Autocar’s Chris Harris, whom we have got to know from other interesting test-drives on the website, presents us with a face-off that will really get the fans going. The new Nissan GT-R is pitted against two german competitors. In place of the Porsche 997 Turbo, its ‘natural’ competitor (it has the same horsepower and it was the target of Nissan engineers), we find instead the BMW M3, which is within the same price-range and the Porsche 997 GT3, more extreme and expensive but with a driving experience similar to that of the Japanese monster.

Continue reading: Video: Autocar drives the Nissan GT-R, BMW M3 and the Porsche 997 GT3

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Porsche are planning to update their most powerful racing 911, the 997 RSR, with a view to it competing in the GT2 category in the 2008 season. After eagerly watching its little sister, the 997 GT3 Cup S, the RSR performed with prowess in a busy 2007 season. It notched up victories in the 24-hour Leman and Spa and achieved overall victory at the Nuerburgring 24 hours.

Other than changes to the front aerodynamics, the principle modifications are concentrated beneath the skin of the creature. The Sachs suspension has a greater range of adjustability and the 3.8L Boxer engine has undergone a few optimisations in order to achieve 465bhp at 8000 rpm, with maximum torque of 430Nm at 7250 rpm. The maximum engine speed is fixed at a good 9400 rpm.

Continue reading: Porsche 997 RSR 2008

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Porsche 911 GT2 997

Porsche has finally announced the new 911 GT2, after both the brochure and official pictures were leaked. The 911 GT2 “vintage 997″ will be shown to the public at the Frankfurt auto show in september and will be “the most powerful 911 so far homologated for road use”.

The 911 GT2 will share its underpinnings with the 911 Turbo, but it will feature larger air intakes at the front, a larger rear wing and a souped up engine, with 50 ps more than the standard Turbo: power output will be 530 ps at 6,500 rpm, maximum torque will be 680 Nm between 2,200 and 4,500 rpm.

Weight has been kept down to 1,440 kg and the 911 GT2 boasts performance data considerably better than the turbo: 3.7 seconds from 0-100 km/h with a top speed of 329 km/h. Traction is rear wheel drive only, with a 6-speed manual gearbox. You can find the full text of the Porsche press release below the fold.

The 911 GT2 will be available in dealerships in Europe in november 2007, with a price of € 189,496 (inc. VAT, in Germany).

Continue reading: Porsche 911 GT2 - officially announced

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Someone leaked the official brochure of the Porsche 997 GT2, the car that is going to be the most powerful roadgoing 911 ever.

The 911 GT2 is the most extreme version of the 911 range, the flat-6 engine will have a 3.6-liter capacity, two variable geometry turbines, VarioCam Plus variable valve timing and lift. The GT2’s engine will output 530 ps at 6,500 rpm (50 more than the Turbo) with a maximum torque of 683,91 Nm, flat between 2,200 and 4,500 rpm.

Acceleration from 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) will take only 3″6, from 0-100 mph (0-160 km/h) in 7″4. Top speed will be 204 mph (328 km/h). The 997 GT2 will weigh 1.428 kg, not a featheweight, but on the same level as the Lamborghini Gallardo and the Ferrari F430.

Continue reading: Porsche 911 GT2 - leaked brochure

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It’s official: the new Porsche Turbo Cabrio will be presented to the public on September 8 2007. The 997 Turbo Cabrio is the third generation of the top of the range convertible from Stuttgart. The engine is the same one used in the turbo coupè: 3.6 liter, flat-six, bi-turbo with variable geometry turbines, 480 ps / 620 Nm (torque can be briefly boosted to 680 Nm).

Performance figures are the same as its coupè sibling: top speed is 310 km/h, acceleration from 0-100 km/h takes only 4.0 seconds (3.8 with the Tiptronic S automatic transmission). Average consumption according to Porsche is 12.9 litres/100 km, but that’s a meaningless figure for a car of this kind.

