We’ve seen Porsches made of chocolate, we’ve seen Porsches covered in tweed and gold. We’ve seen Porsches crushed, all in the name of art. We’ve even seen other cars made of wood claim to be faster than a Porsche. However, this is the first time we’ve seen a Porsche made completely of wooden pieces with a zipper as the only means of entry or exit.

We’re not quite sure what to think at this point. In general, we like Gedda’s Porsche artwork. This sculpture, we’re not so sure about. What do you think?

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[Source: Autoblog.it]

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY EVERYONE!!

Winners of a case of Mobil 1 Oil

• Jim Breeden

• Ronald Tippie

• Robert (no last name given but we have your email)

• @KellyShip (entered via Twitter)

• Chris Stout (entered as a new subscriber)

Winner of the mPower Emergency Illuminator and Glove Box Bracket

• Wilson Schooly

Consolation Prize

While flattery won’t win you a case of oil in this particular contest, it does get our attention. So, Wendell Wilson, thanks for your comments about how much you like the site! Drop us a note, as per the instructions below, and let us know your shirt size and we’ll ship you out a PorschePurist.com long sleeve shirt that’s great for DE events.

Upcoming GiveAways

Stay tuned for more information on additional upcoming contests. We’ll have another 5 case of oil for you to win next month in conjunction with the PorschePurist.com’s live coverage of the PCA Parade. In addition, we’ll have some great savings opportunities from Flying Lizard Motorsport and a few others that we think you’ll like.

Thanks again to our sponsors and to everyone that entered. We’ll be contacting you shortly with details on how to claim your prizes. If you want to be pro-active, simply reach out to us using the contact form and let us know your full name, mailing address, email address and your favorite flavor of Mobil 1. We’ll then get back to you with anticipated delivery times.

Related Porsche Posts
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Review of the mPower Emergency Illuminator Designed by Porsche Design Studio
Free Mobil 1 Oil for your Porsche

In addition to the oil, we have a Porsche designed Emergency Illuminator manufactured by mPower to award to one (1) lucky dad. Not only can you win some life giving lubrication for your Porsche, you can also win one of the newest products on the market from the Porsche Design Studio (for more info you can check out mPower’s website or PorschePurist’s review of the Emergency Illuminator).

How To Enter our Porsche Product Giveaway

Entry couldn’t be easier. All you have to do is comment below and tell us why your dad deserves to win (and dads, if you’re the one reading this, feel free to enter yourself) . Just like we did in the Mother’s Day contest, we’ll pick the winners at random* and then assign a gift to them. Five of you will receive your favorite flavor of Mobil 1 and one lucky reader will win an Emergency Illuminator from mPower.

If you want to give yourself an even bigger chance of winning you can do one of the following:

• Follow PorschePurist on Twitter

• Refer a friend to sign-up and subscribe to our newsletter or sign-up yourself if you’re not yet subscribed

We’ll keep track of who starts following us as of the day we post this and we’ll also keep track of new subscribers. If you refer someone, just let us know in a comment below along with your entry (at the very least you’ll double your chances of winning). Remember, you don’t have to do either of the two things above if you don’t want, but they will help your odds. If you receive our posts via email, remember to click on the title of the post to visit our site and tell us why you or your dad deserves to win one of our prizes. We will send and email to the winners on Father’s day as well as announce it here on the site. So, be sure to give us a good email address when you enter!!!

Father’s Day Porsche Gift Ideas

Unfortunately, not everyone can win the contest. However, there are still lots of different gift ideas for your dad. The list below is just a short list of things you might consider this Father’s Day

Porsche Books

I absorb as much as I can about Porsche. My information comes from online sources, magazines and the numerous Porsche Books in John’s office library. In fact, when John gets a new Porsche related book I have not yet read, I’m usually happier than he is. The list below is but a short sampling of my favorites:

• Porsche: Excellence was Expected by Karl Ludvigsen
• Porsche. The Fine Art of the Sports Car
• The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
• Hunt for 901 by Kevin Gosselin
• Porsche Sixty Years by Randy Leffingwell

The list above is but a small example of the many Porsche books available. For a more comprehensive list, check out the compilation of all the Porsche books we’ve reviewed here on PorschePurist.

