PORSCHE

SPIED: New 2013 Porsche Cayman Shows its Face on the ‘Ring 

 

The new 911, code-named 991, isn’t the only new model that Porsche is working on these days. The second generation Cayman is getting ready for its debut. We’ve ve already seen the first camouflaged prototypes of the 2013 Cayman, but now it seems that Porsche is gearing up its development program and testing the car in Nurburgring in view of the anticipated 2012 launch, which will coincide with that of its open-top sibling, the Boxster.
Even though the shape is familiar and closely follows the lines of the current model, every panel in the bodywork is, in fact, new. The second-gen Cayman will bigger in all dimensions, including the wheelbase, to provide more ample space for the driver and his or her passenger.
At launch, it is expected that the Cayman will be powered by uprated versions of Porsche’s flat-six found in today’s model, delivering around 10HP to 20HP more than the current 265HP 2.9-liter unit in the based Cayman and the 320HP 3.4-liter engine in the Cayman S.
Both engines will be available with manual and dual-clutch PDK transmissions, but it remains unclear if these will be the new 7-speed ZF units developed for the upcoming 911.
There has been a lot of talk concerning the introduction of a turbocharged four-cylinder engine into the range of both the 2013 Cayman and its sister model, the new Boxster, but Porsche remains tightlipped at present over what exactly and when it plans to do so.
Last, but not least, a significant change for the 2013 Cayman is the adoption of a new electromechanical steering and a stop-start system in order to reduce consumption and CO2 emissions.
The new Cayman is due to be released in the market sometime next year. 

Porsche 911 GT3 ‘Snowmobile’ Dressed up by Magnat 

 

Tuners are leaving no stones unturned to impress buyers willing to dig deep into their pockets. Even the almighty Porsche 911 GT3 can’t escape from their meddling hands. This here creation is named ‘Snowmobile’ for the choice of colors for the exterior and interior, and is the creative work of German audio-specialist Magnat. The 911 GT3’s white finish is contrasted by the matte black trim and patterned stripes running on the right hand-side over the top as well as the car’s profile. A set of Ultraleggera HLT CT by OZ 19-inch alloy wheels in a matching black color shod in Yokohama Advan Sport tries size 235/35-19 at the front and 305/30-19 at the rear completes the look.
Moving on to the interior, Magnat re-upholstered the 911 GT3’s cabin using a mix of black Alcantara and leather materials with white colored stitching and trim accents. The highlight is of course Magnat’s own audio system that provides 2,100 watts of sound power.
Speaking about power, the tuned 911 GT3 also features an ECU upgrade along with a racing exhaust system from Wimmer that help push output to 462HP and 451Nm of peak torque for a top speed of 317km/h (197mph). 

Kahn’s New…Project Car: The Porsche Panamera Sports Saloon 

Say what you want about the Panamera, but fact is the sports saloon model has proved to be a hit for Porsche with the company having delivered close to 10,000 units in the first five months of the year alone. The Panamera’s success has of course caught the attention of the aftermarket industry with more and more companies jumping on the tuning bandwagon. This here proposal comes courtesy of Afzal Kahn and his crew.
The British company, which is more widely known for its Land Rover tunes, has designed a new styling package comprising of a 10-piece aero kit that includes wheel arch extensions, front and rear bumpers and a rear spoiler.
The front LED strips, Project Kahn’s own RS-600 alloy wheels and an available package for the interior that blends leather, carbon and wood round off 

Porsche Recalls 911s in the US Over Faulty Wheel Hubs 

Porsche has announced that it is recalling 1,702 911s equipped with center locking hubs. The affected 911s were sold in the United States and are from the 2010-2011 model years manufactured from May 18, 2009 through to September 17, 2010. The German company told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [NHTSA] that over time, the hubs can wear prematurely and loosen up, increasing the risk of an accident.
Porsche dealers will replace the faulty parts with a newer design free of charge. A recall notification schedule has not yet been published. For more information, owners can call Porsche at 1-800-767-7243.

