June 2014 Gem Grapevine by Golden Empire Region PCA

The Grapevine Newsletter Golden Empire Region Porsche Club of America June 2014

Hear it through the Grapevine Featured Stories A Photo review of Autocross at Minter Field

Pages 6

Review of 2014 California Mille

Spy Photos of the Cayman GT 4

Can Porsche’s LM P1 Win Le Mans

MIT Builds All Electric Porsche

Social Outings & Members Page Driving Tour to Murphy’s Auto Museum

We’ve found Greg Fullmer’s Baby, sorta ...

Meet Loren Stumbaugh’s latest Porsche Toy

Event Calendars & Schedules Upcoming GEM Social Events in June

Porsche Parade in Monterey is Upon Us

Our GEM Event Calendar

24 Hour French Le Mans Endurance Race

Up-Coming Out of Town Events San Luis Obispo Concours and Rally

Porsche’s Werks Reunion in Monterey

Los Angeles PCA Porsche Concours d’ Elegance

San Marino Concours de Elegance

Porsche Club of America Golden Empire Region Board Members and Chair Persons

President

Vice President

Secretary

Treasurer

Past President

Omar Olivas

Linn Christopher

Spencer Harris

Betsy Wadman

Pat Wadman

Membership Co-Chairs & Safety Chair &

Newsletter Editor

Insurance Coordinator

Michael Thomas

Mike McGregor

gemgrapevine@gmail.com

Communication Co-Chairs

Loren Stumbaugh and Anna Stumbaugh

Autocross Co-Chairs

Greg Fullmer and Charles Rook

PCA Membership Webmaster

Social Coordinator

Anton Khatsanovich

Tammy Harris

While our cars are very exclusive, our club is not. Did you know that you can add a family member or other interested person as an affiliate member, at no additional cost? The family or affiliate member must also be 18 years of age or older.

Please join us online at our newly remodeled Website and on our Facebook Group page:

For all of the details contact our Membership Chair:

http://gem.pca.org/

Loren Stumbaugh Porsche Club of America Golden Empire Region Membership Chairman Loren7025@gmail.com (661) 747-4416

https://www.facebook.com/groups/ PCA.GoldenEmpireRegion/ And please send any Newsletter comments or content contributions to :

gemgrapevine@gmail.com

Upcoming GEM Social Events in June

Parade is Finally Here !! The “Must See” Porsche Event of the 2014

Our June Social Meeting, Tuesday Evening, 6:30 Pm at 7701 White Lane, Near Gosford and White Lane

The Golden Ox, every Saturday Morning at 8:am for Breakfast and Chit Chat , 3400 Wilson Rd. 4

GEM Club Drive to Murphyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Auto Museum Open House June 28 in Oxnard, CA

More Photos from the Spring 2014 Autocross at Minter Field

Porsche Parade is a Couple of Weeks Away !! From June 15th until the 21st Monterey California will be alive with hundreds of Porsches from all over the US. I hope your reservations have been made by now. I’m sure most events are pretty well picked over and closed for further registries.

Click on graphic below for full information on details and scheduling. Or review the March issue of the Grapevine for the complete schedule.

Monterey is the site of our 59th Porsche Parade, to be held this June 15 through 21, 2014. This is PCA’s annual extravaganza of competitive and social events. Only minutes away from the beautiful Pacific Ocean, we’ll be treated to drives on the famous Pacific Coastal Highway, to some of California’s legendary vineyards, and through the hills and valleys of northern California. Of course, Parade has a long history of friendly competition and that will continue this year with the always challenging Concours d’Elegance, TSD rally, autocross, and the tech-quiz.

I hope these images of previous Porsche Parades across the country will inspire you to attend the 59th Porsche Parade this year in Monterey California. It may never be closer !

Hey Greg Fullmer, we found your Baby, and not far from home !

