Rich or Poor. Porsche or Pinto. What’s the Price of Gas Doing to Your Driving Habits?

May 30, 2008

Earlier this month, Porsche was once again named Top Prestigious Luxury Brand. Included in that press release were some interesting demographics regarding the income and net-worth of the average Porsche owner. Specifically, it mentioned an average income of $349,000 per year and an average net-worth of $3.7MM. Now, I know a lot of Porsche owners do fall within that range (and many far above it.) However, I believe there are just as many other Porsche owners who don’t fit in that range and in fact are far below it. Here is what I want to know:

Is the Price of Gas Effecting Your Driving Habits?

Is your Porsche your daily driver? Or, is it a toy (and possibly one of many) that comes out only to play or visit the track? Regardless of your income, net-worth or answer to my question about your Porsche being your daily driver, I’m curious as to the impact the price of gas is having on your decisions when it comes to your Porsche and even your normal driving habits. Where I live, premium fuel is now well north of $4.00 per gallon and still climbing. My Porsche is just a toy and as a result, my driving habits with it have not been affected. I still use it the same amount of time and put the same mileage on it regardless of gas prices.

However, I have noticed that I’m starting to economize a little in my daily driving. My wife has started to take our sedan for errand runs vs. our SUV. I have started to drive our mid-size convertible (which gets about 7 or 8 more MPG than our larger sedan) more often. Just yesterday, we planned an entire outing of errands around the fact that we were going to be out and about versus having to drive back and forth to the mall more than once. This is new territory for me and didn’t even realize I was doing it until I stood back and really thought about it.

Has the price of gas changed the way you drive?

I’ll run this poll for a couple of weeks and then post up the answers in a new post. I can’t wait to see what people have to say and how they vote

Written by 993C4S · Filed Under Culture | 3 Comments

10 Things you Might not Have Known About Your Porsche 993

May 28, 2008

Every Porsche is a bit unique in that they have their own set of distinctive features and quirks that we as owners come to know and love (or hate) over time; the Porsche 993 is no exception. I’ve assembled below, from various sources, a list of the features about the 993 (some well known, others not so much.) If my list isn’t complete, or you think something is incorrect, please let me know.

Top 10 Quirks about the Porsche 993

By removing the intermittent wiper relay you can park your wipers on the passenger’s side of the windshield. The only cost is your intermittent wiper feature is disabled.
Porsche designed a completely new dashboard for the 993. The 1965-style dash was retained because Porsche was still in dire financial straights during the development phase (1991-1992.)
Narrow-body 993s came standard with 16″ alloys, which makes the stock “SUV” ride height even more silly looking. Almost all 993s upgraded to the 17″ wheels.
If you want to stop your rear spoiler from flapping up and down continuously, just depress it once in the up position when the vehicle exceeds 10mph.
The mirrors on the car are not symmetrically positioned.
The steering wheel is slightly off center relative to the drivers seat.
The roof line and luggage compartment is not only identical to the 964’s , but remains unchanged since 1974.
The body of a 993 is not mounted on a chassis in the center, it’s slightly towards the passenger side.
The word Varioram was not cast onto the intake until about half way through the ‘96 production year and not all cars received this treatment.
Engines in the Turbo models sit 40mm further back in the compartment compared to non-turbo cars.

Did I miss anything major? Let me know. What about other models? What are the quirks of the early 911s, 930, 964, 996 and 997? What about the Boxsters and Cayennes? Let’s not forget the 924, 944 and 968s.

[Source: Rennlist, Adrian Streather, Individual Contributors to 993C4S.com]

Written by 993C4S · Filed Under Porsche 993 | 3 Comments

Fearless Yachts and Porsche Design Studio

May 25, 2008

It’s Memorial Day, the unofficial start to the summer across the US. For lots of people (especially where we live) this means the official start of the boating season too. Given this, I thought what better way to kick off the summer season then taking a look at Porsche and their contribution to the boating world.

It never ceases to amaze me all the different products (industrial and consumer) that Porsche is a part of (through either design or as manufacturer.) Looking back, I’ve written about the History of the Porsche Design Group and the different companies and brands that have added to the provenance of this brand over the years. Today’s post is no different.

Take a look at the following video:

Porsche Design Studio has joined with Fearless Yachts

The Fearless 28 was designed for a discerning captain…

With its chiseled exterior, sumptuous curves and seating for five, the high performance 28 is navigating new waters in intelligent design, uncompromising agility and outright velocity. A seamless deep- V hull, sleek stainless steel intake vents, and ample horsepower cut an impressive wake. With your eye on the Livorsi analog instrumentation and hand on the Latham throttles, the 28 responds to your whims in open waters…while luxuries such as hand-fitted non-slip teak inlays and classically tailored 8.5’ beam indulge your sense of style.

The Fearless 28 can produce up to a maximum of 600 HP, reach speeds of up to 90 MPH and create a rooster tail that would make Foghorn Leghorn jealous.

More Porsche Designed Boats and Yachts on the Way

According to the Fearless website there are an additional four models coming over the next few years. A 44’ twin step racer, a 68’ cruiser, and by 2010 both a 125’ and 150’ yacht.

Right now, production on the Fearless 28 is quite limited. According to Porsche Design-Bevery Hills Manager Jeff Rayborn, there are currently only three (3) available. It is safe to assume that more will be available in the coming months. If you want to see the Porsche Designed Fearless 28 first hand then stop by the Porsche Design store on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills on June 15th where it will be on display for a few lucky dads.

Written by 993C4S · Filed Under Porsche Design Group | 3 Comments