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2017 Porsche Panamera: Technical details of the world's fastest luxury sedan

In anticipation of our upcoming first drive of the new Porsche Panamera, here's an in-depth look at Stuttgart's new sedan. We already know what it looks like, but now we have details on the powertrain, chassis, and electronics. Let's jump right in. Engines, Transmission, Platform The big news is the all-new twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 in the Panamera Turbo. It adopts a "hot vee" layout with the turbochargers in the engine's valley. This setup allows for a short run from the exhaust manifold for minimal lag, which is further reduced by the twin-scroll turbos. With 18.8 psi of peak boost, the new V8 pumps out 550 horsepower and 567 pound-feet of torque. As we mentioned, that's just 20 hp behind the outgoing Turbo S. And the Panamera Turbo is quick - good for 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds with the Sport Chrono pack. Yes, launch control looks awesome. This is also the first Porsche engine to adopt cylinder deactivation - in four-cylinder mode the engine can run up to 3,500 rpm with as much as 123 horsepower. To shut down four cylinders at a time, the camshaft on each bank slides to engage a dummy lobe on cylinders two, three, five, and eight. When running in V4 mode, the valves stay closed on the shut-down cylinders. Another nod to emissions and efficiency is a catalytic converter mounted close up near the vee, right behind the turbos. All that heat requires airflow, so there's a dedicated duct from the radiator that routes fresh air over the turbos and catalytic converter. There's an all-new twin-turbo 2.9-liter V6 as well, made with the same 90-degree angle as the V8 because it's based on modular architecture. The V6 lacks cylinder deactivation but keeps the hot vee and adds two-stage variable lift on the intake valve. It is not lacking for power, with 440 hp and 405 lb-ft of torque. Both engines (and the European-market twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 diesel) mate up to a new eight-speed dual-clutch automatic made by ZF. The new design is 5.6 inches shorter than the seven-speed it replaces and allows for an upcoming hybrid powertrain to be integrated without adding any extra length. The top three gears are overdrive ratios, with the top speed from both engines coming in sixth. Along with leading the development of the new V8, the Panamera is also the first car on the new MSB platform. That's Modularer Standardantriebs-Baukasten for you AP German students; a near-literal translation is modular standard drive.

Porsche 918 Spyder gets tiny recall for rear control arms

As the recent US recall of a single Koenigsegg Agera shows, even low-production supercars aren't immune from safety campaigns. Now, there's another example that even the fastest cars can have their faults. The Porsche 918 Spyder is a pretty fantastic vehicle for its ability to mix hybrid fuel economy and incredible amounts of power, but Porsche has a problem on a few units of its halo model.
According to the recall document from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Porsche needs to inspect and possibly repair five 918s in the US because the rear axle control arms may break, which could cause a loss of control while driving. In the full defect notice, Porsche says that it first noticed the problem on June 26 when the parts failed during "heavy duty durability testing (extreme race conditions)" at the Nardo test track in Italy. It transported the components back to the company's lab for inspection, and on July 18 it issued a stop-sale to inspect the suspension parts on the supercar. The automaker also contacted owners by phone to warn them not to use the car on track, until repaired.
The affected 918s will be inspected, and if the cars have the bad parts, the control arms are will be replaced. Obviously, this will be done at no cost to owners. According to a Porsche spokesperson speaking to Autoblog, in addition to the five US cars potentially affected, there were 45 worldwide. All of the cars have now been checked. Scroll down to read the report from the regulator or download the full defect notice as a PDF, here.

2014 Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid is one mean green machine

The entire Porsche Panamera lineup gets a refresh for the 2014 model year, and new additions to the range include two long-wheelbase models and this E-Hybrid fuel-sipper that makes its debut here at the Shanghai Motor Show. And, well, we say "fuel-sipper lightly."
Porsche has packed its hybrid Panamera with 416 horsepower and 435 pound-feet of torque, and that certainly makes for one quick sedan-hatchback-thing. Hitting 60 miles per hour will reportedly take just 5.2 seconds, on its way to a top speed of 167 mph. And while Porsche hasn't revealed specific powertrain details, the company says that the S E-Hybrid "improves upon the concept offered by the previous Panamera S Hybrid with a more powerful electric motor," which leads us to believe that the supercharged 3.0-liter V6 engine at the heart of it all still remains intact.
Fuel economy numbers (or estimates) have not been released as of this writing, but we expect to have that information closer to the car's on-sale date later this year. As for the new battery system, Porsche says that when plugged into a 240-volt charging station, it can be fully charged in just two and a half hours. When topped off, the Panamera S E-Hybrid should have an electric driving range of around 20 miles at speeds up to 84 mph, though, obviously, not at the same time.