Prestigious Accolade for Porsche Works Driver Hanns Herrmann

Brian Harris Porsche in Baton Rouge, Louisiana is delighted to announce that a special accolade has been awarded to one of Porsche's most successful works drivers. Hans Herrmann, born in 1928, was inducted into the Sebring Hall of Fame on 16 March 2012. This prestigious award from the organizers of the famous American racing circuit was announced in the run-up to this year’s 12 Hours of Sebring, which was held for the sixtieth time in 2012. Also inducted to the Sebring Hall of Fame were the American racing legends Geoff Brabham, Denise McCluggage, Johnny O'Connell and Jim Downing.

 

In a racing career spanning from 1953 to 1970, Hans Herrmann was twice the overall winner at Sebring. In 1960, he won the legendary twelve-hour race in a Porsche 718 RS60 with Oliver Gendebien, and repeated the feat in 1968, in a Porsche 908 with Jo Siffert. He also won his class for Porsche in 1956 and 1966. His first overall victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1960 was one of the most important wins in Porsche’s racing history. This was the first outing for the new Type 718 RS60 1.6 liter car, and it ended in a double victory for the Stuttgart-based manufacturer as the Porsche teams of Herrmann/Gendebien and Holbert/Schechter crossed the line in front of their competitors from the 3-litre class.

 

Hans Herrmann is one of Porsche’s most successful works drivers. Born on 23 February 1928 in Stuttgart, the endurance specialist is regarded as one of the most reliable and consistent drivers of all time.

 

During his motor racing career, Hans Herrmann notched up more than 80 overall wins and class victories for manufacturers such as Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Borgward and Abarth. In 1953, 1954 and 1955 he was German champion in the 1500 cc class, and manufacturers’ World Champion in 1969 in 1970. Hans Herrmann achieved his greatest victories in cars made in Zuffenhausen: at the Mille Miglia, the Targa Florio, the Carrera Panamericana and in Le Mans, where he achieved Porsche’s first overall victory in a 917 in 1970. After his triumph at Le Mans, Hans Herrmann retired from active racing at the age of 42.

Visit Brian Harris Porsche for the best pricing on new Porsche cars, genuine auto parts and service.

Porsche 911 on-Sale Now

Brian Harris Porsche in Baton Rouge, LA is pleased to announce that the new Porsche 911 Carrera and Carrera S models have arrived in Porsche showrooms around the country. The latest generation of the iconic Porsche 911 is on-sale now.

Following its media introduction last fall, journalists world-wide have titled this latest 911 as the best yet. All early indicators point to it remaining every bit the icon it has been since its 1964 debut.

Whether this will be a customer's first or just their latest Porsche 911, it's going to be the most invigorating ownership experience yet, said Detlev von Platen, President and CEO of Porsche Cars North America. The 911 Carrera and Carrera S are the ultimate choices for drivers who want the fun and excitement of a true benchmark-setting sports car week in and week out, not just for show or play during the weekends.

For 2012, the 911 has been completely redesigned from the ground up. The newest incarnation applies singular balance to the priorities of a new era, preserving the classic 911 lines, yet revisiting every inch for advances in power and fuel economy. While still instantly recognizable as a Porsche 911 at a glance, 90 percent of the 2012 Porsche 911's components are either new or fundamentally revised.

Longer, lower, wider, 100 lbs. lighter, faster and more efficient than previous models, the 911 is the perfect blend of modern design, intelligent engineering and performance DNA.

In addition to aesthetic improvements, both new models offer significant performance enhancements. The 2012 911 Carrera is equipped with a new, 350-horsepower, 3.4-liter boxer engine that provides five more horsepower (HP) than the outgoing 3.6-liter engine, while the Carrera S features a 400 HP, 3.8-liter boxer engine, a 15 HP improvement versus its predecessor. The 911 Carrera with Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) accelerates from zero to 60 in 4.4 seconds, while the Carrera S sprints from zero to 60 in a mere 4.1 seconds. That time is reduced even further to 3.9 seconds when equipped with the Sports Chrono Package Plus. Top-track-speeds for the 911 Carrera and Carrera S are 179 and 188 mph, respectively.

As with every generation, the new 911 Carrera continues to raise the bar in both performance and efficiency. This is achieved through systems such as the Automatic Start/Stop function, engine and transmission thermal management, electrical system recuperation, the world's first seven-speed manual transmission and in conjunction with PDK the ability to  coast. The new electro-mechanical power steering offers the typical Porsche precision and helps to increase efficiency and reduce fuel consumption.

Porsche Panamera Turbo is Value Champion 2012

 The Porsche Panamera Turbo is the car that holds its value best in its class. The vehicle’s residual value after four years was still 56 per cent of the original price, as jointly calculated by Auto Bild and Schwacke. That makes the Gran Turismo the winner of the “Value Champion 2012” title for the lowest percentage depreciation in the luxury class.

“Porsche-badged cars inherently hold their value – especially in the long run”, said Dr. Gernot Döllner, Manager of the Panamera model line, at the prize giving in Berlin on Thursday evening. “For example, approximately 70 per cent of all the Porsches ever made are still on the road, yet further evidence of our models’ ability to hold their value. This accolade further bolsters our vehicles’ value retention.”

The prospective residual value is behind many of the calculations for financing and leasing offers and the purchase decision when it comes to company cars and rental car fleets. It also provides a snapshot of the second hand car market in general. The data on which the selection of the Value Champion 2012 was based were calculated by Schwacke’s experts.

With its 4.8-litre V8-biturbo engine, the Porsche Panamera Turbo develops a rated output of 500 hp, sprints from a standing start to 100 km/h in 4.2 seconds and has a top speed of 303 km/h.

Engineered Luxury – Porsche Design CEO Dr Juegen Gessler

Brian Harris Porsche, the Louisiana Porsche car dealer in Baton Rouge, likes to inform all Porsche fans that Porsche Design Group, known for technically inspired products, is making great strides in women’s fashion, mobile phone market and fragrances. The PorscheDesign Group, located near Stuttgart, Germany, has redefined the concept of luxury and moved beyond the classic benchmarks. 

The Porsche Design brand was established in 1972 by ProfessorFerdinand Alexander Porsche. However, the man who diversified the brand is not a Porsche but Dr Juergen Gessler. Under his able leadership and ultimate passion for design, Porsche Design expanded its network and now it has 127 retail outlets worldwide. It has 42 outlets in Asia alone. The last five years have been very eventful for the company as it branched out into areas like women's fashion, the mobile phone market and fragrances. The group now has its own studio called Porsche Design Studio, which has won more than 130 national and international awards and is one among Europe's most recognized design companies. The group has been awarded the prize for the luxury brand with the best design at the China Luxury Summit 2011 in Shanghai recently. 

Dr Juergen Gessler is continuing the tradition of Porsche efficiently. He believes luxury brands need to focus on fulfilling core values and add to quality and improvement of people’s lives. In a freewheeling interview with Just Luxe, the affluent style guide, Dr Gessler has spoken about the engineered luxury and Porsche Design point of view. Here are some excerpts from the interview:

How is today's language of luxury spoken differently than it was a few years ago? What happened in the economy to create such a difference?

Dr Gessler: In the old days luxury has been mainly about showing-off; people wanted to make a clear statement saying, "have a look at me I can afford all that." This has changed a lot nowadays, especially because we have walked across, and endured a few crises. Luxury brands today need to focus on fulfilling core values. It is about quality and improvement of one's life, and it is not important anymore to have more than others as well as to show off. Today companies have to concentrate on and offer a whole lifestyle into which people can buy into, because they do care more about where material comes from, about quality and design as well as their individual style.

What is Porsche Design Studio's vision of engineered luxury? Do some of the subtexts deal with mindful rather than conspicuous consumption?

Dr Gessler: For Porsche Design, not really a lot has changed, as the luxury brand had a very special approach to luxury right from the beginning. Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, the designer of the Porsche 911 and founder of the luxury brand Porsche Design, has always been mindful rather than conspicuous. Take our very first product: the Chronograph 1. It has been the first completely black watch on the market, at a time when watches by definition have been gold or silver. A revolution! The black color has been chosen not to provoke attention, but for another, more particular reason: F. A. Porsche had the idea of creating a time instrument with an uncompromised functional quality. Inspired by the black felt dashboard of a race car, he decided to design the watch in such a way that only the time information was of importance - everything else was non-reflective, in other words: black. He probably had been the first person ever who treated the watch not as a piece of jewelry, but as an instrument of precision.

How does the Porsche Design Group further define engineered luxury through its products?

Dr Gessler: F. A. Porsche liked the idea of combining the aesthetics of a product with its function in conjunction with excellent craftsmanship. That is why Porsche Design introduced the first ever black watch which guaranteed supreme legibility at any occasion and in 1980 again revolutionized the world of watch making with the first-ever titanium-built chronograph as titanium is essentially skin-friendly, lighter ?-half the weight of steel - and corrosion-resistant. Today this general principle is still the core of Porsche Design. We are offering a different kind of luxury: we call it "engineered luxury." Design and luxury engage into a very natural relationship. It represents the perfect combination of design, function, craftsmanship and the use of the finest materials.

How does the architectural credo of Form Follows Function agree with the ideas of Porsche design Studio's engineered luxury?

Dr Gessler: "If you analyze the function of an object, its form often becomes obvious." That's what Ferdinand Alexander Porsche once said. And up to the present day the Porsche Design Studio in Zell am See in Austria follows his design philosophy. Our credo is more advanced than the idea of form follows function. It actually is a different approach as the whole object has to be considered within its functionality: in our ideal Porsche Design world, form and function are equal. One doesn't work without the other, but also, one doesn't follow the other. A truly good product has to fulfill both aspects of aesthetic and function in order to be a long-term success. Porsche Design has remained true to this idea, with great success, as we have been recognized with more than 130 national and international awards and today the Porsche Design Studio is among Europe's most recognized design companies.

