Porsche to Return to Detroit Show with a Bang, will Premiere a "Spectacular Model". What will it be?

It's been a good four years since the last time we saw Porsche at the Detroit Motor Show, otherwise known as the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), but the famous Stuttgart automaker is getting ready to make a big comeback at the 2011 edition of the event. Not only will Porsche make it to the 2011 NAIAS, but the company revealed through one of its spokesman that it is planning to premiere a “spectacular” model.

“We’ll have something spectacular to show there,” said Hans- Gerd Bode, a spokesman for Porsche, in an interview on Friday. “You’ll have to wait and be surprised.” As you may have guessed, the Porsche official did not reveal any other details leaving us with nothing but speculation at this point.

Aside from the already confirmed for production 918 Spyder Hybrid supercar, other new Porsche models planned for the not so far away future are the next generations of the 911 series, Boxster and Cayman, plus a smaller three-door SUV, the Cajun. We should mention here that a couple of days ago, Porsche released a press announcement stating that the firm's supervisory board gave the green light for the production of the Cajun.

Here's the statement:

"During its meeting today, the Supervisory Board of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, laid the foundations for continuous and successful growth of the company. The Supervisory Board instructed the Board of Management to drive forward the development of a further model series up to series production. Under the working name "Cajun", this efficient and sporty model will further expand the world’s most successful Porsche segment in the SUV sector.

In addition to the new Cayenne, which has clearly consolidated its market position as the most successful sporty SUV in the premium segment, the "Cajun" will also have a very positive impact with its typical Porsche features such as light weight, ease of handling and agility. As an attractive entry model in the Porsche world, the "Cajun" will attract new and even younger customers to the premium brand along with the Boxster, the market leader in the segment of two-seater, mid-size sports cars."

Of course, Porsche may show a completely different model including a concept vehicle of some sort. Feel free to speculate in the comments section below.

Via: Bloomberg

VIDEO: New Porsche 911 GT2 RS "Driven to Extreme"

Gordon Robertson is back. Having previously tamed the GT3, the chief driving consultant of the Porsche Experience Center at Silverstone now takes on another of Stuttgart's iconic 911s: the GT2 RS.

Capable of 620 hp and 700 Nm (516 lb-ft) of torque, the 911 GT2 RS is the most powerful road-going Porsche ever built. It accelerates from standstill to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 3.5 seconds and hits the 200 km/h (124 mph) mark in a staggering 9.8 seconds. Clearly, you need some impressive skills to drive pace the GT2 RS through a twisty circuit, but for now, you can enjoy Mr. Robertson at work in the video after the break.

By Csaba Daradics

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More Power, Please: Wimmer RS Tunes Porsche GT2 RS to 703HP

With 620-horsepower on tap from the twin-tubo'd boxer engine for a 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint time of just 3.5 seconds and top speed of 330 km/h (205 mph), we'd argue Porsche's 911 GT2 RS is lighting quick. However, German tuning house Wimmer RS has a mind of its own when it comes to performance even if we're talking about a sports car that will be produced in a limited run of just 500 units.

The tuner's upgrades are concentrated on the 911 GT2 RS' 3.6-liter six-cylinder boxer which benefits from a remapped engine controller, optimized turbochargers, a sport air-filter, new air-intake and a valve-controlled sport exhaust system along with sport catalysts.

These modifications bump output from 620 to 703-horsepower, while peak torque rises from 700Nm to an even more impressive 810Nm or 597.5 pound-feet. According to Wimmer RS, the powered-up 911 GT2 RS can now complete the sprint from 0 to 100km/h in 3.3 seconds and pass the 200 km/h mark after just 9.5 seconds (stock model: 9.8 seconds), while continuing up to a top speed of 356 km/h or 221.2 mph.

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Cayenne and Panamera Help Boost Porsche Sales by 86.4% Compared to Previous Quarter

Even in this harsh economical climate, Porsche sales continue to grow, as the German maker shifted 21,218 units in the first three months of the 2010 short fiscal year (August 1 – December 31). That's an impressive 86.4% growth compared to the same period last year, although Porsche management admits that the prior-year quarter was "relatively weak", so a higher growth rate was expected.

Revenue amounted to €2.06 billion (+80.3%), while the company's operating result reached €395 million for the same three month period.

The new Cayenne fared particularly well with 10,292 units sold (+151%), followed by the Panamera with 5,778 vehicles and a growth rate of 94%. The success of the 4-door coupe is due to the fact that last year it wasn't available on all markets and the six-cylinder model went on sale in May 2010. The 911's sales were also up, reaching 3,130 units (+20.4%), while the Boxster with 1,089 and Cayman with 929 vehicles remained the least coveted Porsches.

The Americas lead in terms of regional sales, up by 82% and totaling 7,268 units, of which 6,632 went to North America. Europe is close behind (7,082), while Asia and the rest of the world are third (6,868), albeit with the biggest growth rate (126%), fueled by the strong demand in China.

"We can be satisfied with the key indicators of the first three months. Porsche AG is continuing on a profitable growth course" said Matthias Müller, chairman of the executive board of Porsche AG.

"Due to the order intake worldwide in the past few months, we expect a good double-digit return on sales in the short fiscal year from August to December 2010. With this current order situation, we also anticipate a good start to the new fiscal year 2011" Lutz Meschke, member of Porsche AG's executive board in charge of finance and procurement, added.

Porsche's sales growth also helped create new jobs, with the company currently employing 13,043 people, a 2.5% increase over July 2010.

By Csaba Daradics

Porsche Teases 918 Spyder Scale Model During Investment Announcement

Besides announcing that it's going to invest €150 million in the Weissach research and development center, Porsche also released an image featuring a scale model of the 918 Spyder possibly providing us with our best view yet of the production model. Presented at this year's Geneva Motor Show as a concept model, the 918 Spyder is set to continue the Carrera GT's legacy, albeit in a more ecological manner.

The design study featured a 500 hp 3.4-liter V8 and a pair of electric motors, the latter delivering another 218 ponies (160 kW). The German maker said at the time that the new supercar could beat the Carrera GT on the Nordschleife.

As for the scale model pictured here, there are a few differences, but certainly not enough to confirm that were seeing the final production version's lines. The clay model seems to have a more swooping boot lid, different door panels and only one exhaust pipe on each side of the car.

As for the investment announcement itself, Porsche said the Weissach facility will get a new high-tech wind tunnel and an innovative electronics integration center. Porsche is also keen on closely working with electrical system suppliers and electronics experts.

"The close interaction of our suppliers' various electrical system/electronics experts and colleagues from related specialist fields during development will contribute significantly to the success of our work, particularly in the case of electronics, which now play a role in virtually every vehicle component" said Wolfgang Dürheimer, Porsche AG Board of Management Member for Research and Development.

By Csaba Daradics

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SpeedART Develops TITAN EVO bodykit for the Porsche Cayenne

At this week's Essen Motor Show, SpeedART will present a new bodykit called the TITAN EVO, which will be available for all second-generation Cayenne models, including the hybrid. In addition, there are also going to be a host of other mods available, such as mechanical and interior upgrades.

The TITAN EVO bodykit adds new front and rear bumpers, widened wheel arches and lowered side skirts. Furthermore, the German tuner replaced the standard exhaust with a twin-pipe system featuring a sound control on the hybrid and the Cayenne Turbo-based versions. Engineers didn't forget about the Cayenne Diesel, which can be also fitted with a sport exhaust system, albeit without the sound switch.

The Germans really went overboard with the wheels, offering 23-inch forged alloys, shod in ultra-wide 315/25 tires. They used special forging techniques, which make the over-sized alloys lighter than their cast 21-inch counterparts.

If more power is your game, SpeedART offers an extensive range of upgrades. Starting with the diesel model, the V6's output is lifted by 50 hp and 70 Nm (52 lb-ft).

As previously reported, the Cayenne S Hybrid gets +70 hp and +50 Nm (37 lb-ft), for a maximum output of 450 hp and 630 Nm (465 lb-ft). It accelerates from standstill to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 5.9 seconds, same as the V8-powered Cayenne S.

Last but not least, the Turbo can be ordered with 550, 570 or 600 horsepower.

Clients who specified the stock Cayenne with air suspension can opt for a speedART electronic lowering module, while the conventional suspension can be upgraded with sport springs and coil-overs.

By consulting with the customers, speedART says it can modify the interior of the car to match almost any wish. But to give them an idea of what can be done, the car displayed at the Essen Motor Show will have sport seats with carbon fiber shells and special interior colors, alongside a rear-seat entertainment system with integrated iPad and iPhone docking station.

By Csaba Daradics

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VW Group to Invest €51.6 Billion in its Automotive Division Over the Next Five Years

€51.6 billion, or about US$71 billion at today's exchange rates, is a lot of money - equal to around 15% of Sweden's GDP, for example. Nevertheless, that's the amount of money that will be poured into the Volkswagen Group's automotive division for production capacity and vehicle development in the next five years. The goal, according to VW CEO Martin Winterkorn, is "to make Volkswagen the world's most future-proof automotive group".

The new budget will see €41.3 billion invested in property, factories and equipment with more than half of this amount (57%) finding its way into Germany. The remaining €10.3 billion consists of additions to capitalized development costs.

VW said that it will spend most of the budget (€27.7 billion) on modernizing and extending the product range of all its brands with the main focus being on new vehicles, successor models and derivatives in almost all vehicle classes based on modular technology.

"This will allow the Volkswagen Group to systematically continue its model rollout with a view to tapping new markets and segments," the company said in a statement.

In terms of powertrain production, the Group plans to launch a new generation of engines "with enhanced performance, fuel consumption and emission levels," and continue the development of hybrid and electric motors.

Furthermore, €13.6 billion will be used for cross-product investments. Volkswagen will thoroughly modernize or open new press shops, paintshops and assembly facilities including its new North American plant, which is scheduled to begin operating in 2011.

"The Volkswagen Group will help shape the technological turning point in key areas of the automotive industry and, to do this, will continue investing in environmentally friendly technologies, efficient drives and new models. We are systematically pursuing the goals of our Strategy 2018 to further increase our profitability and to make Volkswagen the world's most future-proof automotive group. The investment program we have now resolved will play a significant role in this", said Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn.

In addition, VW said that its Chinese joint ventures will see a total investment of €10.6 billion in the period 2011 to 2015. However, this investment will be fully funded from the cash flow generated by the Chinese joint ventures themselves and is not included in the €51.6 billion budget.

By Csaba Daradics

LA Show 2010: Porsche's Lighter and More Hardcore Cayman R [Photos + Video]

Porsche has chosen the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show to unveil its finest version yet of the Cayman sports coupe. The new Cayman R is a stripped-out, lighter and more powerful variant of the mid-engined 'S' model. Porsche says that in its special alphabet, the letter 'R' is for "responsive and refined – but most especially for racy."

Stuttgart's team of engineers started off by eliminating any unnecessary items for purists such as the air conditioning, audio system and complex door handles -owners will have to do with simple door pulls on this German baby. Porsche says more savings were achieved through the use of lightweight components including the carbon fiber bucket seats and the lightest 19 inch wheels offered by the company weighing in at less than 40kg / 80 lbs.

Furthermore, the Cayman R gets a smaller fuel tank. As for the 911 GT3/GT3 RS and Boxster Spyder, an optional lithium-ion lightweight construction battery is also available. All said, Porsche's engineers managed to shave off 55 kg (121 lbs) over the Cayman S bringing down the total weight to just 1,295 kg (2855 lb).

Next on the list was a fine tuning of the Cayman S' 3.4-litre six-cylinder engine, which produced an additional 10HP lifting output to 330-horsepower with the torque figure remaining unchanged at 272lb ft.

In standard configuration, power is transfered to the rear wheels through a through a six-speed manual gearbox that propels the car from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 5.0 seconds. With the optional seven-speed Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK), the sprint time is reduced to 4.9 seconds. But wait, that's not all. Porsche also offers the optional Sport Chrono package, which takes it to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 4.7 seconds.

The new mid-engine coupé is capable of reaching a top speed of 282 km/h (175 mph) with manual gearbox, and 280 km/h (174 mph) with the PDK. The company says it consumes 9.7 l/100 km (29.12 mpg imp.) with six-speed gearbox and 9.3 l/100 km (30.37 mpg imp.) with PDK on average.

The chassis set-up for the Cayman R includes a sports suspension that lowers the car's ride height by 20mm (0.79 in.) compared to the 'S' and a limited slip differential. Buyers can also opt for a set of ceramic brakes.

On the visual side, the Cayman R comes with an aero kit that includes a distinctive rear wing and a front lip spoiler, black-framed headlights plus special graphics on the side and mirrors in contrasting black or silver, depending on the body colour.

The new Porsche Cayman R will arrive in dealerships in February 2011 with prices in Germany set at €69,830 [US$95,050] inclusive of 19 percent VAT and country-specific equipment items, and in the U.S.A., at $66,300 [€48,700 at today's exchange rates].

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