Newsgroup: it.discussioni.auto.mod
Titolo: [STORIA] Test d'epoca sulla Carrera 3.2

Ecco un test datato 1986 di una rivista USA (preso da 
www.cars.com
)
sulla 911 Carrera 3.2 (depotenziata per il mercato Americano).
Interessante vedere come tutto sembrasse "rose e fiori" :-) Peccato ci
manchi un po' di "passione"...in compenso non sapevo della garanzia
per quasi 100.000km in quegli anni :-OOOOOOOOO
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
If we consider the premise that an automobile is an extension of one's
personality, where does this leave the Porsche 911? Without getting
too deeply involved in the psychological, economical and sociological
needs and wants of Porsche 911 buyers let's just say it is someone who
has money and enjoys driving fast. 
First off, the Porsche 911 is very expensive - how does about 40 thou
grab you? Next, this German supercar was designed for high-speed
Autobahn cruising (the national pastime in the Fatherland) and so in
our country with its 55 MPH top speed limit and the 911's 146 MPH top
speed it may seem to be a bit of an overkill. But not to worry. In
addition to its performance the 911 is also a statement. And that
statement not only says you have arrived, but that you have arrived in
the fast lane. 
The test car - supplied by Knopf Automotive, 3401 Lehigh St.,
Allentown - was a Carrera coupe and driving it not only produced an
appreciation for fine engineering, it also brought instant
recognition. The basic design of the 911 has been around for many
years and even though there are not many of them on the road people
seem to know what it is. Everybody loved the test car including my
16-year-old daughter who decided this was the car for her. 
It is somewhat difficult to believe that this state-of-the-art driving
car has been around for so many years. In fact, this model was
introduced back in 1964. Very few cars remain in production that many
years without major changes either in shape or basic mechanical
specifications. There have been other Porsches introduced since that
time but the 911 with its rear-mounted engine is still the true
Porsche to many. Don't get the idea that it is the same car brought
out in 1964. It may look the same but it has been constantly refined
and defined over the years. 
Actually, it has been so refined and brought up-to-date that there
isn't that much left to do. For example there are four changes for the
1986 model. 1. Redesigned ducting for heating and air conditioning
system. 2. Changed chassis tuning (stabilizer bars, shock absorbers
and torsion bars). 3. Shortened shift lever travel. 4.
Color-coordinated carpeting in load space. Not exactly revolutionary. 
Does this all mean that the 911 is perfect? Not really. It is a
perfect driving machine but it does leave something to be desired in
the creature comfort department. It now has all the obligatory
features all drivers, even serious drivers, want these days - air
conditioning, power windows, power seat and power sunroof - but
somehow they all look like afterthoughts, which when you come to think
of it, they real are. The air conditioning/heater system is somewhat
overly complicated and its controls are scattered in various areas of
the cockpit (some of this could be because of the 911's air-cooled
engine). The power seat controls are almost hidden from view and you
have to search for the unmarked sunroof switch which is nowhere near
where you would expect to find it. But, then, Porsche never claimed it
was a luxury coupe. 
The 911 is a rather small car but because of the downsizing on other
cars over the past 10 years, it doesn't look as small as it did back
in the mid- 1960s. Perhaps the automotive world is catching up to it.
Or vice versa. Anyway, it has a wheelbase of 89.5 inches, overall
length of 168.9 inches, width of 65 inches, height of 52 inches and
curb weight of 2,756 pounds. Driver and front passenger room are
excellent. There is a back seat but barely and it is best suited for
small, non-squirming and non-complaining children. But since the 911
is generally not bought as a family vehicle, the back seat can best be
used to haul luggage, since the trunk (located where the engine
compartment normally would be) is incredibly small. 
Driving the 911 shouldn't present any problems to anyone reasonably
proficient in drving. It can make an average driver look good and a
good driver look like Paul Newman. But it does take concentration and
effort. In many ways it is a machine to make driving easier but in
other ways it is unforgiving. Take it into those corners, curves and
cloverleafs and feel the smoothness. No lean, no roll, no squeal. 
This, of course, is the result of a very sophisticated suspension
system that seems to be getting even more sophisticated over the
years. The four- wheel independent suspension features MacPherson
struts up front, semi- trailing arms in the rear, torsion bars on all
wheels and stabilizer bars fore and aft. There are disc brakes on all
wheels and a fast ratio rack-and- pinion steering system. 
The 911 is powered by a somewhat unusual engine. It is a horizontally
opposed six-cylinder, air-cooled alloy engine, a bit noisy, but the
noise is in the rear. The engine, measuring 192 cubic inches, is rated
at 200 horsepower at 5,900 rpm and 185 foot pounds torque at 4,800
rpm. 
Performance is very good. If you manipulate the five-speed
transmission correctly and lay on the gas pedal, acceleration from
0-60 MPH will be under 7 seconds. Low speed torque, as can be
expected, is somewhat lacking so you can't go lugging it around. Keep
up the rpm and everybody will be happy. Fortunately, this extremely
expensive engine is protected. Maximum rpm is limited to 6,500 rpm by
an automatic fuel shut-off regulator. So, even if you do get sloppy,
Dr. Porsche is watching you. 
The test car averaged 15 miles per gallon for city driving and 22 mpg
over the highway. I used premium unleaded in the test car but Porsche
says you can use regular unleaded. A matter of choice. When you think
about it, though, anyone who can afford the 911, shouldn't have to
worry about the difference in price in regular and premium. 
Full price on the test car came to $39,197, including $245 for prep
and $578 for freight. Base priceon the 911 Carrera coupe is $33,975.
Options included: leather seats, $919; 16-inch forged alloy wheels,
$1,659; cruise control, $336; sport shocks, $210; alarm, $210, and
power sunroof, $1,015. Of interest, there are stronger warranties on
the 911 (and other Porsche models) this year. First there is the
world-wide warranty offered by the factory in Germany, which covers
the vehicle for two years and unlimited mileage (up from one year with
unlimited mileage last year) and extends the rust perforation warranty
to 10 years (up from 7 years). There is an additional warranty
coverage to five years on the entire power train, or 50,000 miles for
all Porsches imported into the United States. 

all Porsches imported into the United States. 
in officina ho conosciuto uno che aveva un Carrera 3.2 americano e
diceva che i problemi maggiori venivano dal sistema di riduzione delle
emissioni nocive montato sul motore e che la sua aveva una garanzia
americana su qyuel sistema, in pratica quando l'ha comprata (in un
conce porsche in usa) gli hanno dato una garanzia extra solo su quel
dispositivo e questa garanzia era disponibile a pagamento per tutti i
modelli dotati di quel dispositivo...
peccato che in italia nessuno sapeva come mettergliela a posto!!!
PS io ho un po' di articoli originali che mio padre ha messo insieme
negli anni sull'uscita della 911 3.2 (ma non solo!!), quando vado a
casa ci guardo un po' e vedo che dicono... (come se non lo sapessi
gia!! :)) li avro' letti migliaia di volte!!)
ciao...
Filippo [21,204,RM]
ICQ# 7025818sette

versione europea
nell' 87 la versione da 214 c'era pure in Germania, perche era la
prima 911 catalizzata a benza verde. Ancora il cat non era
obbligatorio, ma in Germania c'erano 4 anni di esenzione bollo per chi
spontaneamente acquistava un veicolo catalizzato.
Ciao
Mototopo

nell' 87 la versione da 214 c'era pure in Germania, perche era la
Vabbe' che un paio di CV non cambiano la vita, cmq sottolineo che
l'ultima 3.2 catalizzata aveva 217 CV (160 kW), non 214.
Confermo i 207 della prima versione.
saluti
Elfer

Elfer
Filippo [21,204,RM]
ICQ# 7025818sette

e poi sei sicuro dei 217 cv? io sapevo 214...
Sicuro: lo dice Frere e lo dice il libretto di istruzioni.
ciao
Elfer