1965 Porsche 356 Sc Coupe on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Porsche 911 Targa leaks out ahead of Detroit debut

With the doors of Cobo Center opening for the 2014 Detroit Auto Show this morning, Porsche is set to reveal its new 911 Targa in a matter of hours. But before it gets the chance, the first batch of images have already leaked out, courtesy of Chinese car site autohome.com.cn.
As expected, the new Targa appears to ditch the complex sliding glass roof panels that adorned recent versions of the semi-convertible 911 in favor of a more back-to-basics approach. An entirely removable roof panel opens up the sky, backed by a metallic B-pillar hoop in front of a large curved-glass rear window.
We'll have to wait just a little longer for the full scope of images and all the official details, but we're expecting the new Targa to carry most of the same technical specifications as the 991 on which it's based. Watch this space for more.

Take a POV hot lap in the Porsche 918 Spyder

That title about says it all. This is a hot lap of the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, TX, with Porsche Works Driver Patrick Long at the wheel of a Porsche 918 Spyder. The camera is basically showing us everything that Long sees, making this not just one of the coolest 918 videos we've seen, but also one of the neatest laps of CoTA.
As Long peers through the bends, so will you. You'll see him fight the wheel, and find out just how difficult it is to hustle this hybrid hypercar around a world-class track at speed. It's pretty darn entertaining. There are also a few scattered shots of the 918's exterior just to break up the interior awesomeness, although we aren't exactly complaining about those. Take a look below for the short video from Porsche.

Modded budget Mazda Miata takes on new Porsche Boxster in more challenges

Earlier this month, our friends across the pond at Auto Express released the first in a two-video series that would see them try and build up a second-generation Mazda MX-5 Miata that could best a standard Porsche Boxster around the track. While that first video detailed the mods to the MX-5 - a supercharger, some suspension upgrades and a new set of super-sticky rubber being chief among them - and set baseline lap times for the stock car, today, we have the results of the 5,000-pound ($8,200) upgrade job.
Of course, we aren't going to spoil those for you. You'll need to watch the full video, which recaps the upgrades before digging into a comparison of both straight-line-speed differences between the 2.7-liter Porsche Boxster and blown Miata, as well as their behavior and lap times on the track.
Take a look and let us know what you think in Comments.