Archive for Porsche

The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup S has been replaced by this new model – the Porsche 911 GT3 R, adding yet another variant to the neverending list of different 911 GT3 models. No matter what kind of 911-beating laptimes Nissan posts with its GT-R, the choice of plenty of small racing teams most of the time is the 911 GT3.

The GT3 R’s 6 cylinder boxer engine has a displacement of 4.0 liters, up from the 3.8 liters you get with the road cars or the Cup model. This same engine size is also found in the 2009 GT3 RSR. The 0.2 liters of extra displacement has been achieved by increasing the cylinder stroke to 80.4mm instead of 76.4mm.

The engine is mated to a 6-speed sequential dog-teeth gearbox. Dog-boxes use gears that are straight-cut instead of the helical-cut gears that we have in our normal road car manual transmissions. Because of the different way the gears engage, a dog-teeth gearbox is much more noisy (that whirring sound that we get when we travel in reverse gear – they have it all the time!), and they also don’t have synchro rings so you basically just slam it with greater force into engagement instead of having to clutch at changes. A dog box has less transmission losses compared to a helical gearbox and is more durable.

Porsche’s focus with this new model is better drivability and easier handling. The GT3 and its race-going variants have always been hardcore cars but this car has ABS, traction control and a throttle blip function built into its e-gas throttle body. These features make it more suitable for an ambitious amateur racer (with deep pockets – the car is 279,000 Euros) to drive the car.

The Boxster Spyder is Porsche’s lightest car, at just 1,275kg. That’s probably just around 75kg heavier than my BMW E30 3-Series.

It is a tribute to the Spyder nameplate that’s been used on various cars in Porsche history such as the 550 Spyder and the RS Spyder. It will be the third variant in the Boxster range, joining the existing Boxster and Boxster S models.

The Porsche Boxster Spyder has two bulges on the single piece rear lid, something that the regular Boxster does not have. The bulges make it look rather Carrera GT-ish. It’s got the same engine as the Boxster S, a 3.4 liter boxer yet is lighter than the Boxster.

Power is up 10 horses from the Boxster S engine at 320hp, and when mated to the PDK double clutch transmission and equipped with the Sports Chrono Package, 0 to 100km/h takes 4.8 seconds.

What I’m curious about though is what makes the Boxster Spyder lighter than the Boxster and the Boxster S. They probably removed the folding mechanism for the soft top roof, which means it’s manual now. Porsche’s press kit does not mention what else is gone.

Look after the jump for a hi-res photo gallery and a video.

Click here to read the rest of Porsche adds Spyder variant to Boxster range

Volkswagen has announced that it will take a 49.9% stake in sports car maker Porsche in a first step towards merging with the company. Volkswagen’s initial plan was to acquire 42% of Porsche and with the increase in stake, Volkswagen’s position in the equation will be stronger sooner than expected. The German auto giant also assured that the merger between both companies is still scheduled to take place in 2011.

Currently both companies are working together in certain areas such as manufacturing the Porsche Cayenne and the Volkswagen Touareg in the same plant as well as the utilization of Volkswagen’s 3.6 liter V6 by Porsche. The above mentioned 49.9% stake will cost $5.8 billion and the company also assured that it is committed in “preserving the independence and the interests of Porsche” – which is a good move.

Porsche will join other brands like Bugatti, Audi, Lamborghini as well as Bentley to become the company’s 10th brand. Volkswagen also announced that it plans to increase its preferred share capital by the first half of 2010 in order to refinance the participation and maintain Volkswagen’s good credit rating.

Porsche insiders have revealed that a convertible version of the Panamera is coming up, and it will have its two rear doors dropped to increase chassis rigidity, making up for the lack of a roof. Porsche also wants to minimize the weight of the extra chassis reinforcements needed, which would swell up if it also had to make up for the fact that it had four doors.

Official statements from the company have been vague so far although they definitely point in a positive direction. “We have a broad range of 14 derivatives of the 911 that are very successful. So it stands to reason we should diversify the lineup for the Panamera as well,” said Porsche development chief Wolfgang Duerheimer. According to the insiders, the premium of having a convertible roof should add about 11,000 Euros to the roofed version’s price.

The Porsche Panamera is now available from Auto Eurokars with a 2+2 year extended warranty. You can get either a Panamera S with a 6-speed manual, or the Panamera 4S and Panamera Turbo with 7-speed twin clutch PDK gearboxes.

• Porsche Panamera S – RM998,000.00
• Porsche Panamera 4S – RM1,118,000.00
• Porsche Panamera Turbo – RM1,398,000.00

All the cars use a 4,806cc V8 engine but naturally the difference is that the Turbo has twin turbochargers. In normally aspirated form, the engine makes 400 PS at 6,500rpm and 500Nm of torque between 3,500rpm to 5,000rpm. When twin-blown, this goes up to 500 PS at 6,000rpm and 700Nm of torque between 2,250-4,500rpm.

Other than the differentiation in terms of 4WD and the turbo for the Turbo, the 4S and the Turbo also comes with auto start-stop, which the S does without. The 4S and Turbo also has a larger fuel tank of 100 liters compared to the S’s 80 liters.

Other than that, most other specs are the same except the Turbo gets a better 14 speaker BOSE sound system compared to the “standard” 10 speaker system. For more details on specs differentiation if you’re really in the market for one its best to check out the Porsche dealership for a personalised buying experience.

Click here to read the rest of Porsche Panamera range launched in Malaysia

Porsche will be selling a special 250 unit limited edition Porsche 911 Sport Classic. The 911 Sport Classic was developed by Porsche Exclusive, a department within Porsche that develops customised versions of Porsche cars.

The 911 Sport Classic is based on the Carrera S, but has a 44mm wider rear body. Power comes from a 3.8 liter DFI engine with a new intake that increases power by 23hp from the regular Carrera S – this means it now produces 408 horses.

There is a rear spoiler in a fixed position made to look like the “ducktail” from the 1973 Carrera RS 2.7. This is probably where the word “Classic” comes into play. The exterior paintjob is only available in Sport Classic Grey while the interior is done up in Espresso Nature natural leather.

The 911 Sport Classic will go on sale January next year at a base price of 169,300 Euros. That’s quite a premium over a regular Carrera S which goes for 78,000 Euros.

Click here to read the rest of Porsche 911 Sport Classic with ‘ducktail’ spoiler

Porsche has recently revealed the 911 GT3 Cup, which is essentially a track-ready Porsche based on the 911 GT3 RS. Powered by the same 450HP 3.8 liter 6-cylinder motivator used in the GT3 RS, the Cup version is treated to a wider body (by 44 mm) and flared wheel arches at the rear, wider wheel arches at the front as well as a fully controlled catalytic converter. It also comes with an all-new exhaust system and better stopping power thanks to Porsche’s Ceramic Composite Brakes system, which is actually 20 kilograms lighter than the composite cast brake discs featured on the Carrera Cup cars.

The 1,200 kg sports car also features improved downforce with a lower front spoiler lip and wider rear wing that is mounted higher as well. Sitting on light-alloy wheels, measuring 9.5 J x 18 and wrapped with 4/64-18 Michelin racing tires (rear wheels are wider by an inch), the GT3 Cup also comes with additional Unibal joints that are featured on the track control arms, adjustable sword-shaped anti-roll bars front and rear (adjustable to seven different positions on both sides), repositioned controls for the Info Display, height adjustment for the steering wheel and an additional vent in the upper part of the front lid to help provide the driver with an even better supply of fresh air.

Potential buyers can expected deliveries by October and you would have to part with 149,850 Euros. The Porsche 911 GT3 is exclusively available in Carrera White and is expected to compete in the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup, Porsche Carrera Cup and the GT3 Cup Challenge.

Look after the jump for a high-res gallery of the 911 GT3 Cup.

Click here to read the rest of Porsche 911 GT3 Cup: 450HP of pure track madness

The Porsche 911 GT3 RS, a more hardcore version of the 911 GT3 was recently revealed by the Stuttgart-based auto maker. It is motivated by the same 3.8 liter 6-cylinder engine, but instead of producing 435HP in the GT3, it pumps out a total of 450HP. Mated to a 6 speed sequential gearbox (with a short transmission ratio compared to the standard GT3), the GT3 RS features higher downforce compared to the standard GT3 (with an extra-large carbon-fiber rear wing), a lighter lithium-ion battery (by 10 kg, available as an option) and a lightweight titanium sports exhaust system.

Futhermore, it comes standard with dynamic engine mounts that change in their stiffness and damping effect as well as PASM suspension with wider tracks on both axles. Being slightly wider than the standard GT3, thanks to additional wheel arch covers, it is offered with 245/35 ZR 19 sports tires up front and 325/30 ZR 19 tires at the back. It also sits closer to the ground compared to the milder GT3. It goes on sale in Germany from January next year, with a 122,400 Euros price tag.

Look after the jump for a high-res image gallery of the 911 GT3 RS.

Click here to read the rest of Porsche’s fiercer GT3: The 911 GT3 RS

There’s a whole load of new videos on the new Porsche 911 Turbo released by the German sportscar company in conjunction with the new facelifted type 997 turbocharged sports car that was just unveiled a few days ago. If you check out the “Personality” video, Porsche even describes what exactly has changed with the car’s aesthetics. At first glance the two cars look the same and the changes are in the fine details. The videos are pretty long so take your time to enjoy them!

Click here to read the rest of 5 new videos for the new 911 Turbo facelift

Porsche’s mid-life facelift for the 997 Porsche 911 Turbo Coupe and Cabriolet will be exhibited to the public for the first time at the Frankfurt show this September. The 911’s rear-mounted boxer-6 engine is now 3.8 liters instead of the pre-facelift’s 3.6 liters in size. The engine also now adds direct injection and continues to use the variable geometry turbochargers found on the 3.6 liter unit. The engine now makes 500 horses, up from 480 on the previous edition of the 997.

Porsche seems to also have come to their senses with the way they implement their manual paddle shift system. Before this, the shifters were buttons on the steering wheel and both the left and right side set of buttons could do both upshifting and downshifting. I found it quite unnatural, but apparently that was the way Porsche did things when I asked why they had that weird setup.

Well, with this new “997.5″, a proper set paddle shifters can be fitted – a simple setup of a right paddle for upshifts and a left paddle for downshifts. This is for the 7-speed PDK twin clutch transmission.

There is also something called Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV) which works together with the rest of the drive systems to route traction to the wheel with the most grip without losing some power via selective braking.

The new 911 Turbo will go for upwards of £101,823 (RM587.5k) for the Coupé and £109,048 (RM629k) for the Cabriolet. Of course, in Malaysia they go for much higher – RM1,373,000 for the 911 Turbo and RM1,409,000 for the 911 Turbo Cabriolet. The GT2 tops the pricelist at RM1,720,000.

Look after the jump for a hi-res photo gallery and videos of the updated Porsches.

Click here to read the rest of 997 Porsche 911 Turbo gets mid-life facelift