1990 Porsche 911 Carrera 2 Targa on 2040-cars

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Drive like a prince: Join us for a walk through Monaco's car collection

Small, crowded, and a royal pain in the trunk lid to drive into during rush hour, Monaco sounds like an improbable location for a huge car museum. And yet, this tiny city-state has been closely linked to car culture for over a century. It hosts two major racing events every year, many of its residents would qualify for a frequent shopper card if Rolls-Royce issued one, and Prince Rainier III began assembling a collection of cars in the late 1950s. He opened his collection to the public in 1993 and the museum quickly turned into a popular tourist attraction. The collection continued to grow after his death in April 2005; it moved to a new facility located right on Hercules Port in July 2022. Monaco being Monaco, you'd expect to walk into a room full of the latest, shiniest, and most powerful supercars ever to shred a tire. That's not the case: while there is no shortage of high-horsepower machines, the first cars you see after paying ˆ10 (approximately $11) to get in are pre-war models. In that era, the template for the car as we know it in 2023 hadn't been created, so an eclectic assortment of expensive and dauntingly experimental machines roamed whatever roads were available to them. One is the Leyat Helica, which was built in France in 1921 with a 1.2-liter air-cooled flat-twin sourced from the world of aviation. Fittingly, the two-cylinder spun a massive, plane-like propeller. Government vehicles get a special spot in the museum. They range from a Cadillac Series 6700 with an amusing blend of period-correct French-market yellow headlights and massive fins to a 2011 Lexus LS 600h with a custom-made transparent roof panel that was built by Belgian coachbuilder Carat Duchatelet for Prince Albert II's wedding. Here's where it all gets a little weird: you've got a 1952 Austin FX3, a Ghia-bodied 1959 Fiat 500 Jolly, a 1960 BMW Isetta, and a 1971 Lotus Seven. That has to be someone's idea of a perfect four-car garage.  One of the most significant cars in the collection lurks in the far corner of the main hall, which is located a level below the entrance. At first glance, it's a kitted-out Renault 4CV with auxiliary lights, a racing number on the front end, and a period-correct registration number issued in the Bouches-du-Rhone department of France. It doesn't look all that different than the later, unmodified 4CV parked right next to it. Here's what's special about it: this is one of the small handful of Type 1063 models built by Renault for competition.

Porsche turns up boost on 911 range with new Turbo and Turbo S

You didn't honestly think Porsche would stop with just a turbocharged Carrera and Carrera S, did you? No, that'd be silly. Of course Stuttgart had to follow up those two smash hits with a new Turbo and Turbo S. Naturally, both cars build on the 370-horsepower Carrera and 420-horsepower C2S. The base Turbo offers 540 horsepower and starts at $160,195, while the Turbo S packs 580 horsepower and demands an extra $28,900. Adding a folding fabric top to either model will drive the cost of entry up by $12,300, regardless of output. For those keeping track at home, that's a 20-horsepower bump for both vehicles over the previous models, while the Turbo's price jumps by $8,100 and the Turbo S will cost an extra $5,400. In terms of actual performance, the Turbo hits 60 in just 2.9 seconds and will carry on to 198 miles per hour, a one-tenth and three-mph improvement over the current car. Going for the Turbo S will only shave a tenth of second off the 60-mph sprint, although you'll pick up an extra seven mph on the top end. That compares favorably to the current car, which takes 2.9 seconds to get to the magic six-oh and stops accelerating at just 197. The stopwatch improvements are only part of the story. Porsche claims the new dynamic boost function will maintain turbo pressure during sudden throttle load changes, like you might experience when pushing the 3.8-liter, twin-turbocharged flat-six hard. That means snappier throttle response. As with the current 911 Turbo and Turbo S, Porsche's excellent dual-clutch transmission is the only way to fly. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Both cars also get Porsche's Sport Chrono Package and Porsche Active Suspension Management as standard, while upgrading to the Turbo S will add Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control and carbon-ceramic brakes. While there's lots of free hardware, we're betting Porsche's options catalog will remain just as robust. As for the design, you can expect the same look shown on the new, turbocharged 911 Carrera, albeit with some Turbo and Turbo S exclusives. 20-inch wheels are standard, with super-wide rubber in the back – Porsche doesn't list tire specs, but the rear hoops are 11.5-inches wide. Both the 911 Turbo and Turbo S will get their big debut at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show. Naturally, we'll have much more then, including live photos from the show. In the meantime, read on for the official press release from Porsche.

2018 Mazda6, Porsche Panamera and Nissan Titan | Autoblog Podcast #541

On this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Green Editor John Beltz Snyder and Associate Editor Reese Counts. We talk about driving the updated, turbocharged 2018 Mazda6, 2018 Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo 4S Sport Turismo and the 2018 Nissan Titan S 4x4 King Cab. We also discuss aftermarket parts for the Chevy Colorado, pick our favorite 50th Anniversary Hot Wheels and, as always, help a listener buy a new car in our "Spend My Money" segment. Autoblog Podcast #541 Your browser does not support the audio element. Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Cars we've been driving: Mazda6, Porsche Panamera, Nissan Titan The aftermarket takes on the Chevy Colorado 50th Anniversary Hot Wheels Spend my money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video: Aftermarket Podcasts Chevrolet Mazda Nissan Porsche Car Buying Truck Wagon Sedan Hot Wheels porsche panamera sport turismo