Pictures
Archive
|
Porsche Cars News
| 2005 Porsche Cars |
|
2005 will be a bumper year for Porsche. Having
recently released the new 997 version of the 911, and the 987 upgrade for
the Boxster, their 4th model - the Cayman S - is expected to hit the roads
before the end of 2005.
The new model bridges the huge price gap between the
Boxster range, and the more upmarket 911s. With prices starting just
under 44,000 the Cayman S is an interesting development. On the
one hand it's difficult to see how that price can be justified for a car
which is essentially a coupe version of the Boxster with a slightly larger
engine; usually one has to pay more for the convertible. On the
other hand, the car's a bargain if you look at its capabilities - only
slightly less power than the entry level 911s, a mid engine layout and
typical Porsche residuals. Promises to be one of the most desirable
sports cars of the decade.
In addition to the launch of the Cayman, Porsche continue
to expand the models available in their other ranges. The new 987
version of the 911 has recently been boosted by the arrival of the
cabriolet version. As with the 911 coupe, the new cabriolet is a
significant improvement on the 986 cabriolet that it replaces, despite the
fact that the old version was one of the best cars money could buy.
Prices start from 65,000 but relatively low Porsche depreciation values,
and longer service intervals (now 20,000 miles) should minimise the impact
on owners wallets.` |
|
| Cayenne V6 - a fine piece of engineering. |
The third variant of Porsche's third model is a 3.2 litre V6 Cayenne
with 250 bhp and a few less goodies than you find on its big brothers the
Cayenne S and the Cayenne Turbo. Power then is similar to that of the
company's Boxster, but of course the weight is very different, resulting
in a very un-Porsche like 9.1s 0-60 time.
But we'd argue that there's no reason on earth why a massive SUV should
attempt to accelerate as quickly as a roadster, so on reflection
performance is perfectly reasonable for the car's class. There seems to be
a belief that it can't be a proper Porsche if it doesn't accelerate like a
bullet, but perhaps the new Cayenne's strengths lie elsewhere. Let's all
just accept this for the very fine engineering that it is, and not blame
it for being a little bit different to the rest of the cars in the Porsche
garage. |
| |
| Porsche Boxster 550 |
| Porsche's new Boxster S Anniversary Edition is now being widely
advertised in the motoring press. The car, which gets a 6 bhp uplift to
266 bhp and lots of extras, retails in the UK for 41,903 which is a
pretty good price if you add up the value of just those extras that you
could add to a regular S, never mind the ones that you can't specify, such
as the beautiful Carrera Silver paintwork. |
| |
| Honda S2000 uplift |
| The Honda S2000 upgrade appears to have brought a little more refinement
to this lovely sports car. No changes were necessary to the brilliant
240bhp VTEC engine, so the refinements have concentrated on minor styling
revisions and some effort to improve the car's handling. Previous models
have been brilliant cars in the right hands, but a significant number of
owners have had spins, particularly in slippery conditions; a fact that
Honda were keen to address. The new model feels better and hopefully
addresses the issues, making this little rocket a bargain at its price
which is over 20% less than that of the cheapest Porsche Boxster. |
| |
| Porsche Boxster reaps yet another Award |
| Porsche's Boxster and Boxster S Roadsters have picked up the 'Best
Sports Car' title in the 'Automobile Magazine' 2004 awards. At a time when
competition in this sector is increasing, the fact that 50% of the votes
went to the Boxster is pleasing for the company. Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche
AG, Stuttgart are also about to release the Boxster 550 special edition
model to celebrate the 50 years since the Porsche 550 Roadster was
launched. Porsche have also announced that since the Boxster's release in
1996 (in 2.5 litre guise) over 150,000 have been sold. Six and a half
thousand of these arrived in North America in 2003 to make up a
significant percentage of the 30,000 Porsches sold in the USA and Canada
last year. This was the highest total for seventeen years, and the second
highest ever in the history of Porsche Cars, a result largely due to the
massive success of the Cayenne SUV; Almost 50% of the Porsche Vehicles
sold in North America were Cayennes, and by December that figure was even
higher. Despite its 'Best Sports Car' status, the number of Boxsters sold
declined in December relative to the same period last year. |
| |
| Front-Mid configuration could be here to stay |
| The front mid engine layout which is suddenly becoming popular with a
number of manufacturers looks like it could be a popular design of the
future. Hailed by some as a new invention, it really isn't; the rear
transaxle has been used on a number of Porsches and other marques over the
years. One reason for the resurgence of this design is that it allows for
better balance than a front engine config without the impracticality of a
traditional mid engine layout. More importantly, the moving back of the
engine provides better crash protection for pedestrians as it's easier to
have a soft zone at the front of the vehicle with the heavy, solid engine
moved slightly further back. Expect to see the design on many performance
cars, including a host of Alphas over the next few years, and of course
the new Ferrari 612s. On the negative side, the design results in a longer
bonnet, which looks great, but which might result in more collisions at
those blind junctions where drivers need to nose out to see whether the
road is clear. |
| |
| Project Gotham Racing goes Live |
| Microsoft's recent update of their brilliant racing game "Project
Gotham Racing 2" now features XBox Live capability. The new game
which features over 100 cars including 11 Ferraris, 10 Porsches and an
assortment of cars from dozens of other manufacturers, raises the bar for
console racing. Once you've mastered the basics, you can race to open up
new tracks and cars until you eventually get them all. This means you can
race a Cayenne, a Boxster, and several different 911s around the
Nurburgring; something you've previously only dreamed of (we expect!). But
the real star of the upgrade is XBox Live which allows you to race
instantly against complete strangers, or set up tournaments against your
mates. But beware - this will take over your life if you let it; This game
is worth buying an XBox and a subscription to XBox Live on its own. |
| |
| Lamborghini Gallardo knocks us for 10 |
| Audi's reinvention of the Lamborghini brand is completed with the launch
of the awesome Gallardo. At a stroke they've created a useable supercar
that's actually refined and practical. With a 0-60 time of 4.2 seconds
thanks to clean lines and a 40 valve V10 Engine, the Gallardo is without
doubt the real thing. And it handles superbly (as you would expect).
Lambos may still be the province of the rich and famous, but at least
those who phpire to them can expect comfort and practicality as well as
raw power, which can't be said of many of the pre Audi cars. And it now
comes with the option of an excellent paddle change which is said to be
better than those produced by Aston Martin, Porsche and even Ferrari, who
were previously the benchmark for such devices. |
| |
| Porsche 911 GT3 RS |
| Porsche have once again trumped their own card with the 911 GT3 RS,
which improves on the already brilliant 'Ordinary' GT3. Many will prefer
to stick with their GT3s which already offer a great drive and a
reasonable amount of creature comforts. But for the ultimate Porsche
thrill (this side of a Carrera GT anyway) the GT3 RS does away with
niceties, and lightens a number of components in order to pare 50KG off
the GT3's weight, and a tenth of a second off its 0-60 time (4.6 seconds
for the GT3 is down to 4.5 for the RS). Available only in white, with Red
or Blue wheels and graphics, the car costs a whopping 84,000 which is
almost 11,500 more than the GT3. But we don't expect Porsche will have
any trouble at all selling every single 911 GT3 RS they can make; for many
enthusiasts, this will be the most 'Real' Porsche for years. Many will
also stump up the extra 4,500 for PCCB (Porsche Ceramic-Composite
Brakes) which will give the car a stopping power to match its handling and
performance. |
|
|
Great Value Used Cars
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Free listings for Used Cars, Car Parts and Car Accessories.
Sell your unwanted items now - no fees, no time limits.
|
|
