Autoblog

The Porsche 911 GT2 is hardly lacking for horsepower, but the 9ff crew can never leave "good enough" alone. With a pair of V670 turbos, a 9ff custom intake manifold, headers and exhaust system with a two-stage valve that takes the engine note from raucous to profane, the 9ff GT2 puts out 670 hp and 590 lb.-ft. of torque. Zero to 62 comes up in a supercar embarrassing 3.6 seconds and 124 mph is dispatched in a scant 9.8 seconds. Naturally, the ECU has been modified to make use of the additional boost and breathing mods, while simultaneously raising the rev limiter to 7,200 rpm. The additional power is shoveled to the transmission via a single-mass flywheel and racing clutch, while a coilover suspension does its best to keep the GT2 on terra firma at all times. And if having the ability to bully ZR1s, Enzos, and Carrera GTs isn't enough, a 910 hp version is on the way.


[Source: 9ff]

If we came up with a list of our top "Best Day EVER" scenarios, we're pretty sure a straight-line race between the Corvette ZR1, Ferrari 599 GTB, Nissan GT-R and the Porsche 911 GT2 would be close to the top of our list. The scribes at Motor Trend were able to live that dream, but they threw us a bone by recording the supercar showdown for the world to see. Follow the jump to see the 638-hp ZR1 take on some of the best street metal from Italy, Germany, and Japan. We watched the video four times, if only to note the stark difference between the launches and finishes of four distinctly different supercars. And just for fun, write down your projected 1-4 finish and let us know how you fared in the post-jump comment section. Thanks for the tip, everyone!

[Source: YouTube]

Sour grapes or legitimate complaint? That's the question we're left pondering after reading that Porsche believes Nissan must have cheated to record its 7:29:03 lap time of the famed Nürburgring race circuit. Porsche claims that it had been suspicious of the Nissan's lap times, so it acquired a U.S.-spec GT-R for testing back-to-back with its own 911 Turbo and GT2. The result? The mighty Godzilla was toppled by the Teutonic German duo, with the GT-R posting times a good 25-seconds slower than Nissan's claim.

How can Porsche explain the discrepancy? "This wonder car with 7:29 could not have been a regular series production car. For us, it's not clear how this time is possible. What we can imagine with this Nissan is they used other tires," says August Achleitner, the man in charge of the 911 program. There is footage of the GT-R lapping the 'Ring at high speed, but it's taken from inside the car where the tires cannot be seen.

Considering the fact that Nissan saw fit to issue a press release commemorating the car's fast-lap, we doubt this is something that will be taken lightly. There's a big can 'o worms here, and Porsche's in the corner holding the opener.


[Source: Carsguide]

Porsche enthusiasts will undoubtedly count the 997-generation 911 GT2 as one of the most extreme supercars ever to roll out of Stuttgart – right up there with the 959 and the Carrera GT. But where there's speed, there's always room for more speed, and the Swiss aren't about to stay neutral on this matter. Switzerland-based Sportec has just released its latest offering: the SP750. The tuning firm is known for producing seriously fast Porsches – including the 997 Turbo-based SP580 and the record-chasing SPR1 and SP600M Cayenne – and has put some serious effort into carrying on this legacy with the new SP750.

Modifications to the GT2 – already very blitzschnell in its own right – are available in four increments, starting with the 600-hp Stage 1 and topping out with the full-on 750-hp Stage 4 kit, which includes new turbos, a revised ECU, titanium con-rods, a free-flowing exhaust and new camshafts, air filter and clutch. To control all that extra power, Sportec is also offering an upgraded brake kit with six-pot calipers and 350-380mm discs, plus a retuned suspension complemented by a revised aero kit and 20-inch rims. We'd hope the huge Swiss flag on the roof, which has become a hallmark of Sportec's creations, is optional. While it may protect the car from aerial bombardment, the planes would actually have to catch the car in the first place.

[Source: Sportec]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2008 Porsche 911 GT2.

Porsche's commitment to the KISS philosophy of exterior design won't extend to the engine of the facelifted 911 Turbo, GT2 and GT3 when they're released early next year. All three models will dispatch with the legendary M97 powerplant in favor of the new, direct-injected A91 flat-six that's equipped on the recently updated 911 Carrera.

The two turbocharged 911s will be packing 3.6-liters of displacement, with a 97 mm bore and an 81.5 mm stroke (the outgoing engine was sized 100 mm x 76.4 mm), along with revised turbochargers and intercoolers. Autocar's sources suggest that output on both models will rise by around 20 hp, with the Turbo producing 500 hp and the GT2 pushing out approximately 550 hp. Torque figures should also increase by around four percent.

The GT3 will remain naturally aspirated, with a 3.8-liter version of the A91 with a 102 mm bore and a 77.5 mm stroke. The same internal changes from the Carrera S will carry over to the GT3, including lightweight pistons, valves and springs. Output should increase from around 415 to 430 hp. And all of these changes will also increase fuel efficiency and decrease C02 output. 'Cause that's what really matters... right?



[Source: Autocar]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the SpeedART BTR-XS 650.

The Porsche 997 GT2 is the undoubtedly the king of the 911s, but the crew at SpeedART has decided to add a few more jewels onto the GT2's crown. Beginning with the overly competent twin-turbocharged flat-six, the German tuning haus modified the stock snails, replaced the headers, fitted a new exhaust with freer flowing cats, installed larger intercoolers and tuned it all with a Motronic ECU. Output is now up to 650 hp and 634 lb.-ft. of torque, propelling the BTR-XS 650 to 60 in 3.2 seconds and on to a top speed of 216 mph.

In addition to the extensive work underhood, the modified GT2 gets coilovers fitted at all four corners and custom wheels, while inside, customers willing to plunk down the €27,500 can choose from an endless catalog of interior bits, including sports seats, a new steering wheel and acres of Alcantara.


[Source: SpeedART via Motor Authority]

click above for more images of the Lexus LF-A Concept

A Lexus LF-A mule has unofficially recorded a lap time on the Nordschleife of 7 minutes, 24 seconds. This is not in dispute. What is in dispute is how many seconds faster the LF-A's lap time is than that of the 2008 Porsche 911 GT2, the previous "King of the 'Ring" record holder. Wikipedia notes that the fastest 911 GT2 driven around the Ring posted a lap time of 7 minutes, 32 seconds and was driven by Walter Röhrl, Porsche's company test driver and accomplished WRC driver and road racing pilot. Porsche was so proud of the feat that it produced a snazzy video of the run that you can watch here. AutoExpress, however, which reported on the LF-A's remarkable lap time, claims that the fastest 911 GT2 lap time on the Nurburgring is 7 minutes, 25 seconds, but we could find no evidence on the web of a stock 911 GT2 ever posting a time that fast. Also note that a handful of other cars have posted lap times, but all are either tuner cars or limited production boutique cars like the Pagani Zonda F.

Nevertheless, the Lexus LF-A's time is remarkable and puts it in a class normally populated by purpose-built tuner cars. Its 4.8L V10 churns out a reported 552bhp while slapping the needle against a 9,000 rpm redline. A 210 mph top speed is said to be the car's upper bound, which makes us shake our heads. This is, after all, the brand that brought us the sarcophagus of a car that is the LS sedan. The production LF-A should be able to repeat the performance, but we'll have to wait a while longer while the Lexus supercar finishes baking in the oven. In the meantime, for Pete's sake, someone ship a Corvette ZR1 to Germany!

[Source: AutoExpress]

Squeezing 480 HP from a 3.6L flat-six is an impressive feat, and the latest 911 Turbo does it with a level of sophistication, refinement, and reliability that would have been thought impossible just a few years ago. Everything is relative, though, and "more" is always the operative word when it comes to Porsche's GT2. So, how does one squeeze fifty additional ponies from an such a powerplant? Considering all the different challenges - emissions, durability, drivability, and fuel economy - it's certainly not an easy task. Fortunately, Porsche has no small amount of experience squeezing more power from turbocharged boxers, and that knowledge was put to good use on the new 2008 GT2.

Porsche's über 911, the 2008 GT2, has been spotted by spy photographers undergoing testing ahead of its launch at September's Frankfurt Auto Show, and this time on U.S. soil. The near-complete test mule was totally undisguised and has revealed important clues as to what the final car will look like.

A key difference of the GT2 over the lesser Turbo is the enlarged front air-intake, new lower lip and cooling vents positioned in the rear bumper. The oversized rear wing is probably only there for testing purposes and will likely be toned down for the production version.

Powering the coupe is a worked version of the 911 Turbo's twin-turbo 3.6-liter flat-six, sending around 520hp to the rear wheels. Expect a top speed in excess of 200mph and acceleration times for the 0 to 60mph sprint in less than 3.7 seconds.

To improve performance further, engineers have removed the air-conditioner and sound deadening to save weight, and Motor Trend reports that buyers will be able to opt for a roll-cage, one-piece racing seats and a fire extinguisher at no extra charge. You'd expect some extras thrown in considering that buyers will have to fork up close to $150,000 for the performance coupe.

[Source: Motor Trend]

Damn. Porsche really has a knack for driving us nuts. While the 996 911 range was growing on us, the 997 showed up to instantly change our minds for the better. The base Carrera was joined by the S with its 3.8L flat-6 adding an additional 40 hp and a lot of grins. Of course, the Turbo came along soon after and blew those models out of the water, instantly becoming our favorite. That is, until the GT3 arrived and made us wonder why we needed all that extra weight or even a turbocharger in the first place. Just as we confirmed our love for the new 997 GT3, Porsche rolled out the RS. We felt conflicted, but seeing two of them in two weeks confirmed that the RS is even hotter than the "regular" GT3. With performance that makes the 997 Turbo look almost pedestrian in comparison, these track-tuned models drop the turbo but also a lot of weight on their way to glory.

But you just know there are people wanting that same turbo kick in a similarly focused track machine. Enter the GT2. Nothing new to the Porschephiles out there, these have been among Porsche's most notoriously wild creations. With numbers that would make many supercars blush, the original 993 GT2 was dubbed the Widowmaker for its propensity to react violently to driver inputs that were less than smooth. But at $180,000, only the very serious signed up. And then Porsche managed to tame the beast a bit with its 996 GT2. Still ferocious performance, but with a slightly more domesticated demeanor. Well, it's time to see if the pendulum will be swinging back towards wild child. Here we have spy shots of the 2008 Porsche 911 GT2 prototype snapped during cold weather testing by Hans Lehmann. Although the clipped image at right focuses on the revised front fascia with its floating turn signals and larger openings, the full size pics (available by clicking the read link) show off the huge fixed wing, massive brakes, built-in roll cage, and enough slats to make us expect a Saleen sticker on the windshield. Thankfully those are probably just camo. While no firm numbers have been released, we expect at least 500 hp when the car debuts later this year. After all, the "regular" Turbo is now packing 480 ponies in its trunk.

[Source: Straightline]