Atlanta — okay technically Hapeville — is getting a new track! Porsche recently broke ground on a massive expansion to its Experience Center in Georgia. The existing track and skid pad and off-road route and whatnot will stay in place, but the track will be expanded much further, to allow more people to experience the limits of a Porsche in safe and fun ways! This will effectively double the length of track on site, adding new features and corners inspired by some of the best race tracks in the world.
Not only will the expansion add miles of new track for customers to use, but the new 33-acre expansion will add a new Porsche Classic Factory Restoration facility, and a new parking deck to make up for the added capacity. The recently-opened Porsche Service Center South Atlanta is already built and operational on the grounds of this new expansion. It’s pretty cool that you’ll be able to take your vintage Porsche in for restoration work at the new facility. And while you’re there you could test a new one out on track.
“The physical connection a driver enjoys with our sports cars is core to the Porsche brand, which is why we’re expanding this option even as we and our dealers invest in new digital touchpoints for customers. The two worlds – digital and real – complement each other,” said Kjell Gruner, President and CEO of PCNA. “Whether a Porsche owner or not, the Experience Centers in Atlanta and LA serve as destinations where anyone can experience the thrill of a Porsche sports car and learn more about the brand. The Atlanta center has already hosted more than 6,000 visitors a month in normal times, and we hope the track expansion excites many more to come engage with Porsche.”
So what does the new track include? Elements of the 1.3-mile expansion include a Laguna Seca Corkscrew-esque expansion, a Nurburgring-Nordschleife style Karussel, and a section inspired by the Tail of the Dragon in the Smoky Mountains. You’ll get a pretty good idea of what your new Porsche is capable of by doing a few laps around this course, I can already tell you that without even having seen it. There’s also a new low-friction wet circle, a simulated “ice hill” to demonstrate traction control, and a large 135×555 foot patch of asphalt for handling showcases.
The two tracks will operate independently on most days, but it’s possible to link the two for an impressive 2.9-mile full course for special events. Porsche expects the track to be finished and operational by the first quarter of 2023. PEC ATL has been open since 2015, and serves as the brand’s North American headquarters.
For GREAT deals on a new or used INFINITI check out INFINITI of Ontario TODAY!
A four-door Porsche may sound blasphemous because the brand is associated with sports cars like the 911. However, Porsche has a history with practical performance cars because it codeveloped the Mercedes-Benz 500 E, an iconic sports sedan from the early 1990s. It also collaborated with Audi for the RS 2 and Volvo to create the 850 T5R. The 2021 Porsche Panamera 4S E-Hybrid is the latest addition to the automaker’s heritage of four-door performance cars and it’s proof that you can have nearly everything.
Available in three styles, you can get your 2021 Porsche Panamera 4S E-Hybrid either as a sedan in standard or long wheelbase and as a wagon called the Sport Turismo. This year saw a refresh but you’ll need a magnifying glass to see the subtle changes. That’s not a knock on the Panamera because it looks sleek and has a clear lineage to the 911, 718, Cayenne, Taycan, and Macan with its oval headlights, full-width LED taillights, and rounded proportions. The Sport Turismo has a longer roofline and more conventional liftgate instead of a lift back-style hatch, giving it additional interior space.
The Panamera 4S E-Hybrid Sport Turismo’s interior exudes a cockpit-like feel. Everything is oriented towards the driver and the controls are within easy reach. In typical Porsche fashion, the fit and finish are impeccable; nearly everything you touch feels expensive and the sense of satisfaction you get utilizing controls is on another level. The amount of piano black will attract a lot of smudges and fingerprints so get ready to clean up the center console often.
Technically the Panamera can seat up to five but we’d limit it to four because the center tunnel is so big that the person sitting in the middle needs to straddle it. Thanks to its upright greenhouse, there’s generous headroom in the Sport Turismo. The low seating position gives you the sensation that you’re in a sports car because of how close you are to the road. Porsche’s standard seats offer plenty of support to keep you from sliding around too much during spirited drives while providing good support on long drives but they are on the firm side.
If you’re looking for practicality without the raised suspension, the Panamera is the Porsche for you. The Sport Turismo doubles down on that by offering generous cargo space regardless of whether you have the seats up or down. You can fit a lot of gear in there but keep in mind that the rear window isn’t as vertical as in cars like the Mercedes-Benz E-Class wagon. The rear seatbacks fold 40/20/40 for extra flexibility for long items but have passengers. The cargo cover can be finicky to remove or reinstall because it requires you to fold the rear seats to get it out. Small-item storage is also at a premium due to the lack of sizable cubbies around the center console, leaving you to put your belongings in the door pockets.
