFI technology you have a sports car capable of 30 + miles per gallon, that can still throw down sub two minute lap times on a challenging and technical track like Barber in Birmingham. The best part about it is you don’t have to be Hurley Haywood, Patrick Long or David Donohue to do so. I’m living proof.
PDK on the Track
The reports I’ve read tell of a 911 Carrera S (equipped with PDK) shaving 8 seconds from the lap time, clocked by the manually equipped model on, “the Ring,” not to mention a few tenths of a second off the zero to sixty time.
More importantly, for those of you who use your weekend DE events to strut your stuff, PDK is simple to use and will make you a better driver. By simple I mean idiot and bullet proof (perfect for me). Try as I might, even in some of the hardest corners at Barber, I couldn’t fool the PDK tranny; the right amount of power was instantly available no matter how deep into the apex I got before turning in or how far outside the line I was as I accelerated out. The power was simply constant and continuous. By not having to worry about my proper shift points, heal and toe, etc. I put all of my focus on the track and my line. I was rewarded with one of the fastest lap times of the day (but still almost 10 seconds off the time Hurley Haywood put down in the same car)….
PDK on the Road
Even more impressive than the track performance is the how PDK handles on the road, in traffic and cruising down the highway. Almost all shifts are seamless (more on this below) and the occasional down-shift (as the computer blips the throttle) is always nice on the ears.
My test car, an Aqua Blue 2009 Boxster S, received a 5.1 percent gain in power and a 5.6 percent jump in torque over last year’s model. Even with the additional ponies and pulling power, Porsche claims the Boxster S capable of a surprisingly thrifty 29 MPG. While I was only able to get 26 MPG out of my car, I did so while employing a fairly heavy foot (I still wanted to enjoy the car). There were others in my test group, in similar cars, whose light footed approach was rewarded with average MPG of well over 30. Let’s just say they didn’t get to our appointed destination quite as fast as I did.
What’s not to like?
Actually, not much. I did find the PDK to lag or lug a little off the start while driving for economy. Just a brief hesitation before the car pulls away. I can only attribute this to the computer doing its best to map my every changing driving habits while at the same time delivering the best possible fuel economy. This lag or lugging was no where to be found once you exerted anything over minimal pressure on the go pedal or switched the transmission into sports mode.
My only complaint, when track driving, is the location of the manual thumb shifters. Like so many other reviewers, the positioning is not necessarily intuitive and at times my big paws put too much pressure on the wheel and made a few manual shifts when I didn’t intend to.
Final Thoughts on Porsche’s PDK
I’ve read some reviews where others have complained about a loss of connection when driving PDK. Despite the obvious failings in comparison to PDK, I prefer a manual transmission (out of habit). However, it’s indisputable that PDK is easier and faster, each time, every time.
On the track, the PDK is incredibly forgiving. It makes bad drivers better and good drivers great (or damn close to it). On the road, PDK provides ease of use and great fuel economy. All in all it’s the perfect solution for the weekend racer who uses the same toy to commute back and forth to the daily grind.
With Porsche competing in upcoming races in both the ALMS and Grand-Am this weekend, there’s quite a bit going on. Borgmeister and Long are looking for their fourth 2009 GT2 win and a chance to extend their point lead. While over in the Grand-Am world Dirk Werner and Leh Keen look for their fifth win in the GT class in their Porsche GT3 Cup car, fielded by Farnbacher Loles, as Porsche still fights for points and another class win in the Daytona Prototype series. We’ll be covering both races this weekend here on the blog and on Twitter, so stay tuned for more info.
If you’re not able to keep up with each Porsche Motorsport post here on PorschePurist.com and would prefer a brief synopsis of what’s happening in the world of Porsche Motorsport, there is no better way to stay in touch than by reviewing the monthly Porsche Motorsport Newsletter. Filled with interesting facts and figures about past and upcoming races, along with changes to team and crew, the Porsche Motorsport Newsletter is an easy way to keep up-to-date on this year’s racing activities.
FIA GT Championship: Juniors shine – Collard & Westbrook lead points
The Porsche juniors are putting in a brilliant performance in the FIA GT Championship. Martin Ragginger planted the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR of the Brixia team on pole position at the third round in Oschersleben (21 June). After claiming two pole positions and a second in qualifying so far, the Austrian is the best qualifier of the season. At round three in Oschersleben, his colleague Marco Holzer secured third in qualifying and brought his Prospeed Competition Porsche home in second with Sean Edwards after a difficult rain race. Ragginger and his amateur team mate Luigi Lucchini came fifth. Works driver Emmanuel Collard and Richard Westbrook – winners of the first two races – had to retire after a collision but travel to the season highlight, the Spa 24 hour race on 25/26 July, as points’ leaders.
International GT Open: Winning streak for Porsche teams
Four races, four Porsche victories: Patrick Pilet and Raymond Narac won the fifth round of the International GT Open in Spa (27 June) with the IMSA Performance Matmut 911 GT3 RSR, with Richard Lietz and Gianluca Roda dominating race six in their Autorlando Porsche. One week later, Pilet and Narac proved unbeatable at both races in Donington (4/5 July). Lietz and Roda retain their points’ lead.
Campionato Italiano GT: Maassen and Cruz-Martins remain in lead
With a fourth and a second place at the fifth and sixth rounds of the Italian GT Championship in Mugello (20/21 June), Sascha Maassen and Francisco Cruz-Martins (Autorlando Sport) defended their lead position in the top GT2 category with their Porsche 911 GT3 RSR. Gianluca De Lorenzi and Stefano Borghi (GDL Racing, Porsche 911 GT3 Cup S) retain their GT3 class lead after claiming second place. Cedric Sbirazzuoli and Alberto Brambati (911 GT3 Cup) take up the next round in Misano (18/19 July) as front-runners in the GT Cup class.
Speed World Challenge GT: Party mood in Watkins Glen
A slightly unusual week for the Global Motorsports Group squad (GMG) in the Speed World Challenge GT: Prior to the race in Watkins Glen the team owner and driver James Sofronas became a father for the first time – and missed the first practice. Still, the new dad put in an inspired drive in his 911 GT3 to bring home third after a tough duel with his team colleague Dino Crescentini. Crescentini won – one day after his 49th birthday – giving GMG plenty of reasons to celebrate in Watkins Glen.
Grand-Am Koni Sportscar Challenge: Shock and podium in Mid-Ohio
Spencer Pumpelly and Duncan Ende showed their nerves of steel at the seventh round of the Grand-Am Koni Sportscar Challenge in Mid-Ohio: Start driver Ende was hit from behind on the first lap, cutting a tyre and forcing an early green flag pit stop. Rejoining the race in 16th, the TRG duo ploughed through the field to take third.
Race notes:
With wins three and four in Mid-Ohio (20 June) and Daytona (4 July), the Farnbacher-Loles pilots Leh Keen and Dirk Werner further extended their lead in the GT class of the Grand-Am Series. Timo Bernhard and Romain Dumas are still within striking distance of the title after fourth and eleventh place in the Penske Racing Porsche Riley Daytona Prototypes. +++ Porsche 911 racers on the first four positions, spearheaded by Marcel Tiemann and Arno Klasen in the Manthey 911 GT3 RSR, were the results of race four of the BF Goodrich Long Distance Championship on 13 June. Two weeks later, Chris Mamerow and Dirk Werner were the best Porsche team, claiming second at the wheel of a Mamerow Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup S.
Porsche One make race series:
Close racing in the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup. After round six in Silverstone (21 June), Richard Westbrook, Patrick Huisman and René Rast are separated by just two points on positions two to four. The trio are pursuing Jeroen Bleekemolen, who holds a 42-point advantage. With five rounds to go, there are still 100 points up for grabs for the winners.
Spirited drive from Rodolfo Avila at the fifth round of the Carrera Cup Asia on the Zhuhai International Circuit (21 June). Starting from pole, the 22-year-old Porsche newcomer won after a spectacular fight against Tim Sugden. Round six saw Avila end in the gravel with Darryl O’Young grabbing victory. Tim Sugden took over the points’ lead with two second positions from Christian Menzel, who after being hampered by technical problems had to settle for one fourth place.
Another Porsche rookie turned heads in the Carrera Cup Deutschland. On the Norisring (28 June) the Brazilian touring car pilot Valdeno Brito (Konrad Motorsport) fought with the eventual winner Thomas Jäger (MS Racing PZ Hamburg Nord-West) to finish just 29-hundredths of a second behind Jäger in position two. Brito had prepared for his Norisring debut with the help of onboard footage and computer games.
With two wins in Val de Vienne (4/5 July), Renaud Derlot pulled away in his Graff Racing Porsche from his toughest rival Kevin Estre at the halfway race of the Carrera Cup France. Whilst Estre lost crucial points with 14th place, Mike Parisy moved back into striking range of the leading pair with a third and a fourth place.
Change of leadership in the Carrera Cup Great Britain: With the third straight win, Tim Bridgman (Team Parker Racing) wrested the points’ lead from Tim Harvey at the ninth race in Croft (14 June). Race ten on the same day went to James Sutton (Red Line Racing). Two offs threw Bridgman back into fifth, with Tim Harvey finishing in third and staying in contact with the new leader.
Fierce competition in the Carrera Cup Italia: Seven different drivers have won the eight races to date. Only Luca Rangoni (Centro Porsche Brescia by RM) has managed two victories, most recently at the seventh round in Mugello (20 June), while Niccolò Nalio (Ebimotors Porsche Haus) joined the winners’ list after race eight (21 June). Alessandro Balzan retains the points’ lead.
With an unparalleled series of wins, Y. Shimizu impresses in the Carrera Cup Japan: On the Fuji Speedway, the Art Taste Cup team driver won races four and five on 13/14 June and remains undefeated so far in 2009. Second place went to Y. Nakamura, with talented youngster S. Hanawa attracting attention by netting third place from both races.
Two pilots in the GT3 Cup Challenge Brasil have claimed four victories in succession. Constantino Júnior won rounds one to four, with the reigning champion Miguel Paludo answering back with wins from rounds five to eight, most recently at the two championship races in Curitiba on 20/21 June.
Swen Dolenc is on a roll: After his top performance at round one of the GT3 Cup Challenge Deutschland he promptly secured pole position and victory from the second race on the Hockenheimring (14 June).
Almost as interesting as the subject of the video are the number of other luxury cars driving by the scene of the accident. Other Porsches, Mercedes, BMWs, Jaguars, Hummers, etc. etc. Capitalism is alive in well in this former Eastern Bloc States.
With the break for the June Le Mans race finally over, Porsche Motorsport customer teams are eager to continue their early-season success in the American Le Mans Series at Lime Rock Park on Saturday, July 18.
The Northeast Grand Prix, round five of the American Le Mans Series, takes the checkered flag on Saturday at 2:05 PM EDT, and will last two hours, 45 minutes. SPEED TV will begin its live coverage at 2:00 PM EDT, and will stay on the air until 5:00 PM EDT.
At the wheel of their #45 Flying Lizard Motorsports 911 GT3 RSR, Porsche factory drivers Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) and Patrick Long (USA) will be striving for their fourth straight GT2 win. The last time the pair secured four wins in a row was in 2005 – before going on to claim the GT2 championship title in the Petersen/White Lightning Porsche 911 GT3 RSR.
Bergmeister has a good record at Lime Rock of the short 1.53-mile track, having won the GT2 class there each of the last three years in a Porsche. This year, with Patrick Long with whom he pursues his third American Le Mans title this year after wins in St. Petersburg, Long Beach and Salt Lake City, Joerg is not over-confident.
“The track certainly has its appeal, but it’s still not one of my favorites,” said Bergmeister.
“The traffic is often quite chaotic and you need a little bit of luck to get through safely. With the many caution phases, which occur quite often, smooth pit stops are imperative. But we don’t have to worry about that because Flying Lizard is a team that can do pit stops with their eyes closed.”
This weekend, Bergmeister/Long will compete with a new chassis. The old one got a battering in a collision at Sebring, but after the season-opening event, there was not enough time to immediately construct a completely new car. This was only possible during the Le Mans break, but, as far as far as Patrick Long is concerned, nothing will change with the new tub.
“Our car was fast during the whole season and I’m assuming this will continue to be the case,” said Long
In Farnbacher Loles Racing’s #87 911 GT3 RSR, Porsche works driver Wolf Henzler (Germany) – who won at Lime Rock last year with Joerg Bergmeister and went on the claim the title – hopes to finally make the breakthrough. Henzler has started two races from pole position so far this season with Dirk Werner (Germany), and with his works driver colleague Marc Lieb he recently pocketed second place in Salt Lake City – but he is still waiting for his first win of the season. Because Werner will be at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama this weekend, where he leads the Rolex Grand-Am GT class with Leh Keen in a Farnbacher Loles Racing Porsche, the team has invited Bryce Miller (Summit, NJ) to drive with Henzler.
“I am excited to get back behind the wheel of an RSR – it is an impressive machine and a fun car to drive. I am really happy team owner Greg Loles has given me the opportunity to drive his car again and to do it with Wolf Henzler leaves little up for discussion. Wolf has been a good friend and mentor going back to 2006. Working with him has always been a pleasure and a success, so I am ready to do it again. It is always nice to come back to my home track, Lime Rock. I have not driven the reconfigured circuit yet, but I can look to Wolf to help accelerate the learning of that new segment for me,” said Miller, son of 1980’s IMSA racer Paul Miller.
