2005 Porsche Boxster Base Convertible 2-door 2.7l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Watch the incredibly complicated operation of Porsche's new targa roof

Despite Porsche having claimed the name, targa tops are nothing new. In addition to the semi-roofless version of the 911, plenty of cars in the past have used removable roof panels - the new Corvette Stingray has one (as have prior generations), and this type of open-air experience has been available on past vehicles like the Pontiac Solstice Coupe and Honda Civic del Sol.
But when Porsche took the top off its brand new 911 Targa here at the Detroit Auto Show, it was indeed cause for pause. Simply put, this is one of the most complicated and intricate electronic roof panel removal techniques we've ever seen, save perhaps, for the setup found on the Japanese-market Civic del Sol from the 1990s.
We won't spoil the video for you, but basically, rather than just the roof panel coming off, the entire rear glass area lifts away the body in order for the small section over the passenger compartment to slide back. This has to be incredibly expensive to repair once it inevitably breaks. And we highly doubt you'll be able to operate this mechanism at any speed.

Hyundai, Porsche top J.D. Power APEAL study

Just as they did in the Initial Quality Study, Porsche and Hyundai have taken the premium and non-premium crown, respectively, for the 2014 J.D. Power APEAL study. This is the tenth consecutive year for that Porsche has been rated the best premium make in the APEAL study, which attempts to figure out how pleased owners are with their purchases. For 2014, it asked 86,000 owners of MY2014 cars to rate their vehicles in 77 different categories 90 days after their initial purchase. The resulting figures were plugged in deliver the APEAL score, which is rated on a 1,000-point scale. The industry average sits at 794 points for 2014, although that's a one-percent decline over last year's rating. In this year's study, premium brands averaged 840 out of 1,000, while non-premium makes average 785. For their part, Porsche netted an impressive 882 points, while Hyundai earned an 804. Interestingly, only four non-premium brands (Hyundai, Ram, Volkswagen and Mini) finished above the industry average for 2014. It's also interesting to see the clear delineation between premium and non-premium brands, with an eight-point gap between the non-premium champ, Hyundai, and the lowest-rated premium brand, Volvo. Porsche and Hyundai weren't the only automakers to take home recognition. Dodge managed to tie Porsche for the most segment awards, with three. The Challenger, Charger and Dart all topped their market. There were a number of two-segment winners, as well, with Audi, Ford, Mercedes-Benz and Nissan capturing a pair of segments each. Scroll down for the full press release from JD Power on this year's winners. Automakers Struggle to Impress Owners with Increased Usefulness of In-Vehicle Technologies And Features on All-New and Redesigned Models Dodge and Porsche Each Receive Three Segment-Level Awards; Audi, Ford, Mercedes-Benz and Nissan Each Receive Two WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.: 23 July 2014 - Although manufacturers are putting more and more technologies and functionality in their new and redesigned models, satisfaction with these features is not significantly higher among owners of those models than among owners of carryover models, according to the J.D. Power 2014 U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) StudySM released today. The APEAL Study, now in its 19th year, serves as the industry benchmark for new-vehicle appeal. Owners evaluate their vehicle across 77 attributes, which combine into an overall APEAL score that is measured on a 1,000-point scale.

Vintage-ish Porsche 911 buying guide

Harry Metcalfe is always great at showing viewers the intricate details of the vehicles in his collection as part of the Harry's Garage series. This time he's helping out future buyers by explaining what to look for when purchasing a classic and slightly more modern Porsche 911. His examples for this lesson are two absolute beauties that are about to cross the block from Silverstone Auctions in the UK: a 1972 2.4 S and a 1991 964-chassis RS Clubsport. The '72 in creamy white here epitomizes the look of early 911s. The coupe is handsome, purposeful, and fairly compact by modern standards. According to Metcalfe, when looking at one, don't worry about a wobbly gearshift. Apparently, they're all like that, even ones as well cared for as this example. As with any used car purchase, he recommends trying to get as many service records as you can. It's just good to know as much about the vehicle's life as possible before throwing down any cash. Where the '72 911 shows the more gentlemanly side of the brand, the '91 RS Clubsport is Porsche proving the company's performance credentials. Metcalfe slightly dings the switch to an aftermarket air filter here, but overall it's hard to find a major fault. These cars were essentially road-going racers in this trim. The engineers in Zuffenhausen chopped out as much weight as possible and then fitted Recaro racing buckets and a roll cage. This thing was meant clock as many laps around the 'Ring as the driver could stand.