Rumormill: Porsche sending off 997 with 500-hp 911 GT3 RS

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Porsche, Rumormill

Porsche 911 GT3 RS

Porsche 911 GT3 RS – Click above for high-res image galley

Just when you thought that the Porsche 911 GT3 RS couldn’t get any more enticing, word crops up that German sports car manufacturer has a new special edition planned. If the buzz cropping up over at Teamspeed is to be believed, Stuttgart is working up a special edition RS to end all RS models. The car will be limited to just 500 units, each one packing a heady 500 horsepower from a 4.0-liter mill. That represents a 50 horse jump over what’s available in the standard GT3 RS and 65 more ponies than the “base” GT3.

The news comes courtesy of Teamspeed member AlexG, who despite the urging of his fellow forum members, won’t share his source. Even so, the GT3 RS Limited Edition is supposed to make use of the same flat-six engine found in the mighty RSR. Pricing is supposed to fall well below the 911 GT2 RS but above the standard 911 GT3 RS. We’re guessing that the sticker will fall somewhere close to $200,000 if/when it goes on sale in July 2011.

Gallery: 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 RS

[Source: Teamspeed]

Rumormill: Porsche sending off 997 with 500-hp 911 GT3 RS originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Porsche offering modern nav system to replace classic radios

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Performance, Etc., Technology, Porsche, Design/Style

Porsche Classic Radio Navigation System

What if you could update your classic car with modern tech, without losing the style that you’ve come to love? Porsche now has a solution for owners of old 911s. Starting in October 2010, owners will be able to retrofit their cars with the Porsche Classic Radio Navigation System (Part # 911 645 910 00), which packages a display screen fitted into a form factor that is an exact fit for the original factory radio’s location. Round knobs keep appearances in line with that classic Porsche aesthetic, but the technology is purely 21st century.

The unit will retail for €595,00 plus VAT (around $776 USD before taxes at current exchange rates). Considering what Porsche gets for some of the options on its modern cars, the neo-retro nav unit’s price seems pretty good. We understand a desire for modern conveniences in older cars, and the Porsche Classic Radio Navigation System may be an answer to the prayers of some 911 enthusiasts since it obviates the need for a less desirable aftermarket solution. (Of cource, one could always just stick a portable GPS unit on the windshield…)

According to MotoBullet, the Classic Radio Navigation System is designed to fit Porsche 911s from from model years 1963 to 1977 (it might also fit the Porsche 914). They go on to suggest that this nav unit may also work with firstgeneration Porsche 912s, but those guys are already going too slow to care where they’re heading. (We kid, we kid… out of jealousy.)

[Source: Porsche via MotoBullet]

Porsche offering modern nav system to replace classic radios originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 18 Sep 2010 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Porsche, Reviews, Luxury, Racing

A playful companion with razor-sharp claws

2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder – Click above for high-res image gallery

“More for Less.” It’s the call to prayer of every car salesman to ever don a plaid jacket. Guys with sturdy names like Wally and Chuck would stop dead in their tracks and tell Porsche “Pal, this Boxster Spyder thing, you’re all upside-down.” You see, with the 2011 Boxster Spyder, Porsche has inverted the polarity on “more for less.” You pay more but get less.

The Boxster Spyder has a high-performance mission: It’s a race car that doesn’t need a trailer. Porsche undertook a lightening program that started with a Boxster S and stripped a slew of equipment, lowered the suspension 3/4 of an inch and substituted aluminum for steel where possible in the body. One-hundred seventy-six pounds later, you’ve got a Boxster Spyder; lighter, lower, sharper. Has it worked for Porsche to go the Lotus route of obsessive weight reduction? Find out after the jump.

Gallery: Review: 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder

Photos copyright (C)2010 Dan Roth / AOL

Continue reading Review: 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder

Review: 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Sep 2010 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Paris Preview: 2011 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Paris Motor Show, Crossover, Porsche

2011 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS

2011 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS – Click above for high-res image gallery

If you’re in the market for a new 911, but don’t want the same Carrera S as your neighbor and the GT3 is just a wee bit too hardcore for your tastes, we don’t understand you. Thankfully, Porsche does and the answer to your prayers is coming to Paris. Meet the 2011 Porsche Carrera 911 GTS, the new middle-child of the ass-engined family.

