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Articles in this issue

In the realm of ghosts

In China’s Huangshan mountains, only the wind holds sway. The Huangshan mountains are a natural paradise, with vistas that inspired locations in the film Avatar. Intrepid visitors to the Huangshan mountain range in southeastern China can become entranced by the stunning surroundings amid scenery that blurs the line between reality and art.

Right-Hand Man

Not many people can claim to be as successful carrying a bag of golf clubs as Craig Connelly. The Scotsman has made it. That’s no wonder, as Connelly is one of the world’s best caddies. Christophorus spoke with him about one of the greatest wins of all time—and the occasional lost opportunity.

Where legends are made

It’s both revered and demonized. The Nürburgring elicits strong reactions like no other racetrack in the world. Opened on June 18, 1927, the track will turn ninety in just a few weeks. Many chapters of motorsports history have been written on the legendary Nordschleife of the Nürburgring. Porsche is part of that history. Christophorus revisits ten particularly memorable moments.

Fernando Guerra - 64 29 UO

Fernando Guerra is among the most celebrated architectural photographers in the world. He’s a master at giving structures of concrete and steel an air of ethereal lightness and infusing architecture with motion. What moves him is found in a garage in Lisbon: four classic Porsche models from the years 1973 to 1995.

Goal: Hat Trick

Porsche’s 2017 racing season will focus once again on title defense. One of the highlights of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) will again be the 24 Hours of Le Mans, held on June 17 and 18. Porsche will enter this race in France as the record winner and defending champion. The expectations are, needless to say, high.

Dress rehearsal

When the curtain opens on a new Porsche, everything has to be perfectly in place. As with the Panamera Sport Turismo. A pilot hall is where production of a new car model is rehearsed and perfected. The most modern facility of this type is at the Porsche plant in Leipzig. Its staff concentrates on takt times, the art of automotive engineering—and underwear.

Color

“We need more courage again in our choice of color.” French color designer Jean-Gabriel Causse is convinced that we underestimate the power of color—and he dreams of an orange Porsche.

1:39.359 min.

Top qualifying time. Pole position. So far, so good. But what happens to Mike Rockenfeller just before the formation lap is something he will never forget as long as he lives.

In the still of the night

London, a magnet for creativity, is quickly becoming a hot spot for young fashion designers from around the world. London generates more exciting, young design talent than almost any other city in the world. We visit the studios of ambitious emerging designers to learn about their backgrounds, motivations, and aesthetics. What happens when someone from a tropical Chinese island injects the flair of his homeland into Western fashion trends?

Origins

Ferdinand Porsche was born in the North Bohemian town of Maffersdorf, now the Czech district of Vratislavice. Six years ago, the carmaker Škoda bought the childhood home of the automotive pioneer. Since then, the estate has been restored to its original form and opened to the public. Visiting it is like a journey back to the nineteenth century and a return to the vibrant spirit of the age.

Ted Gushue

“Having a Porsche on the set makes me more enthusiastic than ever.”

Luftgekühlt

Patrick Long, currently Porsche’s only factory driver from the United States, has already won the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice, along with many other victories for the brand. Long has two Porsches that he loves above all others—the water-cooled Porsche 911 GT3 R he drives on the racetrack and a classic 1973 911 E. His favorite event with the 911 E is Luftgekühlt, an annual gathering that he initiated in Los Angeles for vintage air-cooled Porsches. The scene is meeting up on the West Coast for the fourth time in early May.

Homeland

Over eighty-five countries are home to 675 Porsche Clubs, where around 210,000 sports car fans are currently active. Porsche Club Westfalen was founded sixty-five years ago in the war-torn Ruhr district of Westphalia. It’s the oldest Porsche Club in the world.

GT3

No compromises: The Porsche 911 GT3 offers everyday drivability and racing performance in equal measure. The heart of the high-performance sports car, which debuted at the Geneva Motor Show, is a 368-kW flat-six engine. It was completely redesigned by Porsche Motorsport and is already in use in modified form in the 911 GT3 R, the 911 Cup, and the 911 RSR.