Tag Archives: Porsche

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Porsche’s Next Chapter: Michael Leiters to Take the Helm in 2026

The winds of change are blowing through Zuffenhausen once again. Porsche AG’s Supervisory Board has officially named Dr. Michael Leiters as the company’s next Chief Executive Officer, effective January 1, 2026. Leiters will succeed Dr. Oliver Blume, who departs the role after ten transformative years—though he’ll remain at the top of the Volkswagen Group.

Blume’s decade at Porsche reads like a masterclass in modern automotive leadership. Under his stewardship, Porsche not only set record financial results but also navigated the brand’s IPO with surgical precision, expanded into new global markets, and continued to dominate in motorsport. From the electrification of the Taycan to the enduring success of the 911 and the blockbuster sales of the Macan and Cayenne, Blume turned balance sheets and lap times alike into trophies.

In a statement, Dr. Wolfgang Porsche, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, praised Blume for “successfully managing the company in challenging times” and for “paving the way for Porsche’s next generation of leadership.”

That next generation arrives in the form of Dr. Michael Leiters, a name that will ring familiar to industry insiders. Leiters, currently CEO of McLaren Automotive, brings a résumé that reads like a sports car hall of fame: Chief Technology Officer at Ferrari, senior engineering roles at Porsche, and the man behind some of Maranello’s most evocative machines. Before joining Ferrari, Leiters spent 13 years at Porsche, overseeing development of the Cayenne and Macan—the latter of which became a global sales phenomenon and a symbol of Porsche’s modern versatility.

Now, Leiters returns to Stuttgart not as an engineer, but as the man steering the entire company.

From Blume to Leiters: The Changing of the Guard

In many ways, Leiters’ appointment feels like a full-circle moment. He’s a Porsche alumnus who left to conquer the world of supercars and is now returning home to apply lessons learned from McLaren’s lean engineering culture and Ferrari’s obsession with performance purity.

For Porsche, the timing is strategic. The company faces massive shifts in its two largest markets—the U.S. and China, both of which are redefining luxury mobility and electrification expectations at a breakneck pace. Blume himself acknowledged these challenges, noting that Porsche has realigned its structure and expanded its product strategy to remain agile in an industry where drivetrain flexibility and cost efficiency will determine who thrives and who fades.

With Leiters’ technical pedigree and global perspective, Porsche signals that it intends to stay as fast in strategy as it is on track.

The Road Ahead

Leiters inherits a brand that straddles two worlds—heritage and high voltage. The 911 remains the heartbeat of Porsche’s identity, but the company’s future rests equally on the success of its electric Macan, the upcoming 718 EV, and the Mission X hypercar, which aims to redefine what “Porsche performance” means in the electric era.

His challenge will be to keep Porsche’s soul intact while continuing the electrification push, expanding global appeal, and ensuring that every new Porsche—whether powered by batteries or fuel—feels unmistakably alive.

“Dr. Michael Leiters has decades of experience in the automotive industry,” Dr. Wolfgang Porsche said. “His leadership style and in-depth expertise are ideal prerequisites for successfully chairing the Executive Board of Porsche AG.”

If Leiters’ track record is anything to go by, Porsche’s next chapter looks to be as thrilling as its last. The man who helped build the Macan, shape Ferrari’s modern lineup, and guide McLaren through transformation now returns to lead the brand where it all began.

For Porsche, the story continues—and the next lap promises to be fast.

Source: Porsche

News

Flat-Six Meets Flat White — Porsche x Smeg Bring the Pit Lane to Your Kitchen

There are collaborations, and then there are collisions — those glorious, high-octane moments when two worlds crash together and somehow, miraculously, make sense. Enter Porsche x Smeg: a partnership that fuses the adrenaline of Stuttgart’s finest with the espresso-fueled artistry of Italian design. The result? A kitchen lineup that thinks it’s on pole position at Le Mans.

This isn’t your average “automotive-inspired” appliance range with a badge slapped on the side and a few lazy racing stripes. No, this is the real deal. A limited-edition capsule collection designed to make your morning routine feel like a qualifying lap — precision-engineered, unapologetically beautiful, and entirely unnecessary in the most desirable way.

