Porsche: Someone May Have Tampered With Our Engines

Officially, the word is “manipulated.”

That’s what Porsche suspects, and the ominous presence in this plot is apparently calling from inside the house. According to a German newspaper, the automaker has launched an internal investigation into possible manipulation of its gasoline engines.

This isn’t a case of after-the fact tweaking, which would only get a car’s owner into hot water. In this matter, it’s the automaker who could be found liable for rule-breaking.

Bild am Sonntag (via Reuters) reports that Porsche has notified Germany’s federal motor transport authority and the Stuttgart prosecutor’s office about the possible tampering, as well as authorities in the United States. The issue apparently surrounds changes to both software and hardware controlling exhaust function and unspecified engine components.

If this sounds an awful lot like the emissions-tampering scandals of the past half-decade, you’re not alone. Volkswagen Group and Daimler have both found themselves in the crosshairs of regulators for tinkering with engine management systems in the hopes of eking out additional power and fuel economy at the expense of tailpipe emissions. Those efforts, however, usually took place on diesel engines.

The report claims the suspected manipulation took place on engines developed between 2008 and 2013, singling out the storied 911 and Panamera as models potentially afflicted.

“Porsche is regularly and continuously reviewing technical and regulatory aspects of its vehicles,” a Porsche spokesman told Reuters. “As part of such internal examinations Porsche has identified issues and has, just like in the past, proactively informed authorities.”

In the wake of Porsche’s notification of trans-Atlantic authorities, Bild am Sonntag claims the KBA has already launched a probe.

[Image: Porsche]