2012 Porsche 911 S on 2040-cars

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Porsche reportedly working on new turbocharged flat-four boxer engine?

These days, we've seen just about every automaker dropping cylinders in an effort to appease tightening fuel economy and emission standards - and Porsche is no exception. Nearly three years after introducing an all-new V6 powerplant under the front hood of its Panamera sedan (launched with a range of V8 engines) comes word that Porsche is working on an all-new turbocharged flat-four boxer to replace the flat-six engines mid-mounted in its Cayman and Boxster models.
Specifics have yet to be learned, but reports say the engine is a derivative of the current 3.8-liter six (shown above) found under the rear decklid of the Carrera S, yet with two fewer cylinders. Fitted with a turbocharger, direct-injection and the automaker's VarioCam Plus, the new all-aluminum 2.5-liter flat-four will likely develop upwards of 350 horsepower and 360 pound-feet of torque. Redline should be about 7,500 rpm. Initial indications say that Porsche will only offer the new engine with its seven-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic, tuned to take advantage of the low-end torque, but a traditional six-speed manual gearbox has not been ruled out. Despite the loss of two cylinders, enthusiasts will likely embrace the new engine as it promises to be lighter, more fuel efficient and more powerful than the 2.7-liter and 3.4-liter sixes in the Cayman/Boxster today.
Even though Porsche has been using Volkswagen Group engines for years (e.g., Cayenne V6, Cayenne Diesel and upcoming Macan), all indications are that the new flat-four will not be shared. Instead, it will be kept in-house for the automaker's sports cars and possible future fitment in an entry-level 911.

Porsche celebrates 50 years of 911s with limited edition model

Despite being 50 years old now, the Porsche 911 sure is looking good for her age. And to commemorate this milestone anniversary, Porsche has created the 911 50 Years Edition you see here, which will make its debut at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show - 50 years after the original 911 debuted at this very same expo.
What's really neat about the 50 Years Edition is that it houses a rear-wheel-drive setup inside of the wider body used for all-wheel-drive Carrera 4 and 4S models. Found at the back is the 3.8-liter flat-six from the Carrera S, upgraded with the Powerkit package that increases horsepower from 400 to 430 and includes the Sport Chrono setup. According to Porsche, hitting 60 miles per hour takes just 4.2 seconds with the seven-speed manual transmission, or 3.8 seconds with the optional dual-clutch PDK.
Visual changes include two special paint colors - a darker graphite grey and a lighter geyser grey - unique 20-inch wheels that pay homage to the original Fuchs rollers of the 1963 car, and special badging at the rear and on the door sills. Inside, there are more throwbacks to the original 911, with green labeling on the instruments, white pointer needles and silver accents. What's more, the leather seats feature a fabric insert reminiscent of the Pepita design from the '60s. Looks great to us.

Porsche recalls new 911 models over exhaust pipe issues

Porsche, though the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, announced a voluntary recall on about 2,200 911 Carrera and Carrera 4 models built during the 2012 and 2013 model years. On cars equipped with the standard exhaust system it was found that the tailpipes could separate from the mufflers and become dangerous road debris; models that added the optional sport exhaust system are not included in this recall.
Affected vehicles were built between March and November of last year, but there have been no reports of the problem on any customer-owned vehicles. Porsche first noticed a cracked tailpipe weld on a test vehicle back in May, and since then has found similar problems on other internally owned vehicles, all with more than 25,000 miles on the clock. To fix the problem, dealers will be replacing the mufflers. Scroll down to read the official notice.