2013 Porsche Carrera

 2013 Porsche Carrera 4 And 4S

After testing the all-wheel drive version of the new generation Porsche 911 Carrera for quite some time, Porsche has finally dropped the official details on the new Carrera 4 and 4S models. The new models will make their world debut at the 2012 Paris Auto Show and will be put on sale at the end of the year. Prices for the German market will start from 97,557 euro ($122,300 at the current rates) for the coupe and 110,290 euro ($138,200 at the current rates) for the convertible model.

The new Carrera 4 is powered by a 3.4-liter flat-six engine that delivers a total of 350 HP, while the 4S version gets a 3.8 liter engine that produces 400 HP. The standard version can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds, while the 4S will do the sprint in 4.1 seconds. Top speed for the 4S coupe version goes up to an impressive 185 mph.

Next to being more powerful than the previous generation, the new Carrera 4 and 4S models are about 143 lbs lighter. The two models have also been equipped with the AWD Porsche Traction Management (PTM) system and feature 22mm wider rear wheel arches when compared to the standard Carrera.

UPDATE 09/06/2012: Porsche has unveiled a new series of six videos featuring the latest Carrera 4 and 4S models. Enjoy!

UPDATE 11/06/2012: Porsche has unveiled a promo video for their new Carrera 4 model. The video is called "Two impressive red lines" and it is the first in a series of films introducing the UK launch of the new 911 all-wheel drive Carrera 4 models.

Exterior

In June 2012, we busted the 2013 Porsche Carrera 4 and 4S models whipping around the Nürburgring in an effort to work out the kinks in this upcoming revamp. The Carrera was bearing very little clothing, but still had enough on to leave a little bit to the imagination.

Like a tough game of Where’s Waldo, it takes a keen eye to spot the differences between the front end of the 2013 model and the 2012 model. The first thing we notice is that the nose is ever-so-slightly wedged more so than the 2012 model. Porsche also scrapped the all-too-typical boring Porsche front fascia and installed a new one. This new fascia boasts wider side air inlets and a slightly narrower mouth without the two side bars that we had on the 2012 model. Also changed up are the turn signals, as the 2013 model boast harder-angled, hockey-stick-style turn signals up front.

The mirrors have also moved from being A-pillar mounted to sitting on the top of the door – a trend gaining steam in the auto industry as of late. As you approach the back end of this AWD Porsche, you’re going to find a backside that is slightly more voluptuous than the RWD 911, as there’s an extra 44 mm of cushion to make room for the AWD system and the wider tires.

From the rear, you’re going to find the same illuminated taillight bar that was shown off on the 2013 911. You also get one fewer engine cooling louver, making the count three instead of four. Porsche also scrapped the old and fat looking taillights on the 2012 Carrera and replaced them with more triangular and thinner units.

As you reach the redesigned integrated rear diffuser, you will also find two large oval exhaust exits, as opposed to the four smaller units found in the previous generation.

In all, the redesigned 2013 Carrera 4 and 4S look pretty much as expected, as we have already seen the redesigned 911 and we knew it wouldn’t stray too far from its roots. Still, this is a great job building onto a legend, as opposed to tearing it down and starting over.

Interior

The interior of the 2013 911 Carrera 4 and 4S is not a big shocker, as it is mostly a carryover from last year, sans several mild changes the Porsche notates and that we see. First is an optional glass sunroof – a new addition for 2012. Next you’re going to find a slight modification to the center dashboard vents, as it looks like all Porsche did was flip the 2012 vents upside down. Now the longer section of the vent bezel is on the top, giving it a grin-look instead of the frown look from 2012.

Also swapped up, just by appearance in the press photos, is the center stack. The LCD screen in the stack looks significantly larger than the 2012 model year. The stack also looks much more organized over last year’s model.

The center console on the 2013 Carrera comes off of the center stack at much shallower angle, giving it a smoother appearance. Also, the center console extends further rearward than the 2012 model year and you’ll notice that there is no handbrake – we assume it is an electronic unit. Also gained from the interior images, we see that the armrests look far better engineered, with the window control integrated into the it.

One final addition that we can make out from the press pictures is the addition of a shoulder line and other accents around the cabin. A silver trim piece runs across the top-third of the door panels and across the face of the dashboard, creating the shoulder line. Throughout other parts of the interior are more silver accents, giving the interior a more luxurious look than the Carrera has ever boasted.

