Straightline

That's the provocative headline of a recent story published by Slate.com. It sounds like some screed by a coal industry lobbyist, but the gist of the article is slightly more logical.

Author Joe Eaton, a self-described hot rodder who grew up in the suburbs of Detroit, makes the case that collector cars are great, as long as you balance their use out with some form of public transportation.

He claims that the day he sold his car and started using all public transit was also the day he started a Porsche fund with the money he saved on gas, insurance, etc. He would take trains to work during the week and tool around in a late 60s 911 on the weekends he figured.

Sounds sensible enough actually, although the fact that he lives in Baltimore and commutes to D.C. makes the whole idea a little easier. Probably wouldn't work so well in the other 90% of the country.

Still, any kind of logical argument for preserving collector vehicles seems worth discussing, if only to keep the conversation off the idea of getting rid of "those old gas guzzlers" entirely.

Slate: How a Porsche can be better for the environment than a Prius

Categories: Classic Cars,Porsche,Trends

A Panamera coupe? That's the word according to a recent report in the UK magazine AutoExpress. They claim it's in the works for 2012 despite other rumors that Porsche's new overlords at Volkswagen intend to make the Panamera a one lifecycle pony.

Should the new Porsche coupe make it to production, it could overtake the 911 as Porsche's premier coupe. Certainly not in terms of performance, but at least in terms of price.

Not that it would be any slouch in the engine department as it would likely use all the same powerplants as the Panamera sedan. With a 500-horsepower V8 topping the range, the Panamera coupe would match up well with say, a Bentley Continental GT. Sounds good to us, but Volkswagen might have some reservations about creating competition for its already existing products. Expect to see something by the end of next year if Porsche decides to go through with it.

AutoExpress

Categories: Bentley,Coupes,Future Vehicles,Luxury Cars,Porsche,Volkswagen

You may have seen some of these before. Rich guys like to show off you know. Regardless, these ultimate garages still stir the soul in a way only serious car enthusiasts can truly appreciate. There's a 25 page string on Luxury4play.com if you want to see more.

Luxury4play

Categories: Aston Martin,Bentley,Bugatti,Chevrolet,Classic Cars,Ferrari,Lamborghini,Luxury Cars,Maserati,Maybach,McLaren,Pagani,Porsche,Rolls-Royce

Our own Chris Walton was tasked with the dirty job of flying to Portugal to terrorize the countryside in a 500-horsepower 2010 911 Turbo, like the crayon-blue one above. Oh, he also was forced to take several laps around the Estoril racetrack.

According to Walton, the new Turbo combines all of the current and new technologies available to Porsche and throws them into one tasty bouillabaisse of Porsche tastiness. Oh, and if the estimated 3.2-second 0-60 mph run turns out to be accurate, it'll be one of the quickest cars in the world, regardless of cost.

Have a read of Walton's First Drive on the 2010 Porsche 911 Turbo.

Categories: Coupes,Porsche,Sports Cars

2010 Porsche Panamera 4S Full Test and Video

Continue reading Top Gear Challenge: Porsche Panamera vs. The Mailman.

Categories: Porsche

At the swank "Rusnak Jaguar Reveals - A Night of Luxury" event at Universal Studios back lot on Saturday, we rubbed elbows with Miss California, Natasha Henstridge (Species), some actress from Desperate Housewives (not one of the wives) and even good ol' Scott Baio of Happy Days' Chachi fame. There were complimentary cocktails from Effen Vodka and Courvoisier as well as Maddalena wines to make things interesting for the well-heeled masses as they carefully negotiated the cobblestone streets. A cigar lounge welcomed those who wanted to puff on the free stogies from Cigars by Chivas. And at the end of the night, this "California chic" attired crowd enjoyed the Kevan Hall fashion show.

Yes, a fashion show. At first, we, too, thought that this seemed an odd thing to pair with a luxury car reveal. But then it made sense. Much like designer fashions, luxury cars connote high-quality and the best there is to be had. To own these items shows the world that not only do you have a well-padded bank account but that you possess exquisite taste. So it was no wonder that after each reveal of the 2010 Jaguar XJ, Porsche Panamera and the Rolls-Royce Ghost, party guests swarmed the luxo-cars for their chance to get in the driver seat; well, except the Ghost, whose doors remained locked. It was difficult to get close enough to the cars to even sniff their sumptuous leather interior, let alone check our reflection in their windows.

In any case, it was a fun albeit surreal way to see how enthusiastic the other half gets over cars.

More pictures after the jump.

Continue reading Rusnak Jaguar's Night of Luxurious Reveals.

Categories: Celebrities,Jaguar,Luxury Cars,Manufacturers,Porsche,Rolls-Royce

After decades of development, you would think there isn't much more performance to be had out of the Porsche 911. "Nonsense!" say the engineers in Weissach, there is always another kilogram to cut.

The chart below lays out the differences between last year's Porsche 911 Turbo and the latest 2010 Turbo. Note the lap time from the Nurburgring, a solid 10 seconds quicker. Not bad.

2009 Frankfurt Auto Show: 2010 Porsche 911 Turbo

Categories: Coupes,Frankfurt Auto Show,Luxury Cars,Porsche,Sports Cars

A month or so ago we showed you a little background on the making of Porsche's commercial for the Panamera. Now it's done and it looks pretty slick, the commercial we mean, you can decide for yourself what you think about the car.

Categories: Luxury Cars,Porsche,Sedans

Is this the end of Porsche as we know it? Seems like we've heard that before. And judging from Editor in Chief Scott Oldham's test drive, the 2010 Porsche Panamera 4S is nothing short of phenomenal when it comes to big time sport sedans.

Check out the test numbers and see for yourself. It's been a long time coming this Porsche sedan, but maybe it was worth the wait after all.

Full Test: 2010 Porsche Panamera 4S

Categories: Luxury Cars,Porsche,Sedans

The expected slow September after Cash-for-Clunkers August came to pass, and you can get the full, brand-by-brand analysis on Auto Observer. Hyundai/Kia was the major bright spot, as the company continued its record-setting 2009 pace: It sold 55,134 vehicles -- a 26-percent year-over-year increase from September 2008.

Ford saw its year-over-year sales decline slightly, but was still encouraged by its third-quarter results -- sales were up 5 percent compared to 3rd-quarter 2008 and incentive spending decreased by an average of $1,400 per vehicle. Plus, the company's market share was 15 percent for September compared to 14 percent a year ago.

Among the exceptions for September was BMW, which saw its first year-over-year increase of 2009, selling 19,175 vehicles for an increase of 3.6 percent. The other manufacturer on its way to a record year, Subaru, recorded steady sales for September. It sold 14,593 vehicles for an increase of 1 percent (citing a 63-percent increase in Outback sales and +24% for the Legacy); Subaru is up 10 percent for all of 2009 with 158,421 units sold. Volkswagen saw a 1.5-percent year-over-year increase for September, selling 17,358 vehicles.

Finally, respectable Boxster and Cayman demand kept the Cayenne from dragging down Porsche, which sold 1,581 vehicles -- an increase of 8.4 percent.

Auto Observer: Automakers Eager to Move Past September's Tepid Sales

Categories: Auto Industry,BMW,Ford,Hyundai,Kia,Manufacturers,Porsche,Subaru,Volkswagen

This video from Porsche is an odd pairing of subject matter. First, we see Timo Bernhard, a test driver for Porsche and endurance racer, driving a 2010 Porsche 911 Turbo convertible in the rain. Then, we get a walkaround of a static Porsche 911 Sport Classic. The latter segment is understandably less thrilling, but you'll get a good feel for all the 2.7 RS throwback cues on this car.

Categories: Frankfurt Auto Show,Porsche,Sports Cars

The updated 2010 Porsche 911 Turbo appeared alongside the 911 GT3 RS and 911 Sport Classic in Frankfurt. The Turbo gets the direct-injected 3.8-liter flat six, which, with the benefit of twin, variable-geometry turbochargers, provides 500 hp at 6,000 rpm and 480 lb-ft of torque from 1,950-5,000 rpm. And, naturally, you've got your pick of the 6-speed conventional manual or the 7-speed PDK automated dual-clutch 'box.

Frankfurt Preview: 2010 Porsche 911 Turbo

Categories: Frankfurt Auto Show,Porsche,Sports Cars

Imagine the thrill of driving around in the Porsche 911 GT3 RS the night before Frankfurt. Usually, showcars get all kinds of babying, but this one apparently hit 293 km/h (182 mph) on the autobahn at night. This video has been circulating on the Web, and it's worth a watch if you haven't seen it -- well, at least the first minute of it.

2009 Frankfurt Auto Show: Porsche 911 GT3 RS

Categories: Frankfurt Auto Show,Porsche,Sports Cars

Porsche is working on a commercial called "Family Tree" for the 2010 Panamera, and this video is a chance to go behind the scenes before its release. Don't worry if you're not a fan of the Panamera's shape. Porsche gathered 50 cars from its museum for the filming, so the Panamera is just a new face in a crowd of classic Porsches.

First Drive: 2010 Porsche Panamera

Categories: Classic Cars,Luxury Cars,Porsche,Sedans

There are not many cars that can pull off a red-on-gray paint scheme. The 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 RS is one of them. Tucked away in virtual darkness on the Porsche stand, the most extreme of the street-going 911s didn't get quite as much attention as the new Panamera or even the latest Turbo up front, but we all know which one we would rather drive.
 
The GT3 has always been a 911 for those who drive at a different level than the rest of us, and this latest version isn't likely to be any different. Drive it slow and it will probably feel stiff, loud and obnoxious. But drive it fast and you feel like the racecar driver you always wanted to be. There aren't many cars that can do that, so it's always nice to see that Porsche sees a good reason to keep up the tradition.

Categories: Coupes,Frankfurt Auto Show,Porsche,Sports Cars