Porsche Confirms 918 Spyder's 7:14 Nürburgring Time

Only a day after the official brochure of the 918 Spyder leaked on the web, Porsche confirmed reports that its hybrid supercar posted a 7:14 lap time at the 20.6 km (12.8-mile) Nürburgring track on September 18. Porsche said that the prototype was packing 795HP, which is the first time the automaker is being specific about the 918 Spyder's "770HP-plus" output.
The automaker added that the car was available for only one lap noting that it started from a standstill, was fitted with standard Michelin production tires and was equipped with the optional “Weissach” package that reduces weight by 34 kg (77 pounds) by ditching most amenities such as the air conditioning and the audio system.
Even though it did not set any records the Stuttgart-based company is more than happy with the time set by the 918 Spyder.
“By turning in a fabulous time of 7:14 minutes, the 918 Spyder prototype has already fully confirmed the viability of its future concept after just a few months on the road”, said Dr. Frank Walliser, the project’s overall leader.
With the Nordschleife being its home turf and Porsche already having a history of defending its reputation on this particular track, we bet that this is just the beginning…
After all, future 918 clients who will have the opportunity to own one may not choose to splash out more than US$60K on a paint job, but surely want top bragging rights as far as their hypercar's 'Ring time is concerned.
By Andrew Tsaousis

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Photos of Three-Door 2013 Volkswagen Golf

We knew that it was only a matter of time before Volkswagen would launch an online configurator for the all-new 2013 Golf Mk7 on its German website after the introduction of the car in Berlin on Tuesday, but what we weren't expecting to see were the first images (CGIs, to be precise) of the three-door variant. Leaving aside the absence of the rear- and the longer front-doors, there aren't any other cosmetic changes to the body of the three-door hatchback, which is something that we anticipated since VW is covering the sportier compact segment with the Scirocco.
Volkswagen's German website configurator allows you to customize and fit numerous options on both the three- or five-door Golf models.
If you scroll down, you will also find images taken from the German market launch brochure.
For full details on the Golf VII, check out our comprehensive post that includes initial specifications, photos, and videos of the five-door hatchback by following this link.
Kudos to Luka C. for the heads up!

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Jeep CEO Says Pickup Model a Possibility

In 2005, Jeep unveiled the Wrangler based Gladiator pickup (pictured here) at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Unfortunately, the Chrysler brand was in financial turmoil at the time and unable to ready the concept for production. Now, though, Jeep's top bosses are mulling over the possibility of reinventing the Gladiator for the future lineup.
In a recent interview with Car Advice, Jeep President Mike Manley let slip that a decision was coming "pretty soon" about the possibility of a production read Jeep branded pickup.
As we saw with the Gladiator concept, the production spec pickup would be based on the future Wrangler platform. With this set Wrangler platform, Manley said that they could run into some problems regarding two- and four-door variants.
"One of the issues is that when you go four-door with a bed is that your break-over angle gets destroyed. We can still maintain approach and departure angles, but when we get to a certain length, the break-over becomes an issue."
With a refreshed lineup expected for the 2015-2016 model year, we could see the pickup make its way into production then.
In the meantime, Wrangler owners can also take a look at Jeep's JK-8 pickup truck conversion kit that's available for $5,499, not including the work you will have to put in to it.
By Jeff Perez

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Spanish Automaker Tramontana Readying 876HP V12

Tramontana, which most literally translates to "north wind," is also the name of the Spanish automaker responsible for the creation pictured above. Dubbed the XTR, the early sketches of this road legal track car take note from Ariel, KTM and Aspid among others makers. What really makes this particular track car extra special is that these crazy Spaniards want to shove an 876bhp (888PS) V12 underneath the hood. Crazy? Yes, but this isn't the first time Tramontana is placing an ungodly amount of horsepower into a car the weight of a large dog.
The former Tramontana R was good for 700bhp thanks to a twin-turbo V12 and only weighed in at around 3,000 lbs (1360 kg). This put the 0-60 mph (96km/h) time at 3.6 seconds and top speed at 214 mph (344 km/h).
The new XTR keeps the same shape as its predecessor, but the Mercedes sourced twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V12 will now be good for the aforementioned 876-horses
The XTR model will be launched by the end of 2012 with a base price of $514,000 (€420,000).