911

The Porsche 911 has been around for 50 years. With its classic design and tendency to eat up racing trophies, it’s hard to miss, and Porsche is marking the anniversary at this month’s Geneva Motor Show by unveiling the latest 911 GT3. The new high performance race track version of the 911 features a newly-engineered boxer engine, transmission, body and chassis to create what Porsche calls the “sportiest 911” with “a highly emotional fun factor."  Read More

The iconic, brand-defining Porsche 911 Carrera has once again been redesigned, and the latest incarnation will be seen for the first time at the Frankfurt Motor Show. It's lighter, more economical, more powerful, cleaner and orders are being taken from September 1, with deliveries beginning December 3. After 48 years, the 911 remains a rear-engined, boxer six with vague styling similarities to the 956 and Volkswagen Beetle DNA, but the 911 name still represents excellence, performance and a badge of success.  Read More

There aren’t many vehicles which can be guaranteed instant classics the moment they’re announced, but the Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 announced overnight, is one of them. Only 600 will be made for worldwide consumption, going on sale in July at GBP128,466, EUR178,596 across Europe and AUD$409,000 in Australia. A roadgoing version of the GT3 RSR race car, the RS sports the biggest 911 engine ever at 4.0 liters, and the most powerful non-turbo 911 engine ever at 500 bhp. It can lap the Nurburgring-Nordschleife circuit in 7:27 if you’re good enough, hits 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds, and comes ready with a half roll cage, seat belt harnesses, fire extinguisher, and a battery cut-off switch if, or maybe when, you get it rubber side up.  Read More

Total production of the Mazda MX-5 sports car reached 900,000 units today at Mazda's Hiroshima plant in Japan. The milestone was achieved 21 years and 10 months after mass production of the first-generation MX-5 commenced in April 1989 and further extends the Mazda MX-5's lead as the best selling two-seater sports car of all time. Indeed, the MX-5 took that title from the MGB (1962-80) in May 2000 when production reached 514,853 units to exceed the iconic British sportster. Second place on the list is now held by Porsche's 911 series (1964-present and pictured) which has sold over 700,000. It's also fifty years this year since Jaguar launched the first affordable super sports two-seater, the E-Type (pictured), but more on that shortly.  Read More

Porsche is to show a new limited edition (500 only) 911 GT2 RS at the Moscow Auto Show. The new RS will be the fastest and most powerful road car Porsche has ever produced. In comparison to the existing 911 GT2, the RS has 90 bhp more and weighs 70 kilograms (154 lb) less, consumes 5% less fuel at 11.9 ltr/100 km (equal to 23.7 mpg) and emits 5% less CO2 at 284 g/km. It's the blistering performance which will pull the punters though. The 620 bhp pushing a curb weight of 1370 kg makes for awesome acceleration: 0 to 100 kmh in 3.5 seconds, 0 to 200 kmh in just 9.8 seconds, and 0 to 300 kmh in 28.9 seconds. Top speed is 330 kmh and the car has already lapped the fabled Nürburgring-Nordschleife circuit in seven minutes and 18 seconds. The 911 GT2 RS base price is EUR 200,000. It hits European showrooms in September and the USA in October 2010  Read More

The timeless beauty of the Porsche 911 range continues with the upcoming release of the new top-of-the-line 911 Turbo S at the Geneva Motor Show (4-14 March). But don’t be deceived by its good looks alone – this new model (the first in five years) has a 30hp increase over the 911 Turbo (up from 500hp to 530hp or 390kW) and maximum torque is rated at 700Nm (516lb-ft). This impressive set of figures are delivered via a six-cylinder “boxer” engine boosted by two turbochargers with variable turbine geometry. The 911 Turbo S reaches 100kmh (62mph) in 3.3 seconds and hits 200kmh (124mph) in 10.8 seconds with a top speed of 315kmh (196mph). Even with its power upgrade, the 911 Turbo S achieves the identical fuel consumption as the regular Porsche 911 Turbo – 24.8mpg (11.4l/100km) which, Porsche says, makes it by far the most efficient in its class.  Read More

Porsche unveiled its 2010 911 GT3 R race car today at the Autosport International show at the Birmingham NEC in the UK. Porsche can claim more than 28,000 race victories in almost every motor sports series worldwide, and while many of these successes have been achieved with immensely powerful specialist race cars like the evocative 917 and 956, the iconic 911 sports coupe is the bedrock on which the racing reputation of the Stuttgart marque has been built. The new GT3 R is the purpose-built racetrack version of the 911 road car, weighs just 1,200 kg, develops 480 bhp, is technologically orgiastic, and costs EUR 279,000 (US$400,000).  Read More

Porsche's GT3 RS provides the basis for homologation of the 911 GT3 race cars for Porsche Supercup and Carrera Cup championships throughout the world. It is a showcase of Porsche’s road-and-race know-how, and hence a most endearing creature to enthusiasts in that it is essentially a race car for the road. Next year's model will bring increased engine power, reduced weight, slicker gearbox ratios and upgraded body and suspension changes when it goes on sale early in 2010.  Read More

In 1974 Porsche introduced the 911 Turbo (Porsche 930 in the U.S.) and it became an instant classic with its swollen wheel-arches, whale tale spoiler, distinctive exhaust rasp, demanding handling and 256 bhp of eye-popping acceleration. Now Porsche is poised to release a next generation 911 Turbo at Frankfurt Motor Show next month and the extensive check list of techno-wizardry highlights just how far automotive technology has progressed in a third of a century – driving dynamics have improved dramatically from previous turbos, it uses less than half the fuel (24 mpg) of the original and produces TWICE the power.  Read More