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Former Porsche execs charged with stock manipulation in Germany

The ongoing indictment of top Porsche executives for alleged stock manipulation during the attempted takeover of Volkswagen has taken years to reach an actual decision, but a trial date has finally been set for October 22. In addition to former CEO Wendelin Wiedeking (pictured above) and ex-CFO Holger Haerter, prosecutors have also added Anton Hunger, who was communications boss at the time, to the list of those charged, according to Reuters. The men purportedly made false statements to investors about plans to acquire 75 percent of VW stock. The prosecutor also dropped charges against Ferdinand Piech and Wolfgang Porsche in the same case, Reuters reports. The two Porsche family members were on the company's board at the time, but investigators found that they had no role in making the false statements. If found guilty, the former Porsche execs could face up to five years in prison. As expected, lawyers for Wiedeking and Haerter have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing by their clients. The investigation into Porsche SE's actions during the failed VW takeover go back to at least 2009 when the firm's offices were raided. Wiedeking and Haerter were eventually indicted in 2012. A Stuttgart court initially dismissed the case for lack of evidence, but in 2014 that decision was reversed on appeal. At the same time, investors have brought multiple civil lawsuits against the company, but none of those cases have been successful.

Take a listen to the Volkswagen ID 3 and Koenigsegg Jesko

What could better demonstrate our diametric vehicular future than sound clips of the Volkswagen ID 3 and the Koenigsegg Jesko? Battery-electric vehicles don't make enough noise on their own, so VW partnered with composer Leslie Mandoki for the legally-mandated Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS) that warns pedestrians and cyclists of the EV's presence. Mandoki — a German-Hungarian who once played drums in a Euro disco band called Dschinghis Khan — was asked to come up with a sound for the ID 3 that VW said "defines its identity," "radiates safety and the promise of effortless mobility," and that "must also impress with its unique character." The definition of the ID 3's single-motor, 201-horsepower character is this: Occupants and people around the hatch can hear the sound as the car accelerates to 18.6 mph, and when reversing. At higher speeds, the sound of wind resistance and tire noise takes over. As our library of AVAS tones grows, it's clear that EVs will provide a soundscape as varied as that of internal combustion engines. Here, for instance, is the industrial thrum used as the Karma Revero GT's pedestrian warning: And here is the sci-fi soaring from the BMW Vision M Next, as composed by Hans Zimmer: At the other end of the aural chamber, we have the Koenigsegg Jesko. In this case, the composer is a 5.0-liter twin-turbo V8 running on a bio-ethanol E85 blend that's almost suitable for IndyCar, powering the engine up to 1,600 horsepower. Output on pump gas will be 'only' 1,281 hp. The Swedish automaker released a clip of the exhaust note of a car in progress inside the Angelhom factory. Here's what we can look forward to: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. All these sounds have a place at the table, even if we'd prefer Karma booked some time with a producer and an Autotune session. To paraphrase Sesame Street, though, one of these sounds is definitely not like the other.

Jack Kevorkian's old van up for sale in Detroit [w/video]

With Halloween fast approaching, a Detroit pawnshop is offering a macabre automotive memento to park in your garage – Dr. Jack Kevorkian's Volkswagen Bus (pictured above in 1990). The van is currently a broken-down heap with the interior a mess, but the title and registration proves Dr. Kevorkian's ownership. The pawnbroker is hoping to get $40,000 for the ghoulish ride, according to an interview with Fox 2 News. If you're unfamiliar, Dr. Kevorkian rose to prominence in the '90s when he helped with 130 assisted suicides. It earned him the nickname Dr. Death, and he was eventually convicted of second-degree murder in 1999, serving eight years in prison. He died in 2011. Kevorkian's VW has had quite a history. The van was reportedly due to be destroyed in 1997 but somehow avoided the crusher. A retired VW parts dealer put the bus on eBay in 2010, but the vehicle was removed for violating the site's policy against selling "murderabilia." The VW eventually went to auction, but this report said that it hasn't moved in over two years. The video below shows the decrepit vehicle currently, and the gallery above has period photos from the Associated Press. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.