Porsche auto news

First Drive: 2013 Porsche Panamera GTS [w/video]

The roads winding from the southernmost coast of Spain up to Ascari Race Resort near the town of Ronda are enough to bring telling tales out of any car that professes to have high performance intentions. What talented few acquit themselves well on these roads are then exposed to the 3.4-mile Ascari circuit, and that's usually enough to send most of them home in a huff of brake dust and blow-by.

This time in the crucible, it's the 2012 Porsche Panamera GTS, a car first shown under the hard lights of November's Los Angeles Auto Show. Despite not being the most powerful in the range, this naturally aspirated GTS is tipped to offer the most race-like dynamics of the entire Panamera portfolio. And after 100 or so miles on public amusement park roads and 20 or so on the track, this plus-size GT showed us it's capable of dicing it up like a 911 or Cayman while delivering an understandably different experience from behind the wheel.

Continue reading 2013 Porsche Panamera GTS [w/video]

Spy Shots: Porsche 911 Turbo caught out and about again

We've driven the new 991-series Porsche 911, and now the next chapter of the new 911 story - the 2013 Turbo - has been caught proving itself in the wintertide climate. Its most important details - the front and rear bumpers and side intakes - remain behind camo, but we now get a look at how the tail sits across the wider rump, and we think it looks quite good.

When it's finally revealed, the new 911 Turbo is expected to put out more than 500 horsepower - numbers from 520 hp to 550 hp have been mentioned - from it's tri-turboed (yes, three turbos) 3.6-liter flat six. Both the seven-speed PDK and seven-speed manual transmissions should be on offer, and the lighter-than-the-last-Turbo package should be screamingly fast. Have a look at the high-res gallery to see it from just about every angle.

Report: Hagerty predicts this year's future classics

The world would be considerably less entertaining if we could all predict the future. Even so, the classic car gurus at Hagerty Insurance have cast a few chicken bones in an attempt to figure out which vehicles produced today might eventually turn collectible.

The company restricted entrants to hardware with a price tag of less than $100,000, so the list isn't populated with too many wild exotics. While vehicles like the Nissan GT-R Black Edition, Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca Edition, Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and Porsche 911 are low-hanging fruit, the list also featured a few surprises.

For starters, it begins with none other than the mighty Buick Regal GS. Hagerty says the vehicle is a win because it's the first Buick with a manual transmission since the fall of the Holy Roman Empire. The Fiat 500 Abarth also makes an appearance alongside an even hotter hatch, the Volkswagen Golf R. Of course, we're simply thrilled to see the sinister Audi TT RS make a showing. Hit the jump for the full list or view each vehicle in our gallery above.

Continue reading Hagerty predicts this year's future classics

Video: The Porsche 911 evolves

If we could summarize the Porsche 911 with just one word, it would be "evolution." For decades, Porsche has methodically improved its rear-engined sports car. The design changes are subtle, and power has risen steadily.

To illustrate this, Porsche made a video that plays off the 911's rich history. If you lie awake at night thinking about how great it would be to own a 911, hit the jump for some more inspiration.

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Report: Volkswagen says it could conclude takeover of Porsche this year

It's been a whole three weeks since we checked in with Volkswagen's takeoever of Porsche, and the most recent news wasn't so good: investors filed a $2.6 billion suit against Porsche over the Stuttgart maker's attempt to gobble up VW. Those same investors also filed an arbitration application against Volkswagen. That hasn't stopped a VW executive from saying that its ownership of Porsche could finally be concluded this year, according to a report in Der Spiegel.

VW had earlier predicted the deal would be done last year, then released a statement in September saying that that too many hurdles and unknowns remained concerning investigations and economic ramfications for the deal to get done in 2011. The hurdles centered around previous lawsuits, including one brought by American investors in 2010, and the fact that VW couldn't evaluate Porsche appropriately until they were settled.

However, the latest upbeat report on overcoming the obstructions to getting a deal done this year don't mention those lawsuits. Instead, the resolved issues are a one-billion-euro tax payment that VW can avoid by creating a holding company by 2014 to control the Porsche stake, and VW's agreeing to contractually assure Porsche retains control over its models and where it spends its money. According to that unnamed executive, this opens the door for VW to sponge up the final 50.1 percent of Porsche it doesn't own, for a price of €3.9 billion - about $5.1B USD - but we have no idea how or why the lawsuits aren't mentioned as a factor.

In the meantime, Reuters reports that VW and Porsche are working "at arm's length" even though they have the same CEO and CFO and are busy developing cars together, a fact which is testing CEO Martin Winterkorn's patience. Earlier this month, Winterkorn was quoted as saying he wants to bring the companies closer "without needing to have a lawyer stand next to a Porsche employee every time he screws something into a Volkswagen or vice-versa."

Video: Followup: Infiniti M35h is world's "fastest" hybrid

We don't imagine that many new-car buyers are cross-shopping their local Infiniti and Porsche dealerships, but there's at least one segment of the automotive industry where the two automakers both play ball: high-performance hybrid luxury sedans, which may be the single most conflicted niche of the automotive sphere in the known universe.

