Car Throttle

I'm back in North Carolina now, where you can swing a dead cat without hitting a Bentley.  On one hand, it sucks.  I like seeing exotics constantly.  On the other, it's nice that exotics remain exotic. I walked around LA the whole time with my camera around my neck for you guys - so I'll continue now with day two and three of car spotting in LA.  Hope you enjoy it! Classic cars, especially older Japanese cars, seem to have a much longer shelf life in California's relatively mild, dry climate.  This 240Z would have a lot more rust bubbles over here in North Carolina.  I could do without the period window louvers, but YMMV. You could do worse for your commute than driving an

Porsche has been going on a specialization mode recently, offering new models like the Boxster Spyder that cater to a smaller audience. A new model for those interested in GT3-class racing has been announced now, the Porsche 911 GT3 R. This car follows Porsche's last entry in this category, the 911 GT3 Cup. Porsche says the focus of the new GT3 R model was "easier" handling and better drivability. The GT3 R's naturally-aspirated 4.0 liter (size increased over the standard) makes 480 brake horsepower and is mated to a sequential six-speed "dog" gearbox. The 480 bhp power output is an increase over the 450 bhp on the GT3 Cup. Look at those headlights! They look like ones used on older 911s. The changes that focused for "better drivability"

At some time, I'd say every automotive journalist reaches the point where they're sick of writing about 911's. I mean, Porsche releases 12 new variations of the 911 each year, sometimes seemingly just for the fun of it, and we're supposed to treat it like it's news.  It's not news.  The 911's had the engine in the wrong place since it was born in 1964, and the engineers at Stuttgart are too stubborn to put it in the right place. Still, even if a new variation of the 911 isn't quite as exciting as say, an actually new car coming out, it's still a 911.  So it still deserves some love.  The latest variation (I think it's number 13,468?) is an updated version of the 911 GT3

The latest step in Porsche's neverending quest to change one or two things on their 911 every year and calling it "new," the hardcore 911 GT3 track special gets some mechanical updates for the 2010 model year, aimed at... well, making it just a little bit better. The GT3 receives an updated engine for 2010, with capacity of the flat-six expanding from 3.6L to 3.8L.  The GT3's powerplant also gets Variocam variable valve timing on the exhaust cams as well as the intake cams.  Power jumps from 415 horsepower up to 435, and Porsche is claiming noticeable gains in mid-range torque, although they haven't qouted any numbers. They do say the GT3 will accelerate from 0-100km/h in 4.1 seconds, and will top out at 194 mph (312km/h).