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Porsche recalling 24,500 Panameras for a potential HVAC coolant pump issue

A possible coolant pump problem for the HVAC system is causing Porsche to recall 24,467 units of the Panamera from the 2017 to 2020 model years. Bentley's recalling 650 examples of the sibling 2020 Continental GT for the same issue. Porsche was notified of a malfunction in the external heat pump for the Panamera's climate control in December 2022. An automaker investigation found that it's possible for excess humidity or even liquid to get past the pump seals and short out the pump's circuit board and connector. In rare instances, the malfunction could cause a fire. This can happen even when the engine is turned off because the cars in question are equipped with a residual heat function that keeps warming the cabin after shutdown. Panameras built after July 26, 2021 were fitted with a different pump. The Stuttgart carmaker's field analysis showed "a very small number of instances of thermal damage possibly attributable to this issue." Bentley changed the part in July 2019 to a model with a pressure compensation seal. Porsche said it will begin notifying owners on March 27. It also said it will reimburse any Panamera owners who have paid to have the part fixed previous to this recall. The fix is a trip to the dealer for a new pump with better sealing, sourced from a new supplier. Bentley will begin notifying owners on the same day. In Bentley's case, though, the automaker says "A hardware change will be required but the final solution is currently under investigation and cannot be confirmed at this time." Since the automaker moved to a new pump that isn't part of the recall population, we aren't sure why a resolution remains under investigation. Porsche owners can contact Porsche customer service at 800-767-7243 and refer to internal recall number APA1. Bentley owners can call 800-777-6923 and refer to RE23/02 (RC67). Anyone in that group can go straight to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration at 888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) or nhtsa.gov, citing campaign number 23V033 for the Panamera or 23V034 for the Bentley. Related video:

Pre-Race notes from the 2015 Nurburgring 24-Hours

Autoblog has come to the German countryside to watch the Nurburgring 24-Hour race, and just one day in, we have to say it's outstanding. Le Mans has been the highlight of our summer racing schedule for the past few years, the 'Ring 24-Hour event being the appetizer we always skipped. Earlier this year, however, while visiting Miami to check out the Cigarette Racing 50 Marauder GT S, we met Scott Preacher. He oversees digital marketing for both Cigarette and AMG during the week, then comes to Germany to compete in the VLN race series on the weekends, driving an Aston Martin Vantage GT4 for Team Mathol. If Le Mans is the Oscars of endurance racing, the Nurburgring 24-Hour race is the Screen Actors Guild award – the one voted on by the actors, for the actors. In this case it's the race by the teams and fans, for the teams and fans, even though the increasing manufacturer presence has altered the team equation. We were told that it wasn't so long ago that true privateers could win the overall, but that's not really the case anymore. Front-running teams have heavy factory involvement – Audi Sport Team Phoenix, for instance, which finished in first and third last year, has its own 'Ring race center and is running the 2016 R8; Aston Martin is represented by Aston Martin Racing and Aston Martin Test Center, and Bentley has a Bentley Motors team and uses HPT to run another team. The fan component hasn't changed, though, and you can't talk about the race for more than 60 seconds before someone brings up the battalions of spectators. Every driver we spoke to cited them as the most incredible part of this race after the track itself. It feels to us like a giant German Sebring, with thousands of people camped out in the ginormous, forested infield, many of whom have been here since Monday erecting their ornate camping compounds. There will be parties everywhere Saturday night, and so much bratwurst on the grill that the drivers can smell it when as they're blasting full speed through Wehrseifen. Even when we drove a Mercedes S63 AMG Coupe on a lap before the race, the fans waved like it was a competition. Scott Preacher's Australian co-driver Robert Thompson said, "You come around a corner and it's like you're driving full speed through the middle of a carnival." The race field itself could also be called a carnival, with an officially invited field of more than 170 cars. Even on a track that's 24.4-km long, that's like racing on the 405 at midday.

2020 Bentley Bentayga Hybrid is less efficient on the highway than V8 version

Official EPA fuel-economy ratings are out for the 2020 Bentley Bentayga Hybrid, the luxury brand’s first electrified offering, and they donÂ’t exactly bathe the crossover in a green light. As spotted by Green Car Reports, the plug-in performs worse on the highway than its V8-powered combustion sibling. The EPA rated the Bentayga Hybrid as delivering 18 miles in all-electric range, which is two miles more than Bentley previously touted, and a combined 19 miles per gallon in hybrid mode, which is indeed the most efficient of the three Bentayga versions offered. ItÂ’s rated at 17 mpg city and 21 on the highway. By contrast, the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 version of the luxury crossover offers just 17 mpg combined, yet it delivers 23 mpg on the highway. Its overall EPA-rated highway range also beats the Hybrid, at 518 miles to 430 miles on a full charge and tank. The Bentayga Hybrid combines a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 and a 94 kilowatt electric motor that also functions as a generator. The system combines for 443 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, with a 5.2-second 0-60 mph time. It sends that through an eight-speed automatic transmission driving all four wheels. Curb weight is a hefty 5,709 pounds. Base price starts at $160,000. The V8, by comparison makes 542 hp, nearly 100 more ponies, and 568 lb-ft, with a 0-60 mph of 4.4 seconds. It will set you back $171,025. At any rate, both versions are well below the 27 combined mpg of the average 2020 vehicle, according to the EPA. The HybridÂ’s fuel economy ratings suggest that buyers may be motivated less by concerns about carbon footprint than conveying the appearance of having those concerns. Bentley has said its first full electric vehicle will be a dedicated model that will arrive in 2025 at the earliest, and possibly with a solid-state battery pack. Related Video: