Latest edition of UK "CAR" magazine confirms 20" rims as standard and 490 HP

 

I don't get when you are so close to 500 like 490 why not find the extra 10 hp. 500
sounds so much better than 490, I know it is only 10 hp but why do they do these things?

 

I imagine Porsche engineers an engine, then throws it on a dyno to see what it'll do. Probably the reverse of a US car manufacturer's board room where they pick the power for marketing and then 'find' an engine that works. (I'm not picking on the V6 Mustang, but what a POS).

 

I agree. With powerboat motors they round it up usually. A Mercury 500hp is actually about 470ish on a dyno, but the 500 sounds better.

 

Regardless, the car is going to be bad ***. I'll wait for year #2 production though.

 

Here are some reasons why Porsche may say 490hp instead of 500hp.

1. In some coutries the import duties for automobiles are based on the horsepower. So the law may say 499hp and below pay a certain tax, 500hp and above a higher tax. This difference may be substantial because of trying to use a tax to reduce fuel consumption nationally.

2. Insurance premiums may also work on the same idea of 499hp and below and 500hp and above.

3. The price to put a plate on your car may also be influenced in the same way as above.

4. Porsche horsepower has been called "Clydesdales" horsepower. In other words for the reasons sated above Porsche on purpose understate the hp. The rating is for the worse engine tested running in the worse conditions available.

I hope these ideas help.

 

Bashy-
Do you actually know of any such tax/insurance premium/plate cost related to the 500hp threshold. Sounds pretty arbitrary? I've never heard of it - please provide specific countries/states/towns/insurance companies that have such a cutoff. If Porsche has been known to understate historically then why would that be related to a 500 hp threshold. Why was the 996 415hp and not 390hp? It sounds like a plausible idea but I don't think such specific cutoffs really exist.

 

We all know the reason is simply Marketing reasons.

Last model 415, then X50 450.
So I am confident they will do 490, then release 525+ version.

It's always about marketing!

 

When will the 997 turboS be out?????? Ive got a deposit on a 997 turbo cab.....

 

They'll find it, it'll just cost you an extra $17,000 or so.

 

Carnut-

The size of an engine usually equates to horsepower and some laws are written as to horsepower some as to engine size.

I have a home in Jamaica. I also have a car there. The government taxes all cars being imported over 3 litres at 300% of value under 3 litres at 160% of value. Diesel cars are at a different rate, much less.
In europe where I used to live it is a very common practice. As a matter of fact if you look at the figures for France if I am not mistaken 80% of all cars sold are diesel engined because of the taxes associated with buying both gasoline as opposed to diesel fuel and the taxes on gasoline large litre size engines.
This is also true in Italy where the taxes on gasoline and the size of the engine comes into play.

In the USA the gas gussler tax does the same thing. If a car has more horsepower then it burns more gas, hence the gas guzzler tax. Look at the window sticker of a Porsche you will see the tax.

Insurance companies certainly charge according to the horsepower rating of your car today. And, If one goes back to the muscle car era the auto companies in the USA started to understate [Pontiac GTO] the horepower rating because Insurance companies would not insure certain high horsepower cars.

In many countries driving a large engine or driving a car with a lot of horsepower is considered politically incorrect. That is why the USA in many parts of the world as far as our use of energy is considered, is not well respected. Our large SUVs, etc.

I am not saying that 500hp is a specific threshold. What I am saying is that in the case of litres you will see a lot of cars at 2998cc not 3000cc because of the tax issue in some parts of the world. This could be true as to laws written to horsepower.

All kind of things can come into play as to how a car is built. In Tokyo, Japan, the side mirrors of your auto becomes an issue. When one is buying a new car the local authorities come over and measure the parking spot for the car. You are then allowed to buy the car if it fits the spot you have for it. Hence, if you fold the mirrors in, the car will be maybe six inches less in width. In Tokyo that can be the difference.

 

Because , like Ferrari with it's initial 490 hp version of the F430 , Porsche can charge more $$ for the higher power version to come with the " 5 " in the official hp rating.

 

20" wheels? why? for best performance it makes no sense to go past 19", let alone 18"... what's the 998TT gonna have? 22"s?? what do you guys think.