Porsche confirmed long-standing rumors about the future of the 911 with the announcement Sunday that the 2017 Carrera and Carrera S will feature three-liter, turbocharged flat-six engines.

The engines will boast 370 and 420 horsepower, respectively–20-horsepower increases over the outgoing, naturally aspirated flat-six. Factory “Powerkit” add-ons are expected to boost that number as high as 450 horsepower, for a price.

Porsche claims the new 3.0 will offer as much as 12% improved fuel economy compared to the old flat-six, but EPA figures are not yet available and that number is configuration-dependent.

The refreshed, “991.2″ model will offer exterior, interior and suspension upgrades as well.

Outside
The new 911 gets a handful of exterior cosmetic upgrades to mark its overhaul. Up front, the most obvious change is the headlights, which include “four-point” DRLs. In the profile, you’ll find integrated door handle recesses. Out back, there’s an all-new rear deck with vertical louvers and revised rear lighting.

Inside
The biggest interior revision in the 2017 911 is the infotainment package. The larger screen offers expanded tech and new connectivity options, including online navigation services and a multi-touch screen.

Under the metal
Porsche’s revisions to the mechanical bits of the new Carrera go beyond the powertrain overhaul. The static ride height is now 10mm lower on both models (thanks to the addition of a revised PASM as a standard feature), and rear-wheel steering is now available on the Carrera S.

In addition, the rear wheels are now half an inch wider on all models. Carrera S variants get a slightly wider rear tire to match–305mm vs. 295 on the old car.

What’s next
The 2017 911 Carrera and Carrera S will be available starting in March, 2016. Stay tuned for more details when the car is formally unveiled at the Frankfurt International Auto Show later this month.

Renault is previewing a new pickup concept, which it is calling the Alaskan, which appears to be the Nissan-based pickup hinted at by company insiders earlier this year.

Looking suspiciously similar to the Nissan Navara (aka NP300), the Alaskan is taking aim at the global LCV (light commercial vehicle) market. Specifically, it will take on the one-ton body-on-frame pickup market, currently flush with offerings such as the VW Amarok, Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger, Mitsubishi Triton, and Renault partner Dacia’s own Duster Oroch.

Precious little has been revealed about the Alaskan, but Renault says it “paves the way for a forthcoming model that will have a global calling.” Power will come from a twin-turbo diesel four currently found on the Renault Master van, likely the 2.5-liter available with either 163 horsepower and 297 lb-ft. of torque, or 190 hp and 332 lb-ft depending on grade.

Like the Navara, both rear- and four-wheel-drive versions will be offered, as well as a choice of six-speed manual or 7-speed automatic transmissions. Both will be built at Nissan’s Samut Prakan, Thailand plant.

The Alaskan’s styling features some Renault-specific cues such as the diamond-topped grille and C-shaped headlights. However, most of its hard points — the shapes of the hood, pillars, cab, doors and bed — clearly match those of the Nissan Navara.

The production version is expected to go on sale in early 2016.

Toyota has created a 450hp Hilux to celebrate the one millionth sale of its famously rugged pickup.

Powered by the same mill that motivates the Lexus IS F, as well as the off-road race trucks of the Dakar Rally and South Africa’s cross-country series, the 5.0-liter V8 was tuned to put out 34 more hp than the standard 416.

The power is funneled through a twin-plate racing clutch to a standard Toyota Hilux turbodiesel’s transmission, though some custom items like the bellhousing needed to be fabricated to make them fit together. The four-wheel-drive system also had to be modified to handle the added power, and a new oil sump was designed to accommodate the front axle’s differential.

A host of upgrades to the steering, brakes, and suspension, including fully-adjustable shocks round out the list of modifications. The cost was approximately 1 million South African rand, equivalent to about $72,000 US dollars. Though Toyota of South Africa says it is a one-off, it has received a number of calls from customers eager to purchase one.

Though it has been on city streets since late 2013, the Nissan NV200 is now the official taxi of New York City.

As of September 1, Nissan’s “Taxi of Tomorrow” is the sole new vehicle certified for use as a NY city taxi with the exception of a few hybrids and wheelchair-accessible vans. This means that taxi fleet operators now must replace any decommissioned cab with the NV200.

With a total of about 13,600 taxis in the fleet, with 3,000 being replaced annually and only 20 percent of them hybrids and wheelchair-accessible, it quickly becomes clear how this could amount to a $1 billion deal for Nissan. The deal was not won without a hard-fought battle, however, as an association of taxicab medallion holders took to the courts to dispute the New York Tax and Limousine Commission’s selection of a single make and model. This June, however, the NY Supreme Court ruled in favor of the TLC.

