PORSCHE

Porsche 968

2008-02-13T07:24:00.000-08:00

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.

Porsche 911 Turbo

2008-02-13T07:22:00.001-08:00

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).

Porsche 550 Spyder

2008-02-13T07:19:00.000-08:00

In 1953, Porsche needed a race car more powerful than the 356. So they created the 550. This was the first true competition car from Porsche. It was lightweight, it had two seats, aluminum body, tubular frame and an open top. They were racing only with
Volkswagen. The initial pair of 550 dominated their class at Le Mans finishing one-two in the 1500cc division. Then, one of the two cars won its category in the famed Pan Americana Mexican road race.

Subsequent 550`s carried on what the initial 550`s had started. They were fitted with the four-cam Carrera flat four cylinders. They soon became dominant cars world wide. During races, it was fast and easily maneuvered so no other car stand a chance. But people loved it purchasing every one of these quick little cars they could find.

In 1956, Porsche started to produce the 550A, a slightly modified Spyder. It was a hit, shocking the entire world by winning in its first Appearance in Targa Florio, a brutal road race. It also humbled well-known and more powerful rivals such as Ferrari, Maseratti and Jaguar. In the next five years it won almost all the races in which it competed. It became a car that attracted more attention for its occasional
losses than for the nearly non-stop victories.

Porsche

2008-02-11T08:23:00.001-08:00

Almost a century after its founder started designing automobiles,
Porsche is still going strong and that’s the result of a premier cure
for a mid-life crisis similar to Harley - Davidson. Porsche's lineup
includes four model lines: the Boxster, the 911 models, the
Cayenne SUV, and the Carrera GT. And if these vehicles are
too expensive, Porsche also offers watches, luggage, and tennis
rackets bearing its name. Descendants of the founding family
still control the company and these days it has enlarged its area
by offering consulting services to other companies involved in
auto and furniture manufacturing, mechanical and electronic
engineering, and construction.

Over the years, Porsche transformed itself from serious
money-loser into one of the most profitable car companies in
the world, all this while other car manufactures toil over cash
incentives, market share and strategies for the Chinese market.
Porsche has constantly rolled out new products and despite
the costs and risks is has quadrupled its annual unit sales in just
under a decade. The most recent debuts are the Boxster and the Cayenne.
And so far, the key of their success seems to be the long
product life cycles and the company intends to maintain this
strategy.

2005 Porsche Carrera GT

2008-02-11T08:22:00.000-08:00

Unofficially, the Porsche Carrera GT is a racecar, a racecar
built for the street. What makes it a racecar is not
necessarily the huge power produced by its V10 engine
or the carbon fiber construction that keeps everything very
lightweight – although these features surely make it a fast
car. It’s more the sum of its parts that make this car worth
every bit of its $440,000 price tag.

The Porsche Carrera GT was introduced as a 2004 model
and until 2005 there were already a few changes in order
to make the Carrera GT the new Porsche super car. These were
minor updates in order to make it a little more street friendly.
Between the supplemental bar hoops is now mounted a glass
screen. The seats height is adjusted along with the additional
bolstering in the thigh area. The Carrera GT is easy recognizable,
as it’s a low, sleek, lightweight roadster, very beautiful on the
outside as it is on the inside. Two removable panels that can
be stored in the front trunk make the foul weather protection
available.

The car has unique features, among which are: 5.7 liter, 605
horsepower V10 engine, monocoque chassis with
Porsche-patented engine and transmission mounts made of
carbon-reinforced plastic and the first use of a ceramic
composite clutch in a production car. A very important aspect
is that The Carrera is safe and stable at speeds up to 205 mph,
thanks to its aerodynamic and race-bred suspension package.

The design of the suspension is so sophisticated that the
shape of its components improves the Carrera GT`s aerodynamics.
The designers used lightweight materials such as magnesium
for the car’s substantial wheels and the frames of its special sport
seats, the result being a faster and safer car. To prove so, The
Carrera GT accelerates from a standing start to 62 mph (100km/h)
in only 3.9 seconds reaches 100 mph (160 km/h) in less than seven
seconds, 125 mph (200 km/h) in less than 10 seconds, and can
achieve a top test-track speed of 205 mph (330 km/h).

What makes this car have these impressive results is it’s 5.5
liter, normally aspirated V10 engine for racing created in the
development center in Weissach, Germany. That engine’s bores
have been enlarged to displace 5.7 liters in the Carrera GT. It has
a very low center of gravity, a 68-degree V angle and four
valves-per-cylinder heads. Since the block, crankshaft and
camshafts are all made of light alloys, the engine weights
only 472 pounds (214 kg).

To stop this “monster” Porsche`s team used a high-tech
braking system. Developed for demanding motorsports
applications, ceramic brakes are the first to work for on-road use.
The massive 15 inch ventilated discs and six-piston calipers have
the amazing capacity of bringing the car to a sure and safe stop,
matched only by the stunning acceleration of Carrera GT.

Porsche Carrera GT is definitely a exotic appearance, a
car that can do it all: fascinate you with its good looks, astound
you with its performance and abilities on the race track.