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'We're not a hedge fund': Porsche plans to curtail speculators and flippers

A sizable number of speculators view cars as an investment. Rare or unusual models are quickly snapped up and either parked for years or flipped for a profit. Cars from automakers like Porsche and Ferrari are more prone than others, and at least some people behind these models are getting a bit tired of it. While it's difficult to police what goes on after you sell a car, Porsche has some plans that might curtail the problem before it starts. Andreas Preuninger, the head of GT road-car development and the man behind the new 911 GT3, spoke to Car and Driver at a recent event. "I personally like to see my cars being used," he said. "That's what we build them for. They are just too good to be left to stand and collect dust." One recent example of this rampant speculation is the 911 R. While the special manual-only model sold for $185,950 when new, used versions were selling for nearly $1.3 million just months after it went on sale. While the car is a masterpiece and an instant classic, a good number will be parked and simply used as art and not the rolling testaments to the man/machine interface they were intended to be. The concern over valuations has become so fierce that some owners are upset that Porsche is offering the new 911 GT3 with a manual transmission, fearing that it may hurt the value of the 911 R. "When I said we're not a hedge fund, I'm talking to those people who are yelling at us for offering the manual transmission similar to the R," Preuninger said. "But if there are people wanting to buy cars like that, then as a company we should try to fulfill that, to meet that demand." It seems Porsche is keeping a close eye on who is flipping cars. Since there is often far more demand than supply with certain models, the German automaker has a name for every car before it's built. Buyers with bad reputations might not even make the wait list. Related Video:

Porsche 918 Spyder recalled over bad wiring harness

An investigation of customer concerns has led to a global recall of the Porsche 918 Spyder, including 223 units in North America. The carmaker said that a carbon fiber component can damage a radiator fan wiring harness, so it is contacting owners directly to have their cars brought in for a service inspection. The issue affects cars built through the end of April 2015; cars built after that use a revised design. Dealers will remount the wiring harness, a process that should take half a day. You'll find more information in the press release below. Related Video: Porsche recalling 918 Spyder models for service inspection Precautionary recall: affected customers will be contacted directly Atlanta. Porsche has issued a global recall for 918 Spyder models that have already been delivered. This precautionary recall for a service inspection affects 223 vehicles in the United States. This is because the electric wiring harness for a radiator fan in vehicles manufactured up until the end of April 2015 could be damaged by a carbon-fiber component. The wiring harness will be examined and optimally remounted in the work shop. The cause was identified following a detailed examination of inquiries. Corrective measures have subsequently been taken in manufacturing. The owners of the affected vehicles will be contacted directly by Porsche Cars North America. The service visit, which will be free of charge, will be arranged as quickly as possible and the inspection will likely require the vehicle to be left in the shop for half a day. Featured Gallery 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder: First Drive View 51 Photos Image Credit: Copyright 2015 Porsche / AOL Green Recalls Porsche Safety Convertible Hybrid Luxury Performance porsche 918 spyder

Porsche 911 Turbo and Nissan GT-R Nismo star in World's Greatest Drag Race 4

We love Motor Trend's annual World's Greatest Drag Race video. Now back for its fourth appearance, the idea of lining some of the world's fastest cars up for a ten-wide, straight-line, full-throttle run is, well... it's pretty freaking badass.
The lineup this year boasts some impressively fast cars to be sure. The group of ten includes the following darlings: Alfa Romeo 4C, BMW i8, BMW M4, Chevrolet Camaro Z/28, Ford Fiesta ST, Jaguar F-Type R Coupe, Nissan GT-R Nismo, Porsche 911 Turbo S, Subaru WRX STI and, last but not least, the Volkswagen GTI. Give us any one of those for the weekend, and we're happy to take the keys.
It must be said though, that for a publication that draws as much water as Motor Trend does, there are some big cars that we might expect to be here instead. The Lamborghini Huracán or Ferrari 458 Speciale would have added some exotic flare to the list, and the omissions of the Chevy Corvette Stingray (for the second year in a row) and the Dodge Challenger Hellcat are real head-scratchers.