With every iteration of the 911, Porsche makes incremental improvements to its iconic sports car and naturally, the next generation will be no exception.

This latest 911 prototype was caught at the Nurburgring sporting 997 sheetmetal, but it's what's on top and out back that deserves note. A double-bubble roof panel has been fitted, while underneath the rear camouflage is a sizeable wing and additional ducting. Look closely and you'll see a small sill at the base of the rear windscreen that's assumed to be feeding the rear-mounted flat-six – likely necessary keep the boxer cool while Porsche engineers figure out how the new contoured roof affects aerodynamics. If previous reports are to be believed, we can expect the next 911 to debut sometime in 2010, but we wouldn't rule out an appearance at the Frankfurt Motor Show this September.

Porsche plans to expand its Panamera line-up to include three new powerplants – a Volkswagen-sourced V6, a diesel and some manner of hybrid – but in addition to offering new engines, the automaker may offer a harder, more performance-oriented model to slot in above the Turbo.

Similar to the strategy Porsche employed with the Cayenne, this new model – which could be dubbed the Turbo S or GTS – would nix the Turbo model's standard air suspension and instead fit a set of performance-tuned springs and shocks to maximize grip and on-track prowess.

As for future powertrains, a senior Porsche executive told Autocar that VAG's V6 and V8 diesels could be fitted to future Panameras, and we wouldn't be surprised to find the new Audi S4's supercharged, petrol-powered 3.0-liter V6 in Porsche's first production sedan in the coming years.



[Source: Autocar]

In an interview with German magazine Motor Zeitung, Porsche's R&D director Wolfgang Dürheimer discussed the possibility of electrifying the iconic 911 sports car. Legendary Porsche tuners Ruf first showed a battery-powered prototype 911 called the eRuf last fall and then revealed a second-generation version (pictured) at the Geneva Motor Show in March. The eRuf Greenster was a major improvement over the original and Dürheimer praised the achievement of the smaller company.

Dürheimer doesn't rule out an electrified sports car in the future, but feels the technology is not quite ready for Porsche prime-time. The problem revolves around the size and weight of the batteries, and even discarding the conventional powertrain leaves the Greenster with a deficit of at least 500 pounds compared to a normal 911... and no luggage space to boot. As battery technology progresses, however, we can certainly expect a battery-powered sports car to emerge from Zuffenhausen in due course.



[Source: Motor Zeitung]
Photos Copyright ©2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Porsche is profitable and it owns a big chunk of the far larger Volkswagen, yet cash seems to be in short supply. Automotive News is reporting that the world-renowned luxury sports car maker's 1.75 billion euro ($2.45 billion USD) loan request from German state bank KFW has been rejected, leaving Porsche to search elsewhere for funding. Porsche secured 10.75 billion euros ($15.1B) in financing from banks in March to feed its 9 billion euro debt ($12.6B) mountain, but it's looking for alternative means for financing its cash crunch.

Porsche has already looked outside of Europe for funding to handle its mounting debt, as it worked with the Arab emirate of Qatar to secure a sizable stake in the company. VW, smelling blood in the water, reportedly gave Porsche an ultimatum, offering up 3-4 billion euro ($4.2-$5.6B) for 49% of the sports car maker in exchange for not forcing the repayment of a 700 million euro loan ($983M) in September. Porsche responded by saying that ultimatums don't belong in the 21st century. Unfortunately, bankruptcies are all too common in the new economy, so the proud German company may have to dig a bit deeper to keep themselves from falling into the financial abyss.

[Source: Automotive News (subs req'd) | Image: Michael Latz/Getty]

Porsche maintains it still has its mojo, but Volkswagen is treating the company like Porsche's got lunch money and VW is hungry. VW -- which Porsche effectively owns -- loaned Porsche €700 million ($983.8 million) earlier this year, with Porsche due to pay it back in September. As collateral for the loan Porsche used its wholesale distribution arm Porsche Holding GmbH.

The way things are going for Porsche, it might not be able to make that September repayment. So VW and the state of Lower Saxony made an offer: Porsche has until the end of June to accept an offer by VW to pay €3 to €4 billion ($4.2 billion to $5.6 billion) for a 49% Porsche's car business. If Porsche doesn't accept, then VW will "insist" Porsche repay the full amount of the loan in September. If Porsche can't come up with the coin VW could walk away with Porsche Holding GmbH.

Porsche, plucky as ever, didn't want to hear about any of that, saying "Ultimatums do not belong in the 21st century.... We hope very much in the interest of the common goals that the authors of the ultimatum regain their calm..." The crew at VW quickly issued a response, with one spokesperson simply saying, "There is no ultimatum."

Porsche has plenty of time to sort things out, and its investment talks with Qatar, which would greatly help its debt situation, are said to "have entered the final stretch." Thanks for the tip, C. Halen

[Source: Reuters, Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

The Porsche Human Performance Center is a part of Porsche's Driving Experience Center at Silverstone. At the latter facility they'll show you how to be the best racing driver. The former facility is to train you to become the fittest racing driver, with a team of instructors to assess and create driver-specific training regimes.

Porsche wants to show just how good its instructors are by setting twelve of them on a treadmill during this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed and seeing how far they can run. The distance record for relay runners on treadmills over 48 hours is 495.76 miles -- that averages each person running more than 20 miles each day. If you tire of the on-track festivities and want to work off some pastries, there will be a second treadmill where you can pace yourself against them.

[Source: Inside Line]

Despite numerous reports to the contrary, Executive Vice-President for Sales and Marketing Klaus Berning says Porsche is not currently planning a fifth model line at this time. This news shouldn't come as much of a surprise given that the German automaker has its hands full launching its first-ever four-door sedan in the midst of the worst worldwide recession in recent memory.

Still, the possibility remains in the future that Porsche could take another look at the sportscar market below the current Boxter and Cayman or even consider dropping a four-cylinder engine option in its standard-bearing 911. After all, Porsche will need to deal with the same increasingly strict pressures to improve fuel efficiency and environmental performance as any other automaker.

Further, Berning would like to set the record straight when it comes to Porshce's finances and its oft-talked-about merger with Volkswagen:

In the car business we are one of the very few car makers the world over still writing black figures today... Our operative return on turnover is in the double digit percentage range - a level of profitablity other manufacturers can only dream of. Our brand alone is a precious jewel... believe me, this small manufacturer of exclusive sporting cars is strong - very strong. I promise you that in a symbiosis with the Volkswagen Group Porsche will retain the independence and freedom we need to continue our success in business.

Well now, that sounds definitive, wouldn't you say?



[Source: CarsGuide.com.au]

Porsche invited us to Germany to be one of the first to drive its all-new Panamera, the company's first four-door sedan. We spent three days assailing the Bavarian Alps, streaking across the German Autobahn, and meandering through picturesque Alpine towns. We touched 170 mph at one point and sat stagnant in city traffic during another. What were Porsche's objectives with this new sedan? How does it drive? Who's going to buy it? And, most importantly, does the Panamera deserve to wear the coveted Porsche crest? Find out after the jump...



All Photos Copyright ©2009 Michael Harley / Weblogs, Inc.

Say what you will about the styling of the Porsche Panamera, the company's merchandising division cranks out some seriously lust-worthy designs. Some of them have nothing to do with their automotive namesake, but here's an instance of Porsche Design working in concert with the automobile division to give drivers something a little more handy than a baseball cap or polo shirt. Okay, so the Panamera Collection includes plenty of those too, along with watches, coats and kids clothing, but it also includes a set of intriguing fitted luggage for the four-door sports car from Zuffenhausen.

Instead of the usual (and usually exquisitely crafted) soft leather bags, Porsche has gone with a set of aluminum and polycarbonate hard-shell suitcases of various sizes and shapes. They're even available in the same colors as the Panamera, making this set of fitted luggage especially fitting. Check 'em out in the gallery below (along with the requisite clothing line) and the details in the press release after the jump.

J.D. Power and Associates has released its 2009 Initial Quality Study (IQS) and Lexus has taken the top spot away from Porsche, the initial quality leader for the past three years. The annual J.D. Power study measures IQS based on problems reported per 100 vehicles (PP100) -- a lower score means a lower rate of problem incidences and higher quality.

This year, the industry average is 108 PP100, demonstrating a steady improvement from 118 PP100 in 2008, and 125 PP100 in 2007. In addition to the marked improvement by the industry overall, many brands continued to perform well in 2009. Following Lexus and Porsche is Cadillac (which moves from 10th rank position in 2008 to third in 2009), Hyundai (jumping from 13th rank position in 2008 to 4th in 2009) and Honda (up from 7th in 2008 to 5th in 2009). Infiniti, second in last year's study, drops to 11th overall, while Suzuki posts the largest improvement in ranking, moving from 32nd place in 2008 to 9th in 2009. The complete J.D. Power press release and charts can be found after the jump and in the gallery below.




[Source: J.D. Power and Associates]