For those who follow Porsche motorsport closely, the 26th edition of the well-known annual, Porsche Sport 2018, is definitely a book you want on your bookshelf. I have sung the praises of these publications before today, and for good reason, but this new offering is just that little bit better it seems.
Porsche Sport 2018 covers all of Porsche’s major motor sporting activities around the world, and to have top notch photographers and journalists in all these centres is an impressive accomplishment. With Porsche no longer competing in prototype racing, it is not hard to imagine that all major racing activities by this Stuttgart manufacturer revolves around the 911. But those racing activities are so varied and far flung, that there is no chance of this resulting in repetitive reporting or photography, in fact the opposite is true.
Gruppe C Motorsport Verlag has spread its tentacles as far as the east is from the west, and the north is from the south, and just about everywhere in between. For instance, the reader will find coverage of the major sports car events such as: IMSA, Italian GT, China GT, ELMS, Pirelli World Challenge, Australian GT, ADAC GT, Intercontinental GT Challenge, Blancpain, FIA GT World Cup Macau. In addition to this, you will find Supercup coverage, all the Carrera Cups, GT3 Cup, endurance racing such as: Dubai 24 Hours, Creventic 24 Hour series, Daytona, Nürburgring, Le Mans 24 Hour, Spa 24 Hour and Zolder 24 Hour. And as if this was not enough, there is a whole section on Porsche sport events such as the VLN, Porsche Sports Cup, Cayman GT4 Trophy and many more.
Perhaps the highlight of 2018 came in Porsche’s 1-2 result in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June 2018. Porsche’s willingness to revive two favourite decades-old liveries for the #91 and #92 911 RSRs at Le Mans was hugely significant for Porsche enthusiasts around the world, while it was also an important reminder for the company in its 70th anniversary year.
Of course, 2018 was notable for a number of milestones in the world of Porsche sports cars and racing. Many were disappointed with the Porsche’s decision to withdraw their support from the LMP1 class in the WEC at the end of 2017, but the Board approved a farewell tour for the 919 Hybrid. With hindsight, this tour included setting a number of important lap records and public appearances, and this too is covered in the book in recognition of a fine, if short, career for the 919 Hybrid.
The new 911 GT3 R was announced towards the end of the year, and this race car will be seen in action in the Intercontinental GT Challenge, VLN and various other endurance races around the world. Porsche Sport 2018 covers the introduction of this model, raising the hopes for further good results for Porsche motorsport enthusiasts around the world.
Photography plays an important role in the presentation of this publication, and here this edition excels. From the Nürburgring to Le Mans, from Spa-Francorchamps to Daytona, including Silverstone, Sebring, Fuji, Shanghai, Dubai, Interlagos, Imola, Mantorp (Finland), Mount Panorama (Australia) to Zolder and many more, the coverage is truly impressive. This makes the production of a tome of this size with such wide coverage, a complex and demanding task.
Just as with previous editions of this fine publication, it comes in dual language format with German/English text. In fact, it is not an uncommon trend these days to find books with dual or even triple language text, so this is less impractical today than it used to be at first. Included in the book is a comprehensive results and statistics table at the end of each section, giving the reader the whole picture of each championship right there with the text and images. This is a sizeable volume, being 304 pages in length, so there is a lot of material on offer within its pages.
Would I buy this publication? Without hesitation, firstly, because it offers the reader a complete reference of Porsche’s racing activities for the year, in a convenient and well-presented volume. Secondly, it allows the reader to build a complete collection of Porsche motorsport achievements over the years, providing an excellent and valuable resource. Get your copy while you can!
