The history of the development of Porsche in models (26 photos). The history of the Porsche brand, the model range with technical specifications and photographs Who makes Porsche

History of Porsche

Porsche is that rare case when the history of a well-known brand could have ended before it began. The Porsche lineup today is one of the most diverse among sports car manufacturers from companies such as Lamborghini, Ferrari, Maserati. Despite all the problems that have been in the history of Porsche development, the company was able to take a leadership position ...

Ferdinand Porsche was born on September 3, 1875 in Maffersdorf near Bohemia. The father of young Ferdinand was a plumber, and therefore his son followed in his footsteps, later continuing his undertaking - he gets a job as an assistant to his father, a plumber.

Porsche was initially purposeful, so he did not stay in companies for a long time in various positions. Thanks to this quality and a fortunate combination of circumstances in Stuttgart (Germany), the first small design firm of the young "creator" Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG.

The well-known name of Porsche in the circle of automotive industrialists contributed to the imminent appearance of the first order for the newly minted company. In 1931, NSU placed an order for the construction of a car as part of a program to create a "people's car" for the people of Germany.And after two years of hard work, a car is born under the index 32, which will later become the predecessor of the famous Volkswagen Beetle. The features of the mass "Beetle" will also appear in the first sports model of Porsche itself - the Porsche Type 60 car.

Designed by Franz Reimspiess, the air-cooled four-cylinder boxer engine had to increase in volume from 985 to 1500 cc. The body of the "athlete" was designed by the author of the appearance of the "Beetle" Erwin Komenda (Erwin Komenda). Mathematician Josef Mickl, taking into account the high aerodynamic parameters of the body, the estimated weight and engine power, calculated the maximum speed - 145-150 km / h. Contrary to the plans of Ferdinand Porsche, the automobile plant in Wolfsburg did not want to produce a sports model: the board of the German Labor Front, the founder of Volkswagen-Kdf, was preparing the enterprise for war - there was no time for sports. Then Ferdinand decided to conclude a contract with the German Labor Front to receive the necessary automotive components from Wolfsburg. But this initiative was also rejected. It seemed that the Type 64 project was doomed to be buried. An unexpected continuation of the story occurred in 1938. The German National Sports Committee has funded the development of a sports car for the 1,300-kilometer Berlin-Rome auto marathon. The car race along the German autobahns and the Italian highways was a kind of demonstration of solidarity between the two countries. Naturally, Ferdinand Porsche jumped at this chance, and the bureau received a budget for the construction of three prototypes. An engine from the "Beetle" was installed on the marathon car - this was a double benefit. Firstly, the time and costs associated with the construction of a new power unit were reduced. Secondly, there was a great opportunity to shine at the race, showing the extraordinary abilities of the people's car. The engine displacement remained the same - 985 cc, but thanks to the installation of a new carburetor, an increase in the compression ratio and an increase in the diameter of the valves, the power increased from the original 23.5 to 50 hp. After wind-tunneling a mock-up of the original body, Komenda and Mikl made several improvements to its configuration. Then the drawings were transferred to the Stuttgart company Reutter, which produced 3 aluminum bodies.

So in the summer of 1939, the first Porsche car brands of the 60K10 model appeared. They did not have to participate in the race - the outbreak of war crossed out the plans for the marathon. The sports prototypes left without "work" passed into private hands: Ferdinand Porsche, his son Ferdinand Porsche (yes, the son was named after his father, however, in order to avoid confusion, the younger Ferdinand was called Ferry in the family and among the people), and the third went to Bodo Lafferenz, director of Volkswagen. In the first months of the war, the third prototype ceased to exist - Laffers fell asleep at the wheel and smashed the car to smithereens.

During the war, a couple more unpleasant events occurred: the Allied bombs destroyed the building of the Porsche company, where all the archives of the work carried out over the past twelve years burned down, and the house of the Porsche family. To save themselves from bombs regularly falling from the sky, the Porsche family, having captured the surviving equipment of the company of the same name, moved to Austria. In early May 1945, units of the 42nd Rainbow Division of the 7th US Army entered the Austrian city of Zell am See, which consisted mainly of prisoners from the Sing-Sing high-security prison (amnesty was promised for service at the front). And they had to find one of the Porsche 60K10 sports prototypes in the premises of the flight school. The convicts, armed with metal shears, turned the racing coupe into a roadster, cutting off the roof, and then rushing around the airfield in a car. But, since they didn’t bother to check the oil level, the engine soon rattled, and the convicts were left without a toy, and the world lost one more of the first Porsches. The surviving last copy is now in a private collection.

The release of the 356th model, whose production scale was initially limited to only 500 cars, lasted until 1965; By this time, over 78,000 units of this model had been assembled.

The design of a new sports car, designated type 356, began in 1948 in the Austrian village of Gmund. The work was led by Ferry Porsche: his father, Professor Ferdinand Porsche, was imprisoned and could not leave the French occupation zone to help his son. During the construction of the car, many elements of the design of the people's car were used: the brake system, steering mechanism, non-synchronized four-speed gearbox, front suspension and, of course, the engine. By the way, the standard engine of the post-war "Beetle" had a volume of 1131 cc. After increasing the diameter of the valves and increasing the compression ratio from 5.8 to 7.0, the engine power was 40 hp. at 4000 rpm instead of the previous 25 hp The body was designed, as it was ten years ago, by Erwin Komenda, and Friedrich Weber, an excellent bodybuilder and longtime friend of the Porsche family, took up the implementation of his ideas in metal.

To organize a full-fledged production, Porsche moves back to its native Stuttgart, where the Reutter bodywork studio sheltered it in its premises, thus providing itself with a guaranteed customer. Porsche 356 began to be equipped with a 1300 cc engine, which could be found on the "Beetle". Only Volkswagen engines were carefully fine-tuned and balanced at Porsche, as a result of which the assembly of the engine by one master took 25 hours. Reutter treated the production of bodies with all responsibility: manual assembly, surface grinding with wet sand (special attention was paid to welds), coating only with high-quality paint and varnish. As a result, the body shone like a Christmas tree toy. An interesting detail: any Porsche car produced before 1952 is easily recognizable by ... the absence of an emblem! There was only a chrome-plated Porsche inscription, and that's it - in Europe this was quite enough. The year 1952 came, and Porsche cars began to be delivered overseas. Maximilian Hoffman, an American of Austrian origin, having received the rights of a Porsche dealer, once, having lunch with Ferry Porsche in one of the restaurants in New York, said: “Herr Porsche, your cars are excellent, but in order for them to sell really well, they need to get their original emblem." Ferry Porsche himself was well aware that the emblem is a necessary thing for a car. Therefore, in the evening, in his hotel room, Ferry Porsche sat down at his desk and sketched out a sketch of the future emblem, which, upon arrival in Germany, was transferred to the design department. The emblem was the emblem of the city of Stuttgart with a rearing bay stallion, placed in the center of the Varangian four-part shield of the Württemberg house, in the first and fourth parts of which there are black stylized images of deer horns on a gold background, in the second and third - alternating stripes of scarlet and black colors. The upper part of the emblem is adorned with the word Porsche.

There are companies such as the Brazilian Chamonix, the French Boschetti and many others that offer buyers copies of the Porsche 550 Spyder.

If so, then we would not talk about it, but ... The fact is that there are such companies as the Brazilian Chamonix, the French Boschetti and many others that offer buyers copies of the Porsche 550 Spyder. Well, if there is a demand, we will have to tell you how this machine arose. The owner of the Porsche showroom in Frankfurt am Main, Walther Glekler, decided to create an extreme racing projectile from a sports Porsche 356. And since one Gleckler to master such work, due to lack of experience, is too tough, he invited one of the Porsche engineers as a partner. The partners, having conjured with the engine, were able to extract 58 "horses" from the depths of 1131 cc instead of the prescribed 40 (for the Porsche 356, as you remember, the "Beetle" cost 25 forces).

The basis of the car was a space frame made of aluminum tubes, in the rear part of which a forced engine stood across. Soon the duo of enthusiasts turned into a trio - a master tinsmith from the Wiedenhausen body shop joined the business. It was this master who created the shell for the future conqueror of the tracks. The resulting machine with a barquette body (this is a roadster in which the “windshield” is replaced by a low windshield), small in size and goggle-eyed headlights, resembled the original Porsche 356 and at the same time completely different. The car was ready in 1953, and Gleckler, saddling the newcomer, threw himself into the maelstrom of racing. Having won several national championships, Gleckler put a 1.3-liter 90-horsepower engine into his car. So he caught the eye of Porsche employees. One of Porsche's engineers, Wilhelm Hild, redesigned the chassis of the racing car, but the body remained the same. An order for a batch of bodies was placed at the same Wiedenhausen studio, the master of which created the skin of a single racing instance. Car engines were, by those standards, high-tech products. Judge for yourself: the cylinder block and both of its heads (don't forget that the engine is boxer?) were made of aluminum alloy; the camshafts were driven by two short vertical shafts rather than a chain; each cylinder had two spark plugs - therefore, there were a pair of coils and distributors; there were also two carburetors - Solex 40PJJ with a falling stream. As a result of all these "bells and whistles" with a volume of 1498 cc, the engine gave 110-117 hp. at 7800 rpm. The total weight of the car was 594 kg, so the maximum speed was a very significant 235 km / h. The car, called the Porsche 550 Spyder, as already mentioned, is a racing car, and they did not plan to sell it, but there were originals who asked Porsche to make them the same car for their personal use. Well, how can you refuse an influential banker or a famous singer - a favorite of the public? So the American movie star of the first half of the fifties, James Dean, owned such a Porsche. Once, having lost control on a mountain road, the film actor crashed his 550 Spyder to death. Naturally, there were no stiffening elements or a safety cage on the racing Porsche, and the car was torn in half from the impact. By the way, it was this case that attracted the attention of Americans to an exotic German automobile brand.

But with the retirement of the 356th model, the story, of course, does not end. A milestone in it is 1963, when the first 911 was born. The car was created under the guidance of the son of Porsche Jr. - Ferdinand Alexander. The 911 was first presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show and a year later it was already on the conveyor. The first version of the new six-cylinder engine developed the same power as the 356 Carrera 2, namely 130 horsepower.

By the way, initially this model should have been called not the 911th, but the 901st. But the zero in the middle of the three-digit name has already been officially staked out by the French from Peugeot. So the Germans had to attribute one more unit.

For those for whom the “nine hundred and eleventh” turned out to be a little expensive, Porsche in 1965 released the 912 model. became the most popular car in the lineup. About 30 thousand of these cars were produced from 1965 to 1975. What can not be said about the beautiful Porsche Targa with a removable roof, added to the lineup in the autumn of 1966. In the same year, Porsche celebrated its anniversary - the 100,000th car was born. Anniversary was just the model 912, handed over to the German police.

And everything would be fine, but in 1975 the 912th had to be discontinued. The reason is simple: Porsche came up with a new, even cheaper to manufacture, car - the 914, developed jointly with Volkswagen. And for the price at which the 912 was offered, a 110-horsepower 911T began to be sold on the market. At the same time, a sports modification 911R appeared with a 6-cylinder engine with a capacity of 210 “horses” and a lightweight body structure. A total of 20 such machines were produced. A real rarity.

A legend is born - the first Porsche 911 Turbo, codenamed 930, saw the light of day at the 1974 Paris Motor Show. The powerful engine (260 hp) made this 911 one of the fastest cars of its time.

Porsche continued to expand its lineup with the introduction of the 924 in 1975 (later to be replaced by the 944). All with the same 4-cylinder engine, but from a light alloy. The designers created a wonderful car in all respects at a relatively affordable price, which was confirmed by the sales results.

The company needed not only an expensive and powerful 911, but also a more affordable car. The Porsche 914 is already outdated, and therefore the 924 entered the scene. A real Porsche for very adequate money.

In 1977, a front-engined version appeared - the Porsche 928. Its V8 engine boasted American dimensions (4.5 liters, 240 hp). The Porsche 928 was the first (and so far the only) sports car to win the Car of the Year award.

Three years after the appearance of the 944, the Porsche 959 was presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show. This car was the embodiment of the most modern developments. In 1987, the company announced the production of two hundred of these machines. The 3.2-liter engine with two turbines developed 449 hp. It was a real supercar, a specially prepared version of which won the Paris-Dakar marathon in 1986.

Then came the turn of the new generation of the 911 model (body 964). The car received a completely fresh chassis: already without torsion bars, with power steering, anti-lock brakes and “intelligent” all-wheel drive for the Carrera 4. All 911s began to be equipped with an automatic rear spoiler that extended at a certain speed. The engine had six cylinders and a power of 250 horsepower.

The turbo version saw the light in the new decade. The new 911 Turbo hit dealerships in September 1990 with a 3.3-liter engine and 320 horsepower. In 1992, the Porsche family of cars was replenished with another model - the 968th. She replaced the entire range of 944s.

And in 1993, the premiere of a new generation of the 911 model (body 993) took place. The new Porsche differed from its predecessor in a more powerful (272 hp) engine, a fundamentally new rear multi-link suspension and “smooth” body shapes. Also, two types of boxes became available to choose from - a six-speed "mechanics" or a four-band "automatic".Unfortunately for the most loyal fans of the brand, this generation was the last of those whose engine was air-cooled.

Three years later, another premiere took place - this time in the class of inexpensive sports cars. The compact two-seater roadster was named Boxster and had quite impressive characteristics for its class (2.5 liters of volume and 204 hp). The engine is a brand new 6-cylinder boxer, with four valves per cylinder, which was installed in front of the rear axle with water instead of air cooling. This year was also significant in connection with the release of the millionth Porsche, it was - again, like the one hundred thousandth anniversary - the police 911 Carrera.

The Porsche Boxster mid-engined roadster made its debut in 1996 and became the brand's most affordable model. It was equipped with a 2.5-liter boxer "six", and after restyling, a 250-horsepower 3.2-liter Boxster S modification joined it.

In 1997, another premiere. To build on the success of the Boxster, the company is presenting the all-new 911 (postcode 996) in Frankfurt, which closely resembles the Boxster in appearance. A year later, the public was also shown a convertible based on it. The roof of the car was opened and closed hydraulically with a simple push of a button.

And in 2001, a prototype of the Carrera GT was presented in Paris. The concept supercar received a V10 formula-type engine with a capacity of 558 “horses”. Since 2004, the car, already with a 612-horsepower engine, went into series. A total of 1270 cars were produced.

In 2002, an unexpected car for Porsche appeared - the Cayenne SUV. Its production in Leipzig accounted for nearly half of Porsche's annual sales. The top version of the Cayenne Turbo S carried a mighty 4.5-liter V8 with 521 horsepower. He made the Cayenne one of the fastest SUVs in the world.

