Editing Ferdinand Piëch (section)

==Engineering==

At Porsche, Piëch initiated significant policy changes within the company. For instance, the driver's position in [[auto racing|race cars]] was shifted from the left to the right, as this provided an advantage on predominantly clockwise race tracks. After focusing mainly on producing small {{cvt|2000|cc|abbr=on}} race cars that were intended to closely resemble road cars, Porsche made a bold and risky move by unexpectedly constructing twenty-five {{cvt|5000|cc|abbr=on}} [[Porsche 917]]s, catching the rule makers at the [[FIA]] off guard. Even [[Ferrari]] had been compelled to sell his company to [[Fiat]] before making a comparable decision. Always inclined to think on a grand scale, Piëch began the development of a [[16-cylinder engine]] for the [[Can-Am]] series. It is perhaps no coincidence that his grandfather had designed a renowned supercharged 16-cylinder engine for the [[Auto Union]] racing cars in the 1930s. However, Piëch was not granted the opportunity to complete this project, as a turbocharged version of the existing 12-cylinder engine proved to be simpler, more powerful, and highly successful. Three decades later, as CEO of Volkswagen Group, Piëch championed the development of the extraordinarily ambitious [[Bugatti Veyron]], featuring a [[turbocharged]] [[W16 engine|W16]]-cylinder engine with {{convert|1001|hp|kW}} and a top speed of {{convert|407|km/h|mi/h|abbr=on}}. Although some of these specifications do not exceed those of the Porsche 917/30, they are still superior to most current racing cars. Piëch was also the driving force behind the [[Volkswagen Phaeton]] luxury saloon, which was designed to compete with other German luxury cars, although the model's sales have been disappointing.