2015 Porsche Macan Awd 4dr Turbo on 2040-cars

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Malaise Era All-Stars

A few weeks ago, we bid a fond happy 40th anniversary to the automotive dark ages of 1973-84 that have come to be known as "The Malaise Era" - the performance ice-age when 160 horsepower was a lot and a 0-60 time of under 10 seconds was remarkable. Like music in the 1980s, everything in automobiledom didn't suck, however. There were a few bright spots. Here are five of our favorites:
1976-79 Porsche 930, aka 911 Turbo Carrera (above)
Photo Credit: Dorotheum

Porsche Boxster spied in the buff

Porsche is preparing a significant update to its entry level Boxster convertible, and while visually this might appear to be a simple refresh, the changes are more than skin deep. Following a number of rumors, Porsche will finally make the jump to turbocharged engines on a broad scale, and it starts with this new Boxster. According to our spies, it's the larger side intakes featured on this prototype that give away its smaller, force-induced flat-four engine. The dual exhaust pipes, meanwhile, say Boxster S to us, rather than just the basic model. Beyond the mechanical changes, this marks the first time we've seen the new Boxster completely free of camouflage. We can see that Porsche's stylists – famous for revolutionary designs slowly tweaking the same style for decads on end – adjusted the look of the front and rear fascias. We like the more aggressively canted headlights, which get the same four-pointed LEDs as its big brother, the 911. The slimmer taillights are a minor improvement on the inoffensive lamps fitted to the current car, and serve to take some attention off the all-plastic exhaust surround, which is much more simply styled than the current car's. It should also be noted that the aesthetics featured on the new Boxster are very, very likely to be transferred directly onto the new Cayman. You can check out our full gallery of shots of the all-new, totally undisguised Boxster in the gallery up top. Expect to see the new roadster around this time next year, with a debut at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show likely. Related Video:

Paul Walker's accident due to 'speed, and speed alone'

Following an investigation into the crash that killed Fast and Furious star Paul Walker and driver Roger Rodas, an unnamed law enforcement source told the Associated Press that there were no signs of mechanical failure on the Porsche Carrera GT that was destroyed in the accident.
The report from The Huffington Post claims the officer in question blamed "speed, and speed alone" in the fatal accident. The same report ruled out the presence of debris in the road, which may have caused Rodas to lose control of the V10-powered super car.
Engineers from Porsche are traveling to California to investigate the accident with the help of the Carrera GT's on-board data recorder. Until then, investigators won't speculate on the car's speed at the time of the wreck.