2005 - Porsche Boxster on 2040-cars

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A few pre-race notes and a lot of photos from the 24 Hours of Le Mans

The 82nd running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans is on.
Audi has won 12 of the last 15 events, the scion of Auto Union is trying to make it 13 this year. To do so, it will have to overcome a situation faced only three other times during its dominance of La Sarthe: underdog status. Toyota has won the first two races of the year and claimed pole for this race, the rumor being that this year it's Toyota's race to lose.
And then there's Porsche. It's been 16 years since the Stuttgart brand raced on the top rung at Le Mans, three years years since it announced its return, just a year since it acquired Mark Webber in a signing that wasn't subtle and a few months since we got eyes on the 919 Hybrid.

Porsche responds to PETA after tiger cub displays at Macan dealership events

Porsche has found itself in the good graces of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which is pretty odd considering it's the only brand we know of that offers leather-lined vents. The activist group is praising the sports car manufacturer's handling of reports that some of its dealerships were set to feature tigers or tiger cubs at the local launch events for the Macan. Apparently, "macan" is the Malay word for tiger, which explains the connection between a highly touted crossover and a jungle cat.
A Tampa, FL dealership already displayed some three-week-old cubs, with PETA saying tigers for display should be at least eight to 12 weeks old. Even then, the group argues that the animals can suffer due to stress, malnourishment, neglect and a lack of veterinary care. The group brings up legal concerns, as well, arguing that if one of the cubs bit a customer, the dealership could be held liable (we're no big cat experts, but it seems unlikely a three-week-old cub could do that much damage).
Porsche's PR department quickly reacted to PETA's claims, with Vice President of Marketing Andre Oosthuizen, telling the group that Porsche is concerned about the "welfare of any animal, large or small, wild or domesticated." Oosthuizen's statements were reported in an official PETA blog.

Porsche bringing Macan S Diesel to US instead of 4-cylinder [w/poll]

When Porsche unveiled the new Macan at the LA Auto Show, it announced two powerplants for the US market, both of them twin-turbo V6s: the Macan S equipped with 340 horsepower from its 3.0-liter engine, and the Macan Turbo with 400 horses from 3.6 liters. But those aren't the only engines Porsche will offer in its new compact crossover. Porsche is also offering the Macan S Diesel overseas with 258 hp, and reports have since indicated that a pair of four-cylinder models on their way: a 2.0-liter turbo four with 280 hp and four-pot turbodiesel of the same capacity with an as-yet undisclosed output.
Now Car and Driver is reporting that while those four-cylinder engines won't be making the transatlantic voyage to our shores, Porsche will offer the aforementioned Macan S Diesel in North America beginning in early 2015, nearly a year after the gas V6 versions arrive.
The 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 is based on the same engine found in the Cayenne Diesel and the Audi Q5 TDI on which the Macan is based. Of course, its 248 hp is substantially less than the 340 ponies in the Macan S, but its 413 pound-feet of torque outshines not only the 339 lb-ft in the Macan S but also the 406 lb-ft in the Macan Turbo. Acceleration times, however, suggest the Macan S Diesel is still slower, with a 6.3-second run to 62 mph than neither the Macan S (5.4 sec) or Macan Turbo (4.8). The good news is that the Macan S Diesel is tipped to undercut the price of both, dropping the oil-burning crossover's MSRP below that of the $49,900 starting price for the Macan S and the $49,600 for the base Cayenne. If that C/D prediction comes to pass, that will make it the Macan S Diesel most affordable Porsche sold.