The battle of material: this term comes from motorsport and sounds suitably gladiatorial. Because whoever wins this battle usually wins the race. Porsche has won a huge number of races but has interpreted the term very differently and incorporated its knowledge of the best materials to use directly into standard production. Every Porsche is exceptionally comfortable and meets the highest safety standards while remaining lightweight. Furthermore, tyre rolling resistance is optimised to both reduce fuel consumption and increase performance. A Porsche also has a long life. Because that preserves natural resources. Just one more reason why our customers like to enjoy their vehicles for as long as possible.

At Porsche we have long recognised the significance of resource preservation and presented a study on the issue of long-life vehicles as early as 1973. As a result, Porsche developed new hot-galvanised body technology and extended the corrosion protection warranty to 10 years. Although other car manufacturers have since adopted this technology, there is something that they have not succeeded in emulating: more than two-thirds of all Porsche sports cars ever built are still being driven today worldwide – our most visible contribution to protecting the environment.

Changes in vehicle specifications

One of the most striking characteristics of any Porsche is its intelligent, lightweight construction that benefits both performance and the environment. Measures to achieve this include using a high proportion of aluminium alloys, plastics and high-strength sheet steel, which is more stable and lighter than conventional steel.

The practical implications of this are evident in the 911 Turbo. With a total weight of just 1,585 kilograms (manual transmission), it is one of the lightest vehicles in its class. As standard, the car comes with all-wheel drive and numerous features that offer customers exceptional levels of safety and comfort. These aspects transcend previous models by far and also translate into lower vehicle weight.

In order to counter criticisms that producing aluminium consumes a large amount of energy, the new aluminium doors on the 911 Turbo were subjected to a life cycle analysis. This showed that the fuel savings over the life of the vehicle based on its reduced weight far exceed the additional energy required during production.