2006 Porsche Cayenne S on 2040-cars

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Aston Martin renames Vantage GT3 after Porsche throws hissy fit

Porsche has a long history of using the name "GT3" for its hardcore, naturally aspirated 911 models, and that means it's certainly not going to share it with the likes of Aston Martin. See, it seems the arrival of the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show didn't sit well with Stuttgart, which opted to lawyer up. According to Goodwood Road and Racing, attorneys from both sides of the Channel have been in discussion for months over the issue, with Porsche arguing it's been using the GT3 name since 1999, and that makes it theirs. Aston, though, argues that the FIA GT3 racing series makes the name fair game for road cars. Moreover, the Brits point out that the alphanumeric was in use well before Porsche got its mitts on it – GRR rightly points out the Lotus Esprit GT3 hit the streets three years before the 996 GT3. And while we're on the subject, Bentley has its own GT3, but we're guessing its status as one of Porsche's siblings means its immune to this kind of squabbling. Rather than getting into a knock-down, drag-out courtroom brawl with one of the Volkswagen Group's prized brands, though, Aston has taken the high road. The company will rechristen both the road-going Vantage GT3 and Vantage racer as the GT12. While Porsche is no stranger to aggressively protecting what it views as its closely held vehicle names, we have to admit, it seems like Aston actually has something of a case. Do you think the Brits were right to settle and change the Vantage's name, or should they have taken the fight to Porsche? Have your say in Comments.

Porsche Cayenne shows a bit more face, plug-in spotted

Porsche was first rumored to be working on a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version of the Cayenne over a year ago. However, we had never seen it, until now. The new model was caught almost completely undisguised while testing. In another stroke of luck, we got a glimpse of the upcoming facelift for Porsche's SUV (pictured above) as well.
According to the spy shooter, it was windy during the cars' cold weather testing. The cover blew off of the facelifted Cayenne, and there was enough time to snap these pictures before it could be hidden again. The changes are all quite minor but jive with what we saw the last time it was spied. The rear still wears some cladding but is expected to be hiding lights similar to the Macan.
The second gallery shows off the upcoming Cayenne PHEV. It looks nearly identical to the standard model, except for the extra panel on the driver's side of the car that hides the electric port. One image even shows the car plugged in. The new version is expected to use the same supercharged 3.0-liter V6 and 9.4-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack with a combined 416 horsepower and 435 pound-feet of torque from the Panamera S E-Hybrid. We enjoyed the system when we tested it last year. It's rumored to debut on the SUV sometime this year.

Porsche 911 Targa Turbo for Geneva debunked, 919 Hybrid and 911 RSR racers coming instead

Porsche has proven adept at making sure there is a version of its venerable 911 for practically any wealthy driver's desires. If you just want a great all-rounder then buy a standard 911; open-air driving, then the Cabriolet is for you, and if you need a compromise between them, there is even the new 911 Targa.
Gossip earlier this week surfaced on various websites that at next week's Geneva Motor Show, Porsche had designs on introducing an even higher-performance Targa variant, a Targa Turbo. The rumored mashup would combine the wide body from the 911 Turbo with the super-complicated power roof from the Targa (see right). Assuming no changes in power, that would mean 520 horsepower or even 560 hp in a Targa Turbo S model. Unfortunately, we're hearing that this tasty bit of scuttlebutt is incorrect. Autoblog asked Nick Twork, Porsche North America Product Communications Manager, about the rumor, and his response couldn't have been clearer: "Totally false."
Twork did elaborate that company will be "debuting the Porsche 919 Hybrid, our new LMP1 race car" at the Swiss show, and Stuttgart has also announced this morning that will show its 911 RSR racecar, too - either of which we reckon is a lot more exciting than another Targa variant.