Porsche 911 Carrera 4 on 2040-cars

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Coronavirus prompts VW to stop production throughout Europe

FRANKFURT — Volkswagen Group, the world's biggest carmaker, is suspending production at factories across Europe as the coronavirus pandemic hits sales and disrupts supply chains, the company said on Tuesday. The German carmaker, which owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Ducati, Lamborghini, Porsche, Seat and Skoda brands, also said that uncertainty about the fallout from coronavirus meant it was impossible to give forecasts for its performance this year. "Given the present significant deterioration in the sales situation and the heightened uncertainty regarding parts supplies to our plants, production is to be suspended in the near future at factories operated by group brands," Chief Executive Herbert Diess said on Tuesday. Volkswagen's powerful works council concluded it was not possible for workers to maintain a safe distance from each other to prevent contagion and recommended a suspension of production at its factories from Friday. Production will be halted at VW's Spanish plants, in Setubal in Portugal, Bratislava in Slovakia and at the Lamborghini and Ducati plants in Italy before the end of this week, Diess said. Most of its other German and European factories will prepare to suspend production, probably for two to three weeks, while Audi said separately it would halt output at its plants in Belgium, Germany, Hungary and Mexico. Volkswagen's vast factories in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in Puebla, Mexico, and plants in Brazil were not affected, but that would depend on how the coronavirus spreads, VW said. Volkswagen has 124 production sites worldwide of which 72 are in Europe, with 28 in Germany alone. "2020 will be a very difficult year. The coronavirus pandemic presents us with unknown operational and financial challenges. At the same time, there are concerns about sustained economic impacts," Diess said.   Production in China resumes Volkswagen Group sold 10.96 million vehicles last year, putting it ahead of Toyota based on the latest figures from the Japanese carmaker. Globally, VW employs 671,000 people and it delivered 4.86 million vehicles to European customers in 2019. Only last month the car and truck maker based in Wolfsburg, Germany, predicted that vehicle deliveries this year would match 2019 sales and forecast an operating return on sales in the range of 6.5% to 7.5%. "The spread of coronavirus is currently impacting the global economy. It is uncertain how severely or for how long this will also affect the Volkswagen Group.

Paul Walker's father sues Porsche

Porsche will reportedly face another wrongful-death suit in connection with the death of Paul Walker. This latest suit, according to USA Today, was filed by the late actor's father and the executor of his will. In the suit, Paul William Walker III claims that the Porsche lacked the safety equipment that could have saved the life of his son, actor Paul William Walker IV. The case dates back almost two years, to the day when Walker and his associate Roger Rodas were traveling in a 2005 Porsche Carrera GT. Rodas lost control of the car, which struck a lamppost and two trees on Hercules Street in Santa Clarita, CA. A fire erupted after the crash and both Rodas and Walker (who was riding in the passenger seat) were killed. The ensuing investigation determined that unsafe speeds were at fault, however grieving members of the deceased victims' families have launched a series of lawsuits – including several directed against the German automaker – in the aftermath. Walker's father previously sued the Rodas' estate over the ownership of a collection of cars estimated to be worth some $1.8 million. Meanwhile Rodas' widow Kristine has also filed a wrongful death suit against Porsche. And just this past September, Walker's 17-year-old daughter and heiress Meadow filed another wrongful death suit, also against Porsche. In response to the latter, Porsche spokesman Calvin Kim wrote to Autoblog: "As we have said before, we are very sad whenever anyone is hurt in a Porsche vehicle, but we believe the authorities' reports in this case clearly establish that this tragic crash resulted from reckless driving and excessive speed." This latest lawsuit filed by Walker's father alleges that the Carrera GT should have been equipped with stability control, reinforced doors, and a breakaway fuel line – features that, the plaintiff asserts, could have saved his son's life. According to USA Today, Porsche recently claimed in court that the vehicle in question had been modified and improperly maintained. Those factors could have led to the accident that claimed both Walker's and Rodas' lives. Walker was an actor who made his debut in television before appearing in movies like Varsity Blues, The Skulls, and Flags of Our Fathers. He will perhaps be best remembered, however, as the star in the Fast and Furious series – the most recent installment of which was completed posthumously with the help of his brothers and computer animation. The California native was 40 years old.

A closer look at the 2015 Porsche Macan

He assured us that "this is a sports car."
Porsche took the wraps off its all-new 2015 Macan at the LA Auto Show last week, and while it's easy to write it off as just a badge-engineered version of the Audi Q5, you'd be very, very wrong. For starters, 75 percent of the car's platform was re-engineered by the Porsche team, and with a choice of two twin-turbocharged engines, the Macan should absolutely live up to the brand's pedigree.