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.

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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]

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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]

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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.

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This is an amazing find by a guy named Alex Nunez. He happened on what appears to be the first ever Porsche 911 Turbo at the Greenwich Concours d'Elegance earlier last month. He said it was a little tucked out of the way and unless you read the placard in front of the car, you'd think it was just another 1976 or 1977 930. This special car is the prototype 911 Turbo. The very first factory turbocharged Porsche 911.

Here's what Alex had to say in his post:

As the story goes, it began life as a regular '73 911S company car driven by Porsche chief engineer Helmuth Bott. From there, it won the Porsche genetics lottery when it was sucked into the automaker's experimental program to serve as the basis for the Turbo. As such, it became the first roadgoing Porsche 911 to get the turbo engine, along with the now-famous widebody treatment and whaletail.

Would love to know how this car made it's way into the States. I'm surprised this one isn't part of the factory collection.

The late 70's and 80's model 911 Turbos are still my favorite. Some day…some day.

[Source: Autoblog.com; Photos by Alex Núñez / Copyright ©2010 Weblogs, Inc.]

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This video is worth watching just to hear this thing take off. They show stats on the video clips as they finish different tests. I love that root beer color too.

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This is a decent video in a stinkin fast 911 Turbo. 850 hp on racing fuel.

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Mels, one of our PorschePerfect.com readers, sent me a link to this road test of a Porsche 911 Turbo from years gone by. I'm not a huge fan of the seafoam green and white interior, but can't get over the styling of these older 911 Turbos. Still LOVE the whale tail and flared fenders. Thanks mels!

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I'm liking TECHART's approach more and more. I love their styling, the subtle additions that enhance the racing prowess of the cars and the interior styling. These have got to be a sight to see at the Geneva Auto Show where they're making their debut.

TECHART Concept One for Porsche Panamera

The first is what TECHART is calling the Concept One individualization study. What I can gather from the press release shows some possible performance increases with a 150 hp boost, but I think the focus is more on the exterior and interior treatments. Outside, they've added some nice trim pieces with redesigned front and rear aprons. Custom tail pipes, spoiler and integrated air openings both front and back actually serve useful purposes as well as complimenting the overall look.

What really gets me is the interior in this car. It reminds me of some of the Gemballa interiors from the 80's without the extreme in your face nature of them. The white interior with black accents looks pretty striking. They've also added some "comfort" for the rear seated passengers such as a 10.2" ceiling monitor with integrate DVD player, a rear console and folding tables built into the front seats.

TECHART Program for Porsche Panamera

Essentially this is the same program TECHART was offering for the Porsche Panamera, only now it's been extended to include the Panamera S and 4S models. Options such as the Aerodynamic Kit I include a triple-part front spoiler, side sills, rear wing and rear diffuser and TECHART dual tail pipes. There are some suggested wheel options matched to recommended tires and boost options.

This is more of subtle kit to set your Porsche Panamera apart a bit from the rest. Nice looking, for sure, but nothing that is going to cause heads to snap around. This applies to the interior as well. The base treatments are more nice touches than radical improvements you'll notice right away, in my opinion.

TECHART Individualization for Porsche 911 Turbo and Turbo S

The last on the list for today is the TECHART options for the new Porsche 911 Turbo and 911 Turbo S. I've got mixed feelings about the photos I'm looking at for this package. On one hand, they do make the car even meaner looking, but on the other, there's something about Porsche's stock styling of the 911 Turbo and Turbo S. Personally, I think it'd be foolish to apply this package to the 911 Turbo S given it's potential collector status. Course I feel the same way about the Carrera GT. Guess that's how those of us without unlimited funds think.

Most of the upgrades are external attempting to improve the 911 Turbo design through reduced aerodynamic lift, better cooling through airflow optimization and better lighting options. There are two Aerodynamic Kits available along with the usual TECHART wheels and suggested tire options. Some minor interior enhancements compliment the treatment.

An interesting application of their individualization program was made to the Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet for the Geneva Auto Show. Don't see too many tuners showcasing their products on a cabriolet, so that's a welcome addition.

Still on the fence on this one.

[Source & Images: Press.Techart.de]

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TECHART announced the GTStreet R based on the Porsche 911 Turbo yesterday. In true Porsche 911 Turbo fashion, the same mystique that has always held a special place in people's hearts since 1974, has been captured by TECHART in their latest interpretation. I simply LOVE the black with red accents. I was just mentioning to someone yesterday that there is something crazy sweet about black sports cars, especially when they have racing red sprinkled tastefully here and there.

The GTStreet R is designed for pure driving pleasure as well as full on-track capability. To accomplish this, they've designed a number of features that can be adjusted to desired handling, ride and performance situations as needed. For instance, they've included an adjustable rear spoiler with air inlets that work in tandem with the integrated carbon diffuser in the rear apron to contribute a huge amount of downthrust on the rear axle.

Although not new, but handy track/off-track feature is an adjustable chassis height allowing a driver to adjust based on road conditions as well as performance requirements. This also includes a nose-lift system capable of raising the vehicle just at the front axle up to 60 mm. That's a body kit saver right there.

Another included enhancement is a TECHART designed multifunctional day-driving light system integrated into the front apron. This system provides better lighting in both day and night conditions with the output intensity of light being automatically modified with the selected driving light circuit.

TECHART has fitted new Formula 5-spoke light alloy wheels along with either Conti Sport Contact 3 or Michelin Pilot Sport Cup Plus tires. They've also done a fair amount in addition to the body kit items already mentioned.

Enough of that though. Let's get down to 2 very important items: Performance and Interior. How your butt's going to feel in that seat and how your brain's gonna feel when you hit the gas.

As for performance, aside from the external enhancements to the body and the wheels/tires, the engine has been boosted to 660 hp. This provides for 0 to 62 mph times in the 3.5 second range. Top speed is right at 214 mph. I guess that'll do.

The interior has plenty of the "custom" feel, without being crazy. Again, the black with red accents is dang cool. I'm a sucker for colored gauge faces and those red ones provide a nice compliment to the interior. There's also carbon fiber components, aluminum pedals, and some nice illumination points to enhance the interior. Of course you can also hand over a blank check and customize things to the Nth degree.

Overall, I think the car looks classy, race-track bound, and very desirable. TECHART has taken a car that I've loved for years and provided some enhancements that do the 911 Turbo line proud. The GTStreet R will be on display next month at the Geneva Auto Show. If anyone goes, you HAVE to send in pictures.

[Source & Images: Press.Techart.de]

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