You probably already know if you want one of these or not. After all,Porsche’s Cayenne, first introduced in 2002, continues to be the most polarizing SUV since Suzuki’s X-90. Some of us around here have a soft spot for the X-90 and are rather shocked by the high residual values for the things.
Used Cayennes, however, are the cheapest way to get into all-wheel-drive Porsche ownership this side of a 924 mounted on a CHevy S-10 chassis. A new Cayenne S like the one we just drove, however, starts at $75,095.
Like the refreshed Panamera S before it, the Cayenne S gains V-6 power during its midcycle update. Porsche advertises more power undmore efficiency—the new motor is up 20 horsepower to 420.
Torque is a healthy 406 lb-ft, but the turbo-six lacks the personality of the V-8. Which, as V-8s go, was quite nice if rather generically Teutonic. Like, perhaps the iron-fisted Swabian middle manager of V-8s?
On our drive, what we found more problematic than the loss of cylinders was the new model’s carry-over eight-speed automatic transmission. Even in modes that were not Sport Plus (yes, Porsche’s vaunted everybody-to-the-limit Sport Plus button is now available in the Cayenne), the autobox would occasionally deliver an upshift that felt as if it were executed by an old GM Turbo Hydra-Matic 400 with a shift kit. More upsetting was when it would deliver one of these upshifts midcorner.
Porsche’s excellent nanny suite handily takes care of any balance disruption caused by the wonky shifts, but it still seems inexcusable, especially since the shift programming in Porsche’s latest dual-clutch transmissions is barely short of psychic.
The chassis is very much in the mold of modern Porsche automobiles, if a bit softer, rollier, and all-around heavier feeling. On the winding Catalan roads of southeastern Spain, it was simple enough to hurl the Cayenne down a hill, the brakes handling deceleration duties with easily modulated aplomb. In downhill corners, where many an automobile would be inclined to push wide with the snout, the big Porsche takes a ready set and tracks easily ’round the bend.
Through a series of undulating esses that ran for a mile or two, great gobs of throttle and easy steering inputs had the Cayenne leaping from corner to corner like a Calaveras bullfrog.
Off-road, the Cayenne’s capable AWD system and available height-adjustable air suspension means that it’ll easily handle the trek over the curb to your local Red Robin. Or, if you find yourself in a loose, silty, uphill right-hander, all that’s required is to hold the throttle at a steady state, keep the wheel turned, and let the computers figure out how to get the Cayenne up the hill. It’s the same sort of relaxed, reassuring experience that Porsche’s modern sports cars offer.
Gentlemen dedicated to low-range-transfer-case specs and honking Dana axles may scoff at the Porsche’s complexity and price, but for those who want to point and squirt without much thought on any surface, the Cayenne makes it about as simple as it gets.
Porsche claims that it has made interior revisions, but the innards look pretty much the same to us, save for the new steering wheel. Porsche likes to note that it’s derived from the design of the 918 Spyder’s tiller.
We’re just glad that it has honest-to-goodness shift paddles in lieu of the old, awful thumb buttons. Welcome to parity with the rest of the world, Zuffenhausen. Your customers will love it here.
The Cayenne S remains a worthy entry in the luxe-ute segment, offering an interior bested only by Coventry and an essentially unrivaled combination of on-road dynamics and feel, paired with off-road capabilities more than sufficient for those families who use their utes for more than just grabbing groceries.
Source: Car and Driver
Purists often criticize Porsche for creating products like the Cayenne, Panamera and recently launched Macan, saying they dilute the true sports car spirit of the brand. It's an argument we've heard before, and one we counter with two points. First: No they don't. And second: These are Porsche's volume superstars, and the money they rake in allows the company to create dozens of versions of its well-liked sports cars. Want proof? Have a look at the gallery above, where you'll see four new versions of the 911, all with GTS badges on their rumps. This means Porsche now offers 19 versions of the 911. Nineteen.
Porsche offered a GTS version of the 911 in its previous generation, and this new one seeks to slot somewhere between the standard car and the hardcore GT3. It's available in coupe and cabriolet forms, with either rear- or all-wheel drive, starting at $114,200, *not including $995 for destination. The GTS Cabriolet comes in at $126,100, while models equipped with AWD will set you back $120,900 or $132,800 for the coupe or convertible, respectively.
All GTS models get the 430-horsepower version of the Carrera S' 3.8-liter flat-six with the Powerkit, which also includes the Sport Chrono package and the sport exhaust. If equipped with the PDK dual-clutch transmission, the 911 GTS will hit 60 miles per hour in just 3.8 seconds (or four seconds flat, if you've got the Cabriolet) – one tenth of a second quicker than the normal Carrera S. The car's top speed varies, depending on trim or transmission, but Porsche says the car will hit anywhere from 187 to 190 mph, flat out.
All GTS models are based on the Carrera 4 body, with the wider track and flared wheel arches. The ride height has been lowered by 10 millimeters compared to the standard 911, as well. Standard kit includes Xenon headlamps, an Alcantara interior, 20-inch wheels painted in gloss black, and a customized GTS air intake. Black chrome-plated exhaust tips set the GTS apart from lesser 911s, too.
Look for the new GTS models to arrive in Porsche showrooms by the end of 2014
Source: Autoblog
When driven on the street, you wouldn’t think that the 2014 Porsche Carrera 911 Turbo S is the performance animal that it is. Nope, it’s a comfortable and low key feeling experience from behind the wheel when rolling around with the adaptive suspension softened and the dual-clutch sequential manual transmission slotted in full automatic mode.
