1965 Porsche 356 Sc Coupe on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Mark Webber treats Maria Sharapova to a Porsche 918 Spyder joyride

We don't much like Mark Webber right now. Part of being a racing driver is dealing with promotional stuff. It's not hard to find a driver that can't stand all this nonsense, whether it be promoting a product, meeting investors or attending some obscure event. Even a driver of Webber's caliber - a former Formula One driver for Red Bull Racing and a member of Porsche's factory Le Mans team - has to serve his time at the promo events.
Somehow, though, we don't think the Aussie driver minds this particular promo detail. In the video below, Webber attends the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. He then takes tennis superstar Maria Sharapova out for a spin behind the wheel of the Porsche 918 Spyder. The level of jealousy at the Autoblog office is palpable.
Take a look below for the video. And as we're super jealous of Mr. Webber, hop into Comments and caption the above photo based on what you think he's saying to Maria. Bonus points if you can work "vegemite" into the caption.

Porsche GT division rules out AWD, SUVs

Any German automaker worth its lap times needs a performance division. Mercedes has AMG, BMW has the M division, Audi has Quattro GmbH with its S and RS models... even Volkswagen has its R line of hot hatches. And though Porsche is a performance automaker unto itself, even it has a performance division. It's called Porsche GT, and though it's been branching outside the 911 range lately, don't expect it to wander too far. According to Car and Driver, which spoke recently with Porsche GT boss Andreas Preuninger and R&D chief Wolfgang Hatz, there are limits to what the division will do. And while those limits may have been broadened to include technologies like turbocharging and dual-clutch transmissions, they won't stretch as far as all-wheel drive. Take a look at the previous-generation 997 and what separated the 911 GT2 from the 911 Turbo was principally its all-wheel-drive system. Porsche GT isn't planning on doing a GT2 this time around – the new GT3 RS occupying that territory on its own – but the next generation (whether it wears the number 2 or 3) will likely go turbo along with most of the rest of the 911 family. The exclusion of all-wheel drive from the Porsche GT parts bin also means that the division won't be taking on the company's SUVs like the Cayenne and Macan. So the Cayenne GTS will be as extreme as it gets, taking on the likes of the BMW X5 M, Mercedes GL63 and Audi SQ5 without the help of Zuffenhausen's racing department. We can't expect the PDK to stick around though, so to speak. Though the new Cayman GT4 packs a manual transmission, the 911 GT3 and GT3 RS have dual-clutch gearboxes. Moving forward, Preuninger says they'll leave it up to prospective customers to decide which type of transmission they'll build into their most extreme performance models.

Porsche recalling Macan S and Turbo for fuel leak

Porsche is recalling 58,881 examples of the Macan S and Turbo worldwide because of a possible leak in the low-pressure fuel line in the engine compartment. Of these, there are 21,835 affected in the US and 3,490 in Canada. According to the German automaker, this campaign is "a purely precautionary measure" because there're no reports of any accidents or injuries from the flaw. As a fix, dealers will replace the fuel line, which will take around an hour. Porsche will contact owners directly to arrange for the service. The company discovered the issue "after a precise examination of complaints," according to its statement, and corrected the problem for units in production. Porsche Examines Macan S and Macan Turbo Vehicles October 30, 2015 Possible leak in low-pressure line – affected customers will be contacted directly Atlanta, Georgia. Voluntary safety recall: Porsche is conducting an examination of 58,881 Macan S and Macan Turbo vehicles around the world, of which 21,835 are in the United States and 3,490 are in Canada. The reason for this move is a possible leak in the low-pressure fuel line inside the engine compartment. The line will be replaced in the workshop. This is a purely precautionary measure, as there have been no reports of accidents or injuries as a result of this concern. The problem was identified after a precise examination of complaints and then immediately rectified in ongoing production. Owners of the vehicles will be contacted directly and workshop appointments will be arranged as quickly as possible. The work will take approximately one hour and will be carried out free of charge.