1980 924GTP Even After the War, When the Company Was Operated by the British Military, It Still Didn't Need Any Advertising

found role as historical analyst. At the end CHAPTER 27 of the first thread was another. Another rev elation. Another thread, far longer. "VW also didn't have any research department. The research was continually performed by Porsche. Porsche was the developer of the car, the Strength Through Joy car, the KDF-wagen, the Beetle. And 1980 924GTP even after the war, when the company was operated by the British Military, it still didn't need any advertising. Nor did they need research. Later-much later-it was decid 1981924GTS ed that Porsche would have a formal agreement. To do a set amount of research work. A set amount of time would be devot Porsche's Best-Kept Secrets ed to the research for VW.... " Out of the tapestry at this point, Tony Lapine pulled the thread that was the 914, Another thread, called Kurt Lotz, began in black and ended in red. It was a thread cut short. Still another thread, stronger and with a new direction, was called Rudolf Leiding. AI Holbert and Peter Gregg II VOlkSWagen'S history, because it was a It was knotted to the 914, and when it was were to drive the 1980 924 different type of company-inaugurat pulled, it came undone. GTP at Le Mans. But Gregg ed by dictatorial orders-never really Leiding was promoted to managing was injured in a road acci required an advertising department." director from within VW on October 1, 1971. dent and Derek Bell, Tony Lapine, his deep voice filled with His direction was to make Volkswagen's already with many testing mirth, delivered a history lesson. As all history cars front engined and water cooled. His miles in the car, was draff is complex, its many elements interwoven to thread veered sharply away from VW histo ed from the English GTP create a tapestry with many textures as well ry, In the interest of seeing less red ink, Leid team. Despite a top end of as colors, this history teller attempted to fol ing also put Porsche on notice: at the end "only" 288km/h (180mph), low one color, one pattern, one theme of the current contract, about two more the cars ran well until through to the end. years, VW would cease needing outside valves burned on two of "Think about it," he continued. "The Ger research and begin to do its own. the three entries. man labor union let its members buy '''We'll give you something to do,''' Lap stamps, keep a little book. And when they ine paraphrased Leiding. "'See if you can filled so many books, a Beetle belonged to come up with a sports car, something rea the worker. So, as such, you don't need any sonable in two years time. '" advertising. There were no 'gurus.' It was There was one parameter: use anything the only car there was and it was the only that is on the corporate shelf. one you could have even if there had been "It was fitting," Lapine frowned, inter others.... " cepting the anticipated protests. "The 356 Lapine sat back deeper in his armchair. was nothing more than that. It was a normal A thread was uncovered. approach, where it was possible. The cylin "Well, there was one 'guru.' And he der heads should be different, the brakes ordered the car and said it was good for should be somewhat healthier, but it was in you. The company had no advertising a typical style of creation for the time. And department, and this went on unnoticed for nobody doubted that the 356 was a gen a very long time.... " uine Porsche!" Lapine smiled widely. The former design During the summer before Rudolf Leid chief for Porsche enjoyed equally his new ing's promotion, Dr. Ernst Fuhrmann was _. _. __ ... __ """"', • ...... " I, whiCh was the Golt. Mr. LOtz was succeed 111l::' VUIUl::' Fuhrmann explained. "There are two ed by Mr. Leiding who had developed the Suddenly s~ reasons to fire a manager: one reason is he competing car.... Leiding is not successful. The other reason is he is "So, he chose the Golf with the other later, repla, too successful.... engine, not the Porsche design," Fuhrmann 1975. "I was successful. The office manager recalled. "A new prototype was already in "SchmC thought that I did anything I wanted