The following press release from Porsche couldn’t have come at a more opportune time. With yesterday’s post on an electric Cayman from Porsche tuner Ruf and tomorrow’s post about a Porsche that runs on air, better fuel economy and more power fits right in to this weeks theme of alternatively powered Porsches. While you’re on the site, don’t forget to answer our poll on which Porsche was the most famous of all.

Stuttgart. Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, is presenting the new models in the 911 range to the public for the first time at the Paris Motor Show. Further important debuts are the new Boxster S Porsche Design Edition 2, the Cayman S Sport, and the Cayenne S Transsyberia.

Following the fastest generation change in the history of Porsche, all ten models in the 911 series – ranging from the Carrera Coupé all the way to the Targa 4S – are making their appearance together in Paris from Read more

An electric Porsche is not a new idea. While in the employ of Jacob Lohner & Co Ferdinand Porsche developed an electric drive system consisting of hub mounted electric motors. The first production car off the line, using Ferdinand’s design, was introduced in 1898 and known as the System Lohner-Porsche. This simple, “carriage-like car” was driven by two electric motors attached directly to the front wheels and powered by batteries.

While decades ahead of its time, the System Lohner-Porsche was limited in range and speed by the exorbitant weight of more than 3600 lbs worth of lead batteries. Originally commissioned as a purpose built racer, the car “showed wonderful speed when it was allowed to sprint” but proved to be too heavy as a hill climber.

The System Lohner-Porsche

Inspired by the possibility of creating a vehicle capable of record breaking speed and competing in hill climbing events Ferdinand combined an internal combustion engine with a generator designed to drive the electric hub motors. For added reliability he included a much smaller and lighter battery pack than what was found in the original System-Lohner Porsche. This new design was introduced in 1901 as the Mixte. Capable of speeds up to 35 mph (56 km/h) Porsche created the first petroleum electric hybrid vehicle on record (and possibly the first 4×4 too.)

The Mixte System Lohner-Porsche

More than a century later electric Porsches are back in vogue. Recently we showcased an electric Porsche 550 Spyder along with a pre-impact bumper electric Porsche 912. These two examples, while impressive in their engineering, are limited both in speed and range. Enter long time Porsche tuner Ruf.

This past week the German car site Auto Motor und Sport reported that Ruf will introduce an electric Porsche based on the mid-engined Cayman. Powered by a suite of lithium-ion batteries, the Ruf is expected to reach top speeds of close to 125 miles per hour, making it an easy competitor to the Tesla roadster already in production. Overall power for the Ruf is expected to come in around 150kW (equivalent to about 201hp) and 650 Nm (that’s more than 490 foot lbs of torque to you and me.) While the horse power numbers are considerably lower than the 245hp available on the standard Cayman, the weight savings achieved by removing the engine, combined with the incredible torque numbers should more than make up for the difference.

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It’s been a week of fantasy and celebrity here at PorschePurist.com We started the week with a quest to fill our dream garage full of Porsches and quickly moved on to those Porsche cars that held starring roles in the movies. To round out the week we want to know what is the most famous Porsche?

Before answering the question, let’s first set some ground rules and define what we mean by famous. We all know there are lots of famous Porsches. There is the Gmund No. 1 that started everything; the 917 Pink Pig (one of my personal favorites); any of the recent winning Spyders at Sebring and other races; the Porsche 959 (possibly the worlds first every day supercar), etc. etc. Read more

We started the week by asking what Porsches you would choose to fill your dream garage given an unlimited budget. If we’re dreaming, we might as well dream big! From their it wasn’t a big leap to this post. Read more

We were talking with friends the other day and the following hypothetical question was asked, “If you had an unlimited budget but space for only five (5) Porsches, which five Porsches would you buy?”

After discussing it for a few minutes, we decided that any Porsche could be included, even if there was no way it would ever be put up for sale. This is a hypothetical exercise after all.

It’s an easy question to answer, right? Not for us. We started right out and before we knew it, we had filled the garage and there were other cars we still wanted. What to do, what to do? You can’t build a bigger garage, you can’t swap out cars, this is a one time opportunity so you have to take you time and fill your garage accordingly. Do you want to drive these cars or just stare at them? Are you a racer, or do you want daily drivers?

Eventually we were able to distill things down and come up with a good mix that fits our taste. Here’s how we would fill the garage at 993C4S. How would you fill yours?

1948 Gmund No. 1

1973 Porsche 911 S

917/20 Pink Pig

2008 Porsche 997 Turbo Cabriolet

Our dream garage might not match yours, but here is our reasoning behind the choices.

1. Gmund: For the history as this started it all
2. 911 S: For the design and driveability
3. 917/20: For the paint-job and really, really fast DE events
4. Ruf CTR Yellowbird: Top speed of 211mph and street legal
5. New 997 Turbo Cabriolet: Direct Injection + PDK = Daily driver

Now it’s your turn. Everyone has different tastes, and we think you’ll find it a challenging exercise. Take some time, remember anything Porsche goes and your budget is unlimited but you can only choose FIVE. Let us know how you would fill your dream garage.

In 1998 John Dunkle, and his wife Jennifer, founded Rennlist. Through their hard work and dedication Rennlist grew into a close-knit group of Porsche owners and enthusiasts. Today, Rennlist is one of the top Porsche destinations online. The RL forums are used to share ideas, meet new friends, swap technical information and generally get to know more about your Porsche car and community.

With the success of Rennlist (the site enjoys daily visits from hundreds of thousands of users) John and Jennifer wanted to channel some of that success into their charitable and philanthropic pursuits. Enter Project Rennwish.

Project Rennwish

is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation dedicated to changing the lives of children and families in need by providing food, shelter, clothing, education and medical assistance. Worldwide in scope, their purpose is to make available programs and assistance that directly impacts and positively reinforces personal and family values regardless of race, color, nationality or financial means. Project Rennwish provides an improved way of life and value based lifestyle to impoverished regions which positively influences the greater society.

Over the years, many of the members at Rennlist have donated to Rennwish through financial contributions and donation of their own personal time and efforts. Recently, a dedicated group of female Rennlisters gathered together to create a calendar that showcases stunning Porsche cars, and even better looking women, with all proceeds benefiting Project Rennwish. Introducing….

The Women of Rennlist

These are all REAL women who are dedicated and active on Rennlist as well as within the Porsche community. These are the women you meet at the track, who can talk shop and can handle themselves behind the wheel or under the car. Each of these beautiful ladies has generously dedicated their time and hard work to ensure that the calendar is a success – and all of them should be applauded.

Information About the Calendar

It is printed in a 16-month format, beginning with January 2009 and ending with April 2010. Sized at 9″W x 12″H closed, and 9″W x 24″H open it will make the perfect addition to your garage and or track trailer. The calendar has been custom designed and printed at a commercial print shop to ensure a professional grade quality and durability.

The cost for this unique, beautiful, for-charity calendar is only $25.00, which includes all shipping and handling costs!

How to Order

Simply visit the Women of Rennlist web-site and place your order. If you wish to donate money above and beyond the cost of a calendar please purchase your calendar using the “Buy Now” button, and donate the additional money via the “Donate” button. This helps to keep things separate for the shippers.

If you wish to donate money INSTEAD of purchasing a calendar, feel free to make all donations using the “Donate” button. As Project Rennwish is a 501 (c) (3) charity any donation above and beyond the calendar amount may be tax deductible.

Our calendar is on order and we ask each of you to please share this post and information with the other forums you are on, with your friends, with your local and national car groups, or anyone else you can think of! The calendar is available for purchase by EVERYONE!

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There really is no point in a clock that runs fast, but how about one that looks fast? Take the Porsche Design P’9120 by Etón for example (just not my unit.) The well thought out, minimalistic design by Porsche, partners perfectly with the quality, craftsmanship and technology that are hallmarks of Etón’s success.

Porsche Design Press Release
Earlier this month we received a press release from the Porsche Design Group about the P’9120 Desk Radio. The first two paragraphs (shown below) were more than enough to pique our curiosity (who can refuse purist design and a top quality aluminum finish?):

Stuttgart/Palo Alto. Porsche Design is introducing a brand new radio into the market, a product developed jointly with Etón Corporation of Palo Alto, California. The radio, available now in Porsche Design Stores, blends purist design together with a top quality aluminum finish.

The P’9120 desk radio comes with three 1.5 inch speakers, an active subwoofer and double-wall structure, ensuring top-class true-to-life acoustics. In Europe, the radio, which comes in a solid aluminum casing, is available in a version which provides access to both analog and digital transmissions via the same device (AM, FM, short wave and DAB – Digital Audio Broadcasting). Different types of iPod can be linked up to the radio via an external cradle. Both the radio itself and any iPods connected to it can be operated via a remote control unit.

Seriously though, with the above information in hand, we reached out to Etón and secured our own unit for review. After playing and living with the unit for a week in the 993C4S garage, here are our thoughts:

PACKAGING: Right from the beginning the creative genius of Porsche Design is apparent. The all black, heavy cardboard outer box slides open to reveal a cleverly packaged grouping of components, accessories and instructions. Safely ensconced in a form fitting foam cutout it would take one deranged delivery driver to damage this system while in transit.

CONTENTS: Your package comes complete with the base unit, a universal “Made for Ipod” docking station, power supply, remote control (more on this later), AM loop antenna, multi-lingual instructions and warranty card(s).

FEATURES:

• Double wall construction for superior acoustics. Okay, admittedly we’re not audiophiles here at 993C4S, so we can’t break this down in scientific terms. However, whatever it is, it works! The unit sounds great.
• OLED alphanumeric display.
• AM/FM/Shortwave with separate Made for iPod dock.
• Metal remote control with torch (that’s a flashlight for all of here in the US.)
• XM Satellite ready (don’t forget that Sirrius and XM are now one.)
• Dual alarm clocks (this is a must in our garage as we depart at separate times.)
• Back-up power source for your presets and clock in the event of a power-failure.

If we were asked, our only two suggestions for improvement or change would be as follows:

1. Provide some type of back lighting for the remote. While we like the heft and feel of the remote it becomes a challenge to use in the dark (tough to shuffle through the soundtrack to Le Mans) even with the built in flashlight.
2. At this price range, $600 in the US, the four batteries needed to provide the back-up power source for your pre-sets and clock settings should be included.

It’s Worth the Money

Our overall impression of the P’9120 is very positive. The instructions were simple to follow and setting it up was a snap. The clean lines and linear design are exactly what you would expect from Porsche and Etón. The ergonomic controls were intuitive and easy to operate. The sound quality is exceptional and did we mention the shortwave radio? If you’re not familiar with shortwave, this radio (with its built in antenna) gives you a great opportunity to explore the hundreds and thousands of stations broadcasting worldwide on this unique range of radio waves. It’s a great big world to explore!

At $600 the P’9120 is expensive for a compact system, but not prohibitively so. We believe you get what you pay for; in this case a quality table top stereo system with exceptional features, sound and design. If you’re interested in purchasing one yourself, they are available through Amazon.com and at any Porsche Design Retail Store.

About Etón Corporation

Etón Corporation is the established leader in consumer electronics audio products, and is defined by its mission of ‘Re_Inventing Radio”. By always combining the latest in technology with sensible design, Etón offers an extensive array of products that speaks to three main categories: Design, Innovation and Necessity. Etón is headquartered in Palo Alto, California, and has offices in Berlin, Germany and Toronto, Canada.

“Etón’s consumer electronics expertise and marketing competency allows Porsche Design to enter into consumer electronics market,” said Dr. Siegmund Rudigier, President and CEO of the Porsche Design Group. “There is an obvious synergy between Porsche Design and Etón Corporation as our values both lie in quality, craftsmanship and cutting-edge design and technology.”

About Porsche Design

Porsche Design is a global luxury men’s brand and is determined by engineered products. Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche established the Porsche Design brand in 1972, whose products are attracting consumers with their technical innovation and represent functionality and timelessness in its purest form. Porsche Design products are sold in their own exclusive retail and franchise stores, shop-in-shops, up-market department stores and exclusive specialist stores.

“The heritage of Porsche Design not only offers an added element of prestige to electronics, but also the lost focus on an exacting attention to detail,” said Dr. Esmail Hozour, CEO of Etón Corporation. “Through this unprecedented partnership, we are confident that a new standard of electronics shall be set.”