The 20-inch low-profile Pirelli P Zero tires make little to no noise over bumps doesn’t mean harsh jolts filtering into the cabin just as I’ve learned in previous drives of the 991 generation of the Carrera. When you do squeeze the gas pedal a little harder you take off from a dead stop in a more rapid manner than a Carrera S, but it doesn’t feel like it’s going to be that much quicker.
Then again, I didn’t dare mash the throttle too hard on the street because a 911 Turbo S with a racing yellow paint job doesn’t exactly blend in with the crowd around these parts. Credit is due to the excellent platform and suspension work Porsche has done to the latest 911. In this Turbo S, you have car that’s streetable with a nice leather-lined interior, comfortable front bucket sport seats and a lovely sounding Burmester sound system
As nice as it is to sit in and how docile it feels during regular driving, there’s some serious equipment on this car to make it go faster, handle better and stop harder. On the Turbo S the Sport Chrono package is standard which features an overboost function that ups max boost pressure by 2.2 psi for up to 20 seconds and increases peak torque to 553 lb-ft.
The all-wheel-drive system has been enhanced to more efficiently deliver power to the ground, while not sounding like the Nissan GT-R’s all-wheel system with loud mechanical whines and chatter.
In the handling department, the Turbo S has rear-wheel steering, a torque vectoring rear axle, dynamic chassis control and dynamic magnetic engine mounts that stiffen when hard driving is detected. Standard massive carbon ceramic brakes easily slow things down.
See more at: Autoweek
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Porsche 911 Turbo S versus Aston Martin V12 Vantage S
4:30 PM
The Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Roadster is the drop-top version of the British manufacturer's best and most desirable model.
But can it compare favourably to the brilliantly resolved Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet? Steve Sutcliffe finds out.
918 Spyder,
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Porsche 918 Spyder burns to ground in gas station
4:30 PM
There's one fewer Porsche 918 Spyder zipping along the roads of Toronto, Canada. A fire at a gas station over the weekend claimed one of the hybrid supercars in a massive blaze, and a portion of the inferno was caught on video.
The cause of the fire hasn't been officially confirmed yet, but witnesses have reportedly claimed gasoline somehow came into contact with the hot exhaust outlets that exit out of the top of the supercar's engine bay. This was just one of two 918s believed to be in the Toronto area.
Source: AutoBlog
The latest 2015 Porsche Cayenne is only a few days away from being officially unveiled at the Paris Motor Show 2014 and aftermarket tuner CT Exclusive has decided now is the time to release their tuning program for the pre-facelift Cayenne.
As with essentially all Cayenne tuning packages, the one from CT Exclusive is centred around the bodykit. It adds flared wheel arches, a brand new fascia incorporating different LED daytime running lights, front grille, fog lights, air intakes and bumper.
At the rear, the car has been fitted with a rooftop spoiler, an aggressive rear diffuser, quad tailpipes and a new bumper.
Source: GT Spirit
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Jaguar F-Type Coupe vs Porsche Cayman GTS
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As always, Autocar is the first to answer the burning questions that keep car enthusiasts up at night. This time Steve Sutcliffe hits the track to find out which sports coupe, Jaguar F-Type Coupe or Porsche Cayman GTS, is worth your hard-earned £60,000. This is sports coupe battle royale, as both the Jaguar F-Type Coupe V6S and the Porsche Cayman GTS are the very top of their game. It’s a close call, this one, but one conclusion we drew from it is that the F-Type V6S makes a lot more sense than the V8s version.
Everyone’s favourite dreadlocked and bearded Porschephile, Magnus Walker, is back being an outlaw in an urban setting in this latest short film from Roads & Rides. Everyone’s favourite dreadlocked and bearded Porschephile has designed some new wheels, strapped them to his 930 Turbo and is back being an outlaw in an urban setting in this latest short film from Roads & Rides.
Turn the volume up and enjoy the Urban Outlaw taking a jaunt through the streets of downtown Los Angeles on a night time adventure. Also includes tips on red light manoeuvres if the cops aren’t about.
The Porsche 918 Spyder is a mid-engined plug-in hybrid supercar designed by Porsche. The Spyder is powered by a 4.6 liter V8 engine, developing 608 horsepower (453 kW), with two electric motors delivering an additional 279 horsepower (208 kW) for a combined output of 887 horsepower (661 kW). The 918 Spyder's 6.8 kWh lithium-ion battery pack delivers an all-electric range of 12 mi (19 km) under EPA's five-cycle tests. The car has a top speed of around 345 km/h (214 mph).
Normally we see the title of these drag races and assume at least one, if not both cars, has been given an extra boost of power. So it makes for a pleasant change to see two of our favorite supercars go head to head on the drag strip running completely stock.
The 692-hp Aventador can officially sprint to 62 mph in less than three seconds. Though down by around 130 horses, the Porsche 911 Turbo S is equally competent off the line.
Lining up at the Unlim 500 in Russia for a one kilometer battle, the Porsche absolutely nails it to the quarter-mile, beating the Lambo by around half-a-second, but it’s a lot closer than that by the time the 1,000-meter sprint is over. Place your bets and check it out.
Source: carbuzz
You'll often hear Porsche 911 owners say the same thing about how they ended up buying one: They could never forget the feeling they experienced during their first ride. Top-flight Porsche restorer John Willhoit will comment on how the rear-engine layout gives the 911 its unique handling and plenty of room in the interior, but he'll also tell you that, after his first ride in one, he was hooked.
Willhoit's 1971 Pastel Blue 911T wasn't his first Porsche; it was a one-owner basketcase parked outside his sister's neighbor's garage when he found it 20 years ago. Rain water had been draining onto and into it for years, so it was clear to him when he saw it in person that it would be a labor of love to bring it back to life. Of all the things we would expect in a restoration done to this level, it would be a paint job, but, amazingly, the paint is original! Everything else, however, isn't.
