Introduced today at the Los Angeles Auto Show both Boxster and Cayman models received more than mere cosmetic changes. As anticipated, both cars gained power over their predecessors. Additional improvements to fuel economy and performance can be attributed to the seven-speed Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe or PDK (double clutch to you and me).
Porsche’s “basic” Boxster develops 255 bhp while its big brother the Cayman received 265 bhp (an increase of 10 and 20 horsepower, respectively, over their predecessors).
Porsche Improves Performance and Lowers Fuel Consumption
Don’t think Porsche and “base model” should appear in the same sentence? Never fear, Porsche knows how to market and the S trim versions of both units are proof of that. Benefiting from a 3.4 litre power plant producing 310 bhp in the Boxster S and 320 bhp in the Cayman S (up by 15 and 25 bhp respectively) Porsche attributes the increased performance to the new Direct Fuel Injection system that is standard on both S models. Extremely surprising to me are the close to 911 like numbers claimed by the the Cayman S with PDK (yes it’s now available on all four models as an option) and the Sports Chrono Package, zero to sixty in just 4.9 seconds. Hmmmm…….
While the acceleration numbers for the Cayman are hard to ignore, just as impressive are the claimed fuel economy numbers. According to Porsche, both the Boxster and the Cayman will consume 11% and 16% less fuel than last year’s similarly equipped model with Tiptronic transmissions.
A new suspension, bigger wheels (with a new design) and better braking from the latest generation of the Porsche Stability Management complete the mechanical upgrades to Porsche’s mid-engined marvels.
Cosmetic changes include new halogen headlights with integrated direction indicators, new LED rear lights and distinctively different air intake designs between the roadster and coupe. From the rear the cosmetic differences are noticed by new diffuser inserts on the Boxster and a wind deflector plate on the Cayman. For the first time both models are available with a Lights Package featuring bi-xenon headlights, dynamic curve lights and LED daytime driving lights.
Be sure to check out this lovely video Porsche supplied us with. Gotta love those revs.
UPDATE: Be sure to check out this video of a Porsche driven by Modesto Martin performing Gymkhana through the streets, ports and malls (yes malls) of Spain. If you’re a Porsche owner and a member of the PCA, or any type of Driving enthusiast, then you’re probably familiar with the autocross as a driving event. Gymkhana (pronounced Jim-Kah_Nah) is basically AutoCrossing on steroids. Watch this video below and you’ll see what I mean. Words really can’t do justice to this type of driving.
The best definition for Gymkhana comes from the video you just watched and reads as follows:
An automotive sport that takes place on an open field or parking lot and requires driver to skillfully maneuver their cars around a series of cones, slalom, 180 degree turns, 360 degree turns, figure eight turns or other obstacles using extreme acceleration, braking and drifting.
Similar to “autocross”, Gymkhana course are often very complex and memorizing the course is a significant part of achieving a fast line
Is anyone doing this type of event with their Porsche? I think we should add it to the events roster in the PCA!! Anyone have any video of this type of “on the edge of control” driving? I would love to see it. Post up your links.
Over the past few months I’ve been getting to know the guys at Porsche Cars North America. We don’t talk often, but when we do it’s a friendly and open conversation. I’m forward about my desire to drive a Porsche from their media fleet and their candid about the likelihood of that happening. So, you can imagine my surprise when the doorbell rang one night last week and I opened the door to find a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup VIP Car had just been dropped off in my driveway. Take a look at the images below and see for yourself.
I know, I know. You’re most likely asking yourself, why would Porsche drop off a SuperCup track car in my driveway? Truth be told, they wouldn’t. Tamiya, the manufacturer of high-performance radio controlled cars, however would. Especially if it meant a review of their officially licensed Porsche 911 GT3 Cup VIP. Did I fool any of you? Even for a second?
With a large collection of nitro and electric powered cars, trucks, boats and motorcycles some might say my interest in radio controlled toys borders on obsessive. So, it should come as no surprise to those who know me that I would jump at the chance to mix two of my favorite past times: Porsche and Radio Controlled Cars.
The Tamiya Porsche 911 GT3 Cup VIP is no different.
With inputs from Porsche, this RC car is an exact 1/10 replica (at least from the outside) of the SuperCup Porsche Design race car. The car Tamiya sent to me was “Ready to Run” (RTR) meaning it came completely built and packaged with almost everything you need to get started right in the box. The only thing you need to purchase separately is a 7.2 volt battery pack and charger. Once you’ve charged the battery, dropped a few double As into the remote and clipped on the body, you’re good to go.
Below is a quick video that I put together while trying the car for the first time. After the video is my complete review including a few suggestions/modification that can only stand to make this car that much better. If you’re interested in purchasing one of these for yourself you can find the kit on Amazon, Ebay or at you local hobby shop.
I Highly Recommend the Tamiya Porsche 911 GT3 CUP for Anyone Looking to get Started with RC Cars
Given my experience with RC cars and the fact that most of my cars are highly modified kits (vs. RTR) I wasn’t expecting a whole heck of a lot. Let me say this, my expectations were totally off! Not only does this Tamiya look great, it runs even better. The car was responsive, quick and handled like a champ. The included LED lighting system is a really neat feature and can be highly modified if you like to tinker around (add blinkers, reverse lights, strobes, etc.) After searching around the web, I’m pretty sure I’m going to turn my unit into a modified drifter and really have even more fun with it (see the video at the end of this post.)
As I said above, I think this car is exceptionally well done for a RTR that took less than five minutes to open, assemble and put on the road (assuming you already have a charged battery.) My only suggestions to Tamiya are as follows:
Change out the little tiny cotter pins that hold on the body with something more substantial. For anyone with a hand larger than a child they are pretty tough to handle. It’s only fair to note that Tamiya isn’t alone in this problem, most cars use these tiny pins and I end modifying all of mine as shown in the picture below. To do this simply take a plastic quick lock strap, loop it through the pin, trim it to about 1 and 1/2 inches, cover with surplus fuel tubing and you have an easy to handle quick release pin that even large adult hands can manage.
The switch to turn the LEDs on and off is fixed under the body. Every time you want to turn this feature on or off, you have to take off the body, flip it over and activate the switch. It would be pretty easy and a nice feature to have this as a switch on the outside of the body for ease of use.
Lastly, the braking on this car was exceptional. However, there was a bit of a delay between breaking and engaging reverse. Not sure if this is a function of the speed controller or something in the design. Has anyone else experienced this? Is there an easy adjustment or fix?
About the Tamiya Porsche 911 GT3 Cup VIP
• Newly designed TT-01 type E chassis features brand new A Parts and D Parts. • Damper Stay and Gear Case parts are made from fiberglass-reinforced resin for greater strength. These parts are now also separately molded to enable easier maintenance (regular TT-01 had damper stay and gear case molded as one piece). • New front and rear uprights are also made from durable fiberglass-reinforced resin. • Improved steering linkage design features TA05 steering posts for sharper steering response. • New upper deck enhances chassis rigidity and mimics Tamiya’s high-level race-spec machines. • Upper deck also features a convenient transponder mount to further encourage fans to go to their local track and experience R/C racing. • Rear suspension arms installed in reverse position to create shorter wheel base for greater scale accuracy. • 4WD shaft-driven bathtub chassis with coil spring damped, 4-wheel independent double wishbone suspension and sealed front and rear gearboxes. • Unmistakable Porsche 911 body shape is accurately reproduced with lightweight polycarbonate. • TEU-101BK ESC, Type 540 motor, and LEDs for headlights and tail lights are all included. • 2-Channel R/C system, 7.2V battery pack & charger. • Compatible with a wide variety of Option Parts (sold separately). • Flat Clear polycarbonate spray for an even more realistic finish
Drifting the Tamiya Porsche 911 GT3 Cup VIP
The video below gives you an idea of what is possible with this car if you purchase it in the kit format and turn it into a drifter. If you want to get right to the action, simply fast forward to about one minute in. Otherwise, watch and enjoy.
Updated November 24, 2009: Over time, this post has evolved. As a result, I’ve added a few additional steps that you might find beneficial. If you are interested in this more complete list, then look at this updated post on How to Prepare Your Porsche for Winter Storage.
For a fortunate group of you, this post won’t be relative. Maybe your Porsche came with the optional snow-plow, you are lucky enough to live in a climate that allows for year-round driving, or, you love your Porsche so much, that you put on snow tires and zip around in the winter weather. If you fall into either of the two latter groups, then I’ll have a post for you next week about Thing to do if you Drive Your Porsche Through the Winter. For the rest of us unlucky souls, we need to (or feel compelled to) put our car away for the winter.
