57 Porsche 356 Speedster Replica 1600 Cc Volkswagen 4 Speed Manual on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Jay Leno plugs himself into Porsche's 918 Spyder

As one of the greatest sports car manufacturers of all time, when Porsche puts out a new, ultra-exclusive hypercar, enthusiasts tend to stand up and take note. Jay Leno is no exception, and now, the funnyman is finally getting his time with awesome 918 Spyder.
With his 1963 Porsche 356 and his 2005 Carrera GT flanking a Liquid Silver 918, Leno takes us through the basics of this plug-in hybrid roadster alongside Daniel Eastman of Porsche North America. Following the chat, Leno and Eastman take the German-plated car through the streets of California, testing it in a number of modes and even going on a short, all-electric freeway cruise.
If you're looking to learn more about the 918, or to just here its glorious gas engine at work, you'll want to scroll down and take a look at the latest episode of Jay Leno's Garage.

Ferdinand Piech (1937-2019): The man who made VW global

Towering among his peers, a giant of the auto industry died Sunday night in Rosenheim/Upper Bavaria, Germany. Ferdinand Piech, a grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, who conceived the original Volkswagen in the 1930s, was the most polarizing automotive executive of our times. And one who brought automotive technology further than anyone else. Ferdinand Porsche had a son, Ferdinand (called "Ferry"), and a daughter, Louise, who married the Viennese lawyer Anton Piech. They gave birth to Ferdinand Piech, and his proximity to two Alfa Romeo sports cars — Porsche had done some work for the Italians — and the "Berlin-Rome-Berlin" race car, developed by Porsche himself, gave birth to Piech's interest in cars. After his teachers in Salzburg told his mother he was "too stupid" to attend school there, Piech, who was open about his dyslexia, was sent to a boarding school in Switzerland. He subsequently moved on to Porsche, where he fixed issues with the 904 race car and did major work on the 911. But his greatest project was the Le Mans-winning 917 race car, developed at breathtaking financial cost. It annihilated the competition, but the family had had enough: Amid growing tension among the four cousins working at Porsche and Piech's uncle Ferry, the family decided to pull every family member, except for Ferry, out of their management positions. Piech started his own consultancy business, where he designed the famous five-cylinder diesel for Mercedes-Benz, but quickly moved on to Audi, first as an engineer and then as CEO, where he set out to transform the dull brand into a technology leader. Piech killed the Wankel engine and hammered out a number of ambitious and sophisticated technologies. Among them: The five-cylinder gasoline engine; Quattro all-wheel drive and Audi's fantastic rally successes; and turbocharging, developed with Fritz Indra, whom Piech recruited from Alpina. The Audi 100/200/5000 became the world's fastest production sedan, thanks to their superior aerodynamics. Piech also launched zinc-coated bodies for longevity — and gave diesel technology a decisive boost with the advent of the fast and ultra-efficient TDI engines. Less known: Piech also decided to put larger gas tanks into cars. Customers loved it. Piech's first-generation Audi V8 was met with derision by competitors; it was too obviously based on the 200/5000.

Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport delivers track-only thrills for $165K

Among the cars on display in Los Angeles, production and concept cars are normal. Racers, though, are rather rare. And race-specific models that can be had for less than $200,000 are more or less unheard of. Don't tell that to Porsche, though, because the German automaker has introduced the new Cayman GT4 Clubsport for the relatively reasonable sum of $165,000. For that supercar-worthy price, you'll be getting a number of race-derived parts. As we covered in our preview post, that will include a strong roster of safety equipment, including a full roll cage and six-point harnesses that will keep you pinned in a purposeful racing bucket. The standard 18.5-gallon fuel tank can be replaced with an optional 26.5-gallon setup, while a central fire extinguisher keeps things from getting too hot out on the track. Mechanically, the Clubsport adjusts the Cayman GT4 formula for the track. The road car's 3.8-liter flat-six engine is still mounted amidships, but it's paired with super-quick, six-speed dual-clutch transmission, the critically acclaimed PDK. It's the suspension, though, that sees the most dramatic changes, as Porsche has pressed the front and rear strut suspension from the 911 GT3 Cup into duty for the GT4 Clubsport. The new system is lighter, and contributes to the track star's 2,866-pound curb weight. That's nearly a 100-pound drop over the road car. A set of four 15-inch steel rotors clamped by six-piston calipers up front and four-piston units in the rear should deliver stopping power as impressive as the cornering and acceleration. Amateur racers interested in the new coupe can purchase it directly from Porsche Motorsports North America for competition in the 2016 racing season. Homologation is still being hammered out, but Porsche expects the GT4 Clubsport to be certified for the "VLN Long Distance Championship Nurburgring, the Ultra 94 GT3 Cup Challenge Canada, the PCA Club Racing Cayman GT4 Clubsport Trophy East as well as for other club-level competition events around the world." Read on for the official press release. New Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport for the racetrack World premiere in Los Angeles LOS ANGELES, Nov. 18, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Porsche has added a new sports car for amateur and club racing to its Motorsports fleet: The Cayman GT4 Clubsport celebrated its world premiere today at the Los Angeles Auto Show.