Nother CarGuy

One of the few certain things in this life beyond taxes and death is Porsche’s uncanny dedication to its family of 911 models. The more the merrier for Porsche which just a week after the presentation of the wingless 911 GT3 Touring has further expanded the fam with the return of the GTS moniker for the 992-generation series. Arriving in the U.S. early next year, the new 911 GTS series models are available in rear- and all-wheel drive coupe and convertible configurations as well as an all-wheel drive only Targa variant. Powering them all is a tweaked 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged flat-six making 473-hp (480 PS / 353 kW) and 420 lb-ft (570Nm), or a healthy 30-hp and 15 lb-ft (20 Nm) more than your run of the mill Carrera S. If you go with the eight-speed Porsche dual-clutch transmission (PDK), Porsche claims that the Carrera 4 GTS will hit 100km/h (62mph) in 3.3 seconds, or 0.3 seconds faster than its predecessor. There’s also the option of a seven-speed manual gearbox with what Porsche d...

Ferrari has finally revealed the name of its special edition 812: meet the new 812 Competizione and its open-top sibling, the Competizione A. The headline figure of the new Ferrari 812 Competizione is of course the horsepower, which gets an upgraded version of the naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12 engine producing 818 HP, instead of the Superfast’s 789 HP, while revving up to a shocking 9,500 rpm. Torque is slightly reduced from 529 lb-ft (717 Nm) to 513 lb-ft (695 Nm). The seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission comes with new software that further reduces shift times by 5 percent, retaining the same ratios with the ‘regular’ 812 Superfast. Ferrari’s new 812 Competizione models claim a 0-62 mph (100 km/h) time in 2.85 seconds, while flat out they’ll do over 211 mph (340 km/h). To make a 6.5-liter V12 spin its internals at that speed, Ferrari redesigned many of its components, including new titanium con-rods that are 40 percent lighter than those in the Superfast, and a new ‘dia...

The 2021 Porsche 911 Targa 4 and 911 Targa 4S models have been unveiled by the German carmaker. Like previous iterations of the 911 Targa, this new one features an automatic roof system that includes a wraparound rear window that Porsche says can be opened and closed in just 19 seconds. Both the 911 Targa 4 and 911 Targa 4S models feature a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine. In Targa 4 guise this engine delivers 380 hp at 6,500 rpm and 331 lb-ft (450 Nm) of torque between 1,950 rpm and 5,000 rpm. By comparison, the 911 Targa 4S churns out 444 hp and 391 lb-ft (530 Nm) of torque from 2,300 rpm to 5,000 rpm. Porsche says the 911 Targa 4 will hit 62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.2 seconds while the Targa 4S will reach the same mark in 3.6 seconds. Top speed for the Targa 4 and Targa 4S sit at 179 mph (289 km/h) and 189 mph (304 km/h) respectively. Both models feature an eight-speed dual-clutch PDK transmission and intelligent all-wheel drive Porsche Traction Manageme...

Italdesign has released two new pictures of its upcoming Zerouno Targa. Set to debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month, the model is essentially an open air version of the Zerouno coupe which was unveiled at last year’s show. Of course, the biggest difference is the targa eschews a fix and adopts a unique rear end which features two buttresses and a prominent compartment for the car’s naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V10 engine. Speaking of the engine, it is expected to produce 610 PS (449 kW) and 560 Nm (413 lb-ft) of torque. It will likely be connected to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and an all-wheel drive system. There’s no word on how fast the model will be but the coupe could accelerate from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 3.2 seconds before hitting a top speed of 330 km/h (205 mph). Part of the car’s impressive performance is due to its lightweight carbon fiber and aluminum chassis which is covered by carbon fiber bodywork. The model should also come equipped with 2...

Toyota is celebrating the online premiere of the all-new GR HV Concept, ahead of its public debut that will take place at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show, at the end of the month. Its name stands for Gazoo Racing (GR), while the HV initials refer to a Hybrid Vehicle, and it's said to have been inspired by both the legendary Supra and the Sports 800 that races in the World Endurance Championship (WEC). Visually speaking, the new show car looks like it's based on the current generation 86, even if the automaker hasn’t made any references to it, featuring new front and rear ends, LED headlights, small boot lid spoiler, central exhaust pipe incorporated into the diffuser, and a targa-style roof. The exterior is dominated by a matte black shade, and the concept also features hood vents to provide additional cooling to the powertrain. Speaking of which, the Toyota GR HV uses a hybrid powertrain that has yet to be detailed, which pushes the output to the rear through an au...

Porsche’s 911 GTS range is the latest to benefit from the updated styling introduced by the 991.2 facelift and also adopt a brand-new engine. It debuts at this week's  Detroit Auto Show 2017 . As confirmed  last year , the new GTS ditches the outgoing model's naturally-aspirated 3.8-liter six. Instead, all variants utilize a newly-developed 3.0-liter straight-six engine benefiting from two turbochargers and delivering 450 hp and 550 Nm of torque, a 20 hp bump over the pre-facelift GTS. The full range consists of the standard Carrera GTS, the Carrera 4 GTS, Carrera GTS Cabriolet, Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet and the Targa 4 GTS. Unsurprisingly, it is the 911 Carrera 4 GTS Coupe which is the fastest off the line, accelerating to 62 mph (100 km/h) in a mere 3.6 seconds when equipped with the available PDK transmission. A manual ‘box is also offered for all facelifted GTS models. Complementing the performance gains and improvements to fuel efficiency, with the facelifted range now c...

Mazda is raising the bar, or rather the top, in the compact sports car segment with the unveiling of the  new MX-5 RF , which stands for ‘Retractable Fastback’, on the eve of  the New York Auto Show .  For the second generation of their retractable hardtop model, Mazda chose  a very different solution, as whereas the previous PRHT (Power Retractable Hard Top) turned into a fully open roadster, the RF gets an intricate targa top mechanism with a removable middle section and a retractable rear window.  It’s very similar to the system  Porsche is using on their latest 911 Targa , as at the touch of a button and in 12 seconds at speeds of up to 6mph or 10km/h, the rear section lifts up and swallows the middle part of the roof, stowing it right behind the rear seats, which is also were the retractable back window slides down. As a result, the MX-5 RF offers the same (limited) luggage space of 130 liters as the soft top roadster model.  With the top in pl...