Tag: porsche

Video: Hockenheim recreated on ice, Porsche taken out to play

Filed under: Europe, Videos, Porsche, Off-Road

tiff needell driving on ice

Tiff takes to the ice in a RWD Porsche 911 – Click above to watch video after the jump

Imagine a vast frozen plain of iced-over lakes located 50 miles from the Arctic Circle. Now imagine 500 acres of that expanse converted into a playground for cars. The region is known as Lapland, and it stretches across Norway, Finland, Sweden and Russia. Laponie Ice Driving has turned a portion of it into five icy tracks, two of which are full-scale replicas of famous racing circuits: Le Castellet and the Hockenheim Ring.

Fifth Gear’s Tiff Needell ventured out to this frozen tundra to experience the traction-deficient racing for himself. Using a Porsche 911 GT3, Tiff set out to establish a quick time around the iced Hockenheim replica. Former BTTC racer Yvan Muller is on hand to show him how it’s done. Click past the jump for the slick action.

[Source: Fifth Gear]

Continue reading Video: Hockenheim recreated on ice, Porsche taken out to play

Video: Hockenheim recreated on ice, Porsche taken out to play originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 17 Apr 2011 20:01:00 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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Video: Porsche provides a peek at the 2011 Targa Tasmania

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Porsche, Australia

2011 targa tasmania finish line

Last leg of the 2011 Targa Tasmania – Click above to watch video after the jump

The Targa Tasmania is a road-rally event that’s been running since 1992, taking place, as you may have guessed, on the island of Tasmania. In 2011, this five-day race began in the coastal city of George Town and ended in the capital city of Hobart. The event features both classic and modern sports cars, changing weather conditions and some truly amazing driving talent.

Targa Tasmania has played host to some amazing drivers (such as Walter Röhrl) and equally amazing machines (such as Eric Bana’s Beast). Porsche rather conveniently put together a video shot on the last leg of the 2011 Targa, and you can watch it by clicking past the jump. There you’ll see Porsche driver extraordinaire Röhrl and others talk about their participation in the rally, and you’ll also see plenty of footage of all the little Tasmanian Devils as they wind their way across the island before finally crossing the finish line. Enjoy!

[Source: Youtube]

Continue reading Video: Porsche provides a peek at the 2011 Targa Tasmania

Video: Porsche provides a peek at the 2011 Targa Tasmania originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 Apr 2011 19:59:00 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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Video: Autocar pits Porsche’s Cayman R vs. Cayman S

Filed under: Coupe, Videos, Porsche

porsche cayman r

Cayman R vs. Cayman S – Click above to watch the video after the jump

The Cayman S is considered by many to be the best-handling Porsche currently available. After all, the Cayman is 90 percent Boxster with just a teensy bit more power and a fixed roof. The all-new Cayman R, however, has still more power, is lowered by about an inch, loses about 100 pounds and adds the lightest wheels currently available on a production Porsche. So, which version of the Cayman really is the best-handling Porsche?

The folks at Autocar asked that very question, and they set aside some track time to find out. The S goes first, and Autocar‘s Matt Prior gushes over the Porsche’s steering and handling while he slips and slides through the Silverstone Porsche driving experience track. Then comes the Cayman R, which very obviously has even less trouble keeping all four tires glued to the road. So, which one takes the cake? Hit the jump to find out for yourself.

Gallery: 2011 Porsche Cayman R: First Drive

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

[Source: Autocar]

Continue reading Video: Autocar pits Porsche’s Cayman R vs. Cayman S

Video: Autocar pits Porsche’s Cayman R vs. Cayman S originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Apr 2011 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Porsche’s Walter Röhrl, Christian Geistdörfer team up 30 years later for Targa Tasmania

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Coupe, Porsche, Australia, Racing

Rohrl-Gesitdorfer Porsche 911 SC

Walter Röhrl and Christian Geistdörfer with their 1981 Porsche 911 SC – Click above for high-res image gallery

Thirty years ago, Walter Röhrl and his co-driver Christian Geistdörfer very nearly won the San Remo Rally, after a comeback that would have been one for the ages. Röhrl and Geistdörfer were up against a field of faster, more powerful four-wheel-drive cars in their rear-wheel-drive Porsche 911 SC, and somehow managed to pull within an eyelash of victory.

Unfortunately, a broken driveshaft forced the pair to retire, leaving Michele Mouton’s Audi Quattro to run away with the race. Now, exactly thirty years after their heartbreak in San Remo, Röhrl and Geistdorfer are back in their 911 SC for the five-day, 2000-km Targa Tasmania. The rally starts today, and you can follow Röhrl and Geistdörfer’s progress here at Porsche UK.

