2012 Porsche Cayenne on 2040-cars

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2015 Porsche Panamera S First Drive

Porsche brought the Panamera in for its garage makeover and drove it out looking almost exactly the same. Turns out it was one of those fancy German refreshes where everything happens in places you can't immediately see, as we found recently on the 2015 Volkswagen Jetta TDI. The marquee revision across the lineup is under the hood, where every engine gets, at the very least, more power. Such is the case for the naturally aspirated V6 in the entry models, fitted with an increase of 10 horsepower for a total of 310. The same goes for the naturally-aspirated 4.8-liter V8, which lives only in the Panamera GTS now, and gets 10 more hp for a total of 430. That same V8, twin-turbocharged in the Turbo model, is graced with 20 more ponies for 520 hp. The mightiest marquee revision is saved for the S models, which surrender their use of the 4.8-liter V8 and get a 3.0-liter, all-aluminum, twin-turbocharged V6 in its place. It's a brand-new engine designed in-house and related to the 3.6-liter V6 in the base models, but with new features like a magnesium timing chain cover, variable camshaft timing for the intake and the exhaust valves, and a new fuel- injection system. Putting out 420 hp and 384 pound-feet of torque, it's got 20 more hp and 15 more lb-ft than the V8 it replaces. What's more, torque used to peak from 3,500 to 5,000 rpm, but the new torque curve maintains maximum twist from 1,750 to 5,000 rpm. It is less thirsty as well, posting an estimated fuel economy of 17/27 miles per gallon city/highway, besting the 16/24 city/highway of before. An improved stop-start mechanism contributes to this, as it cuts the engine earlier, and the coasting function benefits from a new disc clutch that can decouple the seven-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission from the driveline. As we wrote in our Panamera S E-Hybrid review, you'd need to be obsessed with the Panamera to notice the sheet metal changes around that engine. It's the perfect car to ask, oh so coyly, "Notice anything different about me?" while you stand there dumbfounded, silently thinking, "No." Here is your cheat sheet: the front and back ends are "tighter," meaning faintly more squared off, the front intakes are larger, the tailgate gets wider rear glass over the same-sized opening, the rear spoiler is wider, and the rear license plate bracket has been mounted lower. But even now that you know what the changes are, odds are still 200-to-1 against you actually noticing.

Porsche Cayenne GTS, base models revealed ahead of LA

Porsche unveiled a slew of refreshed Cayennes just a few months ago, but the base model (right) and high-performance GTS trim (above) were conspicuously absent from that list. There's no more reason to wonder about them, though, because the German brand plans to unveil both at the upcoming Los Angeles Auto Show on November 19.
Sitting below the Turbo in the lineup, the latest GTS still offers plenty of performance. It drops the previous version's naturally aspirated V8 in favor of a tuned version of the twin-turbo 3.6-liter V6 from the Cayenne S for some added oomph. The tweaks bring power up to 440 horsepower and 445 pound-feet of torque, which is enough to rocket the model to 62 miles per hour in an estimated 5.2 seconds. The bump also equates to 20 hp and 39 lb-ft more than the current S and more importantly 20 hp and 62 lb-ft more than the previous GTS, according to Porsche.
In addition to the extra muscle, Porsche also decks the GTS out with some added features. It comes with a standard sport exhaust and Porsche Active Suspension Management system with an air suspension lets the chassis sit about three-quarters of an inch lower (20 millimeters). To bring things to a halt, the high-performance models also takes its brakes from the Turbo model.

Porsche 911 puts Turbos on its turbos

Distinct from the turbo-but-not-Turbo Porsche 911, the new high-performance models come to market with either 540 or 580 horsepower, depending on which version of the 3.8-liter, twin-turbocharged flat-six engine you choose. Both figures count as a 20-horsepower bump over the last Turbo/Turbo S, allowing both models to hit 60 in under three seconds – 2.9 and 2.7 seconds, respectively – and in the case of the S, on to a 200-plus-mph top speed. This capability will not come cheap, of course. Before so much as dipping a toe into Porsche's notoriously deep options catalog, the base Turbo will demand a $160,195 check. That's awfully spendy, and things don't improve as you climb up the range. The cabriolet adds $12,300 to that, while the S starts at $189,095. Going topless in the Turbo S will require $201,395. We had no trouble building a Turbo S Coupe up to $211,000 without adding some of the more obnoxious options, like the $1,720 leather air vents. Check out our live galleries of both the new 911 Turbo and the 911 Turbo S at the top of the page. Redefining fast: the new 2017 Porsche 911 Turbo and 911 Turbo S Top model of the 911 range offers more power, fresh design, and enhanced features ATLANTA, Nov. 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Porsche will be off to a powerful start in 2016 when the 2017 911 Turbo and 911 Turbo S make their debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January. The top-of-the-line 911 models will be available in both coupe and convertible body styles and are equipped with engines offering 20 horsepower more than before, a sharper design, and enhanced features. The 3.8 liter twin-turbo six-cylinder engine powering the 911 Turbo now develops 540 hp. The increase in horsepower is achieved through modified intake ports in the cylinder heads, new fuel injectors, and higher fuel pressure. The 911 Turbo S now makes 580 hp thanks to new turbochargers with larger impelle. In addition to a higher maximum torque (553 lb.-ft. in overboost compared to 523 lb.-ft. on the Turbo), the Turbo S also has a higher redline (7200 rpm instead of 7000). Porsche is still the only manufacturer to use turbochargers with variable turbine geometry in gasoline engines. The engines now also have a dynamic boost function, which improves throttle response during spirited driving. It maintains the boost pressure during load changes – i.e. when the accelerator pedal is briefly released.