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Porsche 911 R is made for the purist

Who wouldn't welcome a new version of the Porsche 911 with ultra-light weight, a GT3 RS motor, a stripper interior, and a core philosophy of driving fun over outright lap times? The iconic Porsche 911 has been getting larger and more complicated with each passing generation, and that hasn't sat well with every engineer at Porsche. So there's a ready market out there for 911 R, a limited-edition show stopper of just 911 cars, due to start production in Zuffenhausen, Germany, in May. It's a car that combines a unique version of the six-speed manual gearbox, plenty of raw, naturally aspirated flat-six power, and all the feel of a cut-price version of the 911 GT3 RS pseudo racer. Yes, Porsche is bringing the beloved six-speed stick back to the sharp end of the 911, even though the brand's quickest cars are now dominated by the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (and the less loved seven-speed manual). Porsche insists that the RS is still the 911 to have if it's stopwatch-bashing you need to do. Instead, the 911 R developers focused on trying to give it the most driving purity it could cram in. The most traditional way for motorsport operations to do that has always been to rip out weight. And Porsche Motorsport didn't diverge from the plan. The 911's rear seats have been thrown out, along with a raft of other pieces Porsche Motorsport thought it could either do without completely, redesign to be lighter or stronger, or both. View 18 Photos The R cuts 110 pounds from the next-lightest 911 variant, hitting 3,020 pounds on the scales. The pound-cutting starts at the body and bores all the way into the 911 R's chassis components, though there are some obvious nods to the marketing department that survived the dietician's axe. There is a lot of 911 GT3 in the body, with a combination of a carbon fiber (bonnet and front guards), a magnesium roof, polycarbonate front and side "glass," and aluminum everywhere else. The R cuts 110 pounds from the next-lightest 911 variant, hitting 3,020 pounds on the scales. While the 911 R has lurid (and deletable) red or green racing stripes as standard, it's not supposed to be as wild looking as the GT3. Porsche replaced the GT3's adjustable, tall-standing rear spoiler with a more-subtle pop-up version, and the R uses a rear diffuser under the bumper to offset any loss of rear downforce. The rear seats are gone, and the two remaining seats use carbon fiber shells upholstered in tartan cloth (another nod to early 911s).

Porsche busts out new Boxster GTS and Cayman GTS

Baby 911. The poor man's Porsche. That's what they called the Boxster when it debuted some 20 years ago. They said the same of the first Cayman when it arrived a decade later, but they stopped saying it when the latest iterations hit the scene two years ago. That's because Zuffenhausen's entry-level models have long since stepped out of their big brother's shadow and into their own. And that's all the more true of the new Boxster GTS and Cayman GTS.
Based on the Boxster S and Cayman S, the new GTS models benefit from an enhanced 3.4-liter flat six that produces 330 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque in the roadster or 340 hp and 280 lb-ft in the coupe - representing an increase of 15 hp and 7 lb-ft in either model. Both also come with the Sport Chrono package as standard, along with adjustable suspension and 20-inch alloys, blacked out to match the dynamic headlight surrounds and other muted trim.
Those disappointed by the unavailability of a manual transmission in the fire-prone 911 GT3 will be pleased to note that a six-speed manual comes standard, but those enamored of letting a pair of clutches shift themselves seamlessly will want to spring for the optional seven-speed DCT. So equipped and with launch control engaged, the Boxster GTS will rocket from a standstill to 62 miles per hour in 4.7 seconds, while the incrementally lighter, more powerful Cayman will hit it in 4.6. Either way you're looking at a third of a second quicker than the Boxster/Cayman S. There's also a 20-millimeter lowered suspension on offer for track-day enthusiasts.

2014 Porsche 911 GT3 and GT3 Cup step out early

Though Porsche won't be feeding us the full 911 enchilada until tomorrow's Geneva-based festivities, we have managed to scare up some official images of the 2014 911 GT3, as well as the all-new 911 GT3 Cup. As Porsche is celebrating 50 years of the 911, we anticipate a good day for great cars.
The new GT3 looks every bit the proper successor to the racy 911 nameplate, with a fixed rear wing large enough to serve cocktails on, a curvaceous body kit and 20-inch wheels that offer a dominating on-road stance. It's a good bet that Porsche will have coaxed something like 450 horsepower from the naturally aspirated, 3.8-liter flat-six engine that hangs over the car's rear axle. A seven-speed manual and Porsche's own PDK transmission are the likely gearbox offerings.
Should the mental quickness and imposing wingery of the standard GT3 not be enough for you, future racecar driver, Porsche is also bringing a GT3 Cup car to Geneva. The German automaker has given just a few scant details about this Cup car - 460 hp on tap, a production run of just 2,400 units - including three images of the kitted out racer. Certainly more and finer details will emerge, when Porsche shines the spotlights on its new 911s tomorrow.