Porsche
Latest
Engadget Daily: Blackberry's $2,000 smartphone, Microsoft's new streaming adapter and more!
Does your love for exotic sports cars bleed over into every aspect of your life? If so, you might like Blackberry's new $2,000 Porsche-designed smartphone. That's not all we have on deck, though. Read on for the rest of our news highlights from the last 24 hour.
Porsche's first car is 116 years old, and it's electric
Many think that Porsche EVs are relatively new creations, but it turns out that they're quite old -- 116 years old, to be exact. The automaker has recovered the P1, an electric car that Ferdinand Porsche built while working for a carriage maker in 1898; it was also the first car he ever built. No one will mistake it for a Tesla between its wood frame, 3HP motor and 50-mile range, but it was fast enough to win an all-electric race in 1899. You'll have to travel to the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart if you want to see this piece of EV history in person. Still, it may be worth the trek to know more about the 918 Spyder's very, very long pedigree.
Hybrid Porsche 918 Spyder beats Nordschleife track record by miles (actually, 14 seconds)
Porsche's hybrid 918 Spyder did double duty this week, making its first public appearance at the Frankfurt Motor Show and setting a world record at Nürburgring's grueling Nordschleife circuit. Stuttgart's pride burned around the North Loop at an average of 112MPH to finish the circuit in 6:57, a full 14 seconds faster than the previous record holder: the gas-burning Dodge Viper ACR. Check out the video after the break and you'll discover that this Spyder is throaty -- especially compared to those purely electric (and rather screechy) Formula E racers.
UK court sides with Volkswagen on security concerns over key pairing
Giovanni Ribisi had better hope he doesn't botch a job anytime soon. Flavio Garcia from the University of Birmingham cracked the security system that pairs an owner's key to their Porsche, Lamborghini or Audi, and Volkswagen's parent company wants that research to remain unpublished. The UK's high court sided with VW's owner and granted an injunction protecting the Megamos Crypto system. Afterward, Garcia was offered to print his findings, but without the all-important decryption codes. He refused, saying that the public has a right to see the holes in the systems it relies on and that this wasn't an attempt to give criminals a hand in boosting cars. While the court's logic is sound -- once revealed, all manner of "if this ever fell into the wrong hands" situations could arise -- it's unsettling to see government bend to corporate request. At least we know Eleanor can sit in the garage for just a little longer now.
Porsche shows 918 Spyder in production form
Porsche isn't about to let the LaFerrari steal the hybrid spotlight: it just unveiled the finished design of the 918 Spyder, which is expected to ship as a 2015 model. The look won't shock anyone keeping up with their spy videos, although Porsche's formal unveiling helps firm up the specifications that customers will get if they've dutifully shelled out $845,000. The performance is even more intimidating than it was in 2011, we know that much: there's 887HP of combined V8 and plug-in electric power, a 0-62MPH time of 2.8 seconds and up to 18 miles of gas-free driving. About the only disappointment (price notwithstanding) is the lack of options beyond a weight reduction package. We doubt many Spyder buyers will complain when they can even outrace a 911 GT3.
Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid plug-in model brings 416 guilt-free horsepower
Daily commute got you down? You'll soon be able to do it in a Porsche by the end of the year without burning a drop of gas, thanks to a new plug-in Panamera S E-Hybrid model. The powertrain, which we saw earlier on a concept car, combines a V6 bi-turbo gas engine with a 95 horsepower electric model for 416 total system horsepower. Like recent offerings from Ford and others, the 2014 model adds a much larger 9.4 kWh battery to last year's non-plug-in hybrid, letting you trundle on electrons alone at up to 80MPH for 20 miles or so with with nary a puff of CO2. All that eco-friendly driving will be undone when you decide to open 'er up in combined gas / electric mode, however, as the zippy four-door will hit 0-60MPH in about 5.5 seconds with a decidedly un-green top speed of 165MPH. Still, the company says overall fuel consumption's been reduced over the last model and you'll get other niceties like Porsche's Car Connect smartphone app to view and control different vehicle functions. While Prius drivers won't be able to look down their noses at the model anymore, government incentives will make a decidedly smaller dent in its estimated $99,000 price tag.
LaCie intros Porsche Design drive for Macs with SSD and USB 3.0, helps the speed match the name
Porsche Design may not be directly involved in building German supercars, but there are certain expectations to be met, aren't there? LaCie is rolling out a new version of its Porsche Design hard drive skewed towards Mac owners that should offer more of the performance you'd associate with the automotive brand. The P'9223 Slim SSD is a third thinner than its ancestor but carries the option of a 120GB SSD that makes the most of the USB 3.0 port. If all runs well, nearly any Mac launched in 2012 can shuttle data along at a brisk 400MB per second. Demanding Mac fans will need to pay $150 for the flash-based edition to have the P'9223 feel truly Porsche-like; others only have to spend $100 if they're content with the Volkswagen pace of a 500GB spinning drive.
Interbrand: Apple, Amazon, Samsung fast becoming brand darlings, ousting crusty traditional labels
Interbrand likes to give the world's top companies a brand value, or a mix of their on-the-ground fiscal performance with an estimate of the premium they can ask through name alone. While there are a lot of traditional names in the consulting company's 2012 list, the surprise this year is just how aggressively technology has invaded the top of the charts. It's a good year to be a part of the mobile ecosystem: a very profitable Apple was by far the fastest grower and clinched second place in the list behind only Coca-Cola, while Kindle Fire creator Amazon (20th place) and Apple's frequent rival Samsung (ninth) also shot past brands as big as Disney and Toyota. A special nod goes out to 69th-place Facebook, whose IPO this year and its recognition put it past companies like Porsche almost overnight. Not everyone in technology came out a winner -- Microsoft, Nokia and RIM were among those that took a bruising -- but Interbrand's rankings hint that it's better to be making tablets than designer handbags.
Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo concept is a plug-in shooting brake
The shooting break -- basically a long and low sporty station wagon -- isn't exactly a huge hit in the United States, but in Europe Porsche is pushing that body style to a new level with the Sport Turismo. It's a concept of what it believes a future, hatchback version of its Panamera four-seater grand tourer might look like. But, look beyond the dramatic styling and distinctive LED headlights, and there's plenty of tech to be spotted. Details after the break.
Porsche 918 Spyder caught on tape at the Nürburgring, bank accounts shiver (video)
Started saving up for your $845,000 purchase next fall yet? Yeah, neither have we. But we're at least considering it once again -- albeit not for very long -- thanks to a sneaky videographer that caught the dapper Porsche 918 Spyder winding around the turns of the Nürburgring in Germany. Packing a V8 with two electric motors, the super car can hit 60MPH in a hair over three seconds and touts a fuel efficiency of 78MPG. Don't worry, though, you have until sometime late next year to get your stacks lined up to park one in your driveway.
Porsche Design P'9981 BlackBerry screeches into Canada
Hear that, Toronto-based readers? That's the sound of Porsche Design's P'9981 BlackBerry doing donuts at a store near you (well, relatively speaking). Fresh from satisfying many a midlife crisis in London, the luxury phone is now available in Canada via the fancy Porsche Design boutique store in Toronto's Yorkville neighborhood, according to MobileSyrup. Folks willing to pay the pinky-raising premium price of $1,899 essentially get a BlackBerry 7 OS phone featuring upscale Porsche Design touches like a metal keyboard, stainless steel frame and leather-wrapped back cover. Still need to do some tire kicking? No worries -- you can take the phone out for a virtual test drive with our P'9981 review.
Porsche joins Forza 4 lineup today
Porsche was not included in the launch of Forza 4 due to complications with EA, who had the license at the time. But Porsche makes its return to the Forza franchise today (as promised) with the Porsche Expansion Pack DLC.The Porsche Expansion Pack is available to download right now for 1600 MS Points ($20) in Forza 4, and adds 30 new rides to the virtual garage and new Porsche events in World Tour and Rivals modes.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: NY Design Week, a hybrid Porsche and recycled sportswear
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. Want a sneak peek into the future of design? This week Inhabitat hit NY Design Week to uncover the best and the brightest in green interior and furniture design. At ICFF we spotted an ethereal series of 3D printed Hyphae lamps and we were wowed by the iTree -- a massive iPod sound system made out of an entire tree trunk! We also saw LED technology take on surprising new forms - like Light and Contrast's tiny flower-shaped lamps and Peteris Zilbers' quirky mood broom lamp (yes, it's shaped like a broom). We'll continue with the New York Design Week coverage throughout next week, so come back to Inhabitat in the coming days for more fresh new design finds, and read on beyond the break for more in the here and now.
Porsche 918 Spyder prototype returns to the road with polished black and white shell
It may not be the first time Porsche's 918 plug-in hybrid has had a chance to flex its 770 horse power for the camera, but when we last saw the pricey insanely expensive speed demon strut its stuff on record, it certainly didn't look like this. The freakish prototype has emerged as a beautiful, high-performance vision of efficiency, blasting its way past 100 kilometers of terrain for every three liters of petrol (78 miles/gallon). The $845,000 machine pairs a combustion engine with electric motors to achieve that consumption rating, and sports a carbon-fiber reinforced-plastic monocoque (self-supporting) shell, rear-axle steering and that unique upward-venting exhausted system that you may have noticed in the shot above. The 918 Spyder is slated for its initial production run beginning in September of 2013, with the first models making their way to US customers late next year. It's time to start saving -- just a few thousand blog posts to go.%Gallery-155513%
Audi, GM, others unite on 20-minute EV charging standard for green drivers in a rush
Fast-charging an EV isn't new in itself, but deciding on a standard for it is. Which is why we're glad to hear that Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Daimler, Ford, GM, Porsche and Volkswagen have all agreed to a common format for their EV charging ports, the not-very-elegantly-titled DC Fast Charging with a Combined Charging System. Together, the automakers are promising a consistent way to power up a car within 15 to 20 minutes, all without breaking a current Type 1 AC charging implementation. The new format will be demoed at the Electric Vehicle Symposium 26 in Los Angeles starting May 6. Just be aware that your first-generation Focus Electric won't be certain to use the newly universal technology: the first cars to tout the new plug won't be at dealerships until 2013, and the European vehicle association ACEA is only guaranteeing that charging stations on the continent will be using the DC Fast Charging system by 2017. Check after the break for a further look at the port.
