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Porsche planning more plug-ins

Which automaker offers the most plug-in models in the industry? The answer may surprise you, because it's not Toyota, it's not Renault or Nissan or any other automaker that might spring to mind. The answer is Porsche, which already offers the Cayenne and Panamera in plug-in hybrid spec in addition to the 918 Spyder. And it could offer more in the near future. Speaking with Automotive News, Porsche's global sales and marketing chief Bernhard Maier spoke of the importance of plug-in range-extended models to the company's future plans. The 55-year-old executive, who endeavors to make his 56-mile round-trip daily commute from home to the company's headquarters in Stuttgart entirely emissions free, indicated that his company only plans to offer more plug-in models. Previous reports indicated that E-Hybrid powertrain in the Cayenne and Panamera wouldn't fit in the Macan, and that no such plans were in store for the Boxster, Cayman or 911. But when asked what Porsche had in store for the future, Maier replied: "We have a lot of ideas, but we have not approved them for production yet. The 918 Spyder shows that Porsche has the capability to produce very convincing hybrid sports cars." While clearly guarded, Maier's answer points to a future of more plug-in hybrid models from the storied German marque. All that remains to be seen is whether that will come in the form of a Boxster, Cayman, Macan or another new model altogether, like the rumored mini-Panamera dubbed Pajun or a mid-engined V8 supercar.

New Civic, FCA UAW Agreement, Frankfurt | Autoblog Minute

FCA reaches a tentative agreement with the UAW, Honda reveals the all new 2016 Civic, and the Frankfurt Motor Show dazzles us again.Senior editor Greg Migliore reports in the Weekly Recap edition of Autoblog Minute Weekly. UAW/Unions Bentley Honda Jaguar Porsche Tesla Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video FCA porsche mission e civic

Wandering the Chopard Heritage Tent at Rennsport Reunion V

Porsche has a ton to celebrate at its Rennsport Reunion V being held at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca this weekend. While some other luxury carmakers are hurting, Porsche sales are up. The 919 Hybrid won Le Mans in only its second year of competition, then came to America and won the World Endurance Championship race at Lone Star Le Mans in Austin, Texas the weekend before Rennsport Reunion. It just introduced its 2017 911 Carrera with a turbocharged engine for the first time ever for the line, and our initial impressions from the passenger's seat are that it's pretty good. And humor us while we have this out for the conspiracy theorists, but one can imagine some back-room celebrations since with Porsche Chairman Matthias Muller's promotion on Friday, September 26, Porsche completed its takeover of Volkswagen. Remember when that was a thing, when 16-year Porsche CEO Wendelin Wiedeking tried to work the stock market to get control of VW but failed, so VW swallowed up Porsche instead? More concretely, around 50,000 people have come to the Reunion, and there are 1,400 Porsches parked in all the corrals. This year's event is devoted to Le Mans, with eight of the brand's 17 winners in attendance. We spent most of our time on the penultimate day in the Chopard Heritage Display, though, wandering through four rows of vintage machinery. The vehicles were even more instructive than they were beautiful - the Spyders, the RS editions, the Abarth-bodied racers, the company's first flat-eight race car, the 911 SCRS rally cars that led to the shows-topping 959, all help explain in metal what Porsche is referring to in its press releases and when it puts out special editions. They teach the history of personnel inside and outside of Porsche, too: like that Ferdinand Piech led the team that created the famous-on-sight 1968 917K at the same time as he was leading development of the Porsche 914; and that one of our own colleagues, the late Denise McCluggage, drove to victory in the 1957 Watkins Glen Grand Prix in a 1954 Porsche 550 Spyder 1500RS. There's a huge, captioned gallery above of just some of the wares parked in the Chopard Heritage Display. Have a look and a read, and the next time a Porsche rolls out a commemorative limited edition, one of these could be the car they're looking back at. Related Video: