Porsche 911 Carrera 2 Targa, 1992' on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Watch Evo pick its 2015 Car of the Year in this epic video

With just a few days left in 2015, it's the perfect time to check out Evo's annual Car of the Year test to determine the greatest performance vehicle of the last 12 months. The writers' picks for the 11 finalists spanned a breadth of engaging models and included: Peugeot 208 GTi by Peugeot Sport, Lamborghini Aventador SV, Seat Leon Cupra Sub8, McLaren 675LT, Porsche 991 GT3 RS, Porsche Cayman GT4, Honda Civic Type R, Ferrari 488 GTB, Chevrolet Camaro Z/28, Lotus Evora 400, and Mercedes-AMG GT S. For the venue to test the mettle of these performance machines, Evo stuck close to home this year and visited the twisting roads at the beautiful north coast of Scotland. Racing brothers Marino and Dario Franchitti also came along for the ride to provide two more voices in the competitive challenge to determine a winner. Evo's video explains why each model deserves to be among such rarified company but doesn't gloss over their faults either. There can be only one winner, though. We don't want to spoil it, so check out the clip for magnificent views of these performance machines through the Scottish countryside.

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.

Eight things we learned about the 2017 Porsche Panamera

We just spent two days in Germany with the 2017 Porsche Panamera, and now that we're back home in the States it's time for show and tell. The design is probably the most noticeable difference, but there is a lot going on inside and underneath this new Porsche sedan. Here are eight important bits worth talking about. It's longer, wider, and taller than before. The new Panamera is 198.8 inches (+1.3) long, 76.3 inches (+0.2) wide, and 56 inches (+0.2) high. It doesn't look bigger in person, though. Parked side-by-side, the 2017 Panamera looks chiseled and lean where the previous model was bulbous. The front and rear overhangs are reduced, aiding in the visual deception. We've already said that the 2017 Panamera is much prettier in person than its predecessor, and that's especially true from the rear three-quarter angle. There's a short flat surface at the tail below the rear glass, and the roofline over the rear of the passenger compartment was dropped by an eighth of an inch. Coupled with the new rear brake lights that are connected by an eye-catching light strip, those small detail changes make a dramatic impact on the car's overall appearance. Say goodbye to buttons. Physical buttons are quickly fading out of style, and the 2017 Porsche Panamera is the first vehicle from the German automaker that follows the trend. A sea of black plastic greets Panamera occupants, at least until the car is turned on. Then, the Porsche Advanced Cockpit lights up. Touch-sensitive controls abound for the driver and passengers both front and rear. The Advanced Cockpit definitely cleans up the Panamera's interior compared to the mess of buttons inside the first-gen model. We haven't been given the opportunity to put the new cockpit through its finger-friendly paces, but we're sure that if you understand how to operate a tablet, you've got the basics down already. Here's hoping it's intuitive and easy to use without diverting too much attention from the road. And wish a fond farewell to gauges (mostly). There's only one physical gauge inside the Panamera (unless you count the analog timer atop the dash on models equipped with the Sport Chrono Package). A tachometer sits directly in front of the driver. In a nod to Porsches past, it's designed to invoke memories of the classic 356. Besides that one throwback, the instrument cluster is dominated by twin seven-inch digital displays that flank the lone dial.