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Porsche 911 Hauls in the World Performance Car Award
 
Just hours ago, we reported the somber news that the Porsche 911’s designer passed away, but this time we have some good news to pass along. This news continues to add to the legend that is F.A. Porsche, as his creation has been announced the 2012 World Performance Car. The 911 S Coupe made it through a three-stage voting process, beating out some of the best vehicles in the world. In the final stage, the 911 faced off against two greats, the Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 and the McLaren MP4-12C. The WPC judges specifically pointed out that the 911 combines pleasant driving, raw performance, and even fuel efficiency. Let’s crunch the numbers here. The 911 S Coupe pushes out 385 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque from a 3.8-liter flat-6, while getting 18 mpg city and 25 mpg highway. The Lamborghini has a 700-horsepower, 509 foot-pound producing V-12 engine that squeaks out 11 mpg city and 17 mpg highway. The McLaren gets 15 mpg city and 22 mpg highway – close to the Porsche – and pumps 592 horsepower along with 443 pound-feet from its 3.8-liter V-8. There are two other factors that would make us put the Porsche on top of the Lamborghini and McLaren. One is the fact that the Aventador is notoriously impossible to drive on even a freshly paved highway – yeah, it’s a little rough. The McLaren, on the other hand, has received some complaints that it tends to over-correct itself via its traction control system. Add in the fact that the Porsche 911 S Coupe is only one-third of the Aventador’s price and just about half the price of McLaren, you have one impressive hunk of machinery there. Hit the jump for the official press release. Full story Porsche 911 Designer Passes Away at Age 76
When the Porsche 911 debuted in the 1965 model year, it revolutionized the sports car, turning it from a crude performance machine to a performance machine with some class and sophistication. The man behind the design of this now legendary machine, Ferdinand Porsche, has passed away at the age of 76 and the cause of death has not been released. The 911 is one of the few cars that, with the exception of some basic restyling and technological advances, still looks strikingly similar to its original model. The 911 also remains one of the top luxury sports cars in the world. This is a great tribute to the designing genius of F.A. Porsche, as those inside of the company knew him. Porsche was born on December 11, 1935 and quickly got into the family business as just a young boy, though not actually on the payroll. It was not until he competed his schooling in 1958 that he joined the company as an employee. Just four years later, he took over the design studio at Porsche. In the 1970s, Porsche left the company in the control of other family members and focused on designing eyeglasses, watches, and pens in his own studio, dubbed Porsche Design Studio. From 1990 to 1993, he rejoined Porsche AG, as a chairman, and helped guide the company back to greatness after a steep decline in sales through the 1980s. Despite the fact that F.A. Porsche is really only well known for designing one model of vehicle, that model will keep him a legend forever. Fortunately for all of us, the spirit and ingenuity of Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche will live on for many years to come in the form of his creation, the Porsche 911. 2013 Porsche 911 GT3 To Come Standard With Manual Transmission
 The rate at which manual transmissions are slowly being offered in fewer and fewer cars simply blows our minds here at TopSpeed. There are few driving pleasures which can match up to performing a picture-perfect upshift, or even better, performing a perfect downshift with some heel and toe action thrown in. Unfortunately, the vast majority of people are not petrol heads, and only use cars to get from point A to point B. However, there is a silver lining in this seemingly never ending cloud of darkness. Sources very close to Porsche have leaked to Teamspeed that the upcoming 2013 Porsche 911 GT3 will come standard with a manual transmission, with the technologically-advanced, yet less satisfying, PDK transmission set to be available as an optional extra. Automotive and Porsche enthusiasts all over the world, you may now take a deep sigh of relief. With some of Porsche’s main competitors including Ferrari and Lamborghini phasing out manuals, we only assumed Porsche would follow suit, but thankfully, we were mistaken. Don’t get overly excited however, as manual Porsches will eventually be a thing of the past, and if this report holds water, the 2013 Porsche 911 GT3 may be the very last Porsche to come with three pedals. If demand is high enough for the manual, Porsche will likely also offer it in the 911 GT3 RS which would likely make a debut 12 to 18 months after the GT3. So, the moral of the story. Well, if you’re looking for a new Porsche, don’t go with the boring old Carrera or Carrera S, wait for the 911 GT3 to come out and order it in a manual, as we cannot foresee a world without real drivers cars! 2013 Porsche Cayenne Diesel
