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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.

At GM, the tail fin is back--but now it's a blade

Tail fins are making a comeback at General Motors Co., although they are a far cry from the saillike appendages of the 1950s. And this time the company is calling them blades. The look, pioneered on the Chevrolet Volt to improve aerodynamics, will appear on other models to boost fuel economy, said Ed Welburn, GM's global design chief.

New Boxster and Caymen swell Porsche’s order book

The 2009 Porsche Cayman S - helping to boost Porsche sales [ad#ad-1] We’ve run stories on how well Porsche, and the whole VW/Audi group, is holding up through the current malaise in the car industry. Porsche’s last lot of profit figures were very impressive, but were mainly due to the huge amounts Porsche made on its trading in VW shares. We noted at that time that Porsche reckoned its sales were slow because people were waiting for the new versions of the Boxster and Cayman, and when that happened sales would increase.