Porsche (27 Posts)
I was going to do this blog post on my 1974 Pontiac Trans Am Super Duty running out of gas, but then I realized this was my last Karl on Cars post before the Edmunds.com redesign site launches, and there won't be a CarPool blog (formerly known as the Karl on Cars blog) after that.
So the "Out of Gas" phrase describes more than just my Super Duty last week, though in both cases the story ends happily.
I spent last weekend in the all-new 2011 Porsche Cayenne Turbo. I'd driven the car a few months earlier at Barber Motorsports Park during the Cayenne press intro, where I also experienced the Cayenne S and Hybrid models. The Hybrid model, not surprisingly, got the bulk of the attention from the press for its advanced green technology, even though every version of the Cayenne is completely redesigned for the 2011 model year.
During my trip I was told Porsche's test drivers could pull lap times in the Cayenne Turbo that were within a couple seconds of the 911 Turbo, despite the Cayenne weighing an additional 2,700-pounds and standing 15 inches taller. That same trip had me maneuvering a Cayenne up steep dirt mounds and slogging through deep Alabama mud bogs. As you can probably guess, it was hard to find something the car couldn't do, and do well.
Not to be outdone by Aston Martin, Porsche delivers some pretty swell pictures as well. Here's a sampling of mostly 911s of different colors and varieties, plus two others. And no damned Cayennes -- I like them, but they ain't pretty. Enjoy.
I love roadsters. Sharp handling, good looks, the wind in my hair and the sun on my face -- what's not to love? For this sporting proclivity, I'm willing to sacrifice quite a bit of comfort, convenience and rationality -- obviously, since I own a Lotus Elise.
Porsche's got my beloved Elise in its sights, though, with the 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder. After spending an afternoon behind the wheel of the Spyder on my favorite roads, I realized there are fewer sacrifices to be made with the Porsche. But can I be convinced to consider it as a worthy adversary?
Cannonball Run is one of those all-time great, cheesy car movies. In the spirit of that classic from 1981, Associate Editor Mark Takahashi and Photo Editor Kurt Niebuhr face off to determine who would take the prize today. Takahashi -- channeling the late Dean Martin -- picks his beloved Porsche Panamera Turbo, while Niebuhr -- dressed as Captain Chaos (dun dun duuuuuun!) -- goes with the raucous Ford Raptor 6.2. Who wins? No, not Adrienne Barbeau in a Countach, that'd be lame.
Never judge a book by its cover. Yeah, yeah, yeah -- that's just something that ugly people say. I kid, of course. For automobiles, though, I generally believe that beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes down to the bone. History is littered with ugly cars with few redeeming qualities (Pacers, Calibers, Azteks, Pintos, Cimmarons -- you get the idea).
There are a few ugly cars out there, however, that have some good things going for it -- the pre-2002 BMW M Coupe and Prius come to mind. But here, I present to you, the top three ugly cars that I'd consider buying. These are cars that are somehow able to overcome their styling to impress me enough with performance, quality and features that I can forgive and forget their appearance.
Automotive nameplates come and go, but with a select few, bloodlines have continued in the same vein for decades -- like Mustang, Corvette, Civic and Z, just to name a few. This time around we're pitting the venerable Mercedes-Benz S-Class against the revered Porsche 911 to determine which model has best perpetuated its heritage without losing sight of its core principles.
Defending the flagship Benz is Associate Editor Mark Takahashi, as he glides down the highway in zen-like comfort. Photo Editor Kurt Niebuhr will champion the Porsche as he weaves through the canyon passes in a blur. The loser of this all-German Face-Off must pay for a night of bier and brats and also sing 99 Luftballoons whenever the winner so desires.
Back in November of last year, I had the distinct honor of having a Porsche Panamera Turbo in my possession over the Thanksgiving holiday. No, I didn't bribe or blackmail anyone to make this happen, it was for the road test that followed shortly thereafter. As it sometimes happens, space constraints kept some interesting tidbits out of the story -- one of which was the beautifully articulated rear spoiler you see above.
We had a unique circumstance at the Edmunds.com offices recently. Our schedule of press vehicle loans resulted in both a 2010 Porsche 911 Turbo and a 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 lurking in the area for over a week. That meant we could experience two of Porsche's most potent models back-to-back, and as you might expect about the only thing they had in common were their base model names.
The Turbo has become one of the quickest-yet-luxurious street-legal cars available, and the GT3 continues to engage willing drivers better than those idiotic Carl's Jr/Paris Hilton commercials (you know, the ones you keep watching every time they're on).
We tested both 911 models while they were here to confirm how they stack up in the spec box. Behind the scenes, though, we had different opinions on which one's the better car. In one corner, with a barely-used helmet under is right arm and wearing Pilotis that make his wide feet ache, is Editor-in-Chief Karl Brauer defending the GT3. In the other corner, sporting '80s-era Ray Bans and saying "Porsche -- There is no substitute" for the umpteenth time, is Executive Editor Paul Seredynski defending the Turbo.
(photo courtesy of Flickr)
I was shooting pool a few nights ago with a friend. Among conversational tidbits like "How far would you go on the Olympic ski jump if you didn't jump at the end?" and "They're remaking Clash of the Titans? Really?" my friend let it be known that he was selling his 1974 Porsche 914. I just about whacked him with my pool cue. Dude, why?
Actually, he bought the 914 for his girlfriend (now wife) a couple of years ago. She loves the car and uses it as her daily driver, but they're thinking of selling it. He says it's not the most reliable car, and while he knows the mechanical basics, he isn't knowledgeable enough to do any major repairs. They haven't got the money to keep taking it to a specialized shop. Plus, his wife says she might like something a little bigger and with a backseat.
