Mark

WHY do people become so obsessed with the sharks "dragster" capabilities (or - lack thereof). There have been a NUMBER of recent posts on this...928 vs. GTI...928 vs. others in 'off-the-line' performance...underpowered...etc...etc...etc
To my knowledge, Porsche has NEVER campaigned a 1/4 mile car. Just because our cars have a throaty sounding V-8, does not mean it was designed to be a dragstrip dominator. (Or - informal race from a stop light on the street.).
Our cars are just waayyy too heavy to 'launch' as quickly as a ricer with half the weight (or LESS!) - almost regardless of their powerplant.

These cars (as well as ANY Porsche EVER made) were NOT designed for this.(umm - the Weissach axle has to do with turning, not straight line performance - right??...ditto 99% of the suspension, gearing, etc engineered into these great autos)

All these 'dragster' complaints/comparisons, etc...are getting quite old here.

This is a Grand Touring automobile. If you wanna compare apples-to-apples, let's talk about Autobahn performance...running through the twistys...highway performance and comfort...head-turning quotient...BEST LOOKING CAR EVER....etc. Or for 'straight line' competition - I have played with a number of cars...and can easily be beat off the line. But - if you're rolling at 40-45 and go WOT - there are FEW CARS that can even HOPE to keep up.

If you want to drag race: (and - only for a 1/4 mile - 'cause probably only .02% of the cars on the road can even HOPE to keep up in any distance above the 1/4)
-Get a late 70's or early 80's US Muscle car and trick it out
-Buy a ricer, give it 15 psi of boost and NOS (and - replace the engine block about as often as most folks change their oil).
-Spend $40k+ for a 2004 model car with all the latest engine/exhaust/etc developments
-Strip 1000 lbs off your shark and drop in a Chevy V-8
-etc

just my $.02

SharkSkin

Drag racing is as American as apple pie. It's an easy way to measure two cars against each other, and probably the most common. You know, stoplight to stoplight. But you're right. Funny how those GTI owners would be quick to say their little cars aren't autobahn cars if you challenged them to show up at an open road race, yet they crow and pump themselves up over beating an autobahn car in the 1/4 mile. Oh well, whaddaya gonna do?

There's a guy at work who is building up a SUPER nasty rabbit... and despite his enthisiasm for those cars(he has like 6 of them) he does not hesitate to give the 928 its due. He's planning 300-ish hp for his swallowtail but has stated that he still expects a 928 would kill him north of 100mph.

GlenL

I didn't understand before your post that there were correct and incorrect ways to appreciate these cars.

Note to all tracksters: Porsche never intended this car to be raced. You are all wrong.

Mark

Glen - I think you missed my point...these cars ARE race-bred...just not 1/4 mile dragstrip race bred...

SharkSkin

You might find it easier to convince some people of this than others. These two guys might be a particularly tough sell:

jserio

Andy has the solution for off the line issues.

Kaz

Mark, I hear your complaints but regardless of what any given car was designed for by its manufacturer, there is going to be someone who wants to make it go faster in the quarter mile.

In the Audi world it is the rare owner who leaves his car stock, everyone over there is spending 10 grand plus to get his car into the 12's. Never mind the brutally hard launches that ruin the quattro system, clutches, tranny and axle shafts. These guys just keep at it. Meanwhile in my stock Audi S4, I've never had a problem outrunning or staying with anyone in the twisties. To each his own.

atb

Mark,

I think you're selling the 928 short in the quartermile contests. Box stock an S4 will trounce many of its same vintage domestic peers, and the earlier muscle as well. Here in the PacNW we try to hit the strip once a year just to see how our cars are stacking up against the latest, and not so latest iron. The 928's strength in the quarter is it's broad and very forgiving powerband. It is a very consistent performer for the novice drag racer. I suppose this says more about the driver than the car, but if you let the 928 engine do the work, and don't get in it's way by trying get the hardest launch or the fastest shift, it will deliver wins against higher HP/weight ratio cars. It turns a mid 14 e/t, which is pretty respectable. Granted the suspension isn't designed for max weight transfer, but my A/T w/LSD is a very consistent launcher. I don't know if you've had your car out on the strip, but if you haven't, give it a shot. And don't be suprised by the crowd of gawkers that surrounds your 928 with the hood up in the pits while your out getting a hot dog at the stands. Just be prepared to answer lots of questions.

Lagavulin

Well said.
Realistically, how many people drive their 928 on the Autobahn? Or even drive it Autobahn-style anywhere, let alone in the US? I would have to say zero to none since it would be jail-time, quick; thus, no one can experience/appreciate those qualities in the 928. Therefore, the majority of 928 owners drive in an environment full of stop lights with a potential race at EVERY one. And let's face it, it's lots of fun!
That's a favorite myth on this board, but by looking at the numbers, it just isn't true.

Take for instance an S4 and the amount of weight each horsepower has to haul around; that comes out to be 11.08 lbs/hp (..3500lbs/316hp). That's quite a bit, and puts it at a great disadvantage especially compared to those in the 7+ to 9+ lb/hp category.

The same laws of physics apply whether it's 0 MPH or 50 MPH when it comes to accelerating 'X' amount of mass with 'Y' horsepower, all else being equal. The car with the poorer lb/hp ratio versus it's adversary is behind the 8-ball at any set initial speed, with NO exceptions which includes the mythical 928.

Tony

Because as I am the owner of MY car and being the INDIVIDUAL I am i have a PERSONAL GOAL to make my car COMPETITIVE in todays new car market. I love a race and a challenge. Im a good looser but don't care to lose, no matter what the arena. Do i go out a LOOK for racing on the street. ABSOLUTELY NOT , but driving a 928 or any Porsche for that matter, it tends to find you. And you cant tell me that you would care watching a young kid or anyone get the best of your car in a little stop light meeting. Deep down you know it somewhat sucks. Your Porsche got beat. Yeah, this is a 17 yr old car...100k miles, timeless style and it still keeps up blah blah blah. Its all irrelevant when you get out run. You have this car, a "PORSCHE" (you know the aura of performance that the name carries with people) and you were just out performed by a Ford, Subaru etc (pick your rocket) Odds are you will "reel in" any one of these cars after a 1/2 a mile but the "event" is over in much less than that. True your car is a classic, timeless in design and practicality but, the guy next to you or edging you on for a challenge doesn't care. He sees the name "porsche" in his cross hairs and he wants to see what the car has.

So....
The one area i feel my car lacks is the low end grunt and off the line performance. You may not feel that way. True Porsche didn't design it that way, ( A DUH with 2.20 rear ends) but i want to improve the low acceleration. I have the top end with the 2.20, now i will have the bottom end with 7psi and a car that will be much more capable that it was when it came off the assembly line in MAy of 1987, 149,000 miles ago!


Each his own. Simple.


Ill second this quote as well "Drag racing is as American as apple pie"

Lagavulin

Tony, well said!

GoRideSno

Some morons automatically equate 1/4mi timing to drag racing when it is simply one of the most common, if not the most common, way of measuring performance. Take a look in the back of Car and Driver, every car they test gets 1/4th mi tested. I have owned 4 928s and in each owners's manual there was a 1/4mi time for that car.

That's just plain ignorant and dosen't do the 928 a bit of justice. I can do 0-60 in 4.29 seconds in a car slightly heavier than stock. By the end of next week I am thinking I'll break below 4sec 0-60 in a car slightly heavier than stock. BTW my car is an automatic. The weight distribution of the 928 improves traction.

I have been able to turn 12.4 sec 1/4mi times in my automatic car heavier than stock. I have also been handed 2 POC First in Class plaques so there is no comprimising any other performance to get these 1/4 mi times.

Mark Anderson recently posted that he made up 5 positions in the start of one race by coming off the starting line faster than the other cars. This clearly shows the importance off the line performance even in road racing.

BTW there's no Autobahn in the US.

Andy K

Kaz

Great point Andy.

GoRideSno

Thanks Kaz.
Maybe the coffee roasters palce or something else next weekend? Should be making some more power by then.
Andy

hacker-pschorr

This might have been said already, but I'm too lazy to read every post right now.

1/4 mile is probably the only way the average jo can compete with his/her car at a safe level. It doesn't require any skill to get started, no school's, no training, and it's dirt cheap.

My feelings of the 928 being the ultimate GT ever made means it should be able to do everything well.