Porsche will see the seven Audi R8 LMS race cars Audi is planning to field into the 24 Hours of Nurburgring and will raise them to 33. That’s the number of 911s that are expected to participate in the endurance race.

Of the 33, there are a few notable models that will compete in the race, including two 911 GT3 Rs from Manthey Racing, a 911 GT3 R from Mamerow Racing, a 911 GT3 RS that will be driven by ex DTM driver Roland Asch, EVO’s Chris Harris, and TV personality Patrick Simon, and last but not least, the racing debut of the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid.

Hartmun Kristen, the top dog of Porsche Motorsport, is excited about the large number of 911s that will be participating in the endurance race. "This year, Porsche is particularly well represented at the Nürburgring 24 hour race by its vehicles, customers, and drivers," he said.

"We regard this diversity as a clear commitment to the 24 hour event. Our customer teams compete with strong driver contingents, with some receiving support from our Porsche factory drivers. I’m especially curious about our 911 GT3 R Hybrid. We’re not setting our sights purely on race results, but more on the data that our race lab delivers for the further development of hybrid technology."

For Porsche Panamera owners looking for a more subtle tuning touch, Germany's Mcchip has wrung a few upgrades for the sport saloon that include a reconfigured ECU, and new tire and alloy wheel combos. With the new software, the Panamera's 4.8-liter turbocharged V8 produces an output of 550 horsepower and 775Nm (571.6 lb-ft) of torque, up from the standard car's 500 HP and 700Nm.

If the Panamera Turbo is equipped with Porsche's Sportchrono package, the V8's torque is bumped to 845Nm (623.3 lb-ft). In both cases, the extra muscle results to an increase of the sport saloon's top speed by 8km/h (5mph) to 311km/h (193mph). The price for the reprogrammed ECU is set at €1,499 (US$2,230).

To complete the package, Mcchip offers Panamera customers two different sets of tires and alloy wheels from Cargraphic.

The first set includes 22-inch rims shod in Continental tires size 265/30 R22 up front and 305/25 R22 at the rear for €7,969 (approx. US$11,900), while the second set comprises of 22-inch alloys wrapped in Dunlop Sport rubber size 265/30 R22 at the front axle and 295/25 R22 at the rear axle for €8,089 (about US$ 12,000).