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Porsche Cayenne shows a bit more face, plug-in spotted

Porsche was first rumored to be working on a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version of the Cayenne over a year ago. However, we had never seen it, until now. The new model was caught almost completely undisguised while testing. In another stroke of luck, we got a glimpse of the upcoming facelift for Porsche's SUV (pictured above) as well.
According to the spy shooter, it was windy during the cars' cold weather testing. The cover blew off of the facelifted Cayenne, and there was enough time to snap these pictures before it could be hidden again. The changes are all quite minor but jive with what we saw the last time it was spied. The rear still wears some cladding but is expected to be hiding lights similar to the Macan.
The second gallery shows off the upcoming Cayenne PHEV. It looks nearly identical to the standard model, except for the extra panel on the driver's side of the car that hides the electric port. One image even shows the car plugged in. The new version is expected to use the same supercharged 3.0-liter V6 and 9.4-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack with a combined 416 horsepower and 435 pound-feet of torque from the Panamera S E-Hybrid. We enjoyed the system when we tested it last year. It's rumored to debut on the SUV sometime this year.

Porsche 959 Prototype started it all

While Porsche was unveiling the new Nürburgring-dominating 918 Spyder downstairs in Hall 3 here at the Frankfurt Messe, there was another Porsche supercar quietly and discretely on display upstairs in the same hall. That, of course, was the 959. But not just any 959: this was the original Gruppe B prototype.
The 959 was first developed as a rally car in the early 80s to compete with the likes of the original Audi Sport Quattro S1, Ford RS200 and Lancia Delta S4. But Zuffenhausen soon saw its potential as a production road-going supercar, emerging as a technological marvel to challenge the decidedly linear approach of the Ferrari F40. It still stands as a groundbreaking supercar in its own right, but also lead to the first all-wheel-drive 911 Turbo and set the stage for the Carrera GT and aforementioned 918 Spyder that followed to cap the top of the evolving Porsche range.
This original Gruppe B prototype, which presaged the production 959, packed a 450-horsepower 2.8-liter twin-turbo flat-six into an even sleeker form than the final version that followed. We caught up with it on display as part of a display of 80s German classics, of which this 959 prototype immediately stood out as the pick of the proverbial litter. Check out the hotness in the high-resolution image gallery above.

Porsche 918 Spyder with Weissach package does 0-62 mph in 2.6 seconds

Porsche marketers are having a field day with the 918 Spyder after some last-minute tuning improved the car's performance. They now say that it's so fast it's already beaten itself. Let us explain: Using a Weissach package-equipped 918 as an example (which reduces the plug-in hybrid supercar's weight through the deletion of some interior items, more generous use of carbon fiber and magnesium wheels), the car's previous official 0-62 miles-per-hour time of 2.8 seconds has been cut to 2.6. Additionally, 0-124 mph takes 7.2 seconds and 0-186 mph is dispatched in 19.9 seconds, times that were reduced by half a second and 2.1 seconds, respectively.
In all-electric mode, a non-Weissach pack 918 does 0-62 mph in 6.2 seconds (with the package, 6.1 seconds), down from 6.9 seconds. Efficiency is also improved thanks to the final tuning. The New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) rating of a Weissach pack-equipped car equates to 94 miles per gallon, up three mpg compared to before. That's pretty good for a car with 887 horsepower!
Check out the press release below for more details on how Porsche's final tuning measures improved its flagship supercar.