1976 Porsche 914 on 2040-cars

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Porsche Macan configurator lets you build $110k crossover

Part of the idea behind the new Porsche Macan is that it's less expensive than its larger sibling, the Cayenne. But with a starting MSRP of $49,900, the base Macan S is actually $300 more expensive than the cheapest Cayenne. That, however, is just the start, as you can see from the online configurator.
As is often the case with German cars in general (Porsches especially), tick the right boxes and you'll soon be leaving that base price behind in a cloud of tire smoke. Start off with the Macan Turbo and you're looking at a base MSRP of $72,300, which is already over twenty grand more than the naturally-aspirated version. But even that soon escalates as the options pile on.
Aurum Metallic paint will set you back $3,120. 21-inch wheels, another $3,300. You'll probably want the air suspension, torque vectoring, the Sport Chrono package, adaptive cruise control and lane-change systems, and those each add over a grand to the price. A Burmester surround sound system is the single most expensive option at $4,290. And if you choose them all - and choose all the optional trim packages - you'll soon be looking at a price in excess of $110,000. That's enough to get you into a Cayenne Turbo... assuming you don't tag on all the options to that one, too.

Porsche unlocks secrets of its mid-engine 911

Porsche is beginning to realize that it's sitting on a goldmine of automotive history with its secret vault full of rare cars. Autoblog toured it a few months ago, and we were amazed at all of the curiosities hidden inside. Now, it's starting to let more folks in thanks to a new series of YouTube videos. The first covered the 965 prototype that shoved a water-cooled, Audi V8 into one of its cars. Next up, a mid-engine 911 that acted as the powertrain test mule for the Boxster.
The Porsche 911 is inextricably linked to its rear-engine layout. They go together like peanut butter and jelly. However, at the time Porsche was developing the Boxster, the company didn't want to lay all of its cards out of the table during testing. As opposed to using camouflage, it put a whole different car on top. The prototype looked just like any other 911 Targa of the day, but the biggest giveaway that something was amiss was the heavily tinted rear window. By obscuring it, inquisitive journalists couldn't peak at the new engine that replaced the backseat.
It might not look like anything too important on the outside, but this is a major piece of Porsche Boxster history underneath. Scroll down to watch the video about this fascinating prototype.

Porsche 918 Spyder with Weissach package does 0-62 mph in 2.6 seconds

Porsche marketers are having a field day with the 918 Spyder after some last-minute tuning improved the car's performance. They now say that it's so fast it's already beaten itself. Let us explain: Using a Weissach package-equipped 918 as an example (which reduces the plug-in hybrid supercar's weight through the deletion of some interior items, more generous use of carbon fiber and magnesium wheels), the car's previous official 0-62 miles-per-hour time of 2.8 seconds has been cut to 2.6. Additionally, 0-124 mph takes 7.2 seconds and 0-186 mph is dispatched in 19.9 seconds, times that were reduced by half a second and 2.1 seconds, respectively.
In all-electric mode, a non-Weissach pack 918 does 0-62 mph in 6.2 seconds (with the package, 6.1 seconds), down from 6.9 seconds. Efficiency is also improved thanks to the final tuning. The New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) rating of a Weissach pack-equipped car equates to 94 miles per gallon, up three mpg compared to before. That's pretty good for a car with 887 horsepower!
Check out the press release below for more details on how Porsche's final tuning measures improved its flagship supercar.