Looking back: Porsche in 2021

The sports car manufacturer Porsche launched a whole host of products and projects over the past 12 months.

January

Limited edition anniversary model: the Boxster 25 years

Right at the start of the year, Porsche celebrated the 25th birthday of the roadster family by releasing an anniversary model: the special ‘Boxster 25 Years’ edition. This was limited to just 1,250 examples worldwide and made several visual references to the design features of the Boxster concept car  –  which itself heralded the success story of the open-top two-seater at the 1993 Detroit Motor Show.

The production version of the Boxster was launched in 1996 with very few visual changes from the concept and is now in its fourth generation, with more than 357,000 examples having been built.

Porsche extends the Taycan model range

With the new Taycan, Porsche launched the fourth version of its first all-electric sports saloon after the Taycan Turbo S, Taycan Turbo and Taycan 4S. This model features rear-wheel drive and is available with two battery sizes. A single-deck Performance battery with a gross capacity of 79.2 kWh (Taycan with Performance Battery: electric power consumption* combined (WLTP) 20.4 kWh/100 km, CO₂ emissions combined (WLTP) 0 g/km, electric power consumption* combined (NEDC) 28.0 kWh/100 km, CO₂ emissions combined (NEDC) 0 g/km) is fitted as standard.

The two-deck Performance Battery Plus (93.4 kWh; Taycan with Performance Battery Plus: electric power consumption* combined (WLTP) 25.4 kWh/100 km, CO₂ emissions combined (WLTP) 0 g/km, electric power consumption* combined (NEDC) 28.7 kWh/100 km, CO₂ emissions combined (NEDC) 0 g/km) is available as an option. The range in accordance with WLTP regulations is up to 431 kilometres – or up to 484 km for the larger-capacity battery.

February

The Porsche 911 GT3 with motorsport expertise

The seventh edition of this high-performance sports car was developed in close collaboration with Porsche Motorsport. During the final tuning work, it made its way around the Nürburgring Nordschleife, traditionally the benchmark for all Porsche sports cars, more than 17 seconds faster than the previous model. Development driver Lars Kern needed just 6:59.927 minutes for a full 20.8-km lap.

Two lives, one passion: the perfect line

A summit meeting with a difference in the Swiss Alps: Porsche head designer Michael Mauer and skiing legend Aksel Lund Svindal set out in search of the perfect line, talking about courage, inspiration and passion. The associated film was featured at this year’s Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards among other film festivals.

March

Taycan Cross Turismo: the all-rounder among electric sports cars

Porsche extended the product portfolio of its first all-electric sports car series with the addition of the Taycan Cross Turismo in March. The new high-tech chassis with all-wheel drive and adaptive air suspension also delivers uncompromising dynamics off-road. With 36 millimetres of extra headroom for rear-seat passengers and more than 1,200 litres of load capacity, accessed through the large tailgate at the rear, the Cross Turismo is a true all-rounder.

Business success and corporate responsibility

In March, Porsche released its balance sheet for the previous financial year: Porsche AG set a new revenue record in 2020: the company’s value grew to 28.7 billion euros, surpassing the previous year’s figure by more than 100 million euros. At the annual press conference, the sports car manufacturer announced an ambitious target for the future, with plans to have a CO₂-neutral balance sheet across its entire value chain by 2030.

April

Porsche Tennis Grand Prix offers a multimedia tennis experience

As the 44th edition of the long-standing tournament at Stuttgart’s Porsche Arena had to be held without spectators due to the coronavirus pandemic, a lot of effort went into expanding the offering for tennis fans to include television and internet options. For the first time ever, every match was broadcast live on the tournament website and viewers were also able to catch a glimpse of the action on social media. The winner of the tournament was the world number one, Australia’s Ashleigh Barty.

The 20th anniversary of Porsche in mainland China

Porsche delivered its first sports cars to mainland China 20 years ago. Since then, it has become the company’s largest single market. To mark the anniversary, Porsche China presented the 911 Turbo S 20 Years Porsche China special edition at the Shanghai motor show. The design concept reflects the combination of heritage and innovation – values that apply to both Chinese culture and Porsche.

May

Prototypes of the all-electric Macan

The all-electric Macan was readied for the road: after initial testing on the proving grounds of the Porsche Development Centre in Weissach, the well-camouflaged, next-generation prototypes of the compact SUV left the Porsche premises for the first time. By the time the all-electric Macan is launched onto the market in 2023, it will have covered some three million test kilometres worldwide, in varying conditions. The prototypes have already benefited from the experience gained over countless previous test kilometres driven virtually.

An even stronger commitment to society

The Ferry Porsche Foundation published its annual report for 2020 and took the opportunity to look back on the charitable work that it completed over the past year. The foundation supported more than 90 charitable projects in 2020 – primarily at a regional level, but also some national and international projects.

