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Porsche 918 Spyder configurator goes live

That didn't take long. The debut model of the new Porsche 918 Spyder is still thronged by onlookers at the Frankfurt Motor Show, while the German sports car maker is hard at work putting the first version of the supercar's configuration page online. Considering Porsche configurators are some of our favorite time-wasters of the genre, we expect car-guy productivity to drop by a few percentage points over the rest of the day.
So, the 918 dream-maker doesn't list and prices as yet, and that's too bad. But considering the car is due to start off at $845,000 in the US, chances are good that unless you're reading this from the shallow end of your Uncle Scrooge-spec money pool, the cost of any part of the 918 is academic to you anyway.
To start, Porsche is offering twelve paint colors, three wheel choices and seven two-tone interior treatments. Standard lightweight bucket seats and a set of chairs with "firmer padding" are on offer, too. The options list is mostly populated with interior bits, though many - an anti-reflection interior, fire extinguisher, six-point seatbelts - are racing-oriented or functional. Note that Porsche is also kind enough to offer just one cupholder as an optional extra; the unit is made of aluminum and is detachable so that you won't have to carry the extra weight during racing. Also, Porsche probably puts you on some kind of naughty 'list' if you order one...

Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid has 462 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque

Hybrids are for more than saving fuel, according to Porsche. To wit, the German automaker's upcoming 2018 Panamera 4 E-Hybrid boasts 462 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque courtesy of its 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 (330 hp and 331 lb-ft) and electric motor (136 hp and 295 lb-ft). All that power is sent to all four wheels through an eight-speed PDK transmission, resulting in a 4.4-second 0-60 run and a top speed of 172 miles per hour. For those keeping track at home, those performance stats put the E-Hybrid a few ticks behind the 2017 Panamera 4S, which uses a more powerful version of the twin-turbo V6 engine to hit 60 in 4.0 seconds (with the optional Sport Chrono package). The payoff, though, is in efficiency. There's a maximum electric range of 31 miles with a fully charged battery, and the engine isn't needed until speeds top 86 mph. That means the majority of drivers won't need to use a drop of gas for most daily driving chores. The E-Hybrid ought to be pretty fun to drive, too. In the previous Panamera Hybrid, the accelerator pedal had to be pressed at least 80 percent of the way down to get maximum electric motivation. For the new version, every electric horse is available at all times. Coupled with the nature of turbocharged engines, we'd imagine there's going to be a lovely wave of torque at around-town speeds and on highway on-ramps. A liquid-cooled, 14.1-kWh, lithium-ion battery is located under the floor of the cargo area. It takes 12 hours to charge on a standard outlet, or as little as 3 hours with an optional high-speed charger. As with other Panamera models, most of the interior buttons have been replaced with touch-sensitive panels. E-Hybrid models get unique programming for the dual 7-inch displays in the dash and the 12.3-inch touchscreen atop the center stack that shows various power meters and driving tips to increase efficiency. Porsche's Sport Chrono Package comes standard on the Panamera E-Hybrid. In addition to the Sport and Sport Plus modes of the steering-wheel-mounted mode switch, there's an E-Power mode that relies solely on electricity, a Hybrid Auto mode for maximum gas/electric efficiency, an E-Hold setting that switches the car into gas-only mode to preserve the battery, and an E-Charge mode that forces the gas engine to keep the battery fully charged. If you want maximum performance, you'll want to keep the switch in Sport Plus. Expect the 2018 Porsche Panamera E-Hybrid to hit US showrooms this summer.

Ford GT dominates Le Mans qualifying, gets slapped with performance adjustment

Fifty years after Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon drove the Ford GT40 to victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Ford is poised for a historic return to the Circuit de la Sarthe. The new Ford GT took the top two qualifying positions in the LMGTE Pro class, and four of the top five. Ferrari's 488 filled in the rest of the spots in the top seven, the first two from AF Corse. In other words, we're primed for a reboot of the classic Ford-Ferrari feud at this year's race. Or not, as the ACO, which organizes the 24 Hours of Le Mans, announced sweeping pre-race Balance of Performance (BOP) adjustments this morning that make this year's GT class anybody's race. In LMP1, last year's overall winner Porsche locked up the top two spots with the 919 Hybrid and will lead the entire field at race start. Toyota's two-car factory effort followed with qualifying times 1.004 and 2.170 seconds behind the pole lap. Audi rounds out the manufacturer-backed LMP1 class in fifth and sixth. Full qualifying results can be found here. The storyline for the GT cars is perfect - some say too perfect. Ford's class-leading times came after BOP adjustment to the Corvette Racing C7.R before qualifying. BOP is intended to level the playing field in the class by adjusting power, ballast, and fuel capacity. (Check out this explainer video for more, or even just if you love French accents.) But the process is riddled with unknowns and ripe for accusations of sandbagging. That is, if the Ford cars were intentionally slow in practice they could hope for BOP adjustment to improve their race chances. On the Corvette side, last year's GTE Pro winner went from the top of the field to the bottom, barely improving from practice to qualifying. If you think Le Mans is as rigged at the NBA Playoffs, well, it's not that simple. Because if Ford and Ferrari held back until qualifying - the eighth-place Porsche 911 RSR is three-and-a-half seconds off the class pole time - it was a pretty dumb strategy. This morning, the ACO tried to put things back in order by limiting the boost in the Ford GT's twin-turbo V6 and adding 11 pounds of ballast. Ferrari was also given extra weight but allowed more fuel capacity. The Corvette and Aston Martin teams were both given breaks on their air restrictors, which will allow their engines to make more power. Both Ford and Porsche also received extra fuel capacity.