2002 Porsche 911 Turbo Coupe on 2040-cars

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Porsche 5 Series fighter may be electric

We know that Porsche is developing a seventh model range for its lineup thanks to the March announcement from company boss Matthias Muller. The actual identity of this future vehicle remains a mystery, though. Autocar is coming down firmly on the side of the smaller Panamera, codenamed the Pajun, and speculates the new entry might be available in battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell versions based on recent patent filings. Porsche is famous for sticking with the rear-engine layout on the 911 for decades, even as the company moves the powertrain forward in other models. According to Autocar, the EV version of the Pajun might mark a return to these roots. The German brand is reportedly preparing a modified version of Volkswagen Group's MSB platform for the new vehicle. Called eMSB, the setup puts the batteries and electric motors at the back, and each rear wheel would receive power separately to allow for torque vectoring. The system is estimated to generate 420 horsepower, which is on par with the all-wheel-drive Tesla Model S 85D. The fuel cell Pajun would join the lineup later. The Pajun is rumored to take on the likes of the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class, but any luxury EV of that size must count the Tesla Model S as a competitor, too. According to Autocar, the styling takes cues from the Panamera Sport Turismo concept (pictured above) and could launch around 2018. Rumors of Porsche's Tesla-fighter were swirling for months before Muller's announcement, and talk of the Pajun has gone on even longer. Previous reports have suggested the possibility of a 300-mile range and an all-wheel-drive layout with 600 hp. While the actual design has remained ambiguous beyond the potential link to the Panamera, the model was possibly spied last year at the Porsche Design Tower in Florida.

Automakers paying Chinese dealers for lower-than-expected sales

The Chinese dealers vs. foreign manufacturers story won't quit. It began with a story on the struggles faced by FAW-Toyota joint venture dealers, with supposedly 95 percent of the showrooms losing money, and 10 percent of them doing so poorly that they'd have to exit the business. The problem is mandated sales targets, most set when the country's economy was racing. Now that things have slowed, China's dealers are swimming in unsold cars and the costs to keep them. In the case of FAW-Toyota, dealers asked Toyota to hand over 2.2 billion yuan ($355 million) to help address the situation. That was followed by a report noting the issues that Honda, BMW, and Nissan dealers are having with the same issue, revealing that the Chinese Automobile Dealers Association (CADA) had taken the highly unusual step of writing to the Chinese government to complain. Now Reuters reports that CADA is not only pressing its case even harder, it's being open about it: it announced that BMW agreed to pay dealers 5.1 billion yuan ($820 million) to alleviate poor profits last year. Unnamed sources said Audi has thrown 2 billion yuan into the kitty for subsidies, and Daimler has contributed "about 1 billion yuan" to its dealers. The battle isn't just about 2014, but how business will be run in 2015 as well: Chinese Porsche dealers have requested the automaker lower its 2015 target of 64,000 cars, which would be a 40-percent increase on its 2014 sales of 46,931 vehicles. One analyst called it "shocking" that the CADA has taken its fight public, while CADA comments continue to imply that dealers have been railroaded to the cliff's edge without recourse. "Due to the difference in status," it's deputy secretary said, "individual dealers are not willing to, or don't dare to, talk frankly with the carmakers...." Both parties need one another, so they'll figure out a way to make it work – but that could mean acknowledging the Chinese market is behaving more like a mature one, not an emerging one. News Source: ReutersImage Credit: Lintao Zhang/Getty Images Earnings/Financials Audi BMW Porsche Toyota Car Dealers Luxury

Porsche 911 driven by McQueen on Le Mans set for auction

Another piece of Porsche memorabilia from the movie Le Mans is going up for auction with Christie's at The Exceptional Sale on Nov. 4 in Paris. This is a 1971 911 T that Steve McQueen used as his personal car during filming - it is not the 1970 911 S seen in the movie's opening sequence. It is one of the Porsches provided by two-time Le Mans winner and stunt driving double Jo Siffert. McQueen's production company CBS Solar Films bought the 911 T from Siffert, one of four 911s CBS Solar bought from the Swiss driver for use in and during filming. McQueen gifted the car to co-star and leading lady Elga Andersen. When she died in 1994 she willed it to her best friend, and the friend sold it to the current owner, who put it up for sale. None of them put the car to much use, as it has only 28,637 miles on the odometer, which is fewer than 55 miles per month for the last 44 years. The pre-sale estimate for this car is $284,000 to $397,000. By comparison, the 911 S used in the movie's opening sequence sold at auction in 2011 at Monterey for $1,375,000. In addition to being a relative bargain in that case, it comes with a scan of the original contract from Siffert to Anderson giving her the car, and a picture of McQueen and his son Chad with the coupe. Related Video: News Source: Christie's [1], [2] Celebrities TV/Movies Porsche Auctions Coupe Luxury Performance Steve McQueen christies 1971 porsche 911t