2014 Kia Cadenza Premium Technology

The folks there may not know it, but Kia hit on the perfect name for the newest addition to thier lineup. They’re calling it the 2014 Kia Cadenza. And a cadenza, for those not musically educated, is a place in a concerto where a featured soloist displays, as they say, musical virtuosity. Or in more general terms, as Mirriam-Webster notes, “an exceptionally brilliant part of an artistic…work.”

Yes, that should do it.

The 2014 Cadenza is Kia’s new flagship, and it’s suitable for carrying the admiral’s flag. It’s the biggest car Kia has put on the market here (it’s dubbed the K7 in Korean home market, under the larger, unfortunately-named K9). The Cadenza is based on the Kia Optima platform—the basic elements underpinning a car—though with two inches more between front and rear axles, and five inches longer overall. The Cadenza is also two inches taller than the Optima and the h-point, the height of passengers’ hips above the ground, goes up by one.

The 2014 Kia Cadenza Premium Technology dash is loaded, as the name suggests, with technology, and looks good too. (click to enlarge)

Most of the added length goes into making the rear seat roomier, though for better or worse, the Cadenza, not parked alongside its smaller sibling, doesn’t look bigger than the Optima. Perhaps that could be a problem for the Cadenza, as owners of the more expensive model want buyers to know that it is. However Kia’s American marketing chief Michael Sprague claims “value is the new cool,” based on the growth of Optima sales, at 150,000 per year, over the admittedly bland previous generation, which sold only at a 25,000 per annum rate.

Kia doesn’t expect to sell as many Cadenzas as Optimas, however. Although Kia U.S. sales veep Tom Loveless declined to give an anticipated sales—auto execs have learned that’s a losing game—the maximum for this year would be in the 12,000 to 13,000 range. Other than that, “I don’t know.”

The 2014 Kia Cadenza Premium Technology package includes special 19-inch wheels. (click to enlarge)

The objective of the Kia Cadenza, then, is to offer somewhere for Optima owners to move up to, as well as owners of near-luxury cars to move over to. At $35,100, the price of the base Cadenza is just above that of the maxed out Optima.

In a move that sure to confuse shoppers, Kia says that the Cadenza is available only at the “Premium” trim level. There’s no base, no standard, just Premium. It’s justified, says Kia, by the Cadenza’s generous standard equipment list, including keyless entry, advanced navigation system with SiriusXM Traffic2 and UVO eServices, Bluetooth wireless technology3,an eight-inch touch screen, 550-watt Infinity4 12-speaker audio system, Rear Camera Display5 and leather-trimmed seats with heat and power adjustment in the front.

Instead of trim levels, the Cadenza adds two “packages.” The first is the Luxury package, adding a full-length panoramic sunroof with power retractable sunshade, Nappa leather trim with heated rear outboard seats and ventilated 12-way adjustable driver seat, HID headlamps with adaptive front lighting system, seven-inch LCD instrument panel, heated power tilt and telescoping steering wheel, two-position memory that sets the driver’s seat, outside mirrors, and steering column, at $3,000 for a total of $38,100.

The Technology package is priced at $3,000 as well, but it’s on top of and in addition to the Luxury package, bringing the MSRP to $41,100. It adds 19-inch alloy wheels, an electronic parking brake, adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection, and lane departure warning system.

The 2014 Kia Cadenza is powered by the Kia/Hyundai 3.3-liter direct injection engine. (click to enlarge)

An additional feature of the Technology package is hydrophobic treatment of the front side windows, which repels water—much like RainX, but permanent—for better side visibility in the rain.

With the Cadenza, Kia’s UVO infotainment system, which includes navigation with SiriusXM Traffic and satellite radio, instead of having the usual three-month subscription, has a subscription paid up for the life of the vehicle. And that includes updates.

Your room is waiting: Toyota’s Land Cruiser at the Overland Expo.

Roseann and Jonathan Hanson invite many of their friends – and a growing number of off-road vendors – to Overland Expo,  held from May 17-19 near Flagstaff, Arizona. Now in its fifth year, their exposition serves as a great way to see (and experience) the latest and greatest in adventure gear, compare notes on personal adventures planned for the summer and/or those adventures considered over a lifetime.

The Hanson’s first Overland Expo, organized by Roseann when Jonathan manned the helm of the Prescott-based Overland Journal, not only rode the wave of an increased awareness of adventure travel, but helped immeasurably to grow that awareness. The Hansons differentiate an expedition – a “journey with a purpose” – from overlanding, which is where the journey is the purpose. It is also demonstrably different from rock-crawling and mud-bogging, while those doing it share a similar enthusiasm for the great outdoors and locking differentials (and mud…). And like any number of other vehicular pursuits, your commitment – and investment – can be as simple (or extravagant) as you’re prepared to make it.

Ural’s sidecar rig carries everything – and the kitchen sink!

Today, your inner Ewan McGregor (co-author – with Charley Boorman – of Long Way Round) can be fulfilled and expanded via adventure-spec shoes, boots, bikes and boats. (Notably, the May issue of Men’s Journal blurbed ‘Best Adventure Picks’ on its cover.) And this growth is on top of already-established offerings supplied by makers of trucks, SUV’s and – increasingly – motorcycles. A brief overview of some adventure-specific offerings follows.

Minnesota-based Salsa has been instrumental in establishing an entire subcategory of cycling. Although conventional mountain, road and cyclocross bikes remain very much a part of their lineup, Salsa has made very real inroads – and offroads – into Adventure Cycling. Designed with enough clearance for offroading and adequate stability for loaded touring, the Vaya Travel can be virtually anything you want it to be, on-road or off. Its frame is constructed of stainless steel, while S&S couplers allow the owner/rider to split the frame for easier transport. And you have a choice of derailleur-supplied gearing or a single-speed setup.

For those whose beaten path is most often coated in gravel, Salsa’s Warbird – in either aluminum or titanium – provides the answer. With generous clearance for generous rubber, the Warbird absorbs the punishment of gravel so that you don’t have to.

Of course, almost by definition motorcycles have provided both on and off-road adventure from their very inception. The category received a huge push when BMW introduced – some thirty years ago – its first GS, and was validated further with more recent intros from KTM, Yamaha and Suzuki. None of these bikes, to be sure, are your best bet for negotiating mud or deep sand, but most deliver an adventure-ready ability to navigate deserts, fire roads or logging trails without doing damage to either the rider or themselves.

Even Moto Guzzi has gotten into the act; its Stelvio provides 1200cc of healthy V-Twin strapped to a frame with an upright seating position, prodigious fuel capacity (8.5 gallons), reasonable ground clearance and sane seat height. If the Guzzi’s $16K price gives pause, consider on-and-offroad offerings from Suzuki (V-Strom) or Kawasaki (Versys); both are available well south of $10K, and both are fully appropriate to your next cruise through Central America.

If your needs include carrying everything and the kitchen sink, consider one of the offroad-oriented sidecar rigs from Ural (pictured). Based on old – make that ‘very old’ – BMW technology, the Russian-built Urals are perfect for the lonely pathway in Siberia, but seem to work increasingly well in Suburbia.

A more muscular yet refined styling eludes to the comfort within the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado.

It isn’t unusual for an auto company to pay serious attention to its most popular and largest selling vehicle when redesigning and reconfiguring the next edition. That is such the case as we test drive the new 2014 Chevrolet Silverado. Designers, engineers and marketing folks put all they have on the table as they planned, and set to manufacturing the new Silverado. Each one involved knew this is not one to screw up. All vehicles in a company’s line up are important and must contain as many features that buyers want. Well as much content as possible. No vehicle is more important to Chevrolet, and for that matter General Motors, than their pickups.

Ride and comfort in today’s pickups has risen to the top like cream on milk, as one feature buyers are looking for. The caveat here is it’s a truck and owners want it do Chevy truck things. Fortunately the all new 2014 Chevrolet Silverado does all of that and more. According to the folks we talked to during the recent introduction drive, this truck will tow upward of 11,500 pounds and get as much as 22 miles per gallon (not towing) on the highway.

We drove two drive train versions, (the third and largest 6.2-liter will come later this year) the 4.3-liter V-6 and the 5.3-liter V-8. Both of these engine choices are fitted to a 6-speed automatic with tow haul mode and manual mode. Whether towing a load or just cruising along in casual mood we could not find much to fault the new Silverado. In fact, we were quite impressed at the refinement and finish we found in the cabin.

Chevrolet has stepped up to the plate and hit it over the wall achieving a low level of squeaks and rattles. Actually we found one rattle and it turned out to be our cell phone sitting in the center console, an easy fix, in our pocket it went.

