Auto Express 2011 Performance Car of the Year Announced

As the year draws to a close, another Car of the Year (COTY) accolade is up for grabs. This one is courtesy of Auto Express, however it’s not your typical COTY award. Most COTY awards include any new model and usually the winner is based on how it handles day to day elements. Well Auto Express is tossing that formula out the window as their focusing solely on performance.

They took 20 cars that have performance as their top priority and ranked them from best to worst. Everything from cheap hot hatches to exotic supercars were considered. All were measured based on their performance abilities and value… which is odd considering they have an Aston Martin up against a Seat. Perhaps they meant best balance of performance for value.

Subaru fans will likely be up in arms at the results as the Cosworth WRX was ranked the lowest at number 20, especially since it was bested by several hot hatches including a hybrid, the Honda CR-Z.

Another surprise on the list was the Audi RS5 which ranked a bit low at number 11. Especially considering its arch rival, the BMW M3, not only cracked the top 10, but cracked the top 5 coming in at number 5.

I won’t spill the beans on who won the coveted top spot, however I will say that I definitely agree with their decision. Check it out in the video above. Notice no domestic cars were nominated? Just sayin’.

Do you agree with the performance COTY?

[Auto Express]

Never Hibernate: Porsche Wants Owners to Drive Their Cars in The Winter Too

Ah sports cars. So many upsides. So many downsides. If you live in Canada, we have an additional downside of having winter for about 5 months of the year which means if you own a true sports car, you likely need to store it for the snow months and drive a beater.

Porsche doesn’t want you (Canadians specifically) to do that with their cars though. They’re encouraging you to use your Porsche all year round. It doesn’t matter what kind of Porsche you have, whether it be a Boxter or a Cayenne, Porsche insists it’s possible to drive it confidently in the snow.

All you need is the right tires and the right training. So Porsche has officially launched its Camp4 Canada driving evets which teaches Canadians just how to reign your Porsche in by the horns in the snow. The three day event will take place in February in Quebec. The cost? $5,000. Yikes. Chances are, if you own a Porsche, five grand isn’t so bad however. Interested in signing up? Click here.

I’ve always insisted that the best daily driver, if money was no object, is the Porsche 911 Carrera 4 S. Though I’m not sure that EVERY Porsche model would make a good daily driver, but thanks for attempting to prove me right Porsche.

[Canadian Driver]

Top Gear Caught Filming for Season 16 in New York!

Jezza, Hamster and Captain Slow were recently caught filming in New York for season 16 of Top gear. And by the looks of it, season 16 won’t be a disappointment (not that any episode of Top Gear is ever a disappointment).

The cameras caught what looks to be a supercar challenge. Having a self proclaimed Benz bias, Jeremy naturally chose the Mercedes-Benz SLS. Richard, also admitting a fond admiration of Porsches, unsurprisingly took a Porsche 911 GT3 RS to the party while James got the keys for the boner inducing Ferrari 458 Italia.

The boys can be seen attempting to manoeuver through a construction zone – no doubt highlight the impracticalities of actually owning a supercar. At one point Jeremy actually had to open the gullwing door to see where he was going. I can only imagine the hilarious/amazing moments they had on the trip.

I’ve been pumped for new Top Gear for a while, but this video makes me 10 times more exciting.

[Youtube]

I Can’t Lie – This Looks Good

The idea of a lowered two door Cayenne is stupid right? I mean why not just get a 911 if you want a quick coupe from Porsche? Normally I would rip into something like this, but damn does it ever look good.

This is the Merdad Porsche 902 and in addition to losing the rear doors, it is also rumoured to come with 750 horsepower (!) which is good enough for a 0-100 sprint in 4.4 seconds.

Considering the Cayenne can actually hang with a 911 around the track, I assume this modded version will do even better. Consider me intrigued. No word yet on what this beast will cost, but you can be assured that it will be in the six figure range.

[Carscoop]

Official: Porsche Will Build 918 Spyder!

YES!

Thanks to all those luck enough to afford a 918 Spyder writing in to Porsche. It’s because of that that Porsche was able to build a business case to build the 918 Spyder and now it has officially been confirmed. It will indeed enter production, albeit in limited numbers.

I think this is going to be the most significant car for the next five years, despite what GM may tell you about its Volt (see my post below for why I have doubts). While I appreciate the Volt and am very intrigued by it, I think Porsche is going to truely upstage it with the 918 Spyder. Being able to make a car that can get from 0-100 in 3.9 seconds, emit just 70 g/km of carbon dioxide all while getting 3 L/100 kms is astonishing. Mind boggling even. On top of that, the 918 Spyder will be able to keep classic handling abilities that Porsche is known for and will be quite the looker if the concept is any indication.

Pricing is the downside, but that’s the case for any supercar. It is expected to start around $650,000 US. Yikes. But considering the technology packed into it and what it’s capable of, I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised. Also this is likely the reason why it will be produced in limited numbers. I’d be surprised if Porsche was able to make any profit on it too, actually.

People are already saying that this could be the successor to the amazing Carrera GT. And if the history of the Carrera GT is any indication, the 918 Spyder should have no problem fitting in with the big boys.

[Canadian Driver]

Nissan vs Germany Round 2

Recently Nissan has been becoming quite cocky as they have released ads taking jabs at three German companies known as being among the best for performance: BMW, Audi and Porsche.

Porsche didn’t take too well to Nissan’s new marketing approach as they threatened legal action against Nissan of using their logo without permission. I, on the other hand, said that Porsche should shut Nissan up by going head to head on the track. But anyway, technical legalities is definitely not stopping Nissan from digging at Porsche heals. Audi is also targeted again in this new round of advertising.

Nissan actually went out and bought an Audi TT-S and a Porsche Cayman S and is driving them around London with special messages to the public written on the side of each car. For the Audi, the message reads “More expensive, slower and less powerful than a Nissan 370Z”. The Porsche got branded with “I dream of being as fast as a Nissan 370Z”. Ouch.

That certainly is a way to get around the legalities that Porsche set out. BMW was not targeted this round, but I’m sure Nissan has something special in mind for them.

[Nissan via Top Speed]

‘How to Beat the Germans’ Nissan Style

Nissan is taking jabs at the Germans claiming their performance cars can do anything the Germans can do and do it better.

In a new ad campaign in the UK, Nissan touts the abilities of the 370Z and the GT-R. Both make an excellent case for being among the best in the performance world, but Nissan really wants everyone to know it.

When people think of performance, they tend to think of the German makes such as BMW, Audi, and Porsche. Well they are exactly who Nissan is taking aim at. The billboard ads feature either the 370Z or the GT-R with BMW, Audi and Porsche logos on the side of the car. Next to that is the five bar gate scoring system etched into the paint which showed the number of racing victories against each brand in the famous Nurburgring. Then the ad says “How to beat the Germans” or “The Germans came off Wurst” or “Kaisers Chiefed”.

BMW and Audi are no strangers to taking jabs at each other through friendly ads, so they likely won’t care too much, however this ad seems to have hit a nerve with Porsche. Apparently lawyers for Porsche are threatening legal action for unauthorized use of their logo. Nissan reportedly will comply, but will continue on with the campaign nevertheless.

That’s a bit of a bitch move Porsche. I mean, really? Getting lawyers involved? How about shutting Nissan up by putting your cars against theirs on the track instead?

[The Guardian]

Porsche Shootout: 911 Carrera 4 S vs. Cayenne Turbo

Even though the Cayenne has long been criticized by Porsche fans for not being a true sports car, it has proved again and again that it can definitely hang with the rest of the Porsche family.

The new Cayenne will be out soon and Porsche has promised it to be even better than the last. But really, every car company says that about their product, don’t they? Well Porsche says the Turbo version is so good, that it has an identical 0-100 time as the 911 Carrera 4 S and could even give it a run for its money on the track.

To find out if that is just blatant PR or the shocking truth, Autocar took both out to find out for themselves.

The results, I admit, are quick astonishing.

[Autocar via Youtube]

And The Winner Is…

…Porsche!

That’s right, after all that back and fourth between Mini and Porsche, the 911 Carrera S came out on top. See Porsche? You should’ve just accepted the challenge, there was nothing to be scared of.

The race was held as scheduled at Road Atlanta, though not on the actual course. It was on the course’s paddocks and was laid out in an autocross style by Mini, which clearly helped the lil’ Cooper gain some advantage. Apparently not enough advantage though.

The end result was the 911 Carrera S being a full two seconds faster despite being almost 500 pounds heavier and much larger overall compared to the Mini. Mini was quick to point out that even though the Porsche won, it boiled down to $38,000 per additional second. Again, Mini is touting the value of the Cooper S.

But the folks at Mini aren’t sore losers at all. They said CEO McDowell will wear a “Porsche beat us” t-shirt for a week. They said it was all in good fun and they are the only car company not taking everything so seriously all the time, and I have to say, they are right. All this really brought out some friendly fun competition and everyone ended up having fun in the end. It was a brilliant strategy by Mini (even though they lost) because it got them lots of free press, maintained the Mini’s image as being fun and playful and it helped them to point out an extra 2 seconds on your lap time will cost you plenty.