Porsche Clothing and Apparel

John shows off his affinity for the Porsche marque whenever he can. At 6′3″ and 260 lbs, he could probably charge Porsche rent as a walking billboard for showcasing the crest as much as he does. If you’re looking for something that dad can wear to show off his passion for Porsche you have a number of different options.

• Porsche Design Driver’s Selection. Inspired by the official equipment of the Porsche works drivers, Porsche Design Driver’s Selection offers the Motorsport Collection. This is the same clothing, that until very recently, was only available to Porsche employees and Motorsport insiders.
• Porsche Shirts and Porsche Hats. Amazon.com has a large selection of Porsche clothing and hats from a number of different sellers.
• If you’re dad is a fan of Porsche racing, you can’t go wrong with some Flying Lizard Racing Gear

Porsche Movies

At times, if seems as if Porsche and Hollywood go hand in hand. John wrote posts about the most famous Porsche movie, the most famous Porsche (as a character in a movie) and even reported on the speculation of Brad Pitt starring as Steve McQueen in an upcoming movie about the actor’s life and his affinity to racing and Porsche. If you’re looking for a quick, easy, inexpensive Porsche gift that dad can enjoy over and over, a DVD of any of the following Porsche related movies might be just the thing (some are just great car movies).

• Le Mans
• Grand Prix
• Cars
• Risky Business
• Bullitt
• Cannonball Run

There are plenty of other car and Porsche movies available, but the list above seems to be the most popular. Prices range from $1.99 to $25.99

Porsche Driving School

Our Porsches are meant to perform and do so at a level that’s not safe to experience on the street (at least not for any length of time). The great thing about a gift likes this is that not only will your dad get to drive his Porsche the way it was meant to be driven, he’ll come out of it a safer and more confident Porsche pilot. While there are many options when it comes to driver education, the top three (in my opinion) are as follows:

• Porsche Club of America Driver Education. Dad can learn to drive his very own Porsche in a relaxed in friendly environment by a PCA certified instructor familiar with his model Porsche. Prices vary by region but the typical cost is under $200 for a day of instruction and track time.
• Porsche Sport Driving School. According to the web-site, PSDS isn’t just for novices, and it isn’t just for veteran drivers either; it’s for anyone with a love of performance vehicles and a desire to learn something new and exciting. At PSDS, your dad will enjoy more track time than at any other school, and is sure to leave with a smile cemented on his face. He will also leave with a newly found addiction to performance driving. The thing to remember about the Porsche Sport Driving School is that Dad won’t be driving his own Porsche, but rather one of many different models supplied by the school itself. Prices range from $1795 all the way to $9,995 depending on the course and length of instruction.
• Skip Barber’s High Performance Driving School. If you want dad to learn and practice advanced car-control skills – and then apply those skills almost immediately to the race track, driving high-end, world class sports cars and sedans, this is the class to get. Prices range from $1800 for a one day course to $3200 fro the two day course.

Porsche Club of America Membership

• The Porsche Club of America is the largest single marque club in the world with more than 100,000 members in over 139 regions. However, the fact is, there are 100s of thousands of Porsches on the road today so there must be quite a few Porsche drivers out there who are not yet receiving the benefits of membership in the PCA. I won’t go over everything your dad will get, you can read about it on the PCA web-site or in our post about the ways to enhance your Porsche ownership. I will say, that of all the gifts on this list, membership in the Porsche Club of America provides the biggest bang for the buck. $42 dollars gives dad a 12 month membership and the chance to make life-long friends.

Porsche Designed Emergency Illuminator by mPower

• Yes, we’re giving one of these away, but only one (1) of you will get the chance to win. For the rest, you’ll need to buy your dad one. I won’t go into all the details again on why we like this light so much, but Dad will be extremely happy and in the event he needs a light in an emergency sometime in the next 20 years or so, he’ll remember your thoughtful gift while everyone else is fumbling around in the dark.

Porsche Radio Controlled Cars

Can’t afford to buy dad a real Porsche to play with. Not to worry, these two puny Porsches will still put a smile on Dad’s face.

For years I’ve been saying that John is a little kid at heart (more like a 12 year old child trapped inside a man’s body). As much as he likes our real Porsches he still enjoys playing with radio controlled Porsches too. Don’t laugh, some of the newer models available are so realistic it’s hard to tell them apart. Look at the photo below and see for yourself.

We reviewed the Tamiya Porsche GT3 Cup VIP last year and a number of you were fooled into thinking we had the real thing at our disposal (at least until you read the rest of that post). In addition to the 911 GT3 Cup car, we love the Porsche Cayenne S Transsyberia. Either one of these would make any Porsche fan smile like me a little kid again.

Good luck and happy shopping. If you have other items that you think we should add to the list, be sure to let us know.

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[Source: 993C4S; Amazon.com]

Frustrated from his encounter with the dead batteries in his flashlight Ron decided then and there to come up with a better solution. Fortunately, as the co-founder of mPhase Technologies (a publicly traded company that manufactures and designs the batteries of the future, today) he was in a unique position to make good on his promise.

As a Porsche owner and enthusiast Ron was familiar with products from the legendary Porsche Design Studio. Confident in his company’s unique battery technology Ron fired off a “cold” email to Porsche Design in an effort to gauge their interest in creating a product together. According to Ron, “one thing led to another and we now have a co-branding agreement with Porsche Design for this very unusual flashlight”. Quite an understatement when you consider the technology and design of the Emergency Illuminator.

What is the mPower Emergency Illuminator?

First and foremost, it’s a flashlight. However, calling the Emergency Illuminator a flashlight is like calling your Porsche a car. It’s accurate, but it doesn’t do it the justice it deserves. Seriously, what “flashlight” do you know of that can sit left alone on a shelf (or in your glovebox) for 20+ years and still be ready to light the way the at the very moment you need it? As if that weren’t enough, the Emergency Illuminator has a built in USB port that allows you to charge any number of devices in the event of a power failure of other emergency.

mPower On Command™ Reserve Battery

At the heart of the mPower Emergency Illuminator is a revolutionary battery with a shelf life of at least 20 years prior to manual activation. Unlike conventional batteries, the mPower On Command Reserve Battery provides the full capacity of its charge decades into the future without deterioration or corrosion. In other words, when you need light, the Illuminator will deliver.

How does it work?

While we could try to explain the technology, it’s probably easier to simply watch the video below.

PorschePurist’s Review of the mPower Emergency Illuminator

When we first saw the Illuminator we knew we had to have one. When mPower offered to send us one of the first lights to roll off the production line in Austria to review, we jumped at the chance.

As sophisticated as the technology found in the mPower’s unique reserve battery is, getting the light working is incredibly simple. Included in the shipping and storage box is everything you need.

Porsche Design’s influence is evident the moment you open the box. The sturdy carrying case cradles the Emergency Illuminator in a foam surround that protects it both in transport and in storage. Out of the box, the matte black finish and sleek design of the two tube handle makes this light a piece of functional art. At first, I was a bit skeptical about the light’s small size and sophisticated design.

However, after simply unscrewing a machined cap at the end of one of the two tubes (that make up the light’s handle) and inserting the supplied CR-123 batteries, I saw the light I was converted.

An aluminum collar on the handle of the light is used to move between the off position, on and USB charging (more on this later). The intensity of the beam emitted by the Emergency Illuminator is nothing short of, well, illuminating. From such a small package, the LED throws a fixed width (as opposed to adjustable like the Mag) bright, white light that cuts through the darkness easily.

Additionally, the unique Porsche Designed case allows you to stand the light straight up (allowing you to illuminate an entire room, as if with a lamp, when the power is out) or to lie it on the ground and illuminate an object in from of you (say changing a tire in the dark) without having to worry about it rolling away as my Mag light so often does.

Due to its size and sleek, matte finish, I was originally concerned with the Emergency Illuminator’s durability. However, the light is actually quite rugged and water resistant. The body is made from extruded aluminum and most other parts are machined aluminum. In other words, if you drop it, it will take the impact.

USB Charging Capability

Besides the innovative On Command Reserve battery, the other unique feature that sets the Emergency Illuminator apart from any other flashlight currently on the market is its unique ability to charge a myriad of portable electronic devices via its built in USB port. By simply moving the aluminum selector ring from “ON” to the “USB” position I was able to easily plug in my iPhone and bring its completely drained battery back to life using the supplied CR-123 batteries. According to the product literature, in an emergency situation, the On Command Reserve Battery will provide power for up to two hours of continuous light as well as charging ability to make and receive calls or your cell phone.

What to consider when purchasing the Emergency Illuminator

Pros

• unique battery technology with a shelf life of 20+ years

• USB port to charge portable devices in an emergency situation

• small, compact yet powerful and rugged

• high intensity, clean white light

Items to note:

• two tube handle makes for an awkward hand grip (this bothered me for quite some time until I realized the design is best suited for emergency situations where you will most likely be standing the light up straight or lying it on the side vs holding it your hand for long periods of time. Once I realized that I decided it’s not really an issue but would be remiss if I didn’t mention it)

• available glove box bracket not included in price

• no Porsche Design branding on the light itself

Price of the Emergency Illuminator and where to buy one

Like a lot of products developed in conjunction with Porsche Design, the Emergency Illuminator is not inexpensive. However, at $289 you’re not simply buying a status symbol from a renowned Design House. Instead, you’re buying a rugged emergency device that provides peace of mind and security!

What is it worth to know that the next time you need a light in an emergency situation, no matter how long ago you checked the batteries, that you’ll have one? Hopefully, you’ll never need to find out, but if you do and you have the Emergency Illuminator, you can rest assured that you won’t be left in the dark.

If you’re interested in owning one of these lights (as we are) to either put in your Porsche, or for your home, they can be purchased directly from the manufacturer. mPower’s web-site offers much more information on the product as well as the Amazon.com checkout feature for added security.

This light would make a great Father’s Day gift for the Porsche loving dad in your life and I’m sure it will make it on our recommended Porsche Christmas Gift list later this year.

For Additional Information

Emergency Illuminator Fact Sheet
Emergency Illuminator Frequently Asked Questions
Emergency Illuminator Spec Sheet

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[Source: mPower and mPhase]

Most hi-profile art exhibits print a catalog of the show’s featured pieces for visitors, and admirers alike, to read and learn more as they peruse the exhibition. The Allure of the Automobile at the High Museum of Art is no different. What is different, however, is the quality and substance of the catalog. Published by Rizzoli (the same publisher who gave us Porsche: The Fine Art of the Sports Car) with principal photography by Peter Harholdt this hard bound masterpiece is a work of art in itself. With nearly 60 full page, full color photos and countless other smaller inserts, the Allure of the Automobile provides background and coverage of an exhibit that examines the golden age of automobile design.

Celebrating eighteen of the world’s finest cars from 1930 to the early 1960′s, the collection includes an exacting Replica of the VW Type 60K10/Porsche Type 64 (body shell) – considered the ancestor of all subsequent Porsche sports models” – and the 1953 Porsche 550 Prototype that launched Porsche’s successful endeavors into the world of motorsport and race car manufacturing.

With close to 100 pages dedicated to background, history and photography of the cars on display, the Allure of the Automobile is a book for anyone that admirers their Porsche not only as a great sports car, but as a work of art. If you can’t make it to Atlanta to see the exhibit in person, the catalog is available to pre-order via Amazon (it goes on sale April 13) at a very reasonable price of $26.

Behind the Scenes Video of Porsche and the Allure of the Automobile

To learn more about the High Museum of Art and the exhibition, please visit www.High.org

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[Source: 993C4S, Amazon, Rizzoli, Karl Ludvigsen]

Anyway, Mike decided to sign up for a month of iRacing and the email below are his thoughts. Mike will tell you right out that he’s not a racer. What he is, is a world class gamer. So his review comes from that point of view.

“I can tell this is the real deal because I can’t keep my damn car off the wall. The experience seems very accurate but at the same time, very difficult. I figured out their problem….and yes, it is theirs, not mine. The delta between accuracy and overall experience is all in the seat of your pants. To properly control a car, real or dead-on accurate simulation, I need to rely on ALL senses. With iRacing I have my ears, (but the audio kinda sucks) eyes and tactile senses. The force feedback wheel enhances things a bit, but to truly control a car, you need to feel it in the seat. Feel the G’s. Feel the give of the car. Feel the torque so you know when it is about to break traction. Without that all you get is over-steer, slide, spin, grass, wall and finally a car with a gimpy wheel that handles worse than before. I think they were over ambitious with accuracy and forgot to consider the differences between a real car and a sim.

Games like the Need For Speed series, Forza, Grid and Gran Turismo give you a great simulation / gaming experience because they know it needs to be fun, so they make up for what you lack through more forgiving handling and driver assists while still giving you a good feel for car performance and track characteristics. I did learn something about myself as it relates to this. I do it for fun, and not necessarily for a challenge so iRacing is not for me. I found my line so to speak.

They do have a unique approach to this. It is every bit what real racing is. The logistics of race events are there. The ethics and expectations mirror real racing organizations, and the rewards and penalties are real enough to influence behavior. They have a code of conduct as if it were real-world, but use a demerit system against your license when you drive badly, risk yourself or others and cause damage. Points go against you and effects your ability to compete in certain events with other classes of driver. The level of detail all aims toward a professional experience both on and off track. [Most likely] a real racer would love this but might agree on my points of simulation vs. real.”

Mike’s review may sound negative, but in reality, it’s a compliment to the designers of the system and their intent to make it as true to life as possible. What say you?

How many of you are signed up with iRacing and what do you think? Does it truly give you the real feel of a race car? What are you using for a racing set-up? Force feedback wheel? More? Let us know because next week we’ll look at sim racing with a set-up as close to the real thing as possible from someone with hours and hours of seat time racing the real thing.

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[Source: Mike Sirois and 993C4S]

Verma introduced the concept chair as part of a portfolio of other modern work on design site coroflot.com. While borrowing queues from the side profile of the 911’s window frame, the contemporary chair looks more like an exotic piece of art, inviting guests to feel the comfort and luxury while decorating modern spaces in style.

Although just a concept at this point, we would love to see this in production. Wouldn’t it be great if Porsche Design would allow you to color match your chair to your 911?

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[Source: Trendcube.com]

The release went on to detail more information about how and why this approval process was put into place and suggested there was a list available on the Porsche web-site to view. But, and this is a big but, the release didn’t provide a link to their list of “approved tires” (only a link to the main site) and an extensive search of the Porsche web-site simply frustrated us further. Fortunately, through a contact at PCNA, we were able to get the seemingly top secret locations of these hard to find lists and we present them here now for your future use.

• Winter Tires for Current Vehicles
• Winter Tires for 996/986
• Winter Tires for Classic Porsches

As always, you can Change your tires with the seasons with a Preferred Winter Tire & Wheel Package from Tire Rack.

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Recently, we were contacted by Wilco who was eager to let us know that he had finished yet another Porsche diorama and wanted to share it with others. As we had already acquired one for ourselves (Wilco is not a sponsor of this site and we paid a fair price for our Diorama), it was without any hesitation (this time) that we wanted to share this with you.

Of particular interest in this creation is the almost 2″ x 2″ LCD screen attached to the shop wall that displays images of various Porsche models and other images. Like all Wilco’s work, most can be had for a price. This particular Porsche diorama can be yours for €800 plus shipping. Please contact him directly if you’re interested in purchasing this example or commissioning him for a replica of your own garage.

The pictures above are for your viewing pleasure (if you’re reading this post via email you may need to click through to the site if the images aren’t visible).

Shipping a miniature Porsche garage

When John purchased his Porsche diorama, Wilco recommended that we fly him over in order to hand carry it given the delicate nature of his work. As it was a stretch for us to afford the diorama we opted to have it shipped instead. Wilco was kind enough to create a special packing box that protected it in its travels. However, even this extra attention to detail couldn’t protect it from the rough and rugged handling of our UPS driver. While the diorama wasn’t damaged heavily, it did take a few hours (and a lot of super glue) to put things back in proper order.

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Imagine my surprise (not really) when shortly after waking up on New Year’s day, John called me over to his computer to look at something “I just had to see”. Lately, we’ve been talking about possibly moving, so I though maybe he found a house we could go look at. Not quite…

As I walk toward John’s monitors (he has three of them) the first thing I notice is an image of a 1974 Signal Green Porsche Carrera taking up an entire two screens (this is the latest Porsche he’s been lusting after). I’ve known about this car, so I’m not too surprised to see it here. I am, however, pleasantly surprised to see that there’s an image of what looks to me to be the basement of someones home that’s been converted to a game room. I thought, “great, we’re getting things off to a good start and maybe we can take a drive by this house to check out the neighborhood.” Wow, am I naive…

It turns out that what I’m looking at is not an advertisement for a home for sale with a nice game room. Instead, it’s a nice home with a game room that includes a Porsche themed pinball machine and said machine is for sale (sigh). It’s barely 12 hours into the new year and our resolutions are dropping faster than Tiger Wood’s sponsors. For the next few minutes I listen to John explain why we need he wants this Porsche Pinball machine. His reasoning includes:

• “You like pinball, you play our Elvira machine all the time. Wouldn’t it be great to have another?”
• “If I buy this machine I won’t feel the need to buy another Porsche.” (yeah, right!).
• “It’s a collector’s item and will probably appreciate. Think of it as a good investment”
• “It’s a Porsche Pinball Machine!” (I think he believed this to be the most compelling)

Porsche Themed Pinball Machine

According to John, who doesn’t want need a Porsche themed pinball machine? What’s funny is that until 2 days ago he didn’t even know this machine existed. Now that he does, it’s a “must have”. The first machine he was looking at was found on Craigslist (it has since been removed). How ever, with a little additional digging, he found two of them for sale on eBay. The first one seems quite well priced, but the description, while written to be honest, doesn’t really make you want to pull the trigger and purchase it. The 2nd one sounds like it’s in much better condition, but the seller isn’t bashful with a $2500 asking price.

I think what interests John the most about this machine, besides that fact that it is Porsche themed, is that it has a built in radar speed gun that shows you how fast the ball is traveling. According to the eBay advertisement, it’s the “world’s first pinball machine with Lasermatic Speed Detection [that] shows the player’s speed in the dot matrix display. Dynamic play-by-play commentary tells you the actual speed the ball is traveling. Set a new speed record and hear the crowd go WILD! Multiball comes in a rush and a thrill as the Turbo Booster automatically sends another ball racing onto the playfield!”

Okay, I have to admit that’s pretty cool. The question is, do I really want another pinball machine in the game room? And, does he really expect me (or anyone else for that matter) to believe that a pinball machine can take the place of another Porsche in the garage?

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