Monday, March 11, 2013

Why the 2014 Porsche 911 GT3 Doesn’t Have a Manual Transmission – 2013 Geneva

Why the 2014 Porsche 911 GT3 Doesn’t Have a Manual Transmission – 2013 Geneva After one of the fastest press conferences in auto show history, I spoke with Porsche representative Holger Eckhardt about the 2014 GT3. The car was unveiled at VW’s Group Night roughly 14 hours before its official Geneva Motor Show debut, so today’s event was more about showing the GT3 sitting next to the new GT3 Cup Car than an actual unveiling. The comparison between the two cars might answer enthusiasts biggest question about this new car.

Why the 2014 Porsche 911 GT3 Doesn’t Have a Manual Transmission – 2013 Geneva

 Why the 2014 Porsche 911 GT3 Doesn’t Have a Manual Transmission – 2013 Geneva

Why the 2014 Porsche 911 GT3 Doesn’t Have a Manual Transmission – 2013 Geneva










Why the 2014 Porsche 911 GT3 Doesn’t Have a Manual Transmission – 2013 Geneva

2014 Porsche 911 GT3 front 300x187 image“As early as the 996 GT3 talks had already begun about why the GT3 was still using a manual gearbox when better, faster technology existed,” Eckhardt said. It has been decades since top-level racecars have used a traditional manual transmission so a PDK does seem like the natural step. Some will argue that the GT3 should be Porsche’s driver’s car, but according to Matthias Muller, Porsche AG’s CEO, the GT3 is the ultimate distillation of Porsche’s DNA, which obviously focuses on GT Racing as much as road cars. The GT3 should be the ultimate transfer of race car to road car.

The new GT3 has a 470-hp 3.8-liter flat-six mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Acceleration from 0-60 mph is said to take 3.5 seconds, though we expect the car to outperform that estimate in Motor Trend testing. For the full rundown on the 2014 911 GT3, read our First Look here.

2014 Porsche 911 GT3 inteiror 300x187 imageAccording to Eckhardt, the active rear-wheel steering technology is not something that comes from Porsche Racing. The first time we saw the active all-wheel steering was on the 918, although development originally started with the 991 turbo in mind. The technology was so promising that it not only made its way onto the supercar, but onto the GT3 as well. The restrictiveness of racing governing bodies has stopped active rear-wheel steering’s development on competition cars.

Production of the GT3 will begin in June, with U.S. deliveries starting in November. It sounds as though work has already begun on the RS version, with hints being given we might see it one year from now, on the very same stage.

For all the latest news, photos, videos, and much more direct from the 2013 Geneva Motor Show floor, don’t forget to CLICK OVER to our 2013 Geneva show coverage page.

Volkswagen XL1 Diesel Hybrid Prototype Wears Red for Geneva

Volkswagen XL1 Diesel Hybrid Prototype Wears Red for Geneva When the Volkswagen XL1 prototype was first shown at the Qatar Motor Show two years ago, it was painted in a futuristic silver paint. With plans for the diesel plug-in hybrid still in the works, the German automaker brought a pair of XL1 prototypes to Geneva this week: one painted red and one in white.

Volkswagen XL1 Diesel Hybrid Prototype Wears Red for Geneva

Volkswagen XL1 Diesel Hybrid Prototype Wears Red for Geneva

 Volkswagen XL1 Diesel Hybrid Prototype Wears Red for Geneva

Volkswagen XL1 Diesel Hybrid Prototype Wears Red for Geneva









Volkswagen XL1 Diesel Hybrid Prototype Wears Red for Geneva

Volkswagen XL1 interior 300x187 imageThe XL1 is motivated by a 47-hp, 0.8-liter turbo-diesel two-cylinder engine – essentially half of the Euro-market 1.6-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder used in the Golf and Passat – paired with a 27-hp electric motor. Power is routed to the rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. With a full charge on the lithium-ion battery pack, the XL1 can travel up to 50 miles in pure EV mode. A 220-volt outlet can recharge the battery in just over an hour.

A small footprint (153 inches long, 65.6 inches wide, and 45.3 inches tall) and an extensive use of carbon fiber keeps weight to just 1795 pounds, according to VW. The XL1’s slippery shape achieves a drag coefficient of just 0.189. The combination of the frugal drivetrain, small size, and aerodynamic shape add up to an impressive estimated 261 mpg rating and a range of nearly 700 miles. Just 8.3 hp is needed to cruise at 62 mph. The tradeoff for fuel economy comes at the expense of acceleration, with 0-62 mph taking 12.7 seconds and top speed limited to just 100 mph.

Production of the Volkswagen XL1 is expected to begin soon at the former Karmann plant in Onsabruck, Germany, where Golf cabriolets and Porsche Boxsters are currently built. Volkswagen has kept mum on pricing, on-sale date, and annual production numbers, but we expect pricing to land around the $60,000 price point when it does go on sale.

See photos of the red-hot hybrid from the 2013 Geneva Motor Show floor below.

Video Find: Jaguar F-Type Follows in XK120's Footsteps With 179-MPH Sprint

Video Find: Jaguar F-Type Follows in XK120's Footsteps With 179-MPH Sprint It’s been 60 years since a record-setting, modified Jaguar XK120 hit an average flying mile speed of 172.4 mph, and in this Video Find, a Jaguar F-Type V8 S revisits the same area to set a new speed record. The F-Type V8 S accelerated from 0-179 mph and back to a stop in Jabbeke, Belgium, piloted by 1988 Le Mans 24 Hour winner Andy Wallace. Before Wallace sets out on his run, he and former Jaguar chief test engineer Norman Dewis share their thoughts in this Video Find.

Video Find: Jaguar F-Type Follows in XK120's Footsteps With 179-MPH Sprint

Video Find: Jaguar F-Type Follows in XK120's Footsteps With 179-MPH Sprint

 Video Find: Jaguar F-Type Follows in XK120's Footsteps With 179-MPH Sprint

Video Find: Jaguar F-Type Follows in XK120's Footsteps With 179-MPH Sprint





Video Find: Jaguar F-Type Follows in XK120's Footsteps With 179-MPH Sprint

Jaguar F TYPE V8 S 0 179 0 mph run right rear 1 300x187 imageThe 0-179-0 mph acceleration and braking run was done in Jabbeke – the same area where Dewis made a record-setting run with a 172.4-mph average in the flying mile behind the wheel of a Jaguar XK120 in 1953. While Dewis had a five-mile stretch of road to accomplish his run, Wallace had just two miles for his acceleration and braking attempt.

While the F-Type is available with a 340-380-hp 3.0-liter supercharged V-6 or a 495-hp supercharged 5.0-liter V-8. The V-8 model’s 0-60 mph time is estimated at 4.2 seconds, though we’re guessing the car is capable of slightly quicker performance. With more than two miles of track, the car’s top speed is said to be 186 mph. Like the V-6 powered F-Types, the V-8 model uses an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Source: Jaguar

Up Close With the Aston Martin Rapide-Based Bertone Jet 2+2 (wPoll)

Up Close With the Aston Martin Rapide-Based Bertone Jet 2+2 (wPoll) The Aston Martin Rapide has been in the spotlight lately, with a new, restyled S model unveiled earlier this year and now a one-off shooting brake variant from specialty coachbuilder Bertone, which debuted at this week’s Geneva motor show. The special Rapide-based model is called the Bertone Jet 2+2, and is the latest creation to come from the 60-year relationship between Aston Martin and the Italian design studio.

Up Close With the Aston Martin Rapide-Based Bertone Jet 2+2 (wPoll)

Up Close With the Aston Martin Rapide-Based Bertone Jet 2+2 (wPoll)
Up Close With the Aston Martin Rapide-Based Bertone Jet 2+2 (wPoll)











Up Close With the Aston Martin Rapide-Based Bertone Jet 2+2 (wPoll)

Bertone Aston Martin Rapide Jet 2 2 interior 300x187 imageAs the name states, the Jet 2+2 seats four passengers, who are cocooned in a four-door hatch body based on the Rapide sedan. The Jet 2+2 reportedly provides more headroom than the Rapide, and also boasts bespoke materials. In addition to its unique silhouette and rear end, the Jet 2+2 showcases a few styling differences compared to the Rapide. The front bumper, for example, features air vents at the outer edges. Out back, Bertone has added thin vertical air slits to the bumpers and boomerang-style taillights connected by a red strip, similar to the One-77 supercar.

The Jet 2+2 is powered by the Rapide’s 6.0-liter V-12 engine, tuned to produce 470 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque. For now, it remains a one-off vehicle for a private collector who approached the companies with the project. That said, should it spawn a production version to take on the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo? Tell us in the poll and comments below.
Should the Bertone Jet 2+2 remain a one-off?
No, the world can never have enough shooting brakes.Yes, kill it with fire.