A SPEEDY LANDMARK
PORSCHE, the German sports and performance car company, next Friday celebrates 70 years since the first car to bear its name was built. Quite an achievement for a firm which is now accelerating hard to create a new generation of super-fast electric sports cars and SUVs. And Britain is one of its biggest and most profitable markets.
I visited its factory and museum in Stuttgart, South West Germany, to find out about its past, present and electric future.
Back in 1948, Porsche’s postwar 356 Nr1 marked the start of the family dynasty behind it. In fact, the Porsche family effectively owns the Volkswagen group, of which the Porsche car company is a part.
The original 356 was the brainchild of Ferry Porsche, son of Ferdinand Porsche who created the original Volkswagen Beetle for the Third Reich. Eight years later, in 1956, the 10,000th 356 had been built. Its successor, the 911, arrived in 1963, and despite many refinements and improvements, remains with us today.
But Porsche’s history has had its sad moments too. James Dean died at just 24 after crashing his 550 Spyder in 1955. The brand was not affected; Dean was immortalised as a Hollywood icon.
Fast forward, and today the world is eagerly awaiting the arrival of Porsche’s all-electric Mission E 600hp sports car with a top speed of 155mph, blistering acceleration from rest to 62 mph in less than 3.5 seconds, and a range of more than 300 miles. It will charge up in 15 minutes.
At this year’s Geneva Motor Show, Porsche also showed off its Mission E Cross Turismo prototype activity sports car. Next year, it is entering a works team in the Formula E electric car racing championships.
Hybrid electric technology is already being used in vehicles including the Cayenne E-Hybrid. And it plans a network of 400 powerful rapid charging stations by 2020.
Porsche announced record sales of 246,375 new vehicles in 2017; 14,05 in the UK, its fourth largest market after China, the U.S. and Germany.
IF OUT on a motorway next week, watch out for L-plates.
As part of driving test reforms, from Monday, learners will be able to take lessons on motorways in England, Scotland and Wales, but must, by law, be accompanied by an approved driving instructor in a dual-control car.