2012 Porsche Cayenne Turbo on 2040-cars

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Porsche bringing Macan S Diesel to US instead of 4-cylinder [w/poll]

When Porsche unveiled the new Macan at the LA Auto Show, it announced two powerplants for the US market, both of them twin-turbo V6s: the Macan S equipped with 340 horsepower from its 3.0-liter engine, and the Macan Turbo with 400 horses from 3.6 liters. But those aren't the only engines Porsche will offer in its new compact crossover. Porsche is also offering the Macan S Diesel overseas with 258 hp, and reports have since indicated that a pair of four-cylinder models on their way: a 2.0-liter turbo four with 280 hp and four-pot turbodiesel of the same capacity with an as-yet undisclosed output.
Now Car and Driver is reporting that while those four-cylinder engines won't be making the transatlantic voyage to our shores, Porsche will offer the aforementioned Macan S Diesel in North America beginning in early 2015, nearly a year after the gas V6 versions arrive.
The 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 is based on the same engine found in the Cayenne Diesel and the Audi Q5 TDI on which the Macan is based. Of course, its 248 hp is substantially less than the 340 ponies in the Macan S, but its 413 pound-feet of torque outshines not only the 339 lb-ft in the Macan S but also the 406 lb-ft in the Macan Turbo. Acceleration times, however, suggest the Macan S Diesel is still slower, with a 6.3-second run to 62 mph than neither the Macan S (5.4 sec) or Macan Turbo (4.8). The good news is that the Macan S Diesel is tipped to undercut the price of both, dropping the oil-burning crossover's MSRP below that of the $49,900 starting price for the Macan S and the $49,600 for the base Cayenne. If that C/D prediction comes to pass, that will make it the Macan S Diesel most affordable Porsche sold.

$1.4B hedge fund suit against Porsche dismissed

Investors have canvassed courts in Europe and the US to repeatedly sue Porsche over its failed attempt to take over Volkswagen in 2008 (see here, and here and here), and they have repeatedly failed to win any cases. You can add another big loss to the tally, with Bloomberg reporting that the Stuttgart Regional Court has dismissed a 1.4-billion euro ($1.95B US) lawsuit, the decision explained by the court's assertion that the investors would have lost on their short bets even if Porsche hadn't misled them.
Examining the hedge funds' motives for stock purchases and the bets that VW share prices would fall, judge Carola Wittig said that the funds didn't base their decisions on the key bits of "misinformation," and instead were participating simply in "highly speculative and naked short selling," only to get caught out.
With other cases still pending, the continued streak of victories bodes well for Porsche's courtroom fortunes, since judges will expect new information to consider overturning precedent. If there is any new info, it could come from the potential criminal cases still outstanding against former CEO Wendelin Wiedeking and CFO Holger Härter, who were both indicted on charges of market manipulation.

This Porsche 356 family keeps it outlaw

Rod Emory was the founder of Emory Motorsports in Burbank, CA, and the scion to a family tradition of building "outlaw" Porsches that are almost as cool as the cars themselves. The lovingly modified Porsche 356s are lovely artifacts, and their story, along with the story of their builders, is pitch-perfect for the Petrolicious oeuvre of beloved classics.
Tune in for the history lesson, and then stick around for the car candy.