FlatSixes Online Magazine had a nice write-up about Greg’s pride and joy. The rear wing has been removed and apparently a repaint and very minor body work has been done to remove a “wrinkle” in one the fenders. It’s currently located on a classic car lot in Marina Del Rey and it’s sale. Flatsixes had some very nice comments about our Club’s former showpiece. Thanks to Mike McGregor for pointing me in the direction of this follow-up story ……... 10

Below is a the last couple of paragraphs from the Flatsixes Magazine article describing Greg’s 914/6 Glockler for sale. To view the entire article click on the following link; One Of One Glockler 914-6 GT For Sale Excerpts From the Flatsixes article ……… In Mr. Fullmer’s care, the 914 received a very large 935-esque whaletail, and found itself once again sitting on a beautiful set of classic Fuchs wheels. It appears at this point to have received a second re-paint in a shade more equivalent to Aqua metallic than the light silver-blue of ‘hellblau’, and at the same time, the fender wrinkle was repaired. As a fair-weather driver in So-Cal, the Porsche was well cared for, and doesn’t look far removed today from the day it was built. The Glockler 914, now in the care of our friends over at Chequered Flag (although you won't find it on their web-site) in Marina Del Ray, has been lovingly cared for, with some light ‘return to glory’ work having been carried out. The whaletail is now, thankfully, sleeping with the fishes, the bright work gleams, and the metallic paint glistens. The car is currently for sale, but no word has been given on price. The only other known remaining Glockler 914 has recently received a full restoration back to standard spec 914-6, making this car the only one left with Glockler bodywork. If you've ever wanted a truly unique and historically significant car, now is the time to buy! You can get in touch with Chequered Flag via email or call them at 310-827-8665. Flatsixes Online Magazine is a good friend of the PCA. They allows PCA newsletter editors the use of their Porsche related articles. Please help support them by visiting the Flatsixes Website. 11

Golden Empire Region Club News

A trip the Central Coast wineries Yes, Greg’s former 914/6 Glocker is being organized by Sandy Anderson. The trip is tentatively scheduled for July 19th. Sorry guys, this one is just for the ladies only. The idea is to drive to Paso Robles, have a nice hotel awaiting their arrival, and take a wine bus to tour the Central Coast Wineries. More details on this trip will follow when they become available.

has been located, however, I’m afraid that it has already found a new home. I placed a phone call to the Chequered Flag classic dealership in Marina Del Rey regarding the Greg’s car. Only to be told that Greg’s baby has been sold. Chequered Flag was not very forth coming regarding details of the sale. I would not be surprised to see it on a track or in a concours some time in the near future though.

And finally, Vernell Christopher has been ill for the last couple of months. She has indicated that she is feeling much better now. But I still want to send out my sincerest wishes for her complete recovery. Get well Vernell, we are all wishing you the very best !

I haven't written much lately.

Bill Strong was able to provide many stories and a lot of detail about my car. He had increased the width of the Fuch wheels and had installed Koni shocks for better handling. He stated the reason the Fuch spare in the front compartment is so badly scored is because he got too close to rather large rock. He said it also tore up the front, right fender pretty badly. Repairs were made and the entire car was repainted. I always thought it was original paint !

So I thought I would take

time and share with you an interesting encounter with the former owner of my recently purchased 1971 911t Targa. A few weeks ago I was fooling around with my ‘71 911t. I was working inside my garage, connecting an oil pressure testing gauge. The 911t has always shown low oil pressure on the dash gauge. So I wanted to confirm adequate oil pressure by means of a second gauge.

He also stated the reason the hood appears out of alignment is because his brother David dropped a car battery on the hood. An attempt to repair the hood was made but it is far from perfect. He said that the backfire “popping” that I still experience on engine deceleration has occurred as far back as he can remember. I’m hoping a trip to Danny Woods’ shop can resolve this noise.

A tall, slender man walked up my driveway and asked if I owned the 911. I replied yes. I assumed he was interested in purchasing the car from me. He then stated that he was the former owner of this car and drove it for 25 years. I realized this was certainly not the person I purchased the car from. I stated that I had bought the car from a man named David Strong. He replied, “David is my brother”. He then began explaining the history of ownership of my car.

And then he a question that blew me away. “Is the oil pressure still low?” I replied yes, in fact that’s exactly what I'm working on now to attempt to determine the source of the low oil pressure problem. I told him I had just replaced the oil pressure sender device and was in the process of installing an oil pressure test gauge. He stated that since the engine had been rebuilt the oil pressure had always indicated low oil pressure. He said that he had taken the car back to Precision Motors who rebuilt the engine. They checked it out and told him the gauge may be reading low but the oil pressure is fine. Further telling him to take it out and drive it hard. If the engine seized again they said, we will rebuild it free. “I drove it hard, determined to find any problems as they suggested, but I never had any problem associated with oil pressure”, Bill told me.

