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Updated J.D. Power APEAL study shines on VW Group, Chevy

J.D. Power has just revealed the results of its 2013 APEAL Study, which looks at which brands have the most appealing cars based on sales figures, dealer inventory, brand loyalty, transaction and trade-in prices. The study was revamped for 2013, and places a larger focus on the new tech and infotainment options available to customers. All told, study participants gauged their vehicles on 77 different attributes, delivering a score out of a 1,000 points.
The Volkswagen Group had the greatest success of any corporation, topping the APEAL rankings with the Audi Allroad, Porsche Boxster, Porsche Cayenne, VW GTI and Passat. Chevrolet had the highest number of awards for a single brand, though, with the Avalanche, Sonic and Volt all taking home a prize.
The best brand overall was Porsche, which scored 884 out of a possible 1,000 points. The top Japanese brand was Lexus with a score of 847, while the top American brand was Cadillac, at 841. The best mainstream brand was Ram, which received a very respectable 817. The industry average for this year's study was 795, with 16 brands, all of which were mainstream, falling below the average.

Techart tastefully tunes Porsche 911, Cayenne

German tuning haus Techart is making a big showing at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, introducing modified versions of a number of Porsche products. At the fore, we have the new, all-turbo 911 range. Techart has turned its hand to both the turbocharged 911 and the new 911 Turbo (this will get less confusing, right?) with a range of upgrades covering performance and aesthetics. Techart has boosted the Carrera S from 420 horsepower and 368 pound-feet of torque to 460 ponies and 413 lb-ft of torque. The Turbo S gets a bigger boost, going from 580 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque to 640 hp and 649 lb-ft. It's not clear how Techart has made these gains, aside from the company's "Techtronic" engine management. Surprisingly for an aftermarket tuner at Geneva, Techart's exterior treatments are downright tasteful. There are new front and rear clips and a selection of rear wings, helpfully called Rear Wing I and Rear Wing II, while the diffusers and side skirts are also swapped out. We also dig the center-exit exhaust and its four meaty tips. On the opposite end of the equation, Techart is also modding the Cayenne range. The new Magnum Sport treatment can be applied to the base diesel-powered Cayenne and Cayenne S, the gas-powered GTS, and the Turbo with varying degrees of performance, but it's the force-induced Cayenne we're most interested. In its most potent form, the turbocharged V8 can be boosted from 520 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque to 700 hp and 678 lb-ft. At this level of performance, the Cayenne's sprint falls from 4.4 seconds to just 4.1. That ties the stock Cayenne Turbo S, but it's worth noting the Magnum Sport will do 183 miles per hour to the factory model's 176. Like the 911, there's a slew of aesthetic upgrades regardless of which Cayenne your Magnum is based on. The full body kit isn't as tasteful as the 911. The overall look is far more aggressive and dare we say aftermarket, with plenty of carbon-fiber accents, a very low ride and a serious wide-body look. In particular, the new front and rear fascia present a much more imposing appearance. There's also a carbon-fiber hood, because the aftermarket. We've snapped Techart's modified Cayenne and 911 on the floor of the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. And if you scroll down, there's also the official galleries and press releases for both models. Have a look, and register your opinion in Comments. Related Video: TECHART Personalization for the new Porsche 911 models.

Porsche again staring down another $1.8B in hedge fund lawsuits

The sequence of events from 2007 that began with Porsche's secret attempt to take over Volkswagen, and instead lead to Porsche being taken over by VW, continues to instigate lawsuits against the Stuttgart sports car manufacturer. A group of hedge funds that suffered over $1 billion in losses sued the car company in New York. Porsche had publicly stated it wasn't trying to buy VW, the hedge funds in question were shorting VW stock, and when Porsche's actual intentions were revealed, the stock shot up and the hedge funds took a beating.
The case was thrown out over the issue of jurisdiction, then appealed, only to see another suit filed on top of that. After that, most of the hedge funds withdrew their claims in New York and Porsche offered a 90-day window to refile in Germany where it is already fighting a number of other suits over the same issue. The hedge funds accepted the offer, refiling in Stuttgart for $1.8 billion in damages. According to Bloomberg, Porsche hasn't commented on the refiling, but as the same plaintiffs are involved, it's safe to assume that the carmaker still feels the case is "unsubstantiated and without merit." It has fared alright so far even in German courts, with two lesser cases against it thrown out last year.