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chalkrevelations · 2 years

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Ok ok ok. A couple of things about Vegas and about Pete and about Vegas and Pete before we all move on from Ep 6:

- Most significant thing about their interaction in Ep 6, for me, is that Pete is now on Vegas’ radar. I’ve talked before about how Vegas probably couldn’t pick Pete out of a lineup, but now we’re past that. I don’t know that Vegas sees him as anything particularly special yet, I don’t think he’s going to go out hunting, but I think it puts Pete in a dangerous position if oh, say, Vegas happened across him again, particularly in a situation that piqued Vegas’ interest. If you lined up Arm and Pol and Pete and Big and Ken and whatever other random assholes you had sitting around in the Bodyguard Ready Room, Vegas now would probably be able to point at Pete and say, well, that’s the dumbass who was tailing me, the one who was so incredibly easy to rattle with a condom and a little bit of smouldering at him, and I smoulder at people quite well, so if given the chance, why not play with this food a little bit before I eat it, like the mighty predator I am? This is what happens when you’re SO EASY TO RATTLE, Pete. Which leads me to:

- Pete is comfortable with violence. He is NOT comfortable with sex. And I wonder if one of the reasons Vegaspete is going to work is because the violence will paradoxically make him more comfortable as we edge toward the sex, if it will put him in a place where it’s something familiar he can respond to as he and Vegas play out some kind of games that intertwine violence and sex, along with the question of how much he’s just wired for masochism. (And I cannot tell you how much I would love to see some SM content, in particular, dealt with the same levels of complexity and respect we’ve already seen from this show in dealing with the complexities of Kinn’s and Porsche’s relationship.) Anyway, showing my work on this one: A) Violence he recognizes, he can deal with. He may usually be on Tankhun’s detail and stuck in the house, but Kinn didn’t think twice about taking him out with Ken while Big was down, in order to give Mes a beatdown, and Pete didn’t hesitate to do it. There was no flinching away from the actual act, no second-guessing it, and he looked like he knew what he was doing. I don’t know if I want to say that he can even relish violence, in some circumstances - although he looks a little reluctant to leave off kicking Mes in the ribs in order to babysit Porsche, if you ask me, and he kind of needs a second to collect himself - but I also have to wonder at Pete’s background, at what led him to his worldview that there are no heroes or villains, and what he might be keeping locked down behind the Bodyguard Facade. B) Pete is reduced to an idiot in the face of sexualized situations. (Also, corollary: Vegas is a walking sexualized situation, merely by existing. I’m not sure I even need to show my work on that.) I’d wondered if it was just Pete responding to the general threat Vegas poses, the way Pete seems SO uncomfortable whenever he draws Vegas’ notice, a kind of instinctive response to a predator, or maybe an outgrowth of what kind of intel they may have on Vegas and his proclivities ... but then I saw how Pete responded to the situation when he woke up in bed wrapped up in Porsche the morning after the first night out at the bar, both of them thisclose to kissing - the way he shoved Porsche flailing off one side of the bed, the way he tumbled off the other side in his haste to get away, and most importantly, the way he literally clutched his shirt closed over his chest like some kind of offended maiden. I don’t know precisely what is behind Pete’s discomfort with sex, yet, but it’s there. I think there’s a reason we keep catching Pete (literally) with his pants down and the way he panics about it when it happens, and it’s not just comic relief. I think it contrasts sharply with small details like his demeanor in Ep 5 when he’s hauling Tankhun home drunk (again), Porsche has fucked off on a date motorcycle ride with Vegas, and Kinn is so furious about everything in his own life that he can’t even decide what he wants done about Porsche and Vegas, but he knows he can (at least verbally) take it out on Pete. Pete’s standing there helping to keep Tankhun from hitting the floor, the Heir is spitting mad and giving contradictory messages about whatever the fuck is going on with Porsche, and Pete doesn’t look happy about being yelled at, but he doesn’t look at all rattled by it. This is, like, a day that ends in “y” for him (or, you know, the Thai equivalent of that). Just make up your mind and tell him what you want him to do, ffs, and can he please put Tankhun in bed first? By contrast, all Vegas has to do is lean against the roof of his car like a working girl offering a bj, and Pete turns into an idiot. It’s like every bit of Bodyguard training and cool oozes out of his brain via his ears, and I can’t help thinking that Big Daddy Chan would throw his hands up in despair on seeing him. NVM the box of condoms or that sly little stroke Vegas gives Pete’s hand with his thumb. Score: Pete 0, Vegas 1 million.

I can’t tell yet if it’s coincidence that Vegas chooses this weapon to rattle Pete on stakeout, if it’s just Vegas’ standard sexual predator MO, or if Vegas’ instincts have already picked up on Pete’s sexual hangups. Also, I have to wonder if part of Pete’s nervousness around Vegas is if he recognizes Vegas as someone who can deal out some sexualized pain, and Pete isn’t quite sure what to do with the fact of his own response to the idea of being the object of that kind of attention, rather than the one who’s performing the violence.

Anyway, I’m ready, Show. WHEN?

#vegas theerapanyakul #pete phongsakorn #vegaspete #kinnporsche #liveblogging ep 6 i guess #how we feeling vegaspete nation?

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angievores · 2 years

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SOME KINNPORSCHE CURIOSITIES AND SOME LITTLE THEORIES. It will be somewhat long.

*Does this picture symbolise that Korn is shaping the whole situation like even kinnporsche meeting.Reasons why I think so

1)these guys never planned to kill kinn. If he has the gun he could have shoot kinn before.but they chased him all the way upto Porsche bar and then other one stopped him like that. And they never chased him from there on. So they might be sent by korn. (Then does that girl was also sent by him, I don't know how they coordinated timing) but how does he know Porsche would help (maybe he always kept his eyes on Porsche and knew his nature). Or if they did were sent by Italian mafia only to beat kinn (the visible case) why they don't chase him after bar??

2)they weren't sent by Italian mafia.The conversation goes like "what the hell"" What happened "" Who did this". His bodyguard says"I have no idea sir".he says"bring those b**tards here, I will kill them ".If he sent them after kinn, he should know that it will definitely be kinn who did it. But it looks like he has no idea who these people are.

3) Korn thinks for some time (like planning a strategy to hire Porsche) and then says checkmate.,after kinn comes empty handed. (I now totally believe kinn isn't suitable heir, how could you kidnap someone and held them at gunpoint and then entrust them your life to protect) . Well after he says checkmate, Porsche got cornered and has to accept offer.

Is this low class mafia somewhere in kim's board. (But he could be connected to korn-mafia mafia relationship). It's like he deliberately give Porsche only one day (as maybe asked by korn). But even if kinnporsche meeting wasn't planned by korn, this situation must definitely be.

Here maybe his uncle does is telling truth. (But lost Porsche trust). Of course his last line of all pieces are complete also indicates this. But if he actually did this (can put his own son in danger) , I can't imagine what else can he do. Does he hurt kinn in past too, to compell him to become heir (that thing kim can sense so he quit). Theme of show is betrayal and kinn only trusts his father (will he get it from his own father)

But why Porsche is so important.Maybe some property issue as his mother said to not die before chay gets degree, (become adult). Or something else. But keeping Porsche by kinn side is advantageous to his future game plan. At the same time is disadvantageous to kan. Kan here seems to sense Porsche importance.

*The kidnapping in ep 5 was done by Kan(vegas father).The strongest reason is what else is his role then. @thatgirl4815 post has got me to thinking that. We talked about this in same post(TO KIDNAP OR TO KILL) https://thatgirl4815.tumblr.com/post/684564398661091328/interesting-i-do-think-its-a-bit-hazy-on-whether)The show seems to decipher that all cousins are victims to their father's ambitions. So all very bad works must be done by their fathers .Also he was also thinking something after talking to korn If they both know Porsche from before, he may identified him here. So tells Vegas to keep an eye on him. Also the only person who could kill both will be him(vegas don't wanna kill Porsche and korn don't wanna kill kinn) But it could be Vegas too but would he go as far as to kill them.

*edit-but there is one more person I suspect , korn. His reaction after hearing kinn is kidnapped was kinda weird (like, he miscalculated). I don't know what he wants from his son. Maybe he planned something for only Porsche, but saw variable. Then goons in ep 6 mighty be sent by someone else. I just know that he seems main villain and will Or had hurt kinn(whether intentionally or not).

*he says "mr macau, that's familiar". He looks Like he has heard this name many times.(It could be possible that chay and macau are besties then as many people said also that they go too same school). If it is true(Porsche heard macau from chay) I don't know how all three will react when they realize.

*why did he said that.?Is he gonna do something bad. Is it some sort of foreshadowing. I don't think I'll be able to handle it. Or it might be foreshadowing about Vegas who was just to come.

Look how much they love their khun nu in spa scene

*Is what time said here implies he cheated on tey.( watching it again after ep 6,kinn here looks so cute with his friends)

*kim at stage says something like "chasing your dream is worth it, if you love it even if you lose something along the way". So for achieving his dream of being a singer, he is ready to lose familial love. But then he suspects his own father. Has korn ever tried to play some game with him too? So he quit from family? Is his dream actually being singer or something else ? Or for protecting kinn from some papa korn's planning, he is ready to lose his singing career (so all this spying). But so far he seems like good character. And khun and kim are more aware of korn's tactics. (Another reason kinn isn't suitable heir, just let that man be happy, give it to Vegas or anyone)

*could khun's kidnapping and Porsche parents death are related.did they dies while saving khun? I don't think his uncle told him whole truth. Does khun remember Porsche?

#kinnporsche #kinnporsche the series #vegas theerapanyakul #papa korn #kinnporsche meta #arm kinnporsche

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thatgirl4815 · 2 years

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I can’t wait until Porsche gets even better and puts Big and Ken in their place. They act all high and mighty, but the fact is that Porsche is better in both skill and personality.

I don't think they're taking it out on him because his skills are subpar compared to their's. They're taking it out on him because Porsche was a disrespectful cheeky little shit when they first met, asking Khun Korn to make him their boss when his skill were shit compared to their's at the time in addition to pulling Ken's pants down and taking Big's gun who quickly showed Porsche his place one handed and handicapped...so.

Big and Ken are actually well liked and probably respected by the other guards, just look at the little encouraging pat Big gives Arm in episode 6 at the very beginning when Chan tells them to disperse and start looking for Kinn, and Arm is considered Porsche's friend not his antagonist...

I mean, if someone came into your job and started acting like a know-it-all, you'd probably want to bash their face in as well (sorry Porsche baby <3 ily) and given that Kinn encouraged them (episode 5 where they make him crawl on his chest on Kinn's order), up until this last episode, Big and Ken's attitude towards Porsche are actually quite tolerant of him and they're not really bullying him into anything harmful or deadly. Most of it are just taunts to unnerve him (when Big makes Porsche deliver the condoms and lube in episode 5).

That doesn't make their actions towards Porsche justified, of course, but remember that the episodes are framed from Porsche's (mainly) or Kinn's POV so obviously the audience will sympathize with Porsche and Kinn was either not reprimanding Big and Ken, or on the contrary, encouraging them.

Yeah, this all makes good sense. I think I gave that comment about how Porsche is better than both Big and Ken in terms of skill and personality out of my own annoyance with them, honestly. They have reasons to be frustrated with Porsche, and I understand that Kinn ordering Porsche's punishment after the drugging was probably highly satisfying for them, as they could finally unleash some of their pent-up rage directly onto him.

Porsche clearly annoys the bodyguards in Ep2, but Big has even stronger motivations to dislike him since Kinn has an interest in him. Ken has a bit of a rivalry with Porsche and is just generally disagreeable towards him...but I do understand how we're getting a one-dimensional view of their personalities in light of the show's perspective. Porsche is just waltzing in and acting like he knows best. And yeah, like you said, most of B&K's actions are just taunts to unnerve him.

...I think the main thing that has set me off is the fact that they punished Porsche so severely despite the fact that he was drugged. Good judgment would probably tell you not to drink anything while on the job (even if it does look safe), but I wouldn't exactly call Porsche's actions "careless" here. Kinn ordered the punishment, but I have a hard time believing he specifically directed what the punishment should be. When the bodyguards found Porsche drugged in the bedroom, they must've at least assumed that whoever drugged him had foul intentions. And when Ken said "he's all fine now" after they literally had just found him nearly passed out on the bed?? Bro, like...what???? Porsche might be rude and stuck up, but he's still a member of the team. I can fathom Big and Ken punishing him, but to that extent and severity was just cruel.

I'd definitely be annoyed with Porsche too if I was Big or Ken, but I just think that the brutality they expressed was really unnecessary given what Porsche had just gone through. Let's also not forget that Porsche hasn't been on the job for long, so obviously this is his first experience with this kind of thing. Big and Ken are probably used to it, but Porsche isn't.

And finally...I'm sorry if this is callous, but Big's unrequited love for Kinn honestly annoys me. I wanted to feel for the guy, I really did, but something about the way he's acting just infuriates me every time he's on screen. If anything, I want him to see Kinn and Porsche together even more so he can get even more jealous and Porsche can put him in his place...but I could honestly do without Big altogether.

#kinnporsche #kinnporsche the series #kinn porsche #kinn and porsche #kinn #porsche #kinn x porsche #porsche pachara #kinn anakinn #kinnporsche meta #Sorry Big but also #Not that sorry #Ask #kinnporsche ask #I hope I'm not the only one who hates Big and Ken this much but I just cannot with them

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pandasized-crevice · 2 years

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MY FRESH JUST WATCHED KINNPORSCHE EP12 THOUGHTS

porsche back on a motorcycle i LOVE TO SEE IT🥵

chay my baby:(:(🥺😭

CHAY NO WTF 😧

pol my beloved jester😚

hmm kinn didn't take anyone you say.......

ARM MY HUSBAND😍

code red?

PORSCHE COME ON MAN KINN ISNT CHEATING

DUDE WHAT HIS BUTTON IS A MICROPHONE?????!!!(arm ik thats your doing HE'S SO FUCKING COOL)

i love that arm is porsches accomplice in this

help about porsche?....WAIT WHAT 😀

mr spikes!!

pete my love☺️

don't expose vegas like this pete....

DENIED ACCESS

porsche:(:(

YALL MY HEART HURTING RN

and this godforsaken sad song playing in the fucking background STOP

pottery time with korn

AYO KORN JUST SPILLING THE CAR CRASH BEANS LIKE THAT?!

oh girl if its not one thing ITS ANOTHER WHEN WILL PORSCHE BE AT PEACE

pretty moon shoot🌕💜

NO MR SPIKES:( BRO IVE GROWN ATTACHED

lets escape pete come on babe

goddammit pete won't leave not when vegas looks like a sad miserable thing

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 😫MR SPIKES😭😭😭

pretty lights in the captivity room🫶

A Y OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

if i had a nickle for eveytime a guy with a name starting with P surprise kisses a theerapanyakul🧐🤨, id have two nickles

anyway- AAAAAHHHHH WE GOING VEGASPETERS🚨😶🏃

omg the grip on the chains...

OMG BARE CHEEK GRABBING?SMOOCHING BITING😧

oh my god dude WHAT ELSE CAN I SAY

AND THE FEET ARE CHAINED?!?!

where are bible and builds awards?THEY ARE NEEDED ASAP🧎‍♀️🧎‍♀️🫅🫅

omg petes smile? BYE YALL

O H?! KINN AND CHAY INTERACTION TIME

royal farmhouse bread hey girl🥴

the couple is being sweet,it's chays time to flee🏃

yall better not do another bread kiss....

B R O KINN PLEASE

wait so they're living at porsches instead?

kinn is so sappy i love him

gotta give royal farmhouse her solo shot

TAY!!!!!!🥰🥰

yes tay & porsche friendship it's what we deserve

these fools bro💀

noodle product placement yuh

tay my love:( FUCK TIME BRO ALL MY HOMIES HATE TIME

its freaking jom and tem FUCKING BET ITS GONNA GET WEIRD

dammit its korn

THE DRIVER AYO👁

DANG WE CAN'T KILL HIM

MY PORSCHE DESERVES EVERYTHING IM CRYING TOO SHIT

TRAILER SCENE TRAILER SCENE BE MY BODYGUARD

the l i n e yall

BYE i'm sobbing don't look for me

kinn🕴🏻 🤨im waiting for you to say i love you to porsche 👁👁

kim looking mighty fine...😵‍💫..MIGHTY FINE

hair product placement nice

AH SHIT CHAYS GOING GOOD BOY GONE BAD

chay's friend super cute🫣

oh when porsche finds out he'll be p i s s e d

WEEWOO WEEWOO A PREDATOR WITH THE DRUGS🚨🚨

OH HEY KIM..……..well after that mark me down as scared AND horny

i'm with kinnewww bugs

you're both pretty lets get that straight

the worst bug of them all😠

SHIT MORE FUCKING QUESTIONS NO REST FOR PORSCHE

#cellulars fjwkpt #kinnporsche #kinnporsche the series #thai series #thai bl series #it’s getting juicy in KP land #and with only 2 eps left….#good luck charlie #i love kinnporsche

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chaos0pikachu · 2 years

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Do you think Kinn is doing a good job in his role as a leader in the mafia? I'm seeing people shit on his abilities after episode 10 for Big's death and amnesia over Pete but Idk shit happens. I imagine it similar to management. Managing people and are constantly putting out fires. He's been doing that since we've seen him on screen so I'm sure he's over whelmed with that amount of things he has to do. He'll make mistakes but he's human. And unfortunately people die in this line of work. I think a lot of people forget that things he's done well and hyper focus on what's gone wrong, which seems to be the norm for this fandom when it comes to Kinn.

Anon I am so sorry mi chepie you sent this last week but I'm a KP cryptid I only show up on Saturdays for the day and Sundays for a couple hours before disappearing

I do think people hyper focus on negatives - as seen via the all mighty algorithm - over the positives. IDK why I'm not a psychiatrist.

I don't think Kinn is a "bad" boss, he's rather conscientious from what we've seen. He's constantly weighing pros and cons, taking into consideration multiple points of view, and deferring to people more experienced than himself (Korn and Chan). Kinn can be reckless at times, and emotional in others. Overall however I think Kinn tries really hard to be selfless in the face of the good of the betterment of the family as whole.

Like, okay let's compare the main family with the second family. Vegas - and Gun - put on a good show that the second family treated their members as "family" (ep07) but it was ultimately a facade. A falsehood. Vegas isn't shown to be close to any of his members, and given what we've seen of Gun, it's doubtful he's close to any singular member either. What appears to be casual and therefore more likable and down-to-earth take on "leading" is in reality a way to put up a different kind of appearance and a strong distance.

Contrast with the way Kinn tries to keep himself isolated emotionally from others - b/c of his own traumas - and yet his team continues to remain (mostly rip Ken) loyal to a fault and more so, invested in Kinn's well being. Pete wouldn't be trying to give Kinn advice (ep05) regarding his and Porsche's relationship if he didn't care about Kinn's well being. Arm wouldn't be rooting for Porsche and Kinn's romance if he wasn't invested in their equal well being. Big wouldn't have fallen in love and sacrificed himself for Kinn if Kinn was truly a terrible boss.

Folks need to think about it this way, Kinn takes responsibility for Big's death, he feels he messed up and could have done better by his members. Good leaders recognize when they make mistakes or when they need room for improvement. Bad leaders ignore accountability, and refuse to self-reflect on their own flaws or short-comings.

Kinn in ep11 not only remembered Pete, but knows Pete well enough, and cared enough, to call his grandmother and check-in on him.

While Kinn, and by extension the main family, appear to keep their members at a distance with their ridge rules and formalities we see that it's the opposite. Arm, Pol, Pete, Big, and Chan are all thoroughly loyal to the main family and more than that, invested in seeing the family thrive.

So no, I don't think Kinn's a bad boss, I think folks took that scene with Arm in ep10 to literally (and misunderstood Arm's silence completely). Kinn still has a lot of growing and learning to do as boss, but that comes with more time and experience.

#kinnporsche the series #chaos pikachu answers

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join-us-friends · 3 years

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The salt n pepper ii humanizations are too cute!

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dipulb3 · 3 years

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The 2021 Porsche 911 Turbo is just as superb without the S

New Post has been published on https://appradab.com/the-2021-porsche-911-turbo-is-just-as-superb-without-the-s/

The 2021 Porsche 911 Turbo is just as superb without the S

A ray of sunshine on a bitterly cold day.

Tim Stevens/Roadshow

I confess to having some unusually fond feelings about winter-driven Porsche 911s. Growing up in southern Vermont in the ’80s, the nexus of East Coast skiing, it was a mighty special thing to see a sports car winding its way along the sand-covered roads of winter. Those lucky enough to have such a toy tended to leave them locked away, sipping from a trickle charger until sometime well after mud season.

Epic suspension

Practicality and mad speed

Eye-popping acceleration

Don’t Like

People asking why you didn’t get the S

But in those rare times when I spotted a performance machine heading up to the mountains, like a bird that had missed its migration, it would inevitably be a 911 — usually with a ski rack perched on the back at a jaunty angle. I didn’t know at the time why it was always the teardrop-shaped German machines that came out to play in the snow, but seeing them soldiering on in all seasons had a strong, endearing effect.

Why the nostalgic preamble? Because, nearly 40 years later, the sight of a 911 sitting in my icy driveway on a set of winter tires was a special thing. It was with no shortage of significance that I strapped my own implement to the roof and headed up to the slopes. OK, so I ride a snowboard instead of a pair of sticks, but the effect was still the same. I had chills all the way up the mountain — and please don’t read that as a knock against Porsche’s heated seats.

