1968 Porsche 911 on 2040-cars

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VW makes $23K on every Porsche sold, more than Bentley or Lamborghini

It's a good time to be in the luxury car business. In Volkswagen Group's financial report for the 2013 fiscal year, it is revealed that that Porsche enjoyed an operating margin of 18 percent. That means the Stuttgart brand made on average about $23,200 per car sold, according to BusinessWeek. Bentley wasn't far behind, and Audi (which was combined with Lamborghini) posted a 10.1 percent margin. This compares to only around 2.9 percent for the Volkswagen brand.
"Luxury brands are on fire," said Dave Sullivan, an industry analyst at AutoPacific. He said that the average profit margin is between six and eight percent. Brands like Porsche and Bentley have the benefit of competing in rarefied markets. Buyers looking at one their vehicles have fewer models to shop against and don't care as much about price. They can also charge more for options, which further boosts income, according to BusinessWeek.
In a way, we should be more impressed by the continued success from Audi. Its models generally have direct competitors in every segment from the other premium automakers. Plus, their buyers aren't the captains of industry who are shopping for a Bentley. Still, the Four Rings is leading rivals in sales so far this year.

Steve McQueen's last Porsche headed for auction

Most people might be happy ordering a new car off a lot, but Steve McQueen was most definitely not "most people." The Hollywood icon was known to custom-order his cars. What you see here is the last car McQueen would ever order, and now it's going up for auction. This is a 1976 Porsche 911 Turbo Carrera (known to aficionados as the 930) that the actor had done up in Slate Gray, with sunroof, dual mirrors, a limited-slip differential, black sports seats, and a switch on the dashboard to kill the taillights in case he was being pursued at night. Chassis number 9306800408 is powered by a 3.0-liter flat six that's turbocharged but (in a rare early configuration) not intercooled. The air-cooled engine features Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection and drives 234 horsepower through a four-speed to the rear wheels. McQueen ordered the 930 new from Bob Smith Porsche in Hollywood. He died a few years later, never having special-ordered another new car – making this the last of its kind. "This car is rich in history," said his son Chad McQueen. "This is the last of the McQueen cars, really. That's known. That's real." And it can be yours, if you place the right bid. Mecum Auctions has it on consignment for its upcoming event during Monterey Car Week, with a portion of the proceeds to benefit Boys Republic – McQueen's own alma mater. STEVE MCQUEEN'S LAST SPECIAL-ORDER PORSCHE TO BE OFFERED AT MECUM MONTEREY 1976 Porsche Turbo 930 Personalized by The King of Cool to Cross the Block Aug. 15 WALWORTH, Wis. – July 14, 2015 – The very last car special-ordered by The King of Cool—the late mega movie star Steve McQueen—will be offered for sale at the Mecum Daytime Auction in Monterey this Aug. 13-15 at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa – Del Monte Golf Course. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the 1976 Porsche 930 Turbo Carrera will be donated to McQueen's alma mater, the reform school Boys Republic. "This car is rich in history," says McQueen's son Chad. "This is the last of the McQueen cars, really. That's known. That's real." McQueen's untimely death in 1980 at age 50 made this 1976 Porsche 930, chassis 9306800408, the very last of his special-order cars. His insatiable and notorious need for speed and his affinity for fine automobiles meant always having the best sets of wheels, and his Porsche 930 is no exception.

Porsche completes production of 918 Spyder

Porsche is closing another chapter in its history as production of the 918 Spyder has officially come to an end. The only remaining question is: what comes next? The 918 was the latest in a long line of flagship supercars from the German automaker, starting with the 904 Carrera GTS, continuing on through the 959, 911 GT1, and Carrera GT. Each was a technological game-changer for Porsche, just as the 918 Spyder will surely be remembered. With the hybrid roadster now zipping off into the annals of history, all eyes will be fixed on Zuffenhausen to see what it does next. And though it may not be much to go on, we've already begun seeing some hints at what that could be. Last week Porsche released a solitary teaser image showing its next-generation sports car, covered and parked alongside the Le Mans-winning 919 Hybrid LMP1. Just what's under the cover, Porsche isn't saying, and didn't respond to our repeated inquiries for comment. However the signs point towards a mid-engined supercar – not unlikely to pack a hybrid powertain once again – positioned closer to the likes of McLaren 650S and Ferrari 488 GTB than the outgoing 918 Spyder, which faced off against the McLaren P1 and LaFerrari. If that turns out to be the direction Porsche takes with its upcoming new supercar, as has long been anticipated, it would hardly be unprovoked. McLaren recently launched the 570S as part of its new Sport Series to take on the Porsche 911 Turbo, and Ferrari is once again rumored to be pursuing the same with a new Dino. While the specifics may remain cloudy for the time being, what is crystal clear is that things are about to get very interesting in the battle between Porsche and its rivals. Related Video: Porsche super sports car with hybrid drive reaches its limited edition volume of 918 units Porsche finishes production of the 918 Spyder technology pioneer Stuttgart. Today, the chequered flag marked the finish: after 21 months of production time, the final Porsche 918 Spyder came off the line in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen according to schedule. But the legacy of this technology pioneer will reach far beyond its production time. Future generations of sports cars will benefit directly from innovations of the 918 Spyder. The 918 Spyder was systematically developed to be a performance hybrid with plug-in technology. The hybrid super sports concept car made its debut at the 2010 Geneva International Motor Show where it met with overwhelming approval.