Category: Porsche

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VIDEO: Island’s in the dream

Does the island of Majorca have the world's best driving roads?

Evo magazine brings us another dream nomination for the world’s best driving road. It now seems we can forget everything we know on this subject and start setting our sights and sunglasses towards the Spanish island of Majorca.

Following up from the earlier nomination in Romania, Henry Catchpole grabs the keys to a Porsche Boxster GTS and starts chasing the rays and the twisting tarmac given to the world by Antonio Parietti Coll.

If nothing else, Majorca is a great place to flee one’s creditors. As it turns out, it’s also a pretty nice place to snap, crackle and pop in a Boxster GTS.

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Porsche

991 Porsche 911 GT3 RS patent drawings

2015 Porsche 911 GT3 RS

We’ve been given one of the best looks yet at the 2015 Porsche 911 GT3 RS thanks to a series of patent drawings published by Car magazine.

It appears as though almost every body panel will be unique to the GT3 RS. Starting with the dip in the bonnet and the vented front guards—remember we first got wind of those on a scale model, of all things.

The roof also has a double bulge, presumably to offer increased headroom inside the car. The obligatory massive rear wing is also in place along with a wide body akin to the 911 Turbo, which caters for the widened track on the most competition-focused production model in the 911 range.

Despite the Turbo-style air intakes on the rear flanks and rear decklid it’s now expected the RS will feature a high-rev normally aspirated engine, likely to remain at the same 3.8 litre capacity found in the revised 911 GT3. Power should slot in between the 350kW (475hp) from the GT3 and the 412kW (552hp) found in the Turbo S, currently the most powerful 991 911 money can buy.

This is likely to be the most extreme GT3 RS yet with Andreas Preuninger, Porsche GT road cars boss, indicating the gap between the GT3 and the RS will be as big as its ever been when the 991 RS is finally revealed.

[Source: Car | Thanks to John for the tip]

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BMW Porsche Video

VIDEO: BMW M4 v Porsche 911 Carrera

BMW M4 v Porsche 911 Carrera

Evo magazine has taken to the picturesque Anglesey Circuit with a brand new BMW M4 and pitched it against a Porsche 911 Carrera. The M4 (née M3) v 911 debate is one that’s been around for years now. Two cars that compete against each other in the minds of revheads even though they don’t really share the same market segment.

So which will come out trumps on the tight seaside track? Professional racer Marino Franchitti was on hand to find out. It’s worth paying attention to his steering wheel inputs when the in-car footage is compared too.

Oh, can you believe the 991 is now three years old!

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Porsche Video

Another look inside Porsche’s secret museum

Porsche's secret museum

Getting a look at the official Porsche Museum is pretty cool, or so we’ve been told. So we can only imagine how awesome it would be to take a peek inside the company’s secret museum. It’s the place where the prototypes and test mules are hidden away, some barely saw the light of day even when they were current.

Chris Chilton from Car magazine gives us a brief tour of the secret museum. You may recall Porsche has already done this, too, but we don’t think anyone will mind a repeat performance.

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Porsche

2015 Porsche 911 GT3 RS: No turbo for you?!

2015 Porsche 911 GT3 RS spied at the Nurburgring

A prototype 911 GT3 RS has been spied at the Nürburgring in recent days and judging by the fearsome sound of the car it is not turbocharged. There’s been speculation that Porsche would boost the 991-based RS in order to achieve the 500hp+ target pencilled in for the 3.8 litre flat six.

Porsche has also stated that the gap between the regular 911 GT3 and the RS model will be larger than it has been in the past. You can see signs of that already with the big side air intakes and other body work modifications. Just look at the size of that rear wing for starters!

Those side intakes would normally indicate a turbo, as in the 911 Turbo, but there’s no mistaking the rawness of the note coming from that test car. It sounds superb.

While this test car does sound like it has a PDK fitted there is talk, or hope at least, that the RS will be available with a traditional manual gearbox. Let’s hope Porsche comes good on that front, even if the longer term future of the manual ‘box is inevitably going to be a lost cause.

Of course, Porsche has had a minor hiccup with the engine in the GT3 and that has pushed back the launch of the GT3 RS. As far as we know there’s still no official launch date in mind for the RS. If the Frankfurt Motor Show in September is too soon, then Detroit in January will probably mark the car’s debut. It’s not too far away.

[Source: Bridge to Gantry]

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Porsche Video

Jeff Zwart, a 700hp 911 and Pikes Peak

Jeff Zwart at 2014 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

We all know the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car is a pretty good wepon of choice on a track. And now that Pikes Peak is tarmac all the way to the summit it’s probably a pretty good choice for that epic climb too.

But what if you bolt on some turbos, strengthen the engine internals and wind the boost up to 700hp? Thankfully Pikes Peak specialiast Jeff Zwart was kind enough to take on that investigative task for our benefit and these two videos are the result.

Sadly for Jeff he lost a fuel pump just after his ascent began. He drove on manfully—just listen the cacophony of whooshes—and came oh so close to breaking the magic 10-minute barrier. No doubt Jeff will back in 2015 and will cross off that bucket list item then.

