Are The Feds Plotting To Take Away Your Sports Car?

On May 19, 2009 President Barack Obama proposed a new national fuel economy program. If signed into law in May this year, as currently planned, the law will throw a nasty punch, beginning in the model year 2012.

Porsche-Lobbyist Stefan Schläfli talked to the German Edition of the Financial Times, before taking off for Washington for a last ditch effort to save the endangered species. Says the FTD: “Hardest hit will be German producers of premium brands which sell big-engined large cars. Critics in the German camp don’t think this is a coincidence. The formulas used to calculate the maximum permissible values are tailor-made for U.S. manufacturers. Basis for the calculation will be wheel base and track width – highly unusual criteria.”

A short and compact Porsche is faced with much stricter limits than a Corvette. Not to mention a pick-up. Large manufacturers turn into a CAFE-society, and can offset their thirsty oinkers with smaller cars. Porsche doesn’t have that option. Neither does Aston Martin, Jaguar,  Land Rover and other eclectic brands.


2011 Hyundai Sonata Launch Photo Gallery

2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost Launch Photo Gallery

2010 Chicago Auto Show Photo Gallery

AutoSpies.com Photo Galleries

If you want to see your photos running on our homepage photo ticker, be sure to upload your photos on the go by sending them to Mobile@AutoSpies.com

Share on Facebook

Read Article

pushrod27 - 2/22/2010 3:31:49 PM

0 Boost

"A short and compact Porsche is faced with much stricter limits than a Corvette..." - this statement is pure B.S.

The Porsche 911 is both taller and longer than a C6 Corvette. This has been true since 2005, when the C6 came out. 009, you are in serious need of a 'fact check' button...

Based on your general accuracy, I would say 'No.'

Agent009 - 2/22/2010 3:51:00 PM

+1 Boost

The formula is based on wheelbase and track so the article stands, however your assessment might need to be revised.

2010 Porsche 911 Carrera

Wheelbase: 92.5
Track (Rear): 60.4

2010 Corvette

Wheelbase: 105.7
Track (Front): 62.1

pushrod27 - 2/22/2010 4:00:29 PM

-1 Boost

no, my assessment is fine, it is factual. you are being disingenuous, cherry-picking the wheelbase and track figures to dispute my statement. I said that the 911 was LONGER and TALLER than a Corvette, and it most certainly is...

2010 Porsche 911 Carrera
Length: 175.63 inches; Height: 51.57 inches (from Porsche official site)

2010 Chevrolet Corvette
Length: 174.6 inches; Height: 49.1 inches (from Chevrolet official site)

cdoke - 2/22/2010 5:38:49 PM

+1 Boost

Factual, but completely IRRELEVENT. You have pointed out facts that have nothing to do with the issue at hand.

It states quite clearly "Basis for the calculation [of maximum permissible values] will be wheel base and track width." It has nothing to do with the overall size of the vehicle, and although there is a general correlation between wheelbase and overall size, that is not to be taken for something of primacy.

Adjective use MUST represent conditions such that the statement is logically consistent. They do not over-rule the conditions of the calculation- that is childish.

If the formulas are continuous sigularly-sloped functions [important] then the statement "A short and compact Porsche is faced with much stricter limits than a Corvette.", although it does contain information that is arguable due to relative degree (i.e. "much stricter"), given the basis of calculation as what is listed above is completely correct. it is NOT BS.

I95SPEEDINGTICKETS - 2/22/2010 6:41:36 PM

+2 Boost

Pushrod27

Why dont you read the article in question before you show yourself to be a Complete Idiot ?

If you are saying the article is wrong about the basis used in calculating the allowable mileage then that is one argument.

Berating Agent 009 for Vehicle Lenghts when Wheel Base is the RELEVANT medium is just..... IDIOTIC.

pushrod27 - 2/23/2010 8:14:43 AM

-1 Boost

go choke on your mother's bone, chump.

cdoke - 2/23/2010 12:39:33 PM

+1 Boost

Mature.

ThierryHenry14 - 2/23/2010 5:25:23 PM

+1 Boost

May I ask why 009, you are comparing front tracks v. rear tracks on the C6 and the 911?

BondMI6 - 2/22/2010 3:32:36 PM

0 Boost

Reminds me of the 70's. By 1979 a Corvette was putting out a pathetic 185HP from it's V8 compared to 365HP from a 71'......

Agent009 - 2/22/2010 3:59:46 PM

+1 Boost

Ahhh but the "optional" high output 5.7 liter motor put out 220.

About what a VW 2.0 liter turbo does today...

Shredmo - 2/23/2010 3:58:26 PM

+1 Boost

We are down to insulting 35 year old cars. Let me bookmark this site.

HSCenterconsole - 2/22/2010 3:50:22 PM

+3 Boost

I wish the government would stop overspending and overreaching and just let the markets decide what cars (and fuel economies) people want.

91z4me - 2/22/2010 4:10:28 PM

+7 Boost

The markets have been pretty clear that they want large, powerful, heavy (safe) vehicles. I do think that mileage targets need to improve. But I don't know the best way to get there.

M35MT - 2/22/2010 4:11:01 PM

0 Boost

Barack has an AMEX black card and he ain't afraid to use it

irie77 - 2/22/2010 4:26:21 PM

+2 Boost

Let the markets decide. Like that!!! I'm more interested in GPMs (Grins Per Mile) not MPG.

M35MT - 2/22/2010 4:15:33 PM

-3 Boost

Land Rover better figure out a way to get their diesels to the US because if they end up dropping the LR4/Discovery for a 7 passenger Freelander (rumor) and make small crossovers like the upcoming LRX, the brand will become diluted quickly.

Keep the change, Barack. You need every penny you can get for the deficit.

M35MT - 2/23/2010 1:22:01 PM

+1 Boost

i see we have a lot of lefty cheerleaders hear...pathetic

AdmiralT20 - 2/22/2010 4:44:19 PM

+6 Boost

The article fell right into the hands of people like Agent 009.
I think what agent 009 and the author of the article fails to point out is the CAFE(Corporate AVERAGE Fuel Efficiency) standard.
The Wheel-base and track width to an intelligent person is a means of accomodating large vehicles like Trucks etc. But the article took the words from a lobbyist that a biased car junkielist(sorry I meant journalist) wanted to publish for maximum drama.
Point is make cars more fuel efficient.

bmwdrvr - 2/22/2010 6:08:32 PM

+4 Boost

I agree I love high horsepower big engine cars as much as the next person given the times, and available technology there is no reason why manufacturers cant make high performance that are also fuel efficient. The wheelbase and track width sounds a bit like a loop hole but without clear cut facts from the source I really wont believe everything I hear. Whos to say how the calculations is even found, a car like the corvette benefits over the porshce, they are both sports cars Europe has plenty of long wheelbase, wide track, short length sports cars. Just seems like another blast article, and alot of people jumping on a bandwagon, Porsche of all brands shouldnt have trouble......their sports cars are among the most fuel efficient including the Panamera the only real gas guzzler they have is the Cayenne and of course top versions of their cars ie turbo, etc...

LexSucks - 2/22/2010 4:48:21 PM

+6 Boost

It will take more than Gov't legislation to make a porsche owner buy a vette.

supermoto - 2/22/2010 7:05:37 PM

+3 Boost

All this would do is make pre-regulation sportscars more valuable and post-regulation sportscars worthless.

pennfootball - 2/24/2010 1:10:08 PM

+1 Boost

Doesn't a full size pickup truck use more gas and pollute the world more then a Porsche 911? lol