Report: Patent shows Porsche working on pop-up hood for next 911

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Europe, Safety, Technology, Porsche

Porsche emblem

Europe is a dangerous place to be a pedestrian. With crowded cities characterized by gridlock and narrow streets, you have to be on your game every second to avoid getting bowled over by a raging, overzealous motorist. All too often, that spells tragedy.

With one-sided car-on-human accidents on the rise, automakers are feeling increased pressure from their governments to make their cars safer, not just for the guy behind the wheel, but the guy they might hit.

Porsche is apparently working on a pop-up hood for the upcoming 911, which would raise up in the event of a collision with a pedestrian and, with any luck, reduce the severity of their injuries. The system works via a set of time delay-controlled actuators, which helps ensure that the system protects unfortunate passerby as effectively as possible.

Patent shows Porsche working on pop-up hood for next 911 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 May 2011 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Porsche unwraps 911 GT3 RS 4.0 and Panamera Hybrid configurators

2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0

Porsche has updated its site with configurators for the 2011 Panamera S Hybrid and the 2011 911 GT3 RS 4.0. That means you don’t have to leave the comfort of your chalet to make your next rear-engined track star or EV-assisted four-door autobahn shuttle.

Key options for the 911 GT3 RS 4.0 include Porsche’s carbon ceramic brakes, a front axle lifting system so you don’t scrape the splitter on speed bumps, lightweight headlamps and a lithium-ion battery that saves a few pounds over the standard unit. You can also delete the air conditioner and stereo in the interest of speed.

The Panamera gets the usual panorama of luxury appointments and go bits, too. Carbon ceramic brakes are an option as well, and, just like the 911, they cost north of $8,000. While the capillary-popping force the special clampers offer can be useful, we suspect most Panamera buyers would prefer to direct their Benjamins elsewhere.

The Panamera can be dolled up in any number of ways, with an interior option list that would embarrass Ikea. Ours would have to have the $1,000 Bose sound system, though we could live without the $5,000 Porsche Exclusive 25 Year package, which adds custom floor mats, body-color trim accents and embroidered logos to the Panamera’s living quarters.

You can play with both configurators now on Porsche’s website.

Porsche unwraps 911 GT3 RS 4.0 and Panamera Hybrid configurators originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 08 May 2011 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First details of Porsche’s next 911-based flagship, the 961

Filed under: Porsche, Rumormill

Porsche logo

According to German site AutoBild.de, Porsche is prepping a new V8-powered flagship, and it could be wearing three digits on the back that’ll strike a chord with motorsports fans. Rumor has it that this next Porsche superstar will be called the 961. If those numbers ring a bell, that’s because Porsche created a 961 race car that only saw limited action. Based on the 959, the 961 ran three races before ultimately finding a home in Porsche’s Stuttgart-based museum.

It’s being reported that this modern 961 will be modeled after the 918 Spyder, yet will arrive in coupe form. Power will be provided by a V8, however, an electric motor will also be available to provide boost and push output up to 600 horsepower. We expect to see the flagship Porsche 961 by 2013.

First details of Porsche’s next 911-based flagship, the 961 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 May 2011 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 takes to the track

Filed under: Coupe, Videos, Porsche

porsche 911 gt3 rs 4.0 on the Porsche development test track

2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 – Click above to watch the video after the jump

The 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 certainly has the stats of a kick-ass track car. Who can argue with a naturally aspirated, 4.0-liter flat-six with 500 horsepower, an 8,250 rpm redline and a Nürburgring time of 7:27? Just as exciting is the fact that the GT3 RS 4.0 weighs only 2,998 pounds soaking wet, thanks to a host of weight-saving measures like light-weight carpet and scads of carbon fiber. And when was the last time you saw a street-legal production car with front dive plates for added down-force?

You know what else we like? Video of the GT3 RS 4.0 on the track. After the jump is video of the 997 911’s final iteration tearing up the Porsche development test track in Germany. While you’re watching, you can also learn more about the 4.0 from Porsche GT boss Andreas Preuninger. It’s too bad that we’re only $184,948 short of the GT3 RS 4.0’s starting price of $185k, because we’d sure like to be one of the 600 owners to have this 911 in our long-term garage. Hit the jump to enjoy the sights and sounds.

Gallery: 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0

[Source: YouTube]

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Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 takes to the track originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Officially Official: 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Porsche

2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0

2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Enough with the leaks and speculation. Here it is. The 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0. The ultimate naturally aspirated 911 and the 997’s motorsports-infused swan-song.

As the name would suggest, this latest limited-edition 911 packs a 4.0-liter flat-six derived from the 911 GT3 RSR racer, complete with forged pistons, titanium connecting rods and a crankshaft pulled directly from its track-bred descendent. The result is the most powerful NA 911 to date, with 500 horsepower peaking at 8,250 rpm and maximum torque – 339 pound-feet – coming in at 5,750 rpm.

That massive engine partnered with a host of lightweight kit (carbon fiber buckets, front fenders, luggage compartment lid and “weight-optimized” carpets) allows the 2,998-pound (wet, mind) GT3 RS 4.0 to run to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds, crack 124 mph in less than 12 seconds and top out at 193 mph.

A six-speed manual is the only gearbox available and the Carrara (their spelling) White paint comes standard, along with central twin exhausts, massive rear wing and the first production application of air deflection vanes on both sides of the front bumper (dubbed “flics”) to improve stability and exert an extra 426 pounds of downforce at speed.

And before you ask, the RS 4.0 ran the Nürburgring in 7 minutes and 27 seconds, putting it in contention for one of the fastest production cars ever run around the Nordschleife.

If you’ve got $185,000 laying around in your hedge fund, get your orders in now. Only 600 will be produced when sales begin later this year. Full details in the press blast after the jump.

Gallery: 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0

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Officially Official: 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New York 2011: Facebook Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid is easy to Like

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Coupe, Hybrid, Marketing/Advertising, Porsche

Facebook Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid – Click above for high-res image gallery

To commemorate its social media milestone of surpassing one million fans on Facebook (its fan page is currently at 1,502,860 members), Porsche has created this special edition of the 911 GT3 R Hybrid complete with the signatures of over 27,000 Porsche fans. The car makes its North American debut this week at the New York Auto Show before it goes on display inside the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart.

Porsche’s hybrid racer packs 480 horsepower from its 4.0-liter flat-six engine and is matched with two 80-hp electric motors. The German automaker recently tested the hybrid system’s capability during the 2010 24 Hours of Nürburgring, and Porsche firmly believes that hybrid performance cars like this foreshadow the future of racing.

Gallery: Facebook Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid: New York 2011

Photos copyright (C)2011 Drew Phillips / AOL

New York 2011: Facebook Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid is easy to Like originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 Limited Edition leaked online?

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Porsche, Rumormill

Porsche 911 GT3 Cup and GT3 RS

Bridging the gap between Porsche 911 GT3 Cup and GT3 RS – Click above for high-res image gallery

Rumors of a more powerful, special edition Porsche 911 GT3 RS have been circulating for months, and now the spec sheet has purportedly been leaked online. The order form is ostensibly for what’s being dubbed the GT3 RS 4.0, packing a bored-out flat-six with 500 horsepower – a 200cc increase in displacement and 50 horses more than the existing GT3 RS, which itself already packs 15 more ponies than the standard GT3.

The price sheet also lists a €150,000 sticker before tax (equivalent to $217k), or €190,000 with a 20-percent value-added tax attached, and details options like a nav system, ceramic brakes and a nose-lift apparatus. The sheet was posted on the Teamspeed forum, but while the intrepid poster claims its authenticity, a debate is raging over its potential falsification, pointing out, for example, certain discrepancies (such as the 2011 model year instead of 2012, output listed in BHP instead of Porsche’s usual PS, and “breaks” instead of “brakes”) that have raised doubts.

Whether the spec sheet is authentic or not, we should be finding out soon enough, so stay tuned and watch this space for more.

Gallery: 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

[Source: Teamspeed.com]

Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 Limited Edition leaked online? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Apr 2011 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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eBay Find of the Day: 1989 Porsche 911 Rothmans rally car tribute [w/video]

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Coupe, Performance, Auctions, Porsche, Off-Road, Racing

1989 Porsche 911 Rothmans tribute car

1989 Porsche 911 Rothmans tribute – Click above for high-res image gallery

This 1989 Porsche 911 Rothmans tribute is the second such 953 rally car homage to come from this seller in less than a year. Last year, he reportedly sold a 1980 Porsche 911 Rothmans to the folks at GoPro for north of $70k. That car was nice, but was only two-wheel drive.

This year, he decided to go all out, and took a perfectly-maintained 1989 Porsche 911 C4 and turned it into a near-perfect representation of the 1984 Paris-Dakar-winning 953. Check out the listing on eBay Motors, where the car has yet to meet its reserve. Using a C4 as the base car means this tribute carries an all-Porsche all-wheel drive system, making this year’s car even more desirable than last year’s.

Best of all, the car looks the part, but retains its street legality and some crucial creature comforts to make it a useful means of transportation as well as a suitable weekend warrior. According to the eBay listing, the car retains ABS, cruise control, climate control, a sunroof, power locks, power mirrors, power windows, and a differential lock. See the car in action after the jump. Top tip, Chris M!

Gallery: 1989 Porsche 911 Rothmans tribute

1989 Porsche 911 Rothmans tribute1989 Porsche 911 Rothmans tribute1989 Porsche 911 Rothmans tribute1989 Porsche 911 Rothmans tribute1989 Porsche 911 Rothmans tribute

[Source: eBay Motors via BringATrailer | Images: Jeremy Cliff/ThePhotoMotive]

Continue reading eBay Find of the Day: 1989 Porsche 911 Rothmans rally car tribute [w/video]

eBay Find of the Day: 1989 Porsche 911 Rothmans rally car tribute [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Apr 2011 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Porsche 911 Cabriolet, Coupe spotted making the rounds

Filed under: Spy Photos, Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Porsche, Luxury

spy photo porsche 911 cabriolet

Spy Photos: Next Generation Porsche 911 Cabriolet – Click above for high-res image gallery

Spy lenses have once again caught Porsche engineers out testing the next generation 911. Both cabriolet and coupe versions were seen out running on the Nürburgring. The 2012 Porsche 911 is expected to be slightly larger and boast a wider rear track. The boxer engine in the base model is rumored to produce 345 horsepower.

Current intelligence also has it that Porsche plans to unveil the car at the upcoming 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. Until then, check out the spy photos in our galleries below.

Gallery: Spy Shots: Next Generation Porsche 911 Cabriolet

Gallery: Spy Shots: Next Generation Porsche 911 Coupe

[Source: CarPix]

Spy Shots: Porsche 911 Cabriolet, Coupe spotted making the rounds originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Porsche bookmarks new flagship with special 911 Turbo S “Edition 918 Spyder”

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Porsche

Porsche 911 Turbo S

Porsche 911 Turbo S “Edition 918 Spyder” – Click above for high-res image gallery

The big news from Porsche lately is the go-ahead and pricing attached to the production of the 918 Spyder. But if you read the fine print on the official announcement, you may have noticed the German automaker’s current performance flagship mentioned.

To celebrate the launch of the 918 Spyder, Porsche is offering a special edition of the 911 Turbo S. Called, appropriately enough, the 911 Turbo S “Edition 918 Spyder”, it’s essentially the same as the standard Turbo S, only with some extra decals, special colors and unique trim. The model will be available exclusively to customers ordering the 918 Spyder, can be had in either coupe or convertible, and carries the same sticker price.

So what’s the point? To keep customers who are waiting for delivery of their 918 happy in the meantime. Now that’s one heck of an appetizer if we’ve every seen one. And at $160k+ (on top of the $845k price of the 918) one very pricey option as well.

Gallery: Porsche 911 Turbo S “Edition 918 Spyder”

[Source: Porsche]

Porsche bookmarks new flagship with special 911 Turbo S “Edition 918 Spyder” originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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