XM radio has been offered on the Porsche Cayenne since 2005. Porsche recently said that it will start offering XM’s award winning NavTraffic service as a factory-installed feature on all 2009 Porsche 911 models. Porsche has now announced that the XM NavTraffic will be available on the 2009 Cayenne SUVs as well.

Powered by NAVTEQ, XM NavTraffic offers coast-to-coast updates every minute with real-time traffic service.

The 2009 Porsche Cayenne will go on sale next month with prices starting at $45,495. The 2009 Cayenne S will start at $60,295 while the GTS starts at $71,795. The Cayenne Turbo and Turbo S start at $98,595 and $124,495 respectively.

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There is no doubt that Jeremy Clarkson is a big fan of the Audi R8. After taking it for a spin on Top Gear, Clarkson even wrote in his review of the car for TimesOnline that he likes R8 more than the Lamborghini Gallardo even though the Gallardo is louder and harder.

Following that, Clarkson and Hammond put the Audi R8 up against the Porsche Carrera S.

We’ve now found this video of from Clarkson’s Supercar Showdown DVD comparing the Audi R8 to the Porsche 911 GT3. Check out Sabine Schmitz, queen of the Nurburgring, as she takes on Top Gear’s Stig. Here we go Stigyyy.

About Cars:

• Audi R8: 4.2L FSI V8 engine that produces 420 horsepower. 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds.
• Porsche 911 GT3: 3.6L producing 415-hp. 0-60 comes in 4.1 seconds.

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The 2008 Porsche Boxster RS 60 Spyder made its U.S. debut in April at the 2008 New York Auto Show. We were lucky enough to be invited out by Porsche last week to take the new Boxster RS 60 Spyder, which pays tribute to the 1960 Type 718 RS 60 Spyder, around the Barber Motorsports Park track in Birmingham, Alabama.

Only 1,960 units of the 2008 Boxster RS 60 Spyder will be built; which coincides with the 1960 12-Hours of Sebring won by the 550 Spyder Type 718 RS 60. However, only 800 of those will make it over to the U.S. with prices starting at $64,900. Now you’re probably wondering if the extra $9,200 over the Boxster S (which starts at $55,700) is worth the ‘R’, ‘60′ and the ‘Spyder’ badging on the back.

Well on the outside you get the GT Silver Metallic paint work, a red convertible top, 19-inch alloy wheels and umm - that’s about it. On the inside, you pay for the beautiful Carrera Red leather interior (which we couldn’t get enough of) along with a plaque on the dashboard that reminds you that you own one of 1,960 limited edition models. Other than that you get a ‘RS 60 Spyder’ kick plate, body color paint work on the rear seat and a $700 sexy gear-shift knob that reminded us of Iron Man.

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Like the predecessor the new GTstreet edition centers on a powerful engine: The 3.6-liter twin-turbo flat engine is modified by the TechArt engine specialists and now develops 630 hp / 463 kW at 6,800 rpm, up from standard 480 hp / 353 kW. Peak torque increases from 620 Nm to 820 Nm at 4,500 rpm.

Thus equipped the TechArt GTstreet delivers performance that firmly places it among the world's fastest sports cars: 0 – 100 km/h in just 3.2 seconds, 200 km/h after just 10.9 seconds and a top speed of 345 km/h speak volumes.

The body kit for the TechArt GTstreet was created in the wind tunnel, and offers an optimal symbiosis of aerodynamic downforce, minimized drag and striking design.

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Production of the Porsche 911 has been suspended after a gas explosion in the paint shop of Porsche’s main factory in Zuffenhausen, Stuttgart. Porsche says that gas leaking from a PVC oven ignited leading to the explosion. Full details are not clear as of yet.

There were no deaths reported, although two workers suffered minor injuries and were taken to the hospital. Both were released later. Some sections of the production line where the 911 is assembled are under water after the sprinkler system went off.

Porsche is saying that production of the 911 will be halted for at least two to three days until the damage can be repaired. The 911 production line churns out around 160 units a day.

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Porsche will be airing a new TV commercial later this month during the NFL playoffs showing off the new Cayenne GTS. Called the “Call of the Wild,” the commercial shows the GTS radiating through the standard sport exhaust, calling out to other Porsche family members.

The Porsche Cayenne GTS is powered by a 4.8 liter V8 direct injection engine that produces 405 horsepower giving it the ability to do 0-62 mph in 6.1 seconds.

