porsche

Bill Gates was so obsessed with driving a Porsche 959 that he managed to change the laws that prevented him

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Bill Gates, Microsoft’s co -founder is, in addition to one of the richest men in the worlda passionate about Supercars that Porsche manufactures. So much so that he even had to fight for more than a decade for the US government to change a law that would allow him to drive his Porsche through the streets of Seattle. Thanks to your perseverance, today Millionaires lovers of supercarlike Elon Musk or Larry Ellison, they can have their garages full of limited editing exotic hypercoches and drive them. The story of a Porsche 959 parked in customs Bill Gates is a great passionate about technology and engineering, so in 1987, he commissioned a brand new Porsche 959 that has just been presented. At that time, 959 was one of the most advanced supercarincluding one of the first biturbo engines with total traction and an electronic toe. The six -cylinder and 2.8 -liter engine of 959 delivered 450 horsepower and was able to reach 317 km/h. A prodigy of technology that the young and already millionaire Bill Gates did not resist driving. However, when his Porsche 959 arrived in the United States, he was held at Seattle Customs. The reason: the strict shock test imposed by US laws had not passed, and that prevented him from being able to circulate on public roads. The Porsche 959 was A technological revolution By the end of the 80s, a supercar that Porsche had developed with a huge expenditure that would never recover For direct sale. Due to the high cost that would add to the list of development expenses that they were not going to recover with sales, the German brand refused to perform the shock tests required by the United States. This left the Porsche 959 in anyone’s land and could not legally circulate in the country, and Porsche did not want to adapt it to comply with the regulations. Bill Gates then found an important problem, since his precious Porsche of the only 337 units were manufactured, he was CUSTOMS IN CUSTOMS of Seattle. Bill Gates’s obsession for that particular model led the millionaire to an unpublished situation that forced his brand new car to remain retained in Seattle customs for no less than 13 years. To ensure that he remained there, the millionaire paid throughout that time the $ 28 per day required by the Port Authority for keep the car parked In your deposit, adding a total of more than $ 138,000 for this concept for more than a decade. The Law “Show and Display” Bill Gates’ tenacity was essential to change this situation. Not satisfied with accepting that his car was confiscated in customs, the billionaire gathered the best lawyers and undertook a legal battle against US authorities to ensure that his Porsche 959 could legally circulate. For more than seven years, Gates pressed Washington to change the legislation and allow an exemption For importation and the use of certain rare and collectible cars that are not officially sold in the United States. In this way, the door opened to them US Millionaires and Collectors They can buy these exotic units and limited editions, although they do not meet certain legal traffic demands. Bill Gates’ perseverance was fruit and, in 1999, President Bill Clinton signed the Law “Show and Display” which allows certain historical or technologically relevant vehicles to be imported and driven under special conditions. This law only affects cars with less than 500 manufactured units and special editions, and limited its driving to no more than 2,500 miles per year (about 4,023 kilometers). These limits emphasized the orientation of the law to allow entry to collection pieces and rare units, not to regular use cars. Thanks to this law, the Porsche 959 of Gates was finally able to leave his captivity in the Customs of Seattle and circulate through the streets of the US. In Xataka | The fastest supercar of the 80s no longer beats speed records. Now height batting after falling from a truck Image | Porsche, Flickr (Government Tom Wolf)

The players of ‘Gran Tourism’ thought that the RUF were the Porsche de Hacendado. They were the opposite

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The fancy It is an essential element in video games. It can be the theme, such as medieval fantasy of a ‘Dark Souls‘, but it can also be the relative to the fantasy of power in a game like’God of War‘ either ‘Civilization VII‘. The cars games They satisfy our fantasies to pilot the car of our dreams, unless your dream was to pilot a Porsche at 250 km/h in the most famous simulator of its time. Because there what breaks fantasy is something as earthly as … money. Luckily for years a brand went to the rescue of lovers of German sportsmen: Ruf. The problem. You are a young car enthusiast, buy the driving simulator on duty and discover that you can drive a Lambo, a Ferrari and brands of brands you didn’t even know, but not the one you really want: a Porsche. With the naivety of childhood, you did not imagine that a more ‘cheap’ brand that others were not in your video game, but at least you could be content with RUF. RUF cars looked like a tuning Porsche and it wasn’t what you wanted, either had their shield, but it served you. You thought it was like the ‘Pro Evolution Soccer‘When they modified the names of the players whose license belonged to the’ FIFA ‘saga, but you kept wanting to drive a Porsche and did not understand that the’ Need for Speed ​​’had the brand and’ Gran Tourism ‘no. Blessed (and damn) licenses. Because in video games, licenses are a blessing, but also a problem. Let’s go back to football sagas. While in FIFA we had Cafu, Rivaldo Oa Ronaldinho, in PES we had Facu, Ravoldi Ya Naldorinho. His gestures and faces simulated real players, but their names were, as little, original. The reason? The Japanese football saga did not have the licenses of real players, competitions or teams. And it happens with everything, really. We recently told you how there are extremely similar weapons to the real in shooting games, but many times the names are invented because The corresponding license has not been paid. And if we get into the subject of Royal Group SongsIt is a curious eggplant. There are games that have been edited through a patch to eliminate songs whose license has expired (‘GTA IV‘, for example) and others that have completely disappeared (‘Spec Ops The Line‘). Electronic Arts. It is as simple as, if you want to show a real person, a song, a weapon or whatever in a video game, those responsible for it must pay the brand. And this is something very juicy for companies, since they can promote their video game, precisely, with that license they have paid. In the case of cars, all brands included in a video game receive money for your rightsbut with Porsche he went one step further. At the beginning of the century, Electronic Arts was very strong in the field of driving with its saga ‘Need for Speed’. Before launching at night street races and cars modifications, in 2000 ‘Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed 2000’, a video game in which it should not be explained what Marca was the protagonist. The problem (for the rest of the companies)? That EA and Porsche signed an exclusivity agreement that lasted 15 years. Porsche 911 Carrera to the left, Ruf ‘YellowBird’ on the right RUF. Since then, the EA saga had Porsche cars that we could even modify, but in simulators like ‘Gran Turismo 2‘The mythical firm was not. In others like ‘PROJECT GOTHAM RACING‘ either ‘Forza Motorsport‘We also had Porsche, but this was the result of an agreement between Microsoft, Electronic Arts and Porsche herself. Now, why do you remember that you could conduct a Porsche 911 career in the ‘Grantu’? Very easy, because the Porsche 911 Carrera was in the ‘Grantu’. Well, more or less. The one that was Ruf, and a mythical model of ‘Gran Turismo 2’ was the RUF CRT YellowBird of 1987. Aesthetically, it was a Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 and, precisely, what Ruf does in reality, outside Gran Turismo, is to modify Porsche cars in such a deep way that it is considered a totally independent brand. Porsche was created in 1931 and RUF In 1936 and what they do is build their cars on a bare chassis of Porsche, but using their own engines, suspensions, gearbox or body elements. In short: it is not a Porsche with steroids, it is something else At the legal level. The work is so deep that they are legally considered Ruf cars, not Porsche, and that is the reason why some games without Porsche’s license could have cars like the Porsche of our dreams, but without the shield or name of Porsche. What would happen to me and you will think that that YellowBird was the 911 race of ‘Gran Turismo 2’ with a different name and slightly different body because they could not have the Porsche brand, but as I explain, we were wrong: it was not a false car, but totally real. Happy end. That is why the RUF brand was in games like the ‘Gran Turismo’ or ‘Driveclub‘Instead of a Porsche that appeared in other sagas, next to RUF in case of’Forza Horizon 4‘. However, in 2016 the license agreement between the German firm and Electronic Arts expired, which allowed other racing games to incorporate the mythical German house. And a sample of the desire that ‘Gran Tourism’ had to have Porsche in its catalog is that the brand itself detailed The dozens of models in the latest installment of the saga … and that on the cover of ‘Gran Turismo 7‘Porsche VGT appears next to Mazda Rx Vision GT3. Now, we can pilot a 911 in almost any game, but those of us who grew up with RUF and ‘Gran Tourism’, we will never forget the mythical YellowBird. Images | Xataka, Porsche, Norbert Aepli, Gran Tourism In Xataka | It seemed an impossible enemy, it … Read more

