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Spied: 2013 Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet Makes Another Appearance

Porsche is taking its time to iron out all the kinks on the upcoming 911 Turbo models of its brand-new 991 series, the Carrera and Carrera S versions of which have already been announced.

This time, our crafty spy photographers caught up with the new 911 Turbo Cabriolet during cold weather tests near the Arctic Circle. Like the Carrera/S models, the Turbo Cabriolet features a retractable soft top made out of composite materials supported by a new magnesium frame to keep the weight down.

As it turns out, Porsche won't be keeping the name Cajun for the production version of its upcoming junior SUV as the Stuttgart-based automaker announced today that it will be named "Macan". Porsche says that the name is derived from the Indonesian word for tiger.

“The Macan combines all sports car characteristics with the benefits of a SUV and is a genuine Porsche”, said Bernhard Maier, Member of the Executive Board Sales and Marketing of Porsche. “The name of a new Porsche has to fit with the brand, sound good in very many languages and dialects and evoke positive associations.”

Remember a video of an SP Engineering-tuned Nissan GT-R 750 being chased on a twisty road by a Ferrari 458 Italia that we showed you last November?

Well, the same person that uploaded the aforementioned clip has released a fresh video with the 750-horsepower Godzilla playing around with an Evoms Porsche 997 Turbo with 610HP on a straight line.

See how it plays out in the video that follows after the jump.

The second-generation of Porsche's Boxster roadster has been superseded by a brand-new model, which will make its official debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month. Porsche’s tradition of rolling out special editions of its standard models is legendary, but understandably, it's too early for anything other than the standard Boxster and Boxster S in its range.

Likewise, the Audi R8 is expected to get a mild facelift this year, with the most significant change being the replacement of the so-last-year single clutch semi-automatic gearbox by a modern twin-clutch transmission.

Despite all this, EVO magazine has decided to compare the 2009 Boxster Spyder against the V8 version of Audi’s R8 Spyder. The two cars have certain things in common: they are both open-top, mid-engined sports cars made by German premium manufacturers and they were launched in 2009.

When the all-new 911 broke cover right before the 64th Frankfurt Motor Show, it was hailed as an important step in the evolution of Porsche’s rear-engined sports car.

The 991 combines the signature 911 shape updated for the 21st century with a longer wheelbase and a wider front track for extra stability while it's also more powerful yet more frugal.

What’s not to like about the 991, then – apart, of course, from the little detail that it’s out of reach for many of us? Well, the electromechanical steering that replaced the hydraulic unit in the name of reducing fuel consumption, was received with mixed feelings.

Walter Röhrl is 65 years old but he is not a pensioner yet. The famous German driver began racing when he was 16 years old and won two world rally championships during the most dangerous era of the sport: the 1980s.

One of his most memorable quotes is about the extremely high-powered cars, like the 600HP Audi Quattro S1 that he and his colleagues were driving under minimal safety regulations: “WRC is for boys – Group B was for men”.

Chevrolet's Corvette and Porsche's 911 are two of the most recognized and longest living sports car nameplates in history. Both models have evolved in many ways over the years but also remain true to their heritage.

The 2012 Porsche 911 was only just introduced into the market this year sporting an entirely new platform and a lighter body, while the sixth generation of Corvette has been with us since 2005 and has entered its final year of production as Chevrolet will present an all new model next year.

Nonetheless, since we live in the "today", Motor Trend's editor-at-large Angus MacKenzie took the 436-horsepower 2012 Corvette Grand Sport and compared it with the 400-horsepower 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S.

Next up on Porsche's product menu for 2012 is the introduction of the all-new, second-generation Cayman coupe, which is the closed roof variant of the latest Boxster roadster.

Talking about the roof that is the primary difference between the two models, our latest scoop pictures give us a very clear view of its styling.

If you take a close look at the photos of the current and next generation of the Cayman that we've added below, you'll see that in the new model, the shape of the top looks more integrated into the car's design and less of an afterthought.

We are inclined to disagree with Edo Competition's claims that its new Porsche Panamera Turbo S tune with 700-horsepower is the most powerful version of the saloon ever as a quick look at our archive proves otherwise; the tuner itself had presented a 750HP version of the car called "Moby Dick" back in January 2011…

That's not to say the Edo Competition's Panamera Turbo S isn't fast. On the contrary, thanks to a series of modifications ncluding new exhaust manifolds and turbochargers, high-flow catalytic converters and air filters plus an ECU tweak, the V8 gains 150HP and 130 Nm (96 lb-ft) of torque for a total of 700 horsepower and 880 Nm (649 lb-ft).

There used to be a time when bolting a turbocharger into a bog-standard engine was more than adequate. As the horsepower wars escalated, twin-turbochargers appeared in high-performance models.

Truth be told, even the most daring of tuners would stay away from adding a third turbo. BMW was the one of the first manufacturers to make it a hat-trick with its new 3.0-liter M-Performance tri-turbo diesels – and it was quite a surprise.

Now, according to a report from British publication Autocar, Porsche is going down the same road. Unlike BMW, though, it’s not for a diesel version of the Panamera or the Cayenne, but for the gasoline-powered flagship version of the latest 911.

It’s no secret that Volkswagen has wanted to add Porsche to its portfolio for quite some time now. After Porsche tried to acquire the VW Group without any success, the two companies decided in 2009 to complete a merger until the end of 2011.

The plan, however, was put on hold after lawsuits followed in the U.S. and Germany by Porsche shareholders who claimed that the latter had attained a debt of €10 billion (US$13 billion) in acquiring the majority of VW’s common stock.

For the past 38 years, all generations of the 911 include at least one Turbo variant, and the most recent iteration of Porsche's iconic sports car with the internal designation 991 will be no different.

Stuttgart's engineers have been meticulously working on the development of the all-new 911 Turbo for quite some time now and it shouldn't be long before it makes its official appearance.

Like the outgoing 997 Turbo, the top version of the 991 series will feature an all-wheel drive system to keep things civilized, while motivation will once again be provided by a 3.8-liter flat-six with diesel-style variable turbine geometry turbochargers, which should be good for around 520-horses in normal trim and close to 550-ponies in S Turbo flavor.

For its next tune, British styling house Project Kahn has selected the Porsche Panamera, which receives a thorough makeover inside and out.

The first thing you'll notice about Project Kahn's Panamera is the wide bodykit that includes the front bumper pieces encompassing vertical LED strips, the beefed up front and rear fenders with matching side skirts and the rear bumper parts with an integrated rear air dam.

There seems to be a new trend developing in new car commercials these days. The concept revolves around heritage, while a deep male voice tells a story – not so much about the car itself, but more about origins, people and company values.

It turned out so well for Chrysler with the “Imported from Detroit” campaign that its partner Fiat created a similar themed version for the new Panda.

And now Porsche has released a new commercial for the 911 talking about the car's identity. The video takes us for a ride through the years from the early days of the model to the current version codenamed 991.

As one of the largest and most important auto shows in the Middle East, the annual Qatar Motor Show's primary goal is to serve as the launching pad for the local debut of the industry's latest models before they arrive in showrooms.

That said, with the exception of some non-significant debuts such as the one-off, black and yellow themed Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport that we told about on Monday, the show doesn't host any noteworthy world premieres.

Nevertheless, for those of you that want to get a sample of the 2012 edition of the Qatar Motor Show that will be open to the general public from January 25 to 28, we've prepared a high-resolution gallery that you can check out for yourself right after the break.

If not all, most makers of hybrid automobiles focus their advertising campaigns on their vehicles' fuel economy and CO2 emission ratings, but not Infiniti that has taken a different route with its new M35h.

Following a teaser clip last week, the Japanese carmaker released the full video today of its M35h taking on the also new 2012 Porsche Panamera S Hybrid in a quarter mile drag race.

