The Lotus Evora beat out 29 other cars to win the title of Performance Car of the Year for 2009 from Car Magazine. The list included marquee car brands like Lamborghini, Ferrari, and Porsche, giving you an idea of what this vehicle brings. All 30 cars went through subjective and objective testing on the driving roads of Great Britain. Among the highlights of the Lotus Evora during this event included the smooth navigation and steering.

And to refresh your memory, the Lotus Evora features a 280HP 3.5 litre V6 petrol engine paired with a 6-speed manual transmission gearbox.

(Source) Auto Spies

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Autoblog has just gotten news that Porsche is currently working on a convertible version of their Panamera model. As you can see above, this is essentially the same car expect for the fact that it has a drop top roof. Then again, it does have just 2 doors instead of 4, which was one of the Panamera’s selling points.

Unfortunately that is about the extent of news we have regarding this convertible Porsche Panamera but as soon as more information is made known we will certainly get back to you.

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Don’t look now but Lamborghini is planning to invade the luxury car industry or as reports would have it. The funny thing is that I have always looked up to the Lambo as a luxury car in itself, though on a different level. And if the Italian car manufacturer’s intent is for real, expect the big leap to give Porsche and Aston Martin to be in for some good competition for their concept luxury cars.

What will the luxury Lambo have to offer? Well here are some of the things to watch out. The luxury model will be equipped with an all wheel-drive transmission and a V10 engine. It will come in a four-door sedan based on the Estoque concept. On whether the rumor is for real or not, the idea is not far-fetched.

(Source) Auto Spies

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If Opel’s really planning to take market share away from Volkswagen, then they’d better pack a lunch because it’ll be a LONG day.  Volkswagen has plans on the board to introduce TWO new models, the former chief executive of Volkswagen said while at the Frankfurt Auto Show.

This is already significant enough news in the face of a badly contracted economy–introducing new models is a cash-intensive process that requires loads of money and plenty of time and advertising, as well as focus groups, design and redesign and all like that.

But the new designs themselves may be the newest part, as they’re going to come out of the upcoming acquisition of Porsche.

Now that’s got my motor running–what if we get a car that looks like a Porsche with the gas mileage of a Volkswagen?  That’d be a dream car right there, and one everybody else would be scrambling to imitate.

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The VW/Porsche merger is no small move, and that’s no secret. But it seems that VW CEO, Martin Winterkorn, has a very strong feeling that Porsche will be coming out better than they went in. In fact, in a recent interview with German magazine Manager Magazin, Winterkorn has said that he could see Porsche sales increasing 200% to 150,00 vehicles sold a year by 2013.

The only way to actually see how Porsche will do once the deal goes down is to wait however, Mr. Winterkorn seems pretty confident. Let the speculation begin!

via wcf

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Volkswagen has recently sent out a press relesae that tell us they and Porsche have finally reached an agreement that will effectively merge the two automakers by the end of 2011.

The deal went down by Porsche agreeing to sell their 20% VW stock options to the Emirate of Qatar  as VW will proceed to purchase 42% of Porsche AG for €3.3 billion. But that’s not all, VW will then pay an additional €3.55 billion for Porsche Holding Salzburg which is one of Porsche’s trading companies.

Let’s hope that this merger is in the best interest of both companies.

Read more about the deal in the press release after the break.

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The place to be this week is in Monterey as the Porsche Panamera is scheduled to make another appearance in connection with the Monterey Classic Peninsula’s Classic Car Week. With the four door sports car now a reality, Porsche is said to be bringing in 30 new Panameras to cover major car events that include:

• 36th Rolex Monterey Historics
• Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Auto Week

Other cars scheduled to be showcased by Porsche:

• The 1962 Porsche Type 804 Formula 1 racer
• The 1960 Porsche Type 718 Formula 2 racing car
• The 1962 Porsche Type 718 W-RS 8-cylinder Spyder
• The Porsche GT1 98LM

Porsche-sponsored activities for the fans at Laguna will include a heritage display featuring former and current race cars, Porsche’s current showroom product line, and experts to answer Porsche questions. The Porsche Panamera will go on sale this October 17, 2009 at the brand’s 202 U.S. dealers.

(Source) Press

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What you see above is reportedly a Porsche 911 Hybrid during a testing session. But is it actually a hybrid? Well, considering the entire auto industry is prepping their own gas-electric vehicles it would only make sense that Porsche would do the same.

WorldCarFans points to the fact that there are definitely hybrid versions of the Cayenne and Panamera just over the hybrid so it should come as no surprise that they would do the same to their iconic 911.

The real proof comes to us through the photographer that actually took the picture who was expecting the 911’s exhaust to boom but instead was met with a silent vehicle. I think it’s safe to say we’ll see a Porsche 911 Hybrid being announced at some point in the near future.

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We got our first hint that Porsche and VW would merge into a single company back in May but ever since no deal has officially gone through. Today however, reports suggest that VW is all ready to actually buy-out Porsche effectively merging the two companies.

The deal will apparantly allow Porsche to get out of the severe debt they are currently with as VW will pay off €8 billion of their €10 billion+ debt in two stages.

If all goes well and this deal pans off, VW is looking at a 49.9% share in Porsche. Now let’s see a VW branded supercar hit the market!

via Autoblog

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For the many North Americans who have been eagerly awaiting their chance to catch a glimpse at the latest Porsche model, you can get your chance to do so this coming August 9 to 16 during Monterey Peninsula’s Classic Car Week. The all-new Porsche Panamera Gran Turismo is the first-ever four-door sports car. Porsche’s unique four-seater was conceived and designed as a grand touring car, combining numerous talents in typical Porsche style: sporting driving dynamics, a spacious interior, and the supreme comfort of a gran turismo.

“The exclusive automotive events that take place on the Monterey Peninsula this August are the perfect stage to roll out this extraordinary car,” said Detlev von Platen, President and CEO of Porsche Cars North America. “Our Panamera will feel right at home among both vintage and modern classics and will make quite a splash among the tens of thousands of true automobile enthusiasts there.”

The Porsche Panamera Gran Turismo will start selling by October 17, 2009.

(Source) Press

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Porsche 911 Turbo Sportec

Swiss based tuning specialist, Sportec, has revealed a new version of its 911 Turbo based SPR1 that raises the 3.6-liter flat six’s output to a staggering 858 horsepower at 8,200 rpm. Power is channeled to all four wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox.

Weighing in at 2,965 lbs, the power-to-weight ratio is 637 horsepower per ton. According to Sportec, the SPR1 goes 0- 62mph in just 3.0 seconds and 186mph in just 18.9 seconds. The Swiss company said that the supercar has recorded a top speed in excess of 236mph at Nardo, Italy.

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You can add two more vehicles added to the 2009 Ideal Vehicle Award winners circle as the Hyundai Genesis and Elantra have likewise been voted in. Yesterday, we had posted about the Ford and the Porsche that were initially given the said distinction and today, two more familiar car models join them in this special citation.

“Hyundai has created two vehicles that owners say are nearly perfect just the way they are: their ideal vehicle,” said George Peterson, president, AutoPacific. “Owners of the Genesis and Elantra indicated through AutoPacific’s survey that they are driving a vehicle that meets their expectations, meaning they desire little to no change to their vehicle.”

Hyundai’s Genesis is in the premium car category with a starting price of just $33,000. This model boasts of performance and luxury features which one would normally find in high costing cars in the market today.

For the Hyundai Elantra, it has employed a safety standard in the compact segment and is equipped with six standard airbags. Elantra includes many extras such as the standard audio auxiliary input jack that are enhancements considered as great additions to a car full of features.

(Source) Press

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Among the new bumper crop of vehicles out in the market, there are certain features that people would love to change among them. But if there are two cars which have the least number of attributes that potential car buyers would change, two familiar brands popped out above the rest. The two car brands are Porsche and Ford which topped the 2009 Ideal Vehicle Awards (IVA). The IVAs are based on owners’ ratings of their new 2009 model year cars and trucks across 15 key vehicle attributes.

“In today’s economy, car buyers take many factors into consideration – styling, safety features, fuel economy and more,” says George Peterson, president of AutoPacific. “IVA winners deliver the most of what consumers are really looking for in their vehicles.”

The selection doesn’t seem that easy. Most cars offer great features while others leave it up to the buyers to modify. The Porsche and Ford Motor vehicles are equipped with one of the common and yet unique features which some would leave if the survey is any indication.

But basing it on tradition, these two car models have lived up to their name and such a selection should not really be surprising. For 2009, the top-rated premium brand is Porsche, outscoring Buick and Jaguar for the most ideal premium vehicle brand honors. The top-rated mainstream brand is Ford, outscoring Mercury for top mainstream brand results. Porsche and Ford were also the highest scoring premium and mainstream brands in the 2008 IVA rankings.

(Source) Press

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Porsche CEO Wendelin Wiedeking has reprimanded two company board members for speaking negatively about the company’s financial standing. Porsche has been trying to keep its poor financial condition quiet as it searches more than $2.4 billion in government loans. Wiedeking wrote letters to IG Metall union head Bertold Huber and Volkswagen AG Chairman Ferdinand Piech – both members of Porsche’s board.

Huber and Piech got the letters after publicly criticizing Porsche’s financial standing. Wiedeking found himself in trouble after racking up $12 billion in debt during the unsuccessful takeover of Volkswagen. Porsche presently has a $3.5 billion cash shortfall.

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Porsche said China may pass Germany as its second-biggest market within the next three years based on rising demand for new Panamera sports sedan. Porsche revealed the car at the Shanghai auto show in April. “All premier manufacturers are showing good results” in China, Helmut Broeker, Porsche’s China head, said in a recent interview in Shanghai. The country was Porsche’s third-biggest market last year, up from 15th in 2006.

Porsche is planning to add more dealers in China and transfer its local office to Shanghai, the country’s financial capital, to help promote sales. Porsche anticipates about a third of its predicted 20,000 Panamera sales a year to come from China and the remainder of Asia. The Panamera is expected to start at more than $270,000 in China when it goes on sale in late 2009.

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