[SLR]

IS YOUR CAR HANDBUILT? I know wrong place you my like it.
The Porsche 911 was originally unveiled in 1963 and for over 40 years the secret of its success is the integration of pure engineering and design. Its character is the product of race experience with more than 14,000 victories to its credit.
Porsche HQ can be found in Zuffenhausen, near Stuttgart in Germany, which includes the production line, customisation shop and restoration garage. Just standing outside the complex can be a feast for the eyes and ears as prototypes, preproduction and newly built cars drive past in a continual parade of Porsche.
The main production line starts with a bare painted body, which moves through the factory, stopping at each workstation for exactly 4.7 minutes. If at any time the technician is not happy with the fit or finish of the car, they may shut the whole production line down, which goes right back to the paint shop and parts ordering. Porsche production works on a ‘Just in Time’ system, so no parts are kept in stock. All parts are made for each car and delivered to the appropriate workstations ’just in time’ for the technicians to fit them.
Each engine is hand built by one mechanic, who moves with the engine on a conveyor belt through each building station, again with exactly 4.7 minutes per task. All engines are run up to normal running temperature, held there for four minutes, then cooled down. When the engine is completed, it is mated up with the car it was ordered for, arriving at the engine fitting station, about a minute before it is needed - a jaw dropping demonstration of the precision and quality of the Porsche system. The Porsche way includes looking after their staff very well, they believe that giving staff full responsibility for how they work builds better cars. So there are no supervisors on the factory floor, just teams, who can organise how they work, including having a beer on the job if they wish (vending machines to hand, I want that job!) and compulsory five minute breaks every hour. All the cars are hand built except for the fitting of the windscreen and rear window, which are precisely positioned by robots.
The research and development plant and test track is nearby at Weissach. Here all racecars are finished and prototypes are tested, some to destruction.
The very lucky visitor may get the massive thrill of a trip round the test track, in a Turbo, with a cooler than cool test driver. Other marques also use this stunning facility as I spotted Mercedes and Audi doing laps of the track.
This brings us to the end product, and the chance for the customer to stamp their mark on their car in the ultimate toyshop, the customisation centre, before becoming the proud owner of the iconic sports car.
All of the care and ongoing research amounts to one of the most reliable and robust true sports cars ever.
I have witnessed a 22-year-old 911 exceeding 150mPh on long journeys without hesitation. This is a testament of the build quality and dedication of Porsche. So, is your car hand built too?