2006 Porsche Boxster Base 2dr Convertible on 2040-cars

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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.

Chris Harris condemns demonization of Porsche Carrera GT in wake of Walker death

When something bad happens, it's easy to resort to scapegoating. At least for some of us, that seems to be exactly what has happened following the tragic death of actor Paul Walker and racer Roger Rodas, who were killed on November 30 in a Porsche Carrera GT. Even though officials have not yet determined the cause of the crash, that isn't stopping many theories from being put for - theories that include blaming the Porsche supercar. Rather predictably, not only is the CGT's difficult nature getting examined, but indeed, the nature of all high-performance cars is being put under the public's microscope, with some wondering what the need for all the power is.
A Google search of "Porsche Carrera GT" will find no shortage of articles about the razor-sharp handling and outright speed of the CGT. Pistonheads' Chris Harris has a different, insightful take on both the Carrera GT and the nature of all fast cars. He reflects on the matter, ironically, en route to drive the successor to the car that killed Walker and Rodas, the 900-horsepower 918 Spyder hybrid supercar.
We think it's well worth a read, as it makes a number of good points about modern high-performance automobiles and the way they're used. Click over and take a look.

Porsche offers design walkthrough of Panamera Sport Turismo

The Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo was arguably the best concept car of 2012, and Porsche has been building upon that momentum by teasing us with videos of its first-ever station wagon design. After showing us some driving shots of the Sport Turismo, Porsche released a more in-depth and behind-the-scenes look at what it took to take the Panamera shooting brake from a full-scale clay model to the final product we saw on stage at the Paris Motor Show. In the video, Michael Mauer, Porsche style director, and Mitja Borkert, general manager advanced design style, both give a little insight about what went into creating the Sport Turismo Concept.
More than just a station wagon version of the Panamera, the Sport Turismo has a totally distinctive look nose to tail. Some of the key elements the designers touch on in the video include the Porsche-signature raised front fenders, the wide rear shoulders, the front wing inspired by the 918 Spyder, and even some of the car's unique touches, including the headlights and the three-dimensional "Porsche" lettering across the liftgate made from glass. One of the more exciting aspects of the concept - which is sadly just glossed over in the video - is the rear liftgate spoiler that features "variable aerodynamics" that sounds like it acts similar to the retractable spoiler on the current Panamera.
We still don't know if the Panamera Sport Turismo will make it into production, but if you want to see what went into creating this exciting concept car and see the different build phases designers went through to create the Paris show car, check out the video by scrolling below.