and development for VW as a successor to the recalled, "( that I didn't care about him. That was true." Golf. It was Mr. Piech's and Mr. Bott's pro car, but y< Fuhrmann laughed, both at the other man posal to build our 911 successor from this problems tt ager and about the streak of indepen new VW prototype.... not be buil( dence that ironically brought him back to "Well then, VW-werk decided not to right now.'" Porsche. build the Porsche-designed car. And also to But nothi For 7987, Porsche returned "Well, the position offered at Porsche cancel the research contract. (In that time, Schmucl to Le Mans again with the was very simple and easy to handle. It was the whole costs of our development center concludeo 924, but this time, it was no complicated thing.... were supported by VW. Weissach was its capacity c< the GTP prototype for the "But four weeks later.... " Fuhrmann's development center. It meant Weissach the sites ch 944, using the 2.5 liter, already soft voice went even quieter. cost nothing to us!) mer NSU ~ 420hp four-cylinder block "In 1966, Ferdinand Piech had gone to "And within two months of returning to Stuttgart, in \ derived from half the 928 Volkswagenwerk with a new car, the mid Porsche, I had no successor to the 911, and I "Well, thl engine. Jurgen Barth and dle-engine car, the car to replace the Bee was reserve. Walter Rohr/ finished 7th had no work after the next year for Weis tle, the 914. Porsche's success was with that sach. For the time remaining in the contract, it was planr overall in an event-free Mr. Leiding gave me the order. Wurttembe race. Porsche Werke. popped up. Right, strictly racing. The "See if you can come up with something reasonable.... this factory, last vestiges of Tony Lap does not bui ine's styling department "And I said, 'That's what we're here for!'" Fuhrmann explained. "We sudc were removed. Only the ed, curious, fresh air vent remained Five hundred kilometers away, at his home in Baden-Baden, Tony Lapine picked sion to not t unmodified. Red line for Baden-Wur1 the 375hp race engine up the story: "So this time, Porsche had a freer run of the shelves, and there were labor and u was 7000rpm, both on the lems. Secone more shelves to pick from! Look at the tach and on dymo tape on the car on tl engines available, the transmissions! There the steering column. a damned ~ was Audi, VW. That was the beginning of third, VW we the 924.... " up, becau But within a year, it was the end of VW through thei project EA425, the code by which Rudolf Porsche." Leiding and his associates referred 'to Lapine Sl "something reasonable." Leiding had anx had becom iously awaited its delivery. Tony Lapine's styl parties got < ists had done an outstanding job on the was that POI car's interior and exterior and Leiding was "But this plainly excited. He anticipated that it would with everytt improve VW's image in the world. There was we could w even a supposition that he could use it to things were compete with Porsche as an affordable and a diffen sports car. The 92.£1 Leiding's ambitions began to trip them November selves up however, as internal problems and tion was up expansion began to cost too much. This was series for thE complicated in late 1973 by the creation in

172 Ie was the the Middle East of the Organization of many at 23,240DM (about $8,900), the US orsche on Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, version sold for $9,395. program, whose first order of business was to increase In order to bring its performance up to match its looks, the 924 was turbocharged succeed the value of its own primary product, oil. for the 1979 model year. While the produc loped the Suddenly sports cars were less appealing. Leiding was relieved of his job a year tion turbo version produced 170hp, up from 125hp from the first cars, it was the 1979 the other later, replaced by Toni Schmucker, in early Fuhrmann 1975, Frankfurt Auto show that introduced already in "Schmucker saw the car," Lapine Porsche's best kept secret, the 924 Carrera iSor to the recalled, "and said, 'Well, it's a very lovely GT. 30ft'S pro car, but you know we have some other Much of Tony Lapine staff's interior was . from this problems that we have to solve and we will removed, replaced with spare, black-paint not be building this automobile, at least not ed metal and simple cloth racing bucket right now,'" seats. Overall the 924 Carrera weighed The interior was gutted in ~d not to But nothing is so simple. 150kg (330Ib) less than the stock turbo. the Carrera GTS, fitted .nd also to instead with simply uphol that time, Schmucker's evaluation of Volkswagen Under the hood, the 2.0 liter Audi-based engine, turbocharged and intercooled, stered racing bucket ~nt center concluded that the firm had too much produced 21 Ohp at 6000rpm. Under the seats. In all, 170kg (375Ib) ~h was its capacity compared to production. Among the sites chosen to be closed was the for fenders, widened and bulged out, was removed. GTS top Weissach speed was 248km/h mer NSU plant just 27 miles north of 225/50VR16 tires could be fitted at the rear. (155mph). Instrumentation Stuttgart, in Neckarsulm. Four hundred cars had to be built to meet !turning to was more like the future "Well, the capacity for building this car FIA homologation requirements for Group 4. ,91 L and I 944. The tachometer was Within months, they were built and sold out. r for Weis was reserved right from the beginning, and redlined at 6800rpm. FUlly half remained in Germany. ~ contract, it was planned for Neckarsulm, in Baden Below, strictly Norbert Wurttemberg. And so a labor situation From there, development tugged at Singer race preparation. something popped up. What was going to happen to another thread. Under orders from Ernst The engine was inclined this factory, to these workers now that VW Fuhrmann, Norbert Singer was asked to pre and relocated further to here for!'" does not build this car? pare the 924 Carrera for Le Mans, running driver's left, to accommo "We suddenly had three parties interest under the newly defined GT Prototype cat date cleaner exhaust flow. ay, at his ed, curious, and effected by the VW deci egory (GTP). An aluminum roll cage was The inline four, of 86.5 x ne picked sion to not build the car. First, the state of designed to strengthen the few weaknesses 84.4mm bore and stroke he had a Baden-Wurttemberg was looking at the in the body. The result was a car even stiffer displaced 1984cc. ,ere were labor and unemployment insurance prob than the 935. The 2.0 liter engine was heavi ok at the lems. Second, Porsche really wanted to see ly modified. The turbocharger was relocat Jns! There the car on the road because it knew it was ed slightly .left to allow for cleaner exhaust Jinning of a damned good car-for what it was. And flow. The brakes were already superb in the third, VW wouldn't mind if this car did show homologation versions; for Le Mans, the ,nd of VW up, because they would be selling it ch Rudolf through their dealers whether it said VW or ferred,to Porsche." had anx Lapine smiled. The threads of the story pine's styl had become a tangled mess. "So the three lb on the parties got quickly together and the. upshot iding was was that Porsche bought the project back. Jt it would "But this doesn't mean we would stay There was with everything as it was then! As soon as j use it to we could we'd install a five speed. The first ffordable things were simple, a new steering wheel and a different ignition key.... " trip them The 924 began series assembly in )Iems and November 1975. Six months later, produc I, This was tion was up to sixty cars a day, including a "orioe fm thA lIS market. Introduced in Ger ana me calipers came OUT OT me ','00. caTegory, me uron/l

