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Porsche 968 |
| Wednesday, February 13, 2008 |
Porsche 968 is basically the successor of the Porsche 944. It has a low nose and wide wheel arches that helps accentuating the beautiful lines of this classic shape that in a Porsche Guards Red is a real head turner. It has also the classic GT front engine, rear wheel drive layout with the added advantage of a rear transaxle giving almost perfect weight distribution.
Instead of the hidden headlights of the 944, the 968 has visible pop up headlights, similar to the Porsche 928. This brings the look of the car inline with the new Porsche 997-911. This change has also a practical advantage: the headlights can be washed along with the rest of the car instead of having to pop them up to wash them.
As for the interior, it remains the same as produced in the 944, keeping the famous “oval dash”. The designers used the same robust materials which have given all Porsche owners many years of trouble free motoring.
The exterior has a few differences: the door mirrors have been streamlined with the tear drop effect and the wheels have 5 spoke Cup design alloys. The rear bumper is more blended and with integral rear light clusters, making it almost indistinguishable from the bodywork. All these bodywork changes made the 968 look a lot like the 928, and added the engine heritage, some people have referred to it as “the daughter of 928”.
The engine is a version of the one first used on the 944 S2: it is a 4 cylinder, 3 liter, 16 valve unit. And they added VarioCam for optimum power throughout the speed range. It has 240 HP at 6200 rpm and a torque of 305 Nm at 4100 rpm, given by the improved combustion chamber and inlet manifold design. At the time of production, it was a remarkable engine, having the highest displacement per cylinder of any car engine and also the highest torque output of any unblown 3 liter engine. Clearly, the result of Porsches investment in this engine paid off.
The rear-mounted gearbox is a 6-speed manual or 4 speed tiptronic. It is the first ever mounted on a production car. The chassis has almost perfect weight distribution and very stiff characteristics. Usually, most cars start to fail when it comes to breaks and the reason is that it doesn’t matter how fast the car is in a straight line if you can’t take a bend (turn) at the right safe speed. But Porsche brakes have always been the envy of most road sports car manufacturers. You will notice little or no or no discernable fatigue even under harsh use of Porsche 968. ABS adds even more safety to the already excellent braking system. Also, what makes the brakes so effective is that the wheels themselves are designed to prevent the tire from coming off the rim in the event of a sudden pressure loss.Labels: Porsche 968 |
posted by khanggareng @ 7:24 AM  |
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Porsche 911 Turbo |
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In 2006, Dr. Ing. H.c. Porsche will extend it’s current product line with the addition of a new 911 Turbo, the sixth generation of the 911 series. This top-of-the-range model will have its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show on February 28, 2006 and as from June 24, 2006 it will be available in German dealerships. The 911 Turbo (type 997) has a few improvements. It has an output of 480 bhp at 6,000 rpm, a 3.6 litre engine, a rated torque of 620 Nm and a maximum torque available between 1,950 and 5,000 rpm. All these numbers are translated into driving performance, as the 911 Turbo with six-speed manual transmission only needs 3.9 seconds to get from zero to 100 km/h. The coupe reaches 200 km/h in 12.8 seconds. Despite these performance statistics, Porsche developers succeeded to keep the averageconsumption to 12.8 liters per100 km. For those who need even more speed, the 911 Turbo offers the optionally Tiptronic S automatic transmission. This way, it can reach 100 km/h from a standing start in just 3.7 seconds and 200 km/h in a mere 12.2 seconds. Both manual and automatic transmissions have a top speed of 310 km/k. Available for the first time, the optional “Sport Chrono Package Turbo” enhances the vehicle’s flexibility even further. The Porsche 911 Turbo features a redesigned all-wheel drive with an electronically controlled multi-disc clutch. The result will be the transfer of the available power to the road. That’s because, depending on the driving conditions, this system will determine the optimal torque distribution to ensure the best-possible drive. Also, Porsche Traction Management (PTM) ensures variable power distribution to the two driven axles. This means that on the road the 911Turbo will prove outstanding traction in the rain or snow, high agility on narrow country roads and optimal active safety even at high speeds.
The new 911 Turbo’s driving performance is duly tempered by its brake system, which comprises monobloc fixed-caliper disc brakes with six pistons at the front axle and four at the rear. The diameter of the internally ventilated and perforated brake discs at the front and rear wheels is 350 millimeters. An optimized ceramic brake system that Porsche offers is Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB). This high-tech system reduces with 17 kilograms the standard brake system and provides an excellent fading stability.
The major bodywork change of the 911 Turbo is the modified front end with its distinctive, tautly drawn cooling air inlets. Combined with the standard oval bi-xenon headlights, it will define the new unmistakable image. From the rear perspective too, the Turbo will seem more powerful. This is due first and foremost to its tail end, 22 millimeters wider than that of the previous model, to which the redesigned wing spoiler element has been aligned.
Secondly, the lateral air inlets behind the doors have been redrawn and now they offer a more efficient supply of cooling air to the charge-air intercoolers. The basic price for the 911 Turbo is 115,000 Euros. In the USA, from July 8, 2006, the vehicle will be available at $122,000 (not including taxes).Labels: Porsche 911, Turbo |
posted by khanggareng @ 7:22 AM  |
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