Cool fast cars - page 60

Porsche’s Taycan is one of the most hyped-up and popular performance EVs on sale today. By Q4 of 2023, Porsche had sold 136,000 Taycans cumulatively. The EV sedan bumped Porsche sports car sales by 3.3 percent, despite the German brand’s overall sales having dropped by 12 percent compared to 2022. While the electric vehicle market is currently experiencing a slowdown, it hasn’t stopped other manufacturers from entering the performance EV segment with their own offerings. Take for instance Lotus, a brand typically known for its lightweight sports cars. Still, now the British carmaker is giving us the Emeya – a large, EV performance sedan that wants to steal potential buyers, from the likes of the Taycan and Tesla Model S.

Many consider the Porsche 911 to be the ultimate sports car, fit for daily use. While this may be a bit of a stretch when talking about the track-focused GT3 RS, the rear-engine sports car generally remains an aspirational model. In fact, despite the 991 being the first 911 to feature electric steering instead of a hydraulic unit (a feature many purists despise), it is still considered the last truly compact 911. For this reason, those who have driven a 992 GT3 RS after the previous iteration go back to the older model. One person, however, has done something that no one has ever done. Instead of buying a 991 GT3 RS, a guy over in England, decided to build one himself. Normally, Tesla-swapping a 991 GT3 RS would send purists into a spiraling rage, but there is a good reason why this particular car has received the electric powertrain. What you’re looking at here is actually a replica of a 991 GT3 RS, but more surprising is what the car started out as.

Porsche is a brand that doesn’t shy away from resorting to unconventional methods and innovative ways to improve performance. The company’s recent patent filings prove the German automaker’s dedication to keeping the internal combustion engine alive for as long as possible. Most conventional powerplants that rely on internal combustion have four strokes – intake, compression, power, and exhaust. However, according to Porsche engineers, the combustion engine can do with two extra strokes. This development is, as stated in the U.S. patent filings, a result of "continuously increasing requirements to increase energy efficiency and other operational aspects of modern combustion machines". The patents do not clarify whether this technology is for boxer engines or for conventional inline or V-engines, but it is safe to say Porsche’s newly developed combustion method is applicable to all existing configurations of the piston engine. But what does all this added complexity amount to? Here’s how this engine technology works and what it means for the company’s future models.

Despite Porsche making one of the most iconic sports cars of all time – the 911 – the German automaker was in financial trouble for much of its existence. It was only after the 986 Boxster and the Cayenne SUV in 2003, that Porsche managed to stave off the threat of bankruptcy. Of course, the acquisition by Volkswagen helped, and because Porsche’s lineup is a lot more diverse, for better or worse. Four-door models like the Taycan and Panamera are selling well, despite the Panamera’s recent sales drop by 25 percent.

Despite its work on e-fuels, Porsche is firmly stepping into the electrification game. The German carmaker is best known for its 911 sports car, which for 2025 became a hybrid. Porsche is adamant that the iconic, rear-engine model will be the last to go fully electric. Meanwhile, models like the Macan and Cayenne are getting a full range of fully electric variants, with the 718 joining the EV bandwagon, in 2025. There is an obvious trend in the automotive industry, where with each new generation, the cars become bigger, heavier, and more burdened with tech.

Like several other automakers, Porsche has a notable hierarchy in its model lineup. Sadly, this means that some platforms will never achieve their full potential unless independent specialists work their magic on them. Such is the case with Porsche’s entry-level performance model – the Cayman/Boxster. The fixed-head, coupe version of the Porsche Boxster is sometimes regarded as the brand’s best sports car. This is due to the mid-engine layout, which is considered superior to the 911’s rear-engine setup. That said, tradition dictates that the 911 remains the top dog in the Porsche lineup. While even the more mainstream Porsche models like the Cayenne and Panamera, feature a Turbo variant, the 718 range tops out with the GT4 RS, and the Spyder RS. So, why is it that Porsche in all its wisdom and rich motorsport heritage, decided to forgo an opportunity to create a Turbo 718? Let’s find out.

