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Updated J.D. Power APEAL study shines on VW Group, Chevy

J.D. Power has just revealed the results of its 2013 APEAL Study, which looks at which brands have the most appealing cars based on sales figures, dealer inventory, brand loyalty, transaction and trade-in prices. The study was revamped for 2013, and places a larger focus on the new tech and infotainment options available to customers. All told, study participants gauged their vehicles on 77 different attributes, delivering a score out of a 1,000 points.
The Volkswagen Group had the greatest success of any corporation, topping the APEAL rankings with the Audi Allroad, Porsche Boxster, Porsche Cayenne, VW GTI and Passat. Chevrolet had the highest number of awards for a single brand, though, with the Avalanche, Sonic and Volt all taking home a prize.
The best brand overall was Porsche, which scored 884 out of a possible 1,000 points. The top Japanese brand was Lexus with a score of 847, while the top American brand was Cadillac, at 841. The best mainstream brand was Ram, which received a very respectable 817. The industry average for this year's study was 795, with 16 brands, all of which were mainstream, falling below the average.

Techart tastefully tunes Porsche 911, Cayenne

German tuning haus Techart is making a big showing at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, introducing modified versions of a number of Porsche products. At the fore, we have the new, all-turbo 911 range. Techart has turned its hand to both the turbocharged 911 and the new 911 Turbo (this will get less confusing, right?) with a range of upgrades covering performance and aesthetics. Techart has boosted the Carrera S from 420 horsepower and 368 pound-feet of torque to 460 ponies and 413 lb-ft of torque. The Turbo S gets a bigger boost, going from 580 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque to 640 hp and 649 lb-ft. It's not clear how Techart has made these gains, aside from the company's "Techtronic" engine management. Surprisingly for an aftermarket tuner at Geneva, Techart's exterior treatments are downright tasteful. There are new front and rear clips and a selection of rear wings, helpfully called Rear Wing I and Rear Wing II, while the diffusers and side skirts are also swapped out. We also dig the center-exit exhaust and its four meaty tips. On the opposite end of the equation, Techart is also modding the Cayenne range. The new Magnum Sport treatment can be applied to the base diesel-powered Cayenne and Cayenne S, the gas-powered GTS, and the Turbo with varying degrees of performance, but it's the force-induced Cayenne we're most interested. In its most potent form, the turbocharged V8 can be boosted from 520 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque to 700 hp and 678 lb-ft. At this level of performance, the Cayenne's sprint falls from 4.4 seconds to just 4.1. That ties the stock Cayenne Turbo S, but it's worth noting the Magnum Sport will do 183 miles per hour to the factory model's 176. Like the 911, there's a slew of aesthetic upgrades regardless of which Cayenne your Magnum is based on. The full body kit isn't as tasteful as the 911. The overall look is far more aggressive and dare we say aftermarket, with plenty of carbon-fiber accents, a very low ride and a serious wide-body look. In particular, the new front and rear fascia present a much more imposing appearance. There's also a carbon-fiber hood, because the aftermarket. We've snapped Techart's modified Cayenne and 911 on the floor of the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. And if you scroll down, there's also the official galleries and press releases for both models. Have a look, and register your opinion in Comments. Related Video: TECHART Personalization for the new Porsche 911 models.

Porsche clinches 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship

There's still another round to go in the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship. But regardless of what happens in Bahrain later this month, Porsche has already laid claim to the manufacturers' title for this year. That's how far ahead it is of the competition. The championship was sealed this weekend when the Porsche 919 Hybrid driven by Timo Bernhard, Mark Webber, and Brendon Hartley crossed the finish line at the 6 Hours of Shanghai in first place. That marked not only the fourth straight win for the trio, but the fourth one-two finish for Porsche and the fifth straight victory this season. That's pretty remarkable when you consider that Porsche only arrived in the series last year, and only serves to further sweeten the win it took at Le Mans this past June. This marks the first time since entering WEC that Porsche has taken the championship, which was claimed last year by Toyota and in the previous two years since the revival of the series by Audi. However Porsche, of course, is no stranger to the winner's circle in endurance racing, having taken 12 previous championships between 1964 and 1986. The victory in Shanghai also puts Bernhard, Webber, and Hartley in prime position to secure the drivers' championship. The trio currently sits in the lead ahead of Audi's Andre Lotterer, Marcel Fassler, and Benoit Treluyer. This despite the Porsche trio having failed to make the finish line in the opening round at Silverstone. Related Video: FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), LMP1, Round 7, Shanghai (CN), Race Porsche secures World Championship title by another one-two win Stuttgart. By taking the fifth victory in a row Porsche has made itself a World Champion in Shanghai. One race before the season's finale no one can take away the constructors' title in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) from the young team from Weissach. In China the winning drivers were Timo Bernhard (DE), Brendon Hartley (NZ) and Mark Webber (AU) in a six-hour race of which two thirds were held on a wet track. The sister car of Romain Dumas (FR), Neel Jani (CH) and Marc Lieb (DE) finished second and hence the season's fourth one-two victory for the Porsche team. Porsche has won the title with 308 points ahead of Audi (238) and Toyota (137). For Porsche it is the 13th constructors' World Championship title in endurance racing and the first since 1986. Between 1964 and 1986 Porsche took twelve constructors' titles in the then Sports Car World Championship.