In 2002, the 996 was restyled and received a “face” in the style of the 911 Turbo model. In addition, the engine capacity has increased to 3.6 liters, and the power of the basic versions has increased to 320 horsepower.

In 2003, in honor of the 40th anniversary of the 911, Porsche released a batch of 40 Fast Years anniversary coupes. They were distinguished by a special Carrera GT Silver color, polished 18-inch wheels, a new exhaust system and increased engine power to 345 “horses”. A total of 1963 cars were made - in honor of the year the first 911 was born.

In 2004, the production of the very Porsche itself started - the masterpiece Carrera GT roadster. The high-tech supercar was equipped with a 5.7-liter V10 with 612 horsepower and carbon-ceramic brakes. It was able to reach 200 km/h from standstill in 9.9 seconds. In total, it was planned to produce 1500 cars, but due to too stringent new passive safety requirements, the assembly was stopped, making 1270 copies.

The last generation of the 911 to date appeared in 2004. The engine of the base Carrera developed 325 hp, while the Carrera S already had 355 hp. Porsche also has grandiose plans for the future. The big flagship Panamera is getting ready for the release, the new generation of the crazy GT2 has just debuted. Fans are running circles on 911 GT3 RS versions…

The full name of Porsche is Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, which can also be decomposed into Doktor Ingenieur honois causa Ferdinand Porshe Aktiengesellshaft. This engineering company was founded by the legendary German designer, Doctor of Engineering Sciences Ferdinand Porsche in 1931. The headquarters of the Porsche company and its main manufactory are located in the German city of Stuttgart. The Porsche family remains the main shareholder of this company to this day.

In terms of profit from the sale of each car, Porsche is among the highest profitable automakers in the world. In 2010, these cars were even recognized as the most reliable on the planet.

The Ferdinand Porsche company specializes in the production of luxury sports cars, and more recently SUVs. Porsche production is highly dependent on the Volkswagen Group. Side by side, the companies develop uniform vehicle designs and participate in motorsports. Over the years, engineers from both brands have jointly developed a synchronizer manual transmission, automatic transmission with manual shift (subsequently, the system developed into a push-button switch on the steering wheel), turbocharging for production cars, turbocharging with variable turbine impeller geometry for a gasoline engine, electronically controlled suspension and much more .

50.1% of Porsche shares are owned by Porsche Automobil Holding SE, and since December 2009 49.9% have been owned by the Volkswagen Group. Porsche is a public company with some shares listed on the Xetra global electronics system and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The largest private shareholder of the brand is the Porsche and Pich family. Since 1993, Wendelin Wiedeking has been President and CEO of Porsche. The company set an absolute revenue record in the 2009/2010 financial year - 7.79 billion euros. During this time, the Stuttgart company sold 81,850 sports cars, while the production capacity in that year ensured the production of 89,123 cars.

The company holds regular competitions among different classes of cars, and is also the founder of reputable cup competitions. This direction of Porsche activity is consecrated in the computer game Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed.

The Porsche emblem was designed by Franz Xavier Reimspiss in 1952, when the brand's cars were first delivered to the American market. Prior to this, Stuttgart cars had a simple “Porsche” inscription on the hood.

The history of Porsche in 1931 - 1948 From idea to mass production

By the time Ferdinand Porsche released the first car under his own name, he managed to accumulate tremendous design experience. Founded by Ferdinand on April 21, 1931, Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche GmbH has already produced a 16-cylinder Auto Union racing car and a Volkswagen Käfer (aka VW Beetle). The latter for a long time remained the best-selling car in the world.

The first Porsche car appeared only in 1939 - it was the Model 64, the progenitor of the entire family. This copy is based on many components borrowed from the Volkswagen Beetle.

Throughout the Second World War, Porsche produced military products - staff cars and amphibians. Ferdinand himself worked in a team with other designers on the development of heavy tanks of the Tiger family.

After the end of World War II in 1945, Ferdinand Porsche was arrested on charges of war crimes. In conclusion, the great designer spent 20 months. At the same time, Ferdinand's son Ferdinand Anton Ernst (better known by his short name Ferry) decides to mass-produce his own cars. In Gmünde, the first prototype of the Porsche 356 is assembled by Ferry and several engineers he knows. The car receives an open aluminum body. Active preparation for mass production of this machine begins. In 1948, the car successfully passed certification for public roads. Ferry followed his father's example and based the Porsche 356 on components from the Volkswagen Beetle, including its suspension, gearbox, cooling system and, of course, its four-cylinder engine.

But the first mass-produced Porsche cars were fundamentally different from their prototype - the engine was installed on the rear axle, due to which they reduced the cost of production and freed up space for seating two more passengers. The new body had very good aerodynamics CX 0.29. Only in 1950 did Porsche return to its native Stuttgart.

The history of Porsche in 1948 - 1965 Brand Prosperity

Porsche's return to Stuttgart was marked by a switch to steel body panels. The plant mainly specializes in the assembly of coupe and convertible cars. At first, 1100 cc engines with only 40 hp were produced, but by 1954 the choice expanded significantly: the range was supplemented by engines 1300, 1300A, 1300S, 1500, 1500S. The design is constantly being improved, the volume and power of engines is growing, a synchronized gearbox, disc brake system and new bodies are appearing - roadsters and hardtops.

Porsche is gradually phasing out Volkswagen units, replacing them with their own. For example, the 356A, produced from 1955 to 1959, was already equipped with a four-cam engine, a pair of ignition coils, and many other original components. Series A is replaced by series B (59 - 63 years), and the latter is replaced by series C (produced from 1963 to 1965). All modifications are produced in an amount of a little more than 76,000 copies.

In parallel, the development of a racing modification of the Porsche 550 Spyder, 718 and others is underway. In 1951, 75-year-old Ferdinand Porsche suffered a heart attack from which he died. The designer could have lived longer, but the time spent in prison greatly undermined his health.

The history of Porsche in 1963 - 1976 Takeoff of the 911

By the end of the 50s, the development of the Porsche 695 prototype was being completed. The management's opinion about this car was divided: the 356 had a good reputation, so the transition to the production of a new model for a small family company was associated with great risk. However, the design developed in 1948 was outdated, and there was almost no reserve left for its renewal.

In 1963, something happened that determined the future of Porsche - an open presentation of the Porsche 911 took place at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The main points in the design of the car do not change: a boxer engine at the rear, rear-wheel drive and classic body lines inherited from the Porsche 356. The design of the car was developed by the son of Ferdinand Anton Ernst - Ferdinand Alexander Porsche (nicknamed "Butzi"). Read more information about this car in the article "". At first, it was assumed that the car would come out under the index "901", but another company, Peugeot, had already reserved a combination of these numbers for itself. The transition to the 911 index by no means puts an end to the 901 index - it is used in the company's intra-factory nomenclature until 1973.

In the first two years of mass production of the Porsche 911, the model was only available with a 2.0-litre, 130 hp engine. In 1966, the conveyor assembly of the Targa modification (an open body with a glass roof) begins. In 1965, the production of Porsche 356 convertibles ends.

In the late 1960s, the wheelbase of the 911 increased. Engines with increased displacement and mechanical injection system appear in the range. The pinnacle of evolution of the 901 is the modification of the Carrera RS 2.7 and the Carrera RSR of the 70s. The dictionary of the Stuttgart company replenished the word Carrera in the mid-1950s - then this name was given to the sports version of the Porsche 356, which perpetuated the memory of the victory in the Carrera Panamericana race in 1954, which glorified the German brand in North America.

At the end of the 60s, the Stuttgart manufactory masters the production of another sports car - the Porsche 914 with an unusual assembly line history. During this period, Volkswagen decides to expand its lineup with at least one sports model, and Porsche is just finishing the development of a successor for the model with the index 912 (a cheaper version of the 911 with an engine from the 356). The companies join forces and in 1969 release the one-of-a-kind Volkswage-Porsche 914. The model is equipped with a 4- or 6-cylinder engine. But the project does not live up to its expectations - a rather unusual appearance and unsuccessful marketing (in particular, the indication of Volkswagen-Porsche in the name) have a negative impact on sales. As a result, for 7 years, the Volkswagen-Porsche 914 is produced in the amount of 120,000 copies.

The history of Porsche in 1972 - 1981 Led by Ernst Fuhrmann

In 1972 Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche KG becomes a public company, and the Porsche family loses direct control over all of its affairs. Despite this, the Porsche family still has a share of shares that exceeds that of the Piech family. Ferdidand Alexander Porsche and his brother Hans-Peter found their own Porsche Design company, which produces exclusive watches, glasses, bicycles and many other prestigious items. Ferdinand Porsche's nephew, Ferdinand Piech, moves to Audi and then to Volkswagen, where he later holds the post of CEO.

The first head of Porsche, who is not a member of the Porsche family, is Ernst Fuhrmann, who previously headed the engine development department. Upon taking office, Fuhrmann replaces the 911-series with a sports car with a classic layout (front-engine and rear-wheel drive), which becomes the Porsche 928. An 8-cylinder engine is placed under the hood of the car. Under Führmann's leadership, Porsche begins series production of another front-engined car, the Porsche 924.

After the premiere in 1974 of the Porsche 911 Turbo at the Paris Motor Show, the development of the entire line actually stopped until the early 1980s. By this time, the modernized 930 series has kept up, having lasted in production from 1973 to 1989 (when Fuhrmann loses control of the company). But Ernst's projects continue to be produced even after a change in management: the last front-engined Porsche car rolled off the assembly line in 1995.

The replacement for the Porsche 914 ripens in 1976, and not one, but two at once - 924 and 912 (with a Volkswagen 2.0 engine). The last car turns out to be unsuccessful. The history of the Porsche 924 is very similar to the history of the 914, but with a happy ending - Volkswagen continues to harbor illusions about the prospect of releasing an affordable sports car and invites Porsche engineers to develop such a car. They get complete freedom of action, but on one condition: to ensure compatibility with the engine and gearbox developed in the bowels of the Audi design department. Work on the project does not have time to finish, as there is a change of leadership in Volkswagen: the German concern is headed by Tony Schmucker, who doubted the feasibility of the project due to the oil crisis that erupted in 1973. Then Porsche decides to completely buy out the protracted project from Volkswagen.

Compared to the mastermind of the 911, the Porsche 924 gets a completely different design, modern design, classic layout and close to ideal axle weight distribution. The car is equipped with economical 4-cylinder water-cooled engines. The Porsche 924 immediately sells well, which the sports car owes to constant updates and additions to the family. Just three years after the start of sales, the turbocharged Porsche 924 appears, and after another three years, the model's successor, the Porsche 944, comes out.

In general, the Porsche 944 is still the same 924 with evolutionary changes: many important indicators are improved, and the most noticeable change in appearance is the protruding wings inherited from the special version of the Porsche 924 Carrera GT. Both machines have been produced in parallel for six years. In 1988, they were discontinued with a total circulation of almost 150,000 copies.

The Porsche 944 had a noticeably more advanced engine than the 924. By and large, the sports car inherited the V8 engine from the 928 model, working with other proprietary components. For 9 years, Porsche produces 160,000 copies of the 944 in all modifications: S, S2, Turbo and even Cabriolet. The latest evolutionary round in this model is the front-engined Porsche 968, produced from 1992 to 1995.

Führmann's biggest mistake was the rejection of the 911: between 1978 and 1995, only 60,000 928s are produced, while several times more 911s are sold during the same time. Judging by the sluggish commercial start of the Porsche 928, one could conclude that the 911 series was indispensable.

When in 74-82 years. the 924 and 928 models developed in priority, in the 911 family there was a complete lull. With the change of generations, the Porsche 930 is equipped with new energy-absorbing bumpers and a base engine with a displacement of 2.7 liters. Since 1976, it has been replaced by a 3.0-liter unit. Starting next year, the line is being simplified: the release of the 911, 911S and 911 Carrera modifications is being phased out, instead of which a single one is produced - 911SC with a smaller power reserve. A new 3.3-litre engine with a power reserve of 300 hp is being prepared for the 911 Turbo version. This version becomes the most dynamic car of its time: the coupe could accelerate to the first "hundred" in just 5.2 seconds, with a top speed of 254 km/h.

The history of Porsche in 1981 - 1988 Led by Peter Schutz

With the assistance of Ferry Porsche, Fuhrmann nevertheless resigns, and his post passes to Peter Schutz, the American manager of Porsche. Peter returns the 911 to its unspoken flagship status. By 1982, the Porsche 911 Cabriolet kept up with his efforts. A year later, the role of the base model is transferred to the Porsche 911 Carrera with a 231-horsepower engine as the driving force.

A novelty for 1985 is the Porsche 911 Supersport, built on the basis of the regular Carrera (the chassis and body are borrowed from the Turbo version, wider rear fenders and a large spoiler are installed). A year later, the Porsche 911 Turbo is available in SE version with retractable headlights and a sloping front. At the same time, Porsche is releasing a lighter version of the 911 Carrera Clubsport, the successor to the Carrera RS of the 70s. The Clubsport version itself later formed the basis of the modern GT3.

The origins of the Porsche 959 go back to 1980, the year the World Rally Championship establishes a new "Group B". Almost all cars are accepted into the group without restrictions, except for the need to release it in an amount of at least 200 copies. Takes part in the new group and Porsche. Schutz attracts the best engineers of the company to the development of new items. The technical stuffing is based on a 2.8-liter 6-cylinder engine with two turbochargers, which produced 450 hp. The transmission of the sports coupe is all-wheel drive, and each suspension shock absorber was controlled by a computer (it was also responsible for the distribution of torque between the axles and the change in ride height).

The body of the Porsche 959 is made from Kevlar, a very lightweight and durable plastic composite material. Even at the stage of pre-series copies of the Porsche 959, it participates twice in the Dakar Rally, and in the 86th it takes two first places in the overall standings.

A little later, the inevitable "Group B" closes: several drivers and spectators die tragically, which prompts the FISA motorsport federation to abandon the group. From 86 to 88, the Porsche 959 is produced in quantities of more than 200 copies.

In general, the 959 project only brings losses, but the ideas tested in it later form the basis of new technologies for production cars: a simplified all-wheel drive transmission is subsequently installed in the Porsche 964 (serial production from 1989 to 1993). Modern turbocharging inherits from the 959th Porsche 964 Turbo and 993 Turbo. A similar front end, headlights and air intakes were later used in the Porsche 993, produced from 93 to 98. The same air intakes are installed on the Porsche 996 Turbo (this is already 2000 - 2006) with similar front bumpers and rear fenders. The proprietary PASM adaptive suspension (which all modern Porsches are equipped with) is also built on the basis of a complex system first used in the Porsche 959.

