2002 Porsche Boxster Roadster S Convertible 2-door 3.2l Manual 6 Spd on 2040-cars

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Audi rumored to leave top-tier endurance racing after 2017

Volkswagen's ongoing diesel scandal is turning out to be an expensive problem for the German automaker. With a recent settlement expected to cost the company up to $14.7 billion, the company is scrambling to find ways to save cash. In light of this, Audi could be pulling out of the highest class of endurance racing, which it has dominated for years. A report from Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, indicates that Audi has already finalized the automaker's departure from the World Endurance Championship's top-tier LMP1 class after the 2017 season. Another report by Autocar cites an unnamed insider to corroborate the LMP1 exit rumors. The report fingers the VW Group's ongoing diesel scandal's financial fallout as the main culprit for Audi bowing out of LMP1. The move to could also be due to the group's decision to move away from diesel technology. Audi's LMP1 car, the R18, utilizes a V6 turbo-diesel engine. The Porsche 919 Hybrid, on the other hand, uses 2.0-liter turbocharged V4 engine that runs on gasoline. Audi has won the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans 13 times since 1999, making Audi an unstoppable force in endurance racing. Porsche, Audi's corporate sibling, reentered endurance racing with a LMP1 competitor of its own in 2014 and won the constructor's championship last year. Audi's decision to leave LMP1 could give Porsche a shot at creating its own Le Mans-winning dynasty. Autocar reports that Audi is expected to continue fielding cars in other WEC classes, like GT3 and GT4, and perhaps the brand will even enter Formula E. We reached out to Audi for some clarification on the matter and a spokesperson stated that the rumors were "pure speculation at this point." Related Video: News Source: Auto Motor und Sport, AutocarImage Credit: Audi Motorsports Rumormill Audi Porsche Volkswagen Diesel Vehicles Hybrid Racing Vehicles vw diesel scandal rumor world endurance championship wec porsche 919 hybrid

Roger Rodas' Widow Suing Porsche Over Carrera GT Crash

Investigations undertaken by local law enforcement may have vindicated Porsche from any wrongdoing in the crash that killed actor Paul Walker and racing driver Roger Rodas last year, but the latter's widow is apparently not convinced. According to emerging reports, Kristine Rodas has filed a lawsuit seeking unspecified damages from Porsche Cars North America. In her suit filed with the Los Angeles Superior Court, Rodas' attorney Mark Geragos reportedly disputes the findings of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, which asserted that the vehicle was traveling at an unsafe speed of 90 miles per hour on city streets, identifying the speed as the cause of the accident. Instead the lawsuit claims that the vehicle was only going 55 mph and that the cause of the crash was improper equipment – namely a faulty right rear suspension and the lack of a crash cage and proper fuel tank. "The Carrera GT was unsafe for its intended use by reason of defects in its manufacture, design, testing, component and constituents, so that it would not safely serve its purpose," according to the specifics of the suit obtained by the Los Angeles Times. When reached for comment, Porsche Cars North America spokesman Nick Twork told Autoblog: We are very sorry for the Rodas and Walker family's loss. The crash was the subject of a detailed investigation by the proper authorities (L.A. County Sheriff and California Highway Patrol), and their investigation disproves the allegations in the lawsuit. The investigation found that driving at a high speed in a negligent manner caused the crash and concluded that there was no mechanical defect. The Carrera GT is known as a difficult car to drive. As the LA Times report points out, Jay Leno spun one at Talladega in 2005, and the following year, Porsche paid part of a multi-million-dollar settlement after two were killed on a track when their Carrera GT struck a slower-moving Ferrari. The Rodas lawsuit could very well point to that previous suit from San Diego Superior Court. Whether the court in LA will hand down a similar ruling remains to be seen.

2014 Porsche Panamera 4S Executive

If the idea of a Porsche sedan (or, long hatchback) is still off-putting to you, then you might want to look away now. For 2014, the polarizing Panamera has received a midcycle refresh bringing slightly different styling, as well as adding two new models to the lineup, the S E-Hybrid and the stretched-wheelbase Executive. Having focused most of my recent trip to Germany on a First Drive of the intriguing plug-in Panamera, I also got to spend some time with the roomier Executive model.
Offered in both 4S and Turbo guise, the Panamera Executive has been stretched by almost six inches for the sole purpose of improving rear passenger space. Although it's hard to imagine anyone would willingly buy a Porsche and opt to sit in the back seat, I'd have to say that if I'm going to be chauffeured around in a car, why not make it a Porsche? For the most part, though, I'm guessing that many Panamera Executive sedans will be owned by people who want to one-up their buddy driving a stretched BMW 7 Series or Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
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