Car Sport 2011: Porsche Boxster

Showing posts with label Porsche Boxster. Show all posts

10/27/10

Porsche is Reducing Fuel Consumption with every New Model it Introduces

No manufacturer, not even performance orientated Porsche, can ignore the "green wave" that has hit the automotive industry. With hybrids and EVs becoming increasingly popular, it's clear that sports cars have to step it up a notch.

It doesn't really matter to pencil-pushing government officials that, in the real world, high performance vehicles aren't driven as much, so, in the overall scheme of things, they actually pollute a lot less than your suburban folk's Prius. They just want to see numbers.

So, Porsche is going greener with each new model it is launching, the Cayenne being the vanguard of this effort. The Germans achieved significant fuel savings in the New European Driving Cycle (or NEDC), ranging from 13 to 23% for all available model series in comparison with their predecessors. This means all Porsches using naturally aspirated engines consume 0.5 to 0.6 less liters of fuel per 100 km.

The Stuttgart firm's engineers achieved this by switching over to direct fuel injection and adopting newer transmissions like the PDK dual-clutch auto and the Tiptronic S eight-speed automatic. Other measures taken to make Porsche as green as ever are massive weight savings (i.e. 185 kg/408 lbs for the new Cayenne Turbo) - and we'll be seeing more of that in future models.

The 911 Carrera with PDK consumes only 9.8 lt/100 km (24 US mpg), while the Boxster S and the Cayman S do with 9.4 liters per 100km (25 US mpg).

The Cayenne is even more frugal, with the Cayenne S Hybrid really shining on this task. Good for a total output of 380 hp (283 kW), Porsche's hybrid is almost as powerful as the previous generation Cayenne S (385 hp/287 kW), yet it returns a combined 8.2 lt/100 km (28.7 US mpg) representing a 40% gain in fuel economy with CO2 emissions of 200 g/km. Wealthy tree-huggers rejoice.

By Csaba Daradics

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VIDEO: 2012 Porsche Boxster Spied During Winter Testing

Porsche engineers were caught on film recently testing the next generation of the Boxster roadster that is due to be revealed at a major international motor show sometime next year.

Just like the upcoming successor to today's 911 (see the spy shots here), the Boxster prototype looks no different from the current model, but that shouldn't come to as a surprise to Porschephiles that are used to the company's evolutionary approach to design.

The new Boxster will share many parts with the next 911 while the German engineers will most likely try to further reduce the car's weight to improve handling as well as to boost fuel efficiency.

The engine line-up and transmissions including a six-speed manual and seven-speed dual clutch PDK will be carried over with minor changes from the current model.

There have been rumors circulating around the net that Porsche may also introduce a smaller displacement yet powerful four-cylinder engine, however, this has not been confirmed.

Sales of the next generation Boxster will most likely start towards the end of 2011 or early 2012.

Video: Youtube / AMS

Porsche Releases Four New Option Packages for Boxster and Cayman

Porsche is offering (at least in Europe) buyers a new choice of individualization options for the Boxster roadster and Cayman coupe with the release of two equipment (Comfort and Infotainment) and two design packages (Design and Design Sport) that add a host of bits and bobbles to the two cars.

Starting with the Comfort Package, it includes climate control, bi-xenon headlights with dynamic cornering lights, cruise control, rain sensor and an embossed Porsche crest on the headrests. The package also adds a wind-deflector on the Boxster and Boxster S models.

As the name suggests, the Infotainment pack gets you the Porsche Communication Management (PCM) system and the Sound Package Plus with seven speakers (185 watt) on the Boxster and nine on the Cayman (235 watt) as well as a CD changer and Bluetooth mobile phone preparation.

The entry-level design package enhances the sporty looks of the Boxster and Cayman with black-colored 19-inch alloy wheels and several interior and exterior features finished in black including the tailpipes, window surrounds, air vents, mirrors, cabin trim and in the case of the Boxster models, the roll bars also.

The Design Sport package adds Porsche's aero kit that includes a front lip spoiler and a modified rear spoiler.

VIDEO: Porsche's New 320HP Boxster Spyder

Get a taste of Porsche's lightest and quickest version of the Boxster to date in this official video that contains both driving and static footage of the new model. Dubbed the Boxster Spyder, it does away with the standard model's folding roof and is powered by a tweaked 3.4-liter boxer engine producing 320 horsepower, enough to propel the 1,275 kg (2,810 lbs) sports car from standstill to 100km/h (62mph) in just 4.8 seconds.

The new Porsche, which made its world debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show this week, will enter the market in February 2010 as the third version in the Boxster range, after the Boxster and Boxster S models.

VIDEO: Meet the New Porsche Boxster Spyder

Here's the first official video of the newest member of the Porsche Boxster family, the Spyder (click here for details and photos), that was revealed ahead of its world debut at the Los Angeles Motor Show in December. Weighing in at just 1,275 kg or 2,811 lb, the Spyder is the lightest model through-out the entire range of Porsche cars. Power comes from upgraded version of the 3.4-liter boxer six-cylinder engine used in the Boxster S, tuned to deliver 320 horsepower. Make the jump to watch Stuttgart's latest achievement in action.

Porsche Boxster Spyder: New Lightweight Model Unveiled Ahead of LA Auto Show

Porsche has released the first photos of a new, lightweight version of it mid-engined Boxster roadster called the Spyder that is scheduled to make its world debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show in December. Following a similar formula to the iconic 550 Spyder of the 1950s, the new model replaces the standard Boxster's retractable soft-top and all its associated mechanics with a simple and lightweight rag top that hooks up onto the windshield and the rear end of the car providing basic protection from the elements of nature.

The Spyder also gets a new 'double bubble' rear deck while other cosmetic tweaks include the re-trimmed front bumper and side air-vents, the new alloy wheel design and the larger fixed rear spoiler.

Almost everything about the third model in the Boxster family after the standard and 'S' versions is about shedding weight. Gone are the regular Boxster's daytime running lights and fog lamps while the interior has been stripped out of any unnecessary features such as the air condition and audio system (though they are available optionally). The cabin also gets a pair of race-like door pulls and lightweight carbon-fiber seats.

Together, these weigh saving measures help shed 80 kg (176 lbs) off the Boxster S with the Spyder model tipping the scales at 1,275 kg (2,810 lbs).

The new model also gets a tuned version of Porsche's 3.4-litre flat six boxer engine with direct fuel injection that produces 320 horsepower, 10HP more than in the Boxster S.

Equipped with the Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) twin-clutch transmission and the Sports Chrono Package, the Spyder can go from zero to 100km/h (62mph) in 4.8 seconds (Boxster S: 5.0 seconds) and reach a top speed of 166 mph (267 km/h) with the roof removed.

The Boxster Spyder is scheduled for a worldwide launch in February 2010 with the base price in the Euro countries set at €53,100 (US $78,400). In Germany, if you add taxes and national specifications, the Spyder will retail for €63,404 or about 12 percent more than a Boxster S.

VIDEO: 15 Year Old Swipes Dad's Porsche Boxster, Plunges 70 Feet Over a Cliff...

You've heard the story before: teen steals dad's sports car for a joy ride and it usually ends up in a crash or even worse, someone meets the death reaper face to face. In this case, an unnamed 15-year-old teen who swiped his dad's Porsche Boxster and took his 12-year-old cousin for a dicey joy ride at Porter Ranch in Los Angeles, California, had more lives than an alley cat and more luck than a Leprechaun wearing horse shoes and walking in an Irish field full of four leaf clovers on St Patrick's day...

The 15-year-old behind the wheel of the Boxster (and not the 911 Cabriolet as ABC's reporter wrongly states) lost control of the vehicle along Sesnon Boulevard crashing through a fence and flying off the road plunging around 70 feet (about 22 meters) over the edge of a construction site.

Miraculously, the Boxster did not flip over during landing (sic...) as it came settled upright on its four wheels. What's even more astounding is that the two boys walked out of the roadster virtually unscathed!

"Miracles still happen, that's the best way I can put it," told ABC news Eric Hansen from the Los Angeles Police department. "Firemen were saying that they've never seen that deep of a droPop without fatalities, and they were able to walk out of it."

According to the report, the two young "daredevils" are off the hook at this point as authorities are not likely to press charges. Hopefully, the parents won't be as forgiving...

Hat tip to Marcus! Via: ABC7

VW BlueSport Roadster: 30 New High Res Photos of Mid-Engined, RWD Sportscar

If you want any more proof that Volkswagen's BlueSport roadster concept is heading towards production, just consider the fact that the German firm has not only given the car an internal development code name but it also invited a number of journalists to take the one-off concept for a quick test drive. Furthermore, VW has published a brand new photo album of the car on the road, that you can check out in all its high-res glory after the jump.

Even though VW officials may not publicly admit it, the mid-engined, rear-wheel drive BlueSport roadster that was revealed for the first time at this year's Detroit Show, is essentially a low-cost alternative to the Porsche Boxster.

"The two-seater is still a concept, but as a production car it would have the best talents for turning the segment of compact, genuine sports cars upside down," said VW in a statement. "That is because this roadster is sporty, sustainable and affordable all at once – a people's car and a sports car for a new era."

Developed with a 'back to basics' approach, the concept version of the 3.99 meter long BlueSport roadster is powered by a 2.0-liter TDI turbocharged diesel engine that cranks out 180HP and 350Nm or 258.2-lbs/ft of torque which is transferred to the rear axle through a 6-speed dual clutch transmission with shift paddles on the steering wheel.

With the 180HP 2.0 TDI, the soft-top roadster that weighs in at less than 1,200kg (2,645-lbs), can sprint from zero to 100 km/h (62mph) in about 6.6 seconds and achieve a top speed of 226km/h or 141mph. Volkswagen claims that the two-seater roadster can deliver an average fuel consumption of just 4.3 liters per 100km (54.7mpg US). In combination with the 50-liter tank, the car's theoretical range is greater than 1,150 kilometers or 715-miles.

If, or rather when the Roadster enters production, expect to see an array of turbocharged gasoline (TSI) and diesel (TDI) engines that will most likely include the 160HP 2.0 TDI, the 1.4 TSI with 122HP as well as the Scirocco R's 265HP 2.0 TSI.

The German firm promises that in spite of the car's sporty credentials, the roadster still offers a respectable level of everyday utility. In the cargo area under the front hood, the Concept BlueSport can stow 112 liters of luggage while the rear trunk handle an additional 70 liters of cargo. Altogether that makes 182 liters or 20% more space than what the Mazda MX-5 / Miata offers (150 liters).

If all goes well and the BlueSport Roadster receives the final green light for production, the first cars could arrive at VW showrooms around late 2012.