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Porsche is in the process of transforming its sports car line-up, aiming to balance both the desire of its customers for ever more power and dynamism and the need to radically improve its cars CO2 emissions and fuel consumption.
The first evidence of the new approach will come with the arrival at the Geneva motor show in March of the delayed 911 GT3 RS, a car originally scheduled to have made its global debut in the summer of last year.
Porsche product boss Wolfgang Hatz confirmed not only that the car will be "far more extreme" than the previous GT3 RS but also that it will be the first 911 to be powered by a new generation of flat six engines.
Hatz would not be drawn on the size or output of the engine but did move to quash speculation that it would be the first turbocharged GT3 911. It will be normally aspirated and is expected to produce around 500bhp, a number seen as sufficient to put clear air between it and the extant 468bhp GT3.
So equipped and with what is believed to be a radical aerodynamics package, Porsche’s computer simulations indicate the GT3 RS will be capable of lapping the Nurburgring Nordschleife in comfortably less than 7min 20sec. The current GT3 has been timed at 7min 25sec.
Hatz also confirmed that the engine’s installation in the GT3 RS is merely an "interim" step for the new powerplant, whose perhaps more important purpose, at least for the Porsche balance sheet, is to replace the existing flat six motor currently used in the 911, Cayman and Boxster.
Most dramatically, Hatz confirmed that while the engine will be normally aspirated in the GT3 RS, it will be turbocharged in other 911s, not just for the Turbo models but across the board, ending 51 years of production for the normally aspirated standard 911.
However, Hatz also confirmed that despite comments made by at least one of his predecessors, the new turbocharged flat four engine Porsche has been known to be working on for some years will not find its way into the back of a 911.
"A 911 has a flat six engine," said Hatz, and left it at that.
Instead, the new flat four will first appear in the Boxster early next year and should also feature in the Cayman.
The engine is likely to displace around 2.0 litres but, claims Hatz, will be more than capable of delivering "proper Porsche performance".
But that is not the only news concerning Porsche’s entry-level
models.
Hatz confirmed that the much-scooped Cayman GT4 is indeed on its way and scheduled for a late summer or early autumn delivery, perhaps at the Frankfurt motor show in September.
He also confirmed the development of the car had come under the direction of the Porsche Motorsport department, making it a full member of Porsche’s elite sports car squad, currently peopled by the GT3 and forthcoming GT3 RS.
The car is therefore far from a simple replacement for the old Cayman R but will instead be substantially more sporting and feature not only a considerable drop in kerb weight but also a substantial rise in power.
When asked if 400bhp was likely, Hatz replied: "Perhaps not that much, but in that area."
The current quickest Cayman, the GTS, has 335bhp.
The improvement in power-to-weight ratio seems likely to lop at least 0.5sec off the GTS’s 4.9sec claimed sprint to 62mph and raise its top speed above 180mph.
Hatz also confirmed that Porsche will produce fully homologated GT4 race versions for customers wishing to compete in eligible events all over the world.
There will also be a new, more sporting Boxster model, although it will not be badged as a GT4 and will be developed by the mainstream Porsche operation, not the Motorsport department that is responsible for the Cayman GT4.
Hatz wouldn't reveal anything more about its identity, but it seems likely the new car would be a successor in some form to the highly regarded Boxster Spyder of 2011 and might even resurrect the much-missed Club Sport name.
Were this the case, expect the new car to be only marginally more powerful than the current 325bhp Boxster GTS and for the bulk of its additional dynamic prowess to be derived from a weight loss programme and a yet more sporting chassis set-up.
Finally, Hatz confirmed that Porsche is still working on a supercar project to sit between the 911 and the 918 hypercar. It is believed to be powered by a version of the all-new V8 engine that Porsche is known to be developing for the Cayenne and Panamera.
Hatz said the new car would be with us before the end of the decade "at the latest".
Porsche is in the process of transforming its sports car line-up, aiming to balance both the desire of its customers for ever more power and dynamism and the need to radically improve its cars CO2 emissions and fuel consumption.
The first evidence of the new approach will come with the arrival at the Geneva motor show in March of the delayed 911 GT3 RS, a car originally scheduled to have made its global debut in the summer of last year.
Porsche product boss Wolfgang Hatz confirmed not only that the car will be "far more extreme" than the previous GT3 RS but also that it will be the first 911 to be powered by a new generation of flat six engines.
Hatz would not be drawn on the size or output of the engine but did move to quash speculation that it would be the first turbocharged GT3 911. It will be normally aspirated and is expected to produce around 500bhp, a number seen as sufficient to put clear air between it and the extant 468bhp GT3.
So equipped and with what is believed to be a radical aerodynamics package, Porsche’s computer simulations indicate the GT3 RS will be capable of lapping the Nurburgring Nordschleife in comfortably less than 7min 20sec. The current GT3 has been timed at 7min 25sec.
Hatz also confirmed that the engine’s installation in the GT3 RS is merely an "interim" step for the new powerplant, whose perhaps more important purpose, at least for the Porsche balance sheet, is to replace the existing flat six motor currently used in the 911, Cayman and Boxster.
Most dramatically, Hatz confirmed that while the engine will be normally aspirated in the GT3 RS, it will be turbocharged in other 911s, not just for the Turbo models but across the board, ending 51 years of production for the normally aspirated standard 911.
However, Hatz also confirmed that despite comments made by at least one of his predecessors, the new turbocharged flat four engine Porsche has been known to be working on for some years will not find its way into the back of a 911.
"A 911 has a flat six engine," said Hatz, and left it at that.
Instead, the new flat four will first appear in the Boxster early next year and should also feature in the Cayman.
The engine is likely to displace around 2.0 litres but, claims Hatz, will be more than capable of delivering "proper Porsche performance".
But that is not the only news concerning Porsche’s entry-level
models.
Hatz confirmed that the much-scooped Cayman GT4 is indeed on its way and scheduled for a late summer or early autumn delivery, perhaps at the Frankfurt motor show in September.
He also confirmed the development of the car had come under the direction of the Porsche Motorsport department, making it a full member of Porsche’s elite sports car squad, currently peopled by the GT3 and forthcoming GT3 RS.
The car is therefore far from a simple replacement for the old Cayman R but will instead be substantially more sporting and feature not only a considerable drop in kerb weight but also a substantial rise in power.
When asked if 400bhp was likely, Hatz replied: "Perhaps not that much, but in that area."
The current quickest Cayman, the GTS, has 335bhp.
The improvement in power-to-weight ratio seems likely to lop at least 0.5sec off the GTS’s 4.9sec claimed sprint to 62mph and raise its top speed above 180mph.
Hatz also confirmed that Porsche will produce fully homologated GT4 race versions for customers wishing to compete in eligible events all over the world.
There will also be a new, more sporting Boxster model, although it will not be badged as a GT4 and will be developed by the mainstream Porsche operation, not the Motorsport department that is responsible for the Cayman GT4.
Hatz wouldn't reveal anything more about its identity, but it seems likely the new car would be a successor in some form to the highly regarded Boxster Spyder of 2011 and might even resurrect the much-missed Club Sport name.
Were this the case, expect the new car to be only marginally more powerful than the current 325bhp Boxster GTS and for the bulk of its additional dynamic prowess to be derived from a weight loss programme and a yet more sporting chassis set-up.
Finally, Hatz confirmed that Porsche is still working on a supercar project to sit between the 911 and the 918 hypercar. It is believed to be powered by a version of the all-new V8 engine that Porsche is known to be developing for the Cayenne and Panamera.
Hatz said the new car would be with us before the end of the decade "at the latest".
A Boxster Club Sport sounds interesting. It would match the snowy spy shots with the GT4 bumper and a bigger spoiler, but then that would mean it's no new "Spyder" in that sense?
I really liked the idea of the old Spyder with the bespoke roof, hopefully they'll do the same thing on the 981. We will find out soon enough.
I really liked the idea of the old Spyder with the bespoke roof, hopefully they'll do the same thing on the 981. We will find out soon enough.
swimd said:
A Boxster Club Sport sounds interesting. It would match the snowy spy shots with the GT4 bumper and a bigger spoiler, but then that would mean it's no new "Spyder" in that sense?
I really liked the idea of the old Spyder with the bespoke roof, hopefully they'll do the same thing on the 981. We will find out soon enough.
Don't hold your breath! As much as I love the spyder I just can't see them doing the roof treatment again.I really liked the idea of the old Spyder with the bespoke roof, hopefully they'll do the same thing on the 981. We will find out soon enough.
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