Latest Posts
|
Tue 08 Mar 2011 |
Porsche Cayman
The 3.4 litre flat-6 boxer engine (M97.21) in the first generation Cayman S was derived from the 3.2 litre powerplant (M96.26) that was used in the Boxster S, but featured cylinder heads from the Porsche 997 S's 3.8 litre motor (M97.01) which have the VarioCam Plus inlet valve timing and lift system. A less powerful but more fuel efficient version powered the base model. The Porsche Design Edition 1 is a Cayman S model designed by Porsche Design, commemorating the 35th anniversary of Porsche Design. The all black car features a black full leather interior including seats, dashboard, and door trim as well as black Alcantara steering wheel, gear change lever, handbrake grip, and headliner.
|
|||
|
Porsche Cayenne
The Cayenne is a five seat mid-size luxury crossover manufactured since 2002. Its platform was developed by Porsche and is shared with the Volkswagen Touareg and the Audi Q7. It is the first V8-engined vehicle built by Porsche since 1995, when the Porsche 928 was discontinued. Since 2008, all engines have featured direct injection technology. The base model is powered by a 3.2-liter VR6 engine producing 250 hp, modifications in the exhaust manifold allow power to peak at 6700 rpm. This is the same 3.2-liter motor found on a Volkswagen Touareg and Volkswagen R32. A Turbo Diesel engine is also available. Acceleration from 0 to 97 km is 7.5 seconds with manual transmission and 8.1 seconds with the Tiptronic S. Notably, independent testing has produced a time of 9.2 seconds for the Tiptronic diesel.
|
||||
|
Porsche Boxster
The Boxster is a mid-engined roadster. The Boxster is Porsche's first road vehicle since the 550 Spyder that was originally designed as a roadster. The first-generation Boxster (the 986) was introduced in late 1996 as a 1997 model; it was powered by a 2.5 litre flat six-cylinder engine. In 2000, the new Boxster S variant was introduced with a larger 3.2 L motor, and the base model received a more powerful 2.7 L engine. In 2003, styling and engine output was upgraded. Through consultation with Toyota, Porsche greatly reduced the cost of manufacture, and introduced large-scale sharing of components between its models. The 986 Boxster had the same bonnet, front wings, and distinctive headlight units as the 996. Its original 2.5L M96 engine shared the same architecture with the 3.4L engine used in the 996. Many believe the combination of the new Boxster / 911 styling and the reduced build costs through component sharing saved Porsche from being acquired by another car company. In 2004 the 550 Spyder 50th Anniversary Edition was released, with a production run of 1953 cars. These were all painted GT Silver Metallic, and had unique cocoa-brown full-leather interior with grey natural leather. Each car also had special interior paintwork, a high-end BOSE sound system, two-tone grey and silver 18" Carrera wheels, 5 mm wheel spacers, the Boxster S sport exhaust, the M030 option sports suspension, and a plate on the center console piece commonly known as the "batwing" showing the production number.
|
||||
|
Porsche 980 or Carrera GT
The development of the Carrera GT can be traced back to its predecessors, the 911 GT1 and LMP1-98 racers. Due to the FIA and ACO rule changes in 1998, both designs ended. Porsche at the time planned on a new Le Mans prototype for 1999. The car was initially intended to use a turbocharged flat-6, but was later redesigned to use a new V10 engine, pushing the project back to planned completion in 2000. Porsche did keep part of the project alive by using the 5.5 L V10 from the prototype in a concept car shown at the 2000 Geneva Motor Show, mainly in an attempt to draw attention to their display. Surprising interest in the vehicle and an influx of revenue provided from the Cayenne helped Porsche decide to produce the car, and development started on a road-legal version that would be produced in small numbers at Porsche's new manufacturing facility in Leipzig. Performance:
Notable technology includes a pure carbon fiber monocoque and subframe, dry sump lubrication and inboard suspension.
|
||||
|
Porsche 968
The 968 was sold from 1992 to 1995. It took over the entry-level position in Porsche's lineup from the 944, with which it shared about 20% of its parts. The 968 became the final model in an the line, starting almost 20 years earlier with the introduction of the Porsche 924 and ending with the Turbo S, Turbo RS, and Turbo RS Lemans, which are three separate versions of the 968. It was powered by a version of the 944's straight-4 engine, now displacing 3.0 L with 104mm bore, 88mm stroke and producing 240 PS. Changes to the 968's powertrain also included the addition of Porsche's then-new VarioCam variable valve timing system, newly-optimized induction and exhaust systems, a dual-mass flywheel, and updated engine management electronics among other more minor revisions. The 968's styling was an evolution, itself styled evolutionarily from the earlier 924, elements were borrowed from the more expensive 928 model in an attempt to create a resemblance between them, and the swooping headlamp design, inspired by the 959, previewed similar units found later on the Type 993 911.
|
||||
|
Mon 07 Mar 2011 |
Porsche 959
The 959 is a sports car manufactured by Porsche from 1986 to 1989, first as a Group B rally car and later as a legal production car designed to satisfy FIA homologation regulations requiring that a minimum number of 200 street legal units be built. The lessons learned from the 959 project about engine management, aerodynamics, suspension tuning, and 4-wheel drive were what enabled the production life of the 911 to be extended to the present day. Development of the 959 started in 1981, shortly after the company's then-new Managing Director, Peter Schutz, took his office. Porsche's head engineer at the time, Helmuth Bott, approached Schutz with some ideas about the 911, a new one. Performance:
Porsche developed an already existing engine instead of creating a new one from scratch. The powerplant, a twin-turbocharged six-cylinder boxer engine with an air-cooled block and water-cooled heads, displaced 2.85 liters, about half a liter less than a contemporary 911 engine. It was coupled to a unique manual gearbox offering 5 forward speeds plus a "G" off-road gear, as well as reverse. The motor had originally been developed for the "Moby Dick" race car and then been redeveloped slightly for the short-lived Porsche Indy Car and several other projects before being "tweaked" a last time for use in the 961, the 959's racing counterpart.
|
|||
|
Porsche 944
The 944 is a sports car built by Porsche from 1982 to 1991. It was built on the same platform as the 924, although 924 production continued through 1988. The 944 was intended to last into the 90s, but major revisions planned for a 944 S3 model were eventually rolled into the 968 instead. The 944 was a successful model and was available as both a coupe and cabriolet in naturally aspirated and turbocharged forms. For the 1986 model year Porsche introduced the 944 Turbo, known internally as the 951. This had a turbocharged and intercooled version of the standard car's engine that produced 220 hp at 6000 rpm. The turbo was the first car using a ceramic portliner to retain exhaust gas temperature. The Turbo also featured other changes, better aerodynamics, a strengthened gearbox with a different final drive ratio, standard external oil coolers for both the engine and transmission, standard 16 inch wheels, and a slightly stiffer suspension. The 944 was on Car and Driver's Ten Best list from 1983 through 1985, and the Turbo made the list for 1986. In 1984, Car and Driver named the 944 the Best Handling Production Car in America.
|
||||
|
Porsche 930
Porsche began turbocharging their race cars during the late 1950s, and in 1972 began development on a turbocharged version of the 911. Porsche originally needed to produce the car in order to comply with homologation regulations and had intended on marketing it as a street legal race vehicle. Ferdinand "Ferry" Porsche, who was running the company at the time, handed development of the vehicle over to Ernst Fuhrmann, who adapted the turbo-technology originally developed for the 917/30 CAN-AM car to the 3.0 litre flat-six from the Carrera RS 3.0, creating what Porsche dubbed as 930. Total output from the engine was 260 PS (191 kW; 256 hp), more than the Carrera. Porsche badged the vehicle "Turbo" and debuted it at the Paris Auto Show in October 1974 before putting it on sale in the spring of 1975. Porsche made its first and most significant upgrades to the 930 for 1978, enlarging the engine to 3.3 litres and adding an air-to-air intercooler. By cooling the pressurized air charge, the intercooler helped increase power output to 300 hp, the rear 'whale tail' spoiler was re-profiled and raised to make room for the intercooler. Porsche also upgraded the brakes to units similar to those used on the 917 racecar.
|
||||
|
Porsche 928
By the late 1960s, Porsche had changed as a company, and executives including owner Ferdinand Porsche were playing with the idea of adding a luxury touring car. Managing Director Ernst Fuhrmann was also pressuring Ferdinand to approve development of the new model in light of concerns that the current flagship model at the time, the 911, was quickly reaching its maximum potential where it could soon no longer be improved upon. Fuhrmann envisioned the new range-topping model as being the best possible combination of a sports coupe and a luxury sedan, something well equipped and comfortable enough to be easily driven over long distances that also had the power, poise and handling necessary to be driven like a sports car. This set it apart from the 911, which was a pure sports car. The 928 featured a front-mounted, water-cooled V8 engine with rear wheel drive. Originally a 4.5L and featuring a single overhead camshaft design, it produced 219 hp for the North American market and 237 hp (176 kW/240 PS) in other markets.
|
||||
|
Porsche 924
The 924 is an automobile produced by Porsche of from 1976 to 1988. A two-door, 2+2 coupé, the 924 replaced the 914 as the company's entry-level model, and retired the 912. It was the first Porsche model powered by a water-cooled, front-mounted engine to make production easier, although the similarly-configured 928 was designed before the 924 these changes sped up production. The front-engine, rear wheel drive arrangement was normal, but it was unusual for Porsche having previously only used mid- or rear-mounted engines of a boxer configuration, all of which had been air-cooled. It was the first Porsche to be offered with automatic transmission. The 924 was intended to be Volkswagen's flagship sports car. Volkswagen commissioned Porsche to design the car, who developed a fresh chassis and transmission that would work with an existing VW I4 engine. They also handled the suspension, and the interior and exterior design. Porsche decided on a rear wheel drive layout, and chose a rear transaxle to help provide 48/52 front/rear weight distribution. This slight rear weight bias, despite the front-mounted engine, aided both traction and brake balance.
|
||||
|
Porsche 914
The 914 is a mid-engined, targa-topped two-seat roadster designed, manufactured by Volkswagen and Porsche from 1969 to 1976. By the late 1960s, both were in need of new models; Porsche was looking for a replacement for their entry-level 912, and Volkswagen wanted to replace the Karmann Ghia. At the time, the majority of Volkswagen's developmental work was handled by Porsche, part of a setup that dated back to Porsche's founding; Volkswagen needed to contract out one last project to Porsche to fulfill the contract, and decided to make this that project. Ferdinand Piëch, head of research and development at Porsche, was put in charge of the 914 project. On March 1, 1968, the first prototype was presented. However, development became complicated after the death of Volkswagen's chairman, Heinz Nordhoff. His successor, Kurt Lotz, was not connected with the Porsche dynasty and the verbal agreement between them fell apart. The 914/6 sold poorly while the much less expensive 914-4 became Porsche's top seller during its model run, outselling the Porsche 911 with over 118,000 units sold.
|
||||
|
Porsche 912
The 912 is a sports car that was manufactured by Porsche of Germany between 1965 and 1969 as their entry-level model. After the discontinuation of the 356 model in 1965, Porsche was left with the pricey new 911 as their only model. Fearing that its price increase over the 356 would cost the company sales and narrow the appeal of the brand, a decision was made to introduce a new entry-level model. Built on the 911's chassis and sharing its body, Porsche was able to offer the 912 for less than a base-model 911 by using the four-cylinder engine from the 356 rather than the 911's flat six-cylinder powerplant and by reducing the number of standard features. After updating the 911 line-up to include both a more powerful 911S and a less expensive 911T, Porsche began to feel that the 912 had become redundant, that the 911 pricing had largely come into line with market expectations. Owing to this and the desire to introduce a new model, the 912 was discontinued and superseded as Porsche's entry-level model by the 914 in 1970; a vehicle which Porsche had thought would be less expensive than the 912.
|
||||
|
Porsche 911
The Porsche 911 is a luxury 2-door sports coupe made by Porsche of Stuttgart, Germany. The engine was air-cooled until the introduction of the Type 996 in 1998. Since its introduction in autumn 1963 it has undergone continuous development. The basic concept has remained little changed in its evolution. Throughout its life, the 911 has been modified by private teams and by the factory itself for racing and other forms of automotive sports. It is among the most successful cars ever. In the mid 1970s, normally aspirated 911 Carrera RSRs won major world championship sports car races such as Targa Florio, Daytona, and Nürburgring. The 911-derived 935 turbo also won the coveted 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1979. In the 1999 international poll for the award of Car of the Century, the 911 came 5th. It is the one of 2 in the top five that had remained continuously in production (the original Beetle remained in production until 2003),and was until 1998 the most successful surviving application of the air- (now water-) cooled opposed rear engine layout pioneered by its original ancestor, the Volkswagen Beetle. It is one of the oldest sports coupe nameplates still in production.
|
||||
|
Porsche 356 - The beginning!
The 356 was the first production automobile made by them. It was a lightweight and nimble handling rear-wheel-drive and engine 2 door sports car available in hardtop and convertible mode. Design innovations continued during the years of manufacture, contributing to its motorsports success. Production started in 1948 at Gmünd in Austria where around 50 cars were built. In 1950 the factory relocated to Zuffenhausen, Germany and production continued until April 1965, well after the replacement model 911 made its autumn 1963 debut. It is estimated approximately half of the total production of 76,000 356s still survive. Little noticed at its inception, the first 356s sold primarily in Austria and Germany. It took Porsche two years to manufacture the first 50 automobiles. It was common for owners to race the car as well as drive it on the street. Increasing success with its racing and road cars brought Porsche orders for over 10,000 units in 1964, and by the time 356 production ended in 1965 approximately 76,000 had been produced. Being so popular with motor sport enthusiasts, in 2004, Sports Car International ranked the 356C nr. 10 on their list of Top Sports Cars of the 1960s.
Enjoy this picture by Lothar Spurzemof of the 356 Günther Klass drove in 1964
|
||||
