1987 Targa Carrera 911 on 2040-cars

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2017 Porsche Panamera Turbo First Drive

The Porsche Panamera didn't need much improving. Okay, the humpback design was short of pretty, and people really liked complaining about the Spine of Many Buttons down the center console. But once you sat down in one (and could no longer see the shape) then set the chassis how you wanted it, the nitpicking stopped. Now back for round two, the Panamera has been visited with improvement in almost every area. We'll start with the styling. The 2017 design doesn't stray too far from the original's, but a handful of small changes come together to execute the stretched-911 look the car has always been going for – the rear roofline and side glass opening now mirror the sports car's. The back seat is no longer designed to fit a certain six-foot-six CEO, so the roof has been dropped slightly, although Porsche claims the seat cushion has been lowered by the same amount, making for a net-zero headroom change. The 2017 car's more pronounced shoulders, rear glass that reaches back farther, and a greater taper toward the rear bring it all together. There was less change in front – it's hard to tell a difference between the parts ahead of the windshield on this car and the face-lifted first generation at a glance; that's fine by us. If you liked the first Panamera's design, you'll like this one. And if you didn't, well, you probably still will. And anyone who liked how the last one drove will be into the second-gen car. The original felt tight, composed, and amazingly Porsche-like, more so than the Cayenne SUV that busted out of the company's mold before it. Porsche used its usual combination of technology and deft chassis tuning to make the first Panamera something more than a sporty sedan with a hatch on the back, and all of that carries over to this new one; the car is about the same size, with a slightly longer wheelbase, but it feels even smaller around you, which is mostly down to the many sophisticated chassis systems. They're too numerous to even list here, but you can read our tech backgrounder story for more details on what makes the car tick. We'll focus instead on how it drives. Although it has been changed, the steering manages to extend a through line from the last Panamera. The rack switches from hydraulic to electric assist, but the weight and feedback are similar to what the old car provided, at least in Normal mode.

Porsche says it found 'irregular' software as Germany recalls diesel Cayenne

BERLIN - German Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt on Thursday announced a recall of Porsche Cayenne models equipped with 3-liter diesel engines after finding potentially illegal emissions controlling software in the vehicles. Dobrindt told reporters he was withdrawing certification for the vehicles, which will need to undergo a software update to regain legal status. Sports car maker Porsche AG is owned by Volkswagen, which in 2015 admitted to systematic manipulation of engine management software to cheat emissions tests. Porsche on Thursday said it had discovered "irregular" engine management software during an internal probe into emissions. Porsche also said it had agreed to recall the vehicles to fix the problem. "The producer will of course bear 100 percent of the costs," Dobrindt said. "There is no explanation why this software was in this vehicle." The minister said: "We have examined Porsche Cayenne vehicles of the 3 liter TDI Euro 6 Mark - during tests these vehicles deploy a so-called defense strategy, which isn't activated in real traffic." "In our view that is a kind of test recognition, which we regard as an impermissible deactivation strategy." "Even if there is a modern exhaust gas cleaning system in these vehicles, if this software is nonetheless there it is illegal, does not meet the legal requirements and needs to be removed," Dobrindt said. He also said that Porsche would quickly be in a position to bring the software into conformity with the law. Dobrindt also said there were some 7,500 vehicles of this type certified in Germany and some 22,000 certified in Europe. "We don't know how many are with dealers. These are the cars that fall under the certification ban." The Porsche Cayenne model shares components with a sister model, the Volkswagen Touareg. Asked about Volkswagen's Touareg model, Dobrindt said: "On the technical question, it is assumed that this vehicle has a similar parameter set but identical construction does not mean that the same software was used in it but it is assumed that the same software was used." He said the Transport Ministry was, however, checking that and a hearing with Volkswagen would show whether that was the case or not, adding: "The probability is high." Volkswagen CFO Frank Witter had no immediate comment about the Porsche recall on a VW earnings call also held on Thursday.

NFL draft recruits to get Porsche 911s for fastest 40 times

It's fair to say the NFL Combine is a big deal for players entering a draft. Their future quite literally comes down to a series of drills. You a defensive tackle? Better rock out on the bench press. Hoping to be the next great wide receiver? Your vertical better be awesome. And what of the running backs? Well, few drills match the importance of the 40-yard dash. That particular drill will have a renewed importance not just for the RBs, but for other skill positions at this year's Combine, as the three fastest times will be gifted a shiny new Porsche 911. Adidas is offering up the three cars, which ESPN reports are valued at about $83,000 a piece. That means these new recruits won't be rolling around in a Turbo or GT3. They will, however, sport a questionable sense of design, as the German shoe company has fitted a cheetah print, which is meant to match one of the company's new trainers. You can check both the car and the shoe out above. NFL fans, meanwhile, should feel free to head into Comments and let us know who you think will take home a new 911. Related Video: