About Me
The official "date of birth" for the first Porsche is considered June 8, 1948. Number one, a two-seat 356 with a 1.1 litre centre engine, 40 HP weighing 650 kg. The following 50 specimens of the so-called 356/2 were hand built in Gmünd/Kärnten (Austria). These cars almost resembled the classic 356 and are today, if at all to be found, almost priceless.
Ferdinand Porsche, was born in 1875 in Mattersdorf, a village close to Reichenberg, in what was then North Bohemia, later Czechoslovakia. The young Porsche demonstrated excellent mechanical aptitude and, at age 18, was recommended for a job in Vienna with Bela Egger (later Brown Boveri). In Vienna, he sneaked into night classes at the Technical University, the only "formal" engineering education he ever obtained.
After five years in Vienna, he landed his first job in the automotive field with Jacob Lohner. In 1900, the 'System Lohner-Porsche' electric carriage made its debut at the World's Fair in Paris. This automobile set several Austrian land speed records. It did over 35 mph. Porsche then harnessed Daimler's and Panhard's internal combustion engines to power wheel-mounted electric motors in the new "System Mixt." More speed records were won, acclaim followed, and in 1905 Porsche won the Poetting Prize as Austria's outstanding automotive designer. He was now a famous automotive engineer in Europe.
Austro-Daimler (a licensee of the Stuttgart-based Daimler firm) recruited Porsche in 1906 to be its chief designer. One of his most famous A-D's appeared in 1910. Porsche designed an 85-horsepower, streamlined car for the Prince Henry Trial. Examples won the top three places in the 1910 trial, and Model 27/80 has ever since been known as the "Prince Henry."
For most of the next decade, Austro-Daimler concentrated on war materiel including aircraft engines, huge trucks, and motorized cannons. In 1916, Porsche became the firm's managing director. The next year, Porsche received what became his most cherished honor, an honorary doctorate from Vienna Technical University, the same institution where 24 years earlier he had sneaked into night classes. This degree was designated by the now-famous "Dr. Ing. h.c." which was forever to be part of the professor's persona and eventually part of his firm's name.
While Austro-Daimler principally pursued large luxury sedans in the '20s, Dr. Porsche moved toward light cars and racing. Porsche had competed in hillclimbs, speed trials and rallies since his first days in the industry. By 1922, Dr. Porsche had embraced racing as a way to improve his cars and the resultant Sascha won races throughout Europe with 43 wins in 51 starts. Eventually, Porsche and Austro-Daimler's board differed on the future direction of its cars and Dr. Porsche triggered his formidable temper and left Austro-Daimler in 1923.
Within several months, he was in Stuttgart as Daimler's Technical Director. His early work at Daimler earned him a second honorary degree, this time from the Stuttgart Technical University. A series of intimidating racing cars followed: the two-liter, eight-cylinder cars for 1925-27 in which Rudolf Caracciola won 21 races in 27 starts. After the 1926 merger of Daimler and Benz, the big 6.2-liter K, 6.8-liter S, and then the 7.0-liter SS, SSK, and SSKL models followed, dominating racing in 1928-1930.
While Porsche's racing activities were successful, his push for small, light Daimler-Benz cars was not. The board objected. In 1929, Porsche left for a brief stay at Steyr, but the Great Depression was on and car manufacturing was not the place to be. Steyr collapsed. At age 55, Porsche had no job. Despite his broadly-acknowledged brilliance, his well-earned reputation for stubbornness was not going to help him find a good job in those hard times.
He returned to Stuttgart, an automotive center with firms such as Hirth, Mahle, and Bosch in addition to Daimler-Benz. In January 1931, he launched his consulting firm, 'Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche GmbH Konstructionsburo Fur Motern, Fahrzeug, Luftfahrzeug, and Wasserfahrzeugbau' ('Motors, Vehicles, Airplanes, and Boats...'). The staff was composed of men with whom the Professor had previously worked: Karl Rabe, chief engineer, was joined by Erwin Komenda (body design), Karl Frolich (transmissions), Josef Kales (motors), Josef Zahradnik (steering and suspensions), Francis Reimspiess, Han Mickl (aerodynamics), Adolf Rosenberger (business manager), and two relatives, Anton Piech (a lawyer, Ferdinand Porsche's son-in-law and later father of Ferdinand Piech, now chairman of Volkswagen), and Porsche's own son, Ferry.
Ferdinand Anton Ernst Porsche had been born in 1909 in Weiner Neustadt, Austria, the second child in the family behind a five-year older sister, Louisa. His first nickname was 'Ferdy' but (as he recounted 50 years later) his governess did not like the sound of the name and changed it to 'Ferry', actually a nickname for Franz.
Growing up, young Porsche was allowed to play in the Austro-Daimler factory. He was interested in matters automotive and paid attention to what he saw and heard in the factory. At an early age he accompanied his father to races for both Austro-Daimler and Daimler-Benz (including Indianapolis in 1923), and he had a half-sized two-cylinder car. Educated in Wiener Neustadt and then Stuttgart, Ferry was an excellent math student. In 1928, not yet 19 years old, he began an apprenticeship at Bosch. In 1930, he was tutored daily in physics and engineering in preparation for working in the new Porsche consulting firm.
The '30s were alternatively exhilarating and depressing for the Porsche family: times of impending financial disaster mixed with huge engineering successes, followed by the War, and the destruction of the European economy.
The new Porsche design firm had projects soon after opening, such was Professor Porsche's reputation. First was a new medium-priced car for Wanderer. Later, Porsche decided to undertake a new small car; one designed to be small from inception and not a scaled-down bigger car. Professor Porsche funded the project with a loan on his life insurance. It was an important design, being the direct antecedent of the Volkswagen. Later Zundapp was recruited to sponsor the project and three prototypes were built.
Zundapp lost interest when its motorcycle business boomed; then NSU took on the project. After NSU bowed out in the face of huge tooling costs, the small car project lay fallow until Germany's newly elected chancellor, Adolf Hitler, decided every German family needed a radio (to be able to listen to his dogma) and either a small car or a durable tractor. In June of 1934, the Third Reich signed a contract to build prototype Volkswagens. By the winter of 1936, three prototypes, the VW3, had been built in the garages of Professor Porsche's home.
In early 1937, the Nazi 'oversight' organization, the RDA (Reichverband der Deutschen Automobilindustrie) recommended further development and that 30 additional prototypes be built by Daimler-Benz. During the testing of the VW3O, the Reich selected an estate northeast of Hanover to become the site of the Volkswagen factory. "Die Autostadt" was born; today it is Wolfsburg, still the worldwide headquarters of Volkswagen.
While the Professor undertook co-general management (with a Nazi administrator) of the new plant, his son stayed in Stuttgart and ran the design business. The government gave the car a propaganda-oriented name, the "KdF" - short for Kraft durch Freude ("strength through joy"), the recreation arm of the workers' Labor Front. Refinements to the car were undertaken. Production started but was quickly switched over to the Kubelwagen and Schwimmwagen (a "jeep" and its amphibious counterpart) for the suddenly escalating World War II.
In 1944, allied bombing destroyed over half of the plant. Only because two huge electricity-producing turbines were unscathed did the British rebuild the plant and restart production of the Volkswagen after the War.
Back in the early '30s the Porsche firm launched a second internal project to design a car to meet a new Grand Prix formula. Hitler had announced a 500,000 RM ($250,000) subsidy for a German firm that would build and campaign cars in the new formula. Daimler-Benz applied and won; Auto Union applied and lost. Auto Union reapplied and took Professor Porsche and his designs to meet with Hitler and his staff. In the now-famous meeting, Porsche convinced Hitler of the merits of the Porsche design. Soon the Grand Prix wars of the Silver Arrows were on, and Mercedes and Auto Union took turns at ascendancy.
The car Porsche designed was very innovative: a V-16 4.5-liter engine placed ahead of the rear transaxle, tube frame, aluminum skin weighing 99 pounds, gas tank between the cockpit and the engine (in the center of the car so that weight gain or loss with gas load did not unduly impact handling), a front suspension of torsion bars and trailing arms, and a rear suspension of swing axles, semi-elliptical springs, and tube-type shocks.
The 750-kilo formula Auto Union P-wagens were fearsome race cars. With fewer than three pounds per horsepower and ultimately 650 horse-power from six liters, the cars could lay rubber accelerating from 100 mph. In various iterations, they were hillclimb champions, won Grand Prix races, and set land speed records.
