2024 Porsche Macan on 2040-cars

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Next Porsche Cayman and Boxster to be called 718?

Porsche has spent a few years sorting out its strategy away from the 911 and its crossovers, among the moving targets being the now-moribund Ferrari-fighting 960, the still-very-much-alive variant(s) coming with the next-generation Panamera, and what appears to be a puissant Cayman that could be called the GT4. Earlier this year there were rumors that a flat-four engine would join the Stuttgart maker's lineup, and that it could go into a roadster called the 718 that would undercut the current $51,400 price of the Boxster, and the Boxster would go upscale, leapfrogging the $52,600 price of the Cayman. Then Porsche turned out the lights on the 718 project, its R&D head telling Autocar, "We have a very good entry point to the range with the Boxster, and we see no reason to go below that." But Automobile reports that while the 718 roadster is dead, the 718 name will live: a la the 911, a new 718 range will encompass coupes and convertibles spanning a wide performance envelope. The suggestion is that the Boxster and Cayman names will be retired. According to Automobile, this will give Porsche a place to put its flat-four engine, into entry level models that – countering Porsche's earlier statement – "come in at a significantly lower price than" the present Boxster. Two displacements are expected, in three outputs: a 2.0-liter with 285 horsepower, a 2.5-liter with 360 hp and a turbocharged version with 400 hp. It's also been speculated that the engine could power an entry-level Macan. It's been reported before that Porsche wants to make use of the 718 name to promote its motorsport heritage, that model having carried Stirling Moss to victory among its many racing triumphs. If it happens, even though Automobile calls it part of "a slight perspective shift," we think it'll be a big shift for the two popular models, but it's not like we haven't had time to get ready. We're told the new moniker will be introduced in 2016 as a 2017 model. News Source: Automobile via World Car Fans Porsche Convertible Coupe porsche 718

Ward's Automotive Ten Best Engines of 2014 dominated by diesels, turbos

With the Car and Driver Ten Best decided, the North American Car and Truck of the Year finalists announced and Cadillac, Ram and Subaru chalking up wins with Motor Trend, it's fair to say that the automotive awards season is in full swing. The next set of trophies to be handed out will be from Ward's Automotive, which has announced the winners of its 2014 10 Best Engines.
The latest contest was marked by the widespread emergence of diesel power and the continued success of turbocharged engines. There was even an electric motor on this year's list. In fact, only three of the ten winners were naturally aspirated and only two winners returned from last year.
"We weren't looking to throw the bums out, as they might say about an election. We were just really impressed with the flood of new powertrains," said Ward's Automotive Editor-in-Chief Drew Winter. Those new powertrains include the 83-kilowatt electric motor from the Fiat 500e, the 1.0-liter, EcoBoost three-cylinder from the Ford Fiesta and the 2.0-liter turbodiesel from the Chevrolet Cruze.

Paul Walker's daughter settles for $10m in crash lawsuit

Meadow Walker, daughter of the late Paul Walker, has agreed to a settlement with the estate of Roger Rodas worth $10.1 million over the death of her father. The basis of the settlement is that Rodas, who was driving the Porsche Carrera GT when it crashed, killing himself and Walker, was partly at fault for Walker's death. Police officials ruled that excessive speed was the main cause of the deaths of Rodas and Walker. According to TMZ, quoting attorney Jeff Milam, who is representing Meadow Walker, this sum is only a small fraction of the amount Paul Walker would have earned over his lifetime as an actor, which is almost certainly true. Walker was 40 at the time of his death, and was in the midst of a highly successful Hollywood career. A lawsuit was filed in September of 2015 by Walker's daughter against Porsche, alleging that the German automaker is also at fault for the deaths. Through her lawyer, Meadow says she "intends to hold the company responsible for producing a vehicle that was defective and caused Paul Walker's death." A court recently found that Porsche was not at fault for the death of Roger Rodas. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: TMZ, Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Jennifer Lourie/WireImage Celebrities Government/Legal Porsche lawsuit Fast & Furious paul walker settlement roger rodas