2005 Porsche 911 on 2040-cars

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eGarage video features Helmuth Bott's personal Porsche 959 prototype

"We thought we were going to build a super-911," said Peter Schutz, former CEO of Porsche AG of the development of the Porsche 959. That was before it started getting expensive. At that point, Helmuth Bott, Porsche R&D director got frightened. Costs ballooned because of the all-wheel drive, sequential turbocharging and other technology Porsche had never even thought about when it set out to build a 911 to compete in Group B. Schutz continued, "The amount of resources we were committing got totally out of hand." Instead of pulling the plug, Bott doubled down and drew on the strength of his brilliant team to build a car whose impact is still echoing aross the industry.
"It's probably one of our most prized possessions" says Don Leatherwood, Director of the Brumos collection where Dr. Bott's personal prototype resides, and where Frazer Spowart went to see the car and create a video for eGarage. Check out the sights and sounds of the 959 before it was the 959, and get personal takes on the car from Hurley Haywood, Peter Schutz and Don Leatherwood. Keep reading to see the video.

Porsche announces four flavors of updated Cayenne [w/video]

The new Macan may be getting all the attention lately, but Porsche hasn't forgotten about its larger crossover - the one that put it on the map in 2002 and on the road to profitability, with over half a million sold so far. So to keep the Cayenne at the top of its game, Porsche has announced several key upgrades for the 2015 model.
For starters, Porsche has updated the Cayenne's appearance with new front- and rear-end styling. The front bumper, fenders and hood are entirely new, with air fins flanking the nose to direct air into the intercoolers (each model now being artificially aspirated), and new bi-xenon headlamps and daytime running LEDs on every model but the Turbo, which goes all-LED. Around back there's also new taillights, tailgate handle, lower rear fascia and exhaust pipes. Meanwhile the interior has been upgraded with a 918-derived sport steering wheel and reformed rear seats with available ventilation.
The bigger news is under the engine bay, where Porsche is offering four choices. The base model is gone as the range starts with the Cayenne Diesel, followed by the Cayenne S, the new Cayenne S E-Hybrid and the top-of-the-line Cayenne Turbo. The Diesel model carries over the same 3.0-liter turbo diesel with 240 horsepower. The Cayenne S however packs a 3.6-liter twin-turbo V6 that's similar to the one found in the Macan Turbo and packs the same 406 lb-ft of torque but more power at 420 hp, 20 more than either its little brother or the model it replaces to reach 62 mph in 5.2 seconds.

2014 Porsche 911 Targa takes its crop-top off in Motor City

Back in 1965, Porsche invented the 911 Targa as a matter necessity. Believing that a finicky National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was prepared to outlaw convertibles, the innovative automaker created the half-open car as a way to keep wind rushing through owners' hair. Though far removed from those formative days, it seems as though the 2015 Porsche 911 Targa has come to the Detroit Auto Show with a new-school version of some old-school tech.
While the last Targa featured a trick sliding glass roof at the touch of the button, the new car dramatically swallows a traditional-looking panel via an exceptionally complex-looking mechanical operation. The net result is "the same fun factor and freedom" that can be had with a complete convertible, though with slightly more open-driving protection while underway.
And, as is the case with all of the current 911 range, getting underway can be done with reasonable rapidity. The entry-level Targa 4 rocks a 350-horsepower, 3.4-liter flat-six engine just behind the rear axle, making that car good for 175 miles per hour at the top end (with the seven-speed manual, 174 mph with PDK) and a 0-to-60 sprint of 4.6 seconds. The Targa 4S, meanwhile, offers 400 horsepower from 3.8-liters of boxer six, runs to 60 in 4.2 seconds and hits a top "track speed" of 183 mph.