Porsche’s Boxster/ Cayman models are, often, regarded as the budget-friendly alternative to the 911. It used to be the one you get when you can’t or don’t want to spend 911 money. This isn’t necessarily the case anymore since the Cayman/ Boxster models have their fair share of high-performance versions that borrow tech straight from the 911. The 987-generation of the mid-engine Porsche (2004-2010) is particularly sought-after on the used market, and there are a couple of reasons for that.

Things are always dynamic in the automotive industry and even carmakers like Porsche, hellbent on staying true to tradition, have to resort to unconventional methods to keep some of its most iconic models around. Porsche hasn’t given up on the internal combustion engine and it will continue to give us potent internal combustion powerplants, at least, until 2030. With electrification being the main agenda of many legacy automakers (and more than a few young companies), some of them are trying to make EVs more fun by incorporating traits from combustion-powered vehicles, such as manual shifting.

TECHART is one of those tuning houses that have cemented a reputation for high-quality performance parts. Since 1987, the company has done wonders for mostly (but not only) Porsche sports cars. Eventually, TECHART expanded its work to models like the Cayenne and Panamera, but what the outfit does with the 911 is something else. Back in 2021, the German tuner introduced the GT Street R - a 992 Turbo S with more power and crazy aero. At the same time, TECHART introduced Flyweight - its new performance brand for personalization. Think Porshe’s Sonderwunsch, but from TECHART.

When it comes to reimagining and modifying Porsche cars, there is no shortage of great names that specialize in the art of making the German company’s performance models even more capable than they already are. Such treatment is not limited only to the Porsche 911 and 718 models though. The German company, Friedrich Performance Manufaktur (FPM) offers performance-enhancing treatment for all Porsche models, and one of its latest kits is dedicated to making the Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT faster than the latest, most powerful 911 we have. Of course, the 992.2 update is about to bring even more radical variants of the iconic, rear-engine sports car, but the Friedrich Performance package for the Cayenne GT gives it a 36-percent bump in power with a bit of extra torque. As you may expect, the numbers are impressive, but even more surprising is how little it takes to unleash that extra power from the Porsche SUV.

Unfortunate circumstances are just as likely to hit cars as they are people and I recently stumbled upon one such build on the web and this one is bound to raise a few eyebrows, among the classic Porsche 911 community. Air-cooled Porsches are one of those things that are considered art. Altering any aspect of them is the automotive equivalent of blasphemy. Unless, of course, you are Singer, Tuthill, or one of the other names, dealing in reimagined 911s. Essentially, what you are looking at is a Frankenstein of a car. It started as a 1976 model that was turned into a race car, and eventually, thanks to a landslide, it required a powertrain transplant. Chris Ashton from Ruffian Cars is the man behind the crazy Porsche 911 race car, and what he had to say about this build and how it um... evolved, was quite the story. More importantly, the Tesla powertrain is not where the madness of this classic 911 build ends. This also raises the question - is it better to let something die or save it through unconventional methods?

Sharing production costs between models is not uncommon in the modern-day automotive industry. It seems even Porsche’s iconic sports cars are no exception and the Porsche 981 and 991 models are a perfect example. The 911 doesn’t need an introduction as it has been Porsche’s flagship sports car since 1964, after succeeding the 356 - Porsche’s first sports car, since the company officially became a brand. That said, Porsche’s financial troubles from the 1990s, prompted the company to give us a budget-friendly model. In came the 986 Boxster, and it immediately became clear it was a cut-price, mid-engine 911, minus the rear seats. This was not the last time Porsche did this. Australian YouTuber and Porsche aficionado, Jeff Richardson took a deep dive into the 981 and 991 Porsche models to examine how much they have in common. He also bought a flooded 981 Boxster solely to dismantle it. One thing became clear to him – the extent of the similarities between the 911 and Boxster/Cayman is a lot more than you initially may have thought, and it doesn’t stop with these two models.