The history of Porsche in 1989 - 1998 Time for a change

During this period, front-engined veterans and classic Porsche 911s completely leave the assembly line. In their place comes the new Boxster cabriolet and 911 Carrera. Since then, the latter has been equipped with an automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.

Most of the changes in the Carrera happen to the body: a new frame is being developed, aerodynamics are seriously improved (CX is reduced to 0.32) and an active rear spoiler appears. The archaic torsion bar suspension is a thing of the past, and the engine capacity is increased to 3.6 liters. The rear-wheel drive car is called the Carrera 2, and the all-wheel drive car is called the Carrera 4. The sports version of the Clubsport is renamed back to RS. The first three years of Turbo are equipped with a proven 3.3-liter engine, but since 1993, the coupe has been equipped with a 3.6-liter version (it produced 360 hp).

Limited editions of the Porsche 911 America Roadster and the semi-racing Porsche 911 Turbo S are produced. During the same period, 62,000 copies of the Porsche 964 rolled off the assembly line.

The economic crisis of the early 1990s finds Porsche not in the best shape: production volumes are rapidly declining, losses are growing. In 1993, another change of leadership takes place: the company is headed by Wendelin Wiedeking (he comes after Arno Bon, and he, in turn, was Schutz's successor). Since the same year, mass production of the fourth generation of the flagship model Porsche 991 has been mastered.

Only this time the model evolves significantly. The car is equipped with built-in aerodynamic bumpers, new lighting equipment and a body with smoother shapes. The engine is once again subjected to a slight forcing, and the rear suspension is seriously improved. The regular coupe is built on the basis of the Targa, while the Turbo gets a successor with all-wheel drive and a seriously upgraded 3.6-liter twin-turbo engine. Wide rear fenders and an even larger rear spoiler are a traditional feature of the Porsche 911 Turbo. This followed from an increase in power to 408 hp. and the need to use larger intercoolers.

In 1997, the Porsche 911 Turbo S is released, which is equipped with an even more powerful power plant and minor changes in body design. But the fastest and most expensive modification of the 993 was the road racing GT 2. With this car, Porsche planned to compete in the newly formed BRP Global GT Series championship (turbocharged cars were allowed to the championship). Therefore, the standard engine does not seriously change, unlike the rest of the elements: the sports car gets rid of the “ballast” in the form of an all-wheel drive, and its body is improved for racing needs. In 1998, the GT2 engine is improved - a dual ignition system appears, and power is increased to 450 hp. The sports coupe turned out to be far from the most successful, as it often flew off the road, which is why it was given the nickname "widowmaker", which literally translates as "leaving widows".

1998 is a period of losses and gains. In the summer, the last air-cooled 911 is produced at the Porsche plant in Zuffenhausen. For all the time, 410,000 copies of such cars are produced (the 993rd contributes 69,000 copies to this figure). At the same time, Porsche is celebrating 50 years since its founding. In March, 88-year-old Ferdinand Anton Ernst Porsche passes away. In recent years, he no longer took any part in the affairs of the company and since 1989 he lived on an Austrian farm in Zell am See.

Porsche history. 1996 - 2001

By the end of 1996, the efforts made by Wiedeking became apparent: in 1996, the first Porsche 986 Boxster roadster rolled off the assembly line, which became the new face of the brand. The design for the car is being developed by Harm Lagaai, who led the exterior development of all Ingolstadt cars from the 1990s through the first half of the 2000s. In creating the appearance of the Boxster, he relied on the exterior of the company's earlier models - the open Porsche 550 Spyder and the Porsche 356 Speedster.

The name of the novelty is a combination of two words - boxer (the so-called boxer engines) and roadster (roadster, double open coupe). Compared to its predecessors, which often received open versions based on closed ones, the Porsche 986 Boxster is initially designed as an open car.

The Boxster gets one single engine, a 2.5-litre 6-cylinder boxer unit. This continued until 2000, when a 3.2-liter unit became its companion (they equipped the Porsche 986 Boxster S). The new compact roadster was relatively inexpensive, which is why it was very warmly received by the public. Until 2003, the new roadster leads the annual sales of the Ingolstadt company, until it is overtaken by the Porsche 955 Cayenne, which debuted in 2002.

The brand's first SUV is becoming so popular that the production capacity of the brand's only factory is not enough, and it orders the production of part of the components for SUVs from Valmet Automotive (Finland).

After the success of the Boxster, the 911 is once again attracting everyone's attention. At the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1997, the presentation of the new Carrera takes place. It immediately becomes known that the novelty has a lot in common with its younger brother, starting with the similarity of the front end, ending with teardrop-shaped headlights, a similar interior and the overall design of the engines. Due to such solutions, development and production costs are reduced, which is very useful, since the financial resources of the brand by the end of the 90s were still far from desirable.

Carrera in the 996th body gets a good supply of power and a noticeable increase in dimensions, but this does not prevent the model from remaining a first-class sports car. For example, since 1998, Evo magazine (British edition) alone has recognized the Porsche 911 in the back of 996 and 997 as "Sports Car of the Year" six times in a row since 1998.

1998 brings the convertible and Carrera 4 to the world, and in 1999 the public meets two big news at once: the first generation GT3 for amateur competitions and the new flagship in the lineup - 996 Turbo. Both of the latest models get engines based on the design of the GT1 unit (1998 sports prototype).

The GT3 is equipped with a naturally aspirated version of the engine, while the Turbo is equipped with a twin-supercharged version. The flagship not only gets the most powerful engine, but also a special appearance: the bumper and lighting equipment are changed especially for it, and this is not taking into account the unique spoiler and wide body with holes in the rear fenders. The new 3.6-liter liquid-cooled engine could run without a large radiator, which could eliminate the Whale-tail rear spoiler from the design. The compactness of the new design is noticeably increased. The GT3 had nothing of the kind, although the sports car was not deprived of its features: a lightweight body, lowered suspension and no rear seats.

The Porsche 996 GT3 was produced between 1999 and 2004. The assembly line of his improved modification GT3 RS is established in 2003 and closed in 2005. The Turbo version has been produced for 5 years since 2000. In 2004 and 2005, Turbo Cabriolet and Turbo S versions with a 450-horsepower engine are sold.

In terms of ideology, the 2001 GT2 was more of a modified version of the Turbo, rather than its road-racing modification, as it was before the generational change. The reason for this was the tightening of the world motorsport regulations, which banned turbocharging. Structurally, it was still the same Turbo, only with a rear axle drive, a large rear wing and a different front bumper. First, the car is equipped with a 462-horsepower engine, and later it is replaced with a 483-horsepower counterpart.

In November 1999, Porsche announces a 60 percent increase in production of the Porsche 911 Turbo, preceded by increased demand for the model. Buyers were forced to wait for their sports car for several weeks. If earlier it was supposed to produce a car in the amount of 2,500 copies, then as a result, the production volume is adjusted to 4,000.

Based on an analysis of sales in Latin America (250 vehicles in 2000), Porsche decides to double sales. Analysts from Stuttgart make such optimistic forecasts based on a study of demand dynamics over the past 5 years. The popularization of brand cars is entrusted to the head of the Latin American division of Porsche, Thomas Starzelli.

Porsche's first SUV, called the Cayenne, is officially announced at the September auto show in Frankfurt. During the preliminary presentation of the model, the president of the brand, Wendelin Wiedeking, spoke, who said that with the Cayenne a new era was beginning in the history of the Stuttgart company. New products and the correct policy of the company allow not only to stay afloat, but also to increase sales. The United States is becoming a particularly important market for the new SUV and all other cars: this market brings Porsche 50% of the profits.

By the end of 2001, Porsche is preparing an update for the Boxster roadster (the restyled version will debut in 2002). The main changes affect only the design of the car. So, the front and rear bumpers, the ellipsoid exhaust pipe and the front air intakes are subject to modifications. There are some changes in the interior.

At the end of October, Porsche resumes production of the Targa modification, however, based on the Carrera coupe. The car gets a glass roof and a rear lift glass like a hatchback. By pressing a button on the dashboard, a servo is activated that moves the roof back by 50 cm, forming an open area of ​​\u200b\u200balmost 0.5 square meters above the head of the driver and his passenger. m. Like any other Carrera, the Targa modification receives a 3.6-liter boxer engine with 320 hp, paired with a manual or Tiptronic S automatic transmission. The sports car develops a top speed of 285 km / h and picks up the first " hundred" in 5.2 seconds.

Porsche history. 2002

At the beginning of the year, Wendelin Wiedeking announces at the Detroit auto show that they are almost ready for mass production of their new flagship supercar, the Garrera GT. For the first time, it is planned to produce only 1,000 of these cars.

At the auto show in Geneva, the official presentation of the Porsche Cayenne, built on a modified platform from the Volkswagen Touareg, is being held. The Stuttgart masters are developing all-wheel drive for their SUV on their own (the system is called Porsche Stability MANagement).

The SUV gets quite impressive body dimensions: 4.78 m long, 1.93 wide and 1.7 high. Porsche is positioning its debutant not so much as an SUV, but as a sports car with increased capacity and cross-country ability. The sporty spirit in the Cayenne gives out both the shape of the body and the low ground clearance. By the way, the front of the first-generation SUV strongly resembled the Porsche 911 sports coupe.

From the very beginning, the Cayenne has been available in S and Turbo versions. Under the hood of the first put a 340-horsepower V8 engine, issuing 420 Nm of torque. The Turbo version uses a 450-horsepower version of the same engine with a torque of 620 N m. The Turbo version also featured a more luxurious interior trim. The motors work in conjunction with a Tiptronic S semi-automatic gearbox.

Porsche Cayenne gets pretty good dynamic performance: even in the "base" it accelerates to 100 km / h in 7.2 seconds, while the Turbo version takes 5.6 seconds. The maximum speed is 242 and 266 km/h respectively.
In May, the American division of Porsche AG reports a 17% drop in sales compared to last year. Worst of all is the demand for the Boxster roadster - minus 31%: for example, in April 2002 in the United States, a roadster in all modifications was sold in the amount of only 934 copies, while in 2001 they were sold here in the amount of 1,361 copies.

In the same month, tests of the restyled Porsche 911 GT3 are being completed. The current generation was released in 1999, and the GT2 version was introduced in early 2001. The GT3 is based on the 911 Carrera. The new Porsche 911 GT3 is equipped with a six-speed manual gearbox and a 3.6-liter six-cylinder engine that produces 370 hp. The car develops 310 km / h of maximum speed. Traditionally, the GT3 gets a spartan interior, as it has been a real racing car in all generations.

On 24 August, the grand opening ceremony of the new Porsche factory takes place in Leipzig. Porsche has invested $127 million in the construction of the new plant. The Porsche Cayenne sports utility vehicle becomes the number one model for the plant. The plant's annual production capacity is 25,000 vehicles. Later, the production of the flagship supercar Porsche Carrera GT is being established here.

Porsche history. 2003

The year 2003 begins for the brand with a reshuffle in the top management of the American division of Porsche: Fred Schwab retires, and Peter Schwarzenbaur, who previously managed the company's sales markets in Spain and Portugal, takes his place.

In February, Porsche is approaching the start of series production of its latest model, the Carrera GT. Deliveries of the first cars to customers begin by the end of the year. The Germans presented the conceptual model of this supercar back in 2001, and the premiere of the serial modification is planned for the 2003 Geneva Motor Show.

Everything is going according to plan: in Geneva, Porsche rolls out its supercar with a completely new design, not devoid of corporate style. In the bowels of the new supercar, a 5.7-liter engine with a capacity of 612 hp is working. and a torque of 590 Nm. To transfer all this power to the wheels, Porsche engineers have developed a special six-speed transmission. With this filling, the supercar accelerates to 100 km / h in 3.9 seconds, and to 200 km / h in 10 seconds. This roadster becomes the most powerful production car of the German company. The widespread use of carbon fiber has reduced the weight of the supercar to 1,380 kg. The speed limit for the Carrera GT is 330 km/h.

In mid-August, Porsche will announce the facelifted Porsche 911 GT2, which will go on sale in October. In comparison with the previous modification, the power and speed of the sports coupe are increased. The main innovation is the boosted 3.6-liter turbocharged engine, which produces 483 hp, which is 21 hp. more than before. From zero to one hundred, the updated GT2 accelerates in just 4 seconds, and the “maximum speed” reaches 319 km / h. The suspension and braking system are also being upgraded.

The body of the updated GT2 is complemented by a new powerful carbon fiber rear spoiler and an upgraded aerodynamic body kit. 18-inch wheels appear as standard. The updated supercar is sold in Europe at a price of 184,674 euros.

In October, Porsche celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Porsche 550 Spyder. In honor of this car, a special edition of the Porsche Boxster S 50 Jahre 550 Spyder roadster is being produced. The special series differs from the base car in a special package.

In this version, the power of the 3.3-liter engine is increased by 6 hp. - 266 "horses". The maximum speed is brought to a symbolic 266 km / h. Throw up to 100 km / h is given to the car in 5.7 seconds. Another difference of the special series is the suspension lowered by 10 mm.

The sports coupe gets a special body color, new 18-inch wheels, special trim, xenon head optics, climate control and high-quality sound. Exactly 1,953 Porsche Boxster S 50 Jahre 550 Spyders are produced.

Porsche history. 2004

The year begins with a series of spy photos of the new Porsche 911 Turbo on the road. Porsche is reporting six-month sales growth and is recalling 22,000 Cayenne SUVs for the possibility of pinching the parking brake lever on nearby wires, which is fraught with electronic malfunctions.

In March, Porsche Chairman of the Board Wendelin Wiedeking receives the Best Executive Award.

April brings a series of spy photos of the new generation of the Porsche Boxster at the Nürburgring road test. The premiere of the roadster is planned for autumn. At first, it is assumed that the main innovation of the Boxster with the change of generations will be the appearance of the Coupe modification, but in reality, a new representative of the lineup, the Cayman, is being built on the roadster platform.

In mid-April, Porsche confirms the development of a four-door GT coupe with a production debut planned for 2008. In reality, the car only matures in 2009 and it becomes the Panamera. The management of Porsche initially had ambitious plans for this model, since 16 years have already passed since the presentation of the first concept!

In May, Porsche officially presents the new generation of the legendary Porsche 911 (body 997). As expected, the design does not change much, and the technical stuffing is very significant. Externally, the new generation is moving closer to the classic design (this is a big merit of the returned round headlights). The sports coupe gets a new front bumper with turn indicators and foglights. The rear of the body is also slightly changed.

A modernized 3.6-liter 325-horsepower engine is put into the “base”, with which the Porsche 911 accelerates to a hundred in 5 seconds at a maximum speed of 285 km / h. Under the hood of a more powerful version of the Carrera S, a 3.8-liter 355-horsepower engine is already installed, accelerating the new coupe to 100 km / h in 4.8 seconds at a “maximum speed” of 293 km / h.

