Special Issue 2006

Porsche Engineering Magazine

Porsche engineering
services
Porsche has placed its
extensive knowledge at the
disposal of external cus-
tomers from the automotive
and other branches of indus-
try for more than seventy-
five years.

Complete vehicles
The complete vehicle devel-
opment has always been a
strength and passion of
Porsche Engineering.

Excellent design
Turning design dreams into
reality for customers and for
Porsche: such as the 911.
Contents

Porsche Engineering is a Porsche modular systems; we also take on Whether you require a general
Group subsidiary specializing in planning and implementation of automobile developer or specialized
contract development services. complete vehicles all the way to system-provider, Porsche
When contracted to support car series production. What makes our Engineering can bring you the best
manufacturers or original equip- offerings unique is our proven of both worlds.
ment suppliers, we offer design and expertise as a volume vehicle
development services, from in- manufacturer.
dividual components to complex

Editorial
Page 4

Complete
Chassis Testing Engine
Vehicle

Insights
Decades of
engine power
Seventy-five years
Page 19
of Porsche
engineering
services System Porsche From theory to
Page 5 Page 13 confirmation
Page 16
Complete vehicle
competence at
Porsche
Page 10
Contents

The entire knowledge base of If you would like to know more

Porsche Engineering converges in about Porsche Engineering, please
Weissach, Germany. Yet it is avail- send an e-mail requesting our
able globally. Which also means: image brochure to the following Special
directly on-site with you. Wherever address:
our competence is required, it’s [email protected] Page 33
Milestones in Customer
always Porsche.
Development from
1931 – 2006

Electrics & Industrial Body and Production

Styling Drivetrain
Electronics Engineering Safety Engineering

Unconventional ways
Expertise from auto-
for body concepts
motive development
Page 30
for other branches of
Hardware, soft- industry
The shape of ware and system Page 26
the future development
Page 22 from one source Accelerated power
Page 24 From designing
of innovation
to the start of
Page 28
production
Page 32
Editorial

Dear Readers,

The secret to the success of the managed centrally by the Porsche

Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG is based Engineering Group GmbH (PEG),
on decades of experience that founded in 2001 and based in
extends far beyond the develop- Weissach. Thanks to the mature
ment of sports cars. Seventy-five development network of Porsche,
years ago, Ferdinand Porsche PEG can call on the services of
started his own independent engi- other subsidiaries within the group.
neering office in Stuttgart, which Where necessary, the resources of

The story of Porsche Engineering’s

success is based on decades of develop-
ment experience in the automotive
sector. Porsche has the reputation of being Company founder Ferdinand Porsche with
his son Ferry at the drawing board with a
one of the world’s most versatile providers construction drawing of the Volkswagen
Porsche Type 60.
of engineering services since 1931.

was to become a cradle of automo- the Porsche Research and phase to series production, with the
bile technology. He used customer Development Center in Weissach customer continuing to receive cus-
orders to develop vehicles such as are available for customer develop- tomized solutions for his project.
the Auto Union racing car and the ment work. By networking all its
VW Beetle and made the name of locations and having a close
Porsche a synonym of technical exchange of information between We wish you an enjoyable read.
excellence. Porsche has continued its engineers, Porsche Engineering
the tradition established by com- offers interface competence and The Editorial Team
pany founder Ferdinand Porsche in across-the-board thinking for the
1931 up to the present day, and smooth and productive manage-
does not only develop sports cars, ment of customer projects.
but also implements technical
projects for customers around the The area of contract development
globe. services gives Porsche a unique
position in the automobile sector.
Developing on behalf of car manu- No other independent car manufac-
facturers, suppliers, and other turer makes its know-how and test
industrial companies from around facilities available to external in-
the world has always been an inte- dustrial customers. Porsche
gral part of the services provided Engineering also supports its con-
by the Porsche AG. All contract tractors during the entire product
development projects worldwide are creation process, from the concept

4 Porsche Engineering Magazine Special Issue 2006

From back then until today Insights

Seventy-five years of Porsche engineering services

Long before sports cars bearing The young Ferdinand Porsche had
the Porsche name caused a sensa- already been occupied with con-
tion among car enthusiasts on structing cars at the turn of the
roads and race tracks around the century. On behalf of the Lohner
world, the name of Porsche was Coach Factory in Vienna, a purvey-
already synonymous in specialist or to the Austrian Royal Family, he
circles with innovation and technolo- built cars with a combination of
gical competence. When Ferdinand gasoline and electric drive – the
Porsche dared to go independent first hybrid cars in the world. This
on April 25, 1931 with “Dr. Ing h.c. was followed by pioneering activi-
F. Porsche GmbH, Konstruktion und ties such as the all-wheel drive and
Beratung für Motoren- und Fahr- the four-wheel brake, which he
zeugbau” (“Dr. Ing h.c. F. Porsche introduced as innovations into the
GmbH, Construction and Consulting world of automobile production.
Company for Engine and Vehicle This technical prowess did not go Ferdinand Porsche founded the construction
office in the Kronenstraße 24 in Stuttgart in
Production”), he had already many undiscovered: In 1906, Ferdinand 1935.
years of experience as an automo- Porsche was appointed Technical
tive engineer. Director of Austro-Daimler, making

Porsche has a long tradition of providing development services

for other companies around the world. Regardless of whether these
developments concern cars, motorcycles, commercial vehicles,
shipping technology, or agricultural machines.
him responsible at the age of just
31 for the entire model range at
one of Europe’s largest car makers.
Following the victorious launch of
his “Prinz Heinrich Car” at the race
named after the prince in 1910,
Porsche developed the “Sascha”,
a lightweight compact car that
made its international debut at the
Targa Florio in 1922. Just one year
later the by now well-known auto-
motive engineer joined the Daimler-
Motoren-Gesellschaft in Stuttgart.
There it was above all the super-
Door plate of the Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche GmbH in 1931. charged sports and racing cars

Porsche Engineering Magazine Special Issue 2006 5

Insights From back then until today

development of a sixteen-cylinder
racing car for the new 750 kg rac-
ing formula. The first test drives of
the P racing car (the “P” stands for
Porsche) were conducted as early
as January 1934, and the new car
wrote automobile history with its
numerous racing victories and
speed records.

When Ferdinand Porsche began

designing an inexpensive compact
car on behalf of NSU in 1933, this
The Wanderer, the first contract development of Porsche (Type 7). was already the seventh compact
car he had constructed in the
that continued to strengthen his twelve people was enormous, even course of his career. With the air-
reputation as a truly outstanding by today’s standards. In its first cooled four-cylinder horizontally
automotive engineer. Ferdinand year the engineering office devel- opposed engine in the rear and the
Porsche left the Daimler-Benz AG oped a new midrange sedan and Porsche torsion bar suspension
in 1929 and decided to crown his an eight-cylinder engine for the on the rear axle, the prototypes
career by establishing his own engi- German car maker Wanderer. These already showed clear leanings
neering office in December of projects were followed by a com- towards the later Volkswagen
1930. pact car on behalf of Zündapp, Beetle. In June 1934, Porsche offi-
which paved the way for the later cially received the order from the
The pace of work initially endured Volkswagen Beetle. Auto Union “Reich Association of the German
by Ferdinand Porsche’s team of commissioned the construction and Automobile Industry” to design and
build the Volkswagen or “People’s
Car”. The first prototypes were
assembled in the garage of
Porsche’s private villa in the north
of Stuttgart in 1935. The decision
to build a special Volkswagen plant
was born in 1936, and Ferdinand
Porsche was given the assignment
to plan this new production facility.
The Type 64 with its aerodynamic
alloy body was created in 1938/39
for the long-distance race from
Berlin to Rome. Although the start
The Porsche Type 64 is considered the ancestor of all Porsche sports cars. of the war prevented the Type 64

6 Porsche Engineering Magazine Special Issue 2006

From back then until today Insights

drive. The Porsche Engineering

Office was also requested by the
Armament Authority of the German
Army to develop tanks, but these
saw limited regular use in the war,
due to technical problems and
material bottlenecks.

Following the war, the Porsche

Engineering Office, which had
moved to the Austrian town of
Mercedes-Benz record-breaking racing car T 80 in 1939. Gmünd in Carinthia in 1944, com-
peted again for new orders from
from being used in motor racing,
the elegantly designed coupé is the
ancestor of all Porsche sports cars
created since 1948.

Alongside the extensive Volkswagen

project, the Porsche Engineering
Office, based in Stuttgart’s district
Zuffenhausen since 1938, had been
working on numerous other develop-
ment orders. The Type 80 was a
high-speed record-breaking car pro-
duced for the Daimler-Benz AG. The
Type 110 compact tractor for farm
use set the foundation for the sub-
sequent “People’s Tractor” and the Porsche Type 60 (V3) at the exit of the Porsche-Villa in Stuttgart-Feuerbach around 1936.

Porsche diesel tractor built after

World War II.
Following the outbreak of war in the automotive industry. To begin
1939, further models based on the with, however, the company was
Volkswagen were intended for mili- only able to develop water turbines,
tary use. The company re-estab- cable winches, ski-lifts, mowing
lished later in 1937 as Porsche KG rods, and various agricultural trac-
now mainly developed off-road vehi- tors that were now marketed for
cles such as the VW “Kübelwagen” the first time under the name of
jeep and the VW “Schwimmwagen” Porsche. In 1946 the Italian compa-
Workshop cabin of the Porsche factory in amphibian car fitted with all-wheel ny Cisitalia entrusted Porsche KG,
Gmünd/Carinthia (1944).

Porsche Engineering Magazine Special Issue 2006 7

Insights From back then until today

Ferdinand Porsche at the drawing board of the Porsche Engineering Office in the Kronenstraße 24.

now under the management of structed. This marked the birth of remained an important part of the
Ferdinand Porsche’s son Ferry, with the Porsche sports car brand, with company’s overall range of activi-
a number of extensive development production of the rear-engined ties. Until the 1970s, Porsche’s
contracts. Apart from a small trac- coupé and cabriolet versions of the most significant customer was the
tor and a water turbine, the compa- 356 starting in the second half of Volkswagen AG. The close coopera-
ny developed and built the all-wheel- 1948. After returning to Stuttgart in tion of the two companies has been
drive Type 360 Cisitalia Grand Prix 1950, Porsche began regular setting the pace in the development
racing car as well as a two-seater series production of the 356 with a process ever since 1948.
mid-engine sports car. total production volume of some
78,000 units by the year 1965. Numerous detailed improvements
In July 1947, the Porsche The successor model, the Porsche were therefore developed for the
Engineering Office started working 911, helped the company make its VW Beetle built in Wolfsburg under
under its own steam on the Type final breakthrough as one of the a license fee paid to Porsche.
356 VW Sports Car. Based on the leading manufacturers of sports Porsche was also involved in the
Type 64 Berlin-Rome racing car, the cars in the world not only in techni- development of various successor
design concept bearing the internal cal terms, but also in design. models to the highly successful
construction number 356 became Despite this successful start as a Beetle. The company developed
reality in spring of 1948 and a car manufacturer, development numerous prototypes for the
ready-to-drive prototype was con- assignments from customers Volkswagen Group which set the

8 Porsche Engineering Magazine Special Issue 2006

From back then until today Insights

trend for the wide range of passen-

ger cars coming out of Wolfsburg
for the coming years. The most
famous customer developments
were the VW-Porsche 914 present-
ed in autumn 1969, and the Volks-
wagen Development Project EA
425, which made its appearance
in 1976 as the Porsche 924.

The wide range of development at

Porsche comprised nearly all areas Technical drawing of the Cisitalia Grand Prix race car (Type 360).

of motorization over the last 75

years, including developments con- Research and Technology. The cus- The development on behalf of auto-
cerning cars, motorcycles, com- tomer base also came from almost mobile manufacturers, suppliers,
mercial vehicles, shipping technolo- the entire worldwide automobile and other industrial companies from
gy, aircraft, agricultural machines, industry and used Porsche’s know- around the world is still far from
agricultural vehicles, construction how ranging from individual techni- being finished, and this business
machinery as well as comprehen- cal solutions to complete vehicle field will continue to be an integral
sive projects such as automotive developments. component of Porsche in the
studies for the future on behalf of future. This is ensured by some
the German Federal Ministry of 400 employees at the Porsche
Engineering offices. Porsche
Engineering also has access to the
full range of facilities and test
stands at the Weissach develop-
ment centre, and can also rely on
the 2,400 employees in the devel-
opment department.

Powered by the combined know-

how of Porsche in the background,
PEG is able to consistently focus
not only on the smallest compo-
nents, but also on the complete
vehicle as a whole. The supreme
objective in the future is therefore
also to optimize the overall system,
Aerial photograph of the Porsche Development Centre in Weissach in autumn 2005. ensuring satisfied customers at all
times. I

Porsche Engineering Magazine Special Issue 2006 9

Complete Vehicle From concept to series production planning

Complete vehicle competence at Porsche

Four-door sedan by Porsche (Type 542) developed for the American car maker Studebaker.

Porsche has worked successfully on customer projects

since the 1930s – from the concept phase to
series production. The best example is the VW Beetle.

Since its beginnings in 1931, the

range of tasks performed by the
Porsche Engineering Office has
covered the entire bandwidth of
automotive technology. The work
done by Ferdinand Porsche’s hand-
picked team ranged from drivetrain
and suspension components to the
production-ready complete vehicle.
Even in the early 1930s, fully-func-
tional prototypes of compact and
Alpine test drive in 1936 with two Volkswagen prototypes of the V3 range. midrange models were being creat-

10 Porsche Engineering Magazine Special Issue 2006

From concept to series production planning Complete Vehicle

ing masters of their trade such as

Karl Rabe, Erwin Komenda and
Josef Mickl – placed the VW
Beetle’s characteristic air-cooled
four-cylinder flat engine in the rear
and divided the vehicle into base
plate and body. The potential of this
concept proved its reliability up to
the end of the Second World War in
numerous variants, such as the
“Kübelwagen” jeep and “Schwimm-
wagen” amphibious vehicle.

Test car of NSU (Type 32) in front of the Porsche Engineering Office at Kronenstraße 24 in After the war, Porsche remained
Stuttgart.
linked to the Volkswagen AG as a
development partner for many
ed on behalf of renowned car manu- vehicle would be built by 2003. The decades. Apart from countless
facturers such as Zündapp, NSU design that became known as the detailed improvements to the VW
and Wanderer. Porsche Engineering Beetle, due to its unmistakable Beetle, the Stuttgart-based sports
still continues this inheritance from shape, became a symbol of mass car manufacturer repeatedly took
the first days of Porsche. This motorization across the world. on complete vehicle development
wealth of experience together with When designing the vehicle known projects from Wolfsburg, which
the combined know-how of a series internally as the Type 60, Ferdinand went as far as the prototype stage
manufacturer gives Porsche a Porsche and his engineers – includ- of whole model families.
unique status in the automotive sec-
tor. Porsche Engineering makes its
75 years worth of complete vehicle
knowledge available to its custom-
ers, and manages all areas of car
making: from conception to design,
prototype construction, testing,
production planning, procurement,
logistics, and production.

