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The Philosophy of F. A. Porsche

The Philosophy of F. A. Porsche

At Studio F. A. Porsche, designs for high-tech residential towers and objects are created to withstand the test of time and the vicissitudes of fashion. So it’s no wonder that its design principles can be traced back to a man who created a form for the ages: studio founder Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, who designed the original Porsche 911.

Porsche - Portraits of a carefree age

Portraits of a carefree age

Photographer of fame and brilliance. Aristocrats, movie stars, business magnates—international high society in all its photogenic glory flocked to the French Riviera in the postwar years. How fortunate that Edward Quinn and his camera were also on hand to capture images of this exquisite era for posterity.

Porsche - Active Balance

Active Balance

It almost seems as if Porsche has outwitted physics itself with the new Panamera. The Gran Turismo is incredibly comfortable—yet it drives like a sports car. One of the many reasons for this superb feel is the Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control Sport (PDCC Sport), an active anti-roll stabilization system. It’s what keeps the laws of physics at bay and the Panamera parallel to the road even in high-speed cornering sequences. Magic? No. It’s Porsche engineering acumen!

Porsche - Advantage Austin

Advantage Austin

Tracy Austin is no stranger to the fast lane. A child prodigy, she won her first Porsche Tennis Grand Prix title in 1978 at the age of fifteen. Austin’s career as a professional tennis player was fast, full of ups and downs, and comparatively brief—but her passion for Porsche continues to this day. The former world number one returns to Germany for the 40th anniversary of this storied tournament.

Porsche - 1: 24.451 min.

1: 24.451 min.

Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, August 24, 2001. “Undrivable” is the devastating appraisal race-car drivers give when a car fails to live up to their expectations. Such is the predicament faced by Sascha Maassen and Lucas Luhr before the eighth race of the American Le Mans Series (ALMS). The two Germans are among the favorites in the GTS class with their 996-generation 911 GT3 RS. Yet after the free practice sessions, Maassen and his teammate are both complaining about “terrible understeer.” In short: the car is undrivable. What can you do if the car simply doesn’t want to go into the corner?

Porsche - “Conducting is an odd profession”

“Conducting is an odd profession”

Andris Nelsons, currently the music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, will soon hold that same position with Leipzig’s Gewandhaus Orchestra. He talks to Christophorus about respect for the greatness of the past, while celebrating the spirit of today.

Porsche - Vision

Vision

Intelligent being. InnoDrive from Porsche doesn’t just think along with you—it also thinks several kilometers ahead. Development engineer Philip Markschläger elucidates what’s behind the driver assistance system in the new Panamera 4S on the Weissach circuit while demonstrating a new dimension in assisted driving.

Porsche - Brainwork

Brainwork

The path to victory begins upstairs. Sven Müller had to wait six years for his great triumph in Formula racing. To win, he first had to lose his fear of losing.

Porsche - Arndt Ellinghorst - KCK 404F

Arndt Ellinghorst - KCK 404F

At the end of the day, he has to be right—at least 51 percent of the time. Arndt Ellinghorst is an automotive analyst. On the job, he looks to the future. In his private life, he loves the past. His work demands uncompromising objectivity as the basis for accurate forecasts. Yet he harbors a subjective fondness for a very special car: his Porsche 911 T/R.

Porsche - Dissonance

Dissonance

The lure of images. In remote areas of northern Scotland, it seems as if one can either distill whisky or become an artist. Chris LaBrooy, thirty-six, opted for art. He generates fascinating images at his computer—and his favorite inspiration for these 3-D creations comes from Zuffenhausen.

Porsche - Distance Drivers

Distance Drivers

The journey is its own reward—three teams, three routes, across half the world. The British travel writer Bruce Chatwin once wrote, “Man’s real home is not a house, but the Road.” Indeed, there are countless reasons why so many of us are drawn to the road—the irresistible prospect of thrilling long-distance drives, extraordinary encounters, and unforgettable experiences.

Porsche - Cornelius Dornier

Cornelius Dornier

Dornier is the name—that’s right, the same as the legendary early aircraft designer Claude Honoré Desiré Dornier, a gifted German engineer who founded his company in 1922. The company’s Komet and Merkur passenger planes, as well as its Wal (“whale”) and Do X flying boats, made aviation history.

Porsche - It all depends on the end

It all depends on the end

When you see a Porsche on the road, it’s often from behind—reason enough to put that perspective into words. Naoto Fukasawa, the renowned Japanese industrial designer, talks about the purpose of design and why the rear of a car is like the final and perfectly shaped piece of a puzzle.

Porsche - Röhrl in Review

Röhrl in Review

He doesn’t like to bask in past glories and is highly uncomfortable when people make a fuss about him. Walter Röhrl, the best rally racing driver of all time, turns seventy in March. Christophorus persuaded him to dig deep into his box of photographs and select seven special moments—felicitous encounters along with milestones in his career.

RSR

It’s an established principle in philosophy: sometimes, in order to solve a problem, you have to shake things up—and in motorsports, it pays to break free of the familiar. This is what Porsche has done with the 911 RSR, reversing the arrangement of the engine and the transmission in the GT race car. This created space for a larger rear diffuser—and the opportunity for even faster lap times.