About Porsche

Melita S asked:


My husband is torn between these two options. He likes the Audi bec our current family car is an Audi and the fact that the choice is brand new, and service is not a problem, but still he says”a Porsche is a Porsche”.

Jessie

dmhoyt_1999 asked:


Porsche 911
I’m a diplomat living in Lithuania and want to buy a late 70’s/early ’80’s 911 sometime in the next few years. I was thinking I might be able to pick one up here as goods are usually cheaper. But I really don’t see any older models on the road, not do I see many classifieds here. If anyone has any experience/thoughts on this, it would be most welcome.

Chad

Joe Thompson asked:


The automotive world is wondering why Porsche is sending out a newer and cheaper Porsche Cayman. After all, with the Porsche Cayman S running almost double in sales than what has been expected for the vehicle, some business and marketing analysts claim that perhaps it might not be a good thing for Porsche to send out a thrilling and cheaper Porsche Cayman on the road.

The very first Porsche Cayman was produced only this year. And it took the spot that was previously owned by the Porsche 968 in the Porsche line up of exemplary vehicles. This sports car is known to be a coupe that holds two doors. It also has got two seats in its cabin. According to Porsche, the Cayman idea actually came from the inspiration of the Porsche Boxter. However, the difference is that this new vehicle now makes use of modified flat-6 engines which makes its performance and handling better and smoother compared to its idol.

When the Porsche Cayman revved up its engine and started roaring through the streets and giving the company a huge amount in sales and profit, awards also came rushing to recognize the power and performance that this sports car has. Maintenance is also fairly easy for owners and drivers for used Porsche car parts would work well with this sports car. In fact, this vehicle took a huge share of awards during the Auto Express New Car Honors awards for 2006. It also was greatly recognized as the best sporting car that one can find in the United Kingdom.

The cheaper Porsche Cayman is sold some £7,755 cheaper compared to the Porsche Cayman S. And because of this, Porsche exclaims that other sports cars in the auto industry like the Mercedes SLK and the BMW Z4 coupe should better watch out for this one.



Brad

miamivice asked:


I have a Porsche 944 with a duff alternator. Rather than pay the extortionate price for a Porsche one, is there an alternative one that I can use, say from a VW Golf/Passat or Audi 80 which I can swap the front pulley over from my old one?

Many thanks!

Ryan

Antonio v asked:


Mechanically over time i’m talking about. Can porsche be used as a daily driver?

Duane

Paul asked:


I am planning on buying a used Porsche Boxster 2000 - 2002. What should the maximum mileage on the car be, and how many miles do the Boxsters usually run well for?

Nellie

Conan P asked:


I have a 1973 Porsche 914 sitting in the garage. However the car has NOT been turned on since roughly 1986, so about 22 years. How much should I except to get for the car if I sold it?

Debra

John Hartley asked:


Among the compact sports cars, the BMW Z4, Porsche Cayman and Porsche Boxster stand out. But which is you? And why did BMW and Porsche wait so long before making the coupes? There is no Boxster coupe, but the Cayman is almost the same thing - but uprated.

It might seem odd that the two German companies, well-known for high-performance and sporty cars, waited to announce their coupes at the same time. The answer lies in why they introduced the roadsters in the first place.

Porsche wanted a new, smaller model to increase its market coverage. Not everyone likes the 911, and not everyone wants a coupe. So it made sense to opt for the mid-engine layout - the 911 is rear-engined - and the better balance that gives in designing the Boxster. At the same time, the addition of an open-top roadster would also increase sales. And both tricks worked.

But what about BMW? Well, BMW wanted to build cars in the USA, and did not want to build the same cars it built in Germany as that would increase costs. So it decided to build a roadster for the US market, although it would be marketed elsewhere.

At that time there was more potential volume for a boulevard cruiser type of two-seater than an out-and-out sports car in the USA, so the BMW Z3 was born. It was a rather tall car for a sports car, and although a hardtop was offered, it looked odd, making the car look even taller than it was.

Z4 more sporty than Z3

The BMW Z3 did not really catch on in Europe, so the Z4 was designed as a more sporty car than the Z3, and with its 3-liter engine which develops 265 bhp, is a good match in performance for the Porsche Boxster. Meanwhile, Porsche decided to fill out its range with an extra model, to be priced between the Boxster and the 911. In fact, the Cayman is based on the Boxster, but has more sporty suspension, and has a larger engine. Now, though you can get a Cayman with a 2.7 liter engine as well as the 3.4 liter job. The Boxster gets 2.7 and 3.2 liters.