When Ferdinand Porsche presented

his ideas on the design of a
German “People’s Car” in an
exposé in January 1931, not even
the bravest optimists could predict
that over 21.5 million units of this The VW 38 (Type 60) from 1938 already has the look of the later VW Beetle.

Porsche Engineering Magazine Special Issue 2006 11

Complete Vehicle From concept to series production planning

International customers, such as

the American automobile manufac-
turer Studebaker, also relied on
Porsche know-how. From 1952 to
1954, Porsche used the Type 542
to develop a modern four-door
sedan with an integral body-frame
that did not make it to series pro-
duction only because of a lack of
capital of the American contractor.
The Soviet state-run Avto VAZ also
relied on the experiences of
Porsche when a complete compact Development of the robust compact car Lada “Samara” with front wheel drive for the Russian
state-run Avto VAZ in 1984.
car was ordered in the form of the

Lada “Samara”, whose robustness

was specially designed to cope with
Soviet road conditions. For the
Chinese market Porsche used the
C88 family car to develop a vehicle
study adjusted to Chinese require-
ments, which was presented at the
Beijing World Trade Center in 1994
as part of an international presenta-
tion.
The specification manual of the C88 concept car demanded comfortable driving, even on
poor roads.
In 1994, Porsche Engineering
received an order from the Adam
Opel AG to start on the complete
vehicle development of the com-
pact Opel Zafira van in line with a
given concept. Presented for the
first time at the Paris Motor Show
in 1998, the Opel Zafira A was pro-
duced from 1999 to 2005. I

Opel Zafira – Complete vehicle development to a given concept for the Adam Opel AG.

12 Porsche Engineering Magazine Special Issue 2006

From driving comfort to driving fun Chassis

System Porsche

The first construction order for Porsche comes from Wanderer (Type 7).

From the start, the Porsche Engineering Office has pursued the objective of con-
stantly improving automotive technology with trend-setting solutions. In its very first
year of work, Ferdinand Porsche’s team of technicians reached a milestone in the
history of technology: the torsion-bar suspension known as the “System Porsche”.

The innovative wheel suspension about in connection with the August 10, 1931. In early 1931 the
principle, which uses a torsion bar Engineering Office’s first contract German car maker Wanderer in
as a suspension element, came development and was patented on Chemnitz assigned Ferdinand
Porsche the project to construct
a midrange sedan that was to
become the Wanderer W21 and
W22. Apart from having a new six-
cylinder alloy engine, the vehicle
known internally as Type 7 was
noted for its special swinging axle
system. The Porsche torsion bar
suspension used here for the first
time was to prove itself as one of
the most significant detailed devel-
opments in automobile production.
One special feature was the small
Drawing of the “System Porsche” torsion-bar suspension constructed under the Type 17 amount of space needed for the
designation.

Porsche Engineering Magazine Special Issue 2006 13

Chassis From driving comfort to driving fun

Test drive in 1937 with the W30 on the Katschberg.

torsion bar, which was arranged body – an important advantage in tem, the best known of these with-
transversely below the vehicle with- cars without an integral body-frame. out doubt being the Volkswagen
out affecting the size of the cabin – Much of the development work car- Beetle, which first demonstrated
unlike a coil spring. The damping ried out by the Porsche Engineering its qualities during long test drives
forces were also absorbed by the Office in the years that followed in the prototype phase in 1936.
platform framework and not by the also had the new suspension sys- The system proved itself in motor
racing in the Type 22 Grand Prix
racing car developed by Porsche for
Auto Union. After the war, the tor-
sion bar suspension demonstrated
its performance on all the world’s
race tracks in the Porsche 356.

Since then, the “System Porsche”

torsion bar suspension has been
used worldwide by millions in count-
less variations, and is still used
today in passenger cars, commer-
cial and special vehicles.

The chassis of the Type 22 Grand Prix racing car developed for the Auto Union.

14 Porsche Engineering Magazine Special Issue 2006

From driving comfort to driving fun Chassis

selves as technological trendsetters PASM is always active in the back-

in the development of vehicle sus- ground and checks the style of driv-
pension. ing in the currently selected pro-
gram. This system gives the sporty
The variable suspension system on multi-purpose vehicle outstanding
the Porsche Cayenne actively and driving properties for its class.
continuously regulates the damping
force by using acceleration sensors Besides the Porsche Cayenne, the
to determine the conditions of the Porsche 911, Porsche Boxster, and
The Porsche Active Suspension roadway and the individual style of Porsche Cayman models have also
Management (PASM) electronic damping
system actively and continuously regulates driving. For example, PASM kicks in benefited from this new suspension
the damping force depending on the driv- during very dynamic driving with technology since 2004. Thanks to
ing style and situation.
heavy phases of acceleration and PASM, the sports cars from
braking or on particularly uneven Zuffenhausen combine two suspen-
All suspension developers hope terrain, in order to balance the sions in one: one with equal meas-
to achieve the ideal adjustment of rolling and pitching movements by ures of sportiness and comfort for
the car to the current driving situa- stabilizing the individual shock long-distance driving and a tighter,
tion. Porsche engineers have absorbers. PASM also enables the markedly sporty one for the circuit.
moved a step closer to this goal Cayenne driver to perform individ- This achieves additional active driv-
with Porsche Active Suspension ual shock absorber adjustments ing safety in all situations with a
Management (PASM) introduced in while driving. The driver can select tangible increase in the level of
the air-sprung Porsche Cayenne in one of three basic programs: comfort.
2002, and have again proven them- “Comfort”, “Normal” and “Sport”.
Excellent driving dynamics are a
feature of all Porsche sports cars.
Porsche Engineering makes this
core competence available to its
customers and develops project
solutions from conception to start
of production in order to develop
and optimize the handling of the
vehicle in line with customer expec-
tations. Porsche Engineering devel-
ops complete chassis, including all
components such as steering,
brakes, suspension and control sys-
tems, wheels, tires, pedals as well
All suspension components in the Cayenne are 100% adapted to the Third Porsche, as axle and engine components. I
in order to enable the typical handling of a Porsche on all roads.

Porsche Engineering Magazine Special Issue 2006 15

Testing The desire to test is in our genes

From theory to confirmation

Cayman S in the climate wind tunnel at the R & D Center in Weissach. Real stretches of road can be simulated here under real climate
conditions, such as the Townes Pass in the USA.

The Porsche Research and Development Center offers

an incomparable range of services. State-of-the-art
test benches, workshops and laboratories can also
be used by customers.

The “idea factory” of the Porsche measurement center, a wind tunnel,

AG has been located in Weissach and the safety test stands including
25 kilometers west of Stuttgart a crash-test facility. The second
since 1971. Alongside the skid pad phase of the development center in
and test track – whose construction Weissach was finished in September
started in 1961 – Porsche succes- 1974, and the new test stands,
sively expanded the Research and workshops and laboratories official- Ferry Porsche (center) with Helmuth Bott,
Ghislaine Kaes and Hans Tomala (from left)
Development Center with additional ly opened. on a visit of inspection of the test track in
large technical facilities such as a Weissach in 1962.

