Opinion - page 24

Porsche’s 718 Cayman and Boxster, will soon go electric! It marks the end of an era for these mid-engine sports cars. So If you’re looking for an entry-level German sports car, the gas-powered 718 still remains a solid choice and this may also be your last chance to snag a brand-new example with gasoline power.

Ford introduced its most powerful Mustang, the GTD, back in August 2023 and made it to the headlines because of its claimed 800+ horsepower 5.2-liter supercharged V8. The Mustang GTD is a more hardcore version of the already impressive Mustang Dark Horse and has a starting MSRP of a whopping $325,000, which is almost the price of a Ferrari 296 GTB hybrid supercar.

Porsche celebrated the 60th birthday of the 911 in 2023, and the 911 S/T was the cherry on top. This throwback pays tribute to the fire-breathing S/T models of the late 1960s but with a modern twist. This lightweight model prioritizes driver engagement. Under the hood? That glorious, naturally aspirated 518-horsepower 4.0-liter boxer six from the GT3 RS, mated to a six-speed manual. Tipping the scales at just 3,056 pounds making it the lightest 992, the S/T sheds weight with carbon fiber everywhere from the hood to the doors. It sprints from 0-60 mph in a scorching 3.5 seconds and tops out at 186 mph. Only 1,963 are destined for production, and the price tag is a cool $290,000. 


Let’s face it, most Porsche people live in a world of meticulously maintained flat-sixes and the intoxicating symphony they unleash. But what if you crave a different kind of symphony? One with a high-strung, VTEC-fueled chorus? Well, I’m about to dive headfirst into a world that’ll make purists cringe: K-swapping a Porsche. Yes, you read that right. We’re talking about ripping out that iconic flat-six growl of a 996 or 997 and replacing it with the symphony of a Honda K-series engine. Blasphemy? Maybe. But hear me out, because this unorthodox setup can unleash huge gains.

Picture this: It’s the early 2000s, and Porsche, the iconic sports carmaker, is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. Desperate times called for desperate measures, and the company took a gamble that would change everything. Enter the Cayenne, a sporty SUV that raised eyebrows and turned heads. Purists scoffed, but Porsche knew what they were doing. Porsche saw the potential in the SUV market, and three generations later, I’m glad to say that it paid off. Sharing its platform with the VW Tourage, the Cayenne wasn’t just a success; it was a lifeline, injecting much-needed cash into Porsche’s coffers and securing their future (if you didn’t know, it was the Cayenne’s success that fueled the development of the iconic Carrera GT).

Porsche’s Macan, the brand’s popular compact SUV, underwent a major transformation in 2024. We’re not talking about a simple nip and tuck here; this is a whole new animal, ditching the internal combustion engine for a fully electric powertrain (you can still get the old Macan ICE versions before 2026). Porsche initially rolled out the all-wheel-drive Macan 4 and the range-topping Macan Turbo EVs, but the carmaker quickly realized it needed to expand the lineup to cater to a wider range of buyers.

Look, I’m a sucker for a nice shade of silver, always have been. I’ve owned three cars in varying shades of grays and silver over the past 20 years. There’s a reason why classic fighter jets and sleek yachts all rock some shade of metallic grey. It’s timeless, sophisticated, and lets the car’s lines do the talking. Now to celebrate the Turbo’s five-decade legacy, Porsche is ditching the gold crest for their Turbo lineup with a new "Turbonite" accent color? Sign me up. We saw it first on the Panamera Turbo last year, a subtle hint on the trim. But at Monterey, with the introduction of 50th Anniversary 911 Turbo S? Now that’s a match. The shade is clean, a departure from the usual chromey silver. They even got New York-based Pantone Color Institute involved to come up with this shade, which is some serious exclusivity cred.

Lamborghini is on a roll, electrifying its lineup one model at a time. The Italian automaker kicked things off with the Revuelto, their first-ever plug-in hybrid supercar with a whopping 1,001 horsepower. Then came the Urus SE, a hybrid SUV that’s more than just a green machine - it’s a performance powerhouse. And let’s not forget the Temerario, the Huracan’s electrifying successor, boasting a brand-new V8 hybrid setup that churns out 907 horsepower.

We live in a world of A.I. and gone are the days where you need to be a design guru to come up with something truly unique. However, depending on the LLM (Large Language Model) and your ability to write the right prompts, you can come up with something either truly spectacular or absolutely bizarre and hilarious. I’ll admit that I haven’t been at the game long enough myself, but I’ve taken A.I. assistance to dream up everything from a compact all-electric 911 and it was just about acceptable at best. At the other end of the spectrum, you have folks who have gone about coming up with a GT3-inspired pram. More recently, I stumbled upon a Type-996 wagon that I found on Instagram, which I feel is not too bad. So let’s talk about it.

Back in 2019, Porsche finally took a leap into the electric future with the Taycan, a sleek and powerful EV that proved sports sedans could be both thrilling and eco-conscious. Seeing an opportunity to carve its own path in the electric performance sedan market, sister-brand Audi followed suit with the e-tron GT, its second electric offering after the fat e-tron SUV, built on the same J1 platform developed by Porsche.

Look, I’m not gonna lie. My heart aches a little when I think about the Porsche 911 these days. That sleek, timeless silhouette, the soundtrack from a flat-six (okay maybe just the naturally aspirated ones), the quality, and the ballistic speed, – it’s the full package, that some might call automotive nirvana. Remember back in the day? You could (almost) walk into a Porsche dealership with a wad of cash and snag yourself a brand-new 911. Sure, it was never cheap, but it at least felt attainable. Now? Forget it. Those days are long gone. Forget about showing up with a briefcase full of benjamins – they’re playing a whole different game at Porsche dealerships these days. Recent trends indicate a shift towards scarcity and acquiring a new 911, is more challenging than ever. But in 2024, prospective buyers face extensive waitlists for not only high-performance models like the 911 GT3 but also entry-level trims like the Carrera and GTS.

Some digital artists are content with basic flame paint jobs and slammed Civics. Then there’s Kyza, a.k.a Khyzl Saleem who has once again cooked up something that’ll have Porsche fanatics frothing at the mouth: a bonkers fusion of the legendary Porsche 935 Slantnose and the innovative and over-engineered Porsche 959 supercar.