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Porsche 911 Targa 4S special makes us want to go Dutch

There's a long list of things that make us love the Netherlands, and not all of them involve activities that would be illegal in most of the United States. Like this latest special edition Porsche 911, for example. Unveiled at AutoRAI 2015 – Holland's premier car show that opened last week – the Porsche 911 Targa 4S Exclusive Edition celebrates the 50th anniversary of Zuffenhausen's iconic partial convertible. It's decked out in Gulf blue, but instead of contrasting with bright orange, nearly everything else on this special Elfen is blacked out: The 20-inch Fuchs-style alloys, the throwback quarter-panel racing stripes, the LED headlight frames... everything but the signature Targa roof bar, which keeps its brushed metal finish. The interior is rather more subdued than you'd find on most special editions, with throwback houndstooth fabric seats and silver stitching. Power comes from the 3.8-liter boxer-six driving 400 horses to all four wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The Sport Chrono Package Plus, a sports exhaust, adaptive suspension and Bose audio system are all fitted as standard. Options include carbon-ceramic brakes, a seven-speed manual transmission and a 30-horse Powerkit. As the name suggests, though, this is a rather exclusive edition indeed. All fifteen examples will be made available exclusively in the Netherlands, priced from ˆ223,230 with the PDK or ˆ229,500 with the manual. That's more than you'd pay for a 911 Turbo Cabrio in the same country, and works out to more than $240k at today's conversion rates. Related Video: Speciaal voor Nederland: Porsche 911 Targa 4S Exclusive Edition - Zeer exclusief uitgevoerde 911 Targa 4S in Gulfblauw - 15 exemplaren om 50 jaar 911 Targa te vieren - Debuut op de AutoRAI Leusden, 16 april 2015 – Porsche Nederland presenteert op de AutoRAI 2015 de 911 Targa 4S Exclusive Edition. Dit model wordt in een oplage van 15 exemplaren door Porsche Exclusive geproduceerd om '50 jaar Targa' te vieren. Alle modellen zijn uitgevoerd in het herkenbare Gulfblauw met accenten in hoogglans zwart en lichtmetalen wielen in het klassieke 'Fuchs-design'. Elke 911 Targa 4S Exclusive Edition wordt geleverd met een fotoboek van de auto en het productieproces. Aansluitend aan de AutoRAI start de levering. De 911 Targa 4S Exclusive Edition is er vanaf ˆ 223.230. De 911 Targa 4S Exclusive Edition is speciaal voor de Nederlandse markt ontwikkeld ter ere van 50 jaar Targa.

Amelia Island 2013: Porsche 911 swarms the field marking 50 years of rear-engine goodness

Perhaps one of the most iconic sports cars in the world, it was no surprise that the Porsche 911 showed up in numbers to the 2013 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance. Although the original 911 launched 50 years ago, the original and current models are instantly recognizable as 911s, and since the 911 has a storied racing background, there were probably just as many racing versions of the coupe as there were street-legal versions.
As the show's 2013 honoree, one of the prime racing examples was a 1970 Porsche 911 S raced by Sam Posey. There were so many cars in attendance, we didn't know where to look, but a 1985 911 Speedster concept and a Porsche-owned, rally-ready 911 Type 953 were definitely among the more impressive standouts. As an added bonus, Jacksonville-based Brumos Porsche had many of its classic racecars on display including a beautiful 959.

Juan Pablo Montoya tests Porsche 919 Hybrid in Bahrain

Sealing the FIA World Endurance Championship wasn't the only thing that Porsche did this past weekend in Bahrain. Alongside its rivals from Audi and Toyota, the German outfit also participated in a test session for potential new drivers, including Juan Pablo Montoya. Driving the Le Mans- and championship-winning Porsche 919 Hybrid at the Bahrain International Circuit this weekend, Montoya set the fastest time of the day. His "qualifying" lap was clocked at 1:40.86, barely more than a second behind the 1:39.67 lap that earned Timo Bernhard pole position in the previous day's race – and a second faster than the fastest lap set in the race by Neel Jani in another 919 Hybrid. That's a mighty impressive feat for a driver relatively unaccustomed to driving a modern hybrid LMP1. Racing fans will know Montoya as a multi-talented driver. The Colombian has competed successfully in Formula One, Indy, NASCAR, and sports prototypes, winning races in all disciplines. Aside from the International Formula 3000 title, three outright victories in the 24 Hours of Daytona, and a handful of NASCAR street-course races, Montoya can count among his many achievements the CART title, two Indianapolis 500 wins, and the checkered flag at the Monaco Grand Prix (along with six other F1 races). Those victories have brought JP among the closest to winning the Triple Crown of motorsports of any driver in racing history, and he's still competing. For those unfamiliar, the Triple Crown is an unofficial measure to gauge the diverse talents of professional racing drivers in three disciplines: Indy, F1, and Le Mans. To win, a driver has to win the Indianapolis 500, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and either the Monaco Grand Prix or the Formula One World Championship. Graham Hill is the only driver in history to have swept all the categories, but others have come close. The list of near-winners includes Tazio Nuvolari, Mike Hawthrown, Phil Hill, AJ Foyt, Bruce McLaren, Jim Clark, Mario Andretti, and Emerson Fittipaldi. The only contenders still active are Montoya and Jacques Villeneuve, who won at Indy in '95, the F1 championship in '97, and came second at Le Mans in 2008. Villenueve could still steal the crown if he gets another shot at Le Mans, but the more likely scenario would be to see Montoya rise to the throne. Especially if this test session is any indication. Also driving the Porsche was in the rookie test session was Mitch Evans, a former GP3 champion and GP2 race winner from New Zealand.