Car Throttle

Whilst everyone was hyped on eco-friendly Ferraris (599 hy-KERS), Porsches (hybrid race 911) and what nots recently, something quite interesting had flown under the radar. My radar to be precise. A RUF Porsche 911 with a bespoke RUF eight cylinder engine; the RGT-8. Imagine having a Porsche 911 without that beloved flat-six engine. Sounds pretty hard to imagine doesn’t it? Of course there are people that’ll argue that this is blasphemy, raise up their hands to the heavens and ask the question ‘why’; especially when that flat six is a characterful piece of engineering and sounds quite heavenly at full blast. But with all that’s happening these days nothing is sacred anymore. We have hybrid Ferraris on display, hybrid Porsches out racing, two cylinder Fiat 500s on

The Porsche 911 is one of those iconic cars that seems to just get better and better with time. With a modern design, one area that Porsche really hasn't explored is retro design. The closest the company came recently was the limited-edition 911 Sport Classic model. RUF Automobile is a well-known Germany company that focuses on the Porsche 911. It has become well-known for its eRuf electrified 911. Its new model, the Porsche 911 Roadster, harks back to the 911 Targa of the 1960's. There is, of course, a 911 Targa available right from Porsche. However, the modern car is quite different in approach to the original Targa. The RUF Roadster, like the original, has two removable roof panels made of carbon fiber, as well as a folding rear

Upon seeing the BMW 6-Series Concept, CarThrottle was happy to announce the return of good-looking BMWs. The 7-Series and 5-Series sedans weren't flukes -and in fact the 6-Series is the best of the bunch. It is good to see the traditional gran turismo coupe alive at BMW, and it bodes well for the upcoming four-door Gran Coupe. To show off the new 6-Series, BMW made two new videos of the new coupe. Action packed they are not - but its great to see the car inside and out from a variety of angles. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wod7-9GABs4&feature=player_embedded#! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nm0A94ycMvI&feature=player_embedded Motor Trend Compares Chevrolet ZR1 and Porsche 911 Turbo Throughout the storied history of the Chevrolet Corvette and Porsche 911 model lines, the two have been pitted against each other. Both are the

Introductions from the Paris Auto Show are coming fast, and Porsche has been keeping busy introducing new variants of the iconic 911. The GTS is a new model addition that sits between the Carrera S and uplevel GT3. Of the decidedly more exclusive variety is the new Speedster, a car that pays homage to - you guessed it - the original 356 Speedster. It doesn't come as a total surprise - back in July rumors were swirling about the car's introduction. A few key details were correct - such as the car's two seater status, open roof and raked and lowered (by 60 mm) windshield. Behind the rear seats is a double bubble that stores the car's soft top. These details ensure the new Speedster shares its

Throughout the Porsche 911's history, there has been remarkably little change to the basic formula. And for good reason - the 911 doesn't need to be revolutionized. We like it the way it is! That doesn't mean there can't be some unique variations of it though. Auto Express says a 911 Speedster is in the works, based off information from a Porsche document the magazine obtained. It supposedly revealed detailed Porsche product plans until 2012. The 911 Speedster model would pay homage to the classic 356 Speedster, with a limited run of only 100 units at a price of around $300,000 (£200,000) each. As far as design, there will be a cut-down windshield, wider bodywork and oversize rear humps for what will be a strict two-seater. When

I love viral marketing.  It's way more amusing than real marketing. Whereas real marketing is a multi-billion dollar industry that bets on the fact the average consumer is dumber than the average advertising department, viral marketing is a bit more grass-roots, personal, and often times humorous.  I mean, who can forget the whole Audi vs. BMW billboard battle?  Or Bob Lutz's "The CTS-V will smoke anything on a racetrack!" challenge? The latest brand to cash in on this less-professional advertising tactic is BMW's Mini division.  As you may have heard, Mini challenged Porsche to a race-track duel at Road Atlanta in June.  Porsche, in their typical snobby way (hey, with a history like Porsche you're allowed to be snobby) said no.  Mini responded by

Interesting headline there, eh? Thank MINI's marketing department for that one. We've been hearing a lot about marketing in the automotive industry lately, and there is no denying that MINI's is one of the smartest out there. The company challenged Porsche to a race pitting the 911 Carrera S versus the MINI Cooper S. Ridiculous, right? But marketing brilliance. They set the date for June 21 at the Road Atlanta raceway, close to Porsche's United States headquarters. For MINI, it was a win-win - just getting Porsche to accept was a huge win for press coverage. If the Porsche won (which is a given) it would be what everyone expected. In the unlikely event the MINI won, it would be a huge upset. If (when?) Porsche rejected, you

Porsche's had enough, and they're not gonna take it any more. What am I talking about?  Nissan's constant bragging about Nurburgring lap times, of course.  Surely all parties involved realize that the difference between a 7:26 and a 7:18 on the world's most difficult track is entirely academic, but praise be to the car Gods that Porsche is so obsessed with this matter, because I can't think of another reason for the newest (and arguably meanest) 911 derivative to exist.  I mean, for God's sakes, the first thing they say in the press release is the car's 'Ring time.  So while the numbers are pretty stupid (a different driver in different weather conditions with different traffic could be 30 seconds slower), the new GT2 RS isn't

At CarThrottle we love fast cars, and there is going to be a whole lot of them on display at the 24 hours ADAC Nürburgring endurance race (now in its 38th year). It takes place on May 15-16th and Porsche is getting ready for it. The Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid has a unique powertrain - definitely not a conventional hybrid. There is, of course, the usual Porsche rear engined setup, with a 480-horsepower 4.0-liter flat-six. This time though, it works in concert with two electric motors that power the front wheels as well, becoming an all-wheel drive system. What sets the 911 GT3 R Hybrid apart is the way electric power in the car is utilized. With the advantage of being a one-seat race car, the passenger

Today is the day for spyshots! New ones have come out for the Aston Martin Rapide, Aston Martin Vantage, Audi R8 and Mercedes-Benz SL, to name a few. The one we're covering here is the Porsche 911, a car which is receiving minor updates. Last year, Porsche updated the 911 range. The GT2 performance series always gets the updates last, and as such is receiving them as Porsche is preparing for the launch of the next-generation 911. The biggest update to the 911 GT2 is a boost of 20 horsepower, attributed to direct injection technology that was debuted on the updated 911 Turbo and GT3. The boost will bring the car's power output to 550 horsepower. Porsche might offer its PDK dual clutch unit, in addition to the