Porsche

Porsche Cayenne, 2011: The Weekly Driver car review

The extensively redone 2011 Porsche Cayenne SUV finally looks like a Porsche. The bland appearance of its predecessor, however, didn’t stop it from being Porsche’s top seller here soon after it arrived in America in March 2003. Porsche always had been a sports car company, but it ignored protests from many Porsche owners and its often rabid fans when it introduced the Cayennne. But business is business, and Porsche needed the money the Cayenne would produce. Besides, it has lots of pride and was tired of seeing its sports cars sitting in garages next to expensive SUVs from competitors. As it turned out, Porsche has sold more than 280,000 Cayennes worldwide, with about 88,000 bought in the United States through

Read more

Rare Porsche models honored for automaker’s 60th anniversary

As part of its 60th anniversary celebration, Porsche Cars North America embarked on a quest to find the oldest Porsche sold in America via The Porsche Classic Search. It encouraged individuals to submit documentation their Porsche was one of the earliest in its category sold in the United States. With awards and bragging rights at stake, the entries are an impressive collection of finalists, including the oldest U.S.-retailed model found, a restored 1952 Strawberry Red 356 Cabriolet. Among the hundreds of submissions from Porsche owners across the country since last August was a rare 1952 356 Cabriolet owned by Dr. Robert Wilson of Oklahoma City, Okla. Wilson’s car was imported in November of 1952 by Austrian businessman Max Hoffman, in

Read more

Porsche, Mercedes-Benz most expensive sports cars to insure

1. Porsche 911 Carrera GT2 $2,943.78 2. Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG $2,863.03 3. Dodge Viper SRT-10 $2,851.89 4. Porsche Panamera Turbo AWD $2,837.39 5. Dodge Viper SRT-10 Convertible $2,815.90 6. Mercedes-Benz CL600 $2,754.80 7.  Audi R8 $2,751.55 8. Porsche Panamera S $2,744.78 9. Mercedes-Benz SL600 $2,715.86 10. Porsche 911 Carrera Turbo $2,706.04 James RaiaA sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004. In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., and monthly auto review and wellness columns for Gulfshore Business, a magazine in Southwest Florida. An author

Read more
, , , , ,

Porsche to Audi, Lexus to BMW: Best (used) luxury cars under $30,000

For the past few years, I’ve become a regular reader of the AOL Autos. Its writers and editors seemingly have a never-ending stream of top-10 lists while approaching the automotive industry with the consumer in mind. The latest AOL Auto offering, written by Kevin Ransom, is the “baker’s dozen” list of best luxury cars for under $30,000. It’s a diverse selection, Porsche to Lincoln, Audi to Lexus. Says Ransom in his introduction: “For some buyers, the used-luxury market is a way of getting into that Lexus, Lincoln, Infiniti or Porsche you always wanted, without laying out $70,000 or $80,000 for something you’re not actually going to live in.” In conjunction with a recent Consumer Reports study, AOL has published its

Read more
, , ,

Porsche, Honda, BMW, Chevrolet dominate Car and Driver's top-10 best car lists the past three years

* The car must be new or significantly redesigned from a previous year; * Its price can’t exceed more than 2.5-times the average price of a new in the year of the list ($71,000 for 2009); * If a car doesn’t make the list on its first year of eligibility, it must undergo a redesign for future eligibility; * Once a car makes the list, it’s on the list again the following year and can remain on the list indefinitely unless there’s a drastic reason why it should be removed — a major change in the vehicle or the spectacularly warranted debut of a new car on the list. There aren’t many changes year-to-year, but here’s the last three years

Read more
,

2008 Porsche Tops J.D. Power & Associates Initial Quality List

The Porsche 911 has the fewest quality issues, with 67 problems per 100 vehicles, the study noted. Lincoln took dubious honors, falling from No. 3 to No. 15, according to the results released June 4. Jeep is at the list, with Mini one position from the bottom. Saturn also faltered, falling to No. 33 from No. 20 in 2007. Ford and Mercury performed well both in the top 10. J.D. Power and Associates commended the auto industry for “a continued reduction in the level of defects and malfunctions” in vehicles. Overall quality improved by 6 percent in 2008 compared with 2007. The study found that new-vehicle sales in 2008 shifted away from large cars and trucks toward smaller models. The

Read more
, , ,

Ford Mustang, Bugatti Share Daily Telegraph's Most Beautiful Car list (No. 60-41)

Several years ago, a friend bought two handmade Bugatti replicas. They’re Bugatti blue, beautiful and pristine miniatures of the real deal. But by their craftsmanship, they’re also a real deal unto themselves and great collectors’ items. Another friend is a Ford Mustang fancier. He bought a new Mustang a few years ago and treasured it. But he sold the car within its first year of purchase because he just wasn’t driving it often enough to justify the joy of ownership. It’s not often the Bugatti and Ford Mustang are discussed in the same automotive conversation. My friends’ tales provide one example. Another mixing of the two diverse cars occurred among readers of the Daily Telegraph, the London-based daily newspaper. Its

Read more
Previous