Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Racing Crashing Surviving




PORSCHE Improved Steering Technology

There is so much technology that goes into keeping a Porsche on the road today that it is staggering. The early Porsche models were able to win in the Targa Florio in large part because the vehicles simply handled better. Handling was improved thanks to an increase in range of motion in the steering wheel through new technology. As well as improving the range of motion, the ease of turning the wheel has also been improved through technological advances.
Porsche_Safety
Crash Landing
These steering improvements make passenger Porsches much safer to drive because the driver is able to react to emergency situations more efficiently. If there is a sharp corner that was unexpected the driver should be able to make the turn without repositioning the hands in most instances.
By making the wheel easier to turn and more responsive it also reduces driver fatigue over longer trips which means that you won’t have to worry about making mistakes because you are too tired. Often when drivers become tired they take a more relaxed hand position on the wheel and aren’t able to keep control of the vehicle as effectively any longer making them useless to respond in a serious situation.
All of these advances came from the desire to win long distances races in France and Italy and they have affected all the passenger vehicles created by Porsche substantially. 
Regenerative Flywheel
During some of the latest endurance challenges that Porsche has entered they developed a new flywheel regenerative braking technology. Since the cars are traveling exceptionally fast in the race using standard batteries wouldn’t have been an efficient method for storing power created by regenerative braking. Instead a flywheel technology was created to harness all of the power created through regenerative braking the powerful sports car and then immediately converted into energy that the car could utilize for additional boosts of speed.
This technology is not used in passenger vehicles yet, and probably won’t become popular in most mainstream vehicles, but it should improve efficiency and safety for larger vehicles such as garbage trucks that have to start and stop several different times a day.
What Endurance Races Taught Porsche about Safety
Porsche has a long and colorful history with different endurance races. They have participated and won in many of the largest long-distance races in the world such as the deadly Targa Florio, and the 24 Hours of Le Man in France. Porsche had to think radically about how to use new materials, and how to improve their vehicles to give drivers an advantage in these extended races.
Lighter Materials
Sports cars, and vehicles in general are continually focusing on ways to become more lightweight. New materials are developed all the time to decrease the weight of vehicles, and most of the time these materials are developed for races such as the Targa Florio and the 24 Hours Le Man in France. During these endurance races the lighter your vehicle is the longer you can keep driving without worrying about fuel. Many aluminum alloys and carbon fiber parts have been developed for these type of races, and they are always engineered to be extremely safe.
With the increased demand to make more fuel efficient vehicles, manufacturers have been working to make cars lighter, and Porsche doesn’t have a problem doing that in a safe manner thanks to all of the engineering tests that they have performed on prototypes entered into these endurance races.

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Porsche Developed for Race Car Drivers First


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.

porsche-gt3
Calgary Porsche 

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.




Monday, March 11, 2013

Porsche Endurance


Porsche Racing

porsche-gt3
South Centre Porsche Calgary
Sports cars, and vehicles in general are continually focusing on ways to become more lightweight. New materials are developed all the time to decrease the weight of vehicles, and most of the time these materials are developed for races such as the Targa Florio and the 24 Hours Le Man in France. During these endurance races the lighter your vehicle is the longer you can keep driving without worrying about fuel. Many aluminum alloys and carbon fiber parts have been developed for these type of races, and they are always engineered to be extremely safe. 
With the increased demand to make more fuel efficient vehicles, manufacturers have been working to make cars lighter, and Porsche doesn’t have a problem doing that in a safe manner thanks to all of the engineering tests that they have performed on prototypes entered into these endurance races. 

Regenerative Flywheel
During some of the latest endurance challenges that Porsche has entered they developed a new flywheel regenerative braking technology. Since the cars are traveling exceptionally fast in the race using standard batteries wouldn’t have been an efficient method for storing power created by regenerative braking. Instead a flywheel technology was created to harness all of the power created through regenerative braking the powerful sports car and then immediately converted into energy that the car could utilize for additional boosts of speed. 
This technology is not used in passenger vehicles yet, and probably won’t become popular in most mainstream vehicles, but it should improve efficiency and safety for larger vehicles such as garbage trucks that have to start and stop several different times a day. 

Improved Steering Technology
convertible
There is so much technology that goes into keeping a Porsche on the road today that it is staggering. The early Porsche models were able to win in the Targa Florio in large part because the vehicles simply handled better. Handling was improved thanks to an increase in range of motion in the steering wheel through new technology. As well as improving the range of motion, the ease of turning the wheel has also been improved through technological advances.
These steering improvements make passenger Porsches much safer to drive because the driver is able to react to emergency situations more efficiently. If there is a sharp corner that was unexpected the driver should be able to make the turn without repositioning the hands in most instances. 
By making the wheel easier to turn and more responsive it also reduces driver fatigue over longer trips which means that you won’t have to worry about making mistakes because you are too tired. Often when drivers become tired they take a more relaxed hand position on the wheel and aren’t able to keep control of the vehicle as effectively any longer making them useless to respond in a serious situation. 
All of these advances came from the desire to win long distances races in France and Italy and they have affected all the passenger vehicles created by Porsche substantially. 

Saturday, March 2, 2013

History Of Porsche Racing


porsche-logo

The Porsche 911 Represents the Company’s Evolution through Racing
With a lifespan of over 50 years, the Porsche 911 has evolved arguably more than any other car model out there. By following the evolution of the 911 you get a clear picture of how racing has evolved, and how Porsche has evolved in general. 911’s are still around today and they have been being produced in one variation or another since 1963. From their original inception they have been modified to use in various races by both Porsche teams and private teams as well.
Porsche continually works to improve upon past models of their vehicles, and they have always fought to stay on the forefront of car technology. All of the successes that the 911 cars have had in racing proves that Porsche values innovation, and creating the best possible product, after all private teams line up to buy cars from Porsche that they will use to win some of the most competitive races on the planet.

The Early Years
The very first 911 was created as a power upgrade to the original Porsche 356. The basic idea of the car was a sports car version of the Beetle. The original 911 was innovative at the time because its engine was mounted in the rear of the car and it was air-cooled for improved performance. The flat-6 engine was in the “boxer” configuration just like the Porsche 356, but it had 6 cylinders instead of 4. This initial 911 only had 120 horsepower, but that didn't people from racing it, and it was seen as a powerhouse of the day.

The 911 in Racing
The Porsche 911 has always been thought of as a race car  that is also a consumer product. Many of the adjustments that were made to the 911 were due to racing restrictions that required the car to be changed around, and others were due to technological advancements that were incorporated into newer models.

porsche-race-car
Porsche Racing
The 911 Carrera RSR 3.0
The 911 Carrera RSR 3.0 was sold off to several different racing teams throughout the 1970’s and those cars were used to win several racing events. These vehicles were able to take home the victory in the Targa Florio, and the Daytona, Sebring and Nurburgring racing events.

The RSR Turbo Prototype
The RSR Turbo prototype nearly took first place at the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race in 1974 but they ended up in second place. This same prototype was used to win many of the other major races throughout the year as well.

The 911 GT1 was developed in 1996 in order to be able to compete in the GT1 Le Mans class. This car is thought to be one of the most powerful road-racing Porsches ever created. It has a total 700 horsepower, can go from 0 to 60 in 3.3 seconds and tops out at 235 mph. The engine utilizes twin-turbo charging in order to create its immense power. This same model won Le Mans in 1998 in an impressive display of power. In order for the car to be entered, there had to be a minimum of 25 of the cars created, so Porsche had 25 created and entered into the race.

Private Racers
After being tested out by one of the official Porsche racing teams, most of the 911 models are sold to private consumers who often use them in races themselves. Many of the victories using Porsche 911 models were achieved by private teams who bought the vehicles off of Porsche after the initial trial period.

porsche-911-carrera

Porsche has gone on the record saying that they only participate in races in order to gain the engineering knowledge that it offers to improve their vehicles. By selling off all of the vehicles to potential competition they prove that they aren't interested in the win, nearly as much as they are interested in advancing their technology.
The Porsche 911 is still being developed today, and there are plenty of private clubs that have 911 races on a regular basis. New variations of the 911 are bound to continue being entered into races as time goes by, and the 911 may last as long as Porsche does, since it is still purchased heavily today.