All posts by Francis Mitterrand

Porsche 911 Hybrid Coming Soon

For a long time, Porsche opposed the idea of turning its legendary 911 model into a fully electric one, but as time went by, the pressure from the competition was greater, so Porsche found a solution in the first 911 Hybrid model. The car will be premiered this summer.

The car has so far been tested on snowy roads, but also on one of the most famous racing tracks, the Nürburgring. Spy photos showed that the test prototype has a similar design to previous models. The front end with large air intakes and vertical slats, additional lights on the sides that should not be part of the final design, narrower arches, a smaller spoiler and centrally placed exhaust pipes are just some of the features of this prototype.

“With a reminder that Porsche already has excellent models that are driven only by electric motors, which will soon be joined by the new generation models of the 718 Series, we absolutely do not see a justified reason for the complete electrification of our icon,” said last year Michael Steiner, a member of Porsche’s department for development.

The 911 Hybrid should use technology developed for race tracks, so that it can compete with hybrid sports cars and supercars from competing brands.

“Once again we are using technology developed in the world of motorsport for series production models. Our customers can expect new technological innovations,” said Blume.

When it comes to the powertrain, there are a lot of speculations. Some say it could use a naturally aspirated 4.0L engine like the one in the Cayman GT4. Some say it could have over 650 hp (478 kW). However, there is no official information for now. There is also talk of cooperation with the company Rimac in the development of electric motors. The specially designed lithium-ion battery was developed with a focus on weight reduction, rather than range. As a result, the 911 is expected to be a standard, self-charging hybrid rather than a plug-in hybrid.

Anyway, let’s wait until the summer to see the first 911 Hybrid ever.

Source: Porsche

2025 Porsche Taycan Turbo GT – the most powerful production Porsche ever

A few days ago, Porsche revealed its most powerful production car ever, the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT. It is a track-oriented fully electric car with improved aerodynamics and 1,108 hp.

The Taycan Turbo GT embodies its track-oriented character with a redesigned body kit. It is equipped with the Weissach package, which contributes to weight reduction by eliminating the rear seats, an adaptive rear spoiler with Gurney wing and an in-built splitter with integrated “air wings”, a new rear diffuser, combined with air-directing elements in the chassis, creating 220 kg of downforce. It’s mounted on a set of new 21-inch lightweight forged wheels.

The B-pillars have a carbon finish, which matches the door sills and door mirror housings. The new Taycan Turbo GT is offered in six colors including the new Pale Blue Metallic and Sky Purple Metallic. Customers have the option to further customize the car with decals through the optional paint-to-sample program, offered by the Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur department.

The dark cabin is equipped with adaptive sports seats with Race-Tex and black leather upholstery and a GT Sport steering wheel. The Turbo GT logo adorns the headrests and center console. Volt blue or GT silver contrasting tones, as well as different shades of stitching, are also available as an option. The Weissach package includes an analog clock, floor mats and luggage compartment mats, as well as insulating material. Porsche even opted for a single charging port on the passenger side, as well as lighter materials in the trunk.

When it comes to the powertrain, the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT is powered by two electric motors, one on each axle, totaling 789 hp (580 kW) and 988 lb-ft (1,340 Nm) of torque. Thanks to Launch Control, the power increases to 1,033 hp (760 kW) or to 1,108 hp (815 kW) for two seconds. That’s quite enough to propel the car from 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 2.2 seconds (2.1 with the optional Weissach package), 200 km/h (124 mph) in 6.6 seconds (6.4 Weissach package) with a top speed of 306 km/h (190 mph).

Source: Porsche

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2005 Ferrari 575 Superamerica is up for auction

In 2005, Ferrari introduced a convertible version of the 575M Maranello, the Ferrari Superamerica. It is a limited edition that was produced in only 559 examples and one of them, the 2005 Ferrari 575 Superamerica is up for auction.

Ferrari 575 Superamerica is powered by a 5.75-liter F133 quad-cam V12 engine with 532 hp (397 kW) and 434 lb-ft (588 Nm) of torque. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a six-speed F1 automated manual gearbox and a limited-slip differential. It is mounted on a set of 19″ multi-piece wheels wrapped in 255/35 front and 305/30 rear Michelin Pilot Sport 4s tires.

The car is finished in Rosso Corsa and is in good condition with a few scratches on the underside of the front bumper cover. It is equipped with a power-operated Revocromico rotating glass hardtop, xenon headlights, fog lights, a hood scoop, Scuderia Ferrari fender shields, and a quad-exit exhaust, Fiorano Handling Package, and red-finished calipers over cross-drilled and ventilated rotors at all four corners.

Inside, the power-adjustable Daytona-style seats are upholstered in beige Tradizione leather, which also covers the center console, door panels and dash. In front of the driver are a two-tone leather-wrapped steering wheel and a digital odometer showing 13,345 miles. Additional equipment includes carbon-fiber trim accents, drilled aluminum pedals, a CD stereo, carpeted floor mats, and automatic climate control.

In January, a service was performed, which included changing the oil and replacing the timing and drive belts, engine mounts, and air filter, and a Hill Engineering reverse lever was installed.

The car has a clean Carfax report that shows no accidents or other damage. It comes with the owner’s manual, service records, a tool kit, spare parts, a car cover, seat and steering wheel covers, and a clean California title.

The auction ends on March 14 and the highest bid at the time of writing was $195,000 USD.

Source: Bring a Trailer

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