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Click above to view Porsche No. 1 in hi-res

If you’re a regular Autoblog reader, you’ll be familiar with the saga of Porsche’s take-over of Volkswagen. But back in the late ’40s when Germany lay in post-war shambles with its industry crippled, VW had been re-commissioned by the allies and Porsche was just getting started. Based on the mechanics designed by his father, Dr. Ferdinand Porsche led a team that crafted the very first Porsche, the original 356. That first prototype is still around, known to enthusiasts as Porsche No. 1 and destined to become the centerpiece of the factory’s new museum in Zuffenhausen on the outskirts of Stuttgart. To celebrate the company’s 60th anniversary, Porsche No. 1 is making the treacherous journey around the world to the United States.

The last time Porsche tried to bring 356-001 over to America, things did not go well. It was ten years ago when the company celebrated its milestone 50th birthday, and the car was badly damaged in Chicago. Long since repaired, Porsche No. 1 is on its way to the Atlanta headquarters of Porsche Cars North America before it makes the transcontinental journey all the way to California for the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, where it’s sure to steal the show. Autoblog will be on the links to bring you news and images of its arrival, but in the meantime you can check out the pair of images in the gallery below and details in the press release after the jump.

[Source: Porsche]

Continue reading Porsche No. 1 sets out for Pebble Beach

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Wagons/Estates, Volkswagen, Misc. Auto ShowsClick above for high-res gallery of the VW R36 Variant ConceptThe Volkswagen and Audi crew are blowing up this year’s Worthersee GTI meet in Worther Lake, Austria, first with the introduction of the A3 TDI clubsport quattro concept and damn-near production version of the TT clubsport quattro, and earlier today with the unveiling of the Scirocco GT24. But VAG isn’t stopping there. They’ve taken the wraps off of an Emeril-inspired Passat design study that kicks the already spicy R36 wagon up a notch.The 300-hp, 3.6-liter V6 remains, but the stock exhaust has been upgraded with a new cat-back unit sporting larger tailpipes. The front brakes have also been swapped out in favor of larger Brembo six-piston units and the wheels are 20-inchers pulled from the Touareg R-Line. All the chrome trim has also been removed and replaced with pieces that match the Passat’s Moonlight Blue hue. Inside, race-ready Recaros replace the softer buckets found on the standard model, and they match the two-tone, black-and-white steering wheel, shift boot and even seat belts quite nicely. Volkswagen has made it clear that the Passat R36 Variant Styling Study is exactly what its name would imply, but don’t be surprised to find some of these custom bits available through VW’s Individual program in the future.Gallery: Passat R36 Variant Styling Study….

The Stig revealed… in Belgium?
Filed under: Etc.Click above to view the video of the supposed Stig.Certain mysteries aren’t meant to be solved, and when it comes to the Stig, ignorance is bliss. But when we got a tip about Top Gear’s top test driver caught walking around without his trademark white helmet, we were simultaneously skeptical and intrigued.The Top Gear crew was caught on one of its legendary crap can races, this time with stripped-out compacts strapped to the roof, when someone wielding a video camera outside of the racetrack caught a glimpse of an unmasked driver wearing what is assumed to be the Stig’s white racing suit and carrying a matching white helmet. The blurry shots appeared on Autoblog.nl (no relation) and the speculative efforts of the Dutch enthusiast community pegged the man behind the mask as ace test driver Tim Schrick.Schrick has had his fair share of publicity, primarily doing reviews for a few German television shows (we’ve posted a video of him caning the Porsche Carrera GT after the jump), and although the screen captures above doesn’t give us a clear view of Schrick (we think he looks a bit older), it’s the most plausible theory available.The question that always pops into our minds when we hear about another spotting of the Stig is whether Top Gear employs different drivers for different segments of the show. Jeremy, May and Hammond were on the set, so it’s conceivable that Schrick is the “real” Stig, but unless other evidence is offered, we remain comfortable assuming that the Stig is part man, part machine and all bad-ass. Thanks for the tip, Laurens!

Source: Autoblog.nl