After an eventful 2 week layoff that included the resignation of long time Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali, the boys of F1 qualified today in Shanghai. Would the shake up at Maranello lead to better results by the Prancing Horse? Or would Mercedes continue its early-season dominance?
Conservatism in automobile design is a rare concept. A new Mercedes, Audi or Ferrari looks nothing like a model from 20 years ago. But look at a 2014 Porsche 911 Carrerra S and you can easily make out the iconic profile and styling that debuted way back in 1964. Of course, that is also a common knock on the 911 — as Jeremy Clarkson so famously cavils, a new 911 will always look pretty much the same as last year’s 911 and one has to be a Porsche-phile to notice any subtle changes. But whether one interprets this consistency as boring repetition or virtuous traditionalism, there is one thing about a Porsche that is certain: it will never be dull to drive.
The design that started it all — the legendary 1964 911
That truism is more than apparent in the 2014 Carrera S. With its beefed up but classic 3.8 liter flat six aluminum block engine it achieves 400 horsepower and 350 foot-pounds of torque for a seriously fast top speed of 188 mph. Those stats don’t change whether you opt for the 7-speed manual transmission or the dual-clutch automatic Doppelkupplung (DPK). The DPK will launch you slightly faster: 0-60 in 3.9 seconds with the optional Sport Plus package vs. 4.3 for the stick. And while the 2014 edition is slightly heavier than its predecessor at about 3100 pounds it is also sleeker looking and handles better. That infamous Porsche tail snap is long gone: even with the non-intrusive traction control turned off, you really have to work to get this 911 out of shape. The rear-engined icon is now so well balanced and the rear wheels and suspension so grippy that one no longer has to be strictly a “Porsche man” to enjoy the experience. And carbon-ceramic breaks allow for crisp and quick stops when necessary.
Fuel economy is surprisingly decent for such a high performance ride — about 19mpg in the city and 27mpg on the highway. The Carrera S is also available in a highly attractive Cabriolet for a bit more money and a sublime open top experience. Which brings us to price. As always, the 911 is not cheap. The Carrera S has an MSRP of just under $100k and the Cabriolet version starts at around $111k. It goes without saying that those prices do not include any of the delicious options one can add, which can easily balloon the car into the $120k+ range. So obviously, it’s not speed on the cheap. That being said, for our money the Carrera S is the best bang for the buck in the 911 line. It has cleaner lines than the wide-hipped Carrera 4 and while it lacks the all wheel drive of that variation that can also be regarded as a virtue to the rear wheel drive purist. Of course the elite Turbo models jump into a whole different cost bracket at $150-200k. And frankly, if you’re not a track enthusiast or accomplished high speed driver, the Turbos’ 500+ horsepower is probably more than most are going to be comfortable trying to tame on an Interstate. Besides, for most mortals, the Carrera S has plenty of giidyup — just check out this Drive Network test drive:
The Carrera S finds the sweet spot between performance and price, classic 911 design and seductive modernity. Yes, it looks similar to its illustrious predecessors that have emerged from the Stuttgart factory over the past 5 decades. But for the true believer that is also a large part of its considerable charm. And when you put your foot down you’ll know what all the fuss is about.
The new formula gave us the most exciting race of the 2014 season in Bahrain. Come with me blow the fold to find out how it all shook out in the desert night…
Would Mercedes still be the team to beat in Week 3 for the newly designated night race at Sakhir circuit? Find out below the fold…
Would there be rain in Kuala Lampur to shake up the field and what went down at Sepang? Come with me below the fold to find out…
Qualifying for the second Formula 1 race of the season was earlier today so come with me below the fold to see who starts where in tomorrow’s Grand Prix after the drivers had to power through typically torrential conditions in Kuala Lampur…
Above: Massa rammed by Kobayashi in turn 1, lap 1 (Photo from the excellent antfrench F1 blog)
Figuring you’ve all had the chance to properly watch the Oz Grand Prix, results of the exciting and unpredictable 2014 season opener are now below the fold…
Wet & wild Qualifying Down Under for the first race of the 2014 season and the first test in anger for the new equipment. See how the boys did in Melbourne below the fold…
…from the new Red Bull #2 and some guy named Vettel (h/t Michael):
So the cars are heavier but have less fuel and produce more torque with 2 KERS-type devices and also have an 8-speed gearbox. The engines are a throaty V6 Turbo rather than that old familiar high-pitched screech of the normally aspirated V8. Revs are also capped at 15k instead of 18k, the DRS slot is 20mm wider for better overtaking, the front wing is smaller so less downforce and the tire compounds from Pirelli have also been changed (and will hopefully be less prone to catastrophic delamination).
As with any major change in F1 — and these are fairly huge — there is a massive amount of grumbling up and down the paddock and from fans, with special vitriol reserved for the new safety-mandated lower noses (“Ugly!”) and the loss of the screaming engine note we’ve come to know and love (“It doesn’t sound like Formula 1!”). But with everyone starting from a clean sheet of paper it should shake up the field and perhaps limit Red Bull’s easy dominance of the last few years. In fact, it looks as if Mercedes has the jump on its competitors with many more testing hours than anyone else. Reliability will be a major issue, especially as regards overheating, and so will fuel management because there is still no refueling in F1 despite the reduced capacity. Therefore, tactics and excellence in engineering may outshine the individual brilliance of the drivers. But the cars themselves seem at this early stage to need to be “driven” more with throttle application coming off the corners particularly important as they are quite squirmy, so in the end the pilot will probably still have a great percentage of the responsibility for his team’s success.
While Red Bull and especially their fellow Renault-engined team Lotus seem to be particularly behind the 8-ball, it is never a good idea to make judgements this early in the season. If any team has the monetary, technical and driver resources to dramatically improve as the season progresses, it’s Adrian Newey, Sebastian Vettel and their very commited energy drink company. The truth will out after the summer break when the technical improvements really come into play. With these radical new regulations it will be fascinating to see if Red Bull and Vettel can again outpace the field as the season wears on or if it will finally be a different constructor and driver’s time to shine for the first time in 4 years.
Qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix has already happened overnight (more on that later) and the race will air at approximately 2AM EST Sunday on NBCSports here in the States.
…occurred relatively early in last month’s Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, the inaugural race of the new Tudor United Sports Car Championship. And both drivers, Memo Gidley in the Gainsco Corvette Prototype and Matteo Malucelli in the Risi Competizione Ferrari, survived.
Truly, we are living in a golden age of race car safety. Yes, things can always be improved. But just 15 years ago one of these drivers probably would have perished. The fact that neither did is testament to the efforts of motorsports as a whole and to safety pioneers like Sid Watkins and Jackie Stewart. Every driver should say a word of thanks to those persistent crusaders for the ever-improving safety of their road going cars but especially if they are weekend racers, semi-pro or professional.
