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Porsche not responsible for Paul Walker and Roger Rodas crash

A US District Court judge has found that Porsche wasn't responsible for the Carrera GT crash that killed Roger Rodas and actor Paul Walker, according to The Detroit News citing the Associated Press. Rodas' widow, Kristine, brought the lawsuit against the German automaker, but the court ruled there was a lack of evidence for her case. "Plaintiff has provided no competent evidence that Rodas' death occurred as a result of any wrongdoing on the part of defendant," US District Judge Philip S. Gutierrez ruled, according to the AP. Rodas' lawyer pledged to appeal the decision. Rodas' lawsuit asserted that the Carrera GT's right rear suspension failed and also cited the Porsche's lack of a proper fuel cell or a crash cage as factors. However, the judge didn't see any evidence for the suspension failure. He also criticized the expert for Rodas' side for analyzing tire marks from over a month after the crash rather than the photos from right after the incident, the AP reports. A 2014 investigation by the Los Angeles County Sherriff's Department blamed unsafe speed as the fatal accident's cause. The investigators reported that the Carrera GT was doing between 80 and 93 miles per hour when the crash happened. They also found nothing mechanically wrong with the supercar but did discover that the tires were over nine years old. The LA County Coroner ruled that both deaths were accidents. According to the AP, the lawsuits from Walker's daughter and his father against Porsche are still pending in Los Angeles Superior Court, and the district court ruling doesn't affect them. In each case, Porsche denied being at fault and cited the sheriff's investigation as support for that argument. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

2017 Porsche Panamera spotted barely disguised

Porsche is hard at work bringing the next generation of its Panamera to market. Its arrival will succeed a model that's been for sale now for over six years now (since 2009), having undergone a mid-cycle facelift as recently as 2013. What we have here in front of us could be our best look yet at the upcoming replacement model. Spied while testing in its native Germany, this barely disguised prototype looks just about ready to reach showrooms. Only a few select parts – namely around the lights (front and rear) and the rear side windows – appear to still be wearing any camouflage at all. So save for those few details, some additional brightwork here and there, and a proper polishing to give it that Porsche shine, expect the 2017 Panamera to look pretty much like the one you see here. It still looks very much like a Porsche, and very much like a Panamera, but thankfully softens the curve of the current model's controversial roofline. Like the outgoing model, the upcoming iteration of Zuffenhausen's four-door coupe/sedan is expected to carry a wide array of powertrain options, including gasoline engines, diesels, turbos, and hybrids. Just which one this particular example is carrying we don't know. But one way or another, buyers can expect improvements in both performance and efficiency once this new model comes around sometime early next year. We won't be surprised, then, to see it find its way onto the stage at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show next March, so watch this space. Related Video:

Stock Miata beats bunch of high-powered cars in wet 1/4-mile drag race

When is a stock, 167-horsepower Mazda MX-5 Miata quicker than a Chevrolet Corvette, Ford Mustang, Lamborghini Gallardo, Lotus Elise and a Porsche 911? When it's raining. Sort of.
Mazda Canada arranged a unique drag race to show off the fact that the Miata's optional power retractable folding hardtop can go from top-down to top-up in just 12 seconds flat. In this video, all six cars line up for a drag race, and it starts to rain (well, sort of - but you'll have to watch the video all the way to the end to see what we mean). The green flag is waved, and the timer starts as soon as the convertibles begin to put their tops up. But because the Miata's roof mechanism gets the car's roof back up a full 5.1 seconds quicker than the second-place car, the Mazda gets a serious advantage off the line for the actual drag race.
It's a fun video. And while we've spoiled the results (come on, the video was uploaded by Mazda, you knew the Miata was going to win), be sure to see how it all unfolds, below.