1988 Porsche 911 G50 Carrera on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Mercedes-AMG GT vs. Porsche 911 [w/poll]

Mercedes-Benz designed the AMG GT to compete head-on with the Porsche 911. It's a clear, singular purpose, and Benz brings a lot of money, technology and race-bred expertise to the fight.
The AMG GT is Merc's followup to the awesome SLS AMG, the retro-modern, gullwing-doored coupe that took us by storm half a decade ago. But this new GT coupe is a more focused sports car than the SLS, rather than an all out supercar capable of extreme performance. It's got a brand-new V8 engine, and state-of-the-art technology that help it to not only be a proper Mercedes, but to be a serious performer.
Mercedes will sell its new baby in two models. The GT S arrives first, in spring 2015, followed by the standard GT in mid-2016. Of course, there's room to grow from there. And while Porsche may have already expanded its 911 range to include a vast variety of models, here's how Stuttgart's icon stacks up against Affalterbach's bad boy.

2014 Porsche Cayenne Platinum Edition is the ace of base

If there's one automaker that certainly doesn't skimp on the special edition models, it's Porsche, and here at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show, we're getting our first look at yet another unique take on one of the company's most popular models. It's called the Cayenne Platinum Edition, and while many special models build off of higher-trim vehicles, this one adds a bit of flair to the most basic version of the luxury SUV.
The Platinum Edition is available on Cayennes with the base 3.6-liter V6 or the 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6. Platinum models are set apart from other models with the addition of silver exterior accents on the grilles, window trim and rear spoiler, as well as the two-tone, black-and-beige interior scheme. It also comes standard with the eight-speed Tiptronic S transmission, Power Steering Plus, Park Assist, the Convenience Package and Bose audio.
The cost of entry? $63,000 for the naturally aspirated Cayenne or $66,900 for the diesel. That's a full $13,000 more than the base model, but Porsche says it's actually a bargain as opposed to selecting all of those options individually. Have a look below for Porsche's official release.

Porsche names new motorsport chief

Though it may have expanded into crossovers and sedans, Porsche is still a company with racing at its heart. You might even argue that Cayenne and Panamera sales only serve to fund the company's motorsports activities. Competition-spec 911 coupes still make up a large portion of the grid in any GT racing series, and those activities are presided over by the Porsche GT division (separate from its LMP1 program), which has just announced a changing of the guard.
Porsche's GT unit - which is responsible both for racing models like the 911 RSR and road-going models like the 911 GT3 - has until now been steered by Hartmut Kristen (pictured above, left) in his capacity as Vice President of Motorsport at Porsche AG. During his ten-year tenure, Kristen gave birth to the RS Spyder that competed in the American Le Mans Series and the pioneering 911 GT3 R Hybrid. He also fostered what Porsche characterizes as "arguably the most comprehensive youth development program in motor racing" and saw the marque return to Le Mans last year with a dominant 1-2 class victory.
Kristen, now 59 years old, is leaving the German automaker, but will remain an advisor to the company's R&D department. Taking over as VP of Motorsport will be Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser, who has until now been head of the 918 Spyder project (a responsibility he will continue). Walliser (pictured above, right) was previously Porsche's general manager for motorsport strategies and will now be responsible for Porsche's GT projects on and off the track, while Fritz Enzinger continues at the helm of the LMP1 program in pursuit of better results next year than the 919 Hybrid achieved at Le Mans last month.