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Juan Pablo Montoya tests Porsche 919 Hybrid in Bahrain

Sealing the FIA World Endurance Championship wasn't the only thing that Porsche did this past weekend in Bahrain. Alongside its rivals from Audi and Toyota, the German outfit also participated in a test session for potential new drivers, including Juan Pablo Montoya. Driving the Le Mans- and championship-winning Porsche 919 Hybrid at the Bahrain International Circuit this weekend, Montoya set the fastest time of the day. His "qualifying" lap was clocked at 1:40.86, barely more than a second behind the 1:39.67 lap that earned Timo Bernhard pole position in the previous day's race – and a second faster than the fastest lap set in the race by Neel Jani in another 919 Hybrid. That's a mighty impressive feat for a driver relatively unaccustomed to driving a modern hybrid LMP1. Racing fans will know Montoya as a multi-talented driver. The Colombian has competed successfully in Formula One, Indy, NASCAR, and sports prototypes, winning races in all disciplines. Aside from the International Formula 3000 title, three outright victories in the 24 Hours of Daytona, and a handful of NASCAR street-course races, Montoya can count among his many achievements the CART title, two Indianapolis 500 wins, and the checkered flag at the Monaco Grand Prix (along with six other F1 races). Those victories have brought JP among the closest to winning the Triple Crown of motorsports of any driver in racing history, and he's still competing. For those unfamiliar, the Triple Crown is an unofficial measure to gauge the diverse talents of professional racing drivers in three disciplines: Indy, F1, and Le Mans. To win, a driver has to win the Indianapolis 500, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and either the Monaco Grand Prix or the Formula One World Championship. Graham Hill is the only driver in history to have swept all the categories, but others have come close. The list of near-winners includes Tazio Nuvolari, Mike Hawthrown, Phil Hill, AJ Foyt, Bruce McLaren, Jim Clark, Mario Andretti, and Emerson Fittipaldi. The only contenders still active are Montoya and Jacques Villeneuve, who won at Indy in '95, the F1 championship in '97, and came second at Le Mans in 2008. Villenueve could still steal the crown if he gets another shot at Le Mans, but the more likely scenario would be to see Montoya rise to the throne. Especially if this test session is any indication. Also driving the Porsche was in the rookie test session was Mitch Evans, a former GP3 champion and GP2 race winner from New Zealand.

Lamborghini could be sold or spun off from the Volkswagen Group

Volkswagen is reportedly considering a sale or stock listing for its high-end Lamborghini brand. The German automaker is looking to fold the Italian supercar brand into a separate legal entity, reports Bloomberg, which cites "people familiar with the matter" who don't want to be identified "because the deliberations are confidential and no decisions have been made." Any of this sound familiar? The goal of spinning off Lamborghini would be to stockpile more cash and other resources for VW's massive planned push into electric vehicles. Back in March, reports circulated that Volkswagen's "Vision 2030" corporate plan might include plans to focus on the brand's core brands — VW, Audi and Porsche. That means the futures of fringe players like Lamborghini, Bentley, Bugatti, motorcycle brand Ducati and design firm Italdesign (and note this isn't a comprehensive list of brand's under the expansive VW Group umbrella) are up in the air. VW, according to the report, is targeting a market value of $220 billion, which is a big jump from the brand's current $89 billion valuation. Bloomberg pegged Lamborghini's valuation at around $11 billion back in August, buoyed by sales and profits generated by the introduction of the Urus sport utility vehicle. On the flip side, Lamborghini is currently grappling with how best to update its supercar lineup in the face of ever-increasing emissions regulations.

Porsche testing four-cylinder Boxster at the N?rburgring

Porsche recently introduced a four-cylinder version of the new Macan for markets outside of North America, carrying Zuffenhausen's first four-pot since the 968 ended its production run the better part of two decades ago. But you can bet the compact crossover won't be the only Porsche to get the four banger before all's said and done. These spy shots, we're told, are evidence of just that.
Spotted undergoing testing at the Nürburgring (where else), this modified Boxster, our spy photographers tell us, sounds more like a four-cylinder engine than the flat six that's powered (in displacements ranging from 2.5 liters to 3.4) every version of the little roadster since its introduction in 1996, the year after the last four-cylinder Porsche ended production.
The test mule is also wearing modified wheel arches and aerodynamic aids under the bumpers, front and rear. Just what they're doing there we're not sure, but we'll probably find out sooner or later.