Porsche 944 Turbo Cruise Control Motor on 2040-parts.com

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.

VW Polo R confirmed for 2013

VW Polo WRC makes the case for the 4WD VW Polo R We speculated a year ago that the Polo GTI wouldn’t be the top of the Polo tree, and that Volkswagon would roll out the VW Polo R in 2012, but perhaps with FWD instead of the 4WD its big brother, the Golf R, enjoys. But just a few months later it seemed clear that we would end up getting a 4WD Polo R at some point after Audi lost its bottle at the last minute and pulled the Audi S1 badge off a FWD A1, instead calling it the Audi A1 1.4 TFSI. That change of heart by Audi – saving the S1 badge for a quattro S1 – meant that a quattro platform would be developed for the S1, and as the A1 uses the Polo platform it meant a 4WD platform would be available for the Polo too.

Lexus Premium Compact Concept – a 1-series by Lexus

Lexus's new compact premium hatch – the little Lexus to rival the 1-series By Gareth Evans First Official Pictures 17 August 2009 10:03 Lexus today issued a sneak peak at its new Premium Compact Concept ready to make its public debut at the 2009 Frankfurt motor show in mid-September.Think BMW 1-series by Lexus, and you'll get the idea. Not that you'd know too much from the solitary teaser sketch released today.Details are vague at present, with only the above sketch and no technical information available to showcase the long-awaited little Lexus. Expect more details and pictures to be announced in a few weeks' time – but we hear there is likely to be hybrid power for the compact premium car.