Porsche Revs Up 50th 911 Anniversary With Historic Race Car

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Porsche 911 with ‘Project 50’ Historic race car

Porsche 911 with ‘Project 50’ Historic race car

In an exciting initiative to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 911, Porsche Cars GB is racing a classic 1965 example of the iconic sports coupe in Historic motor sport this year; this special car is making its racing debut at Brands Hatch, Kent, this weekend. The 1965 ‘short-wheelbase’ 911 will be racing under the ‘Project 50’ team banner in selected 'Masters Series' events alongside appearances at larger Historic Festivals such as the Nürburgring OldTimer and Silverstone Classic. The car has undergone extensive pre-season testing and makes its formal race debut this coming weekend at Brands Hatch on Bank Holiday Monday, 27 May. It will be driven by 2003 Porsche Carrera Cup GB Champion, Barry Horne, and Gordon Robertson, Chief Driving Consultant at the Porsche Experience Centre, Silverstone. The car is maintained and run jointly by technicians based at the Porsche Experience Centre and the in-house Porsche Cars GB Motorsport team, who also provide the technical support for the Carrera Cup GB Championship and GT3 Cup Challenge GB. “Winning the Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship really put my driving career into top gear, and over the last decade I have been pleased to continue working with Porsche Cars GB closely at the Experience Centre at Silverstone,” said Barry Horne. “The ‘Project 50’ race car has a little less horsepower than the 911 GT3 Cup car I drove to my Championship win, but the classic handling balance you get with the rear-mounted, flat-six engine remains much the same. In fact, with the slimmer tyres of the 1965 car, it slides about much more which keeps you on your toes!” Gordon Robertson, the star of many on-line Porsche Origin films in which his deft car control showcases the dynamic performance of the latest sports cars from Stuttgart, is also looking forward to the Brands Hatch race. “The famous 2.4 mile Brands Hatch GP circuit has seen its fair share of great motor racing battles, and Porsche has been at the forefront in many. The character of the circuit should be a good match for our 911, and the scene is set for perhaps another great battle!” In addition to emphasising the race-bred nature of the 911, ‘Project 50’ is a natural high speed ambassador for the Porsche Classic parts service. From its hub at the company headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, Porsche Classic maintains a stock of over 35,000 genuine Porsche spares – for cars spanning the 356 to the Type 993 911 – which are available over the counter from Porsche Centres worldwide. Further partners in ‘Project 50’ are the luxury five-star London hotel, The Mayfair, based in Stratton Street, Swiss luxury watch manufacturer TAG Heuer, Dunlop tyres and the Porsche Experience Centre at Silverstone. Catch ‘Project 50’ in action Brands Hatch Masters Festival, Kent 25 - 27 May Goodwood Festival of Speed, Sussex 11 - 14 July Silverstone Classic, Northamptonshire 26 - 28 July Nurburgring OldTimer, Germany 9 - 11 August Classics at the Castle , Essex 7 - 8 September Spa 6 Hours, Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium 20 - 22 September Jerez Masters, Jerez, Spain 11 - 13 October The car Built in September 1965, the ‘Project 50’ car is powered by a rear-mounted, 1,991 cc flat-six ‘boxer’ engine developing 130 hp. In the early days of 911 production, right-hand drive was available as a special order factory option and this car features that configuration – despite originally being sold to a customer in Italy. Having spent some time in America, the ‘Project 50’ car was imported to the UK in the late 1990s, where it was subsequently fully restored and converted into an ‘FIA-Approved’ race car by an established historic Porsche motor sport preparation company. With a simple silhouette and minimal exterior graphics, the early 911 has a very distinct design purity which is a lasting legacy of its designer, Ferdinand Alexander Porsche. This not only established the Stuttgart coupe as a style icon, but also set the template for future generations of the car. These early cars also forged the motorsport reputation of the 911, not least with an outstanding debut success in the 1965 Monte Carlo Rally with a first in class and fifth place overall result. Team ‘Project 50’ The Porsche Cars GB ‘Project 50’ activity underlines the origins of the 911, and particularly its roots in racing. Long-standing Porsche fans and younger enthusiasts will also be intrigued to reflect on how Porsche has developed the unique rear-engined concept of the 911 continually over the past 50 years. Few cars have enjoyed such a long production run and evolved so purposefully and effectively. The enduring design language that ensures a 911 is never anything other than a 911 to look at guarantees a consistency of style that has never gone out of fashion. Since it was launched, the 911 has been regarded as a rewarding car to drive quickly due to its rear-engine. To drive fast, a 1965 911 undoubtedly demands a particular level of commitment behind the wheel; this dynamic flair remains discriminating to this day. Systematic chassis refinements over the years have had the effect of lessening the influence of the legendary rear-biased weight distribution of the 911, yet the unique feel, character and driver involvement is undimmed. And the high dynamic limits of the chassis continue to demand respect. While the origins of the latest Type 991 version of the 911 remain self-evident in the distinctive silhouette and emotional character, it is clear the 911 has been perfectly engineered over seven generations to remain the benchmark sports car. This process of evolution results in a car that its many fans regard as getting better and better with time. The Porsche 911 in motorsport today Porsche can claim more than 28,000 race victories in almost every motor sports series worldwide, and while many of these successes have been achieved with immensely powerful specialist race cars like the evocative 917 and 956, the iconic 911 sports coupe is the bedrock on which the peerless racing reputation of the Stuttgart marque has been built. Porsche is the world's largest manufacturer of racing cars; the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race car competes in the Mobil1 Supercup, the world’s fastest international one-make Championship, which supports Formula One Grands Prix. The 911 GT3 Cup also entertains spectators around the world racing in the many domestic Carrera Cup Championships in Germany, Asia, France, Italy, Japan, Scandinavia and Great Britain. Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship First run in 2003, the Porsche Carrera Cup GB is the fastest single marque racing Championship in Britain. With over 20 identical examples of the 450 hp 911 GT3 Cup race car battling for honours, it provides thrilling support to the British Touring Car Championship at circuits up and down the country. This year saw the 200th Porsche Carrera Cup GB race, in the eleventh consecutive season. The 911 GT3 Cup car is the best-selling racing car of all time, having been built in a production series of more than 2,000 since 1998. The ‘Type 997’ 911 GT3 Cup racer is based on the 911 GT3 RS road car, and is powered by a rear-mounted, 450 hp 3.8-litre flat-six engine. Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge GB For 2013, the GT3 Cup Challenge GB has a six-weekend, 12-race calendar. This will once again culminate in a finale alongside the Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship, in support of the British Touring Car Championship, at Silverstone on September 28/29. Open to any 911 GT3 Cup race car from the 2009 model year or earlier (spanning ‘Type 997’ and ‘Type 996’ model series), the GT3 Cup Challenge is designed to be a perfect stepping stone for drivers aiming to move up to the Carrera Cup GB in subsequent seasons. It is also ideally suited to younger racers with some sponsorship backing, as well as competitors graduating from track days. The series is open to drivers with a National B race licence. International Motorsport The 911 GT3 R is designed to be the first step for drivers moving up to GT racing. The GT3 R celebrated 41 wins from 131 starts in a range of GT3 racing series worldwide. For the 2013 season, Porsche offers teams an upgrade package which will position the GT3 R even better in the performance window as defined by the FIA. At the pinnacle of the 911 motorsport pyramid sits the RSR, the standard-bearer for Porsche in international blue riband events like the Le Mans 24 Hours. Porsche factory team to race new 911 RSR in 2013 This year, Porsche fields two new GT race cars based on the new ‘Type 991’ generation of the Porsche 911 in the Le Mans 24 hours race and in the World Endurance Championship (WEC). For the first time since taking overall victory in 1998, a factory team from Porsche will tackle the world famous long distance motor race in France. The two new Porsche 911 RSR race cars are run by Porsche AG Team Manthey from the Porsche Motorsport base in Weissach, near Stuttgart, Germany. Return to Le Mans: 2014 With 16 overall victories, Porsche is the most successful manufacturer in Le Mans history. In 2014, Porsche will return to the world-famous venue with a works-run sports prototype race car in the top LMP1 category. The first roll-out of the new LMP1 car is planned for mid-2013.Tags: