Porsche has announced that it will be relocating its Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA) subsidiary to the new Porsche Experience Center in Los Angeles once it’s completed in fall of 2013.

The German automaker is currently working on building the new 53-acre Experience Center out in Carson, California and will feature a world-class test track and handling course, a leading sports science laboratory, a Porsche Cafe, and gift shop. Additional dining facilities will also be available for those upscale business meetings and events that could benefit with some track side views.

Porsche Motorsport North America will be relocating to the new Experience Center where they will continue to sell and service the North American customers sports programs. PMNA supplies a wide range of products from 911 Cup cars to the ultimate 911 RSR to race teams all across America.

“This not only makes sound business sense, but is symbolic as well,” said Detlev von Platen, PCNA’s President and CEO. “Aside from offering a modern, purpose built working environment, the motorsport specific operations will provide additional energy and dynamics to a facility that is all about performance both on the vehicle and human side. Thus our new Experience Center will perfectly symbolize the core of the Porsche brand, which has always been a successful blend of a passion for racing and for spirited yet responsible driving on open roads,” he added.

The automotive industry is a global business that is constantly evolving and growing, and we here at AutoGuide know it can be hard to keep up sometimes. So here is a summary of the top stories you may have missed this past week:

2015 Ford Mustang Rendered into Reality

Mustang fans and Ford loyalists may decry the automaker’s modern new style language… 

Chevrolet SS Performance Sedan Announced

Straight from the other side of the world, Chevrolet announced its SS Performance sedan today…

Audi Celebrates First Ever Nürburgring 24 Hour Win

Arguably the world’s toughest endurance race, the 2012 Nürburgring 24 Hours ended with the AudiSport Team Phoenix R8 LMS ultra capturing the victory…

Toyota GT 86 Gets Unique 320-HP Twincharger System from Gazoo Racing

Ever since the Toyota GT 86 became official, sports car enthusiasts worldwide have been anxiously awaiting…

2014 Porsche 918 Spyder Prototypes Begin Testing

If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. That at least seems to be the theory at Porsche these days…

Enthusiast-Built Chevrolet S10 Gets a Badass Viper Engine

At the purest level, being a passionate car guy is a selfish game. Somewhere along the line a bug with gas…

2013 Porsche 911 GT3 Near-Production Model in Spy Photos

Our photographers caught pictures of the 2013 Porsche911 GT3 today…

Our photographers caught pictures of the 2013 Porsche 911 GT3 today, and in the spy photos you can see an unmasked version of the front spoiler.

The same outlet we’ve seen on the front of the car in previous glimpses is present to push air over the car and increase downforce at high speeds. This time we also see the car wearing a large rear wing missing in previous shots. With nothing actually covered, this is probably the closest version to the actual production model before pictures of a fully finished version start to circulate.

With an expected 450 hp coming from its naturally aspirated flat six, the new GT3 will be more athletic than its predecesor and certainly the best 911 to date.

GALLERY: 2013 Porsche 911 GT3 spy photos

Caught testing several months back in the European arctic, our latest spy photos show the new Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet out for some top down fun.

Based on the all-new 991 platform the newest Porsche Turbo will be 4-inches longer than its predecessor and make for an even more comfortable ride with a more spacious cabin. With this elongated platform there was some hope that the newest Porsche Cab would lose the bubble-butt stigma, but based on these photos that doesn’t appear to be the case.

Rumors have suggested the new Porsche 911 Turbo will get a tri-turbo 3.8-liter flat-six setup, using one smaller turbocharger and two larger ones. Not only would this setup produce plenty of power, but it would be more responsive than ever before. Look for engine output of at least 530 hp and acceleration times in the supercar level.

Look for the new 2013 Porsche 911 Turbo to bow later this year at the Paris Motor Show, if not sooner.

GALLERY: 2013 Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet

Bill Gates has quite the history with his Porsche collection in his younger years, including a high-speed excursion in New Mexico that got him arrested and photographed for his infamous mugshot.

Heading to an auction in Vienna, Austria is a 1979 Porsche 911 Turbo that Gates purchased shortly after he founded Microsoft with Paul Allen. Someway, somehow, after Gates gave up this Porsche around the early-1990s, it found its way over in Austria where the current owner recently had it repainted the original metallic turquoise and had the German automaker overhaul the 3.3-liter, 300-hp engine.

The 911 Turbo is heading to a Dorotheum auction and has an estimated selling price of $55,500 to $71,000 and will be up for auction on June 6.

GALLERY: Bill Gates Porsche 911 Turbo

[Source: Hemmings]

Porsche released official photos of the 918 Spyder prototype testing, but we now have spy photos to show you, with a few more angles of the hybrid supercar.

The 918 will use an all-new hybrid setup from the German company with a mid-mounted V8 engine and two small electric motors that will produce around 770 hp.

Believe it or not, that isn’t the best part. It’s also expected to get around 74 mpg. A carbon-fiber monocoque body and aluminum frame will be used in the car to keep the weight under 3, 700 lbs. making it a true supercar. It’s is also slotted to get adaptive rear steering, adaptive aerodynamics and a unique exhaust system that has its tips pointed upwards.

The 918 Spyder will begin production in the beginning of 2013, and should be available for delivery by late 2013 or early 2014. Expect the car to cost somewhere around $850,000.

GALLERY: Porsche 918 Spyder

If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. That at least seems to be the theory at Porsche these days in regards to its new flagship sports car. Rather than let details leak out and spy photos appear online the German sports car maker is controlling the flow of info and pictures when it comes to the highly anticipated 918 Spyder.

After released a smattering of info back in March, Porsche has now released a selection of new photos with the official announcement that (duh!) first testing of the prototypes has commenced.

Porsche has confirmed that the project is going according to plan and that the 918 Spyder will begin production in September of 2013 with the first cars being delivered to owners before the year is out.

According to Porsche, “The initial results of the driving trials are in line with the high expectations placed on the 918 Spyder.” That’s saying a lot as the 918 Spyder looks to be a revolutionary product for the brand, using a plug-in hybrid system with a mid-mounted gasoline V8 engine as well as two electric motors – one driving the front wheels and one acting on the rear wheels. Porsche claims power output will exceed 770 hp, while fuel consumption will hit 74 mpg.

Other performance and technology features include a full carbon fiber monocoque, adaptive rear steering, adaptive aerodynamics an even an interesting “top pipes” system, with the exhaust tips pointing upwards.

See the full gallery of 918 Spyder prototypes below, painted in camo that mimics the historical Porsche 917 race cars.

GALLERY:Porsche 918 Spyder Prototype

Plans for a cheaper, smaller entry-level model from Porsche have been dropped according to CEO Matthias Mueller, essentially laying to rest the idea of a baby Boxster model.

During an interview with a German newspaper, Mueller affirmed that plans for a smaller entry-level model would not only dilute the brand but alienate traditional Porsche customers that not only buy a Porsche for its performance, but the prestige that goes along with it. “We would do no good to the brand if we were to lose traditional Porsche customers,” Mueller said.

Last year, the German automaker expressed its interest in building a small, mid-engine sports car that would essentially be a successor to the Porsche 550 model from the 1950s. Early plans had the launch set in 2014, but we can now cross that date off our calendars.

In related news, this also means that the Pajun model might not just be delayed until 2017. Porsche now has no immediate plans to develop the smaller Panamera variant and will revisit the idea in a few years, possibly making it a reality in five or six.

[Source: Automotive News]

It’s been a while since we heard anything about the Porsche Pajun, a smaller version of the Panamera that would compete with the Mercedes E-Class or BMW 5 Series, but information is starting to crop up again. 

Previous reports suggested that the car would come around in 2016, but that date seems to have been pushed back to 2017 for now. The latest information also suggests that a range of V6 gasoline engines reaching from 320, 420 and 520 hp will be available alongside a diesel with 313 hp. It will also be built on Audi’s MLB platform.

There wasn’t any mention of a hybrid drivetrain, as was reported last year, but given the demand for efficient vehicles (even in the luxury segmgent) it seems reasonable that something along those lines could be coming too. Then again, the diesel engine in conjunction with Porsche’s dual-clutch transmission could probably offer the fuel efficiency those clients would want.

Still, it’s hard to think that the company is really going to deliver in five years. Last year it was 2016, now it’s been pushed again and the word from Stuttgart seems to be grim for new vehicles. The company hasn’t been shy about emphasizing its preference to focus on cash cows, but then again that’s exactly what this could be with the right price tag.

[Source: Autobild]

There are a lot of car stereotypes out there, like that Toyota builds dull appliances. While true on many fronts, the Japanese automaker does also make exciting sporty cars like the Scion FR-S, and Lexus LFA, both praised for their exhilarating rides, edgy styling and pulse-raising performance. But there’s another stereotype that needs to be dealt with.

Likely you’ve heard the phrase “German engineering” more than a few times in your life and there’s a popular misconception that it equals good reliability. German cars are well engineered, sometimes to be amazing performance machines and sometimes to be incredibly high-tech (and often both) but, Porsche aside, German cars don’t have the best track record for reliability.

A REPUTATION EARNED

Part of the reason for the misconception about German engineering is that German automakers did, at one time, earn it. When Consumer Reports started its Long-Term Reliability Tests and Initial Quality Index tests way back in 1972, German brands like Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz came out on top. The initial quality of even the lowly VW Beetle topped many domestic vehicles from Ford, Jeep, Pontiac and Mercury.

For a while afterwards, Mercedes and VW managed to stay near the top in reliability rankings. But their Japanese rivals weren’t sitting idly-by. In the 1980s and 90s the most reliable models ended up coming from Honda, Toyota, Acura, Infiniti and Lexus.

“Back then, the cars like the Beetle were pretty simple. But then came stronger competition, the Japanese [automakers], especially Toyota and Honda got their problems per 100, down to a science,” Said Gabriel Shenhar, an automotive engineer at Consumer Reports.

A REPUTATION LOST

In the late ‘90s Mercedes had released the dismally unreliable M-Class SUV (left) and the brand’s initial quality scores have plummeted since. Other German brands had similar experiences. Even though they stayed at the forefront of new technology and engineering practices, their new gizmos were prone to failing.

“They’re quick to adapt new technologies but rely on suppliers that supply these technologies and in a lot of cases what we see is problems with the electrical systems, the entertainment systems and other interface,” said Schenhar

According to Consumer Reports, Mercedes boosted its reliability a bit in 2011, but is still inconsistent. The same can be said for Mercedes’ German competitors, Audi and BMW. In Consumer Reports last five annual reports, the last time these German brands have been above average in reliability was back in 2007. Since then, they’ve all slumped below the average in the industry.

Consumer Reports’ Long-Term Reliability test documents a car’s reliability over the course of three years, while the Initial Quality Index is based on consumer feedback from the first few months of a new cars ownership.

Consumer Reports also has a report card that ranks automakers based on their average car score, reliability score and the percentage of recommended vehicles. The average score for these carmaker report cards over the past five years (when they started the report cards) of the German brands doesn’t crack 68/100, below the industry average and the competition from the top Japanese automakers.

These results are reflected in numbers released by J.D. Power & Associates as well. In the both of the latest J.D. Power Surveys, the German brands can’t match up to their luxury peers. In the most recent vehicle dependability survey, Mercedes-Benz only gets a four out of five, which is “Better than most” rating, while Audi and BMW get 3/5 or “About Average.” Volkswagen falls below average with 2/5, what J.D. Power describes as “The Rest.” Porsche is also ranked “Better than most” in J.D. Power’s dependability survey, which give Mercedes-Benz some nice company. It’s important to note that only one car maker had a score of 5/5, and that’s Lexus.

Nothing changes in J.D. Power’s Initial Quality rankings. Mercedes and Porsche have 4/5 ratings, BMW and Audi get just 3/5 and VW only achieves 2/5. Lexus tops that ranking as well with a 5/5.

The J.D. Power ratings are based on consumer surveys. Initial Quality is measured after 90 days of a new car’s purchase. Vehicle Dependability Ratings are surveys based on the past 12 months of original owners of three-year old cars.

POOR RANKING NOT JUST ABOUT QUALITY

Some of the reasons why German cars struggle in J.D. Power’s rankings in the past are entirely trivial and are not related to actual vehicle quality at all says Karl Brauer from Total Car Score.

“German cars didn’t offer cup holders for years, and while this isn’t a mechanical failure it was often noted as a dissatisfaction point for buyers on J.D. Power and Consumer Reports surveys, and this drove down their scores” said Brauer. “Most German cars (even Porsches) now have cup-holders because the manufacturers realized they were suffering in terms of owner satisfaction scores by not having them,” he added. The same thing could be said about some of the complicated technologies and infotainment systems like BMW’s first generation iDrive system (pictured right).

SACRIFICE FOR PERFORMANCE

Along with these more trivial complaints and technology issues, Shenhar of Consumer Reports tells us that German automakers, by their own admission, sometimes come up short because of their singular focus on performance. When and if they cut costs, the likely areas that will get cheaper quality parts will be with some of the stuff the customer might not notice.

“They are susceptible to cost-cutting and anywhere they can, in the hopes that the customer won’t know, they use suppliers that will deliver and sometimes won’t,” says Shenhar.

While the phrase “German Engineering” has become synonymous with reliability, Shenhar suggests it should more accurately be a reference to performance. And in regards to performance, there’s little doubt they have some high standards. In fact, looking away from initial quality and reliability, German vehicles rank quite well.

GERMAN CARS STILL APEAL-ING

In J.D. Power’s Automotive Performance, Execution & Layout (APEAL) study, which looks at how gratifying a new vehicle is to own and drive, based on owner evaluations, Porsche comes out on top, as the only automaker to get 5/5. Audi, BMW Mercedes and VW all achieve a 4/5 in this survey as well, showing that these cars are no slouch when it comes to performance and execution.

With its new 3-series, BMW has set the bar even higher for sport sedans, and the new Porsche 911 has again solidified the automakers place in automotive history for making the best sports car in the business. It’s no surprise then that both cars were in the running as finalists for the 2012 World Car of the Year Award.

Neither won, however, but that accolade did still go to a German car: the VW up! In fact, it’s VW’s fourth win in the past five years. Winners are selected based on overall merit, value, safety, environmental responsibility, emotional appeal, and significance.

It’s clear then that there are plenty of reasons to buy a car from automakers like BMW, Mercedes, Audi and Volkswagen, but if reliability is your top concern, don’t be fooled by the myth of “German engineering”.

About the only thing your morning commute has in common with three-time ALMS GT2 Driver’s Champ Patrick Long is the cup of coffee.

The only American to be a factory Porsche driver, Long picks up a cup of java for fellow driver Hurley Haywood at the Porsche Sport Driving School at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama. Driving the hard-core GT3 RS 4.0, frankly, we’re surprised it even has cup holders.

Watch the video below and enjoy:

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There was a time that potential Porsche owners wouldn’t even concern themselves with fuel efficiency figures, but nowadays mpg figures are important to any educated car buyer.

The EPA has released its mpg figures for the 2013 Porsche Boxster equipped with the 2.7-liter, flat-six engine with 265-hp. The six-speed manual Boxster gets 20-mpg city, 30-mpg highway, while the seven-speed PDK-equipped model gets a respectable 22-mpg city, 32-mpg highway.

The figures are a noticeable improvement compared to the Boxster’s former 2.9-liter powerplant, which got 20-mpg city, 29-mpg highway for the automatic model and 19-mpg city, 27-mpg highway for the manual.

So those purchasing a 2013 Boxster will not only get 10-hp more in a chassis that is 55 lbs lighter, but will also get improved fuel economy. The EPA has not released figures on the Boxster S model yet, but we expect a similar improvement.

GALLERY: 2013 Porsche Boxster