The 2012 Porsche Boxster and Boxster S. Image: Porsche AG

When it comes to mid-engine, rear drive roadsters, Porsche’s Boxster and Boxster S have long been the standard for agility and handing. As good as the cars have been over the years, Porsche isn’t an automaker to rest on its laurels. Now that the rollout of the new 911 has begun, the Stuttgart-based automaker has turned it’s attention towards launching a new generation of Boxster roadster.

Porsche calls this update the most extensive in the Boxster’s history, and the new car benefits from a completely new body, riding on a chassis that’s longer in wheelbase and wider in track. Porsche isn’t giving specifics, but it calls the new Boxster and Boxster S models “considerably lower weight” than the cars they will replace.

The 2012 Porsche Boxster. Image: Porsche AG

The engines are revamped, too. The Boxster gets a 2.7-liter flat-six, now derived from the Boxster S (but presumably with a shorter stroke) and good for 265 horsepower. Compared to the 2.9-liter flat-six in the current Boxster, that’s a gain of ten horsepower, yet the new car is up to 15 percent more fuel efficient than the outgoing one. In the Boxster S, the new 3.4-liter engine is good for an additional five horsepower, yet returns similar fuel savings.

The 2012 Porsche Boxster S. Image: Porsche AG

Equipped with Porsche’s PDK gearbox (which delivers both maximum performance and the best fuel economy), the new Boxster manages the run from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 5.7 seconds, with the Boxster S doing the same in 5 seconds flat. That’s no different that the current generation, which is surprising given the new car’s lower weight and (slightly) increased output.

The 2012 Porsche Boxster S. Image: Porsche AG

Porsche has adopted electromechanical steering in the new Boxster (as on the new 911), but we see that as a good thing. The car also gets a start-stop system for increased city fuel economy, and Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV) with a mechanical rear locking differential for maximum traction in all conditions.

Pricing for the U.S. market hasn’t been set, and neither has an availability date. The new models go on sale in Germany next April, so we’d expect to see them on this side of the pond in the third quarter of 2012.

I am always down for good old fashion drag race especially when the contestants include a selection of new exotic cars. The guys at Autocar get their hands on a new Benz SLS AMG, Porsche GT2 RS and a Lamborghini Aventador all at the same time. What do they do with these three beastly cars? They do what many of you reading this would do; take them to an open runway (or drag strip) to find out which one is the fastest. Sure, anyone can look up the stats of these three cars and see what they will do on paper. But what is the fun in that? Hit up the video below to find out which car leads the pack.

Porsche wants you to know that it’s cars are tough enough to drive every day, not just on sunny weekends. The German automaker has invested quite a bit of money in advertising to illustrate this, capped off by a recent contest from Porsche Cars North America called “My Daily Magic.”

The premise was simple: film a Porsche as a daily driver, illustrating how it helps bring magic into your life on a regular basis. Up for grabs was a one year lease on the Porsche of your choice (as long as the value came in below the $18,000 cap), or $18,000 cash and an expense-paid trip to see the grand opening of your video on the big screen.

The winning video was directed by Michael Koerbel, and it’s entitled “It’s a Magical Life.” The production value tells us it wasn’t filmed with an iPhone in someone’s backyard, which makes us ponder the fairness of the contest. After all, if pros were submitting videos, those with a limited budget and limited camera skills really didn’t stand a chance.

Nonetheless, Koerbel’s video is the best of the entrants we’ve seen (by a large margin), and it’s a pretty creative look at how new Porsche fans are created. While a Porsche (of any vintage) is outside our budget these days, we’d certainly consider a 911 Carrera GTS as a daily driver if we were to hit the Powerball jackpot.

Update: Below is the behind the scenes of the film – Thanks to Jake for the tip!

Porsche – “It’s A Magical Life” (behind the scenes) from Michael Koerbel on Vimeo.

Why yes, that is a big-block Corvette... Image: RNickeymouse

Southern California is the center of the collector / exotic car universe, and nowhere is that more evident than the canyons of Mulholland Highway, near Malibu, California. YouTube poster RNickeymouse makes a living by filming motorcycle riders in some of the better corners, then selling them the footage and stills. Occasionally, he captures a few cars worth noting, too, like the ones in the video below.

If you’ve got a keen eye, you’ll spot Jay Leno (twice, in fact), and the list of cars captured is pretty impressive. There’s a Ferrari 599 GTO, a McLaren MP4-12C, a prototype Audi eTron Spyder, a few Ariel Atoms, a Caterham 7, a Bugatti Type 57 SC and even what looks to be an original Shelby Cobra. If idiots crossing double-yellow lines mid-corner raise your blood pressure, there’s some sweet justice in the middle of the video, too.

Brian Redman hunts down a Porsche 917K.

Brian Redman is a British racing driver who defines the phrase, “been there. done that.” Redman has competed at the highest levels of the sport, in series ranging from Formula 1 through CanAm and Le Mans endurance racing. He’s driven Porsches, McLarens, Coopers, Alfa Romeos, Lotuses, BRMs and Shadows, as well as every sports car you could probably name. He’s in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, and he’s got an annual vintage car race at Road America named in his honor.

Porsche’s 908 and 908 Spyder were built to compete in FIA Group 6 competition. Originally designed as a coupe for better aerodynamics, the 908 was later changed to a Spyder (open cockpit) configuration for lighter weight. Despite having noticeably less horsepower than the legendary Porsche 917s (908s made roughly 370 horsepower, versus the 917’s 620 hp), the 908’s lighter weight and smaller size gave them an advantage on tighter racetracks.

The Road & Track video below is worth watching for two reasons: first, there’s no soundtrack, so you can actually hear the 908’s 3.0-liter flat-eight wind out, and second, because you get to see the advantage a light car with less power has over a heavy car with more grunt. Turn up the sound, enlarge the video to full screen, then sit back and enjoy.

Chris Harris, from EVO Magazine, takes a trip state-side to sunny California for a drive in the all-new 2012 Porsche 911. Interestingly enough, the road conditions are not up to Chris’ standards but he seems to somehow manage to have a good time test driving a vehicle that he cannot find much to disagree with. In the end Chris agrees that the new 991 iteration is not perfect, but it’s very very close to being so. Enjoy the video below!

The Proposed Porsche Design Tower. Image: Porsche Design

Condo living simply doesn’t work for the true gear head. First, you generally park your car in a garage filled with other occupants, most of whom don’t care about opening their doors at full velocity into the side of your car. They don’t notice door dings, so why should you? Worse, even gated, security-camera equipped garages are prime targets for smash and grab thieves, since they offer up the convenience of one-stop shopping.

If you like to turn wrenches on your own cars, you can forget about that, too. Most complexes forbid even the most basic of work, like changing your own oil. Even if it is allowed, do you really want to haul your tools up and down stairs, or in and out of the elevator, every time you get under the hood?

Porsche Design thinks it has the answer, and the company has sketched out a proposal for an oceanfront condo complex in Miami Beach. Rather than drive to your building and park in a garage, the proposed tower would allow you to ride a specially built elevator, in your car, up to your condo. You’d have the advantage of parking right outside your door, not in some dusty and insecure garage.

Motor Authority says the Porsche Design Tower will contain 132 housing units, with each resident getting a minimum of two parking spaces. Residents would drive into the building, swipe a card to call up the elevator and choose the appropriate floor, then wait patiently for a robotic arm to move your car onto the elevator platform. Get to your floor, and the robotic arm gently lifts your car off the platform.

As nice as it all sounds, we’re not drinking the Kool Aid just yet. We never had the patience to wait for an elevator when we lived in a condo or an apartment, so we seriously doubt we’d have the patience to wait for an elevator in our car, either. What happens if a lift fails? You can’t exactly take your car down the stairs, now can you?

We’re not the paranoid type, but the idea of having cars parked outside our door on the 22nd floor wouldn’t thrill us much. If something goes wrong and you have a car fire, your options for getting out of your condo are somewhat limited, even if you are relatively safe in your concrete abode.

The condos are expected to sell for up to $9 million, which puts them out of our league. Besides, we couldn’t deal with the traffic on Collins Ave. in Miami Beach, so that alone is reason to say, “pass.” We’d still love to see the system work, so shoot us a line if the Porsche Design Tower gets built and you buy a condo unit.

The new Porsche Panamera is already a star in our book. Not to mention, there are not many vehicles that can seat 4 adults comfortably and run rings around most common-placed sports cars on the road today. Porsche backs down at nothing which is why they have introduced a new Panamera GTS attempting to appeal to buyers who want a little more out of their all-wheel-drive Panamera 4S without steeping up to Panamera Turbo.

The Panamera GTS gets 30 more horsepower, total of 430 hp, over the Panamera 4S and 384 pound-feet of torque (15 lb-ft more than 4S) from its 4.8-liter V8 engine. The standard PDK 7-speed dual-clutch transmission carries over but the GTS gets the Sport Chrono Package w/ launch control. The new Panamera GTS will be good for a top speed of 178 mph and a 0-60 mph time of 4.3 second.

Also standard on the Panamera GTS is the adaptive air suspension system or what is technically called Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) lowering the body about 10 millimeters. The GTS gets blacked-out headlights, adaptive & embroidered sports seats, GTS leather upholstery w/ Alcantara SportDesign steering wheel w/paddle shifters and red brake calipers.

Porsche Panamera GTS Press Release

LOS ANGELES – November 16, 2011 – Porsche today unveiled the Porsche Panamera GTS
at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The Panamera GTS is the purest expression of a sports
sedan in the Porsche family with a clear focus on performance.

The new Panamera GTS is based on the Panamera 4S and includes more power, upgraded
brakes and a body lowered by ten millimeters with new sportier chassis tuning coupled to air
suspension and Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM). These technical
modifications make the Panamera model even more capable of cutting it on the race track
without sacrificing practicality. The sportiest of all Panamera models also conveys this to
occupants and the outside world by its striking sound. In terms of looks, the new Panamera
GTS includes distinctive design features at the front, side and rear as well as black
highlights. The interior is also tailored to its sporty personality with adaptive sports seats,
SportDesign steering wheel with shift paddles and exclusive GTS leather interior with
Alcantara surfaces.

The Panamera GTS powered by a modified 4.8-liter naturally aspirated V8 engine, delivering
430 hp at 6,700 rpm, increasing the output over the Panamera S/4S by 30 hp. The
maximum torque also increases by comparison, from 369 to 384 lb. ft. At the push of a
button, thanks to the standard Sport Chrono package, the 7-speed Porsche
Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) transmission transmits the engine output to the all-wheel
drive system without interruption to the power flow. This collaboration enables the Panamera
GTS to sprint to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds, accelerating on to its top track speed of 178 mph.

The 0-60 figures and top speed only scratch the surface of the new Panamera GTS’s sporty
character. Its chassis in particular makes it fit for the race track: the adaptive air suspension
and Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) connect the chassis and body,
constantly adapting to the driving challenges by regulating leveling settings, adjusting height,
adjusting the spring rate and electrically adjusting the damping system. The body has been
lowered by ten millimeters and the damping designed to be tauter, which helps agility and
further reinforces the sporty personality of the Panamera GTS. Five millimeter wheel spacers
between the wheel and the wheel hubs increase the rear axle track width, giving the
Panamera even more stability. The required grip is provided by standard 255/45 size 19-
inch tires on the front axle and 285/40 on the rear axle. Optional 20-inch tires are available
in 255/40 on the front and 295/35 on the rear.

Deceleration on the sporty Panamera is provided by the braking system from the Panamera
Turbo, which includes larger diameter front brake rotors than Panamera S/4S. Like all other
Porsche models, the Panamera is available with the optional Porsche Ceramic Composite
Brakes (PCCB), featuring brake calipers finished in yellow.

The sports car among Sports Sedans

The Panamera GTS is the purest member of the Porsche Panamera family. The heart of the
new Panamera GTS is its upgraded 4.8-liter naturally aspirated V8 engine benefiting from
numerous modifications to give it even better performance. Compared with the Panamera
S/4S, these modifications result in a 30 hp increase in engine output and an increase in
torque of 15 lb. ft. to 384 lb. ft. at 3,500 rpm.

To achieve these enhancements, the engineers increased the speed at which the engine
reaches peak power by 200 rpm; the GTS’s eight-cylinder engine achieves maximum output
at 6,700 rpm. Redline was extended by 400 rpm to 7,100 rpm. The higher engine speed
capabilities are enabled by modified valve springs, ensuring that the valves open and shut
precisely in all circumstances.

In addition to the increase in redline; the engine in the Panamera GTS employs a higher-flow
air intake system. At low speeds, flaps close each of the two air intake openings. At engine
speeds above 3,500 rpm, both flaps open and allow additional air flow into the inlet duct. In
order to be able to handle the increased flow of combustion air, two new camshafts with a
one millimeter increase in lift control the intake valves. As a result, especially at higher revs,
the engine draws in more air and, with it, the engine makes more power.

Hearing performance: Sound Symposer transmits intake noises

At the push of the Sport button, driver and passengers can hear the GTS engine “breathing”
even more than usual: a ‘Sound Symposer’ directs the intake sounds into the interior at the
push of a button. This is accomplished with the addition of an acoustic channel, which picks
up the intake vibrations between the throttle valve and air filter. The acoustic channel
incorporates a membrane that transmits the vibrations as an engine sound into the A-pillar. A
controllable valve located in front of the membrane enables the Sound Symposer to be activated or deactivated by means of the Sport button.

Exhaust gases exit the Panamera GTS through a standard sport exhaust system. This
exhaust comes with larger diameter pipes to reduce back pressure and black exhaust tips.
This too is another building block toward increased power output, and one which adds
additional aural excitement: the sport exhaust system features two tuning flaps, which
expose additional exhaust openings, thereby emitting an even more powerful sound. The
flaps are controlled by a switch in the center console, which features a “last mode” function
that remembers the last setting when the engine is restarted.

