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Porsche 918 Spyder to birth stretched 2+2 version?

Porsche is known for its ability to spin off a litter of variants from a single model, and according to a report in Automobile the 918 Spyder (pictured here) might not be spared the house trick. Having taken too many brains and too much money for too much time, company chiefs are said to be examining ways to get more for their development euro out of the supercar, and Plan A is apparently otherwise known as Plan 984. That would be a four-seater, rear-wheel drive supercar that uses a stretched mold of the 918's carbon fiber tub, keeping the V8 in the same mid-mounted place and costing around 350,000 euro.
That would be less than half the MSRP of its inspiration, but the details don't sketch out a car that's just half as good. Automobile speculates it would get something like 700 horsepower in order to best the coming 911 GT2, and about 440 pound-feet of torque. The 984 is quite a ways short of being confirmed; even though a full-size study is said to exist, it's like the 918 would need to become a bigger sales hit for the 984 to happen.
The 984's fortunes don't change those of the 960, the supercoupe Porsche is building to challenge Ferrari. Its potential specs haven't changed since the last report in January, power coming from a 5.0-liter, twin-turbo, eight-cylinder boxer engine with something like 650 hp pushing a curb weight of roughly 3,100 pounds. The means a suspected 0-to-60 mile-per-hour time of 2.5 seconds.

UK Porsche GT3 owners are irked that other countries are getting better deals

Porsche 911 GT3 owners in the United Kingdom are up in arms, but it's not for the reason you might think. Okay, well it sort of is. See, it's been fairly well documented that 911 GT3 owners have had their cars grounded over concerns that the engines could catch fire. Porsche is rushing to build and install replacement engines in all 800 or so cars, scattered around the globe.
This isn't really the issue. The problem for these British owners is compensation. While the car's have been grounded, car notes still need to be paid. To deal with this, American GT3 owners are being paid $2,000 per month. German owners get 175 euros ($242 at today's rates) per day while a GT3 owner in Dubai is allegedly receiving $12,000 (it's unclear if this is a lump sum or a monthly payment). Basically, if you aren't able to drive your six-figure super car, you shouldn't have to pay for it. Seems reasonable regardless of the make.
British owners, though, aren't being compensated, and for 30 to 35 owners, that's not acceptable. They've banded together and are led by Sunil Mehra.

New J.D. Power Initial Quality Study puts Porsche, GM in spotlight

J.D. Power and Associates has released its annual Initial Quality Study, and this year, Porsche and General Motors took the spotlight. The study, which asks new car owners to report problems experienced during the first 90 days of ownership, found that overall, the industry averages 113 problems per 100 vehicles.
Porsche managed a score of just 80 problems per 100 vehicles, while GMC took the second spot on the podium with 90. Lexus filled out the top three with 94 problems per 100 vehicles, followed by Infiniti at 95 and Chevrolet at 97. The study also looks at specific models, and found the Lexus LS to enjoy the best initial quality at 59 problems per 100 vehicles.
Interestingly enough, the report found that around two-thirds of most owner problems experienced in the first 90 days are attributable to vehicle design instead of mechanical failure. Specifically - echoing a refrain we've been hearing for the last few years - owners are having a hard time figuring out how to use the technology present in their new vehicles. Head over to the J.D. Power site for more information, or scroll down below for the company's related press release.