1965 Porsche 356sc Coupe, Drives Great, Solid, Videos! on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Jaguar F-Pace vs. Porsche Macan | Performance luxury crossover comparison

TRANSCRIPT: The luxury performance crossover. 10 years ago, the list of examples was only a few vehicles deep but today it seems like every luxury car company makes at least one of these. This specific example is a 2018 Jaguar F-Pace S and it happens to be Autoblog 's newest long-term test vehicle. And here's the thing: It's really great to drive. Welcome to the Jaguar F-Pace S. Under the hood we have a supercharged 3.0-liter V6 that makes 380 horsepower and 332 pound feet of torque, which pulls the F-Pace from 0 to 60 in just 5.1 seconds. That's a pretty sizable upgrade from the base model's 247 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque. The engine is paired to an eight speed automatic transmission that responds pretty quickly to the paddles when in sport mode. There are three driving modes to choose from: You have dynamic, normal and eco. Even though the F-Pace name sounds like the F-Type, aside from the powertrain, they really aren't related. It's named that because it's based on the rear-wheel-drive Jag XF, just like the E-Pace is on the XE and the J-Pace will end up being based off of the XJ. Even though the F-Pace is all-wheel drive compared to the rear-wheel XF, it is a rear-bias system, which means it belongs exactly where we are right now, on twisty, turny back roads. This is a Jaguar, which means it sounds good but it looks even better. In my opinion, this is the best looking SUV on the market today. The Caesium Blue is a new color in the U.S. for this model year and we opted to get the black package, which includes black side vents, a black grill and roof rails. This is a $70,000 luxury crossover and the materials, they're okay. The plastics, I don't know, they kind of feel cheap even with the luxury interior upgrade package. The 10-inch touch screen is pretty big, in a good way. And while the surround sound isn't the best that I've heard, it's perfectly serviceable, especially since all I want to hear is this engine. For $70,000, this is what you get: A beautiful SUV that performs incredibly on the road. But what if you want more? This Macan costs over $96,000, which is almost $30,000 more than the F-Pace S. If you wanted to, you could buy a base Cayenne and a base F-Pace for that kind of money. But with that price comes more power, thanks to this Macan Turbo's performance pack. 60 more horsepower and 90 more pound-feet of torque than the F-Pace S bringing the total to 440 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque.

Porsche GT division rules out AWD, SUVs

Any German automaker worth its lap times needs a performance division. Mercedes has AMG, BMW has the M division, Audi has Quattro GmbH with its S and RS models... even Volkswagen has its R line of hot hatches. And though Porsche is a performance automaker unto itself, even it has a performance division. It's called Porsche GT, and though it's been branching outside the 911 range lately, don't expect it to wander too far. According to Car and Driver, which spoke recently with Porsche GT boss Andreas Preuninger and R&D chief Wolfgang Hatz, there are limits to what the division will do. And while those limits may have been broadened to include technologies like turbocharging and dual-clutch transmissions, they won't stretch as far as all-wheel drive. Take a look at the previous-generation 997 and what separated the 911 GT2 from the 911 Turbo was principally its all-wheel-drive system. Porsche GT isn't planning on doing a GT2 this time around – the new GT3 RS occupying that territory on its own – but the next generation (whether it wears the number 2 or 3) will likely go turbo along with most of the rest of the 911 family. The exclusion of all-wheel drive from the Porsche GT parts bin also means that the division won't be taking on the company's SUVs like the Cayenne and Macan. So the Cayenne GTS will be as extreme as it gets, taking on the likes of the BMW X5 M, Mercedes GL63 and Audi SQ5 without the help of Zuffenhausen's racing department. We can't expect the PDK to stick around though, so to speak. Though the new Cayman GT4 packs a manual transmission, the 911 GT3 and GT3 RS have dual-clutch gearboxes. Moving forward, Preuninger says they'll leave it up to prospective customers to decide which type of transmission they'll build into their most extreme performance models.

Next-generation Panamera will spawn variants, Sport Turismo in the running

A few years ago it took actual willpower not to consider what kinds of cool derivatives Porsche could make with the Panamera. Our fancies were helped by patent drawings of a Panamera convertible, rumors of a two-door 928 GT and internal Porsche sketches of such a car, and report after report after report that the current, second-generation Panamera would begin to expand the family. That hasn't happened, but according to a new report in Auto Express, the next Panamera will be the one to begin the bifurcation. Wolfgang Hatz, the brand's head of research and development, told the mag that, "We have prepared it for a lot of derivatives, personally I like very much the Sport Turismo." The Panamera Sport Turismo, remember, was the hybrid, concept wagon that rolled into the 2012 Paris Motor Show and made everyone ask, "Why didn't you build this design from the beginning?" It could have been Hatz's English, but after professing his ardor for the Sport Turismo, the executive said, "But there is a good chance for more derivatives." We're not sure if that means the Sport Turismo is all but approved, or if he was speaking of the third generation Panamera's new MSB platform in general. Even though Hatz mentioned a coupe and convertible, it sounds like that latter variant won't be happening, Hatz saying that the brand already has the Boxster and 911 Cabriolet. We're willing to forgive that omission – who's really looking for a four-door convertible, anyway? – and welcome the Sport Turismo first if Hatz will please please please get us a new 928.