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Porsche reveals new 911 GT3 R at the Nurburgring

On any given weekend, you're bound to find gaggles of Porsche 911s zipping around most any race track. Now Porsche has revealed its latest competition model at no less fitting a location than the Nurburgring. The new 911 GT3 R replaces the existing version, slotting in below the 911 RSR. It's based closely on the road-going 911 GT3 RS, and retains the same 4.0-liter naturally aspirated flat-six with direct injection and variable valve timing, but tuned to deliver over 500 horsepower, transmitted to the rear wheels through a six-speed sequential paddle-shift gearbox and mechanical limited slip differential. The wheelbase has been stretched over three inches for better weight balance compared to the outgoing GT3 R, further optimized by more lightweight components and a central radiator to lower the center of gravity. The lightweight bodywork is made of aluminum, steel, and carbon fiber, and for the first time all of the glass (including the windscreen) has been replaced by plexi. Stopping power is provided by six-piston aluminum monoblock calipers gripping 380-millimeter steel discs up front, with four-piston calipers and 372-mm discs at the back. The safety fuel cell can now hold 120 liters of fuel with a cut-off safety valve, the doors and windows can be removed, and the escape hatch is bigger, too. All of this adds up to the promise of a more competitive GT3 R ready to take on the competition, available to privateer racing teams from December for 429,000 euros before tax – working out to about $487k at current exchange rates. World premiere at the Nurburgring Lighter, more economical, faster: the new 911 GT3 R Stuttgart. Based on the 911 GT3 RS production sports car, Porsche has designed a customer sport race car for GT3 series around the world: The 911 GT3 R. In developing the more than 368 kW (500 hp) racing nine-eleven, special attention was paid to lightweight design, better aerodynamic efficiency, reducing consumption, improved handling, further optimised safety as well as lowering service and spare parts costs. Adopted from its production sibling, the 911 GT3 R features the distinctive double-bubble roof, and the wheelbase which had been lengthened by 8.3 centimetres compared to the previous generation. This ensures a more balanced weight distribution and more predictable handling particularly in fast corners corners in comparison to the previous GT3 R.

Porsche 911 2.7 RS values up by nearly 700% in the last 10 years [w/video]

These days if you have a wad of cash to invest in a classic car, Ferrari seems to be the best option. Hagerty's price index for the Italian supercars was up 43 percent in 2014, and Prancing Horses made up eight of the highest-selling vehicles at auction for the year. However, if you really want to watch your funds grow faster than practically any other legal investment, it might be worth setting your sights north of Maranello to Porsche in Germany. According to research from the Discovery Channel, the 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 RS is the quickest-appreciating vehicle in the past decade, at least in the UK. In 2004, prices hovered around 65,000 pounds ($101,350 in current money), but buying one today would set you back over 500,000 pounds ($779,600). Rarer lightweight models go for even more. More than just a solid investment, buyers get what is considered to be the ultimate expression of the early 911. Built as a homologation special for racing, Porsche used the classic tactic of fitting a larger engine to boost power to about 210 horsepower while simultaneously cutting weight. A lower front air dam, extended fenders for wider wheels and ducktail spoiler at the back made sure the grip, aero and styling fit the motorsports attitude. You can get a brief taste of what it's like to drive one of these rare Porsches in the video from The Telegraph below. This one is even for sale, with an ambitious price of around 600,000 pounds ($935,000), and it also features legendary racer Derek Bell's autograph on the ashtray. Hopefully the car's eventual buyer remembers that the RS is a fantastic piece to drive, too, and stretches its legs every once in a while. News Source: The TelegraphImage Credit: The Telegraph Porsche Car Buying Ownership Coupe Performance Classics Videos porsche 911 carrera collector cars classic car values

Porsche still deciding on one or two new 911 plug-in hybrids

Back in March, Porsche CEO Oliver Blume told Autocar that the coming Porsche 911 plug-in hybrid "will be the most powerful 911 we've ever had." That quote portended a 992-series 911 with 700 horsepower or more. A new report in Auto Express, however, suggests Porsche is having energetic debates about just what the 911's hybrid strategy will be, and that the only agreed-upon plug-in hybrid 911 so far is a milder version to sit in the middle of the range. Putting all our rumors in a row, in January, Automobile reported on an electrically-assisted 911 with 485 hp and 561 pound-feet of torque. The new AE piece effectively endorses that, saying the mid-range hybrid would follow the program established by the all-wheel drive Cayenne e-Hybrid that produces a combined 455 hp and 516 lb-ft. The 911 would naturally use a flat-six instead of the Cayenne's 3.0-liter V6, and the sports car would be tuned for better sound response and sharper reflexes. AE says fuel economy for this hybrid should be at least 80 eMPG, with emissions of less than 80 grams per kilometer. The current base Carrera is currently rated at a maximum 38.2 mpg in the UK, with minimum emissions of 169 g/km. The hybrid, fitted with a double-clutch gearbox and Porsche's mechanical all-wheel-drive system, could run from a stop to 62 miles per hour in less than four seconds, making it more efficient than a base Carrera and much faster than a Carrera 4S. AE says there remains only "the potential for Porsche to add a second, more powerful hybrid 911," and says its sources claim that's what's "causing the most consternation behind closed doors." This one would be the twin-turbocharged, 700-hp beastie that, as a series production car, would have a hard time not usurping the 540-hp Turbo, 580-hp Turbo S, and 607-hp Turbo S Exclusive. True, the hybrid would be handicapped with a 550-pound battery pack, but the instant acceleration and handling benefits of electric AWD — with no connection between the axles — could provide the final edge over the other three. As such, it makes sense that there'd be a whole lot of debate about a flagship 911 hybrid. On the other hand, such a monster seems like an eventuality in view of Porsche's electrified aspirations, the lessons gained from the 918 Hybrid and the 919 Hybrid Le Mans racer, and the fact that CEO Blume has already spoken. The Stuttgart carmaker expects a sales mix of 25 percent electric, 25 percent hybrid, and 50 percent conventional powertrains by 2025.