Stuttgart. Porsche Motorsport around the world.

Le Mans Series: All GT2 titles go to Porsche drivers, team and factory
For Porsche works drivers Marc Lieb and Richard Lietz, fifth place at the fifth and final round in Silverstone (12 September) was enough for the pair to defend their title, after winning three rounds in 2010. Under the direction of team owner Christian Ried, the German-based Felbermayr squad took home the team championship. And in the fiercely-contested GT2 manufacturers’ category featuring six automobile brands, the title went to Porsche. With four titles to his credit, Marc Lieb is the most successful pilot in the Le Mans Series. His works driver colleague Timo Bernhard took off from the first grid row with an Audi R15 TDI sports prototype to finish in third with teammate Dindo Capello.

Richard Leitz Takes The Checker At Silverstone

Porsche Motorsport North America: Change at the top
Jens Walther (41) is the new President of Porsche Motorsport North America. He succeeds Paul Ritchie who has decided to retire from the motorsports business. From 2001 to 2004, Walther worked at the Porsche Engineering Group GmbH in Weissach as Manager of Marketing, Communications and Business Development. From 2005, Walther was responsible for the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup and most recently he managed a total of 19 international Porsche brand trophy series.

Jens Walther Steps Up As Head Of Porsche MotorsPort North America

International GT Open: Two Porsche teams give chase in final phase
After their victory at the twelfth round of the International GT Open in Brands Hatch (19 September), Porsche factory pilot Patrick Pilet and his compatriot Raymond Narac rank second in the drivers’ standings with their IMSA Performance Matmut 911 GT3 RSR heading into the final phase of the championship. With four races left, the two Frenchmen share position two in the points with works driver Richard Lietz and his teammate Gianluca Roda, who yielded fifth place in England with an Autorlando Sport 911 GT3 RSR.

FIA GT3 European Championship: Holzer and van Splunteren take first EC win
Porsche-Junior Marco Holzer and Paul van Splunteren notched up their first victory in the European Championship at round nine (19 September) on the Autódromo International do Algarve. At round ten the two finished second in the Prospeed Competition 911 GT3 R after swapping paint with a rival. Currently ranking third with two races to go in Zolder (10 October), Holzer and van Splunteren are keeping their vice-championship hopes alive.

The GT3 RSR of Richard Westbrook And Marco Holzer At Silverstone

British GT Championship: David Ashburn pockets title in torrential rain
David Ashburn is the new champion of the British GT Championship. His fourth win of the season at race eleven and a cautious drive to claim fifth place in pouring rain at race twelve on the classic Brands Hatch circuit (26 September) was enough for the Londoner to claim the title prior to the finale in Donington (16 October). Ashburn shared the cockpit of Trackspeed’s Porsche 911 GT3 R with his compatriot Glynn Geddie.

Porsche Mobil1 Supercup: René Rast nets title at finale
Only at the finale in Monza (12 September) could René Rast win the duel for the title against Britain’s Nick Tandy. Over the season the German clinched four wins and a total of seven podium results to claim the trophy by a six-point margin. Rast is the first German Supercup champion since Wolf Henzler (2005). His Al Faisal Lechner Racing squad celebrated winning the team championship title. Tandy was already crowned “BBS Rookie of the Year” well before the finale.

Rene Rast In The Al Faisal Lechner GT3

Patrón GT3 Challenge: Ross Smith wins the Platinum Cup
It was a family affair: Under the technical direction of his father and with his brother Kendall as team boss, 23-year-old Ross Smith won the Platinum Cup in the 911 GT3 Cup of Maxwell Paper Racing at the American Patrón GT3 Challenge after a win and a second place at Road America (17 September). Ross notched up ten pole positions as well as eight victories from 12 starts heading to the final race as part of the ALMS in Road Atlanta.

Carrera Cup Asia: Double win in Singapore plants Craig Baird at top of table
A perfect weekend for Craig Baird at races seven and eight of the Carrera Cup Asia in Singapore (25/26 September). The New Zealander won both races and shunted Germany’s Christian Menzel from position one in the drivers’ classification. At race seven, Menzel took off from pole position on rain tyres which proved to be a mistake. He fell back to 13th position – his grid position for race eight which the Porsche old-hand finished in fourth.