The control of the GTS engine is handled by modified and upgraded engine controls. The
new system has been tuned for improved torque and responsiveness. The modified engine
management system also enables a brief shutoff of individual cylinders when changing
gears, allowing the engine speed to adjust even faster to the transmission speed. This
further reduces gear change times and is accompanied a short, sharp report from the
exhaust system, particularly audible when downshifting in Sport mode.

Sport Chrono Plus Package for individual sportiness

The Panamera GTS comes standard with the Sport Chrono package, which in addition to
Normal and Sport modes offers a Sport Plus program as well. Specific characteristics of the
Panamera GTS are further accentuated depending on which mode is selected: for example,
activating Sport Plus mode enhances gear-shift parameters and throttle response and
includes Launch Control for faster off-the-line acceleration.

Moreover, in Sport Plus mode the Porsche Stability Management (PSM) stabilization system
intervenes later. The Sport Plus mode offers even greater agility with the PSM deactivated.
For safety’s sake however it remains on permanent standby in the background, intervening
automatically if both front wheels are in the ABS control range. In addition, the adaptive air
suspension lowers the vehicle to the low setting and switches to a harder spring rate. The
rear spoiler angle of attack also changes to the performance-oriented setting.

Options for even greater driving dynamics: PDCC and PTV Plus

Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) is the final level of development of the Panamera
GTS chassis, paired with an electronically controlled rear axle differential lock and PTV Plus.
PDCC prevents the body from rolling by using active stabilizers on the front and rear axle to
apply a counteracting force.

PDCC is further enhanced by Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus). The system works
by varying the torque distribution to the rear wheels and by employing an electronically
regulated rear differential lock, optimizing steering behavior. Braking interventions applied to
the inside rear wheel generate an additional rotational pulse in the direction in which the
steering wheel has been turned. This results in a direct and dynamic steering action as the
car enters the curve.

PTV Plus improves steering behavior and precision by modulating braking interventions to
the rear wheels when the car is being driven in a highly dynamic way. When entering a
corner, braking force is applied to the inside rear wheel as the steering maneuver begins.
This imparts greater drive torque to the outside rear wheel and improves the car’s agility.
Panamera GTS aerodynamics package

The aerodynamics of the Panamera GTS are on par with the Panamera Turbo: with its large
air intake openings, the standard front fascia from the Panamera’s SportDesign package
emphasizes the vehicle’s sporty dynamics and ensures an optimal air supply for the larger
air filters unique to the GTS. This is matched in the rear section by fitting the adaptively
deploying four-way rear spoiler from the Panamera Turbo. At speeds of 125 mph and above,
it positions itself to generate downforce on the rear axle, thereby ensuring stable driving
safety at high speeds.

Exterior: Sporty at first glance

The exterior features a high-gloss black exterior package as standard, comprised of side
window trim, decorative trim on the rear lid, the headlight washer unit cover, the rear
diffuser and the side air outlet panels. Together with the black front fascia grills, black side
skirts, black lower rear fascia the sport exhaust system’s matte black tailpipes, the resulting
appearance is striking.

A further point of differentiation: Bi-Xenon headlights with black inner bezels. They feature
four LED daytime running lights. Optional paintwork in Carmine Red, available exclusively for
the Panamera GTS, emphasizes the vehicle’s sportiness and provides an ideal contrast with
the black exterior accessories.

Interior: Acceleration display, unique appointments

The Panamera GTS includes a lateral and longitudinal acceleration display. The multi-function
display in the instrument cluster and the Porsche Communication Management (PCM) system
informs the driver about the instantaneous acceleration.

The Panamera GTS’s interior includes leather and Alcantara trimmed seats in a choice of five
colors. The standard adaptive 18-way adjustable sport seats feature Alcantara center
panels. Alcantara trim is also used on the upper sections of the door armrests and front
center console armrest, as well as the roofliner. The SportDesign steering wheel with shift
paddles and a twelve hour marking on the steering wheel combines dynamic looks with
sporty functionality. This steering wheel can also be clad with black Alcantara if so desired.
To ensure clear differentiation, the front brushed aluminum door entry guards are adorned
with “Panamera GTS” lettering. “GTS” lettering is also found in the instrument cluster and on
the embroidered headrests.

Porsche has put together two special optional interior equipment packages for the
Panamera GTS. These packages marry a black interior with decorative stitching on the
seats, foot mats, dashboard, door panels, center console armrest and doors, executed in
Carmine Red or GT silver. Embroidered “GTS” lettering on the headrests and safety belts is
also in the corresponding color.

Source: Porsche