Porsche Blogs » Boxster

2012 Porsche Boxster S Black Edition

PB — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 02:27:32 +0000

Following on the heels of the recently announced 911 Black Edition, Porsche introduces a new, luxurious and limited edition Boxster S this spring. The 2012 Boxster S Black Edition features a 10-horsepower boost and a long list of standard equipment at an attractive price. This new mid-engine sports car is only available in solid black and features a monochrome treatment with a black body, black convertible top and black-painted 19-inch Boxster Spyder design wheels. Normally contrasting trim pieces from the Boxster S are also painted for a uniform look: the supplemental safety bars and side air intake grilles are painted black, as are the twin exhaust tailpipes and the model designation on the rear luggage compartment lid. A Black Edition model designation is embossed on the side of the fabric roof. The monochromatic theme continues to the interior where black is the only available color, with aluminum and stainless steel used as accents

Deconstructing the Porsche Emblem

PB — Wed, 19 May 2010 19:56:09 +0000

The Porsche name is recognized for superb styling on top of innovative engineering, but until 1952 the Stuttgart-based automotive manufacturer portrayed itself to the world as only that: a name. For 31 years, the Porsche brand consisted of seven sleek letters but had no face attached to its name. No mark, emblem, nor ideogram to distinguish its cars from the masses and therefore no burning scar in the minds of consumers embodying the Porsche experience and history. By the start of the 1950s, however, importers and agents who sold these high-performance sports cars made it clear to Porsche that their customers wanted something more. They wanted an emblem to identify their vehicles. Ferdinand Porsche, his son Ferry, and their trusted circle went about designing a logo that would represent Porsche to the world.

The mark they came up with takes more than a few pen strokes to reproduce, but nonetheless creates a bond of trust and space for thought among drivers and admirers alike. More than anything else, the Porsche logo takes its design cues from the coat of arms of the Free People’s State of Württemberg, a former Weimar Republic province. Ferdinand Porsche moved to Württemberg from Austria-Hungary after the turmoil of World War I and the Porsche headquarters is still located in the province (now called Baden-Württemberg) today. The red and black stripes come from the former province’s flag and the 6 antlers represent the heavy deer population in the thickly-wooded forests of the region. The province is the most prosperous and innovative of modern Germany and many other German multinationals are located there such as Daimler, Bosch, Carl Zeiss, and SAP. Through his company’s emblem, Porsche shows a firm commitment to his adopted land.

The horse in the middle is from the coat of arms of Stuttgart, the capital of Württemberg. Stute in German means female horse and gart in the city name is short for garten, or garden. The now bustling German metropolis was originally a horse pasture in the 10^th century. The city’s coat of arms pays homage to these roots with a black prancing stallion on a yellow shield. Interestingly enough, the Italian sports car manufacturer Ferrari uses the same heraldry in its logo. The image of the black stallion made its way to Italy during World War I via Francesco Baracca, Italy’s top fighter ace during the war. Legend has it that Baracca copied the horse design from a shot down German pilot who happened to have painted the Stuttgart coat of arms on his plane. The Italian used the symbol on his own plane, but he too was killed in combat. In 1923, the symbol made its way to Enzo Ferrari after Ferrari’s victory in the Circuito del Savio. Ferrari had made acquaintance with Baracca’s father and after he won the race, his wife, the Countess Paolina Baracca, presented a piece of her son’s Stuttgart coat of arms-emblazoned plane shrapnel to him. The Countess asked that he use the horse on his cars and suggested it would bring him good luck. The Porsche family asked the Stuttgart city government for permission to use their coat of arms in their logo, which they were granted, but it’s unknown whether Ferrari ever had to go through the same process. Austrian petrol station company Avanti also uses the same prancing black stallion with yellow background in their logo.

Count Francesco Baracca used the same Stuttgart coat of arms on his plane as Porsche and inspired Ferrari’s logo

With the Porsche name added at the top of the shield, the emblem was complete. From 1953-1957 the new logo first appeared only on the interior of Porsche’s vehicles. The 1957 Porsche 356 coupe was the first to have the emblem gleam resplendent on its bonnet. A 2008 Luxury Institute survey among wealthy Americans found the Porsche brand best luxury car brand today. Respondents of the survey associated Porsche with "power, style and excitement", "value," "elegance," and "trust and respect". Without its intricate yet meaningful logo, it is doubtful Porsche would have ever been able to sear itself into the minds of consumers, built such value, and commanded such respect.

Thanks to the team at vintage racing video website RaceFansTV for guest writing this post. RaceFansTV is an international initiative led by motorsports enthusiasts that aims to bring back much of the great historical racing footage that has been captured since the video camera was invented.

