Porsche cars

Video: Porsche Pays Tribute to the 1971 Le Mans

The 2014 racing season will mark Porsche’s return to the famous Le Mans race in an attempt to continue its ongoing success story. During its participation at the Le Mans race, Porsche scored a total of 16 overall victories, but the best year for the company was 1971.

For Porsche, the 1971 Le Mans was the race of records: its 917 racecar managed to average a speed of 222 km/h (137 mph) - a first for the company.

This video was developed as a tribute to the amazing 1971 racing season, but also wants to prepare you for Porsche’s great comeback at the world’s most famous long-distance race.

For those of you interested in learning more about Porsche’s presence at the Le Mans race, check the official web page. Here you will learn about Porsche’s 16 victories and all the moments in Porsche’s motorsport history.

Porsche’s New Four-Cylinder Engine Won’t Arrive Before 2016

The first rumors on a possible four-cylinder engine surfaced early in 2011. We initially thought it would be used on a new model placed under the current Boxster, but also on the future generations Cayman and Boxster. Though the third-generation Boxster has already been unveiled and it features no four-cylinder engine, the rumors continue to circulate.

According to a Porsche official, the four-cylinder engine is indeed being worked on, but it is still in "an early development phase." According to the same source, the development process will take about another three years, so don’t expect to see the new engine before 2016.

The new engine will share the same architecture with the six-cylinder engine used in the current models and should see use in the revised versions of the Cayman and Boxster set to go on sale in 2016.

With this news, we do need to add in a little clarity, as the Macan will be offered with a four-cylinder engine, but not the one that the source is referring to. Instead, it will use a 2.0-liter gasoline and a 2.0-liter common-rail diesel engine that Porsche fished from the VW parts bin.

Click past the jump to read more on the current Porsche Boxster

2013 Porsche Cayenne Vantage 2 Red Dragon by TopCar

Yesterday we brought you the first spy shots of the revised Porsche Cayenne. While Porsche is trying to update the performance SUV’s look, some guy asked our friends over in Russia, TopCar, to develop a tuning kit that makes the SUV look, shall we say, “interesting.”

While we may not particularly care for the Red Dragin motif, you still have to admire the perfection that TopCar consistently delivers.

As it name suggests, the new Cayenne Red Dragon combines a white exterior paint with numerous red accents on the wheels and body panels. The aerodynamic kit is made in carbon fiber and includes a new bonnet, new front fender extensions, new front spoiler bumper, new side skirts and a new rear spoiler.

For the interior, the model uses the same theme as the exterior with red and black diamond-tufted seats, red accents on the door panels, a red steering wheel, a red dashboard and a red center console. To complete the dragon part of the name, TopCar added an embroidered dragon on the seats.

We’re sure whoever commissioned TopCar was happy to pay big bucks for this custom work.

Click past the jump to read more about the Cayenne

2013 Porsche Panamera V6 Supersport by Kahn Design

Back in 2011, British tuner Kahn Design was unveiling the first tuning kit based on the Porsche Panamera. Now, once Porsche has unveiled the second generation Panamera, the tuner decided to offer a new tuning kit for the first generation. Based on the V6 Diesel version, the new Supersport tuning kit is priced at £68,875 ($104,486 at the current exchange rates).

As usual, the tuner started the work with an exterior kit that includes vented front and rear wide wheel arches with integrated rear air dams and a lower boot wing inspired by the classic 911 turbo style tail. As standard feature the kit is offering LED day time running lights for front wheel arch vents and Kahn enamel tailgate logo. The model sits on new 22-inch RSR wheels combined with brake calipers finished in liquid gold and sports lowered suspension springs.

For the interior the package adds front and rear seats in quilted and perforated black leather with grey Alcantara inserts, Alcantara sport steering wheel, piano black interior trim and floor mats.

Click past the jump to read more about the Panamera Diesel

2014 Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid

Today, Porsche decided to surprise us with the unveiling of the first details on the second-generation Panamera. While most of us were waiting to see some minor modifications applied to the current generation, Porsche considered bigger updates were required.

The most important update offered by the second-generation Panamera is given by the introduction of a new S E-Hybrid model that according to Porsche "sets new standards in efficiency, performance and operating convenience."

In the new S E-Hybrid model Porsche combines a 3.0 liter V-6 engine with a more powerful electric motor and a higher-performance battery. This system allows the Panamera to run in pure electric mode a total of 22 miles and can be driven to speeds up to 83 mph. The car’s electric motor can be recharged externally from the electrical grid, but also using energy recovery while braking.

Hit the jump to read more about the 2014 Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid.

2015 Porsche Cayenne

Like all the other models in Porsche’s lineup, the Cayenne is also about to receive a redesign for 2015. Some of you may believe this is a strange move, considering the second-generation Cayenne was just unveiled at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, but it looks like the company decided a refresh was needed order to keep the model fresh for the next couple of years.

