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DP Motorsport tries to turn a vintage Porsche 911 into a sleeper

Once you get past the fact that it's hard to call a car a sleeper when it has race-product stickers on its quarter panel, and the script across the back panel reads "Porsche 911 3.2 Sleeper," it's fun to imagine what this car can do. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Porsche 911, Germany's DP Motorsport took a model from 1986, stripped it of everything - including the paint and undercoating - then replaced everything with lightweight and race-ready parts.
In went race cams and ported cylinder heads, a lightweight flywheel, an RSR titanium racing exhaust, 935-style lollipop seats and RSR carpeting, a lightweight battery, perforated and galvanized hinges and brackets, hardened perspex windows. The 3.2-liter engine puts out 270 horsepower - 70 hp above the stock 911 on sale here in 1986 - and 226 pound-feet of torque through a limited slip differential to staggered wheels. The exterior color is metallic rock-green lacquer.
If you want one, $120,00 is where the part starts, but DP Motorsport says it offers the parts individually if you don't need your vintage Porsche to sleep this hard. On a side note, for a chucklesome journey back in time, check out this review of the 1986 911 that gets things going with this line: "First off, the Porsche 911 is very expensive - how does about 40 thou grab you?" Back on topic, there's a press release below that tells the rest of the story of the 3.2 Sleeper.

Watch the Safari 911 do its thing off road

American racing driver Leh Keen spends his working hours in the No. 22 Alex Job Racing WeatherTech Porsche 911 GT America campaigning in the United SportsCar Championship. From the looks of this video, he spends his free time off-roading in a Porsche of his own specification: a 1981 Porsche 911 SC modded into an homage to the rallying 911s of the 1970s. Privateers began rallying the 911 not long after it went on sale 50 years ago, winning European events and the European Rally Championship as soon as 1967. After some good showings in the early 70s the carmaker took a 1978 911 SC to the Safari Rally in Africa going for the overall victory, but an encounter with a rock meant the team could only claim second place. Keen's Guards Red coupe channels that ancestor with a lift kit from Elephant Racing and a light rack and mud flaps shipped over from Europe. The engine gets a little more power thanks to intake modifications, some SSI heat exchangers, and a Danske exhaust. To help keep it together on the trail, the bumpers get pulled in and use steel bash bars for protection, and the side mirrors are aero numbers tucked into the A-pillar angle. The interior has been entirely redone. Keen apparently said "he wanted a 911 he could 'go anywhere' with," and the video above shows him doing just that. You can read more about the car in this month's Porsche Club of America magazine, check out Fatlace for the short story and a few pictures, or head to photographer Clint Davis' site for an eyefull of high-res shots of the beast. Related Video: News Source: PCAHQ via YouTube Porsche Coupe Luxury Off-Road Vehicles Performance Videos rally leh keen

Porsche releases new Panamera Edition models

We can't remember the last time we came across a special edition called "Edition," but that's what Porsche is offering with the Panamera. Available on the base, 310-horsepower models, the Panamera Edition is so subtle you'd need to be in the secret owners club to identify it. High-gloss black trim strips outline the windows, it sits on 19-inch Panamera Turbo wheels with colored center caps, the sills are inscribed with the word "Edition," and body-colored door handles are fitted if you pay extra for Porsche Entry & Drive. The cabin gets Porsche logos in the seat headrests, those front thrones being 14-way in the US, climate controlled seats throughout, and a two-tone treatment in black and Luxor Beige. Oh, and special floor mats. Performance upgrades come in the inclusion of active suspension, and convenience comes with the included Park Assist. Tempted? Head to your Porsche dealer in June to take one home. The Panamera Edition will require $80,000, an eminently reasonable (for Porsche) $1,900 premium over the standard car. The Panamera 4 Edition needs $84,300, an even more reasonable $1,500 premium. Destination adds another $995 to both of those prices. The press release below has a few more details. Related Video: Porsche Panamera Edition: Sports sedan with extensive standard features Atlanta. A new special version of the Porsche Panamera sports sedan stands out through elegant styling combined with a significantly expanded range of standard equipment. Two models with powerful six-cylinder engines will be offered: the Panamera Edition and Panamera 4 Edition both come with an engine that delivers 310 hp. The Panamera 4 Edition features active all-wheel drive with an electronically controlled, map-controlled multi-plate clutch (Porsche Traction Management, PTM). The exterior of the Panamera Edition models is marked by additional subtle design tones, including high-gloss black trim strips on the side windows. The standard 19-inch alloy wheels in Panamera Turbo II design feature wheel center caps with a colored Porsche crest. The door handles are finished in exterior color when Porsche Entry & Drive is optionally selected. The Panamera Edition also boasts a two-tone standard interior in Black / Luxor Beige with the Porsche crest embossed on all head rests, Sport Design steering wheel, door sill plates with "Edition" lettering, and special floor mats.