The marque is Porsche. The ingredients are innovation, emotion, aspiration and fascination. The championship is Carrera Cup Australia.

This year up to 25 of the most talented and dedicated drivers from Australia and New Zealand will pilot Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (Type 997) cars in an eight-round national Championship at the finest motor racing circuits and events in Australia.

Entering its sixth season, Carrera Cup Australia is one of eight International Carrera Cups contested around the world.

With a championship in Germany, Asia, Great Britain, Japan, France, Scandanavia, Italy and Australia, Carrera Cup has developed into the most successful ‘one make’ sports car motor racing Championship in the world.

Porsche’s rich and acclaimed motor racing heritage started more than 50 years ago, however Carrera Cup Championships were introduced in Germany in 1990 featuring thoroughbred 911 Carrera racing vehicles.

Wind the clock forward another sixteen years, and 2006 saw the introduction of the 997-based Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars. These cars have been meticulously developed by Porsche’s racing arm in Weissach in Germany, ensuring they are at the cutting edge of motorsport technology.

The car features enhanced aerodynamics - a new front section and a larger rear wing producing 40 percent more down force than the previous 996 model.

With a top speed in excess of 300 kilometres per hour, the lightweight, high performance vehicles have a 400 horsepower, 3.6-litre six-cylinder boxer engine, which revs to a maximum 8400 RPM - producing a sound that is distinctly Porsche.

The six-speed sequential gearbox makes gear shifting faster and more failsafe, while the ABS brakes are replaced by tandem racing master cylinders and an in-car brake bias adjustment control. This feature will enable drivers to brake later and gain maximum braking effect.

What makes Carrera Cup racing so exciting is that the cars are as close to identical as you will find in any motor racing series in the world. The winning advantage comes down to driver and team skill, experience and determination.

In 2008 Carrera Cup Australia - the primary support category to the V8 Supercar Championship Series - will be the only support category to feature at the biggest motorsport events on the calendar, inlcuding the Clipsal 500, the FORMULA 1™ ING Australian Grand Prix, Phillip Island 500, Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 and the Gold Coast Indy 300.