Pacific Porsche’s Carl Tofflemire Chosen As Porsche Owners Club Marketing Director
The first PDS Event of the 2012 Season at Streets of Willow is just a few short days away! This is a New Member Promotion Event with Recession Buster pricing! If you bring a New Member to the track that drives the event you get $50 POC Bucks. The New Member will get a $95 Certificate to use at his second event.
Lunch will be sponsored both days by Pacific Porsche with “give-a-ways”.
The weather is expected to be tailor made with track records to fall! No rain in the forecast! Please register ASAP so we can plan for the event. Call today for hotel reservations – space is limited due to soccer tournaments in town so rooms are at a premium. There are only a few rooms left at the Marriott Springhill Suites at the POC Rate. Instructors we need your help – contact Dave Gardner asap. Contact Laurie Taylor with your questions and don’t miss this opportunity to shake off the rust and get your Driving Season started!
The “Early Bird” Membership renewal rate of $75 is only good thru 1/31/12. Payment must be received by this date.
Hermosa Beach Summer Concert Series Sponsored by LAcarGUY in association w/Saint Rocke & Time Warner
On every Sunday, starting on July 31st to August 21st, the Hermosa Beach Pier Association will present a series of free concerts that begin at 5:30 pm and continues to sunset. Popular, top-selling artists will fill the bill. This year there will be great artists such as:
July 31: English Beat
August 7: Mother Hips/ Brian Wright
August 14: Hermosa Local Favorites
August 21: HelloGoodbye
Teams from various LAcarGUY dealerships will be present on the following dates so visit us for your chance to win an iPad 2.
July 31 & August 21: Pacific Volkswagen
Come by and test drive the 2012 Volkswagen Passat.
August 7: Pacific Posche
You’ll have to come by to see which vehicle we bring!
August 14: Pacific Audi
We will have one of our best selling Audi’s present.
So drop by our booth to fill out a ballot for your chance to win and check out the vehicles we will have on display.
The Porsche Museum Sees its One Millionth Visitor
In just two and a half years after opening, the museum of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, has passed the million visitor mark. The special visitors to reach this mark were not just one, but 13 school children fro India. “We are very pleased to have been able to surprise these Indian boys and girls from Mumbai,” explained Achim Stejskal. “Almost 35 percent of our visitors are guests from other countries. Fascination for the Porsche brand and its history continues undiminished, all around the world.”
The class from Mumbai was invited to take a behind-the-scenes look in the museum workshop, which is not normally accessible to visitors. The school children were able to take a seat in a 1954 Porsche 550 Spyder. At the end of their visit, the young guests received a very special surprise–the Porsche Museum offered to support their school project. The boys and girls are constructing a well in a village close to their school.
Since its opening on the 31st of January in 2009, the Porsche Museum has provided more than 5,100 tours through the 5,600 m2 (60,000 square feet) exhibition and hosted ten special exhibitions. Many celebrities from all over the world, including Jerry Seinfeld, Paris Hilton, Jamiroquai, Robby Naish, Udo Lindenberg, and Peter Maffray have also taken an interest in this historic vehicle collection on Porscheplatz. Tickets sold to date would stretch a total of 150 km (93 miles) from Stuttgart to Lake Constance. Furthermore, more than 300 classics from the museum’s collection have been travelling around the world as rolling brand ambassadors, attending historic racing and classic car events.
To find out more about the museum and its latest special exhibits, visit www.porsche.com/museum.
Porsche Rennsport Reunion IV to be Held in the West for the First Time
Porsche Cars North America (PCNA) and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca have announced that Porsche Rennsport Reunion IV will be held at the famed California racetrack the weekend of October 14-16, 2011.
After successfully staging the event, which is held every three years, at three venues in the east, with the first held in Lime Rock in 2001, Rennsport Reunion IV will now be moving to the west. This announcement is great news for the vast array of car aficionados and Porsche enthusiasts that live closer to the Pacific coast.
Rennsport Reunion IV brings together an unprecedented gathering of notable Porsche vintage and current race cars, as well as those who have driven them to victory at the world’s most famous sports car races. The three-day event of on-track competition is complemented by a concours d’elegance, which is open to invited race participants, as well as special activities celebrating the decades-long history of the legendary 911 race cars.
“While the Rennsport name has become a staple fixture for international collectors and racers over the past ten years, choosing the Monterey Peninsula will open up this one-of-a-kind gathering to many Porsche fans in California and beyond who were previously unable to attend,” said Detlev von Platen, president and CEO of Porsche Cars North America. “Now they’ll have the opportunity to see, feel and hear, from up close, hundreds of famous Porsche race cars and dozens of their drivers from past and present during a truly memorable weekend dedicated to Porsche’s motorsport heritage.”
Porsche Rennsport Reunion IV will bring together a variety of Porsche’s most historic racing models from the nimble 550 Spyder of the mid-50s through the mighty 917 and 956/962 of the 70s and 80s to the highly successful GT3 RSR of the last decade. A special tribute will be paid to the numerous racing versions of the Porsche 911 and the countless victories won over the decades.
“This will truly be a rare gathering of significant Porsche race cars on the West Coast,” commented Gill Campbell, CEO and general manager of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. “Porsche has a long racing tradition in Monterey and we look forward to celebrating its heritage in a befitting manner for everyone to enjoy.”
Porsche and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca are working in association with the Porsche Race Car Classic to combine efforts to raise awareness for the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation and the UCSF Thoracic Oncology Program.
Therefore, complementing the Rennsport Reunion IV event is the Porsche Race Car Classic which is exclusive concours held at nearby Quail Lodge in Carmel on Sunday, October 16. Steve Heinrichs, producer of the Porsche Race Car Classic, explains, “This once-in-a-lifetime gathering of vintage Porsche race cars solely from Porsche’s break-out era of 1950-1965 will raise critical funding to directly support lung cancer research. We’ll have 550s, 718s, 804s, 904s, 356s, Abarths, and more, in numbers and provenance never before seen.”
Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona Viewing Party At Pacific Porsche
With Porsche’s strongest lineup ever for the Rolex 24 Hours Of Daytona, Pacific Porsche will be having a viewing party at the store on Saturday starting at 11AM and running into the afternoon. We will have Frysmith providing free gourmet fries, drinks to kick things off on Saturday, then on Sunday for the run to the checkered flag, Lido will be providing champagne, croissants,and more beginning at 10AM.
Morgan’s Jewelers, the South Bay’s exclusive Rolex distributor, will be on hand with a selection of Rolex’s finest new models in addition to other exquisite brands with special pricing available only at this event. Adding to the excitement, Pacific Porsche will have special pricing on select Porsches available during this two day viewing party. If you forget we have created a special web page for the event on the Pacific Porsche site, to get there, just click the link here.
The opening event for the 2011 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series season currently has 49 entries, and 15 of them are Daytona Prototype and Rolex GT class Porsches, including 14 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup racers.
“This is the largest gathering of Porsche driving champions in the world, and we are proud that our customers have chosen to field top-of-the-line Porsche race cars to compete in the Rolex 24. Our entries include seven factory drivers, 15 drivers who have won here in the past, four Porsche Mobil1 Supercup season champions, five Le Mans 24winners, plus seven drivers who have won either Grand-Am or ALMS season championships. Add to that the expert preparation from our customer teams and the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, the most produced race car by a street car manufacturer, and it gives Porsche entries a good chance for success,” said Jens Walther, president of Porsche Motorsports North America.
Leading the way in the Daytona Prototype class is the Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche Riley entry with Porsche factory drivers Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) and Patrick Long(USA), with team owner Seth Neiman and Johannes van Overbeek (both USA) sharing the driving chores. Bergmeister has won the GT class three times, one of those an overall win in 2003 in a TRG Porsche 911 GT3 RS, while Long won with Joerg in 2009 in a TRG Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. Their Porsche-Riley, powered by the 500 hp Porsche 911 GT3 RSR-based six-cylinder engine, is the winning Daytona Prototype from the 2009 event.
The other five Porsche works drivers (in bold) have their sights set on victory in the traditionally fiercely-contested GT class with the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup: Marco Holzer(Germany) and Richard Lietz (Austria) compete for Magnus Racing along with team owner John Potter and former Grand-Am Cup champion Craig Stanton; Patrick Pilet(France) races for the TRG/Black Swan Racing/GMC Racing squad with Jeroen Bleekemolen, Bret Curtis, team owner Tim Pappas, and James Sofronas; Wolf Henzler(Germany) will drive a TRG Racing team Porsche with Andy Lally, Spencer Pumpelly, Brenda Gaughan and Steve Bertheau; Marc Lieb (Germany) will share driving time with a legendary teammate for the mutiple Daytona-winning Brumos Racing team, which swaps from prototypes to the GT class this year as Hurley Haywood (USA). the most successful pilot at the Rolex 24 with five overall and six class wins, is on board with Leh Keen and Andrew Davis.