The car that Röhrl drove in the 1981 San Remo rally was thrown together last minute because he was without a drive until just before the start of the race. The ill-fated San Remo run was the car’s only outing in professional competition. For this year’s Targa Tasmania, the car was found in a garage and restored to its 1981 competition specification.

Gallery: Rohrl-Gesitdorfer Porsche 911 SC

Rohrl-Gesitdorfer Porsche 911 SCRohrl-Gesitdorfer Porsche 911 SCRohrl-Gesitdorfer Porsche 911 SC

[Source: Porsche]

Continue reading Porsche’s Walter Röhrl, Christian Geistdörfer team up 30 years later for Targa Tasmania

Porsche’s Walter Röhrl, Christian Geistdörfer team up 30 years later for Targa Tasmania originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Porsche Boxster + vintage Volkswagen Bug = Bugster

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Performance, Europe, Porsche, Volkswagen, Specialty

1973 Volkswagen Bugster

1973 Volkswagen Bugster – Click above for high-res image gallery

This is a melding of two seemingly very different cars we can get behind. The melding of one car’s running gear and another’s body isn’t a new practice, but so often it turns out terribly. Need an example? Check out the dozens of F-Body Chevrolet Camaro coupes with 4×4 running gear that haunt the depths of the world’s internet forums.

This isn’t a hack job, this is is the sort of hybrid we can throw our enthusiastic support behind. The body started life atop a humble 1973 Volkswagen Beetle chassis, while the running gear saw duty under a 2000 Porsche Boxster convertible’s skin. The car was created by Siegfried Rudolf, who owns CarMaxx, an Austrian company that restores and customizes Porsche and Volkswagen cars.

Rudolf apparently got the idea after parking his restored Beetle next to his wife’s Boxster and noted a striking similarity in their wheelbases. After countless hours with a measuring tape, a Sawzall and a welder, Rudolf had the Bugster, a mid-engined 270-horsepower 1973 VW Beetle.

From off, the car looks like a nicely restored, slightly modified Bug. Up close, though, the enormous side vents, 18-inch wheels and Porsche dashboard start to hint at this thing’s dirty little secret. The car sports custom fenders to properly cover its wider track and wheels, and the whole set up rides on a fully-adjustable suspension. Delicious. Thanks for the tip, Rui!

Gallery: 1973 Volkswagen Bugster

1973 Volkswagen Bugster1973 Volkswagen Bugster1973 Volkswagen Bugster1973 Volkswagen Bugster1973 Volkswagen Bugster

[Source: Bugster via FirstSuperCars]

Porsche Boxster + vintage Volkswagen Bug = Bugster originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: How not to load your Porsche Carrera GT

Filed under: Convertible, Etc., Videos, Porsche, Luxury

Porsche Carrera GT
Porsche Carrera GT loading fail – click above to watch video after the jump

The Carrera GT is among the most rare and exotic models Porsche has ever created. Production ceased way back in 2006, but if you want to pick up one of these five-year-old supercars, it will still cost you about $400,000 for the privilege. Having said that, if we owned a Carrera GT, we’d definitely handle it with white gloves on, and we would only trailer it in the most professional manner humanly possible.

Apparently not everyone is as careful with their rare exotic. The brief post-jump video features a beautiful silver Carrera GT that is being loaded onto a flatbed with a pair of unfastened planks that appear to be wood. We’re with you if your immediate thought is, ‘Why the heck would anyone do that?,’ but apparently the 15 or so people standing around the pricey Porsche didn’t feel compelled to tell the driver or the loaders. We’ve seen more careful packing of trucks crossing rivers on wood canoes in Bolivia. Hit the jump to watch on in horror.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: How not to load your Porsche Carrera GT

Video: How not to load your Porsche Carrera GT originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autobahn to get speed limits in Porsche’s home state?

Filed under: Government/Legal, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche

Coat of Arms of Baden-Wuerttemberg

Voters in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, home to both Porsche and Mercedes-Benz, have elected the Green Party to power, and that change may end up being felt on the Autobahn. Automotive News reports that one of the promises made by the Greens was to implement a speed cap of 120 km/h (74.5 mph) on stretches of the Autobahn that are currently unrestricted.

According to Mercedes-Benz CEO Dieter Zetsche, speed limits aren’t good for business, noting that buyers from other countries view the Autobahn as part of the company’s formula for developing high-performing vehicles. “We’re well advised to maintain the Autobahn sections that don’t have a speed limit,” says Zetsche.

The new political leadership doesn’t see things that way. Winfried Kretschmann, who could soon be named State Premier, says the Autobahn contributes 30 percent of the area’s emissions. On the Green Party’s website, Kretschmann points the finger at the transportation, saying that the sector “has to make a contribution of its own to reduce this gas that’s harmful to the environment.”

[Source: Automotive News sub. req.]

Autobahn to get speed limits in Porsche’s home state? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 03 Apr 2011 15:13:00 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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