The partner for any engine is the latest six-speed gearbox. Cars are equipped with a modernized PASM active suspension with several modes of operation. It enters the equipment of the Carrera S immediately. And in the basic modification of the Porsche 911, the PASM suspension is installed as an option. Sales of the new generation Porsche 911 begin in the summer.

At the end of May, the new generation of the Porsche 911 is replenished with the most powerful Turbo S modification with up to 450 hp. engine, which is 30 horsepower more than the 911 Turbo. The increase in power is the merit of a more efficient turbocharger, an upgraded engine control unit and a new intercooler. With a manual transmission, the Porsche 911 Turbo S accelerates from 0 to 200 km/h in just 13.6 seconds with a top speed of 307 km/h.

Porsche 911 Turbo S comes standard with Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake with 350mm discs and six-piston calipers. The fastest Porsche 911 is sold in Germany for 142,248 euros. A similar convertible gets a price tag of 152,224 euros.

In August, Porsche publishes statistics for the last financial year. During the reporting period, the automaker sells 15,299 vehicles, which is 15.7% more than the financial year 2002/2003. The largest growth is recorded for the Cayenne SUV, which sold as many as 5,872 copies, which is 74% more than a year earlier. Other models, on the contrary, sold worse.

On September 9, Porsche officially announces the new generation of the Porsche Boxster and its "charged" modification of the Boxster S. The premiere of cars is announced at the Paris Motor Show, and sales begin by the end of the year.

The Porsche Boxster features a modernized body design. The front part of the roadster is changing a lot, which is more in line with the style of the new generation Porsche 911. The novelty is equipped with a different front bumper with large air vents. The rear fenders are supplemented with new air intakes. The width of the car increases, which positively affects its handling and spectacular image.

Under the hood of the base Porsche Boxster of the new generation is a 6-cylinder 2.7-liter boxer engine with 240 hp. (previously 12 forces were less). This Boxster accelerates from zero to one hundred in 6.2 seconds at a top speed of 256 km/h. The modification of the Porsche Boxster S already receives a 3.2-liter engine that produces 280 hp. (an increase of 20 strength). Acceleration from zero to one hundred for such a roadster takes 5.5 seconds with the possibility of acceleration to a maximum of 268 km / h. Both modifications are available with a five- and six-speed "mechanics", or with a five-speed "automatic" Tiptronic S.

The first version of the Boxster is available with 17-inch wheels, and the second with 18-inch wheels. The Porsche Boxster starts in Germany at a price of 43,068 euros and the Boxster S from 51,304 euros.

In September, Porsche will announce an updated 2005 Cayenne SUV (deliveries begin in December). The most obvious change is the panoramic roof with three sliding elements, which allows you to open the space above only the front, only the rear or above all the seats in the cabin at once. A panoramic roof becomes an option on all models and is offered for $3,900.

At the same time, the Cayenne Turbo is updated, which received an increase of 50 hp. (500 hp). The increase in power becomes the merit of the upgraded intercooler. The dynamics of acceleration to 100 km / h is reduced to 4.9 seconds, and the “maximum speed” jumps to 267 km / h. Optional on all 2005 Cayenne models is a rear-view camera complete with a 6.5-inch display on the dashboard. Porsche is asking $1,680 for this option.

Another announcement at the end of September is the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, based on the new generation of the Porsche 911, specially built for professional racing. This modification becomes a ticket for many sports teams in the world of racing. In the GT3 Cup, engine power is increased to 400 hp. and 400 Nm of torque. Another novelty of the novelty is a sequential six-speed gearbox and a ceramic clutch. Behind the sports car gives out a huge spoiler, increased by 60 cm in width. The second adjustable spoiler is installed under the front bumper.

On test runs at the Nürburgring, the Porsche Carrera GT sets the world speed record for the 22.6-kilometer track in 7.32.44 minutes.

In November, the American press publishes spy photos of the next-generation coupe-cabriolet version of the Porsche 911. Prototypes of the car come across on road tests.

Porsche history. 2005 year

The coupe, built on the basis of the Porsche Boxster, is separated into an independent model called the Cayman. The premiere of a new representative of the model range of the Stuttgart brand is being prepared for the autumn auto show in Frankfurt.

In January, Wendelin Wiedeking admits that Porsche bought a hybrid powertrain from Toyota, which is planned to form the basis of the hybrid version of the Cayenne. The head of the Stuttgart brand considers this unit the only way to meet the strict exhaust standards.

In March, the future of the Porsche Panamera becomes more and more clear. Declared the choice for the machine front-engine layout and 340-horsepower V8 engine, issuing 300 hp. The concept arrives at the Frankfurt auto show, and the production model is launched in 2009. The assembly of the model is subsequently mastered at the new Porsche plant in Leipzig, where the Cayenne SUV and the flagship Carrera GT are already produced without it.

In the summer, road tests come across a restyled Porsche Cayenne SUV, which goes on sale in the spring of 2006. There are no revolutionary changes in the design: new bumpers, other optics, etc. The suspension, steering and other components are slightly modernized. The range of engines is replenished with a new unit, which replaces the base V6 with a volume of 3.2 liters. New VR6 from Volkswagen puts out 280 hp instead of the previous 250.

2005 ends with the closure of the Carrera GT project. The last copy of the model leaves the assembly line on December 29, which brought the total number of supercars produced to 1,250. In total, the car lasted only 2 years in the series.

Porsche history. 2006

At the beginning of the year, Porsche announces the start of sales of the most powerful Cayenne Turbo S, equipped with a 4.5-liter twin-turbo V8 engine that produces 521 hp. An increase of 71 hp becomes the merit of increasing the degree of boost and some changes in the engine control unit. The torque also grows - 720 N m instead of the previous 620 N m. Due to this, the dynamics of acceleration to 100 km / h is reduced to 5.2 seconds. The Turbo S version is 15,500 euros more expensive than the Turbo.

By the middle of the year, the release of the “budget” Cayman coupe, equipped with a 2.7-liter engine with 245 hp, is being mastered. Even with this engine, the car has a top speed of 258 km/h.

In autumn, intensive road tests of the 4-door car begin. According to preliminary statements, the length of the car will be about 5 meters, about the same as the BMW 7-series and Mercedes S-classe. The cabin can comfortably accommodate 4 people and place all your belongings in the trunk (volume 450 liters).

With the update of its Cayenne crossover, the Stuttgart company dragged on until the end of 2006. Official photos of the restyled car are released on December 5, while the car itself arrives at the Detroit Auto Show in January 2007.

In the restyled crossover, the design of the front of the body changes - other headlights, a huge air intake in the bumper, new fenders, a hood, and more. The rear part changes accordingly. The range of engines is changing, all-wheel drive is being finalized. Special active stabilizers appear in the suspension, which eliminate the strong roll of the SUV in corners. The new Porsche Cayenne goes on sale on February 24, 2007.

Porsche history. 2007

At the beginning of the year, some Internet publications publish new computer drawings of the four-door Panamera coupe, which by this time is closely starting road tests on the Nurburgring track, where all brand cars are traditionally honed. In these pictures, the Panamera was as close as possible to its real appearance.

At the Geneva Motor Show in March, Porsche is showing several new products at once, including the restyled Cayenne SUV (which was talked about so much at the end of 2006). Most of all, the interest of the public deserves engines for a restyled crossover. So, the base 3.2-liter unit, which produced 250 hp, is replaced by a 3.6-liter engine with a power of 290 hp. Well, the most popular 4.5-liter engine is being replaced with a 4.8-liter unit with a capacity of 385 hp. (with a turbine, he already gave out 500 hp). The most powerful modification of the Cayenne, after restyling, began to accelerate to a maximum of 275 km / h and gain 100 km / h from a standstill in 5.1 seconds.

Porsche's other Geneva premiere is a bright orange Porsche 911 GT3 RS built for racing. The declared title corresponds to a 3.6-liter boxer engine with a return of 415 hp. The sports car gets rid of excess cargo in the form of passenger seats and unnecessary panels in the interior, but they install a roll cage and a fire extinguisher. The 911 GT3 RS is equipped with an adjustable carbon fiber rear wing. At Porsche dealers in Germany, the sports car is sold at a price of 133,000 euros.

On March 7th, Porsche officially unveils its fastest convertible, the 911 Turbo Cabriolet. This roadster is powered by a 3.6-liter boxer engine with 480 hp. and 620 N m (turbocharged version). The dynamics of acceleration from 0-100 km/h is 3.8 seconds for the convertible, and the maximum speed reaches 310 km/h, which at one time made the Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet one of the fastest serial convertibles in the world.

In June, the Stuttgart company shares information about plans to launch a new generation of the Cayenne SUV in 2010. This time, the forecast turns out to be surprisingly accurate - the new Caen appears on time. The second generation of the SUV, as before, is based on the platform from the Volkswagen Touareg (this time the second generation). At the same time, more economical and environmentally friendly engines are being developed.

By the end of June, photo spies are sharing a few photos of the restyled Boxster convertible on a road test at the Nürburgring. The changes, quite naturally, do not become revolutionary: restyling is limited to new bumpers and slightly different headlights. The undercarriage of the cabriolet is also being slightly modernized.

July. The first official pictures of the 911 GT2 sports car are published, which at one time becomes the fastest mass-produced 911. The coupe is driven by a 3.6-liter turbocharged boxer engine that produces 530 hp. and 684 Nm of torque. The new coupe featured a record low weight of 1,440 kg, which predetermined amazing dynamics: 3.6 seconds to 100 km/h and a top speed of 328 km/h. The public presentation of the fastest Porsche 911 GT2 is held at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

By the end of the year, one of the most sensational news is the award of the head of Porsche Wendelin Wiedeking in the amount of 70 million euros, which made him the richest top manager of his time.

Porsche history. 2008

In February, Porsche is introducing a new racing supercar, the 911 GT3 Cup S. The sports car borrows heavily from the standard 911, but comes with a completely new aerodynamic body kit, an active rear wing, a completely different suspension and brakes. And in the cabin of the GT3 Cup S, little remains of a production car. The fastest Porsche 911 is powered by a 3.6-liter engine with 440 hp, paired with a 6-speed gearbox. The "hottest" 911 is sold for 250,000 euros. The circulation of the novelty is very modest - only 265 copies.

The next month brings news of Porsche's plans to release the first ever diesel car. This responsible role is assigned to the off-road Cayenne, which is equipped with a 300-horsepower unit developed by Audi.

In the summer, even before the official presentation of the Porsche Panamera, information about prices appears. AutoBild predicts a price tag of at least $127,000 for the car, and only for a car with a base 3.6-liter engine.

Meanwhile, the first spy photos of the Panamera salon are published. Photos give out incredible luxury and stunning style of the future car.

In September, road tests of the new generation Cayenne will start, which is again reported by photo spies.

On September 16, Porsche begins to intrigue fans with photos of individual parts of the Panamera four-door coupe.

Restyled Boxster and Cayman co-platforms are being prepared for the Los Angeles Auto Show. A full-fledged change of generations is predicted by 2012, and in restyled versions of cars they are limited to changing optics and adding a branded strip of LEDs to the head light. Updated cars are equipped with a modernized aerodynamic body kit, new design rims and twin exhaust pipes. From now on, cars are equipped with manual gearboxes and robotic PDK with two clutches.

November. The long-awaited heavy-fuel Porsche Cayenne comes out. The version is equipped with a V-shaped turbocharged "six" with a capacity of 240 hp. and 550 Nm of torque. With the efficiency of the engine, everything is in order - only 9.3 liters of diesel per 100 kilometers. The partner for the new engine is the adapted “hydromechanics” Tiptronic-S. In Europe, the diesel version of the Cayenne is sold at a price of 47,250 euros.

November 24th. A series of first official photos of the Porsche Panamera is published. The length of the new four-door coupe is 4970 mm, slightly less than the Mercedes-Benz S-classe and BMW 7-series. The salon turned out to be really very spacious for the driver and all passengers.

As expected, under the hood of the most modest Panamera they put a 3.6-liter gasoline engine developed by Volkswagen minders, delivering 300 hp. The next step is the V8 unit with a displacement of 4.8 liters. In the atmospheric version, it develops 405 hp, and with a turbocharger - 500 hp. There is no diesel. Instead of diesels, economy lovers are offered a hybrid version that combines a gasoline V6 and an electric motor. The choice of gearboxes is limited to the standard "mechanics" and the newfangled "automatic" dual-clutch with manual shift.

Porsche history. year 2009

The new Porsche Museum in Stuttgart opens in January. For 5 months it is visited by 250,000 people. The exposition of the new museum consists of more than 80 sports cars. For comparison, in the old museum there were only 20 cars of the brand.

End of January. Porsche introduces the facelifted 911 GT3 coupe, the most powerful modification of the 911 model, designed for track races and not for public roads. Externally, the updated sports car practically does not change: except for the headlights, bumpers and spoiler.

But the technical stuffing is undergoing a more serious modernization: if earlier the sports car was equipped with a 3.6-liter boxer engine, then with restyling it already has 3.8-liters and 435 hp. Such a powerful engine accelerates the 911 GT3 from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.1 seconds and a top speed of 312 km/h.

Among other changes in this Porsche, we note a more powerful braking system and adjustable spoilers. In Europe, the 911 GT3 starts at €116,947.

On March 10, the 250,000th Porsche Cayenne rolls off the assembly line at the Leipzig plant. An SUV with a diesel engine turned out to be an anniversary one. By this time, the crossover existed in seven versions. The 250,000th Cayenne went to a buyer in Austria.

The official presentation of the previously announced four-door Panamera coupe is held by the Stuttgart company in April at the auto show in Shanghai.

In June, Porsche begins a project to revive the legendary Spyder, a convertible from 1953-1956. The future superhybrid Porsche 918 Spyder is based on the platform from the Volkswgaen BlueSport concept.

End of August. Porsche is upgrading the track 911 GT3 RS, which is also roadworthy. The modernization turns out to be very thorough: what is it worth replacing the old 3.6-liter engine with a new 3.8-liter engine that produces 450 hp. The car is equipped with only a six-speed “mechanics”, optimized for shorter shifts, which obviously reduces the maximum speed of the car in favor of faster acceleration. To improve the sporting qualities of the GT3 RS put a special suspension PASM. The body of the car becomes wider, which increases its stability when cornering.

Beginning of autumn. Porsche releases a unique model - 911 Sport Classic, released in the amount of 250 copies. This car has been developed for 3 years by Porsche Exclusive for the most demanding customers of the brand. The exclusive coupe is equipped with a new roof, a redesigned “stern” (based on the Carrera S) and a distinctive front fascia. The coupe is distinguished by a special ducktail rear spoiler (from the 1973 Porsche Carrera RS 2.7).

