Rennlist Rewind: 2019 in Review
As it comes to an end, 2019 marks a turning point for Porsche as a brand from a technology standpoint. Is this for the better or worse?
Now that it comes to an end, 2019 will go down in history as having been a big year for Porsche. The German powerhouse has made a good amount of changes this year from both their product line up and their racing enterprises. How do you encapsulate a whole years worth of news into one post? Well, you really can’t do that efficiently. However, what we can do is provide a selected few posts. These ten posts we believe represent the highlights of the brand throughout this year. It is best to mention that this is not meant to be a comprehensive list, but rather our subjective opinion of what we found important for the year.
With that, we are doing our best to include posts from throughout the year beginning with January. Not to mention, these posts are not in any specific order of importance. Instead, they are glimpses of events that defined the year for us and we will briefly touch on why each post is relevant. So without further ado, let’s go to the first post.
1. Legendary Ruf Yellowbird #001 Rolls into Petersen Automotive Museum
Starting with a post early from January, this vehicle is without a doubt a standout among classic 911’s. RUF is a name known by every Porsche enthusiast. The most famous car this tuner/manufacturer ever built was the Yellowbird. This car was based of a 911 Carrera 3.2 from the late 80’s. However, it was far from a standard 911. The Yellowbird made 469 HP thanks to its twin-turbo system. This became famous because at its time, it was the fastest production car available, topping out at a 211 MPH top speed, verified by Road & Track.
With only around 50 of these legends in existence, seeing one in person would be a sight to behold. Those lucky enough to be in Los Angeles during this time could have caught a glimpse of the first production Yellowbird ever, #001. We don’t know if this car is still available for viewing at the Petersen Museum. If it is, go get a look before it’s too late. Pieces of history like this don’t last forever.
2. Why Is Porsche’s Legendary Car Called the 911?
Porsche like many auto manufactures has fallen victim to giving new models some what heinously long names. Don’t make us get into the Panamera lineup. However, we don’t forget about the simpler times when Porsche was only about business. They came up with one of the easiest model names/numbers ever: the 911. The real question is however, why 911?
Well, initially, Porsche had built the first 911 as a “901” model. However, the French automotive manufacturer, Peugeot, owned the rights to the this numerical format and asked Porsche to change the name of their new vehicle. With that, they decided to name the cars “911”, losing the zero that Peugeot supposedly had copyright of. Ever since then, the rest has been history. It’s good to know why your car is named the way it is isn’t it?
3. 718 Boxster and Cayman Wouldn’t Exist Without China
The 718 Boxster and Cayman are usually thought of as products made for an American market. However, a Porsche executive let us know that this actually was not the case. The entry-level price point of the 718 definitely appealed to a wider spectrum of enthusiasts. But why China as a market? Well, that is because you tax a car by its engine displacement in China. Thus, cars with smaller cylinder numbers and displacement sizes are popular. In the U.S., we actually prefer the flat-six to its smaller counterpart (because its better). Europe is somewhere in the middle ground. This is due to the fact that gas prices are substantially higher their than they are here.
However, when cars like the GT4 exist for substantially less than a base Carrera, how can you really go wrong?
4. BBi Autosport Built a 900 HP 911 GT3 Cup to Win at Pikes Peak
If there is anything Porsche does right, its racing. Not just racing actually, but rather, winning races. If you know anything about racing, you have heard of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. It is one of the world’s oldest racing events and still happens on a annual basis. Racing fans across the world recognize the fact that this event bears a lot of weight. Winning the event is a dream of many private teams and manufacturers.
BBi Autosport, recognized Porsche tuning shop, decided they were going to win their class for Pikes Peak this year. Their challenge was to build the car in less than a month. Fast forward to the event, the team won Time Attack 1 Class and 2nd place overall with a new lap record for the class. If that doesn’t scream success, we don’t know what will.
5. Porsche Taycan Makes World Debut!
Without a doubt the most important news to come out of Porsche this year and perhaps in recent memory. The Taycan will be the the brand’s first fully electric vehicle ever. This is a big ideology shift for the company and it is a big step into the future. The Taycan should be considered the baseline for what will become a new era of Porsches. This is currently the very cutting-edge of performance and we are curious to see where the brand will go from here with models like the Taycan. Considering Porsche will spend 6 billion plus euros on electric technology by 2022, don’t expect the Taycan to be the last of its kind. Rather, a big step into a new future.
6. 6 of the Best Porsches You Can Throw Your Bank Account At
Believe it or not, not every individual on Rennlist owns a Porsche. Actually, there are quite a few prospective owners who peruse the site. Some want confidence when making a new purchase or simply want to learn more about the car. We want to help make the transition into Porsche ownership as seamless as possible. Thus, we provided you guys with a list of the 6 best Porsches money can currently buy.
With almost every price bracket you can imagine under consideration, this list is quite comprehensive. My personal favorite would without a doubt have to be a 993 of any kind. Considering models such as a GT2 exist alongside a Turbo, you can really fit into this model with any price point and love it. The 993 is without a doubt the cream of the crop when wanting the best the brand can offer in regards of a raw driving experience.
7. How Does the New 718 GT4 Stack Up Against a GT2 RS and GT3 RS?
The GT4 is becoming a surprisingly attractive model for those who want the richest driving experience the brand can offer an enthusiast. The 718 GT4 model, featuring GT3 suspension, a big power flat-6 and high downforce is hard to ignore even if you only have interest in 911s. However, going fast is not the only thing that matter for a road car. Most people want to have their purchase feel special at every possible moment. While the GT4 does punch above its weight class, it still lacks the magic that a GT3 RS or GT2 RS can offer. Will we have the chance to see a GT4 RS? We hope so.
8. Why 997s Are the Best New Porsche 911
So let’s say you’re considering buying a new 911 from the dealership. Take a step back and thing about what a used 911 could offer at a substantially lower price point. At the end of the day, everybody wants the best value for their dollar. We introduce the 997. It was a hell of a step up from the 996 generation, who has a polarized stance among Porsche enthusiasts. When it comes to price for performance, there is no other Porsche on the market who will offer more value than a 997.
Let’s be honest, a 991 or 992 is a lot of money. With a couple of the right mods, a 997 can outperform these modern successors and will at the same time be able to experience the glory that is a rear-engine German precision tool. It’s easy to find cars with manual transmissions and with used models in Los Angeles going for $30,000, how can you really go wrong? A 997 GT3 model costs as much as base 992. Let that sink in.
9. Porsche 99X Electric Racing Car Unveiled in Germany
Remember when Porsche decided they wanted to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans again so they built what will go down in history as one of the fastest racing cars ever? That car was the 919 Hybrid LMP1. Porsche won and broke so many records with that that car that we think they got a little bit bored with the competition. Thus, Porsche ended their LMP1 program and decided it was time to look to the future. This for them was Formula E, the all-electric racing series which currently has the most manufacturer competition of any motorsport. To win in this unfamiliar territory for they teams inaugural season of 2019/20 would a big message to the rest of the field. Will Porsche be able to secure victory with this new 99X chassis? Considering their previous experiences in racing, we think they have more than a shot.
10. How a 992 GT2 RS Would Change the Auto Industry
Cars now a days are getting so fast its honestly amazing that you can sell something like a GT3 RS to a consumer for road use. However, technology doesn’t sleep. With advancements being made on a daily basis, its hard to keep up with the speed of modern sports cars. When the world was exposed to the potential of the 991.2 GT2 RS, it shocked with how capable it was. Ridiculously grip thanks to loads of aerodynamics and a crazy twin-turbo system made these cars skip heartbeats for any driver that got the change to grace the driver’s seat.
How could a 992 GT2 RS get any faster? Well, it really could. According to our estimates, this generation GT2 should make 900 or so HP to keep up with innovation. This would mean 9 second quarter mile times and mid 2 second 0-to-60 times. Aerodynamics are getting crazier by the minute as well. What improvements we’ll see exactly we can’t be exactly sure of quite yet. However you can be sure of one thing, it will be ridiculously fast.