2022 Porsche 911 Turbo! Matrix Headlights! Burmester Sound! Full Fr on 2040-cars

Auto blog

40+ cars that barely avoid the gas guzzler tax

The Gas Guzzler schedule, with mpg ratings and charges that haven't changed since 1991, lays out which fuel-swillers owe what to Uncle Sam.
I started thinking about the "Gas Guzzler Tax" - considerably less well known as The Energy Tax Act of 1978 - when I was driving Dodge's new Challenger SRT Hellcat last week. Unsurprisingly for a car that can burn 1.5 gallons of gas per minute at max tilt, theoretically able to empty a full tank of premium in about 13 minutes, the Hellcat will be subject to the Gas Guzzler Tax schedule when it goes on sale.

Mercedes-AMG GT vs. Porsche 911 [w/poll]

Mercedes-Benz designed the AMG GT to compete head-on with the Porsche 911. It's a clear, singular purpose, and Benz brings a lot of money, technology and race-bred expertise to the fight.
The AMG GT is Merc's followup to the awesome SLS AMG, the retro-modern, gullwing-doored coupe that took us by storm half a decade ago. But this new GT coupe is a more focused sports car than the SLS, rather than an all out supercar capable of extreme performance. It's got a brand-new V8 engine, and state-of-the-art technology that help it to not only be a proper Mercedes, but to be a serious performer.
Mercedes will sell its new baby in two models. The GT S arrives first, in spring 2015, followed by the standard GT in mid-2016. Of course, there's room to grow from there. And while Porsche may have already expanded its 911 range to include a vast variety of models, here's how Stuttgart's icon stacks up against Affalterbach's bad boy.

Porsche patent sketches show removable headrest wind deflector

While driving around in a convertible might seem glamorous, ask anyone with long hair and they'll likely tell you how it really is: the wind buffets, your hair goes everywhere and it's anything but glamorous. That's why you see so many convertibles driving with their tops up, their windows up or wind deflectors in place. But Porsche is apparently preparing to kick it up to the next level.
These patent drawings have leaked out, demonstrating what appears to be some new kind of wind-deflecting device being developed by Porsche. The mechanism is apparently fitted to the headrest itself and designed to keep the wind buffeting specifically around the head down to a minimum while allowing the car's occupants to enjoy the top-down driving experience.
No word on when it might hit the market, but we won't be surprised to see this kind of device appear on a future version of the Boxster or 911 Cabriolet. But nowhere else: despite the apparent leak, the patent drawings suggest that Porsche will be keeping this technology proprietary. Whether sister brands like Volkswagen, Bentley or Lamborghini will get their hands on it remains to be seen.