Well worth checking them out!

All new 500bhp 911 Turbo

PB — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 10:03:24 +0000

The seventh generation Porsche 911 Turbo is an embodiment of all things Porsche. Engineering, style, comfort, and safety all come together to provide raw unrelenting speed and a perpetual smile on the lucky driver's face. With a cool base price of around £100,000, this road missile will carry you from 0-62 miles per hour in 3.4 seconds when coupled with the seven speed PDK transmission. With a traditional manual gearbox, the sprint takes 3.7 seconds. Both gearboxes will carry the car to a top speed of 197 mph.

Of course, numbers like these can only be produced by a lot of muscle. The mid-engine 911 Turbo is supplied by twin turbocharger units, which come together seamlessly in order to produce 500 BHP (yes...500!) at 6,000 RPM. Amazingly, this kind of power is produced from just 3.8 liters of displacement. The six-cylinder engine is lightweight, compact, and at a level of perfection that cannot be matched by anyone with less experience, and the fact is, no one has more experience. The 911 was introduced to the public in 1963 and landed in show room floors in the summer of 1964. It is the longest running production car being manufactured today. The Turbo edition of the 911 wasn't sold until 1975 and is today the only variation, which sends its power to all four wheels.

Its newest claim to fame is efficiency. Despite its increase in performance over the previous 996 model, fuel consumption has been reduced by 16% and CO2 emissions have been dropped by 18%. This is mostly due to the recent implementation of direct fuel injection (DFI). If you were spending more than 100 grand on a car wouldn't you want to avoid the gas guzzler tax as well?

There is more to this car than just mind blowing performance. The new Porsche 911 Turbo comes available with numerous options and the entire interior comes wrapped in leather from the factory as stock equipment. Sources say that PETA is chasing Porsche for this ostentatious decision, but they just can't catch them. With the kind of engineering this car is packing, it wouldn't be a shock if we saw lawsuits coming from NASA soon as well.

Other standard equipment includes a 13-speaker Bose sound system, on-board computer, navigation, and (as not to always be expected of Porsche) two front seat cup holders. The cup holders are of a mediocrity not common for Porsche, but the general consensus is that if you use the cup holders in a bloodthirsty 500-horse power speed machine, you don't know how to drive it.

When people imagine the name ‘Porsche', it is safe to say that a large amount instantly think of a big wing on the back of a car which always has on evil grin plastered to its face. The 911 turbo is the reason for this image. It is beautiful. It is efficient. It is cutting edge. It is fast. I want one.

Just look at this 911 Turbo Cabriolet in grey. Oooft.

The Porsche 944 – A Classic on the Edge

PB — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:21:12 +0000

If you were a fan of the 1980’s television show Miami Vice, you saw the Porsche 944 featured over and over. It was an iconic image of style, power and wealth. It has returned with a vengeance and now is considered an emerging classic and retro.

The Porsche 944 was designed and built following the usual Porsche formula of state of the art engineering mixed with unabashed luxury. This formula has worked well for Porsche and seems to be one that they will thankfully never change.

The difference is that now you can purchase a Porsche 944 for much less than ever before. It’s possible to get a Porsche 944 at rock bottom prices because their status as a retro classic hasn’t yet been solidified. When that happens, I reckon the value of the 944 is going rise. Looking at the second hand prices, you could buy one right now, then sell it in a year for at least the same money. At a time where second hand prices are dropping like crazy this is definitely food for thought.

If you have ever wanted to own a Porsche, or are a collector of vintage Porsche cars, you are going to want to pick one of these up as soon as possible. If you want the best deal, try and get one that needs a bit of bodywork completed on it. You can easily and inexpensively have minor work done to restore your new 944 to its original pristine beauty. For bodywork you will want to be sure that you stick to the original paint colors and even formula if you want the car to be considered a true classic. Of course if you aren’t worried about that, have a blast doing it your way! Low mileage, and owners club registered are always great plus points. The scarcer models will also be more likely to increase in value.

The total production of the Porsche 944, including all styles, was under 160,000. That makes it a rare car from the outset. Remove from that all of those used and destroyed in movies, television series and out in the real world population, and you have a rare car indeed.

The Porsche 944 was originally intended to be produced into the 1990’s. Because of production and design changes there was a dramatic difference between the 944 and the car that followed it, the Porsche 968. As a result, the Porsche 944 ceased production in 1991.

There were several versions of the 944 produced and all are on the verge of greatly increasing in value. The coupe should increase in value faster than the convertible. Such is the nature of convertibles.

The best deal you are going to get on a Porsche 944 is right now. Buying an older Porsche and watching the value of the automobile increase is quite fulfilling. You should give it a try!

Manufacturer	Porsche
Production	1982–1991
Assembly	Stuttgart, Germany
Predecessor	Porsche 924
Successor	Porsche 968
Class	Sports car
Body style(s)	2-door coupe 2-door convertible
Layout	FR layout
Engine(s)	2.5 L I4 2.7 L I4 3.0 L I4
Transmission(s)	3-speed automatic 5-speed manual
Wheelbase	94.5 in (2400 mm)
Length	1986-88: 170.0 in (4318 mm) Turbo: 168.8 in (4288 mm) 1989-1991: 168.9 in (4290 mm)
Width	68.3 in (1735 mm)
Height	50.2 in (1275 mm)
Curb weight	pre-85.5: 1180 kg (2601 lb) 85.5+: 1330 kg (2932 lb)

Check out this small selection of 944's, then view our full listings.

1987 PORSCHE 944 S Ventiler 16v Superb classic MUST GO

£1,875.00

18m

1990 PORSCHE 944 S2 CONVERTIBLE

£5,850.00

1d 18h 12m

PORSCHE 944 25 250BHP TURBO 1990 PARTS ONLY

£1.00

1d 18h 13m

Porsche 944 S2 1990 147200 NO RESERVE

£2,900.00

1d 19h 55m

PORSCHE 944 S2

0 Bid

£2,650.00

1d 20h 53m

The Porsche 911 and your New Baby are Compatible!

PB — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 10:51:25 +0000

It happens every day. One minute we are free to zip around in our Porsche and the next minute we are trying to figure out how to keep the Porsche and still transport the baby.

It didn’t used to be that way. Back in the old days people rode around in cars without seat belts, baby carriers and booster seats. Now we have to be tied into place. It’s not necessarily a bad thing. Unless you own a Porsche that you don’t want to sell and you have a baby to transport.

You have a few options. The first is to sell the Porsche and buy some sensible family car with a back seat and no sex appeal. Of course the Porsche probably helped get the baby in the first place so maybe instead of selling it you should consider a second car.

The reality is that you probably already have a second car. The one the other parent drives. So that base is covered. You have a car that you can ride around in safely. It’s not as fast or as sexy but it gets the job done.

But what do you do on the day that the other parent is gone with the car and you have to drive the baby someplace? The glib response is to say call a taxi. But wait, Porsche has solved this problem for you!

The wonderful designers at Porsche anticipated this problem, as they have so many others when they created our magnificent cars. Porsche has actually designed a car seat that is designed to fit into their cars!

The Porsche car seat is designed to fit securely into the passenger seat and will actually disable the passenger airbag when it locks into place. It’s the perfect solution to the problem of a car seat in a Porsche.

Now you can relax. You don’t have to give up your Porsche 911 just because you have a baby. Get a Porsche car seat and your baby can ride along while you teach him (or her) how to handle those envious looks from less impressive cars with grace!

It’s hard to be humble when you drive a Porsche. But for the sake of your baby please try!

First reader to contact me with an image of their baby, with a....em.....baby in it wins something. Well, nothing actually, the wife has all our budget spent on a whole load of baby gadgets we will never ever use!

Anyway...too much baby talk - some pics of a Carrera GT to get us back on track!


No more baby chat I promise! ;o)

Porsche asks Panamera to withstand spiraling luxury sales

PB — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 20:55:04 +0000

Porsche has forecasted a reversal of fortunes through their controversial Panamera Sedan. Porsche’s top brass has suggested that its first fresh model in seven years, Panamera Sedan, would help in bucking up luxury sales. Klaus Berning, Sales Chief for Porsche said that irrespective of dubious situation, the carmakers would sell a minimum of 20000 units in a year.

Porsche Panamera

Porsche trusts Panamera to combat a serious sales slump. Sales figure from Stuttgart, Germany is showing a dismal 27 percent drop whereas sales in U.K are in disarray with 36 percent drop. Panamera is Porsche’s first four-door sedan and has cost the carmaker something to the tune of 1 billion euros for development. The car is set to give Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz CLS and Fiat SpA’s Maserati Quattroporte a run for their money.

Porsche contests that about nine-tenth of the customers will be fresh ones without any brand loyalty as such. Sales will be trifurcated between Europe, US and rest of the world. Porsche is looking to bring the car in China in January and is already setting sight on 2000 unit sale by the seventh month of the year.

