Before a new model vehicle ever hits the show room floor, many key events have to take place - many of which happen behind the scenes and completely unbeknownst to the consumer. Ever wondered why your salesperson knows so much about how the vehicle you’re interested in handles rocky terrain? Ever been curious as to how your salesperson knows what it’s like to drive a vehicle like the one you’re interested in at speeds in excess of 100mph?

With Porsche’s launch of the 2003 Cayenne, consumers are certain to ask all kinds of questions. Porsche Cars North America (PCNA) wanted to make certain their sales staff could answer as many questions as possible, so they set-up a special “Drivers Experience” event for dealership personnel to attend.

Held at the recently completed and ultra-modern Barber Motorsports Park, located just outside of Birmingham, Alabama, PCNA invited dealership staff from around the nation to attend a two-day event in which the Cayenne’s capabilities were showcased. We were fortunate to catch up with Howard Winslow, sales manager from Porsche of Arlington, and spent some time talking with him about the Porsche Cayenne Driving Experience.

“Off-road, the Cayenne is as capable as any sports utility vehicle, including long time off-road legends like Land Rover,” says Winslow, “And on the track, well, it’s nearly as capable as any car, including the 911.”

Howard spent approximately two days at the Barber Motorsports Park putting the Cayenne through its paces, learning the ins and outs of the vehicle, while following road racing legend, Hurley Haywood around the 2.3 mile FIA/FIM-approved racetrack.

“We’d be behind Hurley, who was in a 911, and they’d tell us to just follow him around the course - same speed, same lines, same braking. It was amazing to drive a 5,000lb Cayenne at 3,200lb 911 speeds. It was absolutely mind boggling, the truck just followed him wherever he went.”

According to Winslow, the Cayenne doesn’t give the driver any indication of its massive size while operating at speed. He commented that the vehicle was very nimble, cornered very flat, and was a great vehicle on the track. He commented that the only time he was reminded he was driving a “truck” was when he’d hit the accelerator. “The turbo is fast - way fast, but the S, while it’s no slouch, reminds you that you’re driving a truck,” he commented.

But the Barber Motorsports Park isn’t all about road coursing - there are two off-road tracks, located in the woods within the complex. “It was amazing that it could do what it could off-road,” says Winslow, while recalling his woodland experiences with the Cayenne. “I had to ask the guys who had more experience with vehicles in an off-road environment if there was anything comparable to the Cayenne off-road. They said it was as capable as anything from Land Rover, which to me, says quite a bit, given Land Rover’s history.”

“There were things that looked impossible to me, but you were sitting behind the wheel and the instructor said ‘do it’, and you did it and the Cayenne did the task without any trouble.” According to Winslow, “The object of off-roading is to go as slow as possible and as fast as necessary - we’d put it in ‘reduction gear’ while going downhill; and we’re talking about some steep grades- it would just creep down the hill, completely stable and steady. No need to put your foot on the brake - it was able to handle the situation perfectly.”

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I was excited to hear more about the Turbo Cayenne, so I asked Howard about the motor and the driving experience as it related to the Turbo. “There’s zero turbo lag - power is precise and spot on. But other than the difference in acceleration, which is significant, there’s no difference between the S-model and the Turbo. None.”

Howard had nothing but positive comments for PCNA and their hospitality. “They put us in a great hotel - at least a 4-star hotel, and the food was amazing. Porsche always does a great job when it comes to functions like this - it’s a real pleasure to attend Porsche events.”

He indicated that there were approximately 40 dealership personnel (from various dealerships) in attendance at his session. He estimated that Porsche would be conducting the Cayenne Driving Experience for nearly two-months - which is quite amazing. Even more amazing is the fact that just about every person in a Porsche dealership is invited to attend.

“We had sales people, technicians, parts staff, service writers, just about everyone from the dealership was able to attend the training. Porsche is always real good about inviting everyone to new model trainings.”

By the time you read this article, Cayenne’s should be making their debut at dealerships around the nation. Porsche has set March 15th as the official launch date for demo vehicles to be available, and Porsche of Arlington is planning an introduction party at their dealership on March 14. Howard expects to have a few hundred people on hand for the party.