Because Porsche makes flat-six engines, it can easily produce engines of different capacities from 2.7 to 3.8 liters, and many parts are common to all of them.

If you are looking for a sporty car, then you will want to look at the Z4 3-liter, which produces 265 bhp, and reaches 60 mph in 5.5 seconds, a time matched by the Boxster 3.2. The Cayman is a fraction quicker, getting to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds. Mind, if you want maximum performance from these cars, you can get the BMW Z4 M, with over 300 bhp on tap.

Choosing between Z4 and Cayman

But when it comes to the choice between the Z4 and Cayman coupes,you will be influenced by which one looks better. Although the Z4 looks a lot better than the Z3 it does have a few quirky lines, which don’t appeal to everyone, and the coupe is no better.

The Cayman has the usually slick Porsche lines, with a long tail and built-in spoiler which looks pretty good. On the road performance is not much different, and both have super engines and gearboxes, but they don’t do things in quite the same way. The Cayman is a beautifully balanced car that can be driven fast with confidence, but if you want to hang the tail out, the Z4 might be more to your liking.

Both are great sports cars, and will give you a lot of fun. What else should you consider? Nissan’s 350Z is also quite a car, with a lusty V-6, the Mercedes-Benz 350 SLK 350 and new Audi TT are also worth looking at.



Harvey

Trapezio asked:


What are the visual differences between the S and the normal 911 after the facelift. I know that the exhausts are different. Is there anything else? I find them identical from the front.

Andrew

Lauren Woods asked:


As the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) moves to the Southwest for round number four, at the Lone Star Grand Prix of Houston this Saturday evening, Porsche teams involved in both the LMP2 and GT2 classes will be challenged by tough rivals in the industry. The competition for this season’s championship is currently in high gear. Acura and Ferrari will be flaunting what they have to challenge the domineering Porsche.

In the LMP2 class, the Porsche RS Spyders have garnered class wins and an overall win in the past two street races. But the Acura prototype earned the pole at Long Beach and won the opening ALMS round at Sebring. The automaker is not only making a good name in the manufacture of quality auto parts like the Acura cold air intake but also the brand is also popular in the racing arena. In GT2, the 2007 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, which was new for the year, has finished second to the Ferrari in all three races. But Porsche tracks the manufacturers chase by only 12 points going into Houston.

Uwe Brettel, the Porsche Motorsport North America president, said that he would rather be way ahead in both categories, but he pointed out the close competition is good for the classes and good for the series. “We would like to be far ahead in the points - especially in the GT2 class - but the fans come to the races to see good racing, and Porsche customers teams have provided just that during the first three events. Patrick Long and Darren Law were less than five seconds short of winning Long Beach in their Flying Lizard Porsche, while Jorg Bergmeister in the Lizard team Porsche lost to the Ferrari by two-thousandths of a second at Sebring,” said Brettel.

He added, “Our overall win by the Penske Porsche RS Spyder at Long Beach was exciting, but the Acura provided stiff competition by taking the pole and turning the fastest race lap.” Brettel also pointed out that, with the street course in Houston being repaved for this year’s event, and the race being run in April instead of July, the heat and roughness of the course which plagued teams a year ago should not be a factor this year.

In the previous year, both Penske Porsche RS Spyders did not finish the Houston event due to transmission problems linked to the beating of the cars took from the bumpy track surface. For Porsche, the Long Beach overall victory by Romain Dumas and Timo Bernhard in the LMP2 class Penske Porsche RS Spyder was its second one-two overall finish in the ALMS. Additionally, it was the first time any manufacturer has swept the overall podium in ALMS.

In GT2, the Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 RSR team cars have finished second to the winning Ferrari at all three events so far this season, with the Jorg Bergmeister/Johannes van Overbeek number 45 racer second at Sebring and St. Petersburg, and the number 44 team car of Patrick Long and Darren Law second last weekend in Long Beach. Both cars will be in the hunt for their first win of the season at Houston, with team principal Seth Neiman replacing Long in the 44 Porsche.

It can be recalled that Porsche 911 GT3 R/RS/RSR family of race cars has won the ALMS GT/GT2 drivers and manufacturers class championship every year but one since the series start in 1999. Year 2006 was no exception as Jorg Bergmeister won the championship. The new milestone was achieved with the help of his co-driver Patrick Long and his Petersen/White Lightning Porsche GT3 RSR.



Chad