Porsche to Offer Lithium-ion Battery

Porsche will offer as an option a lithium-ion starter battery in place of a standard lead battery on a few select models. Available in January for the 2010 911 GT3, GT 3 RS and Boxster Spyder, the li-ion starter battery will lower the car’s weight, as well as enhance performance and dynamics, Porsche says.

The pack comes in a separate unit and can be interchanged with the lead battery. The li-ion battery recharges more quickly, has a greater number of charging and discharging cycles, a lower self-discharge and a longer service life, Porsche says. While a lead battery only has 30% of its total capacity available at any given time, the li-ion battery does not have this problem.

When the charge level drops below a certain level, a warning signal tells the driver to charge the battery, which can be done either by driving the car with only the engine or using a normal battery charger.

Although lithium-ion batteries do not show a lot of promise at breaking into the SLI battery segment (standard starting, lighting, ignition), Porsche hopes racing enthusiasts will spring for the simple, low-weight replacement battery. And how much must they spring? The option will cost a healthy $2,400.

Porsche Offers Li-ion Starter Battery Option (Green Car Congress)

2009 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Video

The Porsche 911 really does not need its merits trumpeted. If you’re buying a 911, you know why you’re buying it. Having covered that base, Cars.com reviewer Kelsey Mays gets into the nitty-gritty of the 2009 911’s performance, which includes everything from basic acceleration to the nuances of steering-wheel weight. Find out if the 911’s the toy you’ve been looking for by watching the video.

2009|Porsche|911

2010 Porsche 911 Turbo: First Look

• Competes with: Aston Martin V8 Vantage, Maserati Gran Turismo, Audi R8
• Looks like: Every other 911, silly
• Drivetrain: 500-hp,3.8-liter turbocharged six-cylinder with six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic; all-wheel drive
• Hits dealerships: January 2010

Cayenne, Panamera, 911 GT2 and now this: the 911 Turbo, Porsche’s latest addition to the 500-horsepower club. Thanks to a larger six-cylinder engine — 3.8 liters versus 3.6 in last year’s Turbo — and direct injection, the new 911 Turbo puts nearly double the Boxster’s chutzpah to the road via standard all-wheel drive. A six-speed manual is standard, with Porsche’s seven-speed dual-clutch transmission replacing last year’s five-speed Tiptronic as the automatic option. When it hits dealerships early next year, prices will run $132,800 for the coupe and $143,800 for the convertible.

Get the dual-clutch transmission with Porsche’s launch control feature, and the automaker says zero to 60 mph takes just 3.2 seconds. (Forget the gym membership: This is really how we want our abs flattened.) That’s a couple ticks ahead of the Corvette ZR1 and few more out front of a V-10 Audi R8. It’ll kick the stones out of an Aston Martin V8 Vantage or a Maserati Gran Turismo.

Through Ian's Lens: 2009 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet

How cold is it? 14 degrees? Sure, I’ll go out and take some photos of the car. It’s a convertible you say? Oh...

During a Chicago winter, there are very few cars that beg to be taken out on a gusty 14-degree day. The 2009 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet just happens to be one of them. The slightly redesigned 911 brings an updated touch of class to a rather static line of cars, with new bi-xenon headlights up front, interior upgrades inside, some new bumper lines in back and new LED taillights to let drivers you pass know they’ve been passed.

The exterior design of this car has remained virtually the same for many, many years, and while Porsche has left the traditional 911 shape intact, the interior is what caught my attention. Deep tan-colored leather dripped from floor to ceiling, giving this car an incredibly high-end feeling from both the driver and passenger seats. The attention to detail in the stitching is impeccable, and the soft feel of the steering wheel and the entire dash made for a luxurious atmosphere. But then again, people don’t buy Porsches for the ambiance, they buy them for the driving experience. There were no exceptions here.

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