Other Porsche 911 GT3 Cup entries in the Rolex GT class include the TRG car for Ryan Eversley/Daniel Graeff/Ron Yarab,Jr./Richard Zahn and NASCAR star Kenny Wallace; the Burtin Racing entry of Claudio Burtin/Jack Baldwin/Nick Tandy/Martin Ragginger/Nicolas Armindo; Belgian-based Muehlner Motorsport car driven by Peter Ludwig/Mark Thomas/Dion von Moltke/Corey Friedman; Canadian-based Bullet Racingwith Kevin Roush/Darryl O’Young/Brian Wong/James Walker; Rick Ware Racing with Jeffrey Earnhardt/Doug Harrington/Maurice Hull/Scott Monroe; Paul Miller Racing with Rob Bell/Bryce Miller/Bryan Sellers/Tim Sugden; TRG/Nadeau Motorsports with Jim Michaelian/Bob Doyle/Coulter Mulligan; TRG with Dominik Farnbacher/Tim George, Jr., Ben Keating and Lucas Luhr; Chris Smith Racing with Bill Sweedler, Shane Lewis, Mitch Pagery and Thomas Sheehan, and Mitchum Motorsports with Randy Pobst/Derek Whitis/Joey Atterbury/Cooper MacNeil.
**********UPDATE**********
Qualifying Results, Porsche Dominates!
Top 5 DP Qualifying Times (Speeds):
* Jorg Bergmeister, No. 45 Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche/Riley – 1:40.099 (128.033 mph)
* Max Angelelli, No. 10 SunTrust Chevrolet/Dallara – 1:40.133 (127.989 mph)
* Scott Pruett, No. 01 TELMEX/Target BMW/Riley – 1:40.245 (127.846 mph)
* Ryan Dalziel, No. 8 Corsa Car Care Ford/Riley – 1:40.250 (127.840 mph)
* Scott Dixon, No. 02 Target/TELMEX BMW/Riley – 1:40.302 (127.774 mph)
Top 5 GT Qualifying Times (Speeds):
* Andy Lally, No. 67 South Point Hotel & Casino Porsche GT3 – 1:48.487 (118.133 mph)
* Dominik Farnbacher, No. 66 TRG Porsche GT3 – 1:48.781 (117.814 mph)
* Jordan Taylor, No. 88 Autohaus Motorsports Porsche GT3 – 1:48.821 (117.771 mph)
* Craig Stanton, No. 44 Magnus Racing Porsche GT3 – 1:49.011 (117.566 mph)
* Nick Tandy, No. 17 Burtin Racing Porsche GT3 – 1:49.134 (117.433 mph)
The Perfect SUV. In Other Words: 2011 Porsche Cayenne Hybrid
There’s a lot of buzz around alternatives. Actually, around here, there’s always buzz. So how do you get away from the buzz and get into reality? Hop into a 2011 Porsche Cayenne Hybrid and go in (green) style! Pacific Porsche and LAcarGUY welcome to the only true performance vehicle in the utility class that carries a light footprint and can kick pavement between the eyes…
Yes, the Cayenne Hybrid is different. While it is not the highest performance Cayenne in the lineup, it’s other attributes are very evident and welcome. Carrying all of the same highlights of the completely redesigned Cayenne gas versions, this new model goes way beyond what you’d expect. Its Hybrid system is unlike any other on the market. While there is nothing subtle about the Porsche performance, the only giveaway of this car’s Hybrid status is the two badges just behind the front wheel wells.
Check out this quick video and see for yourself how Porsche has set the bar high on the perfect SUV. In our opinion!
This Cayenne Hauls…Efficiently!
So there’s hype, buzz and then a mix of those with reality when you talk about luxury and conscientiousness. Porsche has taken an interesting venture into the Hybrid fray with no different an approach than all of their other engineering (well, let’s say nearly all). The 2011 Cayenne Hybrid is amazing: Porsche performance with a green halo! So what makes this one tick?
Unlike a typical full hybrid model, in a parallel full hybrid system the electric motor is integrated into the drivetrain. The hybrid module sits between the transmission and the combustion engine where it docks to a decoupler. The heart and brain of the drive system is the Hybrid Manager: supplied with all the relevant information, it coordinates the combustion engine and electric motor to suit the current driving style. The 240-cell, 288-Volt battery with a 38-kilowatt capacity is situated in the spare wheel recess. A useful space-saving, because it minimises the intrusion into the luggage volume. With the aid of a special cooling system, its temperature is maintained at below 40°C.
And for a little more techie speak, what makes the Cayenne Hybrid work so well? The parallel full hybrid system also comes into its own when driven at higher speeds. Without drive power needed from the engine and electric motor, the gasoline engine is automatically disengaged from the drivetrain and shuts off: The Cayenne S Hybrid continues to “coast” along. Engine drag and the associated deceleration effect are eliminated, and efficiency is increased.
The “e-power” function expands the range in which the vehicle can be run solely on electric power. The throttle map is adapted so that the combustion engine is engaged later than when in “Normal” mode, depending on performance requirements. This function is activated via a button on the center console.
All things considered, this is what it comes down to: More dynamic. More powerful. More efficient. Keep that in mind if you’re already been by to drive the completely redesigned gas Cayenne. This Cayenne hauls, at a whole new level!