The Porsche models affected by the recall are:

Porsche 911 GT2 RS

Porsche 911 GT3

Porsche 911 GT3 RS

Porsche 911 Turbo

Porsche 911 Turbo S

Lumma Design Restyles the New Porsche Cayenne II 

You didn’t think the German tuning industry was done with the second generation of the Porsche Cayenne, did you? Of course not. Say hello to the new Porsche Cayenne CLR 558 GT dressed up by none other than Lumma Design. The German design house’s CLR 558 GT package upgrades the appearance of the luxury SUV with a new wide body aero kit. It comprises of a redesigned, two-tone front bumper with a plethora of LEDs and fog lights, a carbon Kevlar hood with air vents, high rising side skirts, wheel arch extensions, and a restyled rear bumper housing a diffuser and three central mounted exhaust tail pipes.
The smoked headlamps and tail lights, the new roof and tail gate spoilers along with the massive 22-inch alloy wheels shod in extra-beefy 295/30 22 tires further the exterior styling transformation.
For the interior, Lumma Design proposes an aluminum pedal set, illuminated door sills and leather floor mats for passengers and the cargo compartment.
There are no surprises hidden under the hood as this time, Lumma Design limited the mechanical upgrades to a custom sports exhaust system and an electric lowering module for models equipped with an air suspension system. 

Meet the First Modified 2012 Volkswagen Beetle Inspired by the Porsche 911 GT3 RS 

 

We have no doubt that this year belongs to the new 2012 Volkswagen Beetle when it comes to tuning mainstream cars. Just wait and see once the first production models begin arriving in the market this fall. For those of you that can’t linger until September, here’s a first example of a tuned 2012 Beetle. The 2012 Beetle RS Stage 1 is the creation of the Volkswagen-loving crew at VWvortex who were given a pre-production model by the German firm to work on. Since the vehicle came with no registration and license plates, the team decided to skip on the engine modes for now and concentrate on the styling aspect of the tune, which as you may have already guessed by now, was inspired by the Porsche 911 GT3RS.
Starting with the wheels, VWvortex fitted the new Beetle with a set of VMR710 20-inch alloys with a 35 offset. The rims are finished in orange and are wrapped around in Continental ExtremeContact DW 245-35ZR20 tires. Behind the front wheels is a Brembo Stage II brake kit with 14" front two-piece cross drilled rotors, four-piston radial mount calipers, aluminum mounting brackets, stainless braided lines and pads.
The exterior makeup is limited for now to Beetle RS graphics finished in orange on either side of the car, the blacked out chrome strips on the lower part of the doors and the front grille, plus the 3M Titanium Brushed wrap for the rear VW logo. The team’s next upgrade will include a 997 GT3 RS-style rear wing.
Once VW comes out with the series production model, the plan is to move on with the performance upgrades said to include a turbo and exhaust system upgrade, and a locking torque-biasing differential.

The King of Overkill Captured in Canada by Carscoop Reader 

If there was ever a prize for the crappiest application of decorative ornaments and decals of any sort on an automobile, this here Porsche Cayenne would win the contest hands down. I mean, just look at it… We first showed you the Porsche Cayenne with the Ontario license plates last Friday, but today, Carscoop reader Jonathan Fernando spotted the car parked outside –wait for the drum roll- a….Dollarama store and didn’t waste the opportunity to snap a few photos.
We’ll let Jonathan take it from here:

“I was out shopping with my dad when we came across this ridiculously stickered up Porsche Cayenne. This was the exact one I say in one of your earlier posts and wanted to snap a couple pictures for you guys.
The funniest thing is that he has actually “updated” the car from the last pic, there are a lot more led flashlights on the front bumper now and it still definitely looks totally stupid. This was right outside a dollar store (which is probably his tuning shop of choice LOL), while I was taking these pictures a lady was laughing and saying look at what this sick freak has done to an already odd looking car.
My dad and I wanted to see who on earth would drive/own a car like this, so we waited around for an hour but still no sign of owner, so we just left. We should have waited until he showed up and charge him with crimes against CARmanity!”

