Porsche 911 2013 News

The Porsche 911 is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2013, and the iconic sports coupe is as widely adored as ever. Porsche’s marketing team is making the most of this milestone, with the latest evidence being the above video that outlines Jeff Zwart’s long-time appreciation for the model.Jeff Zwart has been in charge of Porsche's advertising campaigns for over two decades, but his 911 experience extends back to the very first car he ever drove.Yep, Zwart learned to drive in his father’s original 901 model 911. He has since raced 911 models in the Pikes Peak hillclimb 15 times. So he knows a thing or two about 911s, and was obsessed with the unique sound of the early 911’s air-cooled flat six long before he could drive.He credits the 911’s lasting appeal to Porsche’s ability to evolve the model, yet remain familiar. Through the years, the 911 has gone from being a relatively basic sports car to a near-supercar that satisfies all modern safety and efficiency demands, with a model lineup that spans from the Carrera to the current top-fiddle Turbo S.Despite this evolution, the 911’s road and track performance duality has remained. Zwart credits the 911’s ongoing suitability for racing to Porsche’s continuous motorsport involvement.Watch the video here.This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn 

Porsche has revealed the new 911 Turbo and Turbo S convertibles ahead of their debut at November's Los Angeles motor show. The droptop duo echoes their recently launched hardtop siblings with the widest body yet seen in the 911 range, to which has been added a lightweight magnesium-framed fabric roof that closes in 13 seconds at speeds up to 60km/h.Both are powered by Porsche's new turbocharged 3.8-litre boxer six-cylinder delivering 383kW of power and 660Nm of torque in the Turbo Cabriolet and 412kW/700Nm in the 911 Turbo S, with 30 per cent improved fuel economy of 9.9L/100km (and 231g.km CO2) on the European cycle.The PDK dual-clutch transmission is now standard, however while the manual entry level version of the 2012 range is gone, the entry price has dropped slightly from its $390,000.The order books have already opened on the cars in Australia, with prices set at $388,800 for the 911 Turbo Cabriolet ($10,000 less than the previous model). However there's a rise of about $21,000 on the 911 Turbo S Cabriolet at $463,100 -- plus onroads.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

Premium sports car maker Porsche earns more money on every car sold than any other manufacturer in the world, according to a survey by the German Centre for Automotive Research based at Duisburg-Essen University.In the first half of this year, Porsche made an average profit of $24,500 per car or about 18.4 per cent of the showroom price, said the survey, published in the popular Autobild motoring gazette.The figure excludes tax or interest rates and was calculated using reliable operative trading figures. It also excluded ancillary activities, such as motorcycle production in the case of BMW, or Toyota’s property interests.Porsche earlier this year slashed the prices of its range in Australia by 7.5 per cent to 13 per cent on 911 sports cars, 5 per cent across the Boxster convertible and Cayman coupe ranges, and 10 per cent off all Cayenne SUV models. That meant $5500 off the Boxster convertible (down from $107,000 to $101,500), and up to $36,300 off the 911.The company has also trimmed the price of parts replaced during routine servicing by 25 per cent. However, the new prices barely counter Porsche Australia’s increases over the past five years, which have outpaced inflation. The reductions are part of Porsche’s plan to double sales in Australia by 2020, to 2500 cars each year.

But, in case you have no idea, Dan is The Man for Australia in Formula One as Mark Webber heads for retirement and a pension plan with Porsche in sports cars at the end of the year. Ricciardo is a 24-year-old from Perth who has been fast-tracked to the best team in grand prix racing, where he will compete alongside triple champion - perhaps a four-time winner by the end of 2013? - Sebastian Vettel at Red Bull Racing.So he's basically taking Webber's place in a like-for-likely Aussie swap. That's great news for Ricciardo, and Australia's F1 fans, but there is much more to the story.Dashing Dan is proof that driver training works and also that there is still a place for old-fashioned values in the 21st century. The first time I met Ricciardo, he was what's called the 'Friday Driver' at the Toro Rosso team. So he got track time, engineering training time and experience against the aces on grand prix weekends, without actually racing.He was running on the equivalent of P plates after building up through the learning stages that begin in go karts, being coached and mentored through every step towards his F1 dream.Ricciardo's training is not so different from learning to win - some would say survive - on the road. He began by learning the basics of car control and etiquette in karts, stretching the envelope for each step higher up the motorsport ladder, just as a new driver on the road needs to learn to work the controls and control their car, before understanding the rules in traffic, the needs for long-distance driving and the challenges at night and in bad weather. Some people say that advanced driver training makes youngsters over-confident and encourages them to take risks on the road.My belief, and it's backed by plenty of others - not just racing drivers like Mark Skaife, although he is a safety champion - is that you can never had too much training or experience. If that was the case, pilots would only get minimal tuition and nothing in the way of cockpit upgrades or refreshers as they move up from single-engined trainers to an Airbus A380.Coming back to Ricciardo, he is also an absolute credit to his parents Joe and Grace. I've spoken to them both, once when Grace was in England helping set him up away from home in Perth, and they are straightforward, open and helpful. So is their son, and that's incredibly rare in motorsport.Ricciardo is a thorough gentleman, who makes time, returns calls and seems happy just to be a regular bloke who likes music and fun and fooling around as much as any 24-year-old. Despite his high-pressure job in the billion-dollar F1 fishbowl.He also understands there is more to life than F1, happily taking on braces at the start of his time with Toro Rosso and even knocking back a chance to drive a Porsche. "No, thanks. I don't think I can be trusted," he tells me when I offer him the keys to a 911 at the Australian grand prix."You drive. I'm happy. Besides, it might be too much temptation," he laughs. "Maybe when I can afford one myself." Well, right now Daniel Riccardo should have no trouble handling the fastest Porsche 911 turbo, or finding the cash to put one - like Webber - in his driveway.This reporter is on Twitter: @PaulWardGover

This camouflage-free test car is caught by Carparazzi, which is still predicting 405 kiloWatts of power from the latest development of the flat-six in the tail.

Volkswagen recently rolled out its new hyper-efficient XL1, and the stats are impressive. It's a lightweight two-seater designed with a sharp focus on returning superior fuel economy. Volkswagen has learned plenty of new engineering tricks over the course of the development of the XL1.Now comes word that the automaker may be looking to ply those tricks into the development of a high-performance machine. Is there a super lightweight sporting variant of the XL1 on the horizon? It seems the answer might be yes and no.According to CAR, Volkswagen is taking a look at what they might be able to produce based on the knowledge gained from producing the XL1. This includes carbon-fibre composite monocoque construction, aerodynamic shaping, and the ability to shave massive amounts of weight.The XL1, after all, is a sleek two door that weighs in at just 787kg. Now imagine around that much curb weight being pushed by more than a two-cylinder diesel and an electric motor. The resulting car, internally being called the XR1, could push production car power-to-weight figures to new heights.It's wonderful to hear that efficient technology could find a way to make sports cars more exciting. Rumor has it that the XR1 could be poised to take on such performance icons as the Porsche 911. Power would come from the VW 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder unit, which would allow the XR1 to blast from 0-100 kilometres per hour in under 5 seconds while also returning stellar fuel economy.Keep your eyes and ears open for more on this one, we know we'll be paying close attention for any updates on the XR1 project.www.motorauthority.com 

The car was snapped testing at Germany’s Nürburgring recently, where engineers are using a makeshift body of the latest 911 GT3 but several elements reveal the true identity of the test car.Look closely and you’ll see widened wheel arches, extra-wide rubber at the rear, and new side intakes for the turbocharged engine (the 911 GT3 is naturally aspirated). The wheels and brakes are also larger than those fitted to the 911 GT3 and the rear wing much taller. Additional aero pieces have been tacked onto the rear, presumably to boost downforce.Like the previous 911 GT2, the new model will feature a similar spec to the contemporary 911 Turbo, the new 2014 911 Turbo, but to separate the two the 911 GT2 will stick to rear-wheel drive and have a higher output. This means it will feature a twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre flat-six engine, four-wheel steering and engine stop-start technology.Peak output is expected to register at 412 kilowatts, which is on par with the output of the latest 911 Turbo S and 22 kilowatts more than the output of the previous 911 GT2. As for the transmission, Porsche’s seven-speed PDK dual-clutch unit is likely to replace the previous 911 GT2’s six-speed manual. If that last tidbit doesn’t sit well with you, we suggest reading this article.Initial performance specs are a top speed in excess of 322km/h and an approximate 0-100km/h time of 3.0 seconds or less. Look out for a debut at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show next March, with sales to commence shortly after.By 2015, a new generation of the ultimate 911, the infamous 911 GT2 RS, is expected to land. This model is expected to match the 456 kilowatts of the outgoing model but benefit from a lighter curb weight, the quick-shifting PDK and the new four-wheel-steering setup.www.motorauthority.com 

Following the reveal of the new 2014 Porsche 911 Turbo last week, we’re now down to just a few Type 991 Porsche 911 variants that are yet to surface. They include new generations of the 911 Targa, 911 GT3 RS and supercar-rivalling 911 GT2 and 911 GT2 RS. Today, we have the first details on the new 911 GT2, courtesy of Autocar. The British outlet reports that we’ll see the car at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show next March. It will once again feature a similar spec to its 911 Turbo sibling, but to separate the two the 911 GT2 will stick to rear-wheel drive and have a higher output. This means it will feature a twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre flat-six engine, four-wheel steering and engine stop-start technology. Peak output is said to at least match the 412kW of the recently unveiled 911 Turbo S, representing a 22kW boost over the outgoing 911 GT2.  As for the transmission, Porsche’s seven-speed PDK dual-clutch unit is said to replace the outgoing model’s six-speed manual. Initial performance specs include a top speed in excess of 320km/h and a 0-96km/h time of 3.0 seconds or less. By 2015, the new 911 GT2 RS is expected to land. This model is expected to match the 456kW of the outgoing model but should benefit from a lighter curb weight, the quick-shifting PDK and the new four-wheel steering setup. www.motorauthority.com  

The price premium on Australian-delivered Porsches continues, but things are a changin'. As a result of the soaring Aussie dollar and market pressure, Porsche has now dropped the price of some models -- although we still pay nearly twice as much for a Porsche as a US buyer.Porsche Australia says it cut the prices to remain competitive. They want to double sales here by 2020, which translates into 2500 vehicles. The price cuts range from 7.5 per cent to 13 per cent on 911 sports cars, 5 per cent across the Boxster convertible and Cayman coupe ranges, and 10 per cent off every Cayenne SUV.It means $5500 off the cheapest model, the Boxster convertible (down from $107,000 to $101,500). Significantly, the price cuts equate to some $36,300 discount on the current flagship of the 911 sports-car range, the Carrera 4 Cabriolet ($280,900 to $244,600).The company has also trimmed the price of parts replaced during routine servicing by 25 per cent. Porsche price rises over the past five years have outpaced inflation. In the US, a base model Porsche Carrera 911 is $84,300. Here, the same car goes for $229,400, some of it accounted for in taxes.

Following the series of mishaps afflicting Mark Webber’s Chinese Grand Prix over the weekend, including the inadequate amount of fuel that was placed in his car during qualifying, which led to him starting the race from pit lane, one might easily think the Aussie is ready to quit his Red Bull Racing team.There’s a lot of speculation suggesting Webber is about to do just that, along with announcing a new deal with Porsche that will see him drive for the German automaker in its assault on the 24 Hours of Le Mans next year.In fact, Radio Le Mans reported today that Webber had already signed a five-year deal with Porsche. However, nothing could be further from the truth, said Porsche R&D boss Wolfgang Hatz during a recent interview with Auto Action. "We still have plenty of time to decide our driver line up,” Hatz said. “There is a test plan, and for sure Mark Webber is not part of them.” At the same time, Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner has vehemently denied that there was a team conspiracy against Webber.He’s also revealed that investigations were underway at the Red Bull team to determine the cause of the recent problems afflicting Webber’s performance.Webber has been closely linked with Porsche for several years and even bought a 911 GT2 as one of his personal cars. He’s also no stranger to Le Mans racing, having piloted a Mercedes-Benz CLR prototype at the famous race more than a decade ago.If Webber does join Porsche for this Le Mans campaign next year, he wouldn’t be the first F1 driver to move to endurance racing. Just this season Brunno Senna went from racing for Williams in F1 to racing an Aston Martin Vantage GTE in the World Endurance Championship.www.motorauthority.com