Martini Porsches new and old and a refreshed Lexus LS ...

[Wouter Melissen]

Gradually building anticipation, Porsche have again released images of the upcoming 918 Spyder super car. Bringing back fond memories of Porsche's 1970s works cars, the latest prototype is painted in the always evocative Martini & Rosso colours. We can only hope that this is a preview of the livery used when Porsche will return to prototype racing in 2014.
One of the last Porsches to sport these colours was the 936 sports prototype that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans outright no fewer than three times between 1976 and 1981. Over those years the Group 6 racer was gradually developed with much of the work focusing on the engine. It evolved from a relatively straightforward turbo-charged flat six to the sophisticated engine that would continue to power subsequent Porsche prototypes like the 956 and 962C. In its final guise, it featured twin turbos, water-cooled heads with 4 valves per cylinder. Amazingly the three victories were scored by each of the three chassis used by the works team. Towards the end of the program, two more cars appeared, one for privateers Joest and Kremer each, which were most likely also built by Porsche. At the recent Le Mans Classic we shot the two chassis we had not seen before, which included the only works car that is currently in private hands. This has resulted in an all-encompassing 54-shot gallery illustrating the individual details of the five chassis and a detailed article on the type's general history.
At a special event in San Francisco on Monday evening, Lexus revealed a thoroughly refreshed LS. While mechanically the range-topping model is still very similar to the outgoing LS, the new car does sport a completely revised front fascia that follows the marque's current design language. A new addition to the line-up is this F Sport version that is available only with the conventional 4.6 litre drivetrain. The sportiest LS ever features a beefed-up suspension, bigger wheels, Torsen limited-slip differential and a more aggressive body kit. Introduced as a 2013 model, the revised LS will be available later this year.

Enjoy the links:

2012 Lexus LS 460 F Sport - Images, Specifications and Information

2013 Porsche 918 Spyder - Images, Specifications and Information

1976 - 1980 Porsche 936 - Images, Specifications and Information