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Next-gen Porsche Panamera loses its buttons

We have our first interior images of the next-generation Porsche Panamera. Caught undergoing testing in what looks like the area around Ann Arbor, MI, Porsche's second-gen sedan ditches the multitude of buttons found on the center stack of today's cars in favor of touch-capacitive controls. The new look works on the interior. It's clean and stylish, and the overall layout is clearly inspired by the Panamera Sport Turismo concept. We're particularly fond of of one of the features absent on the concept car – the wide, high-resolution infotainment screen. Judging by the lack of a dedicated controller on the center stack and the screen's proximity to where the driver's right hand would be, this is almost certainly a touchscreen. According to our spies, the software on that screen will be shared with Bentley, as will the Panamera's underlying platform. The new steering wheel, meanwhile, looks like it's been plucked straight from the 918 Spyder. There's a very visible protrusion at the four-spoke wheel's four o'clock position, and the button layout on the spokes looks identical to the hybrid hypercar. On the 918, this controller manages the hybrid systems, but as our spies claim this is the gas-powered Turbo S model, we aren't really sure what role it will play as we can clearly see drive mode controls on the center console. Speaking of the Sport Turismo, this prototype backs up the argument that the next Panamera will adopt the cleaner look of the 2012 Paris Motor Show concept. Even with the camouflage, the C-pillar and rear quarter window, squared-off trunk aperture, and the four LED accents in the headlights are clearly inspired by the Sport Turismo. However, the concept's most dramatic feature – its strong hatchback profile – doesn't seem to have made the transition into this prototype. We'd expect to see the new Panamera in either Geneva or Paris. The Swiss show is the unlikely choice, though, considering it's just over a month away and Porsche already has another big debut planned. So expect the new Panamera in the City of Light. Sales should begin some time in 2017.

Petrolicious explores long-term living with Porsche's 914/6

After its last video starred none other than the spectacular Ferrari 250 GTO, where was there for the video team at Petrolicious to go? Certainly, in the realm of classics, there are only a few other vehicles that can match the badge and pedigree of the ultra-rare Ferrari. Maybe a Jaguar D-Type or an Aston Martin DBR1? No, this latest video doesn't star either of those British icons. It stars an oft-misunderstood, occasionally derided entry from Germany's most sporting manufacturer - Porsche.
Yes, we've gone from a Ferrari 250 GTO to a Porsche 914/6. As is often the case with Petrolicious, though, the story told about the car by its owner are often more important than the make or model of car being highlighted. That's exactly the case here, as Jack Griffin talks about the 38 years he's spent with this particular Porsche.
Having been born into the Volkswagen fold and introduced to Porsche in the best way possible - behind the wheel of a 356 - Griffin has some interesting stories (including his attempt at running the 12 Hours of Sebring), and he knows a fair bit about some of the 914's attributes.

Porsche 918 Spyder configurator goes live

That didn't take long. The debut model of the new Porsche 918 Spyder is still thronged by onlookers at the Frankfurt Motor Show, while the German sports car maker is hard at work putting the first version of the supercar's configuration page online. Considering Porsche configurators are some of our favorite time-wasters of the genre, we expect car-guy productivity to drop by a few percentage points over the rest of the day.
So, the 918 dream-maker doesn't list and prices as yet, and that's too bad. But considering the car is due to start off at $845,000 in the US, chances are good that unless you're reading this from the shallow end of your Uncle Scrooge-spec money pool, the cost of any part of the 918 is academic to you anyway.
To start, Porsche is offering twelve paint colors, three wheel choices and seven two-tone interior treatments. Standard lightweight bucket seats and a set of chairs with "firmer padding" are on offer, too. The options list is mostly populated with interior bits, though many - an anti-reflection interior, fire extinguisher, six-point seatbelts - are racing-oriented or functional. Note that Porsche is also kind enough to offer just one cupholder as an optional extra; the unit is made of aluminum and is detachable so that you won't have to carry the extra weight during racing. Also, Porsche probably puts you on some kind of naughty 'list' if you order one...