The 917 Salzburg Fridge – Because History Belongs Next to the Milk

Let’s start with the headline act — the Fridge 917 Salzburg. Only 1,970 units exist, each one numbered like a collector’s car, and finished in that iconic red — “917 Salzburg Red,” to be precise. Across the door, the white Porsche stripe slices through the colour like a racetrack kerb, while the number 23 stands proud — a nod to Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood’s 1970 Le Mans–winning Porsche 917 KH.

Even the details are nerd-level good. Matte black handles evoke GT3 door pulls. The inner panels? Darkened, as if they’ve just rolled off the pit wall. This isn’t a fridge — it’s a 270-litre museum piece that happens to keep your hummus cold.

The Bean-to-Cup Coffee Machine – Espresso, Engineered

If the fridge is the paddock, this is the pit stop. The Bean-to-Cup Coffee Machine 917 Salzburg shares the same scarlet livery and the number 23, making every espresso a tiny tribute to endurance racing glory.

It’s limited to, you guessed it, 1,970 units. Each comes with a metal plaque, Porsche lettering, and matte-black detailing that would look at home on a 992 GT3 RS. But don’t be fooled by the motorsport nostalgia — this thing’s no gimmick. With a built-in grinder and professional-level brewing system, it delivers a perfect flat white faster than you can say “box, box, box.”

Because, let’s face it: if you’re going to face the day, it might as well start with a turbocharged caffeine hit.

The Everyday Line-Up – Form Meets Function, Meets Flat-Six

For those who prefer their design language in quieter tones, Porsche and Smeg offer the same lineup — fridge, toaster, kettle, blender — finished in two very Stuttgart shades: Carrara White Metallic and Shade Green Metallic. Both colours are lifted straight from Porsche’s paint chart, reimagined through the lens of Italian minimalism.

The Fridge – Porsche x Smeg features those same black handles and striping, the silhouette echoing the lines of a 911 GT3 RS. The Toaster brings motorsport precision to your sourdough — six browning levels, matte black accents, and a control knob numbered like a tachometer. The Kettle has the clean lines and restrained detailing of a 992 dashboard, while the Blender — complete with pre-set programs for smoothies and ice-crushing — could easily double as the base of a Porsche gear shifter.

Each piece is subtle, sculptural, and perfectly over-engineered.

From Pit Lane to Breakfast Table

What makes this collaboration truly brilliant isn’t the novelty — it’s the execution. Porsche and Smeg didn’t just mash logos together; they crafted something that feels like both brands. There’s a shared DNA here: precision, form, emotion. One makes 200 mph machines that win endurance races. The other turns morning rituals into moments of design poetry.

Together, they’ve created the kind of objects that whisper luxury rather than scream it. A fridge that channels the roar of Le Mans, a coffee machine that feels like it’s revving at idle, a toaster that toasts with Teutonic discipline.

As Stefan Büscher, CEO of Porsche Lifestyle Group, put it: “We don’t just build machines — we build emotions.”

And in this case, those emotions happen to come with a side of perfectly browned toast.

Final Lap

Is it ridiculous? Of course. But that’s the beauty of it. This is design indulgence at its most delicious — a love letter to heritage, speed, and style.

If your dream garage now extends to your kitchen counter, the Porsche x Smeg collection is ready to serve. Just don’t be surprised if your morning coffee starts to taste faintly of petrol and victory champagne.

Source: Porsche

News

The Return of the Carrera Spirit: Timo Bernhard and Porsche Reignite Mexico’s Legendary Road Race

There are road races, and then there’s La Carrera Panamericana — Mexico’s ribbon of madness that once devoured engines, broke egos, and crowned legends. The kind of race where cars flew over crests, drivers lit cigarettes mid-stage, and the tarmac itself seemed to hum with danger. And this year, 75 years after it first carved its name into motorsport folklore, Porsche sent one of its modern icons back to the scene of the crime.

