Porsche has a long history of using Volkswagen vans, painted a strident red, as support vehicles for its motorsport activities. That tradition is being renewed this year, as the bright red VW vans are returning to Porsche's pitlanes, this time in the shape of the all-electric ID. Buzz.
Race Service vans
Reviving the Renndienst ('race service') name, the new Buzzes have already been at work, supporting the Porsche Carrera Cup races at Spa-Francorchamps. "I am delighted that the legendary Renndienst bus is experiencing a revival in the Porsche Carrera Cup Germany," says Alexander Pollich, CEO of Porsche Deutschland. "The two ID. Buzz with a racing design will accompany us to every race over the next few months and support our teams in their work."
Lars Krause, Member of the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Board of Management for Sales and Marketing: "The history surrounding the T1 and T2 Porsche Renndienst buses is unique. Like the Porsche race cars they accompanied, the red buses also achieved cult status. We are building on this and reviving the partnership in a very contemporary way: still dark red, but now also noticeably quiet - because they are electric, with the ID. Buzz as a basis."
Since 1954
The use of Renndienst vans goes back as far as the 1954 Mille Miglia - the (in)famous 1,000-mile road race around Italy. That first Renndienst was based on a VW T1 van, but later T2 vans were used that at least had a fractionally greater chance of getting to the track on time.
According to Porsche: "The vans with their reliable air-cooled engines were not only used as mobile service stations, but also as temporary accommodation for the engineers and other team members. And the Renndienst buses weren't just functional - they also looked great with their dark red paintwork. Even though it was always the legendary Porsche 904, 908, 910 and 917 cars that took the headlines, the VW buses became an integral part of the works team. Today, some of the still surviving Renndienst buses are exhibited in museums or stored in the garages of Porsche collectors. Perhaps the new models will be added to these collections in a few years."
A busy season ahead
Where can you catch the Renndienst Buzzes this year? Well, in the 2023 season, the Porsche Carrera Cup Germany will take place across four different European countries. The series has already kicked off with the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) in Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium). Porsche Deutschland is celebrating the Festival of Dreams at the Porsche Experience Centre at the Hockenheimring to mark the 75th anniversary of Porsche sports cars. Could be worth getting along to, with or without a Buzz.