Now, to make things even more interesting, take Hyundai up on their offer, Mini!

Check out the race above and check out the pre-interviews of the Mini and Porsche drivers after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Race Will Go On

Just a few posts down I wondered aloud if Mini would just bring their own Porsche 911 Carrera S to the big race. If you don’t know what the big race is, then you really need to start reading this blog more (or any other automotive blogs for that matter). Therefore I’m not going to get into it.

But even though Mini has the Porsche they’d like to race, they’re still in need of someone to drive it. Clearly Mini does not follow this blog either because if they did, they would know that I would likely skip out my own wedding to take an opportunity behind the wheel of a 911 Carrera S (okay not really, but I would definitely ask about postponing the wedding an extra day so that I could – yup, I have a problem).

The race is scheduled for today, so I’m likely too late, but they only put this ad up yesterday so who knows. Porsche should just suck it up and do it themselves, already. If they win at least it will shut Mini up and if they don’t, I’m sure they could cry trickery from the skies since Mini clearly designed the course to their advantage.

Or just let someone who actually wants to race, race you, Mini (*cough* Hyundai). Or do you not want to associate yourselves with a brand beneath you? Isn’t that what Porsche is doing to you? Okay, I’m going to stop talking to you as if you are a person Mini, but think about it! A Genesis coupe vs. Cooper S would be sweet! And I honestly think the Cooper S would win.

There is no news yet from Road Atlanta, but you can be sure that I will report on any further updates.

[Mini USA via Top Speed]

Mini Reveals “Track” For Porsche Duel

Despite being shut down by Porsche, Mini still intends on having a race of some sort on June 21st (aka tomorrow). They have just revealed the track and, well, it isn’t so much a track as it is a autocross event. This is a bit disappointing.

Firstly, Mini said the race would be at Road Atlanta, but this isn’t Road Atlanta at all. Mini designed this course themselves and frankly that’s not exactly fair is it. Would you want to race someone who laid out the course themselves? There’s probably tons of little factors that gives the edge to Mini.

Secondly, Mini promised a race, not an autocross event. While the 911 is undoubtedly a fantastic handler, the fact of the matter is Mini can do just as well on an autocross course thanks to its small size.

Even though Mini promises “No tricks. No gimmicks. No jokes”, after seeing the track, I’m positive Porsche won’t show up. That begs the question, who will Mini be racing tomorrow then? Will they bring a 911 themselves?

I’m thinking they should take up Hyundai’s offer below.

[Mini USA via Facebook]

The Saga Continues: Hyundai Wants To Take Porsche’s Place

Well looky here. It looks like the saga between Mini and Porsche has caught the eye of some in the business. Specifically, Hyundai.

Even though Porsche won’t take on the challenge, Hyundai is happy to step in for the German giant with its Genesis coupe. I’ve driven the Genesis Coupe before, and I must say, it certainly is a credible challenger. The question is, was Hyundai thinking of running their 2.0T or their 3.8 litre GT.

In the challenge above, Hyundai almost defends Porsche by calling the 911 “legendary” and calling Mini’s challenge “bold”. They also point out that the Genesis coupe welcomes any challenge. They even point out that they had an “epic lap” at Road Atlanta, precisely where Mini wants the location of the race to be. Hyundai then relates to Mini by saying that they know all about punching well above their weight, but are so over it now that they have the Genesis coupe. Cocky, yet compassionate.

This puts the ball squarely in Mini’s court. The only exception to the challenge is the Hyundai can’t race until July (as opposed to Mini’s set date of June 21st) because their driver is “preparing to set the record at Pikes Peak”.

Do you think Mini will dignify Hyundai with a response?

[Hyundai via Youtube]

What Does the SLS Compete With Anyway?

Autocar found out. Check it.

Not Giving Up: Mini Training 80′s Style For Porsche Race

Mini Re-Challenges Porsche

Mini is obviously smelling much promotional success with their challenge to race Porsche. Either they are really confident that they will win, or more likely, they want to continue to ride the promotional train.

Jim McDowell, CEO of Mini USA, has just re-challenged Porsche via a homemade video to a race on June 21st. Porsche claimed it didn’t race for fame and would only to it if more was at stake than “t-shirts and parking spaces”. So, McDowell upped the ante.

Now at stake is two Justin Beiber tickets including backstage passes, a lifetime membership to the Salami Of The Month Club and a slightly used gym set. Obviously Mini hasn’t lost their sense of humour about the situation.

I’m willing to bet that Porsche actually won’t respond to this one, but if they do, I hope it’s with their 911 Carrera S!

[Mini USA via Youtube]