2014 911 GT2

Major Changes Occurring in the 2014 911 GT2

Porsche has recently released the information on their 2014 911 GT3 and some people were disappointed by it because it had less than 500 hp. Although it isn't a big deal for most people, for those that it was a big deal to, there is the 911 GT2.

Normally when you have a model number that is lower, you assume that it is going to have less power. This simply isn't the case with the GT2, and you will get above 500 hp with this vehicle which means that it has more raw power to work with than the GT3 does.

What You Get

The engine and transmission of the GT2 are both based off the 911 Turbo S. Instead of the 475 horsepower that comes in the GT3, you are getting a massive 552 horsepower, thanks to the 3.8 liter flat six engine. The transmission that is going to be used in this vehicle is another major change from the all-wheel drive of the GT3. Instead you are going to get the PDK seven gear clutch that is automatic, and rear wheel drive.

Weight Savings

The nice thing about a rear-wheel drive setup, over the all-wheel drive used in the GT3 is that weight is going to be shaved off the vehicle. What that means is that not only are you getting a more powerful engine to tear up the road with, but you are also getting al lighter vehicle that is going to benefit from the power even more than the GT3 would have. Overall this new setup should result in a noticeable increase in power. Although you probably wouldn't notice a difference without driving both vehicles extensively, if you were to switch from one to the other you would be able to tell there is a distinct difference.

Real Life Speed

Now that you know how much power this variant of the 911 is pushing, it is time to learn how that effects real life performance, with some times and actual speeds. The car should be able to go from 0 to 60 in 3.0 seconds without a problem. On top of this blistering acceleration, it will top 200 mph which means that you can get wherever you want to go much faster than you could in that minivan at the other side of your garage.

Many will rejoice at the added power that the GT2 possess, while a few are going to continue to complain about the PDK transmission that is becoming more prevalent in the newer Porsche models.

If 500 hp isn't enough for you, there is a rumor that Porsche is planning on releasing an even more powerful variant of the GT2 later on after the initial launch. This RS variant of the car will push up the horsepower to a whopping 620, and that amount of power will make this car even more intense that it already is. Unfortunately that won't be released until 2015 so you will have to be patient if you would rather get the upgraded version.

Porsche Evolution

The Evolution of the New Porsche Boxster

The Porsche Boxster has always been an enjoyable vehicle to drive. Sure it doesn't have the same level of power as the 911, but it has enough pep to make for an invigorating drive, and with the changes that Porsche has made on their latest iteration of the vehicle, it becomes even more enjoyable to operate.

Lighter Weight

One of the main changes that has been made to the Boxster that previous owners are going to notice is the weight reduction. Porsche is always trying to cut weight from their vehicles any way that they can, and they have succeeded in doing this by making more parts of their vehicle out of aluminum than they did previously. Even though the vehicle is now longer, and wider, it weights quite a bit less, and it is apparent in the handling of the boxster.

Altering the Wheels and Dimensions

The overall dimensions of the new boxster is quite a bit different than the older versions. The wheelbase is noticeably wider, and the car itself is longer than it was before. On top of that the wheels come 19 inches on the standard version of the car, and they can be up to 20 inches on the Carrera S version of the vehicle.

The Engine Stays the Same

Porsche really hasn’t changed much in respect to the engine and the overall drivetrain. A very similar engine is in the Boxster that was in the 2013 version, and it just has a very small increase in horsepower that isn't likely to make any noticeable performance difference.

They also left the mid-engine placement in the Boxster to appease fans who really enjoy the balanced and center feel to their vehicles. This is the same configuration that the IS has, and drivers enjoy bringing these cars around the track for that very fact.

Interior Changes

There have also been some noticeable changes to the interior of the Boxster, most of the are slight changes to the overall dashboard and console configuration, and the Boxster has been altered to look very similar to the 911, and the Cayenne on the interior.

The center console in the Porsche Boxster now slopes toward the stack in front of it more than it did before. Some buttons have also been positioned on the console that used to be on the stack. Other than that, you get the same classy interior that most people have come to know and love from the Boxster.

