Today, Porsche is known as the brand which produces high performance cars that are admired by celebrities and racing enthusiasts. For those who love this brand, Porsche’s heritage is a big part of the history of the car, and its air-cooled engine has been part of the brand’s history for decades. However, there is no low-cost and affordable Porsche. It may be old, but it has a high monetary worth.
Given that it’s a luxury brand, there has always been a love affair between motorsport enthusiasts and Porsche. As Porsche always speaks a lot about its reliability and driving performance, there are a lot of Porsche facts that you probably didn’t know and will surprise you. Without any further ado, let’s reveal them one by one!
Table of Contents
- 1. The World’s First Hybrid Electric Vehicle
- 2. Harley Davidson Used Porsche Engine
- 3. Porsche Developed The Volkswagen Beetle
- 4. The Porsche 911 was Initially Called The Porsche 901
- 5. Twenty Four Versions of Porsche 911
- 6. Porsche As The Dutch Police’s Car
- 7. Other Unique Products from Porsche
- 8. The Most Expensive Porsche Of All Time
- 9. Logo Similarity Between Porsche and Ferrari
- 10. Quit From Formula One
- 11. Won Over 24,000 Races
- 12. The King of Customization
- 13. Porsche World Record
- 14. The World’s Number One Luxury and Premium Brand
- 15. Fast-Charging Station Expansion
1. The World’s First Hybrid Electric Vehicle
Porsche is a German luxury sports car manufacturer based in Stuttgart, founded in 1931. However, did you know that the founder, Ferdinand Porsche, made the world’s first hybrid electric vehicle in 1899? Back in 1898, Ferdinand Porsche designed the Egger Lohner C.2 Phaeton. The vehicle was driven by an octagonal electric motor, reaching a top speed of 25 kilometer per hour and 3-5 Horse Power. A year later, in 1899, Porsche joined Ludwig Lohner & Co. and developed the electric wheel hub motor in Vienna called Lohner-Porsche.
Moreover, the Lohner-Porsche in 1899 was the first car with brakes on all four wheels and an internal combustion motor used as a generator. Not to mention, Lohner-Porsche entered the Paris World Exhibition in 1900 and was recognized as the most innovative invention at the fair. Unfortunately, Lohner-Porsche was not mass-produced.
2. Harley Davidson Used Porsche Engine
In the 1980s and 1990s, Porsche partnered with a number of automakers. Following its collaborations with Mercedes-Benz and Audi, it also collaborated with Harley-Davidson. The Harley-Davidson V-Rod cruiser was born as a result. While the V-Rod appears to be similar to most other cruisers, it is thought to have paved the way for ‘unconventional’ Harleys like the electric LiveWire and the forthcoming café racer.
In 2002, development partner Porsche Engineering produced a new V2 engine for Harley-“V-Rod” Davidson’s model under the name “Revolution Engine.” The Porsche engineers built a water-cooled 1,131 cc motor based on a race engine that satisfied Harley-exacting Davidson’s customers both for its performance and its imposing sound, against the backdrop of a relationship that dates back to the 1970s. Not to mention, its four-valve engine produced up to 120 horsepower and electronically regulated fuel injection.
3. Porsche Developed The Volkswagen Beetle
Ferdinand Porsche worked as a successful vehicle engineer from the late 19th century until he founded his own company in 1931. In 1934, Porsche and his son Ferdinand Anton Ernst Porsche co-developed the first design of the Volkswagen car.
Adolf Hitler, the chairman of Volkswagen at that time, ordered Ferdinand Porsche to build a car that could be purchased by all citizens. Hitler expected a basic car capable of transporting 2 adults and 3 kids at a speed of 62 miles per hour.
Therefore, Porsche tried to build the prototype in his home and came up with the Beetle name. With over 23 million units sold, the Beetle became one of the best-selling automobiles in history. In 2011, Porsche and Volkswagen merged to form an “integrated automotive group”, with many Porsche vehicles sharing platforms, parts, and engines with Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini, and other Volkswagen brands.
