2012 Porsche 928 October 12, 2006
The 928, Porsche’s front-engine entry in the coupe GT market, never quite enjoyed the success of the signature sports car, the 911. Since Porsche stopped producing the 928 in 1995 after an 18-year run, the German automaker has gone without a front-engine coupe to compete with the likes of the BMW M6, Jaguar XKR, Aston-Martin DB9, and Mercedes CL-class. The 911, which remains much more the pure sports car than any of the coupes, has gradually moved farther upmarket and provides a sporting alternative to those cars, but it now appears that Porsche is developing a more direct competitor for …
Behind the Wheel: 2007 Porsche 911 Turbo: Kinetic Art That Really Moves You September 24, 2006
This entirely tractable daily driver performs like a purpose-built racecar. It accelerates with the explosive power of a rifle shot, then stops like a bullet hitting a tree. CREATING a rocket-fast, world-class supercar that is also usable, dependable and workaday-sensible is like persuading an abstract expressionist to paint by the numbers. He might do it for a moment or two if you asked politely, daubing cobalt blue on ?5? and burnt umber on ?23.? But all the while, he aches to fling gobs of paint at the canvas ? not by the numbers, but by the bucket. Which brings …
With That Saucy Swagger, She Must Drive a Porsche June 13, 2006
Most drivers’ faces and bearing give away clues that tip off their favored model of car, a study has found. Some people seem a perfect fit for the cars they drive, like Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and his Hummer, Michael Jordan and his Ferrari. Yet most drivers’ faces and bearing give away clues that tip off their favored model, a new study has found. Psychologists at Julius-Maximilians University in Wurzburg, Germany, report in a recent issue of the Journal of Individual Differences that students correctly matched photographs of male and female drivers to pictures of the cars they drove almost …
Porsche to launch ‘entry-level’ Cayman May 22, 2006
Following the successful market launch of the Cayman S in autumn 2005, Porsche is introducing the Cayman, a new ‘entry-level’ version of the mid-engine sports coupe. Based on the Boxster series, the two-seater is powered by a six-cylinder boxer engine with a capacity of 2.7 liters and developing an output of 245 bhp. With its high and sustained propulsive power in the lower and medium speed ranges, the model has a top speed of 258 kilometers per hour, accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.1 seconds. “The Cayman is convincing proof of the fact that outstanding performance …
Rinspeed zaZen Concept February 17, 2006
Rinspeed has always been well known for taking comparatively tame Porsches and transforming them into wildly styled rolling sculptures. While always unique, they are not always the most beautiful vehicles. But at this year’s Geneva show, the Rinspeed zaZen, which the company calls “automotive enlightenment on wheels,” will stop crowds, and for the right reason.
The car was created in cooperation with Bayer MaterialScience, whose major contribution was the stunning Makrolon polycarbonate roof. The material is stronger and clearer than most plastics, but lighter and more easily shaped than glass. Implanted at the rear of the massive dome is a holographic …