Toyota's Le Mans return, new British electric car and two new Porsches ...

While most eyes in sports car racing are on the works efforts of Audi, Peugeot and Aston Martin, a fourth major manufacturer will have a presence in the top prototype class at Le Mans this year: Toyota. It will mark the Japanese company's return to the legendary endurance race for the first time since the 1999 edition when the GT-One TS020 finished second. The 2011 campaign is a much lower key effort and entails the supply of engines to the Anglo-Swiss Rebellion team. They will field two Lola B10/60 Toyotas in the 24-hour race. The car can be easily distinguished from the other Lola prototypes by the large headlights that are part of the bespoke front end. We have captured the two B10/60 Toyotas in full detail at the Le Mans Test and last week's Spa 1000 kms.
This week British engineering firm Delta Motorsport officially launched their first complete car; the Delta E-4 Coupe. Constructed predominantly from carbon fibre composites and powered by two electric motors, it could be the car of the future. Each of the two Yas Motors DD500 electric motors produce 120 bhp and a staggering 600 Nm.
Porsche have further expanded the 997 line-up with the Carrera 4 GTS. This must be one of the final iterations before a new generation will be introduced. Like the name suggests, the latest 997 is the four-wheel drive version of the 408 hp GTS unveiled in Paris last year. The Carrera 4 GTS will be available as both a Coupe and Cabriolet.

Enjoy the links:

[url="http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/4844/Delta-E-4-Coupe.html"]2011 Delta E-4 Coupe - Images, Specifications and Information[/url]

[url="http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/4833/Lola-B10-60-Toyota.html"]2011 Lola B10/60 Toyota - Images, Specifications and Information[/url]

[url="http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/4843/Porsche-997-Carrera-4-GTS-Cabriolet.html"]2011 Porsche 997 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet - Images, Specifications and Information[/url]

[url="http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/4842/Porsche-997-Carrera-4-GTS.html"]2011 Porsche 997 Carrera 4 GTS - Images, Specifications and Information[/url]

Dear Porsche,

Please Stop It.

Yours sincerely,

Confused Car Fan.

[quote=Ferrer;967045]Dear Porsche,

Please Stop It.

Yours sincerely,

Confused Car Fan.[/quote]

It could be worse- they could have been like Lotus. I honestly like the 997 generation a lot. I frankly don't mind.

Porsche produces yet another rather ugly car loaded with technology and performance. It's not confusing. Just unfortunate.

I love the Porsche 997 generation a lot but like other have said, Porsche please stop. If they keep filing the modle line gaps up with more 997 models then the models get closer and closer together, then the special 997 models like the Turbo S and the GT3 get less special.

My first thought is that this selection is good for the consumer. If it makes money for Porsche, then I do not think it is so bad. If I was in the market for a 911, I think I would be pleased with the bounty of choices provided to me... But I would end up with a base or an S.

I supposed it's just another way to move more 997s out of the factory/parking lot to make room for the new 911?

I indeed have to admit I've seen less 997 mk2 than I was expecting. Then again the Cayenne is doing [I]greatly[/I]...

Yea i agree, i think if i was in the market for a 911 i would end up with a S, i woudn't want a basic model like a 3.6 i would want a 3.8, maybe somthing just above the basic model, i love the 997 GTS thats a good value for money 911 compaired to other 911.

[quote=thebrochureman;967064]I love the Porsche 997 generation a lot but like other have said, Porsche please stop. If they keep filing the modle line gaps up with more 997 models then the models get closer and closer together, then the special 997 models like the Turbo S and the GT3 get less special.[/quote]

There is a point in there.
I can't bother with the Turbo or Turbo S, they're definitely not my cup of tea.

But the GT3 is indeed feeling much less special since they made the GT3 RS so "common" and available pretty much right after the main model launch.
With the 996, it was launched at the end of the 996 mk2 life span.

IF I was on the market for a 911 (I need a second to imagine that), it would probably either be a base model or an S, or a GT3 RS.

Everything in the middle is almost pointless to me. The Cabrios are ugly, the Targa not so interesting and quite expensive for what it is. As for the other variants it's not like I need to decide which engine I can afford as in a Golf or Punto.

I'd prefer something like the F430's line up. Base model and track ready model, and same for the open top variant, even if I was not so intrigued by the 16M.
Or even something like the AM Vantage. V8, quicker V8 S and then insane V12. That's fairly enough.

[quote=LeonOfTheDead;967075]There is a point in there.
I can't bother with the Turbo or Turbo S, they're definitely not my cup of tea.

But the GT3 is indeed feeling much less special since they made the GT3 RS so "common" and available pretty much right after the main model launch.
With the 996, it was launched at the end of the 996 mk2 life span.

IF I was on the market for a 911 (I need a second to imagine that), it would probably either be a base model or an S, or a GT3 RS.

Everything in the middle is almost pointless to me. The Cabrios are ugly, the Targa not so interesting and quite expensive for what it is. As for the other variants it's not like I need to decide which engine I can afford as in a Golf or Punto.

I'd prefer something like the F430's line up. Base model and track ready model, and same for the open top variant, even if I was not so intrigued by the 16M.
Or even something like the AM Vantage. V8, quicker V8 S and then insane V12. That's fairly enough.[/quote]

I agree, it works very well when you have base model then a S which a bit fast and lighter and a bit better overall like, then you get the top end model which is a lot faster and better in every way like the AM line up, your right when it's like that it works the best.

Porsche is such a huge volume seller compared to those two niche brands that they can afford to pump out a lot of variants.

If it pleases the consumers, and pleases Porsche's pocket books, I am all for it.

The cabrios are hideous as we have discussed many times before. I am kinda interested in the targas; I want to sit in one and see what it is like.

Toyota is just an engine supplier not an factory team. they power a Lola car

At least Porsche fixed the humpback whale problem they had on one of the Cabrios (can't pinpoint the exact model because i'm confused as well) a while ago.

btw, did Delta steal some of Tesla's designers?

[quote=Mugen_Ferio;967084]Toyota is just an engine supplier not an factory team. they power a Lola car[/quote]

it haas been done before. When Nissan entered the scene in Group C they used March and Lola chassis, allowing them to concentrate on the engine development.

[quote=Cobrafan427;967113]At least Porsche fixed the humpback whale problem they had on one of the Cabrios (can't pinpoint the exact model because i'm confused as well) a while ago.

btw, did Delta steal some of Tesla's designers?[/quote]

I feel like the problem came back with the Porsche Speedster.

They can keep that one- expensive, not very practical, exclusive.

I'll take a gander at the rest of the 997 911s.

On a side note- I really like the rear styling of the Carrera 4S GTS but want it on a 2WD platform? Looks like Porsche has a new permutation! :D