QNX's Watson-connected Porsche 911, hands-on (video)
Remember that QNX-loaded Porsche 911 we sat down with (in?) at CES? Well, it's back and it learned a few new tricks en route to New Amsterdam York City. The car-friendly software company got its hooks into AT&T's Watson Speech API and used it to power a new voice-command system for it's own take on the "virtual assistant." Using the new speech recognition tool and Ma Bell's LTE network QNX was able to pull up websites, find a Starbucks (though, in New York City you'd have to be blind to not find one) and place calls. All in all, the demo wasn't too different from what we saw in Vegas in January -- in fact, we wouldn't be surprised to find out that Porsche was also utilizing Watson, long before it was announced. For a familiar, but still interesting demo, check out the video after the break.
Porsche 918 hybrid supercar rolls out of our dreams, onto the tarmac
Concepts, concepts, darned concepts. Teasing us with their curvy lines, and never-to-be-seen futuristic promise. Every once in a while, though, one pops out from the drawing board and into reality -- the Porsche 918 hybrid supercar being one such example. We'll admit we drooled a little when we saw the initial shots, and trembled slightly at the real world concept outed at the Geneva Motor Show 18 months ago. So, knowing it's finally made it out on the track filled us with more than a little glee. It seems development is coming along just fine, with three test versions out in the wild, and our friends over at Autoblog were lucky enough to get a ride in one of them. Sure, it was "only" at half power, so not the full roar of that 770 horsepower engine, but we're still pretty jelly. The $845,000 price tag might make you wince a little, but tears of joy will wash any pain away 3.1 seconds later, as you hit that magical 60mph. You've got until September 18th next year to save up the pennies, or ogle the gallery below.
BlackBerry Porsche Design P'9981 review
Research in Motion, regardless of how you may view its recent history or its long-term future, still has a stronghold on the corporate world. Its lineup of BlackBerry smartphones are known for great battery life, comfortable keyboards with intuitive shortcuts, top-notch native email and Enterprise clients and -- most important to businesses -- unrivaled security features. Sure, its influence is waning as competitors have caught up in some areas (and surpassed it in others), but there are plenty of companies that have clung to their CrackBerries and held on tight.RIM's been hard at work trying to regain lost momentum by introducing a series of new devices featuring its latest OS, BlackBerry 7, and the BlackBerry Bold 9900 / 9930 series has been the star of the show so far. The problem is, it's not flashy enough. How is a C-level exec supposed to walk proudly on the golf course with a $300 (subsidized) phone? Talk about embarrassing. Have no fear, poor corporate top dog, luxury brand Porsche Design has come up with a solution: the $2,300 BlackBerry P'9981, a Vertu-ized version of that lesser handset you wouldn't be caught dead using. BlackBerry Porsche Design P'9981 hands-on BlackBerry Porsche Design P'9981 hits FCC Porsche Design P'9981 introducedThe P'9981 is available only in the UK and the Middle East for now, so until the device arrives in the US this Spring, anyone who lives stateside will have to rely on retailers to import some in. Fortunately we got the hookup by our friends at Negri Electronics, who happily lent us one of the few handsets they have in stock. As a result, we're now able to discuss the real questions circling around such a Richie Rich smartphone: what in the blue blazes makes this so expensive? Is it even worth it? How different is it from a standard BlackBerry Bold 9900? You'll find these answers and plenty of mysteries unravelled after the break.
QNX finds a home inside a Porsche 911 (video)
Blackberry's QNX division wants to expand its footprint and the next major push is inside your car. To that end, a handful of QNX engineers ripped out the stock (and pretty damned good) Porsche head unit on a 911 convertible and stuffed it with a new capacitive screen running the latest build of the OS. As you can see in the video after the jump, it's an attractive and quick setup, that does everything from VOIP calls to navigation, and since it's running the same software as the Playbook, it can theoretically run Android apps to boot – even if the reps on hand wouldn't admit it.
Porsche Design theme ported to BlackBerry 9900 / 9930, saves you a small fortune
If you want some of that Porsche Design look, without the German engineered price, then check what just pulled up on the driveway: a port of the custom theme and icons. Sadly, only BlackBerry 9900 / 9300 owners -- which share much of the same hardware as the P'9981 -- running BlackBerry OS7 (not 7.1) can give their handset that new car smell. This means the sharp lines and luxurious brushed finish that made the P'9981 catch our eye in the first place will remain firmly in those pockets deep enough to afford it. Tap the source link if you still want to add the racing stripes to your current saloon.
