1999 Porsche Boxster on 2040-cars

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Watch Porsche legend Jeff Zwart frolic in the snow in his 356

Racing driver Jeff Zwart picked up a 1953 Porsche 356 Pre A to use as a historical prop in a Cayenne commercial, then decided to keep it when the filming was done. Then, explaining to filmmaker Will Roegge that his vintage toy does really well in slippery conditions, Zwart throws it around in the Colorado snow - on pencil-thin studded tires on 16-inch wheels - to prove the point.
Don't expect roostertails in this winter wonderland video, however; with just about 60 horsepower at sea level, gumption drops to about 40 hp when playing at 9,000 mountainous feet. But that's still plenty to work as a testament to the phrase, "If you've got it, flaunt it," and you can watch it below.

2017 Porsche 911 Carrera First Drive [w/video]

The second seismic shift in the history of the Porsche 911 is happening as you read this. The first came in the late 1990s, when air cooling was thrown out and a more modern, water-cooled setup was put in place. People freaked out, and prices of air-cooled 911s are now skyrocketing. But I'll argue that this second major change is an even bigger deal: The free-breathing, naturally aspirated engine is gone, in its place a smaller, more powerful, turbocharged lump. But there's no need to panic. Purists be damned; "no replacement for displacement" shouters be silenced. This forced-induction heart beats beautifully in the 911's rump. I'm behind the wheel of a 2017 911 Carrera S coupe, stopped at the base of a winding mountain road on Tenerife, the largest of the Spanish-owned Canary Islands off the northwest coast of Africa. A nearly identical 911 is ahead of me, piloted by one of Porsche's test drivers. The road is closed. Hired spotters watch the corners. I'm about to run up the mountain at full charge, Porsche's expert leading the way. This forced-induction heart beats beautifully in the 911's rump. Behind me is the new engine: a 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged flat-six. At idle, it still has that unmistakably Porsche, horizontally opposed hum. I've got 420 horsepower and 368 pound-feet of torque to work with, increases of 20 hp and 43 lb-ft compared to the old 3.8-liter, naturally aspirated six. If I launch it, I'll hit 60 miles per hour in under four seconds. Power is routed through the Porsche Doppelkupplung transmission – the best dual-clutch tranny in the business – and the fat, 305-section Pirelli PZero tires out back get all that thrust to the ground. There's a strong engine noise, complemented by the sound of the turbos sucking in air via the intakes just below the rear window. And then there's the exhaust. The standard Carrera comes with two large outlets and the Carrera S replaces those with quad pipes. But I've got the optional sport exhaust, not pictured on the car you see here, with two round outlets moved toward the center of the 911's hiney. Not only do they look way cooler, they're a treat for the ears. The Spanish may have decided to tunnel through many of Tenerife's mountainsides, but the pleasure of punching the throttle and letting the exhaust sing easily makes up for any loss of scenic views. The Carrera S' full 368 lb-ft is available right from 1,700 rpm, and there's no lag prior to arrival.

2017 Porsche Panamera: Technical details of the world's fastest luxury sedan

In anticipation of our upcoming first drive of the new Porsche Panamera, here's an in-depth look at Stuttgart's new sedan. We already know what it looks like, but now we have details on the powertrain, chassis, and electronics. Let's jump right in. Engines, Transmission, Platform The big news is the all-new twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 in the Panamera Turbo. It adopts a "hot vee" layout with the turbochargers in the engine's valley. This setup allows for a short run from the exhaust manifold for minimal lag, which is further reduced by the twin-scroll turbos. With 18.8 psi of peak boost, the new V8 pumps out 550 horsepower and 567 pound-feet of torque. As we mentioned, that's just 20 hp behind the outgoing Turbo S. And the Panamera Turbo is quick - good for 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds with the Sport Chrono pack. Yes, launch control looks awesome. This is also the first Porsche engine to adopt cylinder deactivation - in four-cylinder mode the engine can run up to 3,500 rpm with as much as 123 horsepower. To shut down four cylinders at a time, the camshaft on each bank slides to engage a dummy lobe on cylinders two, three, five, and eight. When running in V4 mode, the valves stay closed on the shut-down cylinders. Another nod to emissions and efficiency is a catalytic converter mounted close up near the vee, right behind the turbos. All that heat requires airflow, so there's a dedicated duct from the radiator that routes fresh air over the turbos and catalytic converter. There's an all-new twin-turbo 2.9-liter V6 as well, made with the same 90-degree angle as the V8 because it's based on modular architecture. The V6 lacks cylinder deactivation but keeps the hot vee and adds two-stage variable lift on the intake valve. It is not lacking for power, with 440 hp and 405 lb-ft of torque. Both engines (and the European-market twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 diesel) mate up to a new eight-speed dual-clutch automatic made by ZF. The new design is 5.6 inches shorter than the seven-speed it replaces and allows for an upcoming hybrid powertrain to be integrated without adding any extra length. The top three gears are overdrive ratios, with the top speed from both engines coming in sixth. Along with leading the development of the new V8, the Panamera is also the first car on the new MSB platform. That's Modularer Standardantriebs-Baukasten for you AP German students; a near-literal translation is modular standard drive.