Porsche Celebrity Cars

If you are a fan of 1980s science fiction cinema, you will love what Porsche has done, in order to celebrate ‘Back to the Future” day. At the same time, Porsche is celebrating the Electrify America and Europe Ionity charging networks exceeding 1.21 gigawatts. What’s the connection, you’re asking? In “Back to the Future”, the time-traveling DeLorean required the same 1.21 gigawatts in order to run “back to the future”. Now, the future is here.

LeBron James is one of the most famous people in the world. The Porsche 918 Spyder is one of the most recognizable supercars in the world. Put those two together and you might as well add a neon yellow sign with the words “NOTICE US!” into the mix.

That’s exactly what happened to the four-time NBA champion, who was spotted cruising down a highway in Los Angeles in a Porsche 918 Spyder. Naturally, an eagle-eyed individual took to Instagram to post of his chance encounter with the King, who graciously reciprocated with a shaka sign or, as it’s sometimes known, a “hang loose” sign before speeding off into the distance.

Years ago, Lara’s days were busy as she was doing all the high-paced driving for top-rank female Hollywood movie stars such as Julia Roberts, Mary Louise Parker, and Jennifer Connelly. They all looked tough on the big screen, but she was toughing it out for real, during takes. Now, Lara’s still as busy as ever, although now she’s gained a different kind of notoriety, as a female Porsche lover in a world where most people who buy Porsches and adore the brand from Stuttgart are men. That’s why you’ll find her on Instagram as @thatporschegirl.

You may remember that back in early 2016 we covered Jerry Seinfeld’s announced auction of several of his classic Porsche models - all of which eventually sold for some $22-million in total. One of the cars he sold then has been proven to not be authentic and he’s now being sued for $1.5-million.

The death of Paul Walker almost four years ago still leaves a bad taste in a lot of people’s mouths. Well, if closure is what we need, we might have finally gotten it after the late actor’s daughter, Meadow Walker, has come to a settlement with Porsche, finally putting to bed the wrongful death lawsuit she filed against the German automaker.

Details of the settlement are kept confidential, but a report from ABC News indicates that the two sides have agreed on the course of action. Separately, Porsche also settled a different lawsuit filed by Paul Walker’s father, Paul Walker III, the acting executor of the late actor’s estate. The settlement isn’t going to bring Walker back to life, but it does go a long way in both parties finally putting all enmities to rest. It certainly didn’t look that way when Meadow Walker filed her lawsuit in 2015, claiming that the Porsche Carrera GT that Walker was riding in when it crashed and burned lacked the safety features that would’ve saved her father’s life. Porsche soon rebutted Walker’s allegations, saying that the actor "knowingly and voluntarily assumed all risk, perils and danger in respect to the use of the subject 2005 Carrera GT,“ before adding that any alterations, abuse, and misuse of the Carrera GT “caused or contributed to the incident and to Mr. Walker’s death.”

There’s no question that the legal battle between Meadow Walker and Porsche looked as if it was going to get ugly at some points. Both sides stood their ground and from afar, it became quite uncomfortable for a lot of people to choose sides between the two. Fortunately, the settlement eventually won out and all parties involved - Meadow Walker, Porsche, and those directly and indirectly involved in all of the proceedings - can now move on and leave all the legal mess behind. It’s been a long four years for those people and I can only hope that they can find peace knowing that this dark chapter in their lives is now on the verge of getting closed.

And for his part, Paul Walker deserves to rest in peace. Now that he knows that his daughter will get hers, he may finally get to do that. We all still miss you though, Paul. Look what the Fast and Furious franchise has become without you.

Meadow Walker, the 17-year-old daughter of the late Paul Walker, through her attorney, Jeff Milam, has reached a settlement with the estate of Roger Rodas amounting to $10.1 million over the death of her father. The settlement was actually reached in November 2014, one year after Walker’s death, but went unnoticed over the next 17 months, likely due to it being filed under “Meadow W.”

According to a statement released by Milam, the agreed-upon amount covers “a fraction of what her father would have earned as an international movie star had his life not been tragically cut short.” Walker’s tragic death happened in November 2013 when Rodas lost control of a 2005 Porsche Carrera GT that was traveling at speeds of as much as 93 mph. The Carrera GT ended up slamming into trees and a utility pole before burning beyond recognition. Numerous investigations about the crash determined that Walker survived the impact but was burned to death.

With this case apparently closed, the younger Walker and her legal team are turning their attention towards a separate lawsuit filed against Porsche AG. A separate lawsuit filed by Rodas’ widow, Kristine Rodas, against Porsche ended with a federal judge ruling in favor of the automaker because there was not enough evidence to support Rodas’ claim that the Carrera GT’s suspension had failed and that it didn’t have a racing fuel cell and crash cage.

For its part, Porsche has repeatedly maintained that it shouldn’t be held liable for Rodas and Walker’s death, arguing that the crash that led to Walker’s death was the fault of the actor because “knowingly and voluntarily assumed all risk, perils, and danger.” Porsche added that the Carrera GT Rodas drove was “abused and altered” and was “misused and improperly maintained.”

Meadow Walker’s lawsuit against Porsche is still ongoing, but if the results from the Rodas suit are any indication, her lawyers will need to present more competent evidence against Porsche to show that there was some wrongdoing on the part of the German automaker.

Continue after the jump to read the full story.

Back in January 2016, Jerry Seinfeld announced he decided to part with no fewer than 16 Porsches and two Volkswagens from his massive collection. Described as "one of the finest Porsche collections ever assembled" by Gooding & Company, the selection included many rare models that Seinfeld claimed to be “the best examples that exist in the world”. The collection hit the auction block at the Amelia Island Auction in Florida on March 11th and sold for a whopping $22 million.

The star of the auction was a 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder, which sold for $5.35 million. The 1973 917/30 Can-Am race car changed hands for $3 million but, while it may seem like a lot, the Sunoco-liveried racer was actually estimated to fetch $5 million. A 1959 718 RSK also failed to meet expectations, selling for $2.86 million instead of $4 million. On the other hand, the 1974 911 Carrera 3.0 IROC RSR went for $2.3 million, over the initial estimate of $1.2-$1.5 million. Three more vehicles sold for seven-figure amounts: a 1990 962C race car for $1.65 million, a 1958 356 A 1500 GS/GT Carrera Speedster for $1.54 million, and a 1994 964 Turbo 3.6 S Flachbau for $1 million.

As for the two Volkswagens, Seinfeld got a $99,000 check for a 1964 Microbus and received $121,000 for a 1960 Beetle. The latter broke the record and became the most expensive Beetle ever auctioned.

One vehicle, the 2000 GT Prototype, failed to sell. One of only two built by Porsche, the non-drivable prototype was estimated to trade between $1.5 million to over $2.2 million. It looks like Seinfeld will have to keep it a bit longer.

Continue reading for the full story.

Jerry Seinfeld may be known for being one of funniest comedians in the business, but those in the auto industry also recognize him as one of the most famous Porsche collectors in the world. The star of the legendary sitcom bearing his name reportedly owns up to 50 Porsche models from a number of different eras. It’s laughable to think that Seinfeld’s collection of Porsches is so impressive that he can auction off 16 of his Porsches and still have a collection that’s the envy of every auto collector in the business.

This isn’t a joke. Jerry Seinfeld really is auctioning off a part of his massive auto collection at the Amelia Island Auction on March 11, 2016 in Florida. In addition to the 16 Porsches, he’s also auctioning off a 1960 Volkswagen Beetle and a 1964 Volkswagen Camper, two old school VWs that are expected to get serious bids themselves.

But, the real prizes here are the Porsche models, some of which will probably net bids in the seven figures. Without jumping into every one of the 16 Porsches, a few do stand out for obvious reasons. There’s the 1966 Porsche 911, a card-carrying member of the first-generation 911 models that have come to be known today as the 911 Classics. There’s also the 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0 IROC RSR, one of only 15 models in existence. The car traces its origin to 1973 when Roger Penske ordered 15 911 Carreras that Porsche built specifically for the International Race of Champions (IROC).

How about the 1973 Porsche 917/30 Can-Am Spyder, arguably the most powerful Porsche sports car racer to have ever been built? A lot of people may be too young to remember, but the 917/30 packed a twin-turbocharged, 5.4-liter, 12-cylinder engine that could produce as much as 1,200 horsepower. It really was the wildest race car for the wildest racing series of its time.

Then there’s the coup de grâce of the collection, which is saying a lot considering the other Porsche models that haven’t been mentioned. It’s a 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder, a car that has proven to be a million-dollar seller at an auction setting. In fact, one of its brethren sold for a staggering $3.685 million at the same venue back in 2012. That was four years ago. Care to imagine what Seinfeld’s haul is going to be on this car alone?

Continue after the jump to read the full story.

Meadow Rain Walker, the 16-year-old daughter of Paul Walker, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Porsche. The lawsuit claims the Carrera GT Walker was riding in when he died had design flaws that made it unfit to be driven on the road. Walker’s lawsuit also claims the Porsche supercar “lacked safety features” that could have saved the life of her father and his friend, Roger Rodas, when the Carrera GT caught fire after hitting a pole back in November 2013. The crash and resulting fire burned Walker and Rodas.

Shortly after the filing of the lawsuit, Porsche responded by maintaining the Carrera GT’s innocence in the crash, pointing to the investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department that concluded that the crash that killed Walker resulted from “reckless driving and excessive speed.” The company did say that it had not reviewed the lawsuit, but declined making comments relating to the case.

Regardless of the validity of the lawsuit’s claims, it’s hard not to understand why Meadow Walker has filed it. She lost her father in a car that has earned a reputation for being impossible to drive despite the amount of technological features it had when it was launched in 2004. Former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson compared the car’s handling to being on the “knife’s edge” during a review of the Carrera GT back in 2008.

On the flip side, Walker, Rodas, and everybody who has driven the Carrera GT know what the supercar is capable of. Proper caution should have been of utmost importance, especially if it was going to be driven out in public. The results of the investigation have already cleared Porsche and the Carrera GT from any responsibility, so it’s going to be interesting how this case moves forward.

Continue reading for the full story.

During early testing, Porsche 918 Spyder prototypes could be seen wearing the classic Martini Racing livery, but one of the latest versions Porsche’s hypercar wears the iconic red, white and blue livery of Brumos Racing.

Unveiled recently by former Brumos driver David Donohue during a ceremony at the Brumos Porsche showroom in Jacksonville, FL, this one-off 918 was designed by none other than Hurley Haywood. Even better, the ceremony had the car displayed alongside Haywood’s 917-10 Can-Am car, which just so happens to be the first Brumos racecar to feature the now-signature livery.

Like this 917-10 and subsequent Brumos Racing cars, the 918 Spyder unveiled in Jacksonville has a bright white paint job with the signature red and blue racing stripes running along the top and sides of the car. Inside, the dark leather seats have contrasting Guard Red piping and the 918 Spyder logo embroidered into the seat backs in a special Brumos Blue stitching. Add up all of these custom touches, and this particular Porsche 918 Spyder had an MSRP of $1,011,075.

Continue reading to learn more about the Porsche 918 Spyder.

What’s this? The new Porsche 911 GT3 RS lapping the Nurburgring? Again? Why would Porsche bring the GT3 RS back to the Green Hell more than a month after unveiling it at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, and why is former F1 driver Mark Webber behind the wheel? Well, for a moment there I thought the Germans were looking to set a new track record, but, according to the car paparazzi who sent us these spy shots, it turned out that Porsche and Webber were just making a promotional video for the new sports car.

The scenario makes sense given the GT3 RS is painted in the new and flashy Lava Orange, the nameplate’s new presentation color. Also, Webber’s presence for the shooting isn’t surprising considering the Australian has been a Porsche works driver in the World Endurance Championship since 2014.

