The term active safety refers to accident avoidance or the inputs made by the driver to avoid threatening situations. While this is the term used in English, others more accurately refer to this as “Primary Safety”. Safety first means avoiding any eventuality that would lead to the deployment of passive safety (secondary safety) meaning the vehicles ability to protect its occupants.
Another definition for active safety is performance. Some clients mistakenly believe performance is an unnecessary upgrade of little or no use. For those who appreciate the Porsche product for attributes other than performance, active safety should not be overlooked. It is interesting to note how the professional publications will do a comparison and then question the price premium for a better lap time. Porsche SUV’s and sedans are providing superior active safety, not just quicker laps.
Both performance and active safety deal with handling, braking, and acceleration, obvious strong suits when it comes to Porsche. While these three attributes are the traditional definition of active safety, a fourth is equally as important. Knowing when and how much active safety is necessary can be communicated by road feel. Road feel is sensed by the driver through the seat bottom, steering wheel, and pedals. It has always been thought that road feel was at the detriment of ride quality. Porsche engineers have eliminated that compromise. The elimination of compromises is referred to as Porsche Intelligent Performance.
Handling, no matter how good, is limited by the laws of physics. You cannot just hammer the accelerator, crank in as much steering as you like and hope for the best. Sensing the break-away point (loss of traction) is critical. Feeling the relationship between tires and pavement lets the driver know where the edge of adhesion is. A forgiving suspension (courtesy of Porsche Engineering) allows the driver to dial the vehicle back into compliance.
Very harsh inputs of steering, braking, or acceleration may create disastrous results. Inputs need to be smooth and deliberate. Your Porsche may be coerced into some amazing feats if asked nicely. The smoother (slower) you are, the faster your Porsche can go. Move the steering wheel gently; squeeze the pedals, do not stomp on them.
The place to learn this is, of course, the track. The Porsche Club of America teaches this at their “Driver Education” track events. Porsche’s Sport Driving School is the best, albeit more expensive resource. Check your ego at the door and approach any driving school as a learning situation not a competition. Machismo will only get in the way of progress.
Braking has always been a strong suit for Porsche. Early Vipers had a brake conversion kit to use Porsche brakes. Since then, other manufacturers have seen the benefits of using Porsche’s source to build their brakes. Porsche demands excellence from their brakes and has some incredible requirements. Every model Porsche is required to accelerate to 90 percent of its top speed and then decelerate to 62 MPH. This is repeated 25 times in row and must be accomplished with no perceptible brake fade. Heat is the by-product of scrubbing off speed (braking). By looking under a Porsche sports car from the front, one can see scoops that direct air to the brakes lowering their temperature.
When brakes are vented, this means they have passageways that flow air through the inner part of the rotor to cool it. The holes around the outer circumference of the rotor channel air out of the rotor. In higher performance models these channels are arced to facilitate air flow. The holes that appear to be drilled through the surface of the rotor are referred to as cross-drilled rotors (they are cast into Porsche’s rotors). These help the gases created by extreme temperatures to escape. They also assist in drying rotors that have been driven through water.
Porsche uses mono-block calipers. Most calipers are bolted together. Porsches are one piece which resist flexing and help cut down on unsprung weight. Unsprung weight is the part of the car that does not appear to move when you push down on its fender. This would be the tire, wheel, brake assembly, control arms, and spindle. Porsche has always paid a great deal of attention to unsprung weight. Lowering unsprung weight contributes to a better ride, better handling, and better road feel.
Wheels on a Porsche must be light, strong, circulate air for the braking system, and have the proper offset (keeping the suspension geometry consistent with the factory setting). Please think twice before purchasing a good-looking set of after-market wheels and over-sized tires. Bigger is not necessarily better. Porsche put a lot of thought and testing (including wind-tunnel) into the wheels and tires offered on their cars. Do not assume that the after-market offers anything better.
Acceleration (another means to escape harm’s way) involves much more than horsepower and torque. Power to weight ratio, weight distribution, traction, and aerodynamics all combine to make your Porsche quicker. Typically, a Porsche will out-perform other cars of similar or even greater power. With any Porsche the sum is always greater than the total of its parts. Porsche’s Systems Engineering considers how different systems may contribute to enhance other systems.
Porsche’s steering is an industry standard. “There is no substitute.” The steering is so good, it is said to be telepathic. Steering progression is linear with just the right amount of feel.
Almost every part on you Porsche is there for one purpose, to make your tires work. Porsche engineers give tire manufacturers exacting standards to deliver the best all-around tire for each model. These tires earn an “N” designation. Never overlook the importance of tread depth or age on your tires.
In conclusion, it is the driving experience that makes your Porsche superior to any of the perceived competition. Spread sheet comparisons cannot begin do justice to a Porsche. Remember, “There is no substitute.”