1962 Porsche 356 B/1600 Reutter Cabriolet on 2040-cars

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Porsche Cayenne diesel V8 may not be long for this world

Goodbye, Porsche Cayenne V8 Diesel. We hardly knew ye. Nor did the Europeans, apparently. Porsche's V8 oil burner is still on the European model list for the Cayenne SUV, but the mill won't go through the likely pricey process of being updated to adhere to new and stricter European emissions standards, Just-Auto says. A Porsche spokesman confirmed to the publication that it's a fairly complicated process to update the diesel V8 to be so-called "Euro-6 compliant." With Cayenne diesels selling in relatively low volumes anyways, the German automaker might just dump the V8 diesel altogether, as it'd be quite cost-ineffective to make the necessary upgrades. The V8 diesel was a 4.1-liter engine that delivered 385 horsepower in addition to what sounds like a little too much exhaust for European clean-air regulators. While that's a pretty powerful profile, the most recent gas-powered V8 for the Cayenne delivers about 570 horsepower, so the diesel engine won't likely be missed by European auto enthusiasts. Besides, there's still the V6 diesel that's also sold in the US. That's a 4,800-pound beast that moves from 0 to 60 miles per hour in about seven seconds and gets a relatively (for diesels) modest 20 miles per gallon city. For those who are curious, Autoblog's First Drive review of that model can be found here.

Porsche unlocks secrets of its mid-engine 911

Porsche is beginning to realize that it's sitting on a goldmine of automotive history with its secret vault full of rare cars. Autoblog toured it a few months ago, and we were amazed at all of the curiosities hidden inside. Now, it's starting to let more folks in thanks to a new series of YouTube videos. The first covered the 965 prototype that shoved a water-cooled, Audi V8 into one of its cars. Next up, a mid-engine 911 that acted as the powertrain test mule for the Boxster.
The Porsche 911 is inextricably linked to its rear-engine layout. They go together like peanut butter and jelly. However, at the time Porsche was developing the Boxster, the company didn't want to lay all of its cards out of the table during testing. As opposed to using camouflage, it put a whole different car on top. The prototype looked just like any other 911 Targa of the day, but the biggest giveaway that something was amiss was the heavily tinted rear window. By obscuring it, inquisitive journalists couldn't peak at the new engine that replaced the backseat.
It might not look like anything too important on the outside, but this is a major piece of Porsche Boxster history underneath. Scroll down to watch the video about this fascinating prototype.

Mercedes S63 AMG Coupe vs Porsche Panamera Turbo S in unusual lux showdown

We'll admit it, we're really looking forward to more time with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe. Compared to other high-dollar luxury coupes - we're looking at you Bentley Continental GT - it's more stylish, easily more affordable, and since it's a Mercedes, lacks the sense of fragility that comes with a more exotic name plate.
Auto Express has taken a whack at reviewing the new two-door S-Class, and for some reason, the British mag is comparing it with a Porsche Panamera. Now, while comparing the looks of an S-Class Coupe and a Panamera is a bit like holding a beauty contest between Kate Upton and Medusa, this isn't as bizarre a pair as you might think, particularly when you opt for the high-dollar S63 AMG Coupe and the Panamera Turbo S.
The two offer similar power outputs from their force-induced V8s - 577 horsepower in the Benz and 570 horsepower in the Porsche - and are even similar in terms of interior and exterior dimensions. The S-Class actually has an extra inch between the axles and is 1.2 inches longer overall (it's also about 300 pounds heavier). In the cabin, the S-Class also has a tiny bit more rear legroom, with 33.4 inches to the Panamera's 33.3.