Frank, former head of the 911/718 product line, announced his appointment as CEO of Bentley at the same time as the Porsche 992.2 Hybrid was announced.

Frank-Steffen Walliser to become CEO of Bentley from 1 July 2024

May 28, 2024, this day is the anniversary of the Porsche 911 for me.The later 992 model, the 992.2, will be announced.So it was a day I had been waiting for and was really looking forward to.

But when May 28th actually came around, what should have been a fun and happy day turned out to be a sad day as well.

On May 28th, the same day as the 992.2 was announced, it was announced that Frank-Steffen Walliser, the previous head of the 911 and 718 product lines and who had worked at Porsche for nearly 30 years, would become CEO of Bentley from July 1st, 2024.

Of course, being appointed CEO of Bentley is a promotion in the eyes of the public and a wonderful thing to celebrate.

However, I can't help but think that Frank must have mixed emotions when he announced this on the same day as the world premiere of the 992.2.

Because, Frank,As of March 2020, he said, "If the 911 is no longer a gasoline-engine vehicle, I hope it will be after I retire."It is.

Oh no, I'll probably end up crying every night.

He was someone who had been fighting to somehow keep the naturally aspirated engine and the manual transmission at Porsche, but it seems that he made the above statement when he realized that his fight alone was no longer enough.

Although he was no longer part of the top 911 model line, the fact that he was announced as new boss at Bentley on the day that the 911 was unveiled as its first hybrid model seems to be a clear indication that he is committed to his wish that "if the 911 ever stops being a gasoline-engine vehicle, it should be after I retire."

Of course, this is just my own imagination.

But was it really necessary to announce that he would be taking over from July 1st on a date like Tuesday, May 28th, which is not a special occasion at all and is also the day of Porsche's spectacular world premiere of the 992.2?

Yes, I think this was something that Frank was adamant about until the very end. Now that the 911 is being released with more than just gasoline engines, he is keeping his word that he will leave Porsche.

Last fallI had the chance to meet Frank...

I think I was so excited that I wasn't able to speak properly, but I was still able to personally express my gratitude to him for making the 911, so I was really glad about that alone.

I believe that there are many people at Porsche who are thinking a lot about the 911 (and other models as well), and who are struggling with various environments and situations, but still trying to create the best 911 for the current era.

I feel Frank's feelings, and I am grateful to everyone who is working hard to create a 911 that suits the modern era, and I look forward to continuing to enjoy the 911 for a long time to come.

Sorry for the drunken comments I make every night.

But as happy as I was about the announcement of the 992.2, it's also a complicated night thinking about Frank, who probably chose this day himself to announce his decision to leave Porsche, and I'm crying (tears, tears).

Source:The Father of the Porsche 918 Is Now in Charge of Bentley

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Rika (911supercars.com)

I'm Rika, the author of this article. Ever since Porsche 911 became my favorite car, I've become totally addicted to Porsche, and I can't stop loving Porsche, so I started this blog. My favorite cars are 911 Carrera (991.2), 911 Carrera Cabriolet (992.1), and 911 Carrera T (992.1).