BOOK OF THE MONTH

PORSCHE EXCELLENCE WAS EXPECTED

ISBN 0 8376 0235 1, Karl Ludvigsen, Bentley Publishers (www.BentleyPublishers.com) £159.95

The massive three-volume epic has been expanded to 1574 pages, doubled in size from Ludvigsen"s original work of 1977. This exhaustive 4 in-thick publication charts the history of the Porsche company, its cars, its inventions and its racing heritage. There are 742 new photos and 50 new colour drawings, with an additional 29 chapters bringing the Porsche history up to the end of 2002.

Within these three hardback volumes - 1900-1971, 1968-1984 and 1981-2003, Ludvigsen has the space to go into incredible detail, which he accomplishes with aplomb - he explains how Weissach rear suspension really works - and seems almost surprised that the 911 is still with us, albeit in unrecognisably updated form. He also tackles the internal wrangling of the "90s - dubbed the Crash Test of the Clans - between the Porsches and the Piechs, and the aborted 989. If you earn more than we do, and you love Porsches, this book will tell you everything you ever wanted to know.

And you won"t need to visit the library for some time.
PH