The 360-horsepower M35h completed the standing quarter mile in 13.4 seconds beating the 380-horsepower Porsche Panamera S Hybrid by about half-a-car's length, according to the video provided by Infiniti.

The official presentation of all-new Porsche Boxster roadster earlier this month afforded us a pretty good idea of what it's coupe sibling, the new Cayman, will look like, both inside and out.

There is of course a matter of proportions and the shape of the tin top, but that too can be solved with a little bit of imagination along with some help from the numerous spy shots that have circulated around the internet the last year.

It’s a very busy time for Porsche as the world's bestselling sports car brand has several new models in store for us including the soon-to-be launched Boxster roadster, the next generation of the Cayman coupe, the production version of the 918 Spyder and the all-new Cajun compact crossover.

And that's not all as Porsche is also working on a facelift for the Panamera sports sedan that has been captured once again by our team of spy photographers during some winter testing in Europe.

The parts of the car that are wrapped in camouflage include the entire front end and the rear bumper, therefore indicating where the styling changes will take place.

Of course, Porsche being Porsche, don't anticipate any shocking alterations just newly designed bumpers and headlamps that will freshen up the Panamera's looks and bring it in line with more recent models like the Boxster.

Pundits may have had their doubts when the model first appeared in 2002, but the Cayenne has proved to be a phenomenal success for Porsche, which has just assembled the 100,000th example of the second-generation model at its plant in Leipzig, Germany.

The 100,000th Cayenne II is a V8 petrol model in a "Pure White" finish and it's being readied for shipping to Brazil, where it will be handed over to its new owner.

The production milestone comes less than two years after the market launch of the second generation of the Cayenne in May of 2010. The first generation of the luxury SUV sold 360,000 units from 2002 to 2010.

Just moments ago, Infiniti dropped an email into our inbox pointing us to a video on YouTube titled "What is the fastest accelerating full hybrid?" The short clip shows a driver dressed like The Stig entering a Porsche Panamera S Hybrid and getting ready to race the sports saloon in the desert.

Infiniti's email also notes, "Check out this teaser video and let us know where you think it’s going…. Don’t miss the results, coming January 23rd, 2012".

Since we find it hard to believe that the Japanese automaker would create a promotional campaign for Porsche and its new Panamera Hybrid we think it's all about showing the potential of the also new M Hybrid (called M35h in certain markets).

Top Nice Cars

Spied: 2013 Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet Makes Another Appearance

Porsche Names its Upcoming Compact SUV "Macan", Releases First Official Teaser and Video

Evoms Tuned Porsche 997 Turbo with 610HP is No Match for Godzilla SPE750

EVO Pits Porsche Boxster Spyder Against Audi’s R8 Spyder

2013 Porsche 911 GT3 to Ditch Manual Gearbox in Favor of PDK?

Rally Legend Walter Röhrl Drives the Porsche Panamera GTS on the Track

MT Pits 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S Aganist 2012 Corvette Grand Sport

Spy Shots: New 2013 Porsche Cayman S Pictured Inside and Out

Edo Competition Bestows Porsche Panamera Turbo S with 700-horses

Rumors: New Porsche 911 Turbo to Get Three Turbochargers?

VW to Buy Out Porsche’s Shares "When The Time is Right"

SPIED: New Porsche 911 Turbo Pops Into our Radar

Project Kahn's Widebody Porsche Panamera Tune

New Porsche 911 Spot Takes us for a Ride Back in History

2012 Edition of the Qatar Motor Show in Photos

2012 Infiniti M35h vs Porsche Panamera S Hybrid: And the World's Fastest Full Hybrid Model is…

New 2013 Porsche Cayman Coupe Digitally Imagined

SCOOP: Facelifted Porsche Panamera Makes Another Appearance

Porsche Rolls Out 100,000th Second Generation Cayenne

Is Infiniti getting Ready to Drag Race the M Hybrid Against the Porsche Panamera S Hybrid?