Porsche’s return to high-level racing after 16 years away
After more than a decade, Porsche is returning to the LMP1 class of the FIA World
- Should racing activities be distinct from a brand’s mainstream image?
- Can a brand’s racing success attract new consumers?
- Does racing still “improve the breed”?
“In my opinion . . .”
I was asked for my opinion today by Luxury Daily . . . does Porsche has a strong racing reputation? I had to smile.Porsche has one of the richest racing reputations and legacies of any automotive marque, anywhere, EVER. The company has earned major victories and championships in rally, desert, road courses, and has build engines for McLaren’s winning Formula One team.
Porsche’s been racing for 50 years starting with the early 356 coupe, with many other famous series to follow. Models such as the 550 RS and Spyder, 904, 908, 917, 935, 944 Turbo Cup, 956, 959, 962, LMPs (Le Mans Prototypes) and last but not least, the 911 RSR, Carrera, Turbo, GT1, GT2, GT3.
Porsche continued this tradition in 2005 with the Porsche RS Spyder prototype and the Penske Motorsport team in the American Le Mans Series. Now, Porsche is coming back to racing hot-and-heavy in 2014. Porsche’s bringing their new technology-heavy R18 e-tron quattro to the game. It’s built as a sports-prototype for race track purposes only however it will offer important development content for the company’s various production cars.
Porsche opened this season with a win at the Daytona 24 Hours. Soon to follow, comes the toughest race of all, the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It’s good to see them back. This video accompanying this blog article typifies how we as motorsport fans all feel about it.
Even though Audi and Porsche are owned under various Volkswagen-based company groups, it’s good to see this video’s that was produced. What seems at first like a blatant display of aggression against a competitor—note the Audi passing a Porsche tractor as though it was standing still (no doubt, a tongue-in-cheek jibe at Porsche)—the video concludes with a respectful nod to a fellow warrior on the field of battle. For long-time motorsport fans it’s dare I say, it’s even a little touching . . . some I’ve heard say “Awww” at the end.
The tradition continues!
Image credit: Porsche AG
