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Porsche offers design walkthrough of Panamera Sport Turismo

The Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo was arguably the best concept car of 2012, and Porsche has been building upon that momentum by teasing us with videos of its first-ever station wagon design. After showing us some driving shots of the Sport Turismo, Porsche released a more in-depth and behind-the-scenes look at what it took to take the Panamera shooting brake from a full-scale clay model to the final product we saw on stage at the Paris Motor Show. In the video, Michael Mauer, Porsche style director, and Mitja Borkert, general manager advanced design style, both give a little insight about what went into creating the Sport Turismo Concept.
More than just a station wagon version of the Panamera, the Sport Turismo has a totally distinctive look nose to tail. Some of the key elements the designers touch on in the video include the Porsche-signature raised front fenders, the wide rear shoulders, the front wing inspired by the 918 Spyder, and even some of the car's unique touches, including the headlights and the three-dimensional "Porsche" lettering across the liftgate made from glass. One of the more exciting aspects of the concept - which is sadly just glossed over in the video - is the rear liftgate spoiler that features "variable aerodynamics" that sounds like it acts similar to the retractable spoiler on the current Panamera.
We still don't know if the Panamera Sport Turismo will make it into production, but if you want to see what went into creating this exciting concept car and see the different build phases designers went through to create the Paris show car, check out the video by scrolling below.

Porsche rolls out new 919 Hybrid at racing gala

That Porsche is returning to Le Mans next year with a top-tier LMP1 entry is no news - we've known that for some time. We've even seen pictures of the car in question undergoing testing at various racetracks across Europe, been told who'll be driving it and given some basic parameters of what will make it go. We just haven't known what to call it, but now we do.
In detailing its full endurance racing program for next year at its Night of Champions in Weissach, Porsche has revealed that its new LMP1 racecar will be called the 919 Hybrid. So, something like the 918 Spyder, only one faster. With a four-cylinder engine and a pair of electric motors, the 919 Hybrid will be taking on the top class at Le Mans next year, with a compelling roster of drivers on the docket: along with Mark Webber, Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas and Neel Jani, Porsche has assigned its works driver Marc Lieb and F1 test driver Brendon Hartley to the effort. But that's not all Porsche has in store.
The factory is also supporting teams that will campaign the 911 RSR in the FIA World Endurance Championship as well as the United SportsCar Championship here in the US, taking Porsche off the pit wall and right in the race seat for next year as part of a comprehensive new racing program, details of which you can read in the press release below.

Audi CEO's Dieselgate arrest threatens fragile truce among VW stakeholders

FRANKFURT — The arrest and detention of Audi's chief executive forces Volkswagen Group's competing stakeholders to renegotiate the delicate balance of power that has helped keep Audi CEO Rupert Stadler in office. Volkswagen's directors are discussing how to run Audi, its most profitable division, following the arrest of the brand's long-time boss on Monday as part of Germany's investigations into the carmaker's emissions cheating scandal. The supervisory board of Audi, meanwhile, has suspended Stadler and appointed Dutchman Bram Schot as an interim replacement, a source familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. Schot joined the Volkswagen Group in 2011 after having worked as president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Italia. He has been Audi's board member for sales and marketing since last September. The discussions risk reigniting tensions among VW's controlling Piech and Porsche families, its powerful labor representatives and its home region of Lower Saxony. VW has insisted the development of illegal software, also known as "defeat devices," installed in millions of cars was the work of low-level employees, and that no management board members were involved. U.S. prosecutors have challenged this by indicting VW's former chief executive Martin Winterkorn. Stadler's arrest raises further questions. Audi and VW said on Monday that Stadler was presumed innocent unless proved otherwise. Munich prosecutors detained Stadler to prevent him from obstructing a probe into Audi's emissions cheating, they said on Monday. Stadler is being investigated for suspected fraud and false advertising. Here are the main factors deciding the fate of Audi. Background: Audi's role in Dieselgate Volkswagen Group was plunged into crisis in 2015 after U.S. regulators found Europe's biggest carmaker had equipped cars with software to cheat emissions tests on diesel engines. The technique of using software to detect a pollution test procedure, and to increase the effectiveness of emissions filters to mask pollution levels only during tests, was first developed at Audi. "In designing the defeat device, VW engineers borrowed the original concept of the dual-mode, emissions cycle-beating software from Audi," VW said in its plea agreement with U.S. authorities in January 2017, in which the company agreed to pay a $4.3 billion fine to reach a settlement with U.S. regulators.