2023 Porsche 911 Targa 4s on 2040-cars

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2013 Porsche 911 RSR makes official debut

Porsche is ready to go racing in 2013, showing off a new 911 RSR today that is scheduled to compete in several endurance events this year. Based on the current 991 911, the new RSR will compete in the 2013 season of the World Endurance Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It will not, however, make an appearance in a North American racing series this year.
The 2013 version of the racecar has increased in wheelbase by some four inches, features a new wishbone front suspension in place of the last-generation's McPherson strut setup and boasts a new, lightweight six-speed racing gearbox. The engine, meanwhile, is an "optimized" version of last year's car, a 460-horsepower 4.0-liter boxer six-cylinder. Extensive use of carbon fiber and polycarbonate windows help the RSR shed weight, and Porsche has also balanced the weight more evenly with a lower center of gravity.
Porsche has thoughtfully dedicated some space to celebrate the 911's 50th Anniversary, with the number 50 clearly visible in the top-down view of the RSR, as well as along the doors. Scroll down to read the full Porsche press release, below.

On Broughams and Alfas | Autoblog Podcast #501

On this week's podcast, Mike Austin and David Gluckman discuss the odd history of the oft-recycled Brougham name. (Did you know some people pronounce it "broom" and they're not wrong?) There is of course discussion of what they've been driving lately, and things wrap up with Spend My (Your) Money buying advice to help you, our dear listeners. The rundown is below. Remember, if you have a car-related question you'd like us to answer or you want buying advice of your very own, send a message or a voice memo to podcast at autoblog dot com. (If you record audio of a question with your phone and get it to us, you could hear your very own voice on the podcast. Neat, right?) And if you have other questions or comments, please send those too. Autoblog Podcast #501 The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience. Topics and stories we mention 2017 Honda CR-V 2017 Porsche Macan GTS 2018 Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio Brougham the guy and Brougham cars Used cars! Rundown Intro - 00:00 What we're driving - 02:51 Brougham - 37:39 Spend My Money - 47:28 Total Duration: 01:07:02 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Feedback Email – Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show on iTunes Podcasts Alfa Romeo Cadillac Honda Porsche alfa romeo giulia alfa romeo giulia quadrifoglio porsche macan gts

Porsche tops J.D. Power quality index as Korean brands soar

While complaints about infotainment systems remain a thorn in the side of automakers for J.D. Power's annual Initial Quality Study, there's a lot to celebrate this year. The average number of problems reported per 100 vehicles fell to 112 in 2015 – a three-percent improvement compared to 116 in 2014. The results of this year's survey are based on the responses of over 84,000 people about problems within the first 90 days of buying or leasing a 2015 model-year vehicle. For the third consecutive year, Porsche tops the rankings with an average of 80 problems per 100 vehicles. Although, that's slightly more than the 74 the German sportscar maker scored in 2014. "While the Japanese automakers continue to make improvements, we're seeing other brands, most notably Korean makes, really accelerating the rate of improvement," Renee Stephens, vice president of US automotive quality at J.D. Power, said in the study's release. In fact, Kia ranks as one of the biggest movers in this year's list. The Korean brand jumped to second place from seventh last year. The company had an average of 86 problems per 100 vehicles, a 20-point improvement. Third place went to Jaguar with an average of 93 problems reported, versus last year's second-place finish with 87 of them. Fourth place was Hyundai, and fifth-place Infiniti also earned a gold star for improvement with 97 issues per 100 vehicles – 31-points better than last year. Fiat still anchored the bottom of the list. However, its 161 problems this year is a lot better than the 206 in 2014. Ranked by nationality, Korean brands (Hyundai and Kia) are now leading the industry in initial quality with an average of 90 problems reported per 100 vehicles. According to J.D. Power, this is the first time Europe's figure beat Japan with 113 and 114 issues, respectively. The American brands also averaged 114. Whereas General Motors dominated last year, the segment awards are spread out in 2015. GM, Hyundai, Nissan, and Volkswagen Group are all tied with four models each earning prizes. For more information, you can also see all of the graphs, here. J.D.