4. The Porsche 911 was Initially Called The Porsche 901
The Porsche 911 is Porsche’s most successful model and one of the greatest sports cars ever created. Porsche 911’s fuel efficiency is very great. Furthermore, the 911 boasts a RAIN mode that allows you to drive securely and steadily at high speeds even in rainy conditions. When this car was presented at the Paris Motor Show, it was called the Porsche 901. Porsche used the Wolfsburg VW plant to build this series of vehicles, but this plant had not yet used the 900 designated series. And because of that, it was called “901” instead of other names.
However, when it debuted in Paris, the brand was met with swift criticism. It seems the 901 has already been booked by a competitor car maker, Peugeot. Peugeot claimed all three-digit car model numbers with a zero in the center. Meanwhile, Porsche had the idea to put gold “901” letters on the dashboard and on the back of the car. As the numbers “9” and “1” that were already produced, they wisely changed the 0 into 1. Moreover, Porsche has
5. Twenty Four Versions of Porsche 911
Porsche presently offers 24 different 911 models, guaranteeing that there is a rear-engine sports car to suit everyone’s tastes. After all, unless you’re a Porsche lover, it’s difficult to make sense of it. In general, the 911 may be divided into three groups: Carreras, Turbos, and GTs.
The Carrera lineup is the most comprehensive and accessible to anyone. There are 370 horsepower basic variants, 420 horsepower S models, 450 horsepower GTS models, and a few extra performance options. The Turbo family includes the normal Turbo, which has 540 horsepower, and the Turbo S, which has 580 horsepower with some additional standard amenities. Meanwhile, Porsche’s Motorsport section creates the GT family cars, which come in three flavors: GT3, GT3 RS, and GT2 RS. With a 700-hp twin-turbo flat-six, the GT2 RS is even more wild which makes the 911’s pinnacle iteration in many ways.
6. Porsche As The Dutch Police’s Car
In the early 1960s, many Dutch highways did not have speed limits or guardrails. As expected, the accidents that happened were often fatal. To address this issue, the Dutch National Police contacted German to find out how they were combating the problem. Therefore, German police introduced a system in 1956 that used Porsche police cars to track and stop drivers traveling at dangerous speeds as a simple fix that worked. Therefore, the Dutch decided to give it a try.
The Dutch police started to use the Porsche 356 Cabriolet to patrol Holland’s 500-kilometer motorway network.The Porsche 356 Cabriolet was a more performance-oriented Porsche than the Porsche 911, which was heavier and more refined. Furthermore, in March 1966, the final Porsche 356 Cabriolet automobiles were assembled for the Dutch police force.
7. Other Unique Products from Porsche
When someone says the word “Porsche”, most people only think of a car. However, in addition to automobiles, Porsche also manufactures other products such as agricultural tractors, forklifts and aircraft engines.
Another great, unique but unlikely Porsche product is the $ 8,500 grill, called the XSeries 2. It was a collaboration between Barbeques Galore and Porsche Design Studio for two years. This grill features some of the latest technology, including the use of infrared technology instead of charcoal and gas. Moreover, it also has an LED display, a remote thermometer, a rechargeable battery, and plenty of space for cooking.
8. The Most Expensive Porsche Of All Time
Porsche has made numerous legendary cars throughout history. Moreover, some of its cars are extremely rare, with a signature engine configuration for Porsche even to this day. One of the best qualities of a Porsche car is its amazing build quality, which explains why classic Porsche gets such a high price at auction. Among all the Porsches ever sold at an auction, the Porsche 917 K is the most expensive one, which was sold for over USD 14 million in 2017. Not to mention, this is a Porsche 917 K bearing chassis number 917-024 which had been driven by Jo Siffert in Steve McQueen’s film, “Le Mans”, in 1971.
9. Logo Similarity Between Porsche and Ferrari
If you look closely at the Porsche and Ferrari logos, both luxury cars have the prancing horse logo. So, why are the Porsche and Ferrari logos similar? Surprisingly, horses with both logos have the same origin.