Porsche is exhibiting a family sized Panamera for ushering into would-be markets. This step is to counter the spiraling sales among conventional customers and loyalists. The 94000 Euro four-door Panamera Sedan is all set to start its road journey in the month of September. Porsche is also planning to unravel a Hybrid Cayenne in 2010 and looking to top it up with Hybrid Panamera.

Porsche focuses on green fuels?

Social acceptance, above all, is the reason why Porsche purchasers look towards hybrids or electricity or diesel cars.

Porsche is fast collecting stakes in Volkswagen since the erstwhile auto giant from Germany suggested restructuring and acute liquidity crisis. With recession looming even further, Volkswagen has nearly called it “quits”. Porsche has already promised to lift its holding in Volkswagen to some 75 percent. While Porsche has fallen 3.02 euros or 6.2 percent, Volkswagen has had a sharp slip of 11.2 euros r about 4.4 percent. Both these downfalls have been the highest in three weeks or so.

2009 Porsche Boxster (The Car Connection)

PB — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 02:32:22 +0000

2009 PORSCHE BOXSTER STYLING | [10 out of 10] Kelley Blue Book: "a modern interpretation of the classic Porsche look" Motor Trend: "in an effort to add masculinity, the new face is dominated by snortier air inlets" Autoblog: "styling modifications have been minimal" ConsumerGuide: "the layout is logical" Editors at ...

http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/us/nws/th/main_142.gif

Continue reading here:
2009 Porsche Boxster (The Car Connection)

B-wood’s biggest takkars (The Times of India)

PB — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 08:09:33 +0000

Driven: Porsche Boxster S The spirit of the original 550 Spyder from the mid-1950s lives in the Boxster.

http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/us/nws/th/main_142.gif

Continue reading here:
B-wood's biggest takkars (The Times of India)

Porsche Cayenne Diesel Video

PB — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 11:25:08 +0000

So what the heck is this PDK all about then?

PB — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 18:32:31 +0000

Porsche PDK: Automation & Fuel Efficiency

I was harping on about wanting PDK in my next toy, and thought I'd better find out what it actually is! And probably more importantly – is it any good?

Porsche PDK, (Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe), which simply means Porsche double-clutch gearbox, was initially developed for motor sports. It was developed to benefit drivers both in terms of both speed and acceleration by allowing them to change gears while still keeping both their hands on steering wheel. Seems like a great idea to me!

The great thing about this new gearbox from Porsche is that it offers 7 forward gears. The combination of manual gear shifting facility with a torque converter, facilitates transmission and makes PDK quite special. PDK is an upgraded (and most definitely smoother) version of the previously available Porsche Tiptronic system.

Porsche PDK helps to improve both acceleration and fuel efficiency. PDK’s automatic transmission system helps it to stay ahead of the game from manual clutch gear boxes, due to the combination of manual gearbox as well as a hydraulic control unit. These are separated into two unique transmission units containing two clutches placed in a radial arrangement. The clutch that has uneven gears – 1, 3, 5 and 7 along with the reverse control is the first transmission part whereas the one with even gears – 2, 4, 6 is the second transmission part.

Disengagement of one clutch automatically engages the other clutch on the other transmission. This brings about a noticeably nicer gearshift feeling in the mind of driver and facilitates faster gearshift. The results are really quite noticeable. I like it!!

Minimizes Power Loss

The Porsche 911’s PDK system is also fantastic for controlling power loss during transmission. Its inbuilt double clutch mechanical efficiency brings about an increase in fuel economy, which can only be a good thing in times when fuel prices are at a premium. You can have an average fuel rate increase of about 13% as compared to the Tiptronic S gear box.

Another added advantage of having a PDK vis-a-vis Tiptronic S, or manual shifts is that despite of having 2 extra gears, it is around 10 Kg less in weight.

Speed is, of course what any Porsche is about (even the Cayenne Diesel lol) and Porsche’s PDK units ability to shift gears 60% faster than other transmission equipments makes it s a perfect match for the any of the new models. Being able to deliver better performance along with greater fuel economy = win win from Porsche!

Some Quick Facts about PDK

Shifts gears at 60% greater speed as compared to conventional transmission equipments
PDK equipped Carrera models can accelerate within 4.5 seconds from a speed of 0 mph to 62mph
Can be combined with motor sports related packages to offer high speed acceleration– like the Sport chrono Package Plus.
Comes at a price of only £2,338 extra.

So, Porsche’s PDK is gets my vote - amazing gear box that offers you a superb combination of speed, acceleration, automatic transmission and fuel economy. Its a bit of an understatement to say that PDK would be on my options list at the local Porsche Centre.

Check out a video below!