Formula 1 2012: The Cars [w/video]

Nine of the 12 Formula 1 teams have released images and details of their cars for the 2012 World Championship as the first day of pre-season testing draws to a close at the Jerez circuit in Spain. Motor sport may fall slightly outside of Car Design News' usual remit, but the big story this year is the new 'stepped nose', which all teams bar McLaren have introduced to comply with new safety regulations, much to the chagrin of aestheticists. And with designers such as Daniel Simon (he produced the livery for HRT last season) and Peter Stevens (most notable for the Brabham cars of the 1980s) involved with the sport over the years, it's always interesting to check out the season's new machines.

2014 Porsche Panamera Turbo S facelift revealed

The 2014 Porsche Panamera Turbo S (pictured) debuts in Tokyo next month. It’s six months since Porsche revealed a facelift for the Panamera and now, ahead of its debut at the Tokyo Motor SHow, we get the final piece of the Panamera range’s updates – the 2014 Porsche Panamera Turbo S. The cosmetic updates for the Panamera Turbo S are similar to those across the rest of the range, with small tweaks to the nose and front lights and bigger changes to the back with a bigger rear window and various tweaks to make the dog-humping back end of the Panamera a little more appealing.

Porsche says Panamera avoids gas-guzzler tax

Few expenses were spared in conceiving the Porsche Panamera, but consumers will avoid at least one cost of ownership: the ignominious gas-guzzler tax. Porsche has announced ratings for the 2010 sedan; it will get a combined figure of 18 mpg or 19 mpg from the EPA, depending on the model. This means Porsche’s four-door foray will avoid a fairly substantial cost of ownership--a tax of up to $7,700 is levied on the most prolific guzzlers.