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In the book Driving Ambition about the story of the McLaren F1, chapter 19 begins with the following:

It would have been easy for McLaren Cars to bask in the simple afterglow of its achievement, and initially a relatively somber programme of production and detail refinement to perfect the model was all that was envisaged. But not high performance car manufacturer can legitimately expect to build a world-beater, without one or two prominent and enthusiastic customers becoming keen to prove its products’ capabilities ‘in anger’. Although there had never – ever – been any expressed intention by the McLaren team at Genesis to produce anything other than a purebred road car, through the summer of 1994 – as we have seen – enthusiastic sporting-minded customers began to persuade the F1’s manufacturers to change their minds. Despite many qualms, they did just that.

And that, friends, is why the McLaren F1 GTR is so impressive. The F1 road car wasn’t built just to homologate for racing. The motorsports program was an afterthought, one that won the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans outright on McLaren’s first attempt as well as finishing third, fourth and fifth. You’re looking at the winning car, driven by J.J. Lehto, Yannick Dalmas and Masanori Sekiya, which was displayed by McLaren at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. Enjoy the gallery below.

Photos by Drew Phillips / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

Goodwood 2010: Le Mans-winning McLaren F1 GTR makes an appearance

    

Tags: 3G, 4G, Amazon, Car, cars, CTS, F1, Official, Other, photo, Photos, SIM

Oh, eBay Motors, you never cease to astound us. Where else could we possibly dig up a Chevrolet Astro Van that’s been built for drag racing and converted to have a passing resemblance to a Lamborghini Gallardo? Yup, you’re looking at the Astroghini. If you’re thinking it looks a lot like a product of “Pimp My Ride” and an acid bender, you’re not far off. The, um, creation was built for a new show on The Discovery Channel called “Ultimate Car Build Off,” and aside from an overdose of Raging Bull influence, the van boasts a turbocharged 4.3-liter V6 with 200,000 miles that’s just waiting to go supernova.

If the prospect of a throttle-body fuel-injection V6 under boost isn’t enough to make you weary, the fact that the vehicle now wears an automatic wet nitrous system should. We’d give it about three full-throttle passes before chunks start flying.The show managed to lower the Astro’s roofline by a full eight inches, and as such, the rear doors don’t open, the side windows are plexiglass and there’s zero interior. That turbo? Yeah, it sits in the passenger floorboard.

The good news is that the Astroghini wears a laundry list of go fast parts, so if you’re looking to snag a deal on a boat load of aftermarket goodies, this may just be your chance. You can check out the auction here.

[Source: eBay Motors]

eBay Find of the Day: Behold… it’s the Astroghini!

    

Tags: 3D, ARM, Car, chevrolet, Drag Racing, DSi, LG, Nitrous, NOVA, photo, Photos, ring, super, UK, Windows

When Fiat and Chrysler merged, it was assumed that Fiat and Chrysler-branded products would be sharing a common showroom floor. Well, you know what happens when you assume. The Detroit Bureau reports that when Fiat-badged vehicles arrive Stateside at the end of the year they will be sold in an all-new showroom bereft of any manner of Chrysler product. The news reportedly comes from none other than Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne, who adds that a total of 200 Fiat stores will come online in an undetermined time.

While Chrysler dealers are likely a bit upset that they won’t have Fiat products to sell in their dealerships, they will reportedly get first dibs to claim one of the 200 stand-alone stores. And those dealerships must be equipped with both sales and service departments as well. The first Fiat to enter the Fiat-exclusive showroom will be the diminutive 500, which has been very well-received overseas. And more product is undoubtedly also on the way, as the 500 alone is not a big enough carrot to warrant buying a new dealership.

Opening 200 new dealerships will not be cheap, as a new full-service dealer can cost $1 million or more. There are also the costs associated with marketing a new brand in the U.S., which will likely cost well over $100 million. Since Fiat vehicles haven’t been available here in States in a couple decades, the folks in Turin, Italy will likely have a lot of work to do to spread the word. Those who actually remember the Fiat brand in the U.S. market will likely need the most convincing, as horrible quality woes were a main factor in the brands failure.

[Source: The Detroit Bureau]

Report: Chrysler to set up separate Fiat dealers

      

Tags: Car, chrysler, chrysler dealer, chrysler dealers, CTS, epa, Fiat, Italy, Other, photo, Photos, ring, sale, Time, U.S.

It’s certainly possible. According to La Voz de Galicia, the French automaker is currently mulling the creation of a new sub-brand to break into the lower rungs of the inexpensive car market. Rather than go through the hassle of rustling up a whole new name, the company has looked to the past for inspiration. It came up with Talbot – a company that got its start early in the 20th century and puttered to a stop in 1986.

The name has a history of rising from the dead. In 1978, Peugeot pulled a similar stunt by bringing the Talbot name back from obscurity after Chrysler axed it a decade prior. During the revival, the brand mostly served as a dumping ground for former Chrysler Europe models. Needless to say, the resurrection didn’t last long.

But if our Google Translator is to be believed, the most recent zombification of the Talbot moniker will have more to do with funky little entry-level machines than any sort of rebadging exercise. La Voz de Galicia claims that the brand will likely start off with just two models based loosely on existing Peugeot models, which would be manufactured at the Citroën factory in Vigo.

Is it possible? Sure. But the rumors could just as easily be smoke and mirrors. Thanks for the tip, Lucian!

[Source: La Voz de Galicia]

Peugeot to resurrect Talbot brand as channel for cheap cars?

    

Tags: 3D, Car, cars, chrysler, citroen, Europe, fun, Google, iGO, Mac, mitsubishi, ring, rumors, SIM

Here in America, the Smart ForTwo isn’t exactly selling like hotcakes, mostly due to the fact that it isn’t very practical or efficient, it can carry an awfully high price point and the engine and transmission are, well, less than stellar. Still, Smart is hoping that a host of upgrades to the diminutive ForTwo will make it a more attractive to potential buyers seeking a sort of trendy urban-mobile, and the automaker will be adding things like new paint colors, better interior refinement and slight styling tweaks to the car in the Fall of this year.

In addition to the six metallic exterior colors, the ForTwo is now available in a cheeky matte light green, and convertible models can now be fitted with a red or blue soft top. Additionally, a slight nip/tuck has been given to the front fascia, which now includes optional LED daytime running lights in the lower air intakes. Inside, the instrument panel has been redesigned and a new touchscreen infotainment system is on hand, encompassing navigation, audio and Bluetooth connectivity controls. What’s more, a limited edition “Lightshine” model will be on hand, which adds things like body-colored headlamp surrounds, new 15-inch wheels and contrasting matte chrome components.

Not much has changed in the area of engines or transmissions, but Smart has found a way to lower the overall CO2 emissions of each powerplant. Even the most powerful engine remains under the 120 g/km mark, and the smallest diesel offering (not available in America) produces just 86 g/km of CO2. Fuel efficiency might not exactly be the Smart’s forte, but in terms of cleaner emissions, it’s seriously good.

Still, though, the Smart’s biggest challenge in America is being able to stand up against the rest of the sub-$20,000 competition, which offers better all-around utility, power and efficiency. It’s a hard sell, the ForTwo, but the 2010 model is certainly better equipped than any model before it. Follow the jump to read the full list of changes in Smart’s press release.

[Source: Smart]

Continue reading Smart ForTwo gets updates, new matte finish option

Smart ForTwo gets updates, new matte finish option

    

Tags: 2011, Audi, bluetooth, Car, design, green, navigation, photo, Photos, POI, ring, tC, Time, touchscreen, tweak, update

When we had our first shot at the 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe, we described it as “audacity in motion.” After all, the new Caddy coupe is indeed one of the most attractive designs to come out of General Motors in quite some time.

In an effort to get these hot new two-plus-twos out on the road as soon as possible, Cadillac is ramping up production of the CTS Coupe a bit early, and the first few models are starting to roll off of assembly lines at GM’s Lansing Grand River assembly plant. Pricing starts at $38,990 for the base, rear-wheel-drive model, which will be joined by the pavement-bending CTS-V Coupe later this year.

Check out the sexy new CTS Coupe for yourself in the gallery below, and hit the jump to read Cadillac’s press release.

Photos by Damon Lavrinc / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: Cadillac]

Continue reading 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe headed to dealers ahead of schedule

2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe headed to dealers ahead of schedule

    

Tags: 2011, 911, cadillac, Cadillac CTS, cadillac cts coupe, Coupe, CTS, CTS Coupe, CTS-V Coupe, CtsCoupe, design, general motors, gm, photo, Photos, sex, Sexy, Time

Chris Shunk, Alex Nunez, Chris Paukert and Dan Roth wrap up the 4th of July long weekend with Episode #185 of the Autoblog Podcast. Topics are Toyota’s valve-spring recall, a new engine in the Mercedes CL-Class, the Bugatti Veyron’s speed record, and the newly teased Volvo V60 Wagon. We go off on a Saab tangent and finish up by responding to your questions before wrapping at an hour and twenty minutes. Thanks for listening, see you next time!

Autoblog Podcast #185 – Valve Springs, Speed Records, Wagons and Tangents

In the Autoblog Garage:

Jaguar XF
Porsche Panamera S
Corvette Grand Sport
Cadillac CTS-V Coupe

News:

• Toyota Recall
• CL-Class Engine
• Veyron Speed Record
• Volvo V60

Hosts:
Dan Roth, Chris Paukert, Alex Nunez, Chris Shunk

Runtime: 79:15

---

Get the podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes
[RSS] Add the Joystiq Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator
[MP3] Download the MP3 directly

Feedback:
Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com
Voicemail: 734-288-8POD (734-288-8763)

Review the show in iTunes and take our survey

Autoblog Podcast #185 – Valve Springs, Speed Records, Wagons and Tangents

    

Tags: Apple, Audi, bug, cadillac, Cadillac CTS, Cadillac CTS-V, Corvette, Coupe, CTS, CTS-V Coupe, iTunes, Jaguar, mercedes, mercedes-benz, mp3, Official, Porsche, review, ring, super, Time, toyota, toyota recall, UK, V8, valve

So, if you were watching Chris Harris give the Ferrari 599 GTO what for and thinking, “Yeah, but can you can only really use a car like that on a track,” sit back and prepare to be vindicated. The gurus at EVO have been so kind as to release a three-part video series showing exactly what can be accomplished if the car is unleashed on the Ferrari Fiorano test track. And let’s just say you don’t hear him complain about the air-conditioning this time around.

The first segment sees Harris wedged in the cockpit with the insanely fast Raffael De Simone at the wheel – the same guy who managed to fling the car around the Nürburgring in 6:58.1. If you like seeing the typically even-keeled Harris get surprised by the wicked carbon ceramic brakes on the 599 GTO, you can check it out on the EVO site.

But we’re more interested in watching Harris himself shuffle the Prancing Horse. While there’s a profusion of descriptors like “quick” “awesome” and “outrageous” thrown about during the brief segments, it’s interesting to see the car’s driver aids come into play – and just how far they’ll let the car get out of line before reigning you in. Hit the jump to find out.

