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Porsche 919 Hybrid revives Porsche's factory Le Mans efforts

After months of teasing with camouflaged testers, Porsche has finally unveiled its prototype entry for the 2014 World Endurance Championship, the 919 Hybrid. Porsche, you may recall, hasn't had campaigned a factory team at Le Mans in years, so the 919 is nothing less than their recommitment to endurance racing.
Combining a 2.0-liter V4 (yes, a V4) that revs to 9,000 rpm, the 919 produces around 500 horsepower with a pair of energy recovery systems. The first system recovers the heat energy from exhaust gasses as they pass through an electrical generator, while the second system is a bit more familiar. Using a setup similar to what is found on the production 918 Spyder, a generator on the front axle recovers kinetic energy from the brakes, which is subsequently stored in a battery system. That power can then be sent to the front wheels at the driver's command, effectively turning the 919 into an all-wheel-drive racecar.
Despite these various forms of motivation, Porsche doesn't claim to be seeking outright power supremacy, with Chairman Matthias Müller saying, "In 2014, it will not be the fastest car that wins the World Endurance Championship series and the 24 hours of Le Mans, rather it will be the car that goes the furthest with a defined amount of energy. And it is precisely this challenge that carmakers must overcome. The 919 Hybrid is our fastest mobile research laboratory and the most complex race car that Porsche has ever built."

Porsche Fire and Ice is chilling art born of flames

Porsche held a contest inviting ten filmmakers to riff on the tagline for the Panamera, "Thrilling Contradictions," in a 60-second film. The winner was an entry called Fire and Ice by director Ross Cohen, a concept that uses just those two elements in a premise as simple as it is rewarding. For his efforts, Cohen will receive a trip to the Chicago International Film Festival, and you might see the short in the pre-movie advertisements in a theater served by Spotlight Cinema Networks.
Porsche did this kind of thing just two years ago, when it asked filmmakers to illustrate the idea of "Everyday Magic". The winner of that contest, Michael Korbel's It's a Magical Life, followed the journey of a young man to husband and father from the perspective of the trunk of a 911. You'll find that video as well as Fire and Ice below.

Criminal slices through Porsche's roof just to break in

Porsche fans, look away. This footage of a thief in London slicing his way into a classic 911 might be too much for lovers of the sports car to bear. Police released CCTV footage of the September break-in in the hopes of scaring up information that could lead to an arrest, the Daily Mail reported. The man pulled off his brazen daylight crime spree in the posh neighborhood of Mayfair in central London. It started when he tired to steal an older, red Porsche 911. Unable to pick the lock, he sliced through the roof with a large knife and hopped inside through the hole. Several people simply walked past the Porsche, now blaring its alarm in distress with its roof in tatters. The man then jumped out the same way he entered when he couldn't hotwire the car. To add insult to injury, the man used the large rear spoiler as a springboard to the street. It seems this suspect had brand loyalty. Witness told police they saw a man fitting the same description attempting to steal a GBP80,000 Cayenne nearby only 20 minutes later. He also threatened onlookers with a large knife. Unable to nab either Porsche, he robbed a nearby sportswear store, taking running shoes and a tracksuit. When the staff tried to stop the thief he also threatened them with a knife. Despite the multiple witness and video evidence, there are still no leads in the case. Police are asking anyone with information to come forward. Related Video: