Luxury cars - page 48

The newly formed Bugatti-Rimac has already proved that it doesn’t lack the boldness to make some radical changes to the revered and historic French marque. The all-new Bugatti Tourbillon features a newly designed, naturally-aspirated V-16 engine that revs to 9,500 RPM and works with three electric motors to produce 1,800 metric horsepower. In July 2021, the Croatian carmaker, Rimac Automobili, acquired Bugatti. Technically, Volkswagen still partially owns Bugatti through Porsche, which has a 45-percent share in the French hypercar manufacturer. The Porsche connection might prove to be instrumental in making the first-ever, production Bugatti sedan, rumored to already be in the works. For better or worse, a Bugatti sedan is more plausible than you may think. Here’s why.

The 2009 Porsche 911 Carrera marks the introduction of the 997.2 generation, bringing subtle yet significant updates to this iconic sports car’s sixth generation or 997 generation. This rear-engine and rear-wheel-drive coupe is the base trim in the 911 lineup, available in both hardtop and convertible configurations. It gains a new MA1/02 3.6-liter naturally aspirated boxer-six engine with direct fuel injection, boosting output to 345 horsepower and 288 pound-feet of torque and improved fuel economy. Porsche offers two transmissions for this trim, including a standard six-speed manual and a new seven-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic transmission, replacing the Tiptronic S from the 997.1 generation.

You know that saying "built like a brick"? You often associate that saying with old Mercs from the ‘80s and ‘90s. But it appears that Porsche apparently took that literally. J.D. Power just dropped their 38th Initial Quality Study results, and guess who’s leading the chart when it comes to premium and luxury car brands? Well, it’s none other than the Stuttgart-based automaker. The study surveyed 100,000 U.S. new car buyers between July 2023 and May 2024, covering over 20 brands and 200 models. Buyers were asked about 227 possible quality abnormalities across 10 different categories. Porsche came out on top as the leading premium brand with a score of 172 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100). Now for context, 195 PP100 is the industry average, which is, well, not great (the Lower the score, the better). It ranked seventh overall in the rankings.

The story of French automaker Bugatti after the Volkswagen Group’s acquisition in 1998 is a wild ride. Remember the outrageous EB110? Yeah, Bugatti needed to blow everyone’s minds again with its successor, and the Veyron concept, which debuted in 2001, just did that. With a quad-turbocharged W16 engine pumping out a mind-boggling 987 horsepower, the Veyron shattered records and became the world’s fastest production car of its time. Some even consider the Veyron to be the world’s first hypercar, with its reign lasting nearly 15 years! And that was just the beginning of Bugatti’s prowess under VW’s guidance.

Mate Rimac, the Croatian innovator and entrepreneur, is now the CEO of Bugatti Rimac. He also founded Rimac Automobili, the EV hypercar manufacturing company that unveiled the 1877-horsepower electric Nevera in August 2021. In November of that same year, Rimac Automobili merged with the iconic French automaker Bugatti, to form Bugatti Rimac. The merger saw Rimac Group, the parent company of Rimac Automobili, become the majority shareholder with a 55 percent stake. