Beautiful 1975 Porsche 911 Turbo Look on 2040-cars

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Revel in the glory of the Porsche 911 engine factory

A flat-six engine pumping away behind the driver defines the Porsche brand for many people, whether they are buying a Boxster, Cayman or 911. If you want to appreciate the sound and fury concentrated in the rear of these German sports cars even more, then take a tour of the company's 911 engine factory in Zuffenhausen, Germany, to see the work that goes into each one. We're long past the days of automotive assembly lines being deafening, dirty affairs, but it's still somewhat shocking to see just how sterile the plant in Zuffenhausen is. Each person wears a matching gray jumpsuit and gloves, and there's not a drop of grease of them. While the components are constantly coming down the line, there doesn't appear to be much of a rush. It's just a slow, steady movement that gives workers time to complete their appointed tasks. At least in this video, the employees don't even seem to talk to each other; the only sound is the hum of the plant or whir of tools. It's transfixing to watch these famous engine slowly come together largely from human hands. News Source: Cars via YouTube Plants/Manufacturing Porsche Technology Performance Videos engine

Porsche reportedly working on new turbocharged flat-four boxer engine?

These days, we've seen just about every automaker dropping cylinders in an effort to appease tightening fuel economy and emission standards - and Porsche is no exception. Nearly three years after introducing an all-new V6 powerplant under the front hood of its Panamera sedan (launched with a range of V8 engines) comes word that Porsche is working on an all-new turbocharged flat-four boxer to replace the flat-six engines mid-mounted in its Cayman and Boxster models.
Specifics have yet to be learned, but reports say the engine is a derivative of the current 3.8-liter six (shown above) found under the rear decklid of the Carrera S, yet with two fewer cylinders. Fitted with a turbocharger, direct-injection and the automaker's VarioCam Plus, the new all-aluminum 2.5-liter flat-four will likely develop upwards of 350 horsepower and 360 pound-feet of torque. Redline should be about 7,500 rpm. Initial indications say that Porsche will only offer the new engine with its seven-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic, tuned to take advantage of the low-end torque, but a traditional six-speed manual gearbox has not been ruled out. Despite the loss of two cylinders, enthusiasts will likely embrace the new engine as it promises to be lighter, more fuel efficient and more powerful than the 2.7-liter and 3.4-liter sixes in the Cayman/Boxster today.
Even though Porsche has been using Volkswagen Group engines for years (e.g., Cayenne V6, Cayenne Diesel and upcoming Macan), all indications are that the new flat-four will not be shared. Instead, it will be kept in-house for the automaker's sports cars and possible future fitment in an entry-level 911.

Mark Webber treats Maria Sharapova to a Porsche 918 Spyder joyride

We don't much like Mark Webber right now. Part of being a racing driver is dealing with promotional stuff. It's not hard to find a driver that can't stand all this nonsense, whether it be promoting a product, meeting investors or attending some obscure event. Even a driver of Webber's caliber - a former Formula One driver for Red Bull Racing and a member of Porsche's factory Le Mans team - has to serve his time at the promo events.
Somehow, though, we don't think the Aussie driver minds this particular promo detail. In the video below, Webber attends the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. He then takes tennis superstar Maria Sharapova out for a spin behind the wheel of the Porsche 918 Spyder. The level of jealousy at the Autoblog office is palpable.
Take a look below for the video. And as we're super jealous of Mr. Webber, hop into Comments and caption the above photo based on what you think he's saying to Maria. Bonus points if you can work "vegemite" into the caption.