1979 Porsche Turbo on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Preserving automotive history costs big bucks

$1.8 million is spent each year to maintain GM's fleet of 600 production and concept cars.
When at least two of the Detroit Three were on the verge of death a few years back, one of the tough questions that was asked of Ford, General Motors and Chrysler execs - outside of why execs were still taking private planes to meetings - was why each company maintained huge archives of old production and concept vehicles. GM, for example, had an 1,100-vehicle collection when talk of a federal bailout began.

Porsche Macan fails moose test, Stuttgart responds

Different countries have different safety standards, but most of them revolve around a similar set of tests: front impact, side impact, offset impact, rollover... the usual. But Sweden has its own test. It's called the Moose Test (or the Elk Test), and it's unique to Scandinavia: a car has to be able to avoid a theoretical antlered mammal on the road while traveling at 43.5 miles per hour and return to its previous course without flipping over. The Jeep Grand Cherokee ran afoul of the uniquely Nordic maneuver a couple of years ago, but even more surprising is the way the Porsche Macan has reacted.
Under testing by Sweden's Teknikens Värld, Porsche's downsized crossover - specifically the Macan S Diesel, for what it's worth - didn't flip over, but it skidded off course. In real-world conditions, it follows, the vehicle could run off the road or into oncoming traffic. The testers ran the test several times, and even removed excess weight from the vehicle, and each time it reacted the same way.
In response, Porsche has explained that the behavior is the result of its Active Rollover Protection system kicking in. When the system detects that the vehicle could drastically oversteer, flip over or lose its tire, it momentarily applies the brake on the front outside wheel, allowing the vehicle to shed the cornering forces without losing it completely.

Porsche Cayenne, Panamera production halted by flooding

If you recently ordered a Porsche Cayenne or a Panamera, delivery may take a little longer than originally expected. Automotive News reports that production of both models has been temporarily halted at the Porsche assembly plant in Leipzig, Germany as the result of supply shortages caused by flooding in the nearby Czech Republic. The reason for the stoppage is that the body of the Cayenne - currently Porsche's best-selling model - is produced at a Volkswagen plant in the Czech city of Bratislava and shipped by train to Leipzig.
The report does not indicate why Panamera production has been stopped - that the five-door's body is made at a separate location in Hanover, Germany. However pre-assembly will continue on these models. At full capacity, the Leipzig plant can produce about 450 vehicles per day, and it isn't clear how long this weather-related stoppage will last.