‘Mister 911’ Retiring After Two Decades Leading Porsche 911’s Development

August Achleitner, the man who has shaped the Porsche 911 since 2001, will retire from the German marque and hand over control of the 911 series to current Head of Motorsport and GT Road Vehicles, Frank-Steffen Walliser.

Achlietner joined Porsche in 1983 in the company’s chassis department. From 1989 to 2000, he headed up the Technical Product Development, Vehicle Concepts, and Package department before taking over responsibility of the 911 in 2011. The all-new 992 911 is the third-generation of the iconic German sports car to be launched under the Austrian’s watchful eye.

Achlietner quickly earned the nickname ‘Mister 911’ and has ensured that the 911 has continually improved with its original character remaining in tact.

Walliser will take over responsibility for the 911 at the start of 2019 while Fritz Enzinger will fill the vacant role as Head of Motorsport on 1 January, 2019.

Walliser first made an international name for himself when he was tasked as project manager for the 918 Spyder hybrid hypercar. After overseeing the development and launch of the car manufacturer’s fastest ever production, the 49-year-old became the head of Porsche Motorsport in 2014 while also being responsible for all GT models in the 911 family.

“We thank Gustl Achleitner for his extraordinary commitment to our company. Over the course of 18 years, he shaped the Porsche 911 more than anyone else. He understood just how to continually refine the 911, while always retaining its character,” Porsche chief executive Oliver Blume said.