Original Aga Blue Running And Driving Factory Sunroof With Coa on 2040-cars

Auto blog

McLaren P1 squares off against Porsche 918 in Evo track battle

Evo's side-by-side comparison of the McLaren P1 against the Porsche 918 Spyder isn't the first time we've seen England and Germany's ultimate automotive weapons sized up together; last month, Autocar tested them over the standing mile, with a Ducati 1199 Superleggera playing the joker. Evo throws a few curves at its test, though, taking the supercars to Anglesey Circuit in Wales to see which will lay down the fastest lap time with scribe Jethro Bovington at the wheel. In case the numbers haven't yet been seared into your memory, while both are assisted by electric motors, the 3,069-pound, rear-wheel drive P1 gets on with 903 horsepower and 664 pound-feet from a 3.8-liter, twin-turbocharged V8. The 3,750-pound, all-wheel-drive 918 Spyder does its job with 795 hp and 575 lb-ft surging out of a naturally aspirated, 4.6-liter V8. We're not told know which circuit layout he uses for the test, but both cars comfortably eclipse the mark set by the fastest coupe Evo's driven around it so far, the Ferrari 458 Speciale. Then, in an epilogue occasioned by a tire change, one of the supercars comfortably eclipses its own time again, before Bovington declares one the master of the track and the other the ruler of the street. Enjoy finding out which is which in the video above.

Porsche completes production of 918 Spyder

Porsche is closing another chapter in its history as production of the 918 Spyder has officially come to an end. The only remaining question is: what comes next? The 918 was the latest in a long line of flagship supercars from the German automaker, starting with the 904 Carrera GTS, continuing on through the 959, 911 GT1, and Carrera GT. Each was a technological game-changer for Porsche, just as the 918 Spyder will surely be remembered. With the hybrid roadster now zipping off into the annals of history, all eyes will be fixed on Zuffenhausen to see what it does next. And though it may not be much to go on, we've already begun seeing some hints at what that could be. Last week Porsche released a solitary teaser image showing its next-generation sports car, covered and parked alongside the Le Mans-winning 919 Hybrid LMP1. Just what's under the cover, Porsche isn't saying, and didn't respond to our repeated inquiries for comment. However the signs point towards a mid-engined supercar – not unlikely to pack a hybrid powertain once again – positioned closer to the likes of McLaren 650S and Ferrari 488 GTB than the outgoing 918 Spyder, which faced off against the McLaren P1 and LaFerrari. If that turns out to be the direction Porsche takes with its upcoming new supercar, as has long been anticipated, it would hardly be unprovoked. McLaren recently launched the 570S as part of its new Sport Series to take on the Porsche 911 Turbo, and Ferrari is once again rumored to be pursuing the same with a new Dino. While the specifics may remain cloudy for the time being, what is crystal clear is that things are about to get very interesting in the battle between Porsche and its rivals. Related Video: Porsche super sports car with hybrid drive reaches its limited edition volume of 918 units Porsche finishes production of the 918 Spyder technology pioneer Stuttgart. Today, the chequered flag marked the finish: after 21 months of production time, the final Porsche 918 Spyder came off the line in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen according to schedule. But the legacy of this technology pioneer will reach far beyond its production time. Future generations of sports cars will benefit directly from innovations of the 918 Spyder. The 918 Spyder was systematically developed to be a performance hybrid with plug-in technology. The hybrid super sports concept car made its debut at the 2010 Geneva International Motor Show where it met with overwhelming approval.

Porsche 912 is no longer the brand's black sheep

If you haven't looked recently, prices for many vintage Porsche 911s are now well out of the realm for mortal men to purchase. However, the growing values have their advantages because they mean that the 912 is being better accepted as a member of the Porsche family. In a new video, Petrolicious talks to one owner about his mildly modified example while the coupe zips through the backroads and city streets of France. Launched around the time of the 911, the 912 shared its body but retained the four-cylinder engine from the 356, rather than the new six. The older mill helped make the 912 cheaper to buy, but it also tarnished the coupe in the eyes of Porsche fans for years. Much like the four-cylinder 914 and 924, the 912 just seemed like a black sheep in the shadow of its more powerful brother. Following two massive changes to his life, Julien Borne bought a 1967 912 as a project to get back on the road. After hours of welding, wrenching and beating out panels by hand in his grandparents' neglected country house, he crafted this gorgeous example. Check out the video to hear his story, as Petrolicious shows why the model's stigma is wearing off.