Porsche Blog, Performance, Tuning, Motorsport, and Modification News

So you know the new entry level Porsche SUV based on the Audi Q5 that everyone was calling the Cajun? Scratch that, just a code name. Call it the Macan. We did not think Cajun was very good but it certainly sounds a heck of a lot better than Macan. How high is the Porsche board of directors when they approve these names? Porsche says Macan originates from the from the Indonesian word for tiger and it is those attributes of a tiger that fit its new SUV perfectly. Calling it the Porsche Tiger probably sounds better but nobody wants the Germans building Tigers again. If that doesn't make sense, please read a history book and pay attention to the chapters that mention German manufacturing circa 1942. ...

The Corvette and 911 have been rivals, for, well, forever. They may be at two extremely different price points (price as tested $131,760 for the Carrera S and $72,130 for the Grand Sport) but they are both sports cars going about things in very different ways. The Carrera S PDK is a technological Tour de Force with direct injection, a dual clutch transmission, and weight savings (the 911 is 121 pounds lighter than the Vette at 3254 poudns) thanks to composites and aluminum ...

911 turbo and the Nissan GT-R battles are simply natural for the two platforms. Both are twin turbo all wheel drive six cylinders with a history of tuning. This is a bit of a mis-match though but still interesting to see the comparison. The 997 Turbo appears to be an automatic which is at a large disadvantage to the GT-R dual clutch. A PDK turbo with a tune would have held its own much, much better and actually made this a race. ...

Seems Porsche has come to terms with the performance advantage offered by the PDK transmission and we wholeheartedly agree. There were conflicting reports early on some stating Porsche would not offer the GT3 with a PDK and some stating the opposite. Our previous report on the subject stated Porsche was testing 991 GT3's with the PDK transmission and 911 project chief August Achleitner confirmed with insideline that manual and PDK versions are currently undergoing testing. ...

This comes from our friends at GT Spirit who we are more than happy to support as they always support us. They took the manual and PDK both for a spin. Overall, what they liked most were the improvements to the handling and interior. They would choose the manual over the PDK which is interesting. They stated the downside to the car is that it does not seem to feel as sporty as the 911 once did. Maybe too refined? ...

The Audi R8 V8 was used for this comparison. That is fine, as the V8 is already much more expensive than the Boxster and offers much more power. However, this is one of those instances where Quattro hurts more than it helps. The Boxster is able to beat the more expensive and more powerful R8 by almost a full second with a laptime of 1:24.7 versus 1:25.5 for the R8. A bit embarrassing for the R8 wouldn't you say? ...

We bow down in respect to Porsche. This is some of the most impressive factory stock specific output we have ever seen. To hit over 100 wheel horsepower (not crank horsepower) per liter is a feat we have not seen many factory stock motors over 4.0 liters accomplish with the F430 Scuderia being the only other one in recent memory with 459 wheel from its 4.3 liter. 457 wheel horsepower in STD correction from a 4.0 liter flat-6 is absolutely absurd and this is by far the most powerful production naturally aspirated six cylinder the world has ever seen. ...

PorscheBoost premier vendor Eurocharged has released their ECU tune for the Panamera S and 4S. The stock horsepower and torque are 400 and 369 lb-ft respectively. After the Eurocharged tune these figures are raised to 430 horsepower and 381 pound-feet of torque. The factory 155 mile per hour speed limiter is also removed. We are waiting on a dyno and pricing information which we hope to post shortly. ...

Tuners have been tinkering with Porsche turbo motors for years. With all the emphasis on new cars we often forget the older turbo platforms can be made into powerful vehicles in their own right. TPC is known these days for their Cayman/Boxster turbo kits but they modify and race basically every king of Porsche out there. This particular 964 puts down 520 horsepower to rear wheels and with a fairly low curb weight it no doubt moves quite well. ...

This a very sad and unfortunate situation but the worst part of it is that taxpayers are literally paying millions of dollars for it. Nicole Catsouras took her father's Porsche 911 for a joyride in 2006 and ran into a toll booth at over 100 mph after clipping another car killing herself. Fortunately she did not injure anyone else seriously. The CHP took photos of the crash and these photos leaked out onto the internet. The family sued and was awarded a $2.3 million settlement. ...

We all like the word speedster in connection with Porsche. It should bring up images of a classic 356 with the top down. In recent years Porsche has attempted to recreate this nostalgia with a speedster version of the 911 with a hardtop in place of the automatic folding rear softop to save weight. It was also done to commemorate 25 years of Porsche Exclusive customization. On the new 991 generation Porsche 911 though this rendering just seems to give it a hump back look. Not all that attractive and we doubt Porsche will do it again anyway.
...

Finally, a direct comparison between the two 7 speed transmission options (PDK and manual) in the same time, same place thanks to Insdeline. So how much is a dual clutch worth over a manual? How about 3.3 MPH and seven tenth's in the 1/4 mile? The largest gain comes in elapsed time which is not surprising as the PDK isn't making more power but shifting much faster. The PDK is picking up well over a tenth per shift as it needs 3 shifts to make it through the 1/4 mile, impressive. ...

For 958 Cayenne's equipped with the air suspension the vehicle can be lowered through electronic means. The stock Porsche software limits how low the car can go. In comes Vogtland with a lowering module that will bring the car down an additional 40 millimeters. It only takes a few minutes to install the module which is connected to the vehicles electronics. It can be removed just as quickly and easily. The entire module is controlled through an on-board menu. ...

Congratulations to Porsche for a dominant victory in the extremely competitive GT class at the 50th running of the 24 Hours of Daytona. The GT3 cup cars did not just win, they dominated, with a 1-2-3 finish. The victory in the class went to Magnus Racing and drivers Richard Lietz, Rene Rast, Andy Lally, and John Potter. Second and third place went to GT3 cup cars fielded by TRG and Brumos Racing respectively. Full results are posted below. ...

Here is a new widebody option for the Porsche Panamera from A. Kahn, the British tuner formerly known as Project Kahn. It is getting difficult to keep track of all these body kit options let alone when tuners change their names. The widebody kit includes modified fenders obviously as well as sideskirts and a spoiler. They do not stop with body work as they also modify the exhaust tips, interior, and add 22 inch RS600 wheels. We do not know what the pricing is for all of this but the blue Panamera V6 pictured is for sale for $135,000. Um, ordering a Panamera Turbo may be a better idea. ...

That is exactly what Autocar is reporting although they have been known to jump the gun and gets things wrong from time to time. BMW just recently did a tri-turbo setup on their diesel M motor so obviously it can be done and manufacturers are going forward with it. Autocar states there are patent applications made by Porsche which show a system using a small turbo for low end response and two bigger turbos for power up top. This setup may find its way into the GT2 as well. We are waiting for more details on these new triple turbo system as thus far there has been little technical documentation about the motors and turbo system from either BMW or Porsche. ...

Well, the PDK Carrera S is simply a heck of a lot faster than the manual. This makes for two tests of the PDK hitting 118 MPH trap speeds in the 1/4 mile (the other being Car and Driver). The quickest and fastest the manual has gone through the 1/4 mile that we have seen is 12.7@113. We will likely see quicker and faster manual numbers than that but the PDK is clearly the superior performance option. ...

The Panamera GTS was just unveiled at the LA Auto Show a couple of months ago. Pretty impressive that Akrapovic already has an exhaust system available for it. The exhaust is basically a rear section but one lighter than stock being made of titanium. It is valved meaning it the exhaust is compatible with the factory sport button used to open the valves for extra growl. We are waiting on further details from Akrapovic such as the weight, power gains, and the suggested retail price. ...

The Infiniti M35h is pretty impressive. We showed you a comparison between it and the Mercedes E350 Bluetec where the M35h absolutely trounced the Benz. It seems that Infiniti now wants to claim it has the fastest production hybrid sedan in the world and set out to create a video showing the M35h going head to head with the Porsche Panamera S Hybrid. Now, we have a couple big problems with this video and think the outcome shown is highly questionable. ...