Small features make us appreciate the 2014 Silverado, like this in-bumper step making easy access to the load bed.

The new four-door configuration has received a great deal of attention in getting it more use comfortable. One place we saw a major benefit is the rear door aperture. Chevrolet has cured the problem of easily getting big cowboy boot shod feet through the door into the rear seat. Moving the “B” pillar forward four inches has made an expansive opening.

Getting rid of all those annoying squeaks and rattles is not easy, but Chevrolet engineers made it easier by adding a slew of high strength steel to the structure. They also added stiffer rubber supports while adding in hydraulically dampened rubber mounts that help immensely. We were pleasantly surprised at the Silverado’s comfort and capability.

The 2014 Silverado didn’t break a sweat towing a 5,000 pound travel trailer.

More and more attention is placed on the infotainment systems of all our vehicles and the Silverado is no exception. Count them, no fewer than five USB connectivity ports and three 12-volts outlets plus a 115-volt household type plug and a SD card reader slot. There is no reason for anyone to go without a way to connect their high-tech instruments no matter the type. Chevy designers even thought of a convenient place for your iPad with a nice slot in the ultra-large center console.

We tested the Silverado’s towing acumen with various loads from a 5,000 pound travel trailer to an 8,500 pound skid loader. With the heavier load we knew the trailer was tagging along with a slight push or pull as we got on and off the throttle. Still, the Silverado tracked true and without complaint. With the 5.3-liter V-8 we were able to pull long, steep grades and accelerate from stops easily and could easily keep up with the flow of traffic on the freeway.

If we had any reservations at all, it would be with the V-6 while towing. Yes, it can accomplish the task, but we would not want to do this more than occasionally. If you are planning on doing more than the intermittent tow, step up to the 5.3 V-8 engine. You will not sacrifice much in overall mileage and you will be a whole lot happier with your towing experience.

Happier times at Saab as the first post-GM Saab moves down the assembly line in Trollhattan.

It’s not enough that Saab, after having been rescued by Dutch boutique carmaker Spyker and actually producing the next generation Saab 9-5 that was under final development before General Motors threw in the towel, suffered financial collapse. Now the Associated Press is reporting from Stockholm that three top Saab executive perhaps went too far in efforts to save the firm and have been arrested on accounting fraud charges.

According to the AP, “Prosecutor Olof Sahlgren says the three are ‘suspected of aggravated attempts to avoid tax controls’ by allegedly falsifying parts of Saab’s accounts between 2010 and 2011 , a crime that carries a sentence of up to four years in prison.”

Identities of the three or the positions they held with Saab Automobile AB  have not been released.

Save for cell phones, there is no other industry as competitive as the automotive business. To be successful, you have to make a big commitment to your products, your quality, your customer service and your advertising budget to make an impression with customers. There are over 40 brands now and eleventy thousand different models within those brands. The recent demise of names like Fisker, Coda, Suzuki and more are proof that it takes a lot of hard work. One brand we didn’t expect to see still hanging in is Mitsubishi. It’s pretty much been a non-entity for the past few years, surviving by a thread, with less than 60,000 sales last year, down 27 percent from the previous year. But Mitsubishi not only isn’t giving up, it’s pressing forward, starting with its newest entry, the 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander compact SUV. Will it be able to play against the big boys and help resurrect the brand?

We must admit, we had mixed feelings the last time we drove the Outlander. We liked some features, but realized the small SUV was missing a lot of items that the others had. For 2014, all the missing features are now in place, along with more that the competition doesn’t offer.

Before we see how Mitsubishi improved on the previous model, let’s take a glance at the exterior design. Where the previous Outlander was a bit over the top with its jet fighter grille and sharply angled C-pillar, the new model is more conservative but cleanly styled. It purposely doesn’t have an overabundance of character lines and added bulges. Its gently sloping roofline and streamlined front fascia will help it appeal to more mainstream buyers. We prefer the new look to the gimmicky 2013 model. Because of the new, efficient design, the aerodynamics have improved considerably, bringing the coefficient of drag down seven percent, which helps improve fuel economy. Mitsubishi claims that the Outlander is now the most fuel-efficient seven-passenger SUV in the segment, with a rating of 25 city/31 highway mpg for the four-cylinder engine.

The interior has been upgraded drastically, with the highest quality materials we’ve ever seen in a Mitsu vehicle. The fit and finish is on par with the best in the segment, and ergonomics also are as good as those at the top of this segment. We liked the padded dash top and trim areas, and the nice details, especially the woodgrain trim on the top-line GT model. It looks and feels more expensive than it is, and it’s obvious a lot of thought and effort went into the design and use.

One of the big critiques about the previous model related to the seating. The 2013 Outlander was only a five passenger, while the 2014 model now seats seven. Although the new model’s platform is a derivative of the previous five-passenger and has the same wheelbase, it’s longer overall, which means an extra 13 inches of cargo capacity. And while there’s more cargo room (including an under-floor storage compartment) and a 50/50 split-fold third-row seat, the legroom is minimal for those passengers. You can put people back there in a pinch, but you’ll hear fewer complaints from pre-teens. The 60/40 split second-row seats also fold flat once you lift up the bottom seat cushions, and there’s good room for second-row occupants.

In addition to the interior roominess, Outlander offers a nice list of standard features on the base ES model, such as automatic climate control, remote keyless entry, tilt/telescoping steering column, and more. Step up to the midgrade SE and add features like pushbutton start, rearview camera, heated front-row seats, HD Radio, and six-inch display screen. The top version is GT, and it’s loaded with just about everything from dual-zone climate control to woodgrain trim.

A handful of packages for each trim provide technology items like navigation, Rockford Fosgate audio system (outstanding sound quality), and an impressive list of tech features like lane departure warning system, active cruise control, forward collision mitigation system, and power liftgate. The only item we miss is a blind spot monitoring system, which Mitsu said is in the works. All these offerings really bring the Mitsubishi Outlander up to date and extremely competitive with other vehicles in the segment.

Jam Handy’s “educational” films often happened to include Chevrolets, as in this video capture from “How to Go Places”

A note left for the milkman, three boys bouncing on the back seat—one brandishing a toy gun—and planning a route with multiple turns, it’s How to Go Places, an educational film brought to you by Your Chevrolet Dealer. How to Go Places  tells how to take a vacation by car, which isn’t as ludicrous as it might seem, as many Depression babies who may who may have the first car or the first resources to travel.

It’s one of a series of thinly veiled advertisements—what would today would be called an advertorial—produced by Jamison (Jam) Handy, whose voice is recognizable even if the name never known or the face never seen.

Most of Handy’s films, whether about automotive topics, sponsored by Chevrolet, or dating tips and other matters, were about ten minutes long. The films weren’t low budget schlock, like the American International monster movies of the ‘50s, but had name talent, inlcluding Gale Storm in Places.

The range of Handy’s film is remarkable, from the explanation of the floating axle in the 1935 Chevrolet to a full color animation in 1937, A Ride for Cinderella, where Cinderella gets home—and Prince Charming—in a 1937 Chevy sedan.

Other films included a 1955 featurette on Joie Chitwood’s Thrill Show, which naturally used Chevrolets, in Thrill Driver’s Choice.

Handy, who produced thousands of short films, won an Olympic bronze medal in 1924 on a water polo team whose members included athlete-turned-actor Johnny Weissmuller. A filmography of 44 films is listed at IMDB.com.

Handy, born in 1886, died in 1983. No doubt if he were headed in that diretion, Handy rode to Heaven in a Chevrolet…but only after watching his film, How to Go Places.

The smooth airflow around this 2014 GMC Sierra SLE would be disrupted by bug deflectors. (click to enlarge) © GM

It’s an age old conundrum: What’s better for aerodynamics, driving a pickup truck with the tailgate up or tailgate down? Redneck or rocket scientist, it’s probably not what you think, and it’s definitely counterintuitive.

Of course, if you have a 750-foot-long tunnel through which a 43-foot-diameter fan powered by a DC electric motor with the equivalent of 4,500 horsepower can generate winds of up to 138 mph, you don’t have to rely on intuition. You can watch where the wind goes and check the numbers.

Most of it, according to GM aerodynamic engineer Diane Bloch, isn’t about specific details (though if you look at the taillights of the new Chevrolet Impala, something like a little two-inch rib of plastic can make a huge difference). It’s about the overall design, and how air flows around the vehicle, rather than in drag-inducing turbulence. Even the airflow through a vehicle—or at least to the radiator—matters, GM pickups equipped with a ducted path behind the grille keeps air from “swirling inside the truck’s front cavities.”

The small space between the cab and pickup bed, surprisingly, matters as well. Says Bloch, “The most harmful air between the cab and bed was coming over the cab and down through the gap, so we paid the most attention to that specific area.”

A truck tailgate’s position — up or down — can affect the way air flows over the vehicle. This side-by-side photo of a 2014 GMC Sierra shows air being disrupted with the tailgate down, (click to enlarge) © GM

Not surprising, perhaps, is how bug deflectors and custom bumpers can frustrate the aerodynamicist’s best efforts. Round tube side steps, however, can provide small benefit and Bloch says, “Fully integrated, flush-mount running boards are even better.”

But what about the tailgate question? Although it would seem that the tailgate would have an effect similar to that of a giant barn door, Bloch says a raised tailgate is better aerodynamically. The air that flows over the cab curls back and “pushes forward on the rear of the truck.” With the tailgate down, that push benefits of that airflow are diminished. Who knew?

“Replacing the tailgate with an aftermarket net is worse than having no tailgate at all,” Bloch says. “Imagine dragging a solid object and a fishing net through water. The net is going to require more muscle.”

If you’re really concerned about your truck’s aerodynamics, a tonneau cover over the bed provides smoother airflow over the truck. And soft covers are better than hard because they are literally shaped by the wind.

So much for intuition. Put the tailgate back up, Rufus.

2013 Honda Civic EX sedan

Wow, that was quick. Most car companies let a model year pass before making even minor changes to an all-new model. But not Honda. The 2012 Honda Civic marked the beginning of a new generation of Honda’s venerable economy sedan, and before the ink is barely dry on the 2012 press releases, along comes the 2013 Honda Civic with new features starting at the grille and going until they ran out of car to change.

It’s possible to overstate the changes. The body of the Civic hasn’t changed last year to this, just the front and rear clips, and the 2012 Civic had continued the one-box styling—an almost continuous arc from front to rear of the car but for a slight crease at the cowl. The grille has changed, however, with a U-shaped chrome bar underneath rather than a horizontal bar at the top, pulling down the front end to further emphasize the downward slope of the front end. A horizontal element at the bottom of the front fascia gives the 2013 Honda Civic a wider, more planted look.

The 2013 Honda Civic EX sedan has a “one-box” profile. (click to enlarge)

At the rear, Honda replaced rather mundane taillights with a distinctive J-hook design to give the 2013 Honda Civic a distinctive identity after dark.

Surprising for a year-old model is a strengthened chassis under the unchanged body. New ACES II (Advanced Compatibility Engineering) is a refinement of last year’s ACES, with additional front end structures to meet forthcoming narrow offset crash testing. The 2013 Civic also gets new side and side curtain airbags with a rollover sensor, and the option of frontal collision warning and lane departure warning.

The 2013 Honda Civic continues the two-level instrument panel. (click to enlarge)

Inside, Honda replaced the hard plastics we criticized in our review of the 2012 Civic with an abundance of soft-touch surfaces. It’s not just soft for hard, however. While the internals of the dash, for example, have been carried over, the shapes of the surface elements, including the vent outlets for example, are new, and the center stack mildly massaged. However, molded “stitching” in the plastic of our 2013 Honda Civic EX sedan isn’t fooling anyone, Honda.

That means, however, that the Honda Civic’s bi-level instrument panel continues. The driver sees the large tachometer by looking through the steering wheel while the digital speedometer and other data elements are located above. It’s not universally admired. We like it for the size of the tach. But we also found that the rake of the windshield allowed sunlight to hit the horizontal surface in front of the upper i.p. and make it hard to read. It’s something only a deep hood would solve, and we wonder why Honda designers/engineers didn’t notice this during development.

The dash of the 2013 Honda Civic sedan is angled towards the driver. (click to enlarge)

Honda’s rework of the audio controls wasn’t changed, and we found it an unnecessary deviation from the basic two-knob volume/tuning basic layout. The central rocker element is, well, probably OK once driver knows its distinctive procedures. Maybe it’s just a way of keeping the front passenger from fiddling with the controls. The center stack is noticeably angled towards the driver anyway.

However, the 2013 Honda Civic also gains a host of new electronic features, including a standard rearview camera, plus Bluetooth and Pandora, USB/iPod sockets, and SMS text message capability.

