2001 Porsche Boxster Base Convertible 2-door 2.7l on 2040-cars

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Consumer Reports no longer recommends Honda Civic

Consumer Reports annual Car Reliability Survey is out, and yes, there are some big surprises. First and foremost? The venerable publication no longer recommends the Honda Civic. In fact, aside from the walking-dead CR-Z and limited-release Clarity fuel-cell car, the Civic is the only Honda to miss out on CR's prestigious nod. At the opposite end there's a surprise as well – Toyota and Lexus remain the most reliable brands on the market, but Buick cracked the top three. That's up from seventh last year, and the first time for an American brand to stand on the Consumer Reports podium. Mazda's entire lineup earned Recommended checks as well. Consumer Reports dinged the Civic for its "infuriating" touch-screen radio, lack of driver lumbar adjustability, the limited selection of cars on dealer lots fitted with Honda's popular Sensing system, and the company's decision to offer LaneWatch instead of a full-tilt blind-spot monitoring system. Its score? A lowly 58. The Civic isn't the only surprise drop from CR's Recommended ranks. The Audi A3, Ford F-150, Subaru WRX/STI, and Volkswagen Jetta, GTI, and Passat all lost the Consumer Reports' checkmark. On the flipside, a number of popular vehicles graduated to the Recommended ranks, including the BMW X5, Chevrolet Camaro, Corvette, and Cruze, Hyundai Santa Fe, Porsche Macan, and Tesla Model S. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the hilariously recall-prone Ford Escape getting a Recommended check – considering the popularity of Ford's small crossover, this is likely a coup for the brand, as it puts the Escape on a level playing field with the Recommended Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Nissan Rogue. While Ford is probably happy to see CR promote the Escape, the list wasn't as kind for every brand. For example, of the entire Fiat Chrysler Automobiles catalog, the ancient Chrysler 300 was the only car to score a check – there wasn't a single Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, or Ram on the list. That hurts. FCA isn't alone at the low end, either. GMC, Jaguar Land Rover, Mini, and Mitsubishi don't have a vehicle on CR's list between them, while brands like Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Nissan, Lincoln, Infiniti, and Cadillac only have a few models each. You can check out Consumer Reports entire reliability roundup, even without a subscription, here.

Porsche Cayman GT4 looks sexy, rapid in the nude

Porsche doesn't officially have a name for its more hardcore version of the Cayman, yet. The speculation is that the coupe is called the GT4 as a little brother to the 911 GT3. However, the German sports car maker apparently is not interested in keeping the model's looks much of a secret because these latest shots show it without a hint of camouflage to speak of. The GT4 reportedly takes the GT3's ethos of more power, less weight and stickier-than-glue handling and brings it all to the Cayman. As these photos show, there's a much lower air dam up front with a cooling vent at the tip of the hood. Larger wheels are another obvious addition and are likely shod with some very sticky rubber. At the back, there's a double spoiler combining a wing and a ducktail. The power and gearbox for the GT4 remains a mystery, though. The rumor is that it uses a tuned version of the 3.4-liter flat-six in the Cayman S and GTS to make between 370 and 400 horsepower. A similar overhaul of the Boxster might be on the way, as well. A version of the convertible wearing some of the Cayman GT4's goodies was recently spotted testing. That one even had a manual transmission to make the prospects behind the wheel even more exciting.

Porsche 718 Cayman gets new turbocharged engines

When Porsche revealed the new 718 Boxster, it appeared a matter of time before the Cayman would receive the same treatment. That time has come. The Cayman is like the 718 Boxster, but with a fixed roof, and both models are now aligned under the same number plate. The biggest change over the outgoing Cayman is the arrival of turbocharged power. In place of the 2.7- and 3.4-liter atmospheric boxer sixes in the previous model, the new 718 Cayman offers a choice of turbo fours: a 2.0-liter unit in the base model good for 300 horsepower, and a 2.5 in the S version with 350 hp on tap – just like in the latest Boxster. Smaller, both the new turbo engines bring increases of 25 hp over the naturally aspirated engines they replace. Torque goes up along with it – by 67 pound-feet in the base model to 280, and by 37 lb-ft in the Cayman S to 309. The extra muscle translates to a 0-to-60 time as low as 4.5 seconds for the 718 Cayman, or 4.0 flat for the 718 Cayman S, with top speeds clocked at 170 and 177 miles per hour, respectively. Of course, there's more to the new 718 coupe than what can be found under the engine bay. Porsche has retuned the suspension, tightened the steering rack, widened the rear wheels, and enlarged the brakes. It's all wrapped in new bodywork and operated from a refreshed interior. US deliveries are set to commence in November, with prices starting at $54,950 (including the destination fee) for the base model and $67,350 for the S model. Those are just starting points, with key options like the Sport Chrono pack, torque vectoring, and active suspension promising to inflate those figures as rapidly as the new Cayman will cover ground. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Poised for precision: The new 2017 Porsche 718 Cayman Mid-engine sports coupe with new turbocharged flat-four cylinder engines and enhanced suspension Atlanta, Georgia. Today Porsche announces the new 718 Cayman models. Following the debut of the new 718 Boxster, the new 718 Cayman complements the roadster in the mid-engine model line-up. This third generation of the mid-engine sports coupe has a more striking and athletic appearance, and for the first time, the coupe is priced below the roadster. The new turbocharged flat-four cylinder engines from the 718 Boxster power the 718 Cayman, making the power output identical for both models.