Porsche's Dr Frank Walliser: PH Meets
Stuttgart's VP of GT cars on turbos, hybrids, manual gearboxes and more
Porsche's Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser is never far from the interesting bits of Porsche news. As Head of Motorsport and GT Road Vehicles, he's been involved with projects like the mid-engined 911 RSR, the Cayman GT4 and the return of the manual gearbox to the 911 GT3.
As of next year, he will assume new responsibilities - taking on August Achleitner's role as head of the 911 model series - but at our LA motor show chat Walliser was still motorsport and GT road cars. Which is kind of where most interest in Porsche lies, right?
Inevitably a great deal of discussion is about the GT2 Clubsport; not the Clubsport Package (easy mistake to make), instead the fully fledged race car revealed at the show with an outrageous rear spoiler, 911 RSR interior and a delicious set of BBS alloys. Interestingly, Walliser says this car came about in part through the positive response to the GT4 Clubsport; creating what he describes as an "easy to handle car", one where you "don't need an engineer and data acquisition" to have an enjoyable motorsport experience. The ambition was to combine the GT4's ease of use - both in terms of dynamics and maintenance - with the GT2's extraordinary performance to create a "GT4 for grownups". It makes sense, really, given the typical customer for the 200 being sold is expected to be a gentleman driver, one from "a different background" to conventional racers. Motorsport will be their hobby, not their occupation, and therefore they require a racing car that will offer them "as many hours as possible without trouble" on circuit - that means a set up that doesn't need hours of tinkering, a reliable, durable powertrain and accessible dynamics.
That's not to say the car isn't serious, though. In addition to one-make competition, Walliser hopes that the Clubsport can race in the SRO's new GT2 category, announced at Spa earlier this year. In addition, its cornering speed and braking is said to be similar to that of a GT3 Cup car, with the benefit of another 200hp. As for the 935, the GT2-based car that is for track but not for competition and also not for the road, it's described as "a little bit of a crazy idea", one inspired by a car mag laying about at Porsche that featured an original. It was raised as an idea with the design team and the rest is history.
And the road car side of Walliser's responsibilities, there is - as always - plenty to chat about. Would four-wheel drive ever make it to a Porsche GT car? Seems unlikely, given "raw" and "lightweight" are used to describe the current range, plus the usual concerns about weight and even the impact such tech could have on fuel tank size. The point is also cheekily - if very validly - made about a rear-wheel drive Porsche currently holding the Nurburgring production lap record. Ahead of a four-wheel drive Lamborghini.
So what about turbos in GT cars? Or hybrid systems? Neither seems especially likely for now, Dr Frank talking of what an asset the current 9,000rpm screamer is and how the GT cars typically haven't chased big power for their appeal - hopefully negating the need for a forced induction or hybrid boost. See the current 520hp GT3 RS battling with rivals typically boasting 600hp or more. Of the two it seems that Walliser is keener on the hybrid idea than turbo; the former allows the atmospheric engine to remain, plus the fact Porsche has experience of the tech with the 918 - still "the most emotional" car made by Porsche, apparently - and the 997 GT3 R Hybrid race car.
The more immediate news is also encouraging. He confirmed perhaps the worst-kept secret in the car world - that they are working on 718 GT cars - but also that the reintroduction of a manual GT3 has been a success. "Everyone lost their bets", with 70 per cent take up of the gearbox in the United States and at least a one in four opt-in for even the least popular markets. With that and an "unbelievable" amount of buyers plumping for the Touring package, it would seem that the message has got through loud and clear about the buying public's thoughts on manual GT3s. Jolly good.
With Walliser's move to a broader 911 role, it's unclear yet who will succeed him in his current position alongside Andreas Preuninger. Whatever the case, it looks like the foundations are in place for plenty more great Porsche sports cars for a little while yet. Bring on that new Cayman GT4...
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