174 ~ much, but we prefer the other side with the Mr. Piech, Bott, Peter Porsche (the produc srarrea liTe u:> u"",,,..., creases.' And that's how it went into pro tion manager), Butzi, Richard Hettman Volkswagen, though this duction." (head of passenger-car development), version was certainly no Lapine smiled. The look on his face sug Wolfgang Eyb (chief engineer), and myself. Vopo. When Porsche gested there was one more thread to pull, "Dr. Porsche said, 'VW has all of the sud bought the project back one that would unravel the entire history, or den shown not so much interest in continu and met with success, it bundle it all back up in a tight ball. ing this project here and what they would improved the breed. First "Butzi Porsche was my first supervisor. I like is to see another proposal for the body.' came 400 Carrera GTs and worked directly for him. My contract draft "So, I got my first assignment. And what then the GTS in series of read, 'Assistant to F. A.Porsche.' was it? I was to do the next Golf. VW's front about fifty. Family "I'd barely gotten there, been there one engine water-cooled Beetle replacement." resemblance to the 924 month, and we were sitting in a develop Turbo was obvious. Model: 1978935/78 1976936-001 1980 924 Carrero GTP 1980 Typ 935 Indy Nicknamed MOby Dick Ernst Fuhrmann's Block Widow

Engine: Typ 935/71 Typ 911/78 Typ 924GTP Typ 935/72 Configuration & displacement: Flat six. 3211 cc Flat six, 2142cc Inline four, 1984cc Flat six, 2650cc Bore & stroke: 95.7 x 74.4mm 83 x 66mm 86.5 x 84.4mm 92.3 x 66mm Fuel delivery system: Bosch mech. w/ two turbos Bosch mech. w/ two turbos Mechanical injection w/ Mechanical injection w/ 750 at 8200rpm 520 @8000rpm turbo & intercooler single turbocharger Horsepower @ rpm: 615 at 6500rpm 347 @5400rpm 375 @ 7000rpm @2.1 bar 630 @9000rpm @54 in. boost. Torque @ rpm: 7.0:1 6.5:1 282@ 4500rpm 41 2 @6400rpm Compression ratio: Typ 930/60 Typ 917 6.8:1 9.0:1 Transmission: 4 + Reverse 5 + Reverse Typ 937/50 Typ Weismann Type & gears: 4.1 with 80% lock 462:1 5 + Reverse 4 + Reverse Final drive; limited slip: 4.125:1 @40% Locked Tubuiar space frame Tubular space frame Chassis: Aluminum Aluminum Unitized Parnelli monocoque Material: 2279mm 2400mm Steel Aluminum Wheelbase: 4890mm 4250mm NA 2654mm length overall: 1990mm 1981mm 4254mm 4547mm Width: 1200mm 1021 mm with rollbar 1849mm 2019mm Height: 1,025kg 700kg 1198mm 927mm Weight: 930kg 680kg Porsche Porsche Body: 2 door. 2 seat long-toil coupe 2 door, 2 seat racing spyder Porsche Porsche Configuration: Fiberglass; ultimate Fiberglass 2 seat 1 seat open cockpit Material: interpretation of FIA regulations Steel/fiberglass/GFK plastic Fiberglass regarding bodywork Performance: 0-100km/h (0-62.5mph): 2.8sec Depends on gearing 4.9sec 21sec Top speed: 365km/h (228.1 mph) 350km/h (218.75mph) 288km/h (179mph) 347km/h (216.9mph) Production: 2 4 6 4 Original price: Werks race cor Werks race cars 180,000 DM Werks racing cars

Model: 1982 Typ 956 . 1986 Typ 959 Rolly Cor 1989 959 US Sport 1989911 Carrero Speedster Porsche's first monocoque and first Finai version, winner of ground-effects sports car 1986 Paris-Dakar Rally 956 Rolhmons 962C Rothmonsl Shell Dunlop' Engine: Iyp 935/76 Typ 959/50 Typ 959/50 Typ 930/25 Configuration & displacement: flal siX, 2649cc 3160cc Flat six, 2847cc Flat six, 2850cc Flat six, 3164cc Bore & stroke: 92.3x66.0mm 95 x 67mm 95 x 67mm 95 x 74.4mm Fuel delivery system: Kugeltischer mech. Basch Matranic MS12 Bosch electronic injection & Electronic injection, twin Bosch LE-Jetronic injection f.i. w/lwin KKK K26 turbos, w/oir-lo·waler intercoolers. 2 KKK turbos w/ intercooler water-cooled turbochargers Horsepower @ rpm: 620 @8200rpm 720 @8000rpm 449 @6500rpm 450 @6500rpm 214 @5900rpm Torque @ rpm: 442@5000rpm 506@5400rpm 372 @5500rpm 350 @5500rpm 195 @4800rpm Compression ratio: 7.5:1 9.5:1 8.3:1 8.3:1 10.3:1 Transmission: Typ 956 Typ 959/01 Typ 959/01 Typ G5001 Type &gears: 5 + Reverse 6+R 6+R 5+R Final drive; limited slip: 4.125: 1 w/ Variable electronic 4.125: 1 into electronically 344:1 transfer case & front/rear controlled front/rear differentials differentials Chassis: Monacoque w/integral ,all cage Reinforced 911 chassis Reinforced 911 Reinforced 911 unitary Material: Steel roll be, Steel. kevlar, GFK Steel and kevlar Steel Wheelbase: 2650mm 2770mm 2300mm 2272mm 2273mm length overall: 4770mm 4320mm. 4260mm 4290mm Width: 1990mm 1780mm 1840mm 1650mm Height: 1080mm 1490mm 1280mm 1219mm Weight: 820kg 860kg l.260kg l.350kg 1, 259kg

Body: Parsche Porsche Porsche Porsche Configuration: Two seal spartscor Modified Typ 959, 2 seat coupe 2 seat, 2 door coupe 2 seat, 2 door "Speedster" Material: Corbon fiber reinforced Kevlar Kevlar-reinforced fiberglass Steel, fiberglass, and kevlar Steel Performance: - __N~ 3.9sec 3.9sec 6.1sec