2006 Porsche 911 Carrera 4s on 2040-cars

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1985 Porsche 911 rally-style classic to be auctioned for good cause

Porsches are supposed to inhabit race tracks, winding roads, and wide, flashy boulevards, right? Not all of them. Take this 1985 911 Carrera, which was has been converted into a rally-style toy that we'd love to sample on a dusty, tree-lined section of dirt. Nicknamed #Luftauto, this lovely 911 is being auctioned off by RM Sothebys during Luftgekuhlt, an event dedicated to air-cooled Porsches and put together in part by Porsche racer Patrick Long. The car has been extensively modified, both aesthetically and in terms of outright performance. We're digging the 15-inch Braid wheels, custom rally lights, and an Auto Foreign Services roof rack on the exterior. The cabin gets a custom rollbar, but it's the driver interfaces we're really drooling over – there's an OMP steering wheel and a CNC-milled shift knob made of walnut and maple, while driver and passenger will be kept in their fancy Recaro seats by Schroth Rallye harnesses. The limited tweaks to the numbers-matching, 3.2-liter flat-six – the headers and exhaust have been swapped with SSi units – do wonders for the Porsche's already impressive soundtrack. The engine isn't a new unit, of course, but it's fresh off a major round of service. There are ample suspension mods, too, with a custom-designed KW setup and long-travel dampers. A cool car being put up for auction is exciting enough, but the profits from #Luftauto are going to something even cooler – cancer research. In particular, the money made will be donated to the Autumn Leaves Project, a charity that's dedicated to battling pancreatic cancer. For those not familiar, pancreatic cancer is one of the most despised, merciless forms of cancer around, infamous for its ability to remain undetected until it's far too late to combat. It's a truly hateful disease. You can check out #Luftauto in action in the video up top. It crosses the block on April 10 in Los Angeles. Additional details can be found at the Luftgekuhlt website. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Rough seas delay salvage operation for burning ship carrying luxury cars

LISBON — Rough waters forced authorities on Wednesday to postpone a salvage operation for a ship packed with luxury cars that have been on fire for a week in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, a port official said. With teams unable to board the Felicity Ace, heavy tug boats sprayed water to cool the vessel, which is carrying around 4,000 vehicles, including Porsches, Audis, Lamborghinis and Bentleys. Lamborghini of America CEO Andrea Baldi told Automotive News that there were dozens of pre-sold Lamborghinis aboard, mostly the Urus SUV. But also some Huracans and Aventadors, the latter of which have ceased production. The ship's 22 crew members were evacuated last Wednesday, the day the fire began. Some of the vehicles are electric, and their lithium-ion batteries have made the fire very difficult to extinguish, port officials have said. Joao Mendes Cabecas, the captain of the nearest port on the Azorean island of Faial, said the blaze had lost its intensity — probably because there was little left to burn. Salvage teams hoped to board the ship, which is is adrift around 170 km southwest of the Azores near Portugal, to assess its condition and start preparing it for towing, the Portuguese navy said in a statement on Tuesday. The navy took photos of the ship that showed a gaping hole at least four decks high, with burn marks running the length of the ship. It is unclear if the vessel will be towed to the Bahamas or Europe. Cabecas told Reuters bad weather prevented the team from boarding the ship. Waves as high as 2.5 meters battered the coast of Faial on Wednesday, Portugal's weather agency IPMA said. The salvage team was expected to be flown to the ship on a helicopter belonging to the Portuguese air force, which will decide on Thursday if the operation can proceed, Cabecas said. Ship manager Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd (MOL) said in a statement on Tuesday the vessel was still on fire but stable, and that no oil leak had been reported so far. It did not respond to a Reuters request for comment on the cause of the fire. Insurance experts said the incident could result in losses of $155 million.   Weird Car News Audi Bentley Lamborghini Porsche

Hyundai Blue Link Android smartwatch app will start your car

We knew Hyundai would be bringing its Blue Link smartwatch app to the Consumer Electronics Show, and now that CES is upon us, the app's workings have been revealed. Once you get the free Blue Link app on your smartphone and your Android smartwatch and pair them up with the app, it's all systems go. Through either touch or voice commands, you can remotely lock or unlock your car doors, start and stop your engine, flash the lights and honk the horn, or have your watch locate your car. It works on every Hyundai with first- or second-gen Blue Link (which is all of them in the case of first-gen and the 2015 Genesis, Sonata and Azera for second-gen). The watch app isn't quite ready yet, but the company says you'll be able to get it sometime in Q1. There's a video above showing Hyundai's offering at work, and a press release below with more information below. HYUNDAI BLUE LINK TO DEBUT SMARTWATCH APP WITH VOICE RECOGNITION AT 2015 CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW AND PEPCOM'S DIGITAL EXPERIENCE - Next Generation Blue Link System to Launch on 2016 Elantra GT and Veloster - The Blue Link smartwatch app works with first and second generation Blue Link equipped Hyundai models Fountain Valley, Calif., Jan. 2, 2015 – Smartwatch sales are skyrocketing and starting early in 2015 Hyundai owners will be able to connect with their cars using these wearable devices and the Hyundai Blue Link® smartwatch app. Hyundai will debut and demonstrate the Blue Link smartwatch app at Pepcom's Digital Experience and at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES®). Pepcom's Digital Experience takes place before CES on Jan. 5 and Hyundai's exhibit (North Hall, booth #2818) at CES will be open Jan. 6-9, 2015. Hyundai's cloud-based Blue Link platform allows features like remote start and service information to be quickly accessed through devices like smartwatches and smartphones. Hyundai partnered with Station Digital Media to develop the Blue Link smartwatch app. "This new app expands Hyundai's exploration into how wearable technology and Blue Link fit into a customer's lifestyle," said Barry Ratzlaff, executive director, customer connect and service business development, Hyundai Motor America. "Connecting to your car through a smartwatch and voice recognition was previously something seen only in science fiction movies. Now, we can provide this capability to owners of Hyundai vehicles equipped with Blue Link." The app is easy to use.