droptop

there is a short article on the cayenne hybrid in the NY times online today (also an article on the convertible cabrolet or whatever the 911 successor is called).

for those of you thinking about this, you should consider this the "click" as you step down, warning you that the next action you take will have grave consequences. or not. my wife's honda insight hybrid just got out of the shop for a replacement of the hybrid components (under warranty). this is not a slam on honda, the materials they made the battery of and the control computers were the best they could build at the time, and after 80k (the warranty now goes to 150k) they just were used up. honda is replacing a ton of these, the insight forum is full of people who have had this done. in the 150k extended warranty period, it is probable that they will replace 50-70% of the batteries in the 00-02 model years, with a component list price approaching 1/3 of the new list price of the car.

now add MOST, add the PCNA way of handling clients and now daydream for a minute how things are going to be when your cayenne not only has the back hatch pop, but reverses the firing order of the IGBTs and runs the electric motors backwards while the V6 is running forward.

and you thought PCM failure was as bad as it could get. be afraid, be very afraid.

MadFox

So... just want to be clear... you're a skeptic of the technology like Larry?

droptop

the technology is coming into maturity, at least with the batteries that exist today. give me a AA energizer that REALLY DOES do what their commercials show, and we could watch oil become a relatively inexpensive feedstock for plastics...

however, the execution of the system is critical. systems integration seems to be a problem with porsche, as does electronics of any sort, as does connectors...etc. so i would certainly not buy the first one...or the hundredth one... or the thousandth one..

hey, porsche isn't the only one having problems. boeing is being pilloried (and rightly so) for having the 787 in-flight internet access connected through the flight control system net. forgetting viruses for a sec, how would you like a long **** download keeping you from dropping the gear?

droptop

http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/01/porsche-adds-an.html

ltc

MadFox

With the hybrid battery in the trunk does that mean the Cayenne-H won't have a spare?

droptop

will be put on the back hatch to get that "upscale" toyota highlander look...

jaholmes

Woo-hoo. Maybe the hybrid will smoke less then my S.

ltc

After hearing Larry's story of a Cayenne hybrid catching fire in Germany (and no, Germans have no concept of S'Mores or marshmallow campfire humor).....I think maybe not.

droptop

a new rebirth of the "60 million dollar man" (inflation, dontcha know)..

"Stuttgart, She's breaking up, She's breaking up"

ddddoooddoooddooo (70's special audio effects)

"Here, in a top secret lab lies Larry, last name changed to protect the guilty, call him Smith. While on a top secret test drive to the Ford dealership, Agent Smith's highly secret and EXTREMELY experimental Cayenne Hybrid suffered an Entropy Cascade Failure (every part fell off at the same time). Normally, it would just be a matter of time.... but decisions have been made.

We have the technology. We can rebuild him. We can make the worlds first bionic man. Larry (Smith) will be that man. We can make him better than he was before, better, stronger, faster. Und Ve Vill Use VW parts Und Git Rid Mit unteamlike attitude. Ve haf veys of fixing troublemakers"

as larry is wheeled off, you can hear a weak "NNNOOO, NOT VW PARTS..."