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Porsche CEO Oliver Blume will be installed as head of the VW brand

Volkswagen Chief Executive Herbert Diess is planning to promote Porsche CEO Oliver Blume to take over as the head of the VW brand, according to a report from Auto Motor und Sport. Citing company sources, the German site said Bernhard Maier, who currently sits at the head of VW's Skoda brand, will lead Porsche in Blume's place. A shuffle at VW isn't surprising. The last thing Volkswagen needs as it transitions away from its long-running "clean diesel" TDI fiasco and into a clean electric ID future is negative press surrounding its burgeoning electrified lineup. Unfortunately, the ID.3 launch has been marred by software issues, with Manager magazine citing company engineers saying "the basic architecture was developed too hastily." Because of that underlying issue, various modules "often do not understand each other" and suffer dropouts. The brand-new eighth-generation Golf launch was also troubled and pushed back due to software problems. And more recently, Volkswagen was forced to pull an advertisement after admitting it was racist and insulting. That marketing misstep, according to the report, will lead to the firing of Chief Marketing Officer Jochen Sengpiehl. Related Video:

2017 Porsche 911 Turbo First Drive [w/video]

Remember when turbos were a big fat middle finger to the naturally aspirated status quo? The horsepower renaissance has seen the forced induction phenomenon go from badass add-on (Turbo 'Vette!) to battle cry for efficiency (Kia Optima Turbo). From econoboxes to high-end holdovers like Ferrari and Aston Martin, everybody's doing the turbo shuffle. But what does that mean for the gang from Stuttgart – and more importantly, the top-of-the-line 911 that has called itself Turbo since the mid-1970s? I spent a day in the 2017 Porsche 911 Turbo and Turbo S to find out. Now is a particularly fitting time to evaluate the latest iteration of the venerable Porsche 911 Turbo. Our scrutiny comes at a moment when standard-issue Boxsters, Caymans, and Carreras have finally adopted turbocharged platforms. The Turbo S has a top speed of 205 mph, marking the first time the model has crested the 200-mph barrier. Spoiler alert: Rather than radically transforming its long-evolved essence, the 2017 Porsche 911 Turbo has made incremental changes that makes it, well, more Turbo than ever. Horsepower for the Turbo and Turbo S climbs 20 each, to 540 and 580, respectively; 0-60 times drop to a scant 2.9 and 2.8 seconds, and these top dogs now have terminal velocities of 198 and 205 miles per hour, marking the first time the model has crested the 200-mph barrier. The forced-induction flagships have different engine hardware, another first for the lineup, with the S gaining larger turbo impellers and housings. A revised differential enhances the precision of power transfer, while the PDK dual-clutch transmission (the only gearbox available) gains a centrifugal pendulum for smoothness. The dynamic engine mounts now work harder for crisper response, and the variable damping rates have been extended at both ends for a wider range of settings. If you're a fan of hanging the tail out, you'll be pleased to know that a new Sport mode enables greater yaw angles. And if you dig indiscreet bursts of acceleration, there's now a Dynamic Boost function that preps the drivetrain for a little extra oomph by dropping down a gear and holding the throttle open to maintain turbo pressure, increasing torque from 487 to 523 pound-feet, and from 516 to 553 lb-ft in the S. Standard equipment now includes a Sport Chrono Package, camera-equipped parking sensor, and the Porsche Dynamic Light System. Engine flexibility is outstanding, allowing peak torque to start at only 2,250 rpm.

Chris Harris brings together the 918 Spyder, LaFerrari, and P1

The Porsche 918 Spyder, Ferrari LaFerrari, and McLaren P1 show that a hybrid powertrain can make for blistering performance despite its electric assist. This trio doesn't arrive on track together very often, but Chris Harris assembled these three stars at the Portimao circuit for a nearly hour-long demonstration of their amazing capabilities. So, which one is quickest around the track? Harris provides an answer with in-car video of all three contenders. His team also goes out of its way to even the playing field by sourcing tires independently from Pirelli for the P1 and LaFerrari. With the technical part out of the way, Harris can start having fun by doing his usual slides during the driving comparison. Tiff Needell and Marino Franchitti also eventually show up to provide the perfect recipe for a track battle in these hypercars. If you don't have the time, skip about 14:25 into the clip just to see the lap times. However, those numbers only tell a tiny part of the story. The whole video is definitely worth a watch.