2010 - Porsche Panamera on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2017 North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year entries announced

Over 40 vehicles will compete for the 2017 North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year awards. If that name looks a little strange, it's because the competition added a third category. In years past, pickup trucks, crossovers, SUVs, commercial vans, and minivans competed for the same award. That's why there were occasionally weird comparisons, like last year's competition between the Volvo XC90 and Nissan Titan XD. The new format separates pickups and commercial vans into the truck contest and CUVs, SUVs, and minivans into the utility competition. A complete list of eligible vehicles is below, but here are a few highlights. For one, the entire list of entries has a luxurious lean. Of the 43 vehicles, nearly half of them are from premium brands. There are two eligible Bentleys – the Bentayga and Mulsanne – the Rolls-Royce Dawn, Jaguar F-Pace, Audi Q7, and the Mercedes-Benz GLS-, E-, and S-Class Maybach. The performance ranks are lofty, too, with the Audi R8, Acura NSX, Alfa Romeo Giulia, Mercedes SL- and SLC-Class, Porsche 718, and F-150 Raptor. The mainstream entries are just as comprehensive. From the Chrysler Pacifica to the Chevrolet Cruze to the Fiat 124 Spider to the Mitsubishi Mirage, NACTOY has covered an enormous price range with this year's contestants. Of course, these are only the eligible vehicles. They'll need to run through three rounds of judging, starting in September at NACTOY's traditional Hell, MI, test drive. The Canadian and American journalists involved in the judging will announce this year's nine finalists – three in each category – on December 6. Cars Acura NSX Alfa Romeo Giulia Audi A4 Audi R8 Bentley Mulsanne Buick Cascada Buick LaCrosse Cadillac CT6 Chevrolet Bolt Chevrolet Cruze Fiat 124 Genesis G90 Hyundai Elantra Infiniti Q60 Jaguar XE Kia Cadenza Lincoln Continental Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan Mercedes-Benz S550 Maybach Mercedes-Benz SL-Class Mercedes-Benz SLC-Class Mini Clubman Mitsubishi Mirage/G4 Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman Rolls-Royce Dawn Toyota Prius Prime Volvo S90 SUVs Audi Q7 Bentley Bentayga Buick Envision Cadillac XT5 Chrysler Pacifica GMC Acadia Infiniti QX30 Kia Sportage Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class Jaguar F-Pace Mazda CX-9 Nissan Armada Trucks Ford F-Series Super Duty pickups Ford F-150 Raptor Honda Ridgeline Nissan Titan half-ton Related Video: Featured Gallery Bentley Bentayga View 23 Photos News Source: Automotive News - sub.

2017 Porsche Panamera revealed: It's finally pretty

Things are looking up for the Porsche Panamera. Dynamically, it's always been good – fast, comfortable, and much more spacious than something like a 911 – but the general consensus is that the first-gen Panamera's styling was, shall we say, less successful. All that changes for the second-generation car. Despite being longer, wider, and taller than before, it's much more attractive, with a lower roofline that sweeps back toward the rear haunches with a pleasing arc. There's a clear styling link to Porsche's mainstay, the 911. The new Panamera's body is made mostly from aluminum, minus some high-strength steel and the optional large, panoramic roof overhead. LED lighting elements front and rear look suitably up-to-date, especially the interconnected design of the taillights. Wheels range from 19 inches to 21, with 20s standard on the Turbo. Porsche isn't just recalling its current sports car with the new Panamera. The central tachometer is designed to evoke the one in the 1955 356 A, more colloquially known as the Speedster. Beside that one analog throwback, however, the latest Panamera is fully modern and technologically advanced. Two seven-inch screens flank the tach, and the Porsche Advanced Cockpit includes a 12.3-inch tablet-like touchscreen in front of the driver. Apple CarPlay is available, but there's no mention of Android Auto. A new thermal imaging camera makes it easier to see in the dark. A completely new range of engines powers the second-gen Panamera, starting with a twin-turbo 2.9-liter V6 that puts out 440 horsepower and 405 pound-feet of torque. In the Panamera 4S, that's enough to launch the saloon to 60 in 4.4 seconds (4.2 with the optional Sport Chrono Package) and to hit a top speed of 180 miles per hour. The Panamera Turbo boasts a 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V8 with 550 hp and 567 lb-ft. The 0–60 run takes just 3.6 seconds (3.4 with Sport Chrono) and the top speed is 190 mph. Both the 4S and the Turbo come with standard all-wheel drive and an eight-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic transmission. Much of the chassis tech from the last Panamera is carried over, including Porsche Active Suspension Management, Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus, and active roll stabilization. The available active air suspension has been updated with a three-chamber design. The 2017 model adds rear-wheel steering as an option, borrowed from the 911 line.

Former Porsche CEO Wiedeking indicted over VW takeover bid

Do you recall the failed efforts by Porsche to take over Volkswagen? According to a Bloomberg report, former Porsche CEO Wendelin Wiedeking (above) and ex-CFO Holger Haerter have finally been charged with market manipulation over the exercising of options as part of the German sportscar manufacturer's ill-fated attempt to take over the much larger VW. That failed bid eventually resulted in the reverse coming true - VW swallowing Porsche.
The charges leveled by Stuttgart prosecutors come after a three-year investigation centered around allegations that Porsche execs made a concerted effort to increase the company's share in VW to 75 percent in preparation for a hostile takeover. Porsche had previously told its investors on at least five occasions that it had no intention to buy VW.
Portions of the investigation have subsided, according to prosecutors, citing an inability to prove certain improprieties with a "necessary degree of certainty." The number of charges is down to 5 from a previous 14 counts regarding "information-based market manipulation."