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Paul Walker's daughter files wrongful death suit against Porsche [UPDATE]

UPDATE: This post has been edited to include a statement from Porsche. While police blamed the crash that killed Fast and Furious star Paul Walker and racecar driver Roger Rodas on excessive speed, Walker's daughter, Meadow, thinks Porsche is at fault. The 16-year-old has now filed a wrongful death suit against the German manufacturer to back up that allegation. According to legal documents obtained by E! Online, the suit alleges that the Carrera GT that Walker and Rodas died in "lacked safety features ... that could have prevented the accident or, at a minimum, allowed Paul Walker to survive the crash," with Porsche Stability Management being called out in particular. Federal motor vehicle safety standards didn't require new cars sold in the US to be equipped with electronic stability control until 2012. The suit focuses not only on the Carrera GT's lack of electronic safety systems and "history of instability and control issues," but on an allegedly defective seatbelt. It claims that upon impact, the belt "snapped Walker's torso back with thousands of pounds of force, thereby breaking his ribs and pelvis," and prevented him from exiting the car before it caught fire, roughly a minute and 20 seconds after the initial impact, according to TMZ. Soot found in Walker's windpipe supports the theory that he was alive and breathing when the fire started, the suit continues. Like the suit Roger Rodas' widow filed against Porsche in 2014, Walker's filing also alleges that the Carrera GT wasn't traveling at 80 to 93 miles per hour, as a police investigation concluded. But where Mrs. Rodas claimed the Carrera GT was going 55 at the time of the crash, this suit claims the hypercar was moving at 63 to 71 mph. That's a more manageable figure to be sure, and if true would have a serious impact on the way the car behaved, but it's still well above the road's posted 45-mph speed limit. "The bottom line is that the Porsche Carrera GT is a dangerous car," Meadow Walker's lawyer told TMZ. "It doesn't belong on the street. And we shouldn't be without Paul Walker or his friend, Roger Rodas." Porsche, meanwhile, has stood by the reports from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and other authorities.

700 horsepower Porsche GT2 RS is the wildest 911 ever

The Porsche 911 comes in a variety of flavors, each filling a certain taste for a certain customer. Sitting atop the range is the new 911 GT2 RS. In previous generations, the GT2 had a bit of a reputation as a widowmaker, a 911 with massive power that could snap and bite with the slightest agitation. Porsche says the new model has been civilized, but with 700 horsepower going to the rear wheels, we're sure it's going to be as mad as ever. Power comes from a highly massaged version of the 3.8-liter flat-six from the 911 Turbo S. The rear-mounted engine makes an outrageous 700 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque. Like we previously reported, the new car will use water injection to help keep things cool. The only transmission is Porsche's PDK. While enthusiasts may lament the loss of the manual, the RS models have always been about performance above all else. Simply put, the PDK is the better performance option. All that power translates to a 0-60 mph time of 2.7 seconds and a top speed of 211 mph. The engine makes 80 more horsepower than the previous model. That makes it the most powerful road-going 911 ever built. In fact, the 887 horsepower 918 Spyder is the only road-going Porsche that makes more power. The fact that Porsche trusts all of that power to go to the rear is both thrilling and terrifying at the same time. In order to manage traction, the GT2 RS gets a number of upgrades. Rear-wheel steering has become commonplace in the 911 lineup, so it's no surprise to see it here. Sticky tires with 265/35 ZR 20 section rubber at the front and 325/30 ZR 21 section rubber at the rear keep things planted. That comically large rear wing adds downforce, adding to stability. The car gets standard carbon ceramic brakes. While some people prefer traditional rotors for the street, like the PDK, this is all about performance. A number of intakes and outlets complement the rear wing and maximize aerodynamic efficiency. It's a bit of a surprise that with all the focus on downforce, the GT2 RS still manages to top out at 211 mph. The hood, front wings, wheel housing vents, door mirrors, side air intakes, parts of the rear end, and a number of interior components are all made from carbon fiber. The roof has been made of magnesium. If you want to drop any pretense of civility and comfort in the pursuit of speed, Porsche is offering a Weissach package that shaves off another 40 pounds from the already impressive wet weight of 3,241.

2016 Porsche 911 GT3 RS First Drive [w/video]

Imagine a regular Porsche 911 GT3 in your garage, parked next to a brand-new, no-options Boxster. Now imagine your garage with just a 911 GT3 RS inside. From a cost standpoint, you could have either for roughly the same amount of money. Trying to figure out if the RS goodies are worth the $50,000 over a standard 911 GT3 – roughly the price of that no-frills Boxster – might drive you mad. We're trying to suss this out at 120 miles per hour on the long downhill back straight at Road Atlanta. It's pouring. Rivulets of water are streaming across the track. Ahead, in a 911 Turbo leading the pack, is Le Mans- and Daytona-winning driver David Donohue. He's helpfully warned us to avoid nipping the curbing, since that's where water pools. Hydroplaning could end someone's day. Through the blinding spray, Donohue mercifully has reduced the pace. There's enough speed to evaluate what the GT3 RS does well, which is essentially everything. There's also enough time to figure out what sort of sports car this is. Horsepower swells to an even 500 and torque to 338 pound-feet – bumps of 25 hp and 14 lb-ft over the GT3. As is fitting and proper for the traditional sports car par excellence, at the top of the large and expensive 911 heap is the GT3. While the base is shaken by the encroachment of turbocharging on basic 911 models, the summit is, like mountain air, all-natural. The GT3 was subject to a beyond-galling recall due to faulty con-rods with a penchant for ventilating crankcases and starting catastrophic fires, but storms crash upon every peak. Progress is inevitable for German engineers. The GT3 RS is the 911 reforged in those embarrassing fires. The GT3 itself was a false summit, but the RS is the real deal. Underneath the very purple bodywork, this is a lither and more athletic thing than the already superb GT3. Lightweighting is accomplished with a healthy dose of carbon fiber on the engine cover and the frunk. The roof, with a slick-looking depressed slash running longitudinally, is made of magnesium. That serves to lower the center of gravity, Porsche assures us. Even the rear silencer is made of titanium. In total, the RS is 22 pounds lighter than the GT3 it's based on – seemingly small gains considering all the exotic materials, but less so considering what's been added back. The RS is also more powerful, thanks to a 200cc displacement increase.