1987 Porsche 928 S4 5spd Manual on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Porsche 918 Spyder officially priced from $845K, Weissach package $84K more

Porsche has released official pricing for its entire lineup of 2013 models, which just happens to include the upcoming 918 Spyder hybrid supercar. The 795-horsepower advanced-technology-lab-on-wheels is now officially confirmed to have a starting price of $845,000 in the US, which is the exact amount we were told earlier when we had the opportunity to ride shotgun in some 918 Spyder pre-production test vehicles.
What we didn't know at the time was the cost of the Weissach trim package, which is a high-performance upgrade to the standard vehicle that includes the deletion of some interior amenities and addition of lighter-weight carbon fiber appointments, magnesium wheels, flame-resistant upholstery, racing belts and aerodynamic aids - it's meant for track-going folk who intend to use their 918 Spyders as God, country and manufacturer intended.
All told, the Weissach package should drop the 918 Spyder's curb weight by some 80 pounds, while also lightening your wallet of an additional $84,000 - the car's MSRP with the Weissach package is $929,000. These prices don't, however, include destination charges, which, for something like the very limited edition 918 Spyder (only 918 will be made), could very well cost considerably more than your average Porsche.

2015 Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid

When the Porsche Panamera joined the hybrid poker game with the S Hybrid, it started with a seat at the penny-ante table: engineers inserted a 47-horsepower electric motor between the gas engine and eight-speed automatic, powered by a 1.7-kWh nickel-metal hydride battery. It was tiny stakes, the kind of non-risk taken when you're trying to figure out both how to play the game and how you want to play the game. After two years of experimenting, the 2015 Panamera S E-Hybrid makes a bigger bet – the kind that requires paper bills and the maxim, "If you can't fold it, hold it." Porsche's plug-in hybrid gets every adjective we expect of a successor from Stuttgart: more complex, more efficient, more powerful and faster. Driving Notes The electric motor leaps from 47 hp to 95 hp thanks to more windings on the stator coils and new power electronics. The battery goes from a 1.7-kWh nickel-metal hydride unit to 9.4-kWh lithium-ion setup; it's the same physical size as before, still mounted under the cargo deck. Internal combustion still comes from the Audi-sourced, 333-hp, supercharged V6, but total system power goes from 380 hp and 428 pound-feet of torque in the S Hybrid to 416 hp and 435 lb-ft in the S E-Hybrid. The previous system could run a mile on electricity, this one is estimated to last more than 20 miles on e-power on the European cycle. The 0-60 dash takes 5.2 seconds, down from 5.7 seconds; top speed in electric-only mode is 84 mph – up from 50 mph. It takes 2.5 hours at a 240-volt outlet to fully recharge the battery; the Porsche Universal Charger comes equipped with a cable for that and a standard 120-volt socket. Only Panamera obsessives will notice the sheetmetal changes for 2015, but there are sharper lines on the front and rear fascias, faint revisions made to the light clusters, wider glass – over the same-sized opening – on the rear tailgate, and a wider rear spoiler. Outsiders will know the S E-Hybrid because of Acid Green highlights on the fender and tailgate logos, as well as the Acid Green brake calipers. Inside, the central tach remains, but the analog speedometer was evicted to make space for the battery power meter, and Acid Green needles dance across all the gauges. The navigation screen shows your electric driving range and the Porsche Car Connect service provides the expected, smartphone-controlled e-mobility features.

Porsche to develop new line of engines for next Panamera

When the second generation of the four-door Porsche Panamera launches, it will likely be riding a new platform, complete with an all-new family of V6 and V8 engines, according to a report coming out of the UK.
Autocar reports that the so-called MSB platform will likely underpin the Panamera, and it could be shared with Bentley, provided the Volkswagen-owned, British-built brand commits to the architecture. As for the engines, it's reported that they'll have a sportier character than the V6s and V8s being built for Volkswagen and Audi's vehicles.
"Porsche will have its own new V8 that will be common to the new MSB platform," Porsche's chief engineer, Wolfgang Hatz, said. "It's a family for the next 10 years of cars." Whether the V8 and V6 will be used outside of the Panamera line, though, remains unclear. There's also no mention of what place turbocharging would have with the new engines.