AutoblogGreen

Porsche FTW - London scraps £25 congestion charge

Sebastian Blanco — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 09:34:00 EST

Filed under: Porsche, Legislation and Policy, UK

The battle over a proposed £25 Congestion Charge increase that would have been socked to big, dirty vehicles entering London is over. Porsche was the lead opponent of this fee increase, and announced the win on its Judicial Review website. I guess Porsche's huge PR campaign worked. Back when Ken Livingstone, who came up with the £25 congestion charge proposal, was still Mayor of London, the city announced that the majority was in favor of it. Porsche had other data.

The new mayor, Boris Johnson, was never in favor of the new C-Charge, so it's not a huge surprise that it's been scraped. He said he hopes the city will now institute a 'fairer and more effective' Congestion Charge. The agency responsible for the Congestion Charge, Transport for London, will now need to pay Porsche's legal bills. Porsche has said it will donate the money to Skidz, an anti-crime charity. h/t to TheRookie.

[Source: Porsche, What Car?, Times Online]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Porsche Panamera to get diesel option?

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 12:06:00 EST

Filed under: Diesel, Hybrid, Porsche

AutoWeek apparently has it on good authority that Porsche has plans for a diesel engine not just for its Cayenne Sport Utility, but also for its upcoming sedan, the Panamera. The Panamera will assuredly be getting a gasoline engine, perhaps mirroring the Cayenne's V6 and V8 options, and will also be equipped with an optional hybrid drivetrain which will likely feature the direct-injected 3.6 liter V6 engine. Porsche had been hesitant to offer an oil-burner in its range of sportscars, but perhaps the sedan would benefit from the increased fuel mileage a diesel engine would offer.

We don't know what diesel engine is slated for the Panamera, but the Cayenne will be getting a 3.0 liter turbo diesel V6 engine from Audi, so that seems a distinct possibility for the sedan as well. Porsche could also choose an Audi diesel V8 engine or even the Volkswagen diesel V10 or 6.0-liter Audi diesel V12 if they fit underhood. Also spinning in the rumormill are Focus-like fender vents and a targa top.

[Source: Autoweek]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Consumers not interested in stop/start from Porsche

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:53:00 EST

Filed under: Diesel, Hybrid, Porsche

Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Porsche 911

Stopping an engine when it's not necessary for the operation of the car seems like a common sense move when fuel efficiency and emissions are the main concern. When performance is the biggest priority, though, the added weight and complexity of a stop-start system might not be worth it, at least not for drivers interested in the Porsche 911. Instead, Porschephiles would prefer that their sports cars remain as pure as possible, which means a powerful but conventional flat-six engine at the rear of the vehicle. That said, Porsche does intend to a good number of PDK dual-clutch transmissions as opposed to the traditional three-pedal setup, which seems contrary to the mission of a pure drivers car. Porsche also looks to improve overall efficiency by reducing the weight of its Boxster and 911.

On the other hand, stop-start technology seems like a no-brainer for less-sporty vehicles like the Cayenne and the upcoming Panamera, which are also likely to be given a full hybrid drivetrain as an option. Diesels, long the bane of the Porsche aficionado, are also in the works for upcoming Porsche models.

[Source: CAR via Autoblog]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Porsche Cayenne will won't will won't will get a diesel in 2009

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 10:57:00 EST

Filed under: Diesel, Audi, Porsche, Volkswagen

The on again/off again story of whether the Porsche Cayenne will get a diesel engine seems to be back on again this week. Automotive News Europe is again reporting that a diesel-powered Porsche SUV is set to debut in March 2009. As previously reported, the Cayenne will use the VW group's 3.0L V6 TDI that is also coming to the U.S. late this year in the Audi Q7 and Volkswagen Touareg. The 240hp diesel has an ample torque output of 369 lb-ft which is more than enough to motivate the Q7 and should have no problem in the smaller Cayenne. Audi, of course, is part of the Volkswagen group which Porsche has been steadily taking over. Previous reports suggested that the Porsche SUV, which was co-developed with Volkswagen's Touareg, might get a more powerful version of the engine. However industry insiders expect the engine to carry over from Ingolstadt (Audi's headquarters) to Stuttgart (Porsche's) largely unchanged. Porsche executives that have previously stated that a diesel engine would be out of character for a Porsche clearly have forgotten how out of character the Cayenne remains to this day. In the Cayenne, the diesel V6 should be able to achieve real world mileage numbers in mid-20s with ease.

[Source: Automotive News sub. req'd]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Porsche could evade emissions penalties via VW takeover

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 18:31:00 EST

Filed under: Diesel, Hybrid, Porsche, Volkswagen, Legislation and Policy, European Union, Germany

Over the last year or so, Porsche has been grabbing chunks of Volkswagen, slowly but surely. It is clear what the German manufacturer of luxurious sportscars is attempting: a takeover of VW, which is the largest automaker in Germany. There are still laws and regulations standing it its way, but Porsche may have the backing of the European Union, which could have the power to change laws currently protecting Volkswagen from a takeover. It has long been assumed that Porsche's plan was to lump its products along with the more fuel efficient models from VW, which could allow the company to avoid paying large fines for not meeting carbon output regulations.

As it stands right now, Porsche seemingly has no choice but to offer more fuel efficient and lower emission models. To that end, it has announced hybrid versions of its Cayenne and upcoming Panamera sedan. Also possible is a diesel engine for its utility vehicle. By gobbling up Volkswagen, Porsche could dial back on these fuel-saving models and get back to its high performance ways without fear of excessive penalties.

[Source: Automotive News Europe - sub. req'd]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Porsche adds direct injection and dual clutch gearbox to 911

Sam Abuelsamid — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 08:42:00 EST

Filed under: MPG, Porsche

While Porsche has made it abundantly clear that they have no concerns about trying to meet new corporate average fuel economy standards in the U.S. in the coming decade, that doesn't mean that aren't doing anything to improve the fuel consumption of their cars. Relative to their performance, Porsche cars have always comparatively efficient anyway, with the current 2008 Carrera 2 coupe be being rated at 18mpg city/26mpg hwy. That's a lot better than most SUVs. That's actually better than a V6 Saturn Vue at 16/23mpg.

Nonetheless, in the quest for ever-increasing performance, Porsche has evolved the 911 once again for 2009. This year the fuel is injected directly into the combustion chambers instead of into the intake ports. As with other similar arrangements at other manufacturers, the benefit is both increased output while using less fuel to do it. Output of the 3.6 and 3.8L engines is now up 20 and 30 ~~percent~~ horsepower respectively. In combination with the the new 7 speed dual clutch gearbox, the fuel consumption of these updated drivetrains is reduced by 13 percent. Interestingly, Porsche first developed the dual clutch gearbox in the 1980s for the 962 race car but has never used it in a production model while numerous other manufacturers are now using that setup. Now if Porsche had instead cut the displacement and maintained the current power levels, the efficiency improvement likely would have topped 20 percent. After all, does cutting a couple of tenths of a second off the 0-60 time when you're already in the mid-4 second range really make any difference in the real world where most people driving these cars are posers anyway?

[Source: Porsche]

Continue reading Porsche adds direct injection and dual clutch gearbox to 911

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Porsche going way down market with VW Golf-based hatchback?

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:16:00 EST

Filed under: Porsche, Volkswagen, Lightweight

The issues that Porsche has had with legislation which would require it to meet the same strict fuel efficiency and emissions goals as economy car makers has been well documented. While Lamborghini has apparently decided that it should get a free pass considering how few vehicles it sells, Porsche would have a tough time with that argument now that it competes in so many market segments and makes so much profit. So, what options could the German purveyor of fine automobiles have to meet the demands of the governments? How about Porsche-fying smaller, more efficient vehicles from other manufacturers under the same umbrella? According to German mag Autobild, that may be exactly what Porsche is considering. Based on a Volkswagen Golf, the new Porsche hatchback would reportedly be ready for the 2012 model year. Perhaps a Porsche-tuned version of the Scirocco would be a better option. Remember, though, that VW and Porsche have worked together on other models in the past. We have no idea if this rumor is even remotely accurate, but we can hear the cries coming from Porsche-lovers already.

[Source: Motive Forums via German Car Blog]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

CAFE? Yeah right! says Porsche

Sam Abuelsamid — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 08:05:00 EST

Filed under: Diesel, Hybrid, MPG, Porsche

The way the draft rules have been defined for the new Corporate Average Fuel Economy standard, Porsche is at a distinct disadvantage. Because the standards for any given vehicle are based on the size of the vehicle, Porsche's relatively small cars have to meet a higher standard than other manufacturers. Apparently Porsche doesn't really care. Detlev von Platen the new CEO of Porsche Cars North America has declared that the German sports car (and SUV) builder will not downsize its vehicles or engines and will not use diesel engines. Porsche doesn't plan to change the high performance nature of its vehicles according to von Platen, although they will increase the fuel efficiency of those vehicles. The Cayenne SUV and the upcoming Panamera four door will both get a new hybrid powertrain that will be shared with Volkswagen and Audi. However, the Cayenne hybrid won't appear until at least late 2010. Porsche has managed to increase the fuel economy of its vehicles to the point that none of the current models are subject to the gas guzzler tax and last year the company average was high enough to avoid a CAFE fine. Going forward that will almost certainly change as Porsche doesn't have any expectation of meeting the 41.3mpg average the new draft rules would impose on the company by 2015.

[Source: Autoweek]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Hacked! Porsche's lawsuit against London website taken over by 1923Turk - or something

Sebastian Blanco — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:31:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Porsche

click screen grab to enlarge

The Republic of Turkey was founded in 1923. If you think this has nothing to do with green cars, you're mostly right. Today, though, it does, if only because someone (or a group of someones) has hacked into the news section of Porsche's Judicial Review website and posted a few messages in Turkish stating that the site has been hacked. I don't read Turkish, so I'm not certain what the hack says, exactly, but it doesn't seem to be the only time 1923Turk has struck. Right off the top of my head, I can't see any reason for pro-Turkey hackers to take aim at the ongoing dispute between Porsche and Transport for London's congestion charge (Forgot what this is about? Check out our previous posts here and here), but what do I know about haxors and their targets?

Speaking about the Porsche fight, the company announced today the Borough of Kensington and Chelsea has applied to be an interested party in the judicial review against the £25 congestion charge. Read more after the break.

Gallery: Porsche London site hacked

Continue reading Hacked! Porsche's lawsuit against London website taken over by 1923Turk - or something

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

London's Congestion Charge will increase CO₂ emissions?

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 19:54:00 EST

Filed under: Porsche, Legislation and Policy, UK

We don't want to take sides on London's Congestion Charge, but we are keenly interested in what the charge will mean for the environment and motorists. Ken Livingstone claims that the charge is intended to reduce congestion and CO₂ emissions while Porsche claims that the charges are unnecessarily high and unfair. New evidence that Porsche has located, though, indicates that CO₂ emissions will actually increase if the charges go into effect as planned. In fact, Porsche claims that the mayors office was aware of this report and chose not to release it.

The report, prepared for Transport for London by King's College London's Environmental Research Group, predicted that the charges would create a "very high disbenefit" not only for CO₂ but also for NOx, NO₂ and particulate matter. The reason cited for the increased emissions is that drivers will choose to drive around London instead of driving straight through, which would be a much shorter trip. London's emissions may drop, but the surrounding areas will be disproportionately hurt.

According to Andy Goss, Managing Director of Porsche Cars GB, "We always knew the environmental impact of this unfair tax would be minimal, now we know it will make matters worse. The Mayor and TfL need to explain why this report was not disclosed and why they want to increase taxes on motorists that will increase CO₂. It seems absolutely clear that the report shows that not only have Mayor Livingstone and TfL not presented all of the information to the public about the impact of his £25 charge, but that they have also created a new tax on motorists that will do the exact opposite of its stated goal." Read more of Porsche's response here.

[Source: Porsche]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

U.S. will only get a Porsche Cayenne diesel if we prove we deserve it

Sam Abuelsamid — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 08:24:00 EST

Filed under: Diesel, Porsche

Porsche has definitely been testing diesel-powered versions of the Cayenne SUV as evidenced by the recent spy shots of on filling up from a diesel pump in northern Sweden. However, that doesn't mean the Stuttgart-based high performance manufacturer has definitively decided to actually produce such a beast. Klaus Berning, Porsche's head of sales and marketing has said that a diesel Cayenne won't come to market unless it can be a sales success in the U.S. market. So far, there have only been a handful of light duty diesels available and none at all in some of the biggest markets like California. Later this year a flood of new clean diesels will start hitting the market in all fifty states including the new VW Jetta TDI, a trio of Mercedes SUVs and the BMW X5 and 335d. Early next year, the Cayennes cousins - the VW Touareg and Audi Q7 - will join the party with a 3.0L V-6 TDI. Porsche will be closely watching the U.S. market acceptance of all these new models and if American drivers take to them in significant numbers, Porsche will move forward. Since the U.S. is the largest market for the Cayenne, if diesel sales are lackluster, Porsche will likely just hold off until the hybrid is ready for market. If the Q7 TDI I drove for the last few days is any indication, torque loving Americans will snap them up.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. req'd]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Car of the decade: Tesla Roadster or Porsche Cayenne?

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 09:09:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Green Culture, Hybrid, Porsche, Toyota, Tesla Motors, Green Daily, USA

Click above for a high-resolution gallery of the 2007 Toyota Prius Touring.

The New York Times Wheel's Blog has posted an interesting question along with a lousy answer. The question is: what is the car of the decade? The writer goes on to suggest a few selections, namely the Tesla Roadster and the Porsche Cayenne. We'll happily just dismiss the Cayenne from our list and move on. At some point, history may look back at Tesla and consider their initial offering, the Roadster, to be the most significant vehicle of this decade, but a much more obvious choice would have to be the Toyota Prius. Few would argue that the Prius almost single-handedly ignited the wave of hybrid cars (sorry, Insight), and whether or not you believe that hybrid vehicles make fiscal sense, the fact is that hybrids sell and nearly every manufacturer now has at least one to offer. All of this has taken place in the last decade and it has molded today's automotive landscape for the foreseeable future, as even those automakers which have chosen not offer hybrids are considering other fuel-saving alternatives in order to compete.

Now that we've discussed a few options, we'd be interested to hear what our readers think. Any Cayenne takers? No? OK, how about between the Tesla or the Prius? You certainly don't need our permission to name you personal favorite.

[Source: NY Times Wheels Blog]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Germany's Green Party wants politicians to drive hybrids and ride bikes

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 18:28:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Audi, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Porsche, Legislation and Policy, On Two Wheels, Germany

Few would argue that Germany is known for its cars, as well as for their high-speed roadways. Manufacturers such as Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche have a well-deserved reputation for building awe-inspiring cars ... which also emit plenty of polllutants into the air. Keeping these facts in mind, we have a hard time imagining German politicians riding around in hybrid cars, let alone bicycles. Still, "It's just embarrassing when all parties preach climate protection and then drive around Berlin in fat luxury cars," says Winfried Hermann, the Green Party's transport spokesman. In order to make the transition from Porsche's to pedals, the Green Party wants the Bundestag (those with seats in Parliament) to trade in their current cars for hybrids and to have access to the rental bicycles available in cities across Germany.

[Source: Spiegel Online]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Spy Shots: Porsche Cayenne spotted at diesel pump in Northern Sweden

Sam Abuelsamid — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 08:12:00 EST

Filed under: Diesel, Porsche

Photographers hanging out in Arjeplog. Sweden have seen proof that Porsche is indeed working on a diesel powered Cayenne. When automakers are testing vehicles up in Northern Sweeden they generally fill the fuel tanks at public gas stations in town before heading out to the frozen lakes to do their testing. The Cayenne in question was witnessed being filled from one of the black diesel pumps and the distinctive sound of a compression ignition engine was clearly audible as it pulled away. The diesel Cayenne could debut in 2009 although Porsche has yet to officially even acknowledge its existence.

[Source: AutoExpress]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Perversion or Perfection? Porsche 912 converted to electric

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 14:06:00 EST

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Porsche

When Porsche decided to move on from its very successful 356 line, there was a faction of people who were concerned that the 911 would be too expensive and wished the German automaker would stick with its successes -- four-cylinder sports cars to be specific. While history will look back at the 911 as being the quintessential sports car, regardless of manufacturer, Porsche was hedging its bets by also introducing the 912, which had the body of the 911 along with the engine from the 356. The 912 turned out to be a sales success, outselling the 911 for the first two years they were both on the market. Ultimately, though, the faster and more expensive 911 won out and the 912 was discontinued.

Now that history class is over, take a look at this Porsche 912, which has had its four-banger tossed in favor of an 88-horsepower electric motor. The lead acid batteries allow for a top speed of 100 miles per hour and a range of about 55 miles at a steady 62 mph cruising speed. While this car might be a nightmare to some die hard Porschephiles, it's a really well done and very nice-looking conversion. Thanks for the tip, Christian!

[Source: German Car Blog]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

61% of Londoners support congestion charge, says Mayor Livingstone

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 20:35:00 EST

Filed under: Porsche, Legislation and Policy, UK

By now, you're surely aware of the efforts of London Mayor Ken Livingstone to increase London's congestion charge. You're also likely know about the distaste that Porsche feels regarding these changes. Back in late February, Porsche polled Londoners themselves and found that 74 percent of Londoners think that the new £25 congestion charge is too high. Hmm... Livingstone's got his own survey too, and he says, "This robust survey provides further clear evidence of the strong support from Londoners for these measures, with 61% behind the decision to charge £25 for gas-guzzlers. Moreover, 65% say that the overall policy is good for London." Who's right? Don't know, be we do konw that someone's wrong. Unless 74 and 61 make 100 in some sort of new math.

This ongoing debate seems far from over. We're sure that more numbers will be thrown around from both camps (and just about anybody else who has an opinion) which support their viewpoints. Round and round we go!

[Source: What Car]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Porsche formally applies for judicial review in London C-charge scuffle

Sebastian Blanco — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 17:16:00 EST

Filed under: Porsche, Legislation and Policy, UK

In the ongoing fight between Porsche and Transport for London over the increased emissions charges in that city (previous stories - in chronological order - here, here, here, here and here), Porsche has now taken another step towards requesting judicial review of the charge. Following TfL's rejection of an earlier request from Porsche about changing the congestion charge, Porsche is giving the Mayor's office three weeks to respond to this latest filing.

Porsche's side of the story is being told at Porschejudicialreview, a Porsche website. There's more after the jump.

Continue reading Porsche formally applies for judicial review in London C-charge scuffle

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Upcoming Porsche Cayenne diesel to be a V6

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 09:42:00 EST

Filed under: Diesel, Hybrid, Porsche

Porsche is having a tough time sticking to their guns when it comes to not using diesel engines, as we recently reported. We know that the Cayenne is likely to get a diesel, but what we have not known up until now is what kind of diesel engine will appear in the Cayenne. According to reports, Porsche seems to have chosen the 3.0 liter V6 engine, not the 4.2 liter V8 from the Audi Q7, or the diesel V10 from the VW Touareg. In all honesty, we can't think of any problem with using a diesel in the Cayenne, which is already considered by many to be the anti-Porsche. Considering that the vehicle is already as far from a sports car as can be, what difference is there whether it's powered by a gasoline V6 or a diesel V6? Remember, too, that Porsche has already announced plans to offer a new hybrid version of the SUV.

