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Porsche announces new Weissach design center and wind tunnel

Porsche is to invest around €150m into its Weissach development facility, including a new design center. The plans also include an electronics integration department and a state-of-the art, on-site wind tunnel, which is hoped will allow the company to realize an holistic approach to efficient design, with a strong focus on aerodynamics. When we spoke with head of Porsche design, Michael Mauer, at this year's Paris motor show, he also alluded to the fact that the Volkswagen Group's – and, more specifically, Walter de'Silva's – recent influence on the German manufacturer was shifting its attitudes: "The Volkswagen Group has a very good understanding of how much freedom a brand needs to keep its characteristics and with [Walter] as 'conductor', I feel a lot of support with design issues within the company," explained Mauer.

Hennessey tunes C7 Corvette Stingray

Hennessey Performance and its gang of Texas tuners are planning upgrades for the 2014 Chevrolet Stingray Corvette before the car even hits the market. We're sure Corvette engineers working on the next ZR1 are taking notice, presumably with a chip on their collective shoulders. In October, the Hennessey HPE700 Corvette is expected to debut packing a claimed 700 hp, with help from an Eaton TVS R2300 supercharger.

Maserati announces names of new saloon, SUV at Paris

Maserati announced the names of three of its forthcoming new cars at the 2012 Paris motor show. From 2013, Fiat's upmarket sports luxury wing will finally launch a barrage of new product to overcome worries it's just producing endless versions of its existing range. The new Maserati Quattroporte will be launched at the 2013 Detroit auto show in January.