Carrera Cup Deutschland: Nicolas or Nicholas?
Nicolas Armindo from France or Nicholas “Nick” Tandy from Great Britain: One of these two drivers will be crowned champion after the finale in Hockenheim (17 October). Armindo has three wins and three second places under his belt with the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup fielded by Hermes Attempto Racing putting him five points ahead of Tandy, who has yielded five wins for Konrad Motorsport – the last three in a row – and one second place. Tandy, however, went home from one race empty-handed.

Nick Tandy (Left) and Nicolas Armindo (right): Who Will Be The Champ?

Carrera Cup Great Britain: Michael Caine chases, Tim Harvey thwarts
A riveting chase in the Carrera Cup Great Britain: With three straight wins – a double victory recently in Donington (19 September) – pursuer Michael Caine with the Motorbase Performance 911 GT3 Cup chipped away at the gap to points’ leader Tim Harvey who has consistently brought home top results in the Porsche of Red Line Racing. With his success streak, Caine still hopes to elbow Harvey off his path to the title at the finale in Brands Hatch (9/10 October).

Race notes: Gianluca Roda and Richard Lietz win race eleven of the Italian GT Championship in Vallelunga (25 September) in a 33-strong field and secure another podium result with third at the wheel of the Autorlando 911 GT3 R at race twelve. Roda extends his points’ lead. +++ Lucas Luhr and Richard Westbrook win at round eight of the VLN Long Distance Championship on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife (25 September) in Manthey Racing’s Haribo-Porsche 911 GT3 R. With this, Porsche remains unbeaten on the Nordschleife this year. Seven Porsche 911 finish in the top ten. +++ GT3 Cup Challenge Brasil: Former Moto-GP star Alex Barros wins both non-championship races in Buenos Aires (25 September). Points’ leader Ricardo Rosset scores a DNF and a second place. +++ GT3 Cup Challenge Australia: Matt Kingsley has finally fallen after nine straight wins. Sven Burcharts, Roger Lago and Shaun Juniger win the three rounds in Eastern Creek (Sydney, 11/12 September). Title decision between Kingsley and Lago in Sandown (23/24 October). +++ Two starts, two wins for Kévin Estre in the 911 GT3 Cup of Sofrev ASP at races nine and ten of the Carrera Cup France in Albi (11/12 September) +++ Round eight of the Carrera Cup Japan (11/12 September) was cancelled after a typhoon wreaked havoc in the region of the Fuji race track. +++ Third place at races 13 and 14 of the Carrera Cup Scandinavia in Knutsdorp (17/18 September) is enough for points’ leader Robin Rudholm to travel to the finale in Mantorp Park (1/2 October) with a healthy points’ advantage over Fredrik Larsson. Larsson won race one in Knutsdorp, Martin Öhlin dominated race two.

Securities Fraud and Manipulation Lawsuit against Porsche SE expands to more than $2 Billion in Losses

18 Investment Funds join litigation, amended complaint filed

NEW YORK, /PRNewswire/ — On 29 April eighteen investment funds joined the lawsuit against Porsche Automobil Holding SE (”Porsche SE”) and two of its former executives, Wendelin Wiedeking and Holger Haerter, asserting fraud and securities manipulation in relation to Porsche SE’s failed 2008 attempt to take over Volkswagen AG (”VW”). With the addition of the new plaintiffs, the funds — now 35 in number — seek to recover more than $2 billion dollars in losses suffered after Porsche SE triggered what The New York Times called “a short squeeze of historic proportions.”

