Here's what Porsche did to lose that weight, details courtesy of Automobile:

46.3 Lbs: Manual soft top and one-piece aluminum hatch
The Spyder ditches the girlie man power soft top for a lighter manual item and also replaces both the rear trunk lid and roof cover with one piece of swoopy aluminum.

33.1 Lbs: Aluminum door skins
Steel is out, aluminum is in.

2.2 Lbs: No map pockets, nylon loops in place of door handles.

26.5 Lbs: Carbon framed seats.

15.4 Lbs: The fuel tank shrinks from 16.9 gallons to 14.3.

28.7 Lbs: No A/C.

13.2 Lbs: No radio, lighter battery.

11.0 Lbs: Lighter wheels.
At 19 inches, these are larger, yet lighter, meaning they're more expensive.

0 Lbs: No cupholders, no clear plastic cover over the instruments.
Meaningless subtractions help present the illusion of weight loss.

Of course, all that still ads up to a car that's 10 Lbs heavier than the 10-year-old 986 Boxster. If Porsche had really wanted to lose some weight, instead of just pretend in order to raise the price, here's what it should have done, probably saving money in the process.

Roof: Ditch the roof all together or substitute an Elise-style removable item. Don't need a roof? leave the extra weight at home.

Rear Deck: No need to fold the roof would mean you could ditch the need to open the deck.

Rear Trunk: No ability to open the deck would mean you could ditch the rear trunk lining and ancillaries like its light.

Fixed Doors: With no roof, who needs doors that open? Aluminum is all well and good, but ditching the hinges and handles is better.

Actual carbon seats: lose the luxuriously padded, electrically adjustable buckets in favor of fixed all-carbon race seats.

Replace the fuel tank with a fuel cell.

Fit smaller wheels: if 19-inch wheels can be lighter than 18s, then we bet 17-inchers or, god forbid, 16s would be considerably lighter. Bonus: less unsprung weight and rotating mass!

Wear earplugs: sound deadening typically ads as much weight as the Spyder claims it's lost.

Wear shoes: a thin plastic cupholder weighs virtually nothing, but an interior full of carpet has a measurable weight, lose it.

Stop posing: If you care enough to ditch the clear plastic instrument cover, then you can probably save as much or more by ditching the vinyl appliques.

November 2008 wasn't a particularly golden month for sales, meaning any increase or decrease needs to be considered in context of previous sales. For instance, Ford and Toyota's November sales were roughly on par with last year but both companies are down between 20-24% through the first eleven months of the year compared to 2008.

Overall, the companies turning around their sales appear to be the ones introducing a lot of new product in the last year. [Automotive News (subs. req)]

After bowing out of the entire 2009 show season, Nissan will indeed return to the floor at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, at least in some capacity. They'll at least be showing the Nissan Leaf in the dank basement which, for the second year, will be utilized as the Electric Avenue exhibit, a place for hybrids and EV's to show off their stuff with low-speed public ride and drives. The show is claiming a return to strength this year, with a roster of 54 manufacturers signed on the dotted line. That's all well and good, but there's some interesting show dynamics afoot, take for instance this passage from the Free Press:

...(Senior co-chair of the Detroit Auto Show, Doug) Fox is including several luxury automakers — including Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Rolls-Royce, in his total.

Those manufacturers will only be showing their cars at an exclusive event, the Gallery. Sponsored by American Express, the invitation-only event will be held Jan. 10 at MGM Grand Detroit for holders of the credit card company's exclusive Centurion card.

Considering this block of high-end automakers has taken up a primo real-estate right in the middle of the Detroit Auto Show floor for as long as memory serves, this seems like face-saving to us. Amex doesn't exactly hand out Centurion cards to the riff-raff. We're wondering if Jalopnik's motley crew will even be allowed in. [Detroit Free Press]

The Willy-Wonka-ready sports car was covered with cling wrap before pouring the molten chocolate over it and for added artistic effect, the creators used white chocolate for the headlights.

(Hattip to Angus!) [djmick via topcultured]

Here's some in-car video from the Members Only car last weekend (before it was knocked out of the race with a rod knock), showing a dramatic battle between the 928, the Scuderia Flatpack (Some Assembly Required) V8olvo, and the U.S. BureauCRAP Nissan Maxima. All three cars show remarkably similar performance as they roar around Thunderhill Raceway, and along the way you'll get a nice tour of many of the Arse Freeze's more interesting entrants, including the Über Bird, the Saleen Renault Alliance, and the IOE-winning Purple Lemon Racing VW Beetle.

