Porsche cars

Production Version Porsche 918 Spyder Revealed in Chinese Patents

Until now, we have seen lots of images of the upcoming Porsche 918 Spyder, but all of them were images of the prototype versions. Today, however, the first leaked images of the production version have dripped their way on the internet via the leak-happy Chinese patent office.

As no surprise, the production version looks pretty similar to the concept versions, but it has finally received its door handles, mirrors, indicator lights, seat belts, a slightly different front bumper and redesigned air intakes in the front bumper. Also, the exhaust pipes are now placed in the right position and not on the car’s side as in the concept versions.

Under the hood, the 918 Spyder will combine a 4.6-liter V-8 engine delivering a total of 570 horsepower with an electric motor that adds an extra 200 horsepower.

The production version will debut in September 2013 and will be priced at about $1 million.

2012 Porsche 911 Turbo by Wheels Boutique

Porsche will be unveiling the next generation Turbo sometime next year. But until then, the guys over at Wheels Boutique have created a very cool tuning kit based on the latest 911 Turbo->Porsche model. The kit has been developed in cooperation with Vorsteiner, who developed the body kit and ADV.1, who was in charge of fitting the sports car’s wheels.

The kit offered by Vorsteiner includes new front and rear bumpers, a lip spoiler in carbon fiber, new side wheels and a huge rear wing. The kit was installed by Wheels Boutique who also fitted the 911 Turbo’s new set of wheels from ADV.1, measuring 20×9.0 up front and 20×12.5 at the rear and wrapped in Michelin PSS tires sized 245/30/20 front and 325/25/20 rear. The wheels were combined with a new set of KW coilovers.

Under the hood, this specially customized Porsche Turbo received a new Prototech ECU, Evo headers, a Tubi race exhaust, an EVO intercooler and an IPD plentum intake. Unfortunately, the tuner did not reveal how these updates have improved the car’s performance numbers, but we hope we’ll learn that soon.

The last piece of this impressive tuning kit is a custom matte red paint scheme offered by The Sign Savers.

Video: Porsche 911 RSR lapping at 2012 Petit Le Mans

Flying Lizards took their Porsche 911 RSR to the track for the first official practice session during the 2012 Petit Le Mans. The guys over GoPro were just around Road Atlanta circuit and they shot a pretty impressive video using a pair of HERO3 cameras at 2.7K/30fps. Watch the video to hear the amazing sound produced by the racing car!

As a reminder, the 911 GT3 RSR is powered by a 4.0 liter six-cylinder boxer engine that delivers a total of 460 HP. The engine sends its power to the rear wheels via a six-speed gearbox operated via paddle shifts on the steering wheel.

On the exterior the race car received a specially developed aerodynamic package, while the interior received all the updates needed for the race track. The model can be raced at the Le Mans 24 Hours, the FIA World Endurance Championship, the American Le Mans Series, and the International GT Open and is priced at $685,000.

2013 Porsche Carrera 4 and 4S

After testing the all-wheel drive version of the new generation Porsche 911 Carrera for quite some time, Porsche has finally dropped the official details on the new Carrera 4 and 4S models. The new models will make their world debut at the 2012 Paris Auto Show and will be put on sale at the end of the year. Prices for the German market will start from 97,557 euro ($122,300 at the current rates) for the coupe and 110,290 euro ($138,200 at the current rates) for the convertible model.

The new Carrera 4 is powered by a 3.4-liter flat-six engine that delivers a total of 350 HP, while the 4S version gets a 3.8 liter engine that produces 400 HP. The standard version can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds, while the 4S will do the sprint in 4.1 seconds. Top speed for the 4S coupe version goes up to an impressive 185 mph.

Next to being more powerful than the previous generation, the new Carrera 4 and 4S models are about 143 lbs lighter. The two models have also been equipped with the AWD Porsche Traction Management (PTM) system and feature 22mm wider rear wheel arches when compared to the standard Carrera.

UPDATE 12/19/2012: Porsche has unveiled a new video for its latest Carrera 4 in which it explains the heritage of all-wheel drive on the 911, looking at the origins of this system and how it’s developed, with a special look at the technological masterpiece of the 959. Enjoy!

Hit the jump to read more about the new Porsche 911 Carrera 4 and 4S.

2012 Porsche 911 GT2 RS "The Hulk" by Sportec

Ask any three-year-old kid who The Hulk is and he will tell you he is a green superhero whose physical strength depends on his anger. For Sportec, however, things are a little bit different, as "The Hulk" is a monstrous Porsche GT2 RS that can hit a top speed of 187 mph.

Sportec’s Hulk has been specially designed for delivering amazing performance on the race track, so next to making it very powerful, the tuner also focused on lowering the weight by as much as possible. To achieve the lowest possible weight, all of the comfort features have been dropped — air conditioning was the only one left untouched — and the interior received two Recaro bucket seats.

Most attention, however, was been paid to the engine. Under the hood, Sportec installed special camshafts, a larger intercooler, reinforced titanium connecting rods, a sports air filter and a reinforced clutch. All these updates, along with a new exhaust system with upgraded manifolds, sport catalysts and titanium Akrapovic muffler, have increased the engine’s output to a total of 720 horsepower and a peak torque of 626 pound-feet. As a result, the car will sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 3.8 seconds, from 0 to 200 km/h (124 mph) in 8.2 seconds and up to a top speed of 187 mph.

The Hulk also received a new traction control system that does not brake through the drive system, but rather by using the reduction of engine power by limiting the fuel coming from the fuel injectors. There is also a new set of wheels combined with fully adjustable Bilstein suspension and a modified brake system with 380 mm (14.96 inch) discs.

Customers interested will have to pay a total of €22,000 ($29,000) for the engine upgrades, which deliver up to 655 horsepower. €6,500 ($8,500) will get you the exhaust system and unleash the rest of the ponies.

[Video] Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo Concept Comes to Life

Since this 4-door beauty was unveiled as a concept at the 2012 Paris Auto Show, people who were impressed by the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo have been craving for some news about it.

To restrain your craving, Porsche has released a video that provides some perspective on the design and development of the concept from a showpiece to an actual, working concept. Finally, at long last...

The Panamera Sport Turismo is a very interesting concept because of its design and drivetrain. We’re not huge fans of the shooting brake form, but with one glance of it and we suddenly are in love with this. This is what the Panamera should’ve looked like in the first place.

The e-hybrid system, which is undergoing real-world tests, is said to be an advanced development of the setup found in the current Panamera S Hybrid and Cayenne S Hybrid. Said to produce 428 horsepower combined, the Panamera sure is one powerful hybrid.

Who said hybrids aren’t fun?

With the tests going smoothly, Porsche might surprise us with the launch of the production model in 2013. Nevertheless, we all can’t wait to see what the Panamera Sport Turismo has in store for us.

2013 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

The 2013 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup has arrived.

Considered as the most successful race car in the world, the 2013 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup made its debut at Porsche’s "Night of Champions" celebration over the weekend, quickly establishing itself as the kind of Porsche race car that teams will undeniably jostle to get a hold of.

It’s a well-known fact that there’s a big market for the 911 GT3 Cup. This is even more evident with Porsche telling us that 2,395 units have been produced.

This particular model is special in its own right, because what you’re looking at now is the first race car to be based on the seventh generation of Porsche’s beyond-iconic 911. More importantly, the 2013 911 GT3 Cup is also considered as the motorsports version of the future 911 GT3, a telling reminder that the technology and design used in this race car could very well be translated into the future production model.

Find out more about the 2013 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup after the jump

2013 Porsche 911 Cabriolet Art Car by Romero Britto

Brazilian-American Neo-pop artist Romero Britto is a man of many talented hats. He’s a painter, a serigrapher, and a sculptor, all rolled into one.

What gets lost amongst all those talents, though, is that he designs fancy art cars too. We’ve seen his works on our pages in the past couple of years, particularly one where he dressed up an Audi RS4 for a Miami dealership.

This time, though, Britto was tasked to do the same with a Porsche 911 Cabriolet for Art Basel Miami Beach. We’ve already seen some artists use Art Basel as an event to showcase their design works on supercars and sports cars alike. One, the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Venet Edition, was just shown here last week.

As for Britto’s 911 Art Car, the project was commissioned by Champion Motorsport and was designed in such a way as to show everyone the kind of artistic and colorful works of Britto. You only need to look at his website to see his rather colorful interpretation of art to get an idea behind his work on the 911 Art Car.

Such is the kind of artistic creativity licensed to someone who certainly has panache for putting his stamp on a project. Some people may not appreciate this 911 Art Car, but we like it a lot. It’s unique, it’s colorful, and it’s got some serious identity.

Also, having 350 horsepower on tap under that hood isn’t such a bad thing, either.

Video: Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Racecar Teaser

A few weeks ago we brought you the first teaser image of the upcoming 911 GT3 Cup car. Today Porsche has released the first teaser video for the upcoming racecar, which is set to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2013 and the World Endurance Championship.

The model will be based on the new generation Porsche 911, but it is believed to carry much of its design elements and technology from the current generation. Under the hood you will find the same 4.0-liter six-cylinder boxer engine as found in the standard GT3, but with some extra ponies added in.

On the outside, the model will receive ultra-wide fenders, an aerodynamic package specially designed for racing and, of course, extra air intakes for better engine cooling. Just like with any other racecar, the GT3 Cup car will be equipped with a high-flow exhaust system, adjustable blade-type anti-roll bars, 18-inch wheels and carbon-ceramic brakes.

Porsche Registers the "919" Moniker

A few weeks ago it was reported that Porsche was preparing to add a new sports car to its lineup. It has also been rumored that the new model — set to be placed between the 911 and the 918 — will be called the 961. The latter rumor may not come to fruition, as Porsche has just registered the "919" name at a German patent office. The new combination of numbers is listed as a "word mark,” meaning that it will be used in an upcoming production model.

What we cannot tell for sure is if this newly trademarked model is indeed the long-rumored sports car. The uncertainty seeps in because the "919" name make us think of a model placed above the 918, not between the 911 and 918.

The "919" name was registered in October and in the past few days it was entered in the patent register. We expect to hear more details about this new model in the upcoming months, so stay tuned!