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Porsche 911 Cabriolet refresh may hide new engine

If we learned nothing else from our recent frolic through Porsche's secret museum, it's that the automaker goes to incredible lengths to disguise future products during initial testing. Just as a number of cars in that Stuttgart bunker hid the true identity of developmental mules (like the Audi-V8-powered 911), such could very well be the case with these spy shots showing what, on the surface, appears to be simply a facelifted 991 911 Cabriolet.
Similar to what we saw last month on a 911 coupe, this Cabriolet has obvious styling modifications made to the front and rear fascias suggesting that the 911's still-fresh appearance is already set to get a few tweaks. The big news here is at the rear of the car. The additional vents on the lower edge of the fascia and the mocked-up vent above the engine leads our spy photographer to believe that a new engine could be tucked under the body work - likely a smaller-displacement, turbocharged flat-six focusing more on improving fuel efficiency and reducing exhaust emissions rather than performance.
We last heard rumblings of such a detuned 911 back in August, but could this be our first look at said new model? Have a look for yourself, and let us know what you think - either about this mule specifically or the idea of a "green" 911, in Comments below.

Lightspeed Classic 911 rocks out with its sprockets out

Singer does a pretty damn good job re-imagining the Porsche 911, but the faithful will aptly tell you that it's not the only name in the business. Munich-based Autoaktiv Motorsport also does a pretty compelling rendition of the classic German sports car. It's called the Lightspeed Classic, and this video clip casts it in light as good as we've ever seen. The brainchild of former Porsche engineer Ralf Skatulla, the Lightspeed Classic is based on the 964 but upgrades some key components while keeping the classic style. Power comes from a 3.8-liter flat-six from the 964 RS (albeit rebuilt with titanium components) that's been retuned to deliver 340 horsepower. It's got the gearbox from a 996 Turbo, the clutch from a 997 GT3 RS, and the brakes from a 996 GT3 Cup, along with Michelin Pilot Sport rubber coating a set of Fuchs-style BBS alloys. The result, as you can see, is lovely. Especially with Tim Schrick behind the wheel. The German racing driver is also a television personality, co-hosting D Motor – Germany's equivalent to Top Gear – alongside Sabine Schmitz and Carsten van Ryssen. Which is all well and fine, but what you really want to do is scope out the footage for yourself. If you dig Porsches (or even if you don't), it'll probably be the best 49 seconds you'll spend all day. Related Video:

The 2014 Ruf RCT offers rear-drive action with 911 Turbo fun

Ruf has 37 years of experience of turning Porsches into even higher performance machines. For the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, it's unveiling the RCT, or Ruf Carrera Turbo, which offers power to split the difference between Porsche's 911 Turbo and Turbo S models.
The RCT starts with a unique body kit with a new front air dam and drastically changed rear deck that combines both a small spoiler and air intake. Power is provided by a twin-turbocharged, 3.8-liter flat-six with 525 horsepower and 502 pound-feet of torque paired to either a seven-speed manual or seven-speed dual clutch transmission. That gives the Ruf a 5-hp and 15-lb-ft advantage over Porsche's own Turbo but is still less powerful than the full Turbo S. The RCT sprints to 62 miles per hour in 3.5 seconds and to a top speed of 196 mph.
However, the Ruf's big advantage is that it offers buyers the choice of either rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, while Stuttgart's turbo models are only available spinning all four wheels. The RCT can also offers upgrades like an integrated roll cage and custom suspension packages, should the buyer be so inclined to splash out on racing kit.