The Original Four Door Porsche

Ever wondered what the Porsche Panamera would have looked like if it had been conceived, designed, and built during the 1960s? 

Me neither, but that doesn’t mean that a one of a kind ancestor to the Panamera wasn’t built. Leave it to Motorheads to cut a Porsche 911 in half and slap it back together with an extra pair of seats and room to spare.

Panamera's Granddaddy

In 1968, the aforementioned Motorheads Dick Troutman and Tom Barnes decided that two seats were simply not enough for a 911. Their solution? Cut the car in half, design new body panels and sheet metal to accommodate the longer wheelbase, and then weld and rivet it all back together.

The result is a strange 911 that you may not even take a second look at unless you got close. Then you would see that this car is sporting suicide doors hinged at the rear and it is 21 inches longer than its 2 seated 911 brethren. It was perfectly drivable and, in my opinion, doesn’t look half bad:

Suicide doors FTW. And legroom!

I think the impressive part of this whole endeavor is the amount of room they were able to add to the original frame. 21 inches gave any rear seated passengers ample leg room. That’s a far cry from today’s 911s. They are technically four-seaters, but good luck getting anything larger than a small child or a bag of groceries back there. It makes one wonder why they even bother sticking seats into that cramped space.

Anyway, I thought this was a cool article. And I am very impressed with the final result. It’s amazing to think that this was done by only two guys in a garage. Motor heads come up with some crazy stuff don’t they?

Read the full article here. Thanks to Road and Track for tracking down one heck of a car!

Turbo Porsche's? Sign Me Up!

Tears of Joy...

For anyone who has even loosely followed this blog, you have to realize that I have a heavy bais towards Porsche automobiles. They are my favorite cars of all time, followed very closely by anything that is rotary powered. Why? I don't really have a reason. I can always remember loving them for sticking the engine in such a ludicrous and, as it turns out with turbos, dangerous place. When your Porsche 930 turbo decides to boost in the middle of a sharp turn, you may as well let go of the wheel and let it happen as your back end breaks loose and you spin round about a couple times. Hopefully that's all that will happen, but those 930s have a dicey reputation...

Porsche thankfully has refined it's turbo cars so that there isn't as much danger in owning one. And technology such as traction control and all wheel drive help to keep drivers of all skills on the road. So for those who love the feeling of boost as it slams you back in your seat, this news will please you all: Porsche is bringing turbo engines to the Boxster and the Cayman!

GIVE ME BOOOOOOOST!

According to the report, the engines in the Boxster and Cayman models will be turbo powered flat fours making anywhere from 240 - 370 hp, replacing the normally aspirated flat sixes that grace the current mid-engined lineup. The only lineup of Boxsters and Caymans that will keep the flat six engines (supposedly) are the top of the line, special edition GT4 models, although that information is far from confirmed. 

Go Go Gadget Boost!

Being mid-engined, the Porsche Boxster and Cayman lineup are ideal for the turbo setup. Balance is key when it comes to cornering and maneuverability on the track, and these two models sport nearly perfect 50/50 balance from front to back. A kick in of boost at the apex of a turn will still be lesss than ideal, but the modern traction and stability control that both models will no doubt sport will help to minimize instances of the back end going where it pleases instead of where you want it to. As an owner of a turbo auto ('91 Mazda RX7 Turbo), I can appreciate the necessity of this technology, even though it may not be nearly as fun or daring.

Check out the full article here. There isn't all that much information but honestly just hearing the words 'turbo boxster/cayman' should be enough to get any car fan excited. Balance + Boost = Driving Nirvana. That's a scientifically proven fact folks, start saving that cash...

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things...

So I decided I have way too many car pictures saved in my library, so periodically I will dump a whole mess of automotive glory for you, my fellow MotorHeads, to peruse. 

Enjoy! Or tell me which cars you hate in the comments for some good old fashioned fun.

The Koenigsegg Agera X.

Jay Leno rocking a Tesla Roadster.

Alfa Romeo 4c Competizione.

A stunning Porsche 911 Carrera having fun in the rain,

Toyota FT-1 (Possible Supra?!?)

McLaren P1 peering into your soul.

Really Cool Porsche LeMans Pics

These are some stylized pics I found while hunting for Porsche content. Very cool, and they definitely denote a sense of speed!

Tell me these aren't incredible:

RIGHT?!?! Amazing. Stunning. All the good adjectives!

The Only View Many of us Will Ever See of a Porsche 918 Spyder

Still... Not a bad view!

Follow my blog on Tumblr as well for even more auto awesome!

In More Cheerful News

I present you with a drop dead gorgeous Porsche 911 GT3

Click the link for plenty more where that beauty came from!

http://gofast918.tumblr.com/post/121455024477/carpr0n-starring-porsche-911-gt3-by

Holy Race Cars Batman!

Anyone want to look at one epic gallery from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca? 

(Don't worry I was going to show you anyway!)

Here are some sample shots from the IMSA three-day bonanza at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca:

Another! That BMW is fantastic!

It says something when, even though these are just pictures, they impart such a frenzied speed demon feeling! Maybe that's me.

Check out the full gallery here! It has something like 100+ photos of pure race car madness! 

Moment of Porsche Zen

In Racing News:

Two podium finishes for Porsche at the FIA WEC #6hSilverstone. The 919 Hybrid #18 scores the second place in LMP1 class and so does the 911 RSR #91 in GTE… - Porsche - Google+ 

So I know that this race had to be frantic and tense as usual (unfortunately I didn’t see it), but this shot puts me at ease. All is right with the world.

Read the full story! 

Porsche, 911 RSR, FIA WEC Silverstone, 919 Hybrid, racecar, zen Porsche

via IFTTT

Porsche 356 Speedster in Candy Apple Red!

For anybody wondering, Porsches are pretty much my favorite kind of cars. And a 356 Speedster is in the top 10 for my list of dream cars. I dont think I would ever get tired of looking at them. I just wish I had the couple hundred thousand bucks to buy one! Of course, with 3D printers advancing as fast as they are nowadays....

Also known as 'Bathtub Racers'

Break Time! Everyone Take a Look at this New Porsche!

Porsche Boxster Spyder (or Speedster, as I Like to Call It)

I just have one question for you: Is the beauty, performance, and open air design of this Boxster worth losing air conditioning for?

I think it just might be...

Never can have too many Porsches!!!

This many Porsches in one spot: Against the law?

(I'd type more but I am currently drooling everywhere)


Source

Porsche 356. Absolutely stunning.

So this is one of my top 25 dream cars: The Porsche 356

Some people called these babies 'bathtub' cars. In my eyes they are one hell of a classic design. The speedsters specifically are incredible (I will add a pic of one later if I can find it...). 

Anyone else just love these? Comment!