Current allocations for Porsche of Arlington sets the number of Cayenne’s available at approximately 10 cars per month, and Howard expects the first batch of Cayenne’s to arrive around the first week of April. I’d highly recommend that if you’re interested in the Cayenne that you give Howard a call - he’s very much a Porsche enthusiast, and with his recent on and off-road experiences, he’s well versed in “pepper speak”.

For more information:
Howard Winslow
Sales Manager
Porsche of Arlington, Virginia

email: howardw@porscheofarlington.com

(703) 684-6660
http://www.porscheofarlington.com

Air travel sucks. It really does - there’s nothing worse than the hassles of driving to the airport, standing in line with your luggage for an hour, being searched a dozen times (which includes taking off your shoes, belt, etc), waiting for countless hours because your flight was delayed, only to be rounded up and loaded onto the plane like a herd of cattle.

Once onboard the plane, you’re usually stuck sitting in the worst seat available, which is either the seat next to the obese gentleman who doesn’t appear to be a fan of effective deodorant, or worse - you’re near the engines and can now look forward to several hours of a deafening symphony of wind, engine, passenger (read: screaming babies) and other ambient noises.

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, you discover that the $2 headphones the flight attendant just sold you are a complete rip-off. There’s no way they’re worth $2; they’re worth ten-cents, at best. You do your best to crank up the volume of the “Everybody Loves Raymond” re-runs on your airline headphones, crumple yourself into the corner of the seat and do your best to survive the remainder of your flight.

Thankfully, at least one of these major headaches can be avoided with a simple call to the Bose Corporation. Bose makes a special noise canceling headphone, called Quiet Comfort, that uses an electronic “ear” to find disturbing ambient noise, then generates a noise that is completely opposite of the offending noise. This effectively works to cancel the noise, as the two opposing sine waves zero one another out (you did know that sound waves, i.e. frequencies, are sine waves, right?).

You might be asking yourself, “Who wants to sit there in complete silence?” Again, Bose has you covered - not only do the headphones cancel surrounding noise, they also feature an input jack that works perfectly with any standard mini-stereo headphone jack, and includes adapters for other types of connections as well.

Sound a little better? We thought so. Letís take a better look at the headphones, shall we?

We ordered our headphones by calling the toll-free number that was listed with a Bose advertisement in one of the in-flight magazines. The cost was $299, plus shipping and handling - a little on the pricey side, yes, but Bose also offers 12 months interest-free financing. For around $25 per month, you can amortize the cost of the headphones to something a bit more manageable.

The first thing we noticed about the Quiet Comfort headphone system is that it’s a little on the large side. Bose does include two types of carrying cases - both are soft cases, one resembles a pouch; the other resembles a small shaving kit.

The headphones have what appears to be a synthetic leather pad around each ear cup. The padding is soft and supple, but the material causes your ear area to sweat if used for an extended period of time. I’ve noticed that on flights lasting more than an hour, my ears get very warm - the cups surround your entire ear, completely.

The ear cups are adjustable - you can make the headset bigger or smaller as you desire, and the cups are on pivots, which makes for a very comfortable fit (albeit a bit warm). Once fitted to your head, two thin signal wires make their way about 30″ to a small controller. The controller has a switch that controls “Off, Lo or Hi” settings, and also houses the two AAA batteries necessary for the headphones to work properly.

From the controller, a third, single signal wire is terminated with an angled mini-stereo jack, and is approximately 14″ in length. Our only other complaint with the system has to do with the signal wires and controller. Both the input and output (to headphones) wires are on the same side of the controller, rather than being in-line with one another. This is a minor annoyance, but it effectively shortens the wire length, and the controller hangs awkwardly from the headphones, suspended between the headphones and the source device at an odd angle.

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The entire system is fairly lightweight - it weighs approximately 8 ounces, and battery life is outstanding. We’re still on the same set of AAA batteries that came with the unit (in May of 2002). Bose claims the battery life is approximately 80 hours, and we have no reason to doubt that figure.

How do the Bose Quiet Comfort Acoustic Noise Canceling headphones work? In a word, marvelously. On our first flight from Dallas to San Francisco, the headphones effectively silenced nearly all of the outside noise. We tried the headphones in several different configurations just to see how well they worked under varying circumstances. They are a definite life-saver on those long flights. We’ve taken over 20 flights in the past year (all over two hours in length), and the Bose Quiet Comfort headphones have yet to disappoint us.

During those 20 or so flights, we’ve had a chance to really experiment with the system. The Lo and Hi settings simply affect the amplification of the source media you’re listening to through the headphones. For example, while listening to music on the Lo setting, you might have to crank up your walk-man, iPod, or notebook computer a bit. When set to Hi, the Bose system allows you to set your source volume much lower (to help conserve battery life on the media player).

While on a cross-country flight and watching a DVD via my notebook computer, I found that with the Bose controller set to Hi, I can set the notebook volume to about 50%, and still hear the movie very well. Compare that to 80% on the Lo setting, and it becomes obvious how well the Bose amplifier works.

The audio quality of the headphones is good; it’s not audiophile quality, but it’s not tin-can quality either. True purists won’t like the emphasis the headphones place on certain frequencies (a bit of audio trickery), but for the average listener they should be more than pleasing to the ear. To me, they sound very warm and inviting and I find myself using the Bose headphones whenever I fire up my portable mp3 player, portable CD player, or any other audio device.

As a package, the headphones are a very good buy. There are a few minor annoyances (the cable length and configuration, the “hot” ear cups), but all in all, there’s very little to complain about. Once you try them on a flight, you’ll wonder how you ever flew without them, as the noise cancellation technology reduces that turbulent roar common to most flights to nothing more than a mild “whir”.

Do yourself (and your ears) a favor. Check out the Bose Quiet Comfort Acoustic Noise Canceling headphones by visiting www.bose.com or calling them at 1-800-999-2673. We’ve been using them for long enough to know they’re definitely worth the money - they really do take the mental fatigue out of air travel.

With all of the faceless internet auto parts retailers and “discount” parts warehouses around, it’s rare to find someone who can talk the talk and walk the walk. Too many of those places put a high priority on ultra-low prices and not enough priority in customer service (or quality parts).

Porsche enthusiasts have known for some time that when they need quality parts and even better service, they need to call on Electrodyne, Inc. Electrodyne is located in Alexandria, Virginia and is owned and operated by Chester Vincentz, or “Chet” as his friends call him.

We sat down with Chet a few months ago and chatted with him, covering everything from racing to the retail parts industry. Chet is a true car enthusiast and was extremely accommodating during our interview. We started by asking Chet for a little history on Electrodyne.

“We got our start in 1968 in the aerospace industry, manufacturing complex electrical and electromechanical simulation equipment. However, after the US successfully placed a man on the moon, the purchase of that type of equipment slowed drastically. A group of us, who were all sports car enthusiasts, had been traveling the world [with their jobs related to the aerospace industry] and we found ourselves in Europe quite often.

“Somewhere in the early 70’s, I joined the Porsche club, and with the help of another friend, he and I ran the Porsche store for about a year or so. After our year was up, we decided to keep the store going, and kept buying parts as we traveled across Europe. By 1972, we were doing quite a business (as parts retailers), and by 1975, we sold off the electronics division and concentrated 100% on the Porsche parts business.”

At this point, Chet tells us that Electrodyne was able to become the exclusive importer for some really great European parts including Momo, Nardi, Recaro, Carello Lighting, and a few others. This was quite an accomplishment and launched them into the accessories business.

Soon afterward, Electrodyne became involved with IMSA racing, by serving as team management for Gianpiero Moretti. They ran the entire operation from Electrodyne’s Alexandria shop, and it wasn’t long before Gianpiero had Chet buying himself a race car. Moretti knew of a Porsche 930 in Italy that he felt would work well for Chet, so Chet bought the car and started racing as well.

Electrodyne ran a two car team for a number of years; Gianpiero ran GTS, Chet ran GTO, and throughout the 80’s, Electrodyne raced Porsches on the weekends and sold Porsche parts and accessories during the week. By the mid-to-late 1980’s Electrodyne was racing a few different Porsche models but in 1988, when Porsche’s motorsports director died in a plane crash, Porsche pulled the 944 and GTO programs. That tradegy would mark the end of Electrodyne’s professional racing involvement.

