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Porsche 991 vs. 930 Flatnose in 911 Turbo convertible faceoff

The Porsche 911 Turbo has a legacy of being a tough car to drive. With a ton of power set right over the rear wheels, its reputation is to lose control as soon as the driver stops concentrating. However, this isn't quite so true anymore. The modern ones are tamed through technology with things like hydraulically controlled engine mounts, not to mention all-wheel drive. In its latest video, Autocar tries to decide whether 25 years of progress really makes the turbo a better vehicle.
It's summer, so what better version to compare than the 911 Turbo Cabriolet? In one corner, Autocar has the latest and greatest 2014 version pumping out 513 horsepower and 486 pound-feet of torque with a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Its challenger is a 1989 911 flatnose convertible sporting 326 hp and 347 lb-ft of torque. It's a truly rare car in the UK with only eight of them remaining on the roads in that region.
Granted, this test isn't so much a battle as it is a comparison. There's no question that the modern 911 would beat the classic in practically every objective category. What the video aims to find out is whether the flatnose is better in subjective measurements like its "feel." Scroll down to watch these two droptop Porsches square off.

Consumer Reports no longer recommends Honda Civic

Consumer Reports annual Car Reliability Survey is out, and yes, there are some big surprises. First and foremost? The venerable publication no longer recommends the Honda Civic. In fact, aside from the walking-dead CR-Z and limited-release Clarity fuel-cell car, the Civic is the only Honda to miss out on CR's prestigious nod. At the opposite end there's a surprise as well – Toyota and Lexus remain the most reliable brands on the market, but Buick cracked the top three. That's up from seventh last year, and the first time for an American brand to stand on the Consumer Reports podium. Mazda's entire lineup earned Recommended checks as well. Consumer Reports dinged the Civic for its "infuriating" touch-screen radio, lack of driver lumbar adjustability, the limited selection of cars on dealer lots fitted with Honda's popular Sensing system, and the company's decision to offer LaneWatch instead of a full-tilt blind-spot monitoring system. Its score? A lowly 58. The Civic isn't the only surprise drop from CR's Recommended ranks. The Audi A3, Ford F-150, Subaru WRX/STI, and Volkswagen Jetta, GTI, and Passat all lost the Consumer Reports' checkmark. On the flipside, a number of popular vehicles graduated to the Recommended ranks, including the BMW X5, Chevrolet Camaro, Corvette, and Cruze, Hyundai Santa Fe, Porsche Macan, and Tesla Model S. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the hilariously recall-prone Ford Escape getting a Recommended check – considering the popularity of Ford's small crossover, this is likely a coup for the brand, as it puts the Escape on a level playing field with the Recommended Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Nissan Rogue. While Ford is probably happy to see CR promote the Escape, the list wasn't as kind for every brand. For example, of the entire Fiat Chrysler Automobiles catalog, the ancient Chrysler 300 was the only car to score a check – there wasn't a single Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, or Ram on the list. That hurts. FCA isn't alone at the low end, either. GMC, Jaguar Land Rover, Mini, and Mitsubishi don't have a vehicle on CR's list between them, while brands like Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Nissan, Lincoln, Infiniti, and Cadillac only have a few models each. You can check out Consumer Reports entire reliability roundup, even without a subscription, here.

2015 Porsche Cayenne GTS proves performance is relative

The Turbo may be the most powerful model in the Cayenne range, but the GTS is arguably the enthusiast's choice. (In so far as a 4,500-pound crossover can be considered an "enthusiast's choice," anyway.) And now, after refreshing the rest of the Cayenne lineup, Porsche has revealed the new Cayenne GTS, alongside its new 911 GTS stablemate, here at the LA Auto Show. Like the new Cayenne S, the new GTS drops the previous version's atmospheric V8 for a 3.6-liter twin-turbo V6, but ups the output to 440 horsepower and 445 pound-feet of torque to propel Zuffenhausen's portliest to 62 in a scant 5.2 seconds. Alongside the power upgrade, the GTS gets a lowered air suspension and sportier exhaust, the beefier brakes from the Cayenne Turbo and an upgraded aero kit to help with the whole barn-door-profile thing. Just don't expect all that extra kit and the prestige of a Porsche badge on your crossover to come cheap, with prices starting at $95,500 (plus $995 destination).