Buy the new Renault 5 Turbo Electric or a Porsche 911

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He RENAULT 5 TURBO 3E It already has a market exit. The most radical electric version of the small French car promises to be a before and after in a category that is still to be developed: that of the sports electric car. He will do it with figures that scare but are up to what he promises. Because if you were thinking about picking up the phone and reserving one of the 1,980 units that Renault will put on sale, you should know that the deadline has already been opened. The price to be paid: 50,000 euros. With that payment you will have preference to one of the first 500 units that are put in the market and, in addition, a special price: 155,000 euros. As Renault has revealed, those interested will have to fill out a form On this website. It is requested that a specific dealership be selected and, later, it will be the brand that is responsible for contacting the client. Once this first procedure is over, the client can customize his order throughout the next year and wait for one of the first deliveries in 2027 when the car will be launched definitively. In this customization process you can contact a meeting with the Renault design team to define all kinds of details. The company specifies that the seats, doors panels, the dashboard can be customized … but you can also opt for classical decorations such as the red grenade or black, yellow and white classic that pay tribute to the winner of the Corsica Rally in 1982 and that we have seen in the promotional images. Why does an electric car have less autonomy than the announcing A unique car in the market The French have also taken the opportunity to confirm that the Renault 5 Turbo 3E will star in a tour of the dealers of Madrid, Paris, Brussels and other European cities. Finally, this summer we will see at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, one of the great appointments for speed lovers. The Renault 5 Turbo 3E serves the company to test to what extent the gum of nostalgia can stretch. The price is so high that it equals that of a Porsche Taycan GTSa 700 hp car that accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.3 seconds and has a battery with a size of 105 kWh for what it can do without clearing more than 500 real kilometers without stopping to recharge. Therefore, Renault’s bet cannot be more passionate. It enters an unknown land for the company offering, without any doubt, the most expensive electric car of the moment in relation to the price and size of its battery. Of course, it is also a car that promises to open a before and after in its category. The Renault 5 Turbo 3E is pending approval but has already announced that it will offer 540 hp of power that will deliver them with two rear engines. Its 4,800 NM motor pair breaks all the schemes for a car just 4.08 meters long. Until now, the most expensive and powerful options among electric cars have represented huge gigantic berling or SUVs. The biggest problem has been to introduce a battery large enough to feed powers of hundreds of power CV in a small car. This Renault 5 Turbo 3E will mount a 70 kWh battery with 800 volts structure promising loads of up to 350 kW (right now the fastest loads are about 250 kW and are totally exceptional). They hope to go from 15 to 80% capacity in 15 minutes. In addition, there was another problem added to the sportsmanship of electric cars. The weight was too high. Renault has done everything possible to file kg using carbon fiber. The result is a 1,415 kg car. There are 100 kg less than, for example, the last Volkswagen Golf R. And a few kg more than one of the last Renault Mégane RS Trophy-R. It only remains to be known to what renault 5 turbo 3e is a pump dynamically and, above all, if Renault will place the 1,980 limited units that will be put on sale of this new Culogordo at a price of 155,000 euros of departure. Photos | Renault In Xataka | Renault 5, new car of the year in Europe: the electric car triumphs among critics while stagnating among the public

Porsche and Tesla’s perfect mixture for a fraction of its price

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Xiaomi has revealed all the details of the new Xiaomi Su7 Ultra. He has done it with a presentation where he has revealed his superiority, on the role, in front of Tesla and Porsche in the flotation line of each of them. Although we already knew much of the details of the new Xiaomi Su7 Ultrathe sporty and extreme version From the Xiaomi electric car, there were still details to know how the interior or functions that have finally ended up being unveiled. The presentation has focused on presenting all the capabilities of the vehicle but, also, on launching a message to Porsche and Tesla. Xiaomi is here and has created the electric car faster and the one that has best autonomous driving, seemed to shout an event presented, of course, by Lei Jun. Missiles to the flotation line We already knew that the Xiaomi Su7 Ultra was fast. Very fast, in fact, because the company was recently made with the fastest turn in Nürburgring Nordschlife. A milestone in which they already showed that their electric car wanted to set the pattern from now on. And in his presentation in society, Xiaomi has confirmed that the ultra has taken another record to one of its greatest rivals. Now, the Shanghai circuit has a new king, with the Xiaomi Su7 ultra completing the turn in 2’09 “944, limiting in almost second and a half the record of the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT, which signed 2’11” 28. The record serves Xiaomi to show off in front of the competition, showing a message on social networks of the Germans where they congratulate them for the registered time and encourage them to continue fighting face to face to obtain the best results. To get the best records, Xiaomi will have a car that is summarized in the following figures compared to the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT Xiaomi Su7 Ultra Porsche Taycan Turbo GT 0 to 100 km/h 1.98 seconds 2.0 seconds 0 to 200 km/h 5.86 seconds 6.4 seconds Point speed 350 km/h 305 km/h power 1,526 hp 1,033 hp Motor torque 1,770 nm 1,240 nm Time in the Shanghai circuit 2’09 “944 2’11 “28 Price 629,900 Chinese yuan (82,937.30 euros) 1,998,000 Chinese yuan (263046.69 euros) The car also arrives with a huge amount of chucheías inside (unknown so far) and in other technical issues. For example, it has Pirelli P zero tires to get the best possible circuit performance and the battery floor is covered by a bullet resistant mineral plate. To demonstrate their effectiveness, in Xiaomi they have shown a video in which they see a sphere of this mineral from several floors of height and bounces on the ground without suffering a single scratch. In addition, a logo finished in 24 carat gold and carbon fiber is included, in the seats you can play with different colors of upholstery with yellow, black and red. In addition, they are electric and have massage function. In the same way, reference has been made to its infotainment system that stands out for its total compatibility with Harmonyos and a double wireless load for mobile phones at 50W. Outside they include rear and rear spoiler finished in carbon fiber to lighten the set and brakes are signed by Brembo and are carboceramic. All available colors have also been presented (yellow and white metallic green, silver and black payment). The black color has also surprised to be extremely dark. In the retransmission it gave the feeling of being deeper than usual. But, in addition, Xiaomi has challenged Tesla directly by demonstrating his autonomous driving systems. This part has begun with a video in which a car seeks for itself a battery parking inside a parking lot. During his journey he behaved with total naturalness, with very little robotized movements. In addition, I dodged people and other vehicles before parking completely. Subsequently, he has demonstrated the ability to maneuver for himself in a very narrow space, drawing the vehicle from an online parking lot where he barely had a few centimeters in front and behind. What has caught the attention, yes, is your system to detect that the driver is Stepped by mistake the accelerator pedal. With a arrested mule, it has accelerated thoroughly until it stops completely right in front of the obstacle despite the fact that the driver fully kept his foot in the accelerator. A system that is also launched if, for example, it detects that we are going to collide with a motorcycle or a column. All this due to a fraction of the price of Porsche Taycan Turbo GT or, in the worst case, with a departure price similar to that of the Tesla S Plaid. Because Xiaomi has confirmed two output prices: 814,900 Chinese yuan for reservations (107,285.66 euros) 529,900 Chinese yuan after the reserve period (69,763.98 euros) The reservation period is open until March 2 and implies depositing an amount of money to, in the next seven days, finish confirming the order or not. In addition, the possibility of entering this space has been opened to those who would have already commissioned an Xiaomi Su7 and would not have been delivered. Of the latter, of the first deliveries, Xiaomi has not confirmed when we will see them, so we will remain attentive. Photos | Xiaomi In Xataka | The Xiaomi Su7 is a rocket: already sells more than the Tesla Model 3 and doubled the electric cars sold from all over Spain

Porsche had been the perfect luxury car that triumphs in China. Until the Xiaomi Su7 arrived

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The relationship between China, the European automobile industry and the evolution in its own manufacture of products is well observed in the future of historical brands such as Porsche and newcomers to the engine market, such as Xiaomi. The health of both companies cannot be more opposite to the same problem to solve: the electric car. Again, China seems to take the advantage. Porsche’s crisis. In just a few months, Porsche has gone from being the best asset of the Volkswagen Group to be in a specially delicate situation. His cars presented very high benefits, their Porsche Taycan (their first electric car) It had been a success In the early years and forecasts aimed to sell more and more cars at a more and more expensive price. Today, Porsche plans the dismissal of 1,900 employees. Their profit margins, which aspired to touch 20%, They will move between 10 and 12%. It is still a good figure but is behind the 14% that investors predicted. Its production will be closer to the 250,000 cars for next year than of the 310,000 produced in 2024. A perfect storm. Porsche’s financial weaknesses arrive at the worst moment. Donald Trump threatens to lift tariffs on European cars (which now pay 2.5%) and that is a serious problem for the company that has one of its main markets in the United States where, in addition, everything indicates that I could continue to cast its most profitable model for its combustion engines and its personalization possibilities: the Porsche 911. It would be another river in a river that lowers scrambled as a result of a very hard fall in sales in the Chinese market. The market has been threatening a storm for two years. In 2022 they sold 2% less cars there than the previous year. In 2023, the fall was already 15%. And in 2024 he went to 28%. A very hard setback in The first market in the world For the company. A paradigm shift. What has happened with Porsche is the faithful reflection of what has happened with the entire European automobile industry. Their cars are exquisite, they are well constructed, they have a story and a story. They are excellence and remain a demonstration of status. They are, in short, excellent machines. But none of this are worth them in China. The public, Thanks to huge subsidies To the purchase, he has made the leap to the electric car and now they expect something else. They aspire to a software defined product, with four wheels and a brain that drives thousands of intelligent and digital functions that provide an extra to daily paths. In just a couple of years, the German automobile industry, once a reference in Chinese luxury, has become an obsolete product. “It was only an electrified Porsche. That’s it,” said a Chinese client to Bloomberg to express its disappointment when you get on the Porsche Taycan and compare it with what your rivals are doing there. “I didn’t even think of a German”. The words are from Seaky He, known influencer in China, collected by The New York Times. “When choosing my new car, I didn’t even think about buying another German car,” he explained when pointing out why I had opted for a Xiaomi Su7 When his first car had been a Mercedes Clade in 2017. Then, German remained an example of a luxury vehicle. The remote parking or the control of the car temperature from the mobile phone were some of the digital incentives that helped Seaky to decide for the Xiaomi car. “It’s hard to see them like luxury cars now,” Ryan Xu said Bloomberg to justify why he had turned his back on Germany after having a Mercedes Cla and a Mercedes G Class. “They are indistinguishable in quality” All this we talked about now should know in Porsche. In fact, their own consultants claimed that Chinese cars have been “Indistinguishable in quality” of Europeans, an incentive when winning market in Europe and confirmation for the Chinese client that It is not being wrong. But, in addition, in the case of Xiaomi Su7, data on paper say that in a year they have lived up to Porsche and Tesla. Their engines are so powerful (or more) that those of these companies but have the advantage of offering systems Autonomous driving (supervised) more advanced and have offered surprising demonstrations of how their remote parking system behaves. One year of heart attack. Although Xiaomi has managed to read that the automobile market in China points in a very different direction than we knew in Europe, the truth is that its figures in just one year They have been especially good. When It was launched in April Of 2024, Xiaomi set the goal of reaching the 100,000 units produced from the Xiaomi SU7 for that year. In the last days of December exceeded 130,000 units That he had put the objective of recalculating his expectations, given the good reception among the public. The reason for success is evident: not only offers better benefits than a Porsche Taycan, also adds a layer of digitalization and automated functions that the German model is completely lacking. And all for a fraction of the price of German. While The Porsche Taycan cheaper It is sold for 918,000 yuan (more than 120,000 euros to direct change), the Xiaomi Su7 is in the market for 215,900 yuan in China (less than 28,000 euros to direct change). Photo | Xiaomi In Xataka | Xiaomi already has its record in Nürburgring: they have reduced Tesla’s time in 40 seconds and that is the least

Why did the Porsche Taycan lose ground in 2024?

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The Porsche Taycanwhich was once considered a benchmark in the luxury electric vehicle market, faced an unexpected challenge in 2024. Read also: Toyota Highlander Hybrid: test of this three-row SUV Despite the growing popularity of electric cars in various regions, The Taycan recorded a 49% drop in global sales, with only 20,836 units delivered. You can read: Tesla surprises: European production of the Model Y imminent Those figures mark a significant contrast with previous years and highlight the difficulties Porsche faces in its transition to electrification. According to the company, one of the main factors affecting the Taycan was the launch of its mid-cycle renewal. Traditionally, these types of updates result in a temporary decline in sales while customers wait for new models. “The acceleration of electric mobility is, in general, slower than expected”Porsche admitted in an official statement, acknowledging that expectations for the electric market may have been too optimistic. Impact on other models in the Porsche range While the Taycan was going through one of its worst years, other models of the German brand demonstrated notable stability and even growth. The Cayenne was positioned as Porsche’s best-selling model in 2024, reaching 102,889 units, 18% more than the previous year. This SUV, favored by a thorough renovation in 2023, has managed to consolidate itself as a key pillar in the company’s portfolio. In contrast, The Panamera registered a drop of 13% with 29,587 units delivered, while the Macanboth in its gasoline and electric versions, showed mixed results. The second generation electric model of the Macan recorded 18,278 saleseven though deliveries began in September. For its part, The Macan with an internal combustion engine accumulated 64,517 unitsbenefiting from the possibility of continuing in the European market until mid-2024 thanks to an exception in cybersecurity regulations. China: the great challenge for Porsche in 2024 The Chinese market, which has historically been one of the most important for Porsche, presented a significant contraction in 2024. Total sales in the country fell by 28%especially affecting models like the Panamera, whose demand in China represents a crucial part of its global deliveries. The Porsche Taycan at night. Credit: Porsche.Credit: Courtesy The decrease in sales in the People’s Republic was not offset by increases recorded in other regions. In Europe, excluding GermanyPorsche deliveries fell by 6%reaching the 466,000 unitswhile electric vehicles had a modest growth of 6%, with nearly 81,000 units sold. In North Americasales also decreased, registering 241,000 units, 13% less than in 2023. However, high-performance models such as The 911 and Boxster/Cayman demonstrated resilience, with increases of 2% and 15%, respectively. The future of the Taycan and Porsche’s electrification strategy Porsche faces a crossroads in its electric mobility strategy. Although the Taycan and the Macan electric have marked important milestones, the brand has recognized that it could reconsider its initial approach of total electrification. The possibility of incorporating combustion engines in models originally designed as electric is on the table, a decision that could be key to adapting to market demands. Furthermore, the development of new electric models such as successors to the Boxster and the Cayman faces delays. Although these sports cars are scheduled to be launched as electric vehicles, recent reports suggest that the development process is not moving as quickly as expected. The collapse of sales of the Taycan in 2024 underlines the challenges Porsche faces in a global market marked by economic uncertainty and slower growth in electric mobility. However, it also opens a window of opportunity for the company to reevaluate its strategy and strengthen its position in an increasingly competitive sector. With iconic models like the Cayenne leading the way and new bets on the horizon, Porsche has the potential to overcome these obstacles and maintain its status as a leader in innovation and performance. The decisions you make in the coming years will be crucial in defining your place in the era of electrification.

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