The engine of the 911 Sport Classic is also special - a 3.8-liter unit with direct injection, delivering 408 hp. Only a six-speed manual transmission is available for the car. Ground clearance is reduced by 20 mm, a mechanical rear differential lock appears and 19-inch wheels of special design appear. The exclusive 911 Sport Classic arrives at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

Porsche 911 GT3 RS (body 997). 2009 - 2013

In addition to the 911 Sport Classic, Porsche is showing the 911 Turbo, 911 GT3 RS and 911 GT3 RS Cup in Frankfurt. All cars are equipped with a 3.8-liter engine, which has become a special pride of the engineers of the Stuttgart brand. Moreover, they really have a reason for pride, since they developed this engine from scratch.

November. By the middle of the month, Porsche is showing the fastest version of the 911, designed exclusively for racing competitions. The name of the special version is the Porsche 911 GT3 R, in which the drivers of the Stuttgart brand take part in next year's championships. In addition to racing teams, cars are offered to everyone at a price of 279,000 euros.

The Porsche 911 GT3 R version is based on the 911 GT3 Cup presented in Frankfurt. In comparison with the progenitor, the weight of the car is reduced to 1,200 kg, and its heart is a 4.0-liter six-cylinder unit that develops 480 hp. Only a six-speed "mechanics" is available with the engine.

In early December, a new generation of Porsche Cayenne gets caught in the lenses of photo spies. The official presentation of the new generation of the SUV is planned for the March Geneva Motor Show.

The Porsche Panamera exceeds all expectations: the Leipzig plant produces the 10,000th Panamera, despite the fact that the serial production of the car started only 3 months ago! Another thing is also interesting: initially, Porsche planned to produce only 20,000 four-door coupes a year.

Porsche history. 2010

In March, the official presentation of the most powerful road 911 in history, the Porsche 911 Turbo S, takes place. The model is proclaimed the pinnacle of development of the current generation of a sports car and the company no longer plans to continue working on the project.

The 3.8-liter unit of this car produces 530 hp. and 700 N m, which is a great merit of the new turbocharging. A dash to 100 km/h is given by the Porsche 911 Turbo S in 3.3 seconds, and up to 200 km/h in just 10.8 seconds. Engine power is enough to accelerate the sports coupe to a maximum speed of 315 km / h. The coupe and convertible versions are immediately presented.

One of the main sensations of the Geneva Motor Show is the Porsche 918 Spyder concept. From the very first presentation, no one doubted the prospects for launching such a machine in a series. The car inherits a lot from the previous flagship in the form of Carrera GT.

The supercar gets a spectacular appearance and no less impressive technical component. The driving force of the concept is a hybrid power plant based on a 3.4-liter gasoline V8 that produces 500 hp. and two electric motors with a total power of 218 hp. This provides the lightweight model with dynamic acceleration to 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds and a top speed of 320 km/h. What is most surprising is the average fuel consumption - only 3 liters per "hundred"! On electric power alone, a supercar can travel 20 km.

Porsche's next big premiere in Geneva is the second generation Cayenne. The car turned out just great! He inherited all the related features of the first-generation thoroughbred Stuttgart crossover. Changes in the cabin are also predictable, but this does not get boring.

What is even more interesting, the hybrid modification of the Cayenne is immediately announced, with a 333-horsepower 3.3-liter gasoline engine and an electric motor with a capacity of 47 hp. With the change of generations, the Cayenne is getting very economical engines into the range. In comparison with its predecessor, all engines become more economical by an average of 23%. The 3.6-liter six with 300 hp has the most modest consumption. In the atmospheric version, the power of this 8-cylinder unit is 400 hp. (previously 385 hp), and in a turbocharged one - already 500 hp. The characteristics of the diesel engine do not change: 3.0-liter volume and 240 hp. power.

All engines are aggregated with a new eight-speed automatic transmission. All crossover modifications receive a switchable start-stop system.

The latest high-profile Porsche presentation in Geneva is the 911 GT3 R hybrid “combat” coupe. This sports car is based on a four-liter petrol “opposite” that produces 480 hp. Paired with this internal combustion engine, two electric motors of 60 kW each work.

At the end of March, photo spies catch a camouflaged Porsche 911 of the new generation through their lenses, the development of which ends only by the end of 2011. Such a long work on the car is simply explained - this is the key model of the brand. No revolutions are foreseen in the design. But at the same time, the coupe gets rid of all the old body parts! In addition, the suspension is drastically reconfigured as the coupe increases in length and width.

In the summer, Porsche still decides to mass-produce a flagship model based on the 918 Spyder Concept, but immediately becomes aware of its small-scale production and terrible high cost.

By the end of the year, Porsche creates a new version of the 911, the Porsche 911 Carrera GTS, which becomes the stop option for the entire line. The engine for the model is chosen quite predictably - a 3.8-liter unit with a capacity of 408 hp. The new coupe is very different both externally and technically. The coupe sits on black-painted 19-inch RS Spyder wheels. The lining of the front of the coupe, the spoiler edge, the side sills, the doors and the rear cover change greatly. Particular attention in the sports car bothered a special resonant intake system with six dampers. Porsche 911 Carrera GTS immediately available in coupe and convertible.

At the same time, a new modification of the Porsche 911 Speedster was being built, released in honor of the 356 Speedster model, which was on the assembly line in the 50s. In technical terms, the special version strongly resembles the Porsche 911 Carrera GTS. The novelty is produced in an exclusive edition of 356 copies.

In November, talk about Porsche's plans to release a compact crossover, the junior version of the Cayenne, will not subside. The leadership of the Stuttgart brand for a long time can not make a final decision. And when the project is given the green light, at first it is assumed that the new crossover will be called Cajun, but later it is changed to Macan.

In the same month, another batch of spy photos of the new generation of the Porsche 911, which is undergoing a road test at the Nürburgring, keep up.

Also in November, photos of the new “hot” Porsche, the Cayman R, are published. The sports car not only gets an increase of 10 hp, but also becomes 55 kg lighter. The 3.4-litre Cayman R engine is boosted to 330 hp. Not only is a stiffer suspension installed, but also a reinforced braking system.

All the work on weight reduction and increase in power leads to a reduction in the acceleration dynamics to 100 km/h to 4.9 seconds (which is 0.2 seconds faster than the Porsche Cayman S). The new central-engine coupe with "mechanics" accelerates to a maximum of 282 km/h, and with "automatic" PDK up to 280 km/h. Car sales begin in February 2011.

Porsche history. 2011

January. The main novelty of Detroit is the Porsche 918 RSR concept, which has become a further development of the 918 Spyder Concept. The model pleases not only with its spectacular appearance, but also with technical perfection. The new "Spider" is powered by a 3.4-liter V8 gasoline engine with a power reserve of 500 hp. As before, his partners are two electric motors with a total power of 218 hp. The huge torque of the electric motors allows the 918 RSR to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds.

The 918 RSR already looked ready for series production at this show. It combines all the engineering experience of the company in recent years, all the most modern and technological.

At the end of February, the company will present a limited edition of the 911 Black Edition coupe, produced in the amount of 1,911 pieces. A similar series is being prepared for the Boxster, which was released in a circulation of 987 copies and was called the Boxster S Black Edition. Black cars are different in almost everything, from bodywork and interior trim, ending with new air intakes, 19-inch wheels and more.

The Geneva Motor Show becomes the venue for the presentation of the second serial hybrid in the Porsche range, the Panamera S Hybrid. Just like the hybrid Cayenne, the main violin role still goes to the gasoline 3.0-liter supercharged V6 engine, which develops 333 hp. The 47 hp electric motor plays along with this "violin". The engines can work both together and separately, however, on one electric traction, the power reserve is only 2 km (with the prospect of acceleration to a maximum of 165 km / h).

In total, the hybrid Panamera S Hybrid develops 380 hp, thanks to which its maximum speed reaches 270 km / h, and acceleration to 100 takes 6.0 seconds. The average fuel consumption declared by the manufacturer is 6.8 liters of fuel per 100 km. Sales of the Porsche Panamera S Hybrid will start in the summer.

April. There is an official presentation of one of the fastest Porsche cars - 911 GT3 RS 4.0., which comes out in the amount of 600 copies. Yes, the most powerful exclusive did not turn out, but its 4.0-liter, 500-horsepower unit was enough to make it an enviable sports car. The four-litre unit in the 911 GT3 RS 4.0 is said to be the largest engine ever used in a production 911. What's more, it achieves the highest output of any naturally aspirated engine, with 125 hp. per liter of working volume. The power reserve gave the dynamics of acceleration from standstill to 100 km / h in 3.9 seconds.

May. A new generation of Cayman comes across in the lenses of photo spies on road tests. The Boxster co-platformer is planned to be shown in 2012. At the end of May, Porsche aims to create an environmentally friendly image for itself, for which the concept of the electric car Boxster E, which develops 121 hp, is created. The concept model takes an eternity to 100 km / h - 9.8 seconds, which is very mediocre even for a golf class. The maximum speed is generally discouraging - only 150 km / h. The Germans are resolutely declaring their plans to replenish their lineup with a decent electric car in the coming years.

Mid August. The first official photos of the new generation Porshe 911 are circulating, while a public presentation is scheduled at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The design does not change too much, but this should not be surprising: with the appearance of the 911, Porsche has never allowed itself radical experiments. But in the cabin there are very significant changes: the interior inherits a lot from the Panamera, and important buttons are placed on the central tunnel.

The novelty has a slightly increased wheelbase, and new engines appear in the range. So, in the 911 Carrera they put a 3.4-liter engine with 350 hp. (the same is put in the Boxster S). The Porsche 911 Carrera S is equipped with a 3.8-liter unit with 400 hp. In both cases, power is sent to the rear axle via a 7-speed manual or PDK dual-clutch automatic transmission.

By November, the convertible on the basis of the new 911 is also ripe. The highlight of the convertible is not only the stunning design, but also the roof, which folds in just 11 seconds. The roof is made of a special composite material sheathed with fabric. The roof structure uses a lot of magnesium, which provides a significant lightening of the entire structure. The convertible is produced in two versions: the 911 Carrera with a 3.4-liter boxer engine with 350 hp and the 911 Carrera S with a 3.8-liter 400 hp engine.

In December, road tests of the early prototypes of the brand's new crossover, the Macan, begin. Then it is also being tested in the shell from the Audi Q5, which is not surprising, since the cars have an identical platform.

Porsche history. year 2012

Contrary to the expected Cajun name for the new crossover, Porsche still chooses the name Macan. At the beginning of the year, it becomes known that although the platform will be common with the Audi Q5, the Stuttgart craftsmen make a completely original suspension, steering, wheels, stabilization system and brakes for the car.

The third generation of the Porsche Boxster roadster arrives at the 82nd Geneva Motor Show. In technical terms, the development of the Boxster proceeds smoothly and over and over again this sports car approaches Porsche's ideas of ideal and impeccability.

But if the previous generation of Boxster was just a deep restyling of its predecessor, now we are talking about a fundamentally new Boxster with a body index of 981. First of all, the wheelbase is increasing - 2,475 mm (plus 59 mm), although the dimensions increase only by 5 mm - 4 374 mm.

Porsche Boxster (body 981). 2012 - 2016

As before, two engines are offered for the Boxster - both six-cylinder boxer ones. The base Boxster gets a 2.7-liter unit that produces 265 horses and 280 Newton meters. With manual transmission, acceleration to 100 km / h takes this modification 5.8 seconds. With the "robot" PDK, this exercise takes him 5.7 seconds. The Boxster S modification is equipped with a 3.4-liter engine with a capacity of 315 hp, with which the dynamics of acceleration to one hundred is reduced by a second. The maximum speed of the most powerful "Boxster" is 279 km/h, while the "regular" one is 264 km/h.

On April 3, Porsche announces the sad news: Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, who once created the legendary 911 model, dies at the age of 76. Almost all his life he designed cars, and he headed the project to create the Porsche 911 in 1962. In addition to this legendary sports car, he also created such sports models as the Type 804 Formula and 904 Carrera GTS.

On April 10, Porsche will present the Cayenne GTS. The modification receives a V8 engine with a power of 420 hp. The forced unit, a slightly different aerodynamic body kit and a stiffer suspension increase the top speed of the Cayenne GTS to 261 km/h. Already in the base there is an air suspension with adjustable ground clearance. The interior in the car is leather, and some elements are sheathed in Alcantara.

In May, on road tests, an almost uncamouflaged Porsche Macan comes across, the official presentation of which is carried out only a year later. In the summer, car tests begin at the Nürburgring.

On August 6, Porsche shows the production 918 Spyder roadster for the first time at a private event in New York, a video of which is uploaded to YouTube. A few hours later, the video is removed from the video hosting, but vigilant fans manage to take screenshots. In appearance, there are no radical changes in comparison with the concept: the massive rear spoiler disappears, another diffuser appears, and the exhaust pipes “move” behind the head restraints.

In September, Porsche officially announces the most powerful diesel version of the Cayenne S Diesel. The car is equipped with a 4.2-liter eight-cylinder biturbo engine producing 382 hp. and 850 N m. With this engine, the Cayenne S Diesel accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds with a top speed limit of 252 km/h. In mixed mode, the car consumes 8.3 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers. With this consumption, with a full 100-liter tank, the range reaches 1,200 km. Modification comes to the Paris Motor Show this fall.

A little later, Porsche shows the first photos of the Cayenne Turbo S, the fastest crossover in its history. Under the hood of the modification they put a turbocharged V8 engine with a displacement of 4.8 liters with a capacity of 550 hp. and 750 N m. The most powerful version of the Porsche Cayenne is distinguished by “tinted” optics, a slightly different aerodynamic body kit, stylish 21-inch wheels and a sports suspension with active stabilizers. All this provides the car with acceleration to a hundred in 4.5 seconds.

In December, official information about the new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, built on the basis of the seventh generation of the 911 GT3, is made public. The sports car is built specifically for racing in the Porsche Mobil 1 Super Bowl. The heart of the car is a 3.8-liter six-cylinder boxer that produces 460 hp. The car is equipped with a redesigned brake system, polished and ventilated brake discs, six-piston aluminum monobloc calipers and more. The safety of the pilot was well taken care of: in case of a rollover or collision, he is protected by a new roll cage and bucket seats with special protective padding.

