It was bound to happen; the very first official press photos of the new 2012 Porsche 911 were leaked onto the internet today well ahead of the sports coupe's world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show in mid-September. If you're having a hard time spotting the styling changes we won't blame you as the 991 was closely modeled after the outgoing 997. And while there may be more differences than we care to mention, the most eye-catching alterations concern the concave front LED daytime running lamps, the door-mounted exterior mirrors and the much thinner and more futuristic looking LED tail lamps that adorn the more heavily sculpted rear end. As anticipated, the new 911's interior blends the two styling worlds of the 997 and the Panamera into one. A key highlight is the pronounced lower part of the center console that hosts a number of buttons. Move away from the styling and you'll find a larger platform with a 4.0-inch longer wheelbase as well as a new pair of engines, with the basic Carrera sporting a 3.4-liter boxer delivering 350HP, and the Carrera S, a 3.8-liter flat-six producing around 400-horsepower. In both models, power is channeled to the driving wheels through a new 7-speed manual gearbox or an optional PDK transmission. Stay tuned on Carscoop for more news on the new Porsche 911, as it won't be long before the German automaker comes out with a full release.
Now here is something you don't hear about every day. A local businessman's new Porsche Boxster was discovered paritally submerged in a lake at the Parque Ecológico (Ecological Park) in São Paulo, Brazil on Friday, July 29. Brazilian news site TV Sol found the owner of the car who told reporters under the condition of anonymity that he was driving through the park when lost control of the Porsche ending up into the lake. And here's where the story gets slightly twisted as TV Sol also reported that eye witnesses placed the owner of the Boxster at a local restaurant the same night calling a cousin on the phone and telling him to "Throw the Porsche into the lake of the park". Scroll down for the video news report.
Undisguised prototypes of the upcoming 2012 Porsche 911 are quickly becoming a more common sight than Bratwurst sausages in Germany. In our latest encounter, a barely disguised 991 test car equipped with a sunroof was caught filling up at a gas station in Stuttgart before firing up its six-cylinder boxer engine and driving away. Turn up the volume of your speakers and follow the jump to enjoy the video.
The 2+2 coupe is a long-standing tradition in motoring. The Porsche 928, Lamborghini Espada and Ferrari 330 GTC all adhered to this formula with impressive results.
UK designer Julliana Cho’s Porsche 929 concept study builds on this tradition while also weaving aerodynamic styling, the brand’s design heritage and an innovating car sharing program into the mix. The 929’s theoretical dimensions make it smaller than the Porsche Panamera but larger than the 911. Aside from the design itself, what makes the 929 stands out from the pack is Cho’s imaginative (though possibly impractical and expensive) car sharing scheme. Interested parties join the Porsche Car Sharing club and receive a smart key in the mail. They then activate their smart key and finalise their personal details online before moving on to the next step. Here, club members can specify everything from body shape to interior configuration as well as wheel design, exterior paint and material options. Once these details have been saved, club members locate their nearest charging station where their car is quite literally assembled before their eyes. When finished, the cars are returned to the charging station and disassembled ready for the next customer. At least, that’s what I gathered from the young female designer's illustrations. I may be wrong, and welcome any corrections Cho or our readers care to provide. You can check out our full gallery of images below.
The story about Porsche developing a long-wheelbase version of its Panamera sedan has been circulating around the grapevine for quite some time now, but today, Car Magazine reported that inside sources not only confirmed but also revealed that the car will launch in early 2012. The unnamed sources stated that the Panamera LWB will gain a 150mm (5.9-inches) wheelbase extension for a total length of 3,070mm (120.8-inches). The additional space is said to benefit the rear passengers. Aside from the very un-Porsche limo, it is also reported that the Panamera will receive its first facelift in 2013, and that the German sports carmaker is contemplating the development of a smaller sedan model, allegedly called Pajun (we guess the name is inspired by the Cajun small SUV), to slot right under the company's full size sedan model. And yes, we're still talking about Porsche, the famous German company from Stuttgart that was once known and praised by enthusiasts only for its thoroughbred sports cars.