His name? Timo Bernhard — endurance champion, Le Mans winner, Nürburgring tamer, and all-round Porsche deity. The man’s racing CV reads like an anthology of motorsport’s greatest hits. But in 2025, Bernhard wasn’t hunting lap records or podiums. He was chasing ghosts.

The Race That Made Porsche a Legend

Back in the early ’50s, La Carrera Panamericana wasn’t just a race. It was a 3,000-kilometre, seven-day torture test that sliced from the Guatemalan border to the Texas line. It was dusty, dangerous, and spectacularly stupid — exactly the sort of thing Porsche loved.

It was here that a young Hans Herrmann hurled a lightweight 550 Spyder across Mexico’s wilderness and etched Porsche’s name into the global racing psyche. Mechanics like Herbert Linge became folk heroes, keeping fragile engines alive with nothing but spanners, sweat and optimism. And somewhere between the chaos, Porsche became Porsche — the small, clever German outfit that could outsmart and outlast the big guns.

So when Bernhard rolled into Mexico this year, it wasn’t just another event. It was a pilgrimage.

Bernhard and the 911 GT3: Old Soul, New Machine

For this modern revival — part rally, part rolling museum — Bernhard climbed behind the wheel of a 911 GT3, joined by Mexican co-driver Patrice Spitalier. The car was unmistakably modern, but its spirit? Pure 1954.

“I know from Porsche’s history that La Carrera was a major race with exceptional drivers — heroes like Hans Herrmann and Herbert Linge,” Bernhard told us. “This time, I wasn’t chasing results. It was about celebrating Porsche’s legacy and sharing that passion with the fans.”

And what fans they are. Along the winding Mexican roads, people lined the route waving flags, cheering, and — because this is Mexico — throwing one hell of a fiesta. For Porsche, this was more than a drive. It was a love letter to its own DNA, a nod to the origins of names we still whisper reverently today: Carrera, Panamera.

From the Nürburgring to the Sierra Madre

Timo Bernhard isn’t just another ex-racer trotted out for photo ops. The man’s résumé borders on mythical:

  • Two FIA World Endurance Championships (2015 & 2017).
  • Victory at Le Mans in 2017 with the 919 Hybrid.
  • Five wins at the Nürburgring 24 Hours.
  • And triumphs at Daytona, Sebring, and across the American Le Mans Series.

That’s the triple crown of endurance racing — the stuff of motorsport legend.

Porsche and Bernhard have been intertwined since 1999, when an 18-year-old kid joined the brand’s Junior Programme. Twenty-six years later, he’s not just part of the furniture; he is the furniture — polished mahogany, carved with history and fuelled by caffeine and tire smoke.

🇲🇽 Mexico: 100% Win Rate, Infinite Memories

Bernhard’s connection with Mexico didn’t start with La Carrera. In 2016 and 2017, he conquered the 6 Hours of Mexico City in the WEC, piloting the fearsome 919 Hybrid to back-to-back victories at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

“I’ve got great memories of Mexico,” he grins. “I raced twice there — and I’ve got a 100 per cent win rate! The passion from the fans is unreal. After the race, they threw a party for us right there at the track. It was magical.”

Fast forward to 2025, and the magic’s still alive. Bernhard’s return to Mexico, behind the wheel of a GT3 and surrounded by cheering fans, feels like the closing of a circle — a bridge between the fearless pioneers of the past and the precision-built racers of today.

The Spirit Lives On

La Pana, as the locals lovingly call it, may no longer claim lives or shatter records, but its soul burns brighter than ever. What began as a wild idea in the 1950s has evolved into a celebration of everything that makes motorsport glorious — speed, courage, craftsmanship, and stories worth telling.

And Porsche? It’s been there from the start, its badge a constant through decades of dust, glory, and gasoline.

Timo Bernhard’s return wasn’t just a cameo. It was a reminder that Porsche’s story is still being written — one roaring, red-line moment at a time.

In Mexico, they say La Carrera never really ends. It just waits for the right driver to come along and wake it up again.

Source: Porsche