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Porsche LMP1 to use 4-cyl hybrid powertrain [w/poll]

With the Formula One season - and indeed his entire F1 career - now behind him, Mark Webber took advantage of his early release from Red Bull Racing to try out the new LMP1 which Porsche is developing, undertaking the final test session of 2013 before Porsche throws it head first into the FIA World Endurance Championship next April. The session - which followed previous tests at Magny-Cours, Monza, Paul Ricard and the Eurospeedway at Lausitz - was held at the Algarve circuit in Portimão, Portgual, in collaboration with Michelin, which is developing the tires for the car. But that's hardly the news here.
No, the news is the first confirmation we've seen on the type of powertrain Porsche has developed for its new Le Mans prototype: a gasoline-burning four-cylinder engine with direct injection and two energy recovery systems. This contrasts sharply with the V6 turbodiesel and single electric motor used by Audi in the R18 e-tron Quattro (or at least the outgoing version) or the naturally-aspirated V8 and single electric motor found in the Toyota TS030. Flexibility in the rules set down by the FIA and ACO give the manufacturers that kind of latitude, prompting F1 teams like Ferrari and Renault to consider developing their new engines for Le Mans prototypes as well.
At this point Porsche isn't saying how large its four-cylinder engine is or how much power it will produce. But it'll be interesting, to say the least, to see how it fares against the Audi and Toyota in next year's championship and at Le Mans when it'll be piloted by Webber, former Lola LMP1 driver Neel Jani and Audi's own 2011 Le Mans-winning pair of Romain Dumas and Timo Bernhard.

Porsche Classic to offer vintage 911 dashboards

Porsche Classic already offers everything from oil specifically for the brand's air-cooled models to GPS navigation units for them. For restorers looking for just the right piece, the division is now also selling replacement dashboards for early 911s. Fitting models from 1969 to 1975, these dashboards aren't 100-percent original replacements. Instead, Porsche Classic reengineered the part with a modern substructure to hold up better to the sun, temperature changes, and humidity. The outer surface still looks entirely correct, though, to fit the design of these vintage air-cooled coupes. Porsche Classic is selling them for $1,353, but the the windshield needs to come out for installation. While the price may sound steep, it appears to be right in line with other dashboard replacements for the vintage 911. The Porsche specialists at Stoddard offer an example for $1,325 and list a factory part for $1,501.29. Shopping around might be worthwhile, though, because another website already seems to show the Porsche Classic unit with a markdown to $1,150. Porsche Classic Recreates Dashboard for Historic 911 June 1, 2015 New dashboard built to original specifications Atlanta. It is back: Porsche Classic is reproducing the dashboard for vintage 911 models from years 1969 to 1975. A sophisticated manufacturing process combines high quality meeting today's standards and a design that is true to the original. The new dashboard consists of a modern substructure and the original surface design. The fluted texture, tactile feel, gloss and shade of black are designed to be as close as possible to the original. The new part is now available to be ordered from any authorized Porsche dealer in the United States. MSRP is $1,353 plus any applicable taxes, shipping, and handling. Like the technical equipment, the classic vehicles' interiors are subject to normal wear. Solar radiation as well as fluctuations in temperature and humidity attack the surface and materials over time. Today's materials hold up better; therefore, to help preserve the long-term value of classic Porsche cars, Porsche Classic re-engineered the dashboard. Extensive tests conducted to modern standards assure precision fit and quality. As an original equipment part, the dashboard, which contains the loudspeaker cover, can only be installed by the original assembly procedure – which involves removing the windshield.

40+ cars that barely avoid the gas guzzler tax

The Gas Guzzler schedule, with mpg ratings and charges that haven't changed since 1991, lays out which fuel-swillers owe what to Uncle Sam.
I started thinking about the "Gas Guzzler Tax" - considerably less well known as The Energy Tax Act of 1978 - when I was driving Dodge's new Challenger SRT Hellcat last week. Unsurprisingly for a car that can burn 1.5 gallons of gas per minute at max tilt, theoretically able to empty a full tank of premium in about 13 minutes, the Hellcat will be subject to the Gas Guzzler Tax schedule when it goes on sale.