David Strong, a local attorney at the time bought the 911 Targa new from a Chevrolet Dealership in Fillmore California in 1971. The Fillmore Dealer had brought seven 911s into his dealership for a quick flip. David got word of these 911s being available at a great price from his friend and local Bakersfield car dealer Remey Ortiz. David bought the 911t Targa with S-trim new for $7500. As David’s daughter began to drive a few years later this little Targa became here car to drive to Garces High School. For a reason that no one can explain, the 911 was being driven with no oil in the engine. Which caused the lively little 2.2 liter engine to seize up tight. The car was taken to Bruce Smith’s Precision Motors in Oildale. With only 53000 miles on the car, the engine was being rebuilt. The rebuild cost came to a little over $2300. David did not want to pay the $2300 and promptly sold it to his brother Bill Strong. Bill, an engineer working at the China Lake Naval Weapons Center at the time would continue driving it for the next 25 years. Bill brought up a good point about the $2300 rebuild cost. He said it sounds very inexpensive to us now, however, it was 1/3 of the original cost of the entire car. And a healthy amount of money at that time.

He stated that he had sold the car back to his brother before moving to England. I asked what he was doing in England and he replied that he taught Engineering at Cambridge University, just outside of London. That little impromptu visit of his really meant something special to me. Thx Bill …….. I offered him some time behind the wheel for old time sake but he graciously declined. 13

California Mille 2014 – Report and Photos

Report by Dennis Gray | Photos by author and Bob Ross The 2014 California Mille was staged April 27th to May 1st on the challenging back roads of Northern California. The four-day, 1,000mile rally continued its long tradition of spirited driving in historic sports cars on the twisty and picturesque roads for which they were intended. The rally celebrates Italy’s Mille Miglia race that ran from Brescia to Rome to Brescia from 1927-1957. Cars that could have qualified for the original event are eligible for entry in the California Mille. The California Mille was founded by Martin Swig, who after driving the Mille Miglia from Brescia to Rome to Brescia, decided that northern California “Looked more like Italy than—Italy.” Thus was born, in 1990, The California Mille. The Mille is produced by Amici americani della Mille Miglia (American Friends of the Mille Miglia), which also presents the annual New Year’s Day “Anti-Football Drive”, and will in 2015 re-stage La Carrera Nevada, its version of Mexico’s border-to-border La Carrera Panamericana. David and Howard Swig are co-directors of these events and Dan Radowicz is the organizer. As always, the 2014 running of the California Mille started with the customary free car show on Sunday, April 27th in front of San Francisco’s Fairmont Hotel on Nob Hill. Italian Consul General Mauro Battocchi welcomed fans on behalf of his nation, offering historic insight into the original Mille Miglia. During the opening day festivities, the Swig brothers walked around the show to highlight the many unusual and significant automobiles that ranged from a 1927 Bentley 6.5-Liter Le Mans and 1957 Ferrari 250 GT Pinin Farina Cabriolet Series I to a great selection of Alfa Romeos, Jaguars, Porsches and other vehicles. Further notable entrants at this year’s rally included a 1952 Tojeiro Roadster; 1956 Alfa Romeo 1900CSS; 1953 Siata 208S; 1957 AC Ace Bristol Zagato; 1957 and 1958 Ferrari 250 GT Tour de Frances; 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder; 1953 Jaguar C-Type; 1957 Maserati 200si; 1939 Jaguar SS-100; 1951 Allard K2; 1949 Healey Silverstone and 1957 Kurtis Kraft 500KK; among others.

On Monday, April 28, the California Mille headed north to cross the Golden Gate Bridge, then motored east to Lodi for lunch at the Wine and Roses Restaurant. That afternoon, the Mille left the Central Valley driving to the west shore of Lake Tahoe, with an overnight at the Resort at Squaw Creek in Olympic Valley. Day 2, April 29, the California Mille headed north into the picturesque and little-known Gold Lake region where drivers did their best to avoid the temptation to fish, camp and hike (as normal tourists do), continuing instead to Nevada City for lunch at the historic Stonehouse Brewery. The afternoon drive journeyed down the western slope of the Sierra with the Mille spending the night at the Citizen Hotel in Sacramento. Day 3, April 30, the Mille classics cruised along the banks of the Sacramento River, passing through the 19th century Chinesedesigned town of Locke, then driving west to the Napa Valley wine country for lunch. Continuing westward, the Mille ambled through rarely-traveled back roads ending the day at Cavallo Point for the first of two nights at this San Francisco Bay-front resort. On May 1, the final day, the California Mille climbed 2500 feet to the near top of Mt. Tamalpais, the highest point in Marin County, smiled for a commemorative group photo, then motored north for lunch in the village of Nicasio, wandered along the Pacific Coast to Occidental, then turned south for the run back to Sausalito and the final night’s awards banquet at Cavallo Point.

