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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:

Porsche still deciding on one or two new 911 plug-in hybrids

Back in March, Porsche CEO Oliver Blume told Autocar that the coming Porsche 911 plug-in hybrid "will be the most powerful 911 we've ever had." That quote portended a 992-series 911 with 700 horsepower or more. A new report in Auto Express, however, suggests Porsche is having energetic debates about just what the 911's hybrid strategy will be, and that the only agreed-upon plug-in hybrid 911 so far is a milder version to sit in the middle of the range. Putting all our rumors in a row, in January, Automobile reported on an electrically-assisted 911 with 485 hp and 561 pound-feet of torque. The new AE piece effectively endorses that, saying the mid-range hybrid would follow the program established by the all-wheel drive Cayenne e-Hybrid that produces a combined 455 hp and 516 lb-ft. The 911 would naturally use a flat-six instead of the Cayenne's 3.0-liter V6, and the sports car would be tuned for better sound response and sharper reflexes. AE says fuel economy for this hybrid should be at least 80 eMPG, with emissions of less than 80 grams per kilometer. The current base Carrera is currently rated at a maximum 38.2 mpg in the UK, with minimum emissions of 169 g/km. The hybrid, fitted with a double-clutch gearbox and Porsche's mechanical all-wheel-drive system, could run from a stop to 62 miles per hour in less than four seconds, making it more efficient than a base Carrera and much faster than a Carrera 4S. AE says there remains only "the potential for Porsche to add a second, more powerful hybrid 911," and says its sources claim that's what's "causing the most consternation behind closed doors." This one would be the twin-turbocharged, 700-hp beastie that, as a series production car, would have a hard time not usurping the 540-hp Turbo, 580-hp Turbo S, and 607-hp Turbo S Exclusive. True, the hybrid would be handicapped with a 550-pound battery pack, but the instant acceleration and handling benefits of electric AWD — with no connection between the axles — could provide the final edge over the other three. As such, it makes sense that there'd be a whole lot of debate about a flagship 911 hybrid. On the other hand, such a monster seems like an eventuality in view of Porsche's electrified aspirations, the lessons gained from the 918 Hybrid and the 919 Hybrid Le Mans racer, and the fact that CEO Blume has already spoken. The Stuttgart carmaker expects a sales mix of 25 percent electric, 25 percent hybrid, and 50 percent conventional powertrains by 2025.

Porsche considering turbo for new GT3 RS [w/poll]

Some automakers make one hardcore version of a sports car and are done with it. Or at least they make one at a time. Think Ferrari 458 Speciale, Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera (or Super Trofeo Stradale or Squadra Corse) or Maserati GranTurismo MC. But not Porsche. It transforms the 911 into the hard-core GT3, the even harder-core GT3 RS, the you've-got-to-be-psychotic GT2 and the do-you-have-a-death-wish GT2 RS. The RS models take things to a further extreme, but what separates GT3 from GT2 models has traditionally been the use of foced induction: GT3s are naturally aspirated, while GT2s go turbo. But that could all be about to change.
According to the rumors making their round of the webosphere, Porsche is considering using a turbocharged engine for the next GT3 RS. The reason is that, as we all know, Porsche has already pushed the 3.8-liter flat-six in the existing GT3 about as far as it can go, and then some. And buyers expect not only a more bare-bones package with the GT3 RS, but also a bit of extra power.
Given that everything seems to be going turbo these days, the move might make some measure of sense, especially if Porsche wants to avoid with the GT3 RS the spontaneous combustion issues it faced with the GT3. But we can't help but wonder why, at that point, it wouldn't just skip the GT3 RS and go straight for the GT2.