Self-shifter 'GT3 RS', Porsche's commitment to the 3 pedal 911?

                                              Source: porsche.com/italy/models/911/911-r/

All hail the brand new Porsche 911 GT3 RS with it's appetising, raucous 4 litre naturally aspirated flat-six, giant rear wing and....hang on a minute? Is that a PDK gear selector sticking out from the centre console? Heads bow in abject dejection. Stirring the H-gate stick is not even an option on the GT3 RS because being a track car, beating the clock is of much greater importance than indulging oneself in a self-gratifying heel toe downshift.

Source: porsche.com/italy/models/911/911-r/

Fear not manualphiles, Porsche have you in mind and whip up a manual version of the hardcore GT3 RS sans rear wing, and striking red strips extending from front to back along the flank: say hello to the 911 R.

With the same 4 litre naturally aspirated flat-six derived from the track-going GT3 RS slung out at the back, your insatiable desire for tactile pleasure of feeling the cogs stirring under your palm, the 911 R will surely stroke your insistence for 'manualness' (do the word even exist?).

Source: porsche.com/italy/models/911/911-r/

Well folks, seems like our friend from Stuttgart really do stick to their words. In an interview with Car And Driver, Erhard Mossle, Porsche's engineering head honcho for the 911 Turbo, Carrera 4 and Targa, reassured that 3 pedals will remain in the 911 DNA for as long as possible.

"It's a unique selling proposition for Porsche to have a manual in the 911 range, and I think we will fight for that as long as possible," he told Car And Driver. "Even if it's only 10 percent of the market, it's important for some customers and for some markets, especially the U.S., to have that kind of gearbox."

He also acknowledges the emotional appeal of flicking the gear lever.

"What we learned from the last two years with the Cayman GT4 and Boxster Spyder is that it's not only a discussion of lap times, but also of emotion, of being fun to drive," he said. "Even if the car is not the fastest, it is fun to drive with a manual. Of course the PDK is faster, but a lot of customers want to change gear by themselves. Therefore I think we should keep it, for the next generation also."

The 911 R is a sign of Porsche's dedication to keep manual in the 911 family as long as a sizeable number of customers ask for it.

Features treating future 911 R owners are automatic rev matching function which can be switched off by a press of a button and an optional single mass flywheel for extra zing when you gun the loud pedal.

Rear wheel steering and mechanical rear locking differential will ensure enhanced stability while you are busy heel toeing to gratification.

To keep 500 hp in check, Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake is standard for an eye-popping stopping power. With lap time not prioritised, the rear wing had been hacked off.

Unlike certain automakers who had completely threw manual into the dumpster (Ferrari and Lamborghini comes to mind), Porsche has not completely given up on the row-your-own-gear option. The 911 R may well be a ray of hope for the manualphiles around the globe that the surge of the state-of-the-art, lap time 'special' automated transmission will not completely supplant the traditional tactility that 3 pedals and H-gate shifter provide to those who do not see clutching in and out as a humdrum chore.

Porsche 959

                                                           

                                                     

Introduced during the 1983 IAA (Frankfurt International Auto Show), this beast called the 959 was intended to be a homologation special for participation into the FIA Group B racing (already defunct since 1986 due to being ungodly dangerously fast) with at least 200 examples of road going version to be built. Nevertheless, anyone lucky enough to own this marvelous piece of machinery will have the liberty to stretch its legs in their grandpa's favourite twisties, or show off Senna-esque 'win at all cost' on god forbid the most Frankestein monster of a race track (Nordschleife we are looking at you).

This car is everything that Porsche can do to augment the taste, the flight of fancy that every 911 owners could dream of. Yes folks, the 959 is basically a 911 with some bonkers going on under the skin, making it arguably Porsche's first true supercar, outfitted with state-of-the-art niceties for its time (mind you, this beast was produced in the late 80s).

                                                               

Source: silodrome.com

The source of 'oomph' lies at the very rear extremity of this beast. What is not to like about the crazy 2.85 litre sequential turbo flat six with its twin cooling system. Yep, this engine is both water-cooled and air-cooled, with water cooling the cylinder head and the turbochargers, and air cooling the cylinder block and crankcase. Ramming air into the cylinders are taken care of by two turbos, one small turbo and one large turbo for consistent boost across the rev range for more smiles per miles. All in all, 450 ponies worth of fun.

All those powers are channeled to a six speed manual transmission and permanent all-wheel drive with driver-selectable driving programs to ensure all those insane powers will keep you from flying off the cliff.

As always in performance realm, going on a diet is the holy grail in translating those huge powers into whatever performance figures that anoraks cherish. The doors and hood for instance, were made of aluminium and the rest of the body was Kevlar-reinforced fibreglass.

The 959 was offered in two trims: sports and comfort. Choose the sports trim, you will have to make do without air-conditioning, power windows and seats, back seats and adjustable ride height control in the name of weight savings. Choose the comfort trim, you have the aforementioned niceties equipped but at the expense of increase weight, but if go-fast is not your thing then this is the trim to choose.

Source: auto.howstuffworks.com

To those who own a 911 or have 911 as their 'cover girl', the 959 is an incredible boost for the 911 experience, with the added performance to put the standard 911 to shame. All in all, the 959 is not a wannabe 911 with 911 cosmetic enhancement per se, but a 911 that will make you clamour for it.  

Porsche Cayman GT4

Source: autocar

The 911 has for a long time cast its shadow over the Cayman when it comes to power output. Not a single Cayman managed to breach the 350 mark, which is the lowest figure for the 911s. The base Cayman makes 275 horsepower; Cayman S makes 325 horsepower; Cayman GTS makes 340 horsepower. 

That is set to change thanks to the most powerful Cayman model ever coming out from Stuttgart, christened the Cayman GT4. This signals the Cayman's penetration into the 911 territory, where Porsche has been imposing an invisible barrier preventing any previous Cayman models from overpowering any 911s output wise. Check out Porsche's website and you will see what I mean. But, with the arrival of the Cayman GT4, it is set to change except for a number of 911 models. 

Let's see...the Cayman GTS makes 340 horsepower, 10 less than the 350 horsepower 911 Carrera, 911 Carrera Black Edition, 911 Carrera Cabriolet, 911 Carrera Cabriolet Black Edition, 911 Carrera 4, 911 Carrera 4 Black Edition, 911 Carrera 4 Cabriolet, 911 Carrera 4 Cabriolet Black Edition and 911 Targa 4. Then, out came the Cayman GT4 with its 385 horsepower 3.8L flat-six, blowing away the 911 models I just list down (bear in mind the GT4 engine is derived from the 400 horsepower 3.8L flat-six 911 Carrera S).

Source: autocar

If you're interested in specifics, the flat-six engine is outfitted with direct fuel injection, VarioCam Plus and integrated dry sump lubrication. The power of the 3.8L flat-six is further augmented by a variable length intake manifold made possible by a resonance valve that opens or closes depending on engine load, rpm, etc. As a result, the flat-six makes a staggering 385 horsepower at 7400 rpm and 420 Nm of torque from 4750 until 6000 rpm.

Purist should be delighted due to the fact that unlike the newfangled 911 GT3 RS and 911 GT3, power is channelled to the rear wheels through a conventional six speed manual rather than Porsche's brilliant PDK dual clutch transmission. Most impressive is the auto-throttle blip function accessible by pressing the Sport Plus button to make you look like a heel toe downshift expert. Complementing the drivetrain is Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV) and a locking differential to ensure none of the raw power figure is lost in a cloud of smoke.

As for the brakes, it is directly derived from the 911 GT3 along with the front suspension. The rear suspension, on the other hand, is specifically a GT4 spec. Outfitted along with the suspension is Porsche's own Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) that varies the damping rate in response to changes in driving style and road condition to deliver a comfortable ride and balls-out handling prowess.

As you can see from the above photo, the GT4 sports a fixed rear wing, a feature absent from the previous Caymans, and the diffuser is decked out with dual central exhaust.

With the most powerful Cayman ever in production, this writer reckons that the Cayman GT4 can offer purists with unadulterated, sporty experience that makes purists clamouring for more 'smiles per miles'.