1976 Porsche 914 Base Coupe 2-door 2.0l on 2040-cars

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Porsche 959 Prototype started it all

While Porsche was unveiling the new Nürburgring-dominating 918 Spyder downstairs in Hall 3 here at the Frankfurt Messe, there was another Porsche supercar quietly and discretely on display upstairs in the same hall. That, of course, was the 959. But not just any 959: this was the original Gruppe B prototype.
The 959 was first developed as a rally car in the early 80s to compete with the likes of the original Audi Sport Quattro S1, Ford RS200 and Lancia Delta S4. But Zuffenhausen soon saw its potential as a production road-going supercar, emerging as a technological marvel to challenge the decidedly linear approach of the Ferrari F40. It still stands as a groundbreaking supercar in its own right, but also lead to the first all-wheel-drive 911 Turbo and set the stage for the Carrera GT and aforementioned 918 Spyder that followed to cap the top of the evolving Porsche range.
This original Gruppe B prototype, which presaged the production 959, packed a 450-horsepower 2.8-liter twin-turbo flat-six into an even sleeker form than the final version that followed. We caught up with it on display as part of a display of 80s German classics, of which this 959 prototype immediately stood out as the pick of the proverbial litter. Check out the hotness in the high-resolution image gallery above.

Porsche Pajun to go all-electric as Tesla rival

Porsche has been rumored to be working on a smaller counterpart to the Panamera for nearly four years now, but we have yet to see any sign of the model dubbed Pajun coming to fruition beyond a digital rendering hidden in the background of another Porsche design. Apparently Stuttgart has been having trouble making the business case in an already crowded market segment. But that doesn't mean the project is completely off the table. According to the latest from Germany's own Auto Motor und Sport, Porsche is now planning to launch the so-called Pajun (shorthand for Panamera Junior just like the Macan project was previously called Cajun) purely as an electric vehicle. With an eye evidently fixed on how dedicated hybrids and EVs are gaining traction in the marketplace (to say nothing of actual tarmac), the electric Pajun - almost certain to carry a different name to the showroom – would be different enough to distinguish itself from existing four-doors of that size like the Mercedes E-Class, BMW 5 Series, Audi A6, et al. Word has it that Porsche believes that battery technologies will advance enough over the next four years to give its four-door EV a range of nearly 250 miles on a single charge. The model's arrival would be just the latest in a series of environmental concessions made by the company with the broadest range of plug-in hybrids on the market. Aside from the E-Hybrid versions of the Panamera and Cayenne, Porsche arguably led the charge (so to speak) towards hybrid hypercars with the 918 Spyder, is downsizing many of its engines and is turbocharging almost the entirety of the 911 range.

Chris Harris gets filthy in a WRC-ready Porsche 911 RGT

Last time we rode with Chris Harris we were shotgun in the tan leather seat of his used-yet-immaculate Ferrari FF. This time we're strapped into a black racing bucket of a filthy Porsche 911 rally car, one that led Harris to effuse, "I don't think I've driven a more exciting car this year, hypercars included." The thrills come courtesy of a 997-series Cup Car that's been reworked by Tuthill Porsche to run in the RGT-class rally series that will piggyback on five World Rally Championship and European Rally Championship races this year. It's not quite the Rothmans Dakar monster, but the RGT series gives privateers an affordable way into rallying with cars that look different and are different from one another. This one kept its 3.8-liter, 444-horsepower 997 Cup engine, but the 39-milllimeter restrictor drops that to about 350 hp. Beyond that are a new rollcage, gear ratios, suspension, fuel tank, underfloor protection and just about everything else. Said the man who built it, it cost "a lot, and it's still costing." But Harris says even though you "have to have your wits about you," it's a hoot to drive. And this is one of the few times you'll hear the phrase "What a tool!" used as a compliment. Check it out in the video above. News Source: Chris Harris on Cars via YouTube Motorsports Porsche Coupe Off-Road Vehicles Racing Vehicles Performance Videos fia rally WRC chris harris porsche 997