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Porsche unlocks secrets of its mid-engine 911

Porsche is beginning to realize that it's sitting on a goldmine of automotive history with its secret vault full of rare cars. Autoblog toured it a few months ago, and we were amazed at all of the curiosities hidden inside. Now, it's starting to let more folks in thanks to a new series of YouTube videos. The first covered the 965 prototype that shoved a water-cooled, Audi V8 into one of its cars. Next up, a mid-engine 911 that acted as the powertrain test mule for the Boxster.
The Porsche 911 is inextricably linked to its rear-engine layout. They go together like peanut butter and jelly. However, at the time Porsche was developing the Boxster, the company didn't want to lay all of its cards out of the table during testing. As opposed to using camouflage, it put a whole different car on top. The prototype looked just like any other 911 Targa of the day, but the biggest giveaway that something was amiss was the heavily tinted rear window. By obscuring it, inquisitive journalists couldn't peak at the new engine that replaced the backseat.
It might not look like anything too important on the outside, but this is a major piece of Porsche Boxster history underneath. Scroll down to watch the video about this fascinating prototype.

Former Porsche CEO Wiedeking indicted over VW takeover bid

Do you recall the failed efforts by Porsche to take over Volkswagen? According to a Bloomberg report, former Porsche CEO Wendelin Wiedeking (above) and ex-CFO Holger Haerter have finally been charged with market manipulation over the exercising of options as part of the German sportscar manufacturer's ill-fated attempt to take over the much larger VW. That failed bid eventually resulted in the reverse coming true - VW swallowing Porsche.
The charges leveled by Stuttgart prosecutors come after a three-year investigation centered around allegations that Porsche execs made a concerted effort to increase the company's share in VW to 75 percent in preparation for a hostile takeover. Porsche had previously told its investors on at least five occasions that it had no intention to buy VW.
Portions of the investigation have subsided, according to prosecutors, citing an inability to prove certain improprieties with a "necessary degree of certainty." The number of charges is down to 5 from a previous 14 counts regarding "information-based market manipulation."

2017 Porsche Panamera wagon spotted on Nurburgring

Back in February we showed you spy photos of a Porsche Panamera wagon that suggest the body style is slated for production. With the same car (or a nearly identical test mule) now running on the Nurburgring, we're ready to say the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo is real. The name comes from a concept shown at the 2012 Paris Motor Show. It's not confirmed whether the Sport Turismo badge will be the official name for this model. We've seen spy photos of the standard Panamera hatchback, and both it and the wagon shares similar body panels. Expect to see the new 2017 Porsche Panamera at Paris this year with new or updated V6 and V8 engines as well as a plug-in hybrid option. The new Panamera is based off the MSB platform that Porsche is leading development on. As we reported previously, the next big Porsche could come as a coupe variant as well. Autocar also reports that the MSB platform will underpin future Bentley models, and the next Audi A8 (or A9 coupe) will probably share the same architecture. Before you bemoan the shared platform as some kind of brand dilution, remember that Porsche claims the Macan SUV shares only one-third of its parts with the Audi Q5. That is, the brands in the VW maintain a lot of differentiation despite common underpinnings. Or to put it another way: if you're going to make a knee-jerk complaint about Porsche, keep it to the standard cliches about making too many SUVs or how the Panamera isn't pretty. But to go back to the wagon seen above, at least the boxy tail lends some elegance to the Panamera's generous dimensions. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery 2017 Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo Wagon Spy Shots View 9 Photos Spy Photos Paris Motor Show Porsche Wagon Luxury porsche panamera sport turismo