Another hybrid Porsche on the way

Porsche Panamera hybrid

(Credit: Porsche AG)

Porsche announced today that it's developing a hybrid version of the Panamera, a four-door GT car that will debut in a traditional combustion engine version in 2009.

The hybrid system will use a combustion engine, plus an electric motor and an additional clutch, along with a battery pack to store power. The system can switch between the combustion and electric motor, or combine power from both, depending on driving conditions. And although we haven't seen specific technical data yet, this system sounds strikingly similar to GM's "two-mode" hybrid system, which can yield anywhere from zero emissions to pretty much standard combustion engine-level emissions, depending on how hard the car is driven. Porsche claims their hybrids will reduce fuel consumption by 30 percent over standard models.

Porsche isn't saying exactly when the hybrid Panamera will go on sale, but says it will be offered at "a later date" than the purely gas-powered 2009 Panamera. It could be a while, since Porsche recently announced that the hybrid version of its Cayenne SUV would be delayed until 2010.

First drive: 2008 BMW M3 Coupe

2008 M3 coupe

(Credit: BMW NA)

As a fan of the predecessor to this current M3, the e46, I was skeptical about driving what some called a heavy, underpowered car that didn't quite live up to its ancestors' legacy. A few die-hard enthusiasts, amid cracking tired Bangle jokes that are oh-so-five-years-ago, called it the MPIG, bemoaning the addition of more sensors and high-tech gadgets that added weight and deterred DIYers. And I almost bought into it.

Sure, I'll never love the look of the car like I love the e46. But the new M3 is, for better or worse, one of those cars you have to drive to truly appreciate.

On a recent press trip in Monterey, we had the opportunity to drive the M3 as it should be driven: On empty, windy roads. And later, even better: Madza Raceway Laguna Seca.

The 2008 M3 is powered by an all-new, 4.0-liter V8 engine. This is a drastic departure from the inline six used on the previous generation of the 3 Series cars. The bigger motor catapults the output to 414 horsepower at 8300 rpm, with 295 pound-feet of torque. But the sound of the car remains refined. The engine sounds big, but still reminiscent of M3s past. Sure, there are bigger engines out there, but the M3 is powerful without being raucous. Acceleration is still plenty fast, and the engine revs so high, you could drive around town without changing gears -- if you really wanted to.

On the road portion of our drive, my driving partner and I were amazed at how soft the ride was while driving over uneven pavement. This was due to an optional Electronic Dampening Control (EDC) feature on our car which has three suspension settings: comfort, normal, and sport. But even in "comfort" mode, softness didn't equate to mushiness. The car still felt dynamic and responsive, even while going over potholes and railroad tracks.

The steering was about as tight as I'd ever felt on any BMW. Although faced with a slew of considerably sharp turns as we wound our way through the hillsides, I never had to take my hands off the three-and-nine position. And the nice thick M wheel was comfortable and pleasurable to grip.

At the track, it was time to take it to a whole other level. My manual coupe really let it rip when I got on the throttle, and the brakes bit down hard and fast before the turns. Even though I was only on stock Michelin Pilot Sport tires, the car stuck like glue through the apexes, and the car's back end came around nicely as I gave it more gas out of the turns. Only a few times did I push it hard enough to get those tires to "sing," but I never felt out of control. Admittedly, I did the whole track in third gear, but even so I never lacked for power or torque.

That said, the 2008 M3 is not a "track car" in the true sense of the word. But that's not the point. The beauty of the e92 M3 is that it can be a sensible, dignified daily driver, and still tear it up on track days. And although I am coupe-biased, I think the re-introduction of the M3 sedan will even further the M3's image of an all-around car that can serve many purposes and still be a thrill to drive.

Oh, and about that heaviness thing; BMW lightened the new chassis up quite a bit to compensate for the weight increase. An aluminum hood and suspension, as well as a carbon-fiber roof, shave some weight off, although the "unladen" weight of the coupe is still 3704 pounds, with the sedan weighing in a tad heavier at 3726 pounds. By comparison, the e46 M3 coupe is 3415 pounds. So just imagine the kind of horsepower boost the 2008 M3 could get if it were 300 pounds lighter. But if you're the kind of person who's bothered by that kind of heft, you're probably better off buying an old M3 and ripping all the seats out.

