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Fatal Tesla Autopilot crash, Porsche debuts 2017 Panamera | Autoblog Minute

A roundup of this week's car news includes the first fatal Tesla Autopilot crash and Porsche's reveal of the 2017 Panamera. Senior Producer Chris McGraw reports on this edition of Autoblog Minute. Show full video transcript text [00:00:00] A motorist is killed while using Tesla Autopilot. In what is believed to be the first fatal accident involving Tesla's autonomous driving feature, the Model S failed to stop when a tractor trailer drove across the highway perpendicular to the Model S, and the car drove underneath the truck. Tesla said the trailer's white paint set against the bright sky were the reason the driver and the Autopilot didn't stop the car. Tesla also called this accident a "tragic loss," and pointed out that it's the first death involving Autopilot in more than 130 million miles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [00:00:30] has opened a preliminary evaluation of Tesla's Autopilot. Its evaluation will look at the design and performance of Autopilot during the crash. Find more details at Autoblog.com. The 2017 Porsche Panamera made its official debut this week. With a clear styling link to the Porsche 911, we think this is the best looking Panamera yet. The new Panamera's body is made mostly from aluminum, minus some high-strength steel and optional large panoramic roof overhead. A completely new range of engines powers the second-gen Panamera, starting [00:01:00] with a twin-turbo 2.9-liter V-6 that puts out 440 horsepower and 405 pound-feet of torque. The Panamera Turbo boasts a 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V8 with 550 hp and 567 lb-ft. Both the 4S and the Turbo come with standard all-wheel drive and an eight-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic transmission. Porsche is claiming that this Panamera set the Nurburgring record for a production sedan finishing just 14 seconds quicker than the outgoing model. We expect to see the 2017 [00:01:30] Porsche Panamera hit deals in January of 2017. Find more details at Autoblog.com. I'm Chris McGraw. Autoblog Minute is a short-form video news series reporting on all things automotive. Each segment offers a quick and clear picture of what's happening in the automotive industry from the perspective of Autoblog's expert editorial staff, auto executives, and industry professionals. Porsche Tesla Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video

Former chairman Piech opposing his nieces' VW board nominations

Someone needs to option the rights to the Ferdinand Piech story for an HBO series, because it perfectly mixes the corporate intrigue of Mad Men with the family drama of The Sopranos. Plus there are some cool cars. In the latest episode, Piech isn't happy with Volkswagen's appointment of two of his nieces – Julia Kuhn-Piech and Dr. Louise Kiesling – to replace he and his wife on the automaker's supervisory board. The recently ousted chairman could try to stop them. According to German publication Bild, Piech thinks his two relatives lack the necessary automotive experience to serve on the board. Therefore, he suggests one-time Ford Premier Automotive Group boss Wolfgang Reitzle and former Siemens manager Brigitte Ederer to take the seats. However, a VW spokesperson told Automotive News Europe that there were no objections to the women's appointment, except for this story from Germany. Piech's nieces are already officially appointed to the VW supervisory board, and it's approved by the Braunschweig Local Court in Germany. His only real option to challenge them would be to file a lawsuit, according to Automotive News Europe. While the new appointees don't have their uncle's decades of history in the auto industry, they do have business experience. Dr. Kiesling has a degree in vehicle design from the Royal College of Art in London and is the managing director of an Austrian textile maker. Kuhn-Piech works in real estate sits on the supervisory board of German truck maker Man.

Porsche Exclusive showcases custom-order 911 Turbo Cabrio

Porsche is one of the most profitable automakers in the business. In fact, it's said to make about $23,000 on each car it sells, thanks in no small part to an options list that can send the sticker price accelerating quicker than one of its own sports cars. But there are always those for whom even the extensive option list won't be enough, and for just such customers, there is Porsche Exclusive.
The division in Zuffenhausen is tasked with creating even more individualized examples of Porsche vehicles, and it recently did up this 911 Turbo Cabriolet - which, at $160,700, is already one of the most expensive Porsches you can order this side of a 918 Spyder: more than any Boxster, Cayman, Macan or Cayenne, any Panamera other than a Turbo S or Executive - not to mention any other 911 short of a Turbo S.
This particular demo vehicle features a Slate Grey paint job and red interior decked out in more leather than an S&M dungeon - which, come to think of it, would probably be less financially painful than ordering up this car from Porsche Exclusive.