If the body work looks familiar, that’s because it’s cribbed from the all-wheel drive Carrera 4 – a trick Porsche has pulled off several times in the past. Nestled between that 44mm wider track is an upgraded 3.8-liter flat-six putting out 408 horsepower (23 more than the standard S, 27 less than the GT3) and 310 pound-feet of torque, now peaking at 4,200 rpm – 200 rpm earlier than in the S.

Power is sent exclusively to the rear wheels (and as it should be), with a manual six-speed transmission coming standard and a seven-speed PDK as an option. Select the Sport Chrono package along with the dual-clutch ‘box, and Porsche claims you’ll be cracking off four-second 0-60 runs all day long.

Aside from the widened haunches, the GTS is set apart by its 19-inch center-hub RS Spyder wheels, SportDesign front and rear fascias, black Alcantara trim and assorted body and interior bits.

After the GTS debuts in Paris, sales of both the coupe and cabriolet versions will begin early next year, with a starting price of $103,100 and $112,900, respectively. Full details in the press blast after the break.

Gallery: 2011 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS

Continue reading Paris Preview: 2011 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS

Paris Preview: 2011 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 15 Sep 2010 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tally Ho: Porsche delivers over 22,500 Panamera models in year one

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Porsche, Luxury

2010 Porsche Panamera 4S

2010 Porsche Panamera 4S – Click above for high-res image gallery

Perhaps on the corporate side Porsche hasn’t had much to gloat about lately, but on the product side it’s cigars and bubbly and told-ya-so’s. When the Panamera took to the track it won its very first race in the Italian Supercar series, and that came just as the 25,000th four-door was being built at the Leipzig factory. It’s a good thing the factory was working so hard: 22,518 of those Panameras have been sold after just a year on the market.

A finer peek into the numbers reveals the Panamera 4S is the sales king, followed by the Turbo and the Panamera S. And in the “No Surprise At All” file, Los Angeles leads individual markets with 890 deliveries. Follow the jump for the press release on the ugly-but-quick duckling turned sales swan.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Porsche Panamera 4S

Gallery: First Drive: 2011 Porsche Panamera V6


Photos Copyright (C) 2010 Drew Philips, Michael Harley / AOL
[Source: Porsche]

Continue reading Tally Ho: Porsche delivers over 22,500 Panamera models in year one

Tally Ho: Porsche delivers over 22,500 Panamera models in year one originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 12 Sep 2010 09:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: AutoExpress pits Ford Focus RS against Porsche Boxster

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Videos, Hatchback, Ford, Porsche

Ford Focus RS vs. Porsche Boxster – Click above to view the video after the jump

When it comes to a German-American face-off, you could do a lot worse than pitting the BMW M3 against Ford’s 5.0-liter V8 powered Mustang. How much worse? How about a comparison test between a base Porsche Boxster and Ford’s turbocharged, torque-steering Focus RS.

Granted, the rationale for the shoot-out came down to cost. Across the pond both the Boxster and the Focus sticker for about the same amount. But that’s about where the similarities end. Almost.

While the Focus channels over 300 horsepower to the front wheels, it also tips the scales 3,200 pounds. Compared to the 2,900-pound, 255-hp, rear-driven Boxster, Ford’s hottest hatch comes off as rather portly, although both manage to run to 60 mph in under six seconds.

But beyond the stats and the all-too-important lap time, the real question is how best to spend your sports car money and which vehicle is the most entertaining to drive. For that, you’ve got to jump.

[Source: AutoExpress]

Continue reading Video: AutoExpress pits Ford Focus RS against Porsche Boxster

Video: AutoExpress pits Ford Focus RS against Porsche Boxster originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: 2012 Porsche Boxster wired up outside the ‘Ring

Filed under: Spy Photos, Convertible, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Porsche

2012 Porsche Boxster

2012 Porsche Boxster – Click above for high-res image gallery

As expected, the Spyder is the send-off model for the current generation Porsche Boxster (987), so a new version – rumored to carry the 981 designation – is under development.

Like anything hailing from Stuttgart, any changes to Boxster’s chassis and exterior will be minor, with more shapely sheetmetal adorning the outside and a few minor modifications to the suspension, brakes and assorted underbody bits. Naturally, a few interior tweaks are part of the package, but the big news is the possible addition of a four-cylinder powerplant for the 2012 model year.

While the 2.9- and 3.4-liter flat six-cylinder engines will likely carryover with minor bumps in horsepower and torque, there’s talk of a four-cylinder Boxster being added to Porsche’s line-up just above its oft-rumored entry-level model – a rebirth of the 914 co-developed with Volkswagen and Audi. Additionally, Porsche has confirmed it will begin testing three Boxsters with electric drivetrains next year, but technical details on the EVs have yet to be released.

