New Porsche 911 Shows its Panamera-Style Snout in South Africa

Once again, Carscoop's photographers have caught the all-new generation of Porsche's 911 sports car series testing. However, this time, they snagged a barely camouflaged prototype not in Germany, but in South Africa. And even though our man with the camera wasn't able to capture a crystal clear shot of the front end of the 2012MY 911, it's fairly obvious that the styling is heavily influenced by the Panamera.
From there on, despite some changes here and there such as the exterior mirrors that are mounted on the doors instead of on the window frame, the redesigned tail lamps and a slightly lower roofline, the basic silhouette and proportions remain the same. An extensive aerodynamic package with an active front spoiler and variable air-intakes, is believed to be in development. 


We expect more differences inside the cabin with some fresh bits and pieces borrowed directly from the Cayenne and Panamera parts bins.
The new model, codenamed '991', may look eerily similar to today's generation of the 911, but underneath the body there's a revised platform that has grown a few inches in length and width. Furthermore, Porsche's engineering team is also said to have made good use of exotic and lightweight materials to reduce the sports car's overall weight. 

The 911's engine lineup will be revised with upgraded six-cylinder boxer units boasting the latest technological advancements including direct injection and start/stop systems for gains in power as well as reductions in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. At launch, Porsche will offer two variants - the Carrera and more powerful Carrera S models, with the Turbo and other versions such as the GT2 and GT3 to follow down the line. 

Delivering power to the rear or to all four wheels will be a standard six-speed manual gearbox (depending on the model) joined by an optional seven-speed PDK (Porsche Doppel Kupplung) twin-clutch transmission with shift paddles behind the wheel.
Chances are that Porsche will choose its home show in Frankfurt, Germany, next year to present the world premiere of the new 911.

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Topcar jumps on the Porsche Cayenne Tuning Bandwagon with Vantage GTR 2

Topcar might be a newbie in the industry, but the Russian tuning firm is churning one proposal after the other. Following a display of project cars at this year's Essen Motor Show, the company has unveiled its latest package in the form of the Vantage GTR 2 for the latest Porsche Cayenne.

Limited to 50 units, the package overhauls the SUV's looks with a full bodykit comprised of carbon Kevlar and carbon fiber components, including front and rear bumpers, bonnet, ultra-wide wheel-arches and a rear diffuser. New two-tone black and white alloy wheels complete the exterior make up. Furthermore, the Moscow-based tuner offers multiple performance upgrades with the output ranging from 550 to 750 hp.
By Csaba Daradics

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A Video Tour of the Porsche Classic Workshop

Porsche Classic is a specialized workshop owned by the German automaker, responsible for repairing, servicing and even restoring classic vehicles, like this 1973 911 T Coupe. Every year, a team of 30 highly trained specialists work on around 250 cars, keeping Porsche's heritage alive. According to the Stuttgart-based company, more than 70 per cent of all Porsches ever built are still on the roads today, which is pretty impressive if you think about it. Video follows after the break.

By Csaba Daradics

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Porsche to Return to Detroit Show with a Bang, will Premiere a "Spectacular Model". What will it be?

It's been a good four years since the last time we saw Porsche at the Detroit Motor Show, otherwise known as the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), but the famous Stuttgart automaker is getting ready to make a big comeback at the 2011 edition of the event. Not only will Porsche make it to the 2011 NAIAS, but the company revealed through one of its spokesman that it is planning to premiere a “spectacular” model. 
 
“We’ll have something spectacular to show there,” said Hans- Gerd Bode, a spokesman for Porsche, in an interview on Friday. “You’ll have to wait and be surprised.” As you may have guessed, the Porsche official did not reveal any other details leaving us with nothing but speculation at this point.

Aside from the already confirmed for production 918 Spyder Hybrid supercar, other new Porsche models planned for the not so far away future are the next generations of the 911 series, Boxster and Cayman, plus a smaller three-door SUV, the Cajun. We should mention here that a couple of days ago, Porsche released a press announcement stating that the firm's supervisory board gave the green light for the production of the Cajun.
Here's the statement:


"During its meeting today, the Supervisory Board of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, laid the foundations for continuous and successful growth of the company. The Supervisory Board instructed the Board of Management to drive forward the development of a further model series up to series production. Under the working name "Cajun", this efficient and sporty model will further expand the world’s most successful Porsche segment in the SUV sector.

In addition to the new Cayenne, which has clearly consolidated its market position as the most successful sporty SUV in the premium segment, the "Cajun" will also have a very positive impact with its typical Porsche features such as light weight, ease of handling and agility. As an attractive entry model in the Porsche world, the "Cajun" will attract new and even younger customers to the premium brand along with the Boxster, the market leader in the segment of two-seater, mid-size sports cars."

