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Supercar Frankenstein: Piecing Together the Ultimate Supercar 
Every car nut has daydreamed about building a car. Hell, we do on a daily basis, and building one in real life would cost more money than we could ever imagine having in our checking accounts. Let’s suspend reality for a tick here and imagine that someone handed you a blank check and asked for you to build the ultimate supercar. Well, we are going to go over all of the supercars and lay out what pieces from which cars would come together to create the ultimate supercar Frankenstein. Now, there are some rules here. We have to make sure things are feasible. Things like slapping a W-16 Veyron engine into a Lotus Elise will not work, therefore it flat out can’t be done. We’ll review our favorites in each of the three major categories — body and chassis, engine, and transmission — and end it all up by giving you our estimated specifications for our new vehicle. Click past the jump to experience our build. Full story Spy Shots: Porsche 911 GT3 gets closer to its official reveal The new generation Porsche 911 GT3 is set to be unveiled at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, but we’ll be able to see plenty of pictures ahead of its debut thanks to our spy photographers. Our guys snagged up a few more images of the prototypes testing, this time with a clearer look at the future sports car. The new 911 GT3 will feature the same exterior updates as all of the other models in the 911 line-up, but Porsche’s main focus will be to reduce the car’s overall weight. Rumors say that the car will be about 180-200 lbs lighter than the current model. Under the hood, Porsche will be working with a normally aspirated 3.8-liter flat six engine with an output of 450 HP, a 15 HP increase over the current model. With the extra 15 HP and the decrease in weight, the upcoming 911 GT3 will get closer to a top speed of 200 mph. The model will also only be offered with a PDK seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic, no manual for this baby. Sales for the new Porsche 911 GT3 will begin in late 2013. 2014 Porsche 911 Targa may not happen after all A few months ago, there was a Porsche prototype caught testing that looked to be a Targa model disguised by a convertible top. At that point, we all though that Porsche was bringing back the famous fixed Targa roof option for the new generation 911. However, according to Autoevolution, this may not be the case after all. They are quoting a Porsche insider saying that "the car maker is considering selling the new glass roof model as a special Carrera rather than a Targa." More than likely, Porsche took the public’s level of interest into account and decided that the Targa would be better off as an option as opposed to a full blown model. That would mean that this version would still get both rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive configurations and the engines from both standard 911 Carrera and Carrera S models. Previous rumors suggested that the 991 generation Targa would arrive in 2013 as a 2014 model, so we expect the new Targa option to have the same timeline. Successful 6 month Porsche sales hint at yet another brilliant year Despite recently pulling out of the illustrious Iranian car market a few months ago, Porsche managed to achieve some incredible sales results for the first quarter of the year. That impressive sales trend has continued with the German company posting more great revenue figures for the first six months of the year. Delivering 30,231 vehicles for the first quarter, the latest results show that sales continued to rise throughout the preceding months with an additional 38,940 units being sold, bringing the total six month tally up to 69,171. In comparison to last year, that’s an impressive increase of 14%. Furthermore, Porsche managed to sell 12,699 cars in the month of June, an 18.9% increase over June last year. With the recent launch of the new Porsche 911/991, no less than 14,338 911’s were sold over this time period representing an increase of 27.4% from last year. Unsurprisingly, the Porsche Cayenne was the brand’s best revenue raiser selling 34,727 vehicles, another great increase of 15.5% over the same time last year. While speaking about the issue, Porsche marketing chief Bernhard Maier stated, “Porsche successfully continued on its growth path in the first half of the year. However, we cannot separate ourselves from the economy as a whole. With regard to the European economy in particular, we will continue to monitor developments closely and respond quickly if necessary. Nevertheless, we are currently planning for double-digit growth in 2012.” Video: Porsche 911/991 Aero Kit at GoodwoodAt the recently concluded Goodwood Festival of Speed, the Porsche Exclusive department unveiled an updated version of the new generation 911 which included a two-part rear spoiler with either the duck-bill style lip and the wing on top, a new front splitter, and new anthracite wheels. Under the hood, the output was increased from the standard 400 HP up to 430 HP. This improved version will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 4 seconds and up to a top speed of 190 mph. Lucky for us, Youtube user Shmee150 was out in full force at Goodwood and managed to shoot a cool video of the new Porsche Exclusive 911 Carrera S firing up the hill climb. Don’t forget to turn up your volume if you want to enjoy this amazing engine sound! 2013 Porsche 911 Cabriolet by TechArt
Noted Porsche tuner, TechArt, has made a living off dropping our jaws with some of the programs they’ve built for the German automaker. With their latest piece of work, they managed to do it again. This program for the 911 Cabriolet, which TechArt decided to fit with an aerodynamic body kit, reminds us of the 911 Turbo S Edition 918 Spyder. The first defining characteristic of the body kit are the lime green accents that have been applied and mixed into the gloss black body finish. From there, TechArt added in a slew of new components, including a new spoiler with an integrated splitter at the front, new aerowings in the front air intakes, headlight and side mirror trims, three different spoiler options, a fixed spoiler with a trailing edge, and last, but not least, an integrated third brake light. The interior also gets the same treatment, particularly the leather interior with matching lime green stitching. The steering wheel was also replaced in favor of a Techart sports steering wheel while the PDK button shifts have been dropped for a set of paddle shifters. Another TechArt addition are the new set of Formula III forged wheels that have also been finished in gloss black.
