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Porsche planning Cayman GT4 racer

To say that Porsche is big in racing is like saying that Warren Buffett dabbles in mergers and acquisitions. But while it fields the 919 Hybrid at Le Mans and in the FIA World Endurance Championship, the bulk of its racing activities are undertaken by private teams that buy customer racecars from the factory. Those in turn are largely based on the 911, but the latest intel from the motor racing world indicates that Zuffenhausen is planning a more accessible customer race car.
The new, more affordable competition car is to be based on the Cayman and built to GT4 specifications, slotting in below the 911-based GT3 Cup, GT3 R and RSR. Autosport reports that Porsche has already developed a prototype and will shortly commence testing. Details are scarce at the moment, but the Cayman GT4 would seem to compete against the likes of the Aston Martin Vantage N24, Nissan 370Z Nismo GT4 and Maserati GranTurismo MC. It will also likely help Porsche foster enthusiasm for a potential road version that's already been spotted undergoing testing. Previous GT4 racing conversions of the Cayman, like the one pictured above, were carried out by third-party racing constructors not recognized by the factory.
Porsche may not be the only one showing interest in the category, however. BMW is said to similarly be considering a GT4-spec version of its M235i Racing model to compete in the same class, taking the place of the defunct M3 GT4 as the Bavarian marque's entry-level customer racing car.

Our hats are off to Porsche's 2014 911 Turbo Cabriolets

Porsche has just debuted its two latest decapitated rocket sleds today at the LA Auto Show, the new 911 Turbo Cabriolet and Turbo S Cabriolet, which share their coupe counterparts' 520-horsepower and 560-hp 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged flat-six engines. That kind of power ought separate a lot of hats (and toupees!) from heads.
The rear-engined Porsches put their power down through all four wheels, which allows them to launch from 0-60 in 3.3 seconds or less (the Turbo S Cab takes just 3.1 seconds), and both of them top out at 195 mph.
The 911 Turbo Cabriolet starts at $160,700, while the Turbo S Cabriolet can be had for a grand total of $193,900 (plus $950 for destination). Is the S model's 40 extra horsepower worth $33,200? We're not so sure, but we imagine Porsche won't have any trouble selling it.

Porsche undecided on new 911 GT2 [w/poll]

Fans of hardcore 911s had it pretty good with the last 997 generation. There was the GT3, GT3 RS, GT3 RS 4.0, GT2 and GT2 RS (pictured above). Each one was faster, more powerful and more expensive than the one below it, but what they all shared was what Porsche purists love most: rear engine, rear drive, a manual transmission and little else.
So far with the new 991, Porsche has only released a GT3 version. Sure, there have been other models, but they're all decidedly more luxurious and less performance-focused. And as impressive a machine as the new GT3 is, it has run the risk of alienating some of its most ardent fanatics with technological interference in the form of a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and four-wheel steering. So what those purists have really been looking forward to is a more hardcore GT3 RS or new GT2. But those may not be coming so quickly.
Speaking with 911 project chief August Achleitner, Car and Driver reports that a new GT2 is anything but a foregone conclusion. The reasons may be partially political, but could be technical in nature as well: with 560 horsepower driving all four wheels, the new 911 Turbo S runs the 0-60 in less than three seconds. Give it more power but less traction, as Porsche has done with past GT2s, and you may not end up seeing an actual improvement in performance. A GT2 that's slower than the Turbo S would be difficult to explain.