Today was another great day in Porscheland. At the Detroit Auto Show, Porsche announced the open top Porsche 911. The Cabriolet is a new take on this classic model. Here’s a clip from the press release:

Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, unveiled the 911 Carrera Cabriolet in Detroit today. The 911 is making its debut with a completely new roof concept that combines the elegant styling of the Coupé with the advantages of a light fabric hood. So it is that the Cabriolet continues all the innovations of the new 911 Carrera family, complemented by new features for open sports cars: intelligent lightweight design ensures less weight and more sportiness, lower fuel consumption and greater comfort. As with the Coupés, the new Cabriolets start with the 911 Carrera, powered by a 350 hp (257 kW), 3.4-litre six-cylinder engine and the 911 Carrera S with 400 hp (294 kW) flat engine and 3.8 litre displacement.

The top down profile looks less bulky than on previous models. This promises to be one sweeeeeeet ride.

[Source & Image: Porsche.com]

Porsche says, “No downturn for us!” – Still aiming for a lofty 200,000 in annual unit sales by 2018, Porsche sees their goal as very reachable in the not so distant future. Porsche CEO, Matthias Mueller, told Automotive News that he saw the worldwide automotive market reaching 100 million vehicles by 2020. That’s up from an estimated 62 to 63 million for this year. Porsche anticipates it’s sales to hit 120,000 units in 2011 and 140,000 in 2012. Course the lower cost models such as the redesigned Boxster and Cajun will help it hit those numbers. [via egmCarTech.com]

Code for latest version of Call of Duty compared to a Porsche – For those of you who don’t know, Call of Duty is a very popular first person shooter video game. The latest iteration, due out this year I believe, is called Modern Warefare 3. Sorry, probably already lost most of you Porsche fanatics. “Who cares?” is what you’re probably thinking. I just love it when people make comparisons using Porsche as a benchmark. Makes me a proud fan. The general manager of Sledgehammer Games had this to say about the code that runs the Call of Duty games: “Well I’ll tell you one thing, I’ve worked on a lot of engines over my lifetime and spent a lot of time putting graphics in to them and this thing is Porsche,” he said. “And what I mean by that is that it is stream-lined, everything in it is perfectly freaking clean.” Love it! [via EscapistMagazine.com]

Decent Porsche Cayman R review – Drive Arabia did a decent little writeup on the Porsche Cayman R. Their opening paragraph states they have confirmed that the Porsche Cayman is the most balanced sports car in the world after their day behind the wheel. There’s some decent pictures and their in car experiences. You can read it here: First Drive: Porsche Cayman R 2012 in Dubai.

Porsche Design and RIM may be teaming up to release one heck of a Blackberry – I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for the Blackberry. They do email really really well. MaxPDA, a Chinese forum, posted a picture of what the device may look like back in September. Known as the Knight 9980, the device looks really cool from the pictures. The interesting thing for me is that RIM is essentially a dying company. It’s market share continues to shrink in the face of Android and iPhone devices. Going the distance with a Porsche Design device doesn’t really seem like it’ll make much of a splash. Perhaps this will help bring some users back to the Blackberry. The launch event is supposed to take place on Thursday this week in Dubai. [via TechCrunch.com]

I’m loving the Porsche 550 Spyder rumors and renderings! – At least a couple of times a month, a new rendering or rumor pops up about Porsche releasing a modern day take on the infamous Porsche Spyder. This time around it’s CAR Magazine saying we’ll see a Porsche 550 by 2015. They even have some artist renderings included with the post. I love seeing stuff like this and dreaming about what Porsche’s future models will be. Jump over and take a look at the renderings on the site. There’s a couple of interesting ones there. [via CarMagazine.co.uk]

Impossibly gorgeous collection of cars – A UK site, Mail Online, recently pulled together pictures from a high end book called The Impossible Collection of Cars. Included was the Porsche 356 Prototype right at the top. There’s a great picture of the car along with a short little description. The page has 13 amazing cars on it, including a particularly riveting Bentley Mark VI Franay Drophead Coupe. The cars on the page remind me of the Allure of the Automobile exhibit that left Portland last month. Any car fanatic should check the page out. You’ll scroll through it several times…guaranteed. [via DailyMail.co.uk]

Porsche’s design impacts more than just the automotive landscape – With the passing of Steve Jobs the week before last, all sorts of factoids and stories have been written in countless articles, posts and the like about the man. He was certainly one of the most influential people on technology the world has seen in the past 20 years, perhaps even the past century, but that could just be my fascination with Apple speaking through. One of the more interesting things I read in several places was the influence the Porsche 928 had on the first Macintosh computer Steve Jobs designed for Apple. Jobs was quoted as saying at one point during a late night discussion in March 1981, “It should be more like a Porsche!” Apple and Porsche are two brands I’ve grown to love over the course of my life. Of course I’ve long been a fan of the Porsche 928 (much to the chagrin of my wife and kids who still maintain it looks like an expensive Gremlin). They must have gotten it right because the first Mac released in February 1982 was a game changer for the world of computers. [via TopSpeed.com]

Porsche putting it’s German castle on the market – Say what?! Yep, Porsche owned a castle in Germany, near the Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria (one of my favorite castles we visited while living in Germany). Porsche bought the Schloss Bullachberg in 2006 for about $8 million, hoping to turn it into a luxury hotel. The renovation work never got underway. I haven’t seen what it listed the castle for. Wonder how long something like THAT will be on the market before moving? [via MyFoxPhilly.com]

The world may see a Porsche Pajun in 2016 – Okay, I’m REALLY not for the name Porsche Pajun. I’m hoping that’s just a clever attempt at gaining some notoriety by an automobile magazine wanting their nickname to catch on. According to Car Magazine, who seems to be breaking all the news on new Porsche models these days, a baby brother to the Porsche Panamera is in the works and may make an appearance as soon as 2016. The site is reporting similarities to the current production Panamera may not be as close as one would expect. Possibly even a sedan look entering the picture. A smaller version of Porsche’s sedan-type model seems like a natural extension of the line, although I was hoping for a 928 GT type layout rather than a smaller sedan-ish style. [via AutomobileMag.com]

New Porsche Museum exhibit highlights works of art on an unusual canvas – For the next four and a half months, the Porsche Museum will be displaying art from artists who have used Porsche hoods as the canvas for their work. Paintings from 19 artists from South America, specifically Uruguay and Argentina, are featured in the exhibit. Argentinian art fanatic Jorge Gómez, the one who came up with the idea, actually fits the car bonnets to his own Porsche 911 GT2 on occasion and takes them for a spin. Pretty cool exhibit. [Source & Image: Press.Porsche.de]

Porsche Cajun appears to be on track for a 2012 debut – Several major car sites have now reported that the Porsche Cajun has been spotted and will make it’s debut in 2012. The baby brother of the Porsche Cayenne, the Cajun is said to come in both three and five door models, have several engine options including a Porsche twin turbo V-6 pumping out more than 350 hp, and possibly even a four or six cylinder diesel option. For some reason the initial pictures remind me of the Porsche smart car drawing I published a couple of years ago (Porsche Smart Car). [Via AutomobileMag.com]

Porsche Design jeans may be just the ticket for the car babe riding next to you – We’ve got booth babes, boat babes, and show babes. It seems Porsche Design is now working to add a new category: car babes. They’ve expanded their line of fashion wear for 2011, providing women with more extensive options. One of the highlights at the recent event in Beverly Hills, Porsche jeans run between $390 and $590, with the “celebrity edition” fetching $900. Guess owning a pair of Porsches isn’t that far fetched after all! [Source & Image: Porsche Design]

9 Magazine posted spy shots yesterday of the new Porsche Panamera testing on the Nürburgring. Based on the shots, it looks like the Panamera will get a facelift, similar to the look of the new Porsche 911 that was officially announced last week.

My first thought when seeing these was, “Already?!” Doesn’t seem like the Panamera should be due for a facelift yet, but I guess it has been nearly two and a half years since it was first announced at the Shanghai Auto Show. My how time flies.

Check out all of the shots on the 9 Magazine web site here: SPIED: New Panamera Testing Around Nürburgring.

[Source & Image: 9 Magazine]

Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid bests everyone at Laguna Seca – Turning in the fastest lap on the track and beating the competition hands down, the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid only took three pit stops compared to five by the next fastest team in the GT class during the six hour race. This is the GT3 R Hybrid’s first outing on the West Coast. Porsche works driver Romain Dumas had this to say, “The start phase was huge fun, because it was relatively easy to overtake the slower competitors. But it’s even more fun because we can apply superior tactics thanks to the lower fuel consumption. We are much more flexible and we made the most of this today.” I absolutely love hearing how Porsche has once again used technological advancements to trounce the competition. [via Porsche.com]

Don’t have enough money to buy that gorgeous Porsche 356 you’ve had your eye one? Build your own! – Reminds me of the guy who spent something like 15 years building his own running Lamborghini Countach in the basement of his house. It seems Megan Ashton has the same bug…more time than money. Ever since she was a little girl, she had always wanted to arrive on her wedding day in a classic Porsche. Instead of going the rental route, though, she decided to build her, from an old Volkswagen Beetle frame. It took her about six years to complete the project. I have to say, the replica looks amazing. [source & image:  DailyMail.co.uk]

Formula 1 a “no go” for Porsche – Much to the chagrin of racing fans the world over, Porsche CEO Matthias Mueller has declared Formula 1 as “simply too expensive” and “not interesting.” It’s too bad, although not entirely surprising. A new FIA endurance racing category is supposed to be coming in 2014, and it’s rumored Porsche will field an entry. Endurance racing is right up Porsche’s alley and they should do well there. [via MotorAuthority.com]

Porsche-VW merger faces yet another round of legal hurdles – Looking like it’s going to be delayed yet again, the merger between Porsche and Volkswagen is again in the spotlight with new lawsuits being filed. Add this to the pending litigation and the merger is stalled for the time being. This has led to a 26% decline in the share price of Porsche stock, yet the company continues to post strong sales and thrive. It could easily be years before this who thing shakes out. [via Bloomberg.com]

Porsche working on a 4 cylinder Boxer engine – According to Autoweek, high ranking officials at Porsche have confirmed a four cylinder horizontally opposed engine is in the works. Anticipated to be an entry level, mid-engine model, it’s thought to be a spiritual successor of sorts to the 550 Spyder. Both a 2.0 liter and 2.5 liter version of the engine are being developed. The 2.5 liter engine would be capable of producing up to 380 hp. [via Autoweek.com]

This morning, Porsche released an announcement officially launching the Porsche 911 for 2012. This is the new 991 generation. Can’t believe the 911 is now 48 years old! Oh how time flies.

The new 911 Carrera is completely redesigned, yet remains very much recognizable as a Porsche 911. I think I like the redesigned interior. Very Panamera-like. Kind of makes the old 80′s 911′s look a bit on the sparse side.

Nothing really new in the press release, but here it is in case you want to see what Porsche has to say about the new 911.

At 48, the Porsche 911 Carrera is younger than ever: The completely redesigned generation of the sports car icon is stepping into the limelight with its flat, stretched silhouette, exciting contours and precisely designed details, yet from the very first glance it remains unmistakably a 911. True to the 911 tradition, the distinctive Porsche design language with its tendons and muscles exudes power and elegance.

The 100 millimetre (~ 3.9 inches) longer wheelbase and reduced height combined with the up to 20-inch wheels underpin the athletic appearance. At the same time, the typical sports car compact exterior dimensions were retained. Seen from the front, the eye is drawn to the 911’s trademark wide-arched wings. They emphasise the wider front track, so that the new 911 Carrera models sit even more solidly on the road. The remodelled exterior mirrors are accommodated on the upper edge of the door and not as before on the mirror triangle. Not only is this aerodynamically advantageous, it also emphasises the new design line and visual impression of width.

The all-new, lightweight body is an intelligent aluminium-steel construction. It is responsible for a significant proportion of the weight reduction of up to 45 kilograms. Combined with significantly greater rigidity. Aerodynamic optimisation – including a wider, variably extending rear spoiler – enabled the new 911 Carrera’s lift to be reduced yet further while retaining a very good Cd value.

To complement the modern exterior design, the Porsche designers created an interior, the architecture of which takes its cue from the Porsche Carrera GT. The driver is now even more closely integrated with the cockpit thanks to the centre console rising up to the front with the high-mounted shift lever or gear selector located especially close to the steering wheel in typical motorsport fashion. Classic Porsche elements are also to be found inside, as they are on the outside: the instrument cluster with five round instruments – one of them a high resolution multifunction screen, the central rev counter and the ignition lock to the left of the steering wheel.

Setting the standard in its class, as it has for generations, the new 911 Carrera and Carrera S raise the performance and efficiency bar yet another notch. All versions get by with significantly less than ten litres of fuel per 100 kilometres (28 mpg imp.). Fuel consumption and emissions are up to 16 per cent lower compared with its predecessor. Among other things, this is achieved by systems and functions such as auto start/stop, thermal management, electrical system recuperation, the world’s first seven-speed manual transmission and – in conjunction with the Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) – sailing as it is called. The new electro-mechanical power steering offers not only Porsche’s typical precision and feedback but also helps to increase efficiency and reduce fuel-consumption.

For example, the 911 Carrera with the new 350 hp (~ 257 kW) 3.4-litre boxer engine and optional PDK consumes a mere 8.2 litres per 100 kilometres (~ 34 mpg imp.) based on the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) – 1.6 l/100 km (~ 6 mpg imp.) less than its predecessor. Also, at 194 g/km CO2, it is the first Porsche sports car to make it below the 200 g/km mark. With the 911 Carrera S as well, with its 3.8-litre boxer engine and what is now 400 hp (~ 294 kW), fuel consumption when paired with the optional PDK is reduced by 14 per cent or 1.5 l/100 km (~ 5 mpg imp.) to 8.7 l/100 km (~ 32 mpg imp.) despite 15 hp (~ 11 kW) more power. That equates to CO2 emissions of 205 g/km.

At the same time there are performance improvements in both models. The 911 Carrera S with PDK manages to accelerate from nought to 100 km/h (~ 62 mph) in 4.3 seconds. Pressing the Sport Plus button on the optional Sport Chrono package cuts that to 4.1 seconds. The 911 Carrera with PDK needs only 4.6 seconds (Sport Plus 4.4 seconds) to sprint from a standing start to 100 km/h (~ 62 mph).

The new 911 doesn’t just offer better longitudinal dynamics, however, but top performance at an unprecedented level in terms of transverse dynamics as well. In addition to the longer wheelbase, the greater agility, precision and driving stability are based, among other things, on the wider front track, the new rear axle and new electro-mechanical power steering. Depending on the model, there are other standard or optional active control systems available as well that further enhance the driving dynamics. That is especially true for the Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) active roll stabilisation system, available for the first time on the 911 Carrera S. For example, the system reduces lateral inclination when cornering, the tyres always being in the optimal position relative to the road surface and able to transmit higher lateral forces. Maximum cornering speeds are increased; even faster lap times on racing circuits are possible.

It has therefore been possible in the new model to extend yet further the span of apparently contradictory attributes such as performance and efficiency, sportiness and everyday practicality that has always typified the Porsche 911. That makes the 911 Carrera more of a 911 than ever. The new Porsche 911 Carrera celebrates its world premiere at the 2011 IAA Frankfurt Motor Show. The launch of the new 911 models gets under way on 3 December 2011, the new cars can be orderd from September 1st. Prices in Germany are 88,038 euro for the 911 Carrera and 102,436 euro for the 911 Carrera S, including 19 per cent VAT and market-specific equipment.

Can’t wait to see and drive this car!

[Source & Images: Porsche.com]

Here are a few stories from recent issues:

• Techart GT Street R – A review of the 670 hp monster
• 944 Turbo Barn Find – I LOVE the barn find stories, the finder bought this one sight unseen
• Ultimate Speedster – Covering a one of a kind 993 Speedster
• 2010/11 Porsche Resource Guide – A comprehensive directory of Porsche resources

Vincent, the editor of 9 Magazine, has generously offered up a couple of subscriptions and 9 Magazine t-shirts to a couple of lucky PorschePerfect.com readers. So we’re going to run an informal giveaway for the next few weeks.

For the next 10 days, to enter yourself in the free magazine/t-shirt giveaway, all you need to do is visit 9 Magazine at 9Magazine.com, then come back to this post and add your favorite story you found either on a 9 Magazine cover or from the stories covered on the site.

A winner will be randomly selected from those who leave a comment on this post with the title or description of their favorite 9 Magazine story. Our first winner will be chosen on August 19th.

This is going to take you all of 5 minutes to complete, unless of course you get caught up in the 9Magazine.com content like I have a tendency to do. So get on it!

Porsche 928 successor could be in the works – What do you think of a Porsche 929? Personally, I LOVE the idea. Maybe my wife will finally let me get one of these Grand Tourers. Thought to be part of the Panamera family, the 929 as many have taken to calling it would likely be a two door car with a front mounted engine. Sources for some sites indicate the car would be based on the second generation Panamera due out in 2014/15. I hope Porsche makes this variant. I’ve been dreaming about a Porsche 928 successor for a long time. [Source: NitroBahn.com]

Porsche working on ACC InnoDrive for future models – Expected to begin appearing on Porsche models in the next 3 years, ACC InnoDrive is an interesting accessory. It’s a second ECU that sits in the trunk with it’s purpose being to take over the vehicle pedals leaving only the steering to the driver. Like cruise control on steroids. The new ACC InnoDrive system learns the route a driver takes including speed limits, curves, elevation changes, etc. It takes this data and uses it to completely control the car’s pedals. Initial reviews by sites like Autoblog resulted in flawless performance. I love to see Porsche pushing the envelope of technology, but this seems more appropriate for something like a Toyota Prius. [Source & Image: DialyTech.com]

Yet ANOTHER new Porsche rumor, this time a Porsche 550 – Based on the the Volkswagen BlueSport, the Porsche 550 would be a sub-Boxster model. According to Auto Express, the car would carry a 1.6 liter turbocharged boxer F-4. Output would be around the 200 hp mark. A six-speed manual and/or Porsche seven-speed PDK transmission seems logical. 0 to 60 mph times would be in the 6 second range. Expected around 2014, it’ll be interesting to see if Porsche does indeed resurrect the 550 moniker for such a car. [Source: Auto Express]