For Lime Rock, the Flying Lizard Motorsports team will field a second 911 GT3 RSR driven by Johannes van Overbeek (San Francisco, Calif.) and Seth Neiman (Hillsborough, Calif.), while the VIICI Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RSR will be driven by Johannes Stuck (Austria) and Richard Westbrook (Great Britain).
Also, after the successful premiere in Salt Lake City, the ALMS Challenge Class will feature Porsche 911 GT3 Cup entries – including Salt Lake winners Martin and Melanie Snow (Sandy, UT) – who will take part in this new class, which runs as a fifth class below GT2.
After four wins this season, the Porsche pilots Dirk Werner (Germany) and Leh Keen (USA) travel to the eighth round of the American Grand-Am Series in the Barber Motorsports Park as clear leaders. With the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup fielded by Farnbacher Loles Racing, they are determined to continue their success streak in the GT class on Sunday on the demanding circuit in the US state of Alabama and celebrate victory number five.
While Dirk Werner and Leh Keen could take a major step forward in their hunt for the title with victory in the “Deep South” of the USA, Timo Bernhard (Germany) and Romain Dumas (France) have more humble goals. The Porsche works drivers, who contest the Daytona Prototype class with a Penske Racing Porsche Riley, are still waiting for their first win of the season. After claiming two third positions in Millville and Watkins Glen, they were hampered by gearbox problems recently in Daytona. In the championship they currently rank fourth but are still within striking distance of the leader.
“Nothing is lost yet. The season is still long and we have to try to keep in contact with the top three. We don’t give up that easily,” said an optimistic Timo Bernhard. With Romain Dumas he tested on the 3.83 kilometre circuit last December. “We did well then and I think we’ve found a good set up for the race.” The track follows the roller coaster landscape and is anything but easy. “If you find the right line you can definitely make up a lot of time. On the other hand you have to have complete faith in your car – the many semi fast to fast corners are not for the faint-hearted.”
Making the situation even more difficult is the typical heat and humidity of the southern states. The Porsche pilots got a small taste of this at the wheel of their black #12 Porsche Riley at the Daytona race. “We had a cockpit temperature of 60 degrees Celsius,” said Romain Dumas. “That was tough, but Birmingham will be even tougher. After such a race you know why you do so much fitness training during winter.”
Two more Porsche Rileys are fielded by the US customer squad Brumos Racing. David Donohue (USA) and Darren Law (USA), winners of the Daytona 24 hour race, compete in the number 58 racer. Their teammates are Joao Barbosa (Portugal) and JC France (USA), whose # 59 Daytona Prototype is also powered by a 510 hp Porsche six-cylinder engine. Spirit of Daytona Racing, a private team, races a Porsche Coyote.
Traditionally, Porsche is strongly represented in the GT class. Tackling the race alongside Dirk Werner and Leh Keen, Porsche works driver Wolf Henzler (Germany) and Eric Lux (USA) share driving duties at the wheel of the second Porsche 911 GT3 Cup run by Farnbacher Loles Racing. The TRG customer team fields four 911 GT3 Cup sports cars.
The race in Birmingham takes off on Sunday, 18th July, at 14.00 hours local time (21.00 CEST) and runs over 250 miles.
With Porsche as the featured marque at this year’s Rolex Monterey Historics, the PorschePurist.com team is planning on making the cross country trek in order to attend and enjoy all the Porsche goodness. For those of you not familiar with the Rolex Monterey Historics, their web-site has a wealth of information available on the event, schedule, things to do, where to stay, etc. etc. You can also take a look at historic videos, pictures and stories from the events 35 + year history. Here’s an example below for your enjoyment.
Carmel-By-The-Sea Concours on the Avenue
If you are planning on attending, one thing you may want to consider is the Carmel-By-The-Sea Concours on the Avenue. This event, held Tuesday, August, 11 features multi marques from 1940-1973 and Porsches and Ferraris through 1989. In recognition of Porsche’s 60th Anniversary there are over sixty Porsches currently entered. Bruce Anderson (noted Porsche author and one of this year’s judges) had the following to say,
“This is the third year for this great event. The first year it was Multi Marques only, but that did include some Porsches and Ferraris. Lat year we had two separate shows: one for The Multi Marque cars and another for the Ferraris and Porsches. This year all three shows are combined on one day and Porsche is being Featured, we already have over sixty car entered.”
For Concours de Elegance information you can check out www.motorclubevents.com. If any of you have been to the Monterey Historics in the past we would greatly appreciate your thought and input on the show? What are the things that are a “must see”? Any special tips on avoiding traffic? Where to sit for the best view of the races? Basically, anything you can think of, good or bad, would be appreciated. Let us know by commenting below.
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and one of this year’s judges) had the following to say,
