Porsche Blog, Performance, Tuning, Motorsport, and Modification News

Interesting comparison here by Sport Auto between the 991 Carrera S which is rear wheel drive and the 991 Carrera 4S which is all wheel drive. Both cars have the same 3.8 liter flat-6 engine with 400 horsepower. The test cars are both manual so it is interesting to see how the addition of all wheel drive changes things. The difference in weight between the two cars just 29 kilograms (just 63 pounds) which really is not much additional weight at all. ...

Quick little comparison here on the track by Auto Express of the 991 Carrera 4S and the facelifted Audi R8 4.2 V8. The R8 4.2 V8 now has a 7-speed S-Tronic dual clutch transmission which is the main change as the 430 horsepower 4.2 liter FSI V8 remains. The 991 has the PDK option so it also has a 7-speed dual clutch gearbox making the transmissions even between the two with no advantage in this area. Both vehicles also have all wheel drive. ...

So more 991 GT3 info is getting out and this time courtesy of a Rennlist member we have some photographic evidence to go along with it. Let's start with the most noticeable which is the 9000 rpm redline. PorscheBoost can not think of a production six cylinder motor for a street car with a higher redline. The last time 9000 rpm was seen in something without a prancing horse and 1/4 million dollar price tag happened to be the Honda S2000 which did it with a much smaller 2.0 liter four-cylinder motor and Honda actually ended up reducing the redline. This motor is going to have insane top end pull. ...

It's a sad day for the automotive enthusiast when the friendliest car company to the manual transmission, Porsche, admits that the popularity of the dual clutch transmission offering (PDK) could lead to the death of the manual. Porsche's most hardcore drivers cars such as the GT3 and GT2 can only be had with the a manual transmission for example. With the next generation 2014 991 GT3 however, this is all set to change as the PDK will be available and possibly the only transmission choice. ...

The new 981 Cayman has some big shoes to fill. The previous generation 987 Cayman was widely heralded as one of the best Porsche drivers cars ever made. The reviewer early on states that he did not think Porsche could top the previous generation model yet they have done exactly that. The car is quite simply showered with praise regarding its styling, balance, and power. Autocar just is in love with the vehicle and rightfully so, it's a superb drivers car. ...

It seems Porsche dealers in Europe are contacting their known clientele in order to get them to order the 2014 991 GT3 already. Information obtained in an e-mail from a user contacted is that the motor will be a 3.8 liter flat-6 using the GT1 block still (thank goodness) with dry sump naturally putting out 450 horsepower. This matches previous info although output was expected to be in the 470 horsepower range. ...

Another day another round of Porsche 991 Turbo spyphotos. These latest pictures show the final Winter testing undergoing completion. Current expected output from the 991 Turbo is in the 530-550 horsepower range of course mated to all wheel drive and featuring a 7-speed PDK but a 7-speed manual will also be optional. In the video below from December of last year the 991 Turbo sure looks ready for business so the question becomes, when do we see it? ...

Here's a fairly interesting matchup pitting a wagon against a sport utility. Which one makes the most sense from a performance standpoint? That is exactly what Road and Track track attempted to find out. The odds are somewhat stacked against the Cayenne Turbo as it already has a higher center of gravity and weighs more than the E63 but on top of that the E63 AMG wagon comes with the Performance Package option boosting power to 550 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. ...

Kind of a weird world we live in these days when the Russians have cooler drag racing events than the country which invented said Motorsport. Moscow Ulimited is essentially a mile long drag race which brings out Russia's fastest hardware. How fast? Well, the winning GTR hit a one mile trap speed of 223 miles per hour. This is drag racing on a high end scale for the big boys. The video below takes a closer look at the top three fastest cars. ...

Awesome video from Dunlop tires featuring a 911 GT3 RS 4.0 (the baddest street legal naturally aspirated 911 from the factory on the planet) with their Dunlop Sport Maxx tires on the Nurburgring. The driver is professional racer Timo Kluck of Germany who hustles the car quite well around the famed track. Great camera angles provided in HD and it would be nice to find out what the camera setup employed by Dunlop is as it looks crystal clear. ...

No, the price is not a typo. Alcon released carbon ceramic CCX replacement rotors for 997 Porsche's but at $21,895 they cost more than the factory PCCB (Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake) option which is $8,520. Let's see, $21,895 or $8,520 from the factory which can be negotiated or purchased second hand for even less. Not really all that hard of a decision is it when at minimum $13,375 can be saved for what is basically the same thing and the Porsche warranty is factored in. ...

Ok, so the Porsche 918 Spyder is not actually a bargain. The price in the United States will be $845,000, quite a chunk of change. The optional hardcore Weissach package will make the total $929,000 so let's just say about a cool million when all is said and done. If going for $845,000 might as well go all the way and get the Weissach package to lower the weight 77 pounds, add magnesium wheels, and have the cool looking 6-point harness. You'll be the coolest guy at the Porsche meet. ...

Some eye opening numbers for the Porsche 960 being reported by Automobile. Quad-turbo 3.9 liter flat-8? 650 horsepower? 3000 pounds curb weight? Certainly amazing figures but it is highly doubtful they are accurate. Regardless, that is exactly what Automobile claims. This motor would be in a mid-engine configuration sending power to all four wheels and mated to a 7-speed dual clutch automatic. Aluminum, magnesium, and carbon fiber would all help contribute to the low weight. ...

Good battle here between two fairly closely matched cars. The Porsche 997.1 Turbo is rated at 473 horsepower stock and the C6 Corvette Z06 is rated at 505 horsepower. The 911 Turbo sends power to all four wheels and is heavier carrying about 300 more pounds. The Z06 is lighter and sends the power to the rear wheels. On paper this matchup favors the Z06 from a roll. The result in practice as the video shows is that the Z06 is the faster car stock for stock. ...

Here is a race between two turbocharged six-cylinder vehicles with all wheel drive and dual clutch transmissions. The Porsche 911 Turbo S and the Nissan GT-R. The Porsche 997.2 Turbo is said to have bolt ons and race gas with output in the 530 wheel horsepower range. The Nissan GT-R is also stated to have bolt ons but 585 wheel horsepower with E85 fuel. So more power in the GT-R but the 911 Turbo is lighter. Who wins? ...

The Porsche Panamera has been on the market since 2009 as a 2010 model. A facelift is coming dubbed the 971 (current model is 970) and major changes are coming as an article posted last week pointed out. This video below though features the Panamera Turbo and it will be interesting to see what Porsche does do respond to the recently facelifted Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG, the E63 AMG, and the brand new Audi RS7 which was just revealed. ...

LS V8 swaps into FD RX7's are very popular for several reasons. The first of which the FD RX7 is relatively light. The second of which they tend to be more reliable than the turbo rotary the cars originally came with and do not suffer from any seal issues. The displacement and torque down low is a bonus. The 997 Turbo is no slouch and the Porsche is said to have upgraded turbos but no specs are given out for either car and this seems to be just an old fashioned street race grudge match. ...

MotorTrend got their hands on the new 981 Porsche Boxster S PDK and ran it through their tests. The car weighed in at a relatively lightweight these days 3133 pounds. Weight distribution at 45 percent front and 55 percent rear. The 315 horsepower 3.4 liter flat-6 (shared with the 991 Carrera but in a lower state of tune) propelled the new Boxster to an impressive 12.7@109.7 through the 1/4 mile with 0-60 coming in just 4.2 seconds. ...

Here are the latest spyphotos of the Porsche Macan and it sure just looks like a baby new Cayenne. The Macan was said to be receiving significant styling changes due to pressure from the Land Rover Evoque but from these latest photos compared to earlier spyphotos it does not look like much has changed although the styling does look much cleaner. The size of the front lights and the position of the LED in the bumper appears to have undergone a revision. The rear lights look a little sharper but the general proportions are just about the same. ...