1986 Porsche 911 930 Turbo on 2040-cars

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Porsche 911 GT3 RS getting all-new atmospheric engine

Porsche surprised many of its most puritanical enthusiasts when it took a decidedly more usable approach with the current 911 GT3. But when the new GT3 RS debuts, it promises to be a much more extreme departure. And a big part of that comes down to the engine. At the Detroit Auto Show this week, Auto Express spoke with Porsche R&D chief Wolfgang Hatz – who also happens to be head of engine and transmission development for the entire Volkswagen group. Hatz revealed that Porsche has developed a completely new engine for the GT3 RS, and while previous rumors suggested the RS would go turbo to fill in for the lack of a GT2 (and make the most out of its displacement), Hatz confirmed that it will be naturally aspirated. Considering that Porsche rarely goes downwards when it comes to 911 engine displacement, only upwards, we'd expect the new RS to pick up where the previous 4.0 left off. The new GT3 RS is also expected to pack a more extreme suspension, aero and stripped-out interior, but those hoping for an old-school approach may be disappointed to learn that the new RS will (at least at launch) only be available with the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission – though a manual version could follow if there's enough demand. In a related development, Hatz also hinted that the Cayman GT4 could debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March, with an even more extreme approach than the previous Cayman R. The new top-of-the-line Cayman is reportedly being developed to comply with GT4 class racing regulations but be fully homologated for road use. Related Video:

KBB 2013 Brand Image Awards has some obvious and oddball winners

The sixth edition of the Kelley Blue Book Brand Image Awards have crowned a wide range of winners - in a couple of cases the recipient of the laurels might say more about KBB users than they do about the actual winner. Compiled from the responses of more than 12,000 shoppers on KBB.com over the past year, there are 13 categories broken into non-luxury, luxury and truck segments "representing the combined wisdom of the American car-buying public."
The award categories have been revamped this year, with some dropping off, some new ones appearing and at least one other given a new term. What isn't surprising is that Honda won Most Trusted Brand for the second year running, Best Value Brand for the third year in a row and took Best Overall Brand, which wasn't on last year's list of awards.
On our own shores, in the non-luxury categories Chrysler got Most Refined Brand and Buick took Best Value Luxury Brand. Neither one of those marques won anything in last year's Brand Image Awards, while Cadillac, which won Best Interior Design Brand and Best Comfort Brand last year - those awards disappeared this year - went home without a single accolade.

Petrolicious studies the purity of a Porsche 911 2.7 RS

Water-cooled Porsches are superior to the old, air-cooled models. This really isn't up for debate, despite the mob of Porsche purists, with pitchforks and torches in hand, currently descending on the Autoblog offices. Water-cooled models are more powerful and easier to live with, two factors that make modern Porsches just so darn amazing.
And while we won't hear arguments on anything we've written above, we will say that the old air-cooled models, while not superior, are just, somehow, better. They sound better - a lot better. They're simple, elemental and wildly entertaining things, that just beg for more and more. They rev in a way that forces drivers to work to unlock their power, rather than just push their right foot down. Part of the appeal of air-cooled Porsches, in addition to what we just listed, are the gorgeous cars they're slotted into, like the subject of the latest video from Petrolicious.
Starring a 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 RS, this video is a bit shorter than recent ones, but it's no less exciting. This 911, complete with it's sweet-sounding exhaust is the kind of simple, entertaining thing we can watch over and over. Scroll down for the full video.