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Ferrari Unveils 296 GT3 Evo Ahead of 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps

MARANELLO/SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS (June 27, 2025) – Three years after its presentation at the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps in 2022, Ferrari has chosen the same race, the most important on the GT calendar, to unveil the new 296 GT3 Evo.

The car builds on the experience gained with the 296 LMGT3 (which will compete in the FIA WEC from the 2024 season) and the 296 GT3, which, since its debut, has won five titles, including Drivers’ and Team titles in the Pro class of the GT World Challenge Endurance Cup – the benchmark championship for GT3 cars – as well as victories at the Nürburgring 24 Hours and the 24 Hours at Daytona. The statistics take the tally to 140 victories, 405 podiums and 56 pole positions in 343 races.

Client feedback and racing experience have led to the development of the 296 GT3 Evo, the result of targeted and concrete actions aimed at creating an even more competitive car in all conditions, while maintaining the concept of “modularity” that has made the 296 GT3 a true benchmark, especially in terms of ease of maintenance and set-up.

Engine and gearbox
The V6 combustion engine of the 296 GT3 Evo remains unchanged from the previous version. It retains the 120° V configuration with the turbochargers positioned inside the V, which offers significant benefits in terms of compactness and weight reduction, helping to achieve extremely high levels of power. Versatile, reliable and high-performing, the engine has always been appreciated for its power delivery and torque since its debut.

The engine remains in the same position as in the 296 GT3, positioned further forward and lower down than in the road-going version. This location helps to lower the center of gravity and improve torsional rigidity. It was also tilted by 2° to allow more space for the rear diffuser.

As for the gearbox, the 296 GT3 Evo adopts a new gear ratio cascade, optimized after analyzing data collected during the car’s two years of use, to favor torque delivery at both low and high speeds.

Aerodynamics
The 296 GT3 Evo represents the next step in the evolution of the 296 GT3, a winning platform that already combines extreme aerodynamic performance and ease of load utilization on the track. The goal set by Ferrari’s engineers was to ensure a more predictable and stable response from the car in all race situations, while maintaining the performance of the standard 296 GT3 in terms of vertical load and efficiency, already pushed to the maximum allowed by the technical regulations. In engineering terms, the aerodynamics team focused on improving front vertical load stability when the 296 GT3 Evo is in the slipstream of another car, and aerodynamic sensitivity, i.e. minimizing aerodynamic load variations.

Almost all of the bodywork has been evolved. The profiles of the splitter and front floor have been revised, and the expansion volumes and vortex generators have been optimized. The appendages on the front bumper have also been modified in search of the best performance compromise. A further significant improvement has come from a thorough and careful review of the rear diffuser, which has been modified in terms of its expansion volumes and the number of channels. The third element to undergo development was the front wheel arch louvers, developed in synergy with the front underbody to ensure clean air enters the rear air intakes, both in free air and in the slipstream of other cars.

For the development of the 296 GT3 Evo, the simulation methodology combining wind tunnel testing with CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) calculations has been further improved, allowing the simulation of disturbed aerodynamic fields and the rapid testing of many geometric variations. The performance of the development package was then validated on the track, both in performance laps and in conditions involving other cars. The result of the research is summarized in the car’s ability to maintain high aerodynamic performance in traffic and “disturbed” air, which are very common in endurance racing, stabilizing the vertical load in the slipstream to the benefit of competitiveness and precision even in the most dynamic and unpredictable contexts.

From an aesthetic and functional point of view, the 296 GT3 Evo is also recognizable by two air intakes in the front bonnet, which improve cooling for the brakes and the cockpit, as well as by the new rear wing, which has undergone significant changes. The support structure has been redesigned together with the side panels. The wing is now equipped with a quick adjustment mechanism, introduced for the first time in the LMGT3, which allows the wing angle to be adjusted using a simple screw, further improving track performance, already a distinctive feature of the 296 GT3.

Fluid dynamics
The development of the evolution package also involved internal aerodynamics, and in particular the cooling of the front brakes. Thanks to the optimization of the ducts that convey air from the bumper to the discs and the introduction of two dynamic intakes on the bonnet, the overall airflow to the front brakes has increased by more than 20% compared to the 296 GT3. The steering pump also benefits from better and more effective cooling thanks to the introduction of two Naca intakes in the underbody.

