1977 Porsche 911 S Targa European Model on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Porsche updates 919 Hybrid racer for 2015 season

Porsche's grand return to the elite level of global endurance racing showed mixed success in its first year. The company did score one victory in the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship season during the race in Brazil but finished in third place overall among the three factory manufacturers. Porsche is hoping for a few more wins in 2015 and is releasing its first shots of the updated car to achieve those triumphs when things kick off in April. The team's racer is still called the 919 Hybrid, but Porsche promises this second-generation version is a "comprehensive evolution" compared to last year. The most obvious change is the redesigned front end where the styling now features a simple horizontal intake running across the front (compare to 2014, below). The nose area also now flares out to the windshield. The side grows a more complicated look, though, with a series of fins just behind the driver compartment. Porsche isn't divulging many details about anything different under the skin. The 2015 919 is still propelled by a 2.0-liter turbocharged V4, and an electric motor powers the front wheels. There are also two energy recovery systems. In addition to the previous challengers from Audi and Toyota, Porsche has one more competitor in the factory ranks this season. The Nissan GT-R LM Nismo is rumored to be a radical departure from the rest of the field with an engine possibly located in front of the driver. Read the German brand's very brief release about the updated 919 Hybrid below and click through the gallery to see how it looks. Track debut for 2015 Porsche 919 Hybrid Stuttgart. Extensive testing with the second generation of Porsche's Le Mans prototype will begin on January 18, on Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina Circuit. As scheduled, this marks the start of the 2015 motorsport season for the Porsche Team. The new Porsche 919 Hybrid has already had its roll-out on the Weissach test track. As a next step, there will be several performance and endurance tests before the WEC season opener on April 12 in Silverstone, Great Britain. The new Porsche 919 Hybrid is a comprehensive evolution of the successful car that made its debut in 2014. It will feature the same innovative drivetrain concept consisting of a 2-litre V4 turbocharged petrol engine, an electric motor powering the front wheels, and two energy recovery systems. The new generation car had its first roll-out on December 15, 2014.

Jay Leno puts carbon fiber wheels to the test on a Porsche 911 GT3 RS

Jay Leno's Garage usually focuses on looking at cars new and old, speaking to their owners and then Jay taking a drive to see what he thinks. However, Leno throws his usual shtick to the curb this week to do a full product test of the carbon fiber wheels from a company called Carbon Revolution. If you're not interested in hearing about wheels for 18 minutes, don't worry. They get mounted on a Porsche and are tested back-to-back with stock wheels, and Leno takes the 911 for a track test, too.
While carbon-fiber wheels aren't exactly a new idea, Carbon Revolution's goal is to create a lightweight, one-piece product that can be mass produced. The company even claims that it already has a deal with an OEM automaker to offer them on a vehicle in a few years. The key to the technology is that it doesn't need an expensive autoclave to be made.
In the meantime, the company's carbon fiber wheels are available as an aftermarket option for about $15,000 a set, according to the video. They weigh in at about 15.5 pounds each and offer OEM-levels of stiffness, so they could cut some unsprung mass off of a performance car. Watch here as Jay and his mechanic Bernard lap Willow Springs and give their feedback about what they think of this cutting-edge technology.

McLaren P1 vs Porsche 918 vs Ducati 1199 Superleggera in epic standing-mile drag race

We live in a high-tech supercar renaissance, with the Porsche 918 Spyder, McLaren P1 and Ferrari LaFerrari all duking it out for performance supremacy. All three members of this power trio place the engine behind the driver and use some kind of hybrid assist. However, each one finds a slightly different way to make that setup work. While all of the tech is insanely cool, let's just admit that we are all really wondering which one is the quickest and which is the fastest. Autocar aims to find out in a new video pitting two of them against a surprise challenger in the standing mile.
Unfortunately, the race is missing the Ferrari, despite Autocar's best efforts. So instead, it has another limited-edition, high-performance vehicle from Italy in the form of the Ducati 1199 Superleggera. The bike has just two cylinders, but at 1.2-liters of displacement, it makes over 200 horsepower, and all that gumption is packaged into a magnesium monocoque body with carbon fiber bodywork to keep weight low. Granted, the cycle is going up against the 875-hp Porsche and 903-hp McLaren, but traction, aerodynamics and gearing all play a part in this fascinating video.
There's no sense in ruining the winner before watching, but Autocar teases that the finish is one of its closest drag races ever. Check out the video to find out just what that means.