A lesson to those who think that going fast is the key to winning LeMons: all three of these super-quick machines were knocked out of contention over the course of the weekend; the 928's engine went kablooey, the Maxima was buried under an avalanche of black flags, and the V8olvo went onto its roof. 74th, 104th, and 27th place, respectively. OK, let's watch the video now:

Here's another video showing some "close call" highlights. The action never stops on a LeMons track!

[Timothy Raines]

[Timothy Raines]

[Timothy Raines]

[Timothy Raines]

[Timothy Raines]

[Timothy Raines]

[Timothy Raines]

[Timothy Raines]

Intended for competition in the international GT3 class, the R does bring more performance too. The engine size is up .2 liters to 4.0, bringing with it a power increase to 480 HP, 30 more than the road car. The whole thing weighs just 2,646 Lbs, making the 3,031 Lbs 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 RS look positively fat.

Here's the press release:

New Racing Version for International GT Sport

Stuttgart. Following the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, is entering yet another racing car in the 2010 motorsport season: The 911 GT3 R will be raced in series based on the international FIA GT3 regulations, thus succeeding the 911 GT3 Cup S. The main focus in developing this new model was on even better drivability and even easier handling.

The 911 GT3 R is powered by a four-litre six-cylinder boxer engine delivering maximum output of 480 bhp (353 kW) transmitted to the rear axle by a sequential six-speed dog gearbox.

The starting point in developing the 911 GT3 R weighing just 1,200 kg or 2,646 lb was the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup presented in September for one-make cup racing. Thanks to its increase in engine size by 0.2 litres, the GT3 R offers 30 bhp more than the Cup model. Both cars are based on the extra-wide body of the 911 GT3 RS street-legal sports car.

An anti-lock brake system (ABS), traction control and an e-gas with "throttle-blip" function make it much easier to get used to this new GT3 racing car than its predecessor, meaning that the new model is also more appropriate for the ambitious amateur racing driver.

Flared wheel arches added on to the body both front and rear bear clear testimony to the wider track than on the former model. And like all second-generation versions of the 911, the new 911 GT3 R also comes with striking LED rear light clusters.

The Porsche 911 GT3 R is making its world debut on 14 January 2010 at the Birmingham Motor Show. The car is built by Porsche's Motorsport Department at the Weissach Development Centre and will be delivered to Customer Teams the world over as of spring 2010. The base price of the Porsche 911 GT3 R is 279,000 euros plus local sales tax/VAT.

[Bonhams via Hodinkee]

While traditionally a Gremlin was described as something that caused woe for army flyers, yesterday's AMC product had the opposite effect, and 75% of you found it bootilicious. One element making that Gremlin X so appealing to many was the V8-manual combo. A heavy application of torque, made available in any gear of your choosing, makes for a tire-chirping good time. That's why we think you might like today's contender Porsche, as it too is rocking an eight. But this Porsche isn't a 928. It's (thankfully) neither a Cayenne, or Panamera, as it left the factory with only half the number of fire pots under its hood as it has now.

The 944 was a pretty sweet handling car, but the 9+ second zero-sixty time meant its 150-bhp wasn't enough to meet owner's expectations of its Porsche-ness. The Turbo, with 70 more ponies helped immeasurably, and eventually the 944 Turbo became a car that was almost as fast on the straights as it was through the corners.

But it still suffered from that demon turbo lag, and despite the boost, for some people too much horsepower is never enough. That's the case with this 944 Turbo that has been LS1ified. That's right, out there in a junkyard somewhere is a GM F-body (yeah, I know- not a Vette) with a honkin' big nothing under its hood. That's because its 365-bhp 350-cid FI motor has found a new home with its crazy German girlfriend. And with this American torque monster inside her, Lola indeed will run. The seller has included a short clip of the car on the dyno, but it doesn't say much about the car other than that it runs-

It would have been nice to show the dyno read-out there, but this marriage of convenience does make some sweet sounds. And lest you think this is some odd-ball one-off conversion, it's not. In fact, it's really fairly common- as Cardomain can attest.

