Porsche 718 Cayman T Spotted On Nurburgring, Shows New Exhaust
We're all waiting for Porsche to release the 2019 718 Cayman GT4, as the 911-engined special has been spied on tons of occasions, with the production body being clearly showcased. Inspired by the 991.2-gen 911 Carrera T, the future mid-engined special has been the topic of numerous rumors and we might just have a piece of footage showcasing a prototype. As you'll notice in the clip at the bottom of the page, there's a 718 Cayman with a new exhaust layout lapping the Nurburgring. And while all the current 718 Cayman versions have center-mounted exhaust tips, the test car sitting before us comes with separated exhaust tips, which remind us of the sports exhaust offered for the Neunelfer. Now, if Porsche decides to give us a 718 Cayman T packing a similar recipe to the one of the said Neunelfer, the machine should come with the base model's engine, namely a two-liter turbocharged flat-four. Oh, and the drive should be shorter, while the vehicle would need to be lighter. Then again, the motor of this prototype sounds extremely aggressive - please turn up the volume before reaching for that "play" button. With the German automotive producer being a master of derivatives, we might even see another nameplate from the treasure chest being resurrected.
Adaptive dampers and air suspension are fitted as standard in Inscription Pro trim as part of Volvo鈥檚 Four-C active chassis set-up, matching its rivals. It differs in this group test thanks to its hi-tech powertrain, but also because it鈥檚 a little smaller than its competitors when it comes to footprint and interior space. Due to its high-quality interior, however, it feels just as upmarket as it ought to at this price. It uses a neat, clean design with a large portrait touchscreen and plush materials. The Volvo isn鈥檛 quite as luxurious as the BMW or Land Rover, although our top-spec Inscription Pro model is very well equipped. It comes with 21-inch alloy wheels, heated leather seats, four-zone climate control, a nine-inch touchscreen infotainment set-up with sat-nav, and a digital instrument cluster. A core part of the XC90 T8鈥檚 driving experience is the electric motor. It has 86bhp, which complements the petrol engine鈥檚 299bhp output, especially at low revs. As the engine is building speed and getting into its power band, the electric motor fills in with its instant torque (240Nm of it), so the XC90 is really quick off the line.
We recorded a time of just 5.7 seconds from 0-60mph, which was more than a second faster than either of its rivals here, despite them having larger engines. The electric motor also allows for near-silent running at low speed, so driving around town is very relaxed in the XC90, not to mention efficient. However, once the 2.0-litre petrol engine fires up the Volvo鈥檚 refinement is eroded compared with the Land Rover and BMW. Despite being slightly smaller than its rivals here, the Volvo is competitive when it comes to boot space. It has 262 litres available with all the seats up, which is more than in the Discovery (258 litres) but less than the X7 (326 litres). Fold the third row and it also has a bit more capacity than the BMW, at 967 litres. So while the XC90 is practical enough, it can鈥檛 match the Disco. However, the Volvo has the least total boot space and, perhaps more importantly, the rearmost seats are pretty small and won鈥檛 be of much use for adults. That鈥檚 unlike either of its rivals, which have loads of room in every seat.
At least the Swedish car鈥檚 second row has plenty of leg and headroom, though. Volvo put in a decent showing in our Driver Power 2019 customer satisfaction poll, finishing 13th in the manufacturers鈥?standings. The Swedish firm set a target of zero deaths in any of its cars by 2020, so there鈥檚 lots of safety kit. The XC90 gets autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist, run-off-road mitigation and traffic sign recognition. It even managed a 100 per cent rating in the Safety assist category in its Euro NCAP test. If you are looking for a company car, the XC90 is a clear winner. Low CO2 emissions of 55g/km put it in the 16 per cent Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) category, resulting in a tax bill of just 拢5,462 for higher-rate earners. Both of the other models sit in the 37 per cent range due to their large diesel engines, so the X7 and Discovery will cost 拢10,857 and 拢10,196 respectively in tax. That huge difference shows how much you can save by running a plug-in hybrid as a company car, but as a percentage of its value, it鈥檚 perhaps less important than luxury or practicality for buyers of these SUVs.
The Discovery badge means a lot to buyers of luxury SUVs, and there鈥檚 a good reason why. It鈥檚 supremely comfortable and unmatched when it comes to off-road ability, but it鈥檚 also one of the most practical cars you can buy and will easily seat seven people in comfort. The Land Rover has the biggest boot and also has more kit in HSE Luxury form - despite being cheaper to buy. Running costs are a little high, though. BMW鈥檚 first foray into the luxury SUV segment is a success. The X7 is good to drive, comfortable and has nearly as much space inside as the Discovery, while its cabin is of an even higher quality. BMW鈥檚 infotainment set-up is brilliant as well, and there鈥檚 lots of boot space with all seven seats in place. It loses out to the better-value Land Rover here, but is still a top choice if you鈥檙e after a huge, luxurious SUV.