E A R LY Y E A R S
1__ The Lohner-Porsche Electromobile Faster than a Gallop
The year is 1899. Technology fever has taken hold. The automobile is catapulting this generation to intoxicating speeds beyond a horse’s gallop. Young technicians are tinkering at various power sources: gas, petrol, electricity. Ferdinand Porsche, a 23-year-old self-taught designer, has taken a job at Jakob Lohner’s »royal and imperial court carriage works«, in Vienna, and brought along a precious gift. He has devised and patented a steerable electric wheel-hub motor to power a car. It is practically silent, it doesn’t stink, and it usually works. Diverse forms of electric powering existed, but none required as little wiring and as few electrical connections, and none saved the labour of designing complicated means of transmission, because Porsche’s invention put the power right on the wheel. In the year that Porsche joined him, Lohner decided to venture the making of an automobile. And to employ the design of the young technician from Bohemia, because the air was being » ... mercilessly ruined by the appearance of great numbers of petrol engines«, in Lohner’s words as quoted by the Vienna Technical Museum. In 1899, by combining two wheel-hub motors on the steered front axle with a carriage chassis, the LohnerPorsche electromobile was created. In 1900 Lohner exhibited Porsche’s construction at the world fair in Paris. The vehicle, with 2.5 hp or 1.8 kW on each front wheel, was enthusiastically received. It could easily run at 35 km/h, and was claimed to be capable of 50 km/h. But obstacles remained to be overcome to make it fit for everyday use. The lead battery weighing over eight cwt was exhausted after 50 kilometres at most, and the rubber tyres groaned under the weight of the 1.2-tonne vehicle. Young Ferdinand was already planning a remedy: the battery could be made smaller and charged by a generator as the car drove ...
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___ The Lohner-Porsche electromobile on the Austrian stand at the Paris world fair in 1900. The back tyres are groaning under the weight of the lead battery.
___ This is how modern times began at Porsche: a 901 coupĂŠ in an advertising photo from 1964. The wooden steering wheel identifies it is as an early example.
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B I R D S O F PA R A D I S E
81__ Less is More In Praise of What Makes You Tough
Pleasure at the simple, genuine things in life. It’s hard to believe, but even for a luxury sports car like the 911 Turbo 3.3 Cabriolet in 1989, Porsche had a tempting offer for enthusiasts who wanted to get involved themselves. For 160,900 deutschmarks they could buy the 300-hp car with a manually operated canvas top. For a journey into a sudden summer thunderstorm, that meant either getting wet or stopping and fiddling about – the opportunity to enjoy a delicious little adventure, varying the routine of everyday managerial life. If desired, the Turbo could be bought for the same price with an electrically operated roof. »Back to manual work« was also the motto in 2016 with the 911R, which Porsche, in an age of lightning-fast automatic gears, offered with a manual six-speed gearbox for nostalgic drivers. The 991 units of this 500-hp racer were sold out in advance at a price of 189,544 euros. Concentration on the authentic driving experience is also on offer in mega-hot machines such as, in 2015, the 911 GT3 RS: delivered without a radio and automatic air conditioning. You can guess why: a natural sound in natural surroundings, and a big weight-saving. Both radio and air conditioning are of course available at no extra cost for those who really do want to listen to something apart from the sound of the wonderful boxer engine. Porsche literally scatters to the winds all we know about driving in draught-free conditions with the Speedster. The small windshield is a must, and it lets a magnificent hurricane into the cockpit as you drive. Only Porsche drivers who are also softies raise the wind blocker that is supplied with more recent models. Fewer frills means more enjoyment for all those who like to have their nose in the wind, especially when it is blowing hard. In an age of virtual reality, this feels like a luxury again.
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___ Back to manual work. In 2016 the 911R was available with a conventional six-speed transmission. A wonderful piece of nostalgia that delighted the fans.
PROTOTYPES
100__ Mission E Drive to Extremes at a Whisper
The lines of the side windows, the front wings, the broad shoulders above the rear axle: it’s a Porsche, that’s clear. Hello from the 911. But the sound! Generations listened with delight to the six-cylinder boxer. In 2020, thanks to Porsche Mission E, there will only be the murmur of two electric motors. Boring? Not in the least! The electric motors deliver 440 kW or 600 hp to the axles of a light-weight machine of carbon fibre, aluminium and steel. Intelligent torque distribution sniffs out wheel spin straight away. Fourwheel steering lends Mission E the agility of an Olympic slalom skier. In 3.5 seconds it will reach 100 km/h from a standing start, 200 km/h eight seconds later. For the Nürburgring North Loop, Porsche estimates a time under eight minutes: 7:59 min. This puts a smile on the driver’s face, and friends outside can share the pleasure, as a camera in the rear-view mirror records the mood of the driver, who can spread the good news in real time via social media. There is no need to press buttons: a holographic operating field takes its orders from glances and gestures. Mission E loves to communicate: via Porsche Car Connect, the car can be smartened up using a tablet or smartphone, just as the owner wishes: chassis adjustment, engine, infotainment. In the Connect Store, Porsche offers accessories, more hp and hot set-ups, delivered by high-speed link. There is still a steering wheel. As well as the five classic circular instruments, though as light diodes that follow every one of the driver’s movements. The lithium-ion battery in the floor of the car will suffice for 500 kilometres. After 15 minutes at an 800-volt charging station, the battery will have 80 per cent of its power. At 400 volts or via an induction loop in the garage, Mission E takes longer to recharge. Then off you go, on a trip to extremes – at a whisper.
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___ The all-electric missile named Mission E will accommodate four Porsche enthusiasts from 2020. 600 hp is a promise of propulsion befitting the marque.
THE MOST AMAZING TRACKS
___ The pits at Le Mans before the start in 1954. Porsche is represented by four 550 Spyders. People are swarming all over the finishing straight.
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