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Porsche 912 is no longer the brand's black sheep

If you haven't looked recently, prices for many vintage Porsche 911s are now well out of the realm for mortal men to purchase. However, the growing values have their advantages because they mean that the 912 is being better accepted as a member of the Porsche family. In a new video, Petrolicious talks to one owner about his mildly modified example while the coupe zips through the backroads and city streets of France. Launched around the time of the 911, the 912 shared its body but retained the four-cylinder engine from the 356, rather than the new six. The older mill helped make the 912 cheaper to buy, but it also tarnished the coupe in the eyes of Porsche fans for years. Much like the four-cylinder 914 and 924, the 912 just seemed like a black sheep in the shadow of its more powerful brother. Following two massive changes to his life, Julien Borne bought a 1967 912 as a project to get back on the road. After hours of welding, wrenching and beating out panels by hand in his grandparents' neglected country house, he crafted this gorgeous example. Check out the video to hear his story, as Petrolicious shows why the model's stigma is wearing off.

Porsche 5 Series fighter may be electric

We know that Porsche is developing a seventh model range for its lineup thanks to the March announcement from company boss Matthias Muller. The actual identity of this future vehicle remains a mystery, though. Autocar is coming down firmly on the side of the smaller Panamera, codenamed the Pajun, and speculates the new entry might be available in battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell versions based on recent patent filings. Porsche is famous for sticking with the rear-engine layout on the 911 for decades, even as the company moves the powertrain forward in other models. According to Autocar, the EV version of the Pajun might mark a return to these roots. The German brand is reportedly preparing a modified version of Volkswagen Group's MSB platform for the new vehicle. Called eMSB, the setup puts the batteries and electric motors at the back, and each rear wheel would receive power separately to allow for torque vectoring. The system is estimated to generate 420 horsepower, which is on par with the all-wheel-drive Tesla Model S 85D. The fuel cell Pajun would join the lineup later. The Pajun is rumored to take on the likes of the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class, but any luxury EV of that size must count the Tesla Model S as a competitor, too. According to Autocar, the styling takes cues from the Panamera Sport Turismo concept (pictured above) and could launch around 2018. Rumors of Porsche's Tesla-fighter were swirling for months before Muller's announcement, and talk of the Pajun has gone on even longer. Previous reports have suggested the possibility of a 300-mile range and an all-wheel-drive layout with 600 hp. While the actual design has remained ambiguous beyond the potential link to the Panamera, the model was possibly spied last year at the Porsche Design Tower in Florida.

Jaguar Land Rover seeks to block U.S. imports of Porsche, Audi, Lamborghini, VW SUVs

You wouldn’t know it was about Jags and Lambos, to judge by its rather dry name: In the Matter of Certain Vehicle Control Systems. But thatÂ’s the complaint Jaguar Land Rover Automotive Plc filed on Thursday to block U.S. imports of Porsche, Lamborghini, Audi and Volkswagen sport utility vehicles it says are using its patented Terrain Response technology without permission. Jaguar Land Rover, a British carmaker owned by IndiaÂ’s Tata Motors Ltd., said in its filing with the U.S. International Trade Commission that the technology helps negotiate a “broad range of surfaces” and is a key feature in JaguarÂ’s F-Pace and Land Rover Discovery vehicles. “JLR seeks to protect itself and its United States operations from companies that have injected infringing products into the U.S. market that incorporate, without any license from JLR, technology developed by JLR and protected by its patent,” JaguarÂ’s lawyer, Matthew Moore, said in the filing. Representatives of Volkswagen didnÂ’t immediately respond to emails seeking comment on the complaint. Jaguar wants to block imports of PorscheÂ’s Cayenne; LamborghiniÂ’s Urus; AudiÂ’s Q8, Q7, Q5, A6 Allroad and e-tron vehicles; and VWÂ’s Tiguan vehicles. It said there are plenty of other luxury midsize SUV and compact crossover vehicles to meet consumer demand if the SUVs are banned from the U.S. Still, the premium Porsche and Audi lines provide much of the profit VW is using to fund its investments in technology for electric vehicles, autonomous vehicles and further innovations. In addition to the four brands, Volkswagen Group owns other upscale nameplates, including Bentley and Bugatti. The International Trade Commission is an independent, quasi-judicial agency that investigates complaints of unfair trade practices, like patent infringement. It canÂ’t award damages but does have the power to block products from entering the U.S. Owners of patents and trade secrets like it because it can work faster than the federal district courts -- the typical investigation is completed in 15 to 18 months. But Jaguar also filed patent lawsuits against the companies in federal courts in Delaware and New Jersey, seeking cash compensation for the use of the technology. Those cases are likely to be put on hold once the trade commission launches its investigation. The case is In the Matter of Certain Vehicle Control Systems, 337-3508, U.S. International Trade Commission (Washington).