Europeans have been driving a diesel version of the Porsche Cayenne since 2009, but now Porsche has finally decided that it was the right time for the US market to get in on the action. After being rumored for quite some time, the US version version of the Cayenne Diesel will be making its world debut at the 2012 New York Auto Show. The new Cayenne Diesel is powered by an efficient 3.0-liter V6 turbo diesel engine that delivers a total of 240 HP and 406 lb.-ft. of torque. It sprints from 0 to 60 mph in just 7.2 seconds and can hit a top speed of 135 mph. This figures are delivered while still providing a fuel economy of 23 mpg on a combined cycle. The engine is mated to an 8-speed Tiptronic S transmission, without the Auto Start/Stop function available on other Cayenne variants. The new Porsche Cayenne Diesel will go on sale in September 2012 at a starting price of $55,750, not including a $975 destination charge. Hit the jump to read more about the 2013 Porsche Cayenne Diesel. Full story Porsche to offer more turbocharged engines
 Porsche’s only turbo engines are found in the 911 Turbo, the Cayenne Turbo, and the Panamera Turbo, but that all may change soon. Porsche is planning on replacing natural aspiration with turbocharging in a series of other models, including the model set to carry the previously rumored four-cylinder engine. These new turbo engines will have the advantage of delivering more horse power, as well as reducing fuel consumption and emissions. The car will also be equipped with a turbo engine that will sound completely different, which certainly matters when comparing sports cars. In an interview with Dutch magazine, Autovisie, a Porsche technician offered a few more details on this upcoming technology: "Turbos are purely for improving the performance and are still only used on the top models. But the combination between smaller engines and turbocharging is a very promising way to lower the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Because of these two factors we will be offering turbo engines in models below the top series in the future. A four-cylinder boxer engine with a turbo is conceivable. But as before, the name 911 Turbo will only be for the model with the highest level of performance used." We’ll see if we can dig up more information to pass along, so stay tuned! Image above is a rendering of the 2013 Porsche 911/991 Turbo. 48 911 GT3 Cup cars spell "Porsche" on Estoril Circuit
How do you write the word "Porsche," and make that word over 475 feet long? Well, obviously there is only one way; you take 48 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Challenge Brazil race cars and line them up accordingly beside a massive Brazilian flag. Where do you accomplish something like this? On the finishing straight at Estoril Circuit in Portugal, of course. This is exactly what happened on March 15, 2012. 180 people from the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Brasil team and the Portuguese staff of Estoril Circuit came together before the season opening race to get the perfect shot. The entire shoot took 23 hours, and the end result was this 3 minute 30 second video which includes helicopter shots and a time-lapse of the shoot. All that was left to do was write "Porsche" with rubber by having all 48 cars do simultaneous burnouts! Check out the video to see the whole event take place, and don’t forget to let us know what you think in the comments section below. Porsche Recalls the Porsche 911 Carrera S Due to Fuel Line Concerns
 Have you ever been in the middle of an awesome dream when all of a sudden it turned into a nightmare? Some Porsche 911 owners are feeling just like that now that Porsche has recalled 1232 Carrera S models over a fuel line issue. Apparently, there is an interference between the coolant line and the fuel line that can cause the fuel line to be disconnected at the quick connector. If the disconnect occurs, a fuel leak may follow causing the sports car’s to stall or misfire. Even worse, a fuel leak combined with an ignition source can start a fire. We all remember the upheaval caused by the number of Ferrari 458 Italia models that went up in flames due to a faulty adhesive. The last thing we want to see is the sultry and iconic Porsche 911 reach a fiery end. The 911 has been the diamond in Porsche’s lineup since 1963 and the current model is the epitome of getting better with time. The 911 Carrera S is powered by a 3.8-liter flat-six with direct injection engine that produces 400 HP. This will take the Carerra S from 0-60 mph in 4.3 seconds when matched up with the Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) transmission. As of right now, there is a voluntary recall on the Porsche 911 Carrera S, but a safety recall will take place in April 2012. Porsche will be replacing the fuel line with a brand new one free of charge. Owners of the Porsche 911 Carrera S can call Porsche at 1-800-767-7243 to schedule an appointment. 2013 Porsche 918 Spyder
