Porsche Details Sporty and Safety Features of the 911 Turbo and Turbo S

Having launched less than two years ago, to commemorate the model’s 40th anniversary, the 911 Turbo is by no means an old car. However, truth be told, a mid-life facelift for the 991 range isn't far off.

Price Nudges Porsche 911 Turbo S into Range of Supercars, Chris Harris Tries it Against McLaren

The McLaren 12C is a pure-bred supercar, with only two seats, a better, simpler name than before and over 600 hp. The new Porsche 911 Turbo S is none of those things, and is heavier, all-wheel driven, less comfortable and slower.

However, Chris Harris thinks the two could be called rivals, at a stretch, especially if you option up your Porsche and/or get a discount on the McLaren; get an approved used one even cheaper is a third way.

He is so convinced that the two are rivals that he’s made a video trying to explain the point – it may just be an excuse to hoon some cars on both road and track, but as long as it’s both entertaining and informative in its own right, we’ll look the other way and not nitpick.

Conclusions are straightforward: driving the British car is more of an event, because it’s an actual supercar, plus I’d add my own input and say it’s far better looking than the bloated, almost bulbous-looking 991, a condition made worse by the extra widening of the Turbo.

It is dragged down by its uninspiring-sounding engine that reportedly exhibits noticeable turbo lag, and it’s not as practical as the purportedly four-seater Porsche, nor is it as upmarket-looking inside.

By Andrei Nedelea

VIDEO

Porsche Takes Fan for a Ride in the 911 5 Million Facebook Fan Car

Back in August, Porsche presented a unique 911 model built with input from its fans to mark its Facebook page reaching 5 million members. Now, Porsche has detailed that car in a new video and the process that led to its creation.

Built by Porsche Exclusive in Zuffenhausen, Germany, the car is right-hand drive, as will be used as a demo vehicle at the Porsche Experience Centre in Silverstone. So no, fan No. 5,000,000 won’t get it. However, one lucky winner from San Francisco, USA, was flown to the UK and had the chance to experience the car on track.

Based on the all-wheel drive 4S model, the milestone 911 gets a blue and white paint scheme, white 20-inch alloys, a lowered sports suspension and new exhaust, as well as subtle body treatment - bar the fixed rear spoiler. The interior features LED-backlit doorsills with the logo and special inscription which reads “Personally built by 5 Million Porsche fans”, as well as brushed aluminum trim.

By Dan Mihalascu

VIDEO

German Rumor Mill Says Porsche 991-Based 911 Speedster Coming in 2015

The Speedster name is even older than the 911 model designation, dating back to the early 1950s, when Porsches were still mechanically related to the VW Beetle. It’s been used over the years on the back of a number of models, the most recent of which being the 997-based 911 Speedster from almost three years ago.

Now, AutoBild tells us that it may be brought back in early 2015, as a limited series model with a unique body similar to that of the 2011 car, based on the latest 991 cabrio. Apparently limited to just 550 units, in this way Porsche will be paying tribute to the original 550 Spyder.

We imagine it’s going to incur the same treatment as before and feature a chopped windscreen, a rudimentary and most likely manual rag top and additional unique touches to set it apart, kind of like the quick Photoshop edit you see here.

Porsche has a wide array of these that it’s been known to use on special models, so we won’t speculate as to which ones it would use here, but the ducktail spoiler would surely look nice on the back of this new 911 Speedster...

By Andrei Nedelea

PHOTO GALLERY

Best Everyday Sports Car: Porsche 911, Audi R8 or Jaguar XKR?

British magazine WhatCar recently uploaded a video comparison of what they call three supercars, though, to be fair, only one, the Audi R8 deserves to be called that. The other two contenders, the Porsche 911 and Jaguar XKR, are quite different beasts, the first lying at the upper end of the sports car spectrum, while the second is nothing more than a big GT car with good handling for its size…

Still, the comparison is justified, and makes for some sound advice, as the three vehicles cost about the same, go about as fast and are all viable alternatives as “everyday supercars.”

Moreover, they could have easily included the Nissan GT-R into their group of cars, though they know it would have annihilated the other three performance-wise, aside from already matching them in terms of price, practicality and even image.

The decision of buying a new car is difficult regardless of the price range within the constraints of which you must stay, or the class/type of vehicle you’re looking to get behind the wheel of. Even buying a very fast sports car/supercar is a daunting task, and the better informed you are, the harder the decision becomes…

Scroll down, check out the video, and find out which car won the test (hands down) in the end.

By Andrei Nedelea

VIDEO

The Imaginary Citroen DS-Porsche 911 Hybrid

The Citroen DS is a very nice classic car, that really needs no introduction, wherever you may live and whatever culture may have formed your background. The same applies for the (classic) Porsche 911, though it has now become a much more mainstream name, ever since the brand expanded in the last decades.

Both are timeless classics, with unique appeal, but it seems that some think it’s a good idea to take the two cars and create one very weird hybrid. In fact, BrandPower claims a prototype has already been built and show us a bunch of photos of which none look real.

They say it has a rear-mounted three-liter air-cooled engine, probably from a late 1970s/ early 1980s 911, but it would really be hard to mount in the back of the DS, even with the claimed pushing forward of the rear bench seat. I can’t obviously say for sure that it’s not possible at all, but it seems highly unlikely to work in the stated fashion.

Topping off the deep feeling of doubt I have about this project, are their claims to have –wait for it- taken asked German Chancellor Angela Merkel to go for a ride in it, as well as the French president Francois Hollande who apparently accepted the invitation to be chauffeured around Hockenheim in it.

Oh and that magazine cover they provided is so fake I don’t even know where to begin with it. Check out the photos below, as well as an actual successful attempt at putting a bigger motor in the DS.

It may very well be an odd yet interesting design/mechanical proposal, but a real car it certainly is not.

By Andrei Nedelea

Story References: Designboom via Autoblog , Jalopnik

PHOTO GALLERY

Porsche Lays Out Debut Plans for November's LA, Tokyo and Guangzhou Motor Show Shows

For some reason that escapes us, organizers of the Los Angeles (November 19 to December 1 – first three days are for the press), Tokyo (November 20 to December 1 – first two are press days) and China's Guangzhou (November 21-23) motor show have selected more or less the same dates for their respective events. Nonetheless, some automakers like Porsche are making sure to be at each show with something special.

The Stuttgart-based company will be unveiling its most important mainstream model ever, the Macan new compact luxury SUV, together with the new generation 911 Turbo Cabriolet and Turbo S Cabriolet at the LA Auto Show.

Dubbed as the fastest, most powerful and most luxurious models in the Panamera range, the facelifted 2014 Panamera Turbo S in both regular and extended wheelbase lengths with 562hp (570PS) will be introduced in front of a crowd for the first time at the Tokyo Motor Show.

Last, but certainly not least, Porsche's new crown jewel, the 875-bhp 918 Spyder, will make its North American premiere in LA and its China debut in Guangzhou.

PHOTO GALLERY

Watch Greek Lada 2104 Wagon Beat the Snot Out of a Porsche 911 GT2 RS (?)!

Ever heard of the saying a wolf in sheep's clothing? It’s a phrase used all too frequently in the auto industry to describe timid-looking cars that pack a knockout punch. If you haven't, here's a real-life example: Sergio's Lada 2014 Station Wagon.

You can't really get more humble than an old Soviet-era Lada that traces its roots all the way back to the original Fiat 124. That is the sheep's clothing part of the equation, because under the boring shell, this Lada from Greece hides the platform, interior and a heavily modded SR20DET 2.0-liter turbo from a Nissan Silvia/200SX/240SX.

In some of the videos we found, the Lada Wagon 240SX is said to deliver somewhere in the range of 400 wheel-horsepower, but could that be enough to humiliate what appears to be the famed Porsche 911 GT2 RS?

Remember, this Porsche came with a 3.6-liter twin-turbocharged flat-six twisting out a massive 612hp (620PS) with a claimed 0-100km/h (62mph) time of just 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 330km/h (205mph).

Understandably, without questioning the ferociousness and speed of the Lada, we do have some reservations about the Porsche – was the driver giving everything it had and was it a real 911 GT2 RS or a replica?

PHOTO GALLERY

VIDEO

Sounds of Porsche: 911 GT3 vs. Panamera Turbo vs. Macan SUV

Engine sounds play a big part in the driving experience, and it is something that car enthusiasts always pay attention to, regardless of the type of vehicle. Regular buyers do too, but usually, they're more interested in the…lack of any mechanical noises.

Porsche, as maker of sports cars (okay, with a few V6 crossover exceptions), understands that need and tunes its exhausts accordingly, from the track treat that is the 911 GT3, to the mature family man's Panamera Turbo sedan and the upcoming (and soon to be its best-selling model), the new Macan compact luxury SUV.

In the following videos released by German magazine Autobild, we get to hear all three of the aforementioned Porsche vehicles.

While, I expected to like the GT3 the most, it was too raspy for my tastes and my vote landed on the angry lion roar-style sounds produced by the Panamera's turbo'd V8. Which one did you like the most?

VIDEO

2010 Porsche 911 GT3 Recalled Over Potentially Faulty Rear Wheel Hubs

Porsche Cars North America informed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that it is recalling certain 2010 MY 911 GT3 cars over an issue with their rear wheel hubs.
The GT3s that are recalled were manufactured between May 15, 2009 and February 11, 2010 and the potential number of affected vehicles is 455 units.

Slippery when Wet: Porsche Demonstrates New 911 Carrera 4 in Adverse Road Conditions

Even Porsche itself knows that, if it weren’t for its large fan and more importantly, customer base, the 911 would be long gone and replaced by something that adheres to, rather than disregarding, the laws of Physics.
No matter how you put it, letting the engine hanging out behind the rear axle may provide superior traction from a standstill but, when it comes to cornering, it creates a pendulum effect that’s hard to contain.

Porsche Details New 911 GT3 Cup While Displaying it on the Track

Porsche is far from done showing off its most prized version of the 991-generation 911, the all-new GT3 Cup racing model, but if you're expecting to see the car roar through a circuit with no other distractions in this new video, we're sorry to say, you will be disappointed.

Porsche Teases 991-Based GT3 Cup Racer, Road-Going 911 GT3 Must Be Close

If there’s one thing we know about Porsche is that, no matter how many SUVs or sporty saloons it may churn out, it will never tinker with the trusted, 50-year old 911 philosophy. Truth be told, it did try to kill it once, back in the 1970s with the 928, but it failed – so it was a lesson it must have learned well.
That recipe isn’t just about maintaining the iconic shape and the flat-six engine hung out behind the rear axle; it’s also about launching a whole bunch of new variants of each generation.

Breaking Bad: Warranty Direct Lists the 10 Least Reliable Cars of the Last 15 Years

While we have no problem replacing everyday products such as DVD players and cell phones with new ones once they go bad, if the same thing happens to our car, it's a whole different story, and rightfully so, since automobiles are the second largest investment in most single family households.
Cars tend to be much more complex than most household appliance and face seriously more adverse conditions day-in, day-out. No matter how good the car is or how much carefully you maintain it, at some point, something is bound to go wrong.

Porsche Announces World Premiere of Compact Sports Car at LA Auto Show

Porsche says it has selected the 2012 edition of the Los Angeles Auto Show, open to the public from November 30 to December 9, for the world premiere of a brand-new, never before seen model together with a US premiere.
The German company says the world debut will take place on November 28 and it concerns a "compact sports car". While Porsche won't name the car, from what we have heard, the "mystery" model is the new Cayman coupe based on the latest generation of the Boxster (981).

New Porsche 911 Meets its 49-Year Old Ancestor in the Swiss Alps

In its past issue, CAR magazine celebrated its golden anniversary and declared the Porsche 911 the best car ever in its 50-year-old history.
Editor-at-large Chris Chilton decided to take the new Porsche 911 with the internal codename 991 to the famous Furka Pass in the Swiss Alps. He also brought along a 1965 version of the 911 that's identical to the original launched in 1963.

Oxigin's Gulf Racing Style Porsche 911

There's something inexplicably cool about the iconic baby blue and orange paint scheme of the Gulf Oil-sponsored racers from the 1960s and 1970s (before the company went down in the 1980s), which provided the inspiration for this previous generation Porsche 911 from German aftermarket firm Oxigin. 

SPIED: New Porsche 911 Turbo Pops Into our Radar

For the past 38 years, all generations of the 911 include at least one Turbo variant, and the most recent iteration of Porsche's iconic sports car with the internal designation 991 will be no different.
Stuttgart's engineers have been meticulously working on the development of the all-new 911 Turbo for quite some time now and it shouldn't be long before it makes its official appearance.
Like the outgoing 997 Turbo, the top version of the 991 series will feature an all-wheel drive system to keep things civilized, while motivation will once again be provided by a 3.8-liter flat-six with diesel-style variable turbine geometry turbochargers, which should be good for around 520-horses in normal trim and close to 550-ponies in S Turbo flavor.

Porsche to Bring Historic Race Cars at Goodwood Festival of Speed

An array of historic Porsche race cars will make their way at this at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed that takes place in the UK from 2 to 4 July. The German automaker said that it will be bringing some of the victorious sports cars from the Targa Florio road race in Sicily, as well as the Porsche 917 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the 1970 win at Le Mans.

Cayenne And Panamera

Even in this harsh economical climate, Porsche sales continue to grow, as the German maker shifted 21,218 units in the first three months of the 2010 short fiscal year (August 1 – December 31). That's an impressive 86.4% growth compared to the same period last year, although Porsche management admits that the prior-year quarter was "relatively weak", so a higher growth rate was expected.