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Ferdinand Piech (1937-2019): The man who made VW global

Towering among his peers, a giant of the auto industry died Sunday night in Rosenheim/Upper Bavaria, Germany. Ferdinand Piech, a grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, who conceived the original Volkswagen in the 1930s, was the most polarizing automotive executive of our times. And one who brought automotive technology further than anyone else. Ferdinand Porsche had a son, Ferdinand (called "Ferry"), and a daughter, Louise, who married the Viennese lawyer Anton Piech. They gave birth to Ferdinand Piech, and his proximity to two Alfa Romeo sports cars — Porsche had done some work for the Italians — and the "Berlin-Rome-Berlin" race car, developed by Porsche himself, gave birth to Piech's interest in cars. After his teachers in Salzburg told his mother he was "too stupid" to attend school there, Piech, who was open about his dyslexia, was sent to a boarding school in Switzerland. He subsequently moved on to Porsche, where he fixed issues with the 904 race car and did major work on the 911. But his greatest project was the Le Mans-winning 917 race car, developed at breathtaking financial cost. It annihilated the competition, but the family had had enough: Amid growing tension among the four cousins working at Porsche and Piech's uncle Ferry, the family decided to pull every family member, except for Ferry, out of their management positions. Piech started his own consultancy business, where he designed the famous five-cylinder diesel for Mercedes-Benz, but quickly moved on to Audi, first as an engineer and then as CEO, where he set out to transform the dull brand into a technology leader. Piech killed the Wankel engine and hammered out a number of ambitious and sophisticated technologies. Among them: The five-cylinder gasoline engine; Quattro all-wheel drive and Audi's fantastic rally successes; and turbocharging, developed with Fritz Indra, whom Piech recruited from Alpina. The Audi 100/200/5000 became the world's fastest production sedan, thanks to their superior aerodynamics. Piech also launched zinc-coated bodies for longevity — and gave diesel technology a decisive boost with the advent of the fast and ultra-efficient TDI engines. Less known: Piech also decided to put larger gas tanks into cars. Customers loved it. Piech's first-generation Audi V8 was met with derision by competitors; it was too obviously based on the 200/5000.

One day later, junior car thief bags his Lambo

Five-year-old Adrian Zamarripa made headlines when he boosted his parents' SUV and set out for California from his home in Utah. With $3 in his pocket, the young supercar fan was on a quest to buy a Lamborghini. His plan unraveled, however, when Utah state police pulled him over on I-15. Or at least, it seemed to. Though thwarted in his attempt to get to California, one day after his story appeared, a Lamborghini came to him. As Fox 13 News Utah reports, local Lamborghini owner Jeremy Nevis drove to Zamarripa's home in Ogden to give the fellow Lambo lover a ride in his matte-black Huracan. "The success principles that he displayed were magnificent to me," Nevis said. Oh, and Fox 13 reports that an unidentified California business has offered to fly Zamarripa to the Golden State and let him actually drive a Lamborghini (under supervision). As his sister says in the segment, "It's like he planned everything, which is crazy." The important lessons: Crime pays. And when you fail big, it's really just a preamble to success.  

1996 Zagato Raptor concept is a lighter Lamborghini Diablo VT and is up for sale

It's hard to out-do Lamborghini when it comes to design, but when Lamborghini partnered with Zagato on a concept car, that's just what happened. The 1996 Zagato Raptor concept was the result, and it was even planned for production. That never happened, but you'll be able to own the lone concept as it's going to be sold by RM Sotheby's. According to the auction house, the Zagato Raptor was developed as a stop-gap model between the Diablo and its proposed successor, the Canto, another stillborn design that gave way to the Murcielago. The car is distinctly more rounded than the wedge-like Diablo, but it's no less wild with its wide haunches, sci-fi taillight bar, and aggressive roof scoop. The party piece, though is the huge tilting canopy for access, which also featured a removable targa roof. The design process and its materials were impressive, too, as the car was completely designed on computers, and went from idea to complete car in just four months. The entire body was made of carbon fiber, too, and that made it about 660 pounds lighter than a Diablo. Some of the weight savings also came from the fact that it lacked the traction control and ABS that came with a Diablo. The Raptor naturally was quick as it shared the Diablo's 6.7-liter V12 and the Diablo VT's 6-speed manual gearbox and all-wheel drive. It could hit 60 mph in under 4 seconds. The car has led a fairly reclusive life following its debut at the 1996 Geneva Motor Show. It's last public appearance was at the Pebble Beach Concours back in 2008. As such, RM Sotheby's recommends a thorough mechanical refresh before doing much driving with it. As a show car, don't expect it to register it for street use, but we're sure it would be fun on private courses. The auction house didn't provide any pre-sale price estimate, though it probably won't go cheap. If you're interested, it will cross the block at the RM Sotheby's Abu Dhabi auction on November 30.