However, there’s a good reason for this as it is tied to the German city of Stuttgart’s coat of arms. Porsche decided to recognize its city by integrating the horse from the coat of arms in its emblem because the company was founded in Stuttgart. Enzo Ferrari, on the other hand, got the idea to utilize the horse from Countess Paolina Barracca, whose son was a World War 1 pilot who flew a plane with a painting of Stuttgart’s horse on the side.
10. Quit From Formula One
Porsche is one of the most well-known names in motorsport, and their cars are used in a number of races. As a result, it’s understandable to wonder why Porsche doesn’t have an F1 car.
In fact, Porsche had developed a car for Formula One. Porsche’s journey to Formula One began in 1959, when they developed a flat 4-cylinder Formula 2 vehicle based on their sports car. Unfortunately, at 9200 rpm, the Porsche engine produced maximum power, but at any lower speed, it suffered a fast and severe drop-off. The vehicles remained competitive for the rest of the year, although they did not win any more races. The Formula One performances appeared to be a poor recompense for the money spent, particularly when compared to their sports car program. Therefore, Porshce dropped out of Formula One in 1962.
11. Won Over 24,000 Races
Porsche has demonstrated time and time again that it is capable of producing exceptionally fast cars that can destroy any competition on the road or on the track. Over the years, Porsche’s record in building race cars has been unrivaled, with the company winning over 24,000 events. Porsche, for example, has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans 19 times and more than 50 class wins at Le Mans, the most of any automaker. Therefore, Porsche has had success in a variety of motorsport events, including World Rally Championships and the FIA World Endurance Championship, among others.
12. The King of Customization
When a person wishes to customize a new car, they must typically look for aftermarket components in the hopes that they will be suitable and effective. This is not the case with a Porsche; if a consumer wants to customize their new vehicle, Porsche can handle it.
Porsche has announced that its exclusive manufacturing program, as well as the Tequipment and Classic divisions, will be expanded. This gives its affluent customers more possibilities for obtaining the exclusivity and prestige of owning a one-of-a-kind sports car from Stuttgart. Moreover, Porsche also maintains an unique customisation shop where customers may have any Porsche vehicle customized with some restrictions: alterations must be legal and safe. For instance, they created April Fool’s Patina Paint To Sample 911 using iridescent Chromaflair paint.
13. Porsche World Record
For most Americans, driving across the United States is a dream come true, and many have good recollections of doing so in a Porsche. Furthermore, it is a reliable car brand with many world records. In fact, Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo has set an official Guinness World Record in 2022. In just over 24 hours, a crew successfully drove more than 2,200 kilometers to the high place with a difference of almost 5,000 meters in altitude. Moreover, this record is interrupted only by short breaks for man and machine to recharge themselves. Not to mention, Porsche also broke the record for efficiency and shortest charging time to cross the United States in an electric vehicle with 7 hours, 10 minutes, and 1 second.
14. The World’s Number One Luxury and Premium Brand
Porsche has been linked with world-class and exceptional quality sports car production for nearly 70 years. Porsche’s unshakeable reputation, steeped in heritage, has resulted in good sales growth, as seen by the increasing of the brand value. Moreover, Porsche also boasts the world’s biggest profit per unit sold of any carmaker. In fact, Porsche produced an average profit of $23,200 per car sold, which is more than Lamborghini, Bentley, Aston Martin, and other premium automobile brands.
According to BrandFinance, Porsche remained top spot as The World’s Number One Luxury and Premium Brand, with brand value USD 34.3 billion. Despite a six-week production halt owing to the pandemic, Porsche welcomed outstanding sales of the Taycan, which totaled over 20,000 units sold in 2020. This remarkable outcome indicates that Porsche’s electric vehicles now account for more than 10% of its total sales which explains why it makes so much money.
15. Fast-Charging Station Expansion
Porsche, which is synonymous with classic elegance and luxury, is dedicated to pushing the limits and reinventing the sportscar’s future. Infrastructure is one of the most important determinants of electric vehicle’s success. Therefore, Porsche along with The BMW Group, Daimler AG, Ford Motor Company, Volkswagen Group, and Audi have formed the joint venture IONITY, which will build Europe’s most efficient fast charging station network for electric cars. The number of charging stations is predicted to increase from 400 to over 1,000 by 2025.
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