2013 Ford F-150 Lariat // Photo: Ford

By John LeBlanc for MSN Autos

As the old marketing axiom goes, it costs a lot less to keep a customer than win a new one, and America’s Ford continues to lead in keeping its customers coming back to its showrooms.

According to the U.S.-based Polk research firm, for the fist three months of 2013, Ford continues to win back customers with a brand loyalty rate of 65.1 per cent among new vehicle owners — the best in the industry. Toyota ranked second at 58.5 per cent, with Honda coming in third spot with a 57 per cent score. Chevrolet (56.2 per cent), and Mercedes-Benz and Nissan (tied at 55.9 per cent) rounded out the top six brands.

There always has to be losers in these types of reports. And sitting at the bottom of the surveyed brands was Mazda at 37 per cent. However, that’s a 7.8 per cent improvement from Polk’s rating from the first quarter of 2012.

Porsche's 50th Anniversary 911 - photos courtesy Porsche

You've gotta love golden anniversaries... anyone who can stay married and still be in love after 50 years is an amazing accomplishment.

Same goes, kinda, for cars. If a car has been around for 50 years, it's worth celebrating. The latest to persevere through five decades is the Porsche 911, which was first shown at the Frankfurt Auto Show in 1963 and has existed in one for or another ever since.

To celebrate, Porsche will be offering special anniversary models with 'just' the right amount of modifications to make them desirable without going gaudy. Based on the wider body normally reserved for all-wheel-drive Carrera4 models, the rear-drive special will use a 3.8-litre flat-six with Porsche's Powerkit already installed for a total of 430 horsepower. Every car gets active suspension (PASM) along with 20-inch wheels 'inspired' by the legendary Fuchs alloys Porsche fitted to its earlier models. Also, chrome trim up front and some neat details on the rear engine cover and rear lights hearken back to the original '63.

Interior upgrades are limited to fabric panels in the leather seats, along with a brushed aluminum Porsche Exclusive gearshift knob or gear selector, depending on whether the car has the seven-speed manual or optional seven-speed PDK fitted. Porsche says it'll do the 0-100 km/h run in just four seconds flat with the PDK and has a top speed of over 300 km/h.

Porsche is building 1963 of its Anniversary models (get it?) and 50 have been set aside for Canada. With an MSRP starting at $141,600, this 911 won't be inexpensive to buy, but would guess it'll sell out very quickly. The cars will start arriving in Canada this fall after being revealed to the public at the Frankfurt auto show this September.

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

Porsche didn't make many friends when it unveiled its Panamera years ago, although there have been more than enough buyers convinced by its luxurious interior and excellent driving dynamics. Now that the second-generation is here, the company's adding features and plenty of extra technology to broaden its appeal globally. There are a whole phonebook's worth of changes, but we'll try to keep the info as distilled as possible...

Mid-grade S models now sport a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6, which replaces the old non-turbo 4.8-litre V8. Power is up by 20 horsepower and 15 lb-ft for totals of 420 and 384 respectively. As expected, fuel efficiency is claimed to be improved by 18 per cent too. The 310-horsepower 3.6-litre V6 in base Panameras and the 520-horsepower twin-turbocharged 4.8-litre V8 in Turbo models are essentially carried over, although both get small power gains.

The impressive S E-Hybrid model now uses a 70 kW (95-horsepower) electric motor, which is double the previous version's output, plus a new lithium-ion battery with 9.4 kWh that Porsche says has over five times the energy capacity of the previous one. And the car can now be plugged in overnight; using the Porsche quick-charger it takes about 2.5 hours, or less than four in a regular outlet.

Fuel consumption on the S E-Hybrid has been improved by 56 per cent on the European cycle with the car averaging 3.1 L/100 km (down from 7.1), while the electric-only range is between 18 and 36 kilometres. Combined with the supercharged 3.0-litre V6, the whole system puts out 410 horsepower and runs from 0-100 km/h in only 5.5 seconds.

Exterior changes are limited to redesigned front and rear ends, while the rear windowline changed slightly, but you can tell this isn't a wholesale change. However, to make the car more attractive to buyers in places like China, there will now be longer Executive models with a 15-centimetre stretch in wheelbase. Executive models still seat four, meaning plenty of stretch-out room, along with standard air suspension and what Porsche claims is an even better ride.

Prices start at $89,500 for the Panamera and $94,800 for the Panamera 4, while the S and 4S are priced at $106,600 and $112,500 respectively. The Panamera S E-Hybrid will cost $125,900, which is followed by the carryover sports-oriented GTS at $129,400 and the Panamera 4S Executive at $143,600. The top models are the Panamera Turbo for $161,500 and the Panamera Turbo Executive for $184,100.

The new models will hit Canadian shores this fall, while Porsche also promises the inevitable Turbo S anda new Turbo S Executive to follow sometime in 2014.

What do you think of Porsche's decision to offer the stretched Executive models? A waste of time or well thought out? And will anyone actually buy the E-Hybrid? Let us know in the comments.

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

And the Ganassi Racing powerhouse wins once again. The undisputed heavyweight champion of the Grand-Am sports-car world put on a clinic of hard and clean driving, working your plan and the benefits of intense pre-race preparation. When the team's lead car crossed the finish line at 3:30 pm local time at Daytona International Speedway, it cemented its reputation as the winningest team in decades. This year's Daytona 24 win was CGR's fifth out of 10 attempts, and lead driver Scott Pruett's fifth overall victory, a feat that ties him with legendary Porsche driver Hurley Haywood.

Pruett's Daytona teammate Juan Pablo Montoya was tasked with bringing the 01 BMW-powered Riley home during the final stint, and did so despite mounting pressure from second-placed Max Angelelli in a Corvette DP. Montoya's gap over Angellelli was about 22 seconds at the end of 24 hours (plus one lap) of racing, which is pretty impressive, although other years have been one by significantly less time. The defending champs from Shank Racing fielded the same five-driver lineup as last year, but suffered a broken suspension piece early in the race and went seven laps down trying to fix it. In the end, they fought back to third place, but obviously without the mechanical issues would have been right into the mix with their Ford-powered Riley.

In GT, Porsche had dominated in qualifying taking the top-four spots on the grid, but by the end of 24 brutal hours, couldn't place higher than fifth... Audi took a one-two victory with its more-generously-supported R8's, a first for the manufacturer in Grand-Am. It might have been a podium sweep for Audi had the Rum Bum Racing R8 not run out of gas late in the race. That gave the Toronto-based AIM Autosport Ferrari 458 with Emil Assentato, Nick Longhi, Anthony Lazzaro and Canadian Mark Wilkins a well-deserved podium place.

The new GX class for more experimental and environmentally friendly racecars basically saw a trio of well-proven Porsche Caymans outlast the three brand-new never-raced Mazda6 SKYACTIV entries. The Mazda's 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engines were a first in Grand-Am, but proved fragile over the race. Mazda says it planned the Rolex 24 to be one giant test and the car can only improve from here.

Another Porsche legend David Donahue was the lead driver on the GX-class-winner Cayman from Napleton Racing, while Vancouver-based Bullet Racing with Canucks Darryl O’Young and Karl Thomson finished second. 

Plenty of other Canadians in the race, including Paul Tracy, Alex Tagliani, James Hinchcliffe, Sylvain Tremblay, David Empringham, Michael Valiante, Dave Lacey, JF Dumoulin and Paul Dalla Lana. 

There seemed to be fewer yellow-flag periods because of silly driving this year and more from general wear-and-tear or unproven parts. However, moving into morning, a giant bank of fog hit the track, forcing the race to run under yellow for around 90 minutes until conditions improved.

For full results, check out the Grand-Am page.

Anyone else watch the race? Enjoyable? I can't wait to see how it'll shake out with the additional cars in the merged ALMS/Grand-Am series. 

Photos courtesy Grand-Am.

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

Last week we mentioned that the Cadillac ATS and Ram 1500 were named the North American Car and Utility Vehicle of the Year at the Detroit auto show. However, neither were named as finalists in the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada's 2013 Canadian Car and Utility of the Year during the recent Montreal International Auto Show.

Why? Well, the Ram is easy enough to explain: there were simply no other new or significantly revised pickups for 2013, and thus no pickup category during last October's AJAC Test Fest.

The ATS is more complicated because it did win its Luxury Car category against the segment-leading BMW 3 Series, something that shocked more than a few people. However, in the final tally, the ATS wasn't able to swing enough votes and was left out of the top-three.

The vehicles that are nominated as finalists are: the Honda Accord sedan, the Hyundai Elantra GT and the Porsche Boxster. The three named for Utility Vehicle are: the Ford Escape 1.6L EcoBoost and the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T.

Perhaps having the ATS selected as a finalist for Design of the Year along with the Porsche 911 Carrera S and Boxster will help sooth Cadillac's tempers a tad.

The overall winners are set to be announced during the media preview of the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto on February 14.

What do you think? Agree or disagree with the selections? Let us know...

By Greg Kable, AutoWeek

Porsche has ramped up the performance of its second-generation Cayenne with the introduction of a potent Turbo S model for 2013.

Set for sale in North America in March of 2013, following a public premiere at the upcoming Los Angeles auto show, the Cayenne range-topper runs a lightly modified version of the standard Turbo’s 4.8-liter V8 gasoline engine—the same unit used by the Panamera Turbo S. Changes include a freer flowing inlet manifold for improved breathing, increased turbocharger boost pressure and remapped electronics.

Power climbs to about 542 hp, making the Turbo S the most powerful Cayenne model yet; torque hovers around 553 lb-ft.

By Davey G. Johnson, AutoWeek

In the last year, we've spent time in two of VW's north-or-south-of-200k twin-turbo machines. The Bentley Continental GT is more stately and attractive, while the still-controversial Porsche Panamera Turbo S is more dynamic, engaging and, well, our pick.

As such, the news that the next generation of Bentleys will be built upon the same bones as future Panameras is heartening. Quite heartening. Britain's Autocar reports that Porsche's in-the-works MSB platform will underpin both the next Panny and all future Bentley products, from the Contis to the big boys. Expect a hybrid construction of aluminum und schteel and what we imagine to be a fundamentally more enjoyable driving experience from the entry-level Bentleys. That's the good news.

By Greg Kable for AutoWeek

Porsche has lifted the veil on the fifth-generation 911 Carrera 4 all-wheel-drive sports car ahead of a September premiere at the Paris motor show. It is expected to reach North American showrooms in February as a 2013 model.

The 911 Carrera 4 has a widened body with rear side panels extending nearly 23 mm beyond the standard rear-wheel-drive 911, which allows for wider rear wheels and tires. The traditional red reflector panel between the tail lamps returns as a distinguishing feature.

By Greg Kable, AutoWeek

Porsche will preview plans for a Panamera-based wagon concept in September at the Paris motor show. It is set to provide telling clues for the direction of a production version that could arrive in several years.

This would lend an additional element for increasing Porsche's sales as part of parent company Volkswagen's ambitious growth strategy. A final production decision is expected to be made after gauging reaction to the concept car. It's unlikely to arrive before 2016.

The wagon, which also could be called a shooting brake, was conceived of after customers indicated demand for a more versatile version of the Panamera, one with more luggage space than today's liftback model.

By Mark Atkinson for MSN Autos

Pardon us for drooling a bit... You might be more willing to forgive after checking out these latest photos of Porsche's upcoming 918 Spyder hybrid supercar decked out in the infamous Martini Racing livery. The tie-up between the two companies came at the height of Porsche's racing dominance in the mid-to-late '70s. Victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Sports Car World Championship and one-offs like Targa Florio all came at the hands of Porsche 908, 917, 935 or 936 draped in the double-blue-red stripes and prominent logo.