Heated seats are just one of the luxuries that you wouldn’t have found in a 930-generation 911 Turbo, of the sort I might have seen in the ’80s. Likewise, the modern, 992-generation 911 Turbo I drove made 572 horsepower, nearly twice that of the fastest Turbos in the ’80s. Intimidating? Not really, because the modern car’s suspension, brakes and, perhaps most importantly, active safety systems have seen similarly huge advancements.

That’s an important thing when you’re wielding a car this powerful on roads as questionable as those found in a winter in the Northeast. My trip to Vermont wasn’t quite as snowy as it had been earlier in the year, when I was lucky enough to make the same jaunt in a crimson 718 Cayman T. A few months of thaws and freezes had compacted the powdery landscape to a slippery sheen. Once-snowy roads were now hard-packed and frozen, as you can see in these photos. (That’s not a frozen lake I stopped on to shoot the Turbo, that’s a parking lot.)

Importantly, those fenders are just as swole as they are on the S.

Tim Stevens/Roadshow

Conditions like this gave rise to the belief that if you can ski the East you can ski anywhere. I’d like to extend that further: If you can drive on ice like this you can drive on anything. The Turbo, despite the lack of studs on its Goodyear Ultra Grip tires, is surefooted and eminently confident when driven in a reasonable manner.

However, dip deeper into the throttle, ask a little more, and the monster within here is quickly revealed. There’s more than enough power to spin the wheels in the dry, so even lightly salted asphalt presents a challenge when driven hard. Ice is something best handled with a gentle right foot and quick hands on the wheel, but the Turbo is a very willing partner. A saucy one, too. I’m surprised how much power the differential continues to send to the rear wheels even when grip has been completely lost. A more pedestrian car would be locking every differential it could or, more likely, just shutting down things completely.

This isn’t the full-fat 911 Turbo S mind you, which I reviewed about a year ago. As such, the yellow Turbo you see here made do with 68 fewer horsepower and 37 fewer pound-feet of torque. On the open road, where law and civility abide, you’d never know the difference. Even on the track I don’t think most folks would tell. The 0-to-60-mph sprint of 2.7 seconds may be one tenth slower than the S, but it’s still plenty enough to dazzle.

Most importantly, the Turbo offers the same wonderful suspension tuning as found on the S, augmented here by the ($1,510 optional) PASM upgrade. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again that the 911 is at its best when driven hard over uneven roads. While the prodigious power offered by the Turbo means you’ll need to be a little careful before deploying your right foot to its maximum extent, this yellow sled absorbed the worst of the heaves and cracks that had formed on the roads throughout a hard winter. I needn’t have been concerned about the low-profile tires.

Fantastic for all four seasons.

Tim Stevens/Roadshow

On more gentle roads, the 911 Turbo is a very comfortable way to get from A to B. Sure, it’s a bit low, but the seats support you in all the right places without squeezing the wrong ones, there’s no shortage of headroom, plenty of shoulder room and, while the two back seats are comically small, between those and the frunk there’s plenty enough baggage space for a week away somewhere special. In fact, I could have stored my snowboard inside the cabin by laying back the passenger seat had I wanted to. But, nobody wants a heavy, sharp-edged implement floating around in the cabin on a spirited drive. Besides that, it just looked too damn good stuck on the rear glass and carbon fiber roof with a Seasucker rack.

That roof was a $3,890 Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur option, just one of many niceties that ballooned this $172,150 car, including $1,350 destination, up to a $220,300 final price. Well, those options and a $1,000 gas guzzler tax thanks to the Turbo’s EPA rating of 15 mpg city, 24 mpg highway and 20 mpg combined. Other notable options here include $5,500 for those lovely 20-inch front and 21-inch rear wheels, $2,770 for the nose lift (useful this time of year) and $3,020 for the Porsche InnoDrive system, which includes adaptive cruise and lane-keep assist.

In fact, you can option the 911 Turbo to have all the bells and whistles of the higher-trim Turbo S if you’re so inclined, even the ceramic brakes and Lightweight Design package. It’s possible, but I’d say if you’re going to go through that trouble you might as well just get the S in the first place. As sweet as this car drives and looks, were I lucky enough to be configuring a Turbo I’d probably go a little lighter on the options boxes. Well, I’d try to, anyway.

The 2021 Porsche 911 Turbo is remarkably good and won’t leave you missing those 68 meagre horses. It was a delight on my sprint to ski country, and not just because I got to live the other side of a special scene I’d witnessed as a kid. It felt good to be bringing smiles to the faces of all who saw this yellow machine slicing through the depths of winter. And really, how could you not smile at this?

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brandonnatali · 4 years

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2021 Porsche 911 Targa 4S First Drive: Dilettante or Masterpiece?

Close your eyes and concentrate on the word “targa.” What does your mind’s eye see? Something with a Porsche badge on the hood, I’m guessing. For me—probably because I own a $500 one—my brain locks onto the Porsche 914.

However, I’d guess that for most car-lovers out there, an old (though still lovely) Porsche 911 Targa leaps to mind. Maybe even a soft-window one from 1967. Point is, you think Porsche, even though (almost) every Corvette coupe since 1984 sports a targa roof. Out of the dozens of targa-roofed cars (targa just means a roof panel that pops off while the B-pillars stay put) that have been built—we’re talking everything from the Suzuki Cappuccino to the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse—Porsche was lucky and/or smart enough to copyright the word “Targa” back in 1965.

Ironically, the last version of the Porsche 911 Targa featured anything but a simple, removable panel that you toss in the trunk. The retraction and deployment of the 991 Targa’s lid was an impressive mechanical ballet that conjured up the full monty of cliché watchmaking vocabulary—escapement, tourbillon, rattrapante, complication—you get the point. But it worked. The 991 Targa’s roof worked so well that for the new 992 2021 Porsche 911 Targa, it’s using the same one. Yes, really.

At this point in my relationship with the 992 generation of the Porsche 911, I’m looking for bad things to say. Not only was the Carrera S our 2019 Best Driver’s Car, but each successive iteration released has been better and better, culminating with the mighty, borderline ridiculous Turbo S that’s been kicking sand in the face of every car we could throw at it. Is the new Targa a variant too far? Has that extra weight from that Gordian Knot of a roof—plus the weight of the AWD hardware—doomed the slick, sexy droptop to a place of irrelevance in Porsche’s sports car pantheon? Has being not quite a coupe while not quite a convertible rendered the Targa as nothing more than a $136,550 (base price) multitool? Look, I ‘m reaching here. Not only is the answer to both questions a resounding no, but I think I’m in love. Stupid Porsche.

What Makes it Go?

Mechanically, the 2021 Porsche Targa 4S is nearly identical to other 992 generation 911s. The body is actually based on the Cabriolet, but because the Targa roof mechanism weighs a bit more, the front/rear weight distribution is different, and as such the dampers and spring rates have been ever-so-slightly retuned. Emphasis—from what I understand—on ever-so-slightly. In terms of powertrain, the Targa’s literally identical to other Carreras. In the 4S, the dry-sumped, twin-turbo 3.0-liter flat-six mill produces 443 hp and 390 lb-ft. of torque; the Targa 4 makes 379 hp and 331 lb-ft. The transmission is the eight-speed Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) dual-clutch unit found in other 992s. Honestly, I pored over a gigabyte of official Porsche documents, and the only thing that makes the Targa different is that roof. But what a roof!

As Gorgeous as 911s Get

Have I swallowed the Targa Kool-Aid? Let’s go with yes because to me, in my mind, no 911 is better looking than a Targa. They just do it for me. That brushed magnesium B-pillar bar or hoop—first introduced on the 991 Targa, and a callback to the original—is just so choice.

Actually, choice is the right word, as you can see from the photos that the yellow car I drove had the $700 black B-pillar option. After thinking about this (insanely first-world) dilemma for a couple of days, I know the answer: Buy two Targas. Kidding? Maybe, but remember the average 911 owner earns more than $600,000 a year.

The Targa also looks better than the Cabriolet. It just does. The Cab’s beltline rises too high, meaning its butt is too up in the air. Although the Convertible 911 is lovely with its top up, the Targa just looks better. Yes, I’m into the looks. Sue me. Can I be critical? Sure. The ride height is too high, especially when you’re looking at the staggered, 20-inch front wheel. The inevitable Targa GTS will fix that while adding another 40 or so hp (figure 475 hp); however, it’s nice to drive a 992 that doesn’t need a front-end lift.

How’s it Drive?

Roof open or closed, the freeway manners of this 2021 Porsche Targa 4S are impressive. I always pick on McLaren in this situation—because it is the supercar maker that first began bragging about “Rolls-Royce ride quality”—but Porsche has won the damping wars. Other sports cars do not ride as well. Full stop. With the roof down in Normal mode, the Targa 4S is just as lux feeling as a Mercedes SL or BMW 8 Series Convertible, with an even sweeter, subtler ride. Set the optional adaptive cruise control, and forget it.

However, should you suddenly find yourself stuck behind a car going much slower than you’d like, simply give the throttle about 10 percent more, the brilliant transmission drops from eighth to fifth gear, and you’re back at your preferred cruising velocity within moments. Once there, you are free to contemplate exactly how much testing, engineering, and programming went into that specific, ghost in the machine-quality shift.

This particular Racing Yellow Targa is close to what we like to call a “journalist special,” meaning it’s been specced with every performance option possible, and hardly a spare dime has been spent on the cabin. True, there’s some nondescript black leather on the dash and doors, and the checkerboard Sport-Tex seat inserts from Porsche Exclusive are nifty indeed. Still, the interior could be much finer. All one would have to do is spend the bucks.

Twist the cheap-feeling Drive Mode knob (it’s been cheap-feeling since it debuted in the 918 Spyder) sticking out of the bottom right half of the steering wheel to Sport, and the Targa 4S becomes more battened down. The throttle response improves, the engine’s pulse quickens, and the dampers adjust accordingly. The Porsche transforms from a luxurious cruiser to a shockingly capable and effective sports car. Balanced, powerful, intuitive, and fun: You find yourself wondering why other carmakers even bother. Look at what these Stuttgarten car nerds can do! It’s not fair.

Sledgehammering my way around twists and turns, I found myself enchanted by the gentle tug from the front wheels. Like most AWD performance cars, there’s a feeling of solidity and confidence you just don’t get from rear-drivers. That’s most of the time; there are exceptions to all rules. The first 10 corners feel flabbergastingly quick, then you acclimate to the speeds that the car is capable of and just marvel.

Sport mode was on the tighter, lower speed portion of the road. The big, world-class twisties of Angeles Crest lay ahead. Now’s the time to rotate that knob to Sport Plus. Things get more serious. My pace picks up from say eight-tenths to nine. This is about as hard as I’ll drive on public roads; you got to leave a safety margin. But, by pushing the Targa 4S a little harder, you find the rub. This Targa is after all “just” a 4S. It’s not the upcoming GTS, nor a Turbo with that fancy pants new PASM Sport. It’s not from Porsche’s GT division. The staggered tires—yeoman Pirelli P Zeros sized 245/35/ZR20 in front, 305/30/ZR21 rear—begin squealing. Not horribly, and mostly in tight, second-gear corners, but squealing nonetheless. That AWD tug I was praising a moment ago, well, I realize that it’s actually a tradeoff: A pinch of steering feel is swapped out for a spoonful of grip. I wouldn’t call it understeer (though, there’s a skosh), but rather as the 4S approaches its limits, the behavior becomes less predictable and more erratic. Nothing fatal mind you, but there’s a spike in the graph.

Conclusion

This Targa 4S ain’t cheap; $181,840 as-tested isn’t quite enough to get you into a Turbo S (you’d need another $25K), but you could drive off with the upcoming GT3. Worth the money then? Depends on how often you drive like a person fleeing a robbed bank. The 4S actually drives quite similarly to the new Turbo S Cabriolet without the Weissach-fettled PASM Sport suspension. That’s good—great even—when you’re talking performance, but not superlative. A forgivable sin? Obviously, because let’s face it: How often are you actually driving your own car the way I’m paid to absolutely thrash on these things? Be honest. Right, about once. Still, I can’t deny the fact that there’s a small voice chattering away in the back of my skull about other 992s I’ve driven that are better. See, the trouble is, you and I know what the Porsche 992 platform is capable of. Am I saying we wait for the even sportier Targa GTS and spend the extra $20K or so? Yeah, I think I am. Stupid Porsche.

2021 Porsche 911 Targa 4S BASE PRICE $136,550 LAYOUT Rear-engine, AWD, 2+2-pass, 2-door convertible ENGINE 3.0L/443-hp/390-lb-ft twin-turbo DOHC 24-valve flat-6 TRANSMISSION 8-speed twin-clutch auto CURB WEIGHT 3,700 lb (MT est) WHEELBASE 96.5 in L x W x H 177.9 x 72.9 x 51.2 in 0-60 MPH 3.0 sec (MT est) EPA FUEL ECON 16/23/19 mpg (est) ENERGY CONSUMPTION, CITY/HWY 211/147 kW-hrs/100 miles (est) CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB 1.05 lb/mile (est) ON SALE Fall 2020

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perksofwifi · 4 years

Text

2021 Porsche 911 Targa 4S First Drive: Dilettante or Masterpiece?

What Makes it Go?

As Gorgeous as 911s Get

How’s it Drive?

This particular Racing Yellow Targa is close to what we like to call a “journalist special,” meaning it��s been specced with every performance option possible, and hardly a spare dime has been spent on the cabin. True, there’s some nondescript black leather on the dash and doors, and the checkerboard Sport-Tex seat inserts from Porsche Exclusive are nifty indeed. Still, the interior could be much finer. All one would have to do is spend the bucks.

Conclusion

The post 2021 Porsche 911 Targa 4S First Drive: Dilettante or Masterpiece? appeared first on MotorTrend.

https://www.motortrend.com/cars/porsche/911/2021/2021-porsche-911-targa-4s-first-drive/ visto antes em https://www.motortrend.com

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adriansmithcarslove · 4 years

Text

2021 Porsche 911 Targa 4S First Drive: Dilettante or Masterpiece?

What Makes it Go?

As Gorgeous as 911s Get

How’s it Drive?

