996 Turbo: Champion of a New Era

A New Era for Porsche Performance

“We are in the GT business,” said Porsche racing engineer Norbert Singer, “so we will make one.” That was in the summer of 1995 when Porsche responded to the revival of interest in GT-class racing and the challenge of the McLaren F1 by starting work on its own GT1 racer. But what would happen at other levels of the sport? Porsche wanted to erect a motor-sports pyramid with the new GT1 at its summit. But what would its customers be driving at the lower, broader levels? There the answer was obscure.

Porsche’s thinking was that “the flat-six should play a role at all levels,” said engineer Herbert Ampferer. By this was meant the 911. All motor-sports initiatives were to be focused on this model, not on the Boxster. In 1995 Porsche had already committed to a new water-cooled engine for its New Generation cars. To be sure, the new six had such high-performance bells and whistles as twin overhead cams and four valves per cylinder. However it was designed for rational and low-cost production above all. Racing was not a priority.