993C4S: Porsche Cars, Products and LifeStyle

The Latest Porsche News on the Net

993C4S — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 05:10:55 +0000

The last couple of weeks were filled with lots of announcements regarding Porsche and Porsche related tuners and products. Rather than posting everything individually I thought I’d give you a quick overview with links to everything that’s going on. This way you can read what’s of interest and maybe check out a new interesting Porsche related site at the same time. In no particular order, here’s what you may or may not have missed over the last couple of weeks in the world of Porsche!

Porsche News

Porsche Introduces 2009 Boxster and Cayman: Better, Faster, Stronger and they use less gas too!
Porsche International Competition for Young Filmakers: Porsche gives out award for the best international commercial films by students.
Porsche PDK can turn off all wheel drive in the Carrera 4: A neat trick to take your all wheel drive Porsche back to a rear wheel drive
Center Lock Wheels for the Porsche 911 Turbo: Porsche to bring back center lock wheels for the street
Porsche Named as Feature Marque for 2009 Monterey historic classics
Possible New Porsche Boxster Speedster Spied

Porsche Tuning News

edo Competition Porsche Cayenne GTS: edo competition to offer more power and an improved aerodynamics package for the newest Cayenne
9ff Decides that 253 MPH isn’t fast enough: What good is 973 horsepower when you can have 1120?
Road and Track Reviews the Ruf CTR3

Porsche’s Mid-Engined Sports Cars Deliver Hi-Level Performance

993C4S — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 01:23:20 +0000

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.

[Source: Porsche]

Gymkhana Takes AutoCrossing to a Whole new Level

993C4S — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:34:40 +0000

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.

Test Driving the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup VIP

993C4S — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 05:10:35 +0000

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.

As most of you know, Porsche licenses their brand and product across a number of different industries. Everything from Porsche Designed Stereos by Eton to fully operational Kitchens by Poggenpohl.

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.

4 Steps to Winterize Your Porsche

993C4S — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 05:10:40 +0000

For a fortunate group of you, this post won’t be relative. Maybe your Porsche came with the optional snow-plow (like the one on the left, you are lucky enough to live in a climate that allows for year-round driving of your Porsche or, you love your car 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 next 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.

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.) Don’t forget all 993C4S readers get a 10% discount on RaceRamp Products just by entering the following Race Ramp discount coupon code 993c4s8 upon checkout.

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.

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.)