porsche

Unlike many sport luxury carmakers, Porsche has managed to keep its signature model, the 911, small and lightweight. When we tested the current 911 GTS, we were impressed by the car's ability to dance around corners and out-run BMWs, while at the same time turning in very good fuel economy.

For the 2012 model year, Porsche is updating the 911, although you would hardly know it from looking at the bodywork. The overall design remains the same, but Porsche managed to shed 100 pounds from the car.

And along with Porsche's double-clutch gearbox, the PDK, this new 911 … Read more

With 40 years of fine-tuning, you would expect the 911 to be a well-honed car by now. And with the new 911 Carrera GTS, it's easy to see how all this work paid off.

Despite the engine's being naturally aspirated, Porsche manages to get better than 100 horsepower per liter out of it, while at the same time delivering reasonable, if not stellar, fuel economy. The relatively light weight of the car is apparent when you first get behind the wheel. It dances through turns.

And the 911 has come a very long way, with new technology added … Read more

Porsche has almost two dozen models in the 911 lineup, but this one stands out. It is both highly capable and relatively unadorned with turbos, ragtops, or all-wheel drive. It's the kind of 911 that true Porschephiles love. Brian Cooley takes you for a drive in the 2011 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS to check the tech.

You can also read CNET's full review of the Carrera GTS.

STUTTGART, Germany--Let's say you're an ostrich farmer, and you've just bought a Porsche. And that you want to outfit the interior of your new car in the leather from some of your precious birds. Could you get your wish?

Yes, is the answer, thanks to Porsche Exclusive, a 25-year-old program through which buyers of the luxury cars can, for a price, have them customized in some very unusual ways.

Are you an Arabian king wanting to get a new Porsche in your country's national colors for each of your ministers? No problem. An American rancher wanting … Read more

LaCie, the hardware vendor that has been known to turn storage devices trendy, has just done it again. The company announced today that it has collaborated with Porsche Design Group to introduce two exclusive Porsche-inspired external storage devices: the Porsche Design Mobile (P'9220) and Porsche Design Desktop (P'9230) hard drives.

The company says these two new drives support the fast USB 3.0 standard. While USB 3.0 is definitely fast, it would have been more appropriate if the drives supported Thunderbolt, which has a ceiling speed of 10Gbps, twice that of USB.

To make up for this, … Read more

Gone are the days when "getting coffee" was the main responsibility of the corporate intern. Porsche recently let one intern design the race insignia emblazoned on a 911 GT3 race car.

Anna Frey, a recent industrial design graduate from Georgia Tech, in Atlanta, was responsible for designing the paint job for Porsche Cars North America's (PCNA) entry in the 2011 Porsche Carrera World Cup. The 70.2-mile race was held over the weekend on the Nurburgring-Nordschleife, and PCNA's 911 GT3 was piloted by American Le Mans Series GTC Champion Melanie Snow.

PCNA also let a team … Read more

STUTTGART-ZUFFENHAUSEN, Germany--If you don't think a car museum can be a stunning work of art, you need to get yourself here and check out the Porsche Museum.

Being Porsche, I expected it to be interesting and full of beautiful cars, but I wasn't prepared for the scale and scope of the building itself, a giant architectural masterpiece by Vienna's Delugan Meissl Associated Architects that also happens to be artfully full of some of the most interesting and important cars in the company's storied history.

If you were in Stuttgart before 2009 and visited the Porsche Museum, … Read more

As automakers add stop-start to their vehicles, the 12-volt battery is getting a makeover.

A stop-start system can wear out a conventional lead-acid battery because the engine restarts every time the vehicle pulls away after stopping.

Likewise, other newly electrified accessories, such as power steering, water pumps, oil pumps, and parking brakes, are increasing the 12-volt battery's workload.

So suppliers have designed batteries that can withstand frequent discharges and recharges. At least two types have emerged:

1. An absorbent glass mat battery is an improved lead-acid battery that is more durable--and more costly--than a conventional battery. Johnson Controls of … Read more

The first Porsche hybrid should be something to be thrilled about. But as we just reviewed the VW Touareg Hybrid, we noted similarities between the cars. Both use the same hybrid power train, meaning the exact same engine, which leads to similar acceleration performance. But the Cayenne steps it up with better handling, taking corners like a dancer.

Where the Cayenne Hybrid suffers the most is in cabin tech. Although Porsche fits its cabins with high-quality materials and charges a luxury price, the brand has never really stepped up its electronics game, leaving competitors such as BMW and Audi to … Read more