In any case, here we are with the Infiniti M35h and Porsche Panamera S Hybrid. Each one is marketed as both a somewhat greener luxury vehicle and a performance sedan. We'd guess it's the performance side of the equation that would be most interesting to the majority of buyers, leaving fuel efficiency a welcome bonus.

So, which one is faster? That's an interesting question. Usually, we equate that term with top speed, as "fast" connotes velocity. When acceleration is being contested, we generally ask which machine is quickest. And, if it's quickness you're after, Infiniti wants you to know that its M35h will out-accelerate its competitor from Germany. How quick is it? According to Motor Trend, the hybrid M goes from 0-60 in 5.1 seconds, but that's not the stat Infiniti is claiming. According to the post-jump press release, the M35h is "faster" than the hybrid Panamera from 0-100 (11.54 seconds) and in the quarter mile (13.41 seconds).

As for the rest of the relevant statistics, the EPA estimates that the M35h will manage 27 miles per gallon in the city and 32 on the highway, for a combined rating of 29. The Porsche Panamera S Hybrid is rated at 22 city, 30 highway and 25 combined. Seems the M hybrid takes both the acceleration and economy awards. Check out a video released by Infiniti after the break, where you'll also find the press release, if you're into that kind of thing.

Continue reading Followup: Infiniti M35h is world's "fastest" hybrid

Official: Porsche celebrates building 100,000th second-generation Cayenne

Say what you will about the Porsche Cayenne - whether you think it's the best-handling SUV on the market or a storied automaker turning its back on its heritage - you can't argue that it hasn't been a huge success for the German automaker. In fact, Porsche has produced 100,000 examples of the Cayenne - and that's only counting the current model.

The milestone unit is set to be delivered to a customer in Brazil, one of the 124 markets in which the Cayenne is currently sold in five different versions. The milestone comes at an auspicious time for Porsche, which this year celebrates 10 years of production at Leipzig, where the Cayenne and Panamera are built. With the approaching introduction of the smaller Cajun line at Leipzig, the plant is expected to reach the 500,000 mark before the year is out.

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Official: Porsche Design opens new flagship store in SoHo

Take a flight overseas and you may happen upon a Porsche Design store in an airport somewhere. That's because, while the automaker's product-design division has dozens of locations around the world, few of them are in the United States for a brand that is typically European in its focus. But all that's changing with the company's new flagship store.

Rather than locating itself in a traditional European capital or a mall in some emerging market in Asia, the new Porsche Design mega-store is based right here in these United States. The new SoHo location, on West Broadway in Manhattan, New York, encompasses some 250 square meters of retail space. That includes displays for the brand's fashion lines, as well as its other products (ranging from luggage and pens to watches and phones) and a dedicated 50-square-meter VIP area for big spenders.

If you're planning a trip to New York, be prepared to spend all your savings on designer Blackberries and driving gloves. But if you're not heading to the Big Apple in the near future, you can still check out the press release after the jump and the array of high-resolution images in the gallery above.

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Video: Infiniti teases M hybrid drag race against Porsche Panamera S Hybrid

Infiniti has started throwing stones at the Porsche Panamera S Hybrid. The Japanese luxury brand aims to pit its M Hybrid against the electrified German five-door in a fight for the title of the world's fastest-accelerating production full hybrid. How's that for a mouthful? The Porsche Panamera S Hybrid dishes out 380 horsepower and is good for a 0-60 mph time of around 5.7 seconds, all while returning up to 30 mpg highway. Of course, you'll be asked to pay for the privilege of ownership. The Panamera S Hybrid commands an MSRP of $95,000.

The Infiniti M Hybrid, meanwhile, is good for 360 horsepower from a 3.5-liter V6 engine and a potent electric motor. Infiniti hasn't outright said how quickly the M Hybrid can do the 0-60 mph dash, but we can say from experience that the vehicle is no pushover. All told, the M Hybrid can deliver up to 32 mpg highway, but is it quicker than the Porsche?

We'll find out tomorrow. Hit the jump to see the teaser for yourself.

Continue reading Infiniti teases M hybrid drag race against Porsche Panamera S Hybrid

Official: Porsche plasters 2M faces on Cayman to celebrate Facebook milestone

We all know what happens when Porsche and social media collide; the world gets another art car. As you may recall, the German sportscar manufacturer created a special version of its 911 GT3 R Hybrid when it crested one million fans on Facebook last February. Now, one year later, Porsche has garnered a staggering two million fans, and the company has taken it upon itself to slather a Cayman S in the faces of each an every one of its adoring supporters. With its red-tinted images on a white field, the design gives the Cayman S more than a passing resemblance to the famous Porsche 917 that garnered the company its first Le Mans win.

Porsche plans to display its Facebook Cayman S at the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart until January 27. For those of us who can't make the jump to Germany, Porsche has created a special site that provides 360-degree views of the car as well as search function to help you find your face on the Cayman. Head over to the site to check it out.