Tag: porsche

Autoblog Podcast #206: Porsche Cajun, Nissan Leaf COTY, 10Best

Filed under: Podcasts, Etc., Buick, Honda, Infiniti, Nissan, Porsche, Toyota

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Episode #206 of the Autoblog Podcast is staffed by Chris Shunk, Dan Roth, Zach Bowman and Chris Paukert. We hit the Autoblog Garage first and then cover the confirmation of the Porsche Cajun, what it means that the Nissan Leaf has been named European Car of the Year, and finish up talking about the new Car and Driver 10Best list. Of course, we finish with your questions at the end, and it’s a breezy hour and twenty-three minutes. Thanks for listening!

Autoblog Podcast #206: Porsche Cajun, Nissan Leaf COTY, 10Best

In the Autoblog Garage:

Toyota Highlander
Buick Regal
Infiniti M56
Honda CR-Z

News Topics:

  • Confirmed Porsche Cajun
  • Nissan Leaf gets European COTY
  • Car and Driver 10Best

Hosts: Dan Roth, Chris Shunk, Zach Bowman, Chris Paukert
Runtime: 1:23:09

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Autoblog Podcast #206: Porsche Cajun, Nissan Leaf COTY, 10Best originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Porsche Cajun mini-SUV confirmed, due to arrive in 2014

Filed under: Performance, SUV, Crossover, Porsche, Luxury

Porsche has officially confirmed what’s been rumored for at least three years – the German automaker will build a small SUV to slot in below its highly successful Cayenne. With the working name “Cajun,” Porsche wants the mini ‘ute to provide younger customers another point of entry into the brand.

Designer Walter da Silva has apparently taken the lead on the project, which is expected to be loosely based on the Audi Q5, and the press release (available after the jump) claims that the Cajun will have “typical Porsche features such as light weight, ease of handling and agility.” Here’s hoping… [Source: Porsche]

Continue reading Porsche Cajun mini-SUV confirmed, due to arrive in 2014

Porsche Cajun mini-SUV confirmed, due to arrive in 2014 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Porsche to collaborate with Bentley?

Filed under: Etc., Bentley, Porsche, Rumormill

Porsche Bentley mash-up logo

Porsche and Bentley are related under the Volkswagen Group umbrella, and a new rumor suggests that the two might become kissing cousins. Autocar had a chance to speak with Porsche CEO Matthias Müller, and the head honcho of the German sports car vehicle brand says that a collaboration with Bentley could help push future Panamera variants foward. Per Müller,

“I think we have to discuss with Bentley whether we can put together our performance, our engineers. It should be possible.”

He goes on to state that sticking to just a four-door sports car is boring. The Panamera should be revised into a handful of iterations, and Müller uses terms like “van”, “combi” and “longer.” If you are a Porsche loyalist, we’ll give you a minute to restart your heart.

One variant we hope the Brits and the Germans can breathe life into? A Porsche 928. There have been rumors and speculation for years now, so perhaps this inter-brand teamwork is just what the doctor (would have) ordered.
[Source: Autocar]

Rumormill: Porsche to collaborate with Bentley? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 25 Nov 2010 16:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Jeff Zwart shakesdown his Pikes Peak Porsche GT3

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Videos, Porsche, Racing

Jeff Zwart Pikes Peak Porsche 911 GT3

Jeff Zwart shaking down his Pikes Peak Porsche 911 GT3 – Click above to watch video after the jump

There’s just something about watching a Porsche 911 play in the dirt that flips all the right switches. Seeing that iconic shape throw rooster tails of silt triggers a sort of Pavlovian response brought on by years of daydreaming over shots of the Rothman 953 slinging sand in Africa. Consider that doubly true for Jeff Zwart’s Pikes Peak-winning GT3.

Zwart has just released a video of one of his shake-down runs prior to this year’s Pikes Peak event. The course runs up some godforsaken mountain in the middle of the California wilderness, and while Zwart isn’t seen flogging the life out of the car, it’s more than clear that both he and the machine are in their element. Click past the jump to enjoy the action.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Jeff Zwart shakesdown his Pikes Peak Porsche GT3

Video: Jeff Zwart shakesdown his Pikes Peak Porsche GT3 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Are you a production-bound Porsche 918 Spyder teaser?

