Fail: The Dumbest Way to Load a Porsche Carrera GT Onto a Truck

You would think that the owner of an über rare and outrageously expensive supercar like the Porsche Carrera GT would be extra careful when it comes to transporting the exotic model. Well, you may want to reconsider that thought after watching the video after the jump. And yes, they actually used a pair of unchained wooden planks to load the Carrera GT onto the truck’s flatbed with a damaging result for the car as well as the owner’s pockets. Hellooo, is common sense out there, anywhere? Read more »

Porsche Announces Pricing on 918 Spyder Hybrid Supercar, Starts at $845,000 in the US, €645,000 + VAT in Europe

We may be more than two years ahead of the production launch of Porsche’s new 918 Spyder, but that isn’t stopping the Stuttgart automaker from putting up a price tag and at the same time, begin accepting orders on its upcoming plug-in hybrid supercar.

The 918 Spyder will be Porsche’s most expensive model ever with prices in the USA, excluding destination and handling chargeς, starting at $845,000 (€598,000), and in Europe from €645,000 ($911,400) subject to VAT and country-specific charges.

As an extra treat, those who place an order for the 918 Spyder will also be eligible to buy a new special edition version of the 911 Turbo S series, more of which we’ll tell you about in our next post.

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It Came from eBay Hell: The Porsche “Carriero GT”

I swear the Fiero Owner’s Club of America is not paying my salary, it just appears that way. Here we have yet another stunning replica based on that most prestigious of U.S. motoring icons: the Pontiac Fiero. GM’s indefatigable plastic-bodied, mid-engined two seater has gone on to become the underpinning of many a dodgy European thoroughbred imitator. Today’s target is the Porsche Carrera GT, perhaps one of the greatest cars to come out of Germany in recent years.

Our seller’s “Carriero GT” features a rebuilt engine and transmission (never a good sign in this sort of car) with the car said to have covered 6,900 miles since then.

The seller will have more than enough once he sells this beautiful and quality replica for the low, low price of US$21,500. Don’t believe me? The seller himself says, “THE PICTURES SHOW THE BEAUTY AND THE QUALITY BUILT INTO THIS REPLICA.” And you can really see it too, from the awkward body mouldings, botched-together interior and Costco brand fog lights.

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World Premiere for Porsche 918 RSR Coupe Concept at Detroit Show

Porsche's return to the Detroit Show after a four year-absence is marked with the introduction of a new racing concept based on the company's 918 Spyder from last year's Geneva Salon. The 918 RSR is a two-seat mid-engined coupe, and according to Porsche, it demonstrates what happens when the technology fitted in the 911 GT3 R Hybrid race car and the design of the 918 Spyder concept are combined together.

The motorsports version of the 918 Spyder concept car gets a V8 engine based on the RS Spyder race car's 3.4-liter unit tuned to deliver 563HP at 10,300 rpm, and is linked to a six-speed racing transmission with shift paddles that feeds the rear wheels.

A pair of electrics motors mounted on the two front wheels each contribute 75 kW (102 hp), or a total of 204HP, lifting the combined output to 767HP. The German maker notes that the extra power from the electric motors is available for around eight seconds when the system is fully charged.

As with the 911 GT3 R hybrid racing car, the additional power from the electric motors, which is generated during braking, is stored in an optimized flywheel accumulator.

In the 918 RSR study, the two electric motors also offer a torque vectoring function with variable torque distribution to the front axle, which increases agility and improves steering response.

Aside from the coupe configuration with the fixed roof and the characteristic doors which open at an angle upwards, the 918 RSR also features an added air intake in the roof between the wing doors, a special aero package that includes air splitters beneath the front lip and a huge rear wing, plus slick tires on 19-inch wheels with single centre locking nut.

The interior of the road-spec 918 Spyder has also been modified and comes with a single figure-hugging bucket seat, while the passenger seat has been replaced by flywheel accumulator.

Porsche 918 RSR Coupe Concept: Live Photos from Detroit

Porsche decided to keep the production version of the 918 Spyder under wraps for now showing off instead the motorsport-inspired 918 RSR Coupe Concept at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show. Combining hybrid racing technology with a dramatic looking coupe body style, the RSR is every bit as impressive as the design study showcased last year at Geneva. For its motivation, the 918 RSR relies on a V8 gasoline engine delivering 563HP and a pair of electric motors producing a combined output of 204HP. Check out our gallery with live pictures from the Detroit show after the break or click here for more details on Porsche's conceptual racer.

Porsche's Detroit Motor Show World Premiere Rumored to be 918 Coupe Racer

We already know that Porsche plans to debut a new model at the rapidly approaching North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit next week, but the problem is that the German sports car maker is keeping its cards close to its chest about the type of vehicle it will unveil.

Adding to the many rumors already circulating on the internet, Bloomberg today reported that the model in question will be a racing coupe version of the 918 Spyder hybrid concept that was first shown at last year's Geneva Show.

Citing two people with knowledge of the matter, the news agency said that the car will be a two-seater concept coupe featuring a 600-horsepower V8. We'll remind you that the 918 Spyder, which was recently approved for a limited production run, gets a 500HP 3.4 liter V8 electro-enhanced by way of motors that add another 160 kW (218 hp).

We'll monitor the story and post an update if anything new arises, but for now, check out some renderings of a competition 918 made by a member of the Teamspeed forums in the video below.

Gemballa Mirage GT Matt Edition new photos

Essentially a Mirage GT Carbon Edition with a different paint job and blue Alcantara interior trimmings, the sinister looking supercar features a massive V10 engine with 670 horsepower and 630 Nm of torque. Performance stats include 0-100 km/h time of 3.7 seconds, a 0-200 km/h (124 mph) time of 9.7 seconds, and a top speed of 335 km/h (208 mph).

Although no official details have been released, expect the Matt Edition to be sold in extremely limited numbers with a price surpassing €300,000 ($419,012 USD).