I’ve always considered the day my car(s) (especially my Porsches) go away for the winter as one of the Worst Days of the Year. As bad as it is, you can still have fun (by driving your Porsche as much as possible) getting ready to put your p-car away. Here’s how I prepare myself and my cars for their long winter nap. If any of you do things differently, or think I missed something, please do comment and let me know so I can update this post.
1. SET THE DATE
I live in New England (North Eastern portion of the US), so I’m always looking at the weather forecasts to see what to expect in the weeks to come. I’ve been fortunate enough to drive my cars all the way up to Christmas some years and in others I have had to put them away before Halloween (although it’s been a long time since that’s happened).
The first Porsche I ever purchased was a 1973 911 T (purchased in 1999) with 45k documented miles (two owners) and original paint. This car is pristine. As a result, I’m obsessed with keeping her as original and clean as possible. This means that the car never sees rain, let alone any snow or salt. Now, nine years later, with a 993 in the garage, I still find the idea of getting salt on my car repellent. So, watch the weather forecast and get your car inside before they start putting salt on the road. Remember, it doesn’t have to snow for them to salt. You can get salt on the roads from freezing rain too. As a general rule, I set a drop dead date for putting the car away and then watch the weather like a hawk so I don’t get caught.
2. MAKE A CHECKLIST
While this isn’t a necessity, it does make it easier if you haven’t put your Porsche away for a nice winter’s rest in the past. Things I recommend are as follows:
a. Clean it inside and out. The cleaner the car is when you put it away, the better it will look every time you check in on it. I usually do a complete wash and a put a quick coat of wax on just for that added protection. Don’t forget the wheels. The last thing you want to do is leave brake dust on your rims to sit and eat at the finish for the winter.
b. Gas it up. Make sure you have as full a tank as possible. I make it a point to gas up at the station closest to my garage right before I put away my car. With a full tank you help to keep out any unwanted condensation or water build up that can happen when a car sits all winter long.
c. Use a fuel additive. I like Gold Eagle 22214 STA-BIL Fuel Stabilizer. 32 oz.. Read the directions and use the proper amount for your tank size. The key with any fuel additive is to put it in prior to filling the tank and then to make sure you drive for a few miles to get the additive throughout the entire fuel system.
d. Tire Pressure. If you’re not going to put your car up on jack-stand (which I don’t recommend), the best thing is to get a good amount of tire pressure in each tire. Make sure you don’t over inflate past the manufacturers recommend capacity, but you should go over the recommend driving pressure. In general, tires can lose 1 psi per month under normal conditions and an addition 1 psi per ever 10 degree (Fahrenheit) drop in temp. As a general rule of thumb, I put 50lbs of pressure in each tire. You have to remember to do this when the tires are cold or you won’t get an accurate reading and you may end up with flat spots. There is nothing worse then taking your Porsche out for the first time in the spring and having damaged tires due to flat spots from storage. Properly inflated tires will avoid this. I use the Porsche tire gauge (I received it as a gift) to manage my tire pressure.
Another option to consider is to use some type of tire cradle. Basically, this is a shaped piece of plastic or hard foam that “cradles” your tire and will keep them from developing those dreaded flat spots. One such product to consider is the Flatstoppers produced by Brute Industries (the makers of RaceRamps.)
e. Battery. Some people like to take the battery out of their cars or at least disconnect them. Not me. I like to use some form of SuperSmart Battery Tender to make sure my battery is always fresh and I’m ready to go. It would be a shame to get a nice Spring day, go to start the car and find you have a dead battery (not to mention, it can get expensive replacing your battery every year). Let’s face it, the electronics in a modern Porsche tend to eat up a battery pretty easily if the car isn’t used frequently. So, either disconnect it or put on some type of SuperSmart Battery Tender. What you definitely want to avoid is starting your Porsche and letting it “warm-up” or run to charge the battery. This simply allows condensation to develop or collect in your motor (you won’t get it hot enough to burn it off) and can possibly cause long-term damage. Look in your manual, you will see this is not recommended. Remember, if you do decide to disconnect the battery, you will need to have your radio code handy in the spring to get your system functioning again.
f. Cover it. Even if your car is in a nice heated garage, securely tucked away with the key hidden, I’ve always thought it a good idea to keep my cars covered. This way, you don’t have to worry about anyone or anything bumping into or crawling on or over you nice paint. I use a thick, padded, custom fitted cover from California Car Covers. If you do use a cover make sure it covers your exhaust pipes. If you don’t use a cover, you might want to think of covering your pipes with something (those big 16 oz keg cups work great). The idea behind this is to keep out any rodents that might want to try and build a nest for the winter. You laugh, but I’ve seen it happen to friends cars and it can be very frustrating and expensive. If you’re looking for a cover and don’t want to spend the money on a custom one, Empire Covers offers Car Covers starting at $24.99!
3. DRIVE IT
This should probably be up at the very top, but I don’t want you to forget. The most important thing you can do prior to putting your toy away is to drive it and enjoy as you may not have her back on the road for another 4 to 6 months. 4. VISIT OFTEN
One of the reasons I bought my Porsches in the first place was that I just love the overall design of the 911 (I’m sure that was a major factor in your decision making process as well). I get a lot of enjoyment simply from looking at my car (although not as much as I do when driving.)
The following Panamera pictures, submitted by a friend and loyal reader of 993C4S.com, were taken in High Level, Alberta Canada. For those of you not familiar with High Level (I’ll assume that’s most everyone) it’s a small city on the way to the North West Territories where Porsche is known to do cold weather testing in Yellowknife (just 250 miles south of the arctic circle.) If any of you have something Porsche related, that might be of interest to other readers, please don’t hesitate to forward it along.
To the best of my knowledge, these pictures have never before been published anywhere. What makes them so different from all other Panamera spy shots out on the internet are the quality and proximity. Instead of being taken by a shaky cell phone cam at 70 mph on the highway, or a telephoto lens from a distance, the majority of these shots were taken up close, in the parking lot of a hotel where the support team was resting for the evening.
Porsche Panamera SpyShots
Of particular interest are the three photographs below. The first is a picture taken of the undercarriage of a Panamera as it rested beneath its cover for the night. The second two pictures are highly detailed closeups of the rear quarter panel and rear end of the car itself. What I like about these picture is how clearly we can see the camo that’s being used to mask the true shape. After seeing these pictures I’m starting to feel a lot better that we’re all in for a a big and pleasant surprise when the car is unveiled in its entirety.
Below are even more pictures for your viewing please. Click on any of the thumbs below to see the full-size image.
There’s just no way to get around it, Porsches and trains don’t seem to mix well. Wednesday’s train wreck in Dillenberg Germany brought out a lot of emotion in the online Porsche community. Seeing the finished product of our beloved brand strewn all over the tracks is enough to turn your stomach. However, as most of the pictures in yesterday’s post were shot by an amateur from long distance, they didn’t properly convey the carnage with as much emotion as others may have. I couldn’t help but think back to a wreck from a little more than four years ago in Ventura, California. As luck (can you call it that?) would have it, Wayne (CEO and owner of Pelican Parts) just happened to be traveling on the same road when this incident took place. How many of you remember this one?
VENTURA, Calif. (AP) A car-carrier loaded with vintage Porsches was struck by a freight train Sunday after becoming stranded on railroad tracks, officials said.
The accident occurred about 3:45 p.m. near the Ventura County Fairgrounds, said Lt. David Wilson of the Ventura Police Department, who was at the scene. The car-carrier was “high-centered” on the railroad tracks and the driver was trying to maneuver it off the tracks when Wilson arrived. Wilson said he called to have train traffic stopped, but a northbound freight train came barreling down the track only moments later. “We were able to get the driver out of the cab, luckily,” Wilson said.
The driver suffered minor injuries while fleeing from the impact, Wilson said.
The vintage Porsches “are close to totaled, if not totaled,” Wilson said. “The train center-punched the trailer carrying the cars and split the trailer in half, and the cars went flying,” he said.
No crew members on the train were injured, but the front wheels of the locomotive derailed, said John Bromley, a spokesman for Union Pacific. Debris was being removed from under the locomotive late Sunday night and there was no estimate on when the tracks would be cleared, Bromley said.
I think the little kid with his hands on his head in the first picture sums up perfectly how I would feel. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt (other than the cars that is.)
Earlier this year, it was reported that Porsche expected their profit to significantly exceed revenue. Yes, you read that correctly. Porsche will recognize more money in profit than they did in turnover or sales. How is this possible you ask? Quite simple actually. The shrewd investment made by Porsche in Volkswagen is paying dividends beyond what anyone could have reasonably expected.
At the end of Porsche’s fiscal year, they had acquired just over 22% of Volkswagen. As of today, they have increased that stake to 43%. Porsche’s investment into VW contributed almost 80% of their pre-tax profit or 6.8 billion Euro out of a total 8.6 billion. While not quite as high as expected, the numbers are still incredibly impressive.
You may remember that Porsche’s announcement last month to increase their stake in VW by another 31.5% (bringing the total to 75%) caused VWs shares to skyrocket. Prices reached as high as 1,005 Euro leaving short-sellers scrambling to cover their positions.
Porsche to Increase VW Position to 75%
With a 75% position in VW Porsche will have effective control of not only VW, but Seat, Skoda, Bentley, Lamborghini and Bugatti. A very impressive roster to say the least.
In forward looking statements the company says it is in a good position but warned that it is “very difficult to make reliable statements on the course of the current business year as a whole because of the current economic situation, which is extremely tense due to the U.S. mortgage crisis and the financial market crisis.” In addition, it said Porsche would act cautiously and “if necessary, respond flexibly to any further economic upheavals.”
It will be interesting to see what next year brings for Porsche. Their saving grace for the past few years has been the ever increasing sales of their hugely successful Cayenne SUV. With automotive sales off by over 50% in some sectors, Porsche will have a difficult time performing a repeat on this type of performance. It remains to be seen what type of impact (positive or negative) the long awaited four door Panamera will have on sales.
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Introduced today at the Los Angeles Auto Show both Boxster and Cayman models received more than mere cosmetic changes. As anticipated, both cars gained power over their predecessors. Additional improvements to fuel economy and performance can be attributed to the seven-speed Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe or PDK (double clutch to you and me).
UPDATE: Be sure to check out this 
So, you can imagine my surprise when the doorbell rang one night last week and I opened the door to find a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup VIP Car had just been dropped off in my driveway. Take a look at the images below and see for yourself.
meaning it came completely built and packaged with almost everything you need to get started right in the box. The only thing you need to purchase separately is a 7.2 volt battery pack and charger. Once you’ve charged the battery, dropped a few double As into the remote and clipped on the body, you’re good to go.
, 
. Read the directions and use the proper amount for your tank size. The key with any fuel additive is to put it in prior to filling the tank and then to make sure you drive for a few miles to get the additive throughout the entire fuel system.
d. Tire Pressure. If you’re not going to put your car up on jack-stand (which I don’t recommend), the best thing is to get a good amount of tire pressure in each tire. Make sure you don’t over inflate past the manufacturers recommend capacity, but you should go over the recommend driving pressure. In general, tires can lose 1 psi per month under normal conditions and an addition 1 psi per ever 10 degree (Fahrenheit) drop in temp. As a general rule of thumb, I put 50lbs of pressure in each tire. You have to remember to do this when the tires are cold or you won’t get an accurate reading and you may end up with flat spots. There is nothing worse then taking your Porsche out for the first time in the spring and having damaged tires due to flat spots from storage. Properly inflated tires will avoid this. I use the 
(the makers of 
to make sure my battery is always fresh and I’m ready to go. It would be a shame to get a nice Spring day, go to start the car and find you have a dead battery (not to mention, it can get expensive replacing your battery every year). Let’s face it, the electronics in a modern 
f. Cover it. Even if your car is in a nice heated garage, securely tucked away with the key hidden, I’ve always thought it a good idea to keep my cars covered. This way, you don’t have to worry about anyone or anything bumping into or crawling on or over you nice paint. I use a thick, padded, custom fitted cover from California Car Covers. If you do use a cover make sure it covers your exhaust pipes. If you don’t use a cover, you might want to think of covering your pipes with something (those big 16 oz keg cups work great). The idea behind this is to keep out any rodents that might want to try and build a nest for the winter. You laugh, but I’ve seen it happen to friends cars and it can be very frustrating and expensive. If you’re looking for a cover and don’t want to spend the money on a custom one, Empire Covers offers 
The following Panamera pictures, submitted by a friend and loyal reader of 993C4S.com, were taken in High Level, Alberta Canada. For those of you not familiar with High Level (I’ll assume that’s most everyone) it’s a small city on the way to the North West Territories where Porsche is known to do cold weather testing in Yellowknife (just 250 miles south of the arctic circle.) If any of you have something Porsche related, that might be of interest to other readers, please don’t hesitate to 
Earlier this year, it was reported that 
