1985 Porsche 930 Turbo - Collector on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Next-generation Panamera will spawn variants, Sport Turismo in the running

A few years ago it took actual willpower not to consider what kinds of cool derivatives Porsche could make with the Panamera. Our fancies were helped by patent drawings of a Panamera convertible, rumors of a two-door 928 GT and internal Porsche sketches of such a car, and report after report after report that the current, second-generation Panamera would begin to expand the family. That hasn't happened, but according to a new report in Auto Express, the next Panamera will be the one to begin the bifurcation. Wolfgang Hatz, the brand's head of research and development, told the mag that, "We have prepared it for a lot of derivatives, personally I like very much the Sport Turismo." The Panamera Sport Turismo, remember, was the hybrid, concept wagon that rolled into the 2012 Paris Motor Show and made everyone ask, "Why didn't you build this design from the beginning?" It could have been Hatz's English, but after professing his ardor for the Sport Turismo, the executive said, "But there is a good chance for more derivatives." We're not sure if that means the Sport Turismo is all but approved, or if he was speaking of the third generation Panamera's new MSB platform in general. Even though Hatz mentioned a coupe and convertible, it sounds like that latter variant won't be happening, Hatz saying that the brand already has the Boxster and 911 Cabriolet. We're willing to forgive that omission – who's really looking for a four-door convertible, anyway? – and welcome the Sport Turismo first if Hatz will please please please get us a new 928.

Porsche planning jacked-up 911 Safari? [w/poll]

The Porsche 911 may, for some, be the quintessential sportscar. And that typically means keeping it on paved roads and racing circuits. But there's a proud history to taking the Elfen off-road that traces back to specially-prepared 911s (like the one pictured above) which Porsche fielded in rallies in the late '70s and early '80s. And now Porsche is reportedly preparing to tap back into that history with a new off-road 911 model, according to the Auto Bild Motor Revue.
Tipped to be called the 911 Safari, the special variant would be based on the Carrera 4 but upgrade with bigger tires fitted to a beefed-up suspension with higher ground clearance and underbody skid plates. The model is expected to be presented initially as a concept at the Beijing Motor Show next April. But if enough interest is expressed - particularly from buyers in developing markets where the roads might not be as smooth as those to which North American and European drivers have become accustomed - Stuttgart could put it into production in 2016, when the current 991 is expected to get a mid-cycle refresh.
View Poll

Will Roegge makes 4K art of Jeff Zwart's 911 build and run up Pikes Peak

Will Roegge has turned his camera on Jeff Zwart and provided another gem, this time documenting Zwart's run up Pikes Peak and BBI Autosport. Bertim Besha dropped out of high school, then worked his way up to founding his own shop, BBI, that gathers a crew of tuners who are just as fastidious about their work as the customers are about their cars.
They prepped the 991-series Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Turbo, the product of combining a 911 GT2 that was the most powerful car Zwart drove up the mountain with a GT3 Cup that Zwart thought had the best handling. Two TiAL turbos and a lot of fettling make for a 3.8-liter flat-six with 700 horsepower, 700 pound-feet of torque and a 7,800-rpm redline. Zwart drove it to a heartbreaking second place this year, finishing less than 1.2 seconds behind the Time Attack 1 class winner when his car suffered its first mechanical issue of the week.
The first video below covers Besha, BBI and the build, the second is Zwart's run. As if the visuals weren't enough, sit back and enjoy the shrieking of the "Hill Climb Special," which is what the constellation Sirius would sound like if it could bark.