Higher Octane Fuel – Is it worth it?

If you have an electric car, this post is not for you.   We will talk about how to effectively benefit from solar glare in another post.

For the rest of you, 0ne biggest questions faced on the road today, with the ever-growing rising fuel prices, is picking out the right fuel for your car.  We we decide in pulling up to any particular gas station, we are given with at least three choices of fuel grades.    Each significantly different, and of course with different prices.  The decision is that nowadays, you will find an almost a 2% percent difference in prices between REGULAR, MID GRADE, and HIGH TEST.

Differences between brand name gas (Shell, Mobil, Arco) and cheap gas (Alaska, Rotten Robbies, Costco) will also reflect the price of your full tank.  We also see differences of prices between stations is competing with other stations at a regular intersection, or if the station that might be outside of town forty miles of another station.

We all want to know if using higher octane improves miles per gallon, provide more power and better for your car?  In order to answer these questions you need to understand what and how fuel is defined.

All fuels have an Octane rating that measures proportions of iso-octane to heptane in a fuel.   That rated proportion relates to how much energy it takes to ignite that fuel.

It is important to recognize that the higher that octane number, the more energy it takes to ignite that measurement of fuel.

Chemical engineers constantly run tests on developing a proportion iso-octane to heptane levels to best obtain an octane rating.

High Octane does not give your car better gas mileage. This is because that octane levels is in proportion on how much energy it takes to ignite, NOT the energy the fuel produces.   Unless your car is explicitly designed to run on high octane gas, it will not give your car better gas mileage.   At the same time, using High Octane will not improve horsepower either.

It is important to recognize that it is fairly rare to find cars the require use of high octane fuel!  Note too that Higher Octane will not magically clean the insides of your engine!  It will not clean out deposits or fix “piston rings”.

If your car happens to requires high octane gas, such as a 2011 Porsche 911 Carrera Speedster (check your manual) then and only then you will want your car to run high octane fuel.

The main reason is that octane ratings has everything to do with the characteristics of compression and ignition timing of the engine.

You will notice some engines to some cars will have an 11:1 ratio vs other cars that have compression/ignition timing ratios of 6.5:1.   Knowing this compression/ignition timing ratio, will tell you which kind of fuel your car will need to run efficiently!

For example, the 6.5:1 compression/timing ratio found in a Porsche 356 Roadster will mean that it can ignite fuel very much differently than what might be found in a compression/timing ratio of 11.7:1 found in a Porsche 911 GT2/GT3.   This relationship between compression and ignition timing is your assurance that fuel will ignite with a specific needed amount.   You don’t want the wrong fuel octane level, because of course, ignite will be wrong and the car will run crappy.

What is interesting is that the compression/timing ration relationship has very little to do with the fact the car might be a track car such as the Porsche 935 Coupe that only has a compression/timing ratio of 6.5:1.  Does that mean the owners of a 935 will probably be looking for 86 octane and it will run happiest being leaded?   No, this is because he has additional adjustments in his Engine Control Unit (ECU) or Engine Control Module (ECM) that handles fuel, air and ignition timings electronically.   What about your street car?  If it had the same compression/timing ratio of 6.5:1 like the Porsche 935 Coupe, does that mean you will look for 86 octane.   Maybe.. you need to check your owners manual.   There is specifies what is the stock setting of your automobile.   If you happen to have your car chipped or that the ECU has been modified to meet a different compression / intake ration, then you will need to consult with those adjustments.   Some ECUs will know what your fuel might be igniting at and recalculate spark, air, timing, etc.    Knowing this key aspect of fuel is a great way to not spend more on gas than you need too for your tank.  You will not being doing your car any favors by purchasing better gasoline than it needs.

Back in the early 80’s there was this huge campaign regarding engine “pinging”.   Pinging, a more technical term than knocking was a sign that gas was not igniting when it should.   If you can imagine, a chamber (inside the engine) about to connect air-gas-ignite to push a piston, missing out on and not having that relationship of compression and ignition. That chamber fails to perform a duty efficiently and hurts the chamber, not giving you a better ride.

You will notice a reduction in power and your gas mileage will be horribly low.   Using a higher octane will then reduce that pinging noise.   If you are running, say that 356 and the manual says nothing about the car’s ability to use a higher octane, something needs to be adjusted such as timing and spark plugs.  Do not assume you can fix the problem with the simply using higher juice.    This goes back to the concept that relates energy needed to ignite the gas.   If the gas is igniting too easily, therefore igniting before it is suppose too, there will causes of engine knocking or pinging.   Of course then you will notice lower gas mileage and power zapping efficiency.

For your information… one might describe the pinging or knocking sounds a lot like shaking small rocks in a coke can.  Think of this knocking or pinging as detonation vs. ignition.  Think of knocking of an explosion and not a silent fizzle of a burn.   That detonation is rather harsh and you should well notice it.

You must look at your manual to know which gas is optimized for your car.  The car’s ECU/DMI or if carburetors; will completely dictate how the gas will interact with the listed spark plugs, cylinder wall chambers, air intake, exhaust, timing…all of that.  So back to the guy with the race car Porsche 935; if you remember his low compression/intake ratio (6.5:1), that he might have his car set up for a different ignite.   He is in a race car, which means he also has a 24/7 mechanic that tweeks everything related to maximizing power.  Air, electrical, fuel, spark.. all of that is focused on going fast (150mph fast); not sitting in traffic, a 20mph cruise around lake or barely getting above 70mph on the freeway.   Because he is in a race car, the car will need to have very different driving conditions that requires him possibly the highest in octane, as much as 117.     Even more on the extreme, the formula racers running alcohol or even funny cars that run on pure jet fuel would have settings that vary as well.

So take a look at your manual and determine what is the fuel you should be using, and don’t buy higher octane than what is required.  Doing so chances in damaging your engine, not making it better.

TURBO?

For turbos there is effective compression ratio (ECR) and static compression ratio (SCR).  Effective compression ratio changes with the air pressure from the turbo.  All  1976 – 1989 930 have low static compression (At least for 87-79 usa cars it is between 6.5:1 or 6.7:1, but effective compression is computed as: ECR= SCR * sq rt [1+ (boost/1)].  Given the primitive electronics were used in those cars, and not computerized its important to use high octane fuel.

Here are some compression ratios that might be helpful for you.  Look in your manual for exact octane needs.

1948 Porsche 356 – Compression Ratio = 6.5:1

1950 – 1954 Porsche 356 – Compression Ratio = 7.5:1

1956-1959 Porsche 356A 1600S – Compression Ratio = 8.5:1

1960-1963 Porsche 356B Super 90 Roadster – Compression Ratio = 9.0:1

1963-1964 Porsche 356C Carrera 2000 Coupe – Compression Ratio = 9.8:1

1964-1967 Porsche 911 Coupe / Targa – Compression Ratio = 9.0:1

1965-1968 Porsche 912 Coupe / Targa – Compression Ratio = 9.3:1

1972-1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 – Compression Ratio = 8.3:1

1976-1989 Porsche 930 – Compression Ration = 6.5:1 or 6.7:1

1979-1983 Porsche 928S – Compression Ratio = 10.0:1

1983-1989 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 = Compression Ratio – 10.3:1

1985-1991 Porsche 944 Turbo = Compression Ratio – 8.0:1

1987-1988 Porsche 959 = Compression Ratio 8.3:1

1989-1993 Porsche 911 Carrera 2 & 4 = Compression Ratio 11.3:1

1991 Porsche Turbo = Compression Ratio 7.0:1

1992-1995 Porsche 968 = Compression Ratio 11.0:1

1993-1997 Porsche 911 Carrera (993) = Compression Ratio 11.3:1

1996-current Porsche Boxster / Boxster S = Compression Ratio 11.0:1

1997-current Porsche 911 (996) = Compression Ratio 10.4:1

2001 Porsche Carrera 4S = Compression Ratio 11.3:1

1999-current Porsche 911 Turbo (996) = Compression Ratio 9.4:1

2003 – current Porsche 911   /GT3 = Compression Ratio 11.7:1

2002 – current Porsche Cayenne = Compression Ratio 9.5:1

2003 Porsche Carrera GT = Compression Ratio 12.0:1

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More reading on this subject can be found on http://www.rennsportsystems.com/2a.html

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All of the experts we spoke with say the most important thing for consumers is to choose one brand of gas and stick with it. Changing from brand to brand can lead to those deposit buildups that can cause problems for your car, including reduced gas mileage.

Paragon Laboratories

BP 87 Octane ... 17.2 milligrams per 100 milliliters
BP 93 Octane ... 26.4 milligrams per 100 milliliters

Citgo 87 Octane ... 6.0 milligrams per 100 milliliters
Citgo 93 Octane ... 9.4 milligrams per 100 milliliters 

Exxon 87 Octane ... 20.0 milligrams per 100 milliliters
Exxon 93 Octane ... 21.2 milligrams per 100 millilitersPilot 87 Octane ... 5.8 milligrams per 100 milliliters
Pilot 92 Octane ... 8.8 milligrams per 100 milliliters
Shell 87 Octane ... 16.2 milligrams per 100 milliliters
Shell 93 Octane... 31.0 milligrams per 100 milliliters

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Safety First, Second and Third!

Did y0u know that 20% of all drivers on the road today happen to be uninsured?  Did you know that unsafe actions with your car adds to the overall rising costs of automobile ownership will be higher than ever?

Mechanic Shops today are all facing that fact that its important to remind the owners to slow down and drive safely.   As an industry, they also standardizing that all cars leaving any shops get brakes, safety belts, airbags, safe tires, windshield wipers, signal operators, aimed headlights, correctly functioning factory aspects checks to your car.  Furthermore shops, including A. Bauer Porsche are looking at all cars in repair, helping owners return any modified car back to factory settings.  They will review all unsafe modifications such as reviewing performance chips, exhaust options, throttle body options and or other added performance enhancements.

In this way, all cars leaving the shop is made safe.  Drivers, while at the shop also get a short reminder on how to best handle a car in an emergency situation.   They also review driving habits, which adds to the saving of fuel and mechancial damage.  It is a goal to always best educate the driver to know their machine for what it is designed to perform.

So please, slow down and drive safely for your enjoyment and others.

Tire change for your Porsche at a local gas station?

I wondered myself what could go wrong in driving your car to a local gas station for a tire change?  Take it from me, as it can potentially lead to other suspected problems.   There was this Boxster that went in for some simple tire change.  However upon jacking the car up, they cracked a vacuum booster connector line running under the length of the car.   Fixing the tire then resulted in an expensive and potentially dangerous lesson in having no front brakes when applying brake pressure.

So.. how to avoid costly mistakes?  One cannot assume that something so obvious with jacking up your car taken for granted.  So, if you haven’t already, please learn where are the all places and WAYS to jacked up.  Be able to point it out accurately safe places to jack your car up to a mechanic if you choose to know nothing else.  No matter which Porsche you may own.. the jack points are almost always either a ridge joint or a flat metal horizontal plate in front of the rear tires and behind the front tire.  Do not ever attempt jacking your car without looking under first.  Upon determining where your pinch point will be, keep in mind to avoid hoses, oil lines, cover panels, brake lines, hose lines, and anything not resembling a flat plat plate or ridge line.

 

 

Cornering Skills with your Porsche

One of the greatest things about owning a Porsche has more about how to drive it…rather than it drives you.    Cornering is an age old topic that takes practice but its a good skill to know with any car.

Take it from M. Diaz of Oakland, California regarding his very rare black 1983 Callaway 944 Turbo.  “Cornering with a 944 is a complete breeze, you have both confidence in how the car safely reacts to split second decisions along with the ability to precisely setup your curve before going into it.  Porsche got it completely right to develop this model, and Callaway certainly picked out the perfect machine for a modification that works well with the driver and his reactions.”   Follow http://www.944online.com for on-going tech conversations regarding these unique and hard-to-find cars.

With any 90 degree turn you have three choices in cornering.

1: The closest to the radius –

The simplest version is slowing the car down, turn the wheel and the car will go around the corner.  It is also the shortest distance.   The problem is you lose all the car’s energy and momentum.

2: the farthest from the radius-

Using centrifugal force, the farthest edge is the longest distance, generally in theory you can do this kind of curve with the greatest speed.  The problem here is that you may loose time.

3: a bi-sectional cut that starts from the farther radius and touches the closest radius back out to the farthest radius.-   this combines uses of the cars balance.   The best part of using this format is as long as you are not obstructing on-coming traffic, you can cut the time and distance and keep up the speed.

Another key factor is the amount of braking.    Assuming that in theory and the start of curve, braking needs to be considered, you will want to brake the most without having as much steering input.   During the middle part of the curve, braking and steering is equal in input, while at the end of the curve, the steering oversees braking considerably.

Though this is a skill that takes a little practice.. get a feel how the weight of the car shifts while steering and braking.

In a matter of performance and safety, always consider the condition of your tires, suspension, brakes and steering setups.  The car will have a natural pull one direction and then the other, with a driver firmly strapped in to become one with the car.   The driver will know of key points on where and when to sway a curve based on either walking the course beforehand or taking a few practice laps.  Either way, the information on when and where to take the curve is key in doing so in the shortest possible distance.

Sports Rally Information

As part of a rather interesting autosport, Europeans LOVE rally drives. They organize it, and make it a yearly event. What is most interesting, is that anyone can be part of it, safely and get to enjoy some scenic back roads. Since Rally groups come at all levels, from full Sponsored Pro Involvement closed course racing, to amateur “get together” for a friendly relaxing public backroad caravan to a park and picnic. Here we show skills in car waxing.

Professional rally groups run an event with a closed course. The cars has been completely modified in power and safety, and drivers are protected from high speed crashes. Teams of entries generally have more than than one car and would have a way to maintain cars that have issues. This would be an event that challenges course times while pitting the skills of one driver over another. Famous drivers and cars will be in the course, as so will media coverage. The closed course rally can cover a full day of racing or more.

There are rally types that are just as professional, but its more of a tour. These kinds of drives do not allow passing unless cleared by the driver in front. They can consist of many kinds of cars, either by size or number of occupants. Some can be organized by manufacturers, vintage, historical or simply by type of car. They could run an entire week, cover over a thousand of back road miles and meet at stately hotels for rest preparing for the next day. Racing is not allowed.

Amateur rally types, organized through enthusiast car clubs, use club membership to sign waivers and cover technical insurance issues. Generally they offer touring drives to small towns parking together and displaying a common theme of automobiles but also of life long friends. Racing is not allowed and any display of racing will likely get your removed from the club.

World Rally Information is organized on this web page: click me here

Things to keep in mind will be sign-up dates, event location, entry fees, track fees, driver requirements, car and driver insurance, car requirements, local event discounts, related events. If you have never done this before, try taking a DE course on how to manage your car.

What are “Rally Pace Notes”?

Rally Pace Notes are useful codes for a navigator to describe map directions for a driver. Undoubtedly you may have seen some of this watching a video on UTube and either the scrambling of microphone or noise from the drive itself made it hard to understand what is going on. This is the basic scoop, but please- research further -there are two people inside the car, and with a camera secured between both. Both are wearing helmets and you see in front of you wild road winding between hillsides and turning like crazy as see both people severely rattled by the automobiles motion. The is dust, curves, rocks and shifting light from dark shadow to bright glare. If it happens to be raining or even night, the visibility is more compromised. Trying to navigate any rally at any speed other than like 10 mph, can be tricky. If the driver is blindfolded, successfully running a course, that would be the nirvana of rally. In order to pull this off, with eyes wide open of course, is that navigators have devise a “how to steer” code. On cannot assume turns, turn-offs, directional changes, hills, slopes, blind turns, road situations or conditions. This code would then be written into a jargon and a set of directions on a notepad with a time clock, all spelled out by the navigator.

So you might be able to see that over a period of time you might be able to correlate your expected location to your clock and your notes. Since all notes are pretty much individual to the navigator, the essence of the notes should be universal in description for any rally person to understand. Both the clock and and notes should be visible to the navigator. The clock might be fastened in front of the glove box while a notepad might be cable fastened near the navigator. It might be unfortunate should the notepad fly out of the hands of the navigator. One might also think to have lighting to the notepad, and not glare to the driver. Pages to the notepad might be durable enough to allow for tearing or moisture. It could be also last minute changes need to be noted.

The real key is then being able to describe to the driver, either by shouting or since you are probably wearing helmets, though a piped speaker / headset the directions. The driver will likely be concentrating on acceleration, braking and turnings. His job balanced by smoothly negociating the car on the road. It is not always going to be obvious on unfamiliar roadway or dirt route up ahead. At times, the navigators quick thinking will heads up what will be the next move.

There are standard ways to describe the angles… as in (1) is straight and (4) might mean 40 degrees, while (9) would be 90 degrees. If you said (hairpin) it means you are cutting beyond 90 degrees and the driver might have enough time to cut beyond the 90 degrees; which any of these informations should tell the driver to set himself up on the road to take that degree of turn. All you then need to make sure is if you and your driver have LEFT and RIGHT down perfectly. Lastly a distance expection would be described, such as “500-9-right” would mean 500 feet with a right turn.

The other great standard way in describing turns is the number system based on severity. The lower the number… the more severe. If you said (1), then, without any doubt you will mean hairpin. (2) might be a hairpin..but not as severe as one. Most turns will be (3) while slight turns will be a (4), (5) or (6). Some more advanced levels of describing map to driver would be the following.

FLAT L – Flat turns to either direction – FLAT R

SR

FR

KR

R

BR

HR

OHR

Then distance would be describe fully visualize vocal distances. If a hill up or down be expected the navigator could in essence verbal it with a standard code.

The 917, the discovery of a Race Car

Porsche developed 6 variations of a designed racecar known as the 917.  Though each engine was slight different, each variant could easily produce around 620bhp, it mixed parts of other race cars developed by them like spoilers from a 908 and alterations to its body shape.   Its drive train a Type 912 flat-12 engine, situated behind the driver with the fuel tank in front of the driver.   Capable of over 240 mph, it also had a fantastic 0-62mph time of 2.3 seconds and the 0-124mph in 5.3.

The most successful of the six versions was the 917K.  There was a long tail version (917LH) and a “pig” version which was a modified 917K.    There was a famous 917 dedicated for racing the 1973 Can-Am series which had a whopping 1,100bhp and during one of the dyno tunes resulted in a throat clearing 1,580bhp!   Never the less the options for these flat 12 machines was either the 4.5, 4.9 or 5 liter engines.

If you are a Porsche owner, there is a high likelihood you’ve seen the 917 star in the 1971 classic film Le Mans.   To get a full appreciation of these machines head into your garage and take yours for a drive.  If you get out to your garage and notice that your 917 has disappeared, then you’ll just have to rent the film.    I would suggest watching it in French is far more interesting than watching it in English.

The 917 is not entirely different than your 911 Turbo other than its output size and overall shape  Most significant was the car engine was air-cooled, throwing the best of other competition car designers into a questioning the Porsche decision.  Looking around under the hood and even in the cockpit, you will see Porsche references.    Due to the super costs of developing such a car, owners needed to be giant corporations such as refined oil, beverage or tires.   Sponsorship included smaller business that included car parts, wine makers and such.  Gulf Oil, Lowenbrau, Martini+Rossi, Goodyear, Bosch all contributed in funding to the cars, mechanics, the race circuit, winning purse and finally drivers.  Variations on funding were like huge advertising sheets, flags, banners, stickers, booklets, periodicals, fan appreciation gear and that all so important product branding.

Drivers such as Udo Schuetz, Gerhard Mitten, Kurt Ahrens, Han Herrman and Willi Kauhsen each wrote themselves in history in etching laps using the dangerous 917.  Derek Bell, Vic Elford and even Steve McQueen himself both spent time behind the wheel, despite various difficulties in controlling the car.  Never the less, each helped themselves become an icon of a period when the world itself was in interesting times.

Falling under the 917 vale, on May 3, 1987 the current owner of A. Bauer Independent Repair, Oakland, California; Chris Lanzatella, was part weekend crew member for the Lowenbrau team when they raced the 300 Kilometer with a Porsche 962 at Laguna Seca.   The Porsche 962 monocoque design had an alloy chassis.  Inside it had an aircooled, six cylinder boxer, two valve per cylinder, single turbocharger 3.2 litre that produced 750 bhp.  It used Brembo vented dual circuit disks that had four piston calipers and a fully synchronized 5 speed plus reverse transmission.   This car had a screaming top speed of 240 mph.    Porsche pit crew team members need qualifications in technician mechanics as like drivers need for piloting cars.  Skip Robinson and Al Holbert were drivers.

Custom Treatments for the Porsche 911

In 1967 Porsche enthusiast modified the Porsche 911. It had what was considered at the time, very large 6″ wheels in the front and 7″ in the rear. The 911 were then called “R” or Racing designation complete with upgraded engines, suspension, interiors and even lightweight, tough plastic rear quarter window, side window, lens cover and windshield inserts by Mukilteo Motorsports (now called Spektr Products – http://www.spektrproducts.com/)

The 1967 Porsche 911R was the favorite of modified race cars. Noticing various modifications also included tail lights, head lights, bumper, hood latches, instrumentation panels, seats and even pedals. The car sounded throater and was tuned to run best with the foot on the floor. These conversion were performed by factory as a 1 of 20. Built by Karl Baur coachworks of Stuttgart, there were some very well known celebrities that had them ordered. Zipper Porsche of Beverly Hills had special ordered one to a Woolworth’s heir and Scarab car driver Lance Reventlow. Painted a special “Scarab Team” blue color, Reventlow never even took ownership of it and during delivery it eventually ended up crossing a few hands to only end up as a street use car only.

That was the thing about these cars. They were special order with special treatments and for quite of bit of cash. Other famous people such as the Arab owner of TAG (Porsche engine builder), Mansour Ojjeh ended up with very interesting attachments such as having 935 running boards, 935 rear wing and rear fenders.

Mansour Ojjeh's Porsche 911 with 935 attachments.

His car had all the treatments and quite attractive. This car would definitely be hard to miss cornering around neighborhoods.

Some of these people basically would purchase, though something known as “Special Wishes Program” a brand new 911 in those years, and then have all the panels reworked inside and out with such companies as Design Plastics (DP). In 1979, such collaborations with tuners such as Kremers would turbo package a 911 and turn it into a 935. So much adoration to potential in change body shapes, the infamous “slant nose” was born. Some of these shapes would also have alteration to how the wing on the back would look. more often than not these cars would find themselves on

racetrack, but the could also be converted back to a regular 911. Most however, probably stayed with these conversions and the owner just would buy themselves a second car.

John Paul Racing, Werk I, Ekkehard Zimmerman, Stroesek Auto Design Program, Techart, Sports Performance, Exclusive Motorcars Inc., Dave Klym of FABCAR Engineering, Rolf Spreger Customer Service Group, Tom Hessert’s FABCAR, Kevin Jeannette, Gunner Racing, Frank & Partner, Jerry Woods, ProtoTech, TRG, and of course Porsche AG all made special machines with each having different looks.

It wasn’t just big business for coach builders, specialized parts such as North Hollywood Speedometer, Daytron Digital, Performance Air, ANDIAL, PMO, Billy Boat, Cosworth Pistons, Elephant Racing, HKS Turbo Inc., Koni, Sachs, Penske, Eibach Springs each added personality and performance. Customers would work endless hours to have built the perfect car with the perfect setup.

The 911RSR

Winner of the 24-Hours of Daytona, a 2.8-liter flat six lightweight 911 Porsche was certainly a masterpiece.  Redline tachometers showed 10,000 and able to rocket at 300 horsepower, these cars had been built to meet the most strenuous of mechanical tolerances.   Even Matra & Mirage-Ford and Ferrari couldn’t match up their prototype designers to this level of perfection.   Uniquely designed for the racetrack, underneath the 911RSR you could easily spot the regular street Porsche 911 within.  Yet… The RSR was a different animal.

This could not be said for the Mirage-Ford or the Matra or for that matter the Ferrari, which were had specific designs for uses on tracks.  They could not just enter these same cars into any rally or street driving, which exclusively focused itself on racing.   Ferrari, as well during those years, having to exclusively battle powerful contenders, where also devised especially for racing, on top of that, they developed several racecars specific to meet specific needs.  Popularity of Ferrari, bragging rights and mega enthusiast Enzo Ferrari himself attended events directly with the drivers.

 

 

Unlike just bolting on changes to a body, you could never make that Ferrari street version without extensive changes.   Never the less, the power punch these cars displayed must have been a site to see.  This 1973 Ferrari 365 GT.  What a feeling it would have been to have had a chance to open one of these up for a race.

 

 

 

Heavier parts than from stock maximized that singled out potential of speed and could handle those rigorous demands of track stress.   With speeds reaching close or even above the 170 mph range, the sense of perfection and nimble needed to make those drivers one with the pavement.

Nimble, quick and a car that you would recognize in your garage, these unassuming sleepers were perfect for driving.

They had some interesting fender adaption to allow for cooling and race wheel fittings.  They also stock interiors and parts modified to completely add to weight and fitted with driver protection.  Even paint was pretty much not as thick   All of them had that all so familiar ducktail while retaining much of the remaining Porsche shape.

The Porsche RSR were raced at all the famous endurance races.  The 24 Hours of Le Mans, 24 Hours of Daytona, 24 Hours of Spa-Franchorchamp, the 12 Hours of Sebring, and 1,000 mile Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta.    You could also find historical evidences that they raced too at the 24 Hours of Nurburgring and the Nordscheife tract.   They also were found to be a popular entry for the Dubai 24 Hour.  Al of the races often were aimed at GT3 and below cars with a mixture of professional and pro-am drivers.

Porsche 911 RSR

GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS

Country of Origin: Germany
Numbers built: 49
Production year: 1973
Major Wins: 1973 Sebring 12 Hours (Hurley Haywood / Peter Gregg / Dave Helmick)

ENGINE

Engine configuration: 911/72 B 6
Location: Rear, longitudinally mounted
Construction: Magnesium alloy block and head
Displacement: 2.808 liter / 171.4 cu in
Bore/Stroke: 92.0 mm (3.6 in) / 70.4 mm (2.8in)
Compression: 10.5:1
Valvetrain: 2 valves / cylinder, SOHC
Fuel Feed: Bosch K-lectronic Fuel Injection
Aspiration: Naturally aspirated (how we like it)

DRIVE/TRAIN

Chassis/body: Unitary steel
Suspension: Trailing arms, coil springs over shock absorbers
Steering: Rack-and-pinion
Brakes: Ventilated Discs, all-round
Gearbox: 5 speed manual
Drive: Rear wheel drive

DIMENSIONS

Weight: 840 Kilo / 1852 lbs
Length, Width, Height: 4128 mm (162.5in) / 1651mm (65in) / 1321 mm (52in)
Wheelbase / Track (fr/r): 2272 mm (89.4in) / 1402mm (55.2in) / 1422mm (56in)

PERFORMANCE FIGURES

Power: 308 bhp / 230 KW @ 8,000rpms
Torque: 290 Nm / 214ft lbs @ 6300 rpm
BHP/Liter: 110 bhp / liter
Power to weight: 0.3 bhp / kg
Top Speed: 280 km/h / 174 mph
0-60: 5.0 seconds

 

911 to 997 and beyond

Its always been the essence of Porsche ownership that might lend itself to a modern way of motoring.  As there is a direction in comfort, performance and safety the full aspect of industrialist to consumer vs. development to continue to invent.    Porsche is unique because there had been several times in their history the development of certain models of their cars hitting perfection.  Though easy to see from outside or driving the car, the real perfection is revealed if you are able to see from under the car.    It is from there when you notice something new, such as the location of the transmission and engine, the way it is physically attached to the frame.   The spacings are the perfect to gracefully layout plumbing such as a gas lines and exhaust.   Its as if there had been more than a generic solution of puzzle pieces but that every part had a reason.   When I was a new 911 owner, I understood that something special was going on, while it was very hard to put my finger on it.

My belief is you never really will fully understand this excellence unless you are able to get to wrench on parts. I mean, replacing water pumps for water-cooled engines, installing clutches, adjustments of doors or cabriolet tops, installing shocks and many other projects.   Even making adjustments and repairs to headlight housing or pedal cluster has amazing levels of logic to it.

As cars move into the future these particular ease of repairs are actually sensible.  Getting the cars up on a rack and making it possible to reach in and access every bolt.   Of course, if you had mechanics design cars one could imagine a large flat board with wheels on every corner.  Then every single part would be accessible.  Though sensible, tearing into parts through nuts and bolts is an organized series of disassemble and removal until you can get access.   In the past certain models makes it far more labor intensive than other parts.    At times you would get at a part from the top, then the bottom, then back from the top again.   Diagnosis of course, would need to occur long before even bringing a car to the lift or before disassemble.   However, as with all things in life, that might and likely need to happen.  Reassemble would happen in that order as well.   The 1998 Firebird V6 is probably the toughest car to do any work.  Changing spark plugs includes removing out all the interior and dashboard.   This kind of repair sensibility and understanding is what makes the auto mechanics most sensible.

As we move into the future and more and more kinetics and ergonomics to be performed by those that have to reach part replacement, we need to keep one thing in mind.  Just like the outside look at the car, is the work on the inside a resemblance?