There were also some technological changes this year. The biggest addition is a new data screen in the instrument cluster that tells the driver what percentage of the power is going to the front and rear wheels. Optional on this year’s model is adaptive cruise control, which helps speed up and slow down the Carrera while it is in cruise control. When you order the 911 Carrera with Porsche’s famed PDK, you get Porsche Active Safe, which helps you avoid front-end collisions. Porsche hasn’t elaborated on how, as of yet, but it supposedly does help.

We love the new interior, hands down. The previous generation was nice and luxurious, but was a little bit dull. The revisions that Porsche made for this generation add to the existing generation’s strong points and eliminates its low-lights – like the cheap-car-like door panels.

New features for the new generation Carrera 4 and 4S:

• All-wheel drive indicator
• Porsche Active Safe
• Sliding glass sunroof
• Extended Sport Chrono pack
• A new menu in the instrument cluster that informs the driver how the PTM all-wheel drive is currently distributing engine power
• Optional Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) to the entire model range, which controls distance to traffic ahead and vehicle speed
• New sliding glass sunroof as an optional feature for the 911 Carrera Coupe

Engine

We were already aware of the engine selections in the Carrera 4 and 4S. The Carrera 4 will boast a 350-horsepower 3.4-liter flat-6 and the 4S will boast a 400-horsepower 3.8-liter flat-6. The Carrera 4 will zip to 60 mph in only 4.3 seconds and reach a top speed of 177 mph in coupe form, and 4.5 seconds in cabriolet form with a top speed of 175 mph. The 4S coupe will hit 60 mph in just 3.9 seconds and has a top speed of 185 mph, while the drop-top model will take 4.1 ticks to get to 60 and reaches 183 mph.

The standard gearbox in the Carrera 4 and 4S for 2013 is a 7-speed manual and they, of course, have the optional Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) 7-speed transmission. If you opt for the manual transmission and the Sport Chrono package, you get an extra special Sport Plus mode this year. This mode actually automatically double declutches for you when it’s in this mode. Essentially, it is just a rev-matching system to maximize power, but it is still cool that you can say “my car double clutches for me.”

The gas mileage on the Carrera is actually very decent for the type of car it is. The Carrera 4 gets 20 mpg city and 28 mpg highway when equipped with the PDK. The cabriolet Carrera gets 20 mpg city and 27 mpg highway. The 4S model gets 19 mpg city and 26 mpg highway with the PDK.

Prices

The 911 Carrera 4 and 4S will debut at the Paris International Motor Show on September 29th and we’ll see it in showrooms in early-2013.

Model	Base MSRP
Carrera 4 Coupe	$91,030
Carrera 4 Cabriolet	$102,930
Carrera 4S Coupe	$105,630
Carrera 4S Cabriolet	$117,530

Competition

Until the rest of the 2013 supercar world unfolds, we’ll reserve listing any competitors. There are still some unknowns that we need to learn more about, including the Jaguar F-type – the most likely direct competitor with its supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 engine and 5.0-liter V-8 engine.

Conclusion

Porsche’s kind of have a reputation as being a doctor’s car and not too exciting to look at. The 911 is likely one of the biggest culprits. We’re not saying they are slow or literally boring, just their looks have become dated, predictable and soft. With this revision to the Carrera 4 and 4S we get a more aggressive looking 911 with the same performance that we expect of this famed sports car. Awesome job tuning up the exterior to better suit its performance.

 Nice retouching of the interior
 Great acceleration times
 Awesome fuel economy for its class

 Some changes are too subtle
 Too easy to confuse with a 2012 model year
 Long wait for a 2013 model year car

2012 Porsche Cayenne

2012 Porsche Cayenne Diesel by Kahn Design

Kahn Design is keeping busy releasing a new tuning program every week. So far, they have been focusing on Land Rover models, but this week’s package du jour is for the Porsche Cayenne 3.0 Diesel.

Kahn started by adding a very cool aerodynamic package which includes vented front and rear wide wheel arches with integrated front and rear air dams, a lower boot lid spoiler, and exterior Kahn enamel wing shields. The door handles are finished in matte black, while the brake calipers are finished in liquid gold. They have also opted to put in LED daytime running lights for the front wheel arch vents and privacy tinted glass. The final element of the exterior package is a new set of 22" Kahn RS wheels finished in a color chosen by the customer. There is also a sports lowering module which provides the car with a sportier appearance.