Share Your Porsche Passion & Explore Some History
Porsche is a very unique brand because, despite regularly releasing new, improved beautiful examples of Porsche design for us to marvel, they also embrace their history and the enthusiasts who collect their older cars. Instead of ignoring the passion that Porsche buyers have for their cars, this is a company that truly appreciates that a Porsche owner is a Porsche enthusiast.
In 1948, the first Porsche was built in Germany and the automotive world was changed forever. Two years later, thanks to the foresight of Ferry Porsche and Max Hoffman, the first two Porsches arrived in New York City. Today, America’s passion for Porsche is deeper than ever, and to celebrate 60 years of Porsche in the U.S., PCNA is welcoming owners, fans and enthusiasts to tell their Porsche stories, and even help us locate the oldest Porsche sports cars in America.
Porsche- Celebrating 60 Years of Passion in America is a new site where there is a bevy of beautiful videos & photographs, interesting historical facts and Porsche Family Stories from enthusiast owners like Jerry Seinfeld.
From the site:
“The Porsche brand was established in Germany in 1948. In 1950, New York City businessman Max Hoffman introduced the Porsche 356 to America, sparking a love affair that has lasted for six decades. Today, America’s passion for Porsche is deeper than ever, and our Family Tree sports strong new branches. To help us celebrate 60 years of Porsche in America, we’re inviting owners, fans and enthusiasts to tell their Porsche stories on our Porsche Family Tree. We’re also looking for the oldest Porsche sports cars in the U.S. in the My Porsche Classic Search.”
Once you jump in, consider the boring part of your day to be over. Some of the featured content includes:
My Porsche Classic Search
- They are on the search for the oldest Porsche vehicles sold in America! If you own and can officially verify the retail age of your Porsche, you are invited to enter your car in one of the categories that include the oldest 356, 911, 912, 914, 924, 928, 944, 968, Boxster, Cayenne, Carrera GT and Cayman. Participants receive a badge from the Porsche Museum and the top 12 models may be photographed and included in the American exhibit at the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, Germany.
Porsche Passion Contest
- Win one of three trips to the Porsche Sport Driving School (with a guest) by entering your favorite Porsche story.
Porsche History
- An interactive timeline with photos of founders, cars and innovations, this section will keep you engaged if you love Porsche and want to learn even more!
Porsche Family Stories
- The Porsche legend is filled with larger than life stories. Thrilling race wins. Shattered records. Technological feats. Yet some of the favorite stories come from the mouths of owners and enthusiasts. Intimate tales of passion offer a glimpse into the ties that bind all Porsche owners. This is your opportunity to look beneath the sheet metal and statistics and see the heart and soul of Porsche.
Almost every part of the site is interactive: user can submit stories, photos and even video. This project will just increase the rich history of 60 years of Porsche Passion in America.
One of the featured videos by designer Freeman Thomas discussing the animated design of Porsche:
Taking the New 2011 Porsche Cayenne Turbo Out
This is an exciting vehicle, no matter which way you look at it. Porsche has a winner on its hands with the complete redesign of the Cayenne. It’s no wonder that it has taken the luxury SUV market by storm since inception.
In this test drive video, our own Carl Tofflemire has some grin-inducing fun with the unrivaled Cayenne. Look at the car and you’ll see, aside from the fact that it shares some overall looks from the previous generation, the new vehicle is nothing like the outgoing model. No detail was left untouched by Porsche’s engineering and design teams as they set out to create the ultimate vehicle in the category. And we’re pleased to have it!
As Carl demonstrates, the new Porsche Cayenne has power to spare and features to match. Porsche even states that the 2011 Turbo gets better gas mileage than the 2010 V6! Talk about upgrades and improvements! But don’t take our word for it, come on in and experience it for yourself…in a V6 or V8.
Pacific Porsche Customers Enjoy The 2011 Porsche Launch Party In Style!
It was Oktoberfest in August for Pacific Porsche customers and we rolled out the 2011 V-6 Cayenne and Panamera. As Bavarian attired waitresses served authentic carbonated refreshments, we caught up with our Porsche-loving friends itching to check out some great new rides! There has been such great buzz and anticipation behind the V6 engines powering the new Cayenne and Panamera. And guess what?! They don’t disappoint.
As Carl Tofflemire would tell you, the performance of the new Porsche models is nothing short of amazing. And it takes a special vehicle (or two) to bring a crowd the size we welcomed here. The 2011 Cayenne is new and nothing was left to chance. It drives better, stops better, corners better and uses technology that you just don’t see in other vehicles including luxury types.
When it comes to events at Pacific Porsche, it’s about the customer, the products and the experience. Nothing embodies that feeling more than when there’s hearty German food, German drinks and German cars. Thank you for making our second “Oktoberfest” such a success. See you next year!
Enjoy the party photo album right here. http://www.flickr.com/photos/27164581@N06/sets/72157624356401697/with/4788374602/