Many slight changes have been made to the Boxster and for the most part they seem to be for the better. It accelerates and handles better than it did before, the interior of the vehicle is a little more accessible, and the vehicle looks better than it did a year before.

Boxster fans should be excited about this new Porsche even though nothing groundbreaking has been done to the vehicle to make it very different from past iterations. It certainly is more enjoyable to drive than older Boxsters and they are moving in a great direction in that respect.

Porsche Developed for Race Car Drivers First

Racing Engineering For Drivers

All of the innovations in Porsche passenger vehicles, and passenger vehicles in general were developed first for the race track. There isn’t as much need to develop new technology to simply drive people around town, but engineers have been constantly pushing the envelope on new driving technology for the purpose of winning races.

As that new technology is created eventually, the most useful pieces of the technology make their way over to passenger vehicles and they begin being used on a daily basis with standard driving.

Porsche racing technology is currently being used in the body of their passenger cars, the break system, many of the materials throughout the vehicle, as well as the interior safety harnesses and airbag systems.

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Rear View Mirror

Rear view mirrors were a tool for race car drivers before they were ever used in passenger vehicles. They were a tool to see the competition before they got up to you and eventually companies began to realize that rearview mirror were a good idea for passenger vehicles as well and one of the most useful inventions was created and implemented in most vehicles, including Porsches from that point on.

Roll Cages

Most people who know anything about race cars at all know that they have roll cages to protect the drivers. Over the years these cages have become more advanced as cars have become faster and more powerful. What most people don’t realize is that these same roll cages are included in passenger vehicles, they just aren’t visible. Porsche vehicles are desired for their attractive appearance, their sleek bodies, and their raw power. Hidden amongst all of the luxury is a fully functional roll cage that would help protect you if you flipped the vehicle.

Under the trim of the vehicle, the cloth and the leather and the wood there are solid steel, carbon fiber, and aluminum supports. These supports surround the vehicle and help it maintain a strong frame that will resist crumpling under impact.

Carbon Fiber

Carbon fiber wasn’t invented for the sole purpose of improving race cars, in fact it was invented in the 1800’s by Thomas Edison for use in his early light bulbs, but it was adopted by race cars before passenger vehicles and now is slowly making its way to high-end sports cars.

Carbon fiber really does improve the safety and reliability of cars because it is stronger than steel while weighing less. That means that the weight of cars can be lowered while they are actually made stronger. Carbon fiber can be bent and flexed and stretched over and over again without wearing down and that means that it will last for extremely long periods of time before braking.

Carbon fiber is slowly replacing parts on Porsches cars and SUVs to make them more responsive, easier to handle, and most importantly stronger.

Each of these technologies would never have made their way to Porsche passenger vehicles if it were not for the ambitious racing program that keeps pushing the envelope on car technology in general.

Porsche Endurance

Porsche Racing

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Sports cars, and vehicles in general are continually focusing on ways to become more lightweight. New materials are developed all the time to decrease the weight of vehicles, and most of the time these materials are developed for races such as the Targa Florio and the 24 Hours Le Man in France. During these endurance races the lighter your vehicle is the longer you can keep driving without worrying about fuel. Many aluminum alloys and carbon fiber parts have been developed for these type of races, and they are always engineered to be extremely safe. 

With the increased demand to make more fuel efficient vehicles, manufacturers have been working to make cars lighter, and Porsche doesn’t have a problem doing that in a safe manner thanks to all of the engineering tests that they have performed on prototypes entered into these endurance races. 

Regenerative Flywheel

During some of the latest endurance challenges that Porsche has entered they developed a new flywheel regenerative braking technology. Since the cars are traveling exceptionally fast in the race using standard batteries wouldn’t have been an efficient method for storing power created by regenerative braking. Instead a flywheel technology was created to harness all of the power created through regenerative braking the powerful sports car and then immediately converted into energy that the car could utilize for additional boosts of speed. 

This technology is not used in passenger vehicles yet, and probably won’t become popular in most mainstream vehicles, but it should improve efficiency and safety for larger vehicles such as garbage trucks that have to start and stop several different times a day. 

Improved Steering Technology

There is so much technology that goes into keeping a Porsche on the road today that it is staggering. The early Porsche models were able to win in the Targa Florio in large part because the vehicles simply handled better. Handling was improved thanks to an increase in range of motion in the steering wheel through new technology. As well as improving the range of motion, the ease of turning the wheel has also been improved through technological advances.

These steering improvements make passenger Porsches much safer to drive because the driver is able to react to emergency situations more efficiently. If there is a sharp corner that was unexpected the driver should be able to make the turn without repositioning the hands in most instances. 

By making the wheel easier to turn and more responsive it also reduces driver fatigue over longer trips which means that you won’t have to worry about making mistakes because you are too tired. Often when drivers become tired they take a more relaxed hand position on the wheel and aren’t able to keep control of the vehicle as effectively any longer making them useless to respond in a serious situation. 

All of these advances came from the desire to win long distances races in France and Italy and they have affected all the passenger vehicles created by Porsche substantially. 

History Of Porsche Racing

The Porsche 911 Represents the Company’s Evolution through Racing

With a lifespan of over 50 years, the Porsche 911 has evolved arguably more than any other car model out there. By following the evolution of the 911 you get a clear picture of how racing has evolved, and how Porsche has evolved in general. 911’s are still around today and they have been being produced in one variation or another since 1963. From their original inception they have been modified to use in various races by both Porsche teams and private teams as well.

Porsche continually works to improve upon past models of their vehicles, and they have always fought to stay on the forefront of car technology. All of the successes that the 911 cars have had in racing proves that Porsche values innovation, and creating the best possible product, after all private teams line up to buy cars from Porsche that they will use to win some of the most competitive races on the planet.

The Early Years

The very first 911 was created as a power upgrade to the original Porsche 356. The basic idea of the car was a sports car version of the Beetle. The original 911 was innovative at the time because its engine was mounted in the rear of the car and it was air-cooled for improved performance. The flat-6 engine was in the “boxer” configuration just like the Porsche 356, but it had 6 cylinders instead of 4. This initial 911 only had 120 horsepower, but that didn't people from racing it, and it was seen as a powerhouse of the day.

The 911 in Racing

The Porsche 911 has always been thought of as a race car  that is also a consumer product. Many of the adjustments that were made to the 911 were due to racing restrictions that required the car to be changed around, and others were due to technological advancements that were incorporated into newer models.

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The 911 Carrera RSR 3.0

The 911 Carrera RSR 3.0 was sold off to several different racing teams throughout the 1970’s and those cars were used to win several racing events. These vehicles were able to take home the victory in the Targa Florio, and the Daytona, Sebring and Nurburgring racing events.

The RSR Turbo Prototype

The RSR Turbo prototype nearly took first place at the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race in 1974 but they ended up in second place. This same prototype was used to win many of the other major races throughout the year as well.

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The 911 GT1 was developed in 1996 in order to be able to compete in the GT1 Le Mans class. This car is thought to be one of the most powerful road-racing Porsches ever created. It has a total 700 horsepower, can go from 0 to 60 in 3.3 seconds and tops out at 235 mph. The engine utilizes twin-turbo charging in order to create its immense power. This same model won Le Mans in 1998 in an impressive display of power. In order for the car to be entered, there had to be a minimum of 25 of the cars created, so Porsche had 25 created and entered into the race.

Private Racers

After being tested out by one of the official Porsche racing teams, most of the 911 models are sold to private consumers who often use them in races themselves. Many of the victories using Porsche 911 models were achieved by private teams who bought the vehicles off of Porsche after the initial trial period.

Porsche has gone on the record saying that they only participate in races in order to gain the engineering knowledge that it offers to improve their vehicles. By selling off all of the vehicles to potential competition they prove that they aren't interested in the win, nearly as much as they are interested in advancing their technology.

The Porsche 911 is still being developed today, and there are plenty of private clubs that have 911 races on a regular basis. New variations of the 911 are bound to continue being entered into races as time goes by, and the 911 may last as long as Porsche does, since it is still purchased heavily today.