Along with a weakening US dollar came a decrease in new Porsche sales, and Electrodyne decided they needed to find new business opportunities. “A friend of mine had started a company called Racing Dynamics, and he was ready to move back to Italy, so we bought his company and brought on the Racing Dynamics name.”

“Fortunately for us, Porsche’s decline in the late 80’s coincided with BMW’s rise - if you’ll recall, BMW’s were starting to become more prominent in the late 80’s and early 90’s,” says Chet, “this worked out well because we really needed to bring on a new car marque for our accessories line.”

The cards continued to fall in Electrodyne’s favor, because at about the same time as the Racing Dynamics purchase, Kamei GmbH of Germany was looking to close its US operations. Chet saw this as an opportunity, and purchased their US factory. He and his staff moved the entire Kamei manufacturing facility from Connecticut to Alexandria - it would become the basis of the “Freedom Design” line of body accessories for Electrodyne.

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We chatted at length about the body accessory business, and eventually asked him the question that everyone’s dying to ask - where do you get the cars for your “test” vehicles? Do you buy them, get them from the factory, or what?

“That’s where Roadfly really became an asset to us. Not only were we generating sales from advertising with Roadfly, we were also able to post to the forums, asking members to let us borrow their cars so we could make new accessories without having to buy a car for everything we wanted to build,” says Chet. “Through their enthusiastic membership, we’d get all sorts of people who were willing to let us test fit parts and pieces, and it worked out great for everyone. This has been a huge value to us - in fact, we have a MINI in the shop right now that belongs to a helpful Roadfly member.”

“The internet has really helped us do things that wouldn’t have been possible years ago,” he says matter-of-factly.

Electrodyne has approximately 30 employees at its 35,000 square foot facility which is located on Eisenhower Avenue in Alexandria, Virginia. They have their own R&D department, complete with their own model shop - this is something that’s unique to Electrodyne - very few shops have the abilities to manufacture their own molds and mock-ups in house.

Chet states, “We have a guy here who is a genious at crafting wooden mock-ups. He can design something in wood, test it and we can build it from there. It might sound odd, but the wood models are really helpful for the mock-up process.”

By keeping the majority of the production equipment and machinery in house, Electrodyne is able to keep a close eye on quality, and can quickly develop a new part or accessory if and when the market demands it. “It really gives us an upper hand in the business,” as Chet points out. “We create things that people normally copy.”

Electrodyne also campaigns show cars, and has been featured in various magazines. They’ve built everything from Volkswagen Golf’s to BMW 5-series, and they’ve built ‘em well. They use the vehicles to showcase new products and to help give consumers some ideas of what’s available for their own vehicles.

From Audi to Volkswagen, BMW to PT Cruiser, Electrodyne has a product or replacement part that’s sure to suit your needs. They’re constantly developing new parts and don’t seem to be content to rest on their laurels. Their business philosophy is simple - stock what you sell, know what you’re selling and try to build everything better than everyone else.

Chet and the gang at Electrodyne are top notch people, and we’re proud to have been able to chat with them. Visit them on the web at http://www.electrodyne.cc/, or call them at 1-800-296-8850 and be sure to tell them that Roadfly sent you.

So, you’re a race fan. You watch all kinds of racing on TV. You surf the web reading numerous forums about racing. You talk racing with your buddies 24-7. You frequent the local short track and even take a road trip to a big race once or twice a year.

And every Sunday, while watching the action you see hundreds, maybe thousands of people in the garage area before, during, and after the race just hanging out, enjoying the scene, getting autographs from their favorite drivers and the occasional celebrity, and sometimes making a fool of themselves on live TV when the cameras are focused on interviewing a driver (I’m talking about those people you see in the background waving into the camera or talking on their cell phones, “Dude, do you see me? I’m on TV with Dale Junior!!!”). And I’m sure you’ve said to yourself, “Look at all those people. How can THEY get into the pits and I can’t? Man, if I could get access like that, it would be an awesome experience being right in the middle of the action”. Well friends, I’m here to tell ya, being in the pits during a big race ain’t all that it’s cracked up to be.