Filed under: Concept Cars, Convertible, Hybrid, Performance, Europe, Porsche, Design/Style

Porsche 918 Spyder Clay Model

Porsche 918 Spyder Clay Model – Click above for high-res image gallery

Porsche may have inadvertently given us our best glimpse yet at the upcoming production version of the company’s 918 Spyder. The German sports car manufacturer has announced its intention to invest mountains of cash in its Weissach facility, and has released a bevy of images from inside the studio walls to mark the occasion. Tucked among the images of designers furiously sketching away and engineers toying with crash-test dummies is one very interesting shot of a 918 clay model. Of particular interest is that single, massive side-exit exhaust nestled behind the passenger door; clearly a different design from the double-stacked tips of the concept. Could this be a 1:3 scale clay of the future production car? Or is it just an older take on the 918 that predates the eventual showcar? We won’t know one way or the other until the eventual production car makes its debut.

Porsche says that it intends to invest €150 million (around $202M USD) in its Weissach facility through the addition of a new wind tunnel. Additionally, the company plans to open a new state-of-the-art design center and what it calls an “electronic-integration center.” We aren’t positive, but our guess is that portion of the facility will play a big role in the Porsche hybrid program moving forward. Hit the jump for the official press release.

Gallery: Porsche Weissarch Research and Development

[Source: Porsche]

Continue reading Are you a production-bound Porsche 918 Spyder teaser?

Are you a production-bound Porsche 918 Spyder teaser? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Georgia Tech pairs autonomous Porsche Cayenne with two R/C airplanes

Filed under: SUV, Technology, Porsche, Luxury

GTRI CUSTD project

GTRI CUSTD Project – Click above for high-res image gallery

By now, cars that drive themselves have become old news. Every time we turn around there’s another organization out to wander half the globe with a driverless van or tackle one of the world’s most demanding hill climb events with an automated Audi TT. It just never ends. But the guys and gals at Georgia Tech Research Institute have taken things one step further with its Collaborative Unmanned Systems Technology Demonstrator. During a demonstration for the US Army, the school effectively demonstrated how vastly different robotic vehicles could work together. You know, to get us coffee, take over the world or whatever.

As a part of the 2010 Robotic Rodeo, GTRI used two unmanned aerial vehicles to work in coordination with a roboticized Porsche Cayenne. Once airborne, the two RC planes take over everything from navigation and target location.

So what can all this tech do? GTRI says that in one instance, one of the UAVs can locate a target and radio the location back to the UGV, or unmanned ground vehicle, which then navigates around buildings and obstacles to the location. Meanwhile, the second UAV can continue to use its sensors to evaluate the surroundings. Welcome to the new world.

Head over to the GTRI site to learn more about the program.

Gallery: GTRI CUSTD project

[Source: GTRI]

Georgia Tech pairs autonomous Porsche Cayenne with two R/C airplanes originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Nov 2010 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LA 2010: Porsche pulls the covers off 2011 Cayman R

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Coupe, Performance, Porsche

2011 Porsche Cayman R

2011 Porsche Cayman R – Click above for high-res image gallery

Porsche has pulled the silk off its all-new 2011 Cayman R, the latest variant of the German automaker’s two-seat coupe. Aside from the obligatory decals and badging designed to differentiate this new flagship Cayman from its siblings, the Cayman R boasts a chassis that has been lightened by about 120 pounds and a handful of other tweaks.

Inside the cabin, the Cayman R features Alcantara and leather upholstery, sport seats, strap door handles and a painted console color-keyed to the exterior. Under the skin, the suspension has been enhanced with shorter, more rigid springs and there are customized anti-roll bars on the front and rear axles (the ride height is about 20 millimeters lower than the Cayman S).

Motivation comes from Porsche’s 3.4-liter flat-six, bumped up slightly to 330 horsepower, while transmission choices include Porsche’s excellent PDK automatic gearbox or a traditional six-speed manual. According to the automaker, the 2,855-pound Cayman R will hit 62 miles per hour in less than five seconds and top out at 175 mph. Look for the Cayman R in dealers wearing a $66,000 price tag before the end of the year. Follow the jump for the official press release from Porsche.

