2l7registry.com dedicated to the 2.7 liter 911 – I received an email last week from the French owner of a site dedicated to the Porsche 911 2.7 liter. These are 1974 thru 1977 911’s and have generally been frowned upon due to reliability issues. I remember reading Bruce Anderson’s monthly technical Q&A section in Excellence Magazine and he would always poo poo the 2.7 liter 911 saying it was a model to be avoided. What’s interesting is a I happened on a Panorama Magazine article last year that talked about what a great bargain the 2.7 liter 911 had become. I came mighty close to a screaming deal on a decent 1977 911 about 6 months ago. If you’re a fan of those three years of the 911’s life, check out the site here: 2l7registry.com.
Mini Cooper challenges Porsche to a duel – I’m sure you’ve already read about this, but I had to comment on this for two reasons. First, what the heck is Mini thinking? Why not at least choose a brand or vehicle they actually have a chance at beating. Second, this is pure genius on Mini’s part and thus answers my first question. Challenging a high profile brand they would rarely, if ever, be compared against is pure gold from a PR standpoint. Course I’m not really sure what they’ll achieve from all of this other than some probably not very needed press. It’s not like they’re going to swing buyers from Porsche to Mini through the recognition. Course we know that Porsche contemplated, then declined Mini’s offer. Seems like I read someone showed up with a Porsche 911 Carrera S regardless of Porsche’s official involvement. The videos of Mini USA President throwing down the gauntlet were pretty entertaining. [Via CarSession.com]
Chronolyze helps you analyze your Porsche racing data – This is a pretty cool web application that extracts information from your Porsche PCM such as vehicle speed, engine speed, transmission gear, steering angle, lateral g-forces, engine temperature, outside temperature, distance travelled, altitude and GPS coordinates. You download a text file through Bluetooth or an iPod connection, upload it to Chronolyze and they will organize it into a 3D analysis of laps. They’ll spit out graphs along with a 3D representation of the laps you’ve run superimposed on a map of the course. Pretty cool idea. You’ll need a later model Porsche to take advantage of it though. [Via Chronolyze.com]
A sneak peak at new Porsche models on the horizon – According to notes from a Porsche manager’s meeting, Porsche is working up a number of new models for our driving pleasure. Here’s what was leaked:
- New 911 Speedster with 408 hp, widebody, PDK and 2-wheel drive. Price tag in the $200k range.
- US version of the GT2 RS that produces 620 hp and has optional carbon fiber fenders. Look for a base price of $245k for this bad boy.
- Widebody version of the 911 Carrera called the GTS. It will feature center-lug wheels, a sport exhaust and 408 hp for $103k.
- Cayman “Spyder” of sorts. Similar treatment given to the Boxster Spyder with less weight and more power. Price would be around $65k.
There’s also still talk of the Porsche 918 Spyder hitting the streets, but nothing final as of yet. Everyone expects an answer by this summer in time for Pebble Beach. [Via Autoblog.com]
A new speedster. I cant wait to see it.
I’m with you James. Of that list, the Speedster is the one that makes my heart flutter.
I guess you can say I was raised with Porsche’s. He had a lot of them. Not all at once, but he seemed to trade them in left and right. He would drop me off for a sleep over and then pick me up in another color..