Four years after the presentation of the CTR3, and it's time for Porsche tuning specialist RUF to tweak its mid-engine supercar.
The newest CTR3 continues to use the Porsche 911-derived 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged six-cylinder boxer engine, but thanks to a series of modifications, output has been boosted from 691bhp and 890Nm (657 lb-ft) to 750bhp and 960 Nm (708 lb-ft) of peak torque. The more powerful CTR3 accelerates from standstill to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 3.2 seconds and to 125 mph (200 km) in 9.6 seconds, and can reach a top speed of 236 mph (380 km/h). Power is channeled to the rear wheels through a sequential shift 6-speed transmission and limited slip differential. The supercar's chassis is a space frame with a modular construction while the company's RUF Integrated Roll Cage protects the passengers. Apart from the doors and the front hood, which are made from aluminum, the rest of the body is made out of Kevlar-carbon composite. The CTR3 also gets 380 mm brakes with 6-piston calipers all around and a specially designed Bosch ABS, while it rolls on 255/35 ZR19 front and 335/30 ZR20 rear tires. Pricing of the updated CTR3 has not been announced.
Power 552 kW (750 bhp) at 7,100 rpm Torque 960 Nm (708 lb-ft) at 4,000 rpm Displacement 3,746 cc Performance 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) 3.2 seconds 0-125 mph (0-200 km/h) 9.6 seconds Top speed 236 mph (380 km/h) Fuel consumption Urban 20.0 lt (11.8 mpg)/100 km Non-urban 9.9 lt (23.7 mpg)/100 km Combined 13.5 lt (17.4 mpg)/100 km CO2 emissions 311 g/km
One could try to explain why such a hotly anticipated new model like the 2012 Porsche 911was caught out in the open alone (?) and almost completely undisguised, but why bother; it is what it is and you can enjoy the clip and get your first unobstructed view of the 991 in the video after the break. We’ll just remind you that the next generation of the 911 is due to be unveiled in a world premiere at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show in mid-September. The most famous Porsche model series of all, will mostly likely be offered in two basic flavors at launch, the Carrera with a 350HP 3.4-liter flat-six and the Carrera S powered by a 3.8-liter boxer delivering around 400 ponies. A key highlight of the new model is a new seven-speed manual gearbox that joins Porsche’s 7-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic transmission.
The wait for the next evolution of the Porsche 911 is almost over. In fact, we’re so close to the launch date that the German firm has just entered the teasing phase releasing the first official video of the sports car shot during hot weather testing in South Africa. The public will have its first chance to see the new 911, codenamed 991, at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show in September. What we know up until now is that, the 911 will look like, well, a 911 – don’t forget, it’s all about evolution when it comes to Porsche's most famous model. However, the next 911 is slightly bigger and roomier yet lighter than today’s version, and will be available with more fuel efficient and greener engines including a smaller displacement 3.4-liter flat-six with 350HP for the Carrera /4, and a 3.8-liter flat-six producing 400-horses for the Carrera S/4S, The two launch models will be offered with a new 7-speed manual gearbox and a 7-speed dual-clutch PDK transmission. The new 911’s lineup will eventually grow to include several body styles such as the Convertible, Targa and most likely a Speedster, as well numerous models and special editions like the Turbo, Turbo S, the GT series and more.
It might not be the prettiest Porsche to look at, but the 911 GT1 Straßenversion is without doubt one of the most rare and radical street legal 911s ever to leave the Stuttgart firm’s factory. You see, the 911 GT1 Straßenversion is the fully road-legal version of Porsche’s 1997 GT1 race car, While based on the 993, it features many modifications including a bespoke carbon-fiber body made to improve aerodynamics and lower the car's weight, and a detuned version of the competition model’s turbocharged flat-six engine delivering some 540 horses. And now, one of the very few examples that were built to homologate Porsche's 911 GT1 contender in the late 1990s (Porsche is said to have built around 20 cars) is up for sale on a German site with an asking price of €1.2 million or about US$1.7 million. Notably, the seller says the car is located in Tokyo, Japan, but will deliver anywhere, and that the car’s engine is rated at 700-horses.
