Are Porsche coming back ???

[marcus]

will porsche return to dominate GT2..maybe ???...speculation is around that Porsche are hard at work on a new car called S1..dont know much about it as yet but apparently they are considering this and want to take on the challenge of the vipers and corvettes..the new car will replace the 911 GT2 which is no longer in construction and is based on the 911 GT1 car that was built a while back ..lets hope this is true as porsche are truly missed in sportscar racing especially in the top classes..one problem though is that the old GT1 car was built with a carbon fibre chassis and the rules of GT2 state that no carbon fibre chassis are allowed..but im sure they can work something out in this area

[Regs]

I'd love to see Porsche return to the upper eschelon of the series and put out a entirely conceptual design to take on Audi/BMW LM/Panoz etc. It's been a long time since Porsche have turned out a car not somehow based on the 911. And in the Seventies and early Eighties they dominated that class. I wish I could remember the number designators of those cars, and at any other time it not relevent I probably could, but you know the ones I'm talking about. Part of Porsche's reputation is built on those cars.

[jarama]

Hi, Regs:

Maybe you're talking about the 934 -Gr.4-, 935 -Gr.5 or Silhouette-, 935/78 nicknamed "Moby Dick", 935/2 nicknamed "Baby" and finally, 936 -Gr.6 or Sports- in his different versions, all of this in the second half of Seventies. In the Eighties, meanwhile, maybe you're refering to the 956 and 962 -Gr.C or IMSA versions-.

[Truckosaurus]

I think the main hurdle stopping a large scale comeback
by Porsche is that the Racing department has been told it
has to turn a profit each year, so now more bankrolling by
the parent company...

I'm sure, as Marcus says, that they've got a GT2 car up
their sleeve (996 bodyshell with the water cooled, twin
turbo ex-GT1 engine ), and if they can find enough
customers then they'll make it - shouldn't be too difficult
there are plenty of national and international GT series...

Finding customers/sponsors for a LMP/sportscar vehicle
is probably harder as there fewer places for it to race.

[KC]

According to Autoweek, the S1 is indeed in the works. It is expected to be launched in 2003 as a road going successor to the 1998 911 GT1 road car and will be sold in limited quantities to meet FIA homologation requirements. The S1 is expected to boast the following:
1. Carbon fiber monocoque.
2. Venturi undertray for added downforce at high speeds.
3. Sequential six speed gear box possibly with F1-style paddle shifter.
4. Powered by mid-engine mounted 5.4 liter 32-valve V8 expected to produce around 700 hp minus intake restrictors.

The road going version is expected to compete directly against the Mercedes Vision SLR and Ferrari F60. If all of this comes to bear, we could possibly be seeing the car capable of dethroning the Vipers in GT competition. A lot will depend on how much money Porsche lose on their SUV project.

[Regs]

Thanks jarama those are the cars I was referring to. The 956 types were what I had specifically in mind. As well as the type used in the film "LeMans", 917's I think. But thats what I'd like to see Porsche return to.

[marcus]

It would definately seem as this is happening and can only be good for the sport.

[TheShadow]

A friend who is a pro driver(ALMS) says that Porsche will be back in LMP in 2002.

He is right 95% of the time.

KM