Porsche's Reborn 935 Looks Mean, Sounds Meaner At Monza

Just listen to Zuffenhausen's new 700-horsepower track machine clear its pipes.

Porsche certainly caught our attention, and that of its millions of fans around the world, when it revealed the new 935 during its Rennsport Reunion at Laguna Seca last week. A purpose-built track machine with styling evocative of a veritable legend will do that for ya.

But a set of wheels like this isn't made to sit still. It's made to hammer around the track, flat out, using every curb and inch of tarmac at its disposal. And that's just what it's doing in this video, captured while the new Moby Dick (as the original was named by fans) was testing at Monza.

The prototype caught here is all blacked out, without the throwback livery in which it appeared at the Rennsport Reunion. And it looks even more sinister without it. But more to the point is how it sounds, and we'll let you experience the aural sensation for yourself.

Suffice it to say it's a rather maniacal rasp, especially considering the engine's forced induction. The reborn 935 is based on the latest 911 GT2 RS, and the 3.8-liter twin-turbo flat-six carries all 690 horsepower along with it. But the track machine is a good hundred kilos lighter.

Combine that with the stiffer suspension, more radical aero, and other track-specific equipment, and the 935 promises to be one heck of a ride. It's Porsche's take, in short, on the same formula that's transformed LaFerrari into the FXX-K or the McLaren P1 into the GTR: a track toy for wealthy gentleman racers, unbound by any road or race regulations.

Unfortunately the German manufacturer will only make 77 of them, each commanding a princely sum of €701,948 (plus tax), or about $800k at current exchange rates. And you can bet they'll all be snapped rather quick– if they haven't been already.

View the original article here

New Porsche 718 Boxster Spyder Looks Focused At The Nurburgring

Could this be the last naturally aspirated Porsche 718 Boxster ever made?

We last saw a prototype of the Porsche Boxster Spyder undergoing some final winter testing in the snow, but now our spies have sent us some new photos of the roadster being put through its paces at the Nurburgring, in what promises to be the most focused 718 Boxster yet. Once again, the prototype has been spotted virtually undisguised wearing very little camouflage, giving us a clear look at its aggressive styling. At the front is a bumper that looks similar to the 918 Spyder, along with a vent below the hood and LED running lights.

The prototype is riding on lightweight alloy wheels with high-performance brakes sporting distinctive yellow calipers. Compared to the previous Boxster Spyder, the exhaust pipes are also larger and located in a different location. Nothing has been confirmed yet, but this could well be the last naturally aspirated Boxster 718 ever made. Rumors suggest the new Boxster 718 will be powered by the same 4.0-liter flat six engine as the latest 911 GT3, detuned to produce around 430 horsepower instead of the 500-hp used in the GT3. That’s still plenty of power for a compact sports car, and a welcome increase over the current 365-hp Porsche 718 Boxster GTS range topper.

Recent photos also revealed the 718 Boxster Spyder will be fitted with a six-speed manual, but a dual-clutch gearbox will most likely be available as an option too though this hasn’t been confirmed. Then again, Porsche could decide to sell both the 718 Boxster Spyder and its coupe sibling, the 718 Cayman GT4, with manual gearboxes only. Judging from these latest spy shots, development of the new Porsche 718 Boxster Spyder appears to be nearly complete, so expect an official reveal to happen sometime this summer.

View the original article here

Porsche 911 Targa Looks Sublime in Matte Black

Porsche offers the 911 Targa exclusively with all-wheel drive and a choice of 350-hp 3.4-liter and 400-hp 3.8-liter six-cylinder units. The quad exhaust system suggests this particular model is the quicker 4S, meaning it can hit 60 mph in 4.2 seconds and a 182-mph top speed. Clearly, the car’s dynamic performance is not in doubt, but those wishing to add a bit of sparkle to the 911 Targa should check out Print Tech’s latest creation, which sees the convertible receive a matt black paint job, smoked headlights, clear white taillights and a set of Fuchs alloys.

View the original article here

Porsche 911 Speedster Looks Production Ready On Nurburgring

We knew Porsche would put it into production.

Earlier this month, Porsche showed off the 911 Speedster Concept: a topless version of the beloved GT3. Though it was only a concept, a new Speedster has been rumored for quite some time, and Porsche revealed a lot about the car's performance. The Speedster has been spotted testing at various points in the development cycle, and now the car has been seen lapping the Nurburgring looking pretty darn close to production specification. So what can we expect from the swan song of the 991.2 generation?

For starters, this is the first time that we've seen what will likely be the production roof without any camouflage. The concept version didn't show any images of the roof, and earlier test mules sported a more conventional convertible top. This roof looks like the real deal, and reminds us a lot of the roof on the Boxster Spyder. Like the Boxster Spyder, the 911 Speedster's roof will probably be manually operated to save weight. This test mule also shows off a large rear spoiler, which appears to be power adjustable. The spoiler will likely rest flat on the deck lid when not in use, then deploy when the car reaches a certain speed or the driver pushes a button.

We expect to see a full reveal of the Speedster next month at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. For now, these spy shots give us a pretty good idea of what the the car will look like, and we already know that it will be powered by a 4.0-liter 500 horsepower flat-six from the GT3.

(function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-MJCGS3N');var _comscore = _comscore || [];_comscore.push({ c1: "2", c2: "28140907" });(function() {var s = document.createElement("script"), el = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.async = true;s.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js";el.parentNode.insertBefore(s, el);})();

View the original article here

Porsche Looks Back At First 911 Models

Ahead of the eighth generation's imminent reveal.

There is perhaps no more recognizable sports car on the planet than the 911. Introduced on 12 September 1963 at the Frankfurt Motor Show as the 901 it was renamed the 911 a year later and Porsche haven't looked back since, well until now that is.

Few could have predicted that its rear-mounted flat-six engine layout and teardrop silhouette would still be with us over half a century later, yet on the 27 November, the eight-generation of this world-conquering sports car will be revealed. To reflect on this model's development milestones we take a look, with Porsche's help, at the first two generations of the 911.

That first model to arrive offered up 130 horsepower from its 2.0-liter flat-six motor, plenty for the day and capacity increases soon saw this figure increase to 190 hp in the 2.4-liter 1972 911 S. Notable developments included the introduction of the lightweight Fuchs wheel, the Targa cabriolet model, mechanical fuel-injection and perhaps the most revered 911 of them all, the 210-hp 1973 2.7-liter Carrera RS.

With a total of 111,995 911 models sold in the first decade of production, the stage was set for the second-generation G models to take over the reins.

While outwardly similar in design, a trend that continues to this day, the G model was thoroughly redesigned and ushered in a range of technical improvements that allowed it to take on a new generation of sports cars, not least Porsche’s own 928 which was introduced to eventually replace the 911. Major milestones in the long-running G model’s lifecycle included the 1974 260-hp 930 Turbo, a supercar-rivaling machine, as well as the introduction of a proper Cabriolet to join the Coupe and Targa models.

Power outputs and engine capacities continued to increase for the standard models too and special editions like the Speedster and Club Sport added further appeal to the range. Built for 16 years right up until 1989, 198,496 G model variants were eventually built. They not only fought off the 928 but had become the benchmark by which most competitors measured themselves.

View the original article here

2019 Acura MDX Gains Sporty Looks With New A-Spec Package

But is there any extra power to go along with the looks?

Acura made a bold proclamation when it revealed the all-new 2019 RDX - the Japanese luxury brand would move back towards its sporty roots with new A-Spec and Type S models. So far, we haven't seen any of those more powerful Type S models, but the company has just added another model to its A-Spec line. Unlike the RDX, the 2019 MDX is not an entirely new model. Acura is attempting to keep the MDX fresh for another model year with some minor improvements and a sporty new A-Spec package.

The A-Spec package doesn't have any additional power - it is simply an appearance package. So the MDX continues to be powered by a 3.5-liter V6 producing 290 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque going out through a nine-speed automatic to front-wheel-drive or super-handling-all-wheel-drive. To differentiate A-Spec models, the MDX will have 20-inch grey wheels, a new front fascia, body-color sills, larger exhaust tips, dark chrome trim, A-Spec badging, and rear tailgate spoiler. All A-Spec models will be equipped with SH-AWD with torque vectoring as standard.

Further distinguishing the A-Spec on the inside will be red or black leather with black Alcantara, unique gauges, sport pedals, and an A-Spec steering wheel with paddle shifters. Aside from the new A-Spec package, all MDX models will receive some other important updates. 2019 models can now be optioned with an Active Damper System (ADS), which was previously limited to the hybrid. Acura says it has made the MDX smoother by prioritizing second gear starts on the nine-speed transmission, and a new stop-start system is now standard across the range. There are also some new colors and interior trim options for 2019.

The MDX will continue to be an incredibly safe car, thanks to the standard AcuraWatch suite of advanced safety and driver-assist technologies. AcuraWatch includes collision mitigation braking with forward collision warning, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, and road departure mitigation with lane departure warning. The base MDX with FWD starts at $44,300, with SH-AWD available for an extra $2,000. The A-Spec model starts at $54,800 with standard SH-AWD, and prices for the hybrid have yet to be announced. All prices exclude a $995 destination fee. The 2019 Acura MDX should be hitting showrooms soon.

View the original article here

Porsche Taycan Looks Close To Production-Ready In New Spy Shots

Porsche’s first fully electric car has been spotted with production headlights.

Following official previews and morsels of information released by Porsche, our spy photographers spotted and snapped a Taycan prototype undergoing testing, and it looks nearly production-ready. The front bumper has a lot less camouflage and the prototype also appears to feature production LED headlights, which look as slim as the original Mission E Concept’s. We also get a first look at car’s distinctive production wheels. Like other Porsche models, the taillights are connected with an LED light bar spanning the width of the car. You can also spot the charging port flap on the front right fender.

The Taycan is expected to be offered in three flavors echoing the 911 range: the Taycan Carrera, Taycan Carrera S and Taycan Turbo, with an output ranging from 400 to 600 horsepower. Porsche has already confirmed two permanently synchronous motors will drive the wheels, with one motor at the front axle and the other driving the rear wheels. All-wheel drive is expected to be available as standard for all models, but rumors suggest Porsche could launch a more affordable rear-wheel drive version.

High-voltage lithium-ion batteries will provide a range of over 310 miles. Thanks to the Taycan’s fast-charging capabilities that take advantage of 800-volt chargers, it will only take around 15 minutes to give the car enough juice to cover 248 miles. Most importantly, the Taycan will drive like a Porsche and even has a lower center of gravity than the 911 thanks to its floor-mounted battery pack. Expect the Porsche Taycan to break cover in mid-2019 before going on sale in 2020.

View the original article here