LMGT3 experience
The entire rear wheel arch bodywork is borrowed from the LMGT3, which is distinguished by a more vertical curvature at the front, making it easier to accommodate the various types of tires from different suppliers used in GT championships around the world. The rear-view mirrors also benefit from this experience and have been further improved thanks to a series of studies and calculations aimed at investigating the frequencies and modes of vibration of the exterior mirrors in the current version. These new parts have been moved inwards, changing their angle and improving visibility at the same time.

Vehicle dynamics
Both the front and rear suspension kinematics have been modified with the aim of reducing loads on the components and improving reliability. At the same time, the new design ensures a connected dynamic response between the front and rear, as well as facilitating setup operations in the pits.

Cockpit
Intuitive, visibility and accessibility are the key principles around which the development of the 296 GT3’s cockpit has been defined, without forgetting fundamental aspects such as safety and comfort. The 296 GT3 Evo retains these basic characteristics, but significantly improves the air conditioning system, which has been enhanced with an additional fan to make it even more effective.

Debut and kit
The 296 GT3 Evo, whose homologation process will be completed once the final aerodynamic refinements are underway, will make its debut in the 2026 season and will also be available as an upgrade kit for those competing with the 296 GT3

Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid and Cayenne Turbo GT Set Lap Records at Road Atlanta

ATLANTA (June 27, 2025) – Fifteen years ago, Porsche entered an experimental 911 GT3 R Hybrid, a modified 911 GT3 R equipped with a flywheel-based hybrid system and two electric motors, one for each front wheel, into the 24-hour endurance race at the Nürburgring – the first time for a hybrid Porsche to compete in the race. In the fall of 2010, the car participated in the 13th annual running of the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta. Though it was not in contention to win the race (because it was in its own GTH experimental class), it thoroughly expanded the definition of what performance could look like and brought valuable development insights from the racetrack that were then transferred to road-going models such as the 918 Spyder.

Today, Porsche offers a greater breadth of powertrain choices than ever before, featuring pure combustion engines, plug-in-hybrids and fully electric vehicles – part of a commitment to customer choice. Having already set the production EV lap record in the Taycan Turbo GT at Road Atlanta, Porsche pro-driver and brand ambassador, Patrick Long set out in the Cayenne Turbo GT and Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid to prove that no matter the powertrain, Porsche-typical performance is alive and well in every model.

The Cayenne Turbo GT
While the Cayenne is known for its practicality and everyday usability, drivers of Cayenne models have fallen in love with its dynamics and how it makes drivers feel behind the wheel. On the top-step of that model line is the Cayenne Turbo GT, a high-performance SUV that shares the same ample rear seat room and cargo space as all other Cayenne Coupe variants, but adds a potent twin-turbo V8 that produces 650 hp. With updates to the suspension that includes unique hub-carriers that optimize the kinematics and an additional center differential cooler to make sure all-wheel-drive performance stays consistent during high-performance driving. Under Long’s careful guidance, the Cayenne Turbo GT was able to set a benchmark SUV lap time at Road Atlanta of 1:34.38.

‟The Cayenne is so interesting because its full of contradictions about what a sports car can be,” said Long. ‟You have to remember that it’s a full-size SUV with a center of gravity and ride height to match, but it’s way more agile than you think, and the V8 sound, suspension calibration and sticky tires make the car so maneuverable and responsive.”

– Patrick Long, Porsche pro-driver and brand ambassador

The Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid
The previous sedan lap record of 1:31.51 at Road Atlanta came from the 2021 Panamera Turbo S. Combining a soulful 621 hp twin-turbo V8 with carbon ceramic brakes and track-focused Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 performance tires, the top-model Panamera typified the no-compromise sports car approach of Porsche.

With the new generation Panamera, the breadth of capability was expanded even further. For the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid variant, that meant the inclusion of Active Ride, an active hydraulic suspension system that ensures the tire contact patch and body are optimally positioned throughout the lap, and a powerful hybrid system generating up to 771 hp in combination with the twin-turbo V8. With Long’s expert direction, the new Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid bested the lap set by the previous generation car with a time of 1:30.98 minutes.

‟The new generation Panamera is so much more seamless in the regen and boost transition, it makes it very easy to get right up to the edge.” He continues, ‟When you think about how much braking is part of high-performance driving, the fact you can make energy for acceleration while improving stopping power is such a positive attribute, and one that you can use both on and off the track.

‟I feel fortunate to have worked with Motorsports during the GT3 R Hybrid program. We learned about how to optimally use the electric power not only for more acceleration and braking, but it was the forefront to torque vectoring. That combination of functions and capabilities was a huge unfair advantage on the track, and I love seeing it now on the street.”

– Patrick Long

The Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid is the most recent in a long line of Porsche hybrid models that Long has driven, with the 911 GT3 R Hybrid being the first.

Background
The Cayenne Turbo GT and Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid lap records join the Taycan Turbo GT lap record, which was set on May 28, 2025, with continuously changing weather conditions. At the time of the record run, the conditions were in the mid 70’s, with moderate cloud cover, and winds 3-5 mph from the North. Persistent rain in the morning meant track conditions would not be ideal, but thanks to a break in the clouds and a consistent breeze from the North, the track ended up patchy damp in some spots, but mostly dry during the runs.

The Algarve Blue Metallic Cayenne Turbo GT was a stock production car equipped with Pirelli P Zero Corsa PZC4 NC0 tires that come as standard and set with a starting pressure of 39 psi front, 38 psi rear. It features the GT Interior Package with Deep Sea Blue deviated stitching.

The Oak Green Metallic Neo Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid was also a stock production car equipped with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 ND1 tires developed and homologated specifically for the car set with a starting pressure of 37 psi front/rear. It features Club Leather interior in Espresso, Sport Exhaust with tailpipes in Dark Bronze, as well as numerous comfort options, such as eight-way power rear seats with power sunblind’s for the rear compartment and side windows, ventilated seats front and rear, and Premium Package.

MINI Presents Agents of Fun, Starring Jack Lowden

MINI is set to launch Agents of Fun – a cinematic new campaign fronted by actor, producer, and Golden Globe–nominated Jack Lowden, reimagining the car advert as something entirely different: a sharp, espionage-inspired short film with subversive wit and cultural edge. It marks a return to narrative-led advertising – where story drives impact, rules are playfully bent, and the MINI John Cooper Works shares the spotlight as a protagonist in its own right.

Lowden’s involvement underscores the campaign’s cultural credibility and sense of timing. In both tone and execution, it reflects the resurgence of the espionage thriller – a genre increasingly set in the UK, particularly London. At the heart of these stories lies intrigue, misdirection, and a dose of underdog mischief – themes that resonate in culture right now. Agents of Fun channels that energy, offering MINI’s own playful take on the genre.

Directed by Ilya Naishuller, best known for the cult action hit Nobody and the first-person thriller Hardcore Henry; and shot on 16mm film by Golden Globe–nominated cinematographer Christopher Ross (Shōgun, The Day of the Jackal), the film draws on the visual language of classic spy thrillers, refracted through a self-aware, modern British lens.

Acclaimed for his layered, quietly defiant performances in Slow Horses, Benediction, and The Gold, Lowden brings grounded charisma to the campaign’s lead role: a wry, agile figure navigating a stylish world of espionage. The MINI John Cooper Works (JCW) plays not just a supporting role, but a true on-screen accomplice – compact, fast, and deliberately hard to pin down.

“I’ve always been interested in stories that invite the audience to read between the lines. This stood out, not just because it looked great or moved well, but because it felt authored. It played with form in a way that still had pace and wit. That’s the kind of work I’m drawn to, whether it’s on stage, on screen, or here; something that trusts the audience and doesn’t shout. It’s smart, but it doesn’t take itself too seriously. That’s a rare balance.”

– Jack Lowden, actor

Agents of Fun plays like a spy film with a satirical edge – combining high-stakes energy with fourth wall-breaking wit. Jack Lowden acts as our conduit between the film’s world and the audience, delivering a performance that balances cool charm and dry humor with real pathos. He guides viewers through the chaos with a knowing wink and a sense of emotional depth that anchors the film’s stylish mischief.

The stunts are sharply choreographed but deliberately redacted; the MINI John Cooper Works pulls off thrilling maneuvers, only to be obscured by playful censorship graphics that echo the look of classified documents. This redaction sits at the heart of the idea: the action is hidden, just out of reach, enticing viewers to seek it out on the channels where we’re actually allowed to show it. Ironically, by following the rules to the letter, the campaign creates a cinematic sleight of hand; where the chase is felt more than seen, and tension gives way to wit without ever losing its pace.

Set against a backdrop of visual tension and coded intrigue, the film explores themes of escape and identity – with the MINI JCW itself cleverly redacted throughout, hinting at its performance without revealing it outright. It’s positioned as the ultimate underdog getaway car, moving with ease through a world that’s just slightly off-kilter.

Shot entirely on location at MINI Plant Oxford, the film grounds its surreal edge in a place where every MINI is born, lending an added layer of authenticity to the story. The MINI has always carried that underdog energy – compact but uncompromising, underestimated but impossible to ignore. Its legendary go-kart feel isn’t just a quirk; it’s a design philosophy.

“The brief was simple: break the rules. Most car ads tiptoe around convention – this one was about yanking the thread and watching the whole thing unravel. We wanted something cinematic, subversive, and unapologetically bold. Jack Lowden? The perfect partner-in-crime.”

– Ilya Naishuller, director

While the campaign heroes the MINI John Cooper Works, Agents of Fun reflects how brands and talent are increasingly navigating the space between culture and commerce. Rather than leaning into traditional automotive tropes – or the industry’s pivot toward selling lifestyle in response to strict advertising limitations – it reframes performance through emotion, agility, and creative freedom. It’s a deliberate shift that echoes MINI’s broader ambition to show up in culture in ways that feel both resonant and relevant.

“There’s no other brand that could deliver something like Agents of Fun, it’s bold, unexpected, and driven by joy. This campaign is about reminding people what MINI has always stood for – performance with personality. We didn’t want to make just another car ad, we wanted something that felt smart, cinematic, and uniquely MINI.”

– David Beattie, Director, MINI UK

Agents of Fun launches across digital, social, and cinema on June 27, 2025.

Chrysler Unveils New Episode in Century of Innovation Series Highlighting Iconic Concepts and Technologies

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (June 27, 2025) – Chrysler is proud to introduce the latest chapter in its seven-part Century of Innovation social media video series with a new episode titled “Legendary Innovation.” The new installment showcases the brand’s most iconic concept vehicles from its first 100 years, highlighting the groundbreaking features and technologies these visionary models helped bring to life.

The episode features legendary Chrysler concepts, such as the 1941 Chrysler Thunderbolt, 1953 Chrysler Special, 1963 Chrysler Turbine Car, 1995 Chrysler Atlantic and 1998 Chrysler Chronos, among others. Recently, media were given exclusive access to experience these historic vehicles firsthand during a special Chrysler historical vehicle drive on June 4, at Detroit’s Belle Isle, celebrating a century of Chrysler innovation.

“Legendary Innovation” is the fourth video in the Century of Innovation series and will be featured on the Chrysler brand’s (Instagram) and Stellantis North America (Facebook/Instagram/X/LinkedIn) social media channels. Full-length versions of all videos can be viewed on Chrysler brand and Stellantis North America YouTube channels.

Previous episodes of the Chrysler Century of Innovation video series include:

  • “Chrysler Century of Innovation” features Chrysler CEO Chris Feuell reflecting on Chrysler’s 100-year legacy and Chrysler’s vision of the future
  • “Chrysler Through the Decades” with Chrysler Historian Brandt Rosenbusch takes a decade-by-decade look at key moments from a century of Chrysler
  • “Automotive Legend: Walter P. Chrysler” gives an in-depth look at the man who founded Chrysler 100 years ago, his impact on automotive innovation and how his legacy lives on today a century later

Summer Century of Innovation Celebration
Chrysler also announces exciting plans to celebrate its centennial this summer by honoring the owners and enthusiasts who have supported the brand across generations — from the original 1924 Chrysler Six to today’s innovative 2025 Chrysler Pacifica. The brand will feature special displays and activations at premier automotive events this year, including:

  • Carlisle Chrysler Nationals, July 11-13 in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, featuring nearly 3,000 vehicles from all eras of Chrysler and Mopar vehicles
  • Gilmore Car Museum in Michigan with Chrysler historic vehicles participating in a cruise-in and featured at the museum’s popular Red Barns Spectacular car show on August 2
  • Woodward Cruise, the world’s biggest car cruise, taking place on Woodward Avenue in Metro Detroit on August 16

More details on Chrysler brand activities at Carlisle, the Gilmore Car Museum and Woodward will be shared later this summer.

To mark 100 years of innovation, Chrysler launched a Century of Innovation sales event in June. Fans can also explore a limited-edition 100th anniversary collection of branded apparel and gifts available now at collection.Chrysler.com.

For more information on the Chrysler Century of Innovation celebration, visit Chrysler.com.

STORIES: A Porsche Collection in Moonstone

June 26, 2025 – With a past shrouded in mystery, this polarizing color often changes its appearance and even goes by different names. And it shows up just about every day in the dreams of Porsche collector Justin Roeser of San Antonio in the US state of Texas. The color that has fired Roeser’s imagination for many years is lilac, referred to as Moonstone in the Porsche world.

Applied only to 223 cars in the 911 (G-Series), 924, and 928 model ranges worldwide in 1979 and 1980, Moonstone is one of the rarest colors to grace the exterior of a Porsche. What makes it so mysterious is that it can appear white, purple, or pink depending on the lighting and weather.

Roeser owns three of these rare vehicles: a 924, a 911 SC Targa (G-Series), and his latest acquisition, Oli, one of just nine Porsche 928 ever produced in Moonstone. For the 45-year-old US American, Moonstone has become more than just a color. The search for any traces of this rare shade has colored his life, filling him with a passion for fitting all the different puzzle pieces together, tracking down individual models, and researching the color’s origin. A journey full of adventures that occasionally feel as magical as the color itself – and take him all the way to Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen.

Love at second sight
The first time Roeser ever encountered a lilac-colored Porsche sports car – a 911 Turbo (930) from 1979 – was in a 2018 advertisement. He was thrilled. Roeser paid a visit to the dealer offering the vehicle in the US state of Connecticut. “I’d never seen the color before and immediately remembered the soft candies in this pale lilac color that I used to love as a kid,” he recalls. “But the Turbo would remain a dream, at least for the time being.”

A short time later, someone in Germany offered him a 928, which he initially refused. At that time, he had no interest in a model with an automatic transmission and preferred to look for something else in Moonstone. He awoke one morning in 2020 and saw a German dealer’s Instagram post offering a 924 in this very same color. Roeser contacted the dealer – and purchased the car sight unseen. That 924 was the first puzzle piece in his collection, but by no means the rarest. Of the 223 vehicles in Moonstone, 196 of those are 924 models.

Two years later, Justin Roeser discovered a classified ad in Germany featuring a lilac-colored 911 SC Targa for sale that had once roamed American roads. He pounced on the opportunity, in large part because it seemed to be one of the earliest models in his favorite color. The car had been built in 1977, when Moonstone was still a special request and not yet a standard color. There’s also the fact that a 911 in Moonstone is much rarer than a 924, as only 18 models were delivered in that color at the time. The puzzle pieces fit together, with two of the three existing Moonstone models now in his garage. But for Roeser, the search was far from over.

Then in early 2023, he crossed paths again with the same 928 featuring an automatic transmission. Roeser, who had since turned his hobby of locating interesting cars into a career, contacted a mechanic in Germany who could help him find a special limited-edition model, “30 Jahre 911” (30 Years of the 911), also known as the “anniversary 911,” for a customer. During their conversation, he also asked the mechanic to get in touch with him if he were to ever come across the lilac-colored 928. The mechanic promptly informed him that he knew the vehicle and its owner. It was love at second sight, and Roeser pounced immediately, finally adding the third piece of the puzzle, one of just nine lilac-colored 928, to his collection.

In search of the origin story
Nearly one and a half years later, in August 2024, Roeser traveled to Germany’s Ruhr region to pick up Oli, which is what he calls his latest acquisition. “You don’t find the car. The car finds you,” says Roeser, deep in thought. He leaves little to chance. In fact, he very deliberately chose the name Oli, inspired by the name of the 928’s previous owner, Oliver, as well as Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone, whose last name reminds him of the word “moonstone.”

Because he wanted to learn even more about the rare color, Roeser decided to embark on his first big journey with Oli, 10,000 kilometers across Europe. “Everyone thinks I’m a nerd,” says Roeser, who once worked in the shipping industry, laughing at himself. “But this color gives me such a good feeling. The search itself is so exciting. Finding new stories again and again is what drives me.” Like a journalist in search of a big story.

Roeser’s first stop after picking up the 928 is the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, where Vlasta Hatter has been waiting for him, so that the two of them can travel back in time. The designer was a member of the Porsche team that created the exterior color Moonstone in the 1970s. Hatter was also responsible for creating the design icon Pascha, a black and white seat pattern inspired by the checkered flag waved at the finish line in motorsport racing.

Roeser can hardly wait. Over the years, he’s invented all sorts of theories about how Porsche came up with such an extraordinary color, often discussing them with friends. Early on, he’d only ever known the color as Moonstone and was unaware that it had a different name in German, “Flieder.” Now he has the opportunity to ask the woman elegantly dressed in black and white himself.

“The inspiration came from the lilac plant (“Flieder” in German), which you can see everywhere in May,” explains Vlasta Hatter. “It has different colors, and we opted for this lighter shade after producing different prototypes.” During the development process, she prepared special inspiration boards featuring clippings from fashion magazines, materials such as wood, metal, and imitation leather, carpets, and different sources of inspiration from fashion, the furniture industry, and architecture. There’s a reason why the mysterious color looks so different depending on the lighting. “It wasn’t a metallic paint. Instead, we used pigments that are no longer allowed today. They’re responsible for this effect. It really was a very special color.”

– Vlasta Hatter, who worked for the Porsche Studio from 1976 to 2008

Despite all the effort made by the man in charge at that time, Anatole Lapine, and his design team – for example, the English name Moonstone, which was more interesting than just “Lilac” and was supposed to recall the gemstone – the color wasn’t very well received by the sales team and customers. There was very little advertising, and the color was apparently out of step with the time. “Whenever something new shows up, it takes time for people to understand it. But 50 years is a little long,” says Hatter and laughs. However, the Chairman of the Executive Board at that time, Ernst Fuhrmann, was ahead of his time and drove one of the first models before the color was even incorporated into series production.

Moonstone would likely be a bestseller today. In fact, Pantone named the shade, which it refers to as “Very Peri,” a trendy color in 2022. The company is responsible for creating a globally standardized color system to ensure consistent color reproduction in design, printing, fashion, and other creative fields. Porsche’s current Paint to Sample color Moongem is inspired by the Moonstone of the past. And even when developing the color Provence, which premiered with the all-electric Macan, the designers looked to the archive for inspiration.

“I got goose bumps when Vlasta Hatter showed me the picture of the lilac plant. You imagine how it might’ve been. And then the woman who developed so many amazing colors with her team explains what it was really like. Meeting her was both moving and surreal at the same time.”

– Justiin Roeser, Porsche collector

Across Europe
The visit to the Porsche Museum is the perfect start to Roeser’s personal Moonstone journey. The next stop is for a get-together with another lilac-colored 928 and its owner near Nördlingen, almost 100 kilometers east of Stuttgart. Locating the color twin required detective work. In a photo, he discovered the name of a workshop in small writing on the license plate. The first decisive hint. Roeser was able to make contact – and is now standing before the two lilac-colored 928. It’s just about impossible to differentiate between the two as, despite the multifaceted color nuances, the cars shimmer just the same on today’s drive.

Roeser embarks on the next leg of his journey to Deutsches Fahrzeugmuseum (German Vehicle Museum) in the Upper Franconian town of Fichtelberg, where he comes across another vehicle in Moonstone, a 924 Turbo. During the drive through Bavaria, he travels to Grossglockner mountain, the town of Zell am See, and then on to Vienna, through Croatia and across the Adriatic Sea by ferry to Italy for a drive down the coast. Oli calls it quits at the seaside resort city of Rimini for the first time and refuses to start up. Roeser is initially at a loss.

But during the unplanned stop, he learns from people he’s just met that there’s a MotoGP race going on just a few kilometers away. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Roeser decides to go to the race and turn the brief interruption in his journey into something positive. “Shortly thereafter, it became clear that one of the ignition cables was responsible for the breakdown,” he explains. “I was able to repair it myself. And for me, it felt like the ignition cable quite literally brought back the spark between us – our connection. As far as I’m concerned, cars have a soul.”

After that, he joins a group of acquaintances in France, who are driving their very own “Croissant Rally” along narrow country roads, covering a distance of 300 kilometers in one day. “That was probably the best day on the road I’d ever had,” gushes Roeser. The days pass by in a flash, the 928 covers kilometer after kilometer, Roeser meets new people and, more importantly, he develops an intensive relationship with the 928, quite possibly the last puzzle piece in his collection.

Has his search for Moonstone come to an end? Or has the journey itself been half the fun? “I don’t know how much more digging I can do. I found the origin story – the lilac plant – in the conversation with Vlasta Hatter,” says Roeser. “But this special connection remains. So it’s probably no coincidence that Moonstone was launched the year I was born, which was 1979.” As far as Justin Roeser is concerned, it was meant to be.

Text first published in Christophorus Magazine, issue 414.
Author: Bianca Leppert
Photos: Kevin McCauley

Copyright: All images, videos and audio files published in this article are subject to copyright. Reproduction in whole or in part is not permitted without the written consent of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG. Please contact newsroom@porsche.com for further information.