2001 Porsche Boxster Roadster Convertible 2-door 2.7l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Porsche planning back-to-basics 911 GT

With the latest 911 GT3 and GT3 RS track toys, Porsche clearly put the emphasis on outright performance. After all, if they were all about a puristic driving experience, they'd probably have manual transmissions instead of DCTs, right? Well that's just one point where the Porsche GT division's next project is tipped to depart. According to Autocar, Zuffenhausen's skunkworks are preparing a new addition to the 911 range that will put all the emphasis on the raw driving experience, even at the expense of lap times. The yet-to-be-named model is expected to do away with the second clutch in favor of one you can operate yourself, but that's not all. We're told to expect skinnier tires to make it easier to hold at the limits of adhesion, the narrowed track from the base Carrera, and the absence of large wings and other aerodynamic features. The inspiration apparently comes less from the GT3 than from the new Cayman GT4. Look for the new back-to-basics Elfen to arrive sometime next year, after the rest of the 911 range gets updated with turbo engines. Chances look good, though, that this particular model will stick with the atmospheric boxer six. Related Video:

Here's the stunning Porsche Vision GT car we can't have

By now you've seen plenty of the Vision Gran Turismo cars featured in Gran Turismo 6. These are radical designs from real car designers at major automakers – some exist purely digitally for gameplay, while others have been rendered as show cars as well. Participating companies range from Hyundai to Aston Martin, but one notable exception is Porsche. All of Porsche's cars have been absent from Gran Turismo ever since the first game due to licensing issues, some of which have also plagued other game developers. However, a small, independent team of designers decided that wouldn't stop them from coming up with their own concept of a Porsche concept for the game. The team consisted of six people from around the globe – five automotive designers and one expert photo retoucher. They say their inspiration was the 1969 Porsche 908 LH race car, and this 908-04 certainly shares the classic racer's lengthy tail. The design also borrows from some current Porsche designs, including the 918 Spyder, the 919 Hybrid racecar, and the Mission E electric concept that has been greenlit for production. Creating a raw, visceral, simple machine seems to be the goal of their design, as they say it is "a purely manual car" and that they want it to "give you goose bumps just by imagining yourself driving it." It's not meant to be a fantastical concept either, as the designers state they aimed to make it so someone could realistically fit inside and drive. Which is more than can be said for the laser-propelled Chevrolet Chaparral 2X Vision Gran Turismo. We'll only be able to imagine ourselves driving it, though, as this is not an official concept from Porsche. And even if it was, it's highly unlikely Polyphony Digital would go through the necessary hoops to get Porsche in the game. Instead, we can just drool. To see more of this stylish hypothetical Porsche and read more of the backstory, check out the designers' website at www.porschevisiongt.com. Related Video: Featured Gallery Porsche 908-04 Concept View 11 Photos Image Credit: PorscheVisionGT.com Auto News Porsche Gran Turismo polyphony digital vision gran turismo race car

Porsche Cayman GT4 looks sexy, rapid in the nude

Porsche doesn't officially have a name for its more hardcore version of the Cayman, yet. The speculation is that the coupe is called the GT4 as a little brother to the 911 GT3. However, the German sports car maker apparently is not interested in keeping the model's looks much of a secret because these latest shots show it without a hint of camouflage to speak of. The GT4 reportedly takes the GT3's ethos of more power, less weight and stickier-than-glue handling and brings it all to the Cayman. As these photos show, there's a much lower air dam up front with a cooling vent at the tip of the hood. Larger wheels are another obvious addition and are likely shod with some very sticky rubber. At the back, there's a double spoiler combining a wing and a ducktail. The power and gearbox for the GT4 remains a mystery, though. The rumor is that it uses a tuned version of the 3.4-liter flat-six in the Cayman S and GTS to make between 370 and 400 horsepower. A similar overhaul of the Boxster might be on the way, as well. A version of the convertible wearing some of the Cayman GT4's goodies was recently spotted testing. That one even had a manual transmission to make the prospects behind the wheel even more exciting.