Porsche history. year 2013

The Germans show the seventh generation of the Porsche 911 GT3 in Geneva. The debutant is driven by a 3.8-liter atmospheric “opposite”, developing 475 hp, with which it takes 3.5 seconds to accelerate to a hundred and a top speed of 315 km / h. This Porsche becomes the first GT3 available exclusively with the PDK "robot", while the "mechanics" are consigned to oblivion. This GT3 is also equipped with a fully steerable chassis for the first time: at speeds up to 50 km / h, the rear wheels also turn in antiphase, which improves maneuverability. At high speed, the rear wheels turn slightly towards the front wheels, increasing the stability of the machine.

On April 20, Shanghai hosts an open show of the Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid with an extended range and enhanced interaction with your car through a special smartphone application. The power of the machine is increased to 416 hp. (one electric motor develops 95 hp). On one electric traction, the car can easily travel 36 km with acceptable acceleration dynamics and a maximum speed of 135 km/h. But if you connect the internal combustion engine to work, then the dynamics of acceleration to 100 km / h will be only 5.5 seconds, and the maximum speed will be 270 km / h.

In May, the story of a new generation of the legendary Porsche 911 Turbo and Turbo S begins, which are discussed in more detail in ours.

On September 10, 2.5 years after the first show of the Porsche 918 Spyder concept, the serial flagship supercar of the Stuttgart brand leaves for the stand. This car is immediately declared the most powerful, fastest and technically advanced in the history of Porsche. The 918 Spyder uses technology from the future.

Porsche 918 Spyder Super Hybrid

The serial supercar differs little from the concept. In both cases, the cars were built in a durable carbon-fiber monocoque and a subframe of the same material. The roof of the Porsche 918 Spyder consists of two removable halves that can be folded into a 100-liter boot.

In the “stern” there is a 4.6-liter gasoline V8, created using Porsche RS Spyder technology and delivering 608 hp. The rear wheels rotate through a seven-speed PDK "robot" with two clutches. This ICE has two assistants working with the front wheels (however, only at speeds up to 235 km / h, after which the supercar becomes rear-wheel drive again). The total power of the power unit is 887 hp. The supercar accelerates to “hundreds” in 2.8 seconds, to two in 7.7 seconds, and to three in just 22 seconds. The physical maximum for the new Porsche flagship is 345 km/h with an average fuel consumption of just 3.0 – 3.3 liters.

Read about other key moments in the life of Porsche in the main sections of our website and on the page.

Porsche is a brand that needs no introduction. This family business continues to gain momentum to this day, although it was born many years ago. Many generations are watching the changes of this manufacturer. Their history is full of interesting facts that few people know about. In this article it will be possible to find out who is the founder of the Porsche company? Who produces this brand, which country is the manufacturer? What do they have to do with and who manages this huge corporation? We will try to answer all these and similar questions in the article.

Country of origin of the brand "Porsche"

During its existence, the company changed its location, but often the production returned to its homeland, the name, by the way, which can be seen on the emblem of the Porsche car. The German manufacturer of these vehicles ranks among the highest ratings among SUVs, sedans and, of course, sports cars. Germany became the birthplace of Porsche. A manufacturing country whose brand itself is already synonymous with high-level cars.

Ferdinand Porsche founded the Porsche automobile company in 1931. Prior to that, he led the development of the Mercedes compressor car, and later designed and built the first Volkswagen car models with his son Ferry Porsche. But let's start in order with the fascinating life story of Ferdinand Porsche.

What started a long history

Ferdinand Porsche was born in the small town of Austria - Maffersdorf (now the city is called Vratislavitz), September 3, 1875. The family was small, father Anton Porsche owned a workshop, was a professional in his field, even spent some time as the mayor of Maffersdorf. Ferdinand was familiar with his father's craft from childhood, he even thought that he would continue his business, but he actively delved into the study of electricity and his views on work changed.

Already at the age of eighteen, Ferdinand Porsche was hired by the Austrian design company Lonner. During this period of work, Porsche had the idea of ​​​​creating and developing a car. The goal was to design a car that would be compact, move quickly, and most importantly, run on electric traction.

From idea to deed - the car was created, drove at a record speed for that time - 40 km / h. There was one drawback - the heavy weight of lead batteries, because of this, the car could not drive for more than an hour. It was a successful start-up at the time, and Ferdinand was offered the position of the company's chief engineer.

First car - hybrid

Lonner liked the car so much that he presented it at a world-class exhibition in Paris in 1900. Auto "Porsche", the manufacturer of which was Lonner's company, was recognized as the best development at the exhibition. It is not surprising, because it was the world's first Phaeton car, also known as the P1, which:

1. It had an engine capacity of 2.5 horsepower.
2. Developed a speed of 40 km / h.
3. It was front-wheel drive, it did not have a manual gearbox.
4. It had 2 electric motors located on the front wheels of the car.
5. At the same time, the car remained not only on an electric course, but also had a third one - a gasoline engine that rotated the generator.

On the morning after the Paris exhibition of Porsche, Ferdinand became famous. Later in 1900 he provided his engine for a race at the Semmering and won. Although the creator considered the car unfinished, Lonner was very fond of the car and often drove it.

In 1906, Ferdinand Porsche began working with Austro-Daimler, arriving there as a technical manager. In 1923 he was invited to the Daimler Stuttgart company as technical manager and board member. In Stuttgart, his ideas were focused on the creation of a compressor racing car Mercedes S and SS class.

Founding of the Ferdinand Porsche Company

During the period of work at Daimler, Ferdinand Porsche worked not only on the automotive industry, but also specialized in the tank and aircraft industries. When visiting the USSR in 1930, he was offered a job as a heavy industry designer, the great engineer refused, but added mystery to his person. Looking ahead, I would like to say that later during the Second World War, Ferdinand was often interrogated about the reasons for his trip to the USSR.

In 1931, having finished working with Daimler, Ferdinand thought about creating his own company for the manufacture and design of cars. And in 1934 he was invited to participate in the project of Adolf Hitler "Volkswagen". The name Volks-wagen" in translation means "People's Machine", later Hitler renamed it Kraft durch Freude-Wagen (translated from German - the power of joy).

The year was quite busy, and Ferdinand Porsche, together with his son Ferry, developed the Volkswagen Beetle model car. From this project, the father and his son constantly worked together.

Due to the fact that Porsche had previously taken part in the development of one of Hitler's favorite cars - Mercedes-Benz, he was chosen as the chief designer and designer of Volkswagen cars. Thus began mysterious and dark times in the history of this concern. German officials increasingly intervened in the work of the creator of the car. First they demanded changes to the original 1931 design to make it more suitable for the working man, then they took part in the development of the engine and even wanted to attach a swastika to the WV emblem.

First sports car

In the spring of 1933, Ferdinand Porsche was commissioned by Auto Union in Saxony to develop a 16-cylinder racing car weighing 750 kg. Immediately after the contract was signed, the Porsche team (who is the manufacturer and idea generator, we found out), led by senior engineer Karl Rabe, began work on the Auto Union P racing car (“P” stands for Porsche). In the future, this project will give rise to the era of the concern "Audi".

The project progressed rapidly and the first test runs of the Auto Union P were already in January 1934, and in the first racing season the new car not only set three world records, but also won three international Grand Prix races. With drivers such as Bernd Rosemeyer, Hans Stuck and Tazio Nuvolari, the Auto Union racing car, improved over time, became one of the most successful racing cars of the pre-war era. The mid-engine concept soon set the trend for all racing cars and is still used in Formula 1.

The impact of the war on the Porsche concern

Despite the fact that Hitler's relationship with the Porsche family seemed mutual and friendly, in fact the situation was different. The family of Austrian Ferdinand Porsche was pacifist and often disagreed with Nazi ideals. Hitler took into account the fact that Ferdinand had helped a Jewish employee of the company escape Germany during the war.

The Volkswagen car got its distinctive round shape and air-cooled, flat, four-stroke engine. Before the outbreak of the war, Porsche, who is still a popular brand today, invented the Wind-tunnel technology, using it in the development of the ultra-slim Volkswagen Aerocoupe. But with the onset of hostilities, interest in cars decreased, and Hitler demanded that the plant be reequipped for the duration of martial law in the country.

The war began and Hitler encouraged Ferdinand Porsche to create military vehicles for use on the battlefield. Together with his son, they began developing models for both the automotive and tank industries. A heavy tank was developed for the Tiger program, a prototype with an improved drive system. True, on paper it seemed like a great idea, but during the hostilities the tank did not show good results. Breakdowns and shortcomings in the development led to the fact that a competitor (Henschel und Sohn) of the Porsche company received a contract for the production of tank equipment. Who was the manufacturer during the war of additional tanks "Ferdinand" and "Mouse"? All the same company "Henschel".

Birth of the Porsche 356

After the war, Ferdinand Porsche was arrested by French soldiers (for his Nazi affiliation) and was forced to serve a 22-month prison sentence. During this period, the automobile manufacturer Porsche decided to move its operations elsewhere. The city was chosen It was in Carinthia that his son Ferdinand developed the new Porsche car. Austria was already listed as its producer country.

The Cisitalia model was equipped with a 4-cylinder engine and had a displacement of 35 hp. This car with the Porsche name was registered on June 8, 1948 - model 356 No.1 "Roadster". It's the birthday of the Porsche brand.

This model was classified as a sports car and was very popular among wealthy customers. It was produced until 1965, and the number of cars sold approached 78,000 units.

For fast speed and aerodynamics, Porsche began experimenting with lightening its cars. Deciding to save a few ounces, they forgo painting the car. Since the cars were made of aluminum, they were all silver in color. With the appearance of competitors in the automotive market, there was a tendency to highlight the car with the color of its country. For example, German racing colors are silver, British racing colors are green, Italian racing colors are red, and French and American racing colors are blue.

This sports model was followed by a whole series of cars of this type. According to Ferdinand Porsche Jr., when meeting with this model, the founder of Porsche said: "I would have built it exactly the same way, down to the last screw." The father-son team continued to pursue automotive history until 1950.

Porsche was already a separate automobile corporation both as a dealer and as a manufacturer, but was still very much associated with Volkswagen. Now these two brands are considered as separate companies, but very closely related.

The legend of the concern - model "Porsche-911"

The son of Ferdinand Jr. styled the most famous Porsche 911. It was the world's first turbocharged sports car and was designed as a more advanced replacement for the 356, the company's first sports car. The 911 was originally designated as Porsche (internal project number), but Peugeot protested on the grounds that they owned the trademark for all car names using three digits and a zero in the middle. So, before the start of production, it was decided to change the name of the new Porsche from 901 to 911. In 1964, sales of this manufacturing country started in Germany.

“Despite the fact that over the past decades, the Porsche 911 has been updated and enlarged many times thanks to modern technology, no other car has been able to maintain its original creation in the same way as this model,” says Porsche Group Director Oliver Bloom. “Models currently being developed and planned for the future are based on this sports car. The 911 has become a dream sports car, capturing the hearts of fans all over the world.”

Futuristic "Porsche", or what awaits us in the near future

"Mission E" - a new model of the electric car concern "Porsche", whose manufacturer is already approaching the starting line. This concept vehicle based on technology from Zuffenhausen combines distinctive Porsche design, excellent handling and forward-looking functionality.

The four-door model delivers over 600 hp of system performance. with a travel range of more than 500 km. Accelerates "Mission E" to 100 km/h in less than 3.5 seconds, and the charging time will take only 15 minutes. Porsche has invested more than a billion euros in this project. Approximately 1,100 additional jobs have been created at the headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, where Mission E will be built. Frequently asked question, "Porsche" whose brand, country, manufacturer? The answer will always be the same - Germany!

Of course, a quick transition from gasoline to electric will not happen, although by 2020 it is predicted that one in ten cars will be hybrid or electric. Porsche plans to launch its last diesel car in 2030.

Interesting facts you didn't know

1. The famous designer Ferdinand Porsche worked as a personal driver for the Prince of Hungary and Bohemia.
2. The German company designs and manufactures Porsche cars, motorcycles, and engines of all types.
3. The first passenger car "Porsche" in 1939 was called the Porsche 64. This model became the basis for all future cars, despite the fact that only three cars were released from the factory.
4. In total, more than 76,000 Porsche 356s were produced. The staggering fact is that more than half of them have survived to this day, and they continue to function.
5. Interestingly, the Porsche company (whose car, country of origin, we analyzed in the article) began to actively use its official logo only in 1952 after the brand entered the American market. Prior to this, the company simply used the Porsche lettering stamp on the hoods of its vehicles.
6. Over the course of 50 years, Porsche cars have achieved more than 28,000 wins in different speed racing categories! Other car manufacturers can only dream of such an amazing success in motorsport.
7. The Porsche Panamera takes its name from the successful performance of the Porsche team in the Carrera Panamericana.
8. The 1964 Porsche 904 Carrera GTS is a legendary car, as you can see from its specifications. It has a height of only 1067 mm, weighs 640 kg, and its power is 155 l / s. The Porsche 904 is a truly outstanding car, even by today's standards. It can easily compete with today's supercars.
9. The most commercially successful model is the Porsche Cayenne. The manufacturer named this model after the city of Cayenne, the capital of French Guiana. In addition, cayenne is a type of red pepper (guinea spice, cow pepper and red chili pepper). North America became the manufacturer of some new generation Porsche Cayenne cars.
10. The Porsche 911 has one of the most recognizable designs in the supercar world. Over the years of its existence, it has had continuous updates, although the basic concept has not changed much. Its distinctive visual style and technological edge remained constant for 48 years. In addition, this supercar model is the most mass-produced in the world.
11. The founder of Porsche made the world's first hybrid car back in 1899. The Semper Vivus was an electric car, and the generator was created using an internal combustion engine. Moreover, the Semper Vivus had brakes installed on all four wheels.
12. Ferdinand Porsche was also the designer of Auto Union cars. The collection also featured the Auto Union P, which featured a mid-range 16-cylinder engine.
13. The horses on the Porsche and Ferrari badges are indeed similar. However, for Porsche it makes much more sense, as the horse is the symbol of Stuttgart. This is a significant nuance in the Porsche logo, whose country of origin is depicted on the coat of arms.
14. The Porsche 365 was used by the Dutch police.
15. The Porsche 917 can outperform any racing car available today with 1,100 horsepower. and a speed of 386 km / h.
16. The concern was also engaged in the design of tractors for agriculture. History has shown that Porsche not only manufactures high-quality tractors for agriculture, but even developed special ones for the coffee industry. They were equipped with a gasoline engine, so the diesel fumes did not affect the taste of the coffee.
17. The cockpit of the Airbus A300 was built by Porsche! Along with several advances, they also added digital screens to the cockpit rather than analog ones.
18. Porsche has demonstrated its special efforts and dedication to technological advancement and performance. was another product of the company that can rightly be classified as the most technically advanced sports car, accelerating to 320 km / h. This model not only won at Le Mans, but was the champion of the Paris-Dakar rally, which, due to the difficult route in this area, is considered the most brutal motor race.
19. The 944 was designed as the world's first Porsche, whose manufacturer added passenger airbags, and the first country to buy such a feature is America. Prior to this introduction, airbags were only on the steering wheel.
20. "Porsche" and "Harley Davidson" - an amazing union, right? Some of them use a Porsche engine.
21. Another fascinating fact is that Porsche designed the grill!