June

Porsche rounds off the Cayenne model range

Consistently set up for maximum performance and handling, the new Cayenne Turbo GT combines a harmonious overall concept with superb racetrack capability. This was proven by Porsche test driver Lars Kern, who lapped the 20.832-km Nürburgring Nordschleife with the Cayenne Turbo GT in 7:38.9 minutes, setting a new official SUV record.

Porsche 911 GT3 R wins the Nürburgring 24-hour race

The Manthey customer team clinched its seventh outright victory at the Nürburgring 24-hour race. At the 49th edition of the endurance classic, works drivers Kévin Estre from France, Michael Christensen from Denmark and the Italian Matteo Cairoli crossed the finish line in first place at the wheel of the Porsche 911 GT3 R with the #911 race number. This triumph completed the 25th anniversary celebrations of the team from the Eifel region.

July

Bugatti-Rimac combines the genes of strong brands

Porsche and Rimac agreed to set up a joint venture that incorporates Bugatti. Oliver Blume and Mate Rimac signed the corresponding agreements and announced the name of the new hypercar manufacturer: Bugatti-Rimac. The joint venture has its headquarters in Zagreb (Croatia) and was established in the fourth quarter of 2021.

Stronger, sharper, sportier: the new Macan

Porsche launched the new Macan with increased performance, a sharper design and a new operating concept. All three models offer significantly more power than the previous versions. There have been 600,000 Macans delivered worldwide since its market launch in 2014. It has a special role in the Porsche range because around 80 per cent of all Macan buyers are new Porsche customers. In addition, the proportion of women buying the Macan is the highest across all Porsche product lines.

August

Podium finish at the 24 Hours of Le Mans

Porsche secured a podium spot in the fiercely contested GTE Pro class at the 89th 24 Hours of Le Mans race. Works drivers Kévin Estre, Neel Jani and Michael Christensen achieved third place in the No. 92 Porsche 911 RSR. The No. 91 sister car driven by Gianmaria Bruni, Richard Lietz and Frédéric Makowiecki came fourth.

Limited edition racing car for exclusive circuit outings

Porsche Motorsport celebrated the 25th anniversary of Manthey-Racing GmbH with an extraordinary special edition model. With a production run of just 30 cars, the 911 GT2 RS Clubsport 25 was designed and developed by Porsche and Manthey for track days and circuit racing.

September

Porsche presents its Mission R concept study

Right on time for the start of the IAA Mobility 2021 event in Munich, Porsche provided a spectacular insight into the automotive future. The Mission R concept car combines a passion for racing with state-of-the-art technology and sustainable materials, such as natural fibre-reinforced plastics.

Change at the helm of Porsche Motorsport

Thomas Laudenbach took over as head of Porsche Motorsport on 1 October 2021. The accomplished German engineer took over from Fritz Enzinger, who had led the racing department of the sports car manufacturer to countless successes since 2011.

October

50 years of Porsche development in Weissach

The Porsche think tank celebrated a big anniversary in October: the Weissach Development Centre was opened 50 years ago. The success story of the Weissach Development Centre began on 1 October 1971 when the Development and Design departments were relocated from Zuffenhausen to Weissach, 25 km away. Since then, the Weissach Development Centre has been synonymous with innovative vehicles and intelligent development services.

The Porsche workforce raises 200,000 euros

The first Porsche Virtual Run raised 200,000 euros for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. More than 2,300 Porsche employees around the world laced up their running shoes between 17 September and 3 October 2021, covering a total of 67,559 km for a good cause. Porsche AG offered a donation of 50 cents for every kilometre run. 

November

LA Auto Show: five world premieres in California

The Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS was launched as the new flagship of the 718 family – an uncompromising driver’s car designed to impress with its lightweight construction, extremely agile chassis tuning, sophisticated aerodynamics and unique sound. In addition to thishighlight of the motor show the 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport, the Taycan GTS, the Taycan GTS Sport Turismo and the Panamera Platinum Edition also made their first appearances.

Historic colours make a comeback for all Porsche models

With its new Paint to Sample and Paint to Sample Plus options, Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur expanded its range of special exterior colours for all model series. The focus is on the availability of classic Porsche colours, recognisable from over the years. For especially unique requests, there is also the option of creating bespoke shades to customer specifications.

December

The virtual racing car of the future

Porsche and the Japanese video game development studio Polyphony Digital Inc., a subsidiary of Sony Interactive Entertainment, present a spectacular vehicle concept: The Porsche Vision Gran Turismo is the sports car manufacturer’s first concept study created specifically for use in a computer game. It will be available exclusively in Gran Turismo 7. While it is a concept of a virtual racing car, a real-life model was built in Weissach as part of its development.

Cellforce production location confirmed, close to Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen

Cellforce Group GmbH confirmed its plans to build a production facility for high-performance battery cells on the north Reutlingen/Kirchentellinsfurt industrial estate. The facility will initially produce high-performance battery cells for a 1,000 vehicles per year. Its capacity is 100 MWh per year, and production is due to start in 2024. It is likely that the Cellforce battery cells will be installed in electrically powered Porsche models with high-performance powertrains.

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