My friend is an Aerospace Engineering PhD, from exactly the same department where I studied for it. He knows a thing or two about experimental fluid mechanics and fluid dynamics in general. I work on the simulation world (same area essentially) but not with "low speed flows" like car aerodynamics. If you have a cadd model of your car, please send it over!

Having said this, I would not be concerned about zero lift, as I am sure all of those cars have a lot of negative lift to keep the wheels planted to the ground.

Whether you like it or not, and whether Porsche cares to make the engine "robust" by protecting it from the elements, splashing water, or rocks hitting the hot block, is not a good thing. I would much rather see a little light weight platic cover under the engine than not.

As for making inferences from one car to the other, this is perfectly valid of an argument to make. It is reasonable to assume that the belly pan plays multiple roles on a car. On the Audis it was originally for... noise. I can assure you it works for other things as well, like rocks, snow and rain. For the rear-mounted engine car like the 911, it may not help at all with regards to the cooling. I am sure those guys in Stuttgart have thought about it. But to me it makes a lot of sense that a belly pan should be there. For non-aerodynamic reasons I say it is a bad design!

As for driving in the rain, Audi's drive in the rain all the time. The OP of this thread and I had our first track experiience in the rain with two B5 S4s and it was great. He drives his Porsche in the snowy and frozen-tarmac weather that I drive the Audi. So maybe a belly pan would have been a good thing to have in our frozen tundra.

My 2 euro-cents.

(1 post because I am a passive participant of 6speed, but the OP is a friend of mine.)

 

Well that is fine since I teach Aerospace Ph.D.'s perhaps you (and your friend) could learn a little about data acquisition and analysis. Your pre-mature generalization of data from 1 car (nice sample size) to entire population just shows the lack of understanding of the analysis of data...what is the world coming to?...I would bet Porsche is dealing with larger sample sizes.

what are euro cents?

 

Dude, relax!

We know plenty about data aquisition. And, yes, we know that it is dangerous to "extrapolate" to different environments with certainty. Just because you think so does not make us idiots. Please do not make this personal.

I merely suggested that the belley pan could benefit the car; I did not say that I analyzed and concluded that as fact. I could be wrong, but just because they have not put a belley pan at the factory does not make me stupid. The 996 is a fine car and I like it a lot. This does not make it flawless and for something like an exposed exhaust manifold and engine block I think a good case can be made about the lack of a belly pan. Sorry I did not explain myself better. And to make it more clear, I would advocate the belly pan for protection, not aerodynamic drag reduction or cooling; those were just examples.

(Euro cents, as in the cents that are a denomination of the Euro, the currency of the country of origin of your car, with the implication that I am a foreigner)

 

 

No !

 

So you come on the site with a first post suggesting that Porsche has bad design and Audi...blah, blah, blah....why don't you just go back to your Audi site I understand you can have your opnion, but it looks more like you want to stir things up...see ya

 

996 tt did not have underbody tray under the trany. 997tt do have a tray under the trany. I have examined this and fabricated one out of aluminum with naca duct to direct air to trany and CV joints. I bet the 997tt under tray fits on the 996tt but I'm not sure until I get a hold of one. Does anyone know how much it is from dealer?

 

Wross996tt, we are entitled to our opinions and just because it was my first post since registering months ago it does not make its content wrong. Simply look at the response of Benguss below yours. Obviously, what I suggested has some basis. First, the 997 does have a belly pan and I knew that before posting on this thread. Does this mean that Porsche realized it needed it and they put one on the newer model? That would hint to a bad design. And second, your responses are soaked in vanity and immaturity and are not constructive criticism at all, should you care to know.

I certainly do not want to hijack a perfectly good and informative thread to turn it personal, so I will apologize for upseting you with my first post.

 

Do you have a second set of lights mounted in your front air dam ?

Who makes them and where did you get them ?

THKS and PLS advise - JIM

 

Does the Lidatek actually work ?

Has it saved you from getting a ticket ?

Ever get pulled over because of it ?

THKS and PLS advise - JIM in Texas

 

100 Euro Cents = 1 Euro

 

Not on a Turbo since the 993. Most guys pulled theirs off anyway since all it did was retain heat and wasn't much aerodynamic use.