Professor Porsche was heavily involved with designing the P-wagens. Then as his involvement shifted more to building the plant for the KdF/Volkswagen, his son took over development projects at the Stuttgart design firm. After the formula change in 1938 (3-liter supercharged or 4.5-liter normally aspirated engines), Auto Union took full control of the team under Eberan von Eberhorst, who continued to work with the Porsche firm.
Toward the end of the War; Porsche people were working in Stuttgart, Wolfsburg, the family farm in Zell am See (Austria), and in Gmund (Austria) where the Third Reich sent the firm to avoid the Allied bombing of Stuttgart. The younger Porsche had long foreseen the outcome of the War. He had grown up anti-military and stayed apolitical through the Nazi years. The old Professor was simply politically naive; he was consumed with engineering, and it's obvious that he did not mix engineering with morality. If there was a sponsor for an engineering project, be it a race car or a tank, he wanted to design and build the best there ever was.
When the Allies arrived in mid-1945, it was no surprise. That November; the French invited Professor Porsche to visit them at their occupation headquarters in Baden-Baden. There he was offered the opportunity to redesign the Volkswagen to be "more French" and to move equipment (which the French would claim as war reparations) from Wolfsburg to build cars in France. The offer was probably a sincere one; the French had already nationalized Renault, and had arrested Louis Renault as a Nazi collaborator.
Disagreement within the government ensued. French automakers, led by Jean Pierre Peugeot, wanted no part of a French Volkswagen. On December 15, 1945, while the invited guests of the French in Baden-Baden, Professor Porsche, Ferry Porsche and Anton Piech were arrested as war criminals. Ferry was soon released, but the Professor and Piech went to prison in Dijon. No charges were brought and no trial was scheduled, but "bail" was set at 500,000 francs each.
After his release, the younger Porsche went to work to secure a commission for the family firm, still in Gmund. With help from Carlo Abarth, Porsche secured a contract with Piero Dusio, a wealthy Italian industrialist, for a new Grand Prix race car. The Type 360 Cisitalia, a 1.5-liter supercharged car smaller than, but reminiscent of, the Auto Unions was the result. The fees Porsche earned for its design bought the release of Professor Porsche and Piech. They were freed August 1,1947 after almost 20 months in captivity, mostly in terrible conditions in the medieval Dijon prison. The Professor's health was poor.
While the Professor was in prison, the little Porsche firm did whatever it could to stay in business. Aside from the Cisitalia project, it repaired cars, built and sold water pumps and winches, and designed its own sports car, the first car to carry the name Porsche. Type 356 was the project number. The prototype followed the tradition of the Auto Union and Cisitalia Grand Prix cars with mid-chassis engine placed ahead of the transaxle, in this case using modified Volkswagen drive train components.
Upon his return to the company from prison, Professor Porsche reviewed the designs his son and his team had produced. He approved of them, commenting frequently to the workers that he would have designed both the Cisitalia Grand Prix car and the Porsche prototype the same way Ferry did.
During the winter of 1947-48, a Zurich car distributor ordered five Porsches and the Type 356 was put into production in the old saw mill in Gmund. Built entirely by hand, these cars adopted a more Volkswagen-like layout in order to have vestigial back seats: the engine was moved behind the transaxle. While in Gmund the little firm ultimately built and delivered 49 of the aluminum skinned 356s plus five additional chassis which were delivered to the Beutler firm in Thun, Switzerland, for fitting with their cabriolet bodies. In the Spring of 1949, Heinz Nordhoff hired the Porsche firm as consultants for further development of the VW, and contracted to pay Porsche a royalty on every car built.
Porsche also became the Austrian distributor for VW. With finances now more secure, Porsche made plans to return to Stuttgart and in September 1949, reopened offices in space rented from the Reutter body works. Steel-bodied 356's went into production there soon after. Initial plans were to build up to 500 cars a year. Eventually, more than 78,000 356s would be built in 17 years.
In late 1949 the Reutter Company in Stuttgart (Germany) is given the assignment to build 500 body works for an adjusted model of the 356. This became the classic 356. With a 1.1 litre engine and 40 HP, it reached because at the good aerodynamics a speed of 140 kph, and was sold at a price of DM 12.000. At that time Ferry Porsche thought that it was impossible to sell more than 500 cars, a more than pleasant mistake. On March 15, 1954 car no 5.000 left the factory.
In September of 1950, Professor Porsche celebrated his 75th birthday. A huge party was staged, and the courtyard of the family villa was filled with friends and associates from years past...and with Porsches and VWs. In November, Ferry took his father for one last look at the Wolfsburg Volkswagenwerk, now literally humming full speed with production of the popular VW Beetle. It was the first time the Professor had seen the plant since the end of the War.
Later in November, Professor Porsche had a stroke. He never recovered, and he succumbed January 30, 1952. His legacy, that of an untrained and largely uneducated young man who became one of the greatest automobile engineers of all time, lay in countless design innovations, many of them now distilled down to one car which his son had designed, the Porsche sportscar. It is fitting that a designer as fiercely independent as Ferdinand Porsche should father the last remaining independent sportscar manufacturer.
In 1953 the famous Porsche label badge is seen for the first time. In April 1965 the last Porsche 356 leaves the assembly line after 17 years of production. All in all 81.003 Porsche 356 were built together with about 1.194 in various Carrera versions.
1959 saw the beginning of the development of a new Porsche. On September 12, 1963, a new generation Porsche designed by "Butzi" Porsche, a prototype called 901 was introduced at the IAA. Not until August 1964 did it become possible to deliver the first 901 (911) to customers. In late fall of 1964 the French car producer Peugeot objects to the name 901 because the combination of three - with a zero in the middle - was patented. Porsche responded right away, changing the name to 911 and offered the car to the German and international markets at a price of DM 21.900.
The 911 was "born" in the year (1963) when JFK was assassinated and its look still survives. It became one of the biggest sports cars in the world and is - together with the 356 - the foundation of the success Porsche has had so far. On June 15, 1996 Porsche no 1.000.000 was delivered.
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Porsche News:
Newsweek: Dec 2007
Porsche's Cayenne SUV has by all accounts been a success, but there are still those who grumble. Longtime Porschefiles saw it—and still do—as polluting the longtime sports car maker's purity of purpose. On this continent, Porsche now sells more Cayennes than its other two sports car lines (Boxster and 911) combined. Those sports car fans will have to admit, too, that it's helped save the company; Porsche has been doing so well financially that it's currently in the midst of upping its stake in Volkswagen, with which the automaker jointly developed the Cayenne.
Here in the U.S., the V-8 Cayenne was received well, helping to bring new customers to the brand and have more repeat buyers, but the value-leader Cayenne V-6 was seen as a weak link, a bit of a poseur; it was arguably a bit short on power for the nearly 5000-pound SUV—especially if your daily driving involved hilly terrain.
For 2008, each of the Cayenne models get substantial power boosts, thanks to the incorporation of direct injection across the line of engines, but it's in real-world driving with the V-6 that this difference is most dramatic. With a larger, 3.6-liter narrow-angle V-6 engine making 290 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque, up 43 hp and 44 lb-ft from the 2006 model, the base Cayenne can reach 60 mph in 7.9 seconds with the automatic, more than a second shorter than before.
In case you're wondering, yes, this is basically same engine installed in the VW Passat—and the Touareg, with which the Cayenne shares its platform. But for those who drove the V-6 Cayenne before, realized it was too underpowered (or rather, underpowered for a Porsche), and then raised their eyebrows at the price of the V-8, you should seriously give the V-6 another try.
V-6 Makes A Performance Leap
The V-6 isn't scorching off the line, but it can fairly be called quite sprightly rather than just adequate, with a much meatier, useful mid-range that cuts down on the need for downshifts and makes overall drivability much better.
What makes this package even more attractive is that the base V-6 is still quite affordably priced, starting at $43,400. That's $2200 less than the Boxster and competitive with the Acura MDX, BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz ML350, and Infiniti FX35, among others.
The V-6 model is still the only one available with either a six-speed manual transmission or Tiptronic automatic, while the V-8 and Turbo come only with the Tiptronic.
Both V-8 models see similar improvements in power, and adopt VarioCam Plus variable valve timing, which gives infinite variability to valve timing and lift on the intake side. They also get a new variable oil pump for the dry-sump lubrication system to help make sure there's a steady supply in high-g cornering. But since the V-8s were both already so quick, it's not as apparent of a real-world change as with the V-6.
The middle model—and the one that Porsche estimates will remain the most popular—is the Cayenne S, with its V-8 now up to 4.8 liters from 4.5. The new engine makes 385 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, up 45 hp and 59 lb-ft respectively, and can bring the Cayenneto 60 mph in 6.4 seconds and a top speed of 155 miles per hour. The S starts at $57,900—competing with the V-8 variants of the aforementioned FX, ML-Class, and X5—and Porsche ventures to say that it will remain the most popular Cayenne.
