In the world of station wagons, it doesn’t get much better than a super-powered, luxurious, shooting brake.
When the Cadillac CTS-V wagon bit the big one, the automotive community lost a good soldier, and now that we’re hearing the Jaguar XF wagon is also on its way out, it’s good to know that an alternate entry is on its way.
Automotive News is reporting that the next-generation Panamera will bow early next year, after which time an elongated-roof iteration will follow. Better yet, the wagon is coming to the U.S. While other German luxury brands like BMW and its M5 or Audi and its RS6 keep the wagons in Europe, Porsche will take a gamble on the American market.
Of course, the Panamera is already almost a shooting brake thanks to that large, rounded rump, but if the production wagon looks anything like that Sport Touring Concept from 2012, it will certainly be the more stylish variant. It could take some time, though, at least according to Porsche North America CEO Klaus Zeller.
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“We have to have some patience for [the wagon] to arrive in the U.S. But we are confident that this car will be well-received here, despite the fact that this country doesn’t really like hatchbacks or wagons,” said Zeller.
It might sound like Porsche is already resigned to the sales fate of a wagon-ified Panamera, and that may be true, but sometimes enthusiasts get presents, even if they’re naughty.
Wagons have sort of been out of style since the ’90s, but that’s not to say they won’t make a comeback. And speaking of retro designs, the new Panamera might also feature a rear bench seat, something that’s been absent among coupe-like sedans of late.
Don’t hold your breath on the Panamera wagon for at least another two years, but when it comes, prepare for one of the fastest things on four wheels to be hauling five people and a full Ikea shopping trip.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.