Yeah, it’s fun (sort of) to be at Ground Zero during one of the biggest sporting events on the planet, but in many ways you are better off in the grandstands or even at home, watching from the comfort of your living room. Because believe me, if there is one thing missing from being in the pit area, it’s comfort. And a good view. And instant replay. And good food. And being able to see all the action on the track.

I know, I know. I can hear you saying, “What are you whining about? I would walk across hot coals barefooted if it meant I could have pit access for the Daytona 500″. But access to the pits and garage area isn’t as great as it may seem. And when the weather, new rules, and poor visibility work against you, it’s not as much fun as you would think. Don’t get me wrong - it’s wonderful to have the opportunity to be in the one place that thousands of die-hard race fans would love to be in. It’s very cool to see the sport from a true inside view. For a hard core racing fan it can be the ultimate experience. But it’s not always like that at every event, and the 2003 Daytona 500 was one event I would have rather stayed home to watch.

Before I describe what my day in the pits was like, let me tell you that I have been to hundreds of auto races of many types. I’ve been to races all over the country during all four seasons. From dirt tracks to frozen lakes to the fastest superspeedways anywhere, I’ve attended many racing events. But few races were as disappointing as the 2003 Daytona 500.

This was for a few reasons: (1) NASCAR made some significant rule changes for the 2003 season regarding access to the garage and pit area. The biggest change was the separation of pit passes into “cold” and “hot” passes. In the past teams, sponsors, track promoters, and race officials had access to a seemingly unlimited supply of pit passes. This created a problem for drivers and teams due to the massive number of people in the garage area. To address complaints from teams NASCAR split the pit passes into two groups. People holding a “hot” pass had access to the garage and pit area at all times with no restrictions. Those holding a “cold” pass were required to leave the garage and pit area 30 minutes before an event (practice, qualifying, or race) and would not be allowed back in until 10 minutes after an event ended. It may not sound like a major restriction, but it does keep you from places like Victory Lane the moment a winning driver pulls in or from the pit stalls while pit stops are occurring. In other words a “cold” pass keeps you from the excitement that makes racing so much fun.

(2) The weather was terrible. If you watched the race you know what I mean. From the infield it was cool, hot, wet, windy, and super humid. Yes, all 250,000 fans had to deal with the weather too but in the infield there aren’t too many places to hide out and stay dry.

(3) The view of the racing action from the infield of a super-speedway like Daytona is extremely limited. It’s not like a short track or drag strip where you can see almost the entire track from anywhere.

At Daytona, if you stand in or near pit lane, your view of the track is only of a portion of the tri-oval, about 4-5 seconds of racing action. Unless you can see one of the jumbo video screens from where you are standing you miss most of what’s happening on the track. By comparison, if you are in the grandstands sitting in the tri-oval you can see from Turn 3 all the way to Turn 1, over a lap.

OK, OK, so how crummy was my day at Daytona? Here’s a timeline to give you an idea:

6:00AM- Kissimmee,FL. Alarm clock goes off. Temperature is 68 degrees and humidity is 150% and rising. On race day, the sooner you hit the road, the better, if only to avoid the traffic mess caused by 250,000 people all going to the same place you are.

7:30AM- Interstate 4 inOrlando. The first “big one” of the day completely shuts down I-4 East, which is the main route to Daytona Beach. I guess some NASCAR fans love wrecks so much they’ve got to start their own. We waste over an hour in this jam up.

9:10AM- 18 miles from the track. Traffic is dead stopped. We crawl along for over an hour - I could have walked to Daytona quicker. While we sit there, a short phone call confirms it - no “Hot Passes” for us today.

10:30AM- Somewhere near the track. All the parking areas that are somewhat close to the track want $20 and more for parking. I’m sorry but for $20 I’d better get a free car wash or half-off pizza and beer along with a parking spot. I decide to park in the city’s Park & Ride lot and get bussed to the track. It was free and the smartest thing I did all day.

