Porsche Penske Motorsports extends Apple alliance with new throwback look

Porsche Penske Motorsport and Apple will continue their collaboration from Long Beach which celebrates both the 75th anniversary of Porsche Motorsport and the 50th anniversary of Apple. But while Porsche Penske's Long Beach livery featured only some hints of the most famous Porsche-Apple collaboration of yesteryear, at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, the team will pay proper homage to the 1980 Dick Barbour Racing Porsche 935 K3, incorporating the well-known rainbow spectrum and the vintage Apple Computers logo for IMSA’s throwback weekend.

“We’ve enjoyed a longstanding relationship with Porsche, going back to 1980 when a Porsche race car first carried the Apple logo,” said Oliver Schusser, vice president of Apple Music, Sports and Beats. “That moment marked the beginning of a shared passion for innovation and creativity that continues to define our collaboration today.

“As Apple celebrates its 50th anniversary, we’re proud to once again partner with Porsche on a design that pays tribute to that original 1980 livery.”

Though it only raced in IMSA for the 1980 season, and made only one appearance at that year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, the original Apple Porsche 935 K3 from Dick Barbour Racing and Garretson Enterprises remains one of the more memorable cars in the long, storied history of Porsche Motorsport. Bob Garretson and Bobby Rahal shared driving duties for most of the 1980 IMSA season, and were joined by Allan Moffat for Le Mans.

“What began with the debut of the Porsche 911 at the 1963 IAA Motor Show is mirrored by the Apple Computer: both are icons that stand for innovation and continuous development by experts in Zuffenhausen, Weissach and Cupertino”, said Thomas Laudenbach, vice president of Porsche Motorsport. “That is particularly true of Porsche Motorsport, where innovations have been created since 1951 under the highest competitive demands.”

Laguna Seca is about 80 miles south of Apple Park in Cupertino, and has been the host of the last four editions of the Porsche Rennsport Reunion.

Porsche Penske Motorsport has enjoyed recent success at Laguna Seca, winning the last two IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races with the 963. The team once again finds itself leading the GTP teams and manufacturers’ standings, with Felipe Nasr and Julien Andlauer leading the drivers’ championship.