Daily Archives: July 2, 2016
Is A 700-Horsepower Porsche Panamera Coming?
Porsche has finally unveiled its new Panamera this week. The supercar will come with a new 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 that produces 550 horsepower on a stylish four-door Porsche.
According to Motor Authority, there’s more to come because Porsche has employed the trickle-down technology that was first seen on the 918 Spyder hypercar. Apparently, there would be a 700-horsepower Panamera version with a hybrid powertrain that combines the V-8 engine with an electric motor.
Speculations said that this Panamera version will be called the Panamera Turbo S Hybrid since Porsche generally uses the Turbo S nomenclature for its top-of-the-lines.
The trickle-down technology mentioned above refers to how the 918 Spyder featured a 4.6-liter V-8-partnered with a pair of electric motors that can go from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.8 seconds.
Currently, Porsche is offering a hybrid version of the Panamera, and it has been doing so for quite some time. The current Panamera S E-Hybrid can deliver 416 horsepower from its 3.0-liter V-6 engine and 95-horsepower electric motor.
The company has yet to announce a new hybrid version for this Panamera model, but there has been some spotted testing of what appears to be a fresh Panamera hybrid. Reports said the new hybrid Panamera will be a plug-in version as evidenced by fuel filler caps on both sides of the vehicle (one is for the charging port).
The new hybrid will likely share the V-6 engine with its predecessor. It will be mated with an electric motor, which will have more power than the current S E-Hybrid’s 416 horsepower. It is also expected to be lighter and to have a higher-capacity battery than the previous one’s ability to travel 22 miles on a single charge on a 9.4-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery.
The Panamera will hit the European market later this year while Americans can expect it to arrive by January next year.
2017 Cadillac CTS Gets Minor Visual Updates
Because Cadillac’s core sedans—the compact ATS and the midsize CTS—were struggling to make sales against its competitors, the automaker has decided that its 2017 CTS will receive minor trim-level upgrades and mild visual refresh.
“Mild” might be overstating it as the only visual change we noticed in the pictures is the addition of a horizontal chrome bar for the grille and the reshaped exhaust outlets at the rear.
In terms of trim-level structure, the more significant changes on the 2017 Cadillac CTS are the 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder. It doesn’t offer much luxury equipment, but the base CTS will only have a starting price of $46,990, which is $435 higher than before.
On the other hand, the CTS Luxury, which starts at $52,690, has the standard 2.0T engine. Buyers, though, are allowed to upgrade to the 3.6-liter V-6 for an extra $2,000. Inclusions in the Luxury package are essentials such as leather seats, a sunroof, heated and ventilated front seats, along with several active-safety features including blind-spot warning, lane-keep assist, and forward-collision warning.
Another step up is the CTS Premium Luxury, which will have a standard 3.6-liter engine with the following features: adaptive dampers, rain-sensing wipers and park assist. It has a starting price of $60,190.
All models will be paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission while an all-wheel drive option is available for an additional charge of $2,000.
If you want more performance from the CTS, check out the 420-horsepower CTS Vsport. It is a 10Best winner for the last three years. We’ll also see the return of the 640-horsepower CTS-V. The two, however, did not receive the same minor updates as the standard CTS models.
The Vsport has a two-model lineup—the standard’s starting price is at $61,990 while the Vsport Premium begins at $71,790. The 2017 CTS-V’s price remains unchanged at $85,990.
Check out the photos of the new Cadillac CTS in the gallery below:
2016 Lexus GS F Is All About Power and Aggressive Styling
Lexus coming out with its list of F-Sport, F cars and the RC coupe are proof enough that it wants to distant itself from merely being dolled-up Toyotas. The introduction of the 2016 Lexus GS F brings more evidence that it wants a luxurious sedan with an aggressive appearance that is far beyond anything Lexus has created in the past.
According to Top Speed, the GS F is Lexus’ answer to the BMW M5 and the Cadillac CTS-V—cars in the segment with loads of horsepower and elegant styling. The GS F is based on the standard Lexus GSsedan—the same on that came with a V-6 engine and hybrid option.
On the outside the Lexus GS F has a massive front grille, which it calls the Spindle Grille. With the F Sport or F-branded Lexus, you’ll get an even larger grille than the standard one. The grille stretches from the hood to the pavement, with no breaks between the upper and lower sections. There are two smaller inlets below the headlights, providing air to the front Brembo brakes.
The car packs LED daytime running lights that give off a dramatic white light at night. To finish off this aggressive styling, the GS F rides on 19-inch wheels with seemingly endless number of spokes. There are different colors within the wheel that add detail, making it one of the most unique wheels in the industry.
It comes in Molten Pear color—one that screams for attention. It may not be something everyone can learn to love easily, but it will certainly pique your interest.
Inside, the GS F is an iteration on the standard GS cabin. There’s the 12.3-inch Enform infotainment system and track pad, as well as the sport seats with contrast stitching that features heavy bolsters for extra support during hard corners. These seats also have limitless adjustments, making it the most comfortable of Lexus’ cabin.
The gauge cluster takes after the IS F. The cluster houses a large digital tachometer, analog speedometer and a large info screen that displays coolant temperature, oil pressure, to gear position, G-forces, traction graphs and infotainment information.
Under the hood, you’ll find a 5.0-liter V-8, all-aluminum engine that screams 7,300-rpm redline and produces 467 horsepower. This engine is paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission with driving modes—Eco and Sport+.
The GS F will have a starting price of $84,440 with an option for the Mark Levinson audio system for an additional $1,380.