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The Boxster RS 60 Spyder is a special edition Porsche, designed to celebrate Stuggart’s racers from the 1960s. But we’re quite upset to learn it’s no homologation-special like the GT3 RS.

Based on a Boxster S the obvious changes are a new front spoiler and 19-inch wheels, which look even more purposeful thanks to spacer plates. A sports exhaust lifts power from 295 to 303bhp, while PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management) is also fitted.

Porsche natters on in the press release about the 1960 Type 718 RS 60 Spyder but in truth, the Boxster gets nowhere near recreating that car’s beauty. (It was the same with the previous generation Boxster’s 550 Spyder special edition).
Other fancy fripperies on the RS 60 include red taillights, special silver paint, lots of leather, and a glove box-mounted commemorative plaque, which tells you you own one of just 1960 cars.

The RS 60 Spyder will be unveiled at the Bologna Motor Show next week, before it goes on sale in the UK from March 2008, priced at £45,400. That actually makes it good value compared to the standard S, considering all the extras you get, except of course the fact that a face lifted Boxster is just around the corner.

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This is a more sports-biased version of Porsche’s SUV supercar that seems to wind up just about everyone with an opinion, yet sells jolly nicely. Porsche also justifies the Cayenne’s existence by reminding us that it funds the cars that we all get in a froth about like the GT3, GT3 RS, and GT2. Indeed during the press conference at the GTS’s launch in Portugal, the Cayenne was candidly described as a 'cash cow'. In fact, Porsche today announced that its pre-tax profits for 2006/07 were €5.9 billion, up from €2.1 billion the previous year.

The boys in Stuttgart reckon that there’s a niche between the Cayenne S and the Turbo - and the GTS is it. Porsche have seen how successful the Range Rover Sport has been and they want a slice of the action, plus everyone knows that these leviathans spend more time on the road than on the rough, so why not just give the punters what Porsche reckons they want?

Turbo-look body kit, 21-inch alloys and low profile tires. They want it lowered with Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), or the option of Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC). They want an extra 20bhp from the 4.8-litre V8 and a standard six-speed gearbox with shorter ratios. They want to hear the world-ending thunder from the engine so they also want a sports exhaust. Oh, and they want individual sports seats front and back and some new colors, which include a tasteful GTS Red and a very bling Nordic Gold.No one in London will buy it thanks to mayor Ken's Congestion Charge. That leaves footballers, people in Cheshire, lots of Americans and it’s bound to go down a bundle in the Middle East and emerging Far East markets.

The Porschephiles that love to rant about the Cayenne have rarely driven one, but if they ever do they'll find it hard not to laugh their heads off every time they prod the throttle. You might not like it to look at, but you'll love the drive.

Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) box, which is a long-winded way of saying air suspension. Keep it in comfort mode and you’ll be amazed at how it can both smooth out the worst roads and keep something that is the size of a shed flat and level through the corners.
The road bias works well and there’s no doubt that Porsche has added a dash of sport to the mix. Oh, and that V8 is just to die for. A wonderful burble character, and oodles of performance to boot.

That 20bhp hike over the standard engine gives the GTS 400bhp, which should be enough. It’s certainly enough to hurtle it to 60mph in 6.1 seconds and send it over the horizon at 157mph (6.5 sec and 156mph respectively for the Tiptronic).

Torque is a given with such capacity and eight cylinders, and the GTS thumps in with 369lb ft at 3500rpm. Price? £54,000 before you start loading on the options. It’s true to say that the world doesn’t need a Porsche Cayenne GTS, and it’s easy to question the point of it. But then you can level that at any Cayenne if you want to. But if the road is your domain and a premium SUV is your thing, then the Cayenne GTS is hard to beat when it comes to the feat of giving two tons of metal an added sporting edge, especially if don't want to splurge £74,650 on a Turbo.

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As for what it's for, it's simply for making you smile more than any other 911 on sale. This is as good as 911s get, well modern ones anyway, combining track day ability with the sort of comfort and refinement levels needed to make it a usable everyday car.

How come the GT3 has a 3.6 flat six and the cheaper Carrera S gets a 3.8? Before you start getting disappointed, take a look at the figures: without any form of forced induction the GT3 produces a massive 409bhp – nearly as much as the old 996 Turbo – and the bigger Carrera S just 355bhp.

