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2015 Porsche 918 Spyder: Touring the factory

Willy Wonka granted just five lucky Golden Ticket holders access to his incredible chocolate factory, yet we consider ourselves just as fortunate, as Porsche invited us to be among the first of just four American journalists to see behind the closed doors of its 918 Spyder assembly plant in Zuffenhausen, Germany. Of course, there were no Oompa Loompas or flowing chocolate rivers, but the vast white hall tasked with producing only 918 examples of the automaker's limited-production flagship revealed details that make Wonka's Golden Egg sorting room seem rather mundane in comparison. Unlike a traditional automobile manufacturing plant, which often encompass all processes of making a vehicle (e.g., stamping steel panels, welding components and painting), the 918 Spyder is built in an assembly plant. This means that hundreds of already manufactured parts, each crafted by Porsche offsite suppliers, are brought under one roof to be assembled into a perfectly finished product that is much sweeter – and far more expensive – than any candy delicacy. Our tour guide was Michael Drolshagen, Porsche's Director of Production, Logistics and Quality - a walking encyclopedia when it comes to the engineering and assembly of the 918 Spyder. Drolshagen generously offered us unrestricted access to walk among the factory's 110 workers – and a couple-dozen vehicles in process – to photograph everything. This is a story best told with pictures, so we've put together a raft of our best images in a high-resolution gallery and captioned each with a detailed description. If you've still got questions, please voice them in Comments section and we'll do our best to answer.

Porsche 911 GTS gets Rennsport Reunion Edition

Porsche is taking over Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca this weekend to celebrate Rennsport Reunion V. In addition to some beautiful cars on display, it's giving the brand's superfans something extra special by unveiling the 911 Carrera GTS Rennsport Reunion Edition there. Limited to only 25 examples, they're exclusively for customers in North America. As the model's name implies, this special edition is mechanically based on the 430-horsepower 911 GTS, and gets a manual gearbox and PASM Sport Suspension. Porsche Exclusive then applies special styling bits to each one. For the exterior, paint is a custom shade called Fashion Grey, with black-and-red decals applied to the hood, roof, decklid, and doors. To complete the fashionable look, gloss black adorns the radio antenna, around the LED headlights, the lower part of the mirrors, and 20-inch Sport Classic wheels. The interior offers some sportiness with carbon fiber dashboard trim, a SportDesign steering wheel, and 18-way Adaptive Sport Seats Plus. A little extra flash comes from Carmine Red for the seatbelts, tachometer and much of the stitching. As a nod to the event, a Rennsport Reunion V logo is also on the center console lid. With such a low production run and a price of $149,330 with the $995 destination charge, this is a way to proclaim a serious passion for Porsche. Related Video: PORSCHE 911 CARRERA GTS RENNSPORT REUNION® EDITION DEBUTS IN MONTEREY 25/09/15 Special edition model limited to 25 units worldwide built by Porsche Exclusive Atlanta, Georgia. In honor of the fifth Rennsport Reunion®, Porsche has unveiled a special edition of the 911 Carrera GTS at this year's gathering at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The Rennsport Reunion Edition is limited to 25 units worldwide and will be sold exclusively in North America. Built by Porsche Exclusive, the Rennsport Reunion Edition is based on the 430 hp 911 Carrera GTS. The limited edition production model is painted in the custom color Fashion Grey. Decorative black and red decals cover the front hood, the roof, and the rear decklid. The driver and passenger doors are decorated with black and red decals featuring the PORSCHE logotype. 20-inch Sport Classic wheels painted in high-gloss black give the Rennsport Reunion Edition a very striking appearance. The lower exterior trim of the side mirrors as well as the satellite radio antenna are also finished in high-gloss black. LED headlights in Black including PDLS Plus complete the black accents on the exterior.

Recharge Wrap-up: Ford's "snowtonomous" Fusion Hybrid, Porsche eyes battery makers

Bosch and Panasonic are vying to be the battery supplier for Porsche's electric sports car based on the Mission E concept. While Bosch's costs may be higher, its solution would offer simpler logistics. Panasonic is already well established as a battery maker, providing the packs for the Porsche car's rival, Tesla. "We're in the final stage of making a decision," says Porsche CEO Oliver Blume, declining to comment on specific manufacturers. Neither Bosch nor Panasonic provided comment. Read more from Automotive News. Renault will supply a fleet of 150 Renault Zoe EVs for a smart solar charging project in Utrecht, Netherlands. The project involves the installation of 1,000 EV chargers powered by 10,000 photovoltaic panels. The Renault Zoes would be used as part of a carsharing program powered by the solar chargers. Renault and its partners will also implement a vehicle-to-grid system to provide energy during peak demand from the solar chargers and connected EVs. Read more in the press release from Renault. Ford has been testing an autonomous Fusion Hybrid prototype that is capable of driving itself in snowy conditions. Ford uses 3D mapping to scan the drive route. Its LiDAR laser mapping can even detect single falling snowflakes. It collects and processes up to 600 gigabytes of data per hour, comparing its environment to saved maps, a process that helps establish location more precisely than GPS. In addition to the LiDAR systems, the car is also equipped with cameras and radar to help it navigate. Eventually, the car could even be able to clean off its sensors when it detects loss of performance from ice and dirt. Read more in the press release below. FROM AUTONOMY TO SNOWTONOMY: HOW FORD FUSION HYBRID AUTONOMOUS RESEARCH VEHICLE CAN NAVIGATE IN WINTER DEARBORN, Mich., March 10, 2016 – Driving in snow can be a slippery challenge, with the potential for one blizzardy gust to white-out your field of view – a situation faced by the majority of people in the United States. So if self-driving cars are to become a reality – and they almost certainly will – they must be able to navigate snow-covered roads. In its quest to bring self-driving vehicles to millions of people around the world, Ford reveals six facts about its technology that allows for a car to drive itself in snow. 1. Mapping the way: Ford first creates high-resolution 3D maps using LiDAR technology to scan the area its autonomous vehicle will later drive in the snow.