Racing Engineering For Drivers
All of the innovations in Porsche passenger vehicles, and
passenger vehicles in general were developed first for the race track. There
isn’t as much need to develop new technology to simply drive people around
town, but engineers have been constantly pushing the envelope on new driving
technology for the purpose of winning races.
As that new technology is created eventually, the most
useful pieces of the technology make their way over to passenger vehicles and
they begin being used on a daily basis with standard driving.
Porsche racing technology is currently being used in the
body of their passenger cars, the break system, many of the materials
throughout the vehicle, as well as the interior safety harnesses and airbag
systems.
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Rear View Mirror
Rear view mirrors were a tool for race car drivers before
they were ever used in passenger vehicles. They were a tool to see the
competition before they got up to you and eventually companies began to realize
that rearview mirror were a good idea for passenger vehicles as well and one of
the most useful inventions was created and implemented in most vehicles,
including Porsches from that point on.
Roll Cages
Most people who know anything about race cars at all know
that they have roll cages to protect the drivers. Over the years these cages
have become more advanced as cars have become faster and more powerful. What
most people don’t realize is that these same roll cages are included in
passenger vehicles, they just aren’t visible. Porsche vehicles are desired for
their attractive appearance, their sleek bodies, and their raw power. Hidden
amongst all of the luxury is a fully functional roll cage that would help
protect you if you flipped the vehicle.
Under the trim of the vehicle, the cloth and the leather and
the wood there are solid steel, carbon fiber, and aluminum supports. These
supports surround the vehicle and help it maintain a strong frame that will
resist crumpling under impact.
Carbon Fiber
Carbon fiber wasn’t invented for the sole purpose of
improving race cars, in fact it was invented in the 1800’s by Thomas Edison for
use in his early light bulbs, but it was adopted by race cars before passenger
vehicles and now is slowly making its way to high-end sports cars.
Carbon fiber really does improve the safety and reliability
of cars because it is stronger than steel while weighing less. That means that
the weight of cars can be lowered while they are actually made stronger. Carbon
fiber can be bent and flexed and stretched over and over again without wearing
down and that means that it will last for extremely long periods of time before
braking.
Carbon fiber is slowly replacing parts on Porsches cars and
SUVs to make them more responsive, easier to handle, and most importantly
stronger.
Each
of these technologies would never have made their way to Porsche passenger
vehicles if it were not for the ambitious racing program that keeps pushing the
envelope on car technology in general.