You said in an interview that you are very interested in learning about the behavioral dynamics underlying why people shop, and how they make their purchase decisions. What have you learned from this particular interest, and how have you applied it to the Porsche Design Studio's product line?

Dr Gessler: By now people developed a feeling for coherency. A product that is only functional but does not look appealing would not become a bestseller neither when it is only looking nice without convincing functionality. If you find these functionally designed items in a surrounding where everything is harmonious, then customers are more likely to spend money. In other words: a brand's concept and its philosophy have to be in line with the customers' individual values and attitudes to make them feel comfortable and willing to buy into this lifestyle world.

Most other brands whose origins began as car brands, Jaguar, Rolls, Bentley, Audi, and even Ferrari and Maserati, have products attached to their sites, but not Design Studios, and not Design Studios who make such diverse offerings as Advent Calendars, Bicycles, and Water Pipes! What do all these products have in common, and what new products may emerge before the end of the year?

Dr Gessler: All other car brand's design studios evolved from the car company. The Porsche Design Studio is unique as it developed completely separate from the car company. Its founder F. A. Porsche has been chief-designer for the sports cars until 1972, then left the company and found its very own design studio, the so called Porsche Design Studio, as well as the luxury brand Porsche Design. The only link at this time was a seat of F. A. Porsche in the supervisory board because as a family member he kept shares in the car company. In 2003 the demand for a successor for Porsche Design emerged and there has been mutual consent that the luxury brand has huge potential. So the Porsche Design Group has been found with a two-thirds share of the car company in order to support the expansion with financial strength.

For more such amazing articles you can visit http://www.justluxe.com/

VarioCam Plus Technology In Porsche Cars

Brian Harris Porsche, your local Baton Rouge Porsche car dealer in Louisiana, likes to inform that Porsche has employed the highly efficient VarioCam Plus technology in its cars. The high class luxury meets with amazing engine dynamics to deliver most exciting on road experience.

The VarioCam Plus technology actually blends the variable valve timing with two-stage lift on the inlet side resulting in smoother running, better fuel economy and lower exhaust emissions. It will also provide greater top-end power and low-end torque at all engine speeds. 

Actually, VarioCam Plus is a variable valve timing system on the inlet side which also features two-stage valve lift. It makes two engines out of one. The first one is meant for normal driving and the second one is aimed at high-performance. The system switches between the two as the driver inputs change. The engine management system regulates all operations. The result: emphatic acceleration and smoother running. Of course, this is all technical and you may be interested to know in detail. 

Visit Brian Harris Porsche’s full-fledged dealership anytime if you are interested and understand it. You can also take a look at wonderful 2011 and 2012 Porsche Cars and take advantage of special offers on, not only new cars, but on Baton Rouge used cars too!

The Story of Porsche Coat of Arm

Ever wondered what the Porsche Coat of Arm stood for? After digging around for a while it seems like an American importer of Porsches was the first to suggest it to Porsche. Porsche embraced the idea and the Coat of Arms or logo was born.

Porsche's company logo is a combination of both, the symbol of the state of Wuerttemberg of former Weimar Germany(part of Baden-Wuerttemberg), and the symbol of the city of Stuttgart which is the capital of of Baden-Wuerttemberg. Stuttgart was built on the site of a horse stud farm. The antlers and red and black stripes are part of the arms of the Wruttemberg Kingdom.

2011 Porsche 911 Speedster set to carry forward the legacy of Porsche 356 Speedster

The legacy of 1953 Porsche 356 Speedster is set to continue for many more years to come. Porsche has recreated the classic style and spirit of 356 Speedster in the all-new 2011 Porsche 911 Speedster which features contemporary re-interpretations of classic Porsche Speedster. Brian Harris Porsche, the leading Porsche dealer in Baton Rouge, Louisiana is eagerly waiting for the new Porsche 911 Speedster which will be officially unveiled at the 2010 Paris Motor Show in October 2010.

As the leading Baton Rouge Porsche dealer that specializes in the sales and service of new Porsche cars and used cars, Brian Harris Porsche feels that the rear-wheel drive 2011 Porsche 911 Speedster will strengthen the Porsche 911 line-up which has been bolstered by the addition of GT2 RS model earlier in the year and the Porsche Carrera GTS recently.

The 911 Speedster heralds the 25th anniversary of Porsche Exclusive, which helps customers customize each car to meet their needs or matches their personality and tastes. The striking profile of the new 911 Speedster is defined by the use of the Carrera 4 body, which is about two inches wider than the 911 Carrera S, to accommodate the wider rear track. The “double-bubble” cover for the manual convertible top and the windshield distinguish the new 2011 Porsche 911 Speedster from other 911 models. Other features exclusive to Speedster include the lower front spoiler, side sills, the vented rear fascia and the black alloy wheels.

The new Porsche 911 Speedster is powered by 3.8-litre flat six engine which has been tuned to deliver 408 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. For better performance, the Speedster will come standard with Porsche’s seven-speed PDK gearbox, the Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) and the Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB) that are optional on most 911 models.

Visit Brian Harris Porsche to learn more about the upcoming new Porsche 911 Speedster and special offers on other Porsche models.