I wish I was there this time around. Maybe 2013???

http://youtu.be/zFPyMRjdKyA

It was this same car that led famous Porsche driver Walter Röhrl to near victory 30 years ago. Dominating the all-wheel-drive Audis for most of the race, Röhrl was in the last leg of the race when his driveshaft went Kaput!

30 years on, he will try again, perhaps with a significantly better designed drive shaft

Mr. Peter Schutz, former CEO Porsche

9 Magazine has come up with a great new interview with former Porsche CEO Peter Schutz.

The interview describes Schutz’s time at Porsche and how he ended up at the helm.

He describes how he revived the fabled 911 model, and the team he assembled to do that. From a business standpoint, he discusses the organizational challenges, and the way they used motor sport to build the brand.

Most interestingly is in this interview is his interaction with Ferry Porsche. He describes his daily interactions with the iconic man. That alone makes the article worth reading.

See: http://www.9magazine.com/the-man-who-saved-the-porsche-911.html

Made by hand was the early Porsche 911.

Check out this archive footage from the early 1960s. If you were to tour Porsche now, you wouldn’t even recognize the place!

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Part 4:

Part 5:

I was recently visiting a new Porsche web site called 911 Nation. On the site, there was a new post arguing the U.S. President Obama and the Democratic Party, which presently controls the U.S. Senate, is working to take certain high performance cars off the road, much to the detriment of the car-buying public.

This is hyperbole and conjecture and it’s apex. They only one putting an end to the Porsche is those that own the company. CAFE standards do not nor will they ever prevent a company from operating. At worst, they charge a sort of fine for each vehicle that does not meet requirements. Though the OEM pays this fine, it is effectively passed on to the consumer, at the risk of that automaker being less competitive. That said, Porsche like every automaker has every incentive to develop state-of-the-art technology that provides us with both a great driving experience and the comfort of know that we are polluting ourselves to a lesser degree as the world population continues to climb.

Obviously, CAFE has nothing to do with extremism of the environmental or other kind. Extremism might dictate that none of us use powered vehicles of any kind, which is clearly not the case here. Indeed, one could further argue that generations of people who have lived in an era of fossil fuel consumption are cheating future generations by consuming resources that are not sustainable.

We need look no further than the new Porsche Panamera Hybrid S, which according to sources has a CO2 g/km of only 160. Indeed that is a competitive number, especially for a car capable of great handling and performance.

I might further posit that America is the follower, not the leader, in developing improved environmental standards with respect to the automotive industry.

Porsche Zentrum - Dortmund, Germany

Having been an observer of auto dealer operations for the last eight years, I’ve been terribly displeased with the lack of innovation and improvement in the dealer sales process. The following series is a set of ideas outlined that I believe can make automotive customers, staff, and dealers much happier.

The first big idea that dealers must implement is to emphasize stress free buying in advertising and more importantly, in the showroom. What does this mean? We need to look at it from the buyer’s perspective. First off, people want and NEED to be treated with respect. A 75-year-old with wads of cash falling out of his pockets should be treated no differently than the 18-year-old looking to finance their first car purchase. Indeed, the value of an 18-year-old is far greater when we look at the sales potential over the lifespan of that individual.

To illustrate, let us take the “average” Porsche owner. Because of the relatively high entry-price, they are likely to start buying at age 30 or perhaps a bit older depending upon income level (versus age 22 for a Scion), starting with perhaps a used Boxster or Cayman. We might calculate that profit on such a car is $4000, give or take. Fast-forward 4 years, and they might opt for a new Boxster/Cayman or a used 911 at perhaps $6000 profit. So already from 4 years, a Porsche dealer in this example has profited to the tune of $10,000, or $2500 per year NOT including service profits. Now if  the dealer plays their cards well, they will have sold two excellent cars and still have, on average, 41 years of Porsche driving experience left. So let us assume that the buyer gets married and either keeps their car, or replaces it with something roomier for the young children. For the sake of this illustration, they will buy an entry-level Cayenne – a car that has plenty of room and is safe and sensible for a young, successful family. Such a car might earn the dealer $5000. Repeated again after 4 years and the dealer profits another $5000. Now age 42, the successful father may want to consider moving up to a Porsche Panamera, which while sporty, can shuttle the children around in style now that they are out of child seats. Let us chalk up $7000 profit for that purchase. Then $8500 for a Panamera S another 4 years down the road.  By age 46, $30,500 of profit may be garnered directly from vehicle sales. Hitting a mid-life crisis at 50, your buyer may feel he deserves a sporty Carrera convertible to drive, and so the dealer sells it to him with $10,000 profit.

20 years into the relationship, the dealer has garnered a whopping $40,500 in profit from sales alone. Taken at 20% of profit, the sales person would be well happy to have and extra $8100 into their pocket, on one customer, just for treating them right. If we assume another six Porsche 911s are in that person’s future before they can no longer drive, and if we upsell and retain an average of $12,000 per car, we end up with a lifetime total profits of $112,500 in sales on that one buyer alone, to say nothing of service profits. At a 20% commission, even the stodgiest salesperson is unlikely to turn down a paycheck of $22,500.

While not an actual example, we can use this story to illustrate the importance of getting the buyer into the door at an early age and giving them a great buying experience while relatively young. By continuing to foster that relationship through respect, patience, and knowledge, a company like Porsche can retain a customer for life.

The above gallery includes some photos from the November 2010 Arizona PCA event at the Millenium Resort in Scottsdale, Az.

The Arizona Region, Porsche Club of America displayed approximately 100 late model and vintage Porsche’s at the Millennium Resort, Scottsdale McCormick Ranch.

The event was open to the public and brought together families, car enthusiasts and Porsche lovers from the Western U.S. Proceeds from a weekend of club events, “Phoenix Flight 33″, will go to The 100 Club of Arizona, a local, non-profit organization which benefits families of public safety officers and firefighters who are seriously injured or killed in the line-of-duty.

Phoenix Flight has been held annually for 33 years, and is one of the longest running weekend events in the Porsche Club of America.

I admit, several years ago, I was nearly in an altercation with a Bison in South Dakota in the middle of a state park. On another trip with some of my German friends we came across some burrow/donkey-like creatures wandering about the same park on the road in front of me (incidentally, if you know what kind of animal this really is, please leave a comment):

Custer State Park, 2003

Of course, you would be right to wonder why such wild animals (and there were many of them) would hang out in the middle of a road like this.

The answer is because of fat slobs like this, who stop,  get out of their car and feed them:

Ugly Americans

Do note they are not driving a European car.

So that leads us on to a recent episode posted to YouTube.com in which a guy in a Porsche 911 Cabriolet gets “hunted” by some Wild Turkeys. After digging around, several sources seemed to confirm that these turkeys can get aggressive, and they can run on foot to about 25 miles per hour (40 KM/hr), and fly up to 55 mph (89 KM/hr). Of course, even such a “vicious” animal is no match for the 911, which eventually gets away.

Happy Thanksgiving!

No comment needed.

So it seems automatic driving in Canada is as common as in the US. Thus, it is probably of little surprise that an automotive journalist’s teenage crashed a VERY expensive Porsche 911 Turbo just the other day…

Ferris Bueller’s day off it may not be, but this sure beats the time when I smacked my mother’s old Chrysler LeBaron into another car after a heavy Nebraskan winter… the main difference here is that the Porsche costs CAD$180,000, while the LeBaron was worth only about US$5,000.

Big mistake!

Globe journalist’s son crashes $180,000 Porsche

I know what you’re thinking. Sure there are lots of driving simulators out there for the iPhone, but they are all so dull. After 5 minutes, you delete them and move on the the next app. But what if there was an application out there that was genuinely useful. What if in the style of James Bond, you could you that iPhone to actually control your car?

