1961 Porsche 356 B Coupe 1600s on 2040-cars

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2017 Porsche 911 Turbo First Drive [w/video]

Remember when turbos were a big fat middle finger to the naturally aspirated status quo? The horsepower renaissance has seen the forced induction phenomenon go from badass add-on (Turbo 'Vette!) to battle cry for efficiency (Kia Optima Turbo). From econoboxes to high-end holdovers like Ferrari and Aston Martin, everybody's doing the turbo shuffle. But what does that mean for the gang from Stuttgart – and more importantly, the top-of-the-line 911 that has called itself Turbo since the mid-1970s? I spent a day in the 2017 Porsche 911 Turbo and Turbo S to find out. Now is a particularly fitting time to evaluate the latest iteration of the venerable Porsche 911 Turbo. Our scrutiny comes at a moment when standard-issue Boxsters, Caymans, and Carreras have finally adopted turbocharged platforms. The Turbo S has a top speed of 205 mph, marking the first time the model has crested the 200-mph barrier. Spoiler alert: Rather than radically transforming its long-evolved essence, the 2017 Porsche 911 Turbo has made incremental changes that makes it, well, more Turbo than ever. Horsepower for the Turbo and Turbo S climbs 20 each, to 540 and 580, respectively; 0-60 times drop to a scant 2.9 and 2.8 seconds, and these top dogs now have terminal velocities of 198 and 205 miles per hour, marking the first time the model has crested the 200-mph barrier. The forced-induction flagships have different engine hardware, another first for the lineup, with the S gaining larger turbo impellers and housings. A revised differential enhances the precision of power transfer, while the PDK dual-clutch transmission (the only gearbox available) gains a centrifugal pendulum for smoothness. The dynamic engine mounts now work harder for crisper response, and the variable damping rates have been extended at both ends for a wider range of settings. If you're a fan of hanging the tail out, you'll be pleased to know that a new Sport mode enables greater yaw angles. And if you dig indiscreet bursts of acceleration, there's now a Dynamic Boost function that preps the drivetrain for a little extra oomph by dropping down a gear and holding the throttle open to maintain turbo pressure, increasing torque from 487 to 523 pound-feet, and from 516 to 553 lb-ft in the S. Standard equipment now includes a Sport Chrono Package, camera-equipped parking sensor, and the Porsche Dynamic Light System. Engine flexibility is outstanding, allowing peak torque to start at only 2,250 rpm.

2017 North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year entries announced

Over 40 vehicles will compete for the 2017 North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year awards. If that name looks a little strange, it's because the competition added a third category. In years past, pickup trucks, crossovers, SUVs, commercial vans, and minivans competed for the same award. That's why there were occasionally weird comparisons, like last year's competition between the Volvo XC90 and Nissan Titan XD. The new format separates pickups and commercial vans into the truck contest and CUVs, SUVs, and minivans into the utility competition. A complete list of eligible vehicles is below, but here are a few highlights. For one, the entire list of entries has a luxurious lean. Of the 43 vehicles, nearly half of them are from premium brands. There are two eligible Bentleys – the Bentayga and Mulsanne – the Rolls-Royce Dawn, Jaguar F-Pace, Audi Q7, and the Mercedes-Benz GLS-, E-, and S-Class Maybach. The performance ranks are lofty, too, with the Audi R8, Acura NSX, Alfa Romeo Giulia, Mercedes SL- and SLC-Class, Porsche 718, and F-150 Raptor. The mainstream entries are just as comprehensive. From the Chrysler Pacifica to the Chevrolet Cruze to the Fiat 124 Spider to the Mitsubishi Mirage, NACTOY has covered an enormous price range with this year's contestants. Of course, these are only the eligible vehicles. They'll need to run through three rounds of judging, starting in September at NACTOY's traditional Hell, MI, test drive. The Canadian and American journalists involved in the judging will announce this year's nine finalists – three in each category – on December 6. Cars Acura NSX Alfa Romeo Giulia Audi A4 Audi R8 Bentley Mulsanne Buick Cascada Buick LaCrosse Cadillac CT6 Chevrolet Bolt Chevrolet Cruze Fiat 124 Genesis G90 Hyundai Elantra Infiniti Q60 Jaguar XE Kia Cadenza Lincoln Continental Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan Mercedes-Benz S550 Maybach Mercedes-Benz SL-Class Mercedes-Benz SLC-Class Mini Clubman Mitsubishi Mirage/G4 Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman Rolls-Royce Dawn Toyota Prius Prime Volvo S90 SUVs Audi Q7 Bentley Bentayga Buick Envision Cadillac XT5 Chrysler Pacifica GMC Acadia Infiniti QX30 Kia Sportage Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class Jaguar F-Pace Mazda CX-9 Nissan Armada Trucks Ford F-Series Super Duty pickups Ford F-150 Raptor Honda Ridgeline Nissan Titan half-ton Related Video: Featured Gallery Bentley Bentayga View 23 Photos News Source: Automotive News - sub.

Popular Science magazine's Best Of What's New 2012 all ate up with cars

Popular Science has named the winners in its Best of What's New awards, the victors coming in the categories of aerospace, automotive, engineering, entertainment, gadgets, green, hardware, health, home, recreation, security and software. The automotive category did not go wanting for lauded advancements:
Tesla Model S: the Grand Award winner for being "the standard by which all future electric vehicles will be measured."
BMW 328i: it's 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gets called out for being more powerful and frugal than the six-cylinder it replaces.