2014 Porsche Panamera 4s, Certified, 6year/100,000mile Warranty on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Nick Murray's problematic Porsche 911 shows the power of a viral video

When Nick Murray took delivery of his 2013 Porsche 911 Carrera S in June 2013, he had saved for it for the past five years. He didn't just pluck a random 911 off a dealer lot. He specially ordered his car with thousands of dollars in extras tailored just to him, and he captured all of the options on his YouTube channel. The love affair didn't last long. Eventually the channel became a place for Nick to air his growing list of grievances about his deteriorating 911. Eventually, his mix of righteous indignation and sarcasm went viral.
By late December, he had already had four warranty repairs done on the car. Things got much worse in March. The computers began resetting whenever Nick drove over large bumps. There was also an acrid, electrical smell that occasionally permeated the cabin. Murray filed for Lemon Law protection. Porsche Cars North America contacted him for the first time to fix the problem, but it didn't help.
Things culminated in April when Murray put up a new video that showed more troubles. He began arbitration with Porsche and asked for either his full purchase price back or an exact replacement. The company countered with a portion of what the car was worth, based on its mileage. Murray refused and turned to his YouTube watchers for help. He asked them to spread the word, and the video went viral with over 800,000 views as of this writing. Supporters posted it multiple times on Porsche's Facebook and Twitter sites.

Audi rumored to leave top-tier endurance racing after 2017

Volkswagen's ongoing diesel scandal is turning out to be an expensive problem for the German automaker. With a recent settlement expected to cost the company up to $14.7 billion, the company is scrambling to find ways to save cash. In light of this, Audi could be pulling out of the highest class of endurance racing, which it has dominated for years. A report from Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, indicates that Audi has already finalized the automaker's departure from the World Endurance Championship's top-tier LMP1 class after the 2017 season. Another report by Autocar cites an unnamed insider to corroborate the LMP1 exit rumors. The report fingers the VW Group's ongoing diesel scandal's financial fallout as the main culprit for Audi bowing out of LMP1. The move to could also be due to the group's decision to move away from diesel technology. Audi's LMP1 car, the R18, utilizes a V6 turbo-diesel engine. The Porsche 919 Hybrid, on the other hand, uses 2.0-liter turbocharged V4 engine that runs on gasoline. Audi has won the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans 13 times since 1999, making Audi an unstoppable force in endurance racing. Porsche, Audi's corporate sibling, reentered endurance racing with a LMP1 competitor of its own in 2014 and won the constructor's championship last year. Audi's decision to leave LMP1 could give Porsche a shot at creating its own Le Mans-winning dynasty. Autocar reports that Audi is expected to continue fielding cars in other WEC classes, like GT3 and GT4, and perhaps the brand will even enter Formula E. We reached out to Audi for some clarification on the matter and a spokesperson stated that the rumors were "pure speculation at this point." Related Video: News Source: Auto Motor und Sport, AutocarImage Credit: Audi Motorsports Rumormill Audi Porsche Volkswagen Diesel Vehicles Hybrid Racing Vehicles vw diesel scandal rumor world endurance championship wec porsche 919 hybrid

2017 Porsche 911 Carrera First Drive [w/video]

The second seismic shift in the history of the Porsche 911 is happening as you read this. The first came in the late 1990s, when air cooling was thrown out and a more modern, water-cooled setup was put in place. People freaked out, and prices of air-cooled 911s are now skyrocketing. But I'll argue that this second major change is an even bigger deal: The free-breathing, naturally aspirated engine is gone, in its place a smaller, more powerful, turbocharged lump. But there's no need to panic. Purists be damned; "no replacement for displacement" shouters be silenced. This forced-induction heart beats beautifully in the 911's rump. I'm behind the wheel of a 2017 911 Carrera S coupe, stopped at the base of a winding mountain road on Tenerife, the largest of the Spanish-owned Canary Islands off the northwest coast of Africa. A nearly identical 911 is ahead of me, piloted by one of Porsche's test drivers. The road is closed. Hired spotters watch the corners. I'm about to run up the mountain at full charge, Porsche's expert leading the way. This forced-induction heart beats beautifully in the 911's rump. Behind me is the new engine: a 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged flat-six. At idle, it still has that unmistakably Porsche, horizontally opposed hum. I've got 420 horsepower and 368 pound-feet of torque to work with, increases of 20 hp and 43 lb-ft compared to the old 3.8-liter, naturally aspirated six. If I launch it, I'll hit 60 miles per hour in under four seconds. Power is routed through the Porsche Doppelkupplung transmission – the best dual-clutch tranny in the business – and the fat, 305-section Pirelli PZero tires out back get all that thrust to the ground. There's a strong engine noise, complemented by the sound of the turbos sucking in air via the intakes just below the rear window. And then there's the exhaust. The standard Carrera comes with two large outlets and the Carrera S replaces those with quad pipes. But I've got the optional sport exhaust, not pictured on the car you see here, with two round outlets moved toward the center of the 911's hiney. Not only do they look way cooler, they're a treat for the ears. The Spanish may have decided to tunnel through many of Tenerife's mountainsides, but the pleasure of punching the throttle and letting the exhaust sing easily makes up for any loss of scenic views. The Carrera S' full 368 lb-ft is available right from 1,700 rpm, and there's no lag prior to arrival.