Well, it seems someone has called up Q Branch to “modify” their Porsche… and now there’s an app for that!

… or have they? You be the judge!

I know what you’re thinking much of the time… “if I get into a fight with my spouse and all I get to take with me is the car, which car should it be?”

For obvious reasons, a Lotus Elise is out since you can’t pack so much as your under garments into the boot, but what about a Porsche? Maybe the 911 or Cayenne or Panamera, but a Boxster??? At least you will be sure to awake with the sun!

See the gallery of this festive holiday treat here: http://jalopnik.com/5416034//gallery/gallery/1

Oh wait, Happy April Fools! You can’t REALLY eat it!

It wasn’t all that long ago (summer 2009) that we caught a glimpse of the Batmobile Porsche 911. That car appeared to have a special something hiding under the bonnet – an electric motor and battery. For pictures, see:

http://green.autoblog.com/2009/07/28/spy-shots-is-this-porsche-911-mule-hiding-a-shocking-secret/

As a result ,of those photos, internet forums were set ablaze with speculation of what future iterations of the Porsche icon might include for a powertrain.

Then just weeks ago we heard from Porsche CEO Michael Macht in an interview with AutoCar Magazine that the company had no plans for hybrid technology, but wished to include some technologies including brake regeneration and start-stop. Brake regeneration captures the kenetic energy that occurs under braking conditions and start-stop stops the engine while the car is halted, such as in waiting for a red light at a stop.

In a bluff of some sort, Macht’s company announced earlier in the week the release of the 911 GT3 R Hybrid. Perhaps Macht would argue that a GT3 R is not a road car. Perhaps Porsche is really looking to develop a news sports-oriented technology to repel the charges of batteries adding immense weight to traditional hybrid vehicles. We knows that the company has announced a hybrid Cayenne, and one has to imagine a hybrid Panamera is also being developed. Sports cars, however, must remain light, so the test of this new GT3 is how quick can they make it.

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911 Design

Check out James May’s views on the 911′s timeless styling in the Telegraph:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/columnists/jamesmay/6502445/The-Porsche-911-as-an-artists-muse.html

Car porn? You be the judge!

Bugatti Veyron 16.4 in all its glory!

If there was ever a doubt in the halo effect that accompanies a super car launch… if you ever thought Porsche’s Carrera GT, Lamborghini Reventón, Aston Martin’s One-77, VW’s Phaeton, Mercedes SLR, Acura’s NSX, Nissan’s GT-R, and Audi’s R8 were a waste of space and a money losing venture, you were wrong. VW Group’s crowning achievement is undoubtedly the venerable Bugatti Veyron 16.4.

Acquired in 1998 from Italian entrepreneur Romano Artioli, VW immediately set to work building a successor to the EB110. It was considered by many to be the most sophisticated car of its kind at the time, a trait that followed in VW’s iteration called the Veyron 16.4. Even at its introduction and production start in 2005, VW never intended the Veyron to surpass 300 units. Indeed, the company has said that after 300 are produced, the car will be discontinued. Interestingly, this has not resulted in a static design and the company has continued to pump out alterations including “special editions” and a Gran Sport, replete with a removable roof.

It has been said by many that the Bugatti is the ultimate supercar, not just of today, but also of all time. Those who make that argument point to the jaw-dropping 0-60 mph times under 2.5 seconds and a top speed in excess of 400 KM/hour (250+ mph). Others marvel at the 16-cylinder, 4-turbocharger engine or the 10 radiators onboard. Still others marvel that at full speed, the car runs out of full in 12 minutes and the tires burn to a crisp at 15 minutes. All of that in a rather un-dramatic, but stunning fashion.

