Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, often shortened to Porsche AG, or just Porsche, is a German manufacturer of automobiles majority owned by the Austrian Porsche and Piëch families. It was founded in 1931 by Ferdinand Porsche, an Austro-Hungarian engineer, born in Maffersdorf (Vratislavice), Bohemia (now part of the Czech Republic) who also designed the first Volkswagen. The company is headquartered in Zuffenhausen, a city district of Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. They currently produce 911 (997), Boxster, and Cayman sports cars and Cayenne sport utility vehicles.


 Reputation

In a May 2006 survey, Porsche was awarded the title of the most prestigious automobile brand by Luxury Institute, New York; it questioned more than 500 households with a gross annual income of at least US $200,000 and a net worth of at least US $720,000.  The current Porsche lineup includes sports cars from the Boxster roadster to their most famous product, the 911. The Cayman is a hard top car similar to the Boxster in a slightly higher price range. The Cayenne is Porsche's mid-size luxury SUV. The Carrera GT supercar was phased out in May 2006. Future plans include a high performance luxury saloon/sedan, the Panamera.

Porsche was awarded the 2006 J.D. Power and Associates award for highest Nameplate Initial Quality Study (IQS) of automobile brands.

As a company, Porsche is known for weathering changing market conditions with great financial stability, while retaining most production in Germany during an age when most other German car manufacturers have moved at least parts of their production to Eastern Europe or overseas. The headquarters and main factory are still in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, but the Cayenne (and formerly the Carrera GT) is manufactured in Leipzig, Germany, the SUV also in Bratislava, Slovakia. Most Boxster and Cayman production is outsourced to Valmet Automotive in Finland. The company has been highly successful in recent times, and indeed claims to have the highest profit per unit sold of any car company in the world, although its total profits are significantly lower than Toyota's.

Porsche has for many years offered consultancy services to various other car manufacturers. Studebaker, SEAT, Daewoo, Subaru and Yugo have consulted Porsche on engineering for their cars or engines. The Lada Samara was partly developed by Porsche in 1984. Porsche also helped Harley-Davidson design their new engine in their newer V-Rod motorcycle.


History

Professor Ferdinand Porsche initially started the company called "Dr. ing. h. c. F. Porsche GmbH" in 1931, with main offices at Königstrasse in the center of Stuttgart. The company offered motor vehicle development work and consulting, and did not initially build any cars under its own name. One of the first assignments the new company received was from the German government to design a car for the people, a "Volkswagen" in German.

The first Porsche, the Porsche 64, was developed in 1939 using many components from the Volkswagen Beetle.

Ferdinand Porsche's son, Ferry Porsche, decided to build his own car because he could not find an existing one that he would buy. The first models of what was to become the 356 were built in a small workshop in Gmünd, Austria and had aluminum bodywork. The prototype car was shown to German auto dealers, and when pre-orders reached a set threshold, production was begun. Many regard the 356 as the first Porsche simply because it was the first model sold by the fledgling company. Porsche commissioned Zuffenhausen-based company Reutter Carosseri, which had previously collaborated with Porsche on Volkswagen Beetle prototypes, to produce the 356's steel body. Porsche constructed an assembly plant across the street from Reutter Carosseri; that assembly plant is now known as Porschestrasse. The 356 was road certified in 1948.

Not long afterwards, on January 30, 1951, Ferdinand Porsche died from complications following a stroke.

In post-war Germany parts were generally in short supply, so the 356 automobile used components from the Volkswagen Beetle including its engine, gearbox, and suspension. The 356, however, had several evolutionary stages, A, B, and C, while in production and many VW parts were replaced by Porsche-made parts. The last 356s were powered by entirely Porsche-designed engines. The sleek bodywork was designed by Erwin Komenda who also had designed the body of the Beetle. Porsche's signature designs have, from the beginning, featured air-cooled rear-engine configurations (like the Beetle), rare for other car manufacturers, but producing automobiles that are very well balanced.

In 1964, after some success in motor-racing, namely with the Porsche 550 Spyder, the company launched the Porsche 911 another air-cooled, rear-engined sports car, this time with a 6-cylinder "boxer" engine. The team to lay out the body shell design was led by Ferry Porsche's eldest son, Ferdinand Alexander Porsche (F. A.). The design phase for the 911 caused internal problems with Erwin Komenda who led the body design department until then. F. A. Porsche complained Komenda made changes to the design not being approved by him. Company leader Ferry Porsche took his son's drawings to neighbouring body shell manufacturer Reuter bringing the design to the 1963 state. Reuter's workshop was later acquired by Porsche (so-called Werk II). Afterward Reuter became a seat manufacturer, today known as Keiper-Recaro.

The design group gave sequential numbers to every project (356, 550, etc) but the designated 901 nomenclature contravened Peugeot's copyrights on all 'x0x' names, so it was adjusted to 911. Racing models adhered to the "correct" numbering sequence: 904, 906, 908. The 911 has become Porsche's most well-known model, successful on the race-track, in rallies, and in terms of sales. Far more than any other model, the Porsche brand is defined by the 911. It remains in production; however, after several generations of revision, current-model 911s share only the basic mechanical concept of a rear-engined, six-cylinder coupe, and basic styling cues with the original car. A cost-reduced model with the same body, but 356-derived running gear (including its four-cylinder engine), was sold as the 912.

In 1972 the company's legal form was changed from limited partnership to public limited company (AG in German), because Ferry Porsche and his sister, Louise Piëch, felt their generation members did not team up well. This led to the foundation of an executive board whose members came from outside the Porsche family, and a supervisory board consisting mostly of family members. With this change, no family members were in operational charge of the company. F. A. Porsche founded his own design company, Porsche Design, which is renowned for exclusive sunglasses, watches, furniture, and many other luxury articles. Ferdinand Piëch, who was responsible for mechanical development of Porsche's serial and racing cars, formed his own engineering bureau and developed a 5-cylinder-inline diesel engine for Mercedes-Benz. A short time later he moved to Audi and pursued his career through the entire company, up to and including, the Volkswagen Group boards.

The first CEO of Porsche AG was Dr. Ernst Fuhrmann who had been working in Porsche's engine development. Fuhrmann was responsible for the so-called Fuhrmann-engine used in the 356 Carrera models, as well as the 550 Spyder, having four over-head camshafts instead of a central camshaft as in the Volkswagen-derived serial engines. He planned to cease the 911 during the 70s and replace it with the V8-front engined grand sportswagon 928. As we know today the 911 outlived the 928 by far. Fuhrmann was replaced in the early 80s by Peter W. Schutz, an American manager and self-proclaimed 911 aficionado. He was replaced in 1988 by the former manager of German computer company Nixdorf Computer AG, Arno Bohn, who made some costly miscalculations that led to his dismissal soon after, along with that of the development director, Dr. Ulrich Bez, who was formerly responsible for BMW's Z1 model and today is CEO of Aston Martin.

In 1990, Porsche drew up a memorandum of understanding with Toyota to learn and benefit from Japanese production methods. Currently Toyota is assisting Porsche with hybrid technology, rumored to be making its way into a Hybrid Cayenne SUV, as well as the upcoming four-door coupe, the Panamera.

Following the dismissal of Bohn, an interim CEO was appointed, longtime Porsche employee, Heinz Branitzki, who served in that position until Dr. Wendelin Wiedeking became CEO in 1993. Wiedeking took over the chairmanship of the board at a time when Porsche appeared vulnerable to a takeover by a larger company. During his long tenure, Wiedeking has transformed Porsche into a very efficient and profitable company.

Ferdinand Porsche's grandson, Ferdinand Piëch, was chairman and CEO of the Volkswagen Group from 1993 to 2002. Today he is chairman of the supervisory board. With 12.8 per cent of the Porsche voting shares, he also remains the second largest individual shareholder of Porsche AG after his cousin, F. A. Porsche, (13.6 per cent).

Porsche's 2002 introduction of the Cayenne also marked the unveiling of a new production facility in Leipzig, Saxony, which once accounted for nearly half of Porsche's annual output. The Cayenne Turbo S has the second most powerful production engine in Porsche's history, with the most powerful belonging to the Carrera GT.

In 2004, production of the 605 horsepower (451 kW) Carrera GT commenced in Leipzig, and at EUR 450,000 ($440,000 in the United States) it was the most expensive production model Porsche ever built.

As of 2005, the extended Porsche and Piech families controlled all of Porsche AG's voting shares. In early October 2005 the company announced acquisition of an 18.53% stake in Volkswagen AG and disclosed intentions to acquire additional VW shares in the future. As of June 2006, the Porsche AG stake in Volkswagen had risen to 25.1%, giving Porsche a blocking minority, whereby Porsche can veto large corporate decisions undertaken by VW.

In mid-2006, after years of the Boxster (and later the Cayenne) as the dominant Porsche in North America, the 911 regained its position as Porsche's backbone in the region. The Cayenne and 911 have cycled as the top-selling model since. In Germany the 911 clearly outsells the Boxster/Cayman and Cayenne.



Boxster

The Porsche Boxster is a mid-engined roadster built by Porsche. The Boxster is Porsche's first vehicle designed by Raymond Barth from the beginning as a roadster; all previous Porsche convertibles were based on hardtop coupes.

The first-generation Boxster (the 986) was introduced in late 1996 as a 1997 model; it was powered by a 2.5 litre flat six-cylinder engine. In 2000, the new Boxster S variant was introduced with a larger 3.2 litre motor, and the base model received a more powerful 2.7 litre engine. In 2003, styling and engine output was upgraded on both variants.

In 2005, further updates were substantial enough that Porsche internally identified the Boxster as a new 987 model. The 987s were more powerful than the 986s; engine output increased yet further in 2007, when both Boxster models received the motors from the corresponding Porsche Cayman variants.

Production of the 986 began at the former Porsche 928 facility in Stuttgart, Germany in 1996. Valmet Automotive Oy also manufactures Boxsters under contract to Porsche at a facility in Uusikaupunki, Finland. The Boxster was Porsche's biggest volume seller from its introduction in model year 1997 until the company introduced the Cayenne utility vehicle in model year 2003.

The Boxster's name is a combination of the word "boxer", referring to the vehicle's horizontally-opposed or "boxer" engine, and the word "roadster", referring to the vehicle's convertible top.


Cayman

The Porsche Cayman is a mid-engined, rear wheel drive 2-seat sports car produced by Porsche AG of Germany. First launched in the 2006 model year , the Cayman is the coupé version of Porsche's second generation Boxster convertible. Like the Boxster, the Cayman is assembled in Finland for Porsche by Valmet Automotive.

