2012 Porsche 911 and 2013 Panamera GTS at LA Auto Show
Porsche made its mark on the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show with the unveiling of two new vehicles as well as plans to build a fifth Porsche Performance Center located in the heart of sunny Southern California. Members of the press bore witness to the North American debut of the stunning, new seventh generation of the hallowed 911 as well as the world premier of the Panamera GTS sports sedan.
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2012 Porsche 911 Carrera and Carrera S
Carrera-philes should be thrilled to know that Porsche has, once again, managed to vastly improve its flagship model, the 911, while staying true to the coupe’s historic design language. The car takes a more aggressive stance than the previous model with a longer wheelbase and lowered roofline. Up front, the classic round-ish headlights are flanked by enlarged air intakes. The sweeping, muscular profile leads to an aggressively redesigned rear section with sharper lines and sleek, angular LED tail lamps.
The new model is a bit larger than its predecessor with moderate increases in both width and length. Despite this recent growth spurt, the 911 sees a 100 lb. decrease in weight thanks to the abundant use of aluminum.
As expected, improvements have been made in both performance and efficiency. For the base model Carrera, a downsized, higher-revving 3.4-liter boxer engine gets its power bumped to 350 horses while seeing up to a 16% decrease in fuel consumption. The new Carrera S will feature a 3.8-liter unit that puts out an even 400 hp. Both models come standard with the world’s first 7-speed manual transmission, though Porsche’s PDK paddle-shift unit is available as an option. 0-62 mph times are rated at 4.4 and 4.1 seconds respectively (with PDK) for the new models. The addition of the Sport Chrono package includes a Launch Control function that decreases these times by 0.2 seconds.
Hitting dealerships this coming February, the Carrera will have base price tag of $82,100 while the Carrera S will start at $96,400
2013 Porsche Panamera GTS
Based on the same all-wheel drive platform as the Panamera 4S, the new Panamera GTS is the sportiest model in Porsche’s sedan lineup to date. A sports-tuned suspension, upgraded brakes, and increased power make the GTS as adept on a racetrack as it is in the carpool lane.
Power is provided by a tuned 4.8-liter V8 good for 430 hp and 384 lb-ft of torque. Porsche’s 7-speed PDK transmission puts that power to the ground fast enough to move the big-bodied grocery getter from 0-62 mph in 4.3 seconds on its way to a top speed of 178 mph.
[Source: Porsche]