Its no secret that Porsche’s financials have hit a bit of a “rough patch”, which is why the company would welcome any additional sources of income. The introduction of a new entry-level roadster positioned below the current Boxster model and built along the lines of the Porsche 914 of 1960s and 70s. Wolfgang Dürheimer, research and development chief at Porsche, has denied claims the company was working on such a car, German media is today reporting that it is still a possibility.

Volkswagen has developed a mid-engined platform for its Bluesport roadster concept/production version, that may be the platform we could see if a new roadster was to be produced. Porsche production manager Michael Macht said the car could be as priced as low as €33,000 to €35,000. He also explained that this would not fit in with the company’s current market position but it could if a fifth model line was added.

Although this is still purely in the realm of speculation, and optimistic at that; the move to create a new roadster does make sense for Porsche AG. Will we see an updated “poor-mans Porsche”?

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Volkswagen warned Porsche on Monday that it would have to do a better job of explaining its finances before merger discussions could proceed, the latest indication that the talks were in trouble.

“We must systematically analyze the starting point to combine Volkswagen and Porsche, and we must get a clear idea of the true state of affairs at Porsche,” the Volkswagen chief executive, Martin Winterkorn, said in a letter to VW employees.

“We need absolute transparency with regard to the present situation,” he said in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by The International Herald Tribune. “It is in the interests of all concerned, our employees, all shareholders and our customers to ensure there is no threat to Volkswagen’s financial stability and autonomy.”

On Sunday, Volkswagen canceled a meeting of the working group responsible for details of the merger, saying “the atmosphere was not constructive” for progress. The company said no meetings were currently planned.

A Porsche spokesman, Michael Baumann, said he had “no comment” about whether the merger plans might be in trouble.

Porsche, which has a market value of about 7.2 billion euros, or $9.7 billion, ended up with debt of 9 billion euro on its way to acquiring 51 percent of Volkswagen. Last year, it entered into options contracts to raise its stake to about 75 percent, but it has never fully explained the deals, and neither Volkswagen nor corporate analysts are able to say with certainty what Porsche’s stake currently is. Porsche in January booked a one-time profit of 520 million euros on the options. …click here to read more

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The new performance diesel variant of the Scirocco GT equipped with a 2.0-litre TDI 170PS engine is now available to order. Combining effortless acceleration, made possible by 258 lbs ft of torque delivered from 1,750 rpm, and the ability to return 53.3 mpg on the combined cycle, the new model mixes style, economy and sharp dynamics.

The refined and powerful 2.0-litre common rail TDI engine develops 170 PS at 4,200 rpm and is available linked to either a six-speed manual or six-speed DSG gearbox. Both gearboxes accelerate the Scirocco to 62 mph from a standstill in 8.1 seconds and on to a top speed of 138 mph (DSG: 136), while emitting just 139 g/km (DSG: 147) of CO2. …click here to read more

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At the 24-Hour Race on the Nürburgring on May 23& 24th, Volkswagen will field two Scirocco cars with innovative natural gas engines. Following the one-two victory at the Dakar Rally in January, which Volkswagen won as the first automobile manufacturer using diesel technology in the event, the Wolfsburg brand is now taking on another technical challenge – the use of EcoFuel engines in the endurance test twice around the clock on the world’s most demanding race track.

The two Scirocco GT24-CNG 2.0-litre turbo engines powered by natural gas deliver nearly 300 hp. In addition, the “factory” team will field three further Scirocco GT24 cars powered by 2.0-litre turbo petrol engines in the classic endurance race at the “Green Hell” in the Eifel region in Western Germany.

Last year, Volkswagen clinched a one-two victory in the 2.0-litre turbo class even before the Scirocco’s market launch. …click here to read more

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This is a blast from the past but we feel this machine still deserves a mention. Tuning company Dahlbäck Racing lets a german journalist take their evil creation for a spin. Dubbed (no pun intended) the Golf RSI. We can’t understand a thing the journalist is talking about, but honestly we really don’t care. Enjoy! …click here to read more

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Volkswagen will again participate in the legendary Dakar Rally in 2010. After the one-two victory and the historic first “Dakar” triumph of a diesel-powered car this year, the automobile manufacturer from Wolfsburg will yet again take on one of the major challenges of international motorsport. “No doubt, the 2009 Dakar Rally contributed to the fact that the Volkswagen brand is now shining even brighter around the world,” said Prof Dr Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Executive Board of the Volkswagen Group, on the occasion of the “Dakar” victory celebration at the Wolfsburg “Autostadt”. “Therefore, our participation in this event is a good investment in the future of our company and that’s why we decided to again compete in the Dakar Rally in 2010.” …click here to read more

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With all of the excitement and happenings of the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, we wanted to make sure our readers have a chance to see a brief review of some of the compact cars that debuted on the first day auto show. …click here to read more

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