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Porsche planning Cayman GT4 racer

To say that Porsche is big in racing is like saying that Warren Buffett dabbles in mergers and acquisitions. But while it fields the 919 Hybrid at Le Mans and in the FIA World Endurance Championship, the bulk of its racing activities are undertaken by private teams that buy customer racecars from the factory. Those in turn are largely based on the 911, but the latest intel from the motor racing world indicates that Zuffenhausen is planning a more accessible customer race car.
The new, more affordable competition car is to be based on the Cayman and built to GT4 specifications, slotting in below the 911-based GT3 Cup, GT3 R and RSR. Autosport reports that Porsche has already developed a prototype and will shortly commence testing. Details are scarce at the moment, but the Cayman GT4 would seem to compete against the likes of the Aston Martin Vantage N24, Nissan 370Z Nismo GT4 and Maserati GranTurismo MC. It will also likely help Porsche foster enthusiasm for a potential road version that's already been spotted undergoing testing. Previous GT4 racing conversions of the Cayman, like the one pictured above, were carried out by third-party racing constructors not recognized by the factory.
Porsche may not be the only one showing interest in the category, however. BMW is said to similarly be considering a GT4-spec version of its M235i Racing model to compete in the same class, taking the place of the defunct M3 GT4 as the Bavarian marque's entry-level customer racing car.

The Rolls-Royce Phantom leads this month's list of discounts

Every month, we take a look at vehicle sales data in America to pick out the vehicles with the largest monetary discount. Usually, the list is dominated by high-performance two-door luxury sports cars. This month is different. Much to our surprise, the 2020 Rolls-Royce Phantom stands above all others with an average discount of $18,588 off the price quoted on its window sticker. Now, it bears mentioning that an $18,000-plus discount still only represents 3.46% of its $537,500 average retail price, and that the resulting $518,912 cost to drive off the showroom floor still makes the Phantom an extremely expensive range-topping luxury sedan. Still, even very wealthy people won't snicker at that kind of savings. Up next is another unlikely newcomer to the biggest-discount chart: the 2020 Porsche Taycan. The electric super sedan's average sticker price of $152,250 is cut to $135,707 after a discount of $16,453 is lopped off. That represents a savings of nearly 11%. We can't say how many of the Taycan's buyers over the last month will be able to claim tax rebates due to the Taycan's status as an electric vehicle, but that could potentially represent a further cut off the car's sticker. Rounding out the top three is the 2020 Maserati Quattroporte. Buyers of this Italian luxury sedan are saving an average of $13,839 for an average transaction price of $87,646. We normally only share the top three, but this month's list is interesting enough that we'll share some more. In fourth and fifth place are the 2020 Mercedes-Benz S-Class (with an average $13,239 discount) and the 2021 BMW 7 Series (with an average $12,435 discount) followed by the 2020 Rolls-Royce Wraith — interestingly enough also with a savings of 3.46% — and the 2020 Maserati Levante and Ghibli. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Porsche says turbo'd 911 engines will still be revvy

Porsche fans really, really don't like change. Remember when the 911 moved away from air-cooled engines? Now, as the company prepares to move the vast majority of the 911 line away from naturally aspirated powerplants, one of the brand's highest ranking officials is speaking out to prevent a similar outcry. Dr. Heinz-Jakob Neusser, the head of powertrain development for the Volkswagen Group and a board member of the VW brand, told Car that turbocharging won't take away from the rev-happy nature of Porsche's current engines. "Turbocharging is possible with higher revs – it's not true to say that turbocharged engines must stop at 6000rpm," Neusser told Car at the 2015 New York Auto Show. "That's not true... If you look at McLaren, they already have in production turbo engines with high revs." With turbocharged engines, Nuesser explains, there's no need to go for a super high redline, because engineers are trying to spread the torque over the entire rev range. "It makes no sense to go to 10,000 rpm with a turbocharged engine," Neusser told Car. The other big concern that comes with the switch to turbocharging focuses on the 911's iconic flat-six exhaust note. Maintaining the car's well-known acoustic character shouldn't be an issue, Neusser said. "Noise is not a problem," adding that the Volkswagen Group knows a thing or two about building sweet-sounding turbos. "Look at the 911 Turbo; it has an extremely expressive noise today – that is not a problem. At the other end of the scale, the Golf R has it too," Neusser told Car. "You won't miss character with turbos, I promise." According to Car, the new turbocharged engines will arrive later this year at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, as part of the current 911's facelift. Featured Gallery Porsche 911 Coupe: Spy Shots View 9 Photos News Source: CarImage Credit: CarPix Frankfurt Motor Show Porsche Performance turbocharging volkswagen group