Gallery: LA 2010: 2011 Porsche Cayman R

2011 Porsche Cayman R2011 Porsche Cayman R2011 Porsche Cayman R2011 Porsche Cayman R2011 Porsche Cayman R

Gallery: 2011 Porsche Cayman R

Photos copyright (C)2010 Michael Harley / AOL

Continue reading LA 2010: Porsche pulls the covers off 2011 Cayman R

LA 2010: Porsche pulls the covers off 2011 Cayman R originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 15:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Porsche upgrades world’s best-selling racing car with new RS-based 911 GT3 Cup

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Porsche, Racing

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

As many Porsche 911s as you think you might see at the golf course, yacht club or shopping mall, that’s nothing compared to the legions regularly running around racing circuits worldwide. Aside from the myriad open GT grids dominated by Stuttgart machinery, the iconic German sportscar is the spec racer of choice for various national Porsche Carrera Cup championships and the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup that supports F1 races around the year. Those series use the versatile 911 GT3 Cup. With over 1,400 sold since 1998, Porsche maintains that it’s the best-selling racing car of all time, and it has just announced a new model for the 2011 season onward.

Whereas the outgoing Cup racer was based on the street-going 911 GT3, the new model starts life as the harder, faster and sharper GT3 RS. That means a wider body that can accommodate bigger wheels, tires and brakes. It also carries the larger 3.8-liter flat-six with 450 horsepower – 30 more horses than the outgoing model coming from 200cc of added displacement. It also looks more like the RS, with an aggressive aero package and LED lighting for when tracks go dark and dreary.

The 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup will make its track debut at the opening round of next season’s Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship, but you can delve into the details right now in the press release after the jump and in our high-res image gallery below.

Gallery: 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

[Source: Porsche]

Continue reading Porsche upgrades world’s best-selling racing car with new RS-based 911 GT3 Cup

Porsche upgrades world’s best-selling racing car with new RS-based 911 GT3 Cup originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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1952 356 Cabriolet crowned as America’s oldest Porsche

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Classics, Convertible, Porsche

The oldest Porsche in the U.S., a 1952 356 Cabriolet in Oklahoma – Click above for high-res image gallery

This is Porsche’s 60th anniversary in America, and the automaker began a search in August for the oldest model in the country. Today, it announced the winner: Dr. Robert Wilson’s restored 1952 Strawberry Red 356 Cabriolet and its 1.5-liter, 60-horsepower tail-mounted engine. It was brought into the country by the man who brought Porsche to the country in 1950, Max Hoffman.

Turns out there’s an even older Porsche here as well, although it was brought here, not sold here. Richard Brumme has a blue 1950 356 Cabriolet, one of the first produced, according to Porsche. The company also sought the oldest models from each of its twelve other lines, and incredibly, almost all of them are on the East Coast. Only two are west of the Mississippi, and one of them is in Texas. A 2006 Cayman is left alone to represent California.

A press release on the search is after the jump. Wilson’s 1952 Cab will be on display at the LA Auto Show next month, and you can check out the others in the gallery of photos below and at www.Porsche60years.com.

Gallery: The oldest Porsches in the U.S.

[Source: Porsche]

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1952 356 Cabriolet crowned as America’s oldest Porsche originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Oct 2010 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Porsche considering new model between 911 and 918 Spyder?

Filed under: Performance, Porsche, Luxury

Porsche badge

Porsche – which currently offers the Boxster/Cayman twins, umpteen different variations of the 911, the Cayenne SUV and the Panamera sedan – is endlessly rumored to be considering more models. Most often, speculation seems to revolve around another nameplate to slot in below the entry-level Boxster, and certainly that’s still a distinct possibility. We already know a smaller ‘ute called the Cajun is (probably) on its way, along with the show-stopping 918 Spyder.

But Porsche chief Matthias Müller has apparently hinted that he sees room between the 911 and the upcoming range-topping 918. It seems that the high(ish)-end sports car would be based on existing components, which makes us wonder if it could possibly be a mid-engine car on the 918’s platform that eschews that car’s hybrid configuration for something more traditional… a flat-six from the 911, perhaps?

Whatever the case, Porsche’s plans call on sales of roughly 150,000 units per year, which is nearly double what the marque manged to sell last year. Considering that each of Porsche’s current models sell at a pretty decent clip for their individual classes, that much of an increase is likely certain to come from new machines in new segments. We just have a hard time seeing Porsche do anything that might diminish the relevance of the 911 range.

[Source: Autoweek.nl]

Porsche considering new model between 911 and 918 Spyder? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Oct 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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