Leftlane News got some photos from famous spy photographer Brenda Priddy that shows some great shots of the interior of the upcoming 2011 Cayenne.
As we’ve seen before, the interior is taking a lot of cues from the Panamera interior, with a ton of buttons on the center console, and the vertical air vents.
For a couple more pics, head on over to Leftlane News.
Here is another video from Frankfurt, this time featuring two new 911 models.
First, factory racing driver Timo Bernhard drives the new 2010 911 Turbo Convertible. Then, we are given a tour of the new limited edition 911 Sport Classic.
Porsche’s new President and CEO Michael Macht spoke publicly for the first time at the Frankfurt Auto Show, and he revealed plans about hybrid and all-electric vehicles at Porsche.
Porsche, the inventor of the hybrid, has already talked about the hybrid Cayenne and hybrid Panamera in development. But according to Macht, they are already working on an electric sports car.
“I am also convinced that one day Porsche will have an electric sports car in its line-up,” said Macht at the company’s press conference today. While he cautioned that so far the available battery technology is not “sufficient to meet Porsche’s strict requirements,” he said “our engineers are already working hard on this challenge.”
“An electric sports car would therefore only make sense for Porsche if it offers performance and a cruising range similar to that of current sports cars in the market,” he said. “We are therefore taking the first step in this direction with a full hybrid – in the Cayenne, the Panamera and maybe in the not too distant future also in a racing car or a production 911. Why not?”
So, it seems like it isn’t a matter of “if” but a matter of “when” you’ll be able to cruise around in an electric Porsche.
Another of Porsches world debuts at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show was the new 2010 911 GT3 Cup. Based on the street-legal 2010 911 GT3 RS, the GT3 Cup is the latest in the line of most successful production-based race of more than 1,400 units.
The car weighs 2,646 lbs. The 3.8 liter flat-six produces 450 hp at 8,500 RPM and is mated to a sequential six-speed manual gearbox. The car is shod with 9.5J x 18 three-piece alloy wheels with 24/64-18 Michelin racing tires up front and 12J x 18 three-piece alloy wheels with 27/68-18 racing tires in back. The suspension is upgraded to include additional Unibal joins and more adjustable anti-roll bars.
The race car features daytime running lights from the street-legal 911 and a specially-designed front end with a lower spoiler lip. In the rear, the rear wing is over 9 inches wider than the one on the 911 GT3 RS, but the rear air dam and rear LED lights come straight from the street-legal 911 GT3 RS. Body panels also carry over from the street-legal 911 GT3 RS.
Inside, of course, the cockpit is set up for racing, with an additional vent up front to provide more fresh air to the driver. The Info Display controls are on the steering wheel, and the steering wheel can be adjusted fore-and-aft as well as up-and-down just like a street car.
Since 1999, Porsche 911 race cars have over 130 class victories; they’ve won seven of ten GT2 manufacturers’ championships and eight of ten drivers’ championships in ALMS; and they’ve won seven of nine GT championships in Grand Am, including an overall victory at the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Pricing hasn’t been announced, but the race cars will be available later this year.
One of the most exciting announcements when the new 911 Turbo was unveiled was the optional three-spoke steering wheel with gearshift paddles for the PDK. That’s right, if you pony up some extra cash, you can replace those stupid buttons used on all other PDK-equipped Porsches with proper paddle shifters.
So that brings up the question: will Porsche offer this option across the board on all PDK-equipped Porsches? Or maybe even phase out the buttons altogether?
We’ll have to wait to find out, but they’d be silly not to.
This report caught me off guard: according to an article in Britain’s Car magazine, the VW group is planning to kill off the Cayenne and Panamera after their product life cycles end in about seven years.
Despite the fact that the Cayenne has been a huge sales success, and millions of dollars have been invested in the Panamera, the board feels that the VW Group has plenty of SUVs and sedans without Porsche.
On one hand, lots of Porsche fans would love to see Porsche focus only on sports cars again. But on the other hand, how will VW CEO Dr. Martin Winterkorn meet his goal of doubling current Porsche sales without their best-selling model? And don’t discount his recent remarks that two of the three future models discussed recently include a mini-SUV and another variation of the Panamera.
In any event, one thing is clear: change will be coming to Porsche under VW’s regime.
The Cayman has won two awards from journalists recently: “Best Driver’s Car” and “Best Sports Car.”
A recent issue of Motor Trend pitted the Cayman S (with PDK) against the Nissan NISMO 370Z, Cadillac CTS-V, Audi R8, Chevrolet Camaro SS, Ford Shelby GT500, Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, Mazda MX-5 Miata, BMW 135i, and Jaguar XJR. The test team, including racing drivers Max Angelelli and Randy Probst, tested all the cars at Laguna Seca, looking for the best balance of useable performance, accessible handling, and driver-friendly design. The Cayman S ended up blowing them away, inspiring quotes such as “(p)robably more than any other car here, including the R8, this one feels like an extension of your neural synapses.” You can read the full article here.
The best-selling car magazine in Great Britain, Auto Express, also heaped praise on the Cayman, naming it the “Best Sports Car” of the year. The magazine said the Cayman is the ultimate blend of traction, balance, and agility, and also loved the practicality of the two trunks.
Remember the Veyron-killing 9ff GT9R? The one that did 0 to 60 in the 2-second range? The one that easily tops 255 mph? Now the tuner has decided to cut the top off, creating the GT9R Convertible.
Packing a whopping 1120 hp, only three examples of the topless supercar will be built, adding to the 20 examples of the tin-topped GTR9. All of them will likely be sold in the UAE, so don’t plan on seeing one at your local PCA event.
For more info, check out the special 9ff UAE website the tuner has set up.
October 11, 2009 
Posted in Cayenne, Spy Shots 
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