16 Porsche Engineering Magazine Special Issue 2006

The desire to test is in our genes Testing

Crash test of a Porsche 904 Carrera GTS The new Development Center in Weissach was built in 1971. The test track is in the
in 1966. background.

For example, the Porsche emis- the worldwide development cus- work environment with ultra-modern
sions testing department has been tomers from the automotive indus- test stands was created for the
testing the export vehicles of other try were calling for greater capacity emissions technicians over an area
manufacturers on behalf of the to measure and improve emissions, of 5,500 square meters. Here, the
American Environmental Protection the “Measuring Center for Environ- current emissions rolling test
Agency on its own rolling test stand mental Protection”, which has its stands determine the real driving
since 1967. As not only the own test building, was officially resistance of the respective car at
Porsche engineers, but above all opened in late fall of 1982. An ideal any given moment using micro-
processor-controlled systems, while
the vehicles are driven automatical-
ly using statistically guaranteed
measurement accuracy and various
country-specific emission test
cycles that can be reproduced at
any time.

A climate center with three test

chambers and a climate tunnel with
an all-wheel rolling test stand allow
emissions and consumption tests,
as well as many other development
Porsche Type 911 T driving through the asphalt-patch curve on the test track at the tests, to be performed across a
Weissach Development Center in 1970.

Porsche Engineering Magazine Special Issue 2006 17

Testing The desire to test is in our genes

tomers. Other trendsetting, detailed

and safety-conscious solutions from
the house of Porsche included auto-
matic three-point seat belts, head
restraints integrated in the seats
and a safety steering wheel with a
crumple section.

In 1987, the Weissach Development

Center was expanded by adding a
modern crash facility with perma-
nently installed control and monitor-
ing technology. Apart from Porsche
Porsche vehicles in the climate pressure chamber at the Emissions Center of the sports cars, vehicles and com-
Development Center in Weissach.
ponents of other manufacturers are
tested for their crash behaviors and
wide range of climates and altitudes. from the outset as a safety cabrio- improved by Porsche engineers. I
The high level of emissions research let, thereby meeting the enhanced
at the Porsche Development Center safety requirements of Porsche cus-
was also a reason behind the
decision of Porsche, Audi, BMW,
DaimlerChrysler and Volkswagen to
found a joint “Automotive Industry
Emissions Center” (ADA) at Porsche
in Weissach, which began operating
in January 1996.

Investigations into the passive safe-

ty of automobiles using crash tests
has a long tradition at Porsche
which reaches back to the 1960s.
The knowledge accrued in count-
less tests flowed directly into vehi-
cle development, so that by 1964
Porsche was able to introduce a
split safety steering system in the
new Type 911. The Porsche 911
Targa presented in 1965 with its Porsche Study C88 for the Chinese market in the wind tunnel of the Development Center in
Weissach.
fixed roll-over bar was designed

18 Porsche Engineering Magazine Special Issue 2006

Powerful Engine

Decades of engine power

As the smallest independent

German car manufacturer, Porsche
has special competence when it
comes to building engines. Porsche
Engineering makes the experience
it has gained over decades of
series production and motor racing
exclusively available to its cus-
tomers. Since its early days as an
independent engineering office,
Porsche has written automobile
history with its engines.

Back in 1931, it was a Porsche

six-cylinder alloy engine with a dis-
placement of 1.7 or 2 liters that
powered the newly developed
Wanderer sedan W21/22 as well as
the well-known “Audi Front”. The six-
cylinder compressor engine of the The Porsche Type 550 Spyder with the Type 547 “Fuhrmann engine” constructed as a racing
engine (1953).
Type 22 Auto Union P racing car

Porsche Engineering offers all areas of modern engine

development and develops units from the single-cylinder
engine to the multi-cylinder, high-performance engine.
From the application to the completely new development.

had a legendary reputation. During fewer than 30 Grand Prix victories air-cooled four-cylinder flatengine
its first racing season in 1934, the and 15 world records between that was not only used in millions
V-shaped 4.36-liter engine of the 1934 and 1937. of VW Beetles, but was also to
Grand Prix racing car generated serve as the basis for the engine
295 bhp and a powerful torque of When Ferdinand Porsche received of the subsequent Porsche 356.
55 mkg at just 2,700 rpm. Driven the order to develop the Volks- With a double carburetor system
by motor racing legends such as wagen in 1934, designing a new and enhanced compression, the
Hans Stuck, Bernd Rosemeyer and engine was also part of the project. Porsche engineers helped the
Achille Varzi, the Auto Union P rac- Following extensive tests, the 1,100 cc unit of the first Porsche
ing car (P for Porsche) achieved no Porsche engineers developed an 356 achieve an output of 40 bhp.

Porsche Engineering Magazine Special Issue 2006 19

Engine Powerful

became a permanent standard in Another high-powered engine was

international motor sports, in partic- created in 1988 for the American
ular in the Porsche 550 Spyder, but CART racing series. In the Indy-
also in the Carrera versions of the Porsche, the methanol-fuelled V8
Porsche 356. racing engine was placed among
the top four in eight out of nine
With the launch of the Porsche races in 1989, and won the 200
911 Turbo in 1974, Porsche Miles Mid-Ohio. Porsche developed
became a pioneer of engine charg- a 3.5-liter 12-cylinder naturally
Technical drawing of the four-cylinder
ing using turbochargers. The tech- aspirated engine for the Footwork
engine with four overhead camshafts
(Type 547). nology, which was previously tested Arrows racing team, which was
in the racing car types 917/10, used during the 1991 Formula 1
Over the years, Porsche constantly 917/30 and the 911 Carrera RSR season. However, financial difficul-
increased the potential of the flat Turbo 2.1, reached a highpoint in ties at the end of the season result-
engine that would eventually be the 1977 Porsche 935/78 “Moby ed in a premature end to the coop-
used in the Porsche 912 until 1968 Dick”, whose 6-cylinder flat engine eration.
by making numerous modifications was fitted with water-cooled four-
and improvements. The engine in valve cylinder heads for the first Porsche engines not only made a
the racing version, described as time. Aspirated by two turbocharg- name for themselves on roads and
the “Fuhrmann engine”, was ulti- ers, the 3.2-liter engine generated race tracks – the compact units
mately enlarged to have a two-liter up to 845 bhp. These comprehen- also convinced in the air, thanks to
displacement and was fitted with a sive experiences became the basis their excellent power-to-weight
four-camshaft control driven by a of one of the most important cus- ratio. Porsche presented an entire
vertical shaft. The lively flat engine tomer development projects at range of aero engines in 1959. The
Porsche Engineering: On behalf of units were used in light aircraft and
the Saudi Arabian businessman helicopters and had an initial power
Mansour Ojjeh, the engineers in output of up to 75 bhp.
Weissach developed the “TAG-Turbo
made by Porsche” for the British
racing team McLaren. This Formula
1 engine generated over 1,000 bhp
from a mere 1.5 liter displacement.
The Porsche engine dominated the
supercar class of racing sport from
1984 to 1986, and helped McLaren
win three World Championship
titles. The Formula 1 engine “TAG-Turbo made by
Porsche” was used for McLaren racing
cars.
Ferdinand Porsche next to the Auto Union
P-racing car (Type 22) in 1936.

