959 and the GT3RS Hybrid

[NV Stig]

So I got the latest Total 911 magazine, and the had an article comparing the old Ferrari 288 GTO to the 959. Being an 80's kid, I remember the 959, it was a dream machine. It's funny because the stuff it had in it is really taken for granted in cars today: AWD, variable height ride, ABS, twin turbos, etc. Basically, the car was 20 years ahead of its time with car components we take for granted today. It's funny looking back on the car instead of looking forward.
So I look at this new 997 GT3RS hybrid, and to some degree the 918. These cars are the way of taking the green movement, and turning it on its head. Instead of a gutless Prius or a Tesla with a real world 50 mile range, this thing is cranking 480HP and was well placed to win the 24 hour Nurburgring race before a catostrophic failure. I just can't help but wonder if this GT3 RS car is a look at the next 25 years for Porsche. Additionally, does Porsche have a department that is that forward thinking in their ideas that allow them to stay ahread of the curve in their engineering. For example, the 964 and 993 had tons of bleed over from the 959. Will this GT3 technology find its way into future 911's, Panamera's, Cayanne's etc. over time? I ask this as Ferrari is rolling out the new GTO under a 599 platform, and Porsche takes a quantum leap into the future. Opinions? If so, what a great way to tell new cafe standards to pound sand

[super9064]

The simple answer is ...Yes

[nickd]

don't forget the 959 adopted some technology from the long bonnet 911 - great driving lights

[NV Stig]

NICE! I never knew there were Cibies for a 959, that's awesome, ha ha.

[erick72pors]

Stig,

You have excellent points in your post. Porsche has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to technology and engineering. If you guys watched the American LeMans Series Limerock race last weekend, the president of AMLS was discussing how Porsche over the years is the most technologically advanced sportcar automaker and argueably, overall carmaker (Mercedes is high up there too!). If you just think through the years what Porsche has brought on the table and at the same time making them durable, it's truly amazing. Now if Porsche entered F1...

[Edwin Ek]

I am as big a sports car fan as anyone. I love horsepower and 911's, that's why I am here. Nonetheless, I think CAFE standards are a fine idea. It would be great if market forces alone would dictate improvements, but alas they don't always work, especially when trying to balance individual actions with collective consequences.

[NV Stig]

I'm torn on the CAFE standards Edwin. I grant you, the air has really cleaned up with them. You being a Santa Monica guy know that better than anyone, the LA area is ground zero on the issue.
Since I got my car running in December, I'm always surprised with what comes out of the exhaust during warm up. I can smell the old Porsche running half a block away, ha ha. But this old 69S gets about 18 MPG at 70 to 75 MPH, and weighed in at 2100 pounds give or take.
I compare it to my modern day BMW, which weighs in at about 3500 pounds with all the safety stuff that also comes into play: air bags, crumple zones, etc. Additionally that includes sound proofing, electric bells, lights, whistles and creature comforts never dreamed of back in the day. At the end of the day, my 08 335xi gets 19 to 20MPG at 70 to 75 MPH, but cranks out 360hp, give or take. I did throw a cold air intake, catback, and an ECU flash at it, so I did skew the data a little However, over a 40 year span performance cars gained 1 MPG due to adding roughly 1500 pounds of body fat in other issues. Looking at the spreadsheet in the back of Road and Track every month, that seems to be a pretty stable data, despite my mad scientist ways.
Even the Enzo and the Carrera GT weigh in at 3300 pounds, give or take, and fuel consumption in the super exotic range is well, worse than the numbers were talking about.
CAFE standards seem to lead to a new barrage of safety standards. Weight has always been the enemy of the sports car, and always will be, Porsches especially, see 1974 to 1978.
It almost seems like when the car gets to a certain level of performance, it becomes a political football. The power to weight ratio of the old 911 is within 10% of the 335xi. Now the rules need to be re written by 2015. To me, this hybrid movement is just the new catalytic converter, and an air pump if you are a 911 buff. But in the end, fuel consumption is just that, so is it really helping the environment based solely on fuel consumption? In that respect, it seems like Porsche has a solid finger on the pulse of the industry as a whole, granted they shot themselves in the foot on the VW purchase idea last year...