Porsche’s PCM interface is user-friendly thanks to its responsive 12.3-inch touch screen. There are submenus but they’re kept to a minimum and there are shortcuts on the left side of the display for frequently used functions. Instead of traditional buttons on the center console, the Panamera has capacitive ones, which can be a little distracting to use on the move. The available Bose audio system sounds decent but get the Burmester surround sound unit if you’re an audiophile. While the Bose system is clear, its volume increases inconsistently and it’s not as immersive as competing Harman family audio systems from Panamera’s competitors.
A suite of collision prevention systems is standard on the Panamera. However, the lane-keeping component could be less jerky because it tends to make sudden inputs when you start to drift around. You can also get adaptive cruise control and traffic jam assist via the Assistance package or as a stand-alone feature called Porsche InnoDrive. This uses navigation data, cameras, and radar sensors to predict the road, enabling the car to slow down before a curve or turn, and coast when going downhill.
The biggest addition to the 2021 Panamera lineup is the 4S E-Hybrid, the new middle child of the electrified models. It couples a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 to an electric motor, a 17.9-kWh battery, and an eight-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic transmission. Combined, the Panamera 4S E-Hybrid makes 552 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque, which is on par with the first-generation Panamera Turbo S. The result is a 5,004-pound wagon that can hit 60 mph in 3.5 seconds with launch control according to Porsche. We think that’s a conservative number because our Sport Turismo test car felt quicker. Put your foot down and you get incredible acceleration that’s further amplified by the electric motor’s instant response and the lack of turbo lag. There’s no shortage of power; just mash the throttle and enjoy the ride as the car rockets to speeds we won’t mention
Adding to the experience is the available sport exhaust system. While it’s not as loud as in higher performance vehicles like a 911 Turbo S or a 718 Cayman GT4, it fits the Panamera’s stately character. You get a sonorous engine note when you open the flaps and mash the throttle and it’s accentuated by the occasional pop and burble. Think of this as the right balance of raucousness and maturity; it’s fun but not to the point that it becomes obnoxious.
On a single charge, the Panamera 4S E-Hybrid can travel up to 19 miles in its all-electric mode according to the EPA. During our time with the car, we easily went 30 miles before the gas engine kicked in. The 17.9-kWh battery replaces the old 14.1-kWh unit in all Panamera E-Hybrid models and is one of the reasons why it can operate without the gas engine more frequently. With the optional 7.2 kW onboard charger, it takes roughly three hours to get a full charge via a level 2 AC charger. Expect that time to increase to around six hours if you stick with the standard 3.6 kW unit. A standard wall outlet will require you to keep the car plugged in overnight to get to 100 percent. When driven as a hybrid, the Panamera 4S E-Hybrid for a combined range of 480 miles or 21/23/22 mpg city/highway/combined according to the EPA.
Porsche’s mastery of the dual-clutch transmission is in full show in the Panamera 4S E-Hybrid. Despite the addition of an electric motor, the gearbox remains lightning-quick and smooth. It’s hard to tell that it’s a dual-clutch unit because there are no hints of hesitation during city driving. In manual mode, the transmission responds instantly when using the paddle shifters. Leave it to its own devices and it’ll do exactly what you want depending on how you’re driving. In the canyons, it’ll downshift ahead of a turn when you lift off the throttle to keep the powertrain in its sweet spot.
Thanks to the mechanical AWD system, the Panamera 4S E-Hybrid, puts the power down effectively. Insane grip levels courtesy of the staggered Michelin Pilot Sport 4S performance tires give the car an unflappable feel on the road. When you ask for more, the powertrain immediately shuffles power through all four wheels to give you maximum traction. You will notice the car’s RWD bias, though, because the rear end loves to rotate around, especially on tight winding roads. This becomes most apparent in examples like our test car, which features rear-wheel steering that enables it to dive into corners more willingly, resulting in tighter turn-ins.
Unlike other plug-in hybrids, brake operation is similar to that of a conventional internal combustion vehicle. Lifting off the accelerator gives you little regeneration, meaning you can’t come to a complete stop that way. You need to step on the brake pedal to get more energy recuperation. Transitions from regenerative to mechanical braking are imperceptible so you don’t get jerked around during hard braking. Road conditions also change how much recuperation you get, giving you more when going downhill or coasting.
