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Porsche Macan to get four-cylinder engines

Porsche hasn't offered a four-cylinder engine since the 968 went out of production in 1995 - the better part of two decades ago. There'd been talk of a four-pot Boxster or an even smaller model to slot in below it, but while the latest intel indicates that Porsche is moving ahead with its four-cylinder plans, it's a different kind of vehicle that will get it first.
That, of course, would be the new Macan. Just revealed a few weeks ago at the LA Auto Show, the Macan crossover is being launched with a pair of twin-turbocharged V6 engines (a 3.0 with 340 horsepower and a 3.6 with 400 hp) and a six-cylinder turbodiesel with 258 hp. But smaller engines, according to emerging reports from Autocar and Auto Express, are on their way.
Word has it that Porsche is preparing a 2.0-liter turbo four with 280 horsepower and a diesel with the same displacement and cylinder count, engines that will power new entry-level Macan models that will slot in beneath the existing Macan S, Macan S Diesel and Macan Turbo. While the diesel is tipped to be ported over from the Volkswagen parts bin, the four-cylinder gasoline engine is said to be under development by Porsche itself, which could mean it will have a boxer layout.

Porsche Macan spied, all lit up and dodging flurries

We've seen the upcoming Porsche Macan testing on surface roads and even on the Nürburgring, but here we have our first spy shots showing a disguised prototype doing some winter testing in snowy conditions. Still obscured by plenty of camouflage attempting to mimic its larger Cayenne sibling, we still can't get a clear look at what the Macan's face and rump are going to look like, although it does appear that some details for the front lighting are starting to emerge.
Below the headlights, those are obviously decals trying to look like turn signal lenses, but it appears that there is still some sort of lighting being hidden judging by the small circles cut into the camo. Lower in the fascia, we can also see there are LED running lights not revealed on past prototypes. The entire rear end of this Macan prototype still appears to be tacked-on camo, but the side view appears to be in production form save for the poorly disguised rear quarter windows.
As we've seen in the past, Porsche engineers are still testing the Macan alongside the Audi Q5 with which it shares its platform. There has been no word as to when we could expect to see the Macan in production or concept form, but we'd have to guess that this compact crossover is getting ready to shed its camo very soon.

Salvage team boards burnt ship Felicity Ace off Azores, towing begins

LISBON — More than a week after a ship packed with around 4,000 vehicles, including Porsches, Audis, Lamborghinis and Bentleys, caught fire in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, a salvage team managed to board the vessel on Friday and started to tow it to a safe location off the Portuguese Azores archipelago. In a statement, ship manager Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd (MOL) said the Felicity Ace remained stable, and the smoke that for days billowed from the vessel, adrift around 170 km southwest of the Azores, had stopped. The 22 crew members of the Panama-flagged Felicity Ace, which was carrying around 4,000 vehicles including Porsches, Audis and Bentleys from Germany to the United States, were evacuated last Wednesday, the day the fire broke out. Some of the vehicles are electric and their lithium-ion batteries have made the fire very difficult to extinguish, port officials have said. Previous attempts to board the ship to assess its condition and start preparing it for towing had failed due to the fire and rough seas. On Friday, the team was able to board by helicopter and the salvage boat Bear started towing the vessel to a "safe area off Azores," the ship manager said. It was not clear where exactly the vessel was being towed to. It was being escorted by two tug boats and another salvage craft equipped with firefighting gear, MOL said. Related video: Image Credit: Portuguese Navy (Marinha Portuguesa) via Reuters Green Weird Car News Audi Bentley Lamborghini Porsche Electric fire car fire shipping cargo ship