Porsche can't be too happy about its 911 Turbo getting trounced so thoroughly by something as plebian as the new Nissan GT-R, so its engineers have focused their frustration into... new taillights.
Auto Express has several spy shots of an all but completely undisguised test mule undergoing cold-weather trials in the frozen north. The photos of the updated twin-turbo prototype don't reveal much beyond some mild cosmetic changes, but there are also rumored to be some mild mechanical changes in the works, as well. Sources suggest the revised 911 Turbo will bow in Paris this coming October.
[Source: Auto Express]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
El Stigõ @ Feb 5th 2008 12:41PM
Muy uninspiring shape. Here in Mexico, if we saw rear lights like that, we would assume that the person is a Chicago Bears fan.
GT @ Feb 5th 2008 12:41PM
I think Porsche will have to up their hp output in order to 1up the GT-R...man I love competition
meshies @ Feb 5th 2008 1:35PM
Good job dude... Just leave those 3 letters out of the convo when talking about other vehicles. The fanboys piss their pants and launch nukes. Let the games begin.
GT @ Feb 6th 2008 5:33PM
lol ok i wont mention the forbidden one again ^.^;
im just glad Porsche's finally has a reason to upgrade their cars
Eddie @ Feb 5th 2008 12:51PM
I think the new 997 Turbo with DSG and a few more HP will beat the GTR. I dont think Porsche will let Nissan have a faster car for too long.
NYChic @ Feb 5th 2008 12:55PM
Porsche will always remain near the top of the sports car hierarchy. Speed, acceleration, and lap time do not completely dictate what makes a great automobile. There is a lot to be considered such as physical feel, driving dynamics, as well as the aural sensations driving a fine automobile entail. My Cayman S is not the quickest, not the fastest, not the most nimble, but it does provide an excellent driving experience, combined with great sounds from the area directly behind the driver's seat, and one of the best manual transmissions available.
stefan @ Feb 5th 2008 12:57PM
The new turbo may be faster than the GTR, but the V-spec is on the way.
DonatoM3 @ Feb 5th 2008 12:58PM
Yeah but unfortunately for Porsche all the reviews of the GT-R so far point at the GT-R excelling in all of these areas as well as leaving the driver feeling more confident behind the wheel.
Daniel @ Feb 5th 2008 1:02PM
I don't see why Porsche should care. At the end of the day the GT-R is still... a Nissan.
Soccer Mom @ Feb 5th 2008 1:11PM
Who cares that GT-R is a little faster?! It still looks like an old-school Nissan with very questionable design ideas, while Porsche is still Porsche.
Andrew @ Feb 5th 2008 4:00PM
Agreed.
spdracerut @ Feb 5th 2008 1:43PM
People care because we're talking about 'performance' cars.
Porsche has to up it's game because of the GT-R AND the ZR1. The ZR1 also set the 911 turbo as its target benchmark (overall package meaning nice stuff in addition to power/handling/etc)
Andrew Tanasescu @ Feb 5th 2008 1:57PM
I dont get this whole "its a Nissan" comment I see alot of people throwing around. Nissan has a pretty deep racing heritage too. I doubt the build quaility is going to be perfect and top notch, but I bet the GT-R is a hell of a car. Porsche got beat, there is no real way to ignore that. I dont think Porsche owners that take advantage of their cars would appreciate paying more for a car that is triumphed on almost all aspects by a car that is cheaper
If it was my money I had to spend between a GT-R and a Turbo (granted I have it..) id have to do some serious thinking. Hopefully Porsche will make my choice easier.
John R @ Feb 5th 2008 2:01PM
+1
Grain @ Feb 5th 2008 2:16PM
and let me guess.... a ZR1 is still a Chevy, huh? Being so angry that Nissan and Chevrolet produced cars that trashed the 911 turbo is not good for your health. And btw, I do respect the 911 Turbo, but with a comment like the one you and the rest of the Porsche fanboys have made, I'm slowly losing respect for this automobile and will keep hoping that other auto manufacturers will continue to produce 911 beating machines (for a crap load less cash).
Andrew Tanasescu @ Feb 5th 2008 2:31PM
They really need to fix the reply function. I have no clue who this is directed to, but for some reason I felt it was directed torwards me since I only mentioned the GT-R and not the ZR1.
For one, the ZR1 is a chevy. your right. and its a hell of a car. I even defended the car in the "VIDEO: Corvette ZR1 track attack", when someone tried hating on the car. I dont think anyone that respects car can seriously hate on corvettes.
Dan @ Feb 5th 2008 2:23PM
very true.
zamafir @ Feb 5th 2008 2:35PM
"Porsche can't be too happy about its 911 Turbo getting trounced so thoroughly by something as plebian as the new Nissan GT-R, so its engineers have focused their frustration into... new taillights. "
Lmao, awesome.
"Acht, Sheisse, wir mussen es schneller machen... aber... aber... wir haben kein zeit..."
'Ich glaube wir konnen den licht besser machen..'
"Ja.. Ja... den licht, toll!... Muss... licht... besser... machen" (in angry, narcissistic, determined german voice).
Grain @ Feb 5th 2008 3:03PM
Andrew, it wasn't directed to you, but the "it's still a Nissan.." comment instead.
Franz @ Feb 5th 2008 3:23PM
Oh, the GT-R vs 911 Turbo debates... I dunno why we all just can't get along. Porsche lovers will always buy Porsche. Nissan lovers... and possibly a few deserters with a bit less cash will wait out the dealer gouging and get themselves a GT-R. On the street and on paper, there's hardly anything between them except for MSRP. Even on the track it'll pretty much come down to the better driver.
I'm a Nissan lover who's owned the three previous generation GT-Rs. They've always been fabulous cars. A huge selling point has always been the tunability of the RB26 motor, now long gone. Would I own a Porsche? Hell yeah! But if it came down to it, I'd still pick a GT-R right now because I've been waiting for this car for years. That takes nothing away from Porsche though, because if finances allowed, they'd both be parked side by side in my garage. The ZR1 wouldn't even factor in because I don't really like Corvettes, or superchargers. But it's an impressive piece too, no doubt.
And people keep saying the GT-R is "still a Nissan" like it's a bad thing. Grow up guys. Don't be mad because a simple Nissan is kicking a lot of exotic car butt.