The performance of the Cayman S approaches that of Porsche's flagship sports car, the 911 Carrera. Rally legend Walter Röhrl lapped the Nürburgring Nordschleife track in a Cayman S equipped with optional 19" wheels, PCCB, and PASM in a time of 8 minutes, 11 seconds. The time for a standard Cayman S, as published by the manufacturer, was 8 minutes, 20 seconds. In contrast, Röhrl recorded 8 minutes, 15 seconds in a 911 Carrera. The similarity in performance between the two cars has led to speculation about whether the Cayman S will cannibalize sales of the Carrera, as the basic Carrera's recommended retail price in the United States is $12,400 higher than that of the Cayman S.

A Cayman prepared and run by privateers Jürgen and Uwe Alzen finished fourth overall (of 220 entrants) in the 2007 Nürburgring 24 Hour race, ahead of two flagship Porsche 997 GT3 RSR's, a 997 GT3 Cup, and a 996 GT3 Cup. Another two privateer Caymans, entered by CSR and MSpeed, finished 22nd and 117th overall, respectively. Porsche disclaims support for the Cayman teams, while supporting some or all of the 997 teams.

A sports car feature which is not offered by Porsche for the Cayman is limited slip differential (LSD). Some commentators have speculated that LSD is not offered, even as an option, because the Cayman S's performance would then be too close to that of the 911 Carrera. Several tuning companies offer Cayman buyers the ability to retrofit a LSD.


997

The Porsche Type 997, or simply 997 (nine-nine-seven or nine-ninety-seven) is the project code name for the current version of the sports car Porsche 911, built by the German manufacturer Porsche since 2004. Production began in July 2004 and two variants, the Carrera and Carrera S coupés, were available immediately. The all-wheel drive Carrera 4 and Carrera 4S versions began shipping in November 2005, while the Turbo and GT3 derivatives went on sale in late 2006 and 997 GT2 going on sale in 2007. The new 530 horsepower (395 kW) GT2 has a claimed 0-60 mph of 3.6 seconds and top speed of 204 mph (328 km/h), the first production, street-legal Porsche 911 with a 200+ mph top speed. The Targa top models are also available, in Targa 4 and Targa 4S forms. The 997 is the most commercially successful 911 of all time. As of July 2007 it has sold 100,000 units since its introduction in April 2004.

The base Carrera has essentially the same 3.6 L flat-6 (Boxer) engine that its predecessor, the Type 996 Carrera used, producing 239 kW (325 SAE hp/329 PS). The Carrera S uses a new 3.8 L flat-6 engine producing 261 kW (355 SAE hp/ 360 PS). The US$16,900 X51 powerkit with a 381 hp (284 kW) power output is available as an option for the Carrera S, Carrera 4S, and Targa 4S models.

While the exterior styling is changed — in fact, the 997 Carrera S and Carrera 4S models share only their roof panels with their predecessor, the 996 — it is again more evolution than revolution, typical of Porsche and the Carrera. British motoring journalist Jeremy Clarkson (a known detractor of Porsche vehicles, especially the 911) has often voiced the opinion that Porsche has "the laziest design team in the world" due to the almost unnoticeable change in external appearance between the 997 and earlier models. The most notable difference between the 997 and outgoing 996 is the return to circular headlights, like those of pre-996 Carreras, with separate indicator units. The interior has been almost entirely re-invented and all the controls are new; however, it is more reminiscent of classic 911 interiors than of the outgoing 996.

997 Turbo

The 997 Turbo debuted in February 2006 at the Geneva Motor Show. It uses a new front bumper with LED parking lights in a horizontal bar through the air intake. The fog lights are moved to the corners of the bumpers. Large air intakes in front of and behind the rear wheels are other obvious visual cues. The retractable rear wing is also one of the highlights, a feature which has been available on the 996 Turbo as well.

The engine is reported to be based on the rugged and very reliable 964/GT1 design at 3.6 L with power output at 353 kW (480 PS) and 620 N·m (457 ft·lbf). The turbochargers will include BorgWarner's new Variable Turbine Geometry (VTG), which uses guide vanes located in front of the turbine wheel that modulates inflow angle and speed. The 911 Turbo is the first petrol production car to feature variable geometry turbines (previously only available to diesel engined vehicles), however a similar approach was used successfully by Garrett Systems starting in 1989 with the Shelby CSX that utilized a computer controlled variable nozzles instead. When equipped with the optional Sport Chrono package, the 911 Turbo gains the ability to overboost for 10 seconds, increasing peak torque over a narrow rev range.

According to official Porsche figures, it produces 480 hp (358 kW), accelerates 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.9 seconds with the manual transmission, and a has 0-100 km/h (62 mph) time of just 3.7 seconds with the automatic Tiptronic S transmission, which is more than enough to edge out its current rival from Ferrari, the new F430. It has also recorded a 0-60 mph time of 3.2 seconds at the hands of US motoring publication Motor Trend- eclipsing all of its major competitors and even Porsche's own Carrera GT supercar. The 997 Turbo has a top speed of 311 km/h (193 mph).


