Porsche 911 2001 News

Newly-retired Formula 1 driver Mark Webber says he'll contest his first Bathurst 12 Hour endurance race in 2015, sharing his Porsche with Australian movie star Eric Bana. Barely two days after his final F1 grand prix in Brazil, Webber revealed his intention to compete in Australia's longest motor race via Twitter on Tuesday.Asked by a fan whether he will be driving for Porsche at the growing sportscar race at Bathurst's Mount Panorama track in February next year, Webber replied on Twitter: "15 with @EricBana67 @jamestomkins65" Bana responded "Sounds like a plan".It is likely the 37-year-old Webber will drive a Porsche 911 GT3 at the sportscar endurance event, having just signed with the German sports car maker.Bana, best known for his roles in Chopper, Black Hawk Down, Hulk, Munich and Troy, is a renowned car enthusiast, producing and starring in the feature-length documentary "Love the Beast".He has previously raced in the Bathurst 12 Hour as well as the Targa Tasmania rallies and the Porsche GT3 challenge.Webber quit Formula 1 after 12 seasons in the category to switch to sports car racing with German manufacturer Porsche.The Australian will link up with his new team in January and is yet to reveal his 2014 schedule, but has confirmed he will be attending the Australian F1 Grand Prix on Porsche's behalf.The Bathurst 12 Hour has been rapidly building its reputation internationally, with exotic sportscars from Porsche, Ferrari, Mercedes and Audi contesting this year's race.www.heraldsun.com.au 

The car is the next step in the 911-rollout that will eventually lead to the Turbo and GT2 and track-ready GT3 road racer.

The new Porsche 911 convertible shares its new, high tech aluminium-steel body with the Coupe, and the convertible extends this innovation to its new roof. When raised, the design of the roof ensures the iconic 911 roof line is retained in its entirety. Intelligent lightweight design, including the use of magnesium in the frame, ensures reduced weight for increased responsiveness, lower fuel consumption and greater comfort. As is the case with the Coupe model, the new 911 Cabriolet is significantly lighter overall than its predecessor. Combined with lower weight, the new 911 Cabriolet models share the longer wheelbase, wider front track and the new electro-mechanical power steering of their Coupe siblings, ensuring the open-roofed models offer more sporting driving characteristics, greater precision and agility compared to the prior model. In addition, there are further standard or optional active control systems available that further enhance driving dynamics. The Cabriolet models offer the same powertrain line-up of rear-mounted, flat-six engines as the Coupe equivalents in 3.4-litre and 3.8-litre flat six cylinder form with manual or automated manual transmissions

Only about five Porsche 911 Sport Classics — a hand-built, bespoke celebration of the 911's 40-year history — will come to Australia from a fixed global production run of just 250. So exclusive is the car that Porsche Australia spokesman Paul Ellis doesn't know the final price and has yet to take any orders. "But we know we'll sell what we can get," he says. "This is a very exclusive car that is basically hand built. It even has a woven leather interior as well as the very best components from Porsche." The Porsche 911 Sport Classic revives the aura of one of its most outstanding models, the 1973 Carrera RS 2.7. It's taken Porsche three years to develop this car and yet it will make only 250 units. To be shown at next week's Frankfurt Motor Show, the Sport Classic has been developed by the company's specialist department, Porsche Exclusive. Reflecting the Carrera's design is the Sport Classic's ducktail rear spoiler and the Fuchs-style design of the special custom-made alloy wheels. The distinctive double-dome roof is borrowed from the style of the 911 Panamericana show car and in the roofline of the Carrera GT. The coupe is further defined by its more powerful engine, unique exterior with reshaped front and rear styling, a new centre section in the roof, new side sills and new shape of front and rear lights. Porsche says that every car in this limited series comes in an exclusive paint colour called Sport Classic Grey with subtle dark trim strips. The interior is finished in Espresso Nature and is claimed to go further than the current customising portfolio available on the other 911 models. Power comes from a worked version of the 3.8-litre flat-six engine that now delivers 300kW. The engine has a unique six-butterfly intake manifold. The Sport Classic has a six-speed manual transmission and sprints to 100km/h from rest in 4.6 seconds and on to a top speed of 302km/h. Fuel consumption, for those who care, is claimed to average 10.6 litres/100km. While the limited edition 911 Sport Classic is based on the 911 Carrera S, it has aluminium doors and features the rear bodywork of the all-wheel drive models — meaning it is 44mm wider and has a rear track extended by 34mm.