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Porsche tipped to reveal purist's 911 R in Geneva

Update: The 911 R dam has broken well ahead of its official reveal at Geneva. Stay tuned for full coverage, but take a look at this image from Twitter user @PistonHeads and let us know what you think in the comments below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The original post continues below. With much of the 911 family going turbo, there's room in the lineup for a purist's Porsche: a naturally-aspirated, rear-drive, manual-only model that'll essentially be a stripped-down GT3. The latest reports indicate that this model, initially expected to be called the 911 GT but now more likely to get the 911 R moniker, will be unveiled in Geneva. It's also tipped to wear skinnier tires that will sacrifice grip for a more linear driving experience, and jettison the big wings in favor of a sleeker, more classic profile. What that all boils down to is a GT3 in its essence, and it will likely pack the non-turbo engine from either the GT3 or GT3 RS (pictured above) – or some version thereof. Recall that both the GT3 and the GT3 RS are PDK-only, although Porsche has decided that the next-generation GT3 should give customers the option of shifting for themselves. According to Motoring.com.au, which recently spoke to 911 product line manager August Achleitner, the purist's 911 will be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show less than two months from now. "Come to Geneva and you'll find out," said Achleitner "but for now this is all I can talk about." Don't get your hopes up too much, because production is expected to be severely limited, with the entire production run likely to be pre-sold. Related Video:

Petrolicious explores long-term living with Porsche's 914/6

After its last video starred none other than the spectacular Ferrari 250 GTO, where was there for the video team at Petrolicious to go? Certainly, in the realm of classics, there are only a few other vehicles that can match the badge and pedigree of the ultra-rare Ferrari. Maybe a Jaguar D-Type or an Aston Martin DBR1? No, this latest video doesn't star either of those British icons. It stars an oft-misunderstood, occasionally derided entry from Germany's most sporting manufacturer - Porsche.
Yes, we've gone from a Ferrari 250 GTO to a Porsche 914/6. As is often the case with Petrolicious, though, the story told about the car by its owner are often more important than the make or model of car being highlighted. That's exactly the case here, as Jack Griffin talks about the 38 years he's spent with this particular Porsche.
Having been born into the Volkswagen fold and introduced to Porsche in the best way possible - behind the wheel of a 356 - Griffin has some interesting stories (including his attempt at running the 12 Hours of Sebring), and he knows a fair bit about some of the 914's attributes.

Why won't automakers slap on a turbo badge anymore?

Where have all the turbos gone? Not the actual pieces that go in the engine, mind you, those are everywhere these days as automakers downsize cylinder counts and boost efficiency and CO2 claims. But the turbo badges and fanfare are missing. Back when turbos were something to get excited about there was "turbo-driven," "turbonium," and "The Turbo Zone," among other silly lines. But now that basically every car is getting some sort of boost even on the lowliest trims, automakers are almost sliding in the turbos under the radar. Or if you look at some of the nomenclature, pretending they don't exist at all. The 911 Turbo badge shows where the car goes from being sane to lunatic. It's an important border. The latest automaker to hide that it has boosted the turbo presence is Porsche with the 2017 911 lineup. Even the standard Carrera models now get turbocharged flat-six engines, meaning the 911 Turbo models aren't quite as special as they once were. Porsche is in a sticky situation with this. The 911 Turbo, after all, signifies where the 911 family takes off from being a sports car and becomes the Ferrari fighter. The 911 Turbo badge shows where the car goes from being sane to lunatic. It's an important border, but now Porsche has crossed it and is trying to downplay the fact. There are a lot of exaggerations with displacement badges today, with claims the 2.0-liter turbo four in a Mercedes C Class equates to a naturally aspirated 3.0-liter six to make a C300. Volvo is pretty far up there, too, saying an XC90 T8 means V8 power, even though it's a 2.0-liter turbocharged and supercharged four with electric assist. I don't know why BMW can't just call the car a 330i Turbo, rather than inflating the numbers up to 340i. Saab tried all of this back in the '90s when it decided to turbocharge its entire lineup, from light pressure units all the way up to models actually called "Saab 9-3 HOT" (for high-output turbo). But then the brand deleted any external reference to the turbo under the hood and people wondered why they were buying a $42,000 four-cylinder convertible. And that didn't turn out well. Even though these turbo replacements often make more power than their naturally aspirated predecessors, they're very different engines. People knew something changed when they exchanged their leased 328i with a 3.0-liter six for a 328i with a 2.0-liter turbo four.