At the top is the powerful Cayenne Turbo, which brings a twin-turbocharged 4.8-liter V-8 that makes a whopping 500 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque, enough to propel it to 60 mph in just 4.9 seconds and on to a top speed of 171 mph. Starting at $93,700, it's in a much more exclusive, high-performance league, competing with the Mercedes ML63 AMG.
Acceleration with either of the V-8s is, as you might imagine, very rapid and satisfying for those who crave a little more power. The Cayenne S has more than enough oomph to easily charge to extra-legal speeds. It's still not like some of the larger-displacement American V-8s off the line, but through a wide range of revs the engine is torquey and responsive, with no need for downshifts.
Turbo Model Begs For The Track
Step up to the Cayenne Turbo, and you'll truly need some track time to feel its capabilities without being thrown in the slammer. The engine is punchy from a standing start, and really hits its stride when the turbos spool up to their potential (there's a slight lag). If you've kept your foot mashed, your neck is still being pulled firmly back well into triple-digit speeds; the fun peaks at an official top speed of 171, if you're so lucky to be on a closed track or a very lonely road.
Overall, the Cayenne feels agile and frisky behind the wheel, and most of the time you won't realize that you're in such a tall, heavy vehicle. With more power than before, the V-6 is now much more satisfying to drive, and if you live in one of the flatter areas of the country, you'll probably get along just fine with it. Otherwise, the V-8 Cayenne S handles just as well and its torque seems especially well-matched for the 70- to 90-mph range, with rather effortless partial-throttle passes and especially relaxed cruising.
All three of the Cayenne models have a full-time all-wheel drive system that sends 62 percent of its power to the rear wheels in normal road driving but can when needed send 100 percent to either the front or the rear wheels.
There's also a low-range for off-road use; that might come as a surprise and not many will take the Cayenne away from pavement, but Porsche's logic is that just as it builds sports cars that excel on the racetrack, when it builds an SUV it will excel off-road. Approach and departure angles are competitive with some of the best SUVs with rugged reputations, and it can ford up to 19 inches of water.
The 2008 Cayenne doesn't look radically different; some might not even know the difference. Those more familiar will be able to spot the new front and rear-end styling, including a redesigned front air dam, widened bumpers, and a more 'swept back' headlight style in front, along with broader, more defined wheel arches, new mirrors, and an improved roof spoiler from the side, and wider-set, more sharply contoured taillamps that are illuminated with LEDs on the Turbo.
The result not only looks cleaner and more athletic; Porsche confirms it translates to significantly improved aerodynamics. The coefficient of drag is down to 0.35 across the line, unusually good for an SUV, from 0.38 or 0.39 for the previous models, which helps reduce wind noise and improve highway gas mileage. Thanks to that, and to the direct-injection technology, fuel economy rises slightly for the V-6 and brings a 15-percent real-world improvement for the V-8s, Porsche says.
Wheels seem to be especially important in bringing out the best in the Cayenne's proportions. Seventeen-inch wheels are standard on the V-6, but they don't do the whole package justice. The standard 18-inchers on the V-8s do it better, but the Cayenne's look is best accented with one of several optional wheel designs that range up to 21-inch.
Keeping Cool – And Smooth – When You Turn Up The Heat
The other big news for 2008 is a technical feature called Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDDC). The system uses very high hydraulic pressure—supplied by a pump that's shared with the power steering unit—to actively and quickly tune the stabilizer bars' response over bumps and during cornering. The system uses sensors measuring the level of each wheel, along with sensors for body movement, lateral acceleration, steering wheel angle, and speed. On-road, PDDC can keep the body level up to 0.65 g (your passengers will appreciate it), and off-road, PDDC allows the stabilizer bars to move more freely with the wheels for a better ride and improved contact with the trail surface.
PDDC is a $3510 option on all Cayennes, but, simply put, it's worth the money for most Cayenne shoppers as it improves handling while also improving ride—effectively by detaching the stabilizer bar when not cornering. It especially improves the suspension's response to sudden jarring bumps, such as over potholes, frost heaves, or through off-road terrain.
As before, an air suspension with Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) is standard on the Turbo (optional on Cayenne and Cayenne S for $2990) and automatically adjusts the damper response to the road surface and the style of driving. It also has several automatic ride-height adjustments, including for off-road and high-speed driving.
While PASM and PDDC bring three separate settings for ride: 'comfort', 'sport', and 'normal', all Cayennes get a new 'sport' button on the center console, which changes the way the powertrain responds to the gas pedal. In 'sport', power comes on faster and more aggressively, while the transmission holds lower gears to higher speeds and downshifts earlier. The 'sport' button is also used to activate the more vocal sport exhaust system that's optional on Cayenne S, and the sport mode for PASM and PDCC if so equipped.
Porsche is known to place a high priority on braking—it's one of the few automakers that develops its own brake systems—and this year the Cayenne's braking system has been redesigned for improved resistance to fade, with a claimed ten-percent improvement in long-term brake performance.
The new front air dam has integrated brake-cooling ducts, especially helpful in keeping brake hardware cool while descending long highway grades. All Cayennes get powerful six-piston front calipers and four-piston calipers in back, and Turbos get, besides especially large discs, extra hardware to stiffen the calipers and dissipate heat from high-speed stops. The anti-lock braking system now has improved stopping power with more finesse on loose surfaces such as those encountered when off-roading, or on snow
Interior Still Not Family-Friendly
The interior feels more sports-car-inspired than most luxury SUVs, but it still doesn't feel quite as lavishly appointed inside as others in this price range. Seats are firm, supportive, and well upholstered, and a simple cluster of round gauges is in the center of the instrument panel.
Depending on what your priorities are, interior space could be a deal-breaker. Take a look around; there's comfortable seating for four and decent cargo space, but the Cayenne doesn't feel as roomy as the models you might cross-shop it with and it's surprisingly small inside for a nearly 5000-pound SUV. And if you want a third-row seat or nifty cargo configurations, you'll need to look elsewhere.
All Cayennes come pretty well equipped though, with a standard alarm system, central locking, onboard trip computer, air conditioning, power windows, a twelve-speaker CD audio system, and cruise control. A power liftgate system, with obstacle detector and customized opening height, is now standard on all Cayennes.
As you might expect, there are plenty of luxury features and appointments available, though the bottom line price really adds up. Examples that spice up the interior are upgraded interior trim ($3170), wood trim ($1385), heated seats and steering wheel ($560), a DVD-based navigation system ($3070) with 'breadcrumb' mode to prevent you from getting lost off-road, and a 350-watt Bose Surround Sound System with 14 speakers ($1665). There's also an available Panorama Roof, which brings four glass panels (three slide open) that extend over the front and back seats.
As before, the Cayenne comes with front-seat side airbags, along with side-curtain airbags that cover front and rear outward occupants, but it now also adds sensors that assess the risk of rollover, activating the seatbelt tensioners and side curtain bags in the event. New Dynamic Curve Lights, which help illuminate into corners, are standard on the Turbo and optional on other models; and unlike some other systems, it works with both the high and low bi-xenon beams.
Overall, with the boost in power, chassis improvements, and slightly more macho appearance, we're predicting that the new Cayenne will be an even more solid hit than the original, even if it doesn't have a completely fresh face. It now feels even more like a sports car, and a Porsche, without sacrificing utility or comfort.
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Porsche Fun Facts:
- Porsche reduces the CO2 emissions of its vehicles by 1.7% annually. By 2012, Porsche will reduce the average fuel consumption – and thereby the CO2 emissions – across its entire model range by 20% compared to 1995.
- In relation to engine performance (g/km/bhp), Porsche is already among the manufacturers with the lowest CO2 emissions.
- The new Cayenne consumes around 15% less fuel compared to its predecessor during normal driving, partly by utilising modern engines with Direct Fuel Injection (DFI). And next year, our sports cars will already meet the stringent requirements of the emissions standard EU5, which comes into effect in September 2009.
- Porsche cars can run on up to 10% bio-fuel (ethanol), which corresponds to a 10% improvement in the CO2 bottom line. And the new Cayenne? Depending on the market, it can run on up to 25% ethanol (25% improvement of CO2 bottom line).
- By the end of this decade, a hybrid engine will be available for the Cayenne, which will reduce fuel consumption by up to 25% (to less than 9 l/100 km). The Panamera is also designed to accommodate a hybrid engine.
