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2014 Porsche 911 Turbo S

Turbo S continue to be propelled by a twin-turbocharged, 3.8-liter flat-six with different outputs, both of which increase for 2014. In the Turbo, horsepower notches up from 500 to 520, while torque increases by 7 lb-ft to 487. (The optional Sport Chrono package brings a temporary overboost function that bumps torque by 37 lb-ft for short bursts.) The Turbo S sees an even greater horsepower increase, from 530 to 560, but makes the same 516 lb-ft of torque as last year; the Sport Chrono gear and overboost function is standard on the S.  With the Sport Chrono package, the Turbo S coupe can accelerate to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds and hit 198 mph top speed; the cabriolet should come very close to these marks, though the additional weight and drag of the soft top may result in small tweaks to the final figures. All-wheel drive is the standard, with shifts to be handled with a PDK transmission only.

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1970 Porsche 914

In January of 1970, the 914 became available as the Porsche 914 in the U.S.(although there was only some small script on the engine lid to indicate that it was a Porsche) and as the VW/Porsche 914 in Europe.   The car as introduced was a good product, but it had a few real problems. Perhaps because of its mixed parentage, the automotive press lambasted it, greeting the debutante with mediocre marks and some really terrible reviews.

On the plus side, the 914 was a true engineering marvel. The tub, despite being of targa-top design, had the rigidity of a 911 coupe. The car handled incredibly well. Driver comfort, by sports car terms, was wonderful. The two-trunk setup offered a lot of room for luggage, and the targa panel stored neatly in one of the trunks.

The torsion-bar front suspension was lifted straight from the 911, but front hubs were VW 411 units. Rear suspension was an all-new independent, trailing arm design featuring big 11.05-inch rear discs instead of the VW 411 drums, and the four-wheel-disc brakes worked pretty well. Few other cars in this price range offered all-independent suspension, fuel injection, a five-speed transmission—and the Porsche name. At the $3500 introductory price, the 914 appeared to be quite a bargain indeed.  Unfortunately, the 1.7-liter Volkswagen flat-four was just too anemic. A Porsche with VW power and zero-to-60 times in the 13-second range found little favor among road testers of the day.

What made the car even more annoying, and contributed to the poor zero-to-60 times, was the terrible shift linkage on the supposedly glorious five-speed that was linked to the power-challenged engine. Reviewers castigated this setup, saying it ruined an otherwise good car.  In contrast, the 914-6, with its 2.0-liter, six-cylinder Porsche engine, was thought to be a wonderful car, even though the engine was the only difference. The only complaint with the six was the price, an issue that killed the car after only two years of production.

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2011 Porsche GT2 RS

The GT2 RS is not available with much in the way of driver aids, like performance-oriented traction control or Porsche's double-clutch gearbox. Fully defeatable stability and traction control are it. Unlike other Porsche models, though, these controls will remain off even after the ABS is triggered, a huge boon for track days.
Its 3.6-liter flat-6 engine uses two variable geometry turbochargers, VarioCam Plus (Porsche's variable valve timing and lift system) and an intake manifold that helps cool the intake charge by slightly decompressing it before it goes into the heads. Pumping 23.5 psi at max boost, the turbos are the motive force behind the production of an insane 620 bhp at 6500 rpm and 516 lb.-ft. of torque from 2250 rpm. It's the most powerful production car Porsche has ever made.

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1969 Porsche 908/2 Spyder

Throughout the winter Porsche not only worked on developing the 908, but also on a 5-litre racer that would fit in the five litre sportscar class. Dubbed the 908/2, Porsche's three litre racer for 1969 was quite an improvement over the first generation 908s used. The most notable change was the introduction of a Spyder body perfectly suited for higher downforce races like the Nürburgring 1000 km and Targa Florio. Similar in design to the one fitted in the old 2.2 litre eight cylinder engine, a new crankshaft was developed, which cured the vibration issues. The six speed gearbox was discarded and replaced by a far more reliable five speed box.

These changes were as welcome as they were successful and Porsche dominated the 1969 season. Wash-out victories were scored at Brands Hatch, Monza, the Nürburgring, Spa and in the Targa Florio. Especially the 1-2-3-4-5 place finish in the 1000 km race on the treacherous Nürburgring track showed Porsche's might. For Le Mans three longtail coupe bodied 908s were prepared complete with all the modifications found on the successful Spyders. They were joined by the new 917s, which suffered a similar fate as the 908 had a year earlier with early retirements. In the closest ever Le Mans finish one of the 908 coupes finished just a few yards shy of the winning Ford GT40.