Porsche engineers seem to have managed a good job of keeping the weight down. The Turbo Cabriois only 70 kg heavier than the Turbo coupè (structural reinforcements, rollover protection, etc ). The three-layer capote can open or close in about 20 seconds, with a fully automatic mechanism. The rear spoiler comes out at speeds over 120 km/h and is 30 mm higher than the one on the coupè.

Continue reading: Porsche 997 Turbo Cabrio - it's official

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Auto Zeitung has a gallery of spy photos of the Porsche Panamera, the future sports saloon from Zuffenhausen. The prototype seems to be very similar to those we have already seen. The truly interesting photo is the one in which we can see the Panamera and a 911 GT3 together: unless it’s badly done photoshop, the Panamera seems truly gigantic “gigantesca”.

For the rest, the Auto Zeitung article doesn’t add much to what we know about the Panamera: it should be on the market in 2009, with engines ranging from the Cayenne V8s (the naturally aspirated with 385 ps and the turbocharged one with 500 ps), up to a V10 derived from the one mounted on the Carrera GT.

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Skydriving: the Porsche 997 Targa 4 mini-site. An eminently desirable car depicted with gorgeous landscapes in the background.

The european versions of the mini-site also have info on a “tuning kit” for the Targa 4S: the 3.8 liter flat-6 can be upgraded to 381 ps @ 7,200 rpm / 415 Nm @ 5,500 rpm (from 355 ps/400 Nm). That means 0.2 seconds off on the 0-100 km/h sprint (4.7 seconds) and a top speed that is 8 km/h higher (296 km/h). All for 114,231 €, a “mere” 12.000 € surcharge on the Targa 4S’ price.

Continue reading: Porsche 997 Targa 4 - Skydriving and tuning kit

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Porsche has officially announced the 997 Targa 4 and 4S. For the first time, the 911 with the sliding glass-roof will be available with all-wheel drive, starting from november 2006.

The glass roof is moved by two electric motors, and slides back in only seven seconds, openiong an area that is up to 0.45 square meters.

The engines are the same as the coupè. The Targa 4 has a 6 cylinder boxer with a capacity of 3.6 liters. With 325 PS, it can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 5.3 seconds (0.2 more than the coupè) and reach a top speed of 280 km/h (the same as the coupè). The engine of the Targa 4S is the 3.8 liters boxer, with 355 PS (0-100 km/h in 4.9 seconds, 0.1 more than the coupè, top speed is 288 km/h).

Before taxes and VAT, the price is 79.000 € for the Targa 4 and 87,900 € for the Targa 4S. In Germany this means respectively 91,483 € and 102,167 €. Below you can find the full text of the press release and more photos.

Continue reading: Porsche 997 Targa 4 and 4S

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A nice video of prototypes caught testing at the Nurburgring. Among others, you can see a new Cadillac, a couple of Lamborghinis (Gallardo and Murcielago LP640) , the Audi R8, the Maserati due-porte, and the BMW 1-Series Cabrio.

The most impressive ? The supposed Panamera Mule with the BMW M5 body and with extra-wide wheel arches. What kind of engine is lurking under the trunk to push it around like that ?

Continue reading: Nurburgring Tests - Video

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There’s been some talk of a possible new super-car from Porsche, that would debut in 2009 and beat the Bugatti Veyron’s top speed by a couple of kilomters per hour. This got started by english magazine Autocar (see full text here).

According to Autocar, this new Porsche GT1 would be a road-going version of the Le Mans car that Porsche has been developing, and it would be based on a modified version of the Carrera GT chassis.

Autocar goes as far as showing us a drawing, writing that “Autocar’s exclusive illustration is drawn entirely from leaked official technical drawings of the car”. My problem with this illustration is that it is eerily similar to the Mirage GTR concept car developed by German tuner Gemballa (see below).

Continue reading: The supposed Anti-Veyron from Porsche

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