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Porsche factory tour
I had some great luck today. I'm in Stuttgart, and my business meetings for today were cancelled. So, even though I had heard how hard it is to get ona Porsche factory tour, I decided to call. I used the number that was listed in a previous thread on this site (49-711-911-25384)and phoned the factory just after they opened at 9am. A pleasant young woman answered, and when she asked when I wanted to schedule a tour, and I said 'today,' she laughed. But then, after a moment,she said that because I was only one person, they would let me join if I could be there by 10am. I immediately called a taxi and made it with time to spare. Thank goodness for fast German taxi drivers.
The tour lasted about 1 1/2 hours, and we saw all aspects of the manufacturing process except the body welding -- upholstery/leather cutting and production, engine build, suspension and transmission, doors, interior, tires and wheels, final electronics testing... The only part of the Cayman or Boxster built here is the engine, which is then shipped to Finland for assembly. Have to say, as much as I love my Cayman S, seeing the Carreras, the S's, the Turbos and the GT3s come off the line (at a rate of 150 per day), and the many, many gorgeous cars sitting outside waiting to be shipped, it did make me lust after a 911. Maybe a GT3 needs to be in my future -- far in the future. For now, the Cayman will be just fine.
I'd hoped to ask about break-in periods, because that has been such a hot topic. Unfortunately, the tour guide wasn't experienced enough, and there was no opportunity to talk with anyone who could have provided an informed opinion. The run-in on the dyno at the factory is only about 1 1/2 minutes. Maybe someone who goes on the tour in the future can get that question answered.
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