24 hours of Le Mans: interview with Wolfgang Hatz "Porsche is part of Le Mans, and Le Mans is part of Porsche"

This coming Sunday on June 1, the entries for what will be the 82nd running of the legendary 24 hours of Le Mans will be testing at the famous track. It is the final test prior to arguably the toughest motor race in the world. Porsche vehicles have been on the starting grid continuously for 63 years, and the German sports car manufacturer is the record holder with 16 overall victories and 103 class victories. The most recent class victory was last year with two 911 RSRs one-two in the GTE Pro category. To date, the last overall victory was 16 years ago, as Porsche has not competed in the top class since 1998. Porsche returns there this year and faces the new FIAefficiency regulations with the innovative 919 Hybrid, which limits the energy consumption per lap. In parallel to this, the GT team is trying to build on the success of the previous year. A gigantic factory involvement. There are also six private Porsche teams starting the event; the most well known driver and team owner is Patrick Dempsey, racing car driver and American actor. As Member of the Executive Board, Research and Development, at Porsche AG, Wolfgang Hatz is responsible for the Porsche factory involvement.

Did the historical connection to Le Mans also play a role? Wolfgang Hatz: "Porsche is part of Le Mans, and Le Mans is part of Porsche. They fit together. Nevertheless, no one makes these kind of investments due to nostalgia; they have to pay off in the future. As far as I can remember, there was never a regulation that gave the engineers so much freedom and required so much innovation. The obligation towards producing a hybrid and the efficiency formula represent revolutionary challenges. I am proud that our engineers ventured the furthest of any. Ultimately, Porsche customers will benefit from this." Can you explain this in laymenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s terms? Wolfgang Hatz: "Our combustion engine is the finest and most efficient engine ever developed by Porsche. This compact two litre, four cylinder, turbo engine with direct fuel injection and a performance of over 500 PS drives the rear axle. It is the smallest engine with the least number of cylinders in the top category of the race. Our engineers also combined a fundamentally new exhaust gas energy recovery system with this engine. No one else has that. We store the energy recovered from the otherwise unproductive flow of escaping exhaust gasses in a battery. We store energy, which we generate during braking on the front axle in the same battery. When the driver retrieves energy from this reservoir comprised of the latest type of battery cells, several hundred horsepower drive the front axle. During this phase, the driver has a powerful all-wheel drive at his disposal. Our car is the only one in the field which converts energy that would otherwise simply be wasted and makes it useable, not only when braking, but also when accelerating. This represents an immense potential for future road sports cars."

Mr Hatz, when and why did Porsche decide to return to the top class of the sports car World Endurance Championship (WEC) and Le Mans? Wolfgang Hatz: "This was in 2011. We were and still are well positioned in the GT category, but it is time for the brand to re-enter at the elite level. The options for this are easily understandable. There is Formula 1, and there is the WEC with Le Mans. An essential criteria for the decision was the desire to establish the project at Porsche itself, so the expertise would be developed and remain inhouse. The World Endurance Championship including Le Mans suits us best, it is a real team sport. This is especially true of the team of drivers. But we also needed to create the infrastructure for this first: new buildings, a team of 230 people, every other one of which is an engineer."

