2014 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Video

Mercedes-Benz's redesigned 2014 E-Class lineup comprises a coupe, convertible, wagon and sedan, but it's the absurdly quick E63 AMG that gets Cars.com reviewer Kelsey Mays' pulse racing. The luxury sedan, bowing this week at the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, gets 550 horsepower from its twin-turbo 5.5-liter V-8, and paired with the automaker's new 4Matic all-wheel-drive system, that translates to a zero-to-60 time of 3.6 seconds.

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To knock a half-second off of the 2013 model's 4-second zero-to-60 time, speed enthusiasts will have to upgrade to the E63 AMG S-Model, which will make a Porsche 911-rivaling 3.5 seconds. While the average law-abiding citizen may consider that measure of power luxurious, Mays imagines an unconventional application for getting misbehaving children to sit still in the backseat during car trips.

Watch the video below.

2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray: Photo Gallery Two

If the stingray's stinger could deliver the viper's venom, could it become the most formidable fish in the sea? Chevrolet hopes to take that analogy to the high-performance sports car segment with the all-new 2014 Corvette Stingray, whose design cues from fellow American icon the SRT Viper are apparent.

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The 2014 Corvette Stingray, bowing this week at the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, boasts Viper-like exposed headlights and a gaping lower grille. But with features like defined rocker creases and shoulder lines, this Stingray-badged Corvette tempers the hulking appearance of the Viper. Still, the Stingray retains enough classic Corvette flavor to satisfy the faithful while tempting higher-end enthusiasts.

Check out the gallery below.

Recall Alert: 2010 Porsche 911 GT3

Porsche is recalling 455 model-year 2010 versions of the 911 GT3 sports coupe due to problems with the rear wheel hubs, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In the affected vehicles, which were manufactured from May 15, 2009, through Feb. 11, 2010 (check your vehicle's build date on a sticker on the driver-side doorjamb), the rear wheel hubs are prone to fail. This could lead to a loss of vehicle control. Also, "the original suggested maintenance intervals may be insufficient to prevent wheel hub failure," according to NHTSA.

Porsche will notify owners later this month, and dealers will replace the wheel hubs on the rear axle for free. Owners can call Porsche at 800-767-7243 or NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236 for more info.

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Porsche to Introduce Two Vehicles at L.A. Auto Show

Since the U.S. is Porsche's largest market, it's no surprise the luxury automaker plans to show off two new vehicles at the L.A. Auto Show later this month.

The 2013 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 was unveiled at the Paris International Motor Show in September, and it will make its North American debut at the show Nov. 28. For 2013, the 911 Carrera 4 gets an updated version of Porsche's all-wheel-drive system, called Porsche Traction Management.

Details are slim about the second vehicle, but we expect to see a new Cayman during auto-show season. Porsche is calling the second vehicle a compact sports car that hasn't been revealed at any other show. It, too, will meet the press on Nov. 28.

Check back with us as we learn more about the vehicles at the 2012 L.A. Auto Show.

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Cars.com Reviews the 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet

When carmakers turn their sports coupes into convertibles, the droptop models tend to lose a bit of their edge, becoming more sedate touring vehicles. That's not the case with the 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet, which is every bit as mean as the coupe, according to Cars.com reviewer Joe Wiesenfelder. Still, there are some things on the coupe we’d rather not have on the convertible.

2012 Porsche 911 Review

How Much Cupholder Can $126,000 Buy?

Porsche should be pleased to hear there aren’t many shared features between the 2012 911 Carrera and my 1998 Pontiac Trans Am. Go figure. The Carrera’s $4,650 Premium Package Plus costs more than what I paid for my mullet-mobile.

I was, however, reminded of my project Pontiac after popping out the Porsche’s retractable cupholders. A similar slide-out cupholder lives in my Trans Am’s center console. It holds beverages as proficiently as a cranky infant, leading to a “no drinks” policy in the TA. Surely the cupholders in Porsche’s $126,000 911 Carrera Cabriolet would be an improvement, right?

2013 Porsche 911 Carrera 4, 4 S: First Look

• Competes with: Nissan GT-R, Audi R8, Lamborghini Gallardo
• Looks like: The new 991 series finally gets its crucial all-wheel-drive models
• Drivetrain: 350-hp, 3.4-liter flat-six engine or 400-hp, 3.8-liter flat six; seven-speed manual transmission or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission; all-wheel drive
• Hits dealerships: Early 2013

For the 2013 model year, the seventh-generation Porsche 911 Carrera gets a new all-wheel-drive system and two new models — the Carrera 4 and Carrera 4 S — that will use the new drivetrain. The Carrera C4 is an important component of 911 sales, making up more than a third of total sales of the sixth-generation 911, according to Porsche.

The Porsche 911 Carrera 4 gets an updated version of Porsche's all-wheel-drive system, called Porsche Traction Management. Besides that, the rest of the mechanical upgrades are the same as the ones found on the 2012 rear-wheel-drive Carrera. That means it benefits from the longer wheelbase, lightweight aluminum-steel body, new flat-six engine, seven-speed manual transmission and the electromechanical steering (which we thought was well-executed). Porsche says you can identify the Carrera 4 by its slightly wider rear wheel housing; each extends an extra 22 mm outward, and the rear tires are each 10 mm wider. Let's be clear, though: There's no way you'll recognize a few millimeters' difference in the sizes of the rear wheels. If you want to know the difference between the Carrera and Carrera 4, just look at the taillights: On the Carrera 4, there's a center brake light strip. And of course, there are different nameplate decals.

Frequent Redesigns Leave Some Cars Behind

The steady pace of vehicle redesigns and midcycle updates has increased precipitously over the past decade as the competition for market share continues to get fierce. The average new car is redesigned or refreshed every 2.6 years as compared to 3.2 years just a decade ago, according to Merrill Lynch. Renewed competition among American, Korean and European carmakers has coalesced into a sort of friendly arms race in the automotive sector.

Nearly all of this is good for the consumer, but it does create some oddities. For instance, some older body styles that share nameplates with their newer, more popular brethren get left behind in the redesign process. One that comes to mind is the Nissan Versa hatchback. Now two model years removed from the Versa sedan's redesign, the hatchback is, arguably, the more refined and sophisticated of the two, though its asking price is much steeper and its gas mileage isn't as good.

Below we outline models that have been left astray from their more popular compatriots.

Cars.com Reviews the 2012 Porsche 911

Porsche's 911 Carrera S combines unprecedented performance and reasonable day-to-day livability, according to Cars.com Executive Editor Joe Wiesenfelder. Among its strengths are a more refined, yet efficient powertrain for 2012 and a dynamic suspension. Steep prices and some cheap interior materials could put off some prospective buyers, Wiesenfelder says.

2011 Porsche 911 Review

2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S Video

While it may look the same, the Porsche 911 was completely redesigned for 2012. Refinements include a new electromechanical power steering that loses some feeling, according to Cars.com Executive Editor Joe Wiesenfelder. Even so, the 911 remains one of the most well-balanced track machines available today, he says.

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