2006 Porsche Cayenne Base Sport Utility 4-door 3.2l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Car companies may need to start curbing model proliferation

Looking at the current automotive landscape, especially from German makers, you quickly get the impression that less definitely isn't more. BMW alone offers its 3 Series platform in practically every segment possible, including the regular sedan and 4 Series Gran Coupe, which would seem to be direct competitors. Porsche might be the winner, though, with 20 different variants of the 911 listed for sale on its US website. However, some of this model madness might be reaching an end as companies begin cutting back spending or shifting money to other priorities.
According to Yahoo Finance, the offerings from the German automakers are up 25 percent over the past three years to over 200 models in Europe. The peak is expected to come around 2018 at 230 separate vehicles, according to consulting company PwC.
Amazingly, BMW, which is among the poster children for this model explosion, might be changing its tune. "I'm sure there will be points in the future where we look at certain cars and say, 'Maybe we need to think differently now,'" said head of sales Ian Robertson in an interview, according to Yahoo Finance. The statement certainly sounds shocking coming from a company rumored to have 23 front-wheel-drive vehicles all using a single platform on the way.

Porsche 911 GT3 RS looks wicked, this way comes

Those who didn't think Porsche went extreme enough with the latest 911 GT3 likely won't be disappointed when the more focused GT3 RS arrives. And as you can see from these latest spy shots, it looks like it's speeding right around the corner. Tipped to debut at the Geneva Motor Show this coming March, the new Porsche 911 GT3 RS is shaping up to be an enthusiast's dream - and with the prospect of a GT2 in doubt, could be the most hardcore Elfen in the range. Instead of the 3.8-liter flat-six in the current GT3, the new RS will pick up where the previous limited-edition GT3 RS 4.0 left off, with four naturally aspirated liters of unadulterated boxer power channeling a good 520 horses to the rear wheels. That will be a significant increase over the existing 475-hp GT3 and will match the 911 Turbo for output (if not the 560-hp Turbo S) and without any turbo lag to slow down the action, either. Whether it will keep the GT3's dual-clutch gearbox and four-wheel steering system, or ditch one or both for a more analog approach, remains to be seen, but we're holding out hope. Either way, the modifications to the bodywork ought to make the GT3 RS stand out even further and stay glued to the race track it will call home. Notice the deep front splitter scooping up snowflakes like a shovel, a massive rear wing (which may or may not be the final production version), the Turbo-spec rear end with air intakes ahead of the rear wheels, and a set of awesome-looking gills over the front wheels – all of which you can scope out in the gallery full of spy shots above.

Stunning vintage Porsche 911 collection profiled by eGarage

It's Pebble Beach time, so how appropriate that eGarage presents us a vid on one of the finest personal Porsche collections in the world. A former COO of drug maker GlaxoSmithKline, Robert Ingram amassed more then 50 Porsches that include a 1949 356 Gmund, a 1961 356B 1600 Carrera GTL Abarth Coupe, and a 1964 356C Carrera 2 Coupe. His collecting career didn't start well, Ingram saying he bought his first Porsche in 1959 sight unseen and it was a fiasco, the seller had lied about everything. Ingram said he still has the car, unrestored, and uses it to show people "what happens when you don't do your due diligence." Things have got much better. Ingram said he's committed to using his cars during his lifetime, so he called some friends for a weekend in Napa Valley to drive selections like his 1968 911L Rally Kit/Sport Kit II, a 1973 911 Carrera RS 2.7, a 1974 911 RS 3.0, and the first 1990 911 Carrera 4 Lightweight. As far as we can tell, they did not drive the Porsche tractor also in the collection. The collection is covered in a new book called Porsche Unexpected by veteran car writer Randy Leffingwell, with photography by Michael Furman, and it also examines the skill of collecting, with tips and mistakes shared by Ingram and other collectors. You can check out some of the cars and words from the party involved in the video above. News Source: eGarage via YouTube Porsche Coupe Luxury Performance Classics Videos egarage