Are the efficiency regulations not to the detriment of racing itself? Wolfgang Hatz: "Not at all; the races at Silverstone and SpaFrancorchamps have demonstrated this. The prototypes have plenty of power available; whether this is from the internal combustion engine or electrical does not matter. They must use all of the energy on each lap, otherwise it is a waste. Nothing can be saved here. These endurance races are sprints over incredible distances." The World Championships comprises eight races, but the focus is on Le Mans. When would the factory involvement be considered a success? Wolfgang Hatz: "It would be terrific, if the GT team could build on the success of the previous year. However, that is literally more difficult because we had to add weight in accordance with the regulations. Porsche Team Manthey headed by Hartmut Kristen has extensive experience, which may make the decisive difference at Le Mans. The situation is completely different in the case of the Porsche team headed by Fritz Enzinger in the LMP1 class: We have no experience there at all. 2014 is a year of learning. Not admitting that would mean miscalculating Le Mans. At Spa-Francorchamps, the Porsche 919 Hybrid impressively demonstrated that the necessary speed is there with pole position and the fastest race lap. Our competitors know we are a force to be reckoned with. However, the 919 Hybrid has not yet covered the complete Le Mans distance in racing conditions. In this respect, it would be a success if one LMP1 finishes the event. Succeeding with both would be fabulous." At Silverstone, we saw you emotionally applauding the podium place in the overall standings in the pouring rain. Isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t that the high demand Porsche imposes on itself? Wolfgang Hatz: "That was a great moment of joy. But I am not losing sight of reality over this. We were not top-notch at Silverstone. We also benefited from the competitionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s problems. But we did complete the first six-hour race with this extremely complex car and a team that has never competed before at a circuit. All the processes, especially under chaotic weather conditions, worked very well for the debut. And everyone worked extremely hard for this. The drivers showed their enormous skills but also a lot of discipline. The podium was a great experience for all of us. And we had a one-two in the GT class. The picture we saw on Sunday in England was terrific." Where will you be watching the 24 hour race from? Wolfgang Hatz: "I will be on duty and will not be a spectator. Of course, I spend most of the time in the pit. I attend every race and was at the tracks for almost all the tests. Mostly, by the way, by the side of Matthias MĂźller, Chairman of the Executive Board, and that will also be the case on June 14/15. Come, what may." Porsche 17

June 2014 Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

1 White Glove Porsche Concours in Dana Point

7 San Luis Obispo Drivers Ralley

8 San Luis Obispo Concours d’ Elelgannce

14 Porsche’s Return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans

Porsche Parade

Monterey Calif

17 Social Meeting 18 at FireHouse bar Porsche Parade and Grill on White Monterey Calif Lane

Monterey Calif

28 Drive to Murphy’s Auto Museum

Porsche Parade Monterey Calif 29

July 2014 Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

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Whale Watching in Santa Barbara

15 Social Meeting

19 Paso Robles Wine Tasting

To Be Announced

20 Los Angeles Porsche Concours at Museum Flying in Santa Monica

August 2014 Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

12 Monterey Sports Car Week

13 Monterey Sports Car Week

14 Monterey Sports Car Week

15 Porsche Werks 16 Laguna Seca Reunion Monterey Motor Sports Reunion

17 Pebble Beach Concours de Elegance

19 Social Meeting

To Be Announced 26

September 2014 Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

16 Social Meeting

To Be Announced

By Gary Watkins

May 7th 2014, 11:22 GMT PorschePreparing to test newfor parts after 919 Hybrid's Spa WEC race Porscheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s return toWednesday, Le Mans issue

Porsche to test new parts after 919 Hybrid's Spa World Endurance Championship race failure issues Porsche will test new components next week designed to address the problems that put Mark Webber's Porsche 919 Hybrid out of contention in the Spa World Endurance Championship race. The #20 Porsche, shared by Webber, Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley, finished 23 laps down on the winning Toyota TS040 HYBRID in 23rd place after the front right driveshaft had to be replaced on two occasions.

Porsche LMP1 technical director Alex Hitzinger has revealed that the same problem had already been encountered in pre-season testing and that a stronger driveshaft was already in manufacture ahead of Spa. The new components will be tested when Porsche undertakes its second and final endurance simulation before the Le Mans 24 Hours in June at the Aragon circuit in Spain next week. Hitzinger told AUTOSPORT: "We already have stronger parts in the pipeline and we will have them when we test next week." The hybrid system problem that delayed the fourth-placed #14 Porsche 919 driven by Neel Jani, Marc Lieb and Romain Dumas was a result of a false system alarm, according to Hitzinger. "We are very conservative on our alarms and this time we were too conservative," he explained. Dumas had to cycle through the car's electronic systems to cure the problem, which lost Porsche any chance of finishing on the podium. Porsche has so far chosen not to reveal the nature of the driveline failure that put the #14 car out of the WEC opener at Silverstone last month.

Loren Stumbaugh is a Black or White kind of Guy And his newest 2007 911 Carrera S Coupe proves that

Recently Loren traded in his beloved Black 911 Carrera 4 Cabriolet for this new toy. He says the he didn't realize what a “cruiser” his black Cabriolet was until he got behind the wheel of this Hot Rod. The difference in performance between the two is very noticeable. Loren has also switched from a Tiptronic automatic to a 6 speed manual transmission. This Carrera S is heavily optioned. But the only non-stock items is the suspension and exhaust system. Loren is number four in the line of ownership. He says one or more of the former owners has spent a lot of money in modifications. For starters the GTS look of this car comes from rear deck spoiler and the low front air dam under the car’s “chin”.

