2004 Porsche 911 on 2040-cars

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A beastly 1979 Porsche 930 is unleashed by Petrolicious

The 911 Turbo held a special place in Porsche's lineup for decades. Much of the mystique came from its performance potential, but that huge capability also required a deft hand and foot to keep things in check. These days even the most basic 911 packs turbos, but Grant Karnes and his 1979 Porsche 930 demonstrate why the early models remain classics in the latest video from Petrolicious. Karnes says he gets attention from everyone he passes in his 930, and it's easy to understand why. Even before the coupe comes into view, the upgraded, turbocharged engine pops and crackles with a wonderfully raw sound. People then see the Porsche's classic combination of wide fenders and a big rear spoiler. Karnes also adds a vintage racing vibe with Martini decals on the hood and doors, and his license plate tells folks exactly what kind of machine this is. Plus, if you happen to spot this car at night, the exhaust can shoot bursts of flames. Porsches are a fairly common subject in Petrolicious' videos, and they run the gamut from well-worn classics to heavily modded canyon carvers. Karnes' 930 leans more in the latter direction but still maintains a vintage look. He promises the coupe is always exciting to drive, and this clip does a fantastic job of showing why. Related Video:

Modded budget Mazda Miata takes on new Porsche Boxster in more challenges

Earlier this month, our friends across the pond at Auto Express released the first in a two-video series that would see them try and build up a second-generation Mazda MX-5 Miata that could best a standard Porsche Boxster around the track. While that first video detailed the mods to the MX-5 - a supercharger, some suspension upgrades and a new set of super-sticky rubber being chief among them - and set baseline lap times for the stock car, today, we have the results of the 5,000-pound ($8,200) upgrade job.
Of course, we aren't going to spoil those for you. You'll need to watch the full video, which recaps the upgrades before digging into a comparison of both straight-line-speed differences between the 2.7-liter Porsche Boxster and blown Miata, as well as their behavior and lap times on the track.
Take a look and let us know what you think in Comments.

Paul Walker's daughter files wrongful death suit against Porsche [UPDATE]

UPDATE: This post has been edited to include a statement from Porsche. While police blamed the crash that killed Fast and Furious star Paul Walker and racecar driver Roger Rodas on excessive speed, Walker's daughter, Meadow, thinks Porsche is at fault. The 16-year-old has now filed a wrongful death suit against the German manufacturer to back up that allegation. According to legal documents obtained by E! Online, the suit alleges that the Carrera GT that Walker and Rodas died in "lacked safety features ... that could have prevented the accident or, at a minimum, allowed Paul Walker to survive the crash," with Porsche Stability Management being called out in particular. Federal motor vehicle safety standards didn't require new cars sold in the US to be equipped with electronic stability control until 2012. The suit focuses not only on the Carrera GT's lack of electronic safety systems and "history of instability and control issues," but on an allegedly defective seatbelt. It claims that upon impact, the belt "snapped Walker's torso back with thousands of pounds of force, thereby breaking his ribs and pelvis," and prevented him from exiting the car before it caught fire, roughly a minute and 20 seconds after the initial impact, according to TMZ. Soot found in Walker's windpipe supports the theory that he was alive and breathing when the fire started, the suit continues. Like the suit Roger Rodas' widow filed against Porsche in 2014, Walker's filing also alleges that the Carrera GT wasn't traveling at 80 to 93 miles per hour, as a police investigation concluded. But where Mrs. Rodas claimed the Carrera GT was going 55 at the time of the crash, this suit claims the hypercar was moving at 63 to 71 mph. That's a more manageable figure to be sure, and if true would have a serious impact on the way the car behaved, but it's still well above the road's posted 45-mph speed limit. "The bottom line is that the Porsche Carrera GT is a dangerous car," Meadow Walker's lawyer told TMZ. "It doesn't belong on the street. And we shouldn't be without Paul Walker or his friend, Roger Rodas." Porsche, meanwhile, has stood by the reports from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and other authorities.