Conclusion

The post 2021 Porsche 911 Targa 4S First Drive: Dilettante or Masterpiece? appeared first on MotorTrend.

via RSSMix.com Mix ID 8134279 https://ift.tt/3gY2evW

#IFTTT #RSSMix.com Mix ID 8134279

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savetopnow · 6 years

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2018-04-05 14 CAR now

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gtr24h · 4 years

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ACC Sprint Series continued at England with a blast!

Brands Hatch – Grass, gravel, no room for error. Farewell, modern design – welcome to the old school. With so many current circuits lined by tarmac and astroturf, it is refreshing to see what is undoubtedly a blast from the past. And, as seen today, long history does not make something obsolete. In fact, quite the contrary! The 3.9km (2.4 mile) loop from Paddock Hill to Clark Curve provides a challenge quite unlike anywhere else. Elevation change, technical corners, terrifyingly fast bends and no room for error. Combined with laptimes just over 80 seconds, the drivers would have to brave those turns time and time again. It’s one thing to put in a fast qualifying lap here – a whole other to do it for 2 hours. And speaking of qualifying, well, let’s see what happened there shall we? Qualifying Here’s an interesting question: What would you do when armed with a modern GT3 racer and told to go for it? Why, if you are one of these guys, you’d dutifully oblige. Brands Hatch is not the easiest venue to pass in, being known as one of the more technical circuits in our calendar. As such, hitting your marks and getting near the front in qualifying was going to be all the more important. Clearly, the drivers had done their homework in that regard – none so better than Musto GD e-Sports! With the Italian ace Pierluca Amato behind the wheel, they had managed to make that Porsche downright fly around this iconic circuit. None could match his pace, not even their sister team Musto GD Corse – but it wasn’t for the lack of trying. Alessio Pusceddu showed some promising pace but just couldn’t quite match the pole time. Still, no shame in 2nd place – especially if it meant an all-Musto, all-Porsche front row! Behind them, Burst Esport SimPlexity brought their Lexus to a respectable third place. With drivers like that, no wonder! Two pilots with world championship series pedigree, it was the EEWC GTE champion Jesper Pedersen who had to perhaps surprisingly watch from the sidelines as Casper Henningsen took the qualifying honours. Championship leading Triple A Esports shared the second row with them, and it would certainly be interesting to see if their fortunes would continue. A duo of World’s Fastest Gamer Hany Alsabti and his teammate Alexandre Vromant were the favourites heading into Brands Hatch, with the latter doing the qualifying. In row 3, Team Rookie Monsters and hometown hero Matt Beavis started alongside EURONICS Gaming Team Razer. Behind them, it was Simply Race Zansho in their #370 making Bentley Boys proud, while the two Buttler-Pal Motorsport teams and #23 Simply Race rounded out your top 10. Race Well, that’s that done. We have our fastest drivers and they are placed in an order of pure, raw speed. Thanks for watch- Oh, what do you mean it is not over? Yes, despite being a hard track to make moves in, one still has to race. And one still has to hold on to the positions gained against those constantly looking to improve their own standing over the next two hours. Scenes were painted from dreadful to terrible as people predicted all sorts of mayhem and melee heading into the first couple of corners. Meanwhile, viewers at home started getting their last fill of snacks in, prepared a couple of refreshing beverages, and got themselves in a nice, comfortable position. It was time to go racing! At the front the two Musto GD teams continued from where they left off in qualifying. They were looking to put that proverbial boot on the throats of their opposition right from the get-go. However, it’s not like Burst, Triple A, or Rookie Monsters were planning to just roll over and turn blue. They were just too busy fighting among themselves to really pay attention! Despite it being a long event, the name of the game was not patience. Drivers went side by side from the more traditional passing zones like Druids all the way into the downright suicidal ones like Sheene Curve. And yet – a testament to the skill of our competitors – there was little in the way of incidents, and outright wrecks were almost completely avoided. Few door mirrors and a hurt ego or two were the most significant casualties of the early scraps, as drivers shuffled time and time again. In a pack like this, one mistake could mean four, five positions lost. A little too relaxed of a style means you are easy prey for the pack of wolves behind, while going too aggressive risks angering not only those around you but also the live stewards, who kept their eagle eyes glued to the proceedings. It was a pressure chamber, surely someone would soon crack…? Starting from the sixth place, EURONICS Gaming Team Razer tried their best to get themselves in the front. At lap 30, their day was about to go a whole lot worse, though, as a rather ambitious attempt on the Team Rookie Monsters car left them facing a drive-through for their troubles. But merely a massive fight for positions this event was not. There was an element of method to the madness, too, and one had to be as keen strategically as they were in the driving department. It was time for the crews to prepare for their one and hopefully only stop of the race. Who had managed to save a bit of fuel? Where was the gap in traffic, and what could be the most opportune of times to dive down the lane? The clicks of wheel guns and rushed footsteps echoed amidst the engines and squealing tyres as one team after another came in and did their mandatory service, starting drivers hurrying off their heated machines as they were subbed with a fresh pair of hands and eyes. Needless to say, they were unlikely to get a nice breather in – no, they were probably already prepared to take over from where their teammates left off. Doing the best job in the pit sequence was undoubtedly Burst Esport SimPlexity. Henningsen picked exactly the right time to come in and as Jesper Pedersen jumped behind the wheel and put in some blistering laps, he soon found himself at the front of the pack with clear road ahead. We have seen Burst being absolutely divine over on Endurance eRacing World Championship, and looks like they were not planning to be classified as also-rans here either. Triple A were chasing second in the trot, with Hany Alsabti putting the chase on the leading Lexus. Previous leaders Musto GD e-Sports were reduced to third place and Tiziano Brioni was starting to crack. His pace was simply not good enough, and little mistake here followed a mishap there. The gap ahead grew steadily, and by the time the drivers headed towards the final half an hour, the question was less if they could catch up and more if they could hold on! Mike Epps in the Simply Race Zansho Bentley was coming, and he was coming fast. With such a short track and the amount of cars squeezed onto the space, it is obvious that blue flags and lapped cars would eventually come into the picture. Backmarkers generally did a good job in getting out of the way, though, so neither of the third place contenders were too badly affected. So, Epps was able to catch up thanks largely to his raw pace. Brioni could soon see the winged B looming in his mirrors. Spectators were primed for a great battle, but instead the Italian went wide at the penultimate corner – Stirlings – and promptly found himself out of the champagne places. As for the other Musto GD entry? Well, the #98 held onto second place all the way up to the pit stops, but was relegated to fifth place for the second half of the race. There was little that Daniele Primavera could do, but they were still in a great points-scoring position. The qualifying pace is undoubtedly there, but the Musto boys would need to get their Porsche working over the race distance, too. So, with less than ten minutes on the clock, the battles raged on. Crowd was cheering not only for the Astons, Bentleys, and Maccas, but also for the #52 Pulse SimSport entry. With two local lads driving their hearts out for a top-10, it was looking good. However, a miscalculation with the fuel reared its ugly head in the minutes of the race, and as a result Myles Dixon had no choice but to dive into the lane. They were able to resume, but a 15th place is unlikely to feel more than a participation award at that point. Going back to front, there was another source of drama with just couple of laps remaining. Race control was investigating Hany Alsabti in the #762 Triple A Esports car, and if guilty, they would surely lose that second place to the charging Simply Race Zansho! Mike Epps was fast capturing the hearts of Britain. Sure, he had shown his pace behind the wheel of a real car before, yet in such a field there were few who expected Mike to be quite this impressive. Nobody could catch Jesper Pedersen and the Burst eSport SimPlexity Lexus. They were mighty impressive in the second hour of the race and played the strategy game just right. The praise from both Ewan O’Leary and Aidan Millward in the commentary booth was well deserved. Hany Alsabti brought the #762 Triple A home in second place, but with the threat of a penalty looming was looking a little unsure after the event. And as said, #370 Simply Race Zansho rounded out the podium. There were few that smiled brighter than Mike Epps, and no wonder! The Brit has a great future ahead of him, no doubt about that one. Thanks to all our sponsors for making this championship possible, and massive credit to Peter Munkholm for handling the broadcast with his trademark expertise. Credit is also due for our live stewards Jon F. Turell, Paw Lindegaard, and Nick Newcombe. We’ll see you in two weeks at Zolder for what will hopefully be yet another fantastic race! Read the full article

#acc #ACCSprint #brandshatch #burstesport #Series #SimplyRace #sprint #TripleA

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eddiejpoplar · 6 years

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First Drive: 2019 Aston Martin V8 Vantage

PORTIMAO, Portugal — The shade of lime green splashed across the Algarve International Circuit’s paddock is not what Aston Martin apologists, or average blokes for that matter, would call beautiful. The hue is a peculiar mix of highlighter-yellow and acid green, a visual shock clearly intended to provoke—not unlike the sharply creased silhouette of the new V8 Vantage that represents Aston’s second salvo at modern reinvention.

For a company that’s only seen two years of profitability in its 105-year history, the time is nigh for the seasoned marque to find a new voice. Though the DB11, introduced in 2016, was kissed with a touch of contemporary design language in the form of aerodynamic curlicues and a subtly pointed tail, it also kept a foot planted in the grand touring vernacular intended to satisfy the tweedy old world set. So far the efforts have paid off for Aston, with the DB11 fueling a meteoric turnaround in revenue last year. But now is a critical time to expand the repertoire and engage a younger, more daring demographic. Now is the time for the V8 Vantage.

Playing the role of the DB11’s mischievous little brother who just might have been sired by the randy milkman, the V8 Vantage is out to crash the Porsche/Bentley/Mercedes-AMG rager and hopefully not end up in the corner wearing a lampshade hat. It’s a car Aston aims squarely at the mighty Porsche 911—one of the most enduring, incalculably honed sports car stalwarts in automotive history. No big deal, right?

Externally, the Vantage’s form is guided by function, not pretense. There are no lavish overhangs or gratuitous French curves. Rather, sheetmetal seems to hug, stretch, and bulge over its underpinnings and wheel edges with purposefulness: think Frank Gehry, not Frank Lloyd Wright. Up front, Aston’s traditional “hill-climb” aperture has been traded for a more minimal maw. “Shock, horror, it doesn’t have an Aston Martin grille,” taunts head designer Marek Reichman. “Why would we put 15 or 20 kilos of weight on the furthest point forward in a sports car? The mouth is about servicing and breathing the engine, and cooling the brakes.”

Fair enough. There are other points of aesthetic contention as well, among them the tiny LED headlamps dotting the sloping nose—which, for what it’s worth, would not look out of place on a vehicle that hails from the Far East. “This is about function,” Reichman insists. “It’s got incredibly small lights because there’s an incredibly small package space. The dynamic turning envelope of the [20-inch] wheel and tire leaves you with very little space.” Moving along to the middle section, extractors—provocatively accented in a contrasting color and texture—draw high-pressure airflow away from the wheel wells and engine compartment. At the rear, a massive diffuser creates 169 pounds of downforce at the claimed vMax of 195 mph. Why not a nice round double century? “Everybody would love a 200 mph car,” says Aston senior vehicle engineering manager Craig Jamieson, “but this is a sports car with a short final drive, not a supercar.” The rear axle ratio of 2.93, versus the DB11’s statelier 2.7, works with the same ZF sourced 8-speed automatic transmission to dispatch a 0 to 60 mph time of 3.5 seconds. Not bad, Aston, not bad.

Though the Vantage shares suspension architecture like the front double wishbone/rear multilink setup with the DB11, the new car is tuned with a considerably more aggressive setup. Similarly, the Mercedes-AMG sourced 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 produces the same 503 horsepower output as the DB11 V8, though its intake, exhaust, and mapping yields a punchier 505 lb-ft of torque (versus 498) delivered with a sharper ramp up, plateauing between 2,000 and 5,000 rpm. Its extruded aluminum chassis, also derived from the DB11, claims 70 percent new parts.

The rain is slow and steady at Portimão’s Algarve International Circuit, and it’s finally time to slide behind the wheel and spread the pretty beads of moisture across the Vantage’s Lime Essence paint. The cabin, for those already steeped in Aston Martin convention, departs from protocol by utilizing a decidedly less precious, more masculine design. Rather than a waterfall dashboard delicately adorned in veneer, the center stack features an unapologetic array of a fixed 8-inch LCD screen, HVAC controls, and a cluster of buttons. The individual PRND transmission buttons are now in a chevron, not a row. A small, stitched leather patch occupies an area where a future manual transmission will reside, much to the presumable delight of Luddite diehards.

The first laps in the wet are run with the drivetrain in Sport (the least aggressive throttle/exhaust setting), and stability control in default mode. Discretion being the better part of valor, the conservative configuration almost immediately provides more intervention than it’s worth, with the torquey engine easily breaking the rear tires loose and the stability control violently yanking them back. Trying Sport+ and Track mode during the next session yields a considerably smoother, more intuitive dynamic. Moderation is still the order of the day, especially with decent amounts of water accumulating on this 2.9 miles of rising and falling tarmac. But the Vantage now plays far more nicely with the itchy right foot, allowing decent amounts of yaw angle before it overloads on sliding and the car’s axis is tugged back on track.

The watery conditions are unfortunate on any track, but particularly so with the Vantage because its tuning seems focused on handling, with a strong side order of torque. Regardless, my kinesthetic feedback loop corroborates the Aston’s measured 50/50 weight distribution; barring dumb moves like excessive turn-in during relatively slow corners (been there, plowed that), the Vantage turns in easily and tracks responsively mid-corner, conveying a sense of willingness to rotate when provided appropriately thoughtful inputs. Part of this comes from the relatively low polar moment of inertia thanks to the engine being shoved against the firewall. Lift the bonnet, and it seems there could be enough space to house a keg in there, if not for the big ol’ airboxes.

Speaking of airboxes, the optional quad exhaust system sampled at the track extracts some pleasingly sonorous sounds from the V-8. The tuning here is a tad raspier and focused on mid-frequency notes than in the AMG application, which is bit more guttural and, well, German sounding. The turbocharged setup differs greatly though from the naturally aspirated song of the old Vantage’s 4.7-liter V-8, which came alive with an incomparable level of musicality (second only, of course, to the now-defunct naturally aspirated V-12). Regardless, the new mill’s optional pipes make solid use of the venerable V-8 configuration, offering a pleasantly raw edge that complements the Vantage’s aggressive visual style.