[Thanks to John for the tip]

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Volkswagen Group tipped to rebrand as Auto Union

Auto Union badge

Here’s a rumour from GoAuto that has grabbed our interest, according to its report Volkswagen Group is considering a name change to Auto Union.

A possible theory for the change would be to establish a greater sense of independence for each of the brands under Volkswagen’s control, by removing the Volkswagen name from the umbrella company.

Volkswagen Group controls or owns outright the following marques: Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Ducati, Lamborghini, MAN, Porsche, Scania, Seat, Skoda, Volkswagen and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. In addition, the group is also the largest shareholder in Suzuki, with a 20% share.

Auto Union is not a new name in the motoring world and was the precursor to what we now know as Audi. Originally formed in 1932 and consisting of four companies—Audi, DKW, Horch and Wanderer—Auto Union was essentially dissolved by the Soviets after WWII.

However, soon after, in 1949, Auto Union came back to life building two-stroke DKWs. Daimler-Benz took a majority shareholding in 1958 and saw a return of the Auto Union brand and investment in the company’s Ingolstadt factory.

In 1964 Daimler-Benz began to offload its shares and later that year Volkswagen assumed control after it bought the rights to the Auto Union name and the Ingolstadt site. The Audi brand was revived in 1965 and remains as the sole survivor from those Auto Union days.

[Source: GoAuto | Pic: CarType/John Lloyd]

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Porsche

Porsche: The gift of life

Porsche 914

Long-term readers of AUSmotive will know of our love for the Porsche 914. It’s a bit daft and a bit ungainly, but that just makes it uniquely cool in our eyes. We reckon after you watch this video you might begin to like the 914 too.

Many years ago the guy above, named Dave, sold his 914 to fund his wedding. His step-daughter thought that was a nice thing to do and now that’s she’s old enough to say thank you in a more quantifiable way she went and bought a replacement 914 to give to her stepdad for Father’s day.

Awww, isn’t that nice.

[Source: Autoblog]

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Porsche Video

Porsche Cayman GTS v 996 911 GT3

Cayman GTS v 996 GT3

Evo has come up trumps with a great Porsche comparison. Jethro Bovingdon takes a brand new Cayman GTS and compares it to a 10-year-old GT3. Which is better? Which one would you buy?

[Thanks to Tim for the tip]

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Porsche

Re-introducing the Porsche 718

Porsche 718 rendering

Porsche plans to introduce a sub-Boxster model called the 718 roadster and it will be on sale in 2016, according to various media outlets. We say “re-introducing” the 718 because those of you playing at home may recall there was a 718 open-top racecar back in the late 1950s. This time, though, we’re talking full production-spec road car.

Talk of a baby Boxster has been around for a few years now, with the predicted MiMo platform spawning models for Porsche, Audi and Volkswagen. It’s not clear if that will be the case for the 718, but we’re told it will be built using modified Boxster architecture with a sub-1200kg target weight. The wheelbase, for example, will be the same as the Boxster, although the 718 will have a completely new body with more compact dimensions.

In a bid to keep weight down the 718 will employ a manually operated canvas roof with a lightweight perspex rear window. Inside, too, the cabin will be sparse and feature minimal equipment.

The 718 will be powered by Porsche’s new four-cylinder engine range and is designed to compete with the likes of the Alfa Romeo 4C.

Porsche is being a bit sneaky with the 718 as well. Timed to be introduced around the same time as the Boxster/Cayman facelift the presence of a cheaper model will enable Porsche to push the Boxster/Cayman further upmarket. Which means more profits for them and dearer prices for us.

[Source: Automobile & Car]

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Porsche Video

The Porsche 911 GT3 is back!

991 Porsche 911 GT3

After its time on the sidelines it appears as though the 991 Porsche 911 GT3 is back in the hands of owners. Here’s a video from a US owner who was kind enough to record his first drive in anger after getting his GT3 back.

We’re not so sure the authorities will approve of some of the driving skills on show, but we’re confident you’ll love the sound of that revitalised 3.8 litre flat six!

[Thanks to John for the tip]

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Porsche

Introducing the Porsche 988

Porsche 988 rendering

You’re looking at a rendering for the Porsche 988 published by Autocar. Just what is a Porsche 988 we hear you ask. It’s the latest model rumoured from Stuttgart to take on the Ferrari 458 Italia and the like.

If that all sounds a little bit familiar, welcome to 2012. This time, however, plans for the 988 (understood to be a development title only) seem to be more concrete than any previous “Fefi” rumours we’ve heard in the past.

The 988 is expected to go on sale in 2017 and will be powered by a flat-eight cylinder engine which will be mid-mounted and around 4.0 litres in capacity. You don’t get excited about a supercar these days unless it’s nudging 600hp and with the aid of a turbo or two, or maybe even four, the 988 should oblige on that front.

Reports of an eight-cylinder engine are interesting inasmuch as Porsche engineers feel they need the extra cylinders to take on models like the 458. The recent issues faced by the 3.8 litre flat-six in the 911 GT3 have no doubt helped confirm that theory.

The 988 will eventually lead a revitalised model range as Porsche aims to sell 200,000 vehicles per annum.

[Source: Autocar]