AutoRAI 2003: the concept cars

The Alfa Romeo Scighera was one of the oldest show cars present this year. But this design by Fabrizio Giugiaro, son of the well-known designer and founder of the ItalDesign studio Giorgetto Giugiaro, looks timeless. It's a mid-engined super sports car aimed to connect Alfa's modern technology to their famous racing past. At the time of its introduction at the Geneva Auto Show in 1997 the board of the Fiat Group, of which Alfa Romeo is a part, weren't impressed by it and more or less neglected the car., but in the way time works this was all to change, as you'll see further on.
The name of this car refers to a type of fog and in this case indicates secrecy and stealth. Originally it was presented in full red Alfa Romeo racing livery, but later its paint job was changed to this more sedate metallic grey, reminiscent of its ancestor, ItalDesign's BMW Nazca of 1991.

The Scighera is not just some show car, it's actually fully registered for road use. Even a limited scale production was considered for some time by ItalDesign. It's powered by Alfa's 3-litre V6 from the 164 sedan model, which is boosted to produce some 400 hp by a twin-turbo system. To get this amount of power on the road it features the four wheel drive technology from the Lancia Delta Integrale (which was also offered on the Alfa 155) and a 6-speed sequential transmission. At a vehicle weight of 1200 kg it must be a bomb to drive.
To ensure a limited vehicle weight the chassis frame is constructed from aluminum-carbon fibre composite material and the body is made from aluminum. If it gets hot under the dome like glass roof the side panels can be removed to let some air in. For easy access the roof panels fold upwards when the doors are opened.

It's an amazing car to look at, but it must have cost a fortune to build and to be honest: I liked the original Nazca better.

The Brera is a more recent attempt by ItalDesign at designing an Alfa Romeo sports car, and it looks to be a more viable one too. It was first shown at the 2002 Geneva Auto Show and remarkably its characteristics are not that much different from the Scighera, they're only more realistic in execution. The Brera is also constructed from lightweight materials, with a body made entirely from carbon fiber, and features 400 hp with all-wheel drive and sequential transmission as well. Only in this case a 4.2-litre V8 of Maserati origin, placed in front of the passengers compartment, is used to obtain a 402 hp power output.
It seems that ItalDesign is very committed to giving Alfa their sporting heritage back and after getting a shoe in at the Fiat Group by designing the Maserati coupe and spider the Giugiaros seized the opportunity to make another attempt at an Alfa sports car. And this time they found an open door at Alfa for this project. While the Fiat Group is in dire straights at this moment and looking frantically to expand their market, Alfa Romeo is committed to return on the US market. To make a big entry and to establish a selling point of stylish sportiness a model emphatic conveying these aspects is very much needed. And that's where Alfa and ItalDesign found each other.

This time the design is credited to Giugiaro senior and the exterior is not so much timeless as it is modern contemporary. It has the "blob" like appearance as shown by a number of concepts by other manufacturers/designers, apparently the current fashion for 2+2 GT cars. But its razor sharp front-end design, the creases on the sides and the pointy rear makes this design stand out in a positive manner. The long, aggressive nose makes no secret of the road-devouring potential of this car, and its width (1.9 m) combined with its low height (1.3 m) makes it seem to have a rock-solid road holding.

What impressed me most about the Brera was not its exterior design, but its interior. What is it with Italian designers that they can make utilitarian objects like buttons, switches and levers look so desirable? The interior is both wonderfully classic as it is uniquely modern. I love it.

Alfa Romeo is contemplating to start a limited production of 1.000 Breras, slightly adapted to mass production at more or less affordable prices. That reminds me of the Alfa Romeo SZ, Alfa's previous attempt to revive times of old. Still, it would make an enticing addition to the current range of Alfa Romeo models.
Added 2006: now we know that the Brera concept has in fact spawned two production models, the Brera coupe and the Spider cabriolet. The production coupe looks remarkably like the concept, though it has been completely redesigned. Unfortunately the interior design of the concept has not been carried over. The Spider, without the bulgy roof, looks even better than the coupe.