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VW makes $23K on every Porsche sold, more than Bentley or Lamborghini

It's a good time to be in the luxury car business. In Volkswagen Group's financial report for the 2013 fiscal year, it is revealed that that Porsche enjoyed an operating margin of 18 percent. That means the Stuttgart brand made on average about $23,200 per car sold, according to BusinessWeek. Bentley wasn't far behind, and Audi (which was combined with Lamborghini) posted a 10.1 percent margin. This compares to only around 2.9 percent for the Volkswagen brand.
"Luxury brands are on fire," said Dave Sullivan, an industry analyst at AutoPacific. He said that the average profit margin is between six and eight percent. Brands like Porsche and Bentley have the benefit of competing in rarefied markets. Buyers looking at one their vehicles have fewer models to shop against and don't care as much about price. They can also charge more for options, which further boosts income, according to BusinessWeek.
In a way, we should be more impressed by the continued success from Audi. Its models generally have direct competitors in every segment from the other premium automakers. Plus, their buyers aren't the captains of industry who are shopping for a Bentley. Still, the Four Rings is leading rivals in sales so far this year.

Porsche 911 celebrates 50 years of iconic motoring

Back in 1963, Porsche debuted the very first 911 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. And over the last 50 years, that coupe has grown to become one of the most iconic sports cars of all time. That in mind, you could easily chalk up this 50th Anniversary model as just one of the many special edition 911s that have graced our roads over the years, but dig a bit deeper and you'll see that this one is far more than just some unique paint and different wheels.
For starters, the 911 50th Anniversary Edition utilizes the wider Carrera 4/4S body, but retains its standard rear-wheel-drive configuration. Power comes from the Carrera S' 3.8-liter flat-six engine, but features a Powerkit upgrade that includes the Sport Chrono package and ups overall output to 400 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque. Hitting 60 miles per hour takes just 3.8 seconds if the car is fitted with Porsche's dual-clutch PDK gearbox, or 4.2 seconds if you choose the row-your-own seven-speed manual. Talk about going Over The Hill with a quickness.
Despite looking pretty tame, we're really hot on the appearance of this special 911, with its throwback flat gray paint job and new 20-inch wheels that look remarkably similar to the original Fuchs alloys of the 1963 model. Inside, you'll find green lettering on the instrument displays, white pointer needles and silver accents, and the leather seats have a fabric insert that's similar to the Pepita cloth from the original 911.

Do we finally know which hybrid hypercar is fastest?

In order to properly compare and contrast the performance characteristics of competitive automobiles, a number of variables have to be sorted out. For instance, to diminish the human component, the same driver must be used for each lap, that driver has to be capable of wringing the maximum level of performance from each vehicle, and they should all be checked and prepared to make sure they are within manufacturer specs before hitting the track. Speaking of which, the conditions at the track – and, of course, it goes without saying that the cars have to be tested at the same location, on the same day – have to be as similar as possible. Naturally, arranging all of these variables is difficult, if not impossible, and that's especially true when the contenders are the Ferrari LaFerrari, McLaren P1, and Porsche 918 Spyder. As range-topping models from well-established performance players, these three hybrid hypercars are often lumped into the same category. But which one is fastest? Well, that's been a tough nut to crack, in part because the manufacturers themselves haven't always been willing to play along when it comes time to test these machines head-to-head-to-head. And so, with all that (probably unnecessary) preamble out of the way, we present to you the video above, in which this particular vehicular pedestal is toppled. All three cars are owned by a man named Paul Bailey, they were tested on the same day at the Silverstone circuit in England, and each had British Touring Car driver Mat Jackson at the helm. We're not going to spoil the results, other than to say that all three vehicles were incredibly fast and within spitting distance of one another at the finish line, as you would expect. Intriguingly, this video is said to be part one in a three-part series, so we have more Ferrari vs. McLaren vs. Porsche action to look forward to. Related Video: News Source: TheSUPERCARDRIVER via YouTube Green Ferrari McLaren Porsche Convertible Coupe Hybrid Performance Supercars Videos porsche 918 spyder mclaren p1 silverstone hypercar ferrari laferrari laferrari