re: Porsche spin-out (with Alfa content)

[Tessie McMillan <tessmc@domain.elided>]

David,

The only rear-engine Porsches (356, 912, 911) I've ever driven that were 
squirrelly were so because of poor alignment, worn suspension, and balding 
tires -- so no different than my AWD sedan or my Alfa Spider. There is 
nothing about the rear-engine design that makes this car a poor choice 
for any weather condition -- and that includes snow, ice, rain, and 
sunny days, in my opinion. The car may not weigh as much as your 164, but 
it certainly weighs enough not to be buffeted by the wind any more than 
your car.

If there was no ice, and the other cars were doing just fine, then I would 
assume: drunk driver or inattentive (talking on cellphone, etc.) driver, 
untethered dog/kid, hot coffee spill, bee or wasp, tire blowout, rear 
window blowout, or catastrophic failure of a suspension component. Given 
the bulletproof nature of the cars (I have only seen catastrophic 
failures such as windows blowing out happen at the track) and the fact 
that the car appeared to be fairly new as judged by your description, I 
would tend to immediately assume driver error/stupidity. My vote goes for 
spilled coffee while talking on the cellphone -- those 911s don't come 
with cupholders, you know; that's what the passenger is for!

A case in point about the rear-engine cars: (One of our esteemed 
digestibles has been sending me wonderful WRC footage 
as a distraction while I recover from jaw surgery.) I note that in the 
mid '80s when the Audi Quattros were failing in gravel at an embarrassing 
rate, Porsche 911s challenged the leading Renault teams in WRC racing... 
Alfa content: right behind them were the French driving in twin Alfa 
GTV-6s....

Tess in Seattle, where it rains and snows
'72 911 
'87 Spider Grad
'88 Audi 80Q

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