2009 Porsche 911 Coupe - 29k Miles on 2040-cars

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Porsche Exclusive showcases custom-order 911 Turbo Cabrio

Porsche is one of the most profitable automakers in the business. In fact, it's said to make about $23,000 on each car it sells, thanks in no small part to an options list that can send the sticker price accelerating quicker than one of its own sports cars. But there are always those for whom even the extensive option list won't be enough, and for just such customers, there is Porsche Exclusive.
The division in Zuffenhausen is tasked with creating even more individualized examples of Porsche vehicles, and it recently did up this 911 Turbo Cabriolet - which, at $160,700, is already one of the most expensive Porsches you can order this side of a 918 Spyder: more than any Boxster, Cayman, Macan or Cayenne, any Panamera other than a Turbo S or Executive - not to mention any other 911 short of a Turbo S.
This particular demo vehicle features a Slate Grey paint job and red interior decked out in more leather than an S&M dungeon - which, come to think of it, would probably be less financially painful than ordering up this car from Porsche Exclusive.

Porsche needs more people for Mission E

In an effort to get the all-electric Mission E on the road, Porsche is hiring an additional 400 people – on top of the 1,000 it previously hired – to work on the production and development of the vehicle. The majority of the new employees will work at the automaker's plant in Zuffenhausen, which is located close to Stuttgart, Germany, while others will focus on e-mobility, vehicle connectivity, and other related fields. In addition to hiring these new employees, Porsche is also looking for roughly 100 IT specialists, 50 creatives, and 70 more apprentices as part of an industry-wide push, though the Mission E is still four years away from going into production. In an interview with Australia's Drive, August Achleitner, product director for the 911, revealed that the automaker does not have any current plans to put an electric 911 on to the road. "Right now it wouldn't make sense in our opinion to offer an electric 911, or hybrid version, because there are so many disadvantages of such a concept with this narrow layout of a 911," stated Achleitner. While the automaker is currently not interested in creating an electric 911, Achleitner believes that vehicle could become a possibility in the future – 10 years into the future. Achleitner points towards a lack of demand for an electric 911 as another hindrance to the vehicle. Achleitner's comments go directly against what Lutz Meschke, a board member at Porsche AG, stated earlier this year. In March, one of Porsche's official Twitter accounts claimed that the automaker would offer a hybrid version of every model in its lineup, including the 911. Porsche never released any specific dates on when its mass hybridization project would begin, as the automaker uses the term "near future" to describe its plans. Related Video: Featured Gallery Porsche Mission E Concept: Frankfurt 2015 View 37 Photos News Source: Drive, PorscheImage Credit: Copyright 2015 Drew Phillips / AOL Green Hirings/Firings/Layoffs Porsche Coupe Electric Sedan porsche mission e porsche mission e concept

VW won't let emissions scandal keep it from racing

The Volkswagen Group may have its hands full dealing with the diesel emissions scandal. But that doesn't mean it will be curbing its considerable racing programs. At least not in any significant way. This according to Matthias Muller, who recently moved up from his previous position as Porsche CEO to preside over the entire group. Speaking with Autosport at the World Endurance Championship finale in Bahrain this past weekend, Muller emphasized the importance of racing to the company. "The motorsports programs are not in danger of being dropped or significantly reduced because motorsports is very important for the group and the brands," said Muller. "Basically we do not question our motorsport efforts." Of all the brands under the group's umbrella, several have prominent, top-level factory works racing programs, and others support customer racing teams. The Volkswagen brand has emerged as the dominant force in the World Rally Championship, securing both titles over the past three years. Both Porsche and Audi compete in the top tier at Le Mans and in the World Endurance Championship, trading places in the winner's circle. Audi also competes in DTM, and alongside Lamborghini, Bentley, and Porsche, and also offers GT3 and GTE racing cars to private customers. Lamborghini, Porsche, Audi, and Seat (once the leader in touring cars) all run their own spec racing series as well. Skoda continues to compete in lower-level rallying, leaving only Bugatti to draw on its prominent pre-war grand prix racing history. To hear Muller tell it, those racing programs – or at least the top-levels ones among them – aren't going away anytime soon. But there may still be some tweaks here and there, and we shouldn't expect any new programs to be launched in the near future. Porsche, for example, is anticipated to wind down its factory involvement in GT racing, after winning both the drivers' and manufacturers' titles in the WEC GTE Pro class this year in addition to its LMP1 victories. Instead it will focus on preparing new racing versions of the 911 for client racing teams. The auto giant was also reportedly close to branching out into Formula One in partnership with Red Bull. But after negotiations were interrupted by emergence of the diesel emissions scandal, that deal fell apart. It remains unknown which brand might have been represented in the F1 engine-supply program.