What makes a luxury car?

Porsche Developing New 960 Mid-Engine Supercar?

Porsche has staked its claim on the name ‘960’, trademarking the three number sequence to spawn a possible new breed of mid-engine sports car that, as Car Magazine reports, could rival the likes of the Ferrari 488 GTB, Lamborghini Huracan, Audi R8, and McLaren 650S.

As far as timelines go, the report says that the patent application was approved in September 2015, and the project it was linked to had been pushed to 2019. However, the recent interest comes from a question posed by the publication to which a Porsche spokesperson slipped some rather telling words:

The full quote reads: “‘There’s not been much on the topic of new models but, if you look, there are blank spots in our range – and you have to look at what the competition is doing and keep these things in mind. Pragmatically, with our production cycle running as it is, we know where we are in the current model cycles – and there’s a lot to do at the moment. We’re very busy.”

Putting two and two together, a rational person would be led to the conclusion that the 960 would be that car to fill that blank spot. One could argue how it’s perhaps an outspoken minority who are fussing about Porsche’s lack of direct answer to those cars (488 GTB, Huracan etc) but, in reality, the Stuttgart automaker doesn’t seem to be hurting from it in the least.

Still, the prospect of a mid-engine Porsche slotted between the new 718 Cayman and the 918 Spyder hypercar is a very enticing prospect, more powerful and capable than the former but more accessible than the latter. Especially if, should the speculation prove to be an accurate bet, the future 960’s performance is higher even than the 911 Turbo.

Speculation is a slippery slope however, and there has been talk of it being a four-wheel drive sports car as standard with a twin-turbo flat-eight engine, a Veyron-chasing 100km/h sprint time, and there being more hardcore versions introduced along its life cycle.

But we’re not as confident about saying anything about a future Porsche. And anyway, should it be an actual project that’s in the works, they should be just as eager to make some kind of announcement as we are to hear about it. Perhaps as early as late 2016?

Mansory Ferrari F12 berlinetta Stallone

Mansory, that infamous German tuning company with a reputation for assaulting various supercars with their unique taste in colors and over-the-top body kits, is rolling into this year’s Geneva Motor Show with what, for them, is a rather restrained creation.Based on the Ferrari F12berlinetta, the Mansory Stallone features numerous carbon fiber components and body panels. There’s a redesigned hood, front bumper, rear bumper, side skirts, rear diffuser, mirror covers, door handle covers and headlights. To top it off there’s also a set of humongous wheels, which measure 21-inches up front and 22-inches at the back.On the inside Mansory are up to their old tricks, wrapping the interior in eye-searing red upholstery, and painting red almost everything they can get their grubby little hands on. It’s a wonderful homage to early ’90s tuning, and should suit clients who typify the expression, “money can’t buy taste”.In an attempt to redeem themselves, Mansory have made some effort to squeeze a little more go out of the Ferrari’s engine. With the help of a new sports exhaust and a modified ECU, Mansory’s engineers have managed to coax an additional 34 horsepower out of the engine, taking the total to 764 horsepower. Likewise peak torque has increased from 509 lb-ft (690Nm)  to 535 lb-ft (725Nm).