6 Andreas Preuninger joins Porsche Motorsport (2001)
These days, the name Andreas Preuninger is synonymous with those most decorated of cars to drive out of Porsche’s Motorsport department, housed within the hallowed gates of the Weissach development centr – and rightly so. Today, a GT product is the most highly sought-after among the 911 lineup, with enthusiasts continuously left drooling over those lightweight, high-revving and wonderfully emotive Motorsport specials that Preuninger and his team create.
The 996.1 GT3 might have been the first modern GT Porsche as we know it, but this is considered something of a factory skunkworks project before Andreas was installed at Porsche Motorsport to bring some formality to the GT division and its products. His first masterpiece was the 996.2 GT3, which raised the performance bar significantly. Andreas’s achievements with GT products since include numerous lap records at the Nürburgring Nordschleife for production sports cars.
Today, demand far outstrips supply of any new Porsche GT car, be it naturally aspirated or turbocharged, and values in the used market rarely if never dip below their original list price.
Preuninger’s impact on the legacy of the Neunelfer is huge: the pinnacle of the modern 911, it’s impossible to imagine the modern lineup without those celebrated GT products. If the Carrera and Turbo cars are commendable, a GT car is downright inspired and, as the automotive industry sleepwalks into a dystopia of autonomous and electrified vehicles, Preuninger’s creations will only look more special.