February, 2016 | Ugo Colombo

28 Feb

Next Gen Porsche 911 to Feature a Manual, Six-speed Transmission

No manual transmission option on the current Porsche 911 GT3 had many Porsche purists displeased. However, as announced at the Geneva Motor Show, the newest edition of the 911 GT3 was seen with a manual transmission, much to the liking of old-school Porsche fanatics.

It is speculated that this new model will be available in both manual and PDK automatic transmission. Aside from the unveiling at the motor show, Andreas Preuninger of Porsche recently confirmed that a six-speed manual transmission will be available in next generation 911 GT3’s. However, the track-focused GT3 RS will remain PDK only, with no option for manual transmission.

Porsche will be making 991 units of the 911 GT3’s available for purchase, with a starting price of $184,900.

Source: TopSpeed

21 Feb

Maserati Announces Company’s First SUV

Maserati has recently announced that they will be producing their first sport luxury vehicle, called the Levante, as the brand is looking to move farther into the mainstream.

Maserati has started making the vehicle based on an SUV concept they unveiled 5 years ago. They plan on having the automobile available in European showrooms by Spring and the rest of the world later this year. They will have tough competition in the luxury SUV market amongst the likes of the Jaguar F-Pace, Mercedes GLE, and BMW X5.

Source: Maserati of Albany

Maserati said the Levante’s design has, “clear associations with the Maserati brand and its distinctive Italian character.” The Italian automaker has said the SUV will have a starting price of $78,000. Look for more news about the Maserati Levante in the near future.

06 Feb

Porsche 911 R May Debut At Geneva

The limited run Porsche 911 R will reportedly debut at the Geneva motor show this March. If reports are to be believed, the 911 R will be based around the popular GT3 and capped to just 600 units worldwide.

Source: Car Scoops

The 911 R will likely come equipped with the 911 GT3’s 3.8-liter flat-six engine that produces 475 hp. That engine will pair up with a manual transmission sending power to the rear wheels. The car’s suspension will be GT3 spec, but tuned to accommodate less aggressive aero. Expect its power-to-weight ratio to match the GT3 RS.

The real headline for the model will be its transmission. While all Porsche 911 models created by the company’s GT division are offered solely with automatic ‘boxes, the 911 R will come standard with a six-speed manual transmission, similar to the Porsche Cayman GT4.