So I told my friend I'd use the infinite resources and powers of the WT3 come up with a few used-car suggestions that might still allow his wife to keep her car enthusiast credentials. I searched via the following criteria: 1) Fewer than $6,000 (that's the most they can spend); 2) Fun to drive; 3) Practical via a backseat and/or hatch; and 4) a reputation for at least decent reliability.
Here's what I came up with.
I've been fortunate enough to drive both the Porsche Panamera S and the Panamera Turbo over the past four weeks (the Turbo over this past Thanksgiving weekend). This is a car that elevates the word "sedan" to a new dimension. In fact, while technically correct, the word "sedan" sounds too mundane to serve as the Panamera's descriptor. Like calling the Grand Canyon a "natural formation."
If you think this Porsche's specs are the sole reason it's more than just a sedan, well, you'd be partially right. With 500 horsepower, 567 pound-feet of torque, a zero-to-60 time in the mid 3s and a top speed over 175 mph there's no ignoring the Panamera's performance. But when you're spending $150,000-plus on a sedan you can find similar numbers in more than a few high-end four-doors.
No, what makes the Panamera unique is how that performance is melded with a highly functional and supremely effective luxury sedan. I've always been most impressed with vehicles than can do more than one thing really well. For instance, a great luxury SUV capable of daily commutiing in the city is nice, as is a billy-goat-capable off-roading machine. And when you get all of those attributes in a single vehicle (i.e. Toyota Land Cruiser) you have a vehicle that defines engineering excellence.
And that's where the Porsche Panamera scores. It's nearly peerless as a racetrack weapon AND it's almost unequaled as a fully-functional luxury sedan. It defines engineering excellence.
But despite it's capabilities an important question remains: Should Porsche really be making a sedan?
This list isn't very long, but it's getting longer every year.
The first vehicle to earn the distinction of "Cars I Want to Hate...But Can't" was the BMW X5, and I still consider it the poster child for this category.
Why would I want to hate the BMW X5? Because it was slower, heavier, bulkier, thirstier, costlier and less space efficient than a BMW 5 Series wagon when it debuted in the late 1990s. The car made no logical sense on any rational level.
Then I drove one and quickly realized that, as slower, heavier, bulkier, thirstier, costlier and less space efficient 5 Series wagons go, the X5 was an awfully nice vehicle.
Since then I've experienced a similar love-hate relationship with several models, including the (new) Dodge Challenger, the Porsche Panamera and -- as of last Thursday -- the Honda Crosstour.
Believe it or not, my job doesn't always allow for as much seat time in shiny dream machines as I'd like. The demands of testing, evaluating, photographing, video recording and writing about test cars means there often isn't even a single night left over for "editor in chief driving."
But last week a combination of circumstances allowed me to experience four full days of Porsche 911 C4S bliss in a brand new 2009 model. What's more, in those four days I utilized the 911 under a wide variety of circumstances, furthering my understanding and appreciation for the model. That's particularly good because in a car like the Porsche 911 you can't simply blast down a mountain road and assume you've got it all figured out.
During my 96 hours in the 911 I commuted three times, I shopped four times, I transported my kids once and I drove through heavy rain for over 50 miles (even Mother Nature was helping me experience all aspects of this sports car).
So without further delay, I present my 11 Reasons I Love the Porsche 911:
You may have already heard this, but BMW's twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter engine took home the International Engine of the Year award for 2008. If you've experienced this powertrain you know that title is well and properly earned, as the 3.0-liter's combination of horsepower, torque and even fuel efficiency make it one of the best engines in history.
But that got me thinking: What are the best engines in the history of the automobile? There are no internationally recognized test parameters to answer this question, so it's basically a judgement call. With that said, here are the 10 engines I would place in the annals of "Best Engines of All Time."
Here's the follow-up to our look at Europe's future product as predicted by Automotive News. Yesterday we hit Alfa Romeo through Maybach, so today we'll start with Mercedes-Benz.
Mercedes-Benz: Lots of activity for 2008, most of which we've already seen (SLR Roadster, S65, all-new C-Class, etc.). Next year we get the C63
(457hp), a CLK convertible, an E-Class update, an SLK restyle and an SL freshen. In 2009 we get a CLS freshen, an AMG E-Class, an S-Class convertible and -- believe it or not -- a small crossover called the GLK.
Mini: The Clubman
just debuted in Frankfurt, and we'll see how the small-car brands fares with a larger model. The new John Cooper Works model
looks cool (and makes 207 horsepower while weighing 66 pounds less) and the convertible gets a full redesign, to catch up with the coupe, for 2009.
Porsche: Both the Boxster and the Cayman get freshened next year, while the titanic 911 GT2
debuts with 530 turbo-charged horsepower. A full redesign of the Cayenne happens in 2009, while Porsche's first sedan, the Panamera, hits town in 2010 (and yes, the company will still have a "soul" -- along with a stronger bottom line).
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Recent Posts
December 7, 2010 3:00 AM
Karl on Cars: 2011 Porsche Cayenne Turbo - The "Best" Vehicle on the Market?
November 2, 2010 3:00 AM
Fun With Photos: Pretty Porsche Pictures
August 6, 2010 10:00 AM
Test Car Notes: 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder
July 1, 2010 6:00 AM
Face-Off: Porsche Panamera vs. Ford Raptor
June 28, 2010 6:00 AM
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