Of course, Porsche may show a completely different model including a concept vehicle of some sort. Feel free to speculate in the comments section below.
Via: Bloomberg

VIDEO: New Porsche 911 GT2 RS "Driven to Extreme"

Gordon Robertson is back. Having previously tamed the GT3, the chief driving consultant of the Porsche Experience Center at Silverstone now takes on another of Stuttgart's iconic 911s: the GT2 RS.

Capable of 620 hp and 700 Nm (516 lb-ft) of torque, the 911 GT2 RS is the most powerful road-going Porsche ever built. It accelerates from standstill to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 3.5 seconds and hits the 200 km/h (124 mph) mark in a staggering 9.8 seconds. Clearly, you need some impressive skills to drive pace the GT2 RS through a twisty circuit, but for now, you can enjoy Mr. Robertson at work in the video after the break.

By Csaba Daradics

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More Power, Please: Wimmer RS Tunes Porsche GT2 RS to 703HP

With 620-horsepower on tap from the twin-tubo'd boxer engine for a 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint time of just 3.5 seconds and top speed of 330 km/h (205 mph), we'd argue Porsche's 911 GT2 RS is lighting quick. However, German tuning house Wimmer RS has a mind of its own when it comes to performance even if we're talking about a sports car that will be produced in a limited run of just 500 units. 


The tuner's upgrades are concentrated on the 911 GT2 RS' 3.6-liter six-cylinder boxer which benefits from a remapped engine controller, optimized turbochargers, a sport air-filter, new air-intake and a valve-controlled sport exhaust system along with sport catalysts.
These modifications bump output from 620 to 703-horsepower, while peak torque rises from 700Nm to an even more impressive 810Nm or 597.5 pound-feet. According to Wimmer RS, the powered-up 911 GT2 RS can now complete the sprint from 0 to 100km/h in 3.3 seconds and pass the 200 km/h mark after just 9.5 seconds (stock model: 9.8 seconds), while continuing up to a top speed of 356 km/h or 221.2 mph.

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Cayenne and Panamera Help Boost Porsche Sales by 86.4% Compared to Previous Quarter

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.


Revenue amounted to €2.06 billion (+80.3%), while the company's operating result reached €395 million for the same three month period.

The new Cayenne fared particularly well with 10,292 units sold (+151%), followed by the Panamera with 5,778 vehicles and a growth rate of 94%. The success of the 4-door coupe is due to the fact that last year it wasn't available on all markets and the six-cylinder model went on sale in May 2010. The 911's sales were also up, reaching 3,130 units (+20.4%), while the Boxster with 1,089 and Cayman with 929 vehicles remained the least coveted Porsches.

The Americas lead in terms of regional sales, up by 82% and totaling 7,268 units, of which 6,632 went to North America. Europe is close behind (7,082), while Asia and the rest of the world are third (6,868), albeit with the biggest growth rate (126%), fueled by the strong demand in China.


"We can be satisfied with the key indicators of the first three months. Porsche AG is continuing on a profitable growth course" said Matthias Müller, chairman of the executive board of Porsche AG.

"Due to the order intake worldwide in the past few months, we expect a good double-digit return on sales in the short fiscal year from August to December 2010. With this current order situation, we also anticipate a good start to the new fiscal year 2011" Lutz Meschke, member of Porsche AG's executive board in charge of finance and procurement, added.

Porsche's sales growth also helped create new jobs, with the company currently employing 13,043 people, a 2.5% increase over July 2010.

By Csaba Daradics

Porsche Teases 918 Spyder Scale Model During Investment Announcement

Besides announcing that it's going to invest €150 million in the Weissach research and development center, Porsche also released an image featuring a scale model of the 918 Spyder possibly providing us with our best view yet of the production model. Presented at this year's Geneva Motor Show as a concept model, the 918 Spyder is set to continue the Carrera GT's legacy, albeit in a more ecological manner.


The design study featured a 500 hp 3.4-liter V8 and a pair of electric motors, the latter delivering another 218 ponies (160 kW). The German maker said at the time that the new supercar could beat the Carrera GT on the Nordschleife.

As for the scale model pictured here, there are a few differences, but certainly not enough to confirm that were seeing the final production version's lines. The clay model seems to have a more swooping boot lid, different door panels and only one exhaust pipe on each side of the car.

As for the investment announcement itself, Porsche said the Weissach facility will get a new high-tech wind tunnel and an innovative electronics integration center. Porsche is also keen on closely working with electrical system suppliers and electronics experts.

"The close interaction of our suppliers' various electrical system/electronics experts and colleagues from related specialist fields during development will contribute significantly to the success of our work, particularly in the case of electronics, which now play a role in virtually every vehicle component" said Wolfgang Dürheimer, Porsche AG Board of Management Member for Research and Development.
By Csaba Daradics

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