Current information places the diesel Cayenne on the market in 2009, a year ahead of the hybrid model.

[Source: The Detroit News]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Porsche does about face on diesel, Cayenne TDI coming in 2009

Sam Abuelsamid — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 09:47:00 EST

Filed under: Diesel, Porsche

In the past, Porsche has repeatedly played down the idea of offering diesel engines in their product line. The rationale is that oil burners don't fit the character of Porsche's sports cars. That may well be true for cars like the Boxster and 911 but the Cayenne is a different animal. Porsche has also said that the relatively low volumes of their models would make it hard to financially justify the development of a new diesel engine. Porsche is apparently now ready to introduce a diesel-powered Cayenne as soon as mid-2009. The Cayenne, which shares a platform with the Volkswagen Touareg and Audi Q7, would take a diesel engine from the VW group. The Touareg currently offers a 5 cylinder, a 3.0L V-6 and a V-10 diesel while the Q7 is offered with both the V-6 and a 4.2L V-8 TDI. If a Cayenne diesel is launched it would most likely be powered by the 326hp V08 diesel.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. req'd]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Porsche polls Londoners on congestion charge, pretty much calls mayor a liar

Sebastian Blanco — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 18:56:00 EST

Filed under: Porsche, Legislation and Policy, UK

Well, this Porsche-London fight certainly isn't going to end any time soon. Earlier today, London mayor Ken Livingstone told Porsche to butt out of local politics, but the German automaker isn't displaying any such intention. In fact, Porsche released a statement yesterday (available after the jump) that calls on Livingstone to make public the full tables of a poll showing that the public supports the increased congestion charge or else retract a mayoral statement that announced the support. Porsche, you see, says it's done its own polling and found 74 percent of Londoners think that the new £25 congestion charge is too high and various other majorities that are negative on the increase. You can read the letter Porsche wrote to the Mayor here and check out the company's statement after the jump.

The next step happened today, when the mayor said at a press conference that the full details have indeed been published. Porsche - surprise - disagrees and I'll let you read their detailed reasons why in a second press release pasted after the jump if you're into the minutiae here. The general gist remains: Porsche is calling the mayor's facts into question. Again. There will be more to this sory, I am sure.

Gallery: LA 2007: Porsche Cayenne Hybrid

Continue reading Porsche polls Londoners on congestion charge, pretty much calls mayor a liar

Permalink | Email this | Comments

AutoblogGreen

Porsche FTW - London scraps £25 congestion charge

Porsche Panamera to get diesel option?

Consumers not interested in stop/start from Porsche

Porsche Cayenne will won't will won't will get a diesel in 2009

Porsche could evade emissions penalties via VW takeover

Porsche adds direct injection and dual clutch gearbox to 911

Porsche going way down market with VW Golf-based hatchback?

CAFE? Yeah right! says Porsche

Hacked! Porsche's lawsuit against London website taken over by 1923Turk - or something

London's Congestion Charge will increase CO2 emissions?

U.S. will only get a Porsche Cayenne diesel if we prove we deserve it

Car of the decade: Tesla Roadster or Porsche Cayenne?

Germany's Green Party wants politicians to drive hybrids and ride bikes

Spy Shots: Porsche Cayenne spotted at diesel pump in Northern Sweden

Perversion or Perfection? Porsche 912 converted to electric

61% of Londoners support congestion charge, says Mayor Livingstone

Porsche formally applies for judicial review in London C-charge scuffle

Upcoming Porsche Cayenne diesel to be a V6

Porsche does about face on diesel, Cayenne TDI coming in 2009

Porsche polls Londoners on congestion charge, pretty much calls mayor a liar

London's Congestion Charge will increase CO₂ emissions?