Last week, Porsche teased the whole world with a partial front side view of the Panamera. The German based Porsche tuner 9ff is already busy preparing a program to tune the new Porsche model.

Naturally, 9ff has had many spy photos to reference for their preliminary designs, but the final Panamera design details are still a mystery. So it’s no surprise that 9ff have only added minor alterations to the somewhat blank Panamera canvas with the addition of signature 9ff wheels and a rear bumper diffuser with integrated trapezoidal dual exhaust pipes.

Next generation Porsche Cayman with increased power and efficiency

Porsche is presenting the second generation of the mid-engined Cayman sports coupe at the Los Angeles Motor Show (November 21 – 30) this week. The highlight is the new, flat-six ‘boxer’ engines, developed to incorporate new technical features from the ground up, providing not only more power, but also significantly greater fuel efficiency.

A further improvement of both fuel economy and performance is guaranteed by the Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK), the new double-clutch gearbox now available as an option on both the Cayman and Cayman S.

Newly-developed’ boxer’ engines deliver more power on less fuel
The Cayman now has an engine displacing 2.9-litres, which develops 265 bhp (195 kW), an increase by 20 horsepower over the prior 2.7-litre model.

The 3.4-litre power unit in the Cayman S now features Direct Fuel Injection, and delivers 320 bhp (235 kW), up by 25 bhp.

These developments see the engines fitted to the Cayman and Cayman S coupes offering more horsepower than those in the Boxster roadster. This move emphasises the sports driving orientation of the Cayman and further differentiates the coupe.

An outstanding power-to-weight ratio of 4.2kg/bhp on the Cayman S in particular ensures optimum driving dynamics. For example, the Cayman S with PDK and Launch Control (featured in the optional Sports Chrono Package Plus) accelerates from 0-62mph (0-100 km/h) in 4.9 seconds, setting the benchmark in the range.

When combined with the PDK transmission, the new 2.9-litre engine of the Cayman clearly breaks through the 30.0mpg fuel consumption boundary. Indeed, the figure of 31.0mpg (9.1 litres/100km) is approximately 10 per cent better than the previous model with the Tiptronic S automatic transmission. Increasing fuel economy by an even more significant 15 per cent to 30.1mpg (9.4 litres/100km), the 3.4-litre Cayman S with PDK offers an even greater saving over its predecessor with Tiptronic S.

In parallel with the improvement in fuel economy, so emissions of the engines have decreased also. Depending on model, emissions have been reduced by up to 16 per cent. The Cayman with the standard six-speed manual gearbox emits 221g/km CO2, and 214g/km CO2 when fitted with PDK. The Cayman S manual emits 223g/km CO2, and 221g/km CO2 with PDK.

Significantly, these developments move every Cayman model – whether manual or PDK – into Band F for Vehicle Excise Duty and company car taxation purposes.

Direct Fuel Injection standard on 3.4-litre S engine
The driver benefits from a further advantage of direct injection every time they touch the throttle pedal: with fuel being injected fractions of a second prior to combustion, the engine responds more directly and spontaneously to even the slightest movement of the driver’s right foot. This is not only the case when accelerating, but also when lifting off the throttle, for engine speed drops more quickly and smoothly since there is no residual fuel left in the intake manifold which might otherwise prolong the combustion process.

Depending on engine load and speed, fuel is injected into the combustion chamber at a pressure of 120 bar. The big advantage is that unlike conventional intake manifold injection, direct fuel injection serves to form the fuel/air mixture directly in the combustion chamber. This better mixes the air and fuel in the cylinder, establishing an important prerequisite for clean and complete combustion. This ensures the ‘homogeneous’ operation of the power unit with a consistent balance of the fuel/air mixture in the combustion chamber at all times and under all running conditions. Such smooth operation guarantees optimum combustion and maintains low emissions, across a range of fuel qualities.

A coupé of distinction
While instantly recognisable as a Porsche sports car, the Cayman is individual in its design. Originally launched in 2005, the characteristic silhouette of the Cayman has remained fresh and contemporary. Its distinctive coupé lines are combined with a long wheelbase and a rear aspect that slopes gently downwards. From the rear, the Cayman is defined by a large, opening rear lid, powerfully sweeping wheel arches and an automatically extending spoiler.

The rear lid opens upwards to provide access to the 260 litre luggage compartment. This, in conjunction with the 150 litre capacity luggage compartment in the nose, plus numerous additional storage compartments, ensures that this two-seater sports car combines real functionality with elegant aesthetic form.

As is Porsche tradition, the styling of the next generation two-seater Coupe has evolved subtly. However, it is clearly distinguishable from outside through its newly-designed nose and tail. The new halogen headlights with their integrated direction indicators are reminiscent of the lights on the Carrera GT, and the new LED rear lights tapering to the outside are integrated elegantly in the remodelled bodywork.

The rod-shaped side lights in LED light conductor technology add distinction to the car’s looks, which are further enhanced through their horizontal arrangement in the outer air intakes. Yet a further highlight is provided by the round fog lamps featured as standard.

For the first time the Cayman is available with a Lights Package featuring bi-xenon headlights, dynamic cornering lights and LED day-time driving lights. Replacing the fog lamps, these light units are made up of four LEDs arranged in round light units like the eyes on dice.

PDK: quickly shifting gears, reducing fuel consumption
The Cayman is available with the Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) carried over directly from motor sport, and replacing the former Tiptronic S torque converter automatic transmission. When equipped with PDK, the Cayman accelerates from 0-62 mph (100km/h) 0.1 seconds faster than with the manual six-speed gearbox.

Acceleration is particularly fast and dynamic with the optional Sports Chrono Package Plus featuring Launch Control; this offers maximum acceleration from a standing start and also a Race Track Gearshift Strategy for the fastest conceivable gear change as an exclusive highlight on the PDK models.

Benefiting from Launch Control, the respective models accelerate from a standstill to 62 mph (100 km/h) yet another 2/10ths of a second faster.

Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) – in detail
The next generation Cayman and Cayman S are available for the first time with the new Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK), literally Porsche double-clutch gearbox. Offering no less than seven forward gears, the new gearbox combines the driving comfort of a torque converter-equipped automatic transmission with the dynamic manual gearshift functionality of a sequential racing gearbox. PDK also boasts an entirely automatic gearshift function, and replaces the Porsche Tiptronic S automatic transmission previously offered. Through its optimised and adaptive gearshift programmes, PDK further improves the acceleration of the Cayman models and reduces fuel consumption to an even lower level.

In principle, the PDK consists of a conventional manual gearbox and a hydraulic control system divided into two separate transmission units. Two wet clutches in radial arrangement, controlled hydraulically, and using oil for both cooling and lubrication, form the heart of the transmission. One clutch is for the first transmission unit with the uneven gear ratios (1,3,5,7) and reverse, and the other clutch is for the second transmission unit with the even gears (2,4,6). Via a number of pressure valves, the hydraulic control unit masterminds both the wet clutches and the shift cylinders activating the transmission ratio required.

The gearshift perceived by the driver comes not from the gears actually changing, but from the change of positive clutch engagement. In this case, the clutch on one transmission opens or disengages while the clutch on the other transmission closes or engages in a simultaneous process. The big advantage is an even faster gearshift than with a conventional manual gearbox or torque converter automatic transmission. The gears are already ‘in mesh’ when shifting and the power of the engine need not be interrupted in the process.

PDK also reduces to a minimum transmission power loss courtesy of the high standard of mechanical efficiency in the double-clutch, and this manifests itself in fuel economy improvements of approximately 13 per cent compared with a conventional Tiptronic S transmission. PDK also offers an advantage in terms of weight – despite two additional gears, it weighs 10kg less than Tiptronic S.

To use the various functions of the double-clutch transmission, the driver can either shift gears by means of sliding buttons on the spokes of the new steering wheel, or via the new gear selector lever. The driver can press forwards to shift the gears up, and press them from behind to shift downwards. Alternatively, pushing the gear selector lever forwards shifts up a gear, and pulling it back shifts down. The option of PDK costs £1,961.

This PDK gearshift principle was first developed by Porsche for motor sport 25 years ago. Porsche works drivers benefiting from this technology were able to accelerate faster than their competitors and keep both hands on the steering wheel while changing gears, thus avoiding even the slightest distraction while shifting.

The seven-speed PDK shifts gears up to 60 per cent faster than a conventional automatic transmission, and naturally, gives the new Cayman models even better performance. And those in search of optimum driving dynamics have the option to combine PDK with Sport Chrono Package Plus, now featuring Launch Control.

Dynamic suspension and supreme brakes – new option of limited-slip differential
The suspension with its new set-up gives the new Cayman models a combination of even greater driving dynamics and enhanced comfort all in one. Modification of the valve control map on the steering gear serves furthermore to reduce steering forces, giving the Cayman more agile and spontaneous steering behaviour.

The wheels come in new designs and are half an inch wider than previously on the Cayman 2.9-litre model in order to accommodate the larger brake system of the S-models which are now fitted on the front axle. The Cayman and Cayman S feature the latest generation Porsche Stability Management (PSM) which now offers two new functions: Brake Pre-Loading and the Brake Assistant. Whenever the driver lifts off the throttle pedal very quickly – which is typical immediately prior to an emergency braking manoeuvre – the PSM hydraulic control unit builds up an appropriate level of pressure in the brakes before the driver even presses the brake pedal down, which has the effect of moving the brake pads slightly towards the discs, and ready for immediate action. This significantly improves brake response and shortens stopping distances accordingly.

When recognising that the driver is braking in an emergency due to the very fast operation of the brake pedal and a defined brake force, the PSM hydraulic control unit actively delivers the brake pressure required for maximum stopping power.

In conjunction with 18- and 19-inch wheels, the new models in the Cayman range are also available with a limited-slip differential on the rear axle. Locking action is 22 per cent under power and 27 per cent in overrun. This significantly improves both traction and stability, providing a substantially higher level of performance on winding roads, particularly on the race track. A further advantage is the more stable load change behaviour. At the same time, the mechanical differential, through its particular function, interacts perfectly with the electronic Automatic Brake Differential (ABD) for optimum traction control, the locking action delaying the tendency of one wheel to spin on a road surface slippery only on one side.

New audio and communication systems
The next generation Cayman features as standard the new CDR-30 CD radio. The new Porsche Communication Management (PCM) 3.0 complete with hard disc navigation is available as an option and when specified serves as the central control unit for all audio, communication and navigation features.

PCM 3.0 is more versatile, efficient and easier to use than before, standing out in particular through its touch-screen which enables the driver to select specific functions simply by pressing the appropriate key on the larger 6.5-inch monitor. PCM 3.0 is available with highly convenient voice control and, in conjunction with the optional, universal audio interface, can now be used also to control external audio sources such as an iPod®, USB stick, or Bluetooth.

Seat ventilation combined with seat heating is also available as an option.

Four-cylinder future for Porsche?

Thought Porsche’s corporate shenanigans concerning VW would be enough to shield it from CO2 regulations? Think again.

In an attempt to lower its average CO2 emissions across the range, Porsche is set to do the unthinkable and usher in four-cylinder power again, more than a decade after the 3l, four-cylinder 968s went out of production.

Earlier this year Thomas Krickelberg, Porsche‘s head of powertrain development, admitted the six-cylinder engines found in the 911 had been designed to accommodate a cylinder number reduction if there was a “strong need to do it”.

Details are heavily speculative currently, but expect the new engine to produce upwards of 150kW.

Whether of not the four-pot engines could feature forced induction is going to be a huge conundrum for Porsche too. The company has always incorporated turbocharged engines as model range leaders, not entry level options.

The new, entry level, four-cylinder engines are predicted to appear in the Boxer and Cayman ranges around 2011. They will no doubt put strong downward pressure on residual values.   

Source: Carsguide

Story by Paul Glover

Nissan GT-R

Porsche has accused Nissan of cheating in the GT-R’s record bid at the Nurburgring racetrack.Porsche has just run its own back-to-back tests with the Japanese company’s GT-R supercar and says it could not get within 25 seconds of Nissan’s claimed record time of seven minutes 29 seconds in April.

It also found its 911 Turbo and GT2 were both quicker than the GT-R.

“This wonder car with 7:29 could not have been a regular series production car,” says August Achleitner, the 911 product chief for Porsche, speaking to the CARSguide at the Australian press preview of the latest 911 Cabrio.

“For us, it’s not clear how this time is possible. What we can imagine with this Nissan is they used other tyres.”

He believes the time achieved by Nissan with ex-Formula One driver Toshio Suzuki would only be possible with a semi-slick race-style tyre.

Achleitner says Porsche took a standard GT-R, running on regular road tyres, and ran it around the Nurburgring within two hours of its own cars, on the same day with exactly the same weather conditions.

He says there was no tweaking of any kind and the GT2 and Turbo both ran on regular Porsche road tyres, the Michelin Sport Cup.

“We bought the car in the US. We drove a GT-R with new tyres,” he says.

Achleitner was initially protective of the exact lap times, which were run during a program when Porsche also compared its upcoming four-door Panamera with a range of potential rivals.

But he eventually revealed his team clocked the GT-R at 7 minutes 54 seconds, with the 911 Turbo managing 7:38 and the GT2 getting down to 7:34.

The laps were not run by Porsche’s usual hot-lap specialist, former world rally champion and race winner Walter Rohrl, but one of the company’s chassis development engineers who is an expert on the Nurburgring.

Achleitner says the back-to-back comparison was run because Porsche was concerned by Nissan’s claims for the GT-R, which is heavier than the 911 with similar power.

“The Nissan is a good car. I don’t want to make anything bad with my words,” he says.

“It’s a very consistent car. But this car is about 20 kilos heavier than the Turbo . . .”

In the end, Porsche believes its testing has achieved the right lap times for the Skyline GT-R and benchmarked it against its own 911 heroes in the right context.

“For us it has been clearly the result. This technical puzzle now fits together. With the other numbers we had problems to understand it,” he says.

By Georg Kacher, 10 September 2008 07:21These are the first pictures of the 2012 Porsche Cayman prototype, an all-new model set to take the fight to Audi’s proposed R3, the next-gen BMW Z4 and the surprisingly good Artega GT.

We’ve also got pictures of the next 911 (photos bottom row), a car that must beat the Nissan GT-R and Audi R8 if Stuttgart is to hold its head up high. Both cars in our exclusive pictures are prototypes, using current generation bodywork, but each mule clearly features widened front and rear tracks.

 
To find out how Porsche plans to best its rivals CAR Online has sat down with Porsche R&D chief Wolfgang Dürheimer. He’s spilled the beans on everything from active aerodynamics, composite complex chassis and future tie-ups within the VW Group.

So is it evolution or revolution for the new Porsche 911, Boxster and Cayman?

It is evolution for the facelifted Boxster and Cayman, both of which are due within the next six months. The revised Boxster will be unveiled at the LA motor show in November 2008, while the tweaked Cayman will appear early in 2009. Both models will receive direct-injection engine technology, seven-speed PDK gearboxes and minor interior and exterior tweaks in line with the new second-generation 997 911.

And the next-gen Porsche sports cars?

This is where things get interesting. Dubbed 981, the new Boxster (and its Cayman hard-top sibling) will share parts with the all-new 911, due in late 2011 and known internally as 991.

‘It [the new 911] will be even more competent, even sexier, even more unique,’ says Dürheimer. ‘The design can of course only be evolutionary, but beneath the skin, almost anything is possible.’

But surely Porsche must update the 911’s styling?

Asked to name three styling elements that will change substantially compared to the 2008 vintage Dürheimer answers like a shot. ‘There is no more need for old-fashioned protruding door mirrors, the pending pedpro [pedestrian protection] requirements will force us to make relatively obvious alterations to the nose of the car, and for aerodynamic reasons we are also going to reshape the rear end.

‘But apart from these must-dos, we won’t tamper with the proportions of a true classic.’ In other words, you’ll never mistake a 911 for anything else.

What about clever tech on Porsche’s next range-topper?

One area where Porsche will implement plenty of fresh know-how is active aerodynamics. In addition to the extending tail spoiler (you can see the experimental set-up on the 911 in our spy photos), there will be an adjustable front spoiler, and we also may see selectively blocked air intakes.

The 911 Turbo may even feature a virtual ground effects floorpan, featuring active jet-vents integrated in the wheel arches, sources say. All the better to suck the car to the road for that Superglue effect.

And what will happen to the new PDK gearbox?

Transmission-wise Porsche’s latest dual-clutch unit (PDK) is the gearbox of  choice until 2018 and beyond. At the same time, a super-smooth, low-friction, fictitiously staggered seven-speed CVT may one day render the notchy manual ‘box superfluous.

Can Porsche go green in this eco age?

Like any serious CO2 fighter, project 991 – and every Porsche sports car in its wake – will make extensive use of advanced low-calorie materials.

‘In this discipline, we learned a lot from the Carrera GT,’ says Dürheimer. ‘The supercar taught us plenty about carbonfibre, so that composite materials can soon be a serious alternative to aluminium. The secret to feasibility is automation, an area where we still have a bit of work to do.

‘Together with other changes, the much more sophisticated material mix should help to reduce the kerbweight by ten percent and with it the fuel consumption – no mean feat in view of the more powerful engines and the more complex chassis set-up.’

A complex chassis? In a posh VW Beetle with the engine slung out back?

What the Porsche R&D team intends to achieve is a significantly improved active safety even with PSM switched off, a better directional stability at high speed and on bumpy ground, more suspension compliance thanks to an evolution of PASM, and of course a more benign handling at the limit.

‘It´s not as straightforward as it sounds,’ says says Dürheimer. ‘On the one hand, I still want purism like the feel of every loose chipping through the rim of the steering wheel. But on the other hand, marketing urges me to fit a parking aid complete with rear-mounted camera and beeper.’

Sounds like the next generation of Porsches are going to be at once sportier and more pampering. A bold claim and it remains to be seen if the new family of 911s, Caymen and Boxsters will retain their sporting focus. 

What about ties with inhouse rivals Audi or Lamborghini?

‘At this stage, every scenario is pure speculation,’ Dürheimer vows. ‘But why should the Panamera genes not reappear in an Audi A8 coupé? Although there exists no such plan, we are open to all sorts of options. We are also interested in pooling the resources as far as new electronic platforms are concerned.

‘The same applies to all non brand-specific research subjects like the combined combustion system CCS or hybrid modules for front-engined cars.

‘Another area where I can see huge synergies concerns active and passive safety. The next 911 will for instance be equipped with a water-level sensor which acts as proactive aquaplaning warning device…’

What about way into the future?

Active steering and torque vectoring are two catchwords which are expected to be part of the Porsche sports car vocabulary by 2018. Steer-by-wire on the other hand is definitely a non-starter, and rear-wheel steering has not yet been approved either, although it does have potential.

It’s a brave new world and just goes to show that technology is going to continue to change the shape of the cars we drive for decades hence. Even top-end Porsches.

Brand DNA and the prototypical Porsche

Email Picture

Axel Koester

One of two surviving prototypes of the first Porsche built in 1948, at the Pebble Beach Concourse.

Despite evolution, the 001 is recognizably a Porsche in the transcendent gestalt of the thing.

By DAN NEIL, RUMBLE SEAT
10:59 PM PDT, August 28, 2008

At every news conference for every new car or truck introduction since the days of, say, Watson and Crick, an eager and sweaty brand manager has stood up and said something to the effect of: “The Durango 95 Mark III is a reflection of who we are as a company, our brand DNA.”

This assertion is generally nonsense, a dump truck of smelly marketing sardines poured at our feet and called caviar. But it’s an essential lie, especially for products that are resurrections of grand old marques or nameplates. Take, for example, Bugatti.

• 
  

  Photos: Driving the very first…

Compared with Ettore Bugatti’s gritty factory in Molsheim, France, before World War II, the new Bugatti factory — a futuristic assembly hall in nearby Dorlisheim — might as well be some off-world colony. The new Bugatti, a whole-cloth creation of Volkswagen Group, has zero to do with the Ettore Bugatti, Type 57SCs, Royales and the like. But what is the new Bugatti Veyron without the back story, the evocative narrative of the old company? A $1.7-million VW.

There are a few plausible exceptions. Harley-Davidson is one. Porsche is another.

This summer I’ve had a chance to bookend Porsche by driving the very first Porsche — the Gmund Porsche 356-001 (so called because it was fettled in Gmund, Austria, in 1948, during the company’s brief hegira from Stuttgart) — and the latest generation of the 911 sports coupe, the 2009 Carrera and Carrera S.
The chance to drive 001 came courtesy of Klaus Bischof, the manager of Porsche’s museum, whom I met at Pebble Beach this month. According to Bischof, I was only the fifth person to drive the car since it was returned to the company in the 1950s. After my drive, he said, the car was going to be put on a plane and installed in a central position in the company’s new museum, opening in December in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen.

And so, a rare chance to time-travel into automotive history. I was interested to know if some thread of the Gmund gene sequence — some tactility, some aesthetic, some essence — has survived the endless replications, the improvements and technical evolution of the intervening 60 years.

The company has the DNA of founder Ferdinand Porsche running through the board room — his descendants control significant portions of Porsche and VW Group. But is there Porsche DNA in the cars?

Yes, and perhaps in a more literal sense than you might think. For one thing, the 001 car is very small, the tight quarters reflecting the height and proportions, the biometrics, of Ferry Porsche himself, who was the car’s development engineer. “Ferry’s car was made so that he could get into it,” Bischof says sympathetically as I struggle to fold my 6-foot frame into the cockpit.

The ur-Porsche’s fundamental compactness echoes in today’s cars. The new 911 Carrera is a relatively small car — far smaller than a Corvette — and requires a slight bit of gymnastics to get into. Indeed, one of the things that affronts purists about the rhino-like Cayenne SUV is that it treads on this fundamental tenet of Porsche-ness. A big Porsche is like a small Rolls-Royce, in other words.

Often when carmakers invoke the DNA metaphor, they are talking about styling, particularly when it comes to retro-cars like the Dodge Challenger, the Ford Mustang or the upcoming Chevy Camaro. But the fact is, the skins of these cars are purely decorative and non-integral.

The 001’s lean curvatures, penned by engineer/aerodynamicist Erwin Komenda, are fundamental to Porsche products. To look at the 001 — now wearing miles-deep silver paint the boys in Gmund never dreamed of — is to see the prototypical shape of Porsche, the solid geometry of the brand that has survived six decades. “Every designer that comes to work at Porsche comes by to look at the 001,” Bischof says. “Just to be inspired.”

It was a thin crew there in Gmund, only Ferry Porsche, Komenda, engineer Karl Rabe, metal-former Friedrich Weber and a handful of others. It was a shoestring operation. Today, Porsche is one of the most profitable car companies in the world and is on the threshold of taking a controlling interest in the giant VW Group. Yet a vein of those early hard times still can be seen in a new 911.

The ignition lock, on the left of the steering column, is there because, originally in the 001, it was cheaper than locating it in the conventional place to the right. “It saved a little bit of wire, a little bit of money,” says Bischof, “and maybe 200 grams.” This bit of thrift has become Porsche tradition.

Which brings up the other verity of Porsche through the years: light weight. With the exception of Lotus, no car company has fetishized lightness as has Porsche. The 001 car weighs a mere 1,290 pounds, matched against the 35- or 40-horsepower out of the sport-tuned flat-four VW engine.

Out on 17-Mile Drive in Monterey, this favorable power-to-weight ratio makes the car feel lithe and aggressive, a Chinese fighting kite on wheels. In the intervening six decades, the thing that has made Porsche so successful in endurance racing is the cars’ engineered-in lightness. Even a 2008 Carrera — with the new double-clutch gearbox and all the air bags and luxuries aboard — still weighs only 3,164 pounds, the lightest sports car in its class.

Obviously, the 001 Porsche and a new 911 Carrera are very different machines. The 001 is a tube-frame, mid-engine car. For reasons of cost and complication — and to share more parts with the resurrected VW Beetle being built in Wolfsburg, Germany — the subsequent Gmund Porsches were rear-engined. Eventually, the tube frame was replaced with a less costly floor stamping. All that, and 60 years of automotive evolution, separates the 001 from a new Carrera.

Even so, the 001 is recognizably a Porsche, not just in details like the hood-mounted fuel filler and the big tach in the dash, but in the broad, transcendent gestalt of the thing. It feels like a Porsche. Is it evolution? Yes. But also intelligent design.

European Car Club Cairns, Australia

Monthly gatherings are ALWAYS on the Second Sunday of every month, for 9am at Tourdex. Tourdex is at 13 Johnston Street, by Capt. Cook h’way near Barron River & the airport, Cairns. It is under cover and there will be free tea, coffee, biscuits provided; sometimes cakes too ! Basin and toilet is available with lots and lots of parking.

The club is ‘casual’ in nature and is for general meets, events, charity, etc, but to always share some drives together. This club accepts males, females and families. Cars of all descriptions qualify – i.e. small, large, old, new, fast, and slow. We cover Cairns, Tablelands, Port Douglas, and Innisfail (all in north Queensland Australia)

We cordially invite owners of Jaguar, Merserati, Mercedes, Audi, Citroen, BMW, Volvo, Peugeot, Alfa Romeo, Porsche, VW, Land Rover, Ferrari, Aston Martin, etc etc etc, who can both benefit our club and themselves, to join.

Coming ? Then email to – ops.busdev@gmail.com

Porsche’s 911 is the company’s all-time best-selling model, with one of the richest histories in all of motoring. The current 997 generation of the 911 is in the middle of its product cycle, part way through a facelift updating it with the latest dual-clutch and direct-injection technology. The next-generation 998 model, shown here in testing, is already being developed by engineers to take the car to new technological and performance heights.

The current 997 Porsche 911 range is still being updated as part of the facelift refresh, with only the standard Carrera and Carrera 4, plus their performance ‘S’ variants, having received the update. The 911 Turbo and the GT3 models’ facelifts are still in the pipeline, not expected to be revealed for several months at least.

Key differences hint at the underlying next-generation design
Telltale signs that a new platform is residing under the familiar 997 sheet metal include the extended wheel arches, which indicate the new model may be set to receive a wider track. This means the new car should also be slightly bigger inside and out than the current model, while handling and dynamics could also see an improvement thanks to the broader stance.

The roll-cage fitted on this test car is another indication that the 998 platform is still in the early stages, but already being used for high-speed testing.

Engine, chassis and gearbox updates but much is still hazy
It’s still too early to determine with precision what changes Porsche has in store for the engine lineup, but the familiar flat-six engine range is expected to carry over with only minimal updates, which will likely be focused on emissions and fuel economy standards. The new 911 will spend a fair portion of its life cycle under stringent new EU and U.S. regulations regarding fuel consumption and Porsche will need to focus its efforts to avoid serious penalties under either scheme.

The new PDK dual-clutch gearbox will also carry over as will a standard six-speed manual. The move to the PDK transmission presages the economy improvements Porsche will be making, and the philosophy with which they’ll be made. Improving fuel efficiency and emissions is important, but so too is maintaining a suitably high level of performance and comfort - all areas in which the dual-clutch technology excels.

Given Porsche’s trend of updating its cars roughly every four to six years, the new 998 will likely appear towards the end of 2010 at the earliest, and an Australian release in 2011. The 996 version ran from 1998 until 2004 globally, with the 997 model taking its place from 2004 to the present.

Top Gear Australia has started filming. first spotted at Camden airport in NSW.

If you’ve been in the market for a vintage, or just affordable, Porsche 911 in the last ten years, you’ve undoubtedly noticed the number of Targa-topped 911s for sale. The reason for the glut of Targas is two fold: Porsche sold a slew of them in the 70s and 80s and they remain less desirable than their fixed-roof counterparts. However, the allure of the Targa hasn’t been lost.

Porsche’s introduction of the 911 Targa was largely a response to stringent safety regulations in the 1960s, but the appeal of both an open-air experience (without the aesthetic and noise issues of a traditional cloth convertible) and some manner of additional safety made the Targa a popular choice. Porsche reintroduced its modern interpretation of the Targa last year, but instead of the removable roof and fixed rollbar/B-pillar, it opted for a duo of sliding glass panels.

Paso Robles, California-based performance shop, VeloTech, has decided to move beyond its bread and butter business – turbocharging European vehicles – and has developed its own traditional targa setup for current 911s. The roof, which is comprised mainly of carbon fiber, is still a pricey solution for a very select group of enthusiasts, but VeloTech maintains that if the price for the conversion can be reduced from its current cost ($10,000) to something more palatable ($6,000), the market could expand.