The Amended Complaint, filed the morning of April 29th in Manhattan federal court, explains in greater detail how Porsche SE manipulated the price of VW stock as it secretly cornered the market in VW shares. According to the Amended Complaint, Porsche SE hid that it was cornering the market in VW’s freely traded shares by repeatedly issuing misleading statements about its activities and by spreading purchases of call options around to several counterparties to avoid detection of its increasing control. The scheme induced the plaintiff funds to establish short positions on VW stock. When Porsche SE suddenly revealed the extent of its true control of VW shares on October 26, 2008, a massive short squeeze ensued. The price of VW shares skyrocketed several hundred percent, briefly topping 1,000 Euros. Investors who had shorted VW lost billions covering their positions in the squeeze. Porsche SE collected outrageous profits at the expense of plaintiffs and others by releasing some of its shares into the market at artificial prices.

The April 29 filing reveals previously unknown details of Porsche SE’s plan. The new allegations include that:

• Less than a week before Porsche SE revealed the truth — that it had amassed control of more than 74 percent of VW’s shares — it conducted phone calls with investment advisors in New York during which Porsche SE sought to reassure the New York-based investment advisors that it was nowhere near 75 percent control. Among the false statements Porsche SE made was that although it would acquire a simple majority of VW shares, “going to 75% is not on the agenda.” Porsche SE told another fund that it would stop acquiring shares after achieving 50–55% control.

• Porsche SE admitted to at least one plaintiff that it was spreading its options trades around to multiple counterparties to avoid detection.

• Porsche SE’s fraudulent strategy deliberately targeted short sellers. In order to secretly obtain 75 percent ownership in VW, Porsche needed short sellers to borrow stock from owners who would not or could not sell the stock themselves and then to sell it to Porsche or Porsche’s call-option counterparties. Without the additional supply created by short sellers, Porsche could never have gained control of 75 percent.

• Porsche SE financed its call-option strategy in part through selling put options. As the price of VW declined in the third week of October 2008, Porsche SE’s liability on the puts it had sold threatened to force the company into bankruptcy. It avoided this threat by forcing the price of VW up, which it accomplished by announcing its call-option position on October 26, triggering the squeeze.

The case is pending in the Southern District of New York, where it is captioned as Elliott Associates, L.P., et al, v. Porsche Automobil Holding SE, et al, No. 10-civ-532 (HB)(THK).

The funds are represented by Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP (see www.bartlit-beck.com) and Kleinberg, Kaplan, Wolf & Cohen, P.C. (www.kkwc.com).

SOURCE – Elliott Associates, L.P

Bernhard Maier Appointed Board Member Sales and Marketing of Porsche AG

Stuttgart. In a recent session  the Supervisory Board of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, appointed Bernhard Maier (50) to the Board of Management of the manufacturer of sporting premium cars. Maier, previously Chairman of the Management of Porsche Deutschland GmbH, Bietigheim-Bissingen, is assuming the top position in the Sales and Marketing Division with immediate effect. Klaus Berning, the previous Board Member Sales and Marketing, is leaving the Company with immediate effect at his own request.

Maier has been closely connected to the automobile ever since his youth, first completing his training as a car mechanic and then, after obtaining his full qualification as a master mechanic, studying business management in the town of Calw near Stuttgart. After working for Nixdorf, Maier joined the BMW AG sales organisation in 1988, assuming various top positions in Germany and abroad. In June 2001 Maier joined Porsche, where he successfully managed the Company’s domestic sales subsidiary. His most significant responsibilities so far include the ongoing optimisation of processes in sales management as well as the development of new systems and the establishment of a consistently positive position for the Porsche brand in the Company’s home market. Further highlights in Maier’s term in office as the Managing Director of Porsche Germany were the successful introduction of two new model series: the Cayenne Sports Utility Vehicle in 2002 and the Panamera Gran Turismo in September of last year.

Bernhard Maier

Stephan Altrichter appointed the new head of Porsche Schweiz AG

Stuttgart . Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, has appointed Stephan Altrichter (47) as the new head of Porsche Schweiz AG. Altrichter, who was previously the managing director of the Berlin and Potsdam Porsche centre, will assume management of the Swiss sales subsidiary for the premium sports car manufacturer effective immediately. He is replacing Thomas Lamperstorfer who left the company of his own request. Altrichter will be succeeded in Berlin by Stephan Blässing (45), the previous head of the Porsche Center in Düsseldorf.

