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Porsche offering 250-hp 718 Cayman, Boxster in China

Porsche is studying a new approach in the lucrative Chinese market – less power. Automotive News Europe reports that the famed German manufacturer will sell less powerful versions of the 718 Cayman and Boxster in the People's Republic. In fact, the new cars are already on Porsche's Chinese consumer page. The hope, 718 chief Jan Roth told Automotive News Europe, is to replicate the success Porsche's sister company Audi has had with the TT. "A lot of the TTs that Audi sells in China, the smaller displacement 1.8-liter versions with rear-wheel instead of all-wheel-drive, are priced below that, Mercedes too," Roth said. We're guessing the comments about rear-wheel drive and a 1.8-liter engine are either typos or something was lost in translation, because Audi's Chinese website only lists a 2.0-liter engine, and most gearheads know the TT rides on a front-drive platform. Audi's success is largely down to price – 542,800 yuan ($81,549, at today's rates) for a base TT. Roth called 600,000 yuan "a magical threshold for customers in China." To hit that price point, Porsche is dropping the 718's 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder – offered North America and Europe with 300 horsepower in base form – to 250 ponies. The Cayman starts at 588,000 yuan ($88,340) while the Boxster is 598,000 yuan ($89,842). The 350-hp Cayman S will carry on unchanged. According to ANE, Roth said Porsche's Chinese strategy could drive 718 sales up to 4,500 units a year by 2017, nearly double the 2,500 Boxsters and Caymans sold in 2015. Could a similar lower-tiered strategy work in the US? We'll need to put on our speculation hats. In the US, the base car is about 81 percent of the price of the 350-horsepower S model. If Porsche were to offer the same discount for the hypothetical, 250-hp 718s, it could set the starting prices at $43,659 for the Cayman and $45,360 for the Boxster. That lines up neatly with the $43,500 TT Coupe, but this theoretical 250-hp Boxster would fall about $1,640 less than Audi's soft top. We shouldn't forget Porsche's expansive options catalog – we doubt there'd be a lot of sub-$50,000 718s on dealer lots. But still, slashing over $10,000 off the price of a $54,000 car is a big ask – Porsche would almost have to de-content such a lower-tier model. But – and this is a Kim K-sized but – moving the 718 downmarket would open the brand to a new range of consumers. Not only would these new cars be the cheapest sportscars from Porsche money could buy.

Massive barn find auction with classic Lamborghinis, Porsches, Jaguars happening in France

If it's the right make and model, a single classic car found in a barn can make headlines. This discovery was much bigger. Eighty cars bigger, and now they're going up for auction in France. Brought to our attention by Road & Track, this diverse collection of 81 classic cars from the 1950s, '60s, '70s, and '80s was originally found months ago. The cars were strewn about in the weeds, as seen in the weirdly calming and nicely filmed video seen below. It's not as shockingly impressive as the French barn find from a few years back, but the variety in the lot of rare vehicles is remarkable, nonetheless. Some of the most notable cars included in the auction are a highly coveted Lamborghini Miura P400, a Porsche 356 coupe, a Series 1 Jaguar E-Type coupe, and a Citroen 2CV. Other interesting vehicles include a Chrysler Imperial C14, an Autobianchi Bianchina 110FB, a C3 Corvette T-Top, a Ford Anglia, a Rolland Pilain B22, and a Stutz Speedway Six. The collection is nearly a dictionary of different auto makes: Renault, Alfa Romeo, Cadillac, Lancia, Simca, a Delage, Panhard, Lincoln, Packard, Oldmobile, a Hotchkiss, Graham Paige, Vauxhall, Opel, Peugeot, Trabant, Volkswagen, Audi, Buick, Fiat, Talbot, Mercedes-Benz, and a random Ferrari GTO body kit. There are also some random pieces and parts of cars, including some loose engines. Some of the cars can be secretly bid on right now, but the main auction will occur Sunday, January 20. Full pictures and details can be found here. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: intrencheres, Road and Track Chrysler Jaguar Lamborghini Porsche Auctions Automotive History Classics barn find

Porsche accused of using steering inputs to cheat on emissions tests

Last week, the German transport authority KBA announced it was investigating Porsche and Audi for cheating on emissions tests. Wirtschaftswoche, a German economic publication, says the KBA's investigation focuses on a system that uses steering inputs to determine whether or not the car is being tested. While Audi has recalled 24,000 models, Automotive News reports that currently Porsche denies any wrongdoing. According to KBA, if the affected cars measured a steering input of 15 degrees or more, they would emit excess nitrogen oxide emissions. It's important to note that this is different than Volkswagen diesel CO2 emissions. The cars broke European strict emissions standards, so it's unclear what impact this has on cars in the US. Audi has recalled the A7 and A8, though it's unclear which Porsche models the KBA is investigating. Fifteen degrees is a small amount of steering input. The wheel can move that much just to move around a pothole or bump in the road. Essentially, if you're driving, you're moving the wheel at least 15 degrees in one direction or the other. If these allegations turn out to be true, it's going to be another blow to Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche. While public trust in Volkswagen is supremely low, for the most part, Porsche's image has remained fairly clean. NOx emissions don't have as big of a long-term effect as CO2, though they're still bad for humans. Related Video: News Source: Wirtschaftswoche, Automotive News Government/Legal Green Recalls Audi Porsche Emissions