Porsche is preparing a successor to the awesome Cayman GT4, based on its updated 718 Cayman, but prior to the car's arrival in the coming months the German firm has shown the racing variant: the 2019 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport. The race car provides plenty of clues for the upcoming road car, namely the choice of powertrain, in this case a 3.8-liter flat-6 generating 425 horsepower, or 40 hp more than before. Torque measures at 313 pound-feet, up 3 lb-ft. The mid-mounted engine is mated to a 6-speed dual-clutch transmission and sends drive to the rear axle, which features a mechanical differential lock. It isn't clear what transmission will feature in the 718 Cayman GT4 road car, but the predecessor model came with a 6-speed manual only. Other features in the Clubsport racer include a lightweight spring-strut front suspension taken from the 911 GT3 Cup race car, plus a racing brake system with steel discs measuring 15 inches all around. There's also a welded-in safety cage, a single racing bucket seat, and a six-point harness. All creature comforts have been removed, helping the weight to be capped at 2,910 pounds. This time around, Porsche will offer two versions of the Clubsport racer. There will be a non-homologated version for track enthusiasts appropriately labeled the 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport Trackday. The homologated version will be known as the Competition. Its main upgrades over the Trackday are adjustable shock absorbers, adjustable brake balance, an integrated air jack system, and quick-release steering wheel. Both versions can be ordered immediately and will be delivered to teams and drivers starting in February. As for the 718 Cayman GT4 road car, we'll likely see it debut in March at the 2019 Geneva International Motor Show. The car's mechanical package will also be shared with a 718 Boxster Spyder.
Jim Hackett Might Face These Key Challenges as Ford鈥檚 CEO. Ticker Alerts. In the first quarter of 2017, Ford鈥檚 operating margins fell in nearly all its major markets, including Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and North America. Key Events Under Former Ford CEO Mark Fields. September 2016: Ford buys Chariot, a shuttle startup in San Francisco. December 2016: Ford ends the year with 14.8 percent of U.S. January 2017: Ford says it's canceling the Mexico plant, winning praise from President Trump. Ford's new CEO just named some key execs on his team. Ford Motor, which earlier this week named turnaround expert James Hackett as its chief executive officer, announced replacements for some of its key executive positions. Ford's Key Deputies Expand Their Roles -- WSJ. Mr. Farley joined Ford as a rising star, coming to the U.S. Toyota's aggressive efforts to remake its image and better appeal to youth. Two key executives poised to shape Ford's future. Two top executives, Joseph Hinrichs and James Farley, will likely be the key to Ford's future. They are industry veterans who could be a counterbalance to new CEO Jim Hackett, who has largely worked outside the auto industry.
Audi has announced it will launch a range of plug-in hybrid powertrains for the Q5, A6, A7 and A8. The four new models will be available to order later this year, following their public debuts at the Geneva Motor Show, with all wearing Audi鈥檚 new TFSI e badging. The hybrid Q5, A6 and A7 come in two power outputs, badged as either 50 TFSI e or 55 TFSI e. In the former, Audi鈥檚 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine is mated to a gearbox-mounted electric motor, providing combined performance figures of 291bhp and 450Nm of torque. Audi鈥檚 55 TFSI e consists of a 3.0-litre V6 petrol with the same gearbox-mounted electric motor, for a combined output of 357bhp and 500Nm of torque. Both 50 and 55 TFSI e models make use of a seven-speed twin-clutch 鈥楽 tronic鈥?and, typically for an Audi, send drive to all four wheels. The new hybrid A8 also comes in two power outputs, badged as 55 TFSI e and 60 TFSI e.
Lesser-powered 55 TFSI e models use the same powertrain fitted to the Q5, A6 and A7, whilst the range-topping 60 TFSI e features a higher-output version of the same setup, delivering 436bhp and 700Nm of torque. In contrast to the others, the A8 uses an eight-speed torque converter automatic gearbox. All of Audi鈥檚 upcoming TFSI e models feature 14.1kWh lithium-ion battery packs mounted under the boot floor, with all claiming an electric-only range of more than 40km (25 miles) on the WLTP regime. Drivers can select from three powertrain modes called 鈥淓V,鈥?鈥淎uto鈥?and 鈥淗old,鈥?which set the cars priorities for either all-electric drive, fully automated hybrid drive or a 鈥減ower saving鈥?mode. The final setting retains a constant level of charge in the batteries, allowing for pure-electric running at the end of a journey. In addition, buyers benefit from an additional set of drive modes, (called 鈥渃omfort,鈥?鈥渆fficiency,鈥?鈥渁uto,鈥?and 鈥渄ynamic鈥?, which influence the powertrain鈥檚 responsiveness, damper firmness and steering weight. In 鈥渄ynamic鈥?mode, for example, the suspension is stiffened, the steering鈥檚 power assistance is reduced and the electric motor works in tandem with the internal combustion engine to provide the maximum amount of performance available for each powertrain. Buyers can also opt for a mode 3 cable for public charging and a domestic cable for charging at home. Owners can also request access to Audi鈥檚 own network of chargers at an additional fee. Prices for all four models are yet to be announced, but we expect more information to surface following their Geneva reveals.
Imagine, for a moment, that the Porsche engineering team has dropped 4,177 individually wrapped Twinkies on the lab floor. The yellow cream-filled sponge cakes are scattered shin-deep across the smooth ceramic tiles and kicked into the corners by technicians wearing white lab coats as more hit the floor. Individually, the cakes aren't very heavy. However, add 4,177 of the treats together and they weigh nearly 400 pounds. Those thousands of Twinkies represent the average weight removed by Porsche on its all-new 2011 Cayenne. Thanks to a massive diet, the automaker's SUV emerges as a toned athlete - and we just spent two days flogging it on the track and off-road course at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama. What's under its fresh new skin, and where did all that weight go? How does the Cayenne perform on the track? Just as importantly, has it lost its off-road capabilities? Whether we liked it or not, Porsche's first sport utility vehicle debuted for the 2003 model year.
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