Stephan Altrichter

Stephan Altrichter held various positions with Mercedes-Benz AG and Daimler-Chrysler AG between 1989 and 1999, managing, among other things, the Mercedes-Benz office in New York. With a degree in business and engineering, he also worked for AT Kearney and Bain & Company as a corporate consultant. With a background in wholesale, retail, and export, Stephan Blässing was the director of sales at Mercedes-Benz Magdeburg prior to coming to Porsche. From 2007 to 2010, he headed up the Porsche Center in Düsseldorf.

Stuttgart/São Paulo. With the founding of a second international subsidiary, Porsche Consulting GmbH, which is based in Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany, and is in its 16th year of operation, has consistently remained true to its international growth course. After opening a branch office in Italy, Porsche Consulting is now following up with its first base for overseas corporate consulting with Porsche Consulting Brasil. “Thanks to this new location, we are now closer to our South American clients and can better develop very interesting markets on site. As an experienced specialist for process optimization, we are seeing an enormous demand for consulting services in this rapidly growing and developing economy,” said Eberhard Weiblen, Chairman of the Management Board, during the recent grand opening of the office in Sao Paulo.

The Bietigheim based consultancy, a subsidiary of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, has implemented lean management methods, which have been used very successfully in the production of premium sports cars for many years, in various other business segments and even in public administrations. The company focuses on increasing efficiency by avoiding all types of waste, such as redundant tasks, superfluous stock-keeping, unnecessary waiting times. At the same time, with the introduction of proven methods, such as “just in time” and “just in sequence”, cycle and flow principles are employed, thereby making possible reliable, continuous processes, reproducible at any time, which increase operating efficiency.

“Brazilian companies are frequently very well positioned when it comes to strategy and financial management. But I see potential for improving processes in administration, increasing quality, and, above all, in interacting with suppliers. In these areas, there is often a great deal of capital not being utilized,” according to Weiblen, who now intends to analyze local requirements more intensively.

Clients from Brazil have relied on the German experts for lean processes since 2006 and clients from Argentina have been benefiting from their services since 2008. The 12-member founding team in Sao Paulo is made up of Brazilian and German employees who have, on the average, eight years of experience working in a wide variety of industries. Heading up the founding team is Jürgen Lochner (44). He has been with Porsche Consulting since 1998 and more recently as a partner with the consultancy in Bietigheim.

Lochner would like to increase the success of South American companies by making them “leaner, more flexible, and efficient.” The company will initially focus on manufacturing companies, but its target groups also include the construction industry, hospitals, as well as the transport and logistics sector.

Worldwide, a total of 222 employees from Porsche Consulting handle about 250 projects for 150 clients annually. Revenues posted for the 2008/2009 fiscal year were €61.4 million. In the meantime, one-third of the company’s activities are overseas. The goal of each consultation is to introduce a continuous improvement process that all employees actively take part in and develop themselves over the long term. “Our contribution is to help them help themselves,” said Weiblen.

Stuttgart. The Motorsport Newsletter for early March brings information on Porsche Motorsport from around the world.

Porsche Fitness Camp: Sweat for success

On the island of Fuerteventura, Porsche works drivers as well as Porsche Junior Marco Holzer conducted their annual intensive fitness training. Firstly, they underwent a performance analysis in Potsdam University’s sports medicine department as well as a very thorough physical examination. Seven hours of weight and endurance training were scheduled daily. Sports medicine specialist Prof. Dr. Frank Mayer: “Even prior to the training, all drivers were in extremely good physical condition. Thanks to the particularly intensive programme they now head into the new season with an extra boost in fitness.”

American Le Mans Series: Test-Fest in Sebring with record turnout

Four 911 GT3 RSR, an RS Spyder and seven 911 GT3 Cup: With twelve race cars, Porsche customers made up the largest contingent at the ALMS winter tests in Sebring (22/23 February), which with 28 vehicles marked a record number of participants. As reigning champions in the GT2 class, Joerg Bergmeister and Patrick Long again compete with the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR fielded by Flying Lizard Motorsports. The driver pairing Wolf Henzler/Bryan Sellers pilots a GT3 RSR for the Falken Tire team for the first time. Jeroen Bleekemolen joins up with team-owner Tim Pappas in Black Swan Racing’s GT3 RSR. Greg Pickett, team principal of Cytosport Racing, runs an RS Spyder. He shares the cockpit with Klaus Graf. Sascha Maassen lends the team support at three races. The seven 911 GT3 Cup vehicles race in the GT Challenge class. Season-opening: 20th March, Sebring.

UAE GT Championship: René Rast beats points’ leader

Pole position, fastest lap and victory: With an immaculate performance, René Rast had the upper hand at the fifth of eight races in the UAE GT Championship on the last weekend in February. In the cockpit of a Mühlner Motorsport Cytech Porsche 911 GT3 Cup S, the reigning Carrera Cup Deutschland champion put a stop to Corvette pilot Karim Al Azhari’s four-race winning streak on the Yas Marina Circuit. Supercup ace Sean Edwards took the flag as third in an ARM Porsche.

European FIA GT Championship: Strong 911 GT3 R contingent

Three top teams plan to bring the 480 hp 911 GT3 R to contest the European FIA GT3 Championship: The Belgian ProSpeed Competition team – 2009 GT2 champions with Porsche – as well as Mühlner Motorsport (Belgium) and Trackspeed Racing from England.

Central American & Caribbean Racing: Four starts, four wins, champions

Putting in an immaculate performance, Jacinto Peynado from the Dominican Republic won the Campeonato Centroamericano y del Caribe de Automovilismo 2009, central America’s most important race series. The Porsche dealer prevailed in the 911 GT3 Cup at the first two races and also proved unbeatable at the last two races.

Matmut Carrera Cup France: Heading for Le Mans 24 Hours

The Matmut Carrera Cup France celebrates the 40th anniversary of Porsche’s first overall victory at Le Mans with a very special event. Several hours before the start of the 24 hour race (12 June), a championship round of the popular race series, now in its 24th year, takes place for the first time on the “big” circuit. Also on the calendar of the 2010 Matmut Carrera Cup France are traditional tracks like Spa, Monza and Magny-Cours.

GT3 Cup Challenge Australia: “Man the lifeboats” at season-opening Bathurst

Torrential downpours at the season-opening round of the GT3 Cup Challenge Australia (12/13 February) at Bathurst, about 200 kilometres west of Sydney: In the first corner, the Porsches of reigning champion Matt Kingsley and vice-champ Sven Burchartz touched, punting both into retirement. Only two clear laps were possible before pole-sitter Rodney Forbes saw the flag as winner. Race two was cancelled due to flooding on the track.

GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East: Prince Abdulaziz Al Faisal clear favourite

With four rounds still to run in the GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East, Prince Abdulaziz Al Faisal (Saudi Arabia) already looks set to become champion after claiming three wins from the last four races in Abu Dhabi (5/6 and 20/21 February). Prince Khalid Al Faisal ranks second. Sheikh Salman Bin Rashid Al Khalifa celebrated his first GT3 Cup Challenge win at the seventh round (20th February).

GT3 Cup Challenge New Zealand: Craig Baird well on way to sixth title

With just three championship rounds left on the GT3 Cup Challenge New Zealand calendar (19-21 March, Taupo), five-time champion Craig Baird is on course for another title. Notching up two third positions and a fifth place on the Manfeild Motor Racing Circuit (12/14 February), the 39-year-old earned himself further points. Matt Halliday, 2009 Supercup Rookie of the Year and Baird’s toughest rival, experienced a weekend of mixed fortunes: Unbeatable in qualifying, third was his best result.

