by Anthony on June 17, 2009
There are many different racing video games out there, and I generally ignore most of them because they feature cars I don’t really care about. However, when I came across Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed by Electronic Arts for the PC and PlayStation 2, I thought I’d give the game a shot. 
While I understand other Need for Speed games feature a wide range of vehicles, Porsche Unleashed only has Porsches, including some from as far back as 1950! The game also includes a large amount of information about each car and even features some historical videos, which is really neat.
The game has been around for awhile—it was originally released in 2000. It works like pretty much all racing games. You can select from a number of different Porsche models and race them against computer controlled opponents on several different European tracks. There’s also a two player mode and a mode where you play as a career racecar driver. The PlayStation 2 version also allows you to race against others online.
The Porsches featured in the game are incredibly detailed and as true to the actual cars as possible. In fact, many reviews of the game note how very well done the cars are. The tracks are also faithfully reproduced. You can drive your Porsche through the Alps, in Monte Carlo, or on the Autobahn, just to name a few locations. Of course, like many games, you have to win races to unlock more cars and tracks.
by Anthony on June 15, 2009
Say it isn’t so! I was very shocked to learn that our beloved Porsche company has actually been near bankruptcy in the recent months. I, as most of you probably did, assumed that since Porsche had not released any sort of information about their finances, was not in any trouble at all. However, I was wrong.
Porsche has done great for the past few years, selling many different cars and even increasing their share of ownership of Volkswagen. It looks like they were going to take over the German company, in fact. In a time when American automakers are going under or selling off factories and car lines, Porsche appeared to have no troubles. But that wasn’t entirely true, it looks like.
The first sign of trouble was Porsche announcing that instead of taking over Volkswagen, the two were going to merge. OK, that’s not a big deal, right? Well, this was followed up by an article in a German magazine that said Porsche was near bankruptcy in March! They had to take a 700 million euro loan from Volkswagen to keep from going under, but they were still short 2.5 billion. They’ve asked the German government for a loan, in fact, to help them deal with this remaining debt. Want to hear some really scary information? Apparently Porsche has over 9 billion euros of debt, which, when translated into US dollars, is 50% more than what failing American car manufacturer Chrysler has! Here’s hoping Porsche is able to handle that debt quickly.
by Anthony on June 12, 2009
I’m always fascinated by what some people do to their cars, especially to their Porsche’s. I mean, the cars always look amazing to start with, so why paint them or add decals or anything? 
To me, a sleek, bright red Porsche blazing down the road is a beautiful sight. However, I do have to admire some of the paint jobs people give their Porsches. One of the most unique Porsches I’ve ever seen belonged to famous musician Janis Joplin.
If you’re unfamiliar with Janis Joplin, she was an American singer who was very popular during the 1960s. She started out as the singer for a band and later made a name for herself as a solo artist. Sadly, she overdosed on drugs in 1970, leaving behind a legacy of unfulfilled potential. Ironically enough, her last recorded song was titled “Mercedes Benz,” not Porsche.
But even though she sang about their competition, Joplin loved her psychedelic car. The paint job on her Porsche 356 Cabriolet earned it the name “Summer of Love.” Among the various images, the car features a representation of Joplin on one of the fenders and a bloodied U.S. flag on the boot. She bought the car used and took it to Dave Richards, a painter. The only instruction she gave him was that her astrological sign—Capricorn—had to be on it somewhere.
I have to admit, the car is an unusual sight, and I’m sure it really did stop traffic, especially once people knew who drove it. If you’re ever near the Whitney Museum in New York, stop by and check it out. It’s on permanent display there.
