​2015 Porsche Cayenne GTS: This Is It!

Porsche is out with two new Cayennes, and like every model in its stable, there has to be at least a half-dozen variants. Minimum. So it’s time to meet the Turbo-wannabe GTS and its base sibling, that – gasp! – no longer has a manual option.

There’s not too much new with the base model, with the 3.6-liter V6 – shared across the VAG line-up – still chugging along with 300 horsepower, and huffing and puffing to hit 60 MPH in 7.7 seconds (7.6 with the optional Sport Chrono pack). But for 2015, Porsche is dropping the manual option in favor of the eight-speed Tiptronic S automatic, because we’re assuming the take-rate on the stick was -1 percent.

The new GTS is slightly more compelling, ditching the V8 found in the last model with the twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter V6 putting out 440 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque. Porsche claims a 0-60 run of 5.2 seconds (nix a tenth for the Sport Chrono), and a top speed of 163 MPH.

The standard kit includes a sports exhaust, Turbo-repping air intakes and lighting, and flared wheel arches. The suspension has been lowered by 20mm and dropped over 20-inch “RS Spyder” wheels framing the Turbo’s larger 390mm front discs. It looks good until you get to the interior, which comes across as bit gauche with its red piping and GTS logo stitched into the headrests.

No matter. Porsche will sell another boatload, with pricing for the base model coming in at $58,300 and the GTS commanding $95,500. Buy up, people! And keep funding those 911s, Caymans, and 918s.

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First official trailer for Fast and Furious 7 released!

The internet has been inundated with the the first official trailer for Fast and Furious 7, the latest installment of the seemingly interminable Universal Pictures franchise.

Little is revealed about the plot, but what it does show likely comprises most of what audiences will see on the big screen — plenty of vehicular chaos, both in the action packed stunts and the collection of aftermarket parts fitted to the cars.

The trailer begins with a vignette in which Diesel, Walker & Partners are dropped out of a cargo plane, faces contorted in slow-mo as if executing the most extreme snowboarding tricks known to man, while sitting in the drivers seats of a Dodge Challenger, Subaru WRX STI, and a 1970 Dodge Charger modified for the Baja 1000.

Then, they fire grappling hooks from said cars, attack a country singer’s tour bus, and jet-set around the globe finding fist fights and scantily clad dancing girls. There are also appearances by the 2015 Dodge Charger, a Bugatti Veyron, a Nissan GT-R, a Lykan Hypersport and no less than three bald men beating each other senseless.

Paul Walker and his brother

Notably, this will be the first installment released since Paul Walker’s death. The actor was killed in a car accident in November 2013 unrelated to the filming. Though plot holes were have never been a concern for the series, it also purports to retcon the story lines from Tokyo Drift and the rest of the series. Furious 7, as some are calling it, arrives in theaters on April 3, 2015.

To finish this latest “Fast” movie, Walker’s brothers Caleb and Cody stepped in and joined the cast to film scenes their brother hadn’t yet done.

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Nissan Pulsar Nismo Concept Debuts in Paris 2014 Auto Show!

Nissan’s plan to expand its sporty Nismo brand is well underway, and the latest vehicle to wear a Nismo badge is one not sold in the U.S., the Nissan Pulsar. The Pulsar Nismo concept debuted in Paris as a design study, but we hear a production model could be in the works.

The Pulsar Nismo concept gets flared fenders and a more aggressive-looking “Double-Wing” front valance with characteristic red accents on the front lip and side skirts.

In back, you’ll find a diffuser-style rear bumper, a center-mounted dual exhaust, and carbon fiber rear spoiler. The hatch is finished in satin gray, and rides on 19-inch alloy wheels wrapped in 235/35R19 tires. Nissan says it used airflow analysis to design the body and improve aerodynamics. Inside, the Pulsar Nismo gets Alcantara-trimmed sport seats, a three-spoke sports steering wheel, alloy pedals, and a red tachometer.

The concept has been lowered from the standard Pulsar’s ride height, and features unique spring and damper settings. Steering has also been modified for more direct response. Nissan says more details will be announced later, but Auto Express learned a few more juicy bits of info from the Paris show floor. The U.K. publication says a production version will get a 1.6-liter turbo-four producing 247 hp, with a Nismo RS variant to follow with 275 hp. That places the hatchback squarely in Ford Focus ST and Volkswagen GTI territory, but as the Pulsar isn’t sold here, don’t expect to see a C-segment hot hatch option from Nissan in the U.S. anytime soon. Nissan did, however, unveil a Note Nismo earlier this year, so there’s still hope that we could get at least one Nissan hot hatch.

Spotted! This is the facelifted 2016 BMW 6-Series. Can you spot the updates?

The current-generation BMW 6-Series was all-new for the 2012 model year, so we’ll soon see the vehicle undergo its mid-cycle update. Today, we have the first spy shots of prototypes for the updated 6-Series coupe, which we expect to be revealed early next year, as a 2016 model.

Being a mid-cycle update, the changes to the car are minimal. However, we should see the changes appear across the 6-Series range, which means we should be seeing prototypes for updated versions of the 6-Series Convertible, 6-Series Gran Coupe and M6 models, too.

The camouflage gear on the prototypes suggests we’ll see new bumpers, new fender vents and revised lights. Changes are expected in the cabin as well, with the updated 6-Series likely to adopt BMW’s touchpad interface already found on some of the automaker’s vehicles.

It’s not clear yet what changes will occur under the hood, but it’s likely the current powertrain lineup will carry over with only minor tweaks. It’s also likely we’ll see some new electronic driver aids added to the car.

Stay tuned for updates as development progresses.

BMW Unveils the All New X6 2015!

BMW has unveiled the all-new X6 for 2015. It’s essentially an X5 with a sloping roofline.

Mechanically, the X6 will be available with two different engine options and three different trims: sDrive35i, xDrive35i and xDrive50i.

The first two boast a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six pushing out 300 horsepower and 406 Nm of torque, with power transferred to the rear wheels in the sDrive35i and all four wheels in the xDrive35i.

Moving up, the xDrive50i uses a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 pumping out 445 horsepower and 650 Nm of torque. All X6 models are fitted with an eight-speed automatic transmission.