Porsche and Formula One

By: Mitchel Vedia

Almost a century after its founder started designing automobiles,
Porsche is still going strong and that’s the result of a premier cure
for a mid-life crisis similar to Harley - Davidson. Porsche's lineup
includes four model lines: the Boxster, the 911 models, the
Cayenne SUV, and the Carrera GT. And if these vehicles are
too expensive, Porsche also offers watches, luggage, and tennis
rackets bearing its name. Descendants of the founding family
still control the company and these days it has enlarged its area
by offering consulting services to other companies involved in
auto and furniture manufacturing, mechanical and electronic
engineering, and construction.

Over the years, Porsche transformed itself from serious
money-loser into one of the most profitable car companies in
the world, all this while other car manufactures toil over cash
incentives, market share and strategies for the Chinese market.
Porsche has constantly rolled out new products and despite
the costs and risks is has quadrupled its annual unit sales in just
under a decade. The most recent debuts are the Boxster and the Cayenne.
And so far, the key of their success seems to be the long
product life cycles and the company intends to maintain this
strategy.

Porsche and Formula One

When Porsche entered into races, Porsche astonished the world
with its performances. But participation in Formula One races
brought mixed results. In the 1961-1962 season, Porsche participated
as a constructor but produced just one win in a championship
race, claimed by Dan Gurney at the 1962 French Grand Prix.
In a non-championship race, one week later Stuttgart's Solitude
it repeated the success. At the end of the season, Porsche retired
from F1 due to the high costs.

In 1983, Porsche returned to Formula One, supplying engines
badged as TAG units for the McLaren Team. It was a success
as the Porsche-powered cars won two constructor championships
in 1984 and 1985 and three driver crowns in 1984, 1985 and 1986.

Less than ten years later, in 1991, Porsche returned as a engine
supplier, but this time the results were disastrous: Footwork, the
Porsche-powered cars, didn’t score a single point and at over half
of the races it even failed to qualify. Since that year, Porsche has
not participated to Formula One.

Still, lightly-modified Porsches participate in many competitions
around the world, mostly in amateur classes for enthusiasts. The
only professional category is the Porsche Michelin Supercup raced
as a support category for European Formula One rounds.

Porsche checking fluids

In order to avoid big, expensive problems, you should check
under the hood of your Porsche on a regular basis. By following
these simple monthly checks you will find and solve these potential
problems.

First of all, you should check the oil, but only when the engine is warm.
That’s because it expands when it's hot and contracts when it's cold;
different temperatures will give you different readings. And since you’re
already checking the fluids you should also check the
brake fluid. It's easy to do and only takes a minute.

Radiator fluid, or coolant, is the most important part of your Porsche's
cooling system, which protects your engine from overheating. Low
coolant can lead to a breakdown and expensive repairs. Before
checking the power steering fluid (which is also easy on most cars)
you should see if you have it. Try to parallel park with one hand and
eat an ice cream cone with the other. If you can do that, then you have it.

If you have an automatic transmission, you'll want to check the
automatic transmission fluid (ATF) every month. Also, if your Porsche
has a hydraulic clutch that connects the clutch pedal to the
transmission, you should check that fluid too.