1979 Porsche 911 Targa Sc 3.0 Low Reserve Very Clean on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Topiary Joe sculpts the ultimate in green cars

Efficient cars are all the rage these days, but Joe Kyte has made a business of crafting some of the coolest green cars around – literally. Kyte is better known by his nickname Topiary Joe, and in addition to being a talented artist, he is also a real gearhead. Kyte has been creating topiaries for the last 20 years. It began when he was marketing greenhouse products to Walt Disney World and saw their plant sculptures. He realized that he could do that and since then, has done around 3,400 pieces. His most intriguing creations are the rolling sculptures that move and turn. Prices for those start at about $18,000 and can be as high as $30,000. While, the wheels are machine-bent, Kyte said all the other parts are done with a table vice and a Lincoln Electric arc welder. Topiary Joe is taking the Porsche (pictured above) to Palm Beach later this year to sell or says he may donate it to Porsche North America. If you really want it, the sculpture is currently on Craigslist for sale for $24,000. Topiary Joe has also had a life-long love of cars. "I was driving my first MG Midget before I was 14," he told Autoblog. He grew up in Oak Ridge, TN, where the Manhattan Project was partially developed. He says the town was full of recent college grads driving Mercedes, and he caught the bug. His automotive mentor was a nuclear physicist who taught him to repair and restore the Mercs. Kyte has completed commissions for Sandals Resort, Dreamworks, Absolut, and many more. Among his favorite creations is the Ferrari that he created at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that is now exhibited at the airport each year before the race. Check out his website for a wider look at his work.

Techart Porsche 911 Targa 4S is a tuner's attempt at being tasteful

We've not been terribly nice to the aftermarket tuners of the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. That's largely because they don't deserve our kindness. Techart, though, is not going to be the subject of derision, largely because aside from painting this Porsche 911 Targa a particularly lurid shade of yellow (and finding seat upholstery and trim to match), the changes aren't particularly offensive. Hell, paint it black, silver or red, and it'd just look like a more aggressive Porsche. That's largely because it is. Techart has behaved itself, fitting a brand new body kit featuring a new rear spoiler, diffuser, front splitter and side skirts, and replacing the much of the interior componentry with carbon fiber and aluminum components. The tuner doesn't mention the exact name of the shade used both inside and out on this Targa, although those with more conservative tastes will rest easy knowing that "stylistic harmony with standard or Techart individual paint is guaranteed." Techart's deft aesthetic treatment hides a similarly light tweaking under the sheetmetal. This car features a new exhaust system, complete with four staggered exhaust pipes that have been finished in black chrome. And that's it. There aren't 17 turbos or a new intake manifold crafted from free-range ivory. It's the same 400-horsepower flat six found in a normal Targa 4S. Techart has fitted its own springs, although it doesn't tell us how much (or even if) the ride has been lowered. 21-inch alloys round out the more practical changes. Check out our full gallery of live images of Techart's latest creation, direct from Geneva. Related Video: News from the TECHART world 03.12.2014 TECHART for the Porsche 911 Targa 4 models Closed roof – open driving pleasure. TECHART Automobildesign sharpens the character of the seventh Porsche 911 Targa 4 generation. Using the right mixture of restraint and emphasis the TECHART Aerodynamic Kit transfers the sportive TECHART design language to the unmistakable lines of the four-wheel drive sports car. TECHART Formula IV light-alloy wheels in 21-inch communicate aesthetic innovative capacity all around. Interior refinement specialists of the TECHART in-house saddlery use precise handiwork to translate the exterior design elements stylistically into the vehicle's interior. TECHART Aerodynamic Kit for die Porsche 911 Targa 4 models. Porsche 911 silhouette. Wide body with active taillight strip. And of course a glass roof with iconic aluminium bar.

Jaguar F-Type coupe to cost more than convertible?

Jaguar may price the much-rumored F-Type Coupe above the F-Type Convertible, if a report from Australia's Drive is to be believed. What makes Jag think that such a pricing strategy would work? Porsche. Take a look at the German manufacturer's consumer site, and you'll notice that the Boxster is less expensive than the Cayman, despite being essentially the same car.
It's a fair point, and a price premium does a good job of emphasizing the sporting chops of the coupe over the open-air experience that normally entitles convertibles to higher MSRPs. It's unclear just how closely Jaguar will follow Porsche's example, though.
Both the Cayman and Cayman S boast an extra ten horsepower over a Boxster or Boxster S, and while this bump in grunt is negligible in every situation but an argument over which is "best," it isn't something to be ignored in the F-Type, particularly as cranking more power out of its supercharged engines should be a rather simple matter.