Warning: the two minute tilt-shift video below will be hard to watch if you’re any kind of car fan at all. In it, authorities fish a Porsche 911 Turbo out of the Rhine River in Zurich, not once, but twice. It turns out the original lifting strap was too long, so the Porsche was sunk into the mud of the Rhine a second time, while the rigging company set up a shorter sling. We suppose the car was a write-off after it hit the water the first time, but that doesn’t make the second dunking any easier to watch.

We can’t tell you much about the accident, but we do know the 24-year-old owner wasn’t behind the wheel when the car hit the water. Instead, it was his 29-year-old friend who drove the car off a boat dock, and will undoubtedly spend the rest of his life trying to live this incident down. The moral to the story is this: be careful who you toss the keys to, especially if you live near a river and drive a $150,000 Porsche.

Source: Axis of Oversteer, via Autoblog

Just for sh*ts and giggles, why not race the new Cadillac CTS-V Wagon against a Porsche 911 Turbo (997)? It was bound to happen. The guy in his new family station-wagon would not only want to stage against a Porsche 911 Turbo, but he would like to annihilate it also. That is where John Hennessey and his team come into play. They take the new Cadillac CTS-V Wagon and turn it into an even angrier beast with a big-ass to put the smack-down on a Porsche 911 Turbo. Will it do the job? Let’s just say this baby not only has a nice plump ass, but she has the long legs to match.

Porsche will be pumping out an additional 30hp in the newest 911 model dubbed the “911 Turbo S”. The new 2011 Porsche 911 Turbo S will debut at the Geneva auto show next week.

The new Porsche 911 Turbo S features the same goodies that can be had with the current 911 Turbo with the addition of 530hp and 516lb-ft of torque pushing the envelope even further. The Turbo S has an edge over the normal Turbo 911 by consuming the same amount of fuel (26.8 mpg avg.) yet improving performance where the 911 Turbo S can accelerate from 0 to 60 in 3.3 seconds via the PDK 7-speed double-clutch transmission (launch control enabled) and reach a top speed of 195mph. That would make the 911 Turbo S one of the most fuel efficient sports cars for its class.

The Porsche Turbo S will be available as a coupe and cabriolet (convertible) and go on sale in May of this year in European countries and expected to arrive in the U.S. later in 2010.

Press Release

Porsche 911 Turbo S: Even More Dynamic, Top Equipment all Standard

World Debut in Geneva: New Top Model in the 911 Series

Stuttgart. The engineers at Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, have developed a new top-of-the-range sports car for the customer who will only settle for the very best in terms of power, performance and driving dynamics: the 911 Turbo S. The heart of this most exclusive high-performance athlete is of course a six-cylinder boxer boosted by two exhaust gas turbochargers with variable turbine geometry, with an increase in power over the 911 Turbo by 30 to 530 bhp (390 kW). Maximum torque is a most impressive 700 Newton-metres (516 lb-ft). At the same time this new top model comes as standard with all high-tech components available only as options on the “regular” 911 Turbo.

Despite its significant increase in power and dynamic performance, the new 911 Turbo S, at 11.4 litres/100 kilometres (equal to 24.8 mpg imp), does not consume any more fuel than the Porsche 911 Turbo, making it by far the most efficient sports car in its performance class.

The 911 Turbo S comes exclusively with seven-speed Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) (Porsche’s Double-Clutch Gearbox) conveying drive power to Porsche Traction Management (PTM) all-wheel drive. Driving safety optimised to an even higher standard is ensured by Dynamic Engine Mounts and Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV) including a mechanical differential lock on the rear axle. In conjunction with Launch Control on the Sport Chrono Package Turbo likewise featured as standard, 911 Turbo S accelerates from a standstill to 100 km/h in 3.3 seconds and reaches 200 km/h in 10.8 seconds

Top speed is 315 km/h or 195 mph. Extra-light and fading-resistant Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB) provide the same outstanding performance in terms of stopping power and controlled application of the brakes.

The supreme level of standard equipment including Dynamic Bending Lights, 19-inch wheels in RS Spyder design with central locking, a three-spoke sports steering wheel with gearshift paddles, adaptive sports seats, cruise control, a CD/DVD changer and exclusive twin-tone leather upholstery in Black/Crema or Black/Titanium Blue additionally underlines the outstanding class and calibre of this first Turbo S in five years.

The new Porsche 911 Turbo S will be at the dealership as both a Coupé and Cabriolet as of May 2010. The German market price of the Turbo S Coupé is Euro 173,241 including 19 per cent value-added tax and local equipment in the market (the Euro base price is Euro 145,400). The Cabriolet retails in the German market at Euro 184.546, again including 19 per cent VAT and local equipment/specifications (base price Euro 154,900).

[source: Porsche]

In the ultimate battle who comes out on top when making rounds on the Castle Combe Circuit. Find out if it is Germany’s pride and joy, Audi’s iRobot or Japan’s infamous Godzilla. Autocar takes them all for a spin. Enjoy the video below!

Last fall, many will remember the unusual rivalry that came about between Porsche and Nissan all of which centered around the famed Nurburgring. Nissan’s then-new GT-R was said to turn a near unheard of lap time in stock trim around the ‘Ring while Porsche rebutted that Nissan’s new super car couldn’t beat their own Turbo or GT2′s lap time.

What followed was a series of press releases and on-board timed videos as well as questions to what constituted full lap of the ‘Ring. It all became a bit silly watching two automotive giants duke it out over a strip of German asphalt in the name of improved lap times for marketing and bragging rights. Thankfully, it all quieted down.

That is until now. Porsche has just released information on the updated 2010 Porsche 911 Turbo – one of the most storied models in their line-up. Given last year’s battle royale with Nissan, the boys from Stuttgart aren’t pulling any punches. The revised Turbo weighs in 55 lbs lighter – something good to see companies paying attention to – and another 20 horsepower stronger than the 2009 model. Part of the additional horsepower comes from the fact that Porsche bumped the displacement of the engine from 3.6L to 3.8L along with the addition of direct injection. Over all, Porsche has slashed about 10 seconds from the existing Tutbo’s Nurburgring lap time to a highly impressive 7:39. However, this still puts Porsche 10 seconds off of the supposed pace of the Nissan GT-R according to Nissan’s figures – we’re already waiting for the Nurburgring times to be verified by each company.

(Source: AutoCar)

As a follow-up to our post on the new 2010 Porsche 911 packing 500 horsepower, a few new videos of the 3.8-liter beast have appeared. Here is the newest 2010 Porsche 997 911 Turbo in action below. The 911 is truly remarkable and always an instant classic in my opinion. Enjoy the videos below!

They are getting rid of the 3.6-liter six. Here comes a new 3.8-liter directed injected flat-six from the Carrera S. Coupled to two variable-vane turbos, power is now 500 hp. And because it’s direct injected, mileage increases from 22.1 mpg to 24.1 mpg with the manual. Should you opt for Porsche’s 7-speed Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (dual-clutch) gearbox, mileage improves from the old Tiptronic’s 20.8 mpg to a very impressive 24.8 mpg. Also gone (kinda) are the silly dual-action faux-paddle shifters. Replacing them are F1 style right-is-up, left-is-down wheel-mounted paddles — a welcome improvement, though we’d still prefer column-mounted shifters like on Ferraris and Godzilla. And you can still opt for the inferior dual-action buttons if you like.

The Sport Chrono Package Turbo allows the 2010 911 Turbo to accelerate from 0-60 mph in 3.2 seconds when combined with the new, highly acclaimed Porsche-Doppelkupplung, or PDK seven-speed transmission. Also included in the Sport Chrono Package Turbo is Porsche’s innovative dynamic engine mounts. Introduced earlier this year on the 2010 GT3, the new mounts utilize magnetic fluid that automatically adjusts for comfort or sport, depending on the driving conditions. Top track speed is 194 mph for both the Coupe and the Cabriolet models.
Pricing is listed for the coupe and cabriolet at $132,800 and $143,800 respectively, with an on-sale date of November 2009 in Germany and January 2010 here in the United States.

All of this seems really great I found one thing kind of interesting if you look at the pictures of the yellow 911, don’t the rims resemble the CSL rims on the BMW M3? Now, maybe because I am a BMW guy I notice that or to me it feels like they are VERY similar but I could be wrong.

PRESS RELEASE:

Stuttgart. Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, is proudly presenting a new top model at the pinnacle of its broad range of production sports cars: The new Porsche 911 Turbo combines far-reaching innovations in technology with fine tuning and supreme refinement in design. All key features of this high-performance sports car have been significantly improved, the new 911 Turbo combining a substantial improvement in fuel efficiency and lower weight with more power, even higher speed, and enhanced driving dynamics.

Particularly in terms of fuel economy and dynamic performance, the new top-of-the-range 911 from Zuffenhausen now stands out even more than before from its competitors in the market. Porsche’s new top model will be presented to the public for the first time at the Frankfurt Motor Show from 17 – 27 September.

The heart and highlight of the seventh generation of the Turbo is the new power unit displacing 3.8 litres and delivering maximum output of 500 bhp (368 kW). The first entirely new engine in the 35-year-history of the Turbo comes with features such as Direct Fuel Injection and Porsche’s exclusive turbocharger with variable turbine geometry on a gasoline power unit. And as an option, the new six-cylinder may be combined for the first time with Porsche’s seven-speed PDK Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (Double-Clutch Gearbox).

Models equipped with PDK are also available with a new, optional three-spoke steering wheel with gearshift paddles as an alternative to the standard steering wheel with its proven shift buttons. Fitted firmly on the steering wheel, the right paddle is for shifting up, the left paddle for shifting down. In conjunction with the optional Sport Chrono Package Turbo both the gearshift paddle and the PDK steering wheel with its shift buttons come with integrated displays for Launch Control and the Sport/Sport Plus mode, which are however designed differently on the two steering wheels.

The combination of PDK, Direct Fuel Injection and turbocharging ensures an unprecedented standard of efficiency, agility, responsiveness and performance, the Porsche 911 Turbo reducing CO2 emissions versus its predecessor by almost 18 per cent and therefore ranking unique in its segment also in this respect. Depending on the configuration of the car, the new top model requires just 11.4 – 11.7 ltr/100 km (equal to 24.8 – 24.1 mpg imp) under the EU5 standard. And unlike most other cars in its segment, the new Turbo remains even further below the crucial level of fuel consumption for gas guzzler tax in the USA, the special tax imposed on cars with substantial fuel consumption. All this despite acceleration to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds. Top speed, in turn, is 312 km/h or 194 mph.

The Turbo driver of the future will also enjoy a further improvement in driving dynamics, detailed enhancement of PTM fully controlled all-wheel drive and PSM Porsche Stability Management being further supported by new PTV Porsche Torque Vectoring available as an option. This makes the car even more agile and precise in its steering for an even higher level of driving pleasure.

Sales of the new Porsche 911 Turbo in both Coupé and Cabriolet guise are starting in Germany on 21 November 2009. The Euro base price without value-added tax and national specifications is Euro 122,400.- for the Coupé and Euro 131,800.- for the Cabriolet. The gross retail price in Germany, therefore, is Euro 145,871.- for the Coupé and Euro 157,057.- for the Cabriolet, in each case including 19% value-added tax and national specifications.