997 GT3

The 997 GT3 model also debuted at Geneva in 2006. Like previous GT3 models, it is a way for Porsche to homologate aerodynamic features for racing, as well as a starting model for customer racing. The 997 GT3 is priced at US$106,000 and uses an updated version of the naturally-aspirated 3.6 L flat-6 dry-sump engine from the 996 GT3. This engine produces 415 hp(PS)/409 bhp (309 kW)  with a new variable intake system. It has an 8400 rpm redline which is the same as the 612 bhp (456 kW) Carrera GT's. Torque is also up to 299 ft·lbf (405 N·m). The 3.6L dry-sump engine does not seem to share the rear main seal (RMS) problems of the 3.6L/3.8L semi-dry-sump engine.

The GT3 body includes a special front bumper which increases cooling for the front-mounted radiators as well as a split spoiler at the rear. The GT3 also includes a special rear bumper and center tailpipes which draw heat away from the engine. It is lowered and rides on 30-series 305 mm (12 in) tires on 19 in (483 mm) wheels. The car weighs 3075 lb (1395 kg).

The 997 GT3 is more driver-friendly than its predecessor, with "comfort" seats and the Porsche Communication Management system installed. The special RS model will strip most of these luxuries out to focus more on track-oriented driving (although the car is still road-legal). The package will also include a full rollcage and carbon fiber seats to add to that race-car-for-the-road feel. The RS version will be released in Europe in October 2006; the North American release is spring 2007.

The ratios on the six-speed transmission are more aggressive, allowing the GT3 to hit 60 mph (97 km/h) in 4.1 seconds, while the RS accomplishes the same in 4 flat. It will continue to 100 mph (161 km/h) in 9.2 seconds and has an ungoverned 193 mph (311 km/h) top speed.



997 GT3 RS

The Porsche 997 version of the GT3 RS was released in Europe in October 2006 and in North America in spring 2007. It will keep the "GT3 RS" side sticker and the special colored wheels; this time, however, instead of being either blue or red, they will be available in black and arctic silver metallic (both with some orange details like decorative stripe, outside mirrors, sideplates, wheels and roll cage), they will be also available in green or orange as an option (details in black, roll cage in color or black).

A new feature that the RS will employ over the regular GT3, will be the adoption of the 44 mm (1.7 in) wider (at the rear) body of the Carrera 4 models. As a result, rear track width increases.

The factory claims a top speed of 193 mph (311 km/h) and a 0-60 time of about 4 seconds using a 415 hp (309 kW) engine

997 GT2

The Porsche 996 911 GT2 was superseded by the 997-generation GT2 in 2007.

On Friday July 13, 2007, an official brochure of the 997 GT2 was unofficially released on the internet.

According to this brochure, the 997 GT2 has a twin turbocharged 3.6 litre 6-cylinder engine, which generates 530 hp (395 kW) at 6500 rpm, the engine is the same as it is in 997 Turbo but Porsche achieved power increase through completely newly designed expansion intake manifold in which the distributor pipe is longer than in Turbo and the intake manifolds are shorter, an full titanium silencer is used also in GT2, even though the Porsche 911 (997) Carrera S variant has a slightly larger engine at 3.8 litres. The GT2 accelerates in 3.6 seconds to 60 mph (97 km/h) and in 7.4 seconds to 100 mph (160 km/h) and has a maximum top speed of 204 mph (328 km/h). This makes it the first Porsche 911 to exceed the 200 mph (320 km/h) top speed, with the exception of the 1998 Porsche 911 GT1 Race Version (which is not considered an actual Porsche 911 due to its mid-mounted engine. The Porsche 997 GT2 also has a curb weight of 3,175 lb (1,440 kg), 505 ft·lbf (685 N·m) of torque from 2200 to 4500 rpm, and a 6-speed manual gearbox.

A few official pictures of the Porsche 997 GT2 have also been leaked to public recently.  Its appearance is slightly different from its sister-car, the Porsche 911 (997) Turbo, in a few ways. It does not have fog lights in the front bumper, it has a revised front lip, it has a different rear wing (with two small air scoops on either side), and it has a different rear bumper (now featuring titanium exhaust pipes).

The Porsche 911 (997) GT2 is also different from the Porsche 911 (997) Turbo because the GT2 is rear-wheel-drive rather than all-wheel-drive. This causes the Porsche 911 GT2 to have a slightly slower acceleration from 0–100 km/h than the Tiptronic Porsche 911 Turbo by 0.2 second.

The Porsche 911 GT2 is on sale since November 2007.



Cayenne

The Porsche Cayenne is a 5-seat mid-size luxury sport utility vehicle produced by the German automaker Porsche since 2002, with North American sales beginning in 2003. It is the first V8 engined vehicle built by Porsche since 1995, when the Porsche 928 was discontinued. Worldwide sales of the Cayenne are running at double the rate of 20,000 units per year that was originally forecasted. 60-percent more Porsches were sold in 2006 than were sold in 2002 thanks to the Cayenne model.

Porsche went right to the point with the new Cayenne, going straight from the current 2006 model to the new 2008 version and skipping 2007 entirely. Porsche calls the 2008 model the 'second generation', however it is more of a technology transfusion, with many aspects including the interior and 4wd system remaining virtually identical.

All 2008 engines feature direct injection. The charge-cooling effect of direct fuel injection permits a higher compression ratio without the risk of detonation, which significantly improves horsepower and torque. Fuel consumption has been reduced approximately 1-2mpg across the range, even though the official window stickers say otherwise - the EPA changed its testing methodology in 2008. The drag coefficient is 0.35 Cd and all models get a power lift gate and a tire pressure monitoring system.

The Cayenne was intended to be the new benchmark for SUVs. Combining hardcore on-road performance and handling with outstanding off-road capability without sacrificing ride comfort or towing capability, while delivering high levels of quality and refinement. The Cayenne's frame and doors are sourced from Volkswagen, who also use the frames and doors for the Volkswagen Touareg model. All other aspects of vehicle design, tuning, production are done in house at Porsche. VW also supplies this 'E platform' to Audi to underpin their Q7 model. The Cayenne shares only its V6 engine with the Touareg and Porsche's version is substantially modified.

The Cayenne is a purpose built high performance off-roader. Its off-road capability cannot be matched by most every crossover or 'grass and gravel' suv lacking a low range and a locking dif such as the BMW X5/X6, Infiniti Fx, Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8, Audi Q7, etc. Its on-road behavior has been tuned to deliver sports car handling and high performance unlike every other remaining car in this segment such as the Volkswagen Touareg, Mercedes ML/GL, Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Tahoe, Lexus GX/LX, Toyota Land Cruiser, Land Rover Range Rover, etc.

The main rival for the Cayenne would be the Land Rover Range Rover Sport. Edmunds.com thinks, "For maximum performance, the Porsche earns the podium as its acceleration, braking and handling can't be beat." The Porsche is faster in both acceleration and top speed than the equivalent Rover and gets better mpg.

However, all this performance and capability come with Porsche's tradition of being expensive, particularly when fitted with options. Also, the backseat and the cargo area are small for this class.



2009 Panamera

The Porsche Panamera is a four-door, four-seat sedan, currently still in concept stages, set to be launched in 2009. It will be front engined and rear wheel drive and powered by a modified version of the 4.5 L V-8 found in the Cayenne, equipped with the FSI system as used by Volkswagen (Porsche and Volkswagen collaborated on the Cayenne/Touareg sport utility vehicle platform). Base spec models will be engineered with a 3.6 liter V-6 found in the upcoming 2008 facelifted Cayenne, and there is even a hybrid version in the pipeline. Rumors suggest that the V-10 engine from Porsche's limited-run Carrera GT supercar may be offered as well, although this is still extremely unlikely given the expense of manufacturing the engine and that Porsche does not currently have a facility capable of producing a suitable number of the V-10 per year. A rumor is also around that the V-12 diesel from the Audi Q7 could make it into the Panamera.

The final assembly of the vehicles will take place in Leipzig. Engines will be assembled in Stuttgart, and the car's painted body will come from the Volkswagen facility in Hanover.

The Panamera is generally considered to be the long-awaited fruit of their 989 concept from the late 1980s; some argue that it also presents itself as a successor to the 2-doored 928, but there may be plans to develop a new 928 too. It will be marketed as a direct competitor to automobiles such as the Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG and Maserati Quattroporte and (to a lesser degree) a less expensive alternative to vehicles such as the Bentley Continental GT, Ferrari 612 Scaglietti and Aston Martin Rapide. It is the first V8-engined sports car built by Porsche since 1995, when the 928 was discontinued and will be produced in the new plant at Leipzig alongside the Cayenne. The vehicle has been caught testing at the Nürburgring and the original sketches are a little more sleek than the taped up model spied testing

Artist renderings of the car already distributed by Porsche show a low-slung, four-door sports car with narrow side windows and flowing lines. However spy shots of the Porsche Panamera testing at the Nürburgring show a more blunt car than the artists renderings. Recent artist impressions  paint a car with a very similar front to the 911 and Boxster.

The Panamera's name is derived, like the Porsche Carrera line, from the Carrera Panamericana race. Earlier prototypes of four-door sedans such as the 1991 Porsche 989 prototype or the even earlier 4 door 911 based prototype, never went into production.

On the 20th of April 2007 a spy video of the Porsche Panamera became available on the net.

Fiat S.p.A., is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial and industrial group based in Turin, Northern Italy. Founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli, the company name FIAT is an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino (Italian Automobile Factory of Turin), and it also means "let there be" in Latin. Fiat was also an aircraft manufacturer at one time.

Fiat branded cars are constructed all around the world besides Italy, the biggest industry of the company outside Italy is in Brazil (best seller), also has factories in Poland and Argentina. Joint Venture productions in France, Turkey, Egypt (with the state owned Nasr car company), South Africa, India and China.

Agnelli's grandson Gianni Agnelli was Fiat chairman from 1966 until his death on January 24, 2003. However, from 1996, he only served as an "honorary" chairman, while the chairman was Cesare Romiti. After their removal, Paolo Fresco served as chairman and Paolo Cantarella as CEO. Umberto Agnelli then took over as chairman from 2002 to 2004. After Umberto Agnelli's death on May 28, 2004, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo was named chairman, but Agnelli heir John Elkann became vice chairman at age 28 and other family members are on the board. At this point, CEO Giuseppe Morchio immediately offered his resignation. Sergio Marchionne was named to replace him on June 1, 2004.



Bravo

Fiat Bravo is Fiat's new small family car introduced to the press January 2007 in Rome, later it was published in Geneva Motor Show 2007. The new Bravo will be produced in Fiat's Cassino plant in Piedimonte S. Germano. The car is designed by Fiat Style Centre. Austrian automotive company Magna Steyr has engineered big part of the car's body and internal fittings. CAD engineering and computer simulations were used in a very large scale with this model and the design was made in very fast schedule.

Blue&Me is a new feature first introduced with the Fiat Grande Punto and is fitted as standard on the Bravo Dynamic and Sport. Developed with Microsoft this system offers Bluetooth hands free for use with a mobile phone. Also capable of displaying SMS text on the dash screen and has voice activation built in. Another part of the system is the inclusion of a USB connector so an MP3 player or USB flashcard can be plugged in, giving access to the cars entertainment system mp3's that are stored on the unit.

In Australia, the Fiat Bravo will be sold as the Fiat Ritmo, as Mazda Australia has the naming rights to the "Bravo" name.



Fiorino

The Mk4 Fiat Fiorino has been unveiled in Summer 2007 and will go on sale in early 2008. Sharing architecture with the new Citroën Nemo and Peugeot Bipper, it has different styling from the current Fiat Doblò. The new Fiorino is developed between Fiat, PSA Peugeot Citroën and Tofaş and it is based on the Grande Punto platform. This project can be seen as a breakthrough in Tofaş history. The car is assembled in Bursa factory in Turkey.

Doblò

The Fiat Doblò is a panel van and leisure activity vehicle produced by Italian automaker Fiat since 2001. It was first launched to the public in Holland, and received the "2006 International Van of the Year" award by an international jury from 19 countries. In Singapore, a 1.4-litre LAV variant is marketed as the Fiat Panorama in 5 and 7-seater versions.

The Doblò carries a payload of up to 730 kg (1609 lb), with an interior volume of 3.2 m³.

It is produced in Fiat's Tofaş subsidiary factory in Bursa, Turkey, in Brazil since 2002 and in Russia and Vietnam. Turkish models have an engine range that includes a 1.4-litre petrol, a 1.9-litre MultiJet, and a 16-valve 1.3-litre MultiJet.

In North Korea Pyonghwa Motors produces Doblò branded as its own name Ppeokkugi.

The Doblò was restyled in autumn 2005 with modifications to the front and rear light groups, and the total design of the front part.


Stilo

The Fiat Stilo is a small family car produced by the Italian automaker Fiat since 2001. The Stilo was unveiled in 2001 to replace the Fiat Bravo/Brava.

It is available in both 3- and 5-door hatchback versions, as well as an estate car (station wagon) called "Stilo MultiWagon". Originally, its petrol engines were the 1242 cc DOHC 16 valve engine also powering the Punto and Lancia Ypsilon with an output of 80 bhp (60 kW) combined with a 6 speed manual gearbox, a 102 bhp (76 kW), 1.6 L with a 5 speed manual gearbox (The 1.6 was also available with a 6 speed manual gearbox, but these are quite rare) a 131 bhp (97 kW), 1.8 L, again with a 5 speed manual gearbox and a 168 bhp (125 kW), 5 cylinder, 2.4 L engine combined with Fiat's Selespeed 5 speed semi-automatic gearbox, also used on the Alfa Romeo 147. The 2.4 L engine was reserved for the hatchback versions. An 8 valve, 1.9 JTD unit with 115, 120, 130 or 16 valve 150 bhp diesel unit were/are also available.

The Stilo's styling received mixed reviews, with many journalists and enthusiasts criticising it as being too bland and too German-looking. Critics also attacked the car's excessive weight and its semi-rigid rear axle, which was seen as a step backwards from the acclaimed set-up used in the Bravo/Brava and which resulted in handling many found uninspired and uninvolving. The engine range, particularly the 1.2 litre petrol, was also criticised for being underpowered. The car's fuel economy was also seen as poor for its class, a result of the car's heavy weight and the transmission, which used very long gear ratios. Another point of criticism was the Selespeed gearbox, which was seen as too slow in its reactions and particularly inappropriate for the high-powered Abarth version. Nevertheless, the car won praise for its high levels of grip (aided by the unusually wide tires) and its brakes.

In the UK, different trim levels available are/were: Active, Active Aircon, Blue, Dynamic, Sporting, Abarth, GT, Prestigio, Xbox limited edition, Michael Schumacher and the Schumacher GP, with general modifications by British car specialists, Prodrive.

The Stilo was the first car worldwide to use the TRW Column-Drive Electric Power-Assisted Steering (EPS) technology later introduced on the 2003 Nissan Micra & Renault Megane.

As the Stilo model range has aged, the amount of equipment from the options list has now been lessened. The Stilo was originally offered in some markets with a radar guided cruise control option; it included sensors in the front bumper and rear of the car to adjust the speed of the car according to other vehicles' speed. This was soon dropped as it became apparent that other interferences were creating undesired results for the driver. A keyless entry, named 'Easy Go', push button start, similar in function to Renault's, Mercedes' and BMW Mini's systems, was also an available option.

For MY2006 the Stilo was updated with a new front grille, different seat fabric, a relocation of the electric mirror controls from the window control console to just behind the gear stick, removal of the centre arm-rest (which when in the downward position prevented comforable use of the handbrake as in the Audi A3) and the deletion of the rear air vent.

The Stilo was ultimately a sales disappointment. An extensive advertising campaign using Formula 1 stars Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello did little to aid the car's sales. In 2004, the 1242 cc engine was dropped in favour of the Punto's 1.4 L unit, increasing the car's power to 95 bhp (71 kW), again combined with the 6 speed gearbox. Also, the taillights were altered and the Abarth version gained a manual gearbox instead of the Selespeed.


