America’s Switzer Performance releases 1,000hp Porsche 911 package

Oberlin, Ohio, isn't the likely site for a company specializing in high-output power upgrades for German exotics like the Porsche 911, but the state is home to Switzer Performance Innovations (SPI), a company churning out mega horsepower cars. Started by Tym Switzer several years ago, the tuning firm is now offering a 1,000hp (748kW) twin-turbo kit for Porsche 996 and 997 models. With his latest project, Tym and the crew at SPI wanted to test the limits of what would be possible with stock 997 internals. Switzer Sledgehammer 1000hp 997 Porsche 911

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Porsche 911-based W3 Triposto extreme custom

Custom Porsche 911s are almost as common as the cars themselves, but the W3 Triposto is not likely to be lumped in with the crowd. With a center-seated driving position, speedster profile and outlandish design, the Triposto is anything but common. Built in 2005 by Clyde and Hugh Kwok, a father-son team behind Wingho Auto Classique, Inc. from Montreal, the fiberglass, carbon fiber and kevlar construction is not your typical garage-built fare either. Drawing on Clyde's background as an engineering professor and Hugh's talents as a race car driver, the duo bent their creative powers to the 911 platform with surprising results. Wingho W3 Triposto

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Electric Porsche conversions available from Florida company

A company based in Florida has found itself an interesting niche in the automotive world - converting Porsche models into electric vehicles that combine sports car handling ability with the economy of a battery-powered electrical motor. On top of this, the company also specializes in making their electric Porsche's resemble other cars, such as Lamborghini models and even iconic Porsche racing cars, such as their electric 962 with over 2,600lb-ft (3,500Nm) of torque. The company, which is named EvPorsche, is hoping to compete against companies such as Tesla that are already producing their own electric sports cars, as well as Lotus, which is currently developing one.

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Porsche determined to acquire 75% stake in VW

Earlier this week we saw Porsche finally acquire a majority stake in the Volkswagen Group, with its direct ownership in the German giant moving up to 50.76%. While Porsche is no rush to increase its holding, the sports carmaker has confirmed that it is still planning to raise its holding to 75%. A Porsche spokesman said the company would stick to its pledge to ensure that enough VW shares are left in the open market to allow investors to trade freely. Last October, shortages of VW stock on the market briefly drove VW shares above €1,000, or more than $1,300. Despite Porsche's new majority holding, the existing VW Law and the resultant power of the state of Lower Saxony and the VW workers council means that its decision-making powers are limited to some degree, analyst Tim Urquhart told The Detroit News.

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Porsche to unveil Panamera at 2009 Shanghai Auto Show

Porsche today confirmed it will reveal the new Panamera grand tourer at this year's Shanghai Auto Show in April, having shifted from its its original plans to reveal it one month earlier at the Geneva Motor Show. The car will now take the stage April 19, the day before the Shanghai show officially gets underway. The decision for the shift from Geneva to Shanghai was due to the increased importance in the Chinese market, in addition to rapidly growing neighbors such as India and Russia. The cars revealed at the show will include the normally aspirated V8 and twin-turbocharged V8 variants. The Stuttgart sports carmaker sold 8,190 vehicles in China last financial year, and this was more than double the number of sales it made the previous year. 2010 Porsche Panamera

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Spy shots: Next-generation Porsche Boxster

Just this week Porsche unveiled its updated Boxster and Cayman range and there are still several other models based on the same Boxster/Cayman platform in the works. One of these is a high-performance RS model, recently seen testing at Germany's Nurburgring, and another is an chopped 'Speedster' model based on the Boxster. However, development work for the next-generation model is well underway and images of the first prototype for the car have now appeared after the test vehicle was spotted in Germany. Next-generation Porsche Boxster spy shots

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Spy shots: 998 Porsche 911 Turbo

The current 997 generation Porsche 911 is still being updated for its mid-cycle refresh, with only the standard Carrera, Carrera 4, and Targa variants receiving the update. Still in the works are the new Turbo and the GT3 models, though they too are drawing near to their expected unveiling. Recently a test mule was spotted in Germany by our spy photographers, suggesting that Porsche engineers may have already begun testing the next-generation 998 model, and now a new prototype for the next-generation Turbo model has been spied. Clear differences between the 998 and the current 911 model are a pair of more upright headlights, and the side mirrors are now positioned at the side of the doors and not at the window. It's still too early to determine what changes Porsche has in store for the engine lineup, but expect to see the recently revised flat-six engine range carry over with only minimal updates – possibly for emissions and economy standards. 2011 Porsche 911 998 spy shots

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Porsche Cayenne GTS 'CLR 550 R' by Lumma Design

German tuner Lumma Design will be unveiling an extensively modified Porsche Cayenne GTS at this year's Essen Motor Show in Germany. Set to debut near the end of this month, the Lumma Design CLR 550 R takes the latest Porsche Cayenne GTS and gives it a new aerodynamic profile, as well as improved power and handling to make the Cayenne GTS even more potent. The most striking modification is the eye catching wide body kit, which gives the SUV a more aggressive look. Adorned in a simple monochrome color scheme, the body kit includes a larger, gaping grille to feed air into the modified engine and display an even more menacing appearance.

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2009 Porsche Carrera PDK Review

In theory, a dual clutch gearbox offers drivers the best of both worlds: a corner-carving-compliant paddle shift system (complete with computer-controlled, rev-matching throttle blipping) and a waft-enabling automatic gearbox. As developed by the BorgWarner, the DSG version lifted a well-sorted VW Golf GTI into automotive Valhalla. Porsche fans arched their collective eyebrows, anticipating the day when Stuttgart would perform a similar transformation for the world's only best everyday supercar: the 911. Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) is here, attached to the model's 900th evolution. Is the system finally ready for hammer time?

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2008 Porsche 911 GT2 Review

There I was cutting, clipping and carving corners in the ultimate Porsche 911, balancing the need for speed with self-control. I felt like an Olympic skier or Iron Chef. But there was an element missing from the GT2 experience, a deficiency that niggled like a loose ski boot or a nicked Shun Santoku. Torque. As in instant-on shove. Porsche's brilliant 3.6-liter boxer engine has too much boost and not enough low-end grunt. But isn't perfection standard in a Porsche, especially for one that costs $197,000?

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2008 Porsche Cayenne Review

"The Porsche Cayenne is a deeply misunderstood machine," RF told me before my test drive. "It's one of the world's fastest off-roaders, not a house-broken truck." Huh? Why would a world famous sports car maker (if not THE world famous sports car maker) tempt infamy by making a kick-ass mud plugger instead of a FX-style sports-car-on-stilts? The answer, I'm told, lies deep in Porsche's DNA. In the late eighties, Porsche jacked-up their 959 supercar and entered it in the grueling Paris - Dakar rally. In their second attempt, the German automaker scooped first, second and sixth places. "Take the entry level V6 off road," RF commanded. "Thrash it without mercy. THEN tell me what you think." Sounded like a plan.

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2008 Porsche Cayenne GTS Review

Sam Adams Light. Porsche Cayenne GTS. Same deal. Both the American light beer and the German "sport truck" are fundamentally flawed concepts-- made palatable by knowledge, passion and invention. Did I say palatable? I meant enjoyable. You can quaff copious quantities of Sam Adams' 124-calorie-per-bottle beverage without thirsting for "real" beer. By the same token, you can drive the snot out of the 405hp GTS without asking your companion "Dude, where's my Boxster?" In both cases, if you didn't know better, you wouldn't, and you wouldn't care. But if you do, will you?

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Porsche 911 Turbo Review

Since 1859, Charles Darwin's theory of evolution has challenged religious fundamentalism. Forget Adam and Eve. Humans started as random spices in a primordial soup. Natural selection took us from soup to trees, trees to cars. And then Ferdinand Porsche created a mutant Volkswagen. Since its inception, the 911 has been evolution's four-wheeled poster child, moving quickly from an oversteer monster to a supersonic pussycat. And then, on the seventh day, Stuttgart created the latest Turbo, a car so capable that driving it is a biblical revelation.

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Porsche Cayenne Turbo Review

Global warming. Some consumers consider hybrids the responsible response. Others are busy taking one last toke on the tailpipe of extravagance. Pistonheads, have I got a bong for you! After accelerating Porsche's 2.5 ton brick to 60mph in less than five seconds, I can only conclude that you NEED a Cayenne Turbo-- if only to outrun the Earth Day crowd tossing rocks at your windows. The Turbo is pointless and politically incorrect and you better get one now before all the oil and clean air are gone forever.

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Porsche Cayenne Turbo S Review

About a decade or so ago, I traveled to BMW's Munich HQ to pick-up a press fleet K100RS. I arrived with a hard shell suitcase, intending to transfer its contents to the motorcycle's panniers. When a press flack asked about the case, I joked that I was going to bungee it onto the back of the bike. When we returned from lunch, German engineers had attached my suitcase to the butt of Beemer's "flying brick," complete with homemade aerodynamic addenda. They'd found an elegant way to accomplish a completely ludicrous task. Porsche Cayenne Turbo S? Same deal.

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Porsche Boxster S Review

The English say it's horses for courses. The French say it's horses for main courses. And the German say it's horsepower uber alles Schätze. Well, everyone except Porsche. Since '96, Stuttgart's parsimonious power brokers have restricted their entry level Boxster's engine so as not to steal big brother Carrera's thunder. Porsche's policy stands in direct contradiction to Mercedes and BMW, who happily pump-up the volume on vehicles that need more speed like an obese caffeine addict needs a bottle of Black Beauties. That's just mean; the Boxster deserves proper motorvation. And now, finally, it's got it.

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Porsche Cayman S Revisited

The moment I dropped the hammer on the Porsche Cayman S, an entirely unexpected emotion welled-up inside: fear.  I was holding the wheel of the world's best sports car on a perfectly-groomed country road and I couldn't fully commit to a corner.  I wasn't afraid of crashing— the Cayman is far too accomplished and forgiving and electronically mindful for that.  I was afraid of the unknown.  What if some dumb ass pulled out of a hidden drive without looking?  What if a child's bike suddenly appeared just beyond the apex of a turn?  My sightlines were good, but my nerves were shot.  I suppose that's what happens when you spend too much seat time in a Honda Odyssey.

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Porsche 911 (RUF Kompressor) Review

When you realize the Walther P22 in your hand is no match for your opponent's Colt Python .357 Magnum… that's a bad thing. By the same token, one look at the sick power of a force-fed AMG cruise missile or a glance at the latest big-cube 'Vette can ruin the fashion-conscious Porschephile's entire day-- no matter what they say about pedigree, finesse and handling. Yes, today's horsepower wars hit zer dicht to Zuffenhausen's 300-ish horsepower heartland. Luckily, Porsche lovers have a secret weapon: the RUF Auto Centre.

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Porsche Boxster Review

Last year, TTAC named the Boxster S Car of the Year. I found the award ludicrous. A decade old, under-endowed Porsche-lite trumping the best and the brightest from the US, Italy, Britain, Japan and the rest of Deutschland? It's like arguing that the "S" in "SUV" stands for "sport." With the possible exception of my misplaced belief in the longevity of love with a certain young, deceitful woman, I have never been more wrong about anything in my life. Last week a "regular" Boxster painted in "take my license, please" red showed up at my house. I have lost my ability to not smile. Clocking the new Boxster is like checking out the teenage daughter of your old high school crush. Everything that attracted you to the roadster is still there, only fresher, perkier and more… streamlined. From most angles, the Boxster resembles Ye Olde 996 Turbo, chopped and dropped. From the rear though, and especially with the beefier haunches, the Boxster still appears as if someone is bent over and spreading 'em. If you think this is a coincidence, you haven't watched enough German porn.

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Porsche Cayman S Review

If Porsche's new Boxster hardtop is a misspelled caiman, its 911 Carrera is a crocodile. While the two species share a common ancestor, put them in the same territory and one of them will end-up lunch. Maybe that's why Porsche rigged the fight; when you make a living selling Carreras, you don't want Caymans cannibalizing their cousins. Well guess what? Evolution will not, CAN not be denied. One blast around the block in a Cayman S and its future alpha status is inescapable. But let's drop this discussion of internecine conflict for a moment and consider the Cayman on its own merits… Physically, it's no stunner. Yes, the Cayman's muscular fastback and sculpted haunches are exquisite: a deeply alluring shape that finally eliminates the Boxster's insipid push-me, pull-you design. But the Cayman's bootylicious butt draws new attention to the exceedingly bland Porsche family nose. Embedded fog lights may separate the model from its stablemates, but they do nothing to lift the miasma of mediocrity that has bedeviled the Boxster's face since birth. The Cayman's side air intakes are another distraction, lacking in both shape and scale. The German/Finnish roadster is also more color-sensitive than Martha Stewart; in anything other than black, the Cayman looks like a small and frivolous sports car souffle. Which it bloody well isn't.

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