CBG

Because the serial manufacturing/assembling process differs significantly from the hand build procedures of the test engines? Speculation as well of course.

redleg321

I think you're confusing Aluminum rods with Titanium. The Z06 and several other production cars have come with Titanium rods and last 100,000+ miles without a rebuild.

Aluminum rods are similar. They're super light and extremely strong. Lots of race cars, including very high horsepower drag cars run Aluminum rods with great results.

The problem is when you put an aluminum rod in a street car. The heat cycles are what cause stretching/deforming over time so you have to torque the rod bolts every few thousand miles, depending on heat cycle times. I don't know of any production car ever coming with Al rods.

0Q991

I don't think that's a fair speculation. Issues with QC on mass produced parts and / or improper torquing is much more likely.

Hothonda

In the May '14 issue of Excellence magazine "Big Bang Theory" article where
Sharkworks built a new 4.1 motor - using Carrillo steel alloy H section design connecting rods which are cheaper, almost as light, 20% stronger, & will last the life of the motor (per Sharkworks).

Connecting rod bolts do experience "bolt stretch" is my understanding also.

Excerpt:

"As they stretch over time & use, titanium rods are maintenance parts. That does not matter in a race engine, which is being rebuilt all the time, but in a street motor this is the last thing a client needs."

KINGSRULE

I think all the GT3 variants have Ti con rods...

sithot

Likely made by Pankl (at least in the 6GT3). They do not produce junk.

SharkWerks photo.

sithot

No kidding. It's a fact.

996FLT6

Nsx uses titanium rods not the s2000 which uses a steel alloy. Why it can rev that high is the robustness of the rod bolts. Mike

Nick

Aren't you all forgetting something?

The two cars that caught fire had less than 100 miles on them. All the cars produced before them have many more miles on them including track miles and they did not have rod failure. I doubt the cars that caught fire revved to 9000 and if they did it would not have been often. So why did they fail and not the others?

Regarding the reason for the delayed announcement I believe it is related to the team solving the problem and not company lawyers. I have no doubt they know what the problem is and the fix but are not comfortable announcing until they had more time to test. As we all have said, they only get one shoot at the fix. If it fails again, they will have to buy back all the cars and in the process badly damage the invincible aura of German engineering and Porsche reliability.

Bluehinder

48 hours of more testing does not give me much more confidence.

Clocked

Just went to my dealer to see if the production on my car changed:

Facts: car stopped production on 2/14 just before engine married with rest of car.
Fact: dealer provided me the online production report as of today.
Fact: no change in production. My car has had no work done on it since 2/14. Car still shows delivery April

No chance in He** I will see the car in April.

Monday will be interesting.

kosmo

Prob the legal and finance dept crossing the T's " and dotting the umlaut's.

mooty

ur right.
the real and the only engine company.
too bad they nit interested in low volume premium mkts ugh

k4site

They make plenty on each car so they should be really nice to you guys!

The German giant’s luxury offerings are outperforming its pedestrian passenger cars, both on roads and off.

For every Porsche it sold last year, Volkswagen booked about $23,200 in operating profit, for a margin of 18 percent, according to it released this morning. Bentley wasn’t far behind Porsche, and the Audi brand, which includes the Lamborghini badge, posted $5,200 in profit per vehicle at a 10 percent margin. That compares with an $850 return, at a 2.9 percent margin, for one of VW’s mass-market machines, such as the Jetta or Passat.

MAQ

http://jalopnik.com/porsche-swears-a...oon-1544167118

Bloomberg reports Porsche is nearing a solution to the problem that's linked to two GT3 engine fires. The company's CEO says they know the problem and are testing solutions.