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EVO "2012 Car of the Year: The Track Battles" is a sports car salmagundi

EVO has come out with another gotta-watch-it video, throwing its 2012 Car of the Year contestants around the UK's 1.5-mile Blyton Park track. It's actually a 15-minute teaser for the full-length DVD detailing the magazine's Car of the Year selection, but the tease is worth every penny free second.
Tiff Needell and sports car racer Richard Meaden handle the wheel duties, the two driving five pairs of sports cars: Lotus Exige S vs. Porsche Boxster S, Morgan Three-Wheeler vs. Toyota GT86, BMW M135i vs. Porsche 911, Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Black Series vs. Alpina B3 GT3, the marquee event pits the McLaren MP4-12C vs. the Pagani Huayra. After a head-to-head lap with commentary during drifts, Meaden takes each car out to set a representative lap time.
You'll find the verdicts, lots of tire smoke, and lines like "Anything you can do sideways I can do sideways" in the video below.

Automakers not currently promoting EVs are probably doomed

Okay, let's be honest. The sky isn't falling – gas prices are. In fact, some experts say that prices at the pump will remain depressed for the next decade. Consumers have flocked to SUVs and CUVs, reversing the upward trend in US fuel economy seen over the last several years. A sudden push into electric vehicles seems ridiculous when gas guzzlers are selling so well. Make hay while the sun shines, right? A quick glance at some facts and figures provides evidence that the automakers currently doubling down on internal combustion probably have some rocky years ahead of them. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is a prime example of a volume manufacturer devoted to incremental gains for existing powertrains. Though FCA will kill off some of its more fuel-efficient models, part of its business plan involves replacing four- and five-speed transmissions with eight- and nine-speed units, yielding a fuel efficiency boost in the vicinity of ten percent over the next few years. Recent developments by battery startups have led some to suggest that efficiency and capacity could increase by over 100 percent in the same time. Research and development budgets paint a grim picture for old guard companies like Fiat Chrysler: In 2014, FCA spent about $1,026 per car sold on R&D, compared with about $24,783 per car sold for Tesla. To be fair, FCA can't be expected to match Tesla's efforts when its entry-level cars list for little more than half that much. But even more so than R&D, the area in which newcomers like Tesla have the industry licked is infrastructure. We often forget that our vehicles are mostly useless metal boxes without access to the network of fueling stations that keep them rolling. While EVs can always be plugged in at home, their proliferation depends on a similar network of charging stations that can allow for prolonged travel. Tesla already has 597 of its 480-volt Superchargers installed worldwide, and that figure will continue to rise. Porsche has also proposed a new 800-volt "Turbo Charging Station" to support the production version of its Mission E concept, and perhaps other VW Auto Group vehicles. As EVs grow in popularity, investment in these proprietary networks will pay off — who would buy a Chevy if the gas stations served only Ford owners? If anyone missed the importance of infrastructure, it's Toyota.

2017 Porsche 911 gains AWD traction for its turbos [w/video]

The new 2017 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 (in all its numerous iterations) joins its downsized, turbocharged, rear-drive brethren, but adds the benefit of an electro-hydraulically controlled all-wheel-drive system. These latest additions to the 911 family feature all updates applied to the new Carrera, both cosmetic and functional. The rear-end bodywork is also widened by 1.7 inches, with a light strip running across the tail. There are two engine choices, but either way you're getting a 3.0-liter twin-turbo flat-six. The base version produces 370 horsepower and 331 pound-feet of torque, while the S model cranks up to 420 hp and 368 lb-ft. Then you'll need to choose your transmission: seven-speed manual or dual-clutch. Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) suspension comes standard, but the Sport Chrono package (which adds a 918-inspired drive mode selector switch on the steering wheel) is an option. Four-wheel steering is available on 4S models as well. And of course you'll need to choose between body-styles. There are three in all: coupe, convertible, or Targa – each available in either engine tune. Those are largely the same choices you'd have to have made for the previous models, but now they're faster and more powerful, while delivering up to 12-percent higher efficiency. Zero-to-60 times are down 0.3 seconds over the preceding, naturally aspirated models: the Carrera 4 is quoted at 3.9 seconds, and the 4S at just 3.6. Convertible and Targa models add 0.2 seconds to those times, with top speeds ranging from 178 to 189 miles per hour. Pricing for the US starts at $97,295 (with delivery) for the new 911 Carrera 4, and stretches all the way up to $123,595 for the Targa 4S. Don't feel the need to rush your decision though, as the all-wheel-drive 911s won't start hitting dealers Stateside until April of next year. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. THE PORSCHE 911 CARRERA 4 AND 911 TARGA 4 MODELS WITH NEW TURBOCHARGED ENGINES AND ENHANCED ALL-WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEMS ATLANTA, Oct. 6, 2015 -- With the new 2017 911 Carrera 4 and 911 Targa 4 models, the traction advantage courtesy of an enhanced all-wheel drive system is paired with innovative turbocharged engines that are more powerful and consume less fuel than their predecessors.