For the interior, the package adds black and carbon quilted and perforated leather with ivory contrast stitching, a black and carbon quilted leather center glovebox, a red and cream colored speedo and rev counter facia, and balck charcoal finish floor mats.

gallery:2013 Porsche Cayenne Diesel

• 
• 
• 
• 

gallery:2012 Porsche Cayenne Diesel by Kahn Design

• 
• 
• 
• 

Audi SQ5 TDI 2013

Audi is currently showcasing its SQ5 TDI exclusive concept at the 2012 Paris Motor Show. The SQ5 TDI is the top model of the Q5 model series and is the first S model in Audi’s history to feature a diesel engine. The SQ5 TDI exclusive concept showcases new interior and exterior design solutions and a limited run of only 50 vehicles will be made available to the market, with production due in the first quarter of 2013. Exterior and Interior Styling When the SQ5 TDI exclusive concept goes into limited production next year, it will feature the exclusive Aral Blue crystal effect exterior finish. Like any S model Audi, the exterior mirrors are finished in aluminium and xenon plus headlights and LED Daytime Running Light (DRLs) are fitted as standard. Four exhaust tailpipes dominate the rear-end. The interior incorporates contrasting materials. The multifunction sports steering wheel and gear lever gaiter are finished in black fine Nappa leather with contrasting stitching in white, including the centre armrest and dashboard cover. The seats are also covered in fine Nappa leather with white stitching and woven leather is used on the centre section of the seats, a first for a production vehicle. The Alcantara headlining, sunroof blind, inlays and door applications are finished in white. The inlays, with open-pored veneer, are natural grain ash while the door trims and entry sills feature exclusive Audi badges.

Volkswagen Touareg TDI to Test Endurance on Pan-American Highway

One of the many perks of TDI ownership Volkswagen touts in advertisements is the ability to travel quite far between fill-ups. That very quality will likely be tested later this month, when Rainier Zietlow embarks on his 16,000-mile road trip in a Touareg TDI.

To celebrate the 75^th anniversary of the Pan-American Highway, Zietlow and two additional team members are preparing to cover the historic highway’s entire stretch in a 2011 Volkswagen Touareg TDI diesel. On June 29, their journey begins at Ushuaia, Argentina and will head north to for 16,000 miles, 13,600-foot max elevations and 14 countries. If those numbers aren’t crazy enough, the team plans to complete the trip in two weeks.

Zietlow will be joined by Juan Carlos Fernandez (technician, translator and co-driver) and Marius Biela (cameraman, photographer and second co-driver). The three-member team will share driving duties in 5-hour intervals. The team has modified the TDI Touareg with beefier tires, a satellite mapping and communication system and an auxiliary 300 liter fuel tank, all of which should come in handy during the most rough and deserted legs of the trip.

“We want to celebrate the important role the Pan-American Highway has played in bringing commerce and unity to countries along the route, while demonstrating the power and durability of a clean diesel vehicle. The 75th Anniversary of the Pan-American Highway provides us with a great opportunity to do both,” said Rainer Zietlow, manager of the German car event agency, Challenge4 GmbH. “While we’ve completed a number of long-distance drives, the TDI-Panamericana Endurance Challenge will be one of our most meaningful and exciting challenges to-date.”

A dedicated website has been created for the journey and includes a live and interactive map, videos, live streams and photo galleries. Zietlow is also using the endurance challenge to raise money and awareness for Plan International and will make a donation to the charity following the trip.

Source: Volkswagen

2012 Volkswagen Beetle Turbo Edition

Orders for the all new 2012 Volkswagen Beetle are now being accepted on a new online Vehicle Pre-Order (VPO) system, and Volkswagen of America is hoping to get more people to place their orders with a new vehicle to sweeten the pot. The "Black Turbo Launch Edition" is being offered to the first 600 people who place their orders online. Each model will be sold for $24,950 (quite an increase over the base $18,995).

As its name suggests, the Black Turbo Limited Edition will be offered in an exclusive black pearl paint and a new spoiler. This exterior will be combined with 18-inch alloy wheels and large brakes with red calipers. For the interior, the Black Turbo will get Bluetooth, iPod connectivity, three-color ambient lighting, sport cloth seats, and an 8-speaker audio system.

Under the hood, this special edition will feature a turbocharged 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine that delivers a total of 200 HP and 207 lb-ft. of torque. It will be mated to a dual-clutch automatic transmission.

If you are interested in the Black Turbo Limited Edition, you can place an orderright here.

gallery:2012 Volkswagen Beetle

• 
• 
• 
• 
  
  

Mercedes-Benz has its eyes set on the record for the world’s longest drift

One thing we ought to know about world records is that at some point in time, somebody’s going to beat them. It may not happen for a while, but sooner or later, there’s going to be someone - or something - that will eclipse it.

Currently, the record for the world’s longest drift sits on the mantle of Vaughn Gittin Jr’s study. The drift champion set the record back in December 18, 2008 with a run of 1,914.15 m (6,280.01 ft) at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas. It’s said that Gittin Jr. could have done longer had the threads on his tires not gotten completely eviscerated.

Fast forward to today and word has it that Mercedes-Benz is planning on besting Gittin Jr.’s record. The man for the job is Mercedes demonstration driver, Mauro Calo, who not only wants to break the record the same way Gittin Jr. did when he broke the previous record of 4,137 feet, but wants to reach 10,000 feet, which is a little under two miles long.

While the task seems to be far easier said than done, Calo is confident that the record will be his after his attempt at Surrey, England while using either aMercedes C63 or E63 AMG. Calo’s attempt will be made exceptionally more difficult considering that he plans to attempt it on a perimeter track that’s barely ’as wide as a car length’.

No timetable has been set on when this attempt will take place, but seeing as news of it is going around, we won’t be surprised if it takes place before the year ends.

Whatever the case may be, we’ll be sure to give updates when the day for the record-setting attempt draws near.

2012 Volkswagen Passat

The European market has proven to be a moneymaking investment for theVolkswagen Passat, but in the U.S., the sedan has not seen impressive sales numbers. This could very well be the reason Volkswagen has unveiled the 2012 Passat at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show just after revealing their2011MY sedan just a few months ago at the Paris Auto Show. Known as theNMS until just recently, the 2012 Passat will go on sale in mid-August, and is rumored to be priced under $20K.

US customers will get to choose from three equipment lines - S, SE, and SEL - and three different engine options. These options consist of two gasoline engines and one diesel, with power ranging from 140 to 280 HP. All of them will be offered with a standard dual clutch transmission (DSG).Volkswagen has announced that, with the new Passat, the diesel engine will be able to deliver an impressive 43 mpg.

Hit the jump to read more about the U.S.’s 2012 Volkswagen Passat.

Exterior and Interior The new 2012 Volkswagen Passat measures 191.7 inches in length, 110.4 inches for the wheelbase, and 72.2 inches in width. Its exterior styling continues on with Volkswagen’s new "design DNA", similar to the recently launched Jetta. It is defined by simple, but balanced proportions and clear, minimal forms and lines. The interior offers increased rear space and high quality materials. There are two impressive new features offered in the new Passat. The first one is called "Valet Parking" and allows the owner of the car to secure the boot and lock the compartment of the car with a touch of a button. The two secured components can be unlocked with the use of the special Valet Parking Key. The second feature is called "Remote Start" and allows the driver to start the vehicle to cool it down or warm it up before starting their journey. The car will stay on for up to ten minutes to allow for optimum temperature settings. The list of standard equipment includes: tire pressure monitoring system, ESP electronic stabilization programme, ABS with braking assistant, Hill Climb Assist (with manual transmission and DSG), six airbags, and an extremely safe body structure combine to form an effective occupant protection system. Other standard features include electric windows all round, air conditioning, insulating glass, a distinctive analogue clock in the center of the instrument panel, cruise control, outside temperature display with frost warning, radio-CD system (MP3-capable, plus external audio input), and a Bluetooth hands-free mobile phone system (with voice activation). The Engine US customers will have to choose from three different engines: two gasoline and one diesel. The entry level model is powered by an 170 HP five-cylinder petrol engine that delivers 31 mpg in extra urban driving, while the top version gets a VR6 six-cylinder petrol engine with 280 HP mated to a dual clutch transmission (DSG). This final version can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds and delivers a fuel consumption of 28 mpg. The diesel version gets an extremely economical Clean Diesel (TDI) engine that delivers 140 HP and an impressive 43 mpg. When Can I Buy One? The new 2012 Volkswagen Passat will go on sale in mid-August with starting prices set at under $20,000. The Competition The list of competitors for the 2012 Passat goes on and on, but the most important ones on the list would be the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry. Performance figures for these vehicles are all in the same range. The Honda Accord is offered with a choice of two engines: a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine with 177 HP and a 3.5 liter V6 engine with an output of 271 HP. Prices start from $21,180. The Toyota Camry is priced from $19,395 and is offered with a choice of two engines: a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that delivers 169 hp and a 3.5-liter V6 engine that delivers 268 hp. These similarities in power allow the customer to focus on look and price to make their decision. So far, sales figures for these figures show the Accord and the Camry as the preferred options, but will the decrease in the Passat’s price change their mind?