2019 Porsche 911 Carrera 4s Coupe on 2040-cars

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Watch a marksman go clay shooting from a Porsche 911

A Porsche 911 is exciting. Firing a shotgun at clay pigeons is also exciting. And when you combine the two? An amazing video. This video features British master marksman Phillip Thorrold as he takes on a very different form of competitive shooting, because traditional sporting clays, trap, and skeet must be too boring. By mounting a clay pigeon trap to the hood of a Porsche 911 Targa, Thorrold has melded driving and shooting in a way that hasn't been seen since James May and Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear tried to rethink the biathlon. The Brit makes short work of the clays with his over-under shotgun. Even as he runs form spot to spot to intercept the Porsche, he has no trouble downing the discs as they're launched unpredictably from the speeding, sliding 911. He then hops in the passenger seat and proceeds to take out the tiny, orange clays while zipping down a country road. If that's not awesome enough, the clays have been fitted with exploding discs, for that extra bit of excitement. We've posted the entire three-minute video at the top of the page. Even if you aren't into competitive shooting, this is a spectacle you aren't going to want to miss. Please don't try this at home. Related Video:

$76,400 Porsche S E-Hybrid will debut in Paris

The 2015 Porsche Cayenne S E Hybrid will be an all-new model, one that adds a plug – and the required associated technological bits – to the currently available Cayenne S Hybrid. The most important of those bits is a 10.8-kWh lithium-ion battery, but Porsche's Calvin Kim told AutoblogGreen that the SUV's electric-only range is still pending certification, but Hybrid Cars says that Porsche is estimating it'll be somewhere between 11 and 22 miles, "depending on the style of driving and route topography." Other than the new battery, the electric motor has been upgraded to a 95 horsepower/70 kW unit (up from the 47-hp/34 kW motor in the Cayenne hybrid without a plug). The overall powertrain now puts out a total of 416 hp and can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 5.4 seconds. Alongside the electric parts, there's a 3.0-liter supercharged V6 engine and an 8-speed automatic transmission. You can find all of the E-Hybrid's available specs here and stay tuned for more information on the new plug-in SUV when it makes its debut at the Paris Motor Show in early October. The SUV will go on sale in the US on November 1, 2014 with a starting MSRP of $76,400, plus a destination charge of $995. In a new press release (available below), Porsche is also proudly saying, once again, that it will be the world's only automaker offering three plug-in hybrid models, once the Cayenne S E-Hybrid hits the market. The others are the Panamera S E-Hybrid and the 918 Spyder. How long will this reign at the top last? World premiere of the Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid in Paris Leading the industry: Porsche offers three plug-in hybrid models Stuttgart/Atlanta. The new Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid celebrates its world premiere at the Paris Motor Show. It is the world's first luxury SUV to offer a plug-in hybrid drive, setting new standards in its segment. The Cayenne S E-Hybrid also makes Porsche the leading manufacturer of plug-in hybrid vehicles: Complementing the Panamera S E-Hybrid and the 918 Spyder, Porsche is the only manufacturer worldwide to offer three plug-in hybrids. In addition to the Cayenne S E-Hybrid, Porsche is presenting the other models that comprise the new generation of Cayenne including the Cayenne S, Cayenne Turbo, and Cayenne Diesel. Increased efficiency and performance, even more precise handling, a sharper design and a broadened array of standard equipment are its defining features.

VW makes $23K on every Porsche sold, more than Bentley or Lamborghini

It's a good time to be in the luxury car business. In Volkswagen Group's financial report for the 2013 fiscal year, it is revealed that that Porsche enjoyed an operating margin of 18 percent. That means the Stuttgart brand made on average about $23,200 per car sold, according to BusinessWeek. Bentley wasn't far behind, and Audi (which was combined with Lamborghini) posted a 10.1 percent margin. This compares to only around 2.9 percent for the Volkswagen brand.
"Luxury brands are on fire," said Dave Sullivan, an industry analyst at AutoPacific. He said that the average profit margin is between six and eight percent. Brands like Porsche and Bentley have the benefit of competing in rarefied markets. Buyers looking at one their vehicles have fewer models to shop against and don't care as much about price. They can also charge more for options, which further boosts income, according to BusinessWeek.
In a way, we should be more impressed by the continued success from Audi. Its models generally have direct competitors in every segment from the other premium automakers. Plus, their buyers aren't the captains of industry who are shopping for a Bentley. Still, the Four Rings is leading rivals in sales so far this year.