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Porsche creates 'symphony' with seven generations of 911

At Porsche, things are getting a bit wild on the 50th anniversary year of the 911. To celebrate it (again) in yet another inventive way, the automaker has called on the musical talents of seven generations of the rear-engine sports car (please suspend your disbelief, at least for the length of the video, and assume that generation two started in 1974) to perform a song that has eight notes. We're wondering which 911 is pulling double duty...
But before the Porsches are lined up for the short recital, the drivers let loose and drift them inside a hangar. Watch the video below, and tell us in comments which was more impressive: the song or the drifting.

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:

It's time for Corvette to attack Porsche

For most of its existence, Porsche was a smug little sports car company with a fairly limited lineup and small but steady sales. Any time the company strayed from its air-cooled, rear engine formula, the purists would turn their noses. The 944? The 948? "Not a proper Porsche," they'd sniff. And then came the greatest sin of them all: the Cayenne. To the purists, this was treason. Porsche making an SUV? Horrors! Of course, you all know how it turned out. Porsche grew to be a profit-generating juggernaut within the Volkswagen Group. And since one SUV wasn't enough they added another, the Macan. By the end of the decade Porsche will have quadrupled its global sales. You have to wonder what else it has up its sleeve. Couldn't this be a lesson for General Motors? It has a terrific sports car brand in Corvette. In fact, it's arguably the most iconic brand within GM's full-line portfolio. But for its entire existence that brand has been locked up within Chevrolet. Maybe it's time for GM to treat Corvette as a stand-alone company. Maybe it's time for GM to unlock that brand and treat Corvette as a stand-alone company. A Corvette SUV could be a killer first step. Since Porsche only makes two SUVs, maybe Corvette could make three. Small, medium, and large. And just as Porsche has the Panamera, an executive sedan from team Corvette could become an instant "gotta-have" for the yacht-buying jet set. Of course, the Corvette purists will cringe. And the biggest hue and cry will come from Chevrolet's US dealers. That's why the best place to launch the new Corvette brand would be far away from those franchisees: in China. Chinese consumers have no pre-conceived ideas that 'Vettes can only be sold in Chevy stores. And Chinese enthusiasts very much admire Corvette's historic pedigree. You've no doubt read about how Chinese authorities are cracking down on conspicuous consumption. That makes the timing even better. Corvette's selling point has always been that it is an amazing bargain for the performance you get. What a perfect way to undercut Porsche. In fact, pairing the Corvette brand with Cadillac in China could be just the shot in the arm that Cadillac's Chinese dealers need. Despite having very competitive cars, Cadillac lags far behind Audi, Mercedes, and BMW. What Cadillac dealers need is a lot more showroom traffic. And a jaw dropping lineup of Corvette-branded vehicles could bring in throngs of buyers.