Carrera Cup Great Britain: Record-setting man and team to compete

Tim Harvey is unstoppable: With Red Line Racing, the 48-year-old professional contests his eighth full Carrera Cup season. During this time, the 2008 champion and triple vice-champion has secured 24 race wins. Harvey, however, faces plenty of opposition: Motorbase Performance plan to bring a record six 911 GT3 Cup racers. Parker Racing with 2009 champion Tim Bridgman, as well as the Celtic Speed squad also take up the challenge. Porsche Cars Great Britain takes care of its motorsport customers in its new motorsport centre and at the race track from the 1st March.

Race notes: +++ Five young race drivers are excited about being chosen as “Porsche Motorsport Talents”: Niall Breen (23, Ireland), Jono Lester (20, New Zealand), Tim Sandtler (22, Germany), Harald Schlegelmilch (22, Latvia) and Ferdinand Stuck (18, Germany) asserted themselves over tough competition and will be supported in their 2010 campaign in the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup or Carrera Cup Deutschland.

Strong Porsche contingent at the upcoming 2010 Florida classic

Stuttgart. As title defender and the most successful manufacturer in the history of the Daytona 24 hour race, Porsche returns to the long distance classic in Florida on the last weekend in January with yet another strong line-up. Spearheading the contingent is the Porsche Riley of Brumos Racing, who last year pocketed the 21st overall victory for Porsche. At the time-honoured season-opener of the American Grand-Am Series, a total of six Porsche works drivers compete for various customer teams.

Brumos Porsche/Riley At Daytona 2009

Traditionally, Porsche is well represented with the 911 GT3 Cup in the fiercely-contested GT class. Last year’s winners Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) and Patrick Long (USA) have good chances to again grab victory. The Porsche factory pilots share driving duties with Seth Neiman (USA) and Johannes van Overbeek (USA) for the TRG/Flying Lizard Motorsports team. “This race is a fantastic start to the new season,” says Joerg Bergmeister. “In Daytona, drivers gather from a wide range of race series and that makes it particularly exciting.”

The TRG #67 Porsche GT At Daytona 2009

TRG brings two 911 GT3 Cup racers for Porsche factory pilot Wolf Henzler (Germany, #66), and his works driver colleagues Timo Bernhard (Germany) and Romain Dumas (France, both starting number 71) to tackle the long distance classic that was run for the first time in 1962. Their factory driver colleague Richard Lietz (Austria) competes for Magnus Racing, teaming up with the winner of the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup, Jeroen Bleekemolen (Netherlands). Porsche claimed its first victory at Daytona back in 1968 with Vic Elford, Jochen Neerpasch, Rolf Stommelen, Jo Siffert and Hans Herrmann at the wheel of the Porsche 907.

In the Daytona Prototype class, Brumos Racing is again regarded as one of the favourites for overall victory. At the wheel of the Porsche Riley run by the successful customer team based in Jacksonville/Florida sit David Donohue (USA) and Darren Law (USA) with Hurley Haywood (USA), Butch Leitzinger (USA) and Raphael Matos (USA). Joao Barbosa (Portugal), who last year clinched third at Daytona with Brumos Racing, now drives the Porsche Riley of Action Express Racing – with Audi works driver Mike Rockenfeller as one of his team mates. The Spirit of Daytona Racing squad fields the third Porsche-powered prototype. With former Indy500 champion Buddy Rice (USA) and Antonio Garcia (Spain), one of last year’s winning drivers in the Brumos quartet, this team also has a top class driver line-up.

Hurley Haywood With His 2009 Co-Drivers (L to R: JC France, Joao Barbosa, Haywood, and Terry Borcheller)

One driver, however, travels to the 48th running of the long distance classic in America’s sunshine state with a touch of melancholy: For Hurley Haywood, one of the most successful sports car pilots in the world, this is the last time he contests his favourite race. “At some point you have to step aside and make room for younger and faster drivers,” says the five-time Daytona victor and multiple winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours and the 12 Hours of Sebring for Porsche. On 4th May he celebrates his 62nd birthday. For his Daytona farewell he has one wish: “It would be wonderful to close this chapter of my life with a victory.”

