2000 Porsche Boxster Automatic 2-door Convertible on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Stock Miata beats bunch of high-powered cars in wet 1/4-mile drag race

When is a stock, 167-horsepower Mazda MX-5 Miata quicker than a Chevrolet Corvette, Ford Mustang, Lamborghini Gallardo, Lotus Elise and a Porsche 911? When it's raining. Sort of.
Mazda Canada arranged a unique drag race to show off the fact that the Miata's optional power retractable folding hardtop can go from top-down to top-up in just 12 seconds flat. In this video, all six cars line up for a drag race, and it starts to rain (well, sort of - but you'll have to watch the video all the way to the end to see what we mean). The green flag is waved, and the timer starts as soon as the convertibles begin to put their tops up. But because the Miata's roof mechanism gets the car's roof back up a full 5.1 seconds quicker than the second-place car, the Mazda gets a serious advantage off the line for the actual drag race.
It's a fun video. And while we've spoiled the results (come on, the video was uploaded by Mazda, you knew the Miata was going to win), be sure to see how it all unfolds, below.

Porsche Panamera wagon won't come to America until 2018

Porsche has teased us with a wagon version of the Panamera for years now. First as the Panamera Sport Turismo concept at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, and more recently we've seen prototype spy photos of extended rooflines Panameras as well. Now Automotive News confirms that the wagon is not only in the works, but that it will be sold in North America. "We have to have some patience for [the wagon] to arrive in the U.S.," Porsche Cars North America CEO Klaus Zellmer told AN. "But we are confident that this car will be well received here, despite the fact that this country doesn't really like hatchbacks or wagons." Wagons are particularly popular in Germany, encouraging local automakers to continue developing and producing them even as they expand their crossover offerings. Only some of those make their way across the Atlantic, however. Though Audi, for example, offers Avant wagon versions of its A4 and A6 models, it brings only the latter over in ruggedized Allroad trim. Mercedes similarly offers wagon versions of the C-Class, CLA, and CLS back home, but only sells the E-Class wagon in America. And BMW keeps the Touring version of its 5 Series back home while brining over only the 3 Series wagon. Porsche is slated to reveal the new Panamera in four-door form at the Paris show in September, with the wagon version to hit the European market sometime next year. Don't expect to see the five-door model in US showrooms, then, until 2018 at the earliest.

The exotic '80s: Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lotus and the Porsche 959

There's no secret that we are big fans of the MotorWeek Retro Review series around here. In an automotive world that often focuses on the latest tech and what's coming in the future, it's refreshing to take a look into the past to get a new perspective. That said, the show is really outdoing itself this time by posting a full episode from the '80s to YouTube, complete with the original, jazzy opening. The video is an absolute standout, too, with drives of some of the best supercars that Europe could offer at the time. Among the now classic sportscars that MotorWeek got to drive are the Ferrari 328, Lotus Esprit Turbo, Lamborghini Jalpa and Autokraft AC Mark IV. There's even a preview that sings the praises of the tech in the Porsche 959. The episode is basically a showcase of most of the exotics from young enthusiasts' walls and school folders during the '80s and is not to be missed. News Source: MotorWeek via YouTube Ferrari Lamborghini Lotus Porsche Performance Classics Videos lotus esprit ac