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Porsche's Tesla-fighter could have 600 hp and 300-mile range

Will this be the Ragin' Pajun? Some details on the all-electric "Tesla fighter" from Porsche have been revealed by UK's Car magazine, and, to put it bluntly, the model that has preliminarily been dubbed the 717 will be an absolute beast when it hits the road as early as 2019. With some technological help from parent company Volkswagen, Porsche is planning a model that will have about a 300-mile single-charge range, and a version that may deliver as much as 600 horsepower. The four-door will also be four-wheel-drive, with one electric motor per axle, and four-wheel steering, all for the sake of consistency, Car says. Additionally, unlike the Tesla Model S, with its battery packs running flat along the floor of the vehicle, the 717's battery layout will be far more complex, complete with bulkhead walls and 108 separate battery pouches. Last month, German publication Auto Motor und Sport reported that the Panamera's junior variant, aka the Pajun, was indeed going to be an all-electric affair. Still, beyond a few digital renderings and an estimated single-charge range of 250 miles, few details were revealed.

Felicity Ace sinks with thousands of VWs, Porsches, Lamborghinis

The stricken ship Felicity Ace sank overnight after a week of salvage efforts ultimately proved unsuccessful. The ship, which was carrying up to 4,000 VW Group cars, went to the bottom unexpectedly while a salvage team was attempting to tow it to shore, Bloomberg reports.  "Initial reports from the local salvage team state that the vessel had sunk at around 9AM local time having suffered a list to starboard," Mitsui O.S.K. Lines transportation company (MOL), which owns the Felicity Ace, said in a statement released early Tuesday.    "The last vessel position was around 220nm off the Azores," MOL said. "The salvage crafts will remain around the area to monitor the situation. Further information will be provided as it becomes available." The ship sank after being battered by waves and listing 45 degrees to starboard, the ship’s operator said. “The weather was pretty rough out there,” Pat Adamson, a spokesperson for MOL Ship Management (Singapore), a unit of Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd., said by phone. “And then she sank, which was a surprise.” VW, Porsche, Audi, Bentley and Lamborghini-branded models were aboard the ship, which was headed to Rhode Island from GermanyÂ’s Emden port when the fire broke out on Feb. 16.  Rough seas and ongoing fires fueled by the lithium-ion batteries of EVs onboard delayed the ship's salvage and recovery operations for the better part of a week. While the likelihood of salvaging the smoke and potentially fire- and water-damaged vehicles from Felicity Ace's hold was slim to none, some had held out hope that their special-ordered vehicles might survive the mishap.  The Panama-flagged Felicity Ace was safely evacuated of its 22 crew members by the Portuguese navy after a fire started in its hold more than a week ago. The ship can carry up to 4,000 cars. European carmakers declined to discuss how many vehicles and what models were on board, but it appears to have been transporting approximately 2,500 cars, including roughly 1,100 Porsches and an undetermined number of Volkswagens.  The cars aboard were on order. Porsche customers in the United States were being contacted by their dealers, the company said. “We are already working to replace every car affected by this incident and the first new cars will be built soon,” Angus Fitton, vice president of PR at Porsche Cars North America, Inc., told The Associated Press in an email. The ship sank in water nearly 10,000 feet deep, the Portuguese Navy said.

Porsche 918 Spyder recalled over bad wiring harness

An investigation of customer concerns has led to a global recall of the Porsche 918 Spyder, including 223 units in North America. The carmaker said that a carbon fiber component can damage a radiator fan wiring harness, so it is contacting owners directly to have their cars brought in for a service inspection. The issue affects cars built through the end of April 2015; cars built after that use a revised design. Dealers will remount the wiring harness, a process that should take half a day. You'll find more information in the press release below. Related Video: Porsche recalling 918 Spyder models for service inspection Precautionary recall: affected customers will be contacted directly Atlanta. Porsche has issued a global recall for 918 Spyder models that have already been delivered. This precautionary recall for a service inspection affects 223 vehicles in the United States. This is because the electric wiring harness for a radiator fan in vehicles manufactured up until the end of April 2015 could be damaged by a carbon-fiber component. The wiring harness will be examined and optimally remounted in the work shop. The cause was identified following a detailed examination of inquiries. Corrective measures have subsequently been taken in manufacturing. The owners of the affected vehicles will be contacted directly by Porsche Cars North America. The service visit, which will be free of charge, will be arranged as quickly as possible and the inspection will likely require the vehicle to be left in the shop for half a day. Featured Gallery 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder: First Drive View 51 Photos Image Credit: Copyright 2015 Porsche / AOL Green Recalls Porsche Safety Convertible Hybrid Luxury Performance porsche 918 spyder