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5 Gadgets that Improve the Value of a Car

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Different people have different reasons for driving. Some people enjoy the freedom. Other people need to get to work. Some use their vehicles to hit the road and go on vacation. Other factors of value that people put on cars include whether they want to buy a new car or are looking to buy a used car somewhere local to them.

Regardless of all of these circumstances though, there are a number of gadgets that can improve the experience and often overall safety of your driving experience. Five of them are included below, and are topics regarding backup mirrors and sensors, airbags, video screens, onboard Wi-FI, and climate control. [Read more…]

Modern Cars – The Best of Advanced Technology

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Cars and automobiles have seen an immense boom not only in terms of sales figures but also in their quality and modern features. There is a line of modern cars that have been built with state of the art technology to make your ride a comfortable one; added to this factor there are other measures of safety and accident safeguards which have been incorporated as well. All of these aspects makes the car a very important asset for life – not merely in adding to your fashion labels but also ensuring that you reach your destination comfortably and safely.

Here are some of the features seen in modern cars.

Automatic Climate Control

This is a feature that controls the interior temperature of the car. When you switch on the air-conditioner you don’t have to adjust the controls. There is an automatic temperature setting in accordance with the outside temperature levels. This adds to your comfort and driving especially in case of long distance. [Read more…]

Ferrari 150° Italia Full Size Steering Wheel Replica

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Ferrari 150 Italia Full Size Steering Wheel

Not everyone is into cars, but those who do appreciate all things automotive realize just how much cool stuff one can find. Take this Ferrari 150 Italia Full Size Steering Wheel – it is perhaps the coolest thing I have seen today. The replica is the same scale as the real steering wheel that Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso uses in his car. Well I guess I should also mention that the other Ferrari driver, Felipe Massa, has the same steering wheel.

If you are an F1 fan – a Ferrari fan in particular – daydreaming about being behind the wheel of the famous red racing car is probably nothing new for you. For majority of us, in all probability, driving a Ferrari (much less owning one) will remain a dream. Heck, many will probably only see a Ferrari on TV or in the movies.

With the release of this limited edition Ferrari 150 Italia Full Size Steering Wheel replica, though, the chances of getting your hands on something real – not counting Ferrari apparel, key rings, and the like. And since it looks exactly like what you see the Ferrari drivers use during the races, you can easily improve your daydreaming experience.

Just how accurate is this replica? For starters, the Ferrari 150 Italia Full Size Steering Wheel is made of genuine carbon fiber. Then you have the buttons, paddles, and switches – all of which actually move. If you buy the Ferrari 150 Italia Full Size Steering Wheel replica, you also get a leather base (red, of course) plus a clear cover (to protect it from dust). The steering wheel weighs in at 14.5 kg (surprisingly heavy!) while the outer box measures in at 45 x 42 x 42.

If you have $2,230.15 (shipping and tax not included) to spare and you are a true Ferrari fan, then you ought to go to the Ferrari online store now to order one. There are only 250 units of the Ferrari 150 Italia Full Size Steering Wheel, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them sell like hot cakes.

Oh, and just for fun, wouldn’t this be the perfect companion for the Ferrari 150 Italia Full Size Steering Wheel replica? (Yes, I am a Ferrari-Red Bull fan.)

F1 Red Bull Seat

F1 Red Bull Seat

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When Buying A Car…

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There are of course a few things you should consider when buying an automobile. There is a huge range of them out there, both issues to consider as well as potential vehicles. As such, it can help to narrow down your options in order to come to some sort of short-list. Let’s take a look at a few questions you might want to ask yourself:

What’s my budget?
Well, that’s up to you to decide. Unless you’re absolutely crazy about cars, it’s probably not worth getting into a huge amount of debt over. After all, the other costs including insurance and breakdown cover etc should all be factored in when considering this issue.

What is the car going to be used for?
One of the most obvious questions really. If you’re going to be using a car for the track, there’s little point getting a huge Oldsmobile (unless you are racing in an Oldsmobile tournament). On the other hand, if you’re a mother with two children that you have to drop off and pick up at school every day, then you’ll want something with space.

How far are you going to drive?
One of the most important issues that are not often considered is how far you’ll drive the car. Bigger cars can feature more creature comforts – which would be more appealing to a salesman for instance who may have to travel a great distance every week for his company. The same car however could prove uneconomical for a single person doing regular short trips or just using the vehicle at the weekend.

New or used?
This is one of the biggest issues in buying a car – do you go with second (or third or fourth) hand, or do you take the plunge, add finance and then drive away in a car with single digit mileage on the clock? Whilst the latter option can look quite attractive, the idea of losing up to one fifth of the value of the vehicle after less than a year makes it sometimes seem like financial idiocy.

Diesel, LPG, electric or petrol?
There are a whole host of various fuel options available today in the modern automotive market. What you pick can make a difference in how the car performs (diesel engines tend to be more torquey for example), how far it can go without refuelling and even how good it is for the environment. This is no doubt an issue that will become more important over time – this is especially apparent here in the UK. The other issue regarding fuel is consumption – just how much will it cost to run?

Which style and bodyshape?
This really ties in with the first question. What you buy depends on the purpose of the vehicle, but it also depends on personal taste. My parents for example favour smaller cars, though this is more because of their appearance over their economical qualities. I myself prefer a saloon bodyshape, though not necessarily the fuel consumption.

What about service?
Servicing the car and the availability of parts is a very important issue when buying a car. Unless you’re in love with a particularly rare brand (and I mean really in love) it will always be worth considering a more widely available model if just because you’ll have less trouble sourcing parts when inevitably things do go wrong.

What about the brand – that’s important right?
Well, it depends where you are. Brands carry certain connotations. Some countries don’t care; the car is after all a mode of transport. Here in the UK though it tends to say something about the owner. I guess in that respect brand and model is important.

Just picking up from the last point, ownership satisfaction is the most important issue really when it comes down to owning a car. If you’re sure of the car, it will give you exactly what you want for years to come – whether that’s space, freedom, speed or just a reliable way to get from a to b.

Pagani Zonda R

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The Pagani Zonda R is a truly awe inspiring car. With a price tag of about £1.3 million, this was always going to be a special motor. What made it even more impressive is just how tuned it is, the level of performance and technical specification is breathtaking. Here’s the official line from Pagani:

While we certainly cannot say the Zonda F lacks performance figures, driving around the Nürburgring in 7:27:82 and achieving lateral G forces of almost 1.5 G, it is however a road car, easy to drive, intuitive and setting the benchmark for comfort, safety and lightweight. Paired with a quality finish and the attention to detail this made the Zonda F one of the most desirable supercars resulting in the 25 Coupé models being sold out in record time.

This did not seem to fulfil the requirements of our most demanding customers, who adore the weekend drive on a racetrack.

The spark has been set by an Italo-American customer, enthusiast and already proud owner of 3 Zondas. He describes the project this way: “The thought has been on my mind for quite some time, but I am not interested in racing”.

The Zonda R is born with full liberty. The target: the ultimate performance at the racetrack without any implications of rules, except for safety, where no compromise is allowed.

In September 2006 the first drawings were ready, but it was crucial to have the support of Mercedes-AMG for a high revving engine with a power output of 750hp, dry sump, light and with a low centre of gravity. The basis was the self supporting engine of the mighty CLK GTR, which has dominated the GT championships.

Even at constant racing pace the engine would have to cover over 5.000 km before servicing. The challenge has been accepted without hesitation.

The Zonda R is a car designed from scratch, with only 10% of the Zonda F components to be carried over. The suspension forged in Avional, a new Pagani six speed transversal sequential gearbox, carbon fibre monocoque, aeronautical four pump fuel tank are only part of the equation.

The wheelbase has grown by 47mm, the overall length by 394mm and the track is increased by 50mm. The bodywork and aerodynamics have been studied to offer maximum downforce. Even though built for the track, the project would not have received kick off, if the quality and finish of the car and its details was not up to the level of the Pagani road cars.

One of the first cars to be delivered however will be kept in a living room, designed by Pagani and built with the same materials as the Zonda F, beautifully textured carbon fibre, avional, titanium, inconel and other state of the art materials. Additionally it will feature a bespoke HiFi System that will allow the customer to listen to the sound of this car at Le Mans and the Nürburgring.

Technical Specifications
This Zonda is purpose made for track use, without restrictions of any competition rules or homologation, with the only exclusion of the passengers’ integrity, where no compromise is tolerated according to our philosophy and state-of-the-art safety measures are featured.

A new heart
The engine is built by the racing specialists at Mercedes AMG, where the championship winning DTM cars are born, as well as the CLK GTR, probably the most devastating and effective weapon ever to compete in the GT series. From it’s engine the Zonda R borrows the basic architecture including an ingenious dry sump allowing a low centre of gravity. This self-supporting engine with 750 hp at 8000 rpm and 710 Nm of torque carries a lightweight carbon fibre high- performance intake system, a racing multiple disc sintered clutch and Formula 1 style exhaust system, hydroformed in Inconel 625 and ceramic coated for optimal heat dissipation. The power unit combined with a 6 speed transversal manual sequential synchronised gearbox is designed to satisfy the most ambitious drivers.

The chassis
The central carbon chassis will incorporate a roll cage and a rubber racing fuel tank with 4 fuel pumps and quick refuel filler like on GT race cars. The wheelbase has been increased by 47mm to offer the best stability. The front and rear subframes are brand-new, built to accommodate a new suspension geometry, produced in avional. The magnesium forged rims with central wheel nut and a quick pneumatic lifting system allows fast and effortless changes of the slick tyres.

Bodywork and aerodynamics
The new bodywork has been honed to offer elevated downforce even in low speed corners. The longer front bonnet with flaps, closed underbody and the rear overhang with the adjustable rear wing and race derived diffusor translate into shattering aerodynamic efficiency and will let you experience cornering speeds beyond imagination.

The car displays and logs information about the amount of dowforce that the car is generating at each moment. Combined with the adjustable wings you can easily find the best setup for each track.

Workstation
The interior is designed to accommodate the driver and passenger in bespoke seats, built to offer the best support, when the G-forces from the vehicle dynamics come into question. The Digitek instrumentation provides the essential information and a sophisticated telemetry allows through a variety of sensors to monitor every single component of the car.

Help Build A Performance Car – Project Splitwheel

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logo
Project Splitwheel is a brand new concept that aims to design and build a performance car with input from enthusiasts from around the world. Each person who signs up has a vote that can help steer the direction of the design and build of the car from what sort of engine it will use all the way to how it should look. Register to get involved. Here’s some further information on the project:

– The vehicle must be a ‘performance car’
“The only restriction is that the project must design a ‘performance’ car…the most important factor is that this car must be enjoyable for an enthusiast to own and drive in its own right.” from splitwheel.com FAQ Nov ’08

– Ultimate performance is not necessarily the overiding objective
It is for the Project Team to establish performance targets for the vehicle based on the performance levels of existing (and predicted future) cars in the marketplace. The car must have appropriately high performance for its target market. The car’s positioning in the market may or may not require prioritisation of ultimate lap times, acceleration figures or top speed.

– The viability of ‘environmentally-friendly’ propulsion technologies must be considered carefully
The Project Team will need to consider the current (and future) trends in the marketplace towards reduced-emissions technologies, along with the increased legislative pressure to adopt them. Any viable alternatives to petrol combustion will be considered (e.g. diesel, hybrid, electric, biofuel, hydrogen), however it will be imperative to establish that any such technology used in the car will result in a desirable, true ‘performance car’ which is viable to manufacture and sell profitably.

– The starting point of the Project is a ‘blank canvas’, but with caveats
Splitwheel and Caterham agreed to start the Project off from a very broad position where any format of performance car will be considered. However, the resulting vehicle must be a viable, saleable product for the real world that Caterham can realise. This will mean that a clear business case will need to be made for any vehicle to reach the prototyping stage. For example, a million-pound Bugatti Veyron rival would have exceptionally high R+D costs with a tiny potential marketplace, which would almost certainly prohibit Caterham from proceeding with development. The Project Team therefore needs to demonstrate who would actually buy the finished vehicle.

– The vehicle will need to be suitable for circuit driving and racing
Caterham is a global leader in grassroots motorsport, with the Seven being one of the most popular track and race cars in the world. It is therefore a requirement that any new Caterham model is inherently suitable for (or can be modified at low cost for) track and race driving. Note that this does not mean that the brief requires a stripped-out ‘track-day special.’

Bottom Line:
1. No shopping cars, vans or trucks.
2. We need to set some performance benchmarks to aim for
3. Green is good, but only if it will sell
4. Super-exotic ‘Veyron-killers’ unlikely to suceed
5. Need to establish who will want/be able to buy the car
6. Caterham has racing ‘in the blood.’ The new car must share at least a bit of that DNA.

The Caparo T1 – Relaunched

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caparo-t1
The Caparo T1 was launched in the UK and was met with a rather derisive reception, due to it setting fire to Jason Plato (British Touring Car Driver of note), wildly understeering and having bad mechanical problems. However, a relaunch is due, with different trim levels and a new partnership that will actually see the car being delivered to dealerships. This is the news from direct from Caparo:

Caparo T1, the fastest performance super car available, is set to make its debut at Salon Privé on 12th February 2009 at London’s Hurlingham Club. The prestigious event will also be used to announce the T1’s 2009 programme.

True to form this year’s Salon Privé, the UK’s ultimate Super Car and Lifestyle Event, will once again attract a number of high profile guests with its promise of getting up, close and personal with the most exotic modern and vintage super cars in the world. Held in the luxurious and exclusive environment of the Hurlingham Club, the show is regarded by many as London’s favourite motoring party because of its mixture of fashion, style, luxury and automotive haute couture.

Caparo T1, the two-seater performance car that recently took the racing world by storm, will occupy centre stage during the event and is expected to attract a high level of interest. Alongside the car’s distinctive profile, information will also be available on its five new levels of specifications; stating from the most cost effective race track option, to its Race Extreme version, boasting the T1’s most powerful engine, a upgraded electronics package, fully carbon brakes and the latest light weight magnesium wheels.

The Caparo team will shortly be unveiling the brand new partnership with one of the most reputed prestigious car dealerships in the country. The agreement will see Caparo concentrating on the continued development of the T1 and associated technologies, with the continued evolution of the car’s driving experience and pushing further its track and on-the-road performance. The chosen Caparo partner is going to take control of the super car’s sales, marketing and after sales service.

The KTM X-Bow

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The KTM X-Bow
Fascination and Hi-Tech
An aggressive design and sporty potential: the X-Bow is not merely a milestone in the KTM brand’s more than 50-year history, it’s also a new citation in the small, but elite segment of radical, lightweight sports cars. This exceptional position is the result of the concept: for their first car, KTM employs the finest materials, high-tech and the know-how of respected development partners such as Audi and Dallara. The result is a street-homologated sports car with racing technology, like an avantgarde, carbon fibre monocoque. Thanks to the basic version’s light weight and the 177 kW (240 hp) Audi TFSI engine, the performance values of the KTM X-Bow outstrip those of super-sport cars with more than twice the power: with a deadweight of approx. 790 kilos, the KTM X-Bow accelerates to 100 kph in just 3.9 seconds.

But the X-Bow isn’t just a racing machine, even if it is going to accomplish spectacular performance feats on racing circuits. With its modern technologies and exceptional solutions, it’s much more oriented towards sporty drivers who seek a purist’s driving experience. By foregoing electronic assistants and today’s standard comfort features, the X-Bow offers an unfiltered adventure – aided by its standalone wheels in the style of monoposto racing cars, transparent technology and the car’s reduced concept, i.e. no roof, doors or windscreen. The sports car has only a 70-millimeter, transparent wind deflector. With all these unique features, driving the KTM X-Bow becomes an experience with an immediacy that otherwise can only be felt when riding a motorcycle.
  
Stepping into the future
For the Austrian motorcycle manufacturer – Europe’s second largest – the decision to expand its business focus to the car market has been of significant strategic importance. This expansion has been made possible by the exceptionally dynamic growth of the company over the past 15 years: since 1992, the company has succeeded in increasing its vehicle sales by an average of 21 percent, as well as increasing turnover by 25 percent. KTM is now a world market leader in the off-road sector and has over the past few years gradually been expanding its range of models to include standard road vehicles. “This step into the automotive sector is the logical continuation of this strategy. With the X-Bow, KTM can now also offer anyone without a motorcycle licence a driving experience typical of the brand”, is the reason Stefan Pierer, CEO of the listed company KTM Power Sports AG, gives for this investment in the future of the company.
   
Successful premiere at the Geneva Motorshow, Production start in the first half of 2008
The extremely positive reactions to the world premiere of the KTM X-Bow at the Geneva Motor Show 2007 gave the green light: the Upper Austrian company produces its lightweight sports car in series.

The production started in the first half of 2008, with the first deliveries to customers in August 2008. In order to meet the high demand KTM will strive to reach the maximum annual production capacity of about 1000 units as soon as possible. In the years that follow, KTM expects a sales volume of more than 500 units per year.

Plans are still in place to produce the first 100 units as an exclusive special series. These introductory models have long since sold out and will be delivered with plaques showing their sequential numbering in addition to premium equipment.

The KTM X-Bow meets the requirements for road service as defined by the new EU guidelines for small series homologation. These guidelines have already come into effect in the following countries in terms of a national homologation: Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Austria. Switzerland will also be complying with the EU guidelines.

For the other states of the European Union, it is to be expected that the KTM X-Bow will be approved for road service in the year 2008. In all other countries outside the European Union, the KTM X-Bow is classed as a pure racing car for use solely on racetracks. As a basis for this, FIA homologation for the GT4 racing series is planned (and has been completed I believe). Applications may later be filed for approval for road service in countries outside the European Union or are still under scrutiny by the relevant national authorities.

Power, Beauty & Soul – The Aston Martin V12 Vantage

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aston-martin-v12-vantage
Aston Martin will present the most potent production sports car in the marque’s 95-year history at the Geneva motor show on 3rd March. Based on the hugely successful V8 Vantage, the V12 Vantage will feature a 6.0-litre V12 engine producing 510 bhp (380 kW / 517 PS), and 570 Nm (420 lb ft) of torque with a top speed of 190 mph (305 km/h) and 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) time of 4.2 seconds.

The latest incarnation of the Vantage family has been designed to provide a unique character, appealing to different driver tastes and complementing the other models in the Aston Martin line-up.

The original V12 Vantage concept was unveiled to guests at the opening of the Aston Martin Design Studio in December 2007. Continuing the marque’s impressive record of bringing concepts to market in their original form, Aston Martin engineers have brought the V12 Vantage to market in an incredible 12 months.

Aston Martin Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ulrich Bez said: “This is the ultimate performance interpretation of the Vantage range, combining our most agile model with our most powerful engine. It represents the definitive driving package; providing spectacular performance to ensure a dynamically thrilling and everyday useable driving experience.

“The V12 Vantage has a unique character, unlike our other cars. This will appeal to different people with different tastes, allowing more people to enjoy the Aston Martin experience.

“This also illustrates one of Aston Martin’s key strengths – the ability to act quickly and turn concepts and ideas into reality.”

Designed for the focused driver, every component of the V12 Vantage has been honed with pure driving enjoyment in mind. Benefitting from race-developed materials and components, and featuring lightweight carbon fibre; performance and agility have been tuned to perfection.

Visually enticing, the V12 Vantage expresses its performance potential through its purposeful stance created by enhanced aerodynamic and cooling aids optically widening the car. Equally inviting, the cosseting interior permits the driver to extract maximum performance ability from the car while also enjoying customary levels of Aston Martin comfort on longer journeys. High levels of power and torque are available at all engine speeds making the V12 Vantage responsive and tractable in any driving situation.

The V12 Vantage will be built at Aston Martin’s global headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire joining the DBS, DB9 and V8 Vantage model lines which are built in the state-of-the-art production facility combining hi-tech manufacturing processes with traditional hand-craftsmanship. Production will be limited to between just 300-500 examples per year, making the V12 Vantage a truly exclusive driver’s car.

Deliveries of the V12 Vantage are expected to commence during quarter three 2009 with prices to be confirmed at the Geneva motor show.

The New Porsche 911 GT3

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porsche-911-gt3
Porsche AG, Stuttgart, is adding yet another new model to the second generation of the 911 model series: the new GT3 even more powerful, faster, and refined than its predecessor.

In developing the most sporting and dynamic road-going 911 with a normal-aspiration power unit, Porsche has applied a wide range of know-how gained in motorsport. Indeed, this is precisely why the new GT3 is truly impressive not only on the road, but also on the race track.

The new 911 GT3 is making its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show on 3 March, with Europe-wide sales starting in May.

The 911 GT3 offers an even higher standard above all in two key areas: performance and driving dynamics. Now the proven six-cylinder naturally-aspirated power unit develops maximum output of 435 bhp (320 kW), up 20 bhp over its predecessor. This results first and foremost from an increase in engine capacity by 200 cc to 3.8 litres and from the improved gas cycle: now not only the intake, but for the first time also the exhaust camshafts are adjusted by VarioCam.

A further important point is that, through its upgraded power and performance, the boxer engine also offers a significant increase in torque at medium engine speeds, a benefit of particular significance in everyday motoring. Clearly, this also means a further improvement in performance, the new GT3 accelerating from a standstill to 100 km/h in 4.1 seconds and reaching 160 km/h in 8.2 seconds. Top speed is 312 km/h or 194 mph.

The second highlight in developing the 911 GT3 to an even higher standard was to further improve the car’s driving dynamics: For the first time the 911 GT3 comes with a particularly sporting variant of PSM Porsche Stability Management, offering the option to deactivate both Stability Control (SC) and Traction Control (TC) in separate steps. And to give the driver unrestricted, individual control over the driving dynamics of his car, these functions are not reactivated automatically even under the most extreme driving conditions, but only at the touch of a button.

The new GT3 offers even better grip and stability also at high speeds, specific modifications of the car’s aerodynamics increasing down-forces both front and rear to such an extent that the overall pressure pushing down the car is more than twice as great as on the former model. At the same time the new Aerodynamics Package gives the GT3 a brand-new look further accentuated by the new bi-xenon headlights, LED rear light clusters, as well as modified air intakes and outlets.

The active PASM suspension of the 911 GT3 enables Porsche’s engineers to make the springs and anti-rollbars somewhat stiffer yet again, thus ensuring even more precise handling in the PASM sports mode, while retaining appropriate roll comfort suitable for everyday use in the normal PASM mode. New, even lighter wheels in racing design with central locking and UHP (ultra-high performance) tyres now even featuring tyre pressure control round off the functional and visual enhancement of the GT3.

With driving dynamics and performance increasing to an even higher level, the brake system, following an old Porsche tradition, has been enhanced accordingly on the new 911 GT3. The brake discs now come with an even larger friction disc and an aluminium cover to reduce weight even further. Further improvement of brake ventilation, in turn, guarantees an even higher level of consistent brake power also over long periods. And as an option the GT3 comes as before with an exclusive version of PCCB ceramic brakes made specifically for this model.

Starting in autumn, the new GT3 will be available with yet another option making the car even more suitable for the race track: new and highly innovative PADM (Porsche Active Drivetrain Mount) engine bearings. These special engine mounts recognise a particularly sporting, race-like style of driving, making the normally elastic engine suspension hard and particularly resistant. This retains all the motoring comfort of the GT3 in everyday traffic, while on the race track the car is not affected by any mass forces coming from the engine, as would otherwise be the case in fast bends and on winding tracks. Yet a further advantage is the car’s improved traction when accelerating from a standstill.

Another feature also new on the new model is the optional lift system for the front axle able to raise the ground clearance of the car for driving on bumpy surfaces or steep gradients – for example into an underground garage – at the touch of a button by 30 millimetres or almost 1.2”.

The Euro base price of the new GT3 is Euro 98,100, in Germany the retail price including value-added tax and specific national features is Euro 116,947. In the USA the GT3 will be at the dealership in October at a price of USD 112,200 (MSRP without taxes). For more information, visit the official Porsche site.