In fact there’s more to it than an extra 200cc. The two engines are substantially different, the GT3’s being able to trace its ancestry to the power unit that took Porsche’s GT1 racer to victory at Le Mans in 1998. It revs to 8400rpm, sounds absolutely magical and, though it doesn’t have the gut-bruising punch of the Turbo in the mid-range, is still fearsomely fast thanks to six closely-stacked ratios. Zero to 62mph takes 4.3sec, a good half second less than the S needs, 100mph 8.7sec and the GT3 eventually cracks 192mph.
By previous standards this GT3 is a pussycat. Its variable-rate steering and throttle have almost telepathic links to the engine. The brakes, even those with ceramic discs, work well at temperature. The electronics thankfully work as enhancers, not as inhibitors, and the chassis is as communicative as things in a track day special.

Sport mode stiffens the PASM active suspension from firm but pliant to too firm for road use as well as sharpening the throttle response, raising the entry point for the traction control (full PSM stability control is not available). It also frees up an extra 15bhp between 3000rpm and 4250rpm by reducing exhaust back pressure.

Grip is massive, but in typical 911 fashion the front can wash away on tighter corners if you’re sloppy with the controls. In most situations, even with traction control on, the rear stays in check. But if you’ve got enough room and keep your foot planted, or lift off the throttle going into a corner, the back will let go too. Which needn’t be the end of the world: you’ll need a steady hand and a steadier nerve but with a little practice you can slide the GT3 around easily. Compared to the last GT3, and more so the original which came before it, the new car is much less of handful and ultimately much quicker point to point. Compared with the Turbo, the GT3 is more involving, more characterful. Basically more fun.

You get even more rear-end grip and traction because of the RS’s wider track, better throttle response because of its lighter single-mass flywheel, and something that looks like it's burst straight from the race track and onto the road. It's still surprisingly refined too, but the stock GT3, which can do 90 per cent of the RS's tricks, is barely slower against the clock and better value.

Subjectively though, the RS's visual presence and the fact that it carries the famous Renn Sport badge and is a genuine homologation car will be enough to have plenty of people digging deeper into their pockets.

Barely less habitable than a standard 911’s, particularly if you opt for the comfort spec rather than buckets-and-cage Clubsport, a no-cost option.
There’s a lovely suede-rimmed wheel, yellow graphics on the dials and the choice of sensible options like air conditioning and sat nav. Don’t scoff – we’d have both and you’ll find a GT3 sells more swiftly at the other end if you do the same.

A recap on the other 911s might be handy. First there’s the road-biased Carreras. The £60,810 base car, the 3.6-litre Carrera with 325bhp and the £67,860 Carrera S which gets an extra 200cc and 30bhp. You can have four-wheel drive with either engine, in which case you also get 44mm wider rear arches.

At the other end of the scale there’s the 480bhp Turbo, also with four-wheel drive and the big arches as well as a £97,840 price tag.

The Turbo is faster, the RS more extreme. But both are vastly more expensive and neither blends the twin strengths of road and track ability better than the GT3. As usable as a Carrera, and more satisfying than the slightly anodyne Turbo, it’s the best 911 you can buy and great value.

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We've been spotting that old scoop favorite, the new Panamera super saloon, again. And it seems that Stuttgart's stylists are experimenting with a further evolution of Porsche's family face.

This artist's impression strips away the disguise from the latest spy shots, and we can see that a new ellipsoidal lens design is planned for the Panamera. Beneath the tear-shaped main headlamps lies a pair of LED day running lights (like on the 911 Turbo) incorporating the indicators.

It also appears that the Panamera will get a pair of Jaguar-style gills just aft of the front wheel arches. With Porsche's focus on engineering purity above posing, you'd hope these are functioning to cool the front-engined V8 engines, rather than merely showing off.

Prepare for more spy shots yet. The finished article won't be seen until 2009, when the four-seater will land in showrooms to compete with the sportier luxury saloons on sale. We're talking about the Quattroporte, XJR and upper-echelon 7-series, A8s and S-classes. Not to mention the forthcoming Aston Martin Rapide, the first four-door from Gaydon for generations.
Expect a concept car at one of the major shows in 2008. As the Panamera is such a different proposition from its existing sports cars, Porsche is unlikely to be shy building up its imposing newcomer. And you won't miss it: at nearly five meters long, it's a full-size saloon.

The aero aid at the rear will be a pop-up item. Like the spoiler on the Cayenne and 911, it will rise up at motorway velocities to assist high-speed stability, dropping down discreetly once you're pottering around town. This will either help you avoid the largess of rally-spec Subaru Imprezas, or bring your attention to speed-watching policemen, depending on your point of view.

The shape of the rear lights is now apparent too. This artist's impression is based on the latest information, revealing wraparound rear lenses with detailing that suggets the back lamps will use LED lights.

• Two exhaust pipes... this looks like a lower-spec Panamera

Yes, we've seen a mix of different exhaust counts on numerous spy photos of the Panamera, developed under the G1 codename. Two rear-drive cars will be available at launch: those with four pipes are understood to be the 500bhp turbocharged 4.8-litre V8; twin pipes (above) are assigned to the naturally aspirated V8, developing a lazier 400 ponies.
The Panamera will need all that power, mind you. It's expected to weigh a chunky 1800kg, so plenty of twisting power will be needed to achieve the Turbo's target of 190mph and 0-62mph in 4.2sec.

In 2010, Porsche will extend the Panamera family with a smaller engined 300bhp 3.6 V6 and four-wheel drive versions will be launched too. Then in 2011, we can expect to see the 175mph hybrid Panamera, using much of the battery powered know-how from the recently confirmed Cayenne Hybrid.

• Ah, that's better. I prefer the Panamera with the spoiler down

Yes, it looks more subtle, doesn't it? And under that sloping tailgate (this is really a five-door, rather than a four-door) lies a boot that's said to carry 475 litres of luggage, more if you tumble the rear seats forwards. There's plenty of passenger space for four adults, too.

What will the Panamera be like to drive? Its suspension and brakes, and some of the body structure, are related to the Cayenne, but there is sufficient difference to give the saloon a character all of its own, say engineers working on the project.

Besides, there are plenty of technical innovations which should set the saloon apart from the bulky off-roader. Four-wheel drive versions come a year or two after launch, seven-speed dual-clutch transmissions are being developed by ZF, while composite brakes will be available and Porsche is also working on active dampers.

It's shaping up to be one of the most intriguing cars of the next 24 months.

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Another yawn worthy 911? Or a yee-hah one? Definitely the latter. 911 Turbo not hard enough? Then how about removing the four-wheel drive, sir? Want to smash the magical 200mph barrier? Soak in the GT2's 204mph v-max and quake in your boots. Oh, and it has semi-slick Cup tires too. Make no mistake, the GT2 isn't for fools.

You won't miss the GT2, either. Beside the Turbo's LED look-at-me lights sit new extra-large air intakes to cool the brakes, a re profiled spoiler, rear diffuser and sills. It's a lesson in Teutonic purposefulness.

• Enough cosmetics, does it drive as hard as it looks?

Inevitably, the answer is yes. The explosiveness of the package is matched by an explosion of the senses. The minute you start driving the GT2, it comes alive. Turn-in is instant and the wheel jitters with feel and road detail, letting you know exactly what's what. This much power in a physics-defying 911 is a lesson in trepidation and a test of the nerves.

Why? Well, the noise is intense for starters, but it's mainly because you are always - and I mean always - aware that the rear wheels are doing the work and that blown flat six is only a mistimed prod away from wreaking carnage with those shaved Cup tyres.

• So it's a bit of a handful then?

You could say that. Those bald-as-a-coot Pirellis are fine in the dry, sticky and secure, but the moment the heavens open (and they do that rather a lot in the UK, in case you'd forgotten), so does your mouth. Water-skiers might enjoy the sensation of carving across puddles, but we don't.
And did we mention just how fast the GT2 was? A muscular 523bhp propelling 1440kg of 911 is never going to be tardy, but the sheer visceral blast of the flat six is something else. It demolishes the 62mph benchmark in a frankly suicidal 3.7sec - the same as the regular Turbo Tiptronic - but by the upper reaches of 185mph, it's eight seconds faster.

Whoever at Porsche calculates such things must have had a right old laugh the day they worked that out. We can't imagine many customers testing that particular statistic...

• 'Wheelspin in second gear'

And the rest. During our damp test, the GT2 spun its rear wheels in the first two gears anywhere up to 4500rpm, the rubber playing second fiddle to a monstrous 501lb ft of shove. There is a limited slip diff to help channel all those forces into forward motion though.