[Source: EVO]

Continue reading Video: This time, EVO’s Chris Harris takes Ferrari 599 GTO to the track

Video: This time, EVO’s Chris Harris takes Ferrari 599 GTO to the track

    

Tags: 599, 599 gto, Car, EDGE, epa, ferrari 599 gto, gm, gto, photo, Photos, review, ring, SIM, super, supercar, tC, test, Time, UK, Video

Up to this point, Nissan has relied on hybrid technology purchased and licensed from the undisputed leader in hybrid vehicles. That would be Toyota, naturally. But the two Japanese automakers will be moving in separate directions in short order as Nissan has developed its own hybrid powertrain technology, and unlike most other automakers, Nissan’s system will debut powering a rear-wheel-drive machine wearing the Infiniti badge.

And there’s apparently another way Nissan and Infiniti’s first in-house hybrid system will differ from Toyota’s full hybrid and Honda’s mild hybrid architecture. According to Reuters, Koichi Hayasaki, Nissan’s chief engineer of its rear-wheel-drive hybrid system maintains that “Typically, carmakers say the fuel economy improvement on their cars using a ’strong’ or ‘full’ hybrid system is roughly 30 percent, while for ‘mild’ hybrids, it’s 15 percent. We’re aiming for an improvement of 60 to 90 percent.”

Further, Nissan claims its hybrid system will use a single electric motor and twin clutches (instead of two electric motors as used by Toyota), a move that ought to help make the system simpler and lighter than its competitors. It will also use lithium ion batteries instead of cheaper but less energy dense nickel metal hydride cells. If Nissan can manage to hit all of its targets, we may be looking at a new hybrid standard bearer.

[Source: Reuters]

Report: Infiniti to double fuel mileage with next hybrid

    

Tags: ARM, Car, cars, epa, green, honda, hybrid, Japan, M3, Mac, nissan, Other, photo, Photos, POI, ring, SIM, tC, toyota

If you’re hankering for a dual-clutch equipped Mitusbishi Lancer Evolution X, but can’t manage to shell out the $40,000 or so for the top-of-the-line MR, Mitsubishi will begin offering the next best thing later this year.

The Evo X SE packs the same TC-SST transmission as its 335i-challenging sibling, complete with three driving modes – Normal, Sport and Super-Sport – channeling all 291 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque to its S-AWC all-wheel drive system.

On the outside, it’s a predictable blend of GSR and MR kit, including a GSR front fascia and black vents, along with an MR rear diffuser and upgraded Bilstein shocks. Inside, cloth Recaros come standard – our preferred choice compared to the MR’s leather-lined thrones.

Pricing won’t be announced until next month, but expect the SE to carry a sticker of around $35,800 – undercutting the standard MR by around $3,000 and a little less than a $2,000 premium over a comparable GSR.

2011 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X SE melds the best bits of the GSR and MR

    

Tags: 2011, Car, horsepower, mitsubishi, photo, Photos, recaro, ring, super, tC, USB

The IndyCar Series celebrated the Independence Day holiday at the Glen, with the running of the 2010 Camping World Grand Prix in Watkins Glen, New York. This race signaled a return to road courses for the IRL after four oval runs in a row. Heading into Watkins Glen, Penske’s Will Power held the overall and road course points leads in the championship standings with Target Chip Ganassi’s Scott Dixon in second overall, but first in the oval championship. Dixon had won the last three-in-a-row at Watkins Glen, though, so Power shouldn’t have expected to pull ahead of his closest rival too easily after this round of the championship.

Saturday’s qualifying showed that Power and his Penske teammates were still the team to beat, Will claiming yet another Peak Performance Pole Position and stablemates Helio Castroneves and Ryan Briscoe qualifying second and third. It set up an interesting Fourth of July race, with Power having a bit of a buffer between him and the other title chasers – not that Helio or Briscoe were going to just hand Will the win.

Follow the jump to see how the 2010 Camping World Grand Prix at The Glen played out.

[Images: Streeter Lecka, Nick Laham/Getty Images, Mel Evans, David Duprey, David Boe, Douglas Ford Rea, Charles Berch, Russ Hamilton, Michael Rogers/AP]

Continue reading IndyCar: 2010 Camping World Grand Prix at The Glen [SPOILERS]

IndyCar: 2010 Camping World Grand Prix at The Glen [SPOILERS]

    

Tags: Car, ford, New York, Other, photo, Photos, POI

Our ever-vigilant long-lens warriors have managed to snag a passel of photos of the new Honda CR-Z fighter from Hyundai. The little hatch has shed a portion of the camouflage we’ve seen in previous spy photos, giving us a clear look at some of the three-door’s (or is that four-door’s?) sheetmetal. Near as we can tell, the compact has kept the reverse-sloping roof of the concept car, and while that’s bound make rear headroom a hot commodity, it also gives the Veloster a tie-in with the Kia Soul – its corporate cousin once removed.

Unfortunately, we didn’t get an updated look at the car’s interior, but it would surprise us to see anything changed from the last time our spy photographers got up close and personal with the newest Hyundai on the Veloster – and there’s still some mystery about what kind of door mechanism is fitted on the passenger side.

With news that the Korean automaker has pledged to spank the CR-Z hybrid in the fuel economy game without shouldering the added cost, weight and complexity of a hybrid system, we can’t wait to get our grubby little journo hands on the Veloster. Word on the web is that the car will be powered by an efficient 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine churning out around 140-160 horsepower.

Spy Shots: Clearest look yet at the 2012 Hyundai Veloster

    

Tags: Car, concept, concept car, EDGE, game, honda, horsepower, hybrid, Hyundai, kia, photo, Photos, ring, spy shots, tC, Time, update

While it would be easy to sit and watch the cars run up the Lord’s driveway all day, there’s plenty more to do at Goodwood. The paddock is perhaps one of the best places to get a glimpse of the premier-level kit on display, as it allows a close up look all of the cars. Like many of the vintage racing events here in the United States, there are no barriers and you can walk around the cars, talk to the mechanics and if you’re lucky, even see a famous driver or two. During our brief stroll through the paddock we ran into Tom Kristensen having a chat with Derek Bell, perhaps discussing their combined thirteen Le Mans wins.

You can view photos from this year’s Festival of Speed paddock in the high-res gallery below, and use it as a reminder that you need to get out Goodwood at least once in your lifetime.

Photos by Drew Phillips / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

Goodwood 2010: A tour of the paddock provides a closer look at the cars and the stars

    

Tags: 3G, 4G, Car, cars, Chat, photo, Photos, ring, tC, Time

Planning on invading something? Ze Germans have a bit of experience to impart, and it comes in its latest form as the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon LAPV 6.X Concept. Unveiled at the Eurosatory defense exposition in France – so named, in case you were wondering, for Camp Satory where the French defense ministry used to hold the event – the up-armored G-Class is like the existing LAPV 5.4, but more… well, capable.

The go-anywhere, conquer-anything truck can carry 2,866 pounds of cargo over just about any terrain you can throw at it, reinforced by armor plating – including underbody protection from land mines (or perhaps more poignantly, roadside IEDs). It’s got an on-the-fly adjustable suspension with nearly 18 inches of ground clearance, full combat communications and jamming system, hydraulic ventilated disc brakes and an unspecified common-rail diesel engine. And best of all, it’s got orange wheels, but we’d imagine those would be a delete option for more covert operations. Check it out in the gallery below and the press release after the jump.

[Source: Mercedes-Benz via World Car Fans]

Continue reading Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon LAPV 6.X Concept ready to blitz the front

Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon LAPV 6.X Concept ready to blitz the front

    

Tags: ARM, Car, concept, DSi, France, mercedes, mercedes-benz, photo, Photos, POI, ring, test, truck

Porsche’s integration into the Volkswagen Group has already and will undoubtedly continue to see increased cooperation between the allied German automakers in a number of arenas, from platforms and engines to production methods and technology. And let’s not forget personnel, as evidenced by the latest shift in top management announced by Porsche and Volkswagen.

