why the penalty on weight and fuel?[/QUOTE]

I heard about the 25kg penalty, but I thought there was also further restrictions imposed on the air inlets as well? It was a surprise not to see a 911 finish first in at least one of the GTE classes.

DRP

The power unit concept was unique and very porsche like (giant killer). With the only 4cyl in the class and very impressive energy harnessing technology.

The speed was there. The drivers performed very well, particularly Timo who seemed to log the most time in the #20 car.

I have to admit I was ready to celebrate when I saw them in the lead with 2:39 on the clock. But LeMans is about performance over 24 hours, not 22. Those are the rules, and Porsche will develop their car into a winning machine, no doubt.

It's great to see them back and its great that the company is reaffirming its sporting roots. SUV companies don't go endurance racing. Sports car companies making money off SUV sales do

Porsche LMP1 2015!

DRP

From a different perspective, there were 14 Ferrari 458 at the beginning of the race but only 9 finished the 24 hours (that's 64% of the total). On the 911 side, 8 were on the grid and 7 finished (that's 87% of the total).

OK, some of this relates to pilots or uncontrollable issues and you do not base statistics on only one experiment, but it still says something IMHO.

LOL , Great point!

Who really wanted to see a 4 cylinder win?
Is that the engine we want to see in our 911's in the future?
I would rather they ran a compact V8 or Flat 6.

Didn't Audi have turbo problems and open the door wide open and Porsche still could not beat them?
The results are nothing to be happy about.
Although, they put up a very strong effort and that counts for a lot.

I agree with you in case of the 911 and technology of today. If, for the next generation of 911, Porsche comes up with a reliable engine that has a better output, a linear response and a great sound, I do not really care if it is a flat six or a turbocharged & hybrid V4. It will be the same kind of transition as going from air cooled to water-cooled somehow. Air cooled 911s had their unique personality and sound and more recent generations are different but in line with what one expects from more modern and faster car.

The question would be, and already is, what defines a 911? Is it a sportscar that has a flat 6 at the wrong place of is it a car that achieves a certain level of performance and a driving feel that differentiate it from its competitors while perpetuating -to some extent- a specific body style? To each his own, but "change with some degree of continuity" is why I appreciate past, current and future 911s.

Back on topic now

The question would be, and already is, what defines a 911? Is it a sportscar that has a flat 6 at the wrong place of is it a car that achieves a certain level of performance and a driving feel that differentiate it from its competitors while perpetuating -to some extent- a specific body style? To each his own, but "change with some degree of continuity" is why I appreciate past, current and future 911s.

Back on topic now [/QUOTE]

I think your remarks are on topic and really the underlying theme . How will the new technology in the 919 affect our new 911s in the future.

As for a future 911, probably a flat 4 (instead of V4) to keep center of gravity low.
Hybrid power, of course.
Also, synthesized engine sounds, like BMW does.

Cant wait, right?

Im sure it will still sound good at high rpm (perhaps 8-9K).
More people will use Sport + mode.

That's definitely not progress and I stay convinced that Porsche would not have such bad taste. That's when you go from driving to video games. Next thing you know, BMW will do European delivery on Forza Motorsports...

Quite a different tone from previous video's. But best communication possible in these circumstances.

Better get used to those turbo 4's. The GT4 on the Cayman is going to be a beast.

AMG makes the best engines and their Turbo 4 is not that impressive.
With every Turbo 4, to date, the full throttle power might be there but the drivability is poor.

When they get electric drive, to offset the initial lag, the Turbo 4 might be something.
I doubt that LeMans level technology will be released for some time yet.
When it finally happens, it will be very interesting.
I dont know if I would be an early adopter though.

AMG makes the best engines? ok, that's your opinion. I have had several including a C36 and E55 and wasn't that impressed. I think ( an opinion) that Porsche will make a fantastic turbo 4 and the GT4 is going to be truly the car the Cayman should have been all along.

The M113-ML55 & M155-SLR engines were insane for their time.
Since then, the M156, M159, M157 & the new M133 are again at the top of the food chain.
AMG can't build a decent trans, but their engines are a class act.

I am also rooting for the Cayman GT4, as I want to see that platform reach it's potential.
However, I would prefer to see it with a detuned 450 HP GT3 engine, instead of a 360 HP T4.

Apologies for taking this so far off topic.

Just to conclude and full disclosure, I have a 3.8 in my Cayman S and it's amazing. However the 981 platform with 400 HP and nearly that in torq would take the Cayman to another world in performance.