Working daily in one of the busiest Porsche dealerships in the country I hear some great and sometime outlandish stories about owning one of the world鈥檚 most fascinating motorcars. Once in a rare while one of these stories comes around that must be shared with the Porsche family. While searching the internet for historic photos of some of my favorite Porsche cars I found this collection of images of a pristine 1969 912 Targa. The photos were arranged in a slide show with a beautifully written story of love and dedication for this particular automobile. During the release of the all new Panamera Grand Turismo, Porsche launched an advertising campaign entitled 鈥淔amily Tree鈥? Porsche encouraged owners to share their ownership stories with the Porsche Family. I have yet to see an example as wonderful as this story of Kim Flint and his 30th year reunion with his first Porsche love. In 1969 Kim Flint Sr. purchased his dream car, a burgundy 912 Targa. The rest of this story is played out magnificently in photos and captions here on Kim Flint Jr's web site. It's stories like Kim Flint's that keep me interested in selling Porsche cars. For me it's not about selling a product but more about extending our family tree. Many thanks to Kim Flint Jr. and Sr. for sharing their story with us. My name is Jay Huffschmidt and I don't sell cars, I sell Porsche. Beverly Hills Porsche is centrally located to all of Los Angeles. Stop by and see why there is NO SUBSTITUTE!
The latest 911 wears a recontoured body that's slightly wider and made entirely of aluminum. The wheels arches are more pronounced, and all versions get a more aggressive rear spoiler with an integrated light bar. The flush-mounted door handles deploy only when the driver approaches. The 911 gets summer performance tires on 20-inch front and 21-inch rear wheels. The rear-mounted, twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine now delivers 443 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels. An eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission is the only gearbox for now. A seven-speed manual will arrive later in the model year, probably as a no-cost option. The standard Wet Mode detects water on the road and adjusts the 911's stability and braking systems accordingly. According to Porsche, the 911 can hustle from zero to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and reach 191 mph. 127,350. Every models gets an extended leather interior, heated four-way power sport seats, navigation, an eight-speaker sound system, wi-fi access, a 10.9-inch touchscreen, and automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection. 3,470 with memory and 18-way power functionality. 5,380) tacks on adaptive exterior lighting, ventilated seats, keyless access, lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and a 12-speaker Bose surround-sound system. 2,750) adds a Sport Plus driving mode and analogue stopwatch. 5,460 Sport Package, which also furnishes a lowered suspension and performance-tuned exhaust. 2,770 Front Axle Lift System increases ground clearance by 1.5 inches at low speeds. 134,650 in Cabriolet form. It features a performance-tuned all-wheel-drive system that's designed to enhance handling and traction under all driving conditions. The 2020 Porsche 911 offers a slew of worthy options, but they come at a price. We recommend selecting what really matters first, and then checking whether there's room in the budget for anything extra. Note that the contents of most option packages are available on an individual basis.
Society has come a long way in terms of how well we talk about and deal with mental health problems. But there鈥檚 still a long way to go, and too many people suffer in silence. What鈥檚 more, many factors can make the problem even worse for those doing courier work. Read on to find out how you or your colleagues may be at risk, and how to beat the stigma in a healthy and positive way. Mental Health in the Industry It鈥檚 easy enough to speak of mental health issues in the industry, but what evidence is there? A lot, as it turns out. Informed observers agree that psychological issues are especially difficult for drivers to talk about, with the Mental Health Foundation鈥檚 Chris O鈥橲ullivan noting 鈥榳idespread鈥?stigma in those who do courier work. A recent survey by Mercedes-Benz Vans found that 56% of van drivers and owners believe there is a stigma attached to discussing mental health at work.
Less than a quarter of managers report employees coming to them with issues - and the figure is even lower for male managers. Things are slightly more encouraging when we look at conversations that do happen, with over half of those who have talked about a colleague鈥檚 mental health problem with them saying they felt glad the colleague could confide in them. This at least suggests that starting a conversation is a good step, although a quarter felt uninformed and a fifth embarrassed in the same situation. These statistics paint a worrying picture about mental health in courier work, especially as the job has so many elements that can put workers more at risk of problems. Risk Factors The level of understanding of mental health is improving among professionals as well as in society in general, and that extends to its causes. The link between stress and a variety of illnesses is increasingly well documented, and Mind鈥檚 Emma Mamo notes that people who drive for a living are far more likely to experience many of the things that can lead to stress.
These include long working hours, working alone, lack of support and irregular sleeping and eating. Drivers will recognise all of these as par for the course on the job. Spending a long time at the wheel is in the nature of courier work, and varying and inconsistent demand for services makes it especially difficult to establish strong routines. What do I do? The first and most important step is to do some research on what you鈥檙e feeling. Organisations like Mind provide a variety of materials tailored to various different jobs. At the same time, research doesn鈥檛 have to mean spending two hours staring at a computer screen. You can and should take the time to 鈥榗heck in鈥?with yourself - ask questions like how am I feeling, have I been eating right, have I been sleeping enough and so on. Next, you should know that a problem shared is a problem halved. Mamo recommends not just speaking to friends and family when you鈥檙e struggling, but letting them know what warning signs to look out for. Research from Ford, meanwhile, suggests that taking a drive can help, as two thirds of those who do courier work said they were more comfortable talking to colleagues while behind the wheel. All in all, mental health is something everyone struggles with at times. Past attitudes, that struggling made you crazy or even weak, are thankfully fading. The travel industry isn鈥檛 special, but drivers need to recognise when they鈥檙e at risk and look out for each other. Because the best way to beat the stigma is by sitting down and talking it through. Author Plate Norman Dulwich is a correspondent for Courier Exchange, the world's largest neutral trading hub for same day courier work in the express freight exchange industry. Over 5,400 member companies are networked together through the Exchange to fill empty capacity, get new clients and form long-lasting business relationships.