1988 Porsche 944 Base Coupe 2-door 2.5l on 2040-cars

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Porsche would have entered F1 if Audi had blocked its Le Mans program

Go back a few years and you may have heard rumors of Porsche heading into Formula One. That never came to pass - or at least, it hasn't yet - but that doesn't mean that it wasn't close to happening. That's how committed to returning to top-level motorsport competition Porsche has become recently.
Autosport reports that just as Porsche was merging fully into the Volkswagen Group, Zuffenhausen was weighing its options for a factory racing program. Le Mans was its favorite, which makes sense, as it remains far and away the most successful constructor in the history of the famous endurance race. But the strategists at Porsche were worried that its new corporate overlords at Volkswagen wouldn't support two LMP1 programs and would favor Audi, which has positively dominated the modern era of endurance racing, coming second only to Porsche in the number of Le Mans victories it has scored to date.
Porsche's Plan B was reportedly to head into Formula One, although it isn't clear if the German automaker was intent on starting its own team, buying an existing one or merely providing engines to other teams. Porsche fielded its own cars in F1 in the late 1950s and early 60s, and returned as an engine supplier with TAG to power McLaren in the 1980s, powering Niki Lauda and Alain Prost to the World Championship in 1984 and 1985.

Techart modified Porsche 911 Turbo S packs 620 hp, 0-62 in 2.8 seconds

Considering how many absolutely ridiculous tuner cars are featured in Geneva (stay tuned to see plenty, as our coverage continues), it's often refreshing to see some of the more modestly modified cars, like this new Porsche 911 Turbo S from the folks at Techart. Visually, there's a subtle body kit, new wheels, a new spoiler, and some lame decals on the front end, but it basically ends there. That's because Techart's mission is really about higher performance. Increased dynamism, as the Germans say.
An ordinary 911 Turbo S produces 560 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. But the Techart kit adds 60 hp and 96 lb-ft to those already high numbers, for a coupe that dishes out a total of 620 hp and 612 lb-ft. Techart says that, in Sport Plus mode, its modified 911 Turbo S will accelerate to 62 miles per hour in just 2.8 seconds, and the top speed has been increased to 204 miles per hour. Crazy stuff.
To further drive its performance upgrades home, Techart has fitted this 911 Turbo S with a sport exhaust system with valve control, for a more robust exit interview, at the push of a button. We imagine it sounds awesome. Have a look at the Techart Turbo S in the gallery, above.

Porsche 918 Spyder officially priced from $845K, Weissach package $84K more

Porsche has released official pricing for its entire lineup of 2013 models, which just happens to include the upcoming 918 Spyder hybrid supercar. The 795-horsepower advanced-technology-lab-on-wheels is now officially confirmed to have a starting price of $845,000 in the US, which is the exact amount we were told earlier when we had the opportunity to ride shotgun in some 918 Spyder pre-production test vehicles.
What we didn't know at the time was the cost of the Weissach trim package, which is a high-performance upgrade to the standard vehicle that includes the deletion of some interior amenities and addition of lighter-weight carbon fiber appointments, magnesium wheels, flame-resistant upholstery, racing belts and aerodynamic aids - it's meant for track-going folk who intend to use their 918 Spyders as God, country and manufacturer intended.
All told, the Weissach package should drop the 918 Spyder's curb weight by some 80 pounds, while also lightening your wallet of an additional $84,000 - the car's MSRP with the Weissach package is $929,000. These prices don't, however, include destination charges, which, for something like the very limited edition 918 Spyder (only 918 will be made), could very well cost considerably more than your average Porsche.