2024 - page 48

Porsche purists are very particular about what you can and cannot do to a 911, especially if it is an air-cooled model. While this particular example of the German, rear-engine sports car is water-cooled, what the people at Street Bandito YouTube channel have done to it would, no doubt, irritate many Porsche enthusiasts. The Porsche 911 is considered, by many, to be the ultimate sports car that you can actually daily-drive, except maybe, the more track-focused variants like the GT3. Regardless, putting a V-8 engine, and an American one at that, into a 911’s tight engine bay is sacrilege in the eyes of the Porsche community. That said, there are certain scenarios where you could walk away with putting a pushrod V-8 engine in a Porsche 911, and this particular case comes pretty close to justifying the unusual engine swap.

Brooks Weisblat, owner of the Drag Times YouTube Channel owns some cool and fast cars. Some of these special cars in his garage include a Ferrari SF90, a McLaren 765LT Spider, and his most recent acquisition, his Guards Red Porsche Turbo S. He recently took on the legendary Tail of the Dragon mountain pass road in Tennessee, along with some of his friends. The Dragon, also known as Deals Gap, is an 11-mile world-famous stretch of road with 318 curves popular with riding and driving clubs across the world.

The 2024 Porsche 718 Spyder RS is a Boxster that has been turned up to 11. With the engine borrowed from its track-focussed sibling - the 911 GT3 RS, the 718 Spyder RS is a force to be reckoned with. It is a fitting send-off to the gasoline-powered Boxster as Porsche transitions the model to electric power. The engine makes slightly less power than the GT3 thanks to a more restrictive exhaust and tops out at 493 horsepower, compared to the GT3’s 518 horsepower. Unfortunately, it does not come with a manual gearbox, and the only transmission available is the 7-speed dual-clutch automatic which sends power to the rear wheels.

The 2024 Formula E World Championship witnessed a historic moment for Porsche. A thrilling race saw German Porsche works driver Pascal Wehrlein, crowned champion in a dramatic fight that went down to the wire. This marks a monumental achievement for Porsche, solidifying its position as a force to be reckoned with in the electric racing landscape after five seasons of relentless pursuit. Here’s a quick rundown on how things panned out in the final race.

Earlier this week, Porsche issued a press release about an upcoming top-end Panamera variant that set a new Nürburgring record. At the time, the German automaker did not reveal the specific trim that climbed to the top spot in the Executive cars class with combustion engines and hybrid powertrains. Porsche simply referred to it as the ’Panamera Top-Model’. But just a few hours back, a new video of the record-setting lap went live on Porsche’s social channels, confirming the record-setting model as the 2025 Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid alongside the announcement of the Panamera GTS. Test driver Lars Kern, a veteran of the Nordschleife set a new record with a time of 7:24.172, beating the outgoing model generation’s time by 5.64 seconds. Back in July 2020, Kern set a time of 7:29.81 minutes in the Panamera Turbo S, but later that year in November, the Mercedes AMG GT 63 S 4Matic+ managed to beat that record with a time of 7:27.800.

Porsche and toy maker LEGO, have had a long and fruitful relationship for many years. The LEGO Technic versions of Porsche’s best models are incredibly life-like and have become collector’s items that have adorned many a desk. In the past, they have collaborated to create the LEGO Model 911 GT3 RS, which is made up of more than 2,700 parts. This year, both brands are collaborating to host the Porsche 4Kids Summer Program, at the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, Germany. This year LEGO has developed a new Technic model of the Porsche GT4 ePerformance which will be the focus of the program this year.

Porsche has no shortage of iconic race cars that have dominated in motorsports, and one very race 911 model is about to be the main star at the upcoming, Monterey Auction (August 14 and 15). We are referring to the only mid-engine Porsche 911 in existence – the GT1. The low-slung supercar was developed by Porsche for endurance racing like the 24 Hours of Le Mans. What’s special about this particular 911 GT1 is that, unlike, most cars that were used in endurance racing, this mid-engine Porsche was kept in surprisingly good condition, even after scoring many racing wins. The Porsche race car was freshly listed (on July 16, 2024) on Broad Arrow Auctions, and judging by the car’s estimated value, this 911 GT1 has the potential to become one of the most expensive Porsches ever sold, at an auction.

I’m a sucker for anything with a Porsche crest on it and Porsche Design (PD) has always understood how to blend performance with pure, unadulterated style. Their design philosophy also extends to two wheels. I’m talking about E-Bikes that Porsche Design added to its product lineup in 2021. Regular E-bikes these days are about as exciting as a grocery-getter. But Porsche? They simply don’t do boring. A result of a partnership between Porsche and Rotwild, these E-bikes offer a premium riding experience and draw inspiration from iconic Porsche models like the 911 and the futuristic Taycan E.V. If you’re a Porsche fanatic, their range of E-bikes is a cool way to break a sweat, and now they’re kicking things up a notch with some new colorways and a smartwatch collab that’ll make any Porschephile drool.

Porsche is adding two more variants of the Macan EV to its line-up. Joining the Macan 4 and the Turbo announced back in January 2024, are the base RWD Macan and the 4S, which will fit between the Macan 4 and the top-of-the-line Turbo variant. The entry-level RWD version is powered by a single motor borrowed from its dual-motor siblings mounted over the rear axle. The base version also uses the same capacity battery as the rest of the line-up, a 100 kWh battery of which 95 kWh is usable. This single-motor set produces 335 horsepower and 415 foot-pounds of torque. You can boost the output to 355 briefly using launch control. The base Macan has a top speed of 137 MPH and a 0-60 time of 5.4 seconds. The base Macan is lighter by 242 pounds thanks to only having one motor, this also translates to a WLTP range of up to 398 miles.

Currently, only two brands are associated with the boxer engine layout – Porsche and Subaru. Porsche’s obsession with boxer engines began long before the iconic 911 came to be. Despite the German brand having long traditions, of using this engine configuration, it wasn’t Porsche that invented it. The boxer engine was patented by Karl Benz, back in 1896. Porsche did not start using the boxer engine layout until the 1930s, and even then, its first use wasn’t in a Porsche model. Rather, it was the budget-friendly VW Beetle, the people’s car.

Porsche has made it a point to offer a 911 for every taste. Between the different body styles, engines, and drivetrain options, there are well over 20 variants of the rear-engine sports car you can choose from. The Targa form factor goes back to the ’60s and Porsche is one of the few carmakers to continue offering this unique body style with the 911, even today. Most car companies are offering, either fixed-head coupes or traditional convertible models with retractable tops. The Targa is neither a coupe nor a convertible, making it one of the most distinctive 911 variants you can buy, without resorting to the very expensive, limited-edition models. Unfortunately, this versatility also makes the Targa the heaviest Porsche 911 you can get, but there are a few reasons why this shouldn’t deter you if you are considering one.

The Porsche 911 Dakar nameplate was revived in 2022 as an homage to the legendary 911 953 rally car that was victorious in the Paris to Dakar rally in 1984. Based on the 992.1 Carrera 4 GTS, the modern reincarnation of the Dakar has been modified to venture off the pavement. Upgrades from the factory include an adaptive lifted suspension which gives it 6.3 inches of ground clearance (with an additional lift of 1.2 inches), chunkier Pirelli Scorpion All-Terrain Tires, and metal skid plates which help protect the underside on rough terrain. As for propulsion, the Dakar carries over the engine from the Carrera 4 GTS, a 3.0-liter twin-turbo flat-six making 473 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque. The transmission of the Dakar is an 8-speed PDK automatic sending power to all four wheels.