The 8-speed auto performs consistently well with the powerful engine, delivering appropriately aggressive shifts and downshifts when summoned via the large, stationary polished aluminum paddles. Track composure is also aided by Aston’s first use of an electronic differential, which can apply up to 2,500 newton meters (1,843 lb-ft) of clamping force to help stabilize the car. The feature is a welcome addition when approaching the end of Portimão’s lengthy straight, where I repeatedly saw an indicated 150 mph before slamming the carbon ceramic stoppers, whisking away speed just in time for the hard right-hander. Though there’s still some lightness and a bit of tail wiggle when summoning these immense slowdowns, the proceedings still feel commendably in control considering the levels of deceleration and the slick surfaces beneath. Stopping power sometimes seemed to wane when scrubbing off nearly 100 mph of speed, only to be salvaged by what felt like a brake booster effect that sank the pedal deeper into its travel. Only slight fade was perceptible after several hard laps around the circuit.

You can only glean so much subjective data on a car’s track capabilities when you’re stuck in the wet, but thankfully Aston arranged a second day of street driving which shed more light on the Vantage’s terrestrial qualities. On the pastoral B-roads of the surrounding region, the Vantage feels remarkably more modern and extreme than it does on the circuit’s concrete superstructures. The seats are appropriately supportive and sporty, positioned about a quarter inch lower so you sit closer to earth, amplifying the sensation of speed. With relatively high doorsills, you feel you’re within, not on, the car’s interior, further differentiating the Vantage from its more grand touring-focused stablemate. The automatic transmission earns praise for smoothness when lolling about public roads. Shifts can be appropriately imperceptible when you’re not driving in anger, and the variability feels particularly impressive compared to its crisp behavior on the track. A day spent meandering through backroads conveys an overall impression biased toward purposefulness, not plushness, though the three-mode Bilstein dampers offer a noticeably more forgiving ride in their softer settings.

So where does the V8 Vantage fit in the galaxy of outstandingly capable competitors? Well, at least in the context of its Porsche 911 archenemy, it’s easy to argue that while the rear-engine German delivers on its tried-and-true mission of finely tuned driving dynamics, the Brit brings a singular sense of style to the table. Yes, the P-car’s even-keeled Teutonic-ness tickles our fancy, but there’s also some fun to be had in the Aston’s fanciful details like leather brogue edging and tailored suit stitching. And while we’ll require a head-to-head battle on dry pavement to pass final judgment on the finer points of their driving dynamics, impressions from two days of wet weather slinging suggest the Aston team has done a mighty fine job of imbuing the Vantage with a sense of athleticism and personality.

If the grand touring-oriented DB11 was the company’s initial attempt at redefinition, the V8 Vantage serves as one hell of a launch for Aston Martin’s driver-focused second act. There are still miles to go before Team Aston can sleep, with a steady cadence of upcoming models promising a full-circle rebuilding of the marque. But when Reichman leans in and not-so-subtlety hints at future product by asking, “What would you think of this car with 80 more horsepower and 150 fewer pounds?” these enterprising British underdogs have a way of making the skies ahead seem especially blue.

2019 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Specifications

ON SALE Summer 2018 PRICE $152,820 (base) (est) ENGINE 4.0L twin-turbo DOHC 32-valve V-8/503 hp @ 6,000 rpm, 505 lb-ft @ 2,000-5,000 rpm TRANSMISSION 8-speed automatic LAYOUT 2-door, 2-passenger, front-engine, RWD coupe EPA MILEAGE 18/22 city/hwy (est) L x W x H 175.8 x 84.8 x 50.1 in WHEELBASE 106.5 in WEIGHT 3,373 lb (est) 0-60 MPH 3.5 sec TOP SPEED 195 mph

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vintageautoracing · 6 years

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The eighth Donington Historic Festival (Donington Park, May 4, 5 and 6) was one of the best yet, with the brilliant May bank holiday sunshine presiding over three superb days of historic motorsport and bringing the crowds with it.

Race action was to DHF’s traditionally high and exhilarating standards, with 19 races from 14 grids spanning nine decades of motorsport. Donington Park’s sweeping lines looked magnificent in the sunshine, showcasing the fantastic array of marques out on track, including Alfa Romeo, Austin-Healey, Aston Martin, Bentley, BMW, Chevron, Ferrari, Ford, Jaguar, Lola, Lotus, MG, Morgan, Porsche and TVR.

British GT duo Jon Minshaw and Phil Keen were also in the mix, driving to second place in a Lister Knobbly in the Stirling Moss Trophy race, while former Le Mans racer Ray Mallock showed his skill in a Formula Junior, being very, very narrowly pipped to the chequered flag by Christopher Drake in the first of the two FJHRA/HSCC ‘Silverline’ front-engined Formula Junior races, and enjoying a clear victory in the second race.

Swapping two wheels for four, motorcycle racer Maria Costello MBE was an enthusiastic addition to the well-known names behind the wheel this year, racing an Austin A30 Academy in the HRDC ‘Touring Greats’, and ‘The Grand Tour’ test driver Abigail Eaton, battled it out with the Super Tourers in the mighty Holden Commodore. Musician Chris Rea was out in his 1957 Morris Minor Panda car – with the appropriate number 999 – and Travis drummer Neil Primrose campaigned an Austin A35 Academy.

Another welcome addition to the Festival was the Derek Bell Trophy grid, with chest-rumbling F5000 cars creating an incredible sound that echoed round Donington Park.

The race action wasn’t restricted to the track, with several races requiring driver changes in the pitlane; something made a little more arduous by the extreme heat.

Festival visitors enjoyed free access to the race paddock and pitlane walks, and the pit garages always had something interesting going on, such as the firing up of the wonderfully noisy Lola T330 each day.

F1 car track demonstrations on Saturday and Sunday commemorated the famous 1993 Donington Park European Grand Prix, while memories of Donington’s days as an RAC Rally stage were brought to life by tyre-smoking Group B rally car demonstrations. Nimble little historic karts buzzed round the Melbourne loop in numbers, like a swarm of very entertaining wasps, and the Sporting Bears Motor Club raised funds for Spinal Muscular Atrophy Research by offering passenger Dream Rides in a terrific range of classic and supercars, including a supercharged, 740+bhp Ford Mustang and a McLaren 620S.

Donington Park’s Infield was a popular place to be, not because the mature trees gave some welcome shade, but because of the superb array of classic cars brought along by the dozens of car clubs that took part. Porsche Club GB had its usual impressive presence, its members making the most of the incredible views of the track from their stand, but PCGB was out-numbered this year by Simply Mustangs UK, who amassed an astonishing 270 Ford Mustangs on the Saturday. 40 of these led the lunchtime parade in an unforgettable sight – and those who got the chance to take part clearly loved every second.

Festival visitors enthusiastically embraced the new elements that MSV has introduced to the track over the winter, including the superb new café, bar and restaurant, Garage 39, located right in the heart of the race paddock, and the new loos, which everybody said was a much-welcome improvement!

Finally, the skies above Donington Park had a temporary break from the modern-day air traffic from East Midlands Airport and played host to the Spitfire and Dakota of the Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

VIEW THE RACE RESULTS HERE

The post What a scorcher! Donington Historic Festival turns up the heat appeared first on Donington Historic Festival.

#Vintage Auto Racing #racing #cars #motorsport #Donington Historic Festival

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jonathanbelloblog · 6 years

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First Drive: 2019 Aston Martin V8 Vantage

2019 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Specifications

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