There’s no word when this new video will hit the Interwebz, but, until then, there’s plenty of fun you can have in the car’s newly launched online configurator. The GT3 RS goes on sale later this year, from $175,900.

Continue reading to learn more about the Porsche 911 GT3 RS.

Some know tennis megastar Maria Sharapova for her aggressive style of play and somewhat exaggerated grunting, while others also see her as one of the most formidable women tennis players in history. Either way, she is an exceptional, athlete and her association with Porsche as a brand ambassador is not surprising at all. Regardless, you might agree that her speech in this Porsche commercial lacks enthusiasm, and takes some of the gravity from the "outperform yourself" message.

Sharapova is ruminating about how her only opponent is actually herself, during which she is either driving a blue Porsche 911 Turbo S or training on the beach. While in the beginning of the ad we see her completely focused, whether she is driving into the night or stretching before a run, the end shows her smiling for the first time, just as the sun comes up. The commercial is not exactly bad per se, but other than the beautiful shots of the 911 Turbo S (enough by itself, says I), I wasn’t too impressed.

As some of you know, Maria Sharapova signed a three-year deal with Porsche to be its brand ambassador back in 2013, and this is not the first time that she has been linked with a global campaign for the sports car maker. Hopefully, for her next one she will show a bit more fervor with her acting.

I, for one, am proud of every single owner of a great, unique or exotic car who drives them regularly. These cars are special, and they get people interested in automobiles. It is also a special experience to see something so cool and rare in the car world go rolling down the street. Sadly, as there are other cars on the road, there can be damage to these nearly priceless pieces of automotive history. Case in point is Jerry Seinfeld and his 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RSR.

Jerry is an avid car collector and Porsche enthusiast, but last week he sat and witnessed someone back into his pristine 911 RSR that was parked on the street. In a recent story in the Page Six section of the NY Post, Jerry recounts the entire terrifying, metal-crunching moment. He was sitting on a bench directly across the street from his parked car enjoying some coffee and the company of friend Nacho Figueras when the incident occurred. An older woman in a white BMW went to parallel park in the sport directly in front of the historic 911, but proceeded to back directly into the Porsche.

What followed was an obviously heated argument that ended with the woman fleeing the scene without providing any information for Jerry to use for insurance.

Thankfully, the car doesn’t seem to be destroyed, rather just mangled slightly, and I am sure Jerry will have it repaired and back on the road soon. Still, for a car that is only one of 49 in the world, it can be quit disheartening to see it meet the rear bumper of another car.

You can read the full account given by Jerry Seinfeld on the Page Six site linkedbelow.

Don’t let this stop you from driving these things, Jerry. We still love to see them, even if they get a little banged up from time to time.

Click past the jump to read more about the 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RSR

We all knew that this would happen eventually. The only question was when it was going to go down. Six months after Paul Walker and Roger Rodas lost their lives in a car crash involving the latter’s Porsche Carrera GT, Rodas’ wife, Kristine Rodas, has filed a lawsuit against Porsche claiming that the design of the rare supercar contributed to the high-speed accident that caused the car to go up in flames.

In her lawsuit, Rodas argued that the Carrera GT was, for all intents and purposes, unsafe for its intended use "by reason of defects in its manufacture, design, testing, component and constituents." Rodas also contends that her husband was driving the car at only 55 mph at the time of the accident, contrary to the Los Angeles County Sheriff department’s investigation, which found the accident to have been caused by speed with investigators estimating that Roger Rodas was driving at speeds between 80 to 93 mph before the crash.

Shortly after the crash, Porsche even sent its engineers to investigate the Carrera GT’s remains only to find that the car itself had no problems.

It’ll be interesting to see whether Kristine Rodas’ lawsuit against Porsche has a leg to stand on. We are by no means trivializing the situation and we’re not going to disrespect her for taking this step. We just don’t see her winning this suit based on the results of the police’s investigation.

Maybe Porsche will just avoid the whole thing with an out-of-court settlement. We don’t know if she’s going to accept those terms, but at this point, you might have to take what you can get.

Click past the jump to read more about Paul Walker’s crash.

We actually don’t know who made out better between Mark Webber and Maria Sharapova. On one hand, the tennis star had an opportunity to ride shotgun in a Porsche 918 Spyder with one of the best race car drivers in the world behind the wheel. On the other hand, Mark Webber got to drive with Maria Sharapova. See where the struggle comes in?

That being said, it was pretty neat to see two star athletes from different sports share in the experience of enjoying one of the most exotic cars in the world today. The promotional drive happened during the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, and by the looks of things, both Webber and Sharapova seemed to enjoy the experience of being inside the 2014 918 Spyder and all the things that’s made it into a modern-day icon in its own right.

Maybe her experience in the 918 Spyder motivated Sharapova to beat Ana Ivanovic to win the tournament for the third consecutive year. She also received a Porsche 911 Targa for her victory, although after watching this video, she probably would have no problem trading the 911 up for a 918 Spyder.

A quick reminder that the 918 Spider is the newest hybrid supercar from Porsche that cranks out an amazing 887 horsepower and 940 pound-feet of torque. This allows it to hit a top speed of 211 mph (93 mph in full-EV mode) and 62 mph in just 2.8 seconds.

There was lots of speculation surrounding the death of Paul Walker. Some said the Carrera GT may have had a mechanical failure, some thought maybe the driver was under the influence, some thought Walker survived the crash only to die in the resulting fire and others thought maybe this was all the result of a street race gone bad. Well, the investigators checking into the crash have released their findings and we found that none of these scenarios are true.

Plain and simple, it was pure speed that was the demise of Mr. Walker. According to the report, the Carrera GT — a notoriously difficult sports car to drive — was doing between 80 and 93 mph when it collided with the power pole, which meant they were traveling well in excess of the posted 45-mph speed limit — there was no evidence of a street race though. Walker broke his wrist and arm, and fractured his jaw, collarbone, pelvis, ribs and spine in the accident. Because Walker only had "scant soot" in his trachea, investigators believe it was not smoke or fire that killed Walker.

Both the Driver (Roger Rodas) and Walker were wearing their seat belts, and the airbags deployed as designed. Unfortunately, the Porsche was traveling way too fast when it impacted the pole for either to do any bit of good in saving their lives. The only mechanical issue on the car was the fact that the tires were nine years old, and the rubber may not have been in the greatest of condition for handling that type of speed.

At the very least, this closes up the Paul Walker case and affords us the chance to look at his impact in the world rather than focusing on what killed him.

RIP, Mr. Walker...

Click past the jump to read more about Paul Walker’s death and how it affected "Fast & Furious 7."

On November 30, 2013, Paul Walker was involved in a horrific crash that cost him his life. Back then it was not known how Roger Rodas — the driver at the time of the accident and former race car driver — lost the control of the Porsche Carrera GT. It was pretty clear that speed was the main factor, but there was no official cause provided by the police.

Now, according to the final report from the L.A. County Coroner’s Office, it looks like the Carrera GT was driving at more than 100 mph before the moment of impact. Police officials said that the car was headed east on Hercules Street "at an unsafe speed, approximately 100+ mph," lost control for some "unknown reasons," and hit both a tree and a light post. The car then spun around another 180 degrees, hit another tree and burst into flames.

The same report stated that Rodas was not under the influence of any drugs or alcohol.

After his death, Universal Studios announced that the release date for the new series in the Fast and Furious franchise was moved from July 2014 to April 10, 2015.

This final piece is hopefully the final piece of news regarding this tragedy and serves as a reminder that no matter how good of a driver you are and how awesome the car is, always save the crazy driving for the race track...

Click past the jump to watch a cool tribute to Paul Walker.

Many people would do just about anything to get something that was once owned by a celebrity, but what this man — and we use the term "man" loosely — did is beyond imagination. Eighteen-year-old Jameson Witty took it upon himself to to own a piece of the 2005 Porsche Carrera GT involved in Paul Walker’s fatal accident.

Wanting to own a piece of the car that a celebrity was killed in is creepy enough, but Witty went a step beyond creepy and entered the complete douchebag realm in the way that he went about procuring this morbid memorabilia. According to the reports, Witty and an accomplice followed the tow truck that scooped up the Porsche’s remains and stole the Carrera’s roof panel (pictured above) while the truck was stopped at a red light. That, folks, is not only stealing, but it is also interfering with a police investigation and tampering with evidence.

According to police officials: "A witness saw a male exit a vehicle that was following the tow truck. The male grabbed a piece of the wrecked Porsche off the tow truck bed.’

Witty was arrested at his residence in California were the police found the red roof panel. Witty’s accomplice has already been identified, and he is currently arranging to surrender to police.

Both of them risk being charged with felony grand theft. We think it is safe to assume that the courts will give them probation, given the fact that they will receive plenty of punishment in the public sector. The comments on Jameson Witty’s iPhoneogram account show just how people feel about his stealing this piece of evidence.

Click past the jump to read more about Paul Walker’s tragic accident.

Today we come to you with a heavy heart with the announcement that Paul Walker, one of the stars of the Fast and Furious series, has died in a car crash. Earlier on Saturday, there were rumors that he had perished in a car accident, but the horrible news was confirmed Saturday at 10:14 p.m. on his official Twitter page.

According to the report and witness statements, Walker was a passenger in a red Porsche Carrera GT, which was driven by a friend of his. The car was apparently speeding, per the Los Angeles Sherrif’s Department’s report, and it slammed into a light pole.

By the time EMTs and other emergency personnel arrived on the scene, the Porsche was engulfed in flames. Walker and his friend, whose name was not released, were pronounced dead at the scene.

Paul is survived by a 15-year-old daughter and leaves millions of Fast and Furious fans with a heavy heart. Numerous Fast and Furious cast member expressed their emotions through various social media sites, including Vin Diesel, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges and Tyrese Gibson. He was just 40 years old...

Update 12/1/2013 10:20 a.m.: Reports are suggesting that the driver of the Porsche was Roger Roda, who was a close personal friend of Walker’s and a professional racecar driver who had participated in the Pirelli World Challenge. The crash occurred following a charity event that the two attended.

If you are not a big soccer fan, then the Andre Wisdom name says pretty much nothing to you; well, don’t worry you are not the only one. Long story short, the 20-year-old Wisdom plays for Derby Country, UK.

He may be top notch at putting a ball past the goal keeper, but his driving skills definitely need a little "refinement."

Last week he found himself in a bit of "trouble" while trying to find his way to Pride Park for his team’s match with Sheffield Wednesday. Apparently, Wisdom stopped at a shop to buy some drinks before the game, and, as he was unfamiliar to the place, he set the coordinates of the Pride Park to his Porsche Panamera’s navigation system.

The only problem is that instead arriving to Pride Park he ended up on a very muddy road where he got his rather pricey Porsche stuck. Fortunately, he was discovered by a mountain biker six miles from Pride Park and a Jeep Cherokee came to tow the luxury sedan from the deep muck.

Let;s just hope that he is better at playing soccer than realizing he is driving down a road that the Panamera simply is not equipped to handle.

Click past the jump to read more about the Porsche Panamera Turbo.

During this weekend, Chris Brown was involved in a pretty serious incident. According to the first statement he offered to the police, he was on his way to a charity event when he was cut off by two paparazzi cars. The men from the two cars jumped of the cars with cameras in their hands and approached Brown’s car in "an aggressive way."

Trying to escape from this situation, Brown backed down an alley, and because two additional paparazzi cars cut him off, he lost control of his car and crashed into a wall. According to police reports the incident occurred in the 600 Block Bedford Drive/Camden Drive alley at about 12:30 p.m.

Luckily for Brown, he was not hurt in the incident, but we cannot say the same about his car - a Porsche Turbo S - which he requested to be towed from the scene.

We don’t know what you think, but we see a big lawsuit against those paparazzi, and for sure they will need to pay more than the car’s repair.