2014 Porsche Cayenne Diesel on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Watch a Group B Porsche 911 tear up the 'Ring in the snow

The Nurburgring is a motorsports fantasyland during the best weather, but it looks even more exciting when the snow starts to fall. While the course isn't open to the general public during the winter, this Porsche 911 SC RS rally car managed a lap of the snow-covered Grand Prix Circuit, sliding the whole way around. The 911 SC RS isn't as famous as Porsche racers like the 917, but it has an interesting story. Porsche's development of the 959 was slow in the '80s, and this coupe was the company's stopgap for Group B rallying. The SC RS used the 911 Turbo's wider body, suspension, and brakes, but the car had a naturally aspirated 3.0-liter flat-six to drive the rear wheels. It couldn't compete against all-wheel drive beasts like the Audi Quattro, but one managed third place in the 1985 Tour de Corse in France. The SC RS sounds great in this video, and it looks even better kicking up snow. There's so much accumulation that you can't tell which way the track goes, but driver Patrick Simon knows his way around. After watching this clip, we think the 'Ring should unleash a few more old rally cars on the track for a new racing series next winter.

2017 Porsche Panamera spotted barely disguised

Porsche is hard at work bringing the next generation of its Panamera to market. Its arrival will succeed a model that's been for sale now for over six years now (since 2009), having undergone a mid-cycle facelift as recently as 2013. What we have here in front of us could be our best look yet at the upcoming replacement model. Spied while testing in its native Germany, this barely disguised prototype looks just about ready to reach showrooms. Only a few select parts – namely around the lights (front and rear) and the rear side windows – appear to still be wearing any camouflage at all. So save for those few details, some additional brightwork here and there, and a proper polishing to give it that Porsche shine, expect the 2017 Panamera to look pretty much like the one you see here. It still looks very much like a Porsche, and very much like a Panamera, but thankfully softens the curve of the current model's controversial roofline. Like the outgoing model, the upcoming iteration of Zuffenhausen's four-door coupe/sedan is expected to carry a wide array of powertrain options, including gasoline engines, diesels, turbos, and hybrids. Just which one this particular example is carrying we don't know. But one way or another, buyers can expect improvements in both performance and efficiency once this new model comes around sometime early next year. We won't be surprised, then, to see it find its way onto the stage at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show next March, so watch this space. Related Video:

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.