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Porsche 991 vs. 930 Flatnose in 911 Turbo convertible faceoff

The Porsche 911 Turbo has a legacy of being a tough car to drive. With a ton of power set right over the rear wheels, its reputation is to lose control as soon as the driver stops concentrating. However, this isn't quite so true anymore. The modern ones are tamed through technology with things like hydraulically controlled engine mounts, not to mention all-wheel drive. In its latest video, Autocar tries to decide whether 25 years of progress really makes the turbo a better vehicle.
It's summer, so what better version to compare than the 911 Turbo Cabriolet? In one corner, Autocar has the latest and greatest 2014 version pumping out 513 horsepower and 486 pound-feet of torque with a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Its challenger is a 1989 911 flatnose convertible sporting 326 hp and 347 lb-ft of torque. It's a truly rare car in the UK with only eight of them remaining on the roads in that region.
Granted, this test isn't so much a battle as it is a comparison. There's no question that the modern 911 would beat the classic in practically every objective category. What the video aims to find out is whether the flatnose is better in subjective measurements like its "feel." Scroll down to watch these two droptop Porsches square off.

Porsche 911 Targa Turbo for Geneva debunked, 919 Hybrid and 911 RSR racers coming instead

Porsche has proven adept at making sure there is a version of its venerable 911 for practically any wealthy driver's desires. If you just want a great all-rounder then buy a standard 911; open-air driving, then the Cabriolet is for you, and if you need a compromise between them, there is even the new 911 Targa.
Gossip earlier this week surfaced on various websites that at next week's Geneva Motor Show, Porsche had designs on introducing an even higher-performance Targa variant, a Targa Turbo. The rumored mashup would combine the wide body from the 911 Turbo with the super-complicated power roof from the Targa (see right). Assuming no changes in power, that would mean 520 horsepower or even 560 hp in a Targa Turbo S model. Unfortunately, we're hearing that this tasty bit of scuttlebutt is incorrect. Autoblog asked Nick Twork, Porsche North America Product Communications Manager, about the rumor, and his response couldn't have been clearer: "Totally false."
Twork did elaborate that company will be "debuting the Porsche 919 Hybrid, our new LMP1 race car" at the Swiss show, and Stuttgart has also announced this morning that will show its 911 RSR racecar, too - either of which we reckon is a lot more exciting than another Targa variant.

Porsche ready to pick itself up after Le Mans failure

It's safe to say that things for Porsche didn't go quite as well at Le Mans this year as it might have hoped. After a sixteen-year gap, the winningest manufacturer in endurance racing history returned to the Circuit de la Sarthe this year hoping maybe not for outright victory in its first time back, but definitely a strong finish on which it could build on for next year. All the while it undoubtedly hoped its 911s would hold their own in the GT classes.
Unfortunately for Porsche, neither happened. After racing around the clock, and despite actually leading the festivities for some time, the best its 919 Hybrid could manage was an eleventh-place finish, lagging lamentably behind not only the other LMP1s (like the race-winning Audi) but also a handful of LMP2s. Meanwhile the LMGTE Pro and LMGTE Am titles went to the factory-backed teams of its arch-rivals Ferrari and Aston Martin, respectively.
Not a stellar result, in other words, but Porsche is taking it all in stride - accepting that it has a ways to go while congratulating its vanquishing rivals in the video below. It's good sportsmanship if we've ever seen it. Next year's race starts now.