Category: Porsche

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Audi Porsche Toyota WEC

Toyota claims pole for 2014 Le Mans

2014 24 Hours of Le Mans qualifying

The third and final qualifying session for the 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans has just finished and the #7 Toyota TS040 Hybrid (Wurz/Sarrazin/Nakajima) has claimed pole position with a time of 3:21.789, set by Kazuki Nakajima.

Porsche’s return to the outright category has gone well so far with its #14 919 Hybrid (Dumas/Jani/Lieb) posting a best lap of 3:22.146, good enough to be on the front row. The #20 Porsche (Bernhard/Webber/Hartley) will start from P4 (3:22.908). This car held provisional pole (3:24.136) after Wednesday’s qualifying, but did not improve its time.

Audi had a less than smooth qualifying after a massive crash by Loic Duval in the #1 R18 e-tron quattro during the opening session on Wednesday. Remarkably, he suffered no serious injury but has been ruled out of the race and has been replaced by Marc Gene. The car was a total wreck an Audi has used a new tub to build a new car and will start with three cars as planned.

The best placed R18 is the #3 car (Albuquerque/Bonanomi/Jarvis) which will start from P5 (3:23.271). Starting from P6 will be the #2 R18 (Fassler/Lotterer/Treluyer) with a best time of 3:24.276. The recreated #1 R18 (Di Grassi/Gene/Kristensen) is the last placed of the main front runners and will line up from P7 after setting a time of 3:25.814.

Toyota’s second TS040 will line up from P3 after the #8 car (Davidson/Lapierre/Buemi) lapped the 13.6km Le Mans circuit in 3:22.523.

Taking a look at the total lap count of the top seven cars from qualifying is interesting. The Toyotas and Audis had lap counts in the high 30s, while the Porsche lap counts were in the mid-teens. There’s probably countless theories as to why the 919 was relatively inactive, but if nothing else the car clearly has raw pace.

We’ve got an onboard video for you after the break, filmed from the #7 Toyota TS040. We’ll also update this post with official statements from the three main teams as they come to hand.

[Source: Autosport]

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Porsche Video WEC

Patrick Dempsey is a Le Mans fighter

Patrick Dempsey

Porsche joins the ranks of producers for Lifestyles of the rich and famous. In its episode they bring Patrick Dempsey to life so he can wax lyrical about his fighting spirit. He tells us: “They know what you do for a living, but not what you live for.”

No, we’re not jealous of Patrick at all. Honest, we’re not!

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Porsche WEC

Mark Webber: The road to Le Mans – part 4

Mark Webber, The road to Le Mans

Mark Webber’s return to Le Mans is getting close now. In the latest episode of Red Bull’s feature we see Mark talk about his WEC debut at Silverstone and the follow-up race shortly after at Spa. That’s only 12 hours combined, but he says he’s ready for his first attempt at Le Mans since 1999. Or as he puts it, a full F1 season in one race!

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Porsche Video WEC

We are racers say Michelin and Porsche

Michelin and Porsche: We are racers

My name is Liam and I like it when companies involved in top level motorsport fund video productions to bring us closer to the action. But sometimes, with respect, these companies totally balls it up. Watch this opening episode from Michelin, titled We are racers, and see what you think.

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Audi Porsche Video WEC

Audi welcomes Porsche back to Le Mans

Audi R18 e-tron quattro

It would appear Audi is very happy to have Porsche back chasing outright success at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. To illustrate that fact they sent an Audi R18 e-tron quattro on a drive from Ingolstadt to Stuttgart to deliver a special message. It’s pretty cool.

With 27 race wins between them they are the most successful marques in the race’s long and proud history. And yet, we reckon it’s Toyota both need to be watching ahead of next weekend’s race.

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Porsche Video WEC

Mark Webber: The road to Le Mans – part 3

Mark Webber

We’re now up to Part 3 of the Mark Webber: Return to Le Mans series and, finally, we see him at the wheel of the Porsche 919 Hybrid. This episode takes us behind the scenes for Mark’s first test at Portimao in December last year.

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Porsche

Details about the new Porsche flat-four

981 Porsche Boxster

The new flat-four cylinder engine from Porsche will underpin a variety of models and will come in three different engine capacities, Car magazine reports. All will feature direct injection and have turbochargers to achieve the peak power Porsche demands.

Kicking off the flat-four family will be a 1.6 litre engine producing 210hp (155kW), followed by a 2.0 litre offering 286hp (210kW) and topping the range will be a 360hp (265kW) 2.5 litre.

The 2.0 litre and 2.5 litre engines are expected to find their way into the next-gen Boxster and Cayman, as well as the Cayenne. We reckon the Macan should be on that list too.

