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THE PORSCHE 550 SPYDER, A VERY BRIEF HISTORY:- The Porsche 550 Spyder was inspired by the original Porsche 356. From 1951, Porsche 356 prototypes were built and raced by Walter Glockler. His successes led to Porsche’s decision to build the first Porsche specifically developed for racing, the 550. The engine was based on the VW Beetle flat-4. It had shaft-driven, twin overhead camshafts, a roller-bearing crankshaft and dual ignition. Displacement was 1498 cc for the 1.5-liter class. Fed by a pair of Solex carbs, it produced 110 bhp at 6200 rpm. With an aluminum, monocoque body maximized for compactness, aerodynamics and lightness, the car weighed around 1300 lb. All the factory 550 Spyders were silver in color. The first three were hand-built prototypes. 550-03 raced as a roadster at the Nurburgring Eifel Race in May 1953, winning its first race. 550-05 was introduced to the general public at the 1953 Paris Motor Show. Over the following years, The Werks Porsche team evolved and raced the 550 with outstanding success and it was recognized wherever it appeared. With the 550, Porsche was the first manufacturer to organize, external, racing sponsorship. The Porsche 550 Spyder became an active participant on European and US championship circuits between 1953 and as late as 1965. Starting in over 370 races, with approximately 95 overall wins and an additional 75 class wins, the Spyder dominated and/or embarrassed more powerful cars from the prestigious racing stables. The cars were well represented at famous circuits around the world and soon became the racing car of choice for privateers, earning the reputation of ‘Giant Killer’. Only 90 cars were built with 78 being sold to the public for motor sport purposes. For such a limited number of builds, the 550 Spyder was always in a winning position, usually finishing in the top three in its class. The beauty of the 550 was that it could be driven to the track, raced and then driven home which showed its incredible flexibility. THE JAMES DEAN SAGA:- For the younger among us, James Dean was a movie idol of the fifties. He starred in the major, movie successes East of Eden, Rebel without a Cause and Giant with the film stars of the day including Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, Sal Mineo, Natalie Wood, Julie Harris, Raymond Massey, Dennis Hopper and others. However, his passion was racing. After a succession of fast cars, motorbikes, street and track races, in 1955, he traded his Porsche Super Speedster for a brand new Porsche Spyder 550....

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Jack Olsen built one Porsche to do it all

Wed, 23 Jan 2013

Jack Olsen has built himself a lair called the 12-Gauge Garage, and inside that garage he built a lairy Porsche 911 nicknamed Black Beauty II. Although it looks like one of Stuttgart's models from the sixties or seventies, it is actually four decades of 911 gubbins from 1965 to 2000 thrown under one shell: the lightweight body is from 1972, the transaxle from 1977, the brakes from a 1986 Turbo, the engine from 1995, for example. It weighs 2,400 pounds and it's got 272 horsepower to get it going, but it's still a pure Porsche, Olsen saying, "If you stop thinking about what you're doing, it will remind you in very abrupt ways."
Olsen said the real point has been to have one car that does it all, so he does everything in his 911 from neighborhood runs to 7-11 to track racing - he loads the aero bits in the car and bolts them on trackside. And he says he'll never stop tweaking the suspension.
You can watch and hear the rest in Olsen's words in the video below.

We get wet with Porsche's Cayman GT4 and 911 GT3 RS

Fri, Nov 13 2015

In case you missed them, we recently published our First Drive impressions on the super-hot 2016 Porsche Cayman GT4 and the 2016 Porsche 911 GT3 RS. Spoiler alert: they're lovely. In order to properly test these new machines, Porsche let senior editor Alex Kierstein loose on Road Atlanta. But rather than a blissful day of warm, dry conditions, this test session proved to be a super gross experience. The track was soaked. But that didn't stop Kierstein from manhandling both coupes with confidence. Credit where credit's due, Alex said the tires on the GT3 RS were absolutely amazing, and proved helpful for getting the most out of the most hardcore 911 in these incredibly damp conditions. Have a look at Kierstein's experience in both cars, in the video above. We can't wait to get these bad boys out on some dry roads.

700 horsepower Porsche GT2 RS is the wildest 911 ever

Fri, Jun 30 2017

The Porsche 911 comes in a variety of flavors, each filling a certain taste for a certain customer. Sitting atop the range is the new 911 GT2 RS. In previous generations, the GT2 had a bit of a reputation as a widowmaker, a 911 with massive power that could snap and bite with the slightest agitation. Porsche says the new model has been civilized, but with 700 horsepower going to the rear wheels, we're sure it's going to be as mad as ever. Power comes from a highly massaged version of the 3.8-liter flat-six from the 911 Turbo S. The rear-mounted engine makes an outrageous 700 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque. Like we previously reported, the new car will use water injection to help keep things cool. The only transmission is Porsche's PDK. While enthusiasts may lament the loss of the manual, the RS models have always been about performance above all else. Simply put, the PDK is the better performance option. All that power translates to a 0-60 mph time of 2.7 seconds and a top speed of 211 mph. The engine makes 80 more horsepower than the previous model. That makes it the most powerful road-going 911 ever built. In fact, the 887 horsepower 918 Spyder is the only road-going Porsche that makes more power. The fact that Porsche trusts all of that power to go to the rear is both thrilling and terrifying at the same time. In order to manage traction, the GT2 RS gets a number of upgrades. Rear-wheel steering has become commonplace in the 911 lineup, so it's no surprise to see it here. Sticky tires with 265/35 ZR 20 section rubber at the front and 325/30 ZR 21 section rubber at the rear keep things planted. That comically large rear wing adds downforce, adding to stability. The car gets standard carbon ceramic brakes. While some people prefer traditional rotors for the street, like the PDK, this is all about performance. A number of intakes and outlets complement the rear wing and maximize aerodynamic efficiency. It's a bit of a surprise that with all the focus on downforce, the GT2 RS still manages to top out at 211 mph. The hood, front wings, wheel housing vents, door mirrors, side air intakes, parts of the rear end, and a number of interior components are all made from carbon fiber. The roof has been made of magnesium. If you want to drop any pretense of civility and comfort in the pursuit of speed, Porsche is offering a Weissach package that shaves off another 40 pounds from the already impressive wet weight of 3,241.

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