Further making the 2021 Panamera 4S E-Hybrid Sport Turismo a true Porsche is the way it handles. With its adaptive air suspension and adjustable dampers, it carves corners like a scalpel. Body roll is nonexistent and the steering is borderline telepathic. You feel connected with the car and the road, and you know what the front wheels are doing. It’s easy to hustle the Panamera through your favorite winding roads but you won’t mistake it for a 911 or a 718. Between its width and length, the Panamera feels big and it’ll always drive that way regardless of whether you’re casually cruising or tearing up your favorite winding road.
One of the Panamera’s best traits is its ability to chill down when needed. This car possesses a sense of duality that not many can match. Despite its agility and handling chops, compliance doesn’t get sacrificed. On a long road trip, the Panamera 4S E-Hybrid is supremely comfortable, handily absorbing road imperfections and keeping harsh impacts out of the cabin. Even with the optional 21-inch alloy wheels and the suspension in Sport or Sport Plus mode, the Panamera remains cushy, making it a great choice as a daily driver or for road trips. Unfortunately, the wide tires create a lot of road and tire noise at highway speeds, especially on poorly maintained or uneven surfaces.
Despite being the middle child, the Porsche Panamera 4S E-Hybrid is potent and highly capable. It gives you world-beating performance and handling without sacrificing practicality or daily usability. Regardless of whether you pick the Sport Turismo, the Executive, or the standard sedan, you’re getting a sports car for four. The Panamera’s double nature makes it an appealing proposition, especially for consumers looking for a performance vehicle they can pitch as family-friendly transportation.
As tested, our example checked in at $142,360, which is not unusual considering how extensive (and expensive) Porsche’s options list can get. If you can afford the 2021 Porsche Panamera 4S E-Hybrid Sport Turismo, you’re getting a nearly perfect vehicle that checks a lot of boxes. Yes, the 690-hp Turbo S E-Hybrid exists but we think the middle electrified sibling is the Panamera to get.
The 2021 IMSA season is coming to a close, and it’s looking increasingly like the Pfaff Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R has what it takes to secure the GTD championship this year. With three wins from the last four races, the team of Zacharie Robichon and Laurens Vanthoor has pushed its championship bid to a huge gap with just one race remaining in the season, the 10-hour Petit Le Mans race at Road Atlanta, going down in mid-November. It looked like the No. 16 Wright Motorsports Porsche would join the Pfaff team on the GTD podium, but were pushed down to fourth with a final lap hip-check from the Vasser-Sullivan Lexus team.
The Pfaff team had their work cut out for them on Saturday, as they had qualified fairly well, but were relegated down to 13th on the grid with a penalty for the crew between sessions. With a stout GT-only field to work through, nobody would have expected them to make the massive charge that they did. Robichon had a monster first stint and got the car up to fifth before passing off to Vanthoor. Around 11 minutes remaining in the race, the leading Turner Motorsports BMW was tipped into a spin by a GTLM-class Corvette, and the result was a flat tire and loss of a lap for the title contenders. By that point in the race, the Pfaff team had worked its way up to second on the road, and was gifted the win with the BMW’s poor luck. Vanthoor took the checkered flag by 2.755 seconds over the Paul Miller Racing Lamborghini with the Lexus rounding out the GTD podium.
“I still don’t believe it,” Vanthoor admitted in victory lane. “This is one I’m probably happiest about because yesterday was just our mistake. A stupid mistake, but we win and lose together. Today, the guys made up for it with triple the (effort) because what got us in front was the pit stops – amazing what they did. And Zach, the overtakes (he completed) at the start and how quickly he got by and got up to the front, that’s probably those two things that gave us the race. I’m sorry what happened to [the BMW]. We were catching them, and I would’ve liked to see a battle at the end, but it went the way it went.”
Over in GTLM the WeatherTech racing Porsche 911 RSR of Kevin Estre and Cooper MacNeil could do no better than third in a three-car class, despite being easily the fastest car on the track. The factory-prepped Corvettes started the race from first and second, while MacNeil started the race in third and was mobbed at the start by the leading GTD cars. He managed to keep the car on the lead lap before handing off to Porsche factory ace Estre, who clawed the car back into contention with speed and consistency. Several bouts of contact with the grey number 4 Corvette, however, pushed the Porsche back.
Estre’s former teammate Nick Tandy, now driving for Corvette Racing, had this to say about the contact:
“Honestly, the Porsche should have won the race. But honestly, when you kind of lose your brain and start driving stupid, stuff happens. Luckily with our Corvettes, we kept them on the track and didn’t do too much damage to them.”
Harsh words from someone who should probably know what it’s like to drive a 911 RSR.
Featured on AutoHunter, the online auction platform driven by ClassicCars.com, is a 1988 Porsche 911 Carrera Targa that’s been upgraded with a Fabspeed exhaust system, performance chip, and a modern audio system.
“The Carrera 3.2 model debuted in 1984 a replacement for the 911SC-series and was offered through 1989 as a two-door four-seater,” the auction house notes in the Porsche’s listing.
This 1988 example is finished in Grand Prix White and contrasted with black accenting trim for the bumpers with guards, rocker moldings, door handles, badging and window trim.
The exterior features a removable black Targa top, fog lamps, a full-width taillight panel and a Fabspeed exhaust system with a polished outlet.
Inside you’ll find power-adjustable high-back bucket seats upholstered in black leather and matching door panels, console, dash and carpeting. Amenities include cruise control, retrofitted R134a air conditioning and an upgraded sound system.
Power comes from a rear-mounted and air-cooled 3.2-liter flat-six Bosch fuel injected engine connected to a G50 5-speed manual transaxle.
This Porsche’s auction ends August 25 at 11:00 a.m. PDT.
Visit this vehicle’s AutoHunter listing for more information and gallery of photos.
For GREAT deals on a new or used Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep or RAM check out Monrovia CDJR TODAY!
Some of the most universally appreciated cars in car culture have a few things in common. Usually a good car has an excellent chassis, great steering feel, and an engine that allows you to wring its neck without breaking the speed limit. I’ve got things in mind like Mazda’s MX-5, the Lotus Elise, air-cooled Porsche 911s, an E36-generation BMW M3 and maybe like AE86 Corollas, right? Well, now we live in a world where 700 horsepower and 4,000 pound curb weights are normal, which is pretty much the opposite of what makes those cars great.
Advertisement
In the mid-1990s performance cars were pretty great. Corvettes had around 400 horses, Mustangs topped out around 300, and the really good stuff was in the mid 100s. Then came the 2000s, and we went from a land of plenty to horsepower overload seemingly overnight. Heck, I remember Hot Rod Magazine marveling at the 300 horses available in Subaru STIs and Mustang Cobras, but just five years later Nissan launched a V6 Maxima with the same.
The horsepower wars already had a full head of steam by 2006 when the Caliber SRT4 was introduced at the Chicago Auto Show, but this thing really kicked it into overdrive. With 285 front-wheel horsepower, this was a torque-steer machine that was ready to rip your arms off at the elbow if you even hinted at the throttle. It was a truly terrible machine built from low-quality materials and wrapped in an atrocious design, but what it lacked everywhere else it made up for in price and power. At $23,350 this was an attainable rocket ship for all the worst people who still live in their hometown.
We now live in a world where you can’t buy a manual transmission in a Ferrari or a Lamborghini, or a Corvette, or a Porsche 911 Turbo. We’ve traded driver engagement for Nurburgring lap times and statistics on paper. Everything has electric power assisted steering. Everything weighs multiple tons. I’ve been spiraling down the drain of speed apathy for years, but the car that really kicked it off, the one that started this whole phlegmatic approach to horsepower, was the Goddamned Caliber SRT4.
G/O Media may get a commission
Which one did it for you? Were you early to the party, turned off by the C5 Corvette Z06, or are you a Johnny Come Lately that didn’t really join the club until the Hellcats took over? Or are you still shouting YEEHAW at the top of your lungs every time you see a bigger number, and won’t be satisfied until every car has enough power to move mountains? Tell me about it in the comments below.
A pair of legendary Le Mans race cars from the 1980s and one the greatest Ferrari sports racers of the 1950s are among the latest high-end consignments added to RM Sotheby’s flagship Monterey, California, auction.
They join the iconic 1970 Porsche 917K that was previously announced, as well as spectacular sports and GT cars, pre-war classics and modern exotics – many of them carrying 7-figure pre-auction estimates – that will cross the block at the August 14-13 auction, held during annual Monterey Car Week, which culminates in the Pebble Beach concours d’Elegance.
The Porsche 956 helped define Group C racing
The two ‘80s Le Mans racers at auction are the 1983 Porsche 956 Group C, chassis no. 956 110, one of the most significant and original examples of the definitive Group C category, and a 1981 Ferrari 512 BB/LM that was part of Luigi Chinetti’s N.A.R.T. racing team.
The Porsche 956 (estimated value $4.5 million to $6 million) was one of nine prepped by the Porsche factory for privateer racing and was driven by such illustrious pros as David Hobbs, Derek Warwick, Dieter Quester and John Fitzpatrick. It scored many podium finishes and won at Brands Hatch outright.
1981 Ferrari 512 BB/LM
The Ferrari 512 BB/LM,chassis no. 35527, was raced by the N.A.R.T. team in the 1981 Le Mans 24, driven by John Morton, Alain Cudini, and Philippe Gurdjian. It ran third overall, and at the fastest pace achieved by any BB/LM at the circuit, before retirings. Estimated value: $3 million to $3.5 million.
A shapely 1958 Ferrari 250 GT LWB Berlinetta “Tour de France” by Scaglietti, chassis no. 1031 GT, also has been added to the docket, A two-time competitor in the Tour de France, the Ferrari achieved fourth overall in that event in 1958 and was sixth at the Monza Lottery in 1959, driven by privateer racer Jacques Péron. Estimated value: $5.75 million to $6.5 million.
Getting off the track and on to road cars, the auction will offer a 1963 Ferrari 250 GT/L Berlinetta Lusso by Scaglietti, which won the coveted Ferrari Cup in 2011 and 2014 at the Carmel-by-the-Sea Concours in Carmel, California, and was awarded First-in-Class at the Concorso Italiano in Seaside, California. Estimated value: $1.5 million to $1.75 million.
1971 Lamborghini Miura in plain metal
Another impressive street machine going to auction is a 1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 S by Bertone that is presented in gleaming unfinished sheet metal to show off its original panels and allowing the buyer to either choose its next paint color or leave it the way it is as a unique example. A late matching-numbers Series II Miura S, the car has been driven fewer than 16,000 miles.
“Chassis no. 4761 is a sensational time-capsule type-discovery, taken off the road in 1974 and hidden in a Northern California Bay Area warehouse for the next 45 years,” the auction company says. Completely refurbished, the Miura has an estimated value of $1.8 million to $2.2 million.
1935 Duesenberg Model J ‘Sweep Panel’ Dual-Cowl Phaeton
Among the grand classics is a 1935 Duesenberg Model J “Sweep Panel” Dual-Cowl Phaeton by LaGrande, with elegant coachwork Gordon Buehrig. Fully restored “to the highest standard,” the Duesenberg has been shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Estimated value: $3 million to $4 million.
A 1930 Cadillac V-16 Convertible Sedan by Murphy that is “packed with many special features including a disappearing windshield for rear passengers and exotic inlaid interior woodwork” will be auctioned. Built specifically for the son of noted GM dealer and horse racing legend Charles Howard, the Cadillac has received numerous Best-in-Class victories, including at the Pebble Beach Concours. Estimated value: $1.5 million to $1.8 million.
The 1930 Cadillac is powered by a V16 engine
A pre-war classic from Italy also will be at the Monterey auction, a 1937 Bugatti Type 57 Cabriolet, fully restored and a multiple award winner, including Best of Show Pre-War in 2013 at the La Jolla Concours d’Elegance. Estimated value: $650,000 to $800,000.
Also offered at the RM Sotheby’s auction will be the Larry Fox Collection of late-model supercars, all offered at no reserve, including a 2008 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 and a 2015 Ferrari La Ferrari, each with fewer than a thousand miles on their odometers. Other 7-figure cars in the collection are a 2003 Ferrari Enzo and a 2015 Porsche 918 “Weissach” Spyder.
For more information about the Monterey auction, visit the RM Sotheby’s website.
With the pandemic now ebbing across most of the country, we can once again turn our attention to grand touring. Today’s Nice Price or No Dice 928 S should be a grand tourer par excellence, but will its price tag have you planning on staying home.
Advertisement
Think about the last time you yanked a tissue out of its box, honked a snot wad into it, and then immediately followed that by tossing it into the trash can. At any time did you think to yourself, “I should only use part of this, and save the remainder for a rainy — and perhaps even snottier — day?” I’m going to guess the answer is no. That never happens. Tissues are intended to serve their purpose and then be thrown away.
There’s a similar expectation with certain cars out there. Some are just expected to get used up and then kicked to the curb. Typically, these are cars that are cheap — both in cost and build quailty — so you don’t feel wasteful. Yesterday’s 1986 Chrysler Town & Country turbo wagon was one such fairly cheap car that wasn’t expected to stand the test of time. Only, it did. Having been stored for decades, it has reemerged from its Rip Van Winkle snooze to be one of the nicest and lowest-mileage K-Cars still in existence. The present owner felt that fact made the woody wagon worth $13,500, but few of you agreed with that assessment. Having originally been a “throw-away” car, the vast majority of you thought it a bad idea to now throw that much cash at it. In the end, that resulted in an 80 percent No Dice loss.
Chrysler’s K-Car may not have been intended to live forever, but that certainly seems to be the intent of Porsche for its evergreen 911 model. Not only has the 911 out-lived the K-Car, but its origin pre-dates the Chrysler platform by almost two decades. Of course, that doesn’t mean that Porsche at one time didn’t plan a palace coup in the attempt to topple the 911 from its marque-defining pedestal.
G/O Media may get a commission
Today’s 1983 Porsche 928 S represents Porsche’s one-time attempt to kill off the 911. If you look around today, you may note that the effort was unsuccessful. The 911 has continued through multiple generations, while the grand touring 928 is no more. That wasn’t for want of trying and the 928 remains one of the most audacious and exciting designs ever to come out of Stuttgart, or anywhere else for that matter. Unloved by all but the model’s most ardent adherents for years, the 928 has only recently come into its own as a collectible. Prices are still not in the 911 fantasyland strata, but there are indications they might just be headed there.
Advertisement
This 928 comes with a clear title and 120,000 miles on the clock. The car looks to have picked up a few battle scars over the years but seems to be free of any major issues, aesthetically or structurally. It wears a coat of glorious metallic brown and, this being an S, rubber spoilers front and rear. The only questionable aspect here is the chrome on the factory 16-inch wheels. That’s an extra bit of bling the already extroverted 928 doesn’t really need.
Advertisement
The interior looks fairly amazing. While an expensive car when new, the materials in the 928’s cabin generally tend not to hold up over time. This car, with its fabulous burgundy leather with matching carpet and drapes, looks to be the exception. Oh sure, there’s some wear evident on the seats, and maybe some slight fading here and there, but overall it looks completely livable.
Advertisement
The ad doesn’t give us much to go on regarding the car’s mechanicals. The engine is a 4.7-liter, 234 horsepower edition of Porsche’s SOHC V8. For those of you keeping score, the four-pot mill introduced in the 944 was essentially the right-half of the 928’s V8.
Probably the car’s star attraction, however, is the dog-leg five-speed manual doing its thing in the rear transaxle. Supposedly fewer than 20 percent of 928s were delivered with the manual making them truly the odd ducks of the family. A gander at the engine bay indicates that it looks clean and without any evidence of monkey business. It even seems to have all its plastic bits intact and its original radiator.
Advertisement
The seller rates the car’s condition as “good” and while there are some minor flaws here and there, aesthetically, it seems good enough. The 928s dad-bod styling is still as outlandish today as it was upon its ’70s debut and that more than makes up for those few niggling blemishes. The manual gearbox and the wild interior are just icing on the cake.
Advertisement
Of course, cake can be expensive. Just ask Marie Antonette. We now need to decide if this 928 is also too expensive. The seller is asking $11,900 for the car as it sits. There may be additional costs lurking in the car and undisclosed by the seller, but we have to work with what we’ve got. What do you say, does this grand touring Porsche seem to be worth that $11,900 asking? Or, is that just too much for a pretender to the crown?
You decide!
Advertisement
Chicago, Illinois, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to L. Betts for the hookup!
Help me out with NPOND. Hit me up at rob@jalopnik.com and send me a fixed-price tip. Remember to include your Kinja handle.
Everybody knows that prices for vintage Porsches have soared, but here’s one that – at least for the uninitiated – will make your eyes water and a smoky question mark rise above your head.
What looks at first blush to be an ad for a rather nice 1963 Porsche 356B Cabriolet, which normally would have a value of around $175k, has a nearly unfathomable asking price of just under $1.3 million.
How crazy is that? Well, apparently, not at all.
That’s because the Pick of the Day is a rare and massively desirable 1963 Porsche 356B Carrera 2 GS Cabriolet. What all that means is that this 356 is powered by Porsche’s legendary 4-cam 4-cylinder engine, called the type 547, the revolutionary design that powered Porsche 550 Spyders to class wins at the Mille Miglia and Le Mans a decade earlier.
While Porsche joined the Formula E series last season, the Monaco E-Prix was not on the calendar during the 2019-20 season, so Porsche’s 99X Electric has never raced there. This was a new opportunity for the German team to learn another new track, and unfortunately lady luck was not on their side. After podium results in Rome and Valencia, Porsche netted zero points from the race in the principality. While Andre Lotterer managed to finish in 9th, he had a collision with another car on the final lap of the race and was awarded a time penalty, pushing him back to 17th. Teammate Pascal Wehrlein was caught up in a collision instigated by another competitor, and was forced to retire from the race shortly before the checkered flag. When you place a big bet, you have to be prepared to walk away from the table empty-handed, and that’s exactly what happened to Porsche.
