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Porsche to use next-generation Audi R8 platform for its mid-engined sports car

Porsche has been designated to build platforms for Volkswagen Group’s future sports cars but it has been forced to use the underpinnings of the next-generation Audi R8 for its all-new Ferrari 458 supercar competitor. The development of the all-new part-carbonfibre architecture is at an advanced stage. In fact, there was a preview of it on the Audi R8 E-tron concept at this year’s Frankfurt motor show. It will be used to underpin both the second-generation R8 and Lamborghini Gallardo. Last August, Porsche chief Matthias Müller discussed plans for a new supercar that will be slotted between the 911 and 918 Spyder.

Despite the company’s intention to develop bespoke underpinnings for its 458 rival, Porsche may be forced to use the R8’s foundations. VW thinks that the next R8 platform is a fitting architecture for the Porsche. Another advantage is that there would be savings on the development costs. Porsche wants to make a bespoke chassis so much that it could even postpone its new supercar so that it would arrive together with the third generation of R8 and Gallardo in the early part of the 2020s. The three models are expected to use underpinnings developed by Porsche. It’s believed that the second-gen R8 will use the Audi-Bentley co-developed twin-turbo V8 that was introduced in the S8 recently. Autocar estimates that this engine can do even better than the 513bhp produced in the S8. The present R8 is expected to have a facelifted version to be displayed this March at the Geneva motor show. In addition to the aesthetic improvements, the power will also be increased. The base 4.2-litre V8 received a boost to 450bhp while the 5.2-litre V10 now delivers 552bhp. The current automated six-speeder will be replaced by new dual-clutch seven-speed S-tronic gearbox. 

Electronic Arts offers 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S for promotional contest

If you like cars and are a videogame nut like I am, then you’d be familiar with nameplates such as Gran Turismo and Forza. But of course, we can’t forget the Need for Speed label. Recently, Electronic Arts has been working up quite a bit of hype for its latest addition to the franchise. And to add to the fiasco, Electronic Arts announced that they will be running a promotional contest offering to win a brand spankin’ new 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S. No purchase is necessary since all you need to do to enter the giveaway is log into your EA account or register a new one for free if you don’t have one. But unfortunately, only those living in the US, Canada or the UK can participate.   

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Porsche Cayman R is Britain’s Best Driver’s Car for 2011

The Porsche Cayman R was proclaimed Britain’s Best Driver’s Car for 2011 after winning Autocar magazine's yearly competition. The comparison test pitched 11 of the most exciting new vehicles this year against one another on public street and race track to find out which one offers the most excitement for drivers. The value of the 11 vehicles on test was about £900,000 in total.   

The Cayman R’s competition involved: Mercedes CLS64 AMG, McLaren MP4-12C, Renault Mégane Trophy, Vauxhall Corsa VXR, Aston Martin Vantage S, Caterham Supersport, Lotus Evora S, BMW 1M and Jaguar XKR-S. For the six judges from Autocar’s experienced road test team, it was the steering, completeness and ride of the £51,728 Cayman R that stood out -- no mean feat, given that last year’s champion, the Porsche 911 GT3 RS, was also a competitor. The second place went to the light and nimble Caterham Seven Supersport, which is also one of the least expensive automobiles in the competition with its price of £22,995. Aston Martin V8 Vantage S took third place, with the 911 GT3 RS ending up on fourth place this time around. In spite of the technical splendor and unquestionable pace of the £168,500 McLaren MP4-12C, speed doesn't always equate to excitement. Thus, sixth place was the best the McLaren could muster in the assessment, one place behind the Lotus Evora S. Steve Sutcliffe, who is Autocar’s editor-at-large and Britain’s Best Driver’s Car judge, commented that the Porsche Cayman R’s steering is "about as sweet as it gets," adding that the ride is "150 times better than it has any right to be" given how little body movement there is "when you’re really going for it."

Porsche SE seeking a 3.5 billion-euro ($4.8 billion) credit line

Porsche SE is hoping to get a 3.5 billion-euro (dollarsignr4.8 billion) credit line, a portion of which is meant to replace older loans, according to Porsche spokesman Frank Gaube. Porsche SE is the holding company that owns 51% of Volkswagen AG's common shares. Bankers who are familiar with the deal said that the two-year loans will be offered to lenders that have an interest margin of 170 basis points higher than the euro interbank offered rate. The bankers said that Porsche hopes to cut its loan costs in order to benefit from the recovery in the demand for luxury vehicles.   

These new loans are expected to replace what’s left of an 8.5 billion euro deal entered in November 2009 that cost Porsche 400 basis points more than Euribor, according to Bloomberg data. Notably, a basis point is 0.01 percentage point. Porsche AG said that its deliveries in September rose by 37.5%. A source said that third-quarter earnings could be lowered by about 1.6 billion euros due to the revaluation of the holding company's remaining stake in its car-making operations. The new loan is being led by Deutsche Bank AG and Landesbank Baden-Wuerttemberg. Gaube said that this loan includes 2 billion euros of term financing. On Sept. 8, Porsche and VW announced that they had scrapped plans to complete a merger by the end of 2011 as lawsuits had made it very difficult for them to agree on Porsche's value. The two firms agreed to a merger after Porsche incurred 10 billion euros in debt from a botched attempt to wrestle control from VW.

Porsche aims to sell over 140,000 cars next year

As you may know already, Porsche introduced the all-new 911 at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show and statistics showed that it was the most popular car on the Internet during the German show. Due to the positive feedback, Porsche is confident that it can sell over 140,000 cars next year (911 and Boxster models). Porsche sold 120,000 vehicles this year and 97,000 last year.   

The 2012 Porsche 911 will go on sale in December while the redesigned Boxster model will hit the showrooms in the first half of 2012. Moreover, Porsche and the other German carmakers such as Bmw, Mercedes-Benz and Audi seem to be immune to the European debt crisis as all posted higher sales in September and are targeting record 2011 deliveries. Porsche sales surged 38 percent to 10,560 vehicles on demand for the Cayenne SUV in September. Bernhard Maier, Porsche AG Board of Management Member for Sales and Marketing said: “We are ahead of last year’s good figures in all markets and with over 90,000 sports cars sold as of September are very close to our sales target of 100,000 units in 2011. That testifies to fascinating products and a very good performance throughout the entire value chain.” [source: Autonews]

Videos: 2013 Porsche 911 Turbo and Cabriolet, Boxster and Cayman prototypes caught in San Francisco

So you’re passed out in bed and then all of the sudden you wake up to the noise of supercars. You pinch yourself hoping you’re not dreaming and look outside your window only to find over a dozen Porsche prototypes in camouflage. That’s exactly what happened to YouTube used tubemtubeme who managed to film (what we counted) more than twelve 2013 Porsche 911 Turbo, Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet, Porsche 911 Cabriolet, Porsche Cayman and Porsche Boxster prototypes.  We’re not sure what Porsche engineers were doing in downtown San Francisco with a bunch of Porsche prototypes – but we want their job… now.   

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Video: The philosophy behind the new interior of the 2012 Porsche 911

Join Martin Pohanka, lead interior design at Porsche, as he gives us a tour around the interior of the new 2012 Porsche 911. Check out the video after the jump.

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Porsche announces Coupe Service Clinics

Porsche is calling owners of its Coupe models to a Service Clinic at their local Porsche Centre on October 8, Saturday, for a complimentary inspection as well as an opportunity to accompany the technician and to view their car in a state-of-the-art workshop at a center. Owners can experience the expertise and passion of the technicians who are committed to ensuring the vehicles continue to give driving pleasure and maximum performance.  

Models that are eligible for this event include the iconic 911 and Cayman, the 924, 944 and 928 coupes from the 1970s, the 968 from the early 1990s, and the 356 classics from 1951 to 1965. Each participating Porsche Centre will hold a prize draw for those attending the Service Clinics to have the chance to grab a Porsche Classic wine cooler with an original ribbed cylinder from the early air-cooled 911 models worth £430. Based on the success of previous Service Clinics including Boxster, Cayenne, 911, and Cabriolet models, the company estimates that it will be able to inspect about 300 Porsche coupe models across the United Kingdom on October 8. Currently, there are more than three quarters of all Porsches ever sold that are still on the road.

SpeedART: Porsche Panamera Diesel

The PS9-300D is SpeedART's newest performance package that bundles aero add-ons with modest engine upgrades for the recently introduced Porsche Panamera Diesel. The German tuning firm starts out with the Panamera's 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 diesel that leaves the Stuttgart factory with 250-ponies and a peak torque of 550Nm (406 lb-ft) channeled to the rear wheels through an 8-speed automatic transmission.  

A SpeedART sport exhaust system and a software optimization program help boost these numbers to 300-horses and 650Nm (479.4 lb-ft). Other upgrades include new brakes and a set of 22-inch alloy wheels wrapped around beefy tires size 265/ ZR22 up front, and 305/ ZR22 at the back. The tuner also offers the PS9 aero package comprising of a front lip spoiler, side skirts, rear diffusor, front and rear air intakes and rear wing.

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2012 Porsche 911 dominated the Web coverage of the Frankfurt Motor Show

As you may know already, Porsche introduced the all-new 911 (also called 991) at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show. Honestly to tell you we consider this premiere the most important for 2011 as the new Porsche 911 is definitely the car we want. Moreover, it appears that the 2012 Porsche 911 was Frankfurt’s online superstar, according to a recent Kantar Media Precis study. With the 911, the German manufacturers dominate when it came to Web coverage of the biennial event. The second important car that had its premiere in Frankfurt was the 2012 Mercedes-Benz B-Class, followed by the Bmw i3 Concept, the Audi Urban Concept and the Ford Evos Concept.  

It appears that Audi and Ford brands were very popular among bloggers but also YouTube users, as the A2 Concept and the Urban Concept ranked No. 2 and No. 5 respectively. The Ford Focus ST and the Evos Concept got the third and fourth spots based on 5,666 social media posts, same study showed. Regarding the car that made us drool, the 2012 Porsche 911, we will tell you what you need to know. First of all, the new car is with 45 kilograms lighter than the current model and has a longer wheelbase (with 100 millimetre or 3.9 inches). The 911 Carrera is powered by a 3.4-litre boxer engine delivering 350 hp (~ 257 kW) and capable to offer a fuel consumption of just 8.2 litres per 100 kilometres (~ 34 mpg imp.) and 194 g/km CO2, with 1.6 l/100 km (~ 6 mpg imp.) less than its predecessor. The car is able to hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 4.6 seconds when paired with the PDK, and in just 4.4 seconds when using the Sport Plus. The 911 Carrera S is powered by a 3.8-litre boxer engine delivering 400 hp (~ 294 kW) and a fuel consumption of 8.7 l/100 km (~ 32 mpg imp.), when paired with the PDK. It can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just in 4.3 seconds and in just 4.1 seconds when using the optional Sport Chrono package. The 2012 Porsche 911 is priced from 88,038 euro (including 19 per cent VAT), while the 2012 Carrera S you is priced from 102,436 euro (including 19 per cent VAT).