News - page 156

While EV hypercars haven’t exactly lit the market on fire (I’m looking at you Rimac Nevera), EV sports cars might just be the category to watch out for. Think about it, Porsche is grappling with supply chain issues for its upcoming 718 EV, and the 911 EV is still some time away. Meanwhile, Tesla’s Roadster seems like a distant dream at this point. But China? China is eating everyone’s lunch. Now, I’ve ridiculed some of their past creations for being copycats but having driven a Chinese EV myself I have to admit, that the Asian giant has come a long way not just in terms of coming up with some truly unique and original products, but also in terms of innovating across all verticals of its domestic auto market.

Oliver Blume, Porsche’s Chairman of the Executive Board, is one of the few automotive leaders who isn’t afraid to make bold moves in a rapidly changing industry. In an insightful interview with Porsche’s Christophorus magazine, Blume pulled no punches about Porsche’s strategy for the future. The key takeaways? Porsche is doubling down on electrification, staying flexible with drivetrains, and betting on synthetic fuels to ease the transition to electric mobility. Here’s why this strategy may either make or break the brand in the coming decade.

While 3D software has allowed us to let our imaginations run wild in the virtual world, 3D printing has opened up a whole new dimension with the kind of stuff that we can actually bring to life in the real world. Just about anyone with a basic 3D printer these days, can now create some truly complex and sophisticated forms, all from the comfort of their homes. It appears that’s exactly what this 911 bag seen on Facebook is all about. Sure, you probably already know about Porsche-branded bags, and depending on the quality and price, it could be from the German brand’s lifestyle division PD or from collaborations with a sportswear brand like Puma or Adidas. But the one you see here is unique because it looks like the rear end of an actual 911. Let’s dig into some of the details about what makes this particular Porsche bag different.

Be it the sleek design or the evocative howl from its F1-derived mid-engined 5.7-liter V10, the Porsche Carrera GT needs little effort to seduce any enthusiast, Porsche-phile or otherwise. Even two decades on, the 600-horsepower rear-wheel drive manual is hailed by many as the last analog supercar to ever exist. However, when it comes to gaining a reputation as being a modern-day widow maker owing to some pretty high-profile crashes, Porsche had some housekeeping to do and hopefully stave off future lawsuits. At one point, there was even a no-drive request that Porsche sent out to owners, which folks like Doug DeMuro happily ignored.

With its hair-raising corners, elevation changes, and blistering speeds, the 13-mile Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany also known as the "Green Hell," has been the ultimate test track for any performance car. For decades, European automakers like Porsche, Mercedes, and Ferrari have dominated at what is considered the world’s most demanding race track. Cracking a sub-seven-minute lap time here is truly a badge of honor. For nearly 100 years, no American manufacturer has achieved this feat. However, all this changes with the 2025 Ford Mustang GTD’s, official Nürburgring lap time of 6:57, putting this pony car in the league of elite-performance cars. Now while MotorHeads.com is all about Porsche, Ford’s record is of significance, as it was attempted in Porsche’s own backyard.

Look, I’m someone who likes things done properly. A nice cuppa, a well-maintained ride, and a good bit of tinkering with my pride and joy whenever I can. I suppose all bastions of order in this chaotic world if you will. So when something like this Rothman’s Boxster Safari monstrosity pops up on my radar (this time on Reddit) well let’s just say it ruffles my feathers a tad bit. Clearly, this creation was built for someone with an acquired taste.

Porsche revived its rally-dominating and iconic Dakar nameplate of the 1980s, as a limited-run model with the (992.1) 911 Dakar back in 2022. Now after 2,500 units, the final example has rolled off the production line as a Sonderwunsh model, which if you are unaware is Porsche’s special wishes program. Now, beyond the highlights of what makes this one-off Dakar so special, I also wanted to touch upon some of the highs and lows as we say goodbye to this modern-day rally-inspired 911.

Porsche has been churning out facelifted 911s this year faster than you can say “mid-life crisis.” This year, we’ve already seen the base 992.2 Carrera, the mental GTS, the stripped-down T, and even the track-focused GT3. But the real storm’s brewing on the horizon and the one that I’m most excited about is the Turbo lineup. Now, thanks to a leak on Porsche’s own configurator from its German site (talk about a spy’s paradise!), we’ve got a glimpse of the upcoming Turbo for the first time. It’s not much, just a rear-end shot from a video showcasing the cruise control system, but it is enough to get the rumor mill churning once again.

Porsche has made it clear: we won’t see a fully electric 911 before the end of the decade. Honestly, I’m not surprised, given an overall slower market adoption of EVs and Porsche itself backtracking on its previous goals, which were previously set to achieve 80 percent electrification by the end of the decade. In the meantime, they’re pivoting towards hybrids across its model lineup, including on its 911, with the hybrid Carrera GTS already hitting the market. The T-Hybrid system on the 911 Carrera GTS of course is a system that focuses on performance, rather than Porsche’s plug-in E-Hybrid system that is all about efficiency. Next year, we can expect the 992.2 Turbo models to join the hybrid fray.

Hot on the heels of the 992.2 GT3, Porsche has now unveiled the 2025 911 Carrera T, a lightweight and dynamic driver’s machine built for pure on-road thrills. The "T" designation stands for Touring, harkening back to the homologation of the 1968 911 T. Let’s be honest, the 911 lineup can feel a bit bloated at times. But the Carrera T cuts through the confusion like a perfectly aimed heel-toe downshift. It slots right between the base Carrera and the upcoming Carrera S, offering a taste of that GT3 spirit without the stratospheric price tag, and for the first time, you can also have the ’T’, as a Cabriolet.

The limited-run 992 Porsche 911 Dakar has garnered widespread acclaim in its short time on the market. Its most recent celebrity fan is legendary comedian and all-around car nut Jay Leno. In a recent episode of Jay Leno’s Garage, he was joined by Porsche brand ambassador Jeff Zwart as they took the 911 Dakar for a spin to see what it could really do. Straight off the bat, he calls the Dakar the most fun 911 he’s ever driven, which is high praise coming from a man with 200 cars in his collection. Jay is no stranger to the Porsche brand, having owned several rare and vintage models in the past. He owns a 2005 Porsche Carrera GT, a 1957 356A Outlaw, and a 1963 Porsche 356 Carrera 2. So it begs the question, could the Dakar really be Jay Leno’s next Porsche?

Porsche finally took the wraps off its 992.2 GT3 and GT3 Touring on Friday, and after months of speculation and that teaser image from last Monday, the final reveal seemed a bit underwhelming. Sure, dot 2 models in the Porsche world, unlike an all-new generation, are more about refining the formula based on customer feedback, and thankfully we still have the 4.0-liter flat-six and a manual on offer, but for a GT car, I was expecting more specific details along the lines of aero and engine updates or Nurburgring lap times.