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New Porsche Motorsport Centre in Weissach

Built in just 12 months, Porsche's new Motorsport Centre features over 10,000 sq mts of useable floor space - double the size of the former racing department. The building will be used to construct and maintain all the company's motorsport projects.

The workshop facilities house separate areas for the servicing of Cup and customer race cars, for the successful RS Spyder sportscar prototype, the 911 GT3 RSR as well as for development projects.



The heart of Porsche Motorsports is made up of four buildings, which are connected via a light and transparent arched-roof construction. The facilities include workshops, race vehicle production, logistics centre and a terminal for trucks. A three-story office block for the administration and development departments as well as a car-park complete the new motorsport complex, in which a staff of 210 will work.

In the so-called “manufacture”, specialists construct limited numbers of racing sportscars and prototypes. Around 20,000 different parts are stored in the logistics site. Here the dovetailing of standard and motorsport production is clearly reflected. Spare parts, for example, for the new road-going 911 GT3 and the 911 GT3 RS vehicles are supplied from Weissach. At the terminal up to seven articulated lorries can dock at the same time where they are then loaded and equipped with parts for delivery to the race tracks.



Spa 24 Hours to be first race for 2007 911 GT3 RSR

The Manthey Racing team from Germany will run two brand new Porsche 911 GT3 RSR vehicles on 29 July in the 24 hour race on the Belgian circuit. Porsche developed the near-standard racing sportscar based on the road-going 911 GT3 RS and put it in the hands of the experienced team under the direction of team principal Olaf Manthey.

Works drivers Timo Bernhard and Marc Lieb (both Germany) share driving duties with Pedro Lamy from Portugal in the GT3 RSR with starting number 111. Driving the Porsche with starting number 197 are factory pilots Lucas Luhr (Monaco), Sascha Maassen (Belgium) with Marcel Tiemann (Monaco).

For Porsche and Manthey Racing the race is regarded as an important test under race conditions and at the same time serves as an assessment of the vehicle‘s present position. For 2006, this race is the only event that is currently planned. For Spa, the car is entered in the so-called Group 2 where vehicles from national championships (here Belcar) are eligible to compete. In 2007, the 911 GT3 RSR will be available for customer racing and aims to continue the success streak of its predecessors. Porsche customer teams claimed class wins in Spa every year since the GT3 first competed there in 2001 – with an overall victory in 2003.

Text: Classic Driver
Photos: Porsche


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