Porsche Drive, Run & Ride!
I am a fanatical Porsche enthusiast. I love all things Porsche. This has led me to explore the depths of the automobile brand including some of the least known items the marque is known for. My latest journey - Porsche bicycles and running! When I was 11 years old, I fell in love with Porsche cars. Delivering the morning newspaper on my Schwinn ten-speed bike brought me face to bumper with a white 911T each morning and from there I was hooked. Some of my more prized Porsche possessions are my three Porsche bicycles. Yes, three. One is a 100% original 1996 Bike S. The other is a heavily modified 1998 Bike S I use for road and mountain riding. And the latest is a touring-style 2004 Porsche Bike X that I turned into a road bike. I have ridden these three bikes over 4,000 miles in the last two and a half years. In 2016, I rode many training miles in preparation for a 53-mile ride in the California Sierra foothills, a 72-mile ride around Lake Tahoe and the grand finale ride of 100 miles at the Sacramento Century. And this blog shared every mile! 2016 and 2017 were great years of riding. What could possibly follow that? My latest goal is to add running into the mix of Porsche bike riding. I bought a special pair of shoes for this effort - Porsche Design Endurance Boost running shoes.
The 2019 Porsche 718 Boxster melds plush luxury with supremely athletic handling, and it鈥檚 one of the most accomplished premium sports cars on the market. Its drop-top design allows you to make the most of pleasant weather, and its powertrains provide impressive fuel efficiency. Porsche鈥檚 718 Boxster is a convertible sports car that competes in the luxury segment, and it seats two passengers. All models are rear-wheel drive, and the 718 Boxster is sold in base, S and GTS trim levels. For 2019, the 718 Boxster carries over with no major changes. The 718 Boxster鈥檚 exterior design will be instantly familiar to anyone who鈥檚 ever admired a sports car from the Porsche brand. A rounded hood leads to chiseled side panels and muscular haunches. Porsche has endowed the 718 Boxster with lines that are low and curvaceous. Its overall aesthetic makes it clear this car aims to provide thrilling performance.
Base models are equipped with xenon headlights, heated power-adjustable side mirrors, a power-folding soft top, LED taillights and 18-inch wheels. The list of optional equipment includes LED headlights, power-folding side mirrors and 19-inch wheels. Though it鈥檚 the least expensive car in the Porsche lineup, you鈥檇 never guess it from the look of the 718 Boxster鈥檚 interior. In front, a flat, handsome dash is overlooked by sleek air vents, and the center console has a modern, industrial appearance. The car鈥檚 standard sports seats provide comfortable accommodations for daily commutes. The 718 Boxster has a mid-engine design, and this allows it to provide both a front and a rear trunk. Both trunks combine to deliver 9.7 cubic feet of cargo space. Standard equipment includes a height-adjustable driver鈥檚 seat, a manually adjustable tilt-and-telescoping steering column, power windows, climate control and partial leather upholstery. The options lineup includes a heated steering wheel, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated and ventilated front seats, seatbelts in designer colors, numerous leather upholstery choices and wood, carbon-fiber or aluminum interior accents.
With its crisp acceleration and razor-sharp reflexes, the 718 Boxster is a car built for those who love driving. All models are rear-wheel drive, and buyers can choose between a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and a six-speed manual. Base models are equipped with a turbocharged 2.0-liter flat-four engine good for 300 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. With the S trim level, motivation comes from a turbocharged 2.5-liter flat-four power plant that delivers 350 horsepower and 309 pound-feet of torque. GTS models use the same engine as the S, but it鈥檚 been tuned to provide 365 horsepower and 309 pound-feet of torque. Performance upgrades such as an adaptive suspension and carbon-ceramic brakes are available. EPA-rated fuel economy for the 2019 Porsche 718 Boxster peaks at 22/29 mpg city/highway. Porsche has equipped the 718 Boxster with a satisfying range of tech features. Base models come with a six-speaker sound system, HD and satellite radio, two USB slots, an auxiliary input jack, a six-speaker sound system, a CD/DVD player, a rearview camera, front and rear parking sensors and Bluetooth connectivity.
Creating your ideal sports car using an online configurator has become even more realistic with a new smartphone app from Porsche. The AR Visualizer App allows a three-dimensional photorealistic image of your perfect Porsche to be generated right before your eyes. It means you could envisage how it looks parked outside your home, or even inside your living room. All the app needs is a flat surface to create the 3D image. The new app includes all the features found in the regular Porsche configurator, which is offered through the companys website. This means endless debates about which paint choice is the best, or trying to work out exactly which set of alloy wheels your Stuttgart dream machine must have. Customers can still make use of the usual website-based configurator, but then send their completed car to the app for the full augmented reality effect. As an added bonus, the AR app also includes a new 聭highlight feature.