The 24 Hours of Daytona takes off on Saturday, 30th January, at 15.30 hours local time (21.30 hours CET).

ADAC awards “Yellow Angel” innovation prize to Porsche Consulting for speeding up highway improvements

Stuttgart/Munich. In recognition of its exemplary work in speeding up highway improvements, the consultancy company Porsche Consulting GmbH, Bietigheim-Bissingen, was today awarded the “Yellow Angel 2010″ innovation prize in Munich by Allgemeine Deutsche Automobil-Club (ADAC) – the most prestigious German prize when it comes to mobility, road safety and environmental protection.

During practical implementation on German highways, the subsidiary of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart used its tried-and-tested methods to eliminate any wastage of time, resources and costs in order to prove that tangible improvements are also possible in highway construction. By ensuring the optimum balance of workflows, it is possible to cut construction times by almost a half and save up to 40 percent of costs and millions of tons of pollutant emissions.

“Environmentally-friendly, stress-free and free-flowing traffic is one of our core goals. The Yellow Angel will provide additional support for the consultants at Porsche Consulting as they try and make the construction industry, public contractors and politicians more aware of intelligent solutions that can significantly reduce construction times on highways,” said Michael Macht, Chairman of the Executive Board at Porsche AG, during the prize-giving ceremony. Bosch and Fiat were also awarded innovation prizes at the event.

“Some One To Watch Out For…”

Marco Holzer enters his third year of training

Stuttgart. Porsche Junior Marco Holzer launches into his third year of training in 2010. The 21-year-old will compete for customer teams in international GT racing. His first event in the new season is the 24 hour race in Dubai on 15th and 16th January. There, he pilots with Raymond Narac and Porsche works driver Patrick Pilet a Porsche 911 GT3 RSR fielded by the IMSA Performance Matmut team.

During his first year of training, Holzer contested the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland. The youngster climb the podium three times and snatch victory at the season final in Hockenheim with a Porsche 911 – contributing greatly to the Porsche Junior team claiming the team championship. In his second year as a Porsche Junior, the German contested the FIA GT Championship and again clinched victory at the last race with the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR.

“The last two years were, without doubt, the most educational in my entire motorsport career,” summarised Holzer. “Whether it’s racing with Porsche teams around the world, test drives or PR activities, I now know what it takes to be a complete racing professional. I’m very much looking forward to my third year with Porsche and I’m eager to learn as much as possible.”

“Auto Trophy” for the Porsche Panamera and the 911 Carrera

Stuttgart. Two of the models built by Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, received the coveted “Auto Trophy” award today from the leading German car magazine Auto Zeitung – the Porsche Panamera in the luxury segment and the Porsche 911 Carrera in the sports car segment.

Having only entered the market in September 2009, the Panamera has immediately moved up right to the top of the winners’ podium, just as the 911 Carrera is now defending its top position in the sports car segment for the 16th time.

In all, 104,442 readers of Auto Zeitung cast their vote in the 22nd Auto Trophy. Receiving 25.6 per cent of all votes in its category, the Panamera was the top scorer in the luxury class out of 14 contestants nominated. In the sports car category 22.1 per cent of all readers chose the 911 Carrera as their No 1 out of no less than 23 models.

The Panamera had already been awarded the “Das Goldene Lenkrad” (The Golden Steering Wheel) in early November as the “Best New Car of the Year in the Luxury Class”. This prize is awarded by the German Sunday newspaper Bild am Sonntag together with the car magazine Auto Bild and its European issues.

The Panamera is however a great success not only in Europe, but also with international car journalists the world over, having won a number of international awards recently. In Canada, for example, 70 of the leading car journalists grouped within the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) have chosen the Panamera as the “Best New Prestige Car”. Conducting thorough test drives, the AJAC journalists were thrilled by the Panamera Turbo featuring, among other highlights, the best brakes and the best acceleration ever measured by the AJAC.

Again in Canada, the car journal Le Guide de l’Auto also ranks the Panamera as No 1 in the “Prestige Cars” category.

