2008 911 Carrera S Cabriolet on 2040-cars

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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.

Autoblog Podcast #418

Episode #418 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Steven Ewing, and Brandon Turkus talk about the big news from the 2015 Chicago Auto Show, as well as the rumors that Apple is building its own car, codenamed Project Titan. Of course, the podcast starts with what's in the garage and finishes up with some of your questions, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Check out the rundown with times for topics, and you can follow along down below with our Q&A. Thanks for listening! Autoblog Podcast #418 Topics 2015 Chicago Auto Show Apple working on Project Titan electric car In The Autoblog Garage 2015 Porsche Macan Turbo 2015 Ford Expedition 2015 Nissan Juke Hosts: Dan Roth, Steven Ewing, Brandon Turkus Runtime: 01:23:23 Rundown Intro and Garage – 00:00 Chicago show – 30:08 Apple car – 51:42 Q&A – 59:16 Get The Podcast UStream – Listen live on Mondays at 10 PM Eastern at UStream iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Feedback Email – Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show in iTunes

Magnus Walker crashes vintage Porsche with reporter inside

One of the minor storms on the Internet earlier this week concerned Porsche 911 collector and Outlaw tuner Magnus Walker getting in an accident in Minnesota. Walker had shipped his #277 1971 Porsche 911T to the twin city for the opening of a $10-million Porsche dealership there, and the day began with lots of Facebook and Instagram photos of the car posing all over the showroom grounds. This is the same car that we've seen in Jay Leno's Garage, in Midnight Rambler, and in a Need for Speed trailer. Then came a photo of the 911 next to a semi trailer with its driver's side crumpled in and punctured. No one was clear on how it happened, but it seemed to involve swerving out of the way of a Mercedes-Benz on a frontage road by the dealership. Thanks to video from the Minneapolis Star Tribune, now we know what happened. Newspaper reporter Vineeta Sawkar had been doing a story with Walker and wanted to get some video for the piece. During one pass down the frontage road Walker decided to go into a right-hander a little faster than prudent, the car understeered toward the center yellow, and then Walker did the most verboten thing one can do when cornering in a vintage 911: he lifted off the gas. Hello instant rear-engined oversteer. Cue the fishtailing, a millimeter-fine brush with a Pagoda SL, and a crunch into that truck trailer. Sawkar said she was a little battered and bruised but ok, as is Walker – who went on to test drive a GT3 RS later in the day. Head over to the Star Tribune to see the video.