The 2010 Geneva Motor Show was all abuzz with the unveiling of the Porsche 918 Spyder Concept, a vehicle that, once it hit production, would be the successor for the Carrera GT. Thankfully, we didn’t have to wait long to receive confirmation that this concept would indeed be hitting the production block, and now we get to have a look at the first step to seeing the Spyder in its full form with this image of the first scale clay model. Once that clay model turns into something a little less arts and crafts and a lot more mind-bendingly powerful, Porsche has announced that they will be investing around 150 million euros in a high-tech wind tunnel, that will help "to maintain Porsche’s top position in the fields of aerodynamics and design and to further extend our lead." In a previous statement Porsche announced that the production version will deliver more power than the concept. Michael Macht, President and Chairman of the Board of Management of Porsche AG said: "Production of the 918 Spyder in a limited series proves that we are taking the right approach with Porsche Intelligent Performance featuring the combination of supreme performance and efficient drivetrain concepts. We will develop the 918 Spyder in Weissach and assemble it in Zuffenhausen. This is also a very important commitment to Germany as a manufacturing base." UPDATE 01/16/2012: While Porsche has kept a little mum lately about the production version of the 918 Spyder, new details have emerged on the internet stating that the car will be making its world debut in 2013 at the Frankfurt Motor Show and that the first deliveries will be made in 2014. Also, the concept’s 3.4 liter V8 engine will be replaced with a new 4.6 liter version based on the RS Spyder LMP2 race car. This engine will deliver a total of 550 HP and will be combined with three electric motors that will increase the total output to an impressive 720 HP. The production version will also be about 5.8-inches longer and half-an-inch wider than the concept and will weigh somewhere under 3,700 lbs. (TeamSpeed). UPDATE 03/23/2012: Evo Diaries’ Founder, Harry Metcalfe, was able to do as walk-around of the bare bones prototype of the future Porsche 918 Spyder. In this video, Metcalfe points out that the 918 Spyder will be the first production front-wheel drive Porsche due to the fact that it can be powered using only the electric motor, which sends its power to the front wheels. Check out the video of his review after the jump! UPDATE 05/15/2012: Porsche has unveiled today new details on the production version 918 Spyder set to arrive at the end of September 2013 as planned, with the first customers receiving their vehicles before 2013 is out. The company has also dropped a series of spy shots with the 918 prototype hidden under historical Porsche 917 racing cars. The future 918 Spyder is designed as a plug-in hybrid vehicle combining a high-performance combustion engine with cutting-edge electric motors for extraordinary performance: on the one hand, the dynamics of a racing machine boasting more than 770 hp, on the other hand, fuel consumption in the region of three liters per 100 kilometers. The model will also be offering a full carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) monocoque with unit carrier, fully adaptive aerodynamics, adaptive rear-axle steering and the upward-venting "top pipes" exhaust system. Read more about the production version of the Porsche 918 Spyder and the tedious ordering process it takes to buy one after the jump. Full story 2011 Porsche 911 TT Cabriolet VR-T by Vorsteiner
The wonders that tuning programs can do to sports cars never cease to amaze us. This particular one, a current generation Porsche 911 Twin-Turbo Cabriolet, comes courtesy of Wheels Boutique and Vorsteiner. Taking the German sports car, Vorsteiner’s dealership in Florida built a program that consists of the German tuning firm’s V-RT program. Made mostly out of carbon fiber, Vorsteiner’s V-RT program includes a new front bumper that enhances the body lines of the svelte-looking 911. The front bumper comes with larger carbon air intakes for the radiators while ridding the car of the factory fog lights and the headlight washer bezels. Moving to the rear, the 911 Cabriolet was also fit ted with a new rear bumper that has been designed to provide the sports car with a wider stance. Enlarged side intercooler extraction vents are also part of the program, while a new molded carbon fiber rear diffuser with integrated twin aero fins rounds and a heavily modified rear deck lid and wing round out the aero modifications on the German sports car. No performance modifications were added, but even if the new 911 Cabriolet has just been unveiled, the current model still packs a meaty punch in the form of a 3.8-liter six-cylinder twin-turbo horizontally-opposed engine mated to a six-speed manual transmissionthat packs 500 horsepower. It possesses a 0-62 mph time of 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 193 mph. 2014 Porsche Panamera Plug-in Hybrid
Porsche unveiled the Panamera S Hybrid at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. It featured a 3.0 liter V6 compressor engine with an output of 333 HP combined with an electric motor that added an extra 47 HP, but that was only the beginning of the Italian automaker’s trip through hybrid way. Porsche has just announced they will be unveiling a plug-in version of the Panamera luxury sedan sometime in 2014. Porsche’s first plug-in hybrid model will be the 918 Spyder, but it will be followed by more variants, including one for the Cayenne. Plug-in hybrid models have the advantage of being able to only be used as an electric model for short distances. Porsche promises that while running on electric only, the Panamera will have an autonomy of 19 miles on a full charge of its batteries. The future Panamera plug-in hybrid will be powered by an electric motor and battery pack backed up by a gasoline or diesel engine that extends driving range and recharges the battery. Sales for the new Panamera plug-in hybrid will begin in 2014. | featured reviews:Porsche cars reviews2016 2014 2013
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