Porsche GT3 RS @ Goodwood Review
June 2007
Filed under: PORSCHE Car News | PORSCHE Headlines
Visitors to the 2007 Goodwood Festival of Speed will for the first time be able to experience the performance and handling of the second generation Porsche Cayenne on a specially-designed circuit located next to the famous speed hillclimb course. The driver-oriented chassis of the Porsche Cayenne has been designed to combine sports car handling on the road with the added versatility of extreme agility off-road. The grass-surfaced course, around which the 385bhp V8-engined Cayenne S models will power, is intended to demonstrate perfectly the outstanding dynamic ability of the four door Porsche.
Rides in the all-wheel drive Porsche Cayenne S will be available in exchange for a donation to the Teenage Cancer Trust. Members of the public will be able to jump into the passenger seat alongside a Driving Consultant from the Porsche Driving Experience, and enjoy an exciting high speed run.
Epitomising the breadth of ability of the Porsche Cayenne is the special Transsyberia edition that will be on display at Goodwood. Based on the new Cayenne S, this sporting derivative makes its competition debut in the Transsyberia Rallye taking contestants over 4,000 miles from Moscow through Siberia to Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia from 2 – 17 August 2007.
The two highest performing models in the 911 range will be participating in the ‘Sunday Times’ Supercar Run up the hillclimb course, a high-octane display of horsepower that celebrates the ultimate in performance road car engineering. The 415bhp Porsche 911 GT3 RS makes its debut at the Sussex venue, alongside the 480bhp four wheel-drive Porsche 911 Turbo.
The Goodwood Festival of Speed each year has a central motor sporting theme and for 2007 it is ‘Spark of Genius – Breaking Records, Pushing Boundaries’. And if ever there was a marque for whom this sentiment was particularly appropriate, it is Porsche – with 16 victories at Le Mans just one of the company’s impressive records.
Manufacturers and private owners are invited to demonstrate cars of historical significance relating to the motor sporting disciplines celebrated. Sports car and endurance racing plays a major part in this year’s Festival, and given the unparalleled achievements by Porsche in this field, the world-renowned Porsche Museum team from Stuttgart is showcasing three ground-breaking cars from its past – the 1973 917/30, the 1977 ‘Baby’ 935, and the 1986 962.
However, threatening to steal the limelight from these classics will be the 2007 RS Spyder from the Porsche Motorsport headquarters in Wiessach, making its European public debut. Designed for competition in the ultra-competitive American Le Mans Series (ALMS) Championship across the Atlantic, the RS Spyder won the LMP2 class in the 2006 ALMS, and currently heads the category this season following three outright wins. Driving the RS Spyder at Goodwood is German ace Timo Bernhard, who leads the LMP2 Driver’s Championship in the ALMS.
A further unique feature of Goodwood is that the event seeks to reunite famous cars with drivers from the original factory teams. This year sees a star-studded line-up of former factory Porsche drivers behind the wheel of Stuttgart race cars once again. Derek Bell, five times winner of Le Mans and former factory Porsche driver will be driving the 1973 917/30 alongside fellow sportscar legend Jochen Mass; Vern Schuppan, 1983 Le Mans winner for Porsche, will be reunited with a 962C from 1986 and will also drive the 1977 935 ‘Baby’.
Porsche enthusiasts visiting Goodwood will be pleased to learn that there are many more examples of the marque, and former factory race drivers, participating in the Festival of Speed. These will include; Richard Attwood, winner of Le Mans with Porsche in 1970 in the fearsome 917; Vic Elford, winner of the 1968 Targa Florio; Brian Redman, 1970 Targa Florio winner for Porsche; and Allan McNish, winner of the 1998 Le Mans with the Porsche factory team.
And for visitors wishing to re-fuel themselves, the Porsche Café Le Mans will be once more situated on the outside of the track near the footbridge, offering meals and refreshments.
The Goodwood Festival of Speed takes place in the grounds of Goodwood House, near Chichester, Sussex, between June 22 - 24. Admission is by advanced ticket only. For further information about the weekend’s activities and admission prices, visit goodwood.co.uk, or telephone
01243 755000.
