Along with the Saab saga, the story of VW‘s attempt to buy Porsche AG has been nothing short of a soap opera, with twists and turns at every juncture. After previous attempts by the Wolfsburg automaker to purchase the remaining shares in the smaller Stuttgart concern fell through, it now appears, the deal may be on again.

Both automakers have talked about consolidation for years, yet when former Porsche CEO Dr. Wendelin Wiedeking’s attempt to buy a larger stake in VW fell through, the tables turned; thanks to German law that required Volkswagen to buy shares in Porsche instead.

However, despite VW currently owning more than 49 percent of Porsche and the two companies sharing an upper management structure, there’s still little in the way of cohesiveness when it comes to operations, each firm doing its own thing when it relates to aspects such as R&D, engineering, manufacturing and sales and marketing. This is something that’s proving particularly troublesome, especially for strategic projects, such as upcoming EV vehicles and new lightweight sports cars.

Now, it appears that greater integration between the two companies might finally become a reality this year, information leaked by sources at VW suggest that Porsche has put in an option to sell its remaining 50.1 percent of shares this November.

If that does come to pass, Volkswagen could purchase Porsche outright by the end of the year, however German tax complexities mean that if an outright purchase were to take place before VW can exercise its own call option on the remaining shares (which would be March at the earliest) the merger would be subjected to higher taxation, not something that either company wants.

Martin Winterkorn, CEO of Volkswagen and Porsche, is clearly frustrated at the present lack of integration between the two companies, something he reiterated earlier this month at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

“We want to cooperate with Porsche in such a way that as many synergies can be leveraged as soon as possible,” he said, “without needing to have a lawyer stand next to a Porsche employee every time he screws something into a Volkswagen or vice-versa.”

[Source: Reuters]

Porsche Design is setting up shop in New York’s trendy Soho district. This is the second Porsche Design store location in New York, and it will outfit affluent shoppers with its luxe line of products.

The new flagship store will not only feature swanky Porsche swag, it will also showcase a designed wall showcasing the brand’s history and a VIP shopping area. Located on West Broadway in Manhattan, the Porsche Design store covers 250 square meters of retail space filled with the brand’s entire range of products. This includes luggage, eyewear, smoking accessories, mobile phones, and the Porsche Design Fashion Collection for women and men.

“With the store in SoHo we are taking the Porsche Design luxury brand to the next level – not only in New York City and the United States of America but globally”, said Dr. Juergen Gessler, CEO of Porsche Design Group. “Porsche Design SoHo is the world’s largest store and brings our philosophy of ‘Iconic Style’ alive. The boutique will not only set its footprint within Lower Manhattan but also become a landmark for shopping enthusiasts around the world. The idea behind that new store and our whole lifestyle matches perfectly with the Manhattanites’ lifestyle.”

The 100,000th second generation Porsche Cayenne was assembled today in Porsche’s Leipzig, Germany plant and marks steady and clear growth for the German automaker.

The public and auto journalists alike had their doubts about the Cayenne when it was first brought to the North American market in 2003, but the luxury SUV has held its own and has had strong sales since the beginning. In 2011, the second generation Cayenne increased its sales by 15 percent over the 2010 model year selling 29,023 units in the United States.

Along with the 100,000th second generation Cayenne, Porsche is celebrating its 10th year of producing vehicles at the Leipzig site. “Ten years ago the success story of Porsche Leipzig started. What was a greenfield site, today ranks among the most modern car plants in the world. In addition to the Cayenne, Leipzig is also where Porsche produces the very successful Panamera luxury saloon, approximately 70,000 units of which have now rolled off the production line. That is why more than 93,800 vehicles left the Porsche plant in Leipzig in 2011, more than in any year before”, says Wolfgang Leimgruber, Member of the Executive Board of Production and Logistics of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG.

Mirroring the American numbers, China has also recorded a sharp increase in the purchasing of the luxury SUV. From 2009 to 2010, Cayenne sales increased 14 percent in China and Porsche forecasts that by 2014 China will be its largest market.

The Leipzig plant will be adding a third shift to keep up with demand on the Cayenne, and will no doubt be kept busy by a re-surging auto market worldwide.

Click here to read AutoGuide’s 2011 Porsche Cayenne review.

Wall Street traders holding hot commodities might yell “sell sell sell!” They want to shoo as much out the door while demand is hot because, as they know, the definition of “in demand” changes all to quickly, or does it? No doubt a fair number of those individuals finish their day by drawing a key from their coat pocket emblazoned with a Porsche coat of arms, proving that some commodities have staying power.

Some argue that Porsche’s cars have barely changed from a styling perspective. Those changes are so minimal, they may say, that the product is old and stale. Opinions be damned, Porsche doesn’t agree and released a video to massage their fans and thumb noses at critics— all at once.

The video chronicles the company’s history and how the new Carrera evolved into what it is today, making a point to be clear that their goal is to maintain a distinctly Porsche look while constantly improving the smallest details year over year. You can decide for yourself and watch the video below.

