World Debut: Starter Battery in Lithium-Ion Technology

Stuttgart. Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, is the first car maker in the world to offer a starter battery in lithium-ion technology. Weighing less than 6 kg or 13 lb, the new battery is more than 10 kg or 22 lb lighter than a conventional 60 Ah lead battery.

The new lithium-ion battery will be available as of January 2010 for the 911 GT3, 911 GT 3 RS, and Boxster Spyder as an option delivered with the car, selling at a price in the German market of Euro 1,904 including 19 per cent value-added tax.

The battery is delivered as a separate unit together with the car and may subsequently be fitted as an alternative to the regular, conventional starter battery.

The cars are delivered with both batteries, therefore they are ready for use throughout the whole year. Since, while the lightweight battery offers a very high standard of everyday driving qualities, its starting capacity is limited at temperatures below 0o C or 32o F due to its specific features.

The primary reason for developing and introducing the new battery was its lower weight. In sports cars built consistently for superior driving dynamics such as the two versions of the 911 GT3 and the Boxster Spyder, less weight naturally means even greater agility and driving dynamics.

In its length and width the lithium-ion battery comes in the same dimensions as the regular battery, but is approximately 70 millimetres or 2.8” lower. The fastening points, electrical connections and voltage range are fully compatible with the respective models, allowing simple and quick replacement of the standard lead battery by the lightweight unit, for example when racing on the track.

With its nominal capacity of 18 Ah, the lithium-ion battery, through its specific features, offers a level of practical output and performance not only comparable to that of a 60 Ah lead battery, but rather even better in many cases.

On a conventional car battery only about 30 per cent of the total capacity is actually available for practical use due to the configuration of the system, while this restriction does not apply to the lithium-ion battery. On the contrary, through its characteristic structure and, in particular, the independence of the chemical composition of the electrolytes from the charge status – a lithium-ion battery consistently offers almost 100 per cent of its capacity.

Delivery of power by the lithium-ion battery throughout its useful charge range is likewise significantly better, providing its full power, for example, when starting the engine almost independently of the current charge level.

After the engine has started, the new Porsche battery shows further benefits in the charge process, being able through its smaller internal resistance to take up more power than a conventional battery and thus re-charge more quickly.

Yet a further benefit is that a lithium-ion battery allows a significantly greater number of charging and discharging cycles, plus the two further advantages that the self-discharging effect is lower and the service life of the battery longer.

The lithium-ion battery being introduced by Porsche as the pioneer in this area is made up of wound film of carbon and iron phosphate with a ceramic film moisturised by the electrolyte serving as a separating layer in between. Compared with other types of lithium-ion batteries using a combination of manganese oxide, cobalt oxide or nickel, this lithium-iron-phosphate battery, as it is called, offers advantages when used as a starter battery. It is robust and consistently guarantees the usual voltage of 12 V in the car’s on-board network.

The lightweight battery is made up of four cells and integrated control electronics. This battery management system protects the battery from major discharge and guarantees a consistent charge level within the individual cells. Once battery voltage drops below a certain threshold, a warning signal reminds the driver to re-charge the battery either simply by driving the car through the power of the engine running or by means of a conventional battery charger.

The new lithium-ion battery will also be available for retrofitting from February 2010 on the three models mentioned from Porsche Tequipment. The sales price in Germany when retrofitted after delivery of the car is Euro 2,499 including 19 per cent value-added tax.

I know Porsches are ugly as sin, but just for that reason they’re that astonishing… Wait let me say that better: Porsches are so ugly they’re just ultimately amazing to look at. And the latest Panamera reinforced this idea!

But oddly, I (personally) think the 2010 Porsche Boxster Spyder is the very first good looking Porsche… from behind!

Though it looks the part, it’s the technical data that will blow your mind, cause this Boxster Spyder is lighter than a Honda Civic Si Coupe and has about 320bhp, matted to a twin-clutch transmission dubbed “PDK”, engineered by the wackos at Porsche with the help of GETRAG… yes, the same people behind the Mitsubishi Evo X MR’s TC-SST.

Technical Data

Engine:
3.4 l flat-6 320hp @ 7,200rpm 273 lb-f.t. @ 4,750rpm.

Weights:
Boxster Spyder 2,811 lbs. (2,866 lbs. with PDK Transmission)

Performance:
0-60 mph: 4.9s Manual | 4.7s PDK

Oh and it goes for about $61,000.00 + a $30,000+ list of accessories including the PDK Transmission upgrade which is a must!

Photos: Porsche Cars NA

2010 Porsche Boxster vs 2010 BMW Z4

Sports Cars

www.autorivals.net

Extensive Tire Test Program for Older Model Series

Stuttgart. Porsche has extended its demanding approval process for winter tires to include tyres for young and old classics. Offering customers this unusual service, the German manufacturer of sports cars enables drivers of older models to use the best available products on their car. Porsche is therefore providing valuable help and orientation particularly in the process of choosing new winter tires with safe driving characteristics also on snow and ice. A further point is that this makes Porsche one of the few car makers to offer such an elaborate tire approval process.

Well over 70 per cent of all Porsche sports cars ever built still exist today and are still driven actively in most cases – in both summer and winter. Indeed, even classic Porsche models more than 20 years old still offer the kind of performance today one would expect of a modern sports car. But the tyres fitted when such old and new classics were still in production have no longer been available for years. Tire treads and rubber compounds have changed in an ongoing process of development, thus influencing the driving behaviour of such old Porsche models.

Conducting elaborate tests, Porsche’s engineers determine which of the tires available today harmonise best with the features of a classic Porsche. The highlight in this testing and approving process is an extensive test programme up north in the Polar Circle.

Numerous Porsche models built-in former years, among them the 911, 928, 964, 993 and 996, and then all the way to the first Boxsters, have been tested for this purpose on countless laps at the Arctic Driving Center in the Finnish town of Rovaniemi.

The criteria to be fulfilled by the tires tested in order to receive approval by Porsche are so strict that not all tires met the test requirements. The characteristics and features typical of an older air-cooled 911, for example, form a challenge not easy to overcome.

Further tests for dry and wet handling on test routes free of snow round off the test programme as such. Information on which tires are recommended for which Porsche model is presented on Porsche’s website (http://www.porsche.com/usa/accessoriesandservices/porscheservice/documentsanddownloads/) and is also available at all Porsche Centers.

I wish Porsche would just get on with it and do a major overhaul on the Boxster. I’m totally fine with the slow, evolutionary pace on the timeless 911, but the Boxster is just, well, dated. To distract us a bit, Porsche is coming out with the Boxster Spyder. For $3k more than a Boxster S, the Spyder features radio and AC delete, a tad more power, bigger brakes, better wheels, better seats, LSD, sports suspension and of course all the stuff that makes it look special. Weight saving include the lightweight soft top and aluminum door skins, which brings the weight down almost 200 pounds from the Boxster s. So, pretty cool… More details at Porsche USA.

Porsche Ranks Ahead of All Other Top-End Brands; On Track for Record Year

Atlanta - IntelliChoice.com announced this week that the winner of its 2009 Best Warranty for luxury cars is Porsche Cars North America.  This is the second consecutive time that Porsche’s Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) program has received this prestigious award.

Under the Porsche program, customers who purchase a Certified Pre-Owned Porsche will receive a company backed 2-year or cumulative 50,000 miles (whichever comes first) limited warranty that mirrors the new car limited warranty coverage. Additionally, for customers who buy cars with a balance of the New Car Limited Warranty Coverage, this remaining balance will be added to the new Certified Pre-owned Limited Warranty coverage, which makes coverage up to 6 years from the in-service date.

According to IntelliChoice.com, Porsche rated the highest with customers of luxury brands in a number of key criteria, including: certification inspection process, brand value, extended manufacturer warranties, title verification, roadside assistance, special financing, return policy and dealer compliance with the program.

“It is an honor to have IntelliChoice again recognize our CPO Warranty as the best among all the luxury competitors,” said Kevin P. Harvey, PCNA’s manager of pre-owned operations.  “From a customer standpoint , this award means we are meeting our goals of providing warranty coverage that gives our customers peace of mind and a sense of value.  Both are key factors to any successful CPO program.”

 So far this year, PCNA has sold 5,603 CPO vehicles, which is just slightly below last year’s record pace of 5,862.

Harvey said he expects to surpass last year’s mark by year’s end.

 ”Being recognized with this prestigious award will certainly help,” he said.

What you see here is the lightest Porsche available from Stuttgart – 1,275 kg to be exact – set to debut in February 2010. At the heart of it will be a 3.4 liter six cylinder engine pumping out 320 hp and mated to the PDK (Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe) transmission. Having 10 additional ponies over the standard Boxster S, this car is no slouch. 0-100 km/h in approx. 4.8 seconds makes it a force to be reckoned with within the Porsche family.

Styling wise, the car is unique in that it will come with a low-roof soft top and low side windows to replicate the original 356 Spyder look. For the exterior, there are revised front and rear bumpers, unique wheels, and 2 rear humps on the deck lid.

The interior will have sports seats, a body colored center console and one of my favorite touches, the reddish leather straps in place of door handles. Classy.

It won’t be cheap as the car is expected to eclipse the $80,000 mark.

[Source: Carscoop]

Porsche is introducing a new, lightweight version of the mid-engined Porsche Boxster roadster at the Los Angeles Auto Show in December, the distinctive styling and technical specification of which represents the true, purist form of the Porsche sports car – light, powerful, open-roofed, and very efficient.

Weighing 1,275kg, the Boxster Spyder is the lightest model in the Porsche line-up, and continues this clear-cut philosophy in a package offering full homologation for the road, reflecting a common wish expressed by Porsche customers.

Significantly, the new model weighs 80kg less than the Boxster S which, combined with a lower centre of gravity and revised suspension, gives the Boxster Spyder the calibre of driving dynamics that clearly reflect the unique look of the car.

The Boxster Spyder features a tuned version of the proven 3.4-litre flat six ‘boxer’ engine with Direct Fuel Injection, which is located ahead of the rear axle. Maximum output is 320 bhp, 10 bhp more than in the Boxster S. Equipped with the Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) twin-clutch transmission and the Sports Chrono Package, the new Spyder, using Launch Control, accelerates from a standstill to 62mph in 4.8 seconds. Again with optional PDK, fuel consumption is a mere 30.4mpg (9.3 litres/100km) in the NEDC New European Driving Cycle and top speed, in turn, is 166 mph (267 km/h) – with the roof removed.

Market introduction of the new Porsche Boxster Spyder will start worldwide in February 2010, and will be priced from £44,643 in the UK. Included in the purchase price is the invitation for customers to explore the dynamic attributes of their Boxster Spyder, and develop their own skills behind the wheel, courtesy of a Driving Experience Programme at the Porsche Experience Centre at Silverstone.

No, the Boxster isn’t our first choice of P-Car (although we’d gladly take one). And modern “special edition” Porsches tend to engender more eyerolls (see Sport Classic, Porsche 911) than admiration. But we think we like the new Porsche Boxster Spyder. Maybe even a lot. And small touches like the low-slung ragtop and twin bulges on the rear deck lid make for a nice visual homage to the legendary Speedsters and Spyders of yore.

Is it worth 61,000 simoleons? Probably not- there are better buys for the money, new and used. But new Porsches are always going to have a high cost of admission- it is Porsche’s raison d’être. What’s more important is that we like the direction in which Porsche is headed (weight reduction + increased power = win).

Make the jump for the press release and official youtube.

2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder: Light, Powerful, Purist Roadster to be Introduced at Los Angeles Auto Show

Porsche’s newest entry will be the lightest in its line-up

ATLANTA – November 5, 2009 – Weighing in at just 2,811 lbs., the new 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder will be the lightest Porsche available – from a company known for lightweight, proficient sports cars. This new mid-engined roadster represents the true, purist form of the sports car – agile, powerful, open and efficient. This third Boxster model will join the Boxster and Boxster S and will make its world debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show, December 2, 2009.

The newest member of the Boxster family stands out from the other versions of Porsche’s mid-engined roadster. Its low-slung, lightweight soft top – when closed – extends far to the rear to protect the driver and passenger from bright sunshine, wind and weather. This top, when combined with extra-low side windows and two striking bulges on the single-piece rear lid, provides the Boxster Spyder with a sleek silhouette reminiscent of the Carrera GT.

The Boxster Spyder features a 3.4-liter six-cylinder engine with Direct Fuel Injection upfront of the rear axle. Maximum output is 320 horsepower (hp), 10 hp more than the Boxster S. The combination of 10 more hp and 176 pounds less weight than the award-winning Boxster S, plus an all-new sport suspension that lowers the Boxster Spyder 20 mm, a lower center of gravity, a standard limited slip differential, and exclusive wheels provides the kind of driving dynamics that back up the unique look. Aluminum door skins and lightweight interior door panels from the 911 GT3 RS contribute to the weight reduction.

When equipped with Porsche-Doppelkupplung (PDK) transmission and the Sports Chrono Package, the new Spyder, using Launch Control, accelerates from a standstill to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds. Top track speed is 166 mph – with the roof open.

Fundamentally, the entire Boxster family is the successor to the legendary 550 Spyder and RS 60 of the Fifties and Sixties, all sharing the same mid-engine roadster concept. Low weight and supreme agility combine to provide outstanding driving pleasure.

