2001 - Porsche 911 on 2040-cars

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Porsche names new motorsport chief

Though it may have expanded into crossovers and sedans, Porsche is still a company with racing at its heart. You might even argue that Cayenne and Panamera sales only serve to fund the company's motorsports activities. Competition-spec 911 coupes still make up a large portion of the grid in any GT racing series, and those activities are presided over by the Porsche GT division (separate from its LMP1 program), which has just announced a changing of the guard.
Porsche's GT unit - which is responsible both for racing models like the 911 RSR and road-going models like the 911 GT3 - has until now been steered by Hartmut Kristen (pictured above, left) in his capacity as Vice President of Motorsport at Porsche AG. During his ten-year tenure, Kristen gave birth to the RS Spyder that competed in the American Le Mans Series and the pioneering 911 GT3 R Hybrid. He also fostered what Porsche characterizes as "arguably the most comprehensive youth development program in motor racing" and saw the marque return to Le Mans last year with a dominant 1-2 class victory.
Kristen, now 59 years old, is leaving the German automaker, but will remain an advisor to the company's R&D department. Taking over as VP of Motorsport will be Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser, who has until now been head of the 918 Spyder project (a responsibility he will continue). Walliser (pictured above, right) was previously Porsche's general manager for motorsport strategies and will now be responsible for Porsche's GT projects on and off the track, while Fritz Enzinger continues at the helm of the LMP1 program in pursuit of better results next year than the 919 Hybrid achieved at Le Mans last month.

Former chairman Piech opposing his nieces' VW board nominations

Someone needs to option the rights to the Ferdinand Piech story for an HBO series, because it perfectly mixes the corporate intrigue of Mad Men with the family drama of The Sopranos. Plus there are some cool cars. In the latest episode, Piech isn't happy with Volkswagen's appointment of two of his nieces – Julia Kuhn-Piech and Dr. Louise Kiesling – to replace he and his wife on the automaker's supervisory board. The recently ousted chairman could try to stop them. According to German publication Bild, Piech thinks his two relatives lack the necessary automotive experience to serve on the board. Therefore, he suggests one-time Ford Premier Automotive Group boss Wolfgang Reitzle and former Siemens manager Brigitte Ederer to take the seats. However, a VW spokesperson told Automotive News Europe that there were no objections to the women's appointment, except for this story from Germany. Piech's nieces are already officially appointed to the VW supervisory board, and it's approved by the Braunschweig Local Court in Germany. His only real option to challenge them would be to file a lawsuit, according to Automotive News Europe. While the new appointees don't have their uncle's decades of history in the auto industry, they do have business experience. Dr. Kiesling has a degree in vehicle design from the Royal College of Art in London and is the managing director of an Austrian textile maker. Kuhn-Piech works in real estate sits on the supervisory board of German truck maker Man.

Lamborghini Miura, Porsche 911 highlight Techno Classica

Visitors to the Techno Classica show in Germany this weekend were treated to the spectacle of all manner of classic cars under the roof of the Messe Essen. Not surprisingly, the Volkswagen Group was well represented, with the historical departments of two of its flagship marques showcasing their in-house restoration projects – albeit in radically different states of repair. While Porsche brought a completely restored example of a particularly storied 911, Lamborghini went the opposite route by displaying the bare body-in-white for a Miura. With the Miura now celebrating its 50th anniversary, Lamborghini's recently launched PoloStorico division is in the process of restoring several examples. Chassis #5030 is a Miura SV that, as you can see, is still in the middle of its refurbishment, its frame corrected but still unfinished – but that didn't stop the Raging Bull marque from putting it on display. It was joined by the freshly completed green example (chassis #4846) that was the department's first project, as well as the engine from a Miura P400S. Meanwhile, Porsche Classic arrived with a lovely 911 2.5 S/T, the precursor of the 911 RSR. One of only 24 examples made, this particular vehicle won its class at Le Mans in 1972 at the hands of works driver Jurgen Barth (who would alter claim victory overall in '77). It was rediscovered in poor health decades later by a collector, who commissioned Porsche Classic to bring it back to life. The task proved monumental, the vehicle having been modified, crashed, rusted, and used as a playground for children. Both vehicles aptly demonstrate the kind of care that these manufacturers' own restoration departments put into preserving their company's legacy. If you weren't in Essen this weekend to see them first-hand, you can check them both out in the pair of image galleries. Related Video: LAMBORGHINI POLOSTORICO AT TECHNO CLASSICA 2016: RESTORATIONS CELEBRATE MIURA 50TH ANNIVERSARY Lamborghini PoloStorico is at Techno Classica in Essen, 6-10 April 2016, celebrating the Miura's 50th anniversary and illustrating its scope of expertise in restoring classic Lamborghini models. Showing the original Miura SV first unveiled at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show and the subject of a full restoration by Lamborghini PoloStorico, the stand also displays a Miura chassis demonstrating work in progress and a fully overhauled Miura engine.