A few weeks ago Audi racked up its 10th Le Mans victory. That put the German marque second on the all-time list of winning manufacturers; six behind Porsche.
Stuttgart, it would seem, is not impressed with the inroads being made by Ingolstadt and Porsche has announced they are coming back to Le Mans to race for outright victory in the LMP1 category.
Giving themselves plenty of time to get things right, Porsche will be racing at La Sarthe again in 2014. Game on!
[Thanks to Charlie for the tip]
After qualifying below expectations and being considered by some to be too far behind the newer Audis, BMWs and Mercedes-Benz machines the #18 Manthey Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RSR has won the 2011 Nürburgring 24 hour race.
The driving crew of Romain Dumas, Lucas Luhr, Marc Lieb and Timo Bernhard did it in style, too, leading for most of the day on Sunday. The distance covered of 156 laps is a new record as well. It’s the fifth N24 victory in six years for Manthey Racing. and the tenth win for Porsche overall.
Finishing second was the #1 BMW M3 GT with the #14 Audi R8 LMS claiming the final podium step. Due to the everyone-wins-a-prize categories at the N24 all three cars on the podium are class winners as well.
Official images and text from Porsche and the other leading manufacturers will be posted to AUSringers.com in the next 24-48 hours.
True to their word Car magazine has posted their video results of the McLaren MP4-12C supercar group test. Former Mr Stig, Ben Collins, took to Rockingham Motor Speedway in a veritable orgasm of supercars to see if the McLaren could walk the walk, after talking so much talk.
Up against the MP4-12C were:
After the break you can see the full 10 minute clip, which includes brief comments from Collins after driving each car. Make sure you watch right to the end and then tell us what you think of the closing graphic. Also available below is in-car footage from each lap.
[Thanks to Wayne for the reminder]
Car magazine brings word on the third-generation Porsche Boxster (981), telling us its wheelbase will increase by 60mm, its length by 37mm and internal legroom by 18mm. Overall height will drop by 10mm and the front overhang will lose 25mm.
As expected these days the new model will feature more equipment, but Porsche has found a way to actually lose a modest amount of weight, to the tune of 15kg. Styling changes to the side intakes will help to better differentiate the Boxster from the 911 as well.
In addition to the previously reported flat four-cylinder turbo engine, the familiar flat six will remain. In 2.7 litre form power peak numbers are expected to be 265bhp/280Nm, with the use of a PDK transmission resulting in a 0-100 sprint time of 5.7 seconds. The 3.4 litre flat six found in the Boxster S will provide 315bhp/360Nm and break the five-second barrier to 100km/h by 0.1 seconds.
Is the Porsche Cayman R really a suitable rival for the cheaper BMW 1 Series M Coupé? Well, BMW themselves have compared the 1M to the Cayman S, so on pure stats it’s not too far from reality. Okay, in Australia, the Cayman R might cost a Golf GTI more than the 1M, but it is widely acknowledged as being a class-leader in the can’t-quite-afford-a-supercar sportscar market.
On that basis, then, it’s well worth seeing just how well BMW’s latest press darling matches up against a lighter and sharper Cayman. Thanks to Autocar, who have filed a video review, we can see how the baby M gets on.
[Thanks to James for the tip]
It’s only a few weeks ago that Auto Motor und Sport theorised the Audi R4 and its Volkswagen Group cousins had been scrapped, or at least, sent to the bottom of the new product queue. However, word is now circulating that the R4 has been given the green light at Ingolstadt. A move which will also rejuvenate the futures of the Volkswagen BlueSport and a new entry-level Porsche. The latter inspired by the 1950s 550 model.
Autocar quotes an uncredited Audi source, “We have not abandoned plans for a roadster along the lines of the E-tron Spyder. We have reached a stage where we are moving forward and are now in the process of progressing the business case further, but it won’t go on sale until after the third-generation TT.”
That indicates a possible launch date of 2014 or 2015. However, the Autocar source did offer a very slight get out clause, before raising hopes, “We have to make sure there is space in the line-up without causing a conflict with existing models. It will definitely happen.”
More detail can be found by following the source link below.