It’s not clear at this stage what purpose the 1.6 litre has, although it could be earmakred for use in Volkswagen/Audi products such as the on-again, off-again Audi R4 and associated acts.

[Source: Car]

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Porsche Video

The most desirable Porsche 911 ever?

1973 Porsche Carrera RS 2.7

That ducktail spoiler signifies one of the most wanted Porsche 911 models of all time: the 911 Carrera RS 2.7. Its prices are extreme—and climbing—and only a touch over 1500 were ever made.

Petrolicious gives us a look at one of only four examples to have officially made it to the United States. You can see that video below, and you will love the sound of this car. If you don’t, you should!

In addition here’s a couple of other articles about the RS you may like to read:

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Audi Porsche Toyota WEC

Toyota favourites heading to Le Mans

WEC 24 Hours of Le Mans official test session

The Toyota TS040 Hybrid has firmed as the car to beat at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. Two wins in the opening rounds of the WEC season had already set up Toyota as the 2014 front runners and the TS040’s abilities at the Circuit de la Sarthe were confirmed after last weekend’s official test session, when the two Toyotas topped the lap charts.

Two weeks out from the event this is the only opportunity for the teams get to run the full Le Mans layout. After the two day session the fastest time around the 13.6km circuit was set by the #8 Toyota (3:23:014).

Audi set the early pace with its R18 e-tron quattro, but in the end the defending champions had to make do with the third and fourth best times. Audi is the only of the LMP1 teams to run three cars and the remaining R18 split the two Porsche 919 Hybrids. The #14 Porsche was fifth and Mark Webber’s #20 919 the seventh and slowest of the factory-backed LMP1 runners.

Full statements from the three teams can be read after the break. The 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans will take place on 14–15 June with Australian television coverage available on Foxtel’s Speed TV channel.

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Porsche

Is nothing sacred anymore?

2010 Porsche 911 GT3 RS

The catching-on-fire 911 GT3 has already delayed the introduction of the more extreme RS model. And now fears over creating more power from the 3.8 litre flat six have Porsche considering a turbocharged GT3 RS for the first time.

It’s thought the addition of a turbo will allow Porsche to produce enough power to satisfy the brief for the RS without creating unmanageable stress for the apparently frail engine.

The GT3 has 475hp (350kW) and when it does arrive we can expect the RS to push close to the magic 500hp number (368kW).

Porsche may be willing to offer a manual transmission with the GT3 RS, but will a turbo undo that goodwill gesture? Or will modern technology ensure there’s nothing but neck-snapping acceleration and throttle response for a turbocharged RS?

[Source: Autocar]

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Formula 1 Porsche Red Bull Racing WEC

Mark Webber: The road to Le Mans – part 2

Mark Webber, 2013 Brazilian Grand Prix

In the second part of the Mark Webber: Return to Le Mans feature we get a behind the scenes look at Mark’s final race, the 2013 Brazilian Grand Prix.

This is all very good, but while recognising Red Bull is signing the cheques for this video series, there must be so much to the Le Mans preparations that we reckon there’s going to be a lot of quality material left on the cutting room floor.

Formula 1 is in the past for Mark, we want to see and hear his thoughts on the Porsche 919 Hybrid; the podium debut at Silverstone and the disappointment of Spa.

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Porsche

Porsche 911 Carrera GTS in development

Porsche 911 Carrera GTS prototype

The next model on the 911 rank is the Carrera GTS. That mashed up looking thing above is it, apparently. We rather liked the old one, so let’s hope Porsche gets it right again. We’ve no reason to doubt they won’t.

Designed to bridge the gap between the Carrera S and the GT3, this new GTS will take the 3.8 litre flat six from the S and give it a bit more power (expect around 315kW, up from 294kW), but not as much as the GT3 (which has 350kW).

The last model was rear-wheel drive only but there’s a suggestion this new model could be all-wheel drive—which we’re not so sure about—and that it could also get a manual transmission. Hmm, that doesn’t seem to follow Porsche’s recent trend either, but we’d like it if PDK got to remain on the option list of at least one upper-end 911.

It’s expected the GTS will be on sale sometime next year and will also bring with it a cosmetic facelift, some of which will carry over across the entire 911 range. Just the usual nip and tuck, new lights and body kit etc. If you can’t wait that long then you’ll be pleased to learn there’s a chance the facelifted 911 and GTS could appear on the show car circuit before 2014 is done and dusted.

One thing that is new is the appearance of centrally mounted exhaust tips. Yes, the GT3 has those, but not like the ones on this test mule, which are a bit more spread apart (see below). More pics, including a Cabrio prototype, can be seen by following the source link, as well.

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

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