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Ferdinand Piech (1937-2019): The man who made VW global

Towering among his peers, a giant of the auto industry died Sunday night in Rosenheim/Upper Bavaria, Germany. Ferdinand Piech, a grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, who conceived the original Volkswagen in the 1930s, was the most polarizing automotive executive of our times. And one who brought automotive technology further than anyone else. Ferdinand Porsche had a son, Ferdinand (called "Ferry"), and a daughter, Louise, who married the Viennese lawyer Anton Piech. They gave birth to Ferdinand Piech, and his proximity to two Alfa Romeo sports cars — Porsche had done some work for the Italians — and the "Berlin-Rome-Berlin" race car, developed by Porsche himself, gave birth to Piech's interest in cars. After his teachers in Salzburg told his mother he was "too stupid" to attend school there, Piech, who was open about his dyslexia, was sent to a boarding school in Switzerland. He subsequently moved on to Porsche, where he fixed issues with the 904 race car and did major work on the 911. But his greatest project was the Le Mans-winning 917 race car, developed at breathtaking financial cost. It annihilated the competition, but the family had had enough: Amid growing tension among the four cousins working at Porsche and Piech's uncle Ferry, the family decided to pull every family member, except for Ferry, out of their management positions. Piech started his own consultancy business, where he designed the famous five-cylinder diesel for Mercedes-Benz, but quickly moved on to Audi, first as an engineer and then as CEO, where he set out to transform the dull brand into a technology leader. Piech killed the Wankel engine and hammered out a number of ambitious and sophisticated technologies. Among them: The five-cylinder gasoline engine; Quattro all-wheel drive and Audi's fantastic rally successes; and turbocharging, developed with Fritz Indra, whom Piech recruited from Alpina. The Audi 100/200/5000 became the world's fastest production sedan, thanks to their superior aerodynamics. Piech also launched zinc-coated bodies for longevity — and gave diesel technology a decisive boost with the advent of the fast and ultra-efficient TDI engines. Less known: Piech also decided to put larger gas tanks into cars. Customers loved it. Piech's first-generation Audi V8 was met with derision by competitors; it was too obviously based on the 200/5000.

Pininfarina teases its Tesla- and Bugatti-baiting EV supercar

Pininfarina isn't being bashful when it comes to getting into the car business. The Italian design house has revealed a sketch of the PF0 Concept, an electric supercar aimed directly at the world's fastest and most expensive vehicles. With upward of 1,000 horsepower, along with an expected price in the millions of dollars, this extreme EV is meant as a calling card for Pininfarina's upcoming range of electric cars and SUVs. So should the likes of Tesla, Porsche, Ferrari, Bugatti and Lamborghini be worried? Pininfarina might be new to building its own cars, but the company has many decades of experience designing and engineering some of the most desirable cars of all time — including many of the finest supercars to have worn a Ferrari badge on their nose. As we reported earlier this year, Pininfarina has teamed with Indian auto manufacturer, Mahindra, to develop a range of high-end EVs. With this roughly $500 million investment, not to mention some engineering help from Croatian supercar manufacturer, Rimac, Pininfarina aims to start high. The company will first introduce a hypercar, based on the PF0 Concept, within two years, then bring along a range of more affordable electric cars and SUVs. These will more directly take on the likes of Porsche Cayenne, Lamborghini Urus, and Tesla Model X. So yes, if you're in the business of building expensive cars, especially ones with a lot of batteries positioned inside them, Pininfarina's plans for the PF0 (that's a zero, not the letter "O," by the way) should make you sit up and take notice. "Automobili Pininfarina is a pioneering new business created to service the most discerning clients in the world," said Michael Perschke, CEO for Automobili Pininfarina. "Our product portfolio will launch with an innovative, zero-emissions hypercar that represents the progression we aim to make at the pinnacle of the luxury and sports car market." According to its press release, Pininfarina is currently presenting its "business and product plans to prospective retailer partners, clients and media in New York this week." After its tour of the Big Apple, look for Pininfarina to officially reveal the PF0 Concept during Monterey Car Week in August. Related Video: Design/Style Green Bugatti Lamborghini Porsche Tesla Electric Future Vehicles Luxury Performance Pebble Beach supercar mahindra hypercar Rimac

Lamborghini takes Veneno out to play on wet Vallelunga [w/video]

With only four examples in existence, you're not very likely to ever see a Lamborghini Veneno roaming your local highways and byways. That's what makes this clip a little out of the ordinary.
Lamborghini brought the super-rare supercar out to the Vallelunga circuit near Rome for the World Finals of its Super Trofeo series, where, incidentally, American driver Andrew Palmer beat out the competition from Europe and Asia to claim the world title. Prospective buyers for the even more expensive Veneno Roadster were taken for laps to give them a taste of what to expect, because with no roof whatsoever, the open-top supercar wouldn't be our choice for a drive in the rain.
Lambo also brought out the Sesto Elemento, the previous release from the company's new prototype development center, to play on the wet track alongside the anthracite Veneno that remains the company's property. Check out the action in the image gallery above and the video below.