LA Autoshow photos

[Flieger]

Hope it is alright to share here. Lots of non Porsche content, like the Audi R8 GT (lightweight) and the BMW M3 GT2 racecar, but still should be interesting.

LA Autoshow 2010 - a set on Flickr

from the first

to the latest

[Danny_Ocean]

As always, great pics! No babes...

[Flieger]

No, I did not go down to the Sham-Wow pitchman bunker, and the rest of the car companies just had more businesslike representatives. Ford had some average girls.

Funny, I commented about that on the drive home as well.

[Flieger]

By the way, I had some fun at the end of the show, while I was in the Porsche room. I was taking photos of the GT2RS and about to leave, when I overheard an older guy telling his wife about the GT2RS. Man: "620 naturally aspirated horsepower..." Wife:"I thought this was turbocharged?" Man:"No, this is a GT2. It is naturally-aspirated. That means no turbocharger."

At that I felt a need to clamly interject with a correction. "Excuse me, sir. This car is acutally turbocharged. That is the GT3 and GT3RS that is naturally-aspirated. This is the new GT2RS."

He did not like being corrected too much. He began to tell me how I was wrong and he had read in Car and Driver that this car was non-turbo. Naturally-aspirated. "This car has 620 horsepower" he said, as if horsepower has anything to do with whether an engine has a turbocharger.

I continued to politely, but assertively, disagree. I told him that I have studied Porsches extensively and know that it is turbocharged.

At that he made his crucial mistake.

Man: "I will bet you $5 that this car is naturally aspirated."

"Your On!" I said, shaking his hand.

At that he suggested I look at the information placard next to the car. By this time his wife had backed away and my Dad had gone over to take a look at that placard. I went over and looked, and it said neither turbocharged, nor naturally-aspirated. Just a horizontally-opposed 6 cylinder.

Still wanting to collect my money, I told him that it did not say turbo or non-turbo. He was pleased and said "See, I knew it. I could have bet you a hundred dollars that it was naturally-aspirated." I tried to raise the stakes, but he did not take the bait.

When I continued to disagree, he suggested we "ask any of these Porsche experts here." At that moment, one of the Porsche representatives walked by. "Excuse me, sir" I said and called him over. The man and I stood with back to the GT2RS talking to Florian, the Porsche expert.

Me: "This car is turbocharged, right?"
Florian: "Ja."
Man: "But, But it doesn't say that on the information paper!" "Why doesn't it say turbocharged? Those others (Panameras and a Turbo) say it."
Florian: "Ja, it is only limited information on the paper. Limited space."
Man: "But it has the horsepower, why not turbo?"
Florian: "Ja, it has 620 horsepower. I do not know vy it does not say turbocharged. This other one (Turbo) over here is turbocharged as well. The GT2s are turbocharged and the GT3s are naturally-aspirated."

At that I tried to console the man, but he was still miffed. We thanked Florian for the information.

The man, now with his wife, was clearly ticked off. Road and Track (it changed from Car and Driver) said 620 naturally-aspirated horsepower. I told him I read Road and Track and did not remember them saying naturally-aspirated but that it must have been a typo. I told him I read Excellence for Porsche news.

Man:"Yeah, the story must have been wrong. I am going to write to Road and Track."

Wife:"OK, honey, that's nice. Let's go."

Man:"Well, I guess I will pay up."

Me:"Thank you very much."

I can only imagine the conversation in their car on the way home, and the look on his face when he is writing the R+T letter, only to find he read the article on the GT3RS.

That $5 paid for my parking.

[Flieger]

The best car for driving position was the Lotus Elise (could not sit in the Exige or Evora) Perfect pedal positioning for heel/toe and clutching. The steering wheel felt light and small. It was postioned nice and close.


The 987-2 Boxster S was a close second. It felt much like the Lotus but much easier to get into and out of. The shifter and clutch felt great. Just a bit heavier than the Lotus. The brake was a little too high off of the throttle, too. The manual seat adjustments felt much better than the slow heavy electric seats in the Cayman.


I just wish I could have tried the Boxster Spyder. I have a feeling it could have beat the Lotus.

[Flieger]

BMW beat Porsche by 1 point this year. Joerg Bergmeister and Pat Long won the drivers title, though.


I wish Audi would come play in ALMS GT2 with their R8 GT3 that they race at the 24 Stunden des Nurburgring-Nordschleife.