And the flat six loves to rev. There's a new gearshift indicator on the GT2, flashing a red arrow at 6000rpm to give you just enough warning to change up before hitting the limiter if you're really pushing on. And it's only at the top end that this motor feels ferociously fast, as opposed to merely oh-my-gawd rapid. Thank the extra boost the GT2 runs.

At 1440kg, the GT2 is 145kg lighter than the Turbo, and only 45kg more than the lightweight GT3. As well as the lack of bulky 4wd hardware, a glass-reinforced plastic engine cover, titanium exhaust system and standard Porsche Carbon Composite Brakes (PCCB) complete the diet. The brakes alone are 50 percent lighter than equally-sized steel discs, Porsche claim.

• So you're telling me the new GT2 is basically £30k more than a Turbo, and scarier?

That's what this boils down to. The GT2 will cost £131,070, so it's no bargain. But what did you expect? Is it worth that premium over the accomplished Turbo? That's open to debate. For the buyer who has to have the ultimate, the collector who loves Porsches, they will merely write the cheque before they've even got this far through CAR's review.
Many will dismiss the GT2 as a rich man's plaything, and there's little doubt that on paper this is the case. Edgy handling and red-alert dynamics don't make everyday driving an appealing prospect. And yet... for the driver who appreciates the rear-drive sharpness, the thrills of driving a potent device like the GT2, it will be worth the cost just for the uncompromising, sharp, undiluted thrill of the challenge.

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Porsche never seems to stop fettling the 911 and although it’s only been just more a year since we drove the Turbo, Porsche is already working on a facelift.

As with most updates these days there’ll be more power, more torque, better fuel consumption, and lower emissions. But the biggest news is that the Turbo should finally have Porsche's new twin-clutch gearbox. Unfortunately, you’ll get none of this until 2009.

• More power and torque, but greener too… how come?

Three reasons. To start with the Turbo will be the first of Porsche’s sports car to get direct injection. Having already made an appearance on the Cayenne, the Turbo should benefit from a ten percent cut in emissions and ten percent better fuel consumption. The 3.6-liter turbocharged flat six should also get a power increase to just shy of 500bhp.

Porsche will also tweak the VTG (Variable Turbine Geometry) system. And finally there’s a strong possibility that the Turbo will inherit the GT2’s ‘expansion intake manifold’. Longer intake pipes mean cooler air enters the engine. The air is less dense but by upping the boost pressure the volume of air entering the engine remains the same. However, lower temperatures bring more efficient combustion. So it’s cleaner and more powerful - the holy grail of sports car makers at present.

• What about changes we can see?

Porsche is continuing its evolutionary styling with the facelifted 911 Turbo. The only obvious changes are at the rear with curvier lights. This is in line with tweaks being made to all of Porsche’s sports cars, from 911 to Cayman, via Boxster.
The other changes are a tidier rear bumper and exhaust outlet giving the Turbo’s rear a more cohesive look.

• Anything else new on the 911?

We know Porsche is working on a DSG-style gearbox. It’s been a long time coming, but the twin-clutch gearbox should appear on this revised Turbo, confirming the car as Porsche’s technical showcase.

Porsche is also working on stop/start technology for all its cars, as previewed by the Cayenne Hybrid. Unfortunately, it’s not a priority as the aforementioned engine tweaks can make more of an impact on fuel consumption and emissions figures, engineering sources tell us, and it’s cheaper too.
Don’t expect this facelifted 911 Turbo to appear until 2009 at the earliest, probably at the Geneva Motor Show.

• What else is coming from Porsche?

The message is: greener, cleaner cars. Oh, and a stocking great super saloon. Chairman Wendelin Wiedeking spent the whole Porsche press conference at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show telling the world’s assembled journalists how clean and green Porsche is going to be over the coming years.

Wiedeking also announced record sales and turnover in the 2006-07 financial year. It sold 97,515 vehicles - and a record 37,415 of them were 911s, making it the most popular model ahead of the Cayenne. It wasn't all good news though; US sales dipped ten percent.

All helped no doubt by the Panamera, which will appear with V8 and turbocharged V8 power in mid-2009. But fret not, because they’ll also be V6 and V6 hybrid versions.

Words: Ben Pulman

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