2009 4dr Suv Gts Tiptron 4.8l Auto Meteor Gray Metallic on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Do we finally know which hybrid hypercar is fastest?

In order to properly compare and contrast the performance characteristics of competitive automobiles, a number of variables have to be sorted out. For instance, to diminish the human component, the same driver must be used for each lap, that driver has to be capable of wringing the maximum level of performance from each vehicle, and they should all be checked and prepared to make sure they are within manufacturer specs before hitting the track. Speaking of which, the conditions at the track – and, of course, it goes without saying that the cars have to be tested at the same location, on the same day – have to be as similar as possible. Naturally, arranging all of these variables is difficult, if not impossible, and that's especially true when the contenders are the Ferrari LaFerrari, McLaren P1, and Porsche 918 Spyder. As range-topping models from well-established performance players, these three hybrid hypercars are often lumped into the same category. But which one is fastest? Well, that's been a tough nut to crack, in part because the manufacturers themselves haven't always been willing to play along when it comes time to test these machines head-to-head-to-head. And so, with all that (probably unnecessary) preamble out of the way, we present to you the video above, in which this particular vehicular pedestal is toppled. All three cars are owned by a man named Paul Bailey, they were tested on the same day at the Silverstone circuit in England, and each had British Touring Car driver Mat Jackson at the helm. We're not going to spoil the results, other than to say that all three vehicles were incredibly fast and within spitting distance of one another at the finish line, as you would expect. Intriguingly, this video is said to be part one in a three-part series, so we have more Ferrari vs. McLaren vs. Porsche action to look forward to. Related Video: News Source: TheSUPERCARDRIVER via YouTube Green Ferrari McLaren Porsche Convertible Coupe Hybrid Performance Supercars Videos porsche 918 spyder mclaren p1 silverstone hypercar ferrari laferrari laferrari

2017 Porsche Panamera leaked looking sporty and sleek

The Internet isn't very good at keeping secrets. Someone got hold of some images of the 2017 Porsche Panamera ahead of its official debut next week and leaked them online. While that's bad news for Porsche, it's good news for the auto-loving masses, because the next Panamera is pretty darn... pretty. While the overall shape of the next-gen Panamera doesn't stray far from the car it replaces, the details make for a more cohesive overall package than before. It's clearly a Porsche, and obviously a Panamera (look, four doors and a hatchback!), but it's no longer bulbous or ungainly. Lighting front and rear is inspired by the latest 718 models, and the sleek bulging hood is apparently hiding a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 engine. We expect a range of six- and eight-cylinder engines for production, along with a plug-in hybrid. Inside, the only analog gauge we see is a tachometer, helpfully placed directly in front of the driver. A quartet of digital dials flank the throwback tach, but we can't see much past that. There does appear to be a good amount of space for the rear-seat passengers, along with what looks to be a touch-sensitive control surface at the rear of the center console. We expect similar capacitive buttons for the front occupants, along with a large LCD infotainment screen. Take a look at the images above for an early glimpse at the 2017 Porsche Panamera. And stay tuned for all the details on June 28. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery 2017 Porsche Panamera leaked images News Source: Motor1.com Design/Style Porsche Hatchback Luxury Performance Sedan

Five cursed and haunted cars

Any kid lucky enough to grow up in Detroit is familiar with the Henry Ford Museum. It's huge, full of shiny things and a great place to take a child and let them burn off some energy. After several field trips and weekend outings however, the dusty concept vehicles and famous aircraft tend to lose their punch for youngsters. As a fifth grader, I was already gazing on the museum's many gems with glassy eyes. On yet another school trip, we made our way to John F. Kennedy's death car, a gleaming black Lincoln limo. The aging volunteer docent told our little group something I had never heard before. "You know, this car is haunted. Several employees have reported seeing a gray presence right here," he said, pointing to the back passenger side seat. I perked up. Now here was something I had never heard before. A haunted car? Sure, it happened in Goosebumps, but this was real life. It made sense, in a way. Cars can be violent, emotional places. That's certainly the case with JFK's limo, as well as the other four cars on this list. And maybe those gut-wrenching deaths can permanently doom a car. 5. Archduke Franz Ferdinand's Graf & Stift Death Limo World War I tends to be a forgotten war, despite being pretty terrible in its own right and setting the stage for the entire 20th Century. The French forces, for instance, lost more lives in the first month of WWI than the US did in the entire Civil War. Everyone who has been through a freshman world history course knows the conflict started when Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were shot by a Bosnian anarchist. The crazy thing is, Ferdinand had already avoided an attempt on his life that day, and was actually on his way to the hospital to comfort those who had been injured in the crossfire. One of the would-be assassins simply walked out of a cafe and saw his intended target sitting in front of him where the open-air limo had stalled. The archduke and his wife were shot through their heads and throats. Their deaths would not be the last caused by the limo. Throughout the war and into the 1920s, the limo was owned by fifteen different people and involved in six accidents and thirteen deaths, not counting the 17 million or so killed in the war triggered by the Archduke's assassination. The first person to own the car after the Archduke was an Austrian general named Potiorek, who went insane while riding in the car through Vienna.