Porsche

September 12, 2006 Porsche aficionados down under will be in for a rare treat this Southern Hemisphere summer when a priceless collection of iconic racing cars from the Porsche Museum tour the country and appear at two of the country’s glamour historic racing events - the Classic Adelaide and the Phillip Island Classic. Among the seven unique Porsche racing cars will be Formula One, Le Mans and Targa Florio winners, with each car having its own unique place in history. Heading the list is the 804 – Porsche’s first and only wholly-produced F1 car that won the 1962 French GP driven by Dan Gurney. Other vehicles to be seen at the Classic Adelaide and Phillip Island Classic include a 1954 Carrera Panamericana-winning 550 Spyder, a 1977 Le Mans-winning 936 and a Targa Florio-winning 908/03 Spyder.  Read More

August 16, 2006 The town of Pforzheim in south-west Germany is famous for its jewellery and watch-making industry and accordingly is known as “the City of Gold.” The city is also the home of the first Gold-plated Porsche. Visualis, which is situated in Pforzheim, commissioned an artist to gild a Porsche Boxster in 22 carat beaten gold last year and now comes the news that the Gold Boxter will be followed by a limited edition model and nine further Porsches will be plated. All the major components, from the control elements such as the steering wheel and door knobs to the car body and alloy rims, are all gold plated, making the two seater extraordinarily expensive, and a price that Visualis has not yet disclosed. Nine further Porsche Models will undergo the same, unique refinement process to continue the creative project. Visualis’ Petra Koehler reports that “curious people are already anxious to know who are going to be the owners of these magnificent automobiles.” If you fancy owning such an exquisite object, perhaps start by emailing Petra.  Read More

July 17, 2006 Porsche is to add two new variants of the eleven series in November – the 911 Targa 4 and the 911 Targa 4S. Both Targa models will be available exclusively with permanent all-wheel drive and a body that is 44 millimeters wider at the rear. As with their predecessor (the Type 996), the most striking feature of both of these elegant sports cars is the large glass roof and folding rear window. The Targa 4 is powered by the familiar flat-six engine, delivering 239 kW (325 bhp) of power from 3.6 liters. It accelerates the car from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.3 seconds and reaches a top speed of 280 km/h. The more powerful S variant features a 3.8-liter engine producing 261 kW (355 bhp). This model sprints to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds, and has a top speed of 288 km/h. The basic euro-price for the 911 Targa 4 is 79,000 euros, or 87,900 euros for the 911 Targa 4S.  Read More

May 30, 2006 Porsche has announced a purist variant of the GT3 which will be particularly suited for use on the racetrack when it becomes available in October. The GT3 RS is distinguished by its performance capability and the unadulterated driving experience enjoyed with a racing car, but also meets all requirements for road-legal sports cars. The exceptionally meaty engine boasts a displacement of 3.6 liters to generate 305 kW (415 bhp) at 7,600 rpm. Maximum revs are reached at 8,400 rpm. The power output per liter of engine capacity is 115.3 bhp. These figures correspond to the present GT3. But the RS puts in an even better performance. Thanks to a close-ratio six-speed transmission with a single-mass flywheel and the 20 kg lower vehicle weight, the engine revs up even more freely, thus enabling the 911 GT3 to sprint from zero to 100 km per hour in 4.2 seconds. That's one tenth of a second faster than the GT3. It takes just 13.3 seconds to hit to 200 km per hour. Maximum speed is 310 km per hour.  Read More

May 23, 2006 Porsche has announced an entry level version of the Cayman S which recently won the 2006 World Performance Car title. Based on the Boxster, the new version of the mid-engined sports coupe is a more accessible version of the Cayman S, with a base price under US$50,000. The new Cayman is powered by a 2.7-liter six-cylinder Boxer engine producing 245 horsepower. Using the VarioCam Plus system, the Cayman provides a broad spread of usable power, with a plateau of torque peaking at 201 foot-pounds between 4,600 and 6,000 revs. In manual form, the new Cayman will go from standstill to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds (0-100 km/h, 6.1 sec) with a top speed of 160 mph (258 km/h).  Read More

May 12, 2006 The manufacture of the Carrera GT at Porsche's facility in Leipzig, Germany, concluded earlier this week, bringing to a close what Porsche labels “the most successful supercar in history.” Porsche’s claim is based on sales of the beastie - more than 1,270 Carrera GTs have been sold since its introduction in late 2003 with around half that finding homes in North America. This figure represents a greater number than the total production of the McLaren F1, Ferrari Enzo, and Pagani Zonda models combined. Regardless, even in an economic climate that did not favor products in this segment of the market, the V-10 supercar sold in unprecedented numbers. Our favourite quote on the Carrera GT was that of MotorWeek TV show host John Davis who said, "the Carrera GT is the best motivation to get rich that we've ever driven."  Read More

April 27, 2006 We’re forever missing birthday’s and we missed a biggie this week when Porsche Engineering Group GmbH, the oldest forerunner company preceding Porsche AG as we know it today, turned 75. On 25 April 1931 Ferdinand Porsche founded an Engineering Office in Stuttgart under the name "Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung, Konstruktion und Beratung für Motoren- und Fahrzeugbau" ("Dr. Ing. h. c. F. Porsche Ltd., Construction and Consultancy Company for Engine and Vehicle Production"), and subsequently had the new Company entered in the trade register. There are few males on Planet Eart who haven’t lusted after one of Porsche’s products and we have some lovely images of the company’s finest work in the image database.  Read More

March 27, 2006 Looks kinda cute for a Porsche doesn’t it. The characters of hotshot rookie racecar Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson), Sally Carrera, a snazzy 2002 Porsche 911 (voiced by Bonnie Hunt) and Mater, a rusty but trusty tow truck (voiced by Larry The Cable Guy) from Disney•Pixar’s upcoming release, “CARS” exist not only on the movie screen, but in sheetmetal as well. Our old mate West Coast movie car creator (“if it doesn’t work it’s just not finished yet”) Eddie Paul, with help from Porsche and Pixar Animation Studios’ artists and technicians, created life-sized versions of three of the film’s lead characters. Sally Carrera, a converted Porsche 911, was the first of the film’s stars to roll off the production line. Paul, who was introduced to Porsche by entertainer Jay Leno, has been building cars for Hollywood for more than three decades.  Read More

UPDATED NEW IMAGES AND PRICING February 25, 2006 The new Porsche 911 GT3 to be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show on February 28 sets a new benchmark for road-legal production sports cars with a 3.6-litre naturally aspirated engine. This uncompromised 911 sports coupe produces 305 kW of power for a specific output of 84.7 kW (115.3 bhp) per litre of displacement to create the new class benchmark. The 911 GT3 will be one of two star cars from Porsche at Geneva, with the 911 Turbo Coupe also making its World Premiere at the motor show.  Read More