Features - page 120

Not everyone is a die-hard E.V. enthusiast, like myself, and I have to admit the Porsche Taycan is very convincing. It looks unmistakably like a Porsche, and more importantly, it drives like one, too. But it’s not like it got off to a bad start. The Taycan, a practical four-door sedan that offers excellent luxury and driving experience, had its limitations when it came to the driving range.

There is no shortage of bizarre project cars and this one is definitely one of the more unusual ones. NazMaz OSR, a channel on YouTube that is dedicated to cars powered by rotary engines recently showcased a very interesting project. This is especially true for those lusting after the air-cooled 911 models. Don’t let the modernized looks fool you though. Underneath, this is an early-model classic 911. For whatever reason, the owner has decided to go to town and transform it into an epic "hybrid” between a Porsche 911 and Mazda RX-7. But that’s not everything. Jeffrey, the owner of this car, has also used parts from newer 911 models to update the classic, air-cooled sports car. Some of the engineering decisions behind the build are mind-boggling, and we try to make sense of what could possibly justify turning an early-model 911 into a rotary-powered race car for the road.

Porsche prides itself on making some of the best-engineered road cars in the world. That said, electrification is becoming more wide-spread in the automotive industry and has even spread to the sports car segment. Many new high-performance models are hybrids and there are plenty of companies out there, already offering fully-electric performance cars. While Porsche is looking to prolong the life of the internal-combustion engine for as long as possible, the Geman brand’s strategy also involves electrifying 80 percent of its lineup by 2030. While this may not necessarily happen anytime soon, Porsche is about to give us its first EV sports car, in 2025.

The Porsche 993 Speedster is often described as a unicorn in the automotive world. While the German automaker has produced over 30 different iterations of the iconic 911 over the decades, the Speedster remains one of the most unique and desirable variants to date. Unfortunately, not all 911 generations exist in Speedster form, and the Type 993 is one such example. Officially, the last air-cooled 911 was never sold as a Speedster due to Porsche facing financial difficulties in the 1990s. Now, a passionate designer and Speedster collector, Luca Trazzi turned to Porsche’s Sonderwunsch program (Special Request) to bring his vision of a Type 993 911 Speedster to life.

Each Porsche 911 can be considered a timeless classic. Hardcore, classic Porsche enthusiasts will most desire the air-cooled 911 models, but sometimes, mixing old with new can be an exciting endeavor. The 911 is one of the most replicated and reimagined sports cars in the world, and while Porschephiles are extremely picky about what can and cannot be done to a 911, we believe they will get behind this super-clean build. It involves a very clean Porsche 964 Carrera that for some reason, has done away with its original, air-cooled flat-six engine. Fear not.

Porsche’s most famous sports car is the 911, but it is far from the only one the brand has ever made. Currently, the 718 is your entryway into Porsche sports cars. Like the rear-engine 911, the mid-engine Porsche 718 offers a version for any need. Four and six-cylinder boxer engines allow the compact Porsche sports car to produce anywhere from 296 to 493 horsepower. It all started with the 986 Boxster back in 1996, and since then, the mid-engine Porsche has been continuously evolving.

With 1,019 horsepower, the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT is the most powerful road-legal Porsche ever. The Turbo GT trim packs a bunch of performance upgrades to make it more agile than the rest of the Taycan line-up. The competition in the shape of the 2024 Model S Plaid continues to hold its position as one of the quickest-production EVs in the world. While the Cyber Truck is grabbing all of the headlines currently, the Model S continues to be a comfortable and luxurious choice with the bonus of its supercar-like acceleration. Both of these EVs represent the pinnacle of EV technology offered by these respective brands, but the question remains, which one is faster in a straight line?

In 1977, Porsche gave us the 928 – a more luxurious take on the German sports cars. Just two years later, at the 1979 Frankfurt Motor Show, the audience saw a Porsche 928 Targa. However, it wasn’t Porsche that made it. Sure. The German carmaker made the donor car required for the conversion, but the Porsche 928 Targa was conceived by Rainer Buchmann. The Porsche 928 was more of a comfortable cruiser that could double as a sports car, instead of the 911’s all-out performance car characteristics.

There are car collectors and then there is Torben Østergaard-Nielsen. The Danish billionaire and shipping magnate has been collecting cars since the early 90s and owns a private collection of 200+ rare and exotic cars. He is also the founder of the Selected Car Group, Denmark’s largest luxury car leasing and sales organization. As luxury cars are taxed at 150% in Denmark, leasing them is a more popular option than buying them. This makes his enterprise a highly lucrative one, which is evident in his company’s success.

When it comes to 911, there’s honestly so much choice. You can choose from a variety of trims, body styles, and powerplants and the possibilities are endless. But beyond the hype of GT this and Targa that, what about the entry-level Carrera? The 992.2 generation of the 911 is here and everyone’s buzzing about the 2025 911 Carrera GTS and its fancy T-Hybrid system. Sure, it’s got more power and all that jazz, but let’s not forget about the unsung hero of the 992.1 911 lineup: the base model Carrera. This is the one that most of us dream about, and despite prices on the upward trajectory over the past few years, the Carrera is the most attainable 911 and this latest model delivers the iconic sports car experience without breaking the bank (well, not too much).

Boxer and flat engines are a highly-uncommon sight in the modern-day automotive industry. Currently, there are only two manufacturers that continue to produce and develop boxer engines – Subaru and Porsche. The boxer engine is most commonly characterized by its flat design hence it is, often, referred to as a flat engine. The first boxer engine was developed in 1897, by Karl Benz – the co-founder of what would eventually become Mercedes-Benz. There is a common misconception when it comes to these engines. Boxer and flat engines are not quite the same. All boxer engines are flat engines, but not all flat engines are boxer engines. This misconception comes from the 1973 Ferrari 512 Berlinetta Boxer. Despite the name, it does not feature a boxer engine, but rather a flat-12 engine or a 180-degree "V-engine". Boxer and flat engines are more different than you think, and here is what sets them apart.

There is an adage ’’Boys never grow up, their toys just get bigger". I am not sure who said it originally, but after discovering this truly unique slot racing track, I can see how it could be true. A 1:32 scale replica of the Le Mans circuit as seen in the 1971 Steve McQueen film with the same name. This incredibly detailed two-lane track comes with miniature vegetation, pit stops, buildings, crew, and advertising from real companies that sponsored the teams that took part in the event back in the day. The best part is the entire structure is housed within a replica Porsche 917K body, with its iconic Gulf-Racing livery.