---
title: "Weekly Wire for July 29: Ecclestone’s Mother-in-Law Kidnapped, Porsche 911 Staying Gas-Powered, and the Corvette Grand Sport is Perfect"
description: "A good week for internal-combustion engine fans, a bad week for the Formula One boss."
date: "2016-07-29"
modified: "2016-07-29"
authors:
  - name: "The Drive Staff"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/the-drive-staff"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/article/4628/weekly-wire-for-july-29-ecclestones-mother-in-law-kidnapped-porsche-911-staying-gas-powered-and-the-corvette-grand-sport-is-perfect"
categories:
  - "News"
tags:
  - "911"
  - "Bernie Ecclestone"
  - "Corvette"
  - "Coupe"
  - "luxury"
  - "porsche"
  - "sports car"
---

# Weekly Wire for July 29: Ecclestone’s Mother-in-Law Kidnapped, Porsche 911 Staying Gas-Powered, and the Corvette Grand Sport is Perfect

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/archive-images/072916-drivewire-weekly-tn_0.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

This week in the news being covered on the Weekly Wire, Formula One boss [Bernie Ecclestone's mother-in-law has been kidnapped](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/4570/was-bernie-ecclestones-mother-in-law-kidnapped-in-brazil>) from her home in Sao Paolo, Brazil, with the kidnappers reportedly requesting £28 million in ransom money. Porsche's 911 product development chief tells the press that, while the carmaker could build a hybrid or [electric version of the iconic rear-engined sports car](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/4573/drive-wire-for-july-26-2016-dont-expect-an-electric-porsche-911-anytime-soon>), he doesn't see much of a place for it in the market right now. And chief auto critic Lawrence Ulrich opens up about the near-perfection that is [the 2017 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport](<https://www.thedrive.com/new-cars/4579/the-corvette-grand-sport-is-the-thinking-mans-vette>), the 'Vette combining the Stingray's bourbon-smooth naturally-aspirated V8 with most of the Corvette Z06's aerodynamics and sticky bits.

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