In 2004 and 2008 Porsche produced limited editions of the Boxster bearing the additional name Spyder, honoring the 550 and RS 60. In contrast, the new Boxster Spyder is a regular, but specially developed and upgraded production model as compared with the Boxster and Boxster S. The 2011 Boxster Spyder goes on sale February 2010. U.S. pricing is $61,200.

- Gyro

A Porsche apresentou o Boxster Spyder, uma última mudança significativa no modelo antes de sua nova geração, que chega em 2012. Não se trata de uma versão militada: ele fica acima do Boxster S por pequenos detalhes. Seu preço, sem impostos, fica em 53,1 mil euros, algo próximo a R$ 130 mil.

Para se diferenciar, o Boxster Spyder traz o mesmo propulsor do Cayman S, com 315 cv. Com seus 1.275 kg, o conversível se caracteriza por ter baixa relação peso/potência: 4 kg/cv. A transmissão é a PDK, de dupla embreagem, que permite ao modelo acelerar de 0 a 100 km/h em 4,8 segundos. A suspensão ficou mais firme, com amortecedores variáveis.

O modelo traz um kit esportivo para a carroceria e arcos anticapotamento. Há também itens como iluminação diurna, mas faltam ar-condicionado e rádio, itens opcionais que desagradariam os puristas. Deve chegar ao Brasil na virada do ano.

GALERIA

ATC PLAYER

Purist Mid-Engined Roadster is the Lightest Porsche

Stuttgart. Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, is introducing a new top version of the Porsche Boxster, a light mid-engined roadster making its world debut at the Los Angeles Motor Show in December.

Weighing just 1,275 kg or 2,811 lb, the Boxster Spyder is the lightest model throughout the entire range of Porsche cars. Clearly recognisable right from the start, this new mid-engined roadster represents the true, purist form of the Porsche sports car – light, powerful, consistently open, and very efficient.

This is precisely the formula already applied in creating Porsche’s most successful road-going sports and racing cars, ranging from the legendary 550 Spyder all the way to the RS Spyder so successful in motorsport today.

The Boxster Spyder now continues this clear-cut philosophy with full homologation for the road, thus reflecting a common wish expressed by Porsche customers. The new model is entering the market in February 2010 as the third version in the Boxster range, joining the Boxster and Boxster S.

The new member of the Boxster family stands out clearly at very first sight from the other versions of Porsche’s mid-engined roadster. Quite simply because the Boxster Spyder has been developed first and foremost for driving in the open air, the low-slung, light soft top extending far to the rear serving exclusively to protect the driver and passenger from bright sunshine, wind and weather. When closed, the soft top, together with the extra-low side windows and the two striking bulges on the single-piece rear lid, boasts a stretched and sleek silhouette reminiscent of the Carrera GT.

Significantly less weight than the Boxster S, a lower centre of gravity and an all-new sports suspension give the Boxster Spyder the right kind of driving dynamics clearly reflecting the unique look of the car.

The Boxster Spyder features a 3.4-litre six-cylinder with Direct Fuel Injection upfront of the rear axle. Maximum output is 320 bhp, 10 bhp more than in the Boxster S.

Equipped with PDK Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe and the Sports Chrono Package, the new Spyder, using Launch Control, accelerates from a standstill to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds. Again with optional PDK, fuel consumption is a mere 9.3 litres on 100 kilometres (equal to 30.4 mpg imp) in the NEDC New European Driving Cycle. Top speed, in turn, is 267 km/h or 166 mph – with the roof open.

In terms of its fundamental concept, the entire Boxster family is the successor to the legendary 550 Spyder built back in 1953, both models sharing the same mid-engine roadster concept, low weight, back-to-the-roots lifestyle, and supreme agility com-bined with equally outstanding driving pleasure.

The 550 Spyder was the first sports car from Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen developed specifically for racing but also homologated for the road. In the years following its production, this unique Spyder weighing only 550 kg or 1,213 lb, scored numerous victories on race circuits and in the road races so popular at the time.

The 550 Spyder was followed by other extremely successful Porsche Spyders such as the 718 RS 60 in 1960.

In 2004 and 2008 Porsche dedicated a limited edition of special Boxsters bearing the additional name Spyder to these legendary racing cars. By contrast, the new Boxster Spyder is a regular, specially developed and upgraded production model with far-reaching modifications versus the Boxster and Boxster S.

Market introduction of the new Porsche Boxster Spyder will start worldwide in February 2010. The base price in the Euro countries is 53,100 Euro. Including 19 per cent VAT and national specifications, the market price of the new Porsche Boxster Spyder is 63,404 Euro.

porsche 550 spyder

1960 Porsche 718 RS 60

A customer recently stopped by with what sounded like a simple enough problem with his well-kept 02′ Boxster S.  He thought he has closed the rear decklid on his camera strap and wedged it into the release mechanism… Shouldn’t be a big deal, right? Wrong.  After manually raising the rear spoiler and giving the lid a firm but careful tug I realized we had more going on than a camera strap holding it down.

Off came the rear bumper to get to the emergency release cable Porsche was kind enough to put in and sure enough, the deck lid popped right up, this lead me to the conclusion that it wasn’t the release mechanism itself, but rather something in switch/motor which pulls on the primary trunk release.  This is where Porsche wasn’t so kind… After confirming the motor was at least still functioning when the button in the cab was pressed we could rule out an electronic issue, therefore something had to be physically ‘broken’.  To get to the motor that pulls the primary decklid release cable you have to remove the rear bumper, rear spoiler, rear spoiler hydraulics, rear trunk trim pieces and finally a metal brace which supports the rear spoiler hydraulic components… Needless to say, it was buried in there.

Once I finally got to the motor it was a quick diagnosis, sure enough the plastic end cap had broken where the cable should have met the motor and needed to be replaced.  It must have been black Friday or something because the piece wasn’t stocked anywhere in the States and had to be shipped over from Germany.  A few days later the piece arrived and the car went back together, being sure to properly align the rear spoiler so the shut-lines were precise and everything was back to normal.

Yes, another video form the Heene family, aka the Balloon Boy family.  This is some children’s video that was made starring “Boxter,” some talking, flying box that wants kids to build a firetruck.  I really hope this family stays in the news for a long, long time, because these are some of the best videos ever posted on here.

This is AWESOME!

John from one of my favorite Porsche Blogs, PorschePurist.com has posted a great piece on a trip he and his wife made to California.  It is a wonderful read about their trip up the Pacific Coast Highway in a 2009 Boxster S.  He will be following it up with more posts chronicling the 1,200 mile trip and getting to know the Boxster S.  Have a look at Everything but the Kitchen Sink

More models of the 911, Boxster and Cayman delivered in September

Stuttgart. Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, sold more cars this September than last September. Overall, 1,581 units were sold to US customers, which is about 8 percent more than September 2008. The current figures reflect the continuing overall slump in the US market as a result of the worldwide financial crisis.

Nevertheless, the premium sports car manufacturer was able to increase sales in the USA in the month under review. Sales figures for the 911 series rose: 720 Carrera were delivered to customers, which is the equivalent of a 40 percent increase compared to September 2008. Sales were even better for the Cayman models. In September, 175 units of the mid-engine sports car were sold, which represents a 140 percent increase. Sales of the Boxster models rose by 24 percent with 151 cars sold. In September, the Cayenne model posted a decrease, related to the life cycle of the vehicle, of 28 percent with 535 units sold.

Após adquirir a Opel, a Magna International pode perder vários outros parceiros. A última ameça partiu de Stuttgart, onde a Porsche se reúne para decidir se vai rescindir ou não o contrato com a fabricante de autopeças. A austríaco-canadense seria responsável por auxiliar na produção dos modelos Boxster e Cayman, mas a fabricante de esportivos estaria desconfiada da Magna, após a compra da Opel. A empresa não quer “entregar” seus veículos a uma concorrente.

O temor da empresa é que sua tecnologia seja empregada nos futuros veículos da Opel, em especial alguns rivais. Ainda mais por a ex-fabricante da General Motors também pertecenter aos russos Sberbank/GAZ. Vale lembrar, porém, que a Magna produz o Classe G, da Mercedes-Benz, desde 1979 em sua planta austríaca, localizada em Gaz. A empresa também já fabrica/fabricou o Chrysler Voyager, o BMW X3 e o Jeep Grand Cherokee e será responsável por produzir o Aston Martin Rapide.

Até o momento, a Porsche produz o Boxster e o Cayman na Finlândia, em parceria com a Valmet. No entanto, os modelos podem ser a ser fabricados em Zuffenhausen, tendo como potencial aliada a Karmann, que está em processo de reestruturação. A empresa ainda é fortemente ligada à Volkswagen.

Será que a Porsche cancelará mesmo o acordo ou trata-se apenas de uma ameaça?

Look at the cars in this video! WOW!!!