I've mentioned before that I'm a big watch fan. I'm not any sort of a collector, but I appreciate a fine time piece and would love to have the means to buy one or two on my list. You can guess, then, that I'm all for any reason that comes up for Porsche Design to create a special edition watch. This is a heck of an occasion.

Porsche won their first Le Mans 40 years ago in an amazing 1-2-3 finish with Hans Hermann and Richard Attwood piloting their 917 K to a first place finish. The Porsche Design P'6612 Dashboard Le Mans 1970 Limited Edition watch pays tribute to the winning 917.

The face of the watch is styled after the dashboard instruments of the Porsche 917 K with white indices, a black background and red hands and accents. The car's number, 23, adorns the face, just as it did the long-tail of the car. Around the bezel is a tachometer scale that can be used to calculate overall speed. The case is a brushed and polished titanium. A perforated calfskin strap with red topstitching reminiscent of the 917's steering wheel completes the look.

Only 917 watches will be offered. Each comes with a scale model of the 917 K and a booklet signed by Herrmann and Attwood. I couldn't find a price it will be offered at.

I love the look of this watch and would gladly wear one if I could afford it. My guess is it will be priced in the high 4 figures though.

[Via Porsche Design]

I happened on a post on Autoblog.com this weekend about the Porsche 911 Sport Classic. The title of it was "2010 Porsche 911 Sport Classic is proof that money really can buy happiness." Classic! Judging just from the video I posted a few months ago (911 Sport Classic Video), I'd have to agree. Based on styling alone, I absolutely love this car.

The Porsche 911 Sport Classic was announced late in 2009 as a limited production car with all 250 units quickly being snatched up by buyers. No cars were officially produced for North America. I'm sure some made it here regardless. The Sport Classic is finished in a gray paint called Sport Classic Grey with a great Espresso Nature based interior. Lots of little extras were included on the Sport Classic including the engine "Powerkit", PCCB, flared turbo fenders and a sweet throw back ducktail spoiler.

A couple of things that stand out in my mind aside from the typical stuff already mentioned. First are the subtle racing stripes running down the middle of the car. Those are classy looking and I love how you have to do a double take to figure out if they're shadows or something actually on the car. My buddy's Porsche Cayman Design Edition has those. They really set the car off in my opinion.

The second thing is the special design used in the middle of the seat bottoms, seat backs and door inserts. It's a woven pattern Porsche calls "woven leather." They describe it as a "special material woven out of strips of leather and yarn strengthened by a lining at the bottom." Little touches like that in these special edition cars just bolster their desirability in my book.

The Autoblog.com post is definitely worth reading, especially since they compare the Sport Classic to the normal 911 Carrera S and the 911 GT3. This is definitely a Porsche for the Ultimate Car List.

Read the Autoblog.com post here: 2010 Porsche 911 Sport Classic is proof that money really can buy happiness.

[Source & Images: Autoblog.com]

Ezra Dyer, a writer for Automobile Magazine, took a Porsche 911 Turbo to the Spectre 341 Challenge this year. Originally organized by Hans Turner during his stint as the president of the Ferrari Owners Club of Southern California in the 1970's, the Spectre 341 is a 5.2 mile hill climb up Nevada Highway 341. The goal is to tackle 6,200 feet of elevation through 22 turns in a time of 3:41 or less. That requires an average speed of 85 mph.

I love the embedded screen showing alternate views during the run. He makes the entire thing look pretty dang simple. Great video overall.

New Porsche CEO – I guess I've been living under a rock for the last week. I didn't realize that this inevitable transition had already taken place. Looks like Michael Macht got "promoted" (I didn't realize moving a person from CEO to a lesser position could be considered a promotion) to Volkswagen AG's production chief starting Oct 1st. Matthias Mueller has been crowned as the new Porsche AG CEO. Here's what VW CEO, Martin Winkerkorn, had to say about the transition: “We have to make progress with Porsche. Mueller is the right person to deliver it. He has excellent ideas and a very clear concept of how new products have to be brought in line.” He did a good job with Audi. Maybe this will bode well for Porsche. [Via BusinessWeek.com]

Porsche 918 Spyder Hybrid and 'baby' Porsche Cayenne could be approved next week – Porsche SE's supervisory board is meeting next week. Supposedly on the agenda are two models we've been hearing about for a while. The mini Porsche Cayenne I could go either way on, however the Porsche 918 Spyder Hybrid I would LOVE to see go into production. It's already garnered a reported 2,000+ non-binding submissions of interest, so I can't imagine Porsche will pass up the opportunity. Porsche is not confirming or denying the meeting nor the agenda, so hopefully we see this happen and have a new Porsche supercar to look forward to. [Via Bloomberg.com, egmCarTech.com]

Porsche will guarantee 9,000 jobs for German workers – You gotta love seeing news like this, especially given the ups and huge downs of the job market these days. Porsche stated last week that it is planning to invest more than 500 million euros in its German operations and guarantee 9,000 jobs at three German sites until 2015. This also includes hiring 100 apprentices per year at the end of their training periods. Never heard of a company guaranteeing jobs before, but maybe it's a common occurrence. [Via AFP]

UK Porsche dealer offers customers something different while waiting for their Porsche to be serviced – Car dealers the world over try to make it easy and enticing to get your car serviced with them. The fact of the matter is, though, it just sucks to have to sit and wait for your car. It's especially tough for moms who have to take in the family Porsche Cayenne. To address this problem, a dealer in the UK is taking a different approach. They're now offering a shuttle service to a nearby luxury shopping center for customers that would rather do something other than sit in the dealer's showroom during a service appointment. Gotta hand it to them, that's a great idea and one that will surely be popular with the ladies who have to manage the family's Porsche maintenance. [Via Springwise.com]

2011 Porsche Cayenne is selling like hotcakes – In just one month, Porsche received over 16,000 orders for the new Porsche Cayenne. This includes orders across all of the Cayenne models. The most popular model was the Cayenne S Hybrid which accounted for about 15% of the orders. Quite honestly, this surprises me. I know the Cayenne is a reasonably popular Porsche and that the new S Hybrid brings some short-term hype to the game, but that's a lot of orders for a Porsche SUV. [Via 4WheelsNews.com]

Porsche owners rank their cars as the Ideal Vehicle for the 3rd year in a row – Every year, AutoPacific conducts an Ideal Vehicle Awards survey. What exactly IS an ideal vehicle? According to the president of AutoPacific, George Peterson, "An ideal vehicle is one that meets the owner's expectations for the product. They do not want it changed. They don't want it bigger. They don't want it faster. They don't want its styling changed. When asked what they would change about their new vehicle, buyers who want the least change are driving their ideal vehicle. This means Porsche has created cars that owners essentially say are perfect." What's more, the Porsche Cayman was chosen as the winner of the Ideal Sports Car. No surprise here. [Via PRNewswire.com]

India may get some Porsche assembly love – I found this pretty interesting for a couple of reasons. First, that seems like an interesting choice for Porsche, especially given the recent commitment to the local facilities in Germany. Sure Porsche has outsourced some components of the car manufacture and assembly process in the past, but this seems like a strange location for it. Second, I'm surprised Porsche hasn't considered India in the past. With the huge outsourcing trend from a decade ago, I kind of thought Porsche would capitalize on inexpensive labor sooner. The CEO of Porsche India is denying any assembly plant plans. [Via IndiaTimes.com]

Thanks to Lyndon, one of our PorschePerfect.com readers, for sending this link over. Some of the numbers tuners are getting out of the Porsche 911 are just mind boggling. When you start getting up to 600, 700, 800 or even 1,000 horsepower, you're talking a world most of us will never experience. I can't imagine having that much power on tap. Maybe some of you can shed light on what it would even be like to drive a car with that much power on the open road.

In typical tuner fashion, Sportec has taken an already great car and attempted to squeeze top tier supercar performance out of it. Here's a few of the upgrades for the 2010 Sportec SPR1R:

• 858 hp bi-turbo, 3.6 liter, 24 valve flat six
• All wheel drive
• Weight reduction (even over previous SPR1 upgrades) across key componenets
• Driver adjustable traction control system controlled by a touch screen in the center console
• 0-62 mph in 3.0 seconds
• 236 mph top speed
• Various interior and exterior modifications including 20" forged alloy wheels

This is a nice looking car and one heck of a power monster. Leave it to the Swiss to push the limits of the capabilities of these cars.

