1999 Porsche 911 on 2040-cars

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Former Porsche boss Wiedeking won't face criminal charges over VW bid

Hedge fund managers have been suing Porsche for years now, alleging that the car company lied about its intentions during its failed attempt to take over Volkswagen, a gambit that caused them billion in losses. Over the same period, authorities in Stuttgart built a criminal case against former CEO Wendelin Wiedeking (above, left) and Chief Financial Officer Holger Härter (right), filing charges in December 2012. When those fund plaintiffs lost their most recent court case, one of the dimming lights in the dark and receding tunnel was that the criminal investigation might unearth more evidence about Porsche's actions that could help the plaintiffs in pending litigation.
Bloomberg reports that another light has gone out, though, with a Stuttgart court dismissing the market manipulation case before going to trial because, as a court spokesperson said, "there wasn't enough evidence backing up the charges." When prosecutors get the files back from the court, they have a week to decide to refile, but unless they've been sandbagging evidence that could bolster the case, the only lights at the end of the tunnel will be those welcoming Wiedeking and Härter back to the world of legally unencumbered men.

The art of being teammates

Returning home from a successful event for our CJ Wilson Racing team I couldn't help to think about just how many people are involved to support the drivers that stand on the podium. Friends of 15 to 20 years are actively involved in my life in motorsports and it amazes me daily. I'd like to think that I possess the right blend of passion and humility to make racing for a living a successful career, and each year the ups and downs of motorsports takes a toll on even the savviest racer. Having been a race driver for the past several years, I had long ago stopped taking for granted just how important friendships & relationships are in life. In motorsports we have a large array of relationships we build, from the perspectives of business, crew, competitors, spectators and of course, teammates. For any young racer or driver that is struggling to stay an integral part of the racing community, I can't stress enough just how important relationship building is and in our world of multi-class & multi-driver line-ups, the "teammate" is a big one. Now in my fifth year with CJ Wilson Racing, I started the season with my 10th different teammate, most of which, came in the first season as we were developing into a program that could operate a two-car effort. These are people that I have coached, improved with and become, in a way, brothers. Most I consider friends, people I actively stay in touch with – not out of obligation, but because they are like family to me. They have been a teammate – and in this industry and our series in particular – there has to be something more cohesive than just sharing a car. Standing on the podium with all of your teammates like we did in this year in Monterey (our #33 ONE Capital / MotorOilMatters and #35 Safecraft Safety Equipment Porsche Caymans finished 2nd and 3rd) is one of those moments that you don't forget, in part, because you get to share it with ones you typically spend the most time. I watched both Danny Burkett and Till Bechtolsheimer go to the front after the green dropped and drive perfect opening stints. Sure, while cameras were rolling I played it cool, but as soon as they turned away I was a beacon of giddy pride like I was watching a little brother riding his bike without training wheels for the first time. When it came my turn to get behind the wheel, I knew that one of my closest friends, Tyler McQuarrie, would be in our sister car.

Stunning vintage Porsche 911 collection profiled by eGarage

It's Pebble Beach time, so how appropriate that eGarage presents us a vid on one of the finest personal Porsche collections in the world. A former COO of drug maker GlaxoSmithKline, Robert Ingram amassed more then 50 Porsches that include a 1949 356 Gmund, a 1961 356B 1600 Carrera GTL Abarth Coupe, and a 1964 356C Carrera 2 Coupe. His collecting career didn't start well, Ingram saying he bought his first Porsche in 1959 sight unseen and it was a fiasco, the seller had lied about everything. Ingram said he still has the car, unrestored, and uses it to show people "what happens when you don't do your due diligence." Things have got much better. Ingram said he's committed to using his cars during his lifetime, so he called some friends for a weekend in Napa Valley to drive selections like his 1968 911L Rally Kit/Sport Kit II, a 1973 911 Carrera RS 2.7, a 1974 911 RS 3.0, and the first 1990 911 Carrera 4 Lightweight. As far as we can tell, they did not drive the Porsche tractor also in the collection. The collection is covered in a new book called Porsche Unexpected by veteran car writer Randy Leffingwell, with photography by Michael Furman, and it also examines the skill of collecting, with tips and mistakes shared by Ingram and other collectors. You can check out some of the cars and words from the party involved in the video above. News Source: eGarage via YouTube Porsche Coupe Luxury Performance Classics Videos egarage