Weekly Porsche Wrap

Party ends early for a pair of teens – A couple of teenagers were headed to a party last week in daddy’s Porsche Boxster at 1:30am on a highway in Houston, Texas when another car began to frantically wave them down. Seems the back of the car was on fire. The teens pulled over and jumped out just in time to see the car go up flames. Neither were hurt. Initial cause was believed to be a flat tire that got stuck under the car creating enough friction to spark flames. I bet that was one heck of a tough call home. [Source & Image: khou.com]

Promising specs for 2012 Porsche 911 start to surface – Sites are starting to report specs on the coming 2012 Porsche 911. Nothing too crazy yet, although a 7-speed manual transmission sounds like it could be part of the option line-up. The new 991 generation 911 will increase in overall length a couple of inches and about 4 inches in wheelbase length. It’s said this is to accommodate a hybrid powertrain to make its debut in 2016. Sounds like a 350 hp, 3.4 liter motor for the Carrera and a 3.8 liter, 400 hp producing engine for the Carrera S. Fuel efficiency has been improved and some other features such as a full length sunroof are anticipated to also be part of the new model. [Source: MotorAuthority.com]

Old school Targa top may be an option on a future Porsche 911 – Another rumor, but one that would be pretty dang cool, is that Porsche may be bringing the Targa top back to the 911 line. The term “Targa” was coined by Porsche back in the mid 60’s when Porsche offered the removable top as an option. At that time, it was feared full convertibles were going to be banned due to safety concerns. A new Targa style was introduced in 1996 on the 993 model featuring a sliding glass top as opposed to the removable roof panel of old. Confirmation hasn’t been given, nor has an anticipated date been set for the new Targa, but this is one option I’d love to see again on the Porsche 911. [Source: Autoblog.com]

The Porsche can help you land the babe, but it’s up to you to seal the deal – Unless you’ve been living under a virtual rock for the last couple of weeks (in which case, you’ll be surprised to know that Geico can save you 20% or more on your car insurance), you’ve no doubt seen the hoopla around a new study that showed chicks dig hot cars. Course it may be the wrong kind of lady if you’re looking for a mate. Seems the car can only go so far, such as an initial date or a fling. Beyond that, the Porsche isn’t doing you any favors and the playing field is leveled. Seems it really is what’s on the inside that counts.

Lotus aiming to become the British Porsche – They say that imitation is one of the best forms of flattery. That’s what I thought of when I read a recent article about British carmaker Lotus working to elevate themselves to the British equivalent of Porsche, not in number of cars sold, but in the quality and positioning of their brand. They’re working to make the Lotus Evora a more aggressively styled, stronger modern performance car. I’ve always had a bit of a thing for Lotus. Dates back to the Pretty Woman movie days with the Lotus Turbo Esprit. [Source: GTSpirit.com]