Effective October 1, Porsche’s current chief executive Michael Macht will move to Volkswagen’s management board to oversee production for the entire group. In his place, Matthias Müller – pictured right, a 33-year veteran of the VW Group and currently head of product planning – will take the reins as chairman of Porsche’s board of management.

Volkswagen AG has also created a new board to supervise the company’s various commercial truck divisions, which will be chaired by Prof. Dr. Jochem Heizmann, who currently holds the production portfolio that departing Porsche chairman Michael Macht will now be assuming. Got that all straight? You can read more in the press releases from both Volkswagen and Porsche after the jump.

[Sources: Porsche, Volkswagen]

Continue reading Meet the New Boss: Porsche, VW swap top execs in management reshuffle

Meet the New Boss: Porsche, VW swap top execs in management reshuffle

    

Tags: epa, Mac, platforms, Porsche, super, test, truck, volkswagen, vw

BMW has been making some headlines over the past few months with its commitment to carbon fiber construction, opening a joint-venture production facility in Washington State and teasing the upcoming Megacity EV as the first mass-produced carbon fiber vehicle. But there’s always a back story to the headlines.

As you might have guessed, BMW has been toying around with the lightweight construction material for some time, seeing just how far it could push the envelop and what practical applications it could have. In this case, it turns out that, back around 2003, the Bavarian automaker re-constructed a first-gen X5 sport-ute with a carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) unibody. Every panel on the X5 was replaced with CFRP, save the doors which retained their conventional steel construction. The result was a weight savings of 440 pounds, without – according to BMW – sacrificing structural rigidity and crash-worthiness.

Of course the carbon X5 was never put into production, but it reportedly underwent some 40,000 kilometers (25,000 miles) of testing, and the knowledge gleaned will surely find its way into BMW’s production vehicles in the future.

[Source: BMW Blog]

BMW leaks first-gen X5 made of carbon fiber

      

Tags: applications, bmw, Car, Crash, EDGE, gto, push, test, Time

According to Bloomberg, Toyota has known about issues with valve springs in its V8 and V6 engines since 2007. The news confirms the information we received from an anonymous source within the company. Toyota says that the earliest complaints came from customers in Japan, but the company felt that the issue was fairly rare and didn’t order a recall. Now that it has become clear that the issue isn’t a fluke, the automaker has issued a recall in Japan and will notify the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration of the problem this week.

Toyota says that the defect is caused by the presence of contaminates within the spring material. The company has since addressed the problem by building the valve springs thicker than what was originally specified, and so far, the fix seems to be working.

Toyota says that around 270,000 vehicles are affected by the faulty springs, and of those, around 138,000 Lexus models are in the US.

[Source: Bloomberg]

Report: Lexus knew of valve spring defects three years ago

    

Tags: breaking, businessweek, Car, cars, CTS, Japan, lexus, photo, Photos, ring, toyota, UK, V8, valve

All right, so pipe dream might be a little strong – after all, the computer you’re probably reading this post on was once a pipe dream less than a decade ago. But color us shocked at the number of supercar start-ups that have lately been claiming they’re going to erase any thought of Michael Jackson when the word “Thriller!” pops up in conversation. Next in line we have Transtar Racing which, with little more than a template web site, stock photography and a few renderings is already “proud to introduce America’s greatest, most powerful, world record-setting Supercar: the Dagger GT.”

The supercar itself is a custom-designed, 3,000-pound two-seat roadster with a 2,000-horsepower engine. That powerplant would (will?) be the work of Tom Nelson, who builds a wide range of 1,000-plus hp mills for all manner of go-fast conveyances. With those specs and, we’re guessing, some number crunching, Transtar has listed “calculated*” performance specs: 0-to-60 in 1.5 seconds, 0-to-60-to-0 in four seconds, 1/4-mile in 6.6 seconds at 204 mph, and a top speed of 314 miles-per-hour.

That isn’t merely heady performance, that’s fainty. But when it takes a Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport and its billions in product development and testing to set a land speed record of 267.81 mph, we’ll need the entire Bonneville Salt Flats to swallow the Dagger GT’s 314 mph claim. Oh, and the Transtar team boasts of a “No Risk Policy – No R&D” philosophy; since they’re assembling parts that have already been proven in other applications, they don’t need to spend ridiculous sums testing how they work together in the Dagger GT. That’s for suckers, apparently.

We’re not saying the Dagger GT won’t ever exist. But we’ll be visiting our great grandkids on Mars by the time a street-legal Dagger GT with a one-year/12,000-mile warranty for retail sale does 314 mph. (And yes, Transtar, that is a challenge…) While we wait, you can have a look at it in the gallery of high-res pics below.

[Source: Transtar]

Transtar Dagger GT is a 2,000-hp pipe dream

      

Tags: 3D, applications, bug, Car, design, horsepower, Icy, Other, photo, Photos, ring, sale, super, supercar, test, Time

We’re the lone vehicle in the far left lane of the Autobahn outside of Köln, Germany. The traffic has lightened, so we mash the accelerator to the floor. While we pull strongly up to about 200 km/h (about 125 mph), the speedometer counts much more slowly as it spins around the right side of the dial. Moments later, the digital indicator on the cluster passes 250 km/hr (155 mph). The late-model BMW 5 Series trailing in our wake has met its electronic speed limiter, so it slowly falls away in our rearview mirror. It takes another ten seconds for the display to stop counting and hover at 261 km/hr (160 mph). Bringing our fun to an end, traffic on the horizon forces us to drop back down to more reasonable speeds just a few seconds later.

Northern Europe is the ideal venue to drive Porsche’s latest Panamera models, each fitted with new 300 horsepower 3.6-liter V6 powerplants. We spent time driving both the rear- and all-wheel drive models in crowded cities, the open countryside and unrestricted highways. Where did the new V6 come from and what makes it unique? Where does the powerplant position the Panamera in relation to its competition and what is its new price point? These answers and full driving impressions after the jump…

Photos by Michael Harley / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading First Drive: 2011 Porsche Panamera conceals a V6 but gives up little else in the transplant

First Drive: 2011 Porsche Panamera conceals a V6 but gives up little else in the transplant

    

Tags: 2011, bmw, BMW 5 Series, Europe, fun, Germany, harley, horsepower, Other, photo, Photos, POI, Porsche, review, ring, test, Time

We’re the lone vehicle in the far left lane of the Autobahn outside of Köln, Germany. The traffic has lightened, so we mash the accelerator to the floor. While we pull strongly up to about 200 km/h (about 125 mph), the speedometer counts much more slowly as it spins around the right side of the dial. Moments later, the digital indicator on the cluster passes 250 km/hr (155 mph). The late-model BMW 5 Series trailing in our wake has met its electronic speed limiter, so it slowly falls away in our rearview mirror. It takes another ten seconds for the display to stop counting and hover at 261 km/hr (160 mph). Bringing our fun to an end, traffic on the horizon forces us to drop back down to more reasonable speeds just a few seconds later.

Northern Europe is the ideal venue to drive Porsche’s latest Panamera models, each fitted with new 300 horsepower 3.6-liter V6 powerplants. We spent time driving both the rear- and all-wheel drive models in crowded cities, the open countryside and unrestricted highways. Where did the new V6 come from and what makes it unique? Where does the powerplant position the Panamera in relation to its competition and what is its new price point? These answers and full driving impressions after the jump…

Photos by Michael Harley / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading First Drive: 2011 Porsche Panamera conceals a V6, but gives up little else in the transplant

First Drive: 2011 Porsche Panamera conceals a V6, but gives up little else in the transplant

    

Tags: 2011, bmw, BMW 5 Series, Europe, fun, Germany, harley, horsepower, Other, photo, Photos, POI, Porsche, review, ring, test, Time