For his achievements in mechanical engineering and development, Ferdinand Porsche was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Imperial Technical University at the age of 37. At 62, Ferdinand Porsche was awarded the German National Prize for his contributions to art and science.

We found out who produces Porsche, the country of origin.

Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG (pronounced Porsche, full name Doktor Ingenieur honoris causa Ferdinand Porsche Aktiengesellschaft - Joint Stock Company of the Honorary Doctor of Engineering Ferdinand Porsche) is a German engineering company founded by the famous designer Ferdinand Porsche in 1931. The headquarters and manufactory is located in Stuttgart, Germany.

The company produces luxury sports cars, as well as SUVs. The production of Porsche cooperates to a large extent with Volkswagen. Side by side, with participation in motorsport, work is underway to improve the design of the car (and its components) as such: in different years, synchronizers of a manual transmission, automatic transmissions with the possibility of manual shifting (later with shift buttons on the steering wheel), turbocharging for a production car were developed , turbocharging with variable geometry turbine impeller in a gasoline engine, electronically controlled suspension and so on.

50.1% of the company's shares are owned by Porsche Automobil Holding SE, since December 2009 49.9% of the shares are owned by Volkswagen AG. Porsche is a public company, part of its shares are traded on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and in the worldwide Xetra electronic system. Large blocks of shares are owned by the Porsche and Piech families.

The emblem of the company is a coat of arms that carries the following information: black and red stripes and deer antlers are symbols of the German state of Baden-Württemberg (the capital of Baden-Württemberg is the city of Stuttgart), and the inscription "Porsche" and the prancing stallion in the center of the emblem remind of Stuttgart, which is native to the Stuttgart brand, was founded as a horse farm in 950. The author of the logo is Franz Xavier Reimspiss. The logo first appeared in 1952, when the brand entered the US market, for better recognition. Before that, cars simply had the inscription “Porsche” on the hoods.

By the time the first car was released under his own name, Ferdinand Porsche had accumulated considerable experience. Founded by him on April 25, 1931, Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche GmbH under his leadership has already managed to work on projects such as the 6-cylinder racing Auto Union and the Volkswagen Käfer, which has become one of the best-selling cars in history. In 1939, the first car of the company, the Porsche 64, was developed, which became the progenitor of all future Porsches. To build this example, Ferdinand Porsche used many components from Volkswagen Käfer.

During the Second World War, the company was engaged in the production of military products - staff vehicles and amphibians. Ferdinand Porsche took part in the development of the German Tiger heavy tanks.

In December 1945, he was arrested on charges of war crimes and placed in prison, where he spent 20 months. At the same time, his son Ferdinand (short name Ferry) Anton Ernst decides to start producing his own cars. In Gmünde, Ferry Porsche, together with several engineers he knew, assembled a prototype 356 with a base engine and an aluminum open body, and began preparations for its mass production. In June 1948, this copy was certified for public roads. Like 9 years ago, units from Volkswagen Käfer were again used here, including an air-cooled 4-cylinder engine, suspension and gearbox. The first production cars had a fundamental difference - the engine was moved behind the rear axle, which made it possible to reduce the cost of production and free up space for two additional seats in the cabin. The designed body had very good aerodynamics - Cx was equal to 0.29. In 1950 the company returned to Stuttgart.

Porsche 356 - the first road-going Porsche

Since returning to Stuttgart, all body panels have been made of steel, aluminum has been abandoned. The factory started with coupes and convertibles and 1100cc engines with only 40bhp, but the choice soon expanded: by 1954, versions of the 1100, 1300, 1300A, 1300S, 1500, and 1500S were sold. The design was constantly improved: the volume and power of the engines continued to grow, disc brakes appeared on all wheels and a synchronized gearbox, new body options were offered - hardtops and roadsters. Units from Volkswagen were gradually replaced by their own. For example, during the production period of the 356A series (1955-1959), it was already possible to order an engine with four camshafts, two ignition coils, and other original components. Series A was replaced by B (1959-1963), and it was replaced by C (1963-1965). The total output of all modifications amounted to a little over 76 thousand.

In parallel, modifications were created for racing (550 Spyder, 718, etc.).

In 1951, Ferdinand Porsche died of a heart attack at the age of 75 - his health was undermined by being in prison.

In the late 1950s, a prototype of the Porsche 695 was made. The company's management did not have a unanimous opinion on this matter: the 356th managed to earn a good reputation for itself, so for a small Porsche family company, switching to a new model was associated with increased risk. But the design of the 1948 model of the year was becoming obsolete faster and there were almost no reserves left for its renewal. Therefore, in 1963, the Porsche 911 was presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The main points in the design remained the same (rear-mounted boxer engine and rear-wheel drive), but it was already a modern sports car with classic body lines in the spirit of the Porsche 356. Ferdinand became the author of the design Alexander "Butzi" Porsche, eldest son of Ferry Porsche. Initially, instead of the index "911", another one was to be used - "901". But the combination of 3 digits with a zero in the middle was already reserved for Peugeot. The car began to be called 911, but the numbers 901 did not disappear anywhere: they began to call the 911 model according to the internal nomenclature (1964-1973).

Porsche 911

The motor in the first 2 years of production was one - a 2-liter 130-horsepower. In 1966, the Targa modification (a kind of open body with a glass roof) got on the conveyor; after the end of the production of 356-series convertibles in 1965, they did not appear as such in the company's lineup until 1982. In the late 60s, the wheelbase of the car was increased and engines of increased volume were equipped with mechanical injection. The pinnacle of the evolution of the 901s was the “combat” modifications of the Carrera RS 2.7 and Carrera RSR of the early 1970s. The word Carrera appeared in the name of the sports versions of the 356 in the mid-1950s, thus perpetuating the memory of the victory in the Carrera Panamericana race of 54, after which the brand became widely known in North America.

In the late 1960s, another new model was launched into the series - the Porsche 914. At that time, Volkswagen needed to add some kind of sports car to the lineup, and Porsche needed a successor to the 912 model (a cheaper 911 with an engine from 356- th). Therefore, it was decided to join forces, and in 1969 the production of a car called the VW-Porsche 914, a central-engined Targa with 4- and 6-cylinder engines, began. The brainchild of the alliance did not live up to expectations - a rather unusual appearance and unsuccessful marketing policy (due to the "mixed" name VW-Porsche) had a negative impact on sales. In just 7 years of production, about 120 thousand of these machines were manufactured.

In 1972, the legal status of the company changed from a limited liability partnership to an open (public) one. Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche KG ceased to be a family business and was now called Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG; The Porsche family lost direct control over the company's affairs, but Ferry and his sons' share of the capital in it significantly exceeded that of the Piech family. After the restructuring, F. A. Porsche and his brother Hans-Peter founded the Porsche Design company, which produces exclusive glasses, watches, bicycles and other prestigious items. The grandson of F. Porsche, Ferdinand Piech, moved to Audi, and then to Volkswagen, where he later became the general director of the concern.

The first head of the company, who was not from the Porsche family, was Ernst Fuhrmann, who had previously worked in the engine development department. One of his first decisions in his new position was to replace the 911 series with a classic sports car (front-engine-rear-wheel drive) model 928 with an 8-cylinder engine. Under his reign, another front-engine car, the Porsche 924, was put on the conveyor. After the debut of the Turbo modification at the Paris Motor Show in 1974, the development of the 911 line (by that time the modernized 930 series (1973-1989) went into production actually stopped until the beginning of 1980- x until Fuhrmann was removed from office, but his projects continued to be produced further: the last front-engined Porsche cars left the factory in 1995.

The 914 in 1976 was replaced by two new cars at once - 924 and 912 (now with a Volkswagen 2.0 engine), which lasted only a year. The history of the appearance of the 924 is similar to the 914 - Volkswagen did not abandon the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bits own affordable sports car and invited Porsche engineers to develop an appropriate project. They were given complete freedom of action, except for the development of the engine and gearbox - they were supposed to be units from Audi. Even before the work was completed, the new Volkswagen management, led by Tony Schmuecker, doubted the feasibility of releasing such a car, since the oil crisis began in 1973. Then the project was bought from Volkswagen.

Compared to the 911 model, it was a completely different design: modern appearance, classic layout and weight distribution, close to ideal, economical 4-cylinder water-cooled engines. The Porsche 924 was in demand, and it had good potential, as evidenced by the constant updating and replenishment of the line. Already 3 years after the start of sales, a turbocharged version appeared in it, and three years later they began to produce the 944th - its successor. In general, the car remained the same, and the changes were evolutionary - many indicators improved, and in appearance, the most noticeable difference was the extended fenders, which were inherited from the special version of the 924 Carrera GT. These two lines were produced together for 6 years, until the model was discontinued in 1988 (almost 150,000 were sold in total).

The design of the 944 was noticeably different from the 924: the engine was a “half” of the V8 from the 928, other major components were also replaced with proprietary ones. For 9 years, 160 thousand 944s were produced, many modifications appeared - S, S2, Turbo, Cabriolet, etc. The last round of the evolution of the front-engined Porsche was the 968 model (1992-1995).

Fuhrmann's decision to replace the 911 turned out to be unsuccessful: From the 78th to the 95th, about 60 thousand copies of the 928s were produced, and the 911s during this period - several times more. The sluggish commercial start of this car made it clear that the Porsche 911 is indispensable.

In the period 1974-1982, when the main priority was given to the development of models 924 and 928, there was an almost complete lull in the 911 series. With the change of generations, the 930 received new energy-absorbing bumpers and a 2.7-liter base engine. In 1976, it became a 3-liter. The following year, the line was simplified - instead of the 911, 911S and 911 Carrera modifications, a single one was introduced, called 911SC and with reduced power. At the same time, the 911 Turbo received a new engine - 3.3 liters, 300 hp. With. Porsche 911 Turbo was one of the most dynamic cars of those years, it accelerated from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds and reached a top speed of 254 km/h.

Fuhrmann is fired by Ferry Porsche and replaced by Peter Schutz, the American manager of Porsche. Under him, the 911 models returned the unspoken status of the main car of the company. In 1982, a convertible appears, and a year later the 911 Carrera with a 231-horsepower power plant becomes the base one. New for 1985 is the Turbo-look (aka Supersport) version, which was a regular Carrera with a chassis and body from the Turbo model, which in turn had wider rear fenders and a large spoiler (sometimes called a "picnic table", "tray" or "whale tail"). The Turbo model itself, a year later, became available in the SE version, or the so-called Slantnose with a sloping front end and retractable headlights. At the same time, the lightweight 911 Carrera Clubsport, the successor to the Carrera RS of the 1970s and forerunner of the modern GT3, appears.

The history of the Porsche 959 began in 1980, when a new "Group B" was approved in the World Rally Championship. A number of companies were attracted by liberal demands - there were almost no restrictions, except for the release of 200 homologated copies. Porsche also decided to take part. Schutz came to the conclusion that it was necessary to show the full engineering potential of the company. The technical stuffing was at a high level: the power of the 6-cylinder engine (2.8 liters, two turbochargers) was 450 hp. With.; for each wheel of the all-wheel drive transmission, there were 4 shock absorbers controlled by a computer (it also distributed torque between the axles and could change the ground clearance); body parts were made of Kevlar, a lightweight and durable plastic composite material. At the development stage, the Porsche 959 twice participated in the Dakar Rally and in 1986 took 2 first places in the absolute.

In the meantime, it turned out that "Group B" no longer exists: the tragic death of several pilots and spectators at the rally prompted the FISA motorsport federation to close it. In the period from 1986-1988, more than the planned 200 units were produced.

The 959 project turned out to be unprofitable, but the ideas embodied in it were useful for the development of racing technologies in production cars: the 964s (1989-1993) and subsequent versions were equipped with a simplified transmission with all the leading ones, the Turbo line (964/993) received a modern turbocharging system at its disposal. ), the 993s (1993-1998) had a similar front end with headlights and air ducts, the air intakes of the 996 Turbo version (2000-2006) in the front bumper and rear fenders also resemble those of the 959th. The proprietary PASM adaptive suspension (installed on all current Porsche cars) is a modern analogue of the complex system that was first tested on the Porsche 959.

In these ten years, veterans of the company left the scene - front-engined cars and classic 911s. Instead, they introduced a completely new Boxster and 911 (996) Carrera.

Nine years produced the 901st and sixteen - 930th, but now this Porsche could not afford; because of this, 964 lived only 4 years. This was the final period for the Targa version in its classic form, as well as for the Turbo, and to some extent for the Carrera. The latter could now be equipped with all-wheel drive and automatic transmission. The body was changed more than it might seem at first glance: a new frame was developed, aerodynamics were seriously improved (Cx decreased from 0.40 to 0.32) and an active rear spoiler was added. They abandoned the archaic torsion bar suspension. The engine was bored out to 3.6 liters. The rear- and all-wheel drive versions were named respectively Carrera 2 and Carrera 4; sports Clubsport renamed back to RS. Turbo, for the first 3 years, was equipped with a proven 3.3-liter engine, and in 1993 it also received a 3.6-liter version (360 hp). Limited editions of the 911 America Roadster and the semi-racing 911 Turbo S were sold. In total, about 62,000 964s were produced. The total volume of her contemporaries (968, 1992-1995 and 928 GTS, 1991-1995) did not exceed 15.

The economic crisis of the early 90s found the brand not in the best shape. During these years, production volumes decreased, the company suffered losses. In 1993, Wendelin Wiedeking was appointed the next head of Porsche, who replaced Heinz Branicki (he became director after Arno Bon, and he, in turn, after Schutz). In the same year, the fourth generation of its flagship, called 993, went on sale.

Only now a significant step has been taken in the evolution of the model. Integrated aerodynamic bumpers, new lighting technology and smoother body shapes give the Porsche 911 a modern look. The motor was once again slightly boosted, but the rear suspension was seriously modified. Turbo-look was now simply referred to as Carrera S/4S. The Targa became a regular coupe, only with a sliding panoramic roof, while the Turbo got all-wheel drive and a seriously upgraded 3.6-liter twin-turbo engine. Its traditional differences from regular 911s - wide rear fenders and tires - were still noticeable, and the large rear spoiler grew even more as the increased power (408 hp) forced the use of larger intercoolers. The 1997 Turbo S version, with an even more powerful engine and minor changes to the exterior, was the latest in the 34-year history of the company's flagship sports car.