Other things that attracted Loren to this car are not as easily seen. The Sport Exhaust that the car came from the factory with was upgraded to a FABSPEED Sports Exhaust. FABSPEED builds exotic high performance systems for many exotic sport marques such as Lamborghini, Ferrari, and of course Porsche. And I can attest that the car does sound amazing ! The electronically controlled Porsche Active Suspension Management system, or PASM has also been upgraded to electronically controlled Bilstein Coil-overs. Porsche increased the Carrera S to a 3.8 liter engine in 2007. The BHP is rated at 355hp at 6600 RPMs. The engine accelerates the car from 0-60 in 4.6 seconds. And comes from the factory with an 11.8 to 1 compression ration. And the Sports Chrono Plus package converts this car from a comfort cruiser into a full blown racing machine. The suspension becomes stiffer and the engine becomes more aggressive and direct. In Sports Mode Plus the car places it’s full potential into the hands and mind of the driver. The interior has also been modified. Just to add that little extra, a previous owner replaced to black plastic console, door, and air vent trim with accenting white trim. The black leather seats look gorgeous wrapped around the white interior trim pieces. And speaking of “Wrap”, parts of the exterior has been wrap with vinyl. The front compartment hood, the roof and the rear spoiler have all been wrapped in Matte Black Vinyl that provides for a very unique and sporty look.

I’m sure this Carrera S is very pleased to have Loren as it’s newest owner, Congrats!!

2015 Porsche Cayman GT4 Spy Photos: Expect 350 to 400HP, Plus Glorious Wings and Things

What It Is: A Porsche Cayman prototype wearing an aggressive front fascia and a giant rear wing. A prototype of what, you may ask? It appears to be a GT4, the long-rumored, range-topping ultra-highperformance Cayman variant that will follow in the epic 911 GT3’s footsteps. Why It Matters: Porsche has long throttled the performance of the Cayman and Boxster twins in order to maintain a safe buffer between them and the pedestal on which the 911 sits, but a Cayman GT4 would upset that hierarchy for the first time. Until now, the Cayman’s output figures have been carefully clipped to levels below those enjoyed by various 911 models, even though a mid-engine chassis as good as the Cayman’s could easily handle more power. Should the GT4 pictured here come to fruition, it would give us our first look at just how far a factory Cayman can be pushed. Platform: The Cayman GT4 will share its mid-engine bones with other Cayman models such as the S and GTS, but should see significant stiffening in its structure and suspension. The car pictured here even has a roll bar, just like its 911 GT3 sibling. But unlike its GT3 sibling, which gets carbonceramic brakes, the GT4 appears to be equipped merely with the Cayman GTS’s big-brake kit. (In Porscheland, red brake calipers represent upsized iron rotors, while yellow calipers clamp carbon-ceramic discs; there also are black, silver, and even neon-green units that represent base cars, all-wheel-drive cars, and hybrids.) Given that Porsche’s Ceramic Composite Brake package is available on the Cayman GTS (for a cool $7400), we figure it’ll at least be available on the GT4, if not ultimately standard fare.

These spy photos suggest that Porsche is working on a fixed rear wing similar to the oversized unit it fitted to the 911 GT3. Aero tweaks to the front end include a hefty splitter. The same extractor vent worn by the 911 GT3 between its front bumper and hood is present on this Cayman tester, as is the GT3’s trio of gaping front intakes. It isn’t clear whether the GT4 will get the GT3’s red seatbelts, but they’re an option in regular Caymans. The prototype does, however, have some sweet racing-shell-type seats, though. Powertrain: This is where the Cayman GT4 is holding its cards close to the vest; these photos provide us not even a hint at what engine lies beneath the pumped-up bodywork. We suspect the GT4 either will use the bigger of the 911’s two naturally aspirated flat-sixes—the 400-hp 3.8-liter from the Carrera S—or a worked-over version of the 3.4-liter unit Cayman S and GTS models share with the base 911 Carrera. The GTS makes 340 horsepower, and the same engine in the Carrera puts out 350 horsepower, so if the 3.4-liter is used, expect at least 355 ponies. Alternatively, there is speculation about the GT4’s powertrain as being a turbocharged V-4 like the (non-production) one used in Porsche’s 919 endurance racer, but that seems extraordinarily unlikely and costly. Like the GT3, we suspect Porsche will keep the GT4 automatic-only. Manual fans can at least take solace in the fact that Porsche’s seven-speed PDK dual-

Competition: Alfa Romeo 4C, Audi TT RS, BMW M4. Estimated Arrival and Price: Studying this Cayman GT4’s bodywork, it would appear the car is quite far along in the development process—and thus nearly production-ready. We figure that the GT4 just might hit showrooms in time for the tail end of the 2015 model year, following a full reveal later this year or early next. As for pricing, the PDK-equipped Cayman GTS starts at $80,155, so figure on the top-dog GT4 version commanding at least $100,000. This is a Porsche, after all. 25

Can Porsche win at Le Mans?

With 16 overall victories, Porsche is

Championship (WEC) would mean

tween $100m and $200m for the first

the winningest marque in the 81-

an end to Audi's participation. But

year and well beyond $50m for each

year history of the 24 Hours of Le

that isn’t the case.

subsequent year. That's what Audi

Mans, the world’s most famous automotive endurance race. In 1999, at

the top of its game, the German carmaker turned its back on the race – a move widely read as a means of freeing funds to develop its first SUV, the Cayenne. Sixteen years later, to the resounding cheers of the faithful, Porsche is coming back. When the brand took its long sabbatical from top-level racing, it passed the baton to its Volkswagen Group stable-mate, Audi. And Audi did not merely carry that baton. Competing in the premier LMP1 prototype class, the company conducted symphonies

with

it,

becoming

the

second-

winningest marque at Le Mans by 2013, claiming 12 victories in 14 years. Many observers assumed Porsche's long-awaited return to Le Mans and the World Endurance

Within the Volkswagen family of brands (which also includes Bugatti, Bentley, Lamborghini, SEAT and Skoda, plus Ducati motorcycles), each marque finances its own racing efforts, and both Audi and Porsche

spent, give or take, starting in 2000. As a comparison, Formula 1 is wide-

ly estimated to cost about $400m per

year,

not

development

including and

engine-

maintenance

budgets.

have the resources to compete in

Building the car came next. Because

the 2014 WEC, including Le Mans.

the goal of Le Mans is to cover the

So it is that in 2014, the brothers will

most laps in 24 hours, and because

face each other for the first time.

pit stops take time away from that

The first step for Porsche's return to Le Mans was to present a business case to its board of directors. The company’s own profits would fund the effort; Porsche sees $23,000 of upside per vehicle, averaged over its whole product line. Exactly how much has it allotted to the Le Mans effort? Specifics are unknown, but reliable estimates put the cost of racing a prototype in the WEC at be-

pursuit, prototype engine rules place great emphasis on efficiency rather than on outright power. The most successful approach has been Audi's fuel-sipping diesel-engine strategy, first fielded in 2006. Porsche is

taking a rather different tack, and serious technology watchers and motorsports fans will be transfixed by the companies’ diverging approaches to the rules and the racing.

Over the past 15 years, Audi has

In addition to the turbocharged four-

multiple air inlets to cool mechanical

elevated the testing of its endurance

cylinder gasoline engine driving the

unmentionables

racers to an art form. For the Audi

rear wheels, the 919 Hybrid uses

sunken cockpit when viewed in pro-

team, preparation for a 24-hour race

two energy recovery systems: a gen-

file. The large stabilisation fin on the

now includes running its own test

erator driven by exhaust gases and

engine cover is obligatory.

race for 48 hours. Porsche currently

a brake-energy recuperation system

does not have the same luxury.

to convert kinetic energy into elec-

Even for a company that built its rep-

tricity, which is stored in a water-

utation

engineering

cooled lithium-ion battery pack. The

through motorsport, kick-starting a

batteries feed an electric motor that

proper Le Mans operation after well

sends power to the front wheels un-

more than a decade of dormancy is

der certain conditions.

heroic

no small feat. During a feverish two years spent developing the car that would become the 919 Hybrid, Por-

sche tested several engines, including the 3.4-litre V8 engine from the older, LMP2-class RS Spyder, but none performed adequately. So the engineering team returned to the drawing board time and again before settling on a new 2-litre V4 engine in

There's

intrigue

and

beyond

markedly

pistons,

turbos, flywheels and fuel. As the

first race where Porsche and Audi will battle it out, how will their corporate parent lay down the law at Le Mans? There seems little question that Audi and Porsche will be able

Audi will continue its diesel plan.

and encouraged to bring their best

Compared with the turbocharged V6

game and win on merit with no cor-

diesel engine last year's Audi R18,

porate orders, aside from one, the

the engine in the 2014 R18 E-tron

biggest order in auto racing: never

Hybrid is larger (4 litres, up from

eliminate your stable-mate with a

3.7), an increase that offsets turbo-

crash.

boost restrictions for cars that feature electric-motor assistance, as defined by the new LMP1-H class.

In March, during a pair of official four -hour test sessions at Circuit Paul Ricard, near Marseille, France, a

November 2013. In just five months,

With air management a primary fo-

Porsche logged the quickest overall

the engine was born, grew up,

cus of all modern race cars, few of

lap times. But Audi was in arrears by

learned manners, graduated military

them would be called pretty. Both

just eight-tenths of a second. And so

school and went to war. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a pro-

the Porsche 919 and Audi R18 E-

it begins.

cess that normally takes a bare mini-

tron carry through on that trend with

mum of 18 months.

upright, blunt front wheel housings, 29

The 81st running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans is scheduled for 14-15

Be sure to register for this event in August at MotorSportReg.Com

Porscheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s return to Le Mans June 14 - 15 2014 31

Demonstrated Success: Porsche 914 BEV The team's first project began in late 2006, when MIT Professor Yang Shao-Horn and Dr. Quinn Horn of Exponent donated a 1976 Porsche 914, motor, charger, and controller. The Porsche was converted into a battery electric vehicle (BEV) using 18 U-Charge速 XP Lithium Phosphate batteries donated by Valence Technology. From the beginning, EVT students designed this lithium-ion conversion with two underlying objectives: to establish the vehicle's usefulness for research and to maximize the system's safety. The Porsche 914 BEV has similar driving performance to the original vehicle, with the added advantage of regenerative braking. The vehicle is street legal, and EVT team members can often be seen driving around the Boston area on test drives or on the way to local outreach.

Timeline  November 2006 – Conversion begins based on Electro Automotive Voltsporsche conversion kit  June 2007 – Major hardware components installed; Emmanuel Sin wins mechanical engineering’s Peter Griffith Experimental Thesis Award for his work on the conversion  October 2007 – Vehicle electronic system redesigned (deviating from kit) to improve safety and account for the Lithium-ion batteries and the AC induction motor  February 2008 – Six additional batteries installed, bringing pack voltage to 230 V (nominal); motor and battery controllers re-programmed to use 18 batteries  March 2008 – First successful test drive For more information about the early stages of the conversion, see Manny Sim's 2007 BS thesis, "Electric Conversion of Porsche 914." Battery Pack and Battery Management The battery pack comprises 18 lithium-ion phosphate batteries, produced and donated by Valence Technology. They are arranged in series for a total nominal voltage of 230.4V and a capacity of 100 Ah (at C/2). Each battery has its own built-in computer that monitors the battery's conditions. The battery management system, a separate computer, communicates with each of the 18 battery computers and can be used to control the high voltage circuit, shutting it off in case any problems occur. Motor and Motor Controller The motor is a 3-phase AC induction motor from Azure Dynamics and has a peak power of roughly 55kW and a maximum speed of 12,000 rpm. The motor controller inverts the DC voltage from the battery to AC voltage for the motor and demands a torque from the motor based on the input from the accelerator pedal. Unlike an internal combustion engine, the motor can provide full torque at zero speed, and it has a much wider speed range than an engine. For ease of conversion, the team retained the stock manual transmission. The motor and controller are also used for regenerative braking. Charger The on-board charger is a Zivan NG3 which converts 230VAC to DC voltage to charge the battery pack. It can be plugged into a standard clothing dryer (230VAC) outlet, but is current limited by the power rating of a 120VAC outlet, taking roughly 8 hours to charge the battery pack. With the proper charger and power supply, the Valence Li-ion battery pack could be charged in as little as 2.5 hours. Data Acquisition and Display

Data buses from both the battery management system and motor controller are logged via an NI CompactRIO that was donated by National Instruments (NI). This provides valuable information about the currents, voltages, torques, speeds, and temperatures seen by the vehicle components during driving. In addition, the data acquisition system records all fault and limit conditions, warning the driver when motor power is limited and providing a powerful diagnostic tool. The CompactRIO also controls an NI touch screen which display valuable real-time information about the motor and batteries to the driver.