[Source: Autocar]
US website Car and Driver say their sources have confirmed that the 991 Porsche 911 will offer a 7-speed manual. It’s understood the new “top gear” will have a high ratio designed to aid better fuel economy. The shift should follow the usual H-pattern, with seventh up high and right alongside fifth gear.
In addition you can expect Porsche to offer a development of their current 7-speed PDK (double-clutch) gearbox as well. All will be revealed when the 911 makes its public debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.
Previously, we reported a rumour that the next-gen 911 would carry some sort of KERS technology. Well, it looks like that rumour has gone by the wayside already, with Autocar quoting one Stuttgart insider saying, “The system is currently applied to a race car. Nothing else is planned. The new 911 will not be offered with hybrid drive for the foreseeable future. If and when it is, then it will most likely happen as a plug-in.”
The description of a plug-in system is interesting, let’s see where that takes us. Porsche is still committed to KERS/hybrid technology—a fact supported by the 911 GT3 R Hybrid winning its first race at the Nürburgring last weekend—but it seems at this stage hybrid technology will stay put on the Panamera and Cayenne model lines. And the 918 Spyder, of course.
[Source: Car and Driver & Autocar]
Interesting news has recently emerged about a new KERS system reported to feature on the next-gen Porsche 911. The entire 991 model range is said to take brake energy recuperation to a new level, with a special flywheel to store the saved energy for later use. So they’ll have a proper “go fast” button, then.
Keep in mind Porsche has its fingers on the pulse with this technology after teaming up with Williams Hybrid Power to produce the GT3 R Hybrid. A car which made everyone stop and take notice when it very nearly won the Nürburgring 24 hour race at its first competition outing.
[Source: Autoblog | Pic: CarPix]
Not content with eleventy billion iterations of its iconic 911 range Porsche has managed to eke one more model from Stuttgart. This one is called the Carrera 4 GTS. It’s the all-wheel drive version of the rear-wheel drive Carrera GTS released towards the end of last year.
On offer from the 3.8 litre flat six is a very tidy 300kW. With the wider track at the rear the two-wheel drive model already has oodles of grip, but this all-paw version raises grip levels further still.
We may mock Porsche for creating a new take on the 911 whenever a half-baked idea enters the brain of someone in their marketing department, but the truth is, they’re bloody good cars. And like a fine wine of the same vintage that may differ slightly from bottle to bottle, you want to sample them all!
The Audi e-tron, which wowed Detroit back in January last year, was thought to be a preview of a mid-engined R4 model. It was expected to be part of a platform sharing program with stablemates Volkswagen and Porsche. However, according to Auto Motor und Sport any such plans have been shelved by Audi.
One of the reasons given are fears the cheaper R4 would cannibalise sales of Ingolstadt’s own TT model line, as well as eating into sales of the Porsche Boxster.
Also caught in the cross fire is the potential MX-5 rival from Volkswagen, the Concept BlueSport, meaning the planned Volkswagen Group MiMo platform is unlikely to become a production reality.
There’s also some speculation that this news may end the future of the Audi quattro concept. However, given an A5-based prototype has already been in circulation there’s still some hope.
[Source: Auto Motor und Sport via Motor Authority]
The Porsche Cayman S is the latest to get the “Black Edition” treatment, and follows similar versions of the 911 and Boxster S.
Like the Boxster, the Cayman S Black Edition scores a modest 7kW power increase, raising peak power to 243kW. The 19″ wheels are sourced from the Boxster Spyder and offer increased diameter and width over standard Cayman wheels.
The Cayman S Black Edition is limited to 500 cars worldwide and a small number will be making their way to Australia. Local deliveries are scheduled to commence in September and the asking price remains at the regular Cayman S figure of $147,500 (plus on roads etc).
Press releases from Porsche AG and Porsche Australia follow.
Chris Harris from Evo magazine has a strong relationship with Porsche which has enabled him great access to Andreas Preuninger, Head of GT Cars. Using that relationship Harris recorded this interview with Preuninger in which the pair discuss the finer points of the limited edition 911 GT3 RS 4.0. It’s a good insight and details some of the modifications that are likely to ensure the RS 4.0 takes its place among the more revered Porsche RS model ever made.
[Thanks to Tim for the tip]