Porsche’s V8 poster child

PORSCHE Cars Australia has sent a Cayenne GTS out to get plastered in celebration of the 50th birthday of its 911 sportscar.

The medical first-response vehicle for the 2013 V8 Supercar championship that starts this weekend in Adelaide has been cloaked in posters from 50 years of Porsche motorsport involvement by the 911 to mark the anniversary.

The posters are from some of the classic events of the past five decades, including Italy’s Targa Florio, the Monte Carlo Rally and Daytona 24 Hour.

PCA managing director Michael Winkler said reskinning the Cayenne for the V8 Supercar championship was a creative way of paying tribute to the 911 in its golden anniversary year.

“There will be a number of celebrations both globally and in Australia throughout the year to mark the occasion,” he said.

Porsche has supplied medical response vehicles to the V8 Supercar championship since 2008, first with a V8 Cayenne S and then, from 2010, a Panamera 4S.

From top: Porsche Cayenne GTS Chrysler 300 SRT8 Safety Car.

The medical cars supply emergency aid for injured drivers, driven by a skilled race driver and carrying a doctor armed with emergency equipment.

With 309kW of power from its 4.8-litre V8 engine and a 0-100km acceleration time of 5.7 seconds, the Cayenne GTS should waste no time in getting help to V8 Supercar drivers in need.

While Porsche will again be involved on the fringes of V8 Supercars, rival company Fiat Chrysler Group Australia has also signed up as supplier of official cars for the championship, with a flagship Chrysler 300 SRT8 acting as safety car and a Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 as course car.

In the middle of the V8 action, Nissan’s upcoming Altima and Mercedes-Benz’s E-Class will make their race debut in the Clipsal 500 this weekend alongside traditional Ford Falcons and Holden Commodores.