2013 Porsche Panamera GTS Announced: Like a Panamera Turbo Without the Turbo

PATRICK M. HOEY AND THE MANUFACTURER

People who need to apex at max g while taking the kids to school will have another option next spring when Porsche brings forth the 2013 Panamera GTS. Basically a sportier version of the current Panamera 4S, the $110,875 GTS will be the third most expensive derivative of Porsche’s sedan, after the $137,675 Turbo and $174,175 Turbo S.

Introduced at the Los Angeles auto show, the naturally aspirated GTS pulls its suspension and brake components from the Turbo—including the blown car’s larger front rotors—while its free-breathing 4.8-liter V-8 gets a revised intake and stouter valve springs. Redline is up 400 rpm, to 7100, and peak horsepower climbs 30, to 430. The engine’s noises are enhanced using a “Sound Symposer” similar to that on the new 911, with an acoustic tube and vibrating membrane that transmits intake snarl to the cabin via the A-pillar.

Down low, the air suspension that is optional on base Panameras is included on the GTS, with firmer shock rates and a ride height that is dropped 0.4 inch. Both the standard 19-inch wheels and the optional 20s wear Michelin Pilot Sport summer rubber, and the rear wheels get 0.2-inch spacers to widen the track slightly.

Visually, the changes include a front bumper from the SportDesign package available on other Panameras (one of the 10 million options on all Porsches) and the deployable three-element, four-position rear spoiler from the Turbo. There’s also some extra black body trim, and a new arrest-me-now red called Carmine joins the palette. In a first for the Panamera, Porsche says it’ll paint the car any bespoke color you can think of.

Leather and Alcantara, the artificial mouse fur that is the universal code for sporty, are used throughout the interior. Sill plaques identify the model as a GTS, as does lettering embroidered on the seats. The Sport Chrono package is standard and adds a “Sport Plus” setting for suspension and powertrain settings, as well as a 5500-rpm clutch-drop launch-control function on the PDK seven-speed auto-manual transmission. You’ll want to try that after the crossing guard leaves the intersection.

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991 Variants, the Beginning: 2012 Porsche 911 Cabriolet

The first volleys of what will soon become a crushing salvo have landed. Following the introduction of the 2012 911 at the Frankfurt auto show, Porsche is starting the rollout of the full 991 family with the Carrera and Carrera S Cabriolets.

Aside from the retractable fabric top, the cabriolet differs little from the 911 coupe. When raised, the softtop even mimics the hardtop’s roofline better than past 911 cabrios. To cut down on wind noise and help the cloth top maintain its shape, Porsche fitted a hard composite panel between the layers of cloth above the front seats. The new softtop may be somewhat sleeker, but the outgoing car’s bustle butt remains—there’s only so much room behind the passengers for the 911’s engine and a lowered roof.

Fraternal Twins

Mechanically, the Carrera and Carrera S cabriolets are identical to their roofed counterparts. That means the Carrera gets a 350-hp, 3.4-liter flat-six and the S a 400-hp 3.8-liter. In both cars, a seven-speed manual transmission is standard and Porsche’s seven-speed, dual-clutch PDK unit is optional. Porsche claims the Carrera cabrio can hit 60 mph in 4.4 seconds on its way to a top speed of 177 mph, while the S drops that time to 4.1 seconds and can reach 187 mph. Both cars’ stated performance figures are just a hair or two off of those of the coupe, and we predict they’re somewhat conservative based on our first drive in a 2012 Carrera S coupe. When Porsche launched the coupe, it made a big deal about the car’s enhanced fuel efficiency. It did the same for the cabriolet, but official EPA numbers aren’t yet available; figure on 19 to 20 mpg in the city and close to 30 on the highway, the latter figure abetted by the newly available seven-speed manual transmission.

The topless 911 Carrera will start at $94,650 and the S at $108,950, increases of $3600 and $5000 over last year’s models. Furthermore, both base prices are $11,600 more than an equivalent hardtop’s. At least cabriolet fans won’t have to wait too much longer than coupe buyers to get their hands on the new car—it will hit dealerships in the spring, not long after the hardtop goes on sale in February. A plethora of 911 variants is sure to follow: Turbo, Turbo S, all-wheel-drive Carrera 4 and Carrera 4S, harder-core GT models, you name it. Brace yourself.

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Porsche Announces Customer Delivery Center and Track in Los Angeles

November 17, 2011 at 5:22pm by Aaron Robinson

Somehow, Porsche has managed to carve 53 acres out of the crowded Los Angeles basin to build a test track and customer delivery center; the facility is slated to open in 2013. Echoing a similar facility that will be built near Atlanta—which will also have Porsche’s new North American headquarters on site—the Porsche Experience Center in Carson, California, will include a test track that is twice the size of Atlanta’s, plus a customer delivery center, a gymnasium, a gift shop, a café, and whatever else Porsche can think of between now and the groundbreaking next summer. Construction also begins next year in Atlanta.

Porsche is spending more than $100 million on the two facilities, which will resemble ones it already has in Germany, England, and China. And if nothing else, it may shut up those critics who said Porsche’s absorption by the mega-rich Volkswagen Group was a bad thing. The Carson facility will be located about 18 miles south of downtown L.A. and about 15 minutes from LAX airport (except from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., when it’s more like 45 minutes). Carson will have a handling course that includes special surfaces to replicate rain, ice, and snow, plus an off-road course that includes 45-degree inclines. There will be kids’ programs as well and it will be open to car clubs and other special events, the release says.

The facility also will boast a “Porsche Human Performance Center” that includes a gym and sports science laboratory that incorporates driver-training techniques into classes and “customized experiences” including “heat-acclimation training and hydration strategies,” which we’re pretty sure involves drinking lots of water.

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Porsche 911 Generations: The Legend Grows

The rear-engined Porsche 911’s iconic silhouette is among the most recognizable shapes in the industry, having changed very little as the car has grown over its 40-plus-year history. On the occasion of our first drive of the latest 911—dubbed 991 in Porsche-speak—we take a look at how the car has evolved over the years. Unless otherwise noted, all specifications and test results are for the base 911.

Years: 1965–1989
Wheelbase: 87.0 in (1965–1968); 89.3 in (1968–1989)
Overall length: 168.9 in
Power: 130 hp (1965); 214 hp (1989)
Price: $6490 (1965); $51,770 (1988)
Weight, as tested: 2720 lb (1965); 2760 lb (1984)
Zero to 60 mph, as tested: 7.0 sec (April 1965); 5.3 sec (February 1984, Carrera)

The 911 begins: Considered by the factory as a replacement not for the 356 (alongside which it was sold for a year or so) but for the more expensive and complicated Carrera 2, the 1965 911 established the basic foundation upon which successive generations would build: a rear-mounted, air-cooled flat-six; a comfortable cabin for pilot and passenger with vestigial seats in the rear; a five-speed manual gearbox; and disc brakes all around. And the ignition always to the left of the steering wheel—the unorthodox key placement was originally chosen to aid drivers’ getaways during the Le Mans start.

“No contest. This is the Porsche to end all Porsches—or, rather, to start a whole new generation of Porsches. Porsche’s new 911 model is unquestionably the finest Porsche ever built. More than that, it’s one of the best Gran Turismo cars in the world, certainly among the top three or four.”–April 1965

“More than any other factory-fresh car available here today, the Porsche 911 Carrera is the absolute embodiment of clench-jawed, tight-fisted, slit-eyed enthusiasm run amok, a car for making the landscape pass with explosive fluidity.”–February 1984

Years: 1990–1994
Wheelbase: 89.4 in
Overall length: 168.3 in
Power: 247 hp (1990–1994)
Price: $58,500 (1990); $65,715 (1994)
Weight, as tested: 3050 lb (1990); 2980 lb (1993 Speedster)
Zero to 60 mph, as tested: 4.8 sec (January 1990); 4.6 sec (November 1992, 911RS America)

Notable advancements: Rear suspension switches from torsion bar to trailing arms with Porsche’s “Weissach” rear axle, which adds self-steering elements to reduce the chance of oversteer; dual front airbags; Tiptronic four-speed automatic transmission; dual-mass flywheel; ABS; power steering; retractable rear spoiler; twin-spark ignition. Carrera 4 is first and last series Porsche with fully mechanical all-wheel drive.

“The Carrera 2 is the newest generation of the age-old 911 concept, and it may just be the most exciting yet. Not only does it build on the traditional appeal of the 911, but it is faster, gutsier, more stable, and more satisfying. The Carrera 2 has all the unmistakable 911 flair and style—without all of the old car’s vices.”–January 1990

“The 911RS is a car that lives on the margin: incrementally upping the level of driving intensity can profoundly change the car’s attitude and bearing. Up to six- or seven-tenths, it’s your benign escort; at eight you’d better be ready to boogie. And have a clear head and a recently calibrated internal gyro.”–November 1992

Years: 1995–1998
Wheelbase: 89.4 in
Overall length: 168.3 in (1995–1996); 167.7 in (1997–1998)
Power: 270 hp (1995); 282 hp (1998)
Price: $63,433 (1995); $63,750 (1998)
Weight, as tested: 3080 lb (1995); 3116 lb (1998 Carrera S)
Zero to 60 mph, as tested: 4.7 sec (June 1994); 4.9 sec (September 1997, Carrera S)

Notable advancements: All-aluminum multilink rear suspension and an all-aluminum subframe, standard six-speed manual, engine weight reduced by 14 pounds, and body-structure rigidity increased by 20 percent. New all-wheel-drive system based on 959’s setup with a viscous coupling replaces the center differential of the previous gen’s setup. New Tiptronic S for 1995 with steering-wheel-mounted buttons.

“The 1995 Carrera is the finest example of the 911 ever created…For three decades now, refinement and incremental improvement have continued to update the car, and bought time for the concept (against all odds, sometimes).”–June 1994.

“It’s maybe the nearest thing to the visceral sensation of road racing in a car that can be driven legally (and reliably) on the street, something Porsche has come through with every model year since 1965 when the first 911 model, powered by a 130-horse, 2.0-liter flat-six engine, first appeared in the U.S.”–September 1997.

Years: 1999–2004
Wheelbase: 92.5 in
Overall length: 174.4 in
Power: 300 hp (1999); 315 hp (2004)
Price: $65,030 (1999); $68,760 (2004)
Weight, as tested: 2900 lb (1999)
Zero to 60 mph, as tested: 4.7 sec (January 1998); 5.5 sec (July 2001, Carrera cabriolet Tiptronic S)

Notable advancements: First truly all-new 911, sharing no body panels, no underbody structure and no major mechanical components with previous 911s. First water-cooled 911 engine with four valves per cylinder and variable valve timing, integrated dry-sump oiling, new variable resistance intake system, new cable shift linkage, and redesigned interior with more passenger volume. Engine displacement increased from 3.4 liters to 3.6 in 2001, incorporating VarioCam Plus (variable valve timing and lift) from the Turbo model.

“In the year to come, Porschephiles and other hard-core auto enthusiasts will be Balkanized into two factions: those who pine for the original 911, and those who embrace the new one.”–January 1998

“In the final analysis, most enthusiasts will agree that having a new 911 that looks like a 911, seats only two adults, (kids only in back), and has the engine in back is better than having no 911 at all. And even if the new car is a less tactile grand tourer, can we really argue against a bigger, more comfortable, but similarly priced GT that outperforms its purebred sports-car forebear in every objective contest? Not really. The 911 is dead. Long live the 911!”–Ibid.

Years: 2005–2011
Wheelbase: 92.5 in
Overall length: 175.6 in
Power: 321 hp (2005); 345 hp (2011)
Price: $70,065 (2005); $79,950 (2011)
Weight, as tested: 3253 lb (2005); 3320 lb (2009)
Zero to 60 mph, as tested: 4.3 sec (December 2005); 4.1 sec (February 2009, Carrera PDK)

Notable advancements: Engines with two displacements for first time since 1977: 321-hp, 3.6-liter for the base Carrera and 350-hp, 3.8-liter for the Carrera S. For 2009, both 3.6-liter and 3.8-liter engines receive direct injection; new PDK dual-clutch seven-speed transmission replaces Tiptronic S automatic.

“The 911 Carrera is now faster, more stable, more precise and forgiving, an altogether superior—make that more efficient—sports car than the 996. Still, we suspect this anesthetizing of traditional Porsche traits—flaws, if you must—will be missed by some obsessive 911 drivers.”–August 2004

“Every new 911 is a solid dose of Porsche tradition. You want to connect with the past? Plug yourself into one of these rear-engine babies. Tire noise, a stiff ride, tightly wound steering; the 911 is for folks who still want to touch the road, get their hands dirty, and work up a farmer’s sweat.” –February 2009

Years: 2012–
Wheelbase: 96.5 in
Overall length: 176.8 in
Power: 350 hp
Price (C/D est): $83,050
Weight (C/D est): 3250–3250 lb
Zero to 60 mph (C/D est): 3.8–4.0 sec

Notable advancements: The 991 features a smaller, yet more powerful, 3.4-liter engine along with the world’s first seven-speed manual transmission in a passenger car. Engine also incorporates auto stop/start, and PDK transmission has a “sail” mode for improved fuel economy. Longer wheelbase said to improve high-speed stability. Redesigned suspension and new rear axle for enhanced ride and handling. Porsche Torque Vectoring improves tracking stability. New electric power steering helps save fuel.

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2012 Porsche 911 Carrera First Drive: Less 911, More a Really Nice Car with an Engine in the Trunk

AARON ROBINSON AND THE MANUFACTURER

Longer, lower, wider, faster, more fuel efficient, and—amazingly—slightly lighter according to the company, the new Porsche 911 Carrera is a better car in every way. Which means that it’s less like a Porsche 911 than ever, because let’s face it, much of what made the model an icon have been its eccentricities.

Up until the late 1990s, mastering a 911 was lion-tamer’s work. The 996 and 997 generations greatly improved drivability, and the lion has been thoroughly tamed with the 2012 redesign. Anybody who draws breath and has the dough (China is rapidly filling up with candidates) can safely cuddle up with this cushy kitty. The wheelbase is stretched, the front track is wider, and the rear-biased weight split is claimed to be closer to equalization, all of which promotes on-road stability and reduces the mid-corner bounding and corner-exit steering washout that makes older 911s so, er, thrilling. The electronic suspension devices and traction-control systems are more capable, making the steering response even snappier and the car more eager to go where you point it.

Carrer-amera?

Granted, the only version provided for our drive was a 3.8-liter Carrera S equipped with the optional Sport Chrono package. So equipped, it includes Porsche’s dynamic engine mounts, which we’ve often praised for helping settle the car down over pitching pavement. All comments should thus be so flagged. But whatever version you drive, the car just feels big. When did the 911 get to be the same length as an Audi A6? It’s not actually that large, but it seems it. Dare we call it the Carrer-amera?

Yes, we dare. The influence of the Panamera is obvious once you crack open the doors and see that long ski slope of a center console studded with buttons. Porsches used to have nothing but a shifter and air between the seats, which emphasized the fact that the oily bits were out back. Porsche design director Michael Mauer says the 911 is the source for all Porsche brand styling, but in this case it looks like the company’s big, front-engined limo—and strategic cost-saving component sharing—had a say.

By the way, for decades Porsche has given all its projects an internal number starting with 9, and it’s now running out of numbers. We were told at the lavish international launch in Santa Barbara, California—where a blue-sky budget included grinding and resurfacing an old weather-beaten airport apron to serve as an autocross course—that the new 911’s 991 project code was selected simply because it was still available. In the future, Porsche plans to start mixing in letters to get codes like 9A1, the designation for the new family of direct-injection boxer engines.

Haven’t We Seen You Before? Of Course We Have

Meanwhile, the rest of the new Carrera looks every inch a 911, if for no other reason than customers expect it to be so. The differences live in the details: the roof and front fender humps—the latter capped by domed headlamps—are lower and give the car a wider, more limpet-like road stance. The red-dagger taillamps live under a furrowed brow running around the back; Mauer says this look eventually will migrate to all Porsches.

Using the driver’s hip point as a reference for the change in wheelbase, the front axle moves forward by 1.2 inches while the rear moves aft by just under three. The overhangs have been reduced, so the body is only 2.2 inches longer overall. The windshield center point moves about three inches forward, but the glass has more curve to it and wraps around to A-pillars that have moved hardly at all.

Nothing carries over from the 997’s body shell, which employed far less aluminum in its construction. In contrast, the lighter stuff comprises about 45 percent of the new car’s shell, including the floor, roof, doors, and all structural and exterior sheetmetal forward of the windshield. Steel is limited mainly to the piece that forms the rear quarter-panels and door frames. It is a complex single part that requires seven separate stampings and which Porsche’s stamping supplier said was too deeply curved to form from aluminum. We’re estimating curb weights will be around 3250 pounds for the Carrera and 3350 for Carrera S.

This is the enviro-911, the press kit for which touts not the new power figures (350 hp for the Carrera and 400 hp for the S, increases of just 5 and 15) but the potential fuel savings from each engine technology. An idle stop/start system that buyers can disable if they want saves up to 1.5 mpg, for example. An alternator that charges at a higher rate on deceleration: 0.4 mpg. A coast-down function that, in cars equipped with the PDK twin-clutch gearbox, automatically decouples the engine in some deceleration scenarios and lets it drop to idle, could save a maximum of 2.5 mpg. The final EPA window-sticker numbers won’t be released until early December, but city/highway mileage will probably rise 1 to 2 mpg for both Carrera and Carrera S depending on the transmission.

VEHICLE TYPE: rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2+2-passenger coupe

BASE PRICE: Carrera, $83,050; Carrera S, $97,350

ENGINE TYPES: 3.4-liter DOHC 24-valve flat-6, 350 hp, 288 lb-ft; 3.8-liter DOHC 24-valve flat-6, 400 hp, 325 lb-ft

TRANSMISSIONS: 7-speed manual/7-speed dual-clutch automatic with manual shifting mode

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 96.5 in
Length: 176.8 in
Width: 71.2 Height: 51.0–51.3
Curb weight (C/D est): 3250–3350 lb PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 3.8–4.0 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 12.3–12.5 sec
Top speed: 178–189 mph

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