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New 944?

pauljmcnulty

pauljmcnulty

Active member
Hi guys

Was chatting about the Panamera with a friend. It made me think, after the last conference where Mr Porsche UK showed the 911's competitors, R8, Vantage, new Alfa etc, and said words to the effect of "the engineers have gone just about as far as they can within the limits of the layout of the 911, whereas the competition are catching up and passing us". Apologies for the inaccuracy of the quote, Mr Turrell, but I think that was the point!

So, what's the betting that there will be a cut-down version of the Panamera? Front-engine, rear gearbox, RWD, 2 door hatchback, occasional rear seats, it could be just about perfect as a modern 944....[:)]

I'm sure that it would be blunted by weight, safety and comfort equipment and over-complicated by flappy paddles and electronic minders, but a CS version?

With luck it could be announced, launched, and then depreciate enough, for me to have one before I get too old to drive it! [&:]
 
Definitely agree, only problem by then will be the price/availability of fuel. I've been preaching/hoping that the new panamera will herald a 2 coupe version and finally be the spiritual 944 successor.
 
Yep, i'd love to see a cut down 2 door version as well. I fear the big one will just be a motorway cruiser. However something tells me they have gone as far as they can go with the 911 layout though- they were saying that about the 933 when there was talk about shoe-horning in a v8 into the back. I reckon there is plenty of life in the old girl yet.

For a start Porsche have stuck with old fashioned gearbox/clutch/diff technology which is definately getting very long in the tooth compared with Porsche's competitions offerings. Imagine the improvements if they went for Ferrari style e-diffs married to a Porsche developed DSG box?

The R8 and Ferrari's are constructed from aluminium and carbon fiber - imagine if Porsche breathed on the 911 with materials like that. In fact even the very latest 911's are still pretty conventional when it comes to technology - more Fiat than Ferrari. Its rivals have had to dig deep into the F1 parts bins to get to where they are today, the 911 still has all those tricks up its sleeve. The only way the 911 will step aside for other Porsche models is if Porsche kill it off deliberately.

I can't see what the fuss is all about with this R8. Yes it is a very good car but why is it so ground breaking?? It's a v8 mid engined car. So what, there have been plenty before it. It's made of Aluminium and CF- again, it's been done before. What is so special about it other than it is just a very good car?? And lets not forget it is a good £20k more than the equivalent 911 which is not insignifiant.
 
I can't see what the fuss is all about with this R8. Yes it is a very good car but why is it so ground breaking?? It's a v8 mid engined car. So what, there have been plenty before it. It's made of Aluminium and CF- again, it's been done before. What is so special about it other than it is just a very good car?? And lets not forget it is a good £20k more than the equivalent 911 which is not insignifiant.
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Just one thing, and it might only have been done for good tv....

The 911 will throw the unsuspecting driver off the road when the R8 will hang on. Obviously not a problem if you're Lewis Hamilton. I, unfortunately, drive more like Del Boy.....so either the R8 or, better, a Lux on P6000s is safer for us mortals! [8|]
 
ORIGINAL: pauljmcnulty

Hi guys

Was chatting about the Panamera with a friend. It made me think, after the last conference where Mr Porsche UK showed the 911's competitors, R8, Vantage, new Alfa etc, and said words to the effect of "the engineers have gone just about as far as they can within the limits of the layout of the 911, whereas the competition are catching up and passing us". Apologies for the inaccuracy of the quote, Mr Turrell, but I think that was the point!

So, what's the betting that there will be a cut-down version of the Panamera? Front-engine, rear gearbox, RWD, 2 door hatchback, occasional rear seats, it could be just about perfect as a modern 944....[:)]

I'm sure that it would be blunted by weight, safety and comfort equipment and over-complicated by flappy paddles and electronic minders, but a CS version?

With luck it could be announced, launched, and then depreciate enough, for me to have one before I get too old to drive it! [&:]
Click to expand...

I took it to mean a derivative of the 911would be going mid-engined.
They are getting hammered on the racetracks now. All the teams that were running GT3's in the Le Mans Series/ALMS/FIA GT's are buying Ferraris instead [&o]
 
Don't know if you guys have been following the motoring news but Audi are about to release a V12 diesel version of the R8 with 1000 NM of torque and near enough 500 horses. That is ground breaking, and much more interesting then a flat 6 that is 200cc bigger then the last one etc. etc.

I think even Fen would find 1000 NM gives a sufficient kick in the back.
 
Didn't Audi also try a version of the R8 with twin turbochargers? I'm sure I saw a photo of the prototype's burned-out shell alongside an admission from Audi that they just couldn't find a way to keep it cool enough to be safe!
 
Impressive torque figures indeed. Though I think it is more of an innovation from the Audi marketing dept than the engineering dept. The reality is that most of those torques will be utterly useless as they will be reigned in by the traction control in such a lightweight car. The torque efficient and heavy-@r$ed 911 will still have it off the line with half the torque and the 'boring' flat six!!

Interesting that Porsche have said they will not be developing a diesel engine. They think diesel technology is nearing its ultimate and the petrol engine has much more development to come. The latest generation of direct injection Audi petrol engines are not too far off their equivalent sized turbodiesel cousins in terms of torque and fuel economy, and with diesel selling at 5p per litre more than petrol at some pumps even the business case for diesel is being erroded. Petrol is on the fight-back.
 
ISTR the theoritical maximum efficiency of a petrol engine is no higher then a diesel so I can't see how that statement makes much sense. Problem with the petrol engine is that it spends a lot of time a long way away from its max efficiency so yes it has plenty of development potential. Direct injection and BMW's valvetronic seem to go along way to shortening the difference between diesel and petrol.

Perhaps stratified direct into the cylinder petrol injection is the way to go. i.e. fuel/air is premixed and ignited then injected into the cylinder a bit like a flame thrower. Makes a petrol engine much more like a diesel.
 
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