Granny Drives a Porsche 918

There’s no denying it – this granny is cooler than your grandma, at least by the car she drives; the woman was spotted driving a Porsche 918 hybrid hypercar, where else but that pensioners’ pasture, Florida.

If you don’t find this funny, then you need your humor hormone secretion glands checked – it’s hilarious!

She even looks like a typical Florida senior, the one popularized by the clichés…

We don’t know the specifics of how she got to drive it, but it could be hers or she may very well be Porsche’s oldest home delivery person…

Whatever the reason, this is quite a sight (although you can't really tell she's old in the photos all that well) and you can check it out for yourself below, in the gallery after the virtual jump.

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Porsche 918 Spyder vs McLaren P1

Who needs Top Gear? As we kept waiting for them to bring Porsche, McLaren and Ferrari together in a hypercar shootout, the whole show went and got itself canceled! Thankfully, there are others out there ready to get the job done.

Such is the case with Motor Trend, who set out to see which is faster around a track, the McLaren P1 or thePorsche 918 Spyder - still waiting on the LaFerrari though.

And yes, they did try to get it, just that Ferrari refused yet again. We're not entirely sure what the problem may have been. Was it that they prefer The Stig to Motor Trend's race-car driver, Randy Pobst? That would be a silly reason not to do this.

Regardless, what we have here is a pretty definitive result, proving that the 887 HP Porsche 918 is quicker around Laguna Seca than the 903 HP McLaren P1, even though the P1 isn't just more powerful, but it's lighter by about 150kgs too.

The Porsche lapped the track in 1:29.89 while the McLaren did it in 1:30.71, which is almost a second slower, and that's not something we should easily ignore. All-wheel drive does go a long way indeed.

Granted, Laguna Seca is the type of track that heavily rewards cars that can put all their power down as soon as they exit the corners.

Pobst said that "The McLaren could not exit the four slow corners at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca the way the 918 could, a clear and present contrast."

We'd love to have more data though, and see these two go at each other on several other tracks.

Still, Motor Trend did say that the P1 was the "quickest-accelerating production car we've ever tested", which means this case is definitely not closed. It's conceivable that given better circumstances, it could do a quicker lap than the 918 Spyder if they were on a faster track. But hey, let's not speculate and just go with these results already.

Massive win for Porsche!

Opening screenshot via EVO video (from Nov. 2014) 

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Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo

Porsche is about to add a 7th model to its line-up, with the final decision to be taken by the board still pending.

“In the not too distant future, we will present a seventh model line. There are already promising plans, but no board decision yet”, Matthias Mueller, CEO of Porsche, said at Porsche’s annual press conference.

Porsche didn’t go into details though about what kind of model is under development. During the past months, several rumors have emerged talking about an mid-engined supercar, slotted between the 911 and the 918 to rival the likes of Ferrari and Mclaren, a smaller than the Panamera four-door or a shooting brake variant of the next Panamera. But the most intriguing one is about an all-electric model.

We can only speculate about this new model might be, but if you read carefully VW Group’s latest movements and follow the facts so far, it makes good sense if Porsche is indeed preparing an electric model. After the reveal of the electric R8 e-Tron and after the news that Audi is preparing an electric crossover (and not a sedan as they implied at first), an all-electric sedan from Porsche to take on Tesla’s Model S sounds nothing like a bad idea. 

Porsche is enjoying one of the largest profit margins in the industry, even though it reduced from 18% to 15.8% last year, mostly due to the Macan and the cost of adding it in the line-up. 

Porsche’s focus will remain in handling and powertrains, making clear that is not interested in offering the latest in in-car connectivity and automated driving. According to Mueller, Porsche’s clients “don’t want a smartphone on four wheels or the biggest touchscreen in the center console. At Porsche there’s no room for window dressing.”

Note: Future 928 Rendering and Sport Turismo concept pictured 

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2014 Porsche 911 Turbo and Turbo S

The all-new model comes with an array of new features, including an new all-wheel drive system, active rear axle steering, adaptive aerodynamics, full-LED headlights and a bi-turbo flat-six engine that develops up to 560 PS (552 hp) in the Turbo S variant.

The 3.8-liter six-cylinder engine with direct injection churns out 520 PS (513 hp) in the 911 Turbo. There’s no manual gearbox available, as the engine is linked to a standard seven-speed dual clutch transmission (PDK), fitted with an auto start/stop function. The latter, together with the new thermal management system for the turbo engine and the PDK gearbox bring the 911 Turbo’s fuel efficiency to the remarkable figure of 9.7 l/100 km (24.2 US mpg), 16 percent better than the previous generation (applies to the 911 Turbo S as well).

Naturally, performance is what matters more for a Porsche 911 Turbo owner, and the new model doesn’t disappoint. The 911 Turbo with the optional Sport Chrono Package sprints from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.2 seconds, one-tenth faster than the previous 911 Turbo S. The new 911 Turbo S is even faster, at 3.1 seconds, while top speed is 318 km/h (197.6 mph).

These figures are made possible also by the new all-wheel drive with electro-hydraulic control, equipped with a new water-cooling function that helps direct more drive torque to the front wheels if necessary. The PDCC active anti-roll system, which is being offered for the first time in 911 Turbo models, also contributes to increasing dynamic performance. The system is standard in the 911 Turbo S, as is the Sport Chrono Package with dynamic engine mounts and PCCB ceramic brakes (all these are optional for the base 911 Turbo model).

Porsche says that with standard production tires, the 911 Turbo S model laps the Nürburgring Nordschleife in well under 7:30 minutes,.

Aesthetically, the new 911 Turbo is even wider than before – 28 mm (1.1 in) wider than the 911 Carrera 4 – with the increase being most visible in the rear body panels which house two generous air intakes. Two-tone 20-inch wheels (fitted with hub wheel locks on the Turbo S), more aggressive bumpers and the carbon fiber roof round out the 911 Turbo’s meaner look.

Handling is improved due to rear axle steering, which steers the rear wheels in the opposite direction of the front wheels at speeds of up to 50 km/h (31 mph). At speeds above 80 km/h (50 mph), the system steers the rear wheels parallel to the turned front wheels. The new model also comes with Porsche active aerodynamics (PAA) consisting of a retractable three-stage front spoiler, whose segments can be pneumatically extended, and a deployable rear wing with three adjustable wing positions, ensuring optimal efficiency.

On the inside, the 911 Turbo builds on the classic 911 ambiance, with more space courtesy of the 100-mm (3.94-in) longer wheelbase. The S model offers features such as an exclusive interior in a black/Carrera red color combination and adaptive sport seats plus with 18-way adjustment and memory.

A Bose sound system is installed as standard, with a Burmester system also available as an optional feature. A radar-controlled cruise control system, camera-based road sign recognition and speed limit recognition are other new options being offered.

Both the 911 Turbo and 911 Turbo S will begin to arrive in European dealerships at the end of September 2013, with prices in Germany starting from €162,055 ($212,750) for the base Turbo model, while the Turbo S starts from €195,256 ($256,350).

In the U.S, the turbocharged models will hit dealers at end of 2013 with the 911 Turbo priced from $148,300, and the 911 Turbo S from $181,100, not including a destination charge of $950.

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Volkswagen Group at the Auto China 2013

Signifying the huge importance of the Chinese market in the Volkswagen Group's mega plan to conquer the automotive world, the Germans organized a special event on the eve of the Auto China 2013 in Shanghai.

The automaker holds the same "Volkswagen Group Night" meeting before every important international motor show, with the most recent one being in Geneva, just last month.

In Shanghai, VW rolled out all of its world premieres ranging from the visually refreshed Skoda Superb and the all-new Audi A3 Sedan to the Volkswagen CrossBlue Coupe Concept, the Bugatti Veyron GS WRC (for World Record Car) and the Lamborghini Aventador LP 720-4 50o Anniversario.

As is customary in these type of glamorous events, there were select local and international stars, including American actor Keanu Reeves.

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