2006 Porsche 911 on 2040-cars

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Porsche 911 GT2 test mule caught in the snow

This may look like a weird, cobbled-together Porsche, but insiders tell us we're actually looking at the forthcoming GT2. Maybe even a GT2 RS. Those schooled in the intricacies of Zuffenhausen nomenclature will be suitably excited by now. But for the rest of us, the GT2 (with or without the RS) represents the pinnacle of the most hardcore 911s. It's essentially a 911 Turbo without the all-wheel drive but some other goodies thrown in – or to put it another way, it is to the Turbo what the GT3 is to the 911 Carrera. Porsche first did a 911 GT2 back in 1993 based on the 993-generation model. It then did another based on the 996, and then on the 997. But the last one we saw was the GT2 RS that came out in 2010, packing 612 horsepower channeled exclusively to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual transmission. The German automaker didn't do a GT2 version of the 991, but now that the entire model line is undergoing a transformation – and an near-complete switch to turbo power – it apparently has another one in store for us. Aside from ditching the Turbo's all-wheel drive, the new GT2 will be lighter and pack more power – as much as 700 hp, from what we hear. As you can see from the spy shots, the test mule spotted romping in the snow is also wearing larger exhaust tips and the signature GT2 RS black hood. Expect the finished product to wear its own shoes and a more extreme aero kit as well. The question on everyone's minds will be whether it will, like the latest GT3 and GT3 RS, be offered only with a dual-clutch transmission, a conventional manual, or the buyer's choice of either. We'll find out sooner or later as the most extreme of Elfens is tipped to surface late next year. Related Video:

Porsche 924 GTP restored for coupe's 40th birthday

The Porsche 924 is among the most unappreciated models from the German brand, but it's still an important part of Porsche's history as the predecessor to the 944 and eventually the 968. To mark the 40th anniversary of the sport coupe's 1976 introduction, Porsche Great Britain is restoring an important member of the vehicle's legacy by bringing a 1980 Porsche 924 GTP racecar back to its former glory. This car was among three factory-backed 924 GTPs that raced in the 1980 24 Hours of Le Mans. After the event, the car immediately went into Porsche's museum collection, and it has been there ever since. The missing body parts and rough paint still show the wear and tear of racing around the clock in France. The 924 GTP featured all the tricks you would expect would be needed to take the road-going coupe to the track. Porsche cut the weight down to 2,050 pounds, and the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine made 315 horsepower and 282 pound-feet of torque. Power went to the rear wheels through a five-speed gearbox. You can follow along with the restoration online, including period photos of how it should look. The video above also offers a rare glimpse at the Porsche archive, which includes over 5 million photos and 5,000 hours of movies and audio. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

The mood at this year’s Paris Motor Show: Quiet

The Paris Motor Show, held every other year in the early fall, typically kicks off the annual cavalcade of automotive conclaves, one that traverses the globe between autumn and spring, introducing projective, conceptual and production-ready vehicle models to the international automotive press, automotive aficionados and a public hungry for news of our increasingly futuristic mobility enterprise. But this year, at the press preview days for the show, the grounds of the Porte de Versailles convention center felt a bit more sparsely populated than usual. This was not simply a subjective sensation, or one influenced by the center's atypically dispersed assemblage of seven discrete buildings, which tends to spread out the cars and the crowds. There were not only fewer new vehicles being premiered in Paris this year, there were fewer manufacturers there to display them. Major mainstream European OEM stalwarts such as Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Nissan and Volkswagen chose to sit out Paris this year, as did boutique manufacturers like Bentley, Aston Martin and Lamborghini. This is not simply based in some antipathy on the part of the German, British and Italian manufacturers toward the French market — though for a variety of historical and societal reasons that market may be more dominated by vehicles produced domestically than others. Rather, it is part of a larger trend in the industry. Last year, Mercedes-Benz announced that it would not be participating in the flagship North American International Auto Show in 2019 — and that it might not return. Other brands including Jaguar/Land Rover, Audi, Porsche, Mazda and nearly every exotic carmaker have also departed the Detroit show. Some of these brands will still appear in the city in which the show is taking place, and host an event offsite, to capitalize on the presence of a large number of reporters in attendance. And even brands that do have a presence at the show have shifted their vehicle introductions to the days before the official press opening in an attempt to stand out from the crowd. In many ways, this makes sense. With an expanding number of automakers, with diversification and niche-ification of models and with wholesale shifts that necessitate the introduction of EV or autonomous sub-brands, there is a growing sense that, with everyone shouting at the same time, no one can be heard.