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Hot Wheels goes Outlaw with Magnus Walker Porsches

Magnus Walker, of Urban Outlaw fame, insists his story is just like that of any kid. But instead of becoming a fireman or an astronaut, Walker's childhood dream was to have a specific car. A Porsche 911 Turbo just like the one he fell in love with at the 1977 Earls Court Motor Show in London, to be exact. Today, he's famous both for having an eye-catching collection of 911s, as well as a compelling story behind them. Walker collaborated with Hot Wheels so a new generation of kids can find their dream, just like he did with that Porsche. Today, Walker and Hot Wheels will unveil the line of diminutive Porsches he helped to create, starting with the company's beginnings: a Porsche 356A. "There was something about this car, the Porsche," Walker told Autoblog last week in his Downtown Los Angeles garage. "You either had the Ferrari Boxer on the wall, a Lamborghini Countach on the wall, or a Porsche Turbo. There was something that attracted me to this car. That dream never went away." Jun Imai, Design Manager at Hot Wheels, said Walker's story and ties to the Porsche name were a match for the maker of toys that are commonly found on a living room rug. "All Hot Wheels cars have a story, just like all the cars in his collection," Imai said. The partnership with Waker, Imai said, is a product of the way Hot Wheels now gauges the pulse of car culture, with inspiration coming from what's parked out on the streets, printed in magazines and being shared on the internet. There was something that attracted me to this car. That dream never went away. "Up until five years ago, we were a V8 muscle car brand," Imai said. "Now it's, 'What is the modern hot rod?' It could be a Porsche or an E30 BMW. Everyone's into something different, so we take that into consideration." Imai said that Walker's collaboration is just that, rather than slapping his name onto a new series of products. "We're not just doing replicas of his car, that's almost obvious and easy," he said. "We thought, let's have him come in, let's have him actually design graphics for the cars where he's an integral process." For Walker, though, the Hot Wheels cars reflect the growing accessibility of car culture. Despite the modern popularity of video games - Magnus made an appearance in the latest Need for Speed game - Walker says the appeal of Hot Wheels spans from the youngest budding enthusiasts to people older than the original 356.

Porsche caught testing sub-Panamera-sized sedan

Anyone remember the Porsche Pajun? It was supposed to be Porsche's long-rumored entry level sedan before it mostly dropped off the radar. Now, it might have blipped its way back onto our screens, thanks to a series of spy shots showing what on the surface looks like a Panamera. While our spies point to this being a coupe mule riding on a shortened version of the Panamera's platform, we're leaning towards a smaller sedan. Even with the rear windows obscured, the wheelbase and driver's seating position (which we'll admit is remarkably low and coupe-like) seem wrong for a two-door model, even a disguised one. The cutlines in the rear doors look too deep to be camouflage, and based on the look of those door handles, the rear doors are definitely real. As for what's not real, we wouldn't read too much into those rivet-like things at the front and rear. They're just there to secure the camouflage. We might not be on the same page as our spies about what this car actually is, but they make a strong argument for its eventual styling, which should be a mix of 911 and Panamera. There's a slim strip of taillight hiding beneath the rear camo – you'll need to zoom way in, but the white housings are there – that reminds us of the new 911. It should be more Panamera in the front fascia, aside from the headlights, which might be the only styling element that draws inspiration from the 718. Based on the state of this car, we're thinking it's still quite early in the Pajun's development process. Whether the development timeline lines up with this 2019 prediction remains to be seen. Related Video: Featured Gallery Porsche Pajun: Spy Shots View 10 Photos Image Credit: CarPix Spy Photos Porsche Luxury Performance Sedan porsche pajun

VW internal investigation finds 'no evidence' against suspended engineers

Volkswagen is still working out the chain of events that led to emissions-evading software being installed in 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide and deciding who was responsible for the treachery. So far, the German automotive giant's internal investigation hasn't publicly named many suspects, and three suspended executive-level engineers have been found not to be culpable in the wrongdoing, according to an anonymous insider speaking to Reuters. VW knows that the software began being installed in the EA 189 engine in 2008. The internal investigation has found that the emissions-evading tech was created because the powerplant was found to fail US standards. Plus, the diesel mill wasn't meeting cost targets, according to Reuters. The automaker responded by suspending over 10 employees, but three top engineers among them might not have been involved. Those put on leave include Heinz-Jakob Neusser from VW, Ulrich Hackenberg from Audi, and Wolfgang Hatz who led Porsche's research and group-wide engine development. The internal detective work hasn't turned up any evidence against these three men. In addition to VW's own inquires, government investigators in both the US and Germany are taking a serious look into the company's actions, too. So far, the automaker is setting aside about $7.3 billion to pay to fix the vehicles with the evasive software. Depending on what authorities find, the costs could grow quickly. Beyond the financial implications, the scandal has led to a serious shakeup in VW's corporate structure. Related Video: