Rennteam 2.0 - EN - Forum - Still no light at end of tunnel for factory topflight racing - Page1

Apr 14, 2004 4:01:27 PM

John H in MD: Junior; Loc: MD, USA; Posts: 101, Gallery; Registered on: Sep 27, 2002

Still no light at end of tunnel for factory topflight racing

Pulled from a racing site I occasionally peruse ...

Ampferer's Porsche 'Plans': Nothing New To Announce

Porsche Director of Motorsport Herbert Ampferer is interviewed in the Italian magazine Autosprint this week - but there is very little new on the immediate Porsche horizon.
Here are a few 'snapshots' from the interview:

"We'll be back (as a factory team) but we're not sure where or when or with what car..."

"We are supporting the Freisinger team more than in previous years, but only because Ferrari is supporting its team much more."

"We think it will be a very good (FIA GT) championship with three or four marques, but not with only one."

"We have no plans to race the Carrera GT: the road car is sold out and we don't need to race it to sell it."

"We are exploring all the series but we have no official plans at the moment. Nothing is decided concerning where, when or with what type of car we will be back...but one thing is sure, when we're back you'll know about it!"
With thanks to Gabriele Tosi

Ho hum ....

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Apr 14, 2004 4:07:17 PM

J.Seven: Rennteam Master; Loc: Estoril , Portugal; Posts: 3201, Gallery; Registered on: Sep 16, 2002; Reply to: John H in MD

Re: Still no light at end of tunnel for factory topflight racing

"We have no plans to race the Carrera GT: the road car is sold out and we don't need to race it to sell it."

That frase says it all about PAG point of view regarding their strategy about racing.

J.Seven

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Apr 14, 2004 4:12:32 PM

Ron (Houston): Rennteam Moderator; Loc: Houston, TX , United States; Posts: 8812, Gallery; Registered on: Apr 10, 2002; Reply to: J.Seven

Re: Still no light at end of tunnel for factory topflight racing

Quote:
That frase says it all about PAG point of view regarding their strategy about racing.

I totally agree. If they're selling them why would they spend millions of Euros in racing. However this mentality defeats the purpose of why Dr. Porsche founded this company

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Apr 14, 2004 4:25:50 PM

Carlos from Spain: Rennteam Moderator; Loc: Spain. , Spain; Posts: 21064, Gallery; Registered on: Feb 9, 2003; Reply to: J.Seven

Re: Still no light at end of tunnel for factory topflight ra

Quote:
J.Seven said:
"We have no plans to race the Carrera GT: the road car is sold out and we don't need to race it to sell it."

That frase says it all about PAG point of view regarding their strategy about racing.

J.Seven

Thats exactly what came to my mind when I read that phrase too

... why race? we are making tons of money already

This is one of my biggest grudges with Porsche, Porsche was founded deep relation to racing, like Ferrari, and racing was used to improve the breed, motivate and develop their engineering, and to bring enthusiasm and gratification to us proud Porsche car owners and followers. Its sad to say but the name Porsche means nothing in motorsport anymore, and yet they don't hesitate to constantly keep using and reffering to their old racing glories for their current marketing every time they can which only pokes in the wound of us melancolic enthusiasts even more.

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Apr 14, 2004 4:41:37 PM

J.Seven: Rennteam Master; Loc: Estoril , Portugal; Posts: 3201, Gallery; Registered on: Sep 16, 2002; Reply to: Carlos from Spain

Re: Still no light at end of tunnel for factory topflight ra

Very well said Carlos, it's sad, but it's true.

J.Seven

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Apr 15, 2004 2:08:19 PM

Steve in FL: Junior; Loc: FL Space Coast; Posts: 92, Gallery; Registered on: Jun 21, 2003; Reply to: J.Seven

Re: Still no light at end of tunnel for factory topflight ra

Quote:
J.Seven said:
"We have no plans to race the Carrera GT: the road car is sold out and we don't need to race it to sell it."

That frase says it all about PAG point of view regarding their strategy about racing.

If you think that's bad you should have read the interview from 1999 or 2000 with Fred Schwab (ex-CEO of PCNA) where his response to a question about pricing pressure from other marques was something like "In our segment of the luxury car market we could raise prices and sell more cars." Now that's a sad commentary on Porsche's view of the US market.

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Apr 19, 2004 7:13:05 PM

Rallye: Newbie; Loc: Sthlm, Swe; Posts: 14, Gallery; Registered on: Apr 16, 2004; Reply to: John H in MD

Re: Still no light at end of tunnel for factory topflight racing

Quote:
John H in MD said:
...but one thing is sure, when we're back you'll know about it!"
With thanks to Gabriele Tosi

Atleast this is true. But that is true as you say Carlos, it's just a damn shame. Porsche don't NEED (= to survive) to race for the public but for all their fans they really need to.

/Rba

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Apr 19, 2004 8:30:17 PM

RC: Rennteam Administrator; Loc: Rennteam HQ , Germany; Posts: 59423, Gallery; Registered on: Mar 26, 2002; Reply to: John H in MD

Re: Still no light at end of tunnel for factory topflight racing

John, I know this may not satisfy you (it doesn't satisfy me either) but look at Mercedes and BMW: both race in the Formula One and in other race classes. And now look at their consumer products. I prefer Porsche not to race but to put the saved money into better products.
I know this sounds weird but I really wonder what all that racing helps if Mercedes and BMW still build the same products.

And you can be sure: if Porsche would seriously race, somebody would have to pay the bill. What do you prefer in this case? Higher prices or lower quality?

But I agree that I'm missing to see Porsche on the race tracks worldwide as a professional competitor.

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Apr 20, 2004 4:51:31 PM

John H in MD: Junior; Loc: MD, USA; Posts: 101, Gallery; Registered on: Sep 27, 2002; Reply to: RC

Re: Still no light at end of tunnel for factory topflight racing

Quote:
RC said:
John, I know this may not satisfy you (it doesn't satisfy me either) but look at Mercedes and BMW: both race in the Formula One and in other race classes. And now look at their consumer products. I prefer Porsche not to race but to put the saved money into better products.
I know this sounds weird but I really wonder what all that racing helps if Mercedes and BMW still build the same products.
And you can be sure: if Porsche would seriously race, somebody would have to pay the bill. What do you prefer in this case? Higher prices or lower quality?
But I agree that I'm missing to see Porsche on the race tracks worldwide as a professional competitor.

I think Porshce has plenty of money to put into its products, and has for quite a while, so their current products and strategy already reflect what they would do with tons of money to invest ... appeal to a wider market, soften the cars, make some sedans and SUVs. So, as it stands, they will continue without topflight racing and will save further hundreds of millions of dollars, solidifying their title as the world's most profitable car maker. Who cares, where's the passion in that? It results in numerous executive of the year awards, but there's only so much patting oneself on the back WW can do before everyone starts to say "so what?" or WW injures his shoulder

So Porsche is making tons of money and they will continue to add more GT and sedan character to their models, chasing the garden variety monied buyer, and will produce an occasional stripped down club racer for the minority enthusiasts. The marketers and bean counters will be appeased. WW wins awards, the Porsches and Piechs have great tax returns every year. But, please, take (budget) an extra 50-100 million, and get back to topflight racing. They have the money. And not only do they have it, but sponsors stand in line to pay millions to attach themselves to Porsche and their racing efforts. It can be done, it's just not a priority and I actually think they are somewhat intimidated by the current competition...;) Sad that rather than taking on the current king of le mans (Audi) and re-establishing its dominance, Porsche and WW would rather insult Le Mans by calling it an Audi benefit.

I want Porsche to do it all, and I believe they, as the world's most profitable marque, should do it all. Top flight racing is about so much more than just marketing, although that's a big part. I tend to agree with you that Porsche would likely be producing the same kinds of cars even if they were racing, but there would be numerous benefits, not least: engineering testing and development from racing, being an innovator in car products and systems (seems Audi has easily taken over that mantle with recent fuel injection, clutch, and other innovations), personnel development and motivation, and strengthened consumer enthusiasm for the manufacturer.

Finally, as speed limits and safety restrictions increasingly creep into (and dominate) automobile design, manufacturing, use and enjoyment throughout the world, the last bastion of performance enthusiasts will certainly be on the race tracks of the world. Serious sports car makers will eventually have to conceive of new paradigms for justifying purchases of cars with 500+ HP. My prediction is that sports cars 10-20 years from now will be bought almost exclusively to use and enjoy at the track, in varying levels of public, private, and competitive events. In that (future) world, success on the race track may have a direct impact on ability to sell sports cars to consumers.

An easy way to avoid this development would be to become like BMW, MB, and Toyota ... primarily make great practical family cars. Even if Porsche goes this route, I still think Porsche should strive for, maintain, and dominate its leadership position in the motorsports context and never ever let it go again. Thanks for the bandwidth.

Regards

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Apr 20, 2004 5:10:07 PM

Carlos from Spain: Rennteam Moderator; Loc: Spain. , Spain; Posts: 21064, Gallery; Registered on: Feb 9, 2003; Reply to: John H in MD

Re: Still no light at end of tunnel for factory topflight ra

John, I couln't of have said it better myself. You have hit all the REAL reasons why they don't race, and why they should race, right on the nail

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