As you can see, the prototypes caught testing are camouflaged just in the parts that Porsche is updating. This means that the revised Cayenne will receive an updated front bumper and headlamps up front. On the backside the Cayenne will receive new slimmer looking rear lights and a redesigned bumper. Porsche is also offering new wheel designs and small interior changes. It is also rumored that the redesigned Porsche will also be a little bit lighter and will feature revisions under the hood.

Expect the revised Porsche Cayenne to be unveiled sometime in 2014 as a 2015 model year.

Updated 04/05/2013: Today we have created a very cool rendering for the revised Cayenne that has been caught testing the other day. As you probably would have expected, the revised Cayenne will feature design elements we have already seen in the second-generation Panamera, including: redesigned air intakes, new LEDs and headlights.

Hit the jump to read more about the 2015 Porsche Cayenne.

2005 - 2011 Porsche 911 GTM2 by Misha Designs

LA-based tuner, Misha, is at it again and this time around, a 997-generation Porsche 911 is its canvas. This all-new body kit, dubbed the GTM2, adds even more sportiness and a little more width to the last-generation 911. This kit will fit on any wide- or narrow-body 911 between 2005 and 2011, and it is compatible with both versions of the 997.1 and 997.2 taillights.

The kit includes a new front bumper, a revised hood, a set of side skirts and an all-new rear bumper. Additionally, you get to choose from one of three styles of rear wing, including a sporty-looking duck-tail-style wing. If you need to save a little weight, you can opt for the front bumper lip, the rear diffusor and the wing blade to be made from carbon fiber.

The great thing about this kit is that it bolts directly to the 911’s existing mounting points. This eliminates the need for drilling and potentially ruining the value of your beloved sports car. Additionally, you can buy the entire kit for one bulk price or you can break it up piece-by-piece if money’s a little tight.

In talking to Misha, we found that the entire kit runs $6,795 and if you opt for the carbon-fiber upgrade, it jumps to $8,495. To purchase the components separately, you must contact Misha.

Porsche Boxster and Cayman Take the 2013 "World Performance Car" Title

The third-generation Porsche Boxster and Cayman siblings have been chosen as the 2013 World Performance Car by the World Car Awards. The award was presented during a press conference at the New York International Auto Show.

The German mid-engine sports car beat out the other finalists, which included the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta and the Scion FR-S / Subaru BRZ / Toyota GT86 (all of which were combined as one entry). The win over two quality sports cars — especially over the Ferrari — really goes to show how far the new Boxster and Cayman have come over the years.

In its base format, the Boxster offers 265 horsepower from the 2.7-liter engine and 315 horsepower from the S model’s 3.4-liter engine. It is available with a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch PDK transmission to help get the power to the back wheels. This allows for a 0-to-60 mph time as low as 4.7 seconds.

The Porsche Cayman is offered with a 2.7-liter powerplant with 275-horsepower as standard and S model provides 325-horsepower out of its 3.4-liter engine. Just like the Boxster, it is available with a six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed dual-clutch PDK transmission. When the 3.4-liter engine teams up with the PDK transmission and the Sport Chrono package, the car is capable of a 0-to-60 mph time of just 4.4 seconds.

This marks the third time that the German automaker has won the award and marks back-to-back wins for Porsche. Last year, the Porsche 911 took top honors and the Porsche Cayman won the World Performance Car Award in 2006.

Rumormill: The Porsche 918 Spyder will be Better Than Originally Thought

When Porsche announced the initial specifications for the upcoming 918 Spyder, it announced a combined output of 795 horsepower.

Apparently, that was a little bit off, as it is now rumored that the supercar will be significantly better than initially claimed. The output will go somewhere in the 875-horsepower area, the weight will be lower and the Nürburgring time will be under 7 minutes.

Also, one buyer said at the Goodwood Festival of Speed said that he has seen the final production version, and when compared to it, both the LaFerrari and McLaren P1 look “mediocre.” Also, the same buyer claims that while everyone thinks they know how the supercar looks like, we are all in for a huge surprise when the production model drops.

The buyer also stated that the 918 Spyder will be a targa model and "will travel at 150 kms on electric alone." This can be taken one of two ways. The first way is that he means it delivers an electric-only range of about 150 kilometers (93 miles) — a rather stout number. The second meaning is that it has a top speed of 150 km/h (93 mph).

The new Porsche 918 Spyder will make its world debut in September at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show.

More Powerful Porsche Cayman Version is Being Tested

The new-generation Porsche Cayman was officially unveiled back in 2012, but unfortunately, it offered no major surprises. However, it looks like Porsche has learned about our disappointment and it is now considering a high-performance version for the tiny sports coupe.

Andreas Preuninger, chief engineer of the new 911 GT3 confirmed in a recent interview that a track-focused version for the new Cayman is already being tested, but a final decision on a production version is still to be made.

Rumors suggest that this new Cayman version could be in fact a GT3-style model for the mid-engine sports car, but a final name for the car remains a mystery. A slew of names come to mind when you think about it, including: GTS, GT2, GT3 and GT3 RS. One thing is for sure, however, if it makes production, it will be a more powerful, more aggressive and of course more expensive version of the current Cayman.

Stay tuned, we will keep you posted on this track-focused Cayman!