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Well hello, Carice, you Porsche-aping EV cutie

Ah, the joy that comes open-air motoring with the in your hair and the roar of the exhaust behind you. Well, maybe not as much anymore. In recent years, vehicles like the Tesla Roadster have made the concept of the electric sports car palatable. Now, Dutch automaker Carice is following suit with a classically inspired EV speedster called the MK1. The MK1 clearly wears its design inspiration on its sleeve. It would be difficult to look at this styling and not immediately see a Porsche 356 Speedster; It has the same upside-down bathtub shape with big round headlights and likely the tiniest taillights on a production car in years. The Carice is also clearly meant for fair weather motoring because there's no top, just a tonneau cover to protect the interior from the rain while it's sitting. One thing that the Dutch company is definitely getting right is the weight. It claims that the MK1 weighs a dainty 772 pounds, including the battery pack. The low weight doesn't mean the MK1 is going to be lighting quick, though. It's being offered with a choice of three electric motors with 5 horsepower (for 16-year-old drivers in the Netherlands), 20 hp or 53 hp, and there are two sizes of battery pack. Buyers can also opt for a range-extending internal combustion engine. The 53-hp motor allows for a top speed of 62 miles per hour and a 124-mile range with the larger battery. Carice says its also willing to fit larger batteries or more power motors, at the buyer's expense, of course. Carice plans to build an initial production run of 10 cars with prices starting at 22,000 euros, before Dutch taxes (about $30,000). The company hasn't released a press release about the MK1, but you can learn more about speedster on its website; it's in Dutch, though. Featured Gallery Carice MK1 View 9 Photos News Source: Carice Cars Porsche Convertible Electric Performance electric sports car porsche speedster

Matthias Muller officially named VW Group CEO

While the vast number of rumors made it seem like a foregone conclusion, Porsche boss Matthias Muller has officially been named Volkswagen Group CEO to replace the recently resigned Martin Winterkorn. His contract runs through the end of February 2020, and until a replacement is found, Muller also gets to hang onto his old job as chairman of Porsche. At the same time, the VW Group Supervisory Board is announcing a massive structural reorganization across the entire company, with the new management model in place by the beginning of 2016. Contrary to previous rumors, Michael Horn remains as President and CEO of VW Group of America. The board wants a greater emphasis on brands and regions going forward, and the scale of this shift can be seen in the US. On November 1, VW Group business in the US, Mexico, and Canada is being combined under the leadership of current Skoda chairman Winfried Vahland. However contrary to previous rumors, Michael Horn remains as President and CEO of VW Group of America. Other brands are also seeing some significant changes mechanically. Porsche, Bentley, and Bugatti now fall under the Group's "sportscar and mid-engine toolkit." This means that the brands will start sharing standardized technical parts. A Chief Technical Officer across all of the company's brands will also start working toward future innovations. The new brand-centric view means the end of a group-wide production department. "Going forward, the brands and regions will also have greater independence with regard to production. So it follows that they should also hold the responsibility for these activities," Berthold Huber, interim Chairman of the Supervisory Board, said in the announcement. In a statement with the press release about his promotion, Muller promised to turn the company around after such an international crisis. He said: "My most urgent task is to win back trust for the Volkswagen Group – by leaving no stone unturned and with maximum transparency, as well as drawing the right conclusions from the current situation. Under my leadership, Volkswagen will do everything it can to develop and implement the most stringent compliance and governance standards in our industry." Matthias Muller appointed CEO of the Volkswagen Group Muller remains Chairman of Porsche AG until a successor has been found Matthias Muller (62) has been appointed CEO of Volkswagen AG with immediate effect.

Chris Harris condemns demonization of Porsche Carrera GT in wake of Walker death

When something bad happens, it's easy to resort to scapegoating. At least for some of us, that seems to be exactly what has happened following the tragic death of actor Paul Walker and racer Roger Rodas, who were killed on November 30 in a Porsche Carrera GT. Even though officials have not yet determined the cause of the crash, that isn't stopping many theories from being put for - theories that include blaming the Porsche supercar. Rather predictably, not only is the CGT's difficult nature getting examined, but indeed, the nature of all high-performance cars is being put under the public's microscope, with some wondering what the need for all the power is.
A Google search of "Porsche Carrera GT" will find no shortage of articles about the razor-sharp handling and outright speed of the CGT. Pistonheads' Chris Harris has a different, insightful take on both the Carrera GT and the nature of all fast cars. He reflects on the matter, ironically, en route to drive the successor to the car that killed Walker and Rodas, the 900-horsepower 918 Spyder hybrid supercar.
We think it's well worth a read, as it makes a number of good points about modern high-performance automobiles and the way they're used. Click over and take a look.