Porsche 911 2014 News

The giant aero addition on the back of the latest Porsche test car can only belong to the extreme GT3 RS model.Carparazzi says the wing is unlikely to make production but it promises up to 50 per cent extra rear downforce and could be part of a track pack. Other keys to the RS package are wider tracks and a 0-100km/h sprint in about 3.5 seconds. 

THE Audi A3 small car -- which owes much of its DNA to the Volkswagen Golf -- has won the 2014 World Car of the Year, as voted by 69 jurors from 22 countries. The luxury hatch toppled the widely-tipped favourite, the Mazda3 from Japan, in the awards announced at the New York motor show today.The Audi A3 was among five German cars that took out a cleansweep of the 2014 World Car of the Year categories, and it was Audi’s second win in 10 years, having won the inaugural award. Indeed, German cars have won seven of the past 10 World Car of the Year awards, Japanese brands have won the remaining three.Accepting the award on behalf of the company, Audi's North America president Scott Keogh said: “The Audi A3 has only been on sale three weeks and already it’s off to a flying start.”Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of Audi, said: “This major award win is an achievement that the whole company can celebrate.”The Audi A3 was among 24 finalists that included the BMW i3 electric car, which won the Green Car of the Year and the Car Design of the Year. The Mercedes-Benz S-Class was the Luxury Car of the Year while the Porsche 911 GT3 was awarded top performance car honours.But the Mazda3 had emerged as an early favourite for the outright World Car of the Year award following rave reviews globally since it went on sale late last year. The previous generation Mazda3 has been Australia’s top selling car for two of the past three years, and was the vehicle that ended the Holden Commodore’s record 15-years as the market leader, in 2011.The Mazda3 is returned to the top of the sales charts so far this year -- after being overtaken by the Toyota Corolla in 2013 -- and is likely to take out top-seller status this year buoyed by the new model which went on sale in January.World car of the year winners2014 – Audi A32013 -- Volkswagen Golf Mk72012 -- Volkswagen Up2011 -- Nissan Leaf2010 -- Volkswagen Polo2009 -- Volkswagen Golf Mk62008 -- Mazda22007 -- Lexus LS4602006 -- BMW 3 Series2005 -- Audi A62014 World Car of The Year category winnersGreen car of the Year -- BMW i3 electric carCar Design of the Year -- BMW i3 electric carPerformance Car of the Year -- Porsche 911 GT3Luxury Car of the Year – Mercedes-Benz S-ClassThis reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling 

Porsche has told all owners of the current model 911 GT3 around the world to stop driving their vehicles and have them inspected by an authorised centre.The safety notice comes after reports last week that Porsche had stopped sales of the GT3 in Europe, in response to a  potential fire hazard with the high performance car.Photos taken by the Swiss police showed a GT3 engulfed by flames, and the police report said the driver pulled over after hearing noises coming from the engine bay, then noticed leaking oil and smoke before the car blazed.Porsche says just five cars in Australia are affected, and all the owners have been contacted with the offer for the carmaker to pick up the vehicles for inspection immediately."Safety is the number one priority at Porsche, and the company takes its responsibility seriously," a statement from Porsche Australia said, adding that engine damage had occurred in two European GT3s which then caught fire, but without any accidents or injury."Porsche has decided to inspect all 785 delivered vehicles worldwide. Porsche is currently investigating the cause and will provide further information as soon as possible," the statement said.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

Reports from overseas markets suggest Porsche has halted sales of the 911 GT3 in Europe as the carmaker moves swiftly to investigate a potential fire hazard with the high performance car. The 911 GT3 last sold here in 2011 as part of the previous 997 generation, priced from $276,200, but overseas markets get a GT3 variant of the current 991 generation.Photos have surfaced of a GT3 in flames on a Swiss police website, with emergency services personnel extinguishing the fire. The St Gallen police website reported:  "A Porsche has caught on fire on the Wilerstrasse. Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire. The car suffered a total loss in the amount of 200,000 Swiss francs ($248,000)."The report went on to say the GT3 had been travelling on the A1 highway towards St Gallen when the driver heard "strange noises" from the engine bay and pulled off the highway onto the Wilerstrasse. After stopping the car he noticed leaking oil and smoke coming from the rear-mounted engine, and shortly afterwards the GT3 caught fire, with the blaze being extinguished by the fire department. "The cause of the fire will be investigated by the Forensic Science Service of the Canton of St Gallen police," the police report says.An unconfirmed post on enthusiast forum Rennteam cited another GT3 catching fire in Italy, saying it was the fifth car in Europe reported to do so. The post detailed the the low oil pressure warning light activated before the car reportedly caught fire. Porsche is said to have issued a Stop Sale alert through its European dealer network. The carmaker prides itself on its meticulous engineering and has always been swift to respond with a safety recall on the rare occasions when there have been problems.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott

The New York motor show in April will see the announcement of which vehicle has won the 2014 World COTY, and there looks to be a tough -- and very varied -- field of finalists.Last year's winner was the Volkswagen Golf, which also took awards in pretty well every country on the globe. But this year it could be anything from the little electric BMW i3 to the offroading Jeep Cherokee and even the Citroen C4 peoplemover, judging by the shortlist.A panel of 69 motoring experts from around the world -- including Carsguide's Paul Gover and National Motoring Editor Joshua Dowling -- will choose the winner from: Audi A3, BMW 4 Series, BMW i3, Cadillac CTS, Citroen C4 Picasso, Ford Fusion/Mondeo, Infiniti Q50, Jeep Cherokee, Lexus IS, Mazda3, Peugeot 308 and Skoda Octavia.The 10 finalists for the 2014 World Luxury Car are the Bentley Flying Spur, BMW X5, Cadillac ELR, Cadillac Escalade, Maserati Ghibli, Maserati Quattroporte, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Porsche Macan, Range Rover Sport and Rolls-Royce Wraith.Due to a tie, there are 11 finalists for the 2014 World Performance Car: Alfa Romeo 4C, Audi RS 6 Avant, BMW M6 Gran Coupe, Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, Ferrari 458 Speciale, Ford Fiesta ST, Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Roadster, Mercedes-Benz A/CLA45 AMG, Porsche 911 GT3, Porsche 911 Turbo and Volkswagen Golf GTI.A separate panel of five 'green' experts will choose the 2014 World Green Car from Audi A3 Sportback e-tron (+ Audi e-gas), BMW i3, Honda Accord Hybrid, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and Volkswagen XL1.Similarly, a panel of five design experts will decide on the 2014 World Car Design of the Year, from among: BMW i3, Cadillac CTS, Citroen C4 Picasso, Mazda3, Lexus IS, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Volkswagen XL1.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

We all know the Middle East has a healthy abundance of big-dollar luxury and supercars, but this video juxtaposes the typical ‘bunch of hoons hanging in a carpark' situation with exotica from Ferrari, Porsche, Aston Martin, and Rolls Royce.This Ken Block-wannabe Ferrari 599 driver clearly has the budget of Block, but the skill level of a P-plater in a Gemini in the mall carpark after Coles shuts, as he slides precariously past a Ferrari 458, a pair of Californias, a Porsche 911 Cabriolet, a drop-top Aston and a Rolls-Royce Ghost - and a relatively pedestrian C7 Corvette.However unlike many Hagwalah drift videos, the gathering survives the clip unscathed, so perhaps the graduation from the usual Hyundai Sonata, Toyota Camry and Honda Accord fare is just the ticket to successful Middle Eastern drifting.Watch the Ferrari drifting around other exotics video on our desktop site. This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn 

The current generation of the Porsche 911 may not see a GT2 variant arrive, with the man responsible for 911 development, August Achleitner, reportedly suggesting it could be off the table.“Right now all I can say is that a decision has not been made,” he told Autocar. “There are reasons inside the company, and to write today that there will be a GT2 in the future would not be correct.”Achleitner said internal politics are preventing the GT2 getting the nod, but there are also technical hurdles arising in the comparison with the new Turbo S, which Porsche says will deliver a 0-100km/h time of 2.9 seconds. Autocar points out the 997 GT2 with its 390kW/680Nm twin-turbo 3.6-litre inline six did it in 3.7 seconds, while in the same era the 997 Turbo S with a 390kW/700Nm twin-turbo 3.8-litre did it in 3.4 -- so Porsche may decide the uprated new Turbo S performance is enough to make a GT2 unnecessary.However Achleitner did raise hopes for a GT3 RS, with a more powerful version of the 373kW 4.0-litre carried by the Limited Edition version of the 997 GT3 RS 4.0 in overseas markets -- a notch above the 'standard' 331kW/430Nm 3.8-litre GT3 RS sold in Australia at the time.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

Lexus claims its cars are all about the pursuit of perfection -- but Toyota’s luxury division has made a less than perfect claim for its new V8 coupe unveiled at the Detroit motor show overnight. The company says the Lexus RC F has the “world-first use” of a Torque Vectoring Differential in a front-engine, rear-drive sports vehicle.The problem with that claim is that both the Jaguar F-Type convertible and coupe and Holden Special Vehicles GTS sedan introduced torque vectoring technology last year; Porsche’s 911 has had it for two years, although it is a rear-engined vehicle. “Torque Vectoring” is geek-speak for technology that can prevent a car from having a rear-wheel skid. Lexus claims its system works differently to others, however, the result is the same. Meanwhile, the world’s motoring media became frustrated with Lexus’ decision to not reveal more details about the performance of its new hero car, a pointer to the upcoming Lexus IS F replacement. Although Lexus appears to have over-hyped that claim too. Lexus said the RC F had the “most powerful ever Lexus 5.0-litre V8”, but the company would not say how much power or how fast the car would complete the 0 to 100km/h dash.One of the most popular automotive websites in the US, Jalopnik, summed up the mood at the show when it vented on Twitter: “The Lexus RC-F is faster than a Shelby Cobra, maybe. We dunno.” “The Lexus press conference debuting the RC F Coupe wasn't just slim when it came to details. It was totally devoid of them. No official specs, no nothing,” wrote Jalopnik.Lexus said the V8 concept coupe had “at least” 335kW of power and 520Nm of torque. The current Lexus IS F V8 sedan has 311kW and 505Nm. So no rocket grenade improvement, then. The end. Next story please.      

The US car industry has come full circle and returns to old-fashioned horsepower at this year's Detroit motor show, with large pick-ups and "America's Ferrari" set to steal the limelight from imported exotica.Centre of attention at the show, which opened overnight Australian time, is Ford's new F Series truck, which has for decades held the title as the planet's favourite vehicle and makes a watershed move to aluminium construction.The bold decision, aimed at cutting fuel consumption, takes aluminium mainstream and makes Forda pioneer in volume production using the metal.Demand for pick-ups has rebounded since the global financial crisis and Ford sold more than 760,000 of the outgoing F Series last year, up 18 per cent.It has kept details of the redesign secret and will hope it can upstage its rival from General Motors, the Chevrolet Silverado, tipped to win Truck of the Year.US buyers strongly favour full-size pick-ups but last year GM broke ranks and offered a version of the smaller Colorado, described as "mid-size" in the US. At a preview event for the show, GM unveiled the GMC Canyon, a more upmarket version of the Colorado with a bull nose and acres of chrome.It marked the first appearance for Mary Barra since she was named chief executive - the only woman to lead one of the car giants. "I'm honoured to stand here tonight and humbly lead this team," Ms Barra said. "It's a team of men and women doing unbelievably great work."It comes just weeks after GM shed its "government motors" tag, with Washington selling the last of the shares acquired during the GFC. As well as a truck award, GM is also in the running for Car of the Year with two out of the three finalists -- a Cadillac and its reborn Chevrolet Corvette. The new Corvette has earned a reputation for delivering Italian sportscar performance at a fraction of the price. A track-focused version, called the Z06, will be GM's show star.The Z06 will compete for crowd attention with the Ford Mustang, which makes its first public appearance after private unveilings last month.GM's recovery milestone has a parallel at Chrysler, after Fiat recently acquired complete control.The smallest of the US "Big Three" is now wholly foreign-owned but rebounding thanks to a focus on Americana, with its controversially redesigned Jeep Cherokee SUV winning over sceptics. It too is in the running for Truck of the Year.Unlike the F Series and Corvette, it will be shipped to Australia starting mid-year. Hometown drawcards will force foreign brands backstage despite an impressive line-up.German and Japanese carmakers are also stressing traditional petrol-driven horsepower with an exceptional crop of performance cars. BMW debuts two halo junior executives in the M3 sedan and M4 coupe, which drop V8s in favour of six cylinders but have more power and better efficiency thanks to turbocharging.Lexus has the M4 in its sights with the RC F, a V8 coupe based on its mid-size luxury sedan. Meanwhile, Mercedes rolls out its next generation C-Class and a tuned version of its small off-roader, the GLA 45 AMG; Porsche shows a retro-flavoured 911 Targa sportscar; and Mini a concept that previews the upcoming John Cooper Works go-fast edition.Audi will attract attention for a crossover concept. It is expected to preview its smallest SUV yet, likely to be called Q1. The Detroit show has yet to return to its glory days of over-the-top presentations and for-the-fun-of-it concept cars, but the industry has been bolstered by 15.6 million sales last year and newfound confidence after the economic storm of four years ago.   

The silk has been officially pulled off the 2014 Porsche 911 Targa -- although official photos also leaked onto the internet from a Chinese website in the early hours of the morning. As expected from spy photos and earlier leaks, the 911 Targa echoes the classic roof design of its 1960s ancestors, while the B-pillar has been beefed up to add more strength.The roof is comprised of a soft top, lightweight magnesium frame and glass rear window. The centre roof section slides back at the touch of a button, furling neatly behind the rear seats in a 19-second choreography that includes the window opening and tilting to allow the fabric top to pass and be stowed into its compartment, while the window closes once it's clear.Porsche is initially launching with all-wheel drive Targa 4 and Targa 4S variants, carryng the 257kW/390Nm 3.4-litre and 294kW/440Nm 3.8-litre flat sixes, each availavle with a seven-speed manual or PDK dual-clutch auto transmission. The German carmaker claims a 0-100km/h time of 4.8 seconds for the Targa 4 and 4.4 seconds for the 4S.The chassis has been given a working over to ensure it maintains its road manners with the new roof, helped by torque vectoring to aid cornering and the option of the Porsche Sports Chrono pack to up the performance.Porsche has confirmed that the 911 Targa will apear locally by mid-year, and command a premium of $2,300-$3,300 over existing Cabriolet models.2014 Porsche 911 Targa pricing:Porsche 911 Targa 4 manual - $247,900Porsche 911 Targa 4 PDK auto - $253,850Porsche 911 Targa 4S manual - $285,100Porsche 911 Targa 4S PDK auto - $291,050