Before: Porsche 911 Turbo (Credit: The Globe and Mail) http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/car-life/cheney/globe-journalists-son-crashes-180000-porsche/article1574334/?cid=art-rail-cheney

Cheney’s son Will, 18, apparently decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and test drive the car himself. The Globe and Mail reports that Will often brought friends over to the family garage to look at whatever car his father was reviewing at the time. When the Porsche Turbo appeared in the family garage, Will just couldn’t resist climbing inside for a closer look. Apparently, Cheney’s son had no intention to drive the car anywhere. Although numerous commentators have compared this event to the famous car crash scene in the movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” Will was arguably not actually trying to go for a joy ride - he just wanted to listen to the radio.

So, he turned the car on and never expected what would happen next. Instead of the radio turning on, the engine of the car roared to life, and the car shot forward and ploughed straight into the garage door. As soon as Peter returned home, Will confessed. I personally, would have fled the country, but Will must have been fairly confident his dad would be lenient. Fortunately for Will, his father didn’t ship him off to boarding school or bury him in the backyard. He may very well have been saved by the fact that during the moments after the incident, Peter Cheney was more concerned with making sure that the garage got fixed so that the car did not get stolen during the night.

After: A damaged Porsche 911 Turbo. (Credit: The Globe and Mail) http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/car-life/cheney/globe-journalists-son-crashes-180000-porsche/article1574334/?cid=art-rail-cheney

Once the car was examined by a qualified mechanic and the family contractor came to look at the family’s garage, it was determined that Cheney’s son had caused about $14,000 worth of damage to the Porsche Turbo and the family’s home. Porsche’s insurance took care of the damages to the car, and Cheney’s home owner’s insurance took care of the damage to the family’s garage. Porsche did not allow Cheney to pay their insurance deductible, which he volunteered to do. A representative from Porsche even sent the family a picture of a Porsche that had been totalled in a test run, in order to make the family feel better about the incident.

Will’s punishment is that he will have to pay the home insurance deductible, which came to about $750. On the plus side, however, the young Mr. Cheney will be able to tell his coevals that he took a spin in a genuine Porsche. Few eighteen year olds get the chance to say that. Will’s dad is also making him take driving lessons later this summer, so that Will can learn to drive a stick shift and learn how to avoid crashing into garage doors in the future.

Guest Contributor: Design 911 – Porsche Parts, spares and accessories supplier based in Essex, UK.

The mark they came up with takes more than a few pen strokes to reproduce, but nonetheless creates a bond of trust and space for thought among drivers and admirers alike. More than anything else, the Porsche logo takes its design cues from the coat of arms of the Free People’s State of Württemberg, a former Weimar Republic province. Ferdinand Porsche moved to Württemberg from Austria-Hungary after the turmoil of World War I and the Porsche headquarters is still located in the province (now called Baden-Württemberg) today. The red and black stripes come from the former province’s flag and the 6 antlers represent the heavy deer population in the thickly-wooded forests of the region. The province is the most prosperous and innovative of modern Germany and many other German multinationals are located there such as Daimler, Bosch, Carl Zeiss, and SAP. Through his company’s emblem, Porsche shows a firm commitment to his adopted land.

The horse in the middle is from the coat of arms of Stuttgart, the capital of Württemberg. Stute in German means female horse and gart in the city name is short for garten, or garden. The now bustling German metropolis was originally a horse pasture in the 10^th century. The city’s coat of arms pays homage to these roots with a black prancing stallion on a yellow shield. Interestingly enough, the Italian sports car manufacturer Ferrari uses the same heraldry in its logo. The image of the black stallion made its way to Italy during World War I via Francesco Baracca, Italy’s top fighter ace during the war. Legend has it that Baracca copied the horse design from a shot down German pilot who happened to have painted the Stuttgart coat of arms on his plane. The Italian used the symbol on his own plane, but he too was killed in combat. In 1923, the symbol made its way to Enzo Ferrari after Ferrari’s victory in the Circuito del Savio. Ferrari had made acquaintance with Baracca’s father and after he won the race, his wife, the Countess Paolina Baracca, presented a piece of her son’s Stuttgart coat of arms-emblazoned plane shrapnel to him. The Countess asked that he use the horse on his cars and suggested it would bring him good luck. The Porsche family asked the Stuttgart city government for permission to use their coat of arms in their logo, which they were granted, but it’s unknown whether Ferrari ever had to go through the same process. Austrian petrol station company Avanti also uses the same prancing black stallion with yellow background in their logo.

Count Francesco Baracca used the same Stuttgart coat of arms on his plane as Porsche and inspired Ferrari’s logo

With the Porsche name added at the top of the shield, the emblem was complete. From 1953-1957 the new logo first appeared only on the interior of Porsche’s vehicles. The 1957 Porsche 356 coupe was the first to have the emblem gleam resplendent on its bonnet. A 2008 Luxury Institute survey among wealthy Americans found the Porsche brand best luxury car brand today. Respondents of the survey associated Porsche with "power, style and excitement", "value," "elegance," and "trust and respect". Without its intricate yet meaningful logo, it is doubtful Porsche would have ever been able to sear itself into the minds of consumers, built such value, and commanded such respect.

Thanks to the team at vintage racing video website RaceFansTV for guest writing this post. RaceFansTV is an international initiative led by motorsports enthusiasts that aims to bring back much of the great historical racing footage that has been captured since the video camera was invented.

Well worth checking them out!

Rallyebild are a team of three individuals, one photographer and two videographers, who love and respect everything Porsche. If you feel the same, read on, because we have the 2009 Rallye specs for you, right down to the car color and driver. Take a look at their video. It was a heart-pounding experience for everyone present. Wish we could have been there!

Some info about the cars.

The Red and Orange Porsche

Olaf Dobberkau was driving this impressive machine. In Germany, Dobberkau is known as Dr. Drift and for good reason! This incredible driver won the prestigious Sachsen-Rallye, which culminated in the first Porsche victory in its class in 26 years. Learn more about Dobberkau at www.prorally.de

The White and Red Porsche

Matthias Kahle, the six-time Germany Rally Champion, was driving this insane machine. His car has a sequential gearbox. He drove an ‘08 Porsche on gravel for the Lausitz Rallye, but since the Porsche doesn’t have gravel tires he had to put on snow tires. Learn more at www.kahle-motorsport.de

The Yellow and Green Porsche

This crazy car was driven by Raphael Ramonat. Don’t forget that he sold his Porsche to Denmark-born Lark Kraugh. This Porsche became the first Porsche Rally in Denmark. You can see more at www.escobar-racing.dk

The White and Orange Porsche

Give it up for Heinz-Walter! This incredible driver won the Championship back in 1976 and is back again, at the age of 66, to compete again. We take our hats off to this amazing driver and his awesome Porsche!

Each of these Porsche’s, we’d like to mention, have M&M Exhaust Systems. Take a look at www.m-m-germany.de .

The Black Porsche

This car was driven by Anton Werner, who was the first to bring Porsches to the rallying scene. He started his 2010 season with a 997 gearbox.

The Green/White/Gray

Maik Stolzel drove this crazy ride. This man was the first to introduce us to the 997 sequential gearbox to the Porsche driving scene. Before he drove this car he had the Skota Octavia WRC, as many of you may remember.

"It was a wild race and we loved every minute of it. We captured all that we could for your enjoyment, so take a look at our video on You Tube. The cars were powerful and the drivers were in full control of their incredibly insane machines.

They burned up the courses, proving what a Porsche can do when allowed outside of the norm! Rock on!"

We know that you’re craving more, so we’re going to give it to you. If you want to see more, or learn more, you can take a look at these websites:

Rallyebild.de

www.prorallye.de
www.kahle-motorsport.de

Big thanks to the guys over at Rallyebild.de for sending us the video! Keep up the good work.

We know that you get as excited about the world of Porsche rally racing as we do!

So what does everyone think? Can you imagine a 997 in the WRC? 

Of course, numbers like these can only be produced by a lot of muscle. The mid-engine 911 Turbo is supplied by twin turbocharger units, which come together seamlessly in order to produce 500 BHP (yes...500!) at 6,000 RPM. Amazingly, this kind of power is produced from just 3.8 liters of displacement. The six-cylinder engine is lightweight, compact, and at a level of perfection that cannot be matched by anyone with less experience, and the fact is, no one has more experience. The 911 was introduced to the public in 1963 and landed in show room floors in the summer of 1964. It is the longest running production car being manufactured today. The Turbo edition of the 911 wasn't sold until 1975 and is today the only variation, which sends its power to all four wheels.

Its newest claim to fame is efficiency. Despite its increase in performance over the previous 996 model, fuel consumption has been reduced by 16% and CO2 emissions have been dropped by 18%. This is mostly due to the recent implementation of direct fuel injection (DFI). If you were spending more than 100 grand on a car wouldn't you want to avoid the gas guzzler tax as well?

There is more to this car than just mind blowing performance. The new Porsche 911 Turbo comes available with numerous options and the entire interior comes wrapped in leather from the factory as stock equipment. Sources say that PETA is chasing Porsche for this ostentatious decision, but they just can't catch them. With the kind of engineering this car is packing, it wouldn't be a shock if we saw lawsuits coming from NASA soon as well.

Other standard equipment includes a 13-speaker Bose sound system, on-board computer, navigation, and (as not to always be expected of Porsche) two front seat cup holders. The cup holders are of a mediocrity not common for Porsche, but the general consensus is that if you use the cup holders in a bloodthirsty 500-horse power speed machine, you don't know how to drive it.

When people imagine the name ‘Porsche', it is safe to say that a large amount instantly think of a big wing on the back of a car which always has on evil grin plastered to its face. The 911 turbo is the reason for this image. It is beautiful. It is efficient. It is cutting edge. It is fast. I want one.

Just look at this 911 Turbo Cabriolet in grey. Oooft.

Porsche debuted the 997 Turbo in 2006 to the widespread, excited adulation of the car world. Most of its unique superficial details are well known by now to car lovers, most notably the retractable rear wing and the large air intakes in front of and behind the rear wheels. The Turbo's engine is a proprietary re-design of Porsche's groundbreaking 964 GT1 engine, which was noted for its ruggedness and reliability and exceptional power. In addition, the engine comes with a turbocharger that uses a two stage resonance intake system, the world's first non-diesel variable geometry turbines with Borg Warner's Variable Turbine Geometry technology, and comes with an optional 10 second Sport Chrono overboost.

Excited? You should be. Porsche's always conservative official figures indicate 480 HP and an acceleration to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds. However, the US car rag Motor Trend recorded times of 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds, which makes the Turbo easily one of the quickest cars in the entire world. The Turbo's published top speed is 311 km/h, but there have been reports of reaching 320 km/h from reliable sources.

Even with all of that, the Turbo doesn't stand up to the GT2. The GT2 is Porsche's fastest and most powerful road car ever sold, and is among the few fastest road cars in the world. The GT2 is like a Turbo on steroids, and has the specs to match.

The 997 GT2 has a twin turbocharged 3.6 liter engine based on the 997 Turbo's engine. However, Porsche installed a significant power increase through a completely proprietary expansion intake manifold design in which the distributor pipe is longer than in the Turbo and the intake manifolds are shorter. This has a significant affect on the engine's kick. Porsche's officially published numbers highlight a 0 to 100 km/h acceleration in 3.6 seconds (as compared to 3.9 with the Turbo) and a published max speed of 329 km/h, compared to 311 with the Turbo. Unofficial numbers are even more absurd, highlighted by a 0 to 100 km/h in 3.0 seconds. At this point, it's starting to become physically impossible to go any faster.

The GT2 is so absurdly powerful that it's the first Porsche that comes with something called a "launch control," which coordinates the engine to make maximal use of the engine's turbo chargers. With the launch control, the engine automatically optimizes the revs in the engine to launch, an overboost that blows the Turbo's out of the water.

The GT2 looks similar to the Turbo. You can differentiate it by a larger rear wing with small air scoops on either side and titanium exhaust pipes.

Most people who have driven both cars report an extremely different experience. Both cars are among the fastest in the world, that much is clear. Still, people who drive the Turbo report a feeling of control, a sense that they can control the car and it responds to them. The GT2 on the other hand gives people out of body experiences. It wrests control from the driver and tears up the road. The difference in the feel of the two cars is night and day. If you're interested in a real feeling of power and road dominance, then the GT2 is easily preferable. People haven't labelled the car the "Widowmaker" for nothing.

The video is from the guys over at Wildest Cars and is most definitely worth of a re-post. Keep up the good work!

9ff GTurbo Spec:

• Bi-Turbo conversion
• 850HP - 920Nm
• 0-100 km/h in   3.0 s
• 0-200 km/h in   8.0 s
• 0-300 km/h in 19.5 s
• Topspeed over 360 km/h

"The turbocharged GT3 RS with 750bhp, doing what it does best. Now we didn't actually start from 0, it was more like 8, but you know, we tried...It can't get the power down in the first few gears, but the sheer thrust of the thing in the higher gears was and is borderline insane! Distributed by Tubemogul."

For this competition you view a photo of a football match. There is a ball missing from the photo. You have to choose the location where you think that the ball should be in the photo. Yup, that's right - it's spot the ball, but with a far better prize that they used to offer in the Sunday papers.

You can play online by purchasing one or more tickets, or next time you're in a UK airport you can also play in person. Most airports have this game going on and you can get a look at the cars in the flesh.

The usual restrictions apply. You have to be over 18 years old; you can’t work for anyone connected to the game or have some other inside connection. It costs £20 for each ticket but you can get 3 tickets for the price of two.

The cars that you can win are amazing. You can actually choose which car you want to win and there are plenty of super car choices. You can opt for the sleek Maserati, the stylish Aston Martin V8 Vantage, the Audi R8 V10, a Ferrari F430 and several others. You can also just go for the £90,000 in cash. With 2nd hand Porsche prices at the moment you can get a whole load of car for 90k.

Obviously my favorite is the super sexy Porsche GT3. Talk about a fantasy on wheels! Just look at the photos of it, this car is hot, sexy and the purr of the engine just makes my head spin, never mind that recent Ring time! I want to win this car. If the Turbo is the daddy of the 911 range, the GT3 would be the slightly unhinged and slightly-worrying stepson.

The GT3 has been designed with one purpose – to be the quickest car on the track, no matter where it is. Race-tuned adjustable suspension, the option of a roll cage, carbon-backed seats, and a 415bhp naturally aspirated engine all show that this 911 means business. It will amaze every driver, with the speed at which it will let you power through a corner, balancing everything on the tiniest throttle inputs. One of the best driver’s cars ever made.

Best of the Best give everyone the chance to own one of the most incredible super cars on the road. The sponsor of this competition has done a great job with their site making it very easy to use.

What would you pick?

The best part of this site is clearly the descriptions of the cars with photos that will have you drooling all over your computer keyboard. You will find yourself lying in bed late at night going through the options. Hmmm...GT3 + 3 weeks in the Maldives...no no....the M3 + cash, then buy my own 2nd hand gt2 for the track....actually..make that the cash, then a new Panamera?

So take a look over at our friends Bestofthebest.co.uk and see what you think. Prices for tickets are from £20 and with a bit of luck and your skills, you could have a new Porsche sitting in your drive by next month.

Talk about the thrill of anticipation!

It didn’t used to be that way. Back in the old days people rode around in cars without seat belts, baby carriers and booster seats. Now we have to be tied into place. It’s not necessarily a bad thing. Unless you own a Porsche that you don’t want to sell and you have a baby to transport.

You have a few options. The first is to sell the Porsche and buy some sensible family car with a back seat and no sex appeal. Of course the Porsche probably helped get the baby in the first place so maybe instead of selling it you should consider a second car.

The reality is that you probably already have a second car. The one the other parent drives. So that base is covered. You have a car that you can ride around in safely. It’s not as fast or as sexy but it gets the job done.

But what do you do on the day that the other parent is gone with the car and you have to drive the baby someplace? The glib response is to say call a taxi. But wait, Porsche has solved this problem for you!

The wonderful designers at Porsche anticipated this problem, as they have so many others when they created our magnificent cars. Porsche has actually designed a car seat that is designed to fit into their cars!

The Porsche car seat is designed to fit securely into the passenger seat and will actually disable the passenger airbag when it locks into place. It’s the perfect solution to the problem of a car seat in a Porsche.

Now you can relax. You don’t have to give up your Porsche 911 just because you have a baby. Get a Porsche car seat and your baby can ride along while you teach him (or her) how to handle those envious looks from less impressive cars with grace!

It’s hard to be humble when you drive a Porsche. But for the sake of your baby please try!

First reader to contact me with an image of their baby, with a....em.....baby in it wins something. Well, nothing actually, the wife has all our budget spent on a whole load of baby gadgets we will never ever use!

Anyway...too much baby talk - some pics of a Carrera GT to get us back on track!

No more baby chat I promise! ;o)

Video is in German, but it really doesn't matter. You will get the idea!

Nordschleife Nurburgring

Walter Rohrl, who test drives for Porsche, was apparently 'slowed down' by the other vehicles on the track. How much would you love to be flat out round the ring in your pride and joy, getting smoked by a new GT3 with a Porsche test pilot at the wheel.

Apparently this time would have come down by as much as two seconds with a clear track! We all knew that his new version of the 911 GT3 was going to go like stink, but it's good knowing that this car will be fast on real road conditions as well. As you know there are some cars that clock great times round the ring, and are rubbish on the road, but Porsche being Porsche, I think we can presume the GT3 will be just as at home flying down a quiet country road is it clearly is round the Nordschleife.

Walter Rohrl also did a 7 minute 45 seconds in a borrowed Ferrari F430 Scuderia in the same conditions! I know which I would rather be in.

The new updated GT3 was unveiled at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. Its normally aspirated 3.8-litre boxer engine produces 435hp (320kW) and peak torque of 317 ft-lbs (430Nm). The bigger flat-six spits out more power, and a host of electronic chassis aids help the driver play hero in this tail-heavy GT.

Porsche 911 GT3

The 3.8-liter flat (horizontally-opposed) six, up from 3.6 liters, now produces a rather nice 435 hp. That gives it a heady 114 hp /litre, which for a naturally aspirated engine is right up there with the best. Porsche says that its VarioCam variable valve timing now on both intake and exhaust camshafts is partially responsible for the extra power, and they mention the added thrust is especially noticeable in the engine's accessible midrange. Claimed acceleration time is just 4.0 seconds to 60 mph.

Excellent - I've managed to coin a whole post mentioning ring times without bringing up that annoyingly fast, cheeky upstart the Nissan GTR - Oh...s*@"...wait a minute...