1971 Porsche 914 4 1.7l on 2040-cars

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Road & Track names its 2013 Performance Car of the Year

Road & Track recently staged its first annual Performance Car of the Year test, pitting 13 new and updated performance cars against each other on track, then graduating the top six to a road test before picking a winner. Additionally, the magazine staff picked the best automobiles of the year in eight categories.
But first, let's cover the PCotY segment. Here's the list of cars brought to the comparison test: Audi R8 V10 Plus; BMW 435i; BMW M6 Competition Package; Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Z51; Ferrari F12 Berlinetta; Ford Fiesta ST; Jaguar F-Type V8 S; Jaguar XFR-S; Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG S-Model Wagon; Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series; Mini John Cooper Works GP; Nissan GT-R Track Edition; and Porsche Cayman S.
To find out the results of the comparison, head over to Road & Track's website or check the press release below, where you'll also find the magazine's top-rated vehicles in eight categories. Want more? Head over to the 2013 PCotY hub. But before you do that, take a stab at guessing the winner of PCotY (we'll give you one hint: it isn't a Porsche).

Porsche prioritizes 200,000-unit sales target over exclusivity [w/poll]

Would a Porsche still be a Porsche if it weren't as exclusive? That's the question which industry pundits are asking - and customers may soon as well - as the German automaker emerges from the fringe in pursuit of larger volumes.
A dozen years ago Porsche was barely selling over 50,000 units per annum. In a sales surge that has gathered pace as fast as a 911 Turbo, however, it was already hovering around the 100,000-unit mark a few years later. Last year it sold over 160,000, and has targeted 200,000 units by 2018. But it may not even take that long.
Automotive News reports that Porsche has advanced its targets to reach for 200,000 units by the end of this year or the next. The bump in sales would be driven particularly by the introduction of the new Macan, of which it aims to sell 50,000 units annually, starting next year. The Cayenne currently stands far and away as its most successful model. The 911 and Panamera have swapped second place a few times over the past five years, followed by the Boxster and Cayman.

Porsche 918 Spyder pre-production version in all its almost-done glory

Porsche continues the long tease of its upcoming 918 Spyder, with the latest instantiation here at the Pebble Beach Concours, with the car presented in pre-production form to the throngs on the golf course.
Just a few days ago Porsche dropped an image of the car on its official Twitter feed. True to that leak, this 918 looks damn near what we expect the full customer version to be when it is officially debuted in Frankfurt. The neon-green brake calipers are items new to this version of the 918, and seem to be an identical color to those found on the Panamera S E-Hybrid.
When it shows up as a drivable piece, expect the Porsche supercar, with its gasoline-electric drivetrain, to be pretty insane. Horsepower in excess of 800 ponies will be available with a toe-tap, while the price of entry is expected to come within shouting distance of $850,000. A good deal for Porsche to bring the thing to Pebble then, where buyers with that kind of cash are think on the ground (and most likely wearing sherbet-colored trousers).