Features - page 204

Not a lot of automakers have as many iconic engines as Porsche does. The German company is responsible for one of the most iconic sports cars ever made – the 911. The boxer engine is a staple across several Porsche models, but this is far from the only engine configuration Porsche knows. What makes an engine iconic? Is it the sheer power or is it the groundbreaking engineering? Perhaps the reliability or soundtrack? As it turns out, it is all of the above, and Porsche has more than a few engines that fit the bill.

There aren’t many sports cars that can match the heritage of the Porsche 911. The car first saw the light of day back in September 1963, at the Frankfurt International Motor Show. Since then, the 911 has been following the “evolution, not revolution” formula, which is why it is the only rear-engine sports car to this day. Each generation of the Porsche 911 has a version for everyone, which is why deciding on the perfect one is a difficult task.

The world of high-performance Porsche 911s can be a thrilling yet confusing entity. Among the most coveted models are those bearing the legendary "GT" designation, a badge signifying a lineage rooted in motorsport. "Gran Turismo," meaning "grand touring," refers to a time when comfortable yet capable sports cars were purpose-built for endurance racing. Porsche, recognizing the value of this proving ground, embraced GT racing early on with cars like the 356 A 1500 GS Carrera GT in 1957, followed by icons like the 356 B 1600 GS Carrera GTL Abarth and the 904 Carrera GTS.

No Porsche can truly be called slow, but then again, no Porsche is truly affordable either. The sports carmaker has long traditions in motorsport, which has nicely transitioned into its road cars. While much can be said about the Porsche 911, you need to put together a hefty sum of money if you want to buy one. The base-model 992.2 Carrera starts at $122,000 and special-edition models like the GT3 RS are over $240,000. Not long ago, you could get behind the wheel of a 911 for under $100,000, but that is no longer the case with the 992.

The Porsche 911 is one of the most iconic sports cars in the world. The first-ever Porsche 911 was launched in September 1963. It was originally known as the Porsche 901, but the name was changed to 911 after the French government objected to the use of the number "0". The 911 has undergone many changes over the years. In this article, we’ve listed out the launch month and year for every generation of the Porsche 911, including air-cooled and water-cooled models with .1 and .2 models.

Let’s face it, folks. Crossover convertibles are the automotive equivalent of a mullet: business in the front, party in the back, and a whole lotta "what were they thinking?" in the middle. A niche market indeed with a distinctive taste. Sure, the idea sounds cool on paper, but the reality, as with most things that sound too good to be true, is a bit… off as you’re about to find out. Also, since we’re a brand focused on Porsche, I wanted to explore why the German automaker never considered going down this rabbit hole.

2024 has been utterly eventful, especially in the hypercar realm, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to witness it all. It kicked off with the Bugatti Tourbillon, that wild, 1775-horsepower V16 hybrid beast, which debuted back in June. But with rumors of successors to the McLaren P1 and the Ferrari LaFerrari in the air, I knew that we’d have something along the lines of what now appears to be shaping up to be the new-age holy trinity: absolute madness.

The Porsche 911 is the flagship of the German automaker and, due to its versatility and pedigree, is often considered the best sports car ever made. That said, the 911’s future wasn’t always set in stone, and at one point even Porsche doubted the model’s longevity. While the rear-engine layout became a signature trait of the 911 – something that hasn’t changed to this day and even back then, this wasn’t a common layout. Most notable sports cars that the 911 competed with opted for the front-engine, rear-wheel-drive setup or the more radical, mid-engine layout.

Outside of the track-focused GT2 and GT3 RS, the 911 GT3 is one of the most important Porsche race-bred models with license plates, and what better way to welcome a brand-new GT3 in the same week, than when Porsche themselves put out a press release celebrating 25 years of the revered nameplate? Enter the 992.2 Porsche 911 GT3 for the 2025 model year, and we’re not getting one, but two models including the wingless GT3 Touring. Now, I’ve been keeping tabs on the developments of the 992.2 GT3 with all the spy shots over the past few months. Porsche’s teaser from Monday didn’t give away much, but the profile with all the aero upgrades did seem to tie in with all those spy shots nicely.

Given how crossovers and SUVs are all the rage these days, it is no surprise that only a handful of wagons on sale in 2024. This is strange because most wagons are more practical than sedans and pack better driving dynamics than SUVs. In the EV world, Porsche’s Taycan Cross Turismo is a great alternative to some of the gas-powered or hybrid wagons like the Audi RS6 Avant and the newly debuted BMW M5 Touring.

The history of turbocharging at Porsche is a fascinating journey that intertwines innovation, performance, and subsequently luxury, and comfort. Given that Porsche is celebrating 50 years of the 911 Turbo, I thought now would be the right time to do a quick recap of every model since the 1974 original. We’re talking tire-shredding power, and some questionable design choices (because let’s face it, the 996 wasn’t exactly a looker was it?).

Despite Porsche being one of the most iconic sports car manufacturers of all time, most of the company’s offerings these days are geared towards luxury and daily usability. What was once a company focusing on high-performance models and motorsports, now has one of the most versatile lineups in the industry, made up of sedans, SUVs, and also wagons. This includes the likes of four-door sedans like the Panamera and Taycan. Both share plenty of traits and with the next-generation Panamera going full EV, this begs the question, which one should you choose?