2013 Porsche Exclusive 911 Carrera S
If you are not completely satisfied with the new 400 HP Porsche Carrera S, the company is now offering a new power enhancement kit developed by the Porsche Exclusive department. The new kit will increase the 3.8-liter boxer engine’s output from the standard 400 HP up to 430 HP. As a result, the 0 to 60 mph sprint will be made in just 4 seconds and top speed will go up to 190 mph with the PDK tranny and 191 mph with a seven-speed manual gearbox. In order to obtain these impressive updates, as well as keep the same fuel economy, Porsche added different camshafts and an entirely new variable resonance intake system design with six air flaps and a resonance flap. A Powerkit can be activated at the push of a button, making the two exhaust lines merge and generating a powerful engine sound. Next to these changes, the new Porsche Exclusive 911 Carrera S also comes with a series of exterior updates. These changes will include a new front apron with powerful air intakes and a fixed rear spoiler in legendary "ducktail" form. For customers who want even more, Porsche is also offering an Aerokit Cup which includes an additional fixed rear wing over the rear spoiler and a special front spoiler lip with additional air intakes. The interior will receive lots of decorative trims, including brushed aluminum and carbon.
Video: Porsche 911/991 GT3 caught testingThe new generation Porsche 911 GT3 is set to be unveiled sometime at the end of 2012, most likely at the Los Angeles Motor Show. This means that the company is currently very busy testing the car and we all know that wherever there’s a car testing, there is also a spy photographer. So ,here’s the latest video of the future 911 GT3. The 911 GT3 will be powered by a normally aspirated 3.8-liter flat six engine with an output of 450 HP - an increase of 15 HP over the current version. The next GT3 won’t be offered with a manual transmission, meaning that customers will only enjoy a PDK gearbox. It is believed that top speed will be somewhere in the 200 mph area, while the 0 to 60 mph sprint will be made in about 4 seconds.
TopSpeed Rendering: 2014 Porsche 911 Targa Last week, we brought you the first spy shots of the upcoming Porsche 911 Targa and today, we’re bringing you a rendering inspired by those spy shots. As you probably remember, the new generation 911 Targa will bring back the famous fixed Targa roof option offered for the first time in 1965. The spy shots taken last week showed Porsche’s attempt to hide this feature, but upon closer inspection, the model hidden under it was pretty clear. Our rendering strips the vehicle of its camouflage to reveal the Targa roof further. Under the hood, Porsche will place the same engines found in all of the new 911 models. This means we will see a 3.4 liter flat-six engine with 350 HP for the base version and a 3.8 liter flat-six with 400 HP for the 4S version. Both engines will be mated to Porsche’s new optional seven-speed PDK gearbox. Expect to see the new Porsche 911 Targa launched in 2013.
Video: EA releases new "Need For Speed: Most Wanted" trailer
The Need for Speed franchise has never been about pure racing thrills the way both Gran Turismo and Forza Motorsport are. While those two are all about burning rubber and collecting trophies, Need for Speed comes with added layers of story lines that make for a more dynamic gaming experience. Their latest offering, called Need for Speed: Most Wanted, is no different. Similar to previous NFS installments, Need for Speed: Most Wanted is a game that pits you against the authorities and engaging in a hellacious cat-and-mouse game throughout the city, complete with explosions, crashes, and yes, even road jumps. Another new element added to the game is the involvement of Criterion Games, which allows for some of the best online multi-player challenges you and your friends can compete in. In this trailer video for the game, we get to see what we’re in store for. Even better, there appears to be a roster of supercars that we’d love to take control of while playing the game. We see you, Lamborghini Aventador. Need for Speed: Most Wanted is scheduled to be released later this year on a number of platforms, including the X360, the PS3, PC, the PS Vita, and iOS. EA is already taking pre-orders for the game and if you do so, you get the chance to immediately own a Porsche 911 Carrera S and a Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale at no added cost.
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