1998 Porsche Boxster Base Convertible 2-door 2.5l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Ferrari Speciale and Porsche GT3 make the trip to Le Mans

Call it a pilgrimage. Call it a right of passage. The bottom line is that every racing fan should make the trip to Le Mans at some point. All the better if you can do it in style, as Evo has for this latest video. Instead of taking any old car through the Chunnel and along the French countryside to the famous Circuit de la Sarthe, Evo made the trip in the Ferrari 458 Speciale and Porsche 911 GT3. Both are more extreme versions of the already capable sports cars. They're still naturally aspirated, drive the rear wheels through seven-speed dual-clutch transmissions, and both won top honors in Evo's car of the year awards upon their release. And we could hardly imagine better vehicles for the journey. Along the way, the convoy-of-two stopped by the side of the old Rouen-Les-Essarts circuit. Back in the 1950s and 60s it was regarded as one of Europe's finest street circuits, hosting the French Grand Prix five times. It was closed down and paved over in the decades that followed, and is today part of a public thoroughfare – but you can still drive around it and see some of the relics of its former self peering through. Related Video: News Source: Evo via YouTube Ferrari Porsche Supercars Videos viral video porsche 911 gt3 evo circuit de la sarthe

5 new EVs that make driving fun

One of the things enthusiasts bellyache about the most is electrification. The noisiest complainers say that EVs will suck the fun out of driving and can’t possibly be as engaging as a roaring gas engine. ItÂ’s undoubtedly true that the noises EVs make are not always as visceral and thrilling, but itÂ’s also true that electrification has ushered in a new era of performance that gas vehicles simply cannot match. WeÂ’ve gathered a list of EVs that donÂ’t suck to drive. We all know by now about Tesla and its Plaid models, which absolutely set the quarter-mile ablaze with their amazing acceleration figures. The vehicles on this list don't come from Tesla. Nor does the list include some highly anticipated performance EVs that will soon hit the market, such as the new 2024 Porsche Macan. This selection may be a bit short on range compared to tamer models, but at the same time, itÂ’s hard to ignore their specs and even harder to ignore the sensation that a full-throttle electric powertrain delivers. LetÂ’s dive in to see five new EVs that make driving fun. Porsche Taycan PorscheÂ’s gas-powered vehicles are among the most exciting on the road, so itÂ’s not surprising to see the automakerÂ’s first electric effort as a home run. The Taycan is available in a staggering number of configurations, ranging from the 375-horsepower base model to the massively powerful Turbo S models with up to 750 horsepower in temporary boost mode. Classic Porsche styling and high-end tech round out the package, making the Taycan one of the most desirable EVs today. That said, the TaycanÂ’s almost $91,000 starting price puts it out of reach for a majority of car buyers, and the prices keep steadily rising along with the performance. It also trades range for performance, as the least powerful variant is the most efficient, returning 242 miles with the extended-range battery. The car can take advantage of fast charging, however, and can recover up to 80 percent of its battery capacity in just over 22 minutes.   Kia EV6 GT How about a Kia that can out-accelerate many supercars, especially from a few years ago? The EV6 GT comes with two electric motors with a combined 576 horsepower and 545 pound-feet of torque. Its 0-60 mph time lands at just 3.4 seconds, and the EV offers a top speed of 161 mph, making it one serious Korean EV. At the same time, it features the standout styling of the standard model, which gives it a striking curb presence and a futuristic look that is unique among EVs.

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: