FEATURES: Eight Great Volkswagen-Italdesign Collaborations(1970)

1970 VW-Porsche Tapiro

The notion of an entry-level Porsche roadster -- built with some help from Volkswagen -- wasn't a horrible idea, but the blocky styling used on the 914 was divisive, to say the least. Giorgetto's solution was simple: take one 914/6, strip it down to the floor pan, and replace the awkward bodywork with a sleek coupe body.



The "folded paper" look may have been commonplace in the 1980s, but a decade prior -- when the Tapiro was unveiled at the Turin motor show -- the result was rather groundbreaking. Gullwing doors provided access to not only the interior, but also the engine compartment and luggage bay -- a subtle nod to the DeTomaso Mangusta which Giugiaro himself styled during his tenure at Ghia.

Unlike many concepts, which are little more than large plaster models, the Tapiro was a fully functioning automobile. After two years of touring the auto show circuit, Italdesign sold the car to a Spanish industrialist. Legend has it the Tapiro served as his daily driver until it was bombed by a group of striking workers. The remains - which were never reassembled -- currently rest in Italdesign's corporate museum.

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source by automobi

2011 Porsche 911 Turbo S - First Drive Review

Yet another 911 variant, with still more improvements 

With 500 hp, the Porsche 911 Turbo is not exactly anemic. But Porsche has never seemed to like the concept of enough, so the company has rolled out the 530-hp Turbo S. We’re not complaining.

Five years after the last, 996-based 911 Turbo S, Porsche is resurrecting the model as a flagship for the 911 range, at least until an updated GT2 arrives later this year. Unlike that car or the naturally aspirated GT3, the Turbo S is actually quite luxurious. It offers all the comfort features of the regular Turbo, to which it adds its own special leather upholstery. We were more interested, however, in changes to the hardware. All the goodies we recommend you choose on the regular Turbo are standard here: the dynamic engine mounts, Porsche’s brake-based torque-vectoring system, ceramic brakes, and the Sport Chrono package, which also nets you launch control. Porsche has included a beefed-up version of the ultra-quick PDK (dual-clutch transmission) with new, proper shift paddles. The six-speed manual that’s standard on the Turbo is not available here.
Traditionalists undoubtedly will be saddened by the lack of a third pedal, but it’s a logical decision in the quest for maximum performance. The PDK’s extra weight and parasitic losses from its wet clutches are compensated for by its quick shifts. Acceleration figures from PDK-equipped models have proven to be superior to those achieved with a traditional manual gearbox. In Germany, logic usually wins.

(Even) More Power

The Turbo S’s 530 hp are available between 6250 and 6750 rpm. The added power is achieved through different intake-valve timing and increased turbo boost pressure. Maximum torque is rated at 516 lb-ft, which happens between 2100 and 4250 rpm. The Turbo S torque figure can be matched by the regular Turbo, but only when that car is equipped with the Sport Chrono package; it allows for a short overboost for up to 10 seconds, increasing boost from 11.6 psi to 14.5. The latter is the standard pressure on the S.
We can assure you the changes are effective. Throttle response is even quicker, and the engine pulls more strongly at high rpm. It is also louder, which underscores the nature of this beast. The altogether slight but noticeable performance gain translates into hard numbers. Porsche says 60 mph comes in 3.1 seconds for the coupe and 3.2 seconds in the cabriolet, 0.1 second quicker than its estimations for the respective versions of the regular Turbo. We’ve already clocked a Turbo coupe sprinting to 60 mph in a downright blistering 2.9 seconds, so it seems Porsche is being its usual underestimating self. We figure the S will match our 0-to-60 time for the Turbo and improve by about 0.1 second in the quarter-mile, to 10.9 seconds. Top speed of the Turbo S increases from a claimed 194 mph to 195. As far as straight-line acceleration is concerned, the Turbo S provides one of the grand experiences in motoring today, and to say it pulls hard would be an epic understatement. The base model is sometimes eerily quiet, but the S never conceals its nature. Ever.
Beating the Odds against Physics
We were just as impressed by the S’s capabilities during cornering, aided by the new Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV) system. The 996 and the 997 displayed a hint of understeer when initiating a turn on slippery surfaces. The torque-vectoring system, which applies the brake on the inside rear wheel, eliminates the minor push entirely. The car gets slightly modified front-suspension geometry, giving it more precise steering feel and making the 911 Turbo S seem almost like a mid-engine car. Porsche says lap times on the Nürburgring have improved from 7:39 for the regular Turbo to 7:37. We have no reason to doubt this claim. Speaking of speed and racetracks, quick pit-stop wheel changes are facilitated by the central-locking “RS Spyder” wheels.

Although a mid-engine car is by design dynamically superior to a rear-engine car in most disciplines, the traction of the all-wheel-drive Turbo S, which stands on 235/35ZR-19 front and 305/30ZR-19 rear Bridgestone Potenzas, is simply unbelievable. It’s further enhanced by the dynamic engine mounts, which create a firm link between engine and body as needed. But we’d still probably prefer some of its mid-engine competitors at high triple-digit speeds, where the 911 requires keeping both hands on the steering wheel.
Porsche says 30 to 40 percent of Turbo customers upgrade their cars with the aggressive carbon-ceramic brakes. Fade and wear are greatly reduced versus cast-iron rotors. We like the fact that the carbon setup is included on this model. Its hard-biting response fits the sharpened character of the Turbo S and gives a feeling of absolute control.
Sport Plus More Sport
The Sport Chrono package has really grown on us, managing to change the personality of the car at the press of a button. In sport mode, the chassis is stiffened by way of the active suspension, the PDK shifts later and more rapidly, and the stability-control system intervenes later. Throttle response is quickened, the engine computer switches to a hard rev limiter, and the traction-management system sends more power to the rear. Sport provides a noticeable difference from the standard program, which upshifts very early and generally does a great job camouflaging this car’s wickedly aggressive character.

But to unleash the Turbo S’s full potential, you need to hit the “sport plus” button. It’s the ultimate escalation. The PDK gives up trying to “learn” your driving style, instead shifting late and hard. Seventh gear, which exists solely for fuel economy, is abandoned entirely, and the engine is recalibrated with more aggressive response from the variable turbocharger’s dynamic blades. The ride stiffens considerably in sport plus mode, and you notice every bump, but the car feels positively glued to the asphalt. This program is so extreme that many drivers probably would get weary if they couldn’t switch it off. But it is awesome.
The new Turbo S’s competitors include the Audi R8 V-10, the Ferrari 458 Italia, the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. And, of course, Porsche’s own 911 Turbo, which the Turbo S will exceed in price by about $26,500 in coupe and convertible forms. As you start adding options to a regular Turbo, the Turbo S quickly starts making sense. “It’s really quite a bargain,” said a Porsche spokesman. That’s definitely one way to look at it.

 source by carsanddriver

2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS - Official Photos and Info

2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS - Official Photos and Info
When this Porsche 911 GT2 RS launches at the Moscow auto show in August, it will be the crown jewel of the 997 portfolio and complete the lineup. Compared with the last GT2, this new RS serves up a rather unexpected and extreme power boost, adding 90 hp for a total of 620, available at 6500 rpm. Torque from the twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter flat-six rises just slightly from 505 lb-ft to 516, available from 2250 to 5500 rpm. The huge power jolt likely explains why Porsche went straight to GT2 RS in naming this beast, completely skipping the plain GT2 moniker. Oh, and Porsche says this car will lap the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 7 minutes, 18 seconds, which is skull-poppingly quick. For reference, that’s four seconds quicker than the Dodge Viper ACR and only 20 seconds behind the wicked Ferrari 599XX.


The awesome power—more than any other factory Porsche, ever—is transmitted to just the rear wheels and only through a six-speed manual, unlike on the 500-hp Turbo and the 530-hp Turbo S, which are equipped with all-wheel drive and have the PDK dual-clutch transmission as at least an option. Given the off-the-line traction deficit and pokier human shifts, it’s no wonder the GT2 RS takes a claimed 3.4 seconds to get to 60 mph, while the Turbo S, with the help of all-wheel drive and its standard PDK, is said to manage the feat in 3.1. (We predict both models will actually be quicker in our testing, considering Porsche’s typically conservative estimates and the fact we pedaled a Turbo to 60 in 2.9 seconds.) The pecking order is reinstated before 124 mph, however. Porsche says the GT2 RS breaks that barrier in 9.8 seconds, with the Turbo S trailing it by one full second. After 28.9 seconds at full tilt in the GT2 RS, you’ll be traveling 186 mph, and top speed is a blistering 205 mph.
Some expected the next GT2 to switch to Porsche’s new, direct-injection 3.8-liter flat-six engine architecture, but this is in fact the final and ultimate iteration of the well-proven 3.6-liter engine. It’s force-fed by two variable-blade turbochargers, one for each cylinder bank. Learning that the explosive powerplant hooks only to a traditional manual is heart-warming, particularly since cars such as the BMW M3 GTS and the Audi R8 GT don’t offer a three-pedal manual at all.

Fuel economy will be of negligible importance to the 500 owners of the GT2 RS, but at 19.7 mpg in the European cycle, it’s pretty efficient. That comes in part from extreme weight shaving, including the use of carbon fiber throughout and Porsche’s new lithium-ion battery, which itself saves 22 pounds. Lightweight door panels and a reduction in soundproofing material are part of the program, too. Porsche says that at 3075 pounds, the new model manages to drop more than 100 pounds compared to the previous GT2, and it is nearly 400 pounds lighter than the recently launched 911 Turbo S.

Inside, the 911 GT2 RS equipment includes carbon-fiber-reinforced racing bucket seats, an optional nav system, carbon-finish “RS” door sills, and an available Chrono Plus package. The uninitiated can swap out the racing seats for electrically adjustable sport seats. The shift knob, handbrake lever, steering wheel, seat inserts, and headliner are covered in Alcantara. The instruments use yellow needles, and the Clubsport package, which adds a roll bar, a six-point harness, and pre-wiring for a kill switch is a no-cost option (at least in Europe). The infotainment system, air conditioning, and cup holders can be deleted for further weight savings.
The GT2 RS also comes with standard carbon-ceramic brakes, a much-needed stability-control system, dynamic engine mounts, and Porsche’s PASM adaptive suspension. The GT2-specific wheels are center-locking and wear 245/35-19 front and 325/30-19 rear rubber; silver, gold, and black finishes are available. There also are carbon-fiber front and rear lip spoilers fitted to unique fascias, and the gigantic wing is specific to the GT2, as well. The front trunklid is made from carbon fiber, as are the rear spoiler lip and the hip-mounted air scoops, and they stay dark no matter which color you choose. The GT2 is available in silver, red, white, and black.
U.S. dealers get the new model in October, but you’d better get your name on a list well before then if you want one of the few units coming here. Only 500 will be made for the entire globe, and American buyers will pay a cool $245,000 for the right to own one. For an instant collector’s item, that’s probably fair.

source by carsanddriver