Porsche News - page 300

If you’ve been following what’s happening in the world of Porsche sports cars, you probably already know that from 2025, the mid-engine 718 is going fully electric. While Porsche is doing a lot to ensure the internal combustion engine remains in service for as long as possible, the brand also has goals to electrify 60 percent of its lineup, by 2030. While this may not turn out as the company initially anticipated, the next-generation Porsche Cayman/ Boxster will feature a fully electric powertrain. The thought of a fully electric Porsche sports car is detested by many Porsche purists.

Richard Hammond, a.k.a TopGear’s old resident Hamster is back on DriveTribe with a juicy dilemma: Did he choose wisely? In his garage sit two shiny 992-generation Porsche 911s, but a nagging question gnaws at him – did he grab the wrong one? Specifically, should he have snagged the more versatile 911 Dakar instead of his most recent acquisition, the luxurious, but equally ballistic 911 Turbo S Cabriolet?

When we talk about open-top thrills in a sports car, the Boxster is, often, the first to come to mind. The mid-engine Porsche sports car first appeared in 1996 and was instrumental in pulling the German automaker out of financial trouble. Three generations later, the 718 Boxster remains a solid pick among open-top sports cars. The roadster’s balanced chassis and lightweight nature allow it to punch above its weight while offering one of the most unique driving experiences of any convertible. That said, the Porsche 718 Boxster is not the only great roadster out there. BMW’s latest iteration of the Z4 has been around since 2018, but it somehow isn’t talked about as much. One reason could be the rebirth of the Toyota Supra, which in its fifth generation is, essentially, a re-bodied Z4. After having the chance to experience both cars, we decided to see if the BMW Z4 is truly underrated and how it stacks up to the Porsche 718 Boxster.

Remember that whole "fully electric by 2030" strategy that Porsche implied a few years back? Yeah, they’ve already backtracked on that, with the slowdown in the EV market. It turns out that convincing everyone to ditch gasoline is harder than Porsche had anticipated. Shocking, right? In yet another development, Michael Steiner, Porsche’s R&D head honcho, told Autocar that the Panamera isn’t ditching gas and fancy gasoline-electric combos anytime soon. An electric Panamera is still coming, but those hoping for an all-electric future for the four-door Sportback might need to adjust their expectations. Frankly, I saw this one coming, given the growing popularity of hybrids off-late and how they’re now considered cool.

The 909 ’Bergspyder’ was a race car designed and built by Porsche in 1968, for dominating European hill climbing competitions. It gets its name ’Berg’ from the German word for mountain and ’meister’ for master. It is a relatively unknown model, but the technology and innovations it fostered became the base for the 908/3 racecar. The RUF Burgmeister is a modern interpretation of the Bergspyder, created from RUF’s admiration of the hillclimb legend. Based on the Type-993 chassis and resembling a speedster body, this is a car that we wanted to touch upon despite being first revealed over two years ago at the Quail. This is because the 993-Speedster is a bit of a unicorn, and several resto-modders and Porsche themselves have been taking a dig at this format off-late.

From Bentley and Bugatti to Aston Martin, we have several luxury exotic carmakers entering the realm of real estate where automotive design and architecture merge in stunning examples of glass and steel. But Porsche was one of the first brands to do so with a Porsche Design Tower back in 2017. Now, they’re back. This time, Porsche Design has teamed up with Thai developer Ananda Development to unveil the Porsche Design Tower Bangkok, the first of its kind in Asia and the third globally, following Miami and Stuttgart. The Bangkok tower boasts just 22 exclusive "Sky Villas" – think sprawling duplexes and quadplexes – ranging from a spacious 525 to a gut-busting 1,135 square meters. With a price range between $15 million and $40 million, these aren’t for the faint of wallet. But for those who can afford it, the promise is a living experience unlike any other, come 2028.

There is an obvious hierarchy when it comes to V.A.G’s subsidiary companies. Both Porsche and Lamborghini are, brands recognized for their capable sports cars. That said, over the last two decades the two performance automakers have branched out into other formats. This is especially true for Porsche, which introduced its first SUV model – the Cayenne – way back in 2002. Lamborghini was late to the SUV bandwagon (unless you’re talking Rambo Lambo, a.k.a, the LM002), albeit not as late as its main rival, Ferrari. The Italian marque from Sant’Agata Bolognese introduced the Urus for the 2018 model year, and in 2024, it became a hybrid-only model.

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.

The 991.2 Speedster was a limited-run special edition model released on Porsche’s 70th Anniversary. With just 3,585 miles on the ODO, this low-mileage example is one of just 1,948 Speedsters built. Set to cross the auction block at this year’s Chattanooga Motocars Festival, this Speedster comes with the optional $24,510, Heritage Design Package (XWW). The core design concept remains consistent with the 911 R or GT3 Touring: a sleek windshield, removable top, and the iconic double-bubble silhouette.

As a scale model car collector, I continue to yearn to buy a miniature version of some of my favorite rides. So when I saw this go-kart, I knew I had to investigate. It is built by Little Roadsters and designed to resemble a 1970s Porsche 911 cabriolet in the style of a 3.0 Carrera RS. There’s something undeniably charming about driving around in a scaled-down version of a legendary vehicle. It’s like stepping into a time machine but without the time travel.

Some cars attain more value because of who’s owned them previously. Ali Khalil of Dodi Auto Sales based in California, recently stumbled upon this 1967 Porsche 912 Targa with an interesting ownership story. While Dodi Auto claims this was owned by the then-CEO Budweiser, we can’t confirm this. However, the documentation does reveal that this particular 912 was accepted by one Mr. Roy F. Bremenour, and originally registered under Anheuser Busch FCU, the parent company of Budweiser. This car was apparently under his ownership for several years until it was stolen in the 1980s. Eventually, it found its way into the hands of the most recent owner, who lives in central California. Ali drove to his home to negotiate a price before acquiring it. The car has been maintained immaculately. This 912 is the ’soft-window’ version with the Targa top and steel roll bar which was famously added by Porsche to add structural integrity to the body.

Calling all Porschephiles out there! Forget museum displays – the Porsche Club of America (PCA) recently did a comprehensive virtual tour of a private collection in Arizona. Calling this selection of cars impressive would truly be an understatement. Now I’m someone who’s smitten by almost anything with an RS (Rennsport) badge on it, a badge that represents track-bred performance and cutting-edge engineering, going back five decades. This collection is far from your random assortment of Porsches but represents some of Stuttgart’s finest. We’re talking 33 Porsches across several generations of the 911, with almost all of them bearing that legendary RS moniker.