In the USA the editors of the online magazine Inside Line have given the Panamera their “Most Wanted Award”. A leading automobile portal reaching more readers each month than subscribe to any car journal, Inside Line highlighted in particular the overall performance of Porsche’s Gran Turismo.

In Great Britain the Panamera has brought home no less than two significant titles, Vehicle Dynamics International lauding Porsche’s new luxury performance model not only as their “Car of the Year”, but also the “Dynamicist of the Year”, with its perfectly engineered chassis delivering an equal share of balance, grip, comfort and control all in one. At the same time the same magazine lauded the dynamic engine mounts exclusive to the Porsche 911 GT3 and the new 911 Turbo as their “Innovation of the Year”.

Yet another coveted title awarded to the Panamera is the “Interamerican Car of the Year 2010” proclaimed by the Federación Interamericana de Periodistas del Automóvil (FIPA), an association of 81 Panamerican car journalists from 21 countries. Porsche’s Gran Turismo thrilled these experts in all disciplines such as progressive technology, performance, environmental care, and the significance of the car for each national market. Given these qualities, the Panamera was able to beat a significant line-up of no less than 37 leading automobiles.

Management consultancy Porsche Consulting has already optimized more than 50 hospitals

Shorter hospital stays through better coordination

Stuttgart. If hospitals would organize their processes better, hospital doctors and nursing staff could spend much more time treating their patients. This is the result of analyses over many years by management consultancy Porsche Consulting GmbH, Bietigheim-Bissingen, of more than 50 hospitals. The subsidiary of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, specializes in implementing so-called lean processes which – taking automobile production as an example – avoid waste and thus increase efficiency.

Hospital doctors are only able to spend about a quarter of their time on their core task – patient care – according to the consultants’ analyses. Of 7 hours 44 minutes per day, a ward doctor is only available for examinations for 32 minutes and for pa-tient consultations for 1 hour 39 minutes. This is just 28 percent of the available time. “The doctor loses the rest, mainly through unnecessary waiting, searching, needless paths, meetings being too long, and documentation,” says Eberhard Weiblen, CEO Porsche Consulting. Poor coordination, a lack of agreement and unnecessary hectic led, according to Weiblen, to doctors and nursing staff barely being able to carry out a task without being interrupted. Assistant doctors, who are frequently burdened by a particularly high workload, are often forced to change their workplace every twenty minutes. This increases the risk of errors significantly.

Faulty planning also leads to existing hospital capacities being wasted and for many patients extends waiting times and hospital stays unnecessarily, the studies by Porsche Consulting showed. The results are supported by experienced practitioners with typical examples: “An operating theater is used by many doctors on the basis of personal considerations rather than in the sense of the greatest possible use,” urologist Dr. Michael Nathan, head of the Luxembourg Hospital Center Hospitalier Emile Mayrisch, told “Caracho”, Porsche Consulting’s customer magazine. Nathan fears: “Soon, we won’t be able to forgive this type of waste anymore. As long as we doctors are unable to prove that we are working highly efficiently, politicians will rightly cut us down.”

Together with the Porsche advisors, the Luxembourg hospital was able to improve the use of the operating area by 31 percent. At the same time, the total duration of preparatory examinations before an operation was reduced by an amazing 98 percent as a result of consistent admittance planning. Since the reorganization, the hospital director observes significant higher levels of patient satisfaction. Nathan summarizes: “There are processes that can be improved by the production line principle in industry, without the patient getting the impression being treated on a production line.”

The experts from Porsche Consulting support companies in the implementation and application of Lean Management. Founded in 1994 as an internal management consultancy for Porsche AG, the subsidiary currently employs 230 people. Apart from automotive suppliers, the consultants’ clients include the consumer goods industry, construction companies, aviation and shipbuilding. The basis of the consultancy is formed by solutions, which are proven and tested in the production of premium sports vehicles in the Porsche factories and which are transferable to many areas of the economy outside the automobile industry. These include the launch of precise cycles and the so-called pull principles, and the greatest possible waste-free processes according to “just in time” and “just in sequence” principles.