Wall Street traders holding hot commodities might yell “sell sell sell!” They want to shoo as much out the door while demand is hot because, as they know, the definition of “in demand” changes all to quickly, or does it? No doubt a fair number of those individuals finish their day by drawing a key from their coat pocket emblazoned with a Porsche coat of arms, proving that some commodities have staying power.

Some argue that Porsche’s cars have barely changed from a styling perspective. Those changes are so minimal, they may say, that the product is old and stale. Opinions be damned, Porsche doesn’t agree and released a video to massage their fans and thumb noses at critics— all at once.

The video chronicles the company’s history and how the new Carrera evolved into what it is today, making a point to be clear that their goal is to maintain a distinctly Porsche look while constantly improving the smallest details year over year. You can decide for yourself and watch the video below.

GALLERY: 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera

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Out in Germany, a new vehicle must be inspected after three years by the TÜV, similar to America’s state-level emissions and inspection process (albeit much more rigorous). After that, residents of Germany then have to get their vehicles inspected every two years and each visit involves an extremely thorough inspection of your vehicle.

Failing the inspection means you have to get it fixed immediately. Fail it again and you won’t receive an inspection sticker and your vehicle will not be permitted to be driven on the road. So with all these vehicles coming in and out for inspections every year, there’s got to be a ton of good ‘ol data waiting to be reported right? Of course, it’s called the TÜV-Report and it won’t be published until December 16th. But of course we have the Internet and those dates mean nothin’ to us!

Between July 2010 and June 2011 an overwhelming 7,779,312 cars were inspected and The Truth About Cars decided to publish the results from all the new cars that got their first inspection after three years, and the results from 10-11 year old cars. At the top of the new car list was Toyota‘s Prius with 1.9-percent complaints, while tied for second place was Toyota’s Auris and Mazda‘s 2. Tied for fourth (and really just rounding out the top five) was Porsche‘s Boxster/Cayman and VW‘s Golf Plus. And at the very bottom of the new car list? Say hello to Dacia’s Logan. This is the second time in a row the Prius has taken the top spot.

Now for the 10-11 year old cars, Porsche’s 911 took the top spot while Toyota’s Rav4, Yaris, and Avensis came in second, third and fourth respectively. Rounding off the top five was Mazda’s MX-5. It’s not a huge surprise that Porsche’s older cars stay on top of the list, with Germans treating them with pristine care and service. The 911 also topped the 6-7 year old bracket and the 8-9 year old bracket. And at the bottom of that list? Ford‘s Ka takes those honors with an astonishingly high 38.9-percent complaint rate. That means more than one out of three Kas leave the inspection without a decal – yikes.

[Source: The Truth About Cars]

Porsche is spicing up their U.S. vehicle lineup starting next year with three new models, including a diesel Cayenne.

It’s hard not to see the writing on the wall when a status symbol like Porsche decides to port the diesel counterpart of their high-end SUV to the U.S. Most people familiar with the European car market know that diesels are a staple across the Atlantic, but until recently the alternative fuel was pretty much an 18-wheel thing. That’s all changing, as mainstream manufacturers are offering efficient diesel versions and companies like Cummins are ramping up their capacity in anticipation of a market shift.

If you still struggle with the smoke-belching image diesel vehicles evoke for so many Americans, figure this: Porsche is counting on the diesel Cayenne to help double their U.S. sales by 2018 without adding any dealerships. The other two sales-boosters are a redesigned 911 and the 430 horsepower Panamera GTS.

If the American diesel is true to its Euro-spec brother, you’re looking at a Cayenne that boasts just under 40 mpg combined. It’s likely that the car will have a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6, making 245 horsepower and 405 lb-ft of torque, capable of a 0-60 sprint in 7.6 seconds. You won’t be winning any races in it with a top speed of only 137 mph, but then again you’re looking at a fuel-saving SUV.

If speed is really more important than mileage to you, consider the hybrid version, which makes 380 horses. Just know that you’re probably going to pay about $10,000 more for a vehicle that only gets about 24 mpg.

[Source: Automotive News]

As automotive technology and innovation continue at breakneck speed, car enthusiasts and traditionalists have been quite outspoken in their opposition against sequential gearboxes and dual clutch systems, arguing that there’s an irreplaceable purity from rowing your own gears.

To the men and women who love to drive, don’t despair. Porsche has been listening. According to Porsche CEO, Matthias Muller, the 911 will offer a manual transmission for as long as it is in demand, which loosely translates to forever. Moreover, an all new, world’s first 7-speed manual was introduced just for the latest Porsche flagship sports car.

The good news doesn’t stop there. Muller also confirms that the 911 GT3 will still be manual as well, denying past allegations of otherwise.

Driving enthusiasts rejoice! Go Porsche!

GALLERY: Porsche 911

[Source: Motortrend]

Porsche pulled the covers off its seventh generation 911 Carrera with nearly 90% newly redesigned or redeveloped components including a 7-speed manual transmission.

The new 911 has a longer wheelbase by 100mm yet the body is only 56mm longer. The new 911 is also about 7mm shorter than the previous version. At just under 176.91 inches in length and 71.18 inches in width, Porsche says the new 911 Carrera remains the most compact sports car in its class.

The standard 7-speed manual transmission is an all-new feature for any passenger car in the world, offering gears in close ratio with the seventh as a quasi-overdrive gear.

The 911 Carrera is also the first Porsche sports car equipped with auto start/stop for improved fuel economy.

Porsche will offer two versions, the 911 Carrera and the 911 Carrera S. The non-S version is powered by a 3.4 liter boxer engine claiming 350 hp. Porsche claims a 0-100 kph (0-62 mph) time of 4.8 seconds, 4.6 with the optional PDK 7-speed transmission, and an even quicker 4.4 seconds with the Sport Chrono package. Top speed is 179.6 mph for the standard version, 178.3 with PDK while fuel economy is about 26.1 mpg (28.6 mpg with PDK).

The Porsche 911 Carrera S is equipped with a 3.8 liter boxer pumping out 400 hp. Porsche claims a 0-100 kph time of 4.5 seconds (4.3 s with PDK, 4.1 with Sport Chrono Package). Top speed gets a boost to 188.9 mph for the standard model, 187.7 mph with PDK. Fuel economy takes a slight hit with the S getting 24.8 mpg, 27.0 mpg with PDK.

GALLERY: Porsche 911 Carrera

Watch video of the new 911 Carrera S from it’s debut in Frankurt after the jump:

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Maybe you can’t choose between the 23 different Porsche 911 variants currently listed on the German automakers website. Maybe none of them suit you perfectly. Well there is some good news, add a twenty-fourth variant to that list. Brumos Porsche of Jacksonville, Florida, confirmed today that five rare, factory-built 911 Carrera GTS B59 Edition Coupes will be produced. It’s a tribute model to Hurley Haywood, who the Daytona 24 Hours four times in the 1970s and once again in 1991 while driving for Porsche. Since only five examples will be produced, costing a whopping $133,540 a pop, buying one will be tricky.

The five special edition 911′s will all be finished in Carrara White and feature a Black leather interior with Alacantara trim. The 408-hp Porsche looks the part and comes with several performance goodies including:

- Brumos Red/Blue stripe design for the front hood and rear deck
- Brumos Red/Blue stripe “PORSCHE” door decals
- Exterior mirrors in Black
- 19″ Sport Classic Wheel (Fuchs style)
- Interior limitation badges
- Door entry guards in Stainless Steel with “Hurley Haywood” engraved signature
- Deviating (dual stripe) stitching in Red/Blue on steering wheel and gear/brake lever
- Carrara White painted interior accents including Adaptive Sport Seat Backrests

GALLERY: 911 Carrera GTS B59 Edition

The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is the most successful race car the German automaker has ever offered. Porsche has sold 2,200 GT3 Cup units and is the most popular choice amongst racing teams all over the world.The GT3 Cup currently competes in 19 Porsche brand trophy series worldwide and runs in various GT race series and at long distance events. The GT3 Cup is based on the lighweight 997 911 GT3 RS sports car and features a 100-liter FT3 safety fuel tank.

The tank is now suitable for an even wider range of endurance races thanks to the increased capacity. Power levels remain almost identical to that of the GT3 RS with 450-hp and a racing exhaust system. Different rims are available to suit several different types of racing and blade-type anti-roll bars are standard at the front and rear of the car with seven adjustable positions.

Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes are also featured on the 911 Cup, that reduce the weight of the car by approximately 20 kilograms. Inside the cockpit, the controls for the info display are positioned on the steering wheel which contains six switches.

The GT3 Cup will be delivered to racing teams in September for 2012 and 2013 racing seasons, and will cost 161,750 Euros ($230,235).

The eagerly anticipated 2012 Porsche 911 has been spied with almost no camouflage, which is a big change.

The new 911 will be a little longer than the last one, by 2.2 inches, but with 4 inches extra between the wheelbase. The growth of the car has been linked to accommodate a possible hybrid system. The base 911 while come with a 3.4-liter flat-six and 350-hp. The Carrera S will pack a 3.8-liter cranking out 400-hp. The car is also believed to be offered with a seven-speed manual transmission.

Performance numbers will be somewhat similar to the current model, with a 0-60 time of 4.5 seconds for the base Carrera topping out at 186 mph. Impressively the 991 will be 12-15 percent more fuel efficient and weigh 55 pounds less. Porsche has stated the the Carrera completed the Nürburgring in 8:04, and the Carrera S in 7:50.

The Porsche 911 will makes it’s official debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show this September.

GALLERY: Porsche 991

Check out the video after the jump!

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For Pikes Peak this year, Porsche looked to reset the record books by throwing seven-time Pikes Peak Champion Jeff Zwart behind the wheel of the 911 GT2 RS. But to make it even more exciting, they had Zwart pick up the car from Porsche Motorsport in Santa Ana, CA and drive it 1,132 miles to the start line of America’s second oldest race in anticipation of setting new records.

While the achievement of besting his 2010 record setting run by 10 seconds and setting the fastest street-legal car ever at Pikes Peak is amazing enough, the video that Porsche produced of the journey is simply one-of-a-kind. From the adventure of getting to Pikes Peak to the actual car footage of it setting the record is simply incredible. Porsche did a fantastic job of capturing the elegance and beauty of Pikes Peak, while showing the exhilaration and danger of racing up the famed mountain.

Check out the video after the jump:

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Porsche may be bringing back the old-school Targa top in the next-generation 911 after rumours have spread that the current sliding-glass assembly has become too heavy and expensive. Porsche stopped producing the old-school set up after the 1996 993 model came out featuring an electronic system. After a 15 year hiatus, we may see the old targa set up make a comeback.

Interestingly, Porsche coined the term ‘Targa’ to refer to its removable top, introduced on the 911 in 1966 after fears became apparent that authorities were preparing to ban full convertibles due to safety concerns.

Not many current cars use a Targa setup. In the 90s, the Toyota Supra, Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird all had great Targa top setups.  Hopefully we will see the next Porsche 911 use this fabulous system again. It will probably be a few years before the next Targa comes out but stay tuned for more info!

[Source: AutoBlog]