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Porsche to decide soon on Bugatti future

WEISSACH, Germany — Volkswagen will soon decide on the future of its luxury brand Bugatti, Oliver Blume, Volkswagen management board member and CEO of Porsche AG, said on Monday. Last week, Reuters reported that Bugatti was working on a strategic partnership with Rimac, which will likely result in a joint venture between Porsche and Rimac, with Porsche as a minority partner, Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess said in March. "The future of Bugatti is an issue that will be decided on a group level," Porsche said in a statement, declining to comment further. Porsche boss Oliver Blume earlier this year said intense discussions on Bugatti's future were ongoing and that Rimac could play a role as the brands were a good technological fit, adding that a decision was expected in the first half of 2021.  

Porsche 918 Spyder roars electric through London

The Porsche 918 Spyder can be an object of lust for anyone who appreciates the finer things in the automotive world, but for us greenies with penchant for speed, the car is an icon. This gorgeous, all-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid offers 887 horsepower and 940 pound-feet of torque, can do 0-60 in just 2.5 seconds and is capable of 214 miles per hour. It lapped the Nurburgring in a record 6:57. Still, it is capable of near-silent, relaxed cruising through one of Europe's busiest cities. In a new video from Porsche, chief driving instructor Gordon Robertson takes the 918 to London and does just that. While driving in E-Power mode, he describes some of the things that make the car special, as well as how the technology has developed through the 911 GT3 R Hybrid and the 919 LMP1 car to eventually be passed onto the Panamera S E-Hybrid. If you're interested, you can learn more about the car in our own drive review, here. It's great to see, for the first time, the 918 Spyder driving alongside London's black cabs and double-decker buses. The rubbernecking from pedestrians is noticeable and completely understandable. I'm sure we'd all love to see this car come silently sneaking down our own city streets, but until Porsche makes that happen, you'll just have to enjoy the video below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Aston Martin renames Vantage GT3 after Porsche throws hissy fit

Porsche has a long history of using the name "GT3" for its hardcore, naturally aspirated 911 models, and that means it's certainly not going to share it with the likes of Aston Martin. See, it seems the arrival of the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show didn't sit well with Stuttgart, which opted to lawyer up. According to Goodwood Road and Racing, attorneys from both sides of the Channel have been in discussion for months over the issue, with Porsche arguing it's been using the GT3 name since 1999, and that makes it theirs. Aston, though, argues that the FIA GT3 racing series makes the name fair game for road cars. Moreover, the Brits point out that the alphanumeric was in use well before Porsche got its mitts on it – GRR rightly points out the Lotus Esprit GT3 hit the streets three years before the 996 GT3. And while we're on the subject, Bentley has its own GT3, but we're guessing its status as one of Porsche's siblings means its immune to this kind of squabbling. Rather than getting into a knock-down, drag-out courtroom brawl with one of the Volkswagen Group's prized brands, though, Aston has taken the high road. The company will rechristen both the road-going Vantage GT3 and Vantage racer as the GT12. While Porsche is no stranger to aggressively protecting what it views as its closely held vehicle names, we have to admit, it seems like Aston actually has something of a case. Do you think the Brits were right to settle and change the Vantage's name, or should they have taken the fight to Porsche? Have your say in Comments.