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Car and Driver announces "10 Best Cars for 2011" 
As one of the most esteemed auto magazines in the world, Car and Driver’s annual “Top 10 Cars” is always a good barometer for automakers to see if one – or maybe two – of their vehicles made it to the list. With a readership that spans the entire world, Car and Driver’s Top 10 list is read by millions of people so it’s kind of a big deal for these companies. From the usual suspects to a number of new surprises, the “Top 10 Cars” will reveal what cars the magazine is highly recommending for the next calendar year. In determining which cars make it to the list, editor-in-chief, Eddie Alterman explains: “In our testing, we are looking for those automobiles that deliver spectacular value, real driver engagement, and the highest fulfillment of their intended mission.” He continues: “Our testing takes place over a week on real roads in the real world, marshaling more than 60 new test cars and our entire editorial staff. It’s a real workout, and the best cars on the market emerge victorious." For 2011, the list has a number of old guards that have made multiple appearances while there are others that are making their inaugural face-time. Just to give you an idea on what to expect, three American, German, and Japanese models made it to the list with the other spot going to a model from South Korea. There are also three cars – the Audi S4, the Mazda3, and the Ford Fusion Hybrid – that dropped out of the list, which means that you’re going to be seeing a number of new entries making it to the Top 10. So without further ado, Car and Driver’s “Top 10 Cars for 2011” after the jump. Full story Top Gear UK reviews the Porsche Boxster SpyderTop Gear USA may be trying to find their way to super stardom, but Top Gear UK has been sitting in the celebrity lounge for quite some time, so when they sit behind the wheel of a sports car and want to tell us about it, we listen. In this review, James "Captain Slow" May takes a drive in a Porsche Boxster Spyder which is probably a little bittersweet considering the famous TV presenter just decided to part with his own beloved Boxster. The Porsche Boxster Spyder is powered by a 3.4 Liter direct injected flat six ahead of the rear axle that delivers a total of 320 HP, 10 HP more than the current top of the line model in the Boxster lineup, the Boxster S, while still getting as much as 30.4 MPG. Like all the other current Porsche models, the Boxster Spyder comes equipped with a seven speed PDK gearbox and a Sports Chrono Package. This allows the Boxster Spyder to sprint from 0 to 60 MPH in 4.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 166 MPH. On the US market, the model is priced at $61,200. Check out the video to see what James May has to say about the Porsche Boxster Spyder. How to turn a Porsche Boxster S into Murcielago Roadster
Usually when people drive a car like the Porsche Boxster S, they are very pleased with their form of transportation. Then there are those people that are never fully satisfied with what they have, the old "grass is always greener on the other side" scenario. The latter description fits the owner of this Porsche-turned-Lamborghini Murcielago. Yep, this guy overhauled his Porsche to turn it into a Murcielago. Maybe he missed his chance to own the Lamborghini once the last production model rolled off the line, but that still isn’t a reason to do this to a perfectly good Boxster. Now, we really shouldn’t share this type of information for fear of someone else creating this type of sin, but this little project - complete with Lamborghini’s scissor doors - cost the owner $45,000. So if you want everyone to make fun of you and turn their nose up at your decision, go ahead and save up $45K and do this to your car. Next generation Porsche Boxster caught testing again
The next generation Porsche Boxster has been caught testing yet again at the famous German race track, the Nurburgring. And seeing as though the sportscar has been mostly unwrapped, we think it’s safe to say that it’s in its final stages before its official launch in March at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. From these new spy shots, we can finally take a good look at the front of the vehicle as well as the doors, even though the real dirt on the Boxster is the fact that it has grown in length to make room for the "baby Boxster." Under the hood the Boxster will use a slightly revised version of the 310-HP 3.4-liter six-cylinder engine, but rumors suggest that it might receive an advanced four-cylinder engine producing about as much horsepower as the current 2.9-liter six (255): "A Boxster with a four-cylinder engine, or maybe even a three-cylinder turbo, could produce between 180bhp and 200bhp and emit just 180g/km of CO2," said Hans-Jurgen Wohler. "Given the Boxster’s history – that it started with a 200bhp, 2.5-liter engine – I think this is possibly something that customers could accept." Production is scheduled to start in early 2012, this time in Stuttgart and not in Finland as the current generation.
Porsche Boxster scores big with Consumer Reports’ 2010 Reliability Survey
There is a rumor out there that sports cars aren’t reliable and that they should be used sparingly, for the fear of an expensive repair. That doesn’t seem to be the case, as the Porsche Boxster has been rated the most reliable car in the world, according to Consumer Report’s New 2010 Survey. The smallest vehicle in the Porsche lineup has proven to be one of the best, as the magazine found predicted reliability, owner satisfaction, acceleration, predicted depreciation, and accident avoidance in the Boxster to be near flawless. The Boxster’s big brother, the 911, scored fairly good as well, although it was ranked as Porsche’s worst model. The 911 scored just about the same as the Boxster is most categories, but owner costs and fuel costs were considerably higher, while predicted reliability was a tad lower. Porsche proved to be one of the only German automakers to score well in the survey. Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi all came in the bottom ten, but that won’t stop us from loving them. The magazine ranked the high-performance M3 as the worst BMW of them all, with the 135i ranking highest. Low ranking sports cars seemed to be a theme in the survey, as four companies found their sporty machines coming last. These include the Chevrolet Corvette Z06, Mazda MX-5 Miata, Cadillac CTS-V, and the M3. Only one company, besides Porsche, had a sports car ranked on the top and that was Hyundai with the Genesis Coupe. Hit the jump to read the press release. Full story New ICW Shoes for Your Porsche German wheel manufacturers, ICW, have released an all-new design exclusively for selected Porsche models. The twin-five-spoke design, dubbed the i-BI, was inspired by dynamism and power, and is meant to evoke what ICW calls “optical sophistication”. Whatever that may be, one thing is for certain, they look a lot like the current GT3 wheel – with a bit more menace. The wheels themselves are milled from a single block of billet Aluminum making them strong and lightweight – two of the most functional aspects of a performance wheel. Fitment does require the use of high-tensile adapters to get the deep dish look without the nasty rubbing that can sometimes occur. Applications include the Porsche Boxster, Cayman, 911, or Panamera and will shortly include the Audi R8 and others. Customers have the choice of 18 or 19 inch options, in either hyper silver or matte black. Pricing starts from €244 per corner which is really not bad considering other options for these cars start at around the €300 mark. Porsche’s future models put on hold
Just when we get brand new information for Porsche’s future baby SUV, it all gets squashed like an undercooked halibut in Hell’s Kitchen. We just got word that Porsche was working on the Cajun with its design being lead by Walter DeSilva himself, and already the news is getting tackled by Porsche’s new chairman Matthias Mueller. In an interview with the British magazine Autocar, Mueller said that Porsche’s new models have been put on hold. Yes, that includes their new baby Boxster too. Thankfully, we still get to see the revised version of the 911 which is unaffected by the chairman’s decision. "We have to clarify how we are to spread out our product programme — below, above, left and right and so on — and we will see. " he said. "There are a lot of questions still to be answered and we want to create a business case [for them]. Then it will be possible." Mueller also stated that the target of 150,000 units a year isn’t so important: "Of course we have to increase volume, but we first have to look at the other issues; we have to have profit and we intend to keep ourselves premium." Next Porsche Boxster caught while refueling
Even testing prototypes need fuel, right? And when you just so happen to be the guy at the next pump, the most obvious thing to do is start snapping some pictures! The next generation Porsche Boxster has been caught refueling somewhere in Germany without even a hint of camouflage! The next Boxster will get a newly styled convertible cockpit and stronger, but also more fuel-efficient engines from 270 hp. There are also rumors saying the next Boxster will get a new turbocharged four-cylinder engine under the hood. There will also be center-mounted exhaust pipes like the current Boxster and restyled side mirrors. We also have to remind you that the next Boxster will be longer in order to make room for the next "baby Boxster." This baby will need to sit on the bottom of the Porsche lineup, so the bigger Boxster will indeed need to become bigger, or longer in this case. Expect the official debut sometime in 2011. Video: Porsche Boxster vs Ford Focus RSOn the surface, this comparison seems like it wasn’t thought out all the way through. For starters, the two cars belong to two different markets. One is a German marquee brand recognized as one of the most sought-after automakers in the world while the other is an American original that’s more of the everyday brand. But for the purposes of comparison, here we are. Auto Express took it upon themselves to undergo a comparison test between a Porsche Boxster and a Ford Focus RS. In fairness to these guys, the whole point of the comparison test wasn’t focused so much on the car’s engine performance and styling points, but more so on which car should get you the most bang for your buck. Over in the UK, both cars come out with pretty similar price tags so, as far as Auto Express is concerned, choosing between the two boils down to preference. By numbers alone, if you’re looking for a car with more ponies in it, then the Focus RS is the way to go. But if you’re more interested in which car is lighter, then the Boxster is the one for you. Continued after the jump Full story TechArt offers new Noselift System for Porsche Boxster and Cayman
We’ve all been there; riding along in your lowered ride, enjoying the day, when all of a sudden - Thump, Scraaaaaape. Another victim of that darn speed bump. It’s moments like these that make the driver wish he had a higher car. And it’s situations like these that have made TechArt got to the trouble of preparing a new noselift system that can offer 60 mm of additional height at the front spoiler. This system can be applied to models like the Porsche Boxster, the Cayman, and the 911. The TechArt Noselift System is activated by a convenient little button located in the roof console of the Boxster and in the center console of the Cayman. The noselift system, including that convenient little button, is installed with EMC-safe electronic control units and vehicle-specific wiring harnesses. High performance test procedures are followed to ensure that, when that button is pressed, the car smoothly and silently adjusts its height to a safer level for those nasty little speed bumps and ramps. Press release after the jump. Full story | Find us on Facebook | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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