Porsche is expanding the 911 model line with five new GTS models.

• Faster and more capable than ever before 
• Highest performing 911 Carrera and Targa variants announced

Porsche is expanding the 911 model line with five new GTS models: the 911 Carrera GTS with rear-wheel drive, the 911 Carrera 4 GTS with all-wheel drive — both  available as a Coupé and Cabriolet — and the 911 Targa 4 GTS with all-wheel drive. 

The 3.0-liter flat-six cylinder with larger turbochargers delivers 450 horsepower, which is 30 horsepower more than the current 911 Carrera S and 20 horsepower above the previous, naturally-aspirated GTS model. 

All GTS variants are equipped as standard with a seven-speed manual transmission. The seven-speed Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) dual-clutch transmission is available as an option.

More power, even greater performance

405 lb.-ft. of torque (37 lb-ft. more than the Carrera S) further improves acceleration and responsiveness. Maximum torque is available between 2150 and 5000 rpm. Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) is included as standard on all GTS models. 

The GTS Coupés feature the PASM Sport Suspension, which drops the ride height by 0.39 inches (10 millimeters) compared to the PASM suspension, which is standard on all 911 models including the Cabriolet and Targa variants of the GTS. 

The 911 GTS Coupé models accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour 0.2 seconds faster than the respective Carrera S and 4S Coupés. When equipped with the optional PDK (Porsche Doppelkupplung) transmission, the Carrera 4 GTS Coupé takes just 3.4 seconds to reach 60 miles per hour. 

The GTS Cabriolet and Targa models reach 60 mph 0.3 seconds faster than the comparable Carrera S/4S Cabriolet or Targa 4S models. Top track speed of the GTS models is up to 3 mph higher, depending on the variant. The 911 GTS Coupé with manual transmission and rear-wheel drive is capable of 193 mph.

Typically GTS: Black elements accentuate the high-performance character

The GTS models distinguish themselves within the 911 model line not only in terms of technology, but also in their design: All GTS variants are based on the Carrera 4/4S body, which measures 72.9 inches (1852 mm), even on the rear-wheel-drive models. 

The new Sport Design front end with a spoiler lip painted in black emphasizes the high-performance character. Combined with an increased rear spoiler extension height, it reduces lift on the front and rear axle compared to the Carrera S models. 

Tinted tail lights, rear lid grill strips with a satin black finish and tailpipes in high-gloss black, which are part of the standard Sport Exhaust system, give the GTS a particularly striking appearance. A new black trim strip between the tail lights is featured on the rear-wheel-drive variants. A light strip between the tail lights is reserved for the all-wheel-drive models. 

Sport Design exterior mirrors, 20-inch center lock wheels painted in satin black, and black GTS logos on the doors represent further visual enhancements. The characteristic Targa bar, which is black with a satin finish for the first time, also gives the 911 Targa 4 GTS a very distinctive look.

New Porsche Track Precision app included with extensive standard equipment

The GTS offers a unique interior. The stopwatch of the standard Sport Chrono Package is integrated as a central component of the dashboard. 

The included Porsche Track Precision App has been further enhanced for the market launch of the GTS models. Its features include automatic recording as well as a detailed display and analysis of driving data for smartphones. Standard Sport Seats Plus with GTS logos on the headrests provide increased lateral support and comfort. 

They are fitted with a combination of leather and Alcantara^®that is highlighted with a new seat stitching. Alcantara^® can also be found on the standard GT Sport steering wheel, the gear lever and the armrest. The brushed aluminum interior trim is anodized with a black finish.

The 2017 911 GTS models are available to order now and are scheduled to arrive at dealerships in the United States in April 2017. The MSRP for each model is as follows:

911 Carrera GTS	$119,000
911 Carrera 4 GTS	$125,900
911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet	$131,300
911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet	$138,200
911 Targa 4 GTS$	$138,200

Volkswagen temps the buyers with a host of offers to get the cars rolling again after the emissions scandal.

• Drive an award-winning new Volkswagen Golf from just £199¹ per month
• Volkswagen Polo, with one year’s free insurance², now available from only £139¹ per month
• Deposit contributions and other offers apply throughout the Volkswagen range

Volkswagen Retailers across the country are gearing up for a busy summer of sales as the brand unveils a raft of tempting new offers across the range.  Volkswagen is synonymous with dependability, quality and value, and these qualities are typified by the latest deals.

The headline-grabbing offers start with the accomplished, classless, Volkswagen Golf.  The offers apply to the three- and five-door hatchback versions of the versatile family car.  The broad Golf range is peppered with the latest technology and driver assistance, and it of course boasts among its number the world’s favourite hot hatch, the iconic Golf GTI³.

Customers opting for a Golf via Retail Personal Contract Hire can now do so at an ultra-low rate of £199 per month¹.  This competitive offer is available over a contract of up to 48 months.

Customers opting for a Solutions Personal Contract Plan benefit from a deposit contribution of up to £2,000 at 5.4 per cent APR representative for private customers who finance a new Golf via Volkswagen Financial Services (VWFS).  That means the Golf now blends class-leading design with extraordinary affordability.

The all-conquering Volkswagen Polo, recently named Britain’s best supermini once again by Auto Express magazine, is now available for just £139 per month¹ via Retail Personal Contract Hire over 48 months.  For customers who opt for a Solutions Personal Contract Plan, a deposit contribution of up to £1,400 at 6.7 per cent APR representative is available on all new Polos¹. 

The extensive Polo range starts from just £11,525 (RRP OTR) and has recently grown with the addition of the stylish new Polo Beats trim, which brings unique styling, enhanced equipment and a class-leading sound system to the hatchback line-up.  

Among the Polo Beats’ highlights are an exceptional 300-watt seven speaker sound system develop by Californian audio experts Beats Audio, 16-inch alloy wheels and Beats Audio-themed styling details both inside and out.  The Polo Beats starts from £13,910 (RRP OTR). 

The Polo is the car that many younger drivers choose and, with that in mind, Volkswagen’s free insurance offer has proven particularly popular².  

The good news is that this offer has now been extended, and simplified. One year’s free insurance is included for anyone who buys a Polo as long as they’ve held a driving licence for a year, and subject to conditions around driving history.  It’s another example of the value that comes with Volkswagen ownership.

The sporty Scirocco coupé, meanwhile, is now available at Volkswagen Retailers across the UK with a new deposit contribution offer of up to £2,000 at 6.5 per cent APR representative when purchased with Solutions PCP⁴.  

The Scirocco GT costs from £22,890 (RRP OTR) before the offer is applied and packs a punch with 18-inch alloy wheels, front fog lights, 2Zone air conditioning and front and rear parking sensors. 

The Scirocco range has recently been extended to include the powerful new Scirocco GTS, too, and with its 220 PS TSI engine and unique ‘GTS’ styling it is a special car in its own right.  

The high-performance Scirocco R, with a 280 PS power plant, tops the offering and includes lowered suspension and Volkswagen’s Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC), the combination of which offer the driver a thrilling experience behind the wheel.  

The GTS is priced from £28,500 (RRP OTR) and the R is £32,895 (RRP OTR) and both benefit from this deposit contribution offer.

Porsche will unveil its new Panamera sporty sedan at this year's Paris show, according to company sources

Porsche will unveil its new Panamera sporty sedan at this year's Paris auto show, company sources told Automotive News Europe, marking the brand's second major product rejuvenation after the recent revamp of the mid-engine 718 Boxster/Cayman model line.

The second-generation Panamera will use parent Volkswagen Group's lighter-weight, more fuel-efficient MSB platform, which also is expected to underpin models from Bentley, Bugatti and Lamborghini.

The new Panamera will go on sale in Europe shortly after its public debut in Paris on Sept. 29. China and the U.S., the brand's two biggest single markets respectively, will follow in 2017.

The Panamera was the poorest-selling of Porsche's five model lines last year, but it has proved popular in particular in China where customers prize the four-door sedan's roominess not offered in the 911 sports car.

Porsche chose the country's fashionable Shanghai metropolis to serve as its backdrop for the first-generation Panamera's world debut seven years ago during an exclusive event high up in the city's famous World Financial Center skyscraper.

To bolster demand, Porsche is expected to add a Shooting Brake variant in Europe next year with a more station wagon-like silhouette. The added functionality is expected to appeal mainly to consumers in Europe where wagons remain popular due to their better handling compared with SUVs.

Global sales of the Panamera declined 31 percent to 17,207 last year, making it the worst performing model if the 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman are counted together. The Panamera's best sales year was 2012 when 29,030 were sold.

The coupe-styled sedan starts at 83,277 euros in Germany including VAT and comes in several different derivatives including a four-wheel drive version, a plug-in hybrid, along with GTS and Turbo variants that can run the price tag up towards more than 180,000 euros.

A Porsche spokesman declined to comment on the next generation of the car or on other body styles, but confirmed the existence of developmental prototypes of a Panamera Shooting Brake.

Christiaan Hetzner

REPORT HERE

ITALY - Porsche upgrades the Macan Crossover with more tech and more luxury.

Translated by Google - Apologies for an errors caused.

Porsche further enhances the Macan. With the world debut of the Macan GTS (1) at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2015, the new model year of the compact SUV will offer, immediately, comfort and infotainment systems optimized: the new Porsche Communication Management (PCM), which has just he celebrated his debut in the 911 (2), is now also used in the Macan. 

Features: real-time traffic information (optional) simplified controls and an integrated WLAN hotspot.

In addition, all models of the sporty SUV, Porsche offers on demand new full-LED headlights that provide greater comfort and functionality and sportiness even higher. 

An improved system of steering adjustment ensures a more direct driving pleasure and better contact with the road. Exclusively for the Macan Turbo (3) are optionally available packages for the interior and the exterior enlarged. Now, customers can further customize the configuration of their car. 

The latest PCM: simple controls and better connectivity 

Heart of the infotainment system, is standard on all models Macan, is the new touch screen 7-inch high-resolution The surface of use perfected allows for intuitive operation similar to that of smartphones. If the sensor recognizes the proximity to enter a command, the screen overlay the main contents of the menu, the driver can manage through finger touches on several points of the multitouch screen. Interfaces Bluetooth, USB and SD cards allow for the integration of smart phones and storage media with PCM.  

A novelty in infotainment series of compact SUVs: the customer can choose, depending on the needs and preferences, in three different options for connecting the Macan with the outside world: the "Connect module" includes a compartment for smartphones integrated into the center console armrest that can save battery power and ensure an improved reception of the phone. Also new is the ability to connect the iPhone with PCM for using AppleCar Play®, including voice recognition Siri®. The "Connect module" also includes the familiar Porsche Car Connect. 

In addition, it is available the "navigation module": the new navigation system convinces for the representation of the high-resolution maps, provided for the first time, depending on the area, even in 3D. And you can easily start the path management by voice command. 

For the use of increasingly complex offers connectivity, Porsche developed the "module Connect Plus": real-time traffic information available online and the representation of Google services, ensure the Macan to reach the first destination, and not only thanks to its driving dynamics. 

The use of PCM as a WLAN hotspot and even more extensive integration of smartphones in the car do not leave nothing to be desired in terms of networking. The new addition to Porsche Connect App that allows, among other things, to transfer items smartphone directly to PCM to start a management way. 

LED main headlights in dynamic design 

For the first time, in combination with Porsche Dynamic Light System Plus (PDLS Plus) option, the Macan has full-LED headlights. The new headlights convince tone similar to that of daylight and the depth of illumination optimized compared with a low power consumption.  

The daytime running lights are characterized by lighting design with four points, the Porsche family. The dynamic design of the lights is further underlined by the inner headlight in dark color and the four diodes LED in silver anodized. Set in a chrome frame profile marked, the main projector in black acquires a particular three-dimensional configuration. Instead of the bi-xenon headlights with projection lenses round and additional lights, the LED version has a projection module placed in the center for the low beam and high beam. Additional light modules provide other features such as the cornering light system and assistance at intersections.  

The PDLS Plus includes popular features of "dynamic curve light" and "light roads", as well as a specific mode for journeys and the motorway 'illumination of the road in case of poor visibility. The high beam dynamics, based on camera, allow a more relaxed thanks to the automatic adjustment of the headlight beam when driving at night. Based on the navigation data provided by PCM, the care system at intersections activates a light module additional near a junction for optimum illumination of the intersection.  

For a particularly sporty look: packages Macan Turbo  Inspired by GTS models, Porsche offers, for the first time for the Turbo Macan, additional packages for the interior and to the exterior. Several design elements into the body give the powerful SUV to sporty handling: 21-inch 911 Turbo design shine in the exclusive two-tone combination. The door mirrors Sport Design, markedly dynamic, and hubcaps with color Porsche Crest add aesthetic accents. 

Elements in contrasting colors in glossy black adorn the vents and sideblade, as well as the side window surrounds and the lower part of the rear bumper. In chromatic harmony and perfectly matched to the molding rear Sport Design, the sports exhaust system terminal displays in black. The rear lights dark complete the custom look of the flagship model.  

Traditionally, GTS models offer drivers sporting visual and tactile sensations particularly valuable in the cockpit, distinguished elements in Alcantara and seams in contrasting colors: Alcantara, a fabric used in sports competitions, plays the seat center, the armrest of the center console and door trim. Decorative stitching in silver rhodium or garnet red in the instrument cluster, on the seats and the door trim generate additional color accents. Turbo lettering in contrasting color on the headrests and door sill guards in carbon, illuminated, announce between journeys power from 400 hp top model.  

Both packages can be ordered separately, but each combines equally sporty and exclusivity. For all versions the Macan also features new exterior colors. Decorative stitching in contrasting colors and seat center in different color still leave more room for customization. In addition, the steering wheel in Alcantara, available as an option, heated, offers more comfort in cold weather and a secure grip in the case of sports driving. The new models will be available at retailers Macan Porsche since the beginning of 2016, but as of now be ordered in Italy at the following prices (including VAT):  

• Macan S 64,279 Euro 

• Macan S Diesel 63,669 Euro 

• Macan GTS 76845 € 

• Macan Turbo 87,413 Euro 

(1) Macan GTS *: Consumption (l / 100 km) 11.8 to 11.4 urban, suburban 7.8 to 7.4, 9.2 to 8.8 combined; CO2 emissions from 215 to 207 g / km; Efficiency class (Germany): E-D. 

(2) Series 911: Consumption combined from 12.7 to 7.4 l / 100 km; CO2 emissions: 296 to 169 g / km, Efficiency class (Germany): G-D. 

(3) Macan Turbo *: Consumption (l / 100 km) 11.8 to 11.5 urban, suburban 7,8 7.5, combined 9.2 to 8.9; CO2 emissions from 216 to 208 g / km; Efficiency class (Germany): E-D. 

(4) Series Macan: Consumption combined: 9.2 to 6.1 l / 100 km; CO2 emissions from 216 to 159 g / km;Efficiency class (Germany): E-B. 

*) Range of values ​​depending on the type of tires fitted.