Autoblog

Porsche pondering supercar to bridge gap between 911 GT2 RS and 918 Spyder

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 10:01:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Porsche, Luxury

2011 Porsche GT2 RS - Click above for high-res image gallery

Even though Bloomberg describes Porsche sales as "flagging," what that really means is that they aren't growing as much as they were - the maker of go-fast cars should still have a record year. Porsche is apparently considering two ways to remedy that: one is to stagger its new unveilings so that each year births a new model, and the other is to create a supercar to occupy the space between the $245,000 911 GT2 RS and the forthcoming $845,000 918 Spyder.

There are quite a few other contestants in that space, from relative newcomers like McLaren and BMW (well, soon), to rivals like Ferrari and cousins like Lamborghini (even sooner). At least one analyst doesn't think Porsche should be having such thoughts, saying "Development costs for such showcase vehicles are huge. It requires some very creative mathematics to make a plausible business case for such a car." But apparently, said analyst hasn't been paying attention to the creative developments Porsche has applied to the 911 for decades now. This is a company that all but sold out of a $170,000 car that could only be bought in combination with that $845,000 car.

Such a supercar remains but a consideration, so it's a long way from being anything close to real. However, the brand's sales chief did talk about more editions of the Cayman and Boxster, as well as extended-wheelbase and convertible versions of the Panamera "four-door coupe" which would add more runts to Porsche's litter.

Porsche pondering supercar to bridge gap between 911 GT2 RS and 918 Spyder originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Jul 2011 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Porsche 911 GT2 RS hits America

Aaron Richardson — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 20:02:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Porsche, Racing

2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS - Click above to watch the video after the jump

The first 20 examples of the Porsche 911 GT2 RS were delivered last month at El Toro Air Station in Irvine, California. Owners who picked up their cars at the event had the opportunity to log track time with Porsche driving instructors before being released on the streets with their new 620-horsepower terrors.

Porsche High Performance Cars manager Andreas Preuninger was on hand to oversee delivery of the car he spent the last four years developing as a skunkworks-style project. According to Preuninger, he and the engineers who developed the 997 GT2 and GT3 RS started the project during testing of the "regular" GT2 at the Nurburgring. Essentially, the design brief was to combine the stripped-down nature of the GT3 RS and the power of the GT2 to build the fastest 911 possible.

To get every detail nailed down, Porsche engineers logged nearly 435,000 testing miles and another 80,000 hours of engineering time.

The end result is a 620-horsepower lightweight Porsche 911 that set a 7:18 lap time around the Nurburgring. The most-powerful Porsche ever built, the 911 GT2 RS was designed not as a money-making venture, but an exercise in supercar muscle-flexing by Porsche. The fact that Porsche stuck with the project despite its dubious profitability makes it even more amazing. Hit the jump to watch video of the GT3 RS in action.

Gallery: Paris 2010: Porsche 911 GT2 RS

[Source: Porsche via YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Porsche 911 GT2 RS hits America

Video: Porsche 911 GT2 RS hits America originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 13 Mar 2011 20:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Mark Webber on the "naughty" Porsche 911 GT2 RS

Jeff Glucker — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 14:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Videos, Porsche, Racing

Mark Webber throws around his Porsche 911 GT2 RS - Click above to watch video after the jump

Mark Webber, or Webbah as ~~we like to pretend~~ he prefers, is an accomplished racing driver with a handful of wins and podium appearances at the very top of the mororsports plateau. It's safe to say that he knows how to drive a car, and he understands what he wants out of his road cars. His chariot of choice? The Porsche 911 GT2 RS.

We don't really need to explain why a racecar driver would choose a 620-horsepower track-ready street assassin. However, Porsche felt like having Webber discuss the car and it did so with the cameras rolling. Click past the jump to hear Mark Webber talk about the car and watch him toss it (and some speechless passengers) around Silverstone.

[Source: Youtube via Axis-of-Oversteer]

Continue reading Video: Mark Webber on the "naughty" Porsche 911 GT2 RS

Video: Mark Webber on the "naughty" Porsche 911 GT2 RS originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Feb 2011 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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All 500 examples of the Porsche GT2 RS have been spoken for

Jeff Glucker — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 14:28:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Coupe, Performance, Videos, Porsche

2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS - Click above for high-res image gallery

A limited-edtion, 620 horsepower sports car is quite an enticing piece of machinery. Porsche is building just 500 examples of its 2011 911 GT2 RS and - unsurprisingly - they're all spoken for. The twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter flat-six powered 911 can run from 0-62 miles per hour in just 3.5 seconds. If there's enough room, the car will keep accelerating until it hits 205 mph. It's an amazing piece of German engineering and the price tag is an equally amazing $245,000.

Want to see one in action? Stop drooling all over the images in the gallery and take a look at the video after the jump.

Gallery: Paris 2010: Porsche 911 GT2 RS

Photos copyright (C)2010 Drew Phillips / AOL
[Source: Porsche, Youtube]

Continue reading All 500 examples of the Porsche GT2 RS have been spoken for

All 500 examples of the Porsche GT2 RS have been spoken for originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Porsche bringing the goods to Goodwood

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 19:26:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Porsche, UK, Racing

Porsche at Goodwood 2010 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Porsche is going big at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed. The Stuttgart marque will be hauling trailers full of vintage machinery into the English countryside to support the festival's theme of Viva Veloce. The icons will include a 908 from the Targa Floria, the 917 that won Le Mans in 1970 and the 804 Fomula 1 car that took the 1962 French Grand Prix.

If your tastes tend a little more modern, the 620-horsepower GT2 RS and the GT3 RS will be on display and you can climb all over the new Porsche Cayenne at the Porsche Experience. Read all about the spectacle in the presser after the jump and then admire the goods from afar in the gallery of high-res photos below.

Gallery: Vintage Porsches at the 2010 Goodwood Festival of Speed

[Source: Porsche]

Continue reading Porsche bringing the goods to Goodwood

Porsche bringing the goods to Goodwood originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Jun 2010 19:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alleged Porsche dealer meeting notes point to many new models

Zach Bowman — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 17:04:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Europe, Porsche, Rumormill

If you thought Porsche was going to cool its jets after rolling out the Panamera, you've got another thing coming. A quick hit of information has crept out of a sales managers' meeting that says we can expect a rash new models to head our way soon. Supposedly, Stuttgart is eying the creation of a new 911 Speedster with a $200,000 price tag and a 408 horsepower mill at the tail end. If true, the car will sport widebody sheetmetal and come equipped with the PDK and two-wheel drive.

There's more. Early 2011 just might bring the 620-horsepower GT2 RS to the US. Buyers will have the option of equipping the car with carbon fiber fenders, but that will likely add to its $245,000 base price.

If that's a little too rich for your blood, you can always opt for a widebody version of the Carrera called the GTS. With center-lug wheels, a sport exhaust and 408 horsepower, the coupe will set you back a still heady $103,100. Porsche also supposedly mulling a Cayman with the same sort of treatment given to the Boxster Spyder - less weight, more power - for around $65,300.

And what of the mighty 918 Spyder? According to the post, dealers haven't heard word either way, but they expect a final answer by the time Pebble Beach rolls around later this summer. We've asked Porsche to verify the above claims, but have yet to hear back, so stay tuned.

Gallery: First Drive: 2010 Porsche 911 Turbo

Photos by Michael Harley / Copyright (C)2009 Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: Team Speed]

Alleged Porsche dealer meeting notes point to many new models originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 12 Jun 2010 17:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Porsche 911 GT2 RS trailer has us saying "&^%!"

Steven J. Ewing — Fri, 14 May 2010 14:57:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Videos, Porsche

2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS trailer - Click above to watch the video after the jump

Honestly, most of the phrases that come to mind when describing the 2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS involve some sort of non-FCC-approved dialogue. But then again, can you blame us? Certainly not. And after reading the specs and seeing B-roll footage of the meanest Porsche around, we're having a hard time keeping the drool off of our keyboards.

620 horsepower. Rear-wheel drive. 3,020 pounds. $#*%^!, indeed. Hit the jump to watch Porsche's latest trailer of the GT2 RS, and try to keep the expletives to a minimum.

Gallery: 2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Porsche 911 GT2 RS trailer has us saying "*&^%*!"

Video: Porsche 911 GT2 RS trailer has us saying "*&^%*!" originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 14 May 2010 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: B-roll footage of Porsche 911 GT2 RS is just fine with us

Steven J. Ewing — Wed, 12 May 2010 12:32:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Videos, Porsche

2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS B-roll footage - Click above to watch the video after the jump

We'll admit it - the 2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS gives us the willies. There's something about the idea of 620 horsepower packaged into a 3,020-pound body that sends shivers down our spines, but we'd be liars if we said we weren't dying to get some seat time. (Or 'Ring time. Whatever.)

Only 500 of these beasts will be produced, retailing from $245,000 when the first deliveries begin this October. And when you consider that the GT2 RS is the most powerful street-legal Porsche available today, we doubt that enthusiasts in the top tax bracket will have any trouble scooping up all 500 examples in relatively short order. For now, Porsche has just released some B-roll footage of the hardcore GT2 doing what it does best on the track, and we highly encourage you to see for yourself, after the jump.

Gallery: 2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS

[Source: Porsche]

Continue reading Video: B-roll footage of Porsche 911 GT2 RS is just fine with us

Video: B-roll footage of Porsche 911 GT2 RS is just fine with us originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 May 2010 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Covers pulled off 2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 11 May 2010 18:24:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Porsche

2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS - Click above to enlarge

We're guessing that as you read this one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse is on hold with a Porsche dealer trying to see how much he can get in trade for a 2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS. With only 500 such models slated to be made, he probably won't get much - and when he pleads, "But my steed destroys human souls!", the dealer will reply, "Ours does, too..."

The 3,020-pound GT2 RS gets 620 twin-turbocharged horses from its 3.6-liter engine, making it the most powerful Porsche you can legally put on the roads. That's 90 more horses pushing 154 pounds less weight than in the previous version, and it gets five percent better fuel economy. Ground control is handled with tires specifically created for the car, carrying it from zero to sixty miles per hour in 3.4 seconds. On the one hand, that's 0.3 slower than the Porsche Turbo S; on the other, there's a 205 mph top speed and a 7:18 'Ring time.

Note too the matte carbon fiber bodywork and the black and red Alcantara interior. It'll go on proper show in Moscow later this year, and it'll run $245,000 when deliveries begin in October. Follow the jump for the release, and be on the lookout for three horsemen and a water-cooled boxer...

Gallery: 2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS

Gallery: 2011 Porsche GT2 RS leaked images

[Source: Autogespot, Teamspeed]

Continue reading Covers pulled off 2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS

Covers pulled off 2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 11 May 2010 18:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leaked! Porsche 911 GT2 RS coming this September

Damon Lavrinc — Mon, 03 May 2010 19:58:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Porsche

We don't have much in the way of details, but a singular shot snapped at a dealer event yesterday shows that the baddest Porsche 911 ever to grace the tarmac is coming this September.

According to a tipster, the GT2 RS will carry a price tag of 240,000 euro when it arrives later this year and will supposedly pack enough power to topple the Carrera GT. Earlier reports indicate that the revised GT2, recently caught testing at the Nürburgring, will put out over 560 horsepower and 530 pound-feet of torque. However, it's safe to assume those figures will be increased In RS trim and we can expect a fully-adjustable suspension, roll cage and possibly some active aerodynamics. The press introduction is apparently scheduled for May 14th, so official details on Porsche's newest rear-wheel drive road warrior should be forthcoming.

UPDATE: A forum member at TeamSpeed has some preliminary stats from the launch in Leipzig. The new GT2 RS is reportedly packing 620 hp and will come in nearly 200 pounds lighter than the current GT2. The 0-62 mph time is pegged at 3.2 seconds with a rumored 'Ring time of... wait for it... 7:22 - the same as the Dodge Viper ACR.

[Source: TeamSpeed, GermanCarBlog]

Leaked! Porsche 911 GT2 RS coming this September originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 03 May 2010 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Porsche working on 580-hp GT2 RS

Damon Lavrinc — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 15:58:00 EST

Filed under: Frankfurt Motor Show, Coupe, Performance, Europe, Supercars, Porsche, Rumormill

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Porsche 911 GT2

The blokes at Pistonheads supposedly got word from an inside source at Porsche that the automaker is considering a track-day version of the GT2. The hypothetical Porsche 911 GT2 RS would improve on every aspect of the standard turbocharged rear-wheel-drive coupe, beginning with an additional 50 ponies, bringing output up to 580 hp. Center-locking wheels are rumored to be part of the package, along with Plexiglas rear windows and a range of body modifications that could drop some 440 pounds from the standard GT2's curb weight. The UK-centric site reports that ten right-hand-drive examples will be produced, although it doesn't say what total global output would be. If the GT2 RS does come to fruition, expect it to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show later this year, with sales beginning the following spring.

Gallery: 2008 Porsche 911 GT2

[Source: Pistonheads]

Rumormill: Porsche working on 580-hp GT2 RS originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Jan 2009 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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