Not alone on that one...

 

@jumping_horse & Carrera: the reality THEY ARE currently testing the 2013 991R for the 2013 Super Cup series. Remembe Porsche acquired this vast testing and race track in South Italy in the middle of nowhere... I cannot disclose my sources here but I know two pilots involved in the program. I've been told that clearly. So it can be the cheapest way to have an RSR variant. I would like to belive it will be up to the task but again, agree on the various comments made here. I doubt here. GT Cole has a point: watch the races! Talk to the pilots, even the works drivers!

 

Wow! They are working on the LMP1 project and will start tesing at the end of this year. There are currently more than 100 people already working on the project. How can it be that nothing is moving?
In fact motorsport lost ground under the previous management. This new management seems to understand the importance of motorsport even if it is just used as a marketing tool (see Audi).

This from Falken Tire PR: "Official answer, fresh from Andy at Porsche Motorsport PR:
An announcement about the 2013 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR will be made sometime in the early fall, but it is safe to assume that it will not be based on the current 997 chassis or drivetrain".

 

hi Spyderman,

Fully correct - for the 2014 thing - things are moving. But I meant the rest..

By the way, we should not forget the other pressure Porsche is on - read this - its in german - but an online translator will help.
Porsche: Ärger in den USA - Teure Fußabdrücke - Wirtschaft - sueddeutsche.de

You will now probably undertstant that a 991 RSR, a 2014 LMP1 etc..are not the most important concerns of the company..and 2016 is not far..

If you know a way to make a 911 with 160CO2 gram per kilometer until 2016 ..you would be hired by them immediately. These numbers are being talked about..by the way there is a similar law in the EU. Similar goals, 2016 - roughly 160CO2..keep in mind the 991 standard just goes below 200CO2 I think..

The mentioned numbers are however to be seen for the average fleet..so some can be polluting more..but others would need to go below this value..!!

You can imagine that there is "heavy fighting" behind the closed doors on this subject..

PS: these regulations would not apply to Lamborghini, Ferrari, Mclaren, - due to their low number of sales...in the law there will be a number under which a manufacturer will be exempted..

all the best,

 

Obviously this is of a concern. Much water still needs to pass under the bridge (including a US election).
There are, no doubt, people at Porsche working on this, but you can’t expect the whole company to be paralyzed in fear of the sky falling on their head.
Of course one of the options is for VAG to allow Porsche to be what it really is: A sportscar company! Rule out the 200K unit/year sales objective and make Porsche the "German" Ferrari competitor.

 

I have just realized that that article is from February 2010. I have not heard of any concerns or developments around this topic since then.

 

You guys really can't blame Porsche for the 997 not being competitive in motorsports anymore. The 997 chassis was designed 8 years ago, and it is very obvious that Porsche has been trying as hard as possible to keep it competitive, as evident by the design of the 2012 RSR, but the fact of the matter is that the 997 just seems to be no longer competitive in GT2 racing.

Saying Porsche "forgot" about motorsports would be an incorrect thing to say, Porsche just hasn't had the time yet to make a 991 RSR for 2012 because it is such a new chassis, but as lgl is reporting, Porsche is doing all they can to get the 991 RSR ready for the 2013 season to put Porsche back on the top of motorsports.

And just as a little flashback to show that it isn't really that slow, the 997 Cup Car did really well in the GT class in the earlier races of this year. Also, in 2008, and 3009, the 997 RSR won the ALMS championship, but remember, that was 3-4 years ago... With all of the new competition, the 997 is no longer cutting it.

In 2010 the 997 RSR dropped down to second in the ALMS GT championship, and in 2011, third, and this season in 2012, Porsche is currently fourth.

So, from 2009 to present day, in the ALMS Porsche has consistently dropped one place each year. It isn't that Porsche is getting lazy with motorsports, it's that the competition is getting stronger, and Porsche hasn't had the time to respond yet.

 

it's great we can all chat about the future and it's what keeps us ticking! all i can say regarding 991 gt3, is my business sponsors a uk carrera cup car and recently talking to the team owner regarding his future of ordering a new car, his info is as vague as ours! but what he is hearing from the motersport dept is... 997 cup cars will race all around the world in there current series the only series to have 991 gt3 cup cars will be supercup in 2013 for the f1 season.. and the other series's getting there cars for 2014, there has been talk in the uk that there will be only one body shell for gt3 no wide body as they spent so much on development on the 991, also again a rumor that there maybe a comfort model and potential a clubsport spec car which would be the footprint for a wider race market!so we may see the wider fenders etc we wanted with the 4.0! but as i previously mentioned that car could stay in the challange group as it does in the alms, carrera cup,leaving way for the possible 960 mid engine class to fight 458 etc,as we know audi will want to stay at the top of the tree in lmp1 more so with the hybrid programme costing millions for vw!! porsche customers love the battles with ferrari/corvette etc and from selling cars on streets thats where there money will come in from,the 960 could be the factory backed team we keep hearing about,with the talk of sharing chasis costs with lamborghini/audi r8 that platform could well be used for the 960!! the new gallardo will not reach the uk until early 2014,so 2015 could be the year for the 960, its the only way now to compete at the sharp end with a mid engined car..........still it keeps us chatting

 

I'm not sure if I understood your post in its entirety (my apologies).
Porsche will have a LMP1 and it will compete against the Audi's.
The rumored 960 is still very far away and Porsche will need a GTE product for its clients from 2013-2015 (earliest possible time 960 could be ready)
Are you referring to the factory backed team that is going to race in the Le Mans 2013? If so, then that will most certainly not be a 960. It will be either the new 991 RSR or possibly.
the 918 RSR (unlikely, but still more probable than the 960).
The only other factory backed team I have heard of is the LMP1 project. The latest on this is that Porsche have not yet decided whether it will be a factory run team or whether it will be run along the lines of the Penske effort.
Once again, please accept my apologies if I have misread your post.

 

All vw products with a mid engine ( gallardo replacement , r8 replacement ) will have a new porsche designed chassis . this is from the very very top and confirmed in group .