I’m sure most of you have seen info and pictures on this car over the last week. This is too great of a car not to post up though, if for no other reason than the pics!

Last week, on Wednesday, Porsche announced the 2011 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS model. Available as both a coupe and cabriolet, it’s meant to narrow the gap a bit more performance wise between the 911 Carrera S and the 911 GT3.

Here are some of the specs:

• 408 hp with 310 lb ft of torque
• 0 to 60 mph in 4 seconds flat
• Top speed of 190 mph
• 6 speed manual transmission standard; 7 speed PDK optional
• Sport exhaust system with two dual-tipped tailpipes
• Alcantara covering for where the driver and passenger come in contact with interior surfaces, such as the rim of the steering wheel and gear and handbrake levers
• 19 inch center mount RS Spyder wheels

The 911 Carrera GTS will debut at the Paris Motor Show in a few weeks.

This is another car I love the looks of. I’ve always been a sucker for the wider hips on 911′s. Just this weekend, we were driving to breakfast and ended up following a late model 911 Carrera 4S. The pronounced rear end reminded me a lot (although it’s much more subtle) of the 911 Turbo from the 90′s. Modern, but mean looking.

The idea of performance coming closer to the 911 GT3…who doesn’t think that’s a good idea?! It could just be the color of the press photo cars, but I really like the look of the cabriolet model.

The interior looks ultra cool with the Alcantara wrapped surfaces. Every time I get in my buddy’s Caymen Design Edition, I’m reminded how much I love the Alcantara accented interiors. Feels very classy and special.

Here’s the full press release in case you want to read the details about the exterior treatment and other features.

ATLANTA – September 15, 2010 – With 408 horsepower (hp), outstanding vehicle dynamics and additional standard equipment, the new 2011 911 Carrera GTS ascends to the pinnacle of the Carrera model lineup. With 23 hp more than the 911 Carrera S, the new GTS – available as Coupe and Cabriolet – narrows the gap between the Carrera S and the 435 hp 911 GT3. The additional sportiness goes hand in hand with an economic advantage: thanks to Porsche Intelligent Performance, as the new sports car consumes no more fuel than the 911 Carrera S. It also provides comprehensive list of additional standard equipment. The 2011 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS will celebrate its world premiere at the Paris Motor Show in early October.

Athletic, Muscular Design Statement

Unique within the Carrera family, the 911 Carrera GTS combines the 44 millimeter wider Carrera 4 body of the AWD models, including a wider rear track and wheels, with rear-wheel drive. There are many more details which distinguish the appearance and technology of a GTS from other Carrera models, for instance, the GTS runs on 19-inch center-mount RS Spyder wheels, painted black, with high-gloss rim flanges and 305/30 R 19 tires on the rear axle.

Other visual features include the SportDesign front apron with black spoiler edge, special sideskirts, also in black, and the Carrera GTS logotype on doors and rear lid, in black or silver depending on the body color. The area between the two tailpipes in the rear is also black. In combination with the standard interior color “black Alcantara”, the center sections of the driver and passenger sport seats are covered with black Alcantara and the high-quality Alcantara is also used wherever driver and passenger come in direct contact with the interior, like on the rim of the new three-spoke SportDesign steering wheel and on the gear and handbrake levers.

More Power. Quicker Acceleration. Same Fuel Economy.

Detailed attention was paid to the intake and exhaust functions in the 3.8-liter flat-six engine that now delivers 408 hp: A special resonance intake manifold featuring six vacuum-controlled tuning flaps switch between power and torque-optimized geometry compared to the Carrera S power unit with only one tuning flap. This allows for increased torque in the mid-rev range. Maximum torque of 310 lb. ft. (420 Nm) is unchanged, but is available at 4,200 rpm; 200 rpm earlier when compared with the Carrera S. Additionally, a sport exhaust system with two dual-tipped tailpipes with their outer shells painted black with polished inner tubes comes standard.

The Carrera GTS comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission with the seven-speed Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) available. In comparison with the Carrera S, top track speed for manual transmission Coupe rises by two mph to 190 (306 km/h). Acceleration from zero to 60 is 4.0 seconds for the GTS Coupe with PDK and Sport Chrono Package Plus. And the new Carrera GTS will offer fuel economy of up to 19 mpg city / 27 mpg highway.

In the U.S., the 911 Carrera GTS Coupe and Cabriolet will be available beginning in early 2011 and MSRP will be $103,100 and $112,900 respectively.

About Porsche Cars North America, Inc

A wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche, Porsche Cars North America, Inc. and its 198 dealers offer U.S. customers some of the most technically advanced and high-performance vehicles in the world. Porsche is also synonymous with supreme quality and first-class customer treatment. A testament to this is the fact that Porsche has been ranked No.1 in J.D. Power and Associates’ prestigious Initial Quality Study (IQS) during four of the past five years. Also, Porsche is fully and publically committed to being a leader in significantly lowering emissions and saving fuel. The company’s guiding credo is “Porsche Intelligent Performance” and the goal is to prove that Porsche’s high performance and efficiency are not contradictory terms. A dramatic example of this is the highly-anticipated 918 Spyder — a super sports car that is also a planned plug-in hybrid. Of course this is nothing new for Porsche, which for 62 years has developed numerous technologies that have advanced vehicle performance, improved safety and spurred environmental innovations. Obviously, one expects such achievements from the most revered race car brand in the world — one that has accumulated more than 28,000 motorsport victories. Today, PCNA imports the cars that are the product of this great history, including the iconic 911 series, the renowned Boxster and Cayman mid-engine sports cars, the high-end Cayenne sport utility vehicles and the four-passenger Panamera Gran Turismo cars.

[Source & Images: Press.Porsche.com]

Today is a beautiful day in Porsche-land. Porsche officially announced a brand new Speedster to the lineup for 2011. Only the fourth car to bear the Speedster name, the 2011 Porsche 911 Carrera Speedster will make its debut at the Paris Motor Show next month. And I can’t WAIT!

I’ve long loved the Speedster designated models. From the original 356 Speedster created in 1953 to the 1988 model and 1993/94 version. I still remember when Porsche announced the 1988 model and my first actual sighting of one in 1989. I would love to have the opportunity to own one of those some day.

The original 1953 model was launched for the sports car purists who wanted to up the performance ante. Here’s a picture from Porsche of the original Speedster:

Porsche has continued the tradition sporadically through the years, keeping the mystique alive and preserving the rarity of the cars bearing this distinction.

Here are some of the details from the Porsche press release:

• 2 seat roadster style (of course!)
• 2.36″ lower, more raked windshield
• Speedster double bubble hardcover over the manual top
• Wider body
• 7 speed PDK transmission
• Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM)
• Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB)
• 3.8-liter flat six producing 408 hp
• 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds
• Top speed of 190 mph

The press release also indicated pretty much every option from the 911 series would be included in addition to some specialized features such as interior touches and exterior paint. The exterior color, by the way, is a special one called “Pure Blue” and was developed exclusively for the Speedster.

There will only be 356 Speedsters produced in this run (call me crazy, but for some reason I LOVE that they settled on 356) with around 100 making their way into the U.S. through official channels. MSRP is set at $204,000.

I just showed my wife a picture of this car and her exact words were, “Dang! I want one of those.” Could the 2011 Porsche Speedster be in my future?! (yeah, probably not, but it’s still fun to dream)

[Source & Images: Press.Porsche.com]

This is a great video with a semi-detailed description of the features of the new Porsche 911 GT2 RS. There’s some good driving footage with an interesting perspective camera mounted on the roof of the car. That’s one heck of a tight track.

Every time I come across a video like this, it makes me want a Porsche Cayenne Turbo. Some day I’m going to own one of those. At least for a short period. See for myself if it lives up to all the hype of reviewers and owners.

This video is an interesting pairing of a Porsche Cayenne Turbo against a Porsche 911 Carrera 4S. Track times are surprisingly close.

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]

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]

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.

The first is a bastardized Porsche Cayenne. A reader on Jalopnik.com came across an older Asian man that was literally supergluing fake rhinestones onto his Porsche Cayenne in the parking lot of a store. He had already added reflective tape, thermometers, compasses, pins, badges and lights as part of his customization treatment.

Add it to the long list of sad things people have done to Porsches over the years.

[Source & Images: Jalopnik.com]

2011 911 GT3 RS – Smokey and the Bandit Edition

I’m not sure what to think about this customized Porsche 911 GT3 RS. It’s a Smokey and the Bandit version styled after the 1977 Pontiac Trans Am from the movie. Great movie, especially for a car nut, but this rendition just doesn’t sit quite right.

Maybe the person who owns this is an avid fan and is pushing for a remake of the movie with a Porsche as the star car.

[Source & Image: RideLust.com]

Panamera Race Car

N.Technology has decided that given how well received the Porsche Panamera has been, it should also do well on the track. They’ve focused on the Porsche Panamera S and have made what appear to be extensive modifications, at least to the exterior, to make it race ready. It’s already 1212 pounds lighter than a stock Panamera.

Here’s a quote from the driver, Fabrizio Giovanardi: “We are very pleased with the work today, a really good way to start the development of the Porsche Panamera S! My first impressions on the car are positive, even this has been the first real check on the track. Thanks to today´s activities, engineers have now a good amount of data available to better prepare the next testing sessions. We expect to debut in the Championship at Mugello (July 25) and continue to better development in the coming weeks.”

Given all the room in the back of the Panamera, maybe they should sell rear passenger seat time for the race. They could fund their entry with the proceeds.

[Source & Image: N.Technology.it]

I’m somewhat ashamed to admit that I have a bit of a love affair with the American Express Centurion Card or Black Card as many call it. It’s a special, invitation only, version of the American Express card that is reserved for big spenders and the financial elite of the world (definitely a category I don’t fit into). A couple of years back when I found out about the Black Card from a buddy of mine who was issued one by the company he worked for, I started a qwest to get one.

As it turns out, it’s really not that hard for a business to get the card. In fact, at one point, I had an American Express representative from the Centurion Card “department” on the phone offering me a Black Card. At the time, you had to spend somewhere in the neighborhood of $150,000 to $200,000 a year on your American Express. If you met that requirement, all you had to do was pony up the $2,500 for the annual fee. That’s the point where my Black Card journey stopped and the dream continued on. There’s no way I was going to spend that much for a Black Card.

Of course the Black Card comes with a lot of perks and actually begins to make sense if you travel much. One of the perks for those living in Hong Kong is a special Porsche 911 Carrera S Centurion Edition. If you’re a Centurion Card holder or member, you can order one of three of the special edition cars for just $210,000. Here are some of the features:

• Interior finished in black leather, Alcantara and genuine carbon fiber
• A “Carrera S Centurion Edition No.1 of 3″ badge on both front door panels and outer door-sill guards in stainless steel “Centurion From American Express” logo
• Special edition 19″ wheels
• Direct Fuel Injection (DFI) and VarioCam Plus in a 3.8 liter boxer engine delivering 385hp at 6,500rpm
• Seven-speed, paddle-operated automatic double-clutch gearbox, Porsche-Doppelkupplung (PDK)
• 0 to 62 mph in just 4.3 seconds
• Top speed of 186 mph

This reminds me a lot of my buddy’s Porsche Cayman S Design Edition we drove back from San Diego, CA earlier this year. I wonder how quickly the 3 cars will get snatched up?

[Via GTSpirit.com]

This is actually the first part of the video I posted last week. This one was sent in by Lyndon, also one of our PorschePerfect.com readers, a few months ago. A few years old, but some decent footage in a couple of different Porsche 911s. Thanks Lyndon!