We are saddened to learn that Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, the grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, and son of Ferry Porsche, has passed away today at the age of 76. He died in Salzburg, Austria of unknown causes.

Ferdinand was the designer of the original 911, which debuted at the 1963 Frankfurt Motor Show.  It was, of course, the most important vehicle Porsche ever produced, becoming its flagship product to this day.  He also design the legendary 904 and founded the Porsche Design Studio.

See the press release from Porsche after the jump. Read more →

[ Source: Porsche ]

It looks like we’re finally going to be able to get our hands on an oil-burning Porsche.  The Cayenne Diesel, that Europeans have enjoyed since ’09, will be coming to our shores with a 3.0-liter V6.  With 240HP on tap, it seems a bit light on power, until you see the 406lb-ft. of torque that this motor offers.  All that twist gets the Cayenne to 60mph in 7.2 seconds through an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Why would I want a diesel, you ask? Well the diesel power plant is the most popular option across the pond for a reason.  Not only does it have great performance, but it will get 28mpg, allowing it to go 740 miles on a single tank.

The Cayenne Diesel is due to be available later this year with a starting price of $55,750.

[ Source: Porsche ]

Ever since the 918 Spyder concept was unveiled in Geneva, Porsche has been working at a fevered pace to bring it to market in 2013.  Wired was lucky enough to get an exclusive ride in the development mule and talk with the project’s engineers.  While Porsche’s new car is a hybrid, the author states, “This is most definitely not a Prius.”

The 4.6L V8, lifted from the ALMS RS Spyder, puts out 570HP.  The cylinder heads have been flipped, so the exhaust manifold comes out the top of the motor instead of along the sides.  Porsche says that this setup dramatically reduces heat in the engine compartment, and I’m sure it frees up some space as well.

The V8 is assisted by a 90kW electric motor on the driveline, along with an 80kW motor up at the front, making the 918 all-wheel-drive on-demand.  All combined, in “Hot Lap” mode, you can get up to 770HP and 700lb.ft. of torque, getting the 3700lb car to 60 in under 3 seconds.  While 3700lb might seem like a lot, it’s light compared to the 3-ton Fisker Karma, and Porsche has kept 80% of weight below centerline, thus keeping handling what you’d expect from a Porsche.

Check out the full story and more photos at Wired.

[ Source: Wired ]

Remember the Drendel collection being put up for auction?  If any of you made it over to Florida to bid, I hope you had deep pockets because the lot broke eleven world records for Porsches.  Among them, a 1973 917/30 Can-Am Spyder broke records for both 917s and the most expensive Porsche at a whopping $4.4 million.  Next up, a 1955 Porsche 550 went for a record $3.685 million.  The 1974 911 Carrera RSR Turbo sold for $3.245 million. Other records broken include top prices for a 935, 962, 911 GT1, 906, 934, 924, 968 and 944. Ten of the seventeen cars went for at least $1 million and the entire lot sold for around $36 million.

Check out the press release from Gooding & Company after the jump to see the details.

Read more →

On Friday, the auction house Gooding & Company will be selling off a lot of 17 turbocharges Porsches known as the Drendel Family Collection.  The original owner of the collection, Matthew Drendel, tragically passed from a medical condition at the age of 35 (you might have read about his death in Panorama last year), leaving what many consider to be the greatest collection of turbo Porsches ever amassed.

The list is mouthwatering, and includes such awesome examples as a 1973 917 Can-Am Spyder, 1974 RSR Turbo (pictured above), 1976 934 & 935, 1981 924 GTP, 1984 962, 1986 944 Turbo Cup, 1994 968 Turbo RS, 1995 911 GT2, and a 1997 GT1 Evolution.

The collection will be a part of the Amelia Island Auction in Florida, so if you’re interested, and have the cash, get on a plan now.

You can check out the entire auction here.

[ Source: Wired ]