In our last go ‘round with the Civic, we complemented the interior room with its ability to accommodate six-foot-plus passengers in the back seat, and of course that hasn’t changed.

Honda did make changes to the suspension, however, to the suspension, making it do some push up for for better road feel and sharper handling. Thicker anti-roll bars (by 0.9 inch in front and 0.2 inch at the rear), stiffer springs (increased 15 percent front and by 18 percent rear), and retuned shocks. It’s a definite improvement.

2013 Volkswagen Amarok Power-Pickup concept

Ah, the Volkswagen Amarok Power-Pickup concept. You know you want to.

Although Volkswagen imported Golf-based pickups to the U.S. in the ‘80s, it doesn’t now, no doubt for many reasons, none more than perhaps the 25 percent import tariff it would have to pay on each one. So perhaps it’s not just the utility and efficiency that makes the VW Amarok pickup attractive, it’s the forbidden fruit effect.

2013 Volkswagen Amarok Power-Pickup concept (click to enlarge)

Then there’s the Volkswagen Amarok Power-Pickup concept. Power isn’t its middle name. It’s its first, specifically a 3.0-litre V6 TDI engine with a power output of 268 horsepower and 442 lb-ft of torque. Combined with an eight-speed automatic transmission and 4MOTION all-wheel drive, it’s good for 0-62 mph (100 k/hr), according to Volkswagen.

Being a good concept, however, means there’s a but-wait-there’s-more coming. Volkswagen flared the fenders to fit 22-inch alloy wheels and lowered the suspension by 3.1 inches. At the front, the Amarok Power-Pickup concept gets bi-xenon headlights and a chrome grille along with an enlarged lower air intake.  A carbon fiber diffuser out back is almost obligatory for a modern performance concept and the Power-Pickup has one, along with the traditional dual exhausts and tinted taillights.

2013 Volkswagen Amarok Power-Pickup concept, showing tool storage space (click to enlarge)

The interior gets a mild makeover with the dashboard, door trim and exclusive Nubuck leather sports seats with a black, red and white color theme.  And of course there’s a 500 watt subwoofer. Of course.

The concept made its debut at the 2013 Worthersee Festival. We have it on our gotta-go-sometime list. The festival is gathering of the Volkswagen faithful in an Austrian resort town of the same name, a Wolfsburgian equivalent to Detroit’s famous Woodward Avenue Cruise.

And that’s why on the Volkswagen Amarok Power-Pickup concept there’s the red, white and black “Wörthersee 2013” lower door decals. You know they had to.

Steve Jobs from Apple once said, “…people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.” This was the truth when it came to the Porsche Panamera four-door sport sedan. No Porschephile in his right mind wanted this car. They thought that the Cayenne SUV was an abomination, and then Porsche had the gall to introduce this stretched four-seater. The 911 purists were jumping on top of each other to ring the German’s carmakers’ death knell.

Thanks goodness both Jobs and Porsche didn’t listen to the public. For if they had, we wouldn’t be worshipping our iPhones nor enjoying great vehicles. Currently, the Cayenne is Porsche’s best-selling model, and the Panamera has reached its 100,000^th model after only four years in production. Both vehicles have been a major success, and both have helped Porsche become a more viable brand in the luxury segment due to the influx of cash these vehicles have generated.

The Porsche Panamera is a car lover’s dream, incorporating all the driving finesse of the brand’s performance history with the high-end luxury/comfort features that the best of Germany has to offer. Built at the Porsche plant in Leipzig, Germany, the Panamera is sold in over 120 countries and in nine different trim levels in the U.S., including a soon-to-be-released plug-in hybrid model that proves performance can live in harmony with great fuel economy (EPA numbers will be released closer to the vehicle’s on-sale date at the end of this year.)

The second milestone for Porsche is the 50^th anniversary of the venerable 911. The 911 is arguably the quintessential sports car, and a vehicle that put Porsche on the map. In 50 years, over 820,000 911s have been sold, and Porsche has done a commendable job keeping the styling, technology, and handling updated and viable over seven generations.

To celebrate the half-century birthday, Porsche will hold different events around the world. These include special exhibits of the vehicles, a world tour of a 1967 911 (five continents, including the U.S. at Pebble Beach for the Concours d’Elegance), and many more celebrations. To keep track of what’s going on, check out Porsche.com/follow-911.

In a few short weeks we’ll be adding our review of the new Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Coupe. Stay tuned.