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Porsche Panamera wagon may appear next year

Following the second-generation Panamera's debut this past summer, it seems Porsche is planning the unveiling of a more practical wagon version next year. Based on previous information, this seems like a strong possibility. Automotive News spoke with anonymous sources at Porsche who said the car will probably be shown at the 2017 Geneva show. This would fall in line with a report that slated the wagon for a 2018 release, which would make sense to reveal the car in 2017. We've also seen a Panamera prototype with a lengthened roof testing at the Nurburgring, indicating that Porsche is working on one that could be close to production-ready. In addition, Porsche's North American CEO confirmed the US will get a Panamera wagon if it reaches production. If it reaches production, the Panamera will be almost without competition in the US. While it would compete with the Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake, as Automotive News points out, and the Audi RS 6 Avant in Europe, the US really only has one midsize, luxury wagon left on the market it would face-off with. That would be the Mercedes-Benz E-Class wagon. The current generation is only available as the E400, but we expect an AMG E63 model to be official soon. While an impressive vehicle in and of itself, the E-Class still has traditional, upright wagon proportions instead of the sleek, raked shape of the possible Panamera wagon. The E400's 329-horsepower twin-turbo V6 is also a perfectly competent engine, but the standard Panamera packs a 440-horsepower V6, and it only gets more powerful as you move up to the hybrid with 462 and the V8 with 550. All are engines that would likely be available on the wagon. UPDATE: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that the E-Class wagon was rear wheel drive. It actually comes with all wheel drive standard. The text has been altered for accuracy. Related Video:

Watch Evo pick its 2015 Car of the Year in this epic video

With just a few days left in 2015, it's the perfect time to check out Evo's annual Car of the Year test to determine the greatest performance vehicle of the last 12 months. The writers' picks for the 11 finalists spanned a breadth of engaging models and included: Peugeot 208 GTi by Peugeot Sport, Lamborghini Aventador SV, Seat Leon Cupra Sub8, McLaren 675LT, Porsche 991 GT3 RS, Porsche Cayman GT4, Honda Civic Type R, Ferrari 488 GTB, Chevrolet Camaro Z/28, Lotus Evora 400, and Mercedes-AMG GT S. For the venue to test the mettle of these performance machines, Evo stuck close to home this year and visited the twisting roads at the beautiful north coast of Scotland. Racing brothers Marino and Dario Franchitti also came along for the ride to provide two more voices in the competitive challenge to determine a winner. Evo's video explains why each model deserves to be among such rarified company but doesn't gloss over their faults either. There can be only one winner, though. We don't want to spoil it, so check out the clip for magnificent views of these performance machines through the Scottish countryside.

Le Mans-winning Porsche 956 up for auction at Pebble Beach

Collectors looking to get their hands on a piece of racing history will want to be in Monterey this August. That's where Gooding & Company will be auctioning off the genuine Le Mans winner you see here. One of the finest examples of the Group C era, this 1982 Porsche 956 won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1983 – the eighth time the German marque won the legendary French endurance race, en route to the record seventeenth win it racked up at La Sarthe this year. This 956 was the third of only ten examples made, complete with Rothmans livery and unimpeachable history. It debuted at Le Mans in 1982, where it placed second behind another Rothmans-liveried 956, and went on to win the next four races it entered. The following year, the two Porsches switched places in the winner's circle at Le Mans, securing this car's place in the annals of racing history. Now set to cross the auction block at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, Gooding projects this most historically significant Porsche to fetch between $7,000,000 and $9,000,000 once the gavel drops. According to the Sports Car Market database, that would make this the most valuable Porsche ever sold at auction, eclipsing the 1972 Porsche 917/10 Can-Am racer that Mecum sold for $5.83 million in Monterey three years ago. It would also far exceed the ˆ2.35 million ($3.15m) paid at RM's auction in Paris last year for another Rothmans-liveried 956 that completed the 1-2-3 finish at Le Mans in '82. That is, assuming 956 #003 sells this time: the last time it crossed the auction block, it failed to sell after a high bid of $2 million. Le Mans-Winning Rothmans Porsche 956 Roars its Way to Gooding & Company's Pebble Beach Auctions SANTA MONICA, Calif. (June 19, 2015) – Gooding & Company, the official auction house of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance®, is thrilled to announce the addition of one of the most important and desirable competition cars of all time to its Pebble Beach Auctions. The 1982 Porsche 956, chassis 003, was the outright winner of the 1983 24 Hours of Le Mans and the most successful example of this revolutionary and dominating series of Group C cars. The sale of this factory Porsche racing machine presents an incredible opportunity to own a significant piece of motorsport history and it is sure to be a highlight of Gooding & Company's internationally renowned auction, taking place on August 15 and 16, 2015 in Pebble Beach, California.