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You’ve heard by now of the many changes (e.g. direct injection, dual clutch sequential manual gearbox, a revised suspension and rear track…) made to the 911 (no doubt to counter the astonishing R8). What you probably hadn’t heard is this…

DFI isn’t the only new system incorporated into the classic flat-six layout. In fact, not one component is carried over from the previous boxer, and, amazingly, the new sixes are built with 40-percent-fewer parts, which reduces overall weight by 12 lb and rotational mass by 7 percent. Other advantages of the new design are a 50mm shorter height and mounting points lower in the chassis for a ground-hugging center of gravity. – Motor Trend

I’m slackjawed…

It’s very obvious the Cayman is built for drivers. There aren’t any buttons on the steering wheel (save for the typical horn effect if you push on the middle). These days manufacturers seem to be in a race to complicate the most basic of controls in vehicles. The bare steering wheel and hidden cup holders remind you the car is built for driving, not commuting or running errands. – Automobile

One of my earliest posts some 5 or so years ago pointed out how differently the same car (in that case a Ferrari) drove depending on which option box you happened to tick. In one case it was miserable, in the other what a Ferrari should be.

Here’s another example – keep in mind that these are just two of the dozen examples I’ve experienced or encountered in the last decade alone; always try every possible permutation before you buy…

Unfortunately the steel-sprung Cayenne simply can’t match the road. It’s not giving any confidence as the front end wallows and fails to feel like it’s keying into the corners. It copes badly with compressions too, feeling all at sea and frankly rather unpleasant. Cover the Porsche badge and try to imagine what a big, heavy SUV would feel like if driven quickly and you’ll get the idea. Fortunately it’s a major failing that’s easily rectified by spending an additional on air suspension with PDCC (Porcshe Dynamic Chassis Control), Porsche’s clever active anti-roll bar system. Now the Cayenne stays miraculously flat when you turn-in and inspires confidence instead of mild panic. Instead of having to be manhandled through corners it reacts cleanly and allows you to really feel and subtly exploit the 38:62 front:rear power split. It defies your expectations of what over two tons of 4×4 should be able to do and deserves its Porsche badge. It’s genuinely fun.—evo

In this piece on the new TT (worth a read in its own right) one of my favorite new journalists explains the differences between three kinds of cars. So next time someone says one car is ‘better’ than another, ask them to clarify which kind of car they gravitate towards…

The Driver’s Car – It’s hard to explain unless you’ve driven one, but there are cars in this world that are just as fun to drive at 15 mph through a school zone as they are to blast down back roads. They are cars like the first-generation Mazda Miata, the original VW GTI, and the BMW E30 M3. They are cars that read the road surface to your fingertips with all the subtlety of a megaphone, that demand all of your attention all of the time. They don’t necessarily need to be that capable (and by modern standards, those that I’ve mentioned aren’t); they just need to be communicative and involving.

The Atari Car – Cars to which I refer as “Atari Cars” are a modern phenomenon. They are cars that feel like a video game. Atari Cars are immensely capable – they can often out-perform supercars without even breaking a sweat. And that lack of sweat defines them – they shrug off insane speeds and laugh at corners. Nothing unsettles their suspension. They’re so good that the driver has no idea how fast he’s actually driving. These are cars like Audi’s very own RS4, a Mercedes E63 AMG, Bentley Continental GT, and, to a lesser extent, cars like the Subaru WRX STi.

The Sports Car – A sports car (in the World According to Me) is that rare car that combines the communication of a Driver’s Car with the capability of an Atari Car. The quintessential sports car that comes to mind is the Porsche 911. It, like other sports cars (the Ferrari F430 and Lotus Elise come to mind), is among the world’s most capable machines, and yet remains so communicative and interactive that its owners take the long way to the grocery store.

the R8 has a delicious, tip-toe poise and a stubborn reluctance to be thrown off line. While it feels different to a 911, it shares the Porsche’s sense of a malleable, elastic limit, which you can lean on when required. That’s always been something only the boys from Stuttgart seemed to understand. Until now… half a dozen increasingly spirited laps reveal the full extent of the R8’s forgiving nature and exploitable balance… More to the point, its also tidier and more controllable than a 911 C4S is on track. – evo

while Porsche’s SUV is amazing, it still isn’t particularly entertaining. Yes, it’s fast as stink, and, yes, it does things no 4800-pound vehicle should be able to do. (Wheel control and chassis composure on undulating pavement will blow your mind.) But once the novelty wears off, boredom sets in. The Cayenne is so good, so capably idiotproof, that the driver is all but left out in the cold. Absurdly potent? Yes. Hard-core enthusiast’s dream? Not so much. – Automobile

People tend to overcomplicate cars – in the end most of what’s true is true because you can’t break the laws of physics.

Case in point: BMW and Subaru SUVs handle better because the engineers insist on a low engine placement (the Porsche Cayenne has a high mounted engine so has to resort to a complicated suspension to regain lost ground). And the Jaguar XK rides handles and accelerates better than competitors because it is 400 lbs lighter than the Mercedes SL 550 and 500 lbs lighter than BMW 6-Series.

Maybe marketers and designers should be required to take high school physics.

If you’ve read the recent comparison test in Car and Driver, you know that their editors found the handling of the new Turbo too prone to pendulous, delayed tail wagging and concluded that the overall driving experience was less exciting than you’d expect.

Now evo has published more criticism. Read the rest of this entry »

When I was younger, brand meant something; Mercedes Benzes were solid but stolid, Jags were distincitive but rough around the edges and everywhere else, Porsches were built to be driven in anger, and BMW baked near magic balance between ride and handling into every product it sold.

But today, in an age of mergers and acquisitions, marketing and accounting rather than engineering – call the shots. In a spectacular display of vanity, no one was content doing what they do best and has suffered for their hubristic attempt at winning over ‘crossover’ buyers. Lexus comfort has gone out the window in an attempt to be more like BMW, BMW and Porsche chassis are literally ruined by the big wheels dictated by a stylist’s pen. Meanwhile Jaguar and Mercedes Benz have recently quietly focused their attention on the details that make the difference between competent and competitive.

I never thought I’d live to see the day when Jaguars and Benzes key to the road more fluidly than a Porsche or BMW but as you read this comparison you’ll see my point.

Don’t trust brand, trust the feel of the final product.

As predictable as this sounds, Porsche is upping the power in both Boxster models in the coming months… The S adopts the 3.4 L from the Cayman S (previous Boxster Ss used a 3.2) and the base model gets a higher output 2.7 that was developed for the base Cayman. More important than the change in peak power is the fact that the changes come from the addtion of VarioCam Plus – the real difference won’t be in foot the the floor peak figures but in part throttle sharpness underfoot.

The Cayenne will get a boost in power this fall as well with all models jumping by about 20 horses. This means of course that the V6 well be less slow and the V8 will be even less likely to approach its redline in the hands of the average Cayenne driver. (I’m more excited about the restyled exterior and upgrades interior materials).

UPDATE:

The Boxster… is 5bhp more powerful at 245bhp. The added power and torque shaves 0.1sec off the 0-62mph time, which now stands at 6.1sec, but fuel consumption is improved 1mpg to 30.4mpg. Top speed is also extended by 1mph to 160mph. The Boxster S… engine has been increased in size from 3.2- to 3.4-litres and is 15bhp more powerful at 295bhp. The sprint to 62mph is cut by 0.1sec to 5.4sec, while top speed is 2mph faster at 169mph. Fuel consumption increases slightly by 0.6mpg to 26.6mpg. – what car?

UPDATE 2: This piece in Motor Trend goes into more detail. (The optional automatic transmission has also been revised).