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Son of Porsche 911 designer recalls 1963 Frankfurt debut

The Goodwood Revival is described by its presenters as the greatest motorsport racing party of the year. We often focus heavily on the motorsports, but you can't forget about the party. For the first preview of the new 911 Turbo in the UK, Porsche recreated its booth from the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1963 - the time and place of the original 911's public debut.
Porsche's cameras also caught up with Mark Porsche, the great grandson of Dr. Ferdinand Porsche and son of the late Ferdinand Alexander "Butzi" Porsche, who oversaw the design of the 911. Mark Porsche admires the 911's friendly design, which is set off by the round headlights, and says his mother, who was at the original Frankfurt booth in 1963, was milling around the booth at Goodwood - no doubt taking a trip down memory lane.

Porsche picks Maria Sharapova as brand ambassador

Russian-born tennis superstar Maria Sharapova has just inked a three-year deal with Porsche to be its brand ambassador, a position that will put her on a global campaign for the German automaker. The 26-year-old athlete isn't new to the role - she previously signed a similar three-year deal with Land Rover in 2006.
"Maria Sharapova is an exceptional athlete. She combines top performance in her sports with elegance and power. These are precisely the qualities that are embroiled in our sports cars," explained Matthias Mueller, CEO of Porsche AG, during the announcement. "Her profile and charisma are an ideal fit for Porsche. She is also highly respected around the world and enjoys an outstanding reputation," he added.
Some consider Porsche's choice of a female tennis player as its ambassador interesting, if not surprising. The automaker has traditionally marketed its vehicles with a masculine edge - Sharapova and the sport of tennis position the brand in a different light - likely an intentional decision. Do you think Porsche's choice was a good one? If not, who would you choose as its global ambassador?

Porsche CEO hints at Macan GTS, expects brand sales growth to 200K+

Porsche is expecting big things from its little Macan, with CEO Matthias Mueller announcing that not only is a sportier GTS model being considered, but that the CUV will almost certainly help push Porsche beyond its 200,000-unit-per-year sales goal three years earlier than expected.
"We're transferring the genes of the Porsche brand into a new market segment," Mueller said during a speech to kick off Macan production, according to Automotive News Europe. Macan demand should push the brand past 200,000 sales, Mueller said, confirming what we reported back in August. And if Porsche really has a hit on its hands, it is able to boost production of the sporty crossover beyond its initial capacity of 50,000 units, according to the brand's CEO.
Provided that the Macan is the success Porsche hopes it will be, Mueller hinted that the range could expand beyond the initial Macan S and Macan Turbo. "GTS versions have a tradition at Porsche," Mueller said. "We haven't made a final decision yet regarding the Macan, but I'm sure it makes a lot of sense."