Ulysse

"Eurovans" is a common name applied to nearly identical large MPVs resulting from Sevel, a joint-venture of PSA and Fiat, and manufactured at Sevel Nord factory in France, near Valenciennes. The first eurovans were sold as Citroën Evasion (Synergie), Fiat Ulysse, Lancia Zeta and Peugeot 806. The present, second generation, saw the renaming of all but the Ulysse to Citroën C8, Lancia Phedra and Peugeot 807 respectively.

The eurovans differ little technically and visually, being a prime example of badge engineering. The eurovans share mechanicals and body structure with Sevel light commercial vans, Citroën Jumpy (Dispatch), Fiat Scudo and Peugeot Expert. They are more technically related to PSA than Fiat vehicles, as PSA governs the Sevel Nord part of the joint-venture.

The first-generation eurovans were superseded by a new model in 2002. The floorpan, wheelbase and suspension setup were not altered, but all exterior dimensions as well as front and rear tracks were increased. In particular, the increase in length by almost 30 cm greatly enhanced interior capacity. The new eurovans were afforded a much more bubbly, contemporary look, along with a modern-looking dashboard with centrally mounted gauges. The differences are now more pronounced, encompassing entire front fascias and rear sections (including head- and taillights), as well as different interior color themes. The Fiat and the Lancia are slightly wider than PSA vans, and the Phedra is also longer than other eurovans.


Idea

The Fiat Idea is a mini MPV built by the Italian manufacturer Fiat since 2003. The car is based on the Project 188 platform, originally used for the second-generation Fiat Punto. The Idea is noted for its versatile interior, which includes sliding and folding rear seats.


Panda

The Fiat Panda is a city car from the Italian automotive manufacturer Fiat. The first Fiat Panda was made from 1980 to 2003 with only few changes, and is now sometimes referred to as the "old Panda". The second model, launched in 2003, is sometimes referred to "new Panda" or "Nuova Panda" (in Italian), and was the European Car of the Year in 2004.

The new Panda, codenamed Model 169 in its development phase, was originally intended to be called "Gingo". However, this name was considered to be too similar to the Renault Twingo, so Fiat decided to continue with the Panda name. Successor to the Seicento, the new model also effectively replaced the old Panda after 23 years of production, although the Seicento itself proved still popular and remained in production. Like the Fiat Seicento, the Panda is manufactured only in Tychy, Poland by Fiat Auto Poland. A smaller, 3-door Fiat has been added to the range in 2007, the new 500.

The high-bodied Panda takes clear styling cues from mini MPVs and mini SUVs, with its tail lights in particular reminiscent of much larger cars from the likes of Volvo. The Panda won the European Car of the Year award in 2004.

The Panda includes an option for split rear seats, which makes the Panda a four-seater. Since September 2005, all Pandas are equipped with stability control, ABS, EBD and at least two front airbags. The gear-lever is located high on the central dashboard, which is designed to make changing gears more comfortable than with a conventional floor-mounted gearstick.

The financially troubled Fiat needed the new Panda to be a success, and indeed it was, selling half a million units by October 2005. It sells particularly well in Italy (over half of the cars produced are sold in Italy), being seen as closer to a spiritual successor to the Fiat 500 than a replacement for either the Seicento or the old Panda. The 1,000,000th new Panda was built on September 5, 2007, a red Panda 4x4 Climbing with 1.2-litre petrol engine.

In addition to the retail success, the Top Gear Motoring Survey in 2006 ranked it 8th out of 152 cars surveyed for reliability, craftsmanship, ownership costs, driving experience and service received. Traditionally, Fiat have ranked at the lower end of this table, showing that the Nuova Panda is reversing the trend and suggesting a return to form for Fiat.



Sedici

The Fiat Sedici is a mini crossover SUV developed by Suzuki and Fiat mainly for the European market. It was introduced at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show, and is built at the Magyar Suzuki plant in Hungary. The expected production volume is 60,000 units per year, 1/3 to be sold by Fiat and 2/3 by Suzuki, badged as the SX4. Design was handled by Giorgetto Giugiaro's Italdesign studio, and it is an alternative to mini MPVs, which have more "boxy" appearance.

Presented by Fiat in December 2005, it was the official car of the 2006 Winter Olympics. As the car is four wheel drive, it is considered a 4x4, and 4x4=16, hence the name Sedici, pronounced "Say-dee-chi", which means "sixteen" in Italian. By pressing a button driver can change between 4x2 and 4x4 modes. Car has also ESP on option list and DPF is a standard feature. From November 2006 is the second best selling SUV in the italian market. In june 2007 is the best selling SUV in italian market.


Grande Punto

The third generation FIAT supermini to bear the name Punto, codenamed Project 199, the Grande Punto was unveiled at the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show and went on sale later that year. Styled by Giugiaro,^[2] the car is based on the Fiat/GM SCCS platform. Whilst the model shares some of its name with the previous Punto, a large number of its components are new, including a new chassis and body shell.

