The fully-reclining seats are firmer than they used to be, and not as cradling, but the range of adjustment remains enormous: fore-and-aft in small increments; seat rake angle in larger steps. Any mechanic can make limited adjustments to the length of the clutch and brake pedals. The shoulder-to-steering wheel distance depends on the seat rake and is usually adjusted to a relaxed “straight-arm” driving style. The gearshift lever is a stout affair with a short throw.
Porsche’s detractors would have you believe that it’s impossible to get in and out of easily, but once the proper sequence of movements is learned, entry and exit to anything but the rear seats is not taxing. Every neophyte who wriggles into the Porsche’s padded bathtub of an interior for the first time can’t stop exclaiming about all the foot, hip, elbow and head room—it’s much better than most American cars in these dimensions and you have to be built like King Kong before you are in any discomfort.
Long distance work is the Porsche’s forte and the redesigned front compartment (with a lower gas tank) notwithstanding, the boot isn’t what you’d call capacious. Treated as a small sailboat, the Porsche can carry about half-a-ton of personal and household gear, though it does take a while to pack it all in.
Among the many refinements in the latest Porsches is the new visibility. The rear window looks about half-again as big and the only blind spot is between it and the rear quarter panels. The first 356-Bs (which had the new-look fenders but the old body’s “greenhouse”) featured higher headlight mountings which gave better roadway illumination at night. Mr. Filius’ coupe has a new accessory which gets the sealed beams out from behind the headlight lenses and into the open, sitting in a Detroitly-chromed retainer. It doesn’t do much for aerodynamics or aesthetics, but it sure did brighten up the night. Combined with the new dimmer switch (operated without having to remove a hand from the wheel) and a variable-speed windshield wiper it makes night driving a new pleasure.
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All the instruments and switches are in their accustomed locations; the only change is the addition of a fresh air ventilation system controlled from the center of the dashboard. A grilled intake just forward of the windshield leads to outlets beneath the dash and through the heater-defroster ducting.
The 88 bhp (SAE) engine is wholly satisfactory and utterly without quirks. It starts right up whether the engine is hot or cold, always idles at 750 rpm, never coughs or spits or runs hot, and winds smoothly up to the red-line-and beyond-with no flat spots or hesitation. Low-speed torque is good, passing ability is good, it will cruise at the legal limit all day, and the top speed is over 100 mph.
For cruising anywhere but the lone prairie we feel third and fourth gears are too long; shortening them would also reduce the middle-aged spread between second and third in the standard ratios. One of the loveliest things about writing up the purchase order for a Porsche, however, is the fact that you can specify (or later add) any set of gear ratios you fancy. Two first-gear layshafts are available and over them you can slip whatever combination of about 12 ratios for second, third and fourth that suits your purposes.
Shifting the latest (Type 741) gearbox is a crunch-less joy; you can’t beat the synchro action and the feel is that of a greased, precision-made knife-switch.
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The brakes are as good as ever; they don’t even squeal on a cold, humid morning (new linings?). Under normal driving conditions, fade is out of the question; nor could we detect any tendency to judder or any increase in the moderate pedal pressure. All well and good, but not good enough for the factory-the ’64s will have Dunlop disc brakes (with the calipers gripping from the outside, unlike the inside-out set-up on the Carrera 2). The handbrake is still under the dash.
Of course Porsches are no longer built by hand; the kindly-faced Old World mechanic is no longer responsible for each engine bearing his personal stamp. In fact, Porsche’s production facilities are among the most “rationalized”, modern and integrated in Europe. This has had a slightly detrimental effect, mainly on bodywork, which was hitherto done by outside firms. Porsche’s recent acquisition of the Reutter body factory should mean tighter control over quality. Not that quality was ever below a high average; Porsche’s cleanly executed design, excellence of engineering and flawless workmanship have always been the largest single factor in attracting customers in the first place and then keeping them in the Porsche fold.
Many so-called Grand Touring cars are a wow to drive when they’re running right and hell to own when they’re not. Their laconic construction soon makes them an annoyance; a source of worry and fatigue. A Porsche’s excitement is as much intellectual as visceral; the pride and pleasure of ownership comes not only from its characteristic comfort, controllability and roadability, but also its freedom from temperament. Simply: the absence of pain. Its dependability can be taken as much for granted as that of a Chevy station wagon—you can toss in a girl and some luggage and shove off, never having any trepidation about the romance of the car, the road, the girl, being punctured by mechanical disaster. It’s that kind of car.
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