Available as both a coupe and convertible, the 408-horse / 310 lb-ft GTS is like a top-range naturally-aspirated model for everyday use; after all, the 435-horse GT3 isn't really a car for child-rearing families.
The car's power bump is the result of "a special resonance intake manifold [in which] six vacuum-controlled tuning flaps switch between power- and torque-optimized geometry, whereas in a Carrera S power unit there is only one tuning flap." Sounds like hocus pocus to me.
A spiritual successor to the 959 and Carrera GT models, the 918 Spyder sports a mid-mounted 500HP 3.4 liter V8 gasoline engine and a pair of electric motors located on the front and rear axle producing a combined 218-horsepower, for a total system output of 718HP.
It uses a high tech chassis bonded together with a special adhesive tape coated in polyethylene while the body is finger-made from exotic lightweight materials such as thin sheets of paperboard covered in a space-age aluminum foil that serves various purposes.
In this case, power is provided by a left-to-mid-mounted human-boxer unit capable of delivering a yawn-inspiring 1 fhp (foot horsepower) when fully fed, relaxed and emotionally happy.
Did we mention that it's also the fastest and most powerful road-going sports car ever built in the history of Porsche and that it turns the Nürburgring race track in just 7 minutes and 18 seconds or four seconds faster than the Dodge Viper ACR?
But let's take it from the start. The crown jewel of the 997 lineup is powered by a 3.6-liter six-cylinder boxer engine boosted by two turbochargers with variable turbine geometry that churns out 620HP and 700Nm or 516 lb-ft of peak torque. It drives the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox.
Fair warning: they're videos showcasing the Porsche Experience at Silvestone Circuit, meaning they're a little one-sided (not that I can see anything wrong with the car).
HEY-HO indeed.
For an interesting run-through and comparison of these two track-day supercars (Ferrari isn't releasing the 458 Scuderia/track model for a while), check out the vids after the jump. Don't forget, we over here aren't afraid of no stinkin' Ferrari. I'm watching you, Montezemolo.
Remember the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid that was revealed at the Geneva Motor Show this past March? Well, Porsche has released a new video of its hybrid racer with which it will compete at the Nürburgring 24 hour race on 15/16 May.Williams Formula 1 pilot Nico Hülkenberg tested the orange and white liveried 911 GT3 R Hybrid on the Nordschleife in the lead up to the third round of the VLN Long Distance Championship. Check out the video after the jump.
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Either way, it looks like the 500-horsepower "Taxamera" Turbo has a message for BMW's M5 'Ring taxi: Bring it on. Now if it would only head over and pull some weekend duty for tourists at the Nürburgring, we'd have a real competition on our hands. Follow the jump for the video.
Just like the upcoming successor to today's 911 (see the spy shots here), the Boxster prototype looks no different from the current model, but that shouldn't come to as a surprise to Porschephiles that are used to the company's evolutionary approach to design.
The new Boxster will share many parts with the next 911 while the German engineers will most likely try to further reduce the car's weight to improve handling as well as to boost fuel efficiency.
The spy video (and scoop shots) suggest that the 2012 model year (for North American markets) 911 will be slightly longer and wider but with a lower roofline than the current model. And even though Porsche insiders insist that almost every body panel will be new, well, it's a 911 so don't expect to see something drastically different in terms of styling.
So, what's the first thing you'd be interested in a video showing the new entry-level model (details and pictures here) with the VW Group-sourced 300HP 3.0-liter V6 gasoline engine? Apparently, the answer to that question is what the V6 sounds like. Well, guess what's missing from Porsche's promo film after the jump?
Thankfully, Williams issued a separate release informing us about their collaboration with Porsche while the company also noted that the energy storage system was originally developed for use in Formula One by the AT&T Williams team (the KERS system), but now it is focusing on applying the technology in road vehicles through its Williams Hybrid Power subsidiary.
Get a taste of Porsche's lightest and quickest version of the Boxster to date in this official video that contains both driving and static footage of the new model. Dubbed the Boxster Spyder, it does away with the standard model's folding roof and is powered by a tweaked 3.4-liter boxer engine producing 320 horsepower, enough to propel the 1,275 kg (2,810 lbs) sports car from standstill to 100km/h (62mph) in just 4.8 seconds.The new Porsche, which made its world debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show this week, will enter the market in February 2010 as the third version in the Boxster range, after the Boxster and Boxster S models.
Here's the first official video of the newest member of the Porsche Boxster family, the Spyder (click here for details and photos), that was revealed ahead of its world debut at the Los Angeles Motor Show in December. Weighing in at just 1,275 kg or 2,811 lb, the Spyder is the lightest model through-out the entire range of Porsche cars. Power comes from upgraded version of the 3.4-liter boxer six-cylinder engine used in the Boxster S, tuned to deliver 320 horsepower. Make the jump to watch Stuttgart's latest achievement in action.
Up until now, we had only seen renderings of German tuning firm 9ff's custom made Porsche Panamera, but a Youtube user has uploaded a short video of what is believed to be a factory test car fitted with 22-inch alloys and a sport exhaust system. We don't know if the model seen here also features one of the three available performance kits that 9ff has announced for the Panamera Turbo and which boost the V8's output to 550PS / 760Nm, 600HP / 800Nm and to 650HP / 850Nm respectively, but it sure sounds promising...Together with the engine kits, alloy wheel options and a special suspension module, 9ff's offerings for the Porsche sports saloon will also include a full bodykit with a newly designed front bumper and hood, side skirts and a rear diffuser plus an array of interior upgrades such as special leather treatments and decorative trims.
Hat tip to Nils!
You've heard the story before: teen steals dad's sports car for a joy ride and it usually ends up in a crash or even worse, someone meets the death reaper face to face. In this case, an unnamed 15-year-old teen who swiped his dad's Porsche Boxster and took his 12-year-old cousin for a dicey joy ride at Porter Ranch in Los Angeles, California, had more lives than an alley cat and more luck than a Leprechaun wearing horse shoes and walking in an Irish field full of four leaf clovers on St Patrick's day...The 15-year-old behind the wheel of the Boxster (and not the 911 Cabriolet as ABC's reporter wrongly states) lost control of the vehicle along Sesnon Boulevard crashing through a fence and flying off the road plunging around 70 feet (about 22 meters) over the edge of a construction site.
Miraculously, the Boxster did not flip over during landing (sic...) as it came settled upright on its four wheels. What's even more astounding is that the two boys walked out of the roadster virtually unscathed!
"Miracles still happen, that's the best way I can put it," told ABC news Eric Hansen from the Los Angeles Police department. "Firemen were saying that they've never seen that deep of a droPop without fatalities, and they were able to walk out of it."
According to the report, the two young "daredevils" are off the hook at this point as authorities are not likely to press charges. Hopefully, the parents won't be as forgiving...
Hat tip to Marcus! Via: ABC7
You probably know by now that we really dig Porsche's latest creation, the special edition 911 Sport Classic that packs some really neat retro styling cues such as the Fuchs alloys, the woven leather interior and of course, the ducktail rear spoiler that harks back to the legendary Carrera RS of the '70s. In addition to the detailed specs and the updated gallery with 40 photos (including the side shot you all asked for), we now bring you Porsche's official video of the 911 Sport Classic shot on the road. Hit the jump, crank up the volume and enjoy!
It's the purest and most track-focused version of the latest-generation 911 to hit the roads yet. It's the new Porsche 911 GT3 RS and it's set to make its formal debut at the Frankfurt motor show next month. More of a street-legal race car than anything else, the 911 GT3 RS gets Porsche's 3.8-liter flat-six tweaked to produce a hefty 450 horsepower along with numerous chassis and aerodynamic mods. And while very few will ever get the chance to sit behind the steering wheel of the RS, Porsche is giving the rest of us a taste of its most hardcore 911 with the release of two race-track videos that you can enjoy right after the jump.