Porsche Panamera - why is it so quick?

Three letters in the March 2010 Car & Driver question the 3.3 second 0-60mph time of the Porsche Panamera Turbo that was tested the December 2009 issue. That makes it potentially quicker than many cars with much more power and less weight including the McLaren F1, Ferrari Enzo and Porsche's own GT-2. Weighing 4409lbs with 500hp, on paper it shouldn't beat any of them. There are three reasons it's so quick.

All-wheel drive, the dual clutch transmission and gearing that is probably more aggressive than any performance car in history make it accelerate quicker than much more powerful and lighter cars. The Panamera Twin Turbo is in 3rd THIRD! gear by the time it hits 60mph. Many extreme cars like the Bugatti Veyron, Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 and others go over 60mph in 1st gear. Check out the Bugatti Veyron road test with the top 10 quickest cars they have tested.

The all-wheel drive ensures no slippage unlike the others where power delivery has to be managed with available traction. I eluded to this challenge in my 60-130mph article. A 1.2 second 0-30mph time is extraordinary, on par with the AWD Veyron and GT-R. I would guess this translates to a 1.6 second 60ft at the dragstrip given the previously mentioned gearing.

The horsepower deficit is apparent in the trap speed in the 119mph range vs. the 125-130mph or higher times of the other cars. With excellent track preparation, technique and usually drag radial tires, a few have been able to match the launch of the Panamera and therefore run a much quicker quarter mile. Modern-day street car drag racing legends such as "Ranger" and "Furman" are examples of Corvette and Viper drivers who have done this.

Finally the 7-speed dual-clutch transmission means nearly uninterrupted power delivery. As one clutch disengages, the next engages with a speed and consistency that can't be humanly repeated. With 5 non-overdrive gears, it's fierce.

There is no other-worldly driving skill excuse or strongly suspect fudging of power levels in any gear with the Porsche Panamera Twin Turbo, unlike the Nissan GT-R. The car doesn't defy physics but it's transmission sure tries to make it seem so. Just wait when the new 911 Twin Turbo is tested.

The 2010 Porsche 911 Twin Turbo assuming the gearing is the same as the Panamera is that it will accelerate even quicker since it's about 800lbs lighter than the Panamera. So besides still not matching the GT-R's "factory" 'Ring time, it still won't accelerate to 130mph 1.6 seconds quicker than production models nor accelerate from 120 to 130mph in .9 seconds either in production form.

A great link for various automotive calculators courtesy of Wallace Racing. There are several for 60ft translations and various speed indicators.
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The Best Exhaust Sounds!

Do you have a favorite exhaust or engine sound? A thunderous domestic V-8? The shriek of a Formula 1 car? The muted roar of a turbocharged powerplant? The big-rig huffing of a massive diesel?

My favorite has to be the furious bark of the Global Motorsports Group exhaust installed on the already demonic sounding Porsche Carrera GT. I once heard an '04 CGT being driven after a clutch! replacement. Yes, clutch. The full-throttle howl reminded me of an air raid siren from hell. It was at once obscenely scary yet cool beyond words. This unique system adds 19hp and 16ft lbs of torque at the rear wheels on the dyno. What's another $6,400 on this beast. Click on the video and skip to the 54 second mark. It's THAT good.

The mid-mounted 605hp V-10 in Porsche's supercar is a work of automotive art already. Unfortunately having only a 3 model-year run producing 1,270 units, it is quite rare. Some speculate disappointing sales due to it's $440,000 MSRP and not-quite-exotic-enough styling are the reasons it was discontinued. Porsche states changing airbag regulations in the US as the reason. Either way, be thankful this car exists.

The clutch is a approx 6.7" in diameter with four plates and weighs 7.7lbs. Less than half the size and weight from the Turbo in '04. This allows for a lower center of gravity by having the engine mounted lower in the car along with the dry-sump lubrication system. There is no clutch slippage so the one I heard was being test driven after the owner had driven it improperly and burned it out. Goodbye $8,000. There is no flywheel but a solid rod that acts as a torsional spring. The engine revs up and drops down like nothing else on the road at the time.

So, which would you choose? A used Carrera GT or a new Lexus LF-A? Listen to the Lexus on Youtube, I still prefer the CGT.

I've heard Ferraris with Tubi exhausts and even driven one, hard, but there is something about the CGT that is even deeper, more menacing. Lamborghinis rank up there as well. The earth-shaking 427ci V8 in the Corvette C6R race cars are cool, but not like this. Check it out.
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What is your favorite exhaust sound? Send me a note and link to: askrobaboutcars@gmail.com with some information about the vehicle and I'll post your favorite exhaust sound.The Global Motorsports Group exhaust on the Porsche Carrera GT
Porsche Carrera GT - 6 years later and still relevant among supercars


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170mph at dusk: American LeMans racing at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

The second weekend in October saw the American LeMans series racing at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca near Monterey, California. The weekend was packed with racing action highlighted by the title event on Saturday afternoon. When four hours of top-level racing at speeds reaching approximately 170mph with driver changes and multiple pit stops has a .662 second margin of victory, you know you've seen something special.

This race also marked the retirement of the great racing champion Gil de Ferran who also appropriately won in the Acura ARX 02a race car after being dogged for quite a while by the Fernandez racing Acura from the P2 class, even regaining the lead after a pass into the slowest turn.

The other big story was the fierce battle between the Porsche and Corvette in the GT2 class at the end of the race. The Corvette all over the back of the Porsche lap after lap. An illegal pass by the Corvette by crossing the white line of the pit lane exit going into turn 2 was called back. Then the Corvette tried unsuccessfully to pass again on the next lap, bumping the Porsche before turn 3 and getting a little loose in dust. Finally in the last turn on the last lap, the Corvette bumped the Porsche from behind which ended up with the two side-by-side in a drag race towards the checkered flag with the Porsche forcing the Corvette towards the wall. The resulting contact, either between the two or the 'Vette and the wall caused the Corvette to spin in front of the Porsche, crossing the track and crashing hard into the opposite wall, wrecked and in second place. Check out the video here.

The drivers, Jorg Bergmeister in the Porsche and Jan Magnussen in the Corvette have been placed on a two race probation leading into the 2010 season. More details here. Jorg has been in the position of being squeezed out before, notably at Sebring losing to Ferrari. However considering Magnussen may have had a faster car, he couldn't get a clean pass and Jorg obviously wasn't going to lose the last race of the season due to being bumped in the last turn. If you can't do it cleanly, then don't try it.

There were some unfortunate signs of the economy affecting the event besides a lower entry count. There was no big screen for the main grandstands which actually has the most limited view of the circuit, nor for the stands between turns 4 and 5. Quite unfortunate considering how much occurs on the other parts of the track. The car count was lower as well but isn't as bad as it sounds and I'll get into that later.

The vendor area was also smaller than usual but still offered a great selection of clothing for men, women and children. All racing/automotive themes, of course. Piloti shoes was also there along multiple paraphernalia and excellent model car vendors. A special mention of Sin City clothing and Need For Speed Design with their automotive-themed jewelry and items such as bracelets, wallets, pens, rings, etc. One of the major sponsors, Patron Tequila had an all-day party in the vendor area with a lot of cute tequila girls. After all, for women spectators, the paddock area is full of studly drivers and team members, right? Even though the number of car manufacturer tents was down to one this year, Chevrolet had a nice display with a helpful staff and free Corvette Racing t-shirts for filling out a marketing survey.

Even a first-time race attendee commented on how organized the event was. From parking assistance to the layout, children's play center, go-kart track and even clean bathrooms, it was well done.

Some observations regarding the food and drink. The mixed drinks were a bit weak but the quesadillas were spectacular and right across from a tent with a variety of nice, cold English Ales. Across the Cooper Tires pedestrian bridge in the vendor area, their were other food and drink areas also. How much better could it get?

The sounds of the cars were simply extraordinary. The Corvettes and Panoz were thunderous going around the racetrack. The pushrod V-8 motors were a stark contrast to the screaming fury of every other high revving overhead camshaft motors of every other car on the track. The difference between the pushrod Ford powered Panoz and the overhead cam, 4-valve per cylinder Ford GT was especially interesting. Oddly, the Rahal Letterman Racing (yes that David Letterman) V8 BMW M3s seem to sound not unlike a street-legal M3 with aftermarket intake and exhaust modifications. Perhaps the closest resemblance of the race cars from a sound standpoint.

Driver access: As usual with the ALMS, the driver and team access is excellent. Autograph sessions with lots of posters and/or "hero cards" were common sights with many fans. Unheard of in the past, fans were allowed on the starting grid before the race, standing next to the cars and drivers with great photo opportunities.

Race cars: The major manufacturers represented in the ALMS were Acura, Lola, Porsche, Chevrolet, Panoz, BMW, Ferrari, Ford and Jaguar. The lone Ferrari dropped out due to a mechanical problem and the Dodge Viper was missing from this event. The Jaguar was basically testing for next season and it looked great. Also missing were Audi and Peugeot who only ran a few races this season in the US. Thirty-two cars on the starting grid was actually a somewhat low number but since there were 4 classes of cars running, the passing and dicing was frequent. Also, since this is the last race of the season and on the West Coast which is far for many teams to travel, not everyone was there. Next year the race will be in May which should mean more participation due to being earlier in the season and hopefully a better economy. More teams, more car counts.

Car corrals, while a little smaller than previous years, are always good display for fans of Corvette, Porsche, Audi and BMW. Even the Acura NSX club had a huge turnout in the past and I spotted some cars this year too. On the forums, it's common to read complaints that high-end car owners rarely drive their cars hard. Besides track days during the work week, owners of such are supporting the racing efforts of "their" cars. Not only were there two Ford powered cars in the ALMS race but 3 Mustangs in the Speed GT race, including one driven by Boris Said. Are you a "Said Head"? So I'm calling out Mustang and Ford GT owners to come check out the racing action too. And since Viper is heavily represented in Speed GT, where were you guys too?

Speed GT is one of the best racing series in world. High horsepower street-related sports cars compete in a 50 minute sprint which was a great conclusion to the weekend and racing season. The best bet next year is to attend the race (obviously) and record it on the DVR. Then you can watch what you missed to really get the big picture. Don't miss it, in person or on TV.

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Got a question about cars you would like answered? Performance, racing, modifying, shopping, makes, models, events, etc? Ask me here: AskRobAboutCars@gmail.com and I'll do my best to answer your question and publish it here on Examiner.com!

Corvettes and gold chains are no more!

Remember the stereotype of the Corvette owner? Mid-life crisis, hairy chest, gold chains; a Disco-Danny or a "wild 'n' crazy guy"! People STILL believe this is the stereotype. The Corvette broke this mold over a decade ago. It is now one of the world's premier sports cars, the best performance value for the money. Many people don't know this . You know who - the guy or girl who has never opened the hood of his car(s). Even for the last 30 years. My dear brother is one of "them". He doesn't have the "gene". A recent discussion made me realize this.

This started undoubtedly in the mid-70's when virtually every car was unremarkable. And quite honestly, so was the Corvette. An generally unreliable car from a company not known for reliability anyway. It's performance was pitiful compared to the heyday during the late 60s.

Anemic performance was a staple then with virtually all cars. But the 'Vette which has always looked fast now wasn't. Fiberglass body panels were clever for weight reduction and resistant to door dings, but difficult for paint to wear well due to flex and surface prep at the time, so I'm told.

The 50s and 60s were good years for the Corvette, but like most cars, the 70's ruined its image. In 1984, the start of the 4th generation Corvette (C4), saw a new styling edge. Before '91, it made at most a dismal 250hp. How much does your 6 cylinder family sedan make today? Exactly. The Disco-Danny's didn't care, and probably didn't know better. Believe me, I still see middle-age men driving new models in the right lane at or under the speed limit. I'm sure many have never seen full-throttle acceleration. But they made a great buying decision.

Some exceptions worth mentioning are the 1990-1995 ZR-1 Corvette. A 400hp model that was quite expensive vs. the standard model and wasn't sold in large numbers. But the interior was still rather lousy. The 1991 model year saw a nice jump to 300hp with a motor called the "LT1". While better, it really needed more.

When the 5th generation model appeared in 1997, everything changed. A lighter, stiffer hydroformed frame, a rear-mounted transaxle (transmission) for optimal weight distribution, a better interior and an excellent "LSX" family motor that in '02 was available in the Z-06 model making 405hp. The Corvette was now a world-class sports car and the best bang-for-the-buck.

Today the Corvette and especially the Z-06 remains the best value in the world among sports cars by tens of thousands of dollars with phenomenal performance. Even the 2009 base Coupe with an MSRP of $49,415 is near the top in performance.

So what about those gold chains? They are now gold medals.

Viper sale signals the end of the horsepower race

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20090205/CARNEWS/902059976
As much as we like it, the trend of ever-increasing horsepower is going to end. What is the ceiling for horsepower on the street? This sale of the Viper division is foreshadowing the beginning of the end of the horsepower race. Instead of Chrysler shutting the plant down in a few years due to lagging sales, I'm sad to say its a smart move to sell it now.

Development for ever faster cars is going to slow as demand slows and mileage and emission requirements increase. The state of the economy just kick started it. The division is doomed to fail in just a few years.

The Viper, especially the ACR, is a spectacular performance bargain in the big picture. But it just doesn't make sense to keep adding power in light of future requirements. Sure they might tweak it for another 50 or 75hp, but it is already traction limited . There are very, very few cars making more horsepower and their market is not the racetrack but exclusivity and exotic appeal.

On the street, rear-drive only 600hp cars are already traction limited. In fact, this is deep into the range of horsepower for race cars and even with racing slicks, traction is an issue that must be managed as well. And they don't have the hazards on the street that we do!

The notable domestic contributions are the Corvette ZR1 and Shelby Super Snake. But neither will compete in a race series without major changes and both have "heritage appeal" sales. The normally aspirated Corvette Z-06 is already the established track day or race car and the Shelby, with 725hp, doesn't have a warranty and still needs to lose 500lbs. Not only that, it already has the economy of scale with the Mustang, and has a huge mark-up.

Making the Viper lighter from a competitive standpoint (ala the Corvette Z-06) will cost far too much in R&D. Making the interior equal to any of the competition will also cost too much.

Remember how Audi bought Lamborghini and turned it around? I think a similar move would be the Viper's best chance. Otherwise it becomes a boutique vehicle with unprofitable sales numbers.

As much as the ACR would be my dream car for track days, I'm not optimistic about the future of the brand. And significant horsepower increases from the manufacturers has come to an end.

Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona key element missing

Edit: The series is long gone but the coverage of the vehicles is still terrible. Watching one race on a 75" HD TV and they list the driver's names but the make of the car isn't even legible.

The Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona was recently televised. Speed TV did a good job covering the race itself. Where they lacked is typical in racing coverage - the cars! Getting to know the drivers is good, the race teams can be obscure, but the common element that everyone wants to watch is the cars. But no details!

http://www.grand-am.com/rolex/teams/
This website needs to expand. We want car details, not just driver and team bios.

Did you know there were two Corvettes entered in the GT class? How about two Ferrari F430s? What about the lone Mustang? And of course, the Mazda RX-8. How much power are they making? How do they compare to the other cars? Why wasn't it closer between the Ferraris and Porsche like in the ALMS? What are the performance differences between the GTO.R and GXP.R? We want data, performance metrics, comparisons, explanations. Even to a hardcore enthusiast, they remain rather mysterious. And that doesn't even consider the powertrain and chassis differences of the DP (Daytona Prototype) class.

There is a link for teams, a link for drivers, but what about the cars? THE CARS?!
http://www.grand-am.com/rolex/

$100K for a 1992 ZR-1 is too high at Barret-Jackson

I've been impressed with SpeedTV's coverage of the recent Barrett Jackson Auction held in Scottsdale, AZ. If your primary interest is muscle cars of the past, the knowledge shared during the commentary has been excellent.

It seems more "watchable" than last year, although a DVR is a requirement to fast-forward through the commercials during 20+ hours of coverage. If not more.

I'll have more to say soon, but a write-up in AutoWeek, 1/26 issue caught my eye regarding the first 1992 ZR-1 Corvette fetching over $100k. I'll have to see it myself as I continue to look at the coverage.

Was it really worth it? Granted buying a car stored by the factory, and essentially sold from the factory has merit. But what is the significance?

The model run ended with 1993 models. The 405hp engines were stored after the 1991 model year for future installation. What is the big deal? The first 2006 Corvette Z-06 also fetched over $100,000 but at least that has some significance as a first year model. And its a far superior car from every standpoint.

If you're going to spend $100,000 on a fairly modern Corvette, the new ZR1 would be the obvious choice. From a collector standpoint, my guess is this 1992 model has little merit, and will only depreciate. First year or last year would have hope, but not 1992.

AutoWeek Regurgitates GM's poor press release for the Corvette

AutoWeek regurgitates GM's poor press release.

AutoWeek just reported GM's announcement about the "Competition Sport Package" for the Corvette. This includes decals, badges, some body paint, different colored wheels and includes the Z51 package (different gearing, stiffer suspension and cross-drilled rotors, etc.). Also a 2.73 final drive ratio is reported. And did I mention "racing style" numbers?

There are some problems here. First, the "package" does NOTHING for performance than what is already available which is the Z51 option. It's strictly for appearance purposes.

Secondly, the 2.73 final drive ratio would make the car faster, but accelerate slower than the more performance oriented 3.42 final drive ratio. So is this a typo from GM? And why didn't AutoWeek comment on this?

This will NOT "wring" a little more performance out of their cars since the performance oriented parts are ALREADY available as an option. This is just marketing to bring back some more interest in the 6th generation Corvette since plans for the 7th (C7) have been delayed.

The Corvette is a world-class from a performance standpoint. A bargain in terms of bang-for-the-buck. So the final question is this: How many posers who DON'T track their cars are going to install the racing-style numbers? And will they be wearing gold chains too?