For what it’s worth, hybrid vehicles still allowed to serve as NY taxis include the Lexus RX 450h, Toyota Highlander, and Toyota Prius V. Wheelchair-accessible vehicles include the Toyota Sienna, Dodge Grand Caravan, and Ford Transit Connect. Nissan is also working on an all-electric version of its cab. Currently about 750 Nissan NV200 taxis prowl the city streets, according to the NY Times (a number significantly lower than Nissan’s own estimate. In any case, expect to see a lot more soon.

Electronics giant Sony is open to the idea of entering the automaking field. If they decide to jump into an increasingly tech-heavy field that sees companies such as Apple and Google looking to carve out a slice, they may do so by partnering with an existing automaker.

Sony already has plans to expand its camera sensors, currently used in smartphones, into cars. Recently, the company has made moves that expand its business into fields diverse as real estate and education, prompting the question about an automotive foray. Though CEO Kazuo Hirai said in an interview with the Financial Times, that “We don’t have plans at this point,” he added, “but never say never.”

He also stated, “If we fundamentally believe at some point in time that we can make a difference in the automotive space, it’s something that we will look at,” and acknowledged that the emergence of electric cars such as Tesla have opened doors for news players in the auto industry. In addition to its sensors, Sony already has its toes in technologies such as lithium-ion rechargeable batteries and artificial intelligence used in helper robots similar to Honda’s ASIMO.

Hirai also believes that newcomers to the auto industry have not sufficiently considered the “emotional value” that car buyers look for. Sony believes its consumer electronics do resonate emotionally with customers, and reiterated “never say never” when pressed about a tie-up with an existing automaker.

A report released earlier this month named the vehicles most- and least-vulnerable to cyber attacks.

The report, which PT&C Forensic Consulting Services summarized in an infographic, named the 2014 Jeep Cherokee, 2014 Infiniti Q50, 2014 Cadillac Escalade, 2014 Ford Fusion and 2014/2010 Toyota Prius (their model year selection, not ours) as the most vulnerable cars on the road.

It’s worth noting that the vulnerabilities reported here have largely been addressed by the manufacturers. The Prius, for example, was recalled in 2014; the Cherokee and GM’s OnStar-equipped models were recalled earlier this summer.

The consulting firm’s report may prompt owners who have not yet acted on these campaigns to see their dealers in order to have vulnerabilities addressed.

At the other end of the spectrum, the report commends a handful of vehicles for their safety. The 2014 Dodge Viper, 2014 Audi A8 and 2014 Honda Accord were all recognized for the (somewhat dubious) honor of possessing the fewest computerized and networked components, making them less vulnerable by virtue of their simplicity rather than the strength of their security tech.

The fourth model recognized for its impervious systems was the Tesla Model S, a wild departure from the other vehicles sharing this honor.

BMW has announced preliminary fuel economy ratings for its latest 7-Series sedan. The 2016 BMW 7-Series is scheduled to arrive in dealer showrooms over the next few weeks.

According to the EPA, the 2016 BMW 740i, which is powered by a turbocharged inline-six engine rated at 320 horsepower and 330 lb-ft of torque, will return a rather impressive 21mpg in city driving and 29mpg on the highway, netting a combined rating of 24mpg. Despite those thrifty numbers, BMW says the 740i can still scoot from 0-60 in 5.4 seconds.

The step-up 750i xDrive, which uses a 445 horsepower 4.4L V8 and all-wheel drive, arrives with a 16/25/19mpg city/highway/combined rating.

In comparison, the most efficient version of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class returns 17mpg in the city and 26mpg on the highway. The all-wheel drive S550 4MATIC is rated at 16mpg city and 26mpg highway.

Pricing for the 2016 BMW 740i is set to kick off from $81,300. The 750i, which has yet to be rated by the EPA, will carry a starting price of $94,400. Adding all-wheel drive bumps the 750i’s bottom line by $3,000 to $97,400. All prices exclude a mandatory destination charge of $995.

Be sure to check out our initial impression of the all-new 7-Series here.

Photo by Drew Johnson.

Nissan is recalling 298,747 Versa sedans and Versa Note hatchbacks to address an interior trim panel that may hinder drivers’ ability to apply the brakes.

The vehicles in question span model years 2013 through 2015. The safety concern centers around the trim panel on the driver’s side of the center console. Under what Nissan described as “certain rare circumstances,” it’s possible for the driver’s foot to catch on this trim panel when transitioning from the accelerator to the brake pedal, resulting in delayed braking.

This recall represents closure for a NHTSA investigation which began earlier this year. From Nissan’s description of the recall process, there have been only nine complaints from owners, and no incidents or warranty claims associated with the described defect.

In March of this year, Nissan began producing a shorter trim panel that prevents interference. Owners of Versa and Versa Note vehicles sold with the older, longer panel will be notified of the issue and Nissan will modify (read: cut) their existing trim panels to prevent any potential issues.