During the race Pascal started in 8th after a tight qualifying which saw him off pole by only 0.05 of a second. Traffic piled up at the hairpin during the first lap of the race, however, and he was stuck behind stopped cars, dropping him to 15th in the blink of an eye. Because the circuit is so tight and passing is difficult in such closely matched cars, Wehrlein was not able to make up ground lost. In the closing laps of the race he was hit from behind by a competitor, and the resulting flat tire caused him to sit out the rest of the event.
Lotterer, meanwhile, started from 19th on the grid. With the benefit of starting near the back, he was able to miss the stoppage that caught up Pascal on lap one, gaining a handful of spots in one fell swoop. During his second use of attack mode, he made up a bit more ground, elevating himself to twelfth. In the closing stages, he made up more places to end the race in 9th. His avoidable contact penalty undid all of that work, unfortunately, knocking him out of the points once more.
Comments on the Monaco E-Prix, Race 7
Amiel Lindesay, Head of Operations Formula E: “Pascal did a good job in qualifying and only just missed out on Super Pole. The start wasn’t ideal. When he got stuck in the middle of traffic at the hairpin, a top placing was out of reach in this initial phase. The qualifying didn’t go well for André but he did a mega job coming from 19th to ninth in the race — not many manage that in Monaco. Unfortunately, the time penalty robbed him of the rewards he deserved. We have six weeks until the next races in Mexico. We’ll use this time to prepare for the challenges of the second half of the season.”
André Lotterer, Porsche works driver (#36): “Things didn’t really come together for me in qualifying, but it went much better in the race. At the start, I stayed out of any trouble and tried to conserve energy and get into a good rhythm. I succeeded. We really wanted to finish in the points, which is a pretty ambitious goal when you start from 19th on the grid, especially in Monaco. And we would’ve made it, too, had it not been for the time penalty at the end. Hopefully, things will go better for us in Mexico.
Pascal Wehrlein, Porsche works driver (#99): “It was a disappointing weekend all in all, at least in view of the result, but once again we underlined our potential. Our speed was pretty good, especially in qualifying. My start wasn’t great. I was shunted from behind in the hairpin. As a result, my car sustained quite a few damages. I’m now looking forward to the two new opportunities that are coming up at the doubleheader in Puebla.”
The Morning ShiftAll your daily car news in one convenient place. Isn’t your time more important?
The federal government is getting serious about this whole semiconductor thing, Porsche would like some of the batteries everyone else is having, and Volkswagen’s van division might just get by with a little help from a friend. All that and more in this Friday edition of The Morning Shift for April 2, 2021.
Advertisement
1st Gear: It’s About Time We Talk About The Chips
Of course, we’ve been talking about the chips seemingly every day of the past year. On April 12, it will be the central focus of a discussion in Washington, starring various automakers and semiconductor manufacturers and hosted by two of President Biden’s aides, according to Reuters:
Two top White House aides will host a meeting on the resiliency of the U.S. supply chain amid a broader policy review on the issue, an official said on Thursday.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the meeting would be hosted by President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, and a top economic aide, Brian Deese.
The meeting will be held on April 12 and include chipmakers and automakers, a source familiar with the matter said.
It’s hard to imagine what could be done to ease the drought on car manufacturers at this point. The CEO of chipmaker GlobalFoundries said to CNBC today that demand will likely continue to outstrip supply until “2022 or later.” If you ran an automaker and were clever enough to start stockpiling chips last year before they all wound up in gaming consoles and monitors, you’re sitting pretty right now. If you didn’t, things are pretty bleak. Which brings us to…
2nd Gear: Stockpiling Is Totally In
“Resiliency.” This is the key word of manufacturing in the age of semiconductor shortages, and one that automotive supplier Dana is fully invested in as industries adapt to a more proactive approach to sourcing components, rather than the purely lean methods that have guided companies like Toyota for the past few decades. A look into Dana’s practices by Automotive News illuminates the shift in philosophy:
Dana is sourcing such key commodities as resin, castings, forgings and some electrical components from multiple suppliers, asking suppliers to hold in warehouses a backlog of critical inventory, and building out its software network to better track suppliers, a process Dana hopes to complete this year, [Dana’s Craig] Price, [senior vice president of purchasing and supplier development], said.
G/O Media may get a commission
Sure, Dana may be spending more to settle all this sooner rather than later, but it’ll be less expensive for the company in the long run than, say, having to shut down production for a month. Stockpiling every single part won’t be a panacea either, which is why “stress testing” is the other jargon of the week:
Automakers cannot afford to abandon the just-in-time system’s down-to-the-penny cost consciousness in a business where profit margins are often less than 10 cents on a dollar of revenue.
“The solution cannot be more waste,” said Ramzi Hermiz, a former supplier CEO who advises companies. “The objective needs to be how do we build more simplicity, flexibility and speed in the supply chain.”
[…]
The answer for many companies will be stress-testing their supply chains to find weaknesses much as banks did after the 2008 subprime crisis, said Tim Thoppil, a partner and head of consulting for the Americas at engineering firm umlaut. Raw materials and parts for electric batteries and motors could be the next crisis spot.
Advertisement
3rd Gear: Won’t Somebody Think Of Porsche?
Expensive luxury and sports cars need lithium-ion batteries, too. This is something Porsche would like to remind everyone as it watches manufacturers of more practical, economical and high-volume vehicles snap up all the dang batteries. As Porsche R&D director Michael Steiner told Automotive News Europe:
“We would really like to use high power cells for motorsports and eventually, if proven suitable, for use in performance road cars, but amid this giant transformation that is sweeping the industry, there tends to be little room for special requests,” Steiner said. “Most partners are just concentrating on ramping up their production lines at the moment, so our needs come as a second priority at the moment, if not a third.”
As a result, Steiner said, smaller brands like Porsche may need to look elsewhere to get access to cells tailored to their demands, including environmental ones.
German news media have reported that Porsche is working with Custom Cells, a startup with sites in Itzehoe and Tuebingen, on specialized cell manufacturing through a joint venture, Cellforce.
Advertisement
Steiner didn’t confirm those reports, though he did say that Porsche will likely have to court similar partners to “research, develop and produce in small series high performance cells” and ensure its needs aren’t totally ignored.
4th Gear: Honda Is Back On Track
Honda’s North American production operations have been limited since March 22, but the company expects to be firing on all cylinders once again on April 5, according to Reuters.
Advertisement
That’s fortunate, because as Automotive News reported yesterday, Honda’s had a solid first quarter of 2021 alongside many manufacturers, and wouldn’t want factory delays to curb all that momentum:
At American Honda, March volume rebounded 86 percent at the Honda division and 153 percent at Acura, with first-quarter deliveries up 16 percent.
“One year after the global pandemic began to take its toll on the auto industry, it’s great to return to form …,” said Dave Gardner, executive vice president of national operations at American Honda.
Advertisement
5th Gear: VW Needs Help With Those Vans
Now for something that isn’t about silicon, or batteries, or shutting down factories because you’re not able to get either of those things. Volkswagen had to pay out 340 million euros in fines to the European Union last year for missing its 2020 CO2 targets. This was largely because of its van division. The company is doing its darndest to make sure that doesn’t happen again, with a little help from Ford. From Automotive News Europe:
To help reduce CO2 emissions this year, the core medium-size T Models will be split between older and new generation models. The N1 commercial vans like the Transporter will continue to be sixth-generation models, and will remain in the lineup until a Ford-engineered version is introduced under a technology-sharing arrangement. VW has also entered into a pooling agreement with Ford for their N1 related European fleet targets.
A seventh-generation T series will launch this year for M1 vans such as the Multivan. These vehicles will now be built on the group’s MQB platform, a lighter architecture engineered for passenger cars that can help reduce CO2 emissions.
Advertisement
You might be thinking “wouldn’t it’d be great if Volkswagen had a battery-electric van to ease some of this pressure?” Yes it would! Unfortunately, the ID.Buzz, which will be sold commercially in Europe as well as to private buyers, isn’t expected to hit fleets until 2022. That might explain why Volkswagen is taking its time to bring the ID.Buzz to the U.S., waiting until 2023 and forgoing sales to businesses on this side of the pond.
Reverse: You Can Drive 65
The Surface Transportation and Uniform Relocation Assistance Act enacted on April 2, 1987 allowed states to raise the national speed limit, then at 55 mph, to 65 mph on rural interstate highways. Congress ultimately repealed all federally mandated speed limits with the National Highway System Designation Act of 1995.
Advertisement
Neutral: I Just Want To Get The Winter Tires Off My Car
I have these steelies on now and they have all this surface rust and look horrendous. But we always get that random cold snap up here in the Northeast in April, usually accompanied with lots of rain, so they should probably stay on until the end of the month. When do you find to be the optimal time for the winter-to-summer transition?
