2007 Porsche 911 Turbo Coupe Sport Chrono Navigation Finance Available on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Malaise Era All-Stars

A few weeks ago, we bid a fond happy 40th anniversary to the automotive dark ages of 1973-84 that have come to be known as "The Malaise Era" - the performance ice-age when 160 horsepower was a lot and a 0-60 time of under 10 seconds was remarkable. Like music in the 1980s, everything in automobiledom didn't suck, however. There were a few bright spots. Here are five of our favorites:
1976-79 Porsche 930, aka 911 Turbo Carrera (above)
Photo Credit: Dorotheum

Porsche resurrects V8-powered 911 prototype from the Eighties

These days, we take it for granted that the Porsche 911 uses a flat-six engine. That's because every version of the iconic rear-engined sports car has had one. Right? Well, for the most part. There was the 912 that joined the original in the late Sixties with a flat-four. And in the mid-Eighties, Porsche toyed around with the idea of a V8-powered 911.
After the first-generation 911 had been in production for over two decades, Porsche began development of its successor, the 964, in the 1980s. And one of its ideas was to use a V8 engine. So it took a 964, borrowed a V8 from Audi, gave it the rear bodywork from a 959 and dubbed it the 965.
The idea was to create a more affordable successor to the 959 that included its advanced all-wheel drive system and active suspension. The Audi V8 would have been replaced with one of Porsche's own design - possibly based on the it had built for Indy racing - but Dr. Ulrich Bez (who was then head of Porsche R&D long before taking the reins at Aston Martin) ultimately killed the project.

Porsche Cayenne, Panamera production halted by flooding

If you recently ordered a Porsche Cayenne or a Panamera, delivery may take a little longer than originally expected. Automotive News reports that production of both models has been temporarily halted at the Porsche assembly plant in Leipzig, Germany as the result of supply shortages caused by flooding in the nearby Czech Republic. The reason for the stoppage is that the body of the Cayenne - currently Porsche's best-selling model - is produced at a Volkswagen plant in the Czech city of Bratislava and shipped by train to Leipzig.
The report does not indicate why Panamera production has been stopped - that the five-door's body is made at a separate location in Hanover, Germany. However pre-assembly will continue on these models. At full capacity, the Leipzig plant can produce about 450 vehicles per day, and it isn't clear how long this weather-related stoppage will last.