Cars.com Reviews the 2010 Porsche Panamera

A Porsche hatchback? The incongruity of that phrase is enough to send fans into a fainting spell. Cars.com reviewer Mike Hanley is willing to give the 2009 Porsche Panamera a shot nevertheless (we know, what a rough gig). Hanley put the Panamera through its paces. To find out if this outside-the-box luxury car can convert skeptics, check out his full review.

2010 Porsche Panamera Review

Cars.com Podcast: Porsche Panamera

This week’s podcast is a bit like the classic Pink Floyd album “The Wall,” especially considering the line, “If you don’t eat your meat, you can’t have any pudding.” In the case of this week’s podcast, you’ll have to listen to our editors discuss last week’s mileage challenge and how it came together before you’ll hear about Mike Hanley’s seat time in the full line-up of the new Porsche Panamera.

You can check it out in iTunes here or just hit the play button below.

Cars.com Podcast

Cars.com Reviews the 2009 Porsche Boxster

Cars.com reviewer Joe Wiesenfelder has it rough: He spent time tooling around in the 2009 Porsche Boxster to see how well this luxury convertible brings Germany’s autobahn experience to the U.S. To learn how tough Wiesenfelder has it, read his full review of the Boxster, which comes with an upgrade in power, mileage and suspension for the ’09 model.

2009 Porsche Boxster Review

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Luxury Car Sales Rebound in September

Do you ever watch the business news and wonder who’s making money in the stock market when most people you know are cutting back? Inexplicably, luxury automakers saw sales bounce back in September.

While sales of Toyota were down 19% in September, Lexus saw sales go up 7%; that’s mostly because of the new RX crossover, which had an uptick of 70%.

Ford sales were down 6%, but sales at its Swedish Volvo brand were up 16%, thanks largely to the new XC60 crossover.

With relatively no new models in its lineup, BMW sales were up 3%.

Even at GM where sales were down 45%, Cadillac sales were down just 8% because of swift sales of the redesigned SRX crossover.

2009 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Video

The Porsche 911 really does not need its merits trumpeted. If you’re buying a 911, you know why you’re buying it. Having covered that base, Cars.com reviewer Kelsey Mays gets into the nitty-gritty of the 2009 911’s performance, which includes everything from basic acceleration to the nuances of steering-wheel weight. Find out if the 911’s the toy you’ve been looking for by watching the video.

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Porsche Cayenne Diesel: First Drive

By Thom Blackett for Cars.com

Today’s diesel engines are equivalent to a prisoner coming up for parole. Years ago, they committed a crime against society, one with lingering effects and images not soon forgotten. After decades of banishment, they make claims of a rebirth, of adopting new ways that will benefit those on the outside. They request a second chance.

With that second chance comes conditions, and for the diesel, those include burning only ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel, employing advanced emissions systems that drastically reduce the release of noxious exhaust particles, and making them available in all 50 states. Just to make everyone happy, toss in impressive performance and less of that annoying clanging sound that was prevalent in old diesel engines.

2011 Porsche Cayenne Hybrid: First Drive

By Thom Blackett for Cars.com

For most every task in life, there are at least two methods of approach. Ask Donald Trump to build you a new home, for example, and the result will be something drastically different than what you’d get from one of Habitat for Humanity’s volunteer squads. Not necessarily better, but different, and designed for clients on opposite ends of the spectrum. The same holds true in regards to hybrid vehicles, a fact documented by the $19,800 Honda Insight and $106,035 Lexus LS 600h L.

The 2011 Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid would also fall in that latter category. Just like the original Cayenne SUV stirred the ire of Porsche purists, the development of a questionably eco-friendly SUV might shake things up again. We’ve driven it, and have some specifications that should help quell fears.

2009 Porsche Boxster Video

Porsche has served up a redesign for the Boxster for the first time in five years, and Cars.com’s Joe Wiesenfelder was kind enough to test out the new 2009 version. So how does the roadster convertible hold up? And what’s with the plastic buttons on the steering wheel? For answers to these questions and more, check out the video.

2010 Porsche 911 Turbo: First Look

• Competes with: Aston Martin V8 Vantage, Maserati Gran Turismo, Audi R8
• Looks like: Every other 911, silly
• Drivetrain: 500-hp,3.8-liter turbocharged six-cylinder with six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic; all-wheel drive
• Hits dealerships: January 2010

Cayenne, Panamera, 911 GT2 and now this: the 911 Turbo, Porsche’s latest addition to the 500-horsepower club. Thanks to a larger six-cylinder engine — 3.8 liters versus 3.6 in last year’s Turbo — and direct injection, the new 911 Turbo puts nearly double the Boxster’s chutzpah to the road via standard all-wheel drive. A six-speed manual is standard, with Porsche’s seven-speed dual-clutch transmission replacing last year’s five-speed Tiptronic as the automatic option. When it hits dealerships early next year, prices will run $132,800 for the coupe and $143,800 for the convertible.

Get the dual-clutch transmission with Porsche’s launch control feature, and the automaker says zero to 60 mph takes just 3.2 seconds. (Forget the gym membership: This is really how we want our abs flattened.) That’s a couple ticks ahead of the Corvette ZR1 and few more out front of a V-10 Audi R8. It’ll kick the stones out of an Aston Martin V8 Vantage or a Maserati Gran Turismo.

J.D. Power Releases 2009 APEAL Study

The reasoning behind J.D. Power and Associates’ Automotive Performance, Execution, and Layout study is to find out “how gratifying a new vehicle is to own and drive” for each customer.

The overall winner in the 2009 APEAL study was Porsche, which maintained its dominance in the top spot for the fifth straight year. Rounding out the top five were several other luxury brands: Jaguar, Cadillac, Audi and BMW.

Individual categories included one decent upset: In the Midsize Premium Car category, the Hyundai Genesis beat out both the BMW 5 Series and the Jaguar XF. Other winners of interest included the Dodge Challenger, Volkswagen CC, Ford Flex and Nissan Maxima — all relatively new models.