A biweekly round-up of automotive news, good, bad and just plain weird:
Porsche will sell manual GT3
Of all the variants of 911 sold by Porsche, the GT3 is the most track-focused. Apart from the GT3 RS, that is, which is even more expensive. I mean focused. (Actually, both are true.)
However, just because a car is made for lapping sessions doesn't mean it's going to please all enthusiasts, especially if the only transmission option is Porsche's admittedly excellent dual-clutch gearbox. What about those of us who wish to shift our own gears? After all, they don't hand out trophies at open-lapping days: sometimes it's about having fun out there more than the last few tenths of a second.
Having seen the public's reaction to the manual-only Cayman GT4 and Boxster Spyder RS, Porsche is finally letting customers vote with their wallets. The next GT3 will still be available with the PDK dual-clutch if you want to eke out the quickest lap, but there'll also be a manual option if you just want to have the biggest grin. With the limited-edition manual-only 911R reportedly already sold out, this is great news for Porsche enthusiasts who like a little old school in their rearengined machine. But why did we have to beg in the first place?
Porsche confirms four-cylinder Macan
And this is how Stuttgart pays for its enthusiasm. While the GT car division is let off the leash to run loose with big-winged, big horsepower machines, the SUV and sedan wing of Porsche is far more concerned with emissions and profits.
To that end, the newest powerplant for the Macan crossover isn't much of a surprise. Taking aim at Audi's Q5, the entry-level Macan will now have a 252 horsepower four-cylinder turbocharged powerplant. Efficiency is up slightly over the V-6 turbo, and performance is still there, with a 0-100 kilometres per hour time of a little more than six seconds; that's VW GTI territory.
The Macan already sells very well in Canada, and this new entry-level model will probably allow it to break into the top ten of luxury vehicle sales charts. Is that exciting? Probably only if you're a Porsche dealer. On the other hand, it does mean the RD department will have more money to make the sports cars even quicker.
BMW working on i5 for families
The sleek BMW i8 might well be the future of the supercar. It's fast enough to be interesting - faster than an original M1, for instance - and it looks like a spaceship on wheels. Add in a green-friendly electric powertrain with a turbo three-cylinder engine as a range extender, and you've got a thoroughly interesting machine.
However, it's not very practical. If you need a commuter with a Bimmer badge up front, the compact and economical i3 is probably a far better bet, and still apparently good fun to drive. But what if you need a little more room?
Well, BMW's got you covered with the i5 then. Instead of hydrogen power or some of the other rumours surrounding the next addition to the BMW i lineup, the new i5 is now confirmed to be a rangeextended EV, just like the i3 and i8, but larger.
As BMW is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, that's good news for the company. They've made plenty of dedicated sports cars over the years, but it's the practical machines that have carried the brand.
Dog steals big rig
Chances are, you've probably sat through an ad where a carmaker has used some quipping pet to try and hawk their latest model. Speaking personally, I'm tired of companies trying to use dogs to sell me cars: it usually comes off too cutesy, and it's not like a dog really even knows anything about driving.
Not unless, that is, you're in Minnesota, where the dogs apparently know how to drive a big rig, as one trucker discovered to his horror. Left alone in the cab of an idling semi-trailer, the Labrador retriever knocked the truck into gear and off it trundled, hopping a curb, crushing a tree, and smashing into a Ford Taurus.
Well, we could have all predicted that was going to happen. Labradors, cuddly and friendly though they may be, are often complete idiots. If you're going to let a dog take the wheel, maybe stick to a terrier or border collie.
New Yorker draws own license plate
Speaking of idiots, one New York state woman is cooling her heels in jail this week after her astoundingly unconvincing forged license plate was uncovered by sharp-eyed police. Well, "sharp-eyed" may be over-emphasizing the discovery: the lumpy, cartoonish cardboard plate wouldn't have fooled a first-grader.
The cops charged the woman with several vehicular offenses, including possession of a forgery. If there's any justice in the world, she'll end up making real license plates in state prison.
Watch this space for all the best and worst of automotive news, or submit your own automotive oddities by email to mcaleer.nsnews@gmail. com.