11:15AM- Roaming around the Fan Fair. After seeing the traveling circus that is the mass of corporate displays, sound stages, demonstrations, and souvenir sales we decide to head into the pits. We had been hearing about hard-core security checks due to the fact the nation was on Level Orange terror alert. I’ve learned over the years that if you make the security staff’s job easier, you get past them quicker. I expect they will search me and my backpack thoroughly. Instead, the six security guards at the Turn 4 tunnel entrance look at my ID and my pit pass and let me go. I could have had 20 lbs of plastic explosives in that backpack for all they knew. So much for our national terror alert system.

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As we walk in, a very attractive blonde girl is walking in with her friend. She’s tall, tan, and wearing a black halter top with very low cut black pants. In years past, she would have been accosted by the drunk and crazed infield inhabitants. But in 2003, the only thing she gets pestered with is an offer of a ride by a couple of dorky rednecks in a beat up Ford truck with Lynard Skynard playing on the stereo. To me this scene is the perfect juxtaposition of the modern world of NASCAR: Beautiful women attracted to the same scene that was once the sole domain of stereotypical American beer-drinking redneck. Social anthropologists would have a field day here.

11:30AM- In the garage area. The hour or so before the start of a race is social time for NASCAR people. All the teams have cooks who create gourmet meals for their crews, team members, sponsors, and whoever else is hanging out with them. I don’t see too many hot dogs and chips being eaten. The fans in the stands might be chowing on $6.00 hamburgers, but the teams eat very well. I have a BBQ chicken sandwich ($6.50) and a sports drink ($3.00). I need a better hook up with a team if only to get a decent meal.

12:15PM- Sitting on the pit lane wall during driver introduction. In many ways this is the best part of pit access at a NASCAR race. You are totally immersed in the scene. Everyone who is anyone in the world of NASCAR is milling around near you. Drivers, crew chiefs, celebrities, team owners, live TV cameras- it’s all here. The guys from the country band Brooks & Dunn are a few feet away. John Travolta, the Grand Marshal of the race, is nearby, as are all your favorite and not-so-favorite drivers. We miss seeing Mariah Carey, though. Must have been getting coiffed prior to her singing of the national anthem.

12:30PM- Getting the boot from pit lane. It’s 30 minutes to race time and we get kicked out of the pit lane. Time to find someplace to watch the race.

After the race starts, we find a place along the front straight where we can see the cars enter Turn One. Our view includes about 20% of the track. Good thing we have scanners so we can listen to play-by-play of the race and team communications. As the rain starts for the first time we run over to infield bathrooms and take cover under the eaves. We were hot and sweaty before the rain, now we’re wet too. But the rain stops, the sun and ten jet driers come out, and we find an abandoned picnic bench to rest on while we wait for the restart. A little more scouting finds us a better viewing spot at the exit of pit road close to one of those massive TV monitors in the infield. Yeah, it’s also a parking area for tour buses and we’ve got to snort diesel fumes, but at least the scanner’s headphones drown out most of the idling engine clatter. And now we can watch the race on TV and catch a glimpse of the cars on the track for a few seconds.

It’s not too long until it begins to rain again, and this time it seems permanent. As we wander around the infield (we’re soaked by now so threre’s no sense in running for cover) we see a few drivers have changed into street clothes. When we see pole sitter Jeff Green driving out of the track in his Chevy Tahoe, we know the day is over.

We schlep it back to the bus drop-off area for the ride back to the parking lot. Getting out of Daytona and onto I-95 South - no way I was going to take I-4 back - was quick and painless. Two hours later we’re sitting at the bar at Chili’s having fajitas and beer. Although the 2003 Daytona 500 was a big disappointment in my book it won’t sway me from going again if I have the chance. I love racing, especially NASCAR, and I realize it’s a privilege to have the opportunity to experience racing from such a unique perspective.

In a perfect world every race would run the full distance and be held in perfect weather. You would be able to see all the action from an ideal position. Alas, that’s not a realistic scenario. So in many ways watching a race from home, complete with your favorite chair and good food in the fridge, is a better choice for race fans. And if you attend an event the view from the grandstands is always superior. So don’t be too envious of the people you see in the garage area. Chances are you will enjoy the race more than they will.