Future cars - page 12

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.

Porsche cars are some of the most well-engineered performance vehicles in the business. Each new model packs an extensive array of hi-tech features, aiming to make the Porsche driving experience more effortless. Those looking for the thrill of a high-revving Porsche 718 or 911 are all about the visceral driving experience, there are others looking for a more relaxed experience while still enjoying the performance that comes with a Porsche car. The company’s rear-axle steering is optional on all 911 and Panamera models, with some of the higher-end variants getting it as a standard feature. The first Porsche to feature rear-axle steering was the 2013 Porsche 718.

Monterey Car Week is almost upon us and Southern California is once again crawling with some automotive heavyweights and exotics. But an Instagram post by Comedian, Spike Feresten, sent me down a rabbit hole of mystery. Spotted on a transport trailer at the Los Angeles International Airport was a shape that undeniably screams: " 911 GT1 Strassenversion,” (street-version in German) that ultra-rare, race-bred unicorn from the 1990s. Born as a homologation special for the famed GT1 class, Porsche famously took on the McLaren F1 and Mercedes CLK GTR.

The Porsche 911 is a perfect representation of the classic sports car. The rear-engine model has been continuously evolving since its inception in 1964, and its lineage is easily traceable through its classic design. That said, under the pressure of increased safety and more modern tech, each new generation has become bigger and heavier. The 911 is no exception as the 992 generation is a far cry from the original models, barely touching 2,300 pounds. This is a follow-up to a recent interview with Porsche design boss, Michael Mauer where he talked about the possibility of a more compact 911 and a potential 911 E.V. We decided to envision a hypothetical, smaller variant of the Porsche 911 and take a look at how possible it is, and whether this will open the door for a fully-electric 911. Can the Porsche 911 as we know it co-exist with a smaller, but fully-electric version of itself?

The Porsche 911 carries one of the most iconic and recognizable designs in the automotive world. The combination of simplicity, clever engineering, performance, and relative attainability has solidified it as the ultimate, daily-drivable sports car. Classic 911s, in particular, have a fanatic cult following. They are also some of the most popular platforms to be reimagined, which is why Porsche themselves have been playing catch up. Companies like Kalmar are taking the classic, air-cooled 911 formula and infusing it with modern tech while keeping the aesthetics and overall feel as close to the original form as possible.

The latest spy shots of the upcoming 2026 911 GT3 and Touring models are out and we have some juicy details to share. But to understand a bit more about the upcoming model, we need to look back at the 991 generation GT3 first. The last time that the .1 Gen to .2 Gen upgrade happened on the GT3, was back in 2017 after a three-year gap. The 991.2 received a bigger 4.0-liter engine derived from the Porsche 911 GT3 R and Cup racing cars with an output of 500 horsepower and 339 pound-feet of torque. There were a lot of redesigned and tweaked bits to make it aerodynamically better, increasing downforce by 20% with no compromise on drag. But, the most endearing thing Porsche did was listen to their customer base and bring back the manual transmission as an option. You could also opt for the lightning-quick PDK, both systems sending power to the rear wheels. As seen on the 991 generation, given that it’s three years since the 992.1 GT3 came out, the timing for a .2 GT3 seems imminent.

Look, I’m not a fan of seeing cars turn into bloated monstrosities with every new generation. From compacts to sedans, sports cars, and even pickups, the average car has ballooned by a whopping 20% over the past two decades. That’s right, 20%! Safety, hardware, and tech – they’re all just excuses to pack on the pounds.

For 2025, Porsche did something everybody was afraid of. Fans of the 911 were worried that electrifying the Porsche 911 would make it too complex and heavy, but what ended up happening is, Porsche schooled everyone on how to make a hybrid sports car that turned out to be quicker around the Nurburgring than a 992.1 Turbo S. That’s exactly what the 2025 Porsche 992.2 GTS achieved, so we can only expect the 992.2 Turbo S would be even more bonkers when it arrives.

The Porsche 911 is one of the most iconic and recognizable and iconic sports cars of all time, and within this decade it will be an EV. However, Porsche has also claimed it will be the last of their models to be electrified. After the Macan EV, the next models to embrace electrification in the next two years will be the Boxster and the Cayman. The German brand is doubling down on its commitment to the electrified future, as evident with the discontinuation of several ICE models in Europe, including the Macan, Boxster, and Cayman. According to Porsche CEO Oliver Blume, the brand already has received 10,000 orders for the Macan EV which will be released in the second half of 2024.

Toyota is hard at work reviving iconic nameplates, and luckily for enthusiasts, this also extends to the brand’s sports cars. We have been hearing about Toyota MR-2’s return since 2019, but until a few months ago, we didn’t have any concise information. Reports from Japanese outlets were gradually revealing details about Toyota’s soon-to-be-revived, mid-engine sports car. In stark contrast to what we initially believed, the new MR-2 will not be a budget-friendly model, co-developed with Daihatsu and Suzuki. This turned out to be Toyota’s S-FR, which will also be sold as the new Suzuki Cappuccino and Daihatsu Copen and would compete with Mazda’s MX-5 Miata. This puts the MR-2 in a whole other league, and judging by the performance figures revealed, it would also likely be able to keep pace with most variants of the Porsche 718. Maybe even outperform it?

With Automobili Rimac taking over Bugatti in 2021, the world expected the Chiron’s successor to be a rebadged Nevera. However, the French automaker just defied expectations and has instead stuck with internal combustion. Forget, turbocharged hybrids; Bugatti has ditched the W16 and in its place has worked with Cosworth to develop an all-new, naturally-aspirated V16 engine that revs to 9,000 rpm. It produces 1,000 horsepower. Additionally, there’s a tri-motor setup with 800 horsepower and a 37-mile all-electric range. Combined, this is an analog hybrid supercar with 1,800 horsepower on tap. For the first time, we actually have a modern-Bugatti that actually sounds good. This move begs the question: with Porsche holding a fat 45% stake in the recently formed Bugatti-Rimac, could we see a similar surprise approach from the upcoming flagship Porsche, i.e. the 918’s successor?

Hot on the heels of the Macan EV, two test mules of the all-electric Cayenne were spotted testing in the Alps under heavy camouflage. Following the Taycan and the Macan, the Cayenne will be Porsche’s third EV. Now an electrified Cayenne has existed since 2010 in the form of an e-Hybrid variant, but this upcoming Cayenne will be the first to go all-electric. The Cayenne of course is one of the models that saved the Porsche brand and took the performance SUV mainstream. With the brand set to electrify 80% of its model lineup which also includes the 911 by 2030, it comes as no surprise that the German automaker is expediting the electrification of its best-selling models, the Macan and the Cayenne.