Porsche Panamera S Hybrid (2011) first pictures

This is the Porsche Panamera S Hybrid, the cleanest, most fuel efficient Porsche ever. On the official combined fuel cycle it manages 159g/km and 41.5mpg, a big improvement on the Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid’s 34.3mpg and 193g/km, and comfortably ahead of the best non-hybrid Porsche, the PDK-equipped Cayman (31mpg and 214g/km CO2). The new Porsche Panamera S Hybrid will be unveiled at the 2011 Geneva motor show in March.

Former Ford exec Theodore shows off lighter chassis at SAE

Automakers are facing tougher government regulations for fuel economy, and one former Ford and Chrysler executive says he has a solution Chris Theodore, best known for his work on the Ford GT and Dodge Viper, has designed a vehicle chassis that he says will provide automakers with weight savings, cut manufacturing costs and make electric vehicles more economically viable. Theodore is showcasing his proof-of-concept Uni-Chassis at the SAE World Congress this week. It uses the powertrain and suspension of the GT, under an agreement with Ford.

Volkswagen plans 4 million cars from one platform

Volkswagen is pushing the global-platform concept to a level unprecedented in the auto industry, introducing a modular platform this summer that eventually will be the basis of microcars, sedans, crossovers and SUVs for its four largest brands. While automakers now share platforms across brands and sometimes even segments, the VW initiative that starts this summer is far more ambitious than anything seen so far. By 2017, some analysts estimate, the MQB platform that debuts with the Audi A3 eventually will be used in 4 million units a year--close to half of VW's annual production.