20 Porsche Engineering Magazine Special Issue 2006

Powerful Engine

The 12-cylinder-suction engine was exclusively developed by Porsche for the Footwork-
Arrows racing team.

Harley-Davidson V-Rod V2 engine with

115 bhp.
Considerably more powerful was simple handling and long mainte-
the PFM 3200 aero engine devel- nance intervals.
oped on the basis of the Porsche of a cooperation that reached back
911 flat engine. The 3.2-liter unit As a development partner, Porsche to the 1970s, the Porsche engi-
drew public attention when it Engineering developed a new V2 neers constructed a water-cooled,
proved its reliability during a round- engine under the development 1,131 cc unit based on a racing
the-world flight in 1985. Used in name “Revolution Engine” for the engine, whose power and engine
sports planes and airships, the PFM “V-Rod” model of the American sound enthused discriminating
3200 was noted for low fuel con- motorcycle manufacturer Harley- Harley-Davidson customers in equal
sumption, low noise emissions, Davidson. Against the background measure. Another focus of the
development project was the highly
dynamic drivetrain relationship
between the crankshaft and drive
wheel. Of course, the production-
side improvement was part of the
order, as the engine was produced
under common responsibility in a
joint venture between Harley-
Davidson and Porsche. I

Porsche Type 3200 aero engine with 3.2-liter capacity.

Porsche Engineering Magazine Special Issue 2006 21

Styling From vision to form

The shape of the future

The Porsche 911, a unique and unmistakable design feature.

Design has been one of the core competences of Porsche ever

since it started building sports cars. Porsche Engineering makes
the skills of its stylists in the area of Automotive and Transportation
Design available to its customers.

The styling that is so typical of design, thanks to its clear basic

Porsche has evolved over decades. design concepts. The shape of this
Sports cars such as the Porsche classic sports car has been careful-
356, the 550 Spyder and the 904 ly enhanced and interpreted in a
Carrera GTS have written the histo- contemporary fashion by Porsche
ry of design and exerted repeated stylists for more than four decades.
influence on international car pro- The highest maxim of the in-house
duction. The Porsche 911 in partic- designers has been and remains
ular is considered an icon of classic the visualization of the innovative Porsche 356 Coupé in the year 1951.

22 Porsche Engineering Magazine Special Issue 2006

From vision to form Styling

offers international customers from machinery to agricultural machinery

the automotive industry and various or aircraft and commercial vehicles.
industrial sectors extensive experi- Porsche styling lends products their
ence in the field of automotive and own personality through clear design.
transportation design. A focal point of the company’s com-
petence lies in the area of ergo-
Designing in unfamiliar territory has nomics. Even in the early 1980s,
Ferdinand Alexander Porsche working at long been one of the focal points of Porsche engineers helped design
the drawing board.
the work performed by Porsche the cockpit layout for Airbus pas-
stylists. The transfer of automotive senger jets in cooperation with the
technology found in the Porsche designs to other vehicles often Airbus industry, and set a trend by
model family through its exterior results in completely new aesthetic using displays instead of conven-
design. concepts. Consequently, the tional instruments. I
Porsche designers consider feasi-
Porsche sets a high design and bility and the necessary manufactur-
quality benchmark for its customers ing processes right at the design
and develops cars for them with stage.
the same passion as it does its
own vehicles. As a design partner, Pursuing new ways that go beyond
Porsche Engineering Styling repre- the mainstream is a tradition at
sents far more than just pure prod- Porsche. The diversity of the range
uct design. The significance of of products Porsche designs is
strategic design has long been almost unsurpassable: from cars to Porsche engineers designed the cockpit of
the Airbus A 310 from an ergonomic per-
known, and Porsche Engineering motorcycles, from construction spective.

Apart from designing cars, Porsche stylists work on everything that moves.
The range of designs is covering commercial vehicles, motorcycles and boats for example.

Porsche Engineering Magazine Special Issue 2006 23

Electrics & Electronics From architecture to intelligence

Hardware, software and system development from one source

A fully networked system takes care of all electronic data exchange in the Cayenne.

In terms of complete vehicle development, automotive electronics

are among the most important aspects of Porsche Engineering.

No other area of automotive tech- in the vehicle and the possibilities In the past the innovative power of
nology has such a high rate of in- this presents, Porsche Engineering Porsche in the area of electronics
novation that lets us talk about a is occupied with the development has manifested itself time and
“smart revolution”. In particular, the and integration of electrical and again in its own sports and racing
intelligent networking of compo- electronic systems for the body, cars. In 1985 the sports car manu-
nents and systems has a special drivetrain and chassis. Other areas facturer from Stuttgart showed
significance that will continue to cover software and telematics, con- what was possible when it present-
increase as time goes by. The core trol and display components, the ed the Porsche 959 with an elec-
competence of the Electrics & development of vehicle electrical tronically controlled chassis and
Electronics area therefore lies in systems and networking, multime- program-controlled all-wheel drive.
the system integration of electronic dia, HMI (human-machine interface) The technology platform 959 is still
components and the exploitation of and EMC (electromagnetic compati- setting trends, as the drive man-
their potentials. Given the constant- bility). agement system of the current
ly increasing quantity of electronics Porsche 911 Turbo shows.

24 Porsche Engineering Magazine Special Issue 2006

From architecture to intelligence Electrics & Electronics

by the gears can be changed fully

automatically as well as manually.
With the “Tiptronic S” Porsche cus-
tomers now also have the option to
choose between manual operation
and automatic mode. In automatic
operation the shift points of the
5-speed converter are defined and
controlled electronically, depending
on the style of driving: A basic
gearshift program supports eco-
nomical driving and a sports pro-
gram maximum driving perform-
ance.
Porsche Communication Management (PCM) in the Cayman S.

Porsche is also a pioneer when it

The redeveloped, controlled all- controlled multi-disk clutch that pro- comes to electronic driver informa-
wheel drive enables the immense vides the ideal distribution of power tion systems: The first electronic
engine power of the 911 Turbo to between the front and rear axles instrument cluster with an informa-
be converted into propulsive power within fractions of a second. In tion and diagnosis system world-
as the situation demands. The 1989, Porsche offered a new, elec- wide was introduced in the Porsche
Porsche Traction Management tronically controlled shift system 928 S4 in 1988. The current
(PTM) has an electromagnetically under the name “Tiptronic”, where- Porsche Communication Manage-
ment (PCM) is the central control
unit for the radio, CD player, sound
settings, on-board computer, navi-
gation, telephone and electronic
logbook. Data transfer within the
PCM takes place at the speed of
light. A MOST data bus (Media
Oriented Systems Transport) trans-
ports the data at high speed
between the individual components
via optical cables without loss of
signal. I

Porsche Traction Management (PTM) of the 911 Turbo with electronically controlled multiple-
disk clutch.

Porsche Engineering Magazine Special Issue 2006 25

Industrial Engineering Free-thinking solutions

Expertise from automotive development

for other branches of industry

The original of all tractors developed by Porsche: the “Volkstraktor” (Type 110).

Porsche has always been known for innovative and often

unconventional solutions for non-automotive requirements.

The area of Industrial Engineering mercial vehicles and agricultural the “Volkstraktor” (People’s Tractor)
has also a long tradition as a key machinery and, in former times, project ranged from the design of
element of contract development military engineering. agricultural machinery to the plan-
services at Porsche. Since the first ning of its own tractor factory
days of the company’s existence, As for the Volkswagen, Porsche which was not realized due to the
Porsche has served numerous engineers constructed small agri- war. In the post-war years the trac-
branches of industry, which have cultural tractors since 1937 (Types tor types 312 and 313 developed
benefited from the automotive 110, 111, 112 and 113), which on the basis of the Type 113 were
know-how of this sports car manu- were noted for their low price, tech- to become an important building
facturer. These customer projects nical sturdiness and exceptional block in the reconstruction of the
focus mainly on the areas of com- range of application. The scope of Porsche KG, as it was called at the

26 Porsche Engineering Magazine Special Issue 2006

Free-thinking solutions Industrial Engineering

Ferdinand Porsche (second from right) and ACGO GmbH also makes use of Porsche know-how for its Fendt tractor.
his son Ferry (right) assess a trial wind
power system in 1940.

time. The refined design was Claas, Porsche has developed tech- tems in the 1950s: On behalf of
acquired in 1949 by agricultural nical solutions in transmission de- DeWind AG from Lübeck, Porsche
machinery manufacturer Allgaier in velopment as well as in the areas Engineering created the design for
Göpping, and more than 25,000 of acoustics and vibration technolo- a two megawatt wind power sta-
units were produced between 1949 gy for harvesting machinery. tion.
and 1956. Constantly improved Tractor manufacturer Fendt has
from 1956 to 1963 as the Porsche passed its styling projects to To mark the milestone of the devel-
diesel tractor, more than 120,000 Weissach since the 1990s. opment of industrial vehicles, fork-
Porsche tractors in various levels American manufacturer John Deere lift truck manufacturer Linde award-
were built at the Porsche-Diesel- also places its trust in the many ed the order to design a new gener-
Motorenbau GmbH in Friedrichs- years of Porsche Engineering expe- ation of ground conveyors to
hafen. Development orders from rience in agricultural technology. Porsche in 1981. A new family of
the area of agricultural technology forklift trucks was created which
still form a fixed part of the work At the same time of the orders marked the beginning of a long
done by Porsche Engineering. For coming from the area of vehicle cooperation. To this day Porsche
agricultural machinery manufacturer technology, the Porsche Enginee- Engineering develops trendsetting
ring Office developed a series of designs for industrial vehicles on
wind power systems for generating behalf of the Linde AG. However,
electricity in the early 1940s. Three the convincing design is not a
wind turbines were created in three means to an end, but remains func-
power categories: 130 watt tional and combines the latest in
(Type 135), 736 watt (Type 136) technology and innovative ergonom-
and 4,500 watt (Type 137). In ics. I
The lift truck designed by Porsche 2001 Porsche referred to the basic
Engineering for Linde AG was awarded the
“red dot: best of the best” in 2005. research done into wind power sys-

Porsche Engineering Magazine Special Issue 2006 27

Drivetrain Transmitting Power

Accelerated power of innovation

The Porsche 962 C with Porsche double-clutch transmission was used successfully in racing in 1987.

The Drivetrain section at Porsche Engineering customers and the trade in equal

offers its customers the broad knowledge of a measure. The Cayenne series is the
highpoint of the competence in the
complete vehicle developer with decades of
all-wheel drive sector which Porsche
competence. has built over decades. At the turn
of the last century Ferdinand Porsche
was the first automobile engineer
The drivetrain technology is one of tions of individual components to to work on the four-wheel drive and
the most decisive technologies of the complete development of a new even introduced the drive concept
the modern automotive industry. drivetrain and its electronic control into series production. In the 1930s
While a host of significant innova- systems. and 1940s Porsche technicians
tions have enhanced the perform- worked on the off-road military
ance of and possibilities for using The scope of application of vehicle vehicles such as the VW “Schwimm-
the technologies, the engineering projects undertaken by Porsche is wagen” amphibious vehicle and the
demands placed on vehicle and not limited only to roads, but also VW “Kommandeurwagen” command
component developers have covers the development of capable vehicle, which were developed on
increased constantly. The Drivetrain all-wheel systems for off-road driv- the basis of the Volkswagen Beetle.
section makes this accumulated ing. In 2003 Porsche presented a The Porsche engineers made refer-
knowledge available for customer multi-purpose vehicle suitable for ence to these designs at the end of
projects. The spectrum of orders off-road use in the form of the 1953 in the development of the
ranges from the technical modifica- Cayenne, whose technology amazed Porsche “Jagdwagen” or Hunting Car.

28 Porsche Engineering Magazine Special Issue 2006

Transmitting Power Drivetrain

was technically feasible in car mak-

ing at the time.

Porsche has also been a pioneer in

the field of transmission technology
for decades. In 1952, Porsche pre-
sented a fully-synchronized trans-
mission with ring synchronization
at the Geneva Motor Show which
was to set the trend for automotive
construction. The synchronous
transmission from Zuffenhausen not
only helped Porsche sports cars
achieve dynamic driving properties;
The Porsche transmission with ring synchronization was to set the trend for automotive con- more than a million units were also
struction.
built under license for other car
manufacturers until 1968. The
This amphibious all-wheel drive vehi- fitted with a switchable all-wheel patented Porsche design was also
cle was created as part of a tender drive. Porsche tested the drive used in Formula 1, when Mercedes-
for the German Army and went into technology of the Porsche 959 in Benz used synchronous rings of the
small-scale civil production in 1954. the Porsche 911 Carrera 4x4 used “System Porsche” for the transmis-
in rallies in 1983 and 1984. sion of the legendary W 196 racing
Porsche is also a pioneer of all- Electronically controlled, the all- car.
wheel technology in motor sports. wheel system which was fitted as
The Type 360 Cisitalia Grand Prix standard in the 959 showed what Another technological highlight was
racing car completed in 1948 was the Porsche double-clutch transmis-
sion (PDC) developed in Weissach.
This first sequential transmission
with two countershafts and double-
clutch was initially tested in a
Porsche Type 956 in 1983. For the
first time the PDC allowed gears to
be changed without a loss of accel-
eration, and is considered the tech-
nical forerunner of future genera-
tions of transmission, which can
also be used in series production
thanks to modern control techno-
logy. I
The drive of the Type 360 Cisitalia Grand Prix racing car with an output of 385 bhp (1948).

Porsche Engineering Magazine Special Issue 2006 29

Body & Safety From form to function

Unconventional ways for body concepts

The Auto Union P-Racing car (Type 22) on the Nürburgring in 1936.

Developing the body is an important part of modern car production.

At Porsche, individual concepts are guarantees of success for
developing its own and its customers’ cars.

