Technical Specifications

fbr · Oct 10, 2013

Dear All

Maybe I'm missing something (probably have) but why is there a paucity of technical data easily available on the PCGB forums? The Caypersons (and others) have their own Tech Specs bit but it seems to rely on a few persons heroic efforts to maintain.

Much of this data is readily available as official Porsche literature, in pdf format, released to the press.

For example:

2001 Boxster tech specs (hidden under http://press.porsche.com/archive/products/press_kits/press_kits_2001/index.html - for the whole set! note added in edit)

http://press.porsche.com/archive/products/press_kits/press_kits_2001/PDF/34-35_BOXSTER_S_SPECS.pdf

2002 Boxster tech specs:

http://press.porsche.com/archive/products/press_kits/press_kits_2002/PDF/30-31_BoxsterSpecs.pdf

all upto 2013 Boxster tech specs

http://press.porsche.com/vehicles/2013/2013_Boxster_Specs_Final.pdf

and for all models & years including the 918 Spyder

http://press.porsche.com/vehicles/2013/918_Spyder_March_2012_Press_Information.pdf

Entrance to this cornucopia of Porsche delights is via:

http://press.porsche.com/models/

Here's a bonus I've previously posted for the 981. Illustrated parts catalogues are a good way to virtually deconstruct your car and even if you don't have a problem, or even wish to repair it yourself, help you to understand the nuts and bolts of it's operation and maybe increase the enjoyment of ownership.

http://www.porsche911.lt/files/981/E_981_KATALOG.pdf

I've always wondered why press-packs (for all manufacturers) have more technical information than they give to owners. It's not as if it's reflected in their reports.

Sorry if you have this information, but if its on here, it's a little fragmentary and hard to find. The PCGB has a technical advice section but that cupboard empty.

Apologies in advance if you've heard it all before.

FBR

PS Ant please can you add the word Boxster to the spellchecker library - for some reason it seems to cope with Cayman...

PPS Grovelling apologies to Buddy -there is a link to the official Porsche parts catalogue in Cayman FAQs section see http://www.porscheclubgbforum.com/tm.asp?m=717489

From here you get parts catalogue for the previous model Boxster http://www.porsche.com/all/media/pdf/originalparts/en/E_9872_KATALOG.pdf Good illustration of the fragmentation of the info on this forum. I'd hate to mention the plethora of model sub-sections so I won't!!

Laurence Gibbs · Oct 11, 2013

To sort of answer your question, "The Club" gets very "edgy" about the possibility of infringing copyright. Certainly links and posts and images appear and there is a bit of wiggle room but mod's are "obliged" to delete stuff that might be contentious. Remember that this forum is , i am led to believe, monitored by Porsche (hosted? ) .
The technical section never really took off in the way it was intended. besides which there are better websites for that anyway Rennlist, Renntech etc.
There are certain things that people would love to post but don't because of possible copyright issues.

fbr · Oct 28, 2013

Dear Laurence

Thanks for the reply, it doesn't seem to be a hot topic. If copyright is an issue why the heroic scanning & "pdf-ing" of the Cayman Gen 1 Brochure & Price List in Cayman FAQs.

I suspect if you're not plagiarizing the documentation I can't see that there would be a problem of creating technical archive of material that is publicly available. Mirroring it and having it available on the official PCGB forum saves the problem of lost links (eg see the PDF Parts files for ALL Porsches 1950 to 2005 !!! hidden in the General Discussion area). Such an archive would serve as an easy and common access point for PCGB members. One could ask, why not use "Search"?. Aside from the capricious nature of search engines, the use of a search function to get to basic factual information simply reveals a poor organisation of the information in the first place.

Interestingly the only current discussion on your forum re-organisation is hidden under the revealingly titled "Age of the average member rising .....?"...

If there are better websites and forums what makes them better and what's the point of joining the PCGB in the first place?

FBR

BartyB · Nov 11, 2013

Copyright is a concern for any website owner and the Club has to be mindful of anything that it publishes online whether on its website or the forum. If it can, it will obtain permission to reproduce the material, but sometimes this is not given or can only be licensed at an unrealistic cost. What other site owners do in other legal jurisdictions must always be at their risk. In some cases, 'fair use' may apply for non-commercial e.g. education and research, but sadly this is frequently abused.

Currently the present website and forum platforms (both hopelessly out of date) cannot support decent logically-organised technical sections. It's not surprising therefore that they're not the first ports of call for anyone looking for good technical information. As Frank picked up in another forum thread, the Club's online presence is currently undergoing a significant makeover and redevelopment of the website is currently being undertaken by an external web agency. As part of this redevelopment, which will see the forum, online shop and motorsport pages integrated into a single web domain, content will play a very important role. The intention is that the kind of valuable reference content that Frank mentions which is currently buried away within the forum, will be moved to a more accessible area and will be organised more logically. There is a lot of additional content (documents, magazines, images and videos) currently held within the Club's archive at Cornbury House that will ultimately be made available through the website but this will need to be digitised first (after copyright clearance!). User-generated content (technical advice, strip downs, modifications, etc.) too will be featured.

Even with a better platform, the greatest issue in providing a useful technical library, will be creating the content in the first place and then curating it. This is something that requires the help of many and not just the dedicated few. Hopefully, more people will come forward to help in this.

And BTW, Laurence, whilst the forum may be visited by individuals employed by Porsche Cars from time to time, it is not definitely not moderated or hosted by Porsche. Recent court cases have shown that everyone needs to be mindful of the laws of libel, deformation of character and copyright when posting online. Moderators do their best to ensure content on the forum is legal, decent and truthful otherwise it exposes those posting and the Club to legal action. If there are "[..] certain things that people would love to post but don't because of possible copyright issues" then their argument seems to be with the law of copyright.

Laurence Gibbs · Nov 15, 2013

My understanding was and it may well be out of date by now , that the forum and the website were /are / were going to be integrated with or at least "hosted" via Porsche. By this i mean by Porsches own servers or whoever they use. This may well have not actually happened in the end but i think it was part of the CoC. At the very least the design was mean't to "integrate" . But i am going back many years , 10 + possibly.

Nick_USA · Nov 15, 2013

ORIGINAL: Laurence Gibbs

My understanding was and it may well be out of date by now , that the forum and the website were /are / were going to be integrated with or at least "hosted" via Porsche. By this i mean by Porsches own servers or whoever they use. This may well have not actually happened in the end but i think it was part of the CoC. At the very least the design was mean't to "integrate" . But i am going back many years , 10 + possibly.

The new website will not be hosted by Porsche.

Now regarding the links to possibly copyrighted material I will ask for guidance on this. Please note that just because other parts of the forum post such links doesn't make it right (and those other links may also be in breach).

Mark_Bennett · Nov 15, 2013

Links to original information should be fine.
Copying and passing off as self-generated (obviously not the case here) is not.

Most of the links above are to the USA info by the way, some specs may be slightly different - Porsche have "USA" models, and "ROW" (Rest of World) models, but in reality they make several variants of "Rest of World"!

This forum has never been hosted by Porsche. They may read it now and again (they like a good laugh) but they do not monitor.
As Nick says, the new site will not be hosted by Porsche either.

fbr · Nov 25, 2013

Thanks for your replies. I'm always tempted to think that the copyright issues are frequently overstated (a bit like H&S). I did point out that if you're not plagiarizing the documentation, I can't see why there would be a problem in the creation of a technical archive of material that is publicly available (i.e. non-confidential). I not suggesting that you abuse the "fair use" for education and research but rather that you embrace it. Maybe you could make out a definitive case why this should not apply.

Any comments on the unqualified use of trade-names, trademarks and copyrighted model numbers throughout the PCGB forums?

FBR

PS Any news on the new website/forum?

fbr · Nov 28, 2013

On a different tack, and taking on board Mark's warning shot regarding non UK specified Porsches, has anybody seen/read/bought the Porsche North America publication Service Information Booklet for the Boxster 981? Details here:

http://www.suncoastparts.com/product/PK981BOOK.html?Category_Code=981BOXSTERSENGINEmaint2

It appears to be aimed to enlighten the curious owner, rather than act as a full blown service manual. An application of Porsche Activ Scharfsinnig Technik und InformationTechnologie for the previous generation of non-tech-savvy buyers of the technically advanced Porsche cars?

Pursuing the dangerous USA theme here's a handy link to a Porsche OEM spare parts catalogue (and associated parts diagrams) for all Porsche models.

http://www.oeporscheparts.com/

It includes the very useful function of a reverse parts look-up. Test it with 97035209105 and be thankful that you don't own a technically advanced Porsche

.

FBR

PS thanks to Paul McNulty for allowing me to adapt his "tech savvy" quote.