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Former Porsche CEO Wiedeking indicted over VW takeover bid

Do you recall the failed efforts by Porsche to take over Volkswagen? According to a Bloomberg report, former Porsche CEO Wendelin Wiedeking (above) and ex-CFO Holger Haerter have finally been charged with market manipulation over the exercising of options as part of the German sportscar manufacturer's ill-fated attempt to take over the much larger VW. That failed bid eventually resulted in the reverse coming true - VW swallowing Porsche.
The charges leveled by Stuttgart prosecutors come after a three-year investigation centered around allegations that Porsche execs made a concerted effort to increase the company's share in VW to 75 percent in preparation for a hostile takeover. Porsche had previously told its investors on at least five occasions that it had no intention to buy VW.
Portions of the investigation have subsided, according to prosecutors, citing an inability to prove certain improprieties with a "necessary degree of certainty." The number of charges is down to 5 from a previous 14 counts regarding "information-based market manipulation."

Watch a Porsche 918 Spyder being built by hand

No music track, no dialogue, no voiceover, just a group of women and men in a very clean room in Zuffenhausen assembling the Porsche 918 Spyder. It's the antidote to the adrenaline that the open-topped hybrid coupe encourages in most enthusiast bloodstreams, but this nearly-11-minute video is the most captivating B-roll we've seen in a while. From hand-sewn leather to hand-wrapped trim, monococques being wheeled about, the copious use of shims and the rear brace being fitted over the engine, plus the Christmas-like joy of opening a box of body panels, it's all in there. You can't buy a new one anymore, but you can see how they're built for those who did buy them in the video above. Related Gallery 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder: First Drive View 51 Photos Related Gallery 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder Factory Tour View 28 Photos News Source: Cars via YouTube, Road & TrackImage Credit: Copyright 2014 Michael Harley / AOL Green Plants/Manufacturing Porsche Convertible Hybrid Luxury Performance Supercars Videos porsche 918 spyder zuffenhausen

Modded budget Mazda Miata takes on new Porsche Boxster in more challenges

Earlier this month, our friends across the pond at Auto Express released the first in a two-video series that would see them try and build up a second-generation Mazda MX-5 Miata that could best a standard Porsche Boxster around the track. While that first video detailed the mods to the MX-5 - a supercharger, some suspension upgrades and a new set of super-sticky rubber being chief among them - and set baseline lap times for the stock car, today, we have the results of the 5,000-pound ($8,200) upgrade job.
Of course, we aren't going to spoil those for you. You'll need to watch the full video, which recaps the upgrades before digging into a comparison of both straight-line-speed differences between the 2.7-liter Porsche Boxster and blown Miata, as well as their behavior and lap times on the track.
Take a look and let us know what you think in Comments.