It is the combination of those factors, the styling, and the EURO1,000,000+ price tag that make the Bugatti the ultimate halo product for VW Group. What is the halo effect, and why is it so important that VW stands to lose millions of euros for each Veyron produced? Halo products in general are the über-expensive, lower volume, highly publicized products that companies produce to create buzz for the company and the other products sold by that company. Even a low volume company like Porsche can benefit from a halo product because these products do so much to bring status and media coverage. A company that produces a rather low quality product can be perceived as one that more generally produces very high-end products. The company may actually lose money selling the halo product, but these halo products are often considered a marketing cost anyway. Ideally, a company would save massive amounts of money on advertising by introducing a product that is constantly covered by the media.

So it is with the Bugatti Veyron. Associating Bugatti with VW Group and providing otherwise sound business strategy has meant that VW has pushed past Toyota (IN A WEAK MARKET!) to become the number one producer of automobiles in not just Europe, but the entire world with 4.4 million units for the year according to IHS Global Insight.

http://www.autoobserver.com/2009/11/vw-pushes-past-toyota-as-global-production-leader.html

For an example of the aforementioned press coverage, see the following irrelevant, but positive pieces of new coverage:

• http://jalopnik.com/5401978/how-i-found-a-bugatti-veyron-engine-on-a-budapest-street
• http://jalopnik.com/5403061/16-million-bugatti-veyron-crashes-into-texas-lake
• http://jalopnik.com/5388709/bugatti-veyron-parking-fail

Volkswagen

VW in an effort to promote the tons of eco-friendlier cars launched at IAA in Frankfurt in September has decided to pursue eco-sales with a new eco-friendly racing series. The company is starting a single-make racing series where all of the cars run on bio-produced compressed natural gas. The model used in the series is the new Scirocco and should reduce racetrack CO2 output by 80 per cent over today’s racing fuels. The 2.0-liter 4-cylinder cars will have 220 horsepower on tap. Not bad for an alt fuel car!

Source: http://www.wired.com/autopia/2009/10/volkswagen-cng/

On other green fronts, VW Group is working with Stanford University in California in a US$5.75 million project to make VW the largest carmaker with R&D in Silicon Valley. Already the two companies have produced autonomous (read self-driving) versions of the VW Passat and now the Audi TT-S. The Audi TT-S will attempt to drive itself up the 14,110-foot Pike’s Peak next year, according Wired.

Source: http://www.wired.com/autopia/2009/10/vw-vail/

Audi’s Johan de Nysschen, critical of the Chevy Volt, took an interview with Time recently to express his views on the state of the luxury auto industry. He stated that Audi’s goal is to be the “top” German luxury manufacturer, but not necessarily in terms of sales. He also reiterated the push for more fuel-efficient vehicles leading to Zero emissions cars in the not so distant future.

Source: http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1933906,00.html

Bugatti

Bugatti has unleashed a new concept car the 4-seat, 4-door (can you believe it???) Galibier 16C. Autocar magazine claims the production will start in 2013 at £900,000. We will believe it when we see it! Interestingly, the car’s engine will be the same as in the Veyron but will only sport 800BHP. Apparently, 200 get lost when adding 2 doors.

http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle.aspx?AR=244753

Caterham

Rarely does Caterham make the news, except when they unleash new, wildly fun lightweight roadster, but unfortunately, Caterham’s found Graham Nearn died in late October. Nearn has been selling the then-titled Lotus 7 since its introduction in 1959, and then when the car was discontinued in 1973, Nearn bought the rights and has been producing the car ever since and in more exciting, evolving versions. You can even buy a kit and put a Caterham 7 together yourself. If you are not familiar with this brand, you should be!

Top Gear featured it in a segment awhile back:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOxHV6QfJkg

Source: http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle.aspx?AR=244398

Ferrari

Beyond the KM has previously marveled at the sales resiliency of the Ferrari nameplate. But even THIS economy has the prancing stallion kow-towing to the bear market of Wall Street.

Its third quarter results for 2009 showed revenues of 396 million euros (£359m) – down from 450m euros (£408m) in the same period last year. It sold 1454 cars, down 4.3 per cent year on year.

However, Ferrari announced that it has grown its market share in every market it monitors, against a drop in supercar sales of around 40 per cent.

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