The engines are the Fiat 1.2 Fire 8v (65 hp), a new 1.4 Fire 8v (77 hp) and the 1.4 16v (95 hp). Four MultiJet diesel engines are also available: two 1.3 16v units (75 hp and 90 hp, the latter with a variable geometry turbocharger) and two 1.9 with 120 and 130 hp, all of them with diesel particulate filter. All the engines are Euro IV compliant. In 2007 came new 1.4 T-Jet turbocharged petrol engine (120 hp) available. In the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show Fiat introduced 155 hp Abarth version produced through the Abarth & C S.p.A. company and branded as an Abarth car rather than FIAT. The cars nose, headlights and front grill look reminiscent of the Maserati Coupe, both were designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro of ItalDesign.


Linea

The Fiat Linea is a small family car released in 2007 by the Italian automaker Fiat in Eastern Europe, Latin America and Middle East. In India, the Fiat Linea is expected to be launched by Mid 2008. It will replace the aging Marea as the largest saloon in the Fiat range. It is based on the current Fiat Grande Punto platform. The Linea was designed by Fiat Style Centre and co-developed by Fiat do Brasil and Tofaş from Turkey.

Linea's size is similar to saloon versions of other small family cars, like the Ford Focus, Renault Mégane and Opel Astra. Its wheelbase is 2,603 mm (102.5 in), i.e. 100 mm (3.9 in) longer than its sister models, and its total length is 4,560 mm (179.5 in) or 500 mm (19.7 in).

In South America, the Linea will receive a 1.9 L engine, "Torque" derived with aprox. 130 PS (128 hp/96 kW), flexible for the Brazilian market (capable of using petrol or ethanol).


500

A new Fiat 500 was announced by Italian automaker Fiat on May 5, 2006. Images of the new Fiat 500 were presented on March 20, 2007, and the car was launched officially on July 4, 2007, with 250,000 in attendance. This was the largest launch party held in the last ten years, a testament to the 500's huge popularity  The car was displayed in the squares of 30 cities in Italy for the launch.

The car is produced at the moment only in Tychy, Poland, by Fiat Auto Poland alongside a sister model, the second generation Ford Ka due for release in 2008, and the other city car in the Fiat range, the Panda.

The 500 is almost identical to the concept car Trepiùno, presented in 2004. Strictly a four-seater, three-door hatchback and about the same length as the Panda, it is intended to compete both in the city car market and the "fashion car" niche market. The 500 may be badged in different markets as the Fiat 500, the Fiat Nuovo 500, or the Fiat Cinquecento.

The 500 is available with three different trim levels: Pop, Lounge and Sport. Customers can choose also between 15 interior trims, 9 wheel options, 19 decals and 12 body colours. There are over 500,000 different personalized combinations of the 500 that can be made by adding all kinds of accessories, decals, interior and exterior colours and trims.The car is also available with Blue&Me Navigation system. Fiat plans to introduce the Abarth version on Tokyo Motor Show 2007.

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전반적인 디자인은 컨셉카의 이미지를 그대로 받아들여서 나온점이 신선합니다. 이전의 박스형의 각진 스타일에서 점차 벗어나 이제는 완전히 다른 스타일로 변한것 같습니다. 물 흐르듯이 자연스럽게 연결되는 디자인과 동글동글한 라운드형 차체가 이전의 볼보와는 확연히 차이가 나는것이 신선하게 보입니다.

아직 디테일한 모습은 공개되지 않았기 때문에 자세히 확인할 수는 없으나, 전반적인 모습은 상당히 괜찮아 보입니다. 전통적인 볼보 팬들은 반대할 수도 있지만 변화하는 노력은 대단하다 생각합니다. D5엔진을 달고 가격만 잘 맞으면 괜찮을 듯 합니다.




Volvo will start selling in autumn 2008 the XC60, a lightweight SUV designed to compete with vehicles such as the BMW X3 and the Volkswagen Tiguan. Volvo has not yet revealed details of the dimensions of the car. The Volkswagen Tiguan measured 4.43 metres and the BMW X3 4.57. The length of the Volvo should not stray too far from that range. The Ford Kuga, a slight off of the same business group (Ford owns Volvo), measured 4.44 meters.



Volvo XC60 prototype advanced with some of the features of this new SUV slight.

When put up for sale, after the summer, only available with traction total and may choose from three engines. A turbocharged engine, 3.0 liter engine, gasoline, which called Volvo T6 and that gives an output of 285 hp. (All Volvo carrying this engine at present they do in combination with a six-speed automatic gearbox.) Versions Diesel shape from two variants of the same engine turbodiésel of 2.4 liter engine: the so-called D5 with a power of 185 hp and "2.4D" which gives 163 hp.



Since 2009 will sell a version with front-wheel drive car and the diesel engine of 2.4 liters and 163 hp with a level of CO2 emissions of about 170 g / km, according to the mark.




Volvo says its information is "the first manufacturer in the world that offers serial (...) a system that helps the driver to avoid or reduce the effects of low-speed crashes that occur routinely in city traffic and caravans. This system is called "City Safety. As rely on information from the prototype, works up to 30 km / h in two phases. If it detects a risk of collision, the load circuit hydraulic brakes in order to give maximum pressure when the driver step on the pedal. If the system believes that the collision was inevitable, it slows down the car without driver intervention.
If the speed difference between the two vehicles that can run is less than 15 km / h, the system can completely avoid the collision. Between 15 and 30 km / h, not avoided, but reduces the impact of the crash. Already models in some markets that have systems such as the Honda Legend or the Lexus LS 460.

Volvo intends to sell 50,000 units a year of the XC60, which is manufactured at the plant for Volvo Cars in Ghent, Belgium.



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