Aussie Supercar Buyers Paying More than Anyone Else 

In today’s economy, AU$1.0 will get you US$1.06, but it seems Australia’s overseas automakers have yet to acknowledge this. A Lamborghini Aventador, for example, costs a hefty AU$754,600 – or more than twice the price you would pay for one in the U.S. of A. And its 51% pricier than a V12 powered Lamborghini Diablo was ten years ago. This was tolerable when the Aussie dollar was worth 64 U.S. cents a few years ago, but those days are over. While TV’s, computers and mobile phones have all become more affordable, supercars have not. It’s so bad that one prospective Lamborghini buyer, businessman Ra Hazouri, has flat out refused to pay.
“I was considering buying a Lamborghini Aventador but I’ve given up because I’ve discovered the dealers are blaming Italy [for the pricing] and the people in Italy are saying they have the right to rip us off because everyone else does it," Hazoori told the Brisbanetimes. "They are doing it because they can – and they told me in an email that the price is ‘locally positioned relative to competitors, product features and brand values’.”
In other words, Australia is a supercar backwater, and if you want one of these fine Italian thoroughbreds, you will need to wear an AU$380,000 suit. Lamborghini’s South East Asia and Oceania sales manager Andrea Baldi argues that supercar prices cannot move along with exchange rates:
“We have to ensure the price is fair compared with Porsche, Maserati, Aston Martin, Ferrari and other competitors. It’s always a difficult balance. There are markets where you can be fairly profitable … Australia and the UK are opposite [in profitability] at this moment. It’s difficult to finds a solution so that everybody’s happy. We cannot simply play with the price [depending on currency changes] each year.”
And it’s not just Lamborghini: the Ferrari 458 Italia was 14% - or a wallet-scrunching AU$70,000 - pricier than the outgoing F430. Meanwhile the luxury car tax is up, import tariffs are down and inflation has reduced the price of more mainstream models by as much as AU$4,000. Scroll down for a breakdown of the price fluctuations over the past ten years.

Investigators Uncover Multi-Million Pound Tax Scam in India; European Exotics, Foreign Diplomats and Bollywood Actors Involved 

In what sounds more like the plot of a The Fast and the Furious movie than real life, investigators at India’s Directorate of Revenue Intelligence office (a.k.a. India’s IRS) have uncovered a massive exotic car smuggling operation in the nation’s capital of New Dehli. It all has to do with India’s notorious 100% import tax on new luxury vehicles. It began with one New Dehli luxury car dealer, Sumit Walia, importing brand new luxury cars on forged invoices. These invoices listed the cars as second-hand, which saved Walia – and his customers – some 40% on import tax. Some of the cars – which included Porsches, Bentleys and Aston Martins – were found to have been stolen from the streets of Britain, France, Singapore and Japan.
A month later, another scam – involving a London-based British-Indian car dealer and diplomats from New Delhi’s North Korean and Vietnamese embassies was uncovered. The diplomats would act as middle-men for rich buyers; buying the exotics under their names and therefore getting them tax-free. An official Directorate of Revenue Intelligence office had this to say about the investigation:
“Our investigators suspect around 300 to 400 luxury cars have been imported on fake papers and sold in all major cities across India using the same modus-operandi. The cars have been sold to politicians, celebrities, cricketers, Bollywood actors and many businessmen in the last four to five years.”
Some 40 cars have been impounded, including several Porsche Panameras and Aston Martin Rapides valued at £250,000 and £290,000 per unit. A £350,000 Bentley Continental Supersport was also among those vehicles recovered. Other vehicles have simply been abandoned by their owners on the streets of New Dehli. Investigators found that most of these vehicles were either illegally registered or displayed temporary plates.

Porsche Celebrates 10th Anniversary in China with Special Edition 911 Turbo S 

BMW isn't the only automaker releasing limited-edition models unique to the Chinese auto market. This week, Porsche took the wraps off the new 911 Turbo S Anniversary Edition to celebrate 10 years in China. Only 10 cars will be built and all of them are destined for the Chinese market. The package is purely cosmetic with the 911 Turbo finished in a Gold Bronze color contrasted by a carbon fiber hood and rear spoiler plus a gorgeous set of 19-inch Fuchs-style alloy wheels from the 911 Sport Classic. Inside, Porsche upholstered the special edition 911 in Alcantara and leather with bronze-gold stitching, and added carbon trim plus a new Sports Design steering wheel.
The anniversary edition of the 911 Turbo S is powered by the standard model’s 3.8-liter turbocharged flat six that’s good for 530-horses at 6,750 rpm and 700Nm (516.3 lb-ft) of peak torque delivered from 2,100 rpm to 4,250 rpm, linked to Porsche’s PDK gearbox. It can accelerate from standstill to 100km/h (62mph) in 3.3 seconds and tops out at 315 km/h (196 mph). 

Porsche Releases Details on All-Electric Boxster E RWD and AWD Prototypes 

Back in February, Porsche announced the development of three pure-electric prototypes based on the Boxster roadster, but aside from a single photo and the fact that the electric motors could produce up to 180kW/241HP, the Stuttgart-based automaker did not release any other details on the cars. After the demonstration of the Boxster E at last week’s Michelin Challenge Bibendum in Berlin, the company decided to share more information on the test cars that are being used as part of the government-funded “Model Region Electro-Mobility Stuttgart” large-scale trial to study the everyday practicality of all-electric vehicles. Of the three Boxster E prototypes, two are rear-wheel drive and one is all-wheel drive.
Propulsion for the four-wheel drive model is provided by two independent electric motors that act on the front and rear axles, producing a combined output of 180 kW / 241HP and a maximum total torque of 540 Nm / 398 lb-ft at approximately 12,000 rpm.
The rear drive unit includes the motor and transmission, together with the power electronics and is located where the manual gearbox and exhaust system are accommodated in the conventional Boxster, while the front electric motor takes up the space freed up by the gasoline model’s 64-liter fuel tank. An electric unit synchronizes the two electric motors and controls the drive torque distribution to the front and rear axle.
Porsche says the AWD Boxster E can complete the 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint in 5.5 seconds and reach a limited top speed of 200 km/h (124 mph)
The two rear-wheel drive models of Porsche’s prototype simply discard the electric motor located on the front axle and make do with the rear unit that delivers 90 kW / 121HP and 270 Nm / 199 lb-ft of torque. The RWD Boxster E can dash from a standing start to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 9.8 seconds, and has a top speed of 150 km/h (93 mph).
All Boxster E prototypes are equipped with a 29 kWh lithium-iron-phosphate based battery, which takes up the space of the combustion engine and offers a driving range of around 107 kilometers / 107 miles. The battery weighs in at 341kg / 752 pounds with the Boxster E tipping the scales at 1,600 kg / 3,527 pounds. The battery can be fully recharged through a conventional socket in approximately 9 hours; however, the charging time can be reduced with a rapid charging function.
According to Porsche, despite the electronic components, there’s enough space left for a luggage in the front storage compartment while the rear luggage area of the Boxster E remains unchanged.
In addition, both the rear- and four-wheel drive Boxster Es are equipped with an Active Sound Design system to provide drivers with acoustic feedback as well as to alert pedestrians and other road users of the car. 

New Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS adds All-Wheel Drive to the Mix 

Just when everyone believed that the 911 GT3 RS 4.0 was going to be Porsche's last version of its current 997 range, the Stuttgart-based carmaker announced yet another addition. It's called the 911 Carrera 4 GTS and it has been created by pairing the 911 Carrera GTS’s powertrain with an all-wheel drive system. Available as a Coupe and Cabriolet, the new model combines the 3.8-liter engine of the Carrera GTS with the German firm's all-wheel drive Porsche Traction Management system. The 3.8-liter flat-six develops 408 horsepower at 7,300 rpm and 420 Nm (309.8 lb-ft) of torque from 4,200 to 5,600 rpm. With this setup, the Carrera 4 GTS Coupe sprints to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.6 seconds, while the Cabriolet does it in 4.8 seconds, which are identical times to the Carrera GTS. Both the coupe and the convertible are fitted as standard with a six-speed manual transmission, while a seven-speed PDK gearbox is available as an option. With the PDK, the Coupe reaches 100 km/h from a standing start in 4.4 seconds.
Fuel economy ratings are identical to the Carrera 4S, as the coupe is rated at 11 liters/100 km (21.4 mpg), while the convertible returns 11.2 liters/100 km (21 mpg). However, compared to the RWD Carrera GTS, the Carrera 4 GTS consumes an additional 0.5 liters of gasoline for every 100 kilometers.
Visually, the 911 Carrera 4 GTS models sport a reflective stripe between the taillights plus the type name on the doors and engine lid. The cars ride on standard 19-inch RS Spyder black wheels with central locking. Additional details include the Sport-Design front bumper with black painted spoiler lip and side skirts.
Inside, the sport seats feature black Alcantara lining, a material that also covers the lower side of the dashboard, door panels, steering wheel rim, gearshift and handbrake lever.
The 911 Carrera 4 GTS Coupe has a starting price of €111,956 ($158,930) in Germany, while the Cabriolet costs €122,071 ($173,290). Both models will go on sale from July 2011 in their home market.
In the U.S., sales start this fall, with the 911 Carrera 4 GTS Coupe available at a base MSRP price of $110,200 while the 911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet is priced at $120,100.