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Le Mans-winning Porsche 956 up for auction at Pebble Beach

Collectors looking to get their hands on a piece of racing history will want to be in Monterey this August. That's where Gooding & Company will be auctioning off the genuine Le Mans winner you see here. One of the finest examples of the Group C era, this 1982 Porsche 956 won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1983 – the eighth time the German marque won the legendary French endurance race, en route to the record seventeenth win it racked up at La Sarthe this year. This 956 was the third of only ten examples made, complete with Rothmans livery and unimpeachable history. It debuted at Le Mans in 1982, where it placed second behind another Rothmans-liveried 956, and went on to win the next four races it entered. The following year, the two Porsches switched places in the winner's circle at Le Mans, securing this car's place in the annals of racing history. Now set to cross the auction block at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, Gooding projects this most historically significant Porsche to fetch between $7,000,000 and $9,000,000 once the gavel drops. According to the Sports Car Market database, that would make this the most valuable Porsche ever sold at auction, eclipsing the 1972 Porsche 917/10 Can-Am racer that Mecum sold for $5.83 million in Monterey three years ago. It would also far exceed the ˆ2.35 million ($3.15m) paid at RM's auction in Paris last year for another Rothmans-liveried 956 that completed the 1-2-3 finish at Le Mans in '82. That is, assuming 956 #003 sells this time: the last time it crossed the auction block, it failed to sell after a high bid of $2 million. Le Mans-Winning Rothmans Porsche 956 Roars its Way to Gooding & Company's Pebble Beach Auctions SANTA MONICA, Calif. (June 19, 2015) – Gooding & Company, the official auction house of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance®, is thrilled to announce the addition of one of the most important and desirable competition cars of all time to its Pebble Beach Auctions. The 1982 Porsche 956, chassis 003, was the outright winner of the 1983 24 Hours of Le Mans and the most successful example of this revolutionary and dominating series of Group C cars. The sale of this factory Porsche racing machine presents an incredible opportunity to own a significant piece of motorsport history and it is sure to be a highlight of Gooding & Company's internationally renowned auction, taking place on August 15 and 16, 2015 in Pebble Beach, California.

2014 Porsche Panamera 4S Executive

If the idea of a Porsche sedan (or, long hatchback) is still off-putting to you, then you might want to look away now. For 2014, the polarizing Panamera has received a midcycle refresh bringing slightly different styling, as well as adding two new models to the lineup, the S E-Hybrid and the stretched-wheelbase Executive. Having focused most of my recent trip to Germany on a First Drive of the intriguing plug-in Panamera, I also got to spend some time with the roomier Executive model.
Offered in both 4S and Turbo guise, the Panamera Executive has been stretched by almost six inches for the sole purpose of improving rear passenger space. Although it's hard to imagine anyone would willingly buy a Porsche and opt to sit in the back seat, I'd have to say that if I'm going to be chauffeured around in a car, why not make it a Porsche? For the most part, though, I'm guessing that many Panamera Executive sedans will be owned by people who want to one-up their buddy driving a stretched BMW 7 Series or Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
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EPA discovers defeat device in more VW TDI engines

In a sternly worded letter, the United States Environmental Protection Agency has issued a new set of allegations against Volkswagen claiming that so-called emissions defeat software has been found in the company's 3.0-liter TDI V6 diesel engines. This is a completely different engine than the 2.0 TDI that has already been identified as an emissions cheater. In addition to VW, the EPA has included Audi and Porsche in this notification, as the non-compliant engine has been used in vehicles from all three manufacturers from model years 2014 through 2016. The EPA claims that cars equipped with the 3.0 TDI engine know when they are being tested for emissions, and their on-board computers switch into a mode designed to pass the stringent requirements in the United States for diesel exhaust. Vehicles sold in the United States with this engine include the 2014 VW Touareg, 2015 Porsche Cayenne, and 2016 Audi A6, A7, A8L and Q5. The EPA says there are 10,000 vehicles currently on the road with this second defeat device, along with an unknown number of 2016 models either on dealer lots or in the driveways of consumers. According to the EPA, VW's 3.0-liter TDI, like the 2.0 TDI that was found to circumvent US regulations, has code in its computer specifically written to intentionally put the vehicle's engine into a mode that allows it to meet exhaust requirements. When the vehicle is unhooked from testing equipment, it will go back into a mode that emits nine-times higher nitrogen oxide emissions than is allowable under US law. "VW has once again failed its obligation to comply with the law that protects clean air for all Americans," said Cynthia Giles, Assistant Administrator for the Office for EPA's Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "All companies should be playing by the same rules. EPA, with our state, and federal partners, will continue to investigate these serious matters, to secure the benefits of the Clean Air Act, ensure a level playing field for responsible businesses, and to ensure consumers get the environmental performance they expect." Richard Corey, Executive Officer of the California Air Resources Board, said in a statement, "Today we are requiring VW Group to address these issues. This is a very serious public health matter. ARB and EPA will continue to conduct a rigorous investigation that includes testing more vehicles until all of the facts are out in the open." This story will be updated as new information becomes available.