2004 Porsche Boxster S Convertible 2-door 3.2l on 2040-cars

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Porsche finally gives up the goods on 2014 Macan

Preparing a beachhead in the marketplace for the 2014 Porsche Macan crossover has been a years-long project for the German company. We've been hearing and reporting on rumors of the vehicle from its ideation stage and have covered the Macan's birth thoroughly over the last 12 months, including teasers, rumors, spy shots, leaked videos and more. Now, just ahead of the LA Auto Show-debut of Porsche's first-ever compact crossover, the wait for details is at an end.
Porsche will offer the crossover in two flavors to start: Macan S and Macan Turbo. The S model will be fitted with a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine that makes 340 horsepower and will push the vehicle from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 5.2 seconds, then on to a top speed of 156 miles per hour. The Macan Turbo has even more impressive figures on all fronts: an all-new, 400-horsepower, twin-turbo 3.6-liter V6 engine; 0-60 mph in 4.6 seconds; top speed of 164 mph. Both models make use of Porsche's seven-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission as standard.
As impressive as these potent powertrains are the brakes Porsche is fitting to its new crossover. Six-piston monobloc fixed-caliper brakes live up front, grabbing 13.78-inch discs on the S model and tremendous 14.17-inch discs on the Macan Turbo. We're expecting serious stopping performance, to say the least.

1985 Porsche 911 rally-style classic to be auctioned for good cause

Porsches are supposed to inhabit race tracks, winding roads, and wide, flashy boulevards, right? Not all of them. Take this 1985 911 Carrera, which was has been converted into a rally-style toy that we'd love to sample on a dusty, tree-lined section of dirt. Nicknamed #Luftauto, this lovely 911 is being auctioned off by RM Sothebys during Luftgekuhlt, an event dedicated to air-cooled Porsches and put together in part by Porsche racer Patrick Long. The car has been extensively modified, both aesthetically and in terms of outright performance. We're digging the 15-inch Braid wheels, custom rally lights, and an Auto Foreign Services roof rack on the exterior. The cabin gets a custom rollbar, but it's the driver interfaces we're really drooling over – there's an OMP steering wheel and a CNC-milled shift knob made of walnut and maple, while driver and passenger will be kept in their fancy Recaro seats by Schroth Rallye harnesses. The limited tweaks to the numbers-matching, 3.2-liter flat-six – the headers and exhaust have been swapped with SSi units – do wonders for the Porsche's already impressive soundtrack. The engine isn't a new unit, of course, but it's fresh off a major round of service. There are ample suspension mods, too, with a custom-designed KW setup and long-travel dampers. A cool car being put up for auction is exciting enough, but the profits from #Luftauto are going to something even cooler – cancer research. In particular, the money made will be donated to the Autumn Leaves Project, a charity that's dedicated to battling pancreatic cancer. For those not familiar, pancreatic cancer is one of the most despised, merciless forms of cancer around, infamous for its ability to remain undetected until it's far too late to combat. It's a truly hateful disease. You can check out #Luftauto in action in the video up top. It crosses the block on April 10 in Los Angeles. Additional details can be found at the Luftgekuhlt website. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

VW internal investigation finds 'no evidence' against suspended engineers

Volkswagen is still working out the chain of events that led to emissions-evading software being installed in 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide and deciding who was responsible for the treachery. So far, the German automotive giant's internal investigation hasn't publicly named many suspects, and three suspended executive-level engineers have been found not to be culpable in the wrongdoing, according to an anonymous insider speaking to Reuters. VW knows that the software began being installed in the EA 189 engine in 2008. The internal investigation has found that the emissions-evading tech was created because the powerplant was found to fail US standards. Plus, the diesel mill wasn't meeting cost targets, according to Reuters. The automaker responded by suspending over 10 employees, but three top engineers among them might not have been involved. Those put on leave include Heinz-Jakob Neusser from VW, Ulrich Hackenberg from Audi, and Wolfgang Hatz who led Porsche's research and group-wide engine development. The internal detective work hasn't turned up any evidence against these three men. In addition to VW's own inquires, government investigators in both the US and Germany are taking a serious look into the company's actions, too. So far, the automaker is setting aside about $7.3 billion to pay to fix the vehicles with the evasive software. Depending on what authorities find, the costs could grow quickly. Beyond the financial implications, the scandal has led to a serious shakeup in VW's corporate structure. Related Video: