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First-ever Porsche headed home to company museum

About 30 years before Ferdinand Porsche designed the Volkswagen Beetle, he created the Egger-Lohner electric vehicle, C.2 Phaeton model - or simply, the P1 - you see above. This was the first vehicle created by Porsche, and the car gets its nickname from the fact that he had stamped "P1" on many of the parts marking it as the first Porsche... sorry, 356 No. 1.
Now while you'd think that such an important piece of Porsche heritage has been in a museum or even the automaker's not-so-secret lair, it has actually been sitting at a warehouse for the last 112 years. Thankfully, that's all about to change as Porsche has recovered P1, and the car will soon be on "permanent display" at the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart.
The P1 has a 3 horsepower motor capable of delivering a top speed of 21 miles per hour and a driving range of 49 miles, and, like many vehicles in Porsche's history, the motor is positioned at the rear of the vehicle. According to the press release posted below, the P1 finished first in a 24-mile electric vehicle race in Berlin in 1899, but it has been sitting since 1902.

Porsche planning customer driving center at Le Mans

Porsche seems to be on a campaign to build driving centers for its customers to allow them to experience the capabilities of their cars on track. It has one under way in Los Angeles, another in development at its North American headquarters in Atlanta, and a British center set up at the Silverstone circuit. Now the latest reports indicate that Porsche is planning yet another driving center at Le Mans.
The new facility is earmarked to be built at the Circuit de la Sarthe right by the start/finish line, incorporating the Porsche Curves that bridge the Arnage corner and the Ford Chicanes on the West side of the famous track.
Porsche is reportedly still seeking approval from the Automobile Club de l'Ouest that manages the circuit, and once given the green light, would still take some time to complete. But the idea of driving a 911 flat out on the legendary track is likely to make more than a few mouths water, particularly as the German automaker prepares its full-on assault of the famous endurance race next year.

Porsche releases new Panamera Edition models

We can't remember the last time we came across a special edition called "Edition," but that's what Porsche is offering with the Panamera. Available on the base, 310-horsepower models, the Panamera Edition is so subtle you'd need to be in the secret owners club to identify it. High-gloss black trim strips outline the windows, it sits on 19-inch Panamera Turbo wheels with colored center caps, the sills are inscribed with the word "Edition," and body-colored door handles are fitted if you pay extra for Porsche Entry & Drive. The cabin gets Porsche logos in the seat headrests, those front thrones being 14-way in the US, climate controlled seats throughout, and a two-tone treatment in black and Luxor Beige. Oh, and special floor mats. Performance upgrades come in the inclusion of active suspension, and convenience comes with the included Park Assist. Tempted? Head to your Porsche dealer in June to take one home. The Panamera Edition will require $80,000, an eminently reasonable (for Porsche) $1,900 premium over the standard car. The Panamera 4 Edition needs $84,300, an even more reasonable $1,500 premium. Destination adds another $995 to both of those prices. The press release below has a few more details. Related Video: Porsche Panamera Edition: Sports sedan with extensive standard features Atlanta. A new special version of the Porsche Panamera sports sedan stands out through elegant styling combined with a significantly expanded range of standard equipment. Two models with powerful six-cylinder engines will be offered: the Panamera Edition and Panamera 4 Edition both come with an engine that delivers 310 hp. The Panamera 4 Edition features active all-wheel drive with an electronically controlled, map-controlled multi-plate clutch (Porsche Traction Management, PTM). The exterior of the Panamera Edition models is marked by additional subtle design tones, including high-gloss black trim strips on the side windows. The standard 19-inch alloy wheels in Panamera Turbo II design feature wheel center caps with a colored Porsche crest. The door handles are finished in exterior color when Porsche Entry & Drive is optionally selected. The Panamera Edition also boasts a two-tone standard interior in Black / Luxor Beige with the Porsche crest embossed on all head rests, Sport Design steering wheel, door sill plates with "Edition" lettering, and special floor mats.