GALLERY: 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera

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And the world’s fastest hybrid is? The Porsche Panamera Hybrid S? Sure… that sounds believable, especially after watching the teaser video below. But wait…

The hybrid Porsche sedan isn’t the only car in the clip below. Watch carefully at the 0:15 mark and you’ll see the reflection of another car in the Porsche’s shiny paint. Why yes…. that is an Infiniti M35h.

Infiniti already pulled a stunt in the UK to promote the M35h as the world’s fastest accelerating hybrid, but since then Porsche has released its new 380 hp gasoline-electric sedan with a claimed 0-60 time of 5.7 seconds.

So which car is actually faster? You can check back on January 23rd to find out.

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What do the Porsche Panamera and Nissan Juke have in common? Answer: the ability to love them only after you’ve driven them.

With styling that wouldn’t sell were it not for that Porsche badge, the German sports car maker has put its notoriously uncreative design team to work searching for a way to “modernize” the luxury sports sedan. As these new spy photos reveal, the updates will include slight changes to the front and rear bumper, as well as new headlights and taillights.

It’s not known if Porsche is planning any interior updates (one area the Panamera certainly doesn’t need improvement), nor do we know if any engine tuning will be performed. More power isn’t really necessary either, but it might help the Panamera more speedily escape from its former self.

GALLERY: 2013 Porsche Panamera Spy Photos

Japanese tuning firm Wald International has put its mark on the Porsche Panamera. After the Wald application, this Porsche is sporting the “Black Bison” treatment, which includes some tweaks in the style and performance departments.

The four-door coupe is now clad in a new carbon fiber kit that comes with a host of cool additions. Just a few include a new front fascia with sculpted air intakes, front fender air vents, a rear diffuser, a boot lid spoiler and rocker panels.

But Wald International’s Black Bison makeover doesn’t stop there. The Panamera also boasts two-tone, five-spoke lightweight alloy rims and the firm’s signature custom tail pipes. Finishing the package, Wald’s installed a lowered suspension system that brings it closer to the road and a set of bespoke floor mats.

Check out the full complement of Porsche Panamera pics after the jump.

GALLERY: Porsche Panamera Wald International

Looking to score yourself a truly one-off vehicle in America? Up for sale is this 1989 Porsche RUF CTR Yellowbird, the only aluminum lightweight variant of the Yellowbirds ever created for importation into the United States.

It comes with a hefty, but warranted price tag with a buy it now price of $279,000. This CTR is the lightest one in the world, weighing in at just 2,520-lbs and has been maintained by a professional team of Porsche experts at the 901 shop. It has had only one owner and sports 14,866-miles on the odometer.

This RUF CTR Yellowbird is powered by a 3.4L, twin-turbocharged engine with 525-hp and 475 lb-ft of torque. The engine is mated to a RUF six-speed transmission while the exterior of the vehicle sports 17-inch RUF wheels in a staggered setup. 0-60 mph is rated at 3.4-seconds with a top speed of 215-mph.

Quite possibly the ultimate vehicle for any Porsche collector, this RUF CTR Yellowbird is truly one-of-a-kind.

Check out a video of a RUF CTR Yellowbird on the Nurburgring after the break.

GALLERY: 1989 Porsche RUF CTR Yellowbird

[Source: eBay via German Car Forum]

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Porsche is celebrating a milestone of reaching two million fans on its Facebook page by unveiling a customized Cayman S featuring red-tinted photos of all their Facebook fans.

The color scheme draws inspiration from the Porsche 917 K, the same vehicle that won the company’s first overall Le Mans victory. The Cayman S will be on display at the Porsche Museum out in Stuttgart throughout this month, but if you aren’t planning on making the journey over there, hit the source link and take a look at the car yourself. You can even search your name to find yourself or zoom in at all different angles of the Cayman to see who else’s face adorn the custom Porsche.

Plus, don’t forget to become a fan of AutoGuide on Facebook here.

GALLERY: Facebook-Themed Porsche Cayman S

[Source: Porsche 2 Million Fans]

China is the new land of opportunity as businessmen gain newfound wealth from its booming economy. However, some have learned the hard way that money cannot buy happiness.

Last week, a Porsche owner was upset that his Cayenne SUV, worth a reported 2.7 million yuan, suffered a string of problems during the 2 months he owned it. Claiming that the serious problem nearly caused him to crash on two occasions, the Porsche dealership of Shenzhen agreed to fix the vehicle. Unfortunately, the problem inexplicably continued to resurface.

Although the Porsche dealer offered the owner to swap for another Cayenne, the owner demanded his money back instead. Eventually, the Shenzhen Porsche dealer submitted to the Cayenne owner’s demands under the condition that he sign a confidentiality agreement and to not disclose why he returned his Porsche. However, the agreement fell through and the Porsche dealership chose not to take back the lemon Cayenne after all. Taking matters into his own hands, the Cayenne owner decided to return his Cayenne on a flatbed truck and staged a loud protest right outside the dealer doors.

While the situation is certainly negative publicity, a senior executive from a premium car brand believes that incidents like this one would barely affect sales. As the Chinese economy continues to prosper, the demand for high luxury vehicles will not slow down.

Last year, a similar protest story involved a disgruntled Lamborghini Gallardo owner that hired a bunch of men to publicly destroy his defective Italian sports car on China’s World Consumer Rights Day.

[Source: China Car Times]