Porsches might not be the prettiest things to look at but on a technical standpoint, they’re basically showcases. From a basically flawed rear-engine layout, Porsche has managed to create amazing machines.
Check out this production-ready Porsche 911 GT2 RS. Porsche fans would only be delighted to see another hardcore Porsche.
The GT2 RS boasts of a wider body and numerous aero bits which include spoilers and other carbon fiber pieces. Aside from their function, the kit makes the car look just a tad meaner.
The insides have been stripped out for lightweightedness. An extra 100 kg has been taken off as a result. That just means more power to weight.
As for the power, Porsche hasn’t handed out the exact figures but the flat six with twin-turbos can easily dish out more than 600 bhp.
May 11
Oh. It seems that Porsche does have a new car ready for the market when everyone seems that new offerings will be delayed due to the current changes in their management.
This here’s the new Porsche 911 Turbo which Porsche promises to be a faster, lighter and more powerful than its previous incarnations. Obviously, Porsche wants to get back to the fight especially with better performing cars from rivals like Ferrari, Lamborghini and even Nissan (with the GT-R) coming out.
The first major update is with the engine as Porsche drops the 3.6L engine for the direct-injection 3.8L flat six from the Carrera S. Revised twin turbos and uprated intercooler and fuel system ups the power by 20 bhp to generate 493 bhp.
The engine is mated to either a standard 6-speed manual or a 7-speed dual clutch PDK gearbox. The car gets from standstill to 6 2mph in 3.4sec with the PDK gearbox and can cruise to a top speed rises by 2mph, to 194mph though we all know that with a good bit of wind, even the previous car can breach 200 mph.
The PDK gearbox now also sports some proper flappy paddle shifters ditching the old double-function shift buttons used in older models.
It’s about damn time Porsche finally does something to their 911 line. Until this announcement, we’ve been settling for tuned 911s for our 911 fix.
Aug 09
Mansory is adding another Porsche kit to its lineup, with a new performance package for the Porsche 911. Aerodynamics, engine output, and handling are the primary focal points of the kit, but should be very customizable according to what buyers want.
The Mansory package includes all-new custom sports air filters along with an exhaust system that should dramatically increase air flow. The valve system is controlled by electronics, which allows drivers to modify the roar and decrease sound levels, if necessary. There’s also a suspension lowering kit and a set of 20-inchers wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport rubber.
The body kit was designed with a premium on aerodynamics. It sports a front bumper designed to greatly reduce front lift, with an option for a matching rear bumper. The back end has a quad-pipe exhaust.
Mansory is making this 911 kit available in two trims: aluminum and carbon fiber. Buyers can also avail of a custom all-leather interior furnishing package. As always, extras cost more money. The Bavaria, Germany-based tuning group is active on the Porsche scene, just announcing its Cayenne ‘955’ performance kit.
Source: Motor Authority
Mar 12
Sportec, one of the premiere car tuners in Switzerland, is making a strong case for national representation at the Geneva Motor Show as it unveils version of the Porsche 911 Turbo sports car, equipped with an all-new extreme performance kit designed to take the car to the next level.
The Sportec performance kit includes modifications for power and aerodynamics, as well as tuning for the chassis and suspension. The upgrades boost the 911 Turbo to 858 horsepower at 650 lb.-ft. of torque. Top speed is pegged at 380 kph. The car has also been redesigned from the ground up, with extensive use of carbon fiber and aluminum components for reduced weight.
The car also features titanium engine internals, an exhaust system with baffles, a new high-performance clutch, an active suspension system, new turbochargers, and lighter alloy wheels.
Only 10 of the cars equipped with the Sportec performance upgrades will be built, guaranteeing not only exclusivity but also an unparalleled Porsche 911 Turbo for the few who will be able to get it.
Source: Motor Authority
Mar 02
There’s a new racing Porsche 911 for 2009, mixing in a larger-capacity engine, a redesigned body, and mechanical tweaks to improve performance. The result is the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR.
The body of the GT3 RSR is designed for optimum aerodynamic performance and improved front and rear downforce. The design includes air outlet slots, a modified rear wing, a new brake system, and a lighter wiring harness. The interior includes an all-new gear-shift display, which helps drivers optimize the timing of gear changes. Only the bare essentials were retained in the interior furnishings in order to shred weight.
The GT3 RSR gets a six-cylinder, 4-liter engine, up from the standard 3.8L. The 2009 racing model has a higher output—465 horsepower compared to the GT3 RSR’s 450 horsepower—but this is mainly due to rules changes for the 2009 GT series. However, Porsche claims that the improved torque curve and aerodynamic modifications are more than enough to compensate for the reduced hp output.
It looks to be a UK-only release for now, since people can only get the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR from Porsche Great Britain. Lastly, keep in mind that the GT3 RSR costs more than double what the 911 GT2 fetches for. Ouch.
Source: Motor Authority
Jan 25
You have to give credit to these tuning firms. Despite the car market crunch, they’re still just looking for more ways on how to squeeze out just a bit more juice from engines. When we all thought that the Veyron’s power was the holy grail of 21st century motoring, now we have American tuning house Switzer Performance making it common place. And of all cars, in a Porsche 911.
Their twin turbo kit can give the 911′s straight six more than twice its output raising its power to a mental 1,000 horses. The project was a mad experiment on testing how much juice they can extract from the stock internals of 997′s engine.
Dubbed as the Sledgehammer Porsche 997, the car has 1,000hp straight from the engine but the layout finally places 850 bhp on the rear wheels couple with 727 lb-ft of torque. Now you can just imagine how zippy this car is. 0-60 mph is rated at just above 2 seconds.
Now I wonder what else this car has got to offer aside from going fast in a straight line. Porsche engineers have made a ton of improvement despite the wrong engine placement. I wonder how they’d manage even 850 bhp for the corners.
View the video of the testing after the cut.
Jan 13
And the boys are back with the fall season of Top Gear. What a season they’ve lined up for fans. First up, the preview for the new season which includes features on Vietnam, American pony cars, double-decker buses, boats, mopeds, more challenges and other bollocks.
Next, they got a Porsche GT2 inside the studio for a lead-in to a Clarkson feature. Jeremy opened the segment with a lot of screaming and a quip of “And that concludes my roadtest of the GT2. It’s terrifying.” Then he gets into the Lambo Gallardo LP560-4. Misleading? Not quite as he pits the two cars against each other. On a drag race, the Gallardo leaves the GT2 behind.
Funny sequences showing a granny, a kid, and a dog to press the point that the Gallardo is better to drive. Verdict: All out, sans the price issue, the Lambo’s better. And as expected Hammond loves the GT2 and berates Jeremy for his opinion. Then they hand both cars to The Stig. The numbers: LP560-4 – 1:19.5 and GT2 – Clarkson burned the damn time slip. We reckon the GT2 was faster.
Nov 03
We have to apologize for sporadic and late posting of news here on AutoJab. We’re currently working some other efforts over at our home – Bloggy Network. Rest assured, consistent updates will be back ASAP.
Now, I just can’t let this newsbit pass since it’s about one of my favorite cars as of late – Godzilla with four wheels – the Nissan GT-R. And it’s getting some flak from Porsche with the German automaker claiming that Nissan cheated when they set the GT-R’s then-record-breaking lap time around the Nurburgring.
Porsche engineers have been running tests with the 911 around the ‘Ring and claim that they couldn’t get within 25 seconds of the GT-R’s 7:29 lap time. For them, that kind of time is impossible if it was a regular production car and that Nissan probably used a different set of tires.
Well, let’s get the facts straight. Porsche purchased a US-spec Nissan GT-R and raced them against the standard GT2 and a 911 Turbo. At the hands of Walter Rohrl one of their engineers, the Porsche cars beat the living hell out of the Japanese supercar.
Maybe, the GT-R is really just built for the Japanese. They set the lap time with ex-F1 Toshio Suzuki behind the wheel. Or maybe the GT-R just hates German drivers. But come on, in the hands of the Stig, the Porsche 911 Turbo clocked in 1.31.0 around the Top Gear test track and the GT-R clocked in at 1.19.7.
Then again, this just builds up the controversy whether Nissan was really tuning their test cars for better performance over the production ones.
Oct 02
Porsche is surely to be feeling the impact of the recent influx of practical supercar alternatives like the Audi R8 and the Nissan GT-R that the appeal of the original practical supercar, the Porsche 911, has waned a bit.
However, as with any model that has gained a clear share of the market, they only need to bring in some more developments to give the classic product a new and probably better twist. And that’s what they are saying the 2011 Porsche 911 will have.
Porsche R&D head Wolfgang Durheimer says the car will be “sexier” than the previous models. While the contours would largely stay the same, the new 911 will feature some tweaking to its image. The front fascia will be slightly altered to address new pedestrian safety laws and the rear will also get some reshaping to improve aerodynamics. And to bring the 911 into the 21st century, the side mirrors will be replaced by cameras.
These are just part of what’s planned for the 911. Some other possible upgrades will be with the materials to be used, improved electronic systems, and possibly more upgrades to improve performance.
Porsche has made impressive developments overcoming the supposed basic flaw of the 911 (having the engine at the back). It’d be interesting to see how things would play out in the future.
Sep 13
The new 2009 911 Carrera frops the “old” Tiptronic system in favor of the new PDK seven-speed twin-clutch gearbox. Ever wonder how come it shifts 60% faster than the old one? Here’s a video showing us how it works.
Via: Autoblog
Jul 17
The wonders of tuning. No wonder these tuning houses still thrive despite all the calls for smaller displacement cars that would save the world from total annihilation. And how about getting a Porsche 911 and tuning it even more. Now, while the 911 isn’t exactly Veyron-esque, you would just have to agree that it’s a damn decent supercar especially since it’s one car that you can readily drive any day.
On the hands of tuning house Gemballa though, the 911 can be turned into a force of nature. Enter, the Gemballa Avalanche 600 GT2 EVO. As if by magic, slapping on the Gemballa power kit on a 911 boosted its horses to 600 bhp and it now boasts of 840 Nm of torque. Now those numbers propel the car from 0 to 62 mph in just 3.5 seconds and a top speed of nearly 200 mph. Not too shabby at all.
To improve handling, the car is fitted wit 20-inch wheels, a coilover suspension and a powerful braking system. The gearbox also has options for a day in the track. As for more bells and whistles, the car also sports a luxurious interior trim and a special paint finish.
Source: Gemballa
May 20
While a lot of people are waiting to get their hands on the Nissan GT-R, some bigger car magazines are getting hold of them already and giving them the beans around the track. Here are some exclusive video footage of a Nissan GT-R getting driven around the track and even going head-to-head with the Porsche 911 Turbo.
Videos are courtesy of CAR Magazine uploaded to where else but YouTube. The video comes in two parts. The second one you can view after the cut.
Feb 20
As the most practical supercars in the market, the Porsche 911 deserves the all praise given to it. While other manufacturers are rushing to bring out their 911 killers, there’s still a lot of novelty for being the one. Anyway, here’s the promo video for the 2009 Porsche 911 GT2.
Feb 10
Want more ways to spruce up your Porsche 911 Turbo Coupe? So the 911 is already a head turner as it is. Performance-wise it’s probably one of the few great sports cars that can dish out great track performance and daily drivability. Then comes the Aerokit – a body kit specifically made for the 911 Turbo.
Don’t worry, it’s not just any simple bolt-on body kit to “rice” up your ride (just in case you own one). It comes from Porsche themselves. The kit pretty much contains every body piece needed to spruce up the 911 – front lip, door sill trims, rear skirt, even a new engine cover design. And it’s not just to dab on some makeup on the 911′s mug. It gives the car better handling through improved aerodynamics.
Pricey as the 911 is, the Aerokit costs about $6,600 when availed as an option. But if purchased separately, it’s a $6,010 option but excludes the matching paint job and installation.
Source: Car Scoop
Dec 09
No one is above the law. That includes traveling at 172 mph in a Porsche 911 Turbo.
Britain’s record-breaking speeder has been jailed for speeding in his swanky 911 Turbo. Tim Brady was clocked by a policeman cruising at 172 mph on the A-road in Abingdon, Oxfordshire last January. More tragically for Brady, the 911 Turbo wasn’t even his car. It was “borrowed” (Yeah, right!) from Brady’s employer (a luxury car hire firm). Needless to say, his stunt wasn’t sanctioned by his employers. The courts sentenced Brady to 10 weeks in prison, a three-year driving band and a fine of 474 quid.
Brady’s stunt broke the speeding records in Britain previously held by Jason McAllister doing 156mph. Still, the Brits can’t beat that
Koenigsegg CC driver in Texas who was clocked doing 243 mph which is known to be the world record.
Source: Top Gear
Sep 25
Nissan Skyline fans will probably rejoice in this news bit. Clinton of World Car Fans reports of this mini-spectacle that they got to see in Nurburgring.
A Nissan Skyline GT-R prototype was seen ripping through the track together with a Porsche 911 Turbo prototype. The highlight? The GT-R overtook the 911 during their test runs. The feat also claims that the GT-R recorded a staggering lap time of 7 minutes 38 seconds – two second faster than the Nurburging benchmark of 7:40 established by the 997 911 Turbo!
Ever since the Skyline was released into the market, it has made it clear that it guns for the 911. It’s also been lauded by many gearheads as a very balanced car that can rival many European sports cars like the 911 and the Ferrari 512. The Skyline has always been a favorite of street racers and you can understand why. Now I can’t wait for the Tokyo Motor Show where the new Skyline will debut.
Source: World Car Fans
Sep 23