Initial speculation suggested that the 2012 Boxster could make an appearance at the Paris Motor Show this fall, but the smart money is on a Geneva debut in March.

Gallery: Spy Shots: 2012 Porsche Boxster

Spy Shots: 2012 Porsche Boxster wired up outside the ‘Ring originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Walter Röhrl + Porsche 911 GT2 RS = Awesome

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Videos, Porsche

Walter Röhrl driving the Porsche 911 GT2 RS – Click above to watch the video after the jump

Fact: We would run many a gauntlet in order to get some on-track seat time behind the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT2 RS. Hell, we’d be overjoyed just to get a secondhand, passenger seat experience of what this monstrous 911 is capable of. And if we had our choice of drivers, Walter Röhrl, Porsche’s senior test driver and decorated racer, would be our first pick.

Until that day comes, however, we’ll just sit back and watch this video of Porsche’s tame racing driver piloting the 630-horsepower GT2 RS around Luk Driving Center. Buckle up and watch this in-car video for yourself, after the jump.

Gallery: 2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Walter Röhrl + Porsche 911 GT2 RS = Awesome

Video: Walter Röhrl + Porsche 911 GT2 RS = Awesome originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Aug 2010 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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eBay Find of the Day: Porsche-built 1992 Mercedes-Benz 500E is the timewarp sleeper of our dreams

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Auctions, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Luxury

1992 Mercedes-Benz 500E – Click above for image gallery

In 1992, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche briefly entered into a love affair that would produce one very special offspring: the Mercedes-Benz 500E. The car was to become the godfather of all super sedans, packing a 5.0-liter V8 with a staggering (for the time) 322 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque. Bolted to a four-speed automatic gearbox, the engine could scoot the big four-door to 60 mph in a mere 6.1 seconds. Something tells us that those power numbers were a little conservative. But where does Porsche come in to this dance?

Germany’s sportscar manufacturer was responsible for working the sheetmetal of the 500E into the shape you see above. Those healthy fender arches were all massaged into place by the gurus at Porsche before the body was shipped off to Mercedes-Benz for paint and final assembly. Once done, the whole kit and caboodle was shipped back to Porsche for final inspection. Needless to say, this was an incredibly limited production vehicle, with the two companies only creating around 500 examples per year.

This particular car has a grand total of 587 miles on the clock, having spent the fair majority of its years tucked away in a museum. Bidding is at $35,200 with the reserve not met and less than 8 hours to go as of writing. Follow the jump for jazz-tastic video walk around and check out pics in the gallery below.

Gallery: 1992 Mercedes-Benz 500E

[Source: eBay Motors]

Continue reading eBay Find of the Day: Porsche-built 1992 Mercedes-Benz 500E is the timewarp sleeper of our dreams

eBay Find of the Day: Porsche-built 1992 Mercedes-Benz 500E is the timewarp sleeper of our dreams originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Porsche 918 Spyder to get more power when it reaches production?

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Hybrid, Performance, Porsche

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

What could be better than a mid-engine Porsche with a 500-horsepower 3.4-liter V8 and an additional 218 ponies courtesy of a pair of electric motors? More power, obviously. And that’s exactly what a report from Autocar alleges is going to take place for the upcoming 918 Spyder. According to the report, Porsche is said to be enlarging the displacement of the gas-swilling engine in order to extract more grunt from the mill.

The Brit pubs goes on to posit that the production 918 Spyder, which was first seen moving under its own power at Pebble Beach, will sport both soft and hard tops along with a somewhat beefier front end in order to provide adequate crash resistance. Also, somewhat predictably, the concept’s 22-inch wheels are very likely to be downsized and the side exhausts may be rerouted to the rear when the hybrid supercar hits the market.

Assuming all goes according to schedule, Porsche is said to be planning a run of about 1,200 918 Spyders, each costing over $625,000 (£400,000) when it finally goes on sale sometime around 2014.

Gallery: Monterey 2010: Porsche 918 Spyder at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

Porsche 918 Spyder concept in MontereyPorsche 918 Spyder concept in MontereyPorsche 918 Spyder concept in Monterey

Photos copyright (C)2010 Frank Filipponio/AOL
[Source: Autocar]

Porsche 918 Spyder to get more power when it reaches production? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Aug 2010 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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