The special interfacing competence 1930s. The shape of the VW Beetle attached to the A-pillar for safety
of Porsche Engineering lies in the came about from the fashion for reasons.
merging of styling, integration, streamlining and from the require-
packaging and functionality. As a ment in the specification to provide
series car manufacturer, Porsche seats for four people. Unique
also has years of experience in design elements were engineered
integrating components and sub- for the individual body areas, which
systems perfectly in the develop- formed an organic whole together.
ment and production of the com- Even at that time, construction
plete vehicle. work was so clean that the Volks-
wagen had no welded seams that The targeted speed of the T 80 of more
than 600 km/h necessitated special body
Porsche already exhibited trend- had to be concealed with solder. geometry which was based on aircraft con-
setting engineering thinking during The VW Beetle was also one of the struction.

the ‘Volkswagen’ project in the first cars to have the door hinges

30 Porsche Engineering Magazine Special Issue 2006

From form to function Body & Safety

Porsche again exhibited technical

farsightedness with the Auto Union
P-racing car, which was developed
alongside the Volkswagen, and
showed how the technical concep-
tion of a vehicle could also have a
positive influence on the external
form. The mid-engine layout of the
racing car did not only ensure an
ideal distribution of weight and
excellent centre of gravity, but also
became a technological model for First aerodynamic tests were carried out on the Porsche 356 using pasted woolen threads.

generations of motor sports vehi-

cles. The high-speed record-break-
ing T 80 constructed by Porsche sparkled with a cd value of Carrera GT also has excellent safe-
engineers on behalf of Daimler-Benz just 0.296. ty potentials.
AG was built from 1937 until 1939.
Powered by a 3,500 bhp aircraft Innovative concepts and combina- To achieve the highest possible
engine, the T 80 should have bro- tions of materials have been a negative lift coefficients, the
ken the speed record for land vehi- special element of Porsche`s body Carrera GT has a floor geometry
cles, but this was prevented by the development from the very begin- usually found in racing cars. The
outbreak of war. The seat position ning. The objective is the synthesis fully clad underbody made from car-
of the pilot was located between of maximum light-weight construc- bon has a rear diffuser and flow
two side rudders that were sup- tion for the body and components, ducts that provide an unusually high
posed to provide directional stabili- and maximum demands on safety suction effect for road vehicles. I
ty. Anhedral side wings generated and rigidity. The best example is
the necessary down force. the Porsche Carrera GT. For the
first time in a production vehicle
Vehicle aerodynamics and wind you find a monocoque chassis and
tunnel tests were already a fixed the super-sports car’s engine mount
part of Porsche`s development made from carbon-fiber reinforced
work in the 1930s. Ferry Porsche plastic (CFRP). The material carbon
and Erwin Komenda used the test creates after complex processing
results obtained before the war the ideal conditions for combining
when they designed the shape of superb handling and driving dynam- Apart from the monocoque and engine
mount of the Carrera GT, numerous other
the Porsche 356 in 1948. There- ics with minimal weight. Apart from components were made from carbon-fiber
fore it was no surprise that the early ideal performance the Porsche reinforced plastic (CFRP).

coupé version of the Porsche 356

Porsche Engineering Magazine Special Issue 2006 31

Production Engineering From production planning to quality assurance

From designing to the start of production

Leipzig are the result of a produc-

tion process that has undergone
decades of constant evolution. The
company first moved into the
Zuffenhausen factory in 1938, but
the war forced a relocation to the
Austrian town of Gmünd in Carinthia
in 1944, where a total of 53 Type
356 cars were assembled by hand
up to 1950. Since July of that year
the production of Porsche sports
cars has taken place in Zuffen-
Building the engine for the Porsche 356 in 1953. hausen. Due to the expansion of
capacity needed for the construc-
tion of the Porsche Cayenne, a new
The services offered by Porsche Engineering production site was built in Leipzig
range from the initial design sketches to the in 2000, which meets the very lat-
est requirements. Apart from the
start of production.
high-performance Carrera GT sports
car produced until 2006, the four-
The constantly increasing rate of over many years has given Porsche door Panamera sports coupé will
innovation cycles and the accompa- unique competence in the manage- roll off the production line there
nying diversity of products and vari- ment of production, quality and starting in 2009. I
ants are linked with development logistics. Porsche Engineering
and product launch times becoming offers this comprehensive know-
shorter and shorter. Through its how to its customers.
Production Engineering area,
Porsche Engineering makes the This area of performance is also
experience it has gathered on the based on a gamut of experience
production lines in Zuffenhausen amassed over decades at Porsche.
and Leipzig available to its cus- For the Porsche Engineering Office
tomers as a management service. the order to build the Volkswagen
As the most profitable car maker in contained not only the vehicle-relat-
the world, Porsche AG is consid- ed development, but also covered
ered the epitome in the planning of the planning of an independent
production processes and tech- plant from 1936 on, which exists to
niques for large and small-scale this day as the main VW plant in
series production. A continuous Wolfsburg. The production methods
process of improvement to tech- used in the current Porsche facto- A total of 1,270 Porsche Carrera GT high
performance sports cars were produced at
nologies and processes carried out ries in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen and the Leipzig site up to May 2006.

32 Porsche Engineering Magazine Special Issue 2006

Milestones Special

Milestones in Customer Development from 1931 – 2006

1931 1933 1934 1937 1939

Under the model

The Type 32 Daimler-Benz AG designation Type 64
compact car built on gives the Porsche and, respectively,
behalf of NSU-Werke The Porsche Engineering Office Type 60K10,
Working on behalf of
features an air- Engineering Office the assignment to Porsche develops a
Zündapp GmbH, the
cooled flat-four fitted receives the official build the T 80 World racing coupé with an
Porsche Engineering
at the rear and uses assignment from the Speed Record Car. aerodynamic alumini-
Office develops the
Porsche’s torsion “Reichsverband der Powered by a 3500- um body for the
Type 12 compact
bar suspension con- Deutschen Auto- bhp aircraft engine, Berlin-Rome long-
car with many techni-
cept. mobilindustrie” the T 80 is to break distance race.
cal features paving
(“Reich Association the world land speed
the way for the sub-
The Auto Union P of the German record. But the Based on the “KdF
sequent Volkswagen
Type 22 racing car Automotive Industry”) record attempt for Car”, Porsche builds
Beetle.
powered by a 16- (RDA) to design and 1939 had to be can- further models for
cylinder mid-engine build the Volks- celled due to the military use such as
Developing torsion
is built by Porsche wagen. The design War. the Type 82 VW
bar suspension,
en-gineers according and construction “Kübelwagen” or the
Porsche creates a
to the rules and reg- work for the Type 60 The Type 110 small all-wheel-drive Type
new sus-pension con-
ulations of the new model, as it is farming tractor sets 87 “Kommandeur-
cept destined for
750-kg Grand Prix called, is based on the foundation for wagen” or “Com-
successful use over
racing formula. Ferdi-nand Porsche’s the subsequent mander’s Car”.
many decades in
“Study for the “People’s Tractor”
international automo-
Construction of a and the Porsche
bile production.
German Peo-ple’s diesel tractor.
Car”.

Porsche Engineering Magazine Special Issue 2006 33

Special Milestones

1942 1947 1952 1954 1955

As part of a tender
from the German
The Type 360 Grand Army, Porsche devel-
Prix racing car devel- ops the amphibian
oped on behalf of all-wheel-drive Type
Porsche KG receives Porsche KG receives
Italian car maker 597 “Jagdwagen” or
the assignment to a major development
Cisitalia is far ahead “Hunting Car”. And
build the Type 205 assignment from US
of its time: Power although the “Jagd-
“Maus” armoured car car maker Stude- Working on behalf of
comes from a super- wagen” is acknowl-
driven by a com- baker. During this Volkswagen AG,
charged 1.5-litre edged to be techni-
bined gasoline and two-year period of Porsche’s construc-
twelve-cylinder and is cally superior, the
electrical power sys- cooperation, tion engineers devel-
transmitted to the assignment is award-
tem and weighing a Porsche develops op Type 672, a com-
wheels by manually ed for market and
total of 189 tonnes Type 542, a modern pact concept car
activated all-wheel- political reasons to
following completion four-door saloon with rear-wheel drive.
drive. DKW, the German
of the design and regrettably never to This prototype is
enter series produc- manufacturer of cars
drafts. In all, howev- powered by an extra-
tion due to a short- and motorcycles.
er, only two proto- flat six-cylinder
types of this tank age of funds on the underfloor engine.
are ever built. part of Porsche’s US
customer.

34 Porsche Engineering Magazine Special Issue 2006

Milestones Special

1959 1960 1961 1971 1973

Porsche presents
In summer the
the Longlife Car
Development Division
Conceived as the Research Project at
complete with the
potential successor Following the assign- the Frankfurt Motor
Construction, Test-
to the VW Beetle in ment in 1958 to Show, a concept car
ing, and Design
both notchback and develop a battle designed for twenty
Porsche presents a Departments starts
fastback design, tank, construction of years of reliable use.
complete range of to move to Porsche’s
Type 728 (Develop- the Type 814
aircraft engines at new Development
ment Assignment 53) Leopard tank starts
the German Centre in Weissach.
is completed in in 1961, with a total
Industrial Fair in In the years to
spring 1960 on of 2,400 units sub-
Hanover. Engine out- come, the Weissach
behalf of Volks- sequently going to
put ranges from the Development Centre
wagen. the German Army.
65-bhp Type 678/1 completes not only
Development of the
all the way to Type numerous design
Type 807 rescue
678/4 developing no and construction
tank extends from
less than 75 bhp concepts for Volks-
1961 to 1966.
starter output. wagen, but also
projects such as a
compact four-cylin-
der power unit for
Spanish car maker
Seat or a complete
small car for state
Russian car manufac-
turer AvtoVAZ (Lada).

Porsche Engineering Magazine Special Issue 2006 35

Special Milestones

1975 1977 1979 1981 1982

In cooperation with
The SAVE (Rapid Airbus Industries,
Ambulant Pre-Clinic engineers in Weissach The Measuring
Initial Treatment) Referred to within
set out to design an Centre for
project for the devel- the Company as
ergonomic cockpit Environmental
opment of an innova- Type 995, the con-
layout for the Airbus Protection, the first
tive ambulance sys- cept of a sports car
passenger aircraft. self-sufficient
tem is made up of a On behalf of the of the future is devel-
exhaust emission
rescue vehicle com- German Federal oped in 1979 on
Using the flat-six test centre in the
plete with a mobile Ministry of Research behalf of the German
power unit carried world, is opened in
rescue unit and is and Technology, the Federal Ministry of
over from the late autumn 1982.
consistently enh- Weissach Develop- Research and Tech-
Porsche 911, engi- Fully computerised,
anced in an ongoing ment Centre com- nology. This four-
neers in Weissach the test stands and
process and various pletes the O.R.B.I.T. door concept car
create Porsche air- dynamometers in
project phases until firefighting system. focuses in particular
craft engine PFM Weissach simulate
1984. The purpose of this on fuel economy,
3200 conceived to real-life driving condi-
research project is safety, and noise
power small aircraft. tions and thus serve
After development to support the fire emissions.
to reproduce various
assignment EA 425 brigade by means of From 1981 to 1984 test cycles. Test
conducted on behalf trendsetting techni- Porsche develops an series under all kinds
of Volkswagen for a cal equipment. entirely new range of of climatic and alti-
successor to the VW trucks. This marks tude conditions can
Porsche 914 is dis- the beginning of a be carried out in the
carded, Porsche de- joint venture lasting climate pressure
cides to launch this many years. chamber.
front-engined sports
car under the name
Porsche 924.

36 Porsche Engineering Magazine Special Issue 2006

Milestones Special

1983 1984 1987 1988 1990

The Porsche double

clutch transmission
(PDK) developed in
Weissach enables The Type 2708 rac-
the driver to shift ing car developed
The Weissach
gears without the for the US CART
Development Centre
slightest interruption Porsche develops Series is an all-new
is further enhanced
of engine power and the Lada “Samara” construction with an
and upgraded by a
torque. on behalf of state aluminium-plastic
modern crash test
Russian car manufac- facility with perma- monocoque body.
The TAG Turbo power turer AvtoVAZ. This The power unit is a
nently installed con- In spring Porsche AG
unit developed on robust compact car 750-bhp V8 racing
trol and supervision starts assembly of
behalf of British with front-wheel drive engine running on
technologies. Apart the Mercedes-Benz
Racing Team McLaren is conceived parti- methanol.
from Porsche sports 500 E. Apart from a
international makes cularly for the cars, models from wide range of devel-
its debut in the demands made by other manufacturers opment activities,
McLaren MP4 road conditions in are also tested here this assignment from
Formula 1 racing the Soviet Union. on behalf of various Mercedes-Benz AG
car. Output of this
customers. includes the con-
turbocharged 1.5-
struction of the
litre V6 is up to
body-in-white as well
1000 horsepower.
as the final assembly
The TAG Turbo made
process.
by Porsche becomes
the dominating
power unit in
Formula 1 from
1984 to 1986.

Porsche Engineering Magazine Special Issue 2006 37

Special Milestones

1991 1993 1994 2001 2002

On behalf of Adam Porsche Engineering

Opel AG, Porsche Group GmbH (PEG), a
wholly-owned sub- A highlight in the
Customer
In a joint venture sidiary of Porsche AG, joint venture with US
Development starts
The 3.5-litre twelve- Audi and Porsche motorcycle manuf-
the overall develop- officially commences
cylinder Grand Prix develop a high-per- acturer Harley
ment of a compact its business activities
power unit developed formance sports Davidson conducted
van according to a on August 1st.
by Porsche is sup- estate, the Audi since 1997 is the
pre-determined con-
plied exclusively to Avant RS2. Starting completion of the
cept.
the Footwork Arrows in October, the Avant Revolution power
Racing Team in the RS2 is built in the unit developed by
Porsche AG takes
1991 Formula 1 Zuffenhausen Plant Porsche to produc-
part in an interna-
season. parallel to the tion standard and
tional presentation at
Mercedes-Benz featured since 2002
the Peking World
E 500. in the Harley
Trade Centre, togeth-
Davidson V-Rod.
er with 19 other
manufacturers. The
C88 family car pre-
sented on the occa-
sion is a concept
vehicle developed by
Porsche Engineering
Services especially
for the Chinese mar-
ket.

38 Porsche Engineering Magazine Special Issue 2006

Complete Vehicle · Styling · Body & Safety · Engine · Drivetrain · Chassis · Electrics & Electronics · Testing · Industrial Engineering · Production Engineering

Since 1931 we tinkered.

And we’re not finished yet.

75 years of Porsche engineering services.

For more information on contract development services by Porsche:

Phone +49 711 911-88888, Fax +49 711 911-88999

Internet: www.porsche-engineering.com, e-mail: [email protected]

Porsche Engineering
driving identities
Imprint

Publisher
Porsche Engineering
Group GmbH

Address
Porschestraße
D-71287 Weissach
Germany

Tel. +49 711 911-88888

Fax +49 711 911-88999

Email: [email protected]
Internet: www.porsche-engineering.com

Editor
Dieter Landenberger –
Historical Archive Porsche AG
Catja Wiedenmann

Production
Werking
Werbekonzeption & Realisation,
Bad Sobernheim, Germany

Print
Gulde Druck GmbH, Tübingen, Germany

Porsche Engineering
driving identities