Since its introduction, the 911 Turbo has always been the pinnacle of the 911 range. However, the fastest and most expensive of the 993s was its road-racing version of the GT2 (now known as racing RSRs). This car was created for the newly formed BRP Global GT Series championship, where, among other things, the use of turbocharging was allowed. Therefore, the standard motor did not undergo serious modifications, unlike the rest: the engineers abandoned the "ballast" in the face of the drive to the front axle and made the improvements necessary for racing in the body. In 1998, the GT2 engine was improved - dual ignition was added and power was increased to 450 hp. With. The 993 GT2 often flew off the road, earning it the nickname widowmaker.

1998 was a year of losses and gains. In the summer, the last "air" 911 left the gates of the enterprise in Zuffenhausen. In the entire history of these, 410 thousand were produced; the contribution to this figure of the 993rd is 69 thousand. At the same time, Porsche celebrated its 50th anniversary. And in the same year, in March, Ferdinand Anton Ernst (Ferry) Porsche died at the age of 88. He has played little part in the company's affairs since he settled on an Austrian farm in Zell am See in 1989.

Wiedeking's efforts became evident towards the end of 1996, when the Porsche 986 Boxster center-engined roadster went on sale, which became the bearer of the brand's new face. The author of its design - Harm Lagaay (Dutch. Harm Lagaay), who led the work on the exteriors of all Porsches of the 1990s and the first half of the 2000s, when creating the look, was based on the company's early cars - the open 550 Spyder and 356 Speedster. The name of the model is formed from two words - boxer (that is, a boxer motor) and roadster. Unlike its predecessors, whose open versions were converted from closed ones, the 986 was designed from the outset as an open car. The only option in the lineup was a roadster with a 2.5-liter 6-cylinder boxer engine, until it was joined in 2000 by the 986 Boxster S (3.2 L). The new compact sports car at a relatively low price was very warmly received by the market and led the results of Porsche's annual sales until 2003, when it was overtaken by the Porsche 955 Cayenne, which debuted a year earlier. The production capacity of a single plant was not enough, and part of the components for cars was assembled in Finland by Valmet Automotive.

After the Boxster, all eyes were on the 911. In 1997, the new Carrera was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show, and it became clear that it shared many similarities with its younger brother, ranging from almost identical front ends, with teardrop-shaped headlights, and similar interiors, to the general design of the engines. Such decisions made it possible to reduce the cost of development and production, since in those years the financial resources of the brand were still very limited.

Carrera in the 996 body added power and size, but at the same time remained a first-class sports car. For example, the British magazine Evo from the beginning of its existence (1998) called the 911 (both 996 and 997) "Sports Car of the Year" 6 times.

In 1998, a convertible and Carrera 4 appeared, and the following year there were two important innovations at once: the GT3 intended for amateur competitions (this name replaced the RS) and the new flagship of the series, the 996 Turbo. The engines of the last two were seriously different from the standard ones, since they were based on the design of the 1998 GT1 sports prototype unit. The naturally aspirated variant went to the GT3, and the twin supercharged variant went to the Turbo. In addition, the flagship became the owner of not only the most powerful engine, but also a special appearance: especially for it, changes were made to the bumper and lighting equipment, and this is without taking into account the distinctive features of Porsche - a spoiler and a wide body, which this time has holes in the rear wings. The new 3.6L liquid-cooled engine did not require large radiators, eliminating the need for a Whale-tail rear spoiler. The new design has become noticeably more compact. The GT3 was not equipped with anything like that, although it also had its own characteristics, such as a lightweight body, lowered suspension and no rear seats.

Porsche 996 GT3 was produced from 1999 to 2004, and its improved modification GT3 RS - from 2003 to 2005. Turbo model - from 2000 to 2005; in the last 2 years, Turbo Cabriolet and Turbo S (X50 in the USA) with 450 hp engine have been on sale. With.

The new GT2 (2001) was ideologically more of a tweaked Turbo than the road-racing version of the previous generation. The reason for this is the discrepancy between world motorsport regulations, since turbocharging was already banned. Structurally - the same Turbo, only with rear-wheel drive, a different front bumper and a large rear wing. At first it was equipped with a 462-horsepower engine, later - 483-horsepower.

The most unusual car in the history of the brand was introduced in 2002. This is a "sports-utilitarian" Cayenne SUV, developed jointly with Volkswagen and in many respects similar to the Volkswagen Touareg. For its release, the company built a new plant in Leipzig. Production began the following year, and the Cayenne immediately became the brand's most sought-after product, although reactions to the controversial design and the very existence of such a car were mixed. Half of sales and the main profit still come from the Cayenne, which was updated in 2007. In addition to atmospheric versions with V6 and V8, there are supercharged Turbo and Turbo S. The model range after modernization was expanded by the introduction of 2 new modifications: GTS and Turbo S with a 550-horsepower engine.

Carrera until 2002 was criticized for the excessive similarity of the nose to the younger Boxster, so during the modernization all atmospheric options received lighting from Turbo, and now it became easier to distinguish between them. Once again, the power plants were finalized (from 300 to 320 hp; from 3.4 to 3.6 l) and changed bumpers, wheels, etc. A version similar to the Turbo model appeared in the line again, this time exclusively all-wheel drive Carrera 4S. Her new distinguishing feature is a red stripe between the lanterns.

At the Geneva Motor Show in 2000, one of the most significant premieres was the display of the supercar concept Carrera GT, and it became serial only after 4 years. In fact, the history of this project is even longer, and it all started with a racing engine developed for one of the Formula 1 teams in 1992. Financial difficulties Porsche forced to suspend work in this direction. Then it was remade to fit the 24 Hours of Le Mans regulations (2000) and abandoned again. In the end, Wiedeking decided that this engine was the right place in the future Carrera GT. This is a V10 with a volume of 5.7 liters and a capacity of 612 hp. With. Everything else matched its potential: a 6-speed gearbox with a ceramic clutch, carbon-ceramic brakes and some power elements of the body made of carbon fiber composite.

During the two years that it was produced at the factory in Leipzig, 1270 copies were assembled, although it was previously planned to make 1500. The reason is the introduction of new requirements in the United States for car safety, which made further production or modernization of this supercar pointless.

Through the efforts of Walter Röhrl, the factory test driver of the brand and rally champion, the Carrera GT became for some time the fastest production car on the Nordschleife of the Nürburgring - it was only in 2007 that the Pagani Zonda F with Marc Basseng was able to improve 7 minutes 28 seconds by half a second.

In the summer of 2004, the 6th generation of the 911 was introduced with the index 997. This time, they did without revolutionary (for 911) changes: the sports car basically retained the appearance of its predecessor and interior design, but small changes affected almost the entire body - the headlights (again they became round ) and lights, bumpers, mirrors, rims, etc. Inside is a slightly modified dashboard with classic dials. On the technical side, the most important news is the ability to install the PASM adaptive suspension on all versions.

The lineup structure remained the same - Carrera, Targa, GT2, GT3, Turbo. There were no more road-going GT1s as the 911 retired from that category in motorsport.

The Turbo version received a seriously modified engine (480 hp; 620 Nm) with a variable turbine impeller geometry (trade designation VTG). Its peculiarity is the combination of the thrust of small turbines at low revs (their low inertia compensates for the lack of revs) and the thrust of larger ones at high revs, which also reduces the effect of the turbo pit. Such a turbine has been used for several years in diesel engines, but has not yet appeared in gasoline engines due to difficulties associated with higher operating temperatures. The all-wheel drive system has become new - it is not based on a viscous coupling, as before, but an electronically controlled multi-plate clutch (PTM), which controls the distribution of torque. The Sport Chrono Package option allows you to increase the engine torque to 680 Nm for 10 seconds by pressing the corresponding button. The progress in top speed is small - 310 km / h versus 305 for the 996 Turbo, but in accelerating dynamics it is more noticeable - 3.9 s in the 0-100 km / h cycle with manual transmission and 3.7 s with automatic transmission, according to Porsche official data. Although American journalists, who traditionally organize acceleration races on racing straights (drag-strip) with a special coating, achieved even more impressive results (for example, Motor Trend employees managed to reach 100 km / h in 3.2 s).

The GT3 (2006) with a naturally aspirated 415-horsepower engine is almost as fast as the Turbo, but the GT2 (2007), debutant at the Frankfurt Motor Show, is back at the top of the line. It, as usual, has an improved 530-horsepower engine from Turbo and uses a rear-wheel drive version of the transmission with a launch control system. The weight advantage is 100 kg compared to the all-wheel drive counterpart. The exterior is distinguished by a special wing, modified bumpers and wheels like the GT3.

The series of new products was temporarily interrupted in 2005, after the premiere of the new Boxster and the Cayman-based coupe (officially Porsche considers it an independent car). In addition to updating and replenishing the lines of existing cars, the main efforts of the company since then have actually been directed towards one goal - preparing for the release of the 4-door Panamera model, which was officially introduced in April 2009 at the Shanghai Motor Show.

After the 980, the Carrera GT is the fastest production Porsche on the Nordschleife until 2010 with a time of 7 minutes 32 seconds.

In 2008, after a restyling, the 997 series received new lighting, bumpers, and a PDK transmission with two clutches and a power boost (Carrera 350 hp, Carrera S 385 hp, GT3 415 hp).

And in 2009, the updated GT3 RS (450 hp), Turbo (500 hp) and the racing GT3R already appeared.

In the same 2009, they introduced the serial Panamera S and Panamera Turbo with 400 and 500 hp, respectively.

2010 saw the introduction of the standard Panamera (300 hp), the 911 Turbo S and the revolutionary 640 hp GT3R Hybrid racing car.

The GT2 RS was later shown to the public, being the fastest road-going 911 outside of the 996 GT1 Strassenversion, and the 918, a new hybrid concept with 886 hp.

The Porsche company, one of the most famous and highly profitable automobile companies in the world, was founded by the German designer Ferdinand Porsche 82 years ago - on April 25, 1931. Its full name is "Joint-stock company of the honorary doctor of engineering sciences Ferdinand Porsche".

We bring to your attention a small digression into the history of the company's development - Porsche cars from the first serial to modern models:

The company's first production car was the Porsche 356. It was produced from 1948 to 1965. The first cars were assembled by hand on the territory of an old sawmill in Gmünde (Austria). In 1950, car production was moved to Stuttgart (Germany), where the headquarters of Porsche is currently located.

Porsche 356 1500 America Roadster (manufactured from 1952 to 1953). The limited edition of the model was intended exclusively for American buyers (according to some reports, only 16-21 copies were produced).

Porsche 356 1500 Speedster. Produced in 1955 for the American market.

Porsche 597 Jagdwagen (manufactured from 1954 to 1958). It is the first SUV in the history of the company.

Porsche 911 (years of production - from 1964 to 1975). Initially, the model was called "Porsche 901", but it turned out that Peugeot owns exclusive rights in France to the names of car models with three-digit numbers with a zero in the middle. The model had to be renamed to "911".

Porsche 912 (years of production - from 1965 to 1969). The Porsche 911 was faster and more expensive than its predecessor, the Porsche 356. Not all potential customers could afford to buy it, so the company decided to release a budget model, which became the Porsche 912.

Porsche 911E series B (years of production - from 1968 to 1969). The 911 model, which underwent its first upgrade, received electric heating of the rear window (before that, warm air was sent to it from the fan)

Porsche 914 (years of production - from 1969 to 1976). Was the most affordable car after the 912 series was discontinued. The model was developed in collaboration with Volkswagen.

Porsche 911 Carrera RS (produced in 1973). Currently, it is the most rare model of all the 911 series cars that have ever rolled off the assembly line. It costs sky-high money, as passionate fans elevated her to the status of a legend.

Porsche 924 (produced from 1976 to 1988). He replaced the 914 series. It is the first production car in which there was a liquid-cooled engine.

Porsche 928 (produced from 1977 to 1995). In 1978, it was recognized as the best European car, becoming the only sports car to receive such a high award.

Porsche 944 (produced from 1982 to 1991). It is the successor to the 924th model.

Porsche 959 (produced from 1986 to 1990). Recognized as the most technologically advanced and advanced car of the 80s of the last century: according to the magazine "Sports Car International" is the best sports car of that period, and according to the publication "Auto, Moto und Sport" is the best car in the history of Porsche.

Porsche 944 Turbo S (produced in 1988). It is a limited version of the 944 Turbo model, which received a more powerful engine and costs almost 10% more. It was originally planned to release only 1000 copies, however, according to some reports, a total of 1635 cars were sold.

Porsche Speedster (produced in 1989). This model was inspired by the classic 356 Speedster from the 1950s. Produced in limited edition. The car could only be driven in good weather, since the roof was not completely windproof and waterproof.

Porsche 911 Carrera 4 (964) (produced from 1989 to 1993). By the early 1980s, the 911 had already established itself as a classic sports car, recognizable and revered by car enthusiasts the world over. However, due to competition from Japanese car manufacturers, the company updated the model in order not to lose sales. Inside the company, the Porsche 911 Carrera 4 is known as the "964".

Porsche 968 (produced from 1991 to 1995). It is the successor to the 924 and 944 and the last front-engined Porsche car.

Porsche 911 Carrera RS (993) (produced from 1995 to 1996). It is the most lightweight version of the 911 Carrera: the model is devoid of all the “superfluous”: electric seats, windows and mirrors, headlight washers, central locking, airbags, noise insulation, numerous speakers and even an intermittent wiper switch.

Porsche Boxster (produced from 1997 to 2004). The entry-level model (replacing the outdated 968) received a completely new design that did not borrow anything from the company's previous models.

The underpowered 2.5-litre Boxster was heavily criticized, so the company released a version with a 2.7-litre engine. In parallel with this, in 1999, the S modification was launched.

Porsche 911 Turbo (996) (produced from 2000 to 2005). The company managed to create a car that could surpass the 993 Turbo, which was simply a resounding success. The maximum speed of the 996th version is 304 kilometers per hour.

Porsche Cayenne (produced from 2002 to 2010). The launch of the Cayenne marked a significant change for Porsche, as it was the first non-sports car the company had built for the first time in a long time.

Porsche Boxster S (987) (produced from 2005 to 2007). It is an updated model of the original version of the Boxster S. It was made less similar to the 911 model (for example, the shape of the headlights was changed).

The Porsche Cayman (produced from 2005 to 2009) is a 2-door coupe based on the Boxster.

Porsche Boxster RS60 Spyder (687) (produced from 2008 to 2009). The limited edition is inspired by the 1960s Porsche 718 RS60 Spyder. Visually, the model was distinguished by a unique front spoiler, sports wheels, silver metallic color and a red or black roof.

And "for dessert" - a tractor from Porsche: a 1950s Porsche-Diesel Super.