Porsche

Porsche yesterday announced it plans to invest $200 million in its research and development center in Weissach, Germany.

The investment will include building an advanced wind tunnel, a state-of-the-art design center, and an innovative electronics integration center. Porsche is also planning to add about 100 new jobs once the renovation is completed. The center currently employs about 3,000 people.

"The new system will help us to maintain Porsche's top position in the fields of aerodynamics and design and to further extend our lead. Outstanding design with optimal aerodynamic efficiency have always been classic Porsche strongholds," says … Read more

If Facebook were a country, it would be the third most populated in the world (behind China and India). Of its 5 billion users, 1 million have become "fans" of Porsche. Now, Porsche says, these fans are in for a treat.

To celebrate the landmark number of Facebook fans, Porsche is letting those fans include their names on a special model that will be on display at the Porsche Museum Stuttgart, Germany. Fans have until December 31, 2010, to opt in on the offer. The car, with all the names, will be shown in February 2011.

"Although … Read more

To enhance the driving experience, Porsche is looking at the driver. This video gives an overview of how experts at the Porsche Human Performance Centre, in Northamptonshire, England, use exercise and nutritional plans to improve driver performance.

Drivers of any level are evaluated by Porsche's team of experts, and programs are devised to develop strength and improve flexibility.

Whether it's testing hand-eye coordination and endurance on a BATAK board or testing drivers in a battery of exercises, the experts at Porsche can get any level of driver into peak shape.

Updated with video after the jump.

The 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show coincides with Porsche's celebration of 60 years in the U.S. market. Drawing a line back to its first racing vehicle ever built, the midengined 1938 Type 65, Porsche unveiled the 2012 Porsche Cayman R: a lighter, stronger, faster version of the highly praised Cayman S.

The Cayman R drops 121 pounds of bulk versus the S thanks to a diet that includes the omission of the infotainment system, lighter aluminum door skins, carbon-fiber-backed sport bucket seats, and interior door panels from the 911 GT3 RS. In … Read more

Automakers started using the term crossover this decade referring to vehicles that combined the comfortable ride of a car and the carrying capacity of an SUV. But Porsche's idea seems to have been to combine SUV qualities with the handling of a sports car. The new Cayenne S uses an array of handling and stability technology to attack turns with almost the aggressiveness of a 911.

The 2011 Cayenne S sees some important tech updates, such as the inclusion of torque vectoring on the all-wheel-drive system, putting a little more twist on the outside wheel when cornering, and some … Read more

Correction: We incorrectly reported that the Consumer Reports survey predicted the 2011 Chrysler Town & Country would rank as the least reliable car. In fact, Consumer Reports predicts that the 2011 Audi A6 3.0T will be the least reliable car for that model year. Chrysler brand vehicle are predicted to be the least reliable overall. We have changed the photo at the top of this blog to reflect our correction.

Consumer Reports published predictions for reliability of 2011 vehicle models based on what car owners told it of previous model year performance. Consumer Reports' survey asked 1.3 million … Read more

Porsche yesterday announced it has sold out of the 911 GT2 RS; the German auto-makers fastest sports car to date.

The limited-edition 911 GT2 RS, which has a twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter flat-six and delivers 620-horsepower, has sold out in just two months. Since its introduction at the Moscow Auto Show, Porsche secured 500 preorders. The units are scheduled to be delivered to owners in February, 2011, Porsche said in a press release.

Also sold out is the special edition 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible featured in this year's Neiman Marcus Christmas Book. Limited to 100 units, the $75,000 car … Read more

With a mix of new models and concept cars at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, automakers showed off some fine sleds. We found a lot of cars we wanted to jump in and drive away right there on the show floor. Being a European show, names such as Jaguar, Lotus, Audi, and BMW stood center stage with drool-worthy vehicles.

Some of the cars touched an aesthetic nerve, works of automotive sculpture such as the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento. The Ford Focus ST looked like affordable fun, and had us eager for the U.S. launch. While the Jaguar C-X75 tweaked our … Read more

As one of the major auto shows in Europe, the Paris Motor Show plays host to many new car launches. But some of the makers do not export to the U.S., and those that do often show European-only new models. But new cars on their way to the U.S. come from the likes of BMW, Porsche, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz.

We found an impressive amount of luxury and tech in this set of six new cars. Most are updates to existing vehicles, such as the BMW X3, Mercedes-Benz CLS, and Volvo V60. Then there is the special-edition Porsche 911 … Read more