So, big-ass motor; lots-o-power; and the upgraded suspension, brakes and transmission of the 944 Turbo, which make that car a better choice for the conversion than the normally aspirated version. Is that enough to make you say I do? An interesting factoid in the ad is that, while the engine has only done about 20K, the car itself has, over its life, done over 215,000 miles. That moves its milage from a lot to impressive.

The seller claims that he never intended to divorce himself of the car, but it looks like couples therapy didn't work because he's moving out. He's asking $15,000 in alimony for it, and from the looks of the car, more than that was invested in the marriage to begin with.

Now we come to the part where you have to do some work. What do you think of this Marshall Plan of a car, and more importantly, its $15,000 asking price? Does that price make you think this is an arranged marriage, doomed to fail? Or, does that make it something you could see having a long-term relationship with?

You decide!

Los Angeles Craigslist or go here if the ad disappears. Hat tip to hotballs! Yeah, that's right, hotballs.

Help me out with NPOCP. Click here to send a me a tip, and remember to include your commenter handle.

[via EVO]

This information can be heavily qualified because this is only through the first three quarters of the year and comes after Toyota drastically cut back on production in the first half while Volkswagen took advantage of cash-for-clunkers schemes and other government support for its vehicles in markets like China.

But none of that changes the fact that Volkswagen has quickly passed Toyota and GM at the top of the heap. We'll see if it lasts all year and, hopefully, if it works out any better for them. [The Guardian]

Photo Credit: Matt Cardy/Getty Images

But it's not just lighter, it's also powerful thanks to the Boxster Spyder's 3.4-liter six-cylinder engine putting out 320 horses — that's 10 more HP than the Boxster S. So, wait, let's get this straight — it'll be 176 lbs lighter than the Boxster S and get a touch more power? Wow.

If you're already wondering where you sign up — here's better news. The new Porsche also gets an all-new sport suspension that lowers the Boxster Spyder 20 mm providing a lower center of gravity and a standard limited slip differential.

Mate the performance to a unique look reminiscent of the Carrera GT and we already know you're getting your checkbooks ready. But wait, like Billy Mays used to say, there's more — the price tag on the new lightweight Porsche-uh is just $61,200 when it goes on sale in February.

More in the press release below:

2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder: Light, Powerful, Purist Roadster to be Introduced at Los Angeles Auto Show

Porsche's newest entry will be the lightest in its line-up

ATLANTA – November 5, 2009 – Weighing in at just 2,811 lbs., the new 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder will be the lightest Porsche available – from a company known for lightweight, proficient sports cars. This new mid-engined roadster represents the true, purist form of the sports car – agile, powerful, open and efficient. This third Boxster model will join the Boxster and Boxster S and will make its world debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show, December 2, 2009.

The newest member of the Boxster family stands out from the other versions of Porsche's mid-engined roadster. Its low-slung, lightweight soft top – when closed – extends far to the rear to protect the driver and passenger from bright sunshine, wind and weather. This top, when combined with extra-low side windows and two striking bulges on the single-piece rear lid, provides the Boxster Spyder with a sleek silhouette reminiscent of the Carrera GT.

The Boxster Spyder features a 3.4-liter six-cylinder engine with Direct Fuel Injection upfront of the rear axle. Maximum output is 320 horsepower (hp), 10 hp more than the Boxster S. The combination of 10 more hp and 176 pounds less weight than the award-winning Boxster S, plus an all-new sport suspension that lowers the Boxster Spyder 20 mm, a lower center of gravity, a standard limited slip differential, and exclusive wheels provides the kind of driving dynamics that back up the unique look. Aluminum door skins and lightweight interior door panels from the 911 GT3 RS contribute to the weight reduction.

When equipped with Porsche-Doppelkupplung (PDK) transmission and the Sports Chrono Package, the new Spyder, using Launch Control, accelerates from a standstill to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds. Top track speed is 166 mph – with the roof open.

Fundamentally, the entire Boxster family is the successor to the legendary 550 Spyder and RS 60 of the Fifties and Sixties, all sharing the same mid-engine roadster concept. Low weight and supreme agility combine to provide outstanding driving pleasure.

In 2004 and 2008 Porsche produced limited editions of the Boxster bearing the additional name Spyder, honoring the 550 and RS 60. In contrast, the new Boxster Spyder is a regular, but specially developed and upgraded production model as compared with the Boxster and Boxster S. The 2011 Boxster Spyder goes on sale February 2010. U.S. pricing is $61,200.

[FancyTuning]