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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Interview with a race car driver

Even with great talent, it takes money to get to the professional racing leagues. Champions included. Recently I had the chance to meet a very nice and successful amateur race car driver named Brandon Aleckson at a Club Auto Sport function. Brandon was helping at a racing simulation demonstration for one of his sponsors, Trinity Racing Concepts. Brandon was very personable and I asked him a few questions about his racing experiences that evening. Later I felt complimented when he contacted me looking for help or suggestions for raising funds to continue racing. I then realized there are a lot of things I don't know about climbing the ladder in racing and that we should talk more in depth.

Brandon has quite a list of accomplishments highlighted on his website including the 2006 national championship for Formula SCCA cars and received the Motor Sports Press Associations 2006 Open-Wheel Road Racer of the Year Award http://www.brandonalecksonracing.com/ He also saw noteworthy success in '07 and '08. Take a look, Brandon has more accomplishments in amateur racing than most could dream of.

He used to race Go-Karts but it became too expensive needing 2 chassis, 2 motors, parts, rebuilds, etc during the season. This is also became very time intensive as you can imagine. Buying a Formula FE spec racer turned out to be the way to go. Back in 2003, it was "only" $28,000. Now it's about $50,000 to buy a new one. Start adding up all these figures, you'll see the dilemma, if not already!

The one difficult part of the racing for Brandon is dealing with the parts, despite the 160-170hp 2.3 liter Mazda engine being sealed and lasting 4-5 seasons. A huge bargain. But there are wear and maintenance items or updates to be competitive such as floating brake rotors, and they are not cheap. There are not a lot of sources for these parts and they are obviously not massed produced.

This means during the season, figure about $15,000 - $20,000 maintaining the car. For instance, tires are $650 for a set and they last a weekend Entry fees are $300-$400. Run multiple weekends and suddenly the decimal point starts moving the wrong way in the checkbook and the commas disappear, if you were fortunate enough to begin with.

Asked about the most trying aspect, the answer is the logistics, as you can imagine. Leaving California four days before a race in Atlanta. But Brandon's crew chief, chassis set-up guru and driver is also his source of his funds: His Dad. Being a business owner that can gladly spend the money and time away from the office with his son is a enviable situation. Having a racing background himself has obviously paid off. But keep in mind Brandon's winning seasons are with himself, his Dad and sometimes an assistant versus teams of 2-3 cars with a full staff.

When asked what are his most and least favorite tracks, Miller Motorsports Park in Utah was his top pick. The track, the facilities, everything according to Brandon there is top-notch. Previously it was Road Atlanta, one of the faster tracks in North America. His least favorite is Button Willow in California. Granted it is personal taste, but one interesting observation is that it doesn't have "character corners". In other words, turns that make a track unique and memorable. For those that that are only able to go to Button Willow and feel dissed, don't. You are still in an eviable situation doing something many cannot afford due to time, funds or both.

Looking at his winning record, I asked about confidence. He was obviously consistent and that is a study in concentration in itself. Brandon usually qualified on the pole so confidence level was always high.
Asked what the important piece of advice, the answer is to network. Get to know people and sponsors because it's all about the funds. The next move up for him would be to Star Mazda. But to "try out" means over $5,000 and most likely $10,000 for one day of testing. Not only that, a season runs about $750,000 and Indy Lights would be $1 to $1.2 million dollars. For one season. This means there are drivers in the pro ranks that are there due to having money, not talent.

Brandon impressed me when I first met him and when we spoke on the phone. He is obviously very talented and his accomplishments are very impressive. If you would like to sponsor Brandon or know someone who wants to help fund a top-notch driver, contact him here: AlecksonRacing@hotmail.com. 

Presidio of San Francisco Concours D'elegance

An intimate little show tucked away inside the historic Presidio of San Francisco. Held on July 19th, it celebrated the marques of Packard and Bentley. While smaller in scope and variety than the Palo Alto show, it was of higher caliber in terms of entrants, even to a non-car enthusiast. It reminded me of a preview of the Pebble Beach Concours D'elegance.



Difficult to find if you're not familiar with the Presidio and the signage was lacking. However, once there, parking was easy and the layout of show was very nice on the lawn. The area where the non-judged cars were located seemed even larger.

The vintage cars looked amazing, including models and colors I've never seen before. There was even a modern Bentley Zagato with paintwork so perfect, a dog at the show was looking at reflections in it. My opinion of the Ferrari California was confirmed - a stunner with the top down and the busy rear end isn't really a detractor.

Considering this was the first show since a four year run ending in 1972, it was a job very well done. I hope it continues to succeed and perhaps draw entrants and spectators from the north bay that the Palo Alto show may not always be able to. If you don't want to pay $150 for Pebble, nor make the drive let alone find a place to stay for less than $300 per night, attend both of these shows. If you do, you'll know you've seen some of the finest cars the bay area has to offer.