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Porsche 911 Named Robb Report 1999 Car of the Year

31 December 1998

All-New Porsche 911 Named Robb Report 1999 Car of the Year; Prestigious Honor Bestowed at Greater Los Angeles Auto Show

    LOS ANGELES, Dec. 31 -- Porsche's 911 Carrera Cabriolet has
been named 1999 Car of the Year by Robb Report magazine.
    The $75,000 German convertible is the sixth recipient of the publication's
award, bestowed annually upon the car which best reflects the luxury
lifestyles of Robb Report readers.
    The trophy, a crystal obelisk crafted by Geary's Beverly Hills, was
presented Wednesday at the Greater Los Angles Auto Show by Daniel J. Phillips,
publisher of Robb Report.
    Accepting the honor, Frederick J. Schwab, president and CEO of Porsche
Cars North America, said the 1999 Carrera is "the first totally new 911 we
have produced in 34 years, and as such, we believe it is the finest Porsche
911 ever made.
    "We are extremely pleased that Robb Report has chosen to acknowledge this
fact by choosing it as its Car of the Year," said Schwab.
    Phillips said that despite a rich field of candidates, which included some
of the world's most expensive sedans and fastest roadsters representing car
builders in Germany, Britain, Sweden and the United States, the "unique
styling and legendary performance capabilities made the 911 a clear cut
winner, and the epitome of what a luxury sports car should be."
    The Carrera 911 Cabriolet was chosen from a diverse field which included
the Bentley Arnage sedan, BMW M Coupe, Cadillac Escalade sport utility, the
Mercedes-Benz CLK320 Cabriolet, Mercedes-Benz CLK430 Coupe, Rolls-Royce Silver
Seraph sedan, and the Volvo S80 T6 sedan.
    All vehicles were driven and evaluated by a Robb Report panel of
well-known automotive judges.  They included Ken Gross, director of the
Petersen Automotive Museum and award-winning automotive writer; Paul Dean,
automotive critic for the Los Angeles Times; Dennis Adler, author and
automotive historian; and Steven Castle, editor of Robb Report.
    They applauded the Carrera for being longer, wider, smoother and offering
more interior room than the three decades of 911's that went before; but
without sacrificing the Porsche legacy of traditional shape, high performance,
and technological supremacy.
    "The convertible is superior to the previous car in handling, performance,
and character," said Gross.  "The first-ever water cooled six-cylinder engine
is a Boxster with an attitude."
    Added Schwab, "Our commitment was to take the basic 911 concepts and
produce the world's best sports car, and to do this we needed to start with a
clean sheet of paper and incorporate newer development and manufacturing
techniques.  And what better time than 1998, during our golden anniversary, to
introduce again, the world's leading consumer magazine for the luxury
lifestyle.  Robb Report offers monthly features on the latest and most
expensive in automobiles, aircraft, jewelry, architecture, fashions, home
electronics, art, exotic travel, fine wines and good dining.
    Coverage of the 1999 Car of the Year Award will appear in the February
issue of Robb Report, due on newsstands January 15, 1999.