2008 Porsche Boxster Base Convertible 2-door 2.7l ** Red / Black ** Near Mint on 2040-cars

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Porsche spotted testing next-gen Panamera in the snow

It's winter testing season in northern Sweden, and the latest spy shots our paparazzi on the ground have brought us is the upcoming Porsche Panamera testing in the cold and snow. The upcoming new four-door Porsche, spied wearing only minimal camouflage, appears to have a more elegant and sloping roofline than the existing model. Other details like the lights, mirrors and grille openings look fairly consistent with what we've been seeing on Porsche's other models as they've trickled out. Based on the new MSB platform, the new Panamera is set to share its underpinnings with the next Bentley Continental and possibly an Audi variant as well – though the prospect of a Lamborghini version to follow the Estoque concept seems to be off the table. The new platform will, however, make the new Panamera lighter than the current model. A new range of V6 and V8 engines are expected to provide motivation, driving the rear wheels or all four, along with the available e-hybrid system. Porsche's first four-door sedan was introduced in 2009 and underwent a facelift in 2013, so the all-new second-generation model should arrive sometime later this year or next as a 2017 model. This new model could provide the impetus for Porsche to put the Sport Turismo shooting brake version into production as well, and maybe – just maybe – a two-door coupe and possible convertible versions to follow in the footsteps of the 928.

NYT profiles Blue Nelson, a reclusive and interesting CA car collector

If it weren't for his Dale Earnhardt Sr. looks, Blue Nelson could be one one of those soft-spoken, nondescript guys whom you meet briefly and never learn much more about. However, as The New York Times shows in a recent profile and video, behind closed doors, Nelson keeps a fascinatingly eclectic collection of automotive oddities and vintage bicycles.
While his main career is in the movie industry, Nelson's other job is as a car hunter. He takes on clients searching for a specific model and helps them find and restore the dream vehicle that they're after. Hiring him takes some dedication, though, because Nelson doesn't advertise his services. "If people want to find me, they know how to find me," he says in the video.
Beyond being an automotive private detective, Nelson has a fantastically varied collection of vehicles of his own. He likes to have models that people don't usually see, and his garage holds a classic Chrysler New Yorker and an extremely rare Rometsch convertible. Although, the one that means the most to him is the 1962 Porsche 356 convertible that Blue came home in as a baby. Check out the video to learn more about Nelson and his philosophy about forming a bond with a car.

Porsche again staring down another $1.8B in hedge fund lawsuits

The sequence of events from 2007 that began with Porsche's secret attempt to take over Volkswagen, and instead lead to Porsche being taken over by VW, continues to instigate lawsuits against the Stuttgart sports car manufacturer. A group of hedge funds that suffered over $1 billion in losses sued the car company in New York. Porsche had publicly stated it wasn't trying to buy VW, the hedge funds in question were shorting VW stock, and when Porsche's actual intentions were revealed, the stock shot up and the hedge funds took a beating.
The case was thrown out over the issue of jurisdiction, then appealed, only to see another suit filed on top of that. After that, most of the hedge funds withdrew their claims in New York and Porsche offered a 90-day window to refile in Germany where it is already fighting a number of other suits over the same issue. The hedge funds accepted the offer, refiling in Stuttgart for $1.8 billion in damages. According to Bloomberg, Porsche hasn't commented on the refiling, but as the same plaintiffs are involved, it's safe to assume that the carmaker still feels the case is "unsubstantiated and without merit." It has fared alright so far even in German courts, with two lesser cases against it thrown out last year.