[Via GlobalMotors.net]

Saw this on the Porsche Press site this morning.  Looks like Porsche is going to race the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid in the 1,000 mile/10 hour American Le Mans Series Finale Petit Le Mans. A showing on American soil! That'll be cool. If anyone has access to this race, you really need to send in some pics.

In November, Porsche plans to take the 911 GT3 R Hybrid to China for the season final of the Le Mans International Cup which is a 6 hour race in Zhuhai, China.

Here's the full press release from Porsche:

Porsche Announces 911 GT3 R Hybrid Racecar will run at the American Le Mans Series Finale Petit Le Mans October 2nd at Road Atlanta

ATLANTA – July 21, 2010 – Following the impressive performance at the Nürburgring 24-hour race where the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid demonstrated the potential of its groundbreaking technology over 22 hours and 15 minutes, and led the overall classification for more than eight hours, the orange and white liveried 911 racer will now travel to the USA and Asia.

Porsche has received an invitation to contest the season final of the American Le Mans Series, the race series featuring the world’s fastest sport cars, at the ‘Petit Le Mans’ at Road Atlanta on October 2. The race runs over a distance of 1,000 miles or a maximum of ten hours. The Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid will not be eligible for points, as hybrid technology is not yet included in the GT regulations.

For November 7, Porsche then plans to race the 911 GT3 R Hybrid at the season final of the new Le Mans International Cup, the six hour race in Zhuhai, China. Again here, the vehicle is not competing for points.

“After the 911 GT3 R Hybrid’s fantastic performance at the Nürburgring 24 Hours, we are now eager to gain more experience with the hybrid technology on a variety of race tracks,” says Hartmut Kristen, Head of Porsche Motorsport. “At the same time, we would like to show fans and customers in our most important markets how our ‘race lab’ performs under racing conditions,” adds Kristen.

The Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid, featuring two electric motors at the front axle each developing 60 kilowatts to supplement the 480 horsepower normally-aspirated rear-engine, expressly typifies the philosophy of “Porsche Intelligent Performance”: Under braking, the 911 GT3 R Hybrid converts kinetic energy into electrical energy and stores it in a flywheel. During acceleration, this energy is automatically delivered to the front wheels, supporting the combustion engine. This leads to a reduction in fuel consumption and increases the cruising range. Moreover, drivers can manually utilize the stored energy with a boost-paddle on the steering wheel for overtaking.

Why Porsche Races

The connection between the Porsche 911 and racing is unlike any that exists in the world of sports cars. To Porsche, motorsports is a breeding ground, a mobile laboratory where engineering ideas are tested under the harsh light of competition. The lessons learned on the race track translate directly to Porsche sports car on the road. To see 911 race cars in action on the world’s most challenging tracks is to witness Porsche working out the fundamental questions of performance engineering.

What innovations will make a 911 accelerate faster, stop quicker, steer with more accuracy and corner with higher levels of grip? What efficiencies are still to be achieved in the critical areas of fuel consumption? What technologies can be devised to surround the driver with the most advanced safety systems?

So while there are trophies to compete for, and championships to win, we race for a prize far more relevant: the evolution of real-world performance. One place you’ll see Porsche proving its engineering theories on the track is in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS). Founded in 1999, ALMS is an endurance racing series that has established itself as a vital forum for developing new technologies and transferring them to the street. It has established itself as the most important race series for GT sports cars and prototypes in North America.

Porsche customer teams have more than 100 class wins in the ALMS. And for nine of the 11 years of ALMS’ existence, Porsche has earned the GT/GT2 manufacturers title in the ALMS—all with the Porsche 911 GT3 R/RS/RSR family of race cars. Since the 2006 season, Porsche has also been lining up on the starting grid with a prototype in the LMP2 (Le Mans Prototype 2) class: the RS Spyder. In winning the LMP2 manufacturers’, drivers’ and team championships in 2006, Porsche made an impressive return to prototype racing.

Since 2008, more customer teams have taken their place on the starting grid in the RS Spyder, not only in the ALMS, but also in the European Le Mans Series (LMS) and the legendary Le Mans 24 Hour race. In 2010, RS Spyder continues to write Porsche’s story of success in motorsport. With such a commitment to the proving grounds of motorsports, it’s not far from the finish line to the Porsche assembly line. The race-ready street versions of the 911 like the GT3 RS are made within the same assembly facilities as all other 911 models.

About Porsche Cars North America, Inc

Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA), based in Atlanta, Ga., is the exclusive importer of Porsche vehicles for the United States. PCNA is a wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Dr. Ing.h.c. F. Porsche AG. It employs 213 people who provide Porsche vehicles, parts, service, marketing and training for its 199 dealers. The dealers, in turn, provide Porsche owners with best-in-class service. Throughout its more than six-decade history, Porsche has developed numerous technologies that have advanced vehicle performance, improved safety and spurred environmental innovations within the automotive industry. The company continues to celebrate its heritage by adding to its long list of motorsports victories dating back to its first 24 Hours of Le Mans class win in 1951. Today, with more than 28,000 victories, Porsche is recognized as the world's most successful brand in sports car racing. PCNA, which imports the iconic 911 series, the highly acclaimed Boxster and Cayman mid-engine sports cars, high-end Cayenne sport utility vehicles and the four-door Panamera Gran Turismos, strives to maintain a standard of excellence, commitment and distinction synonymous with its brand.

[Source & Image: Press.Porsche.com]

Just wanted to say a big thanks to everyone for pitching in to try and track down the rear wing one of our readers was interested in finding for his 2008 Porsche 911 Turbo. It will come as no surprise to the regulars here that James O is THE MAN once again. He tracked it down as a Porsche factory wing. Thanks James!

I searched a little more and found references to a 2008 Press Release from Porsche. They called the option the Aerokit Turbo option. It included a front spoiler lip and new engine cover design with the fixed wing. A pretty nice looking addition in my opinion.

Hopefully Ken can track one down, then send us pictures once it's installed on his car!

[Image: Press.Porsche.com]

This is just too good not to post. I'm sure most of you have already seen this, but in case you haven't, you gotta check this out. This kid, Steven Oritz, started out with an old cell phone and, through a series of trades over the last two years, ended up with a 2000 Porsche Boxster S.

If you're thinking about the guy in Canada who started with a paperclip and ended up with a house, this is the same kind of deal. Steven has done his bartering primarily through Craigslist's barter section. It took him 14 trades to end up with the Boxster. Through the process he had stuff like a better cell phone than he started with, an i-Pod Touch, MacBook Pro, 1987 Toyota 4Runner, dirt bikes and an older Bronco valued at $15,000. Someone even offered him a locksmith business for the Bronco.

I love stories like this. I find them inspiring and love to hear how people think outside the box. Of course, being the dreamer I am, guess what the first thing I did was? Yep, went to the Portland Craigslist Barter section. After about an hour of searching, I started looking around the house for things to start with. Replicating Steven's success would be a heck of a challenge and I don't know that I'd have the patience to do it. It's still fun to dream though.

Thanks to everyone who send in this story. Funny how quickly things like this spread.

[Source & Image: SGVTribune.com]

This is a bit of a unique request, but I figure there are lots here who wouldn't mind helping a fellow Porsche enthusiast. Especially one looking to add a little something to a 2008 Porsche 911 Turbo!

Ken, a fellow PorschePerfect.com reader, emailed me a couple of days ago asking about a spoiler pictured on a car he ran across. The shop doesn't know who the spoiler is made by and can't get ahold of the customer. He's looked at wings made by Wicked Porsche, Techart, Speedart, Gemballa and Ruf, but hasn't found THE ONE yet.

I told him I'd post up the picture here. If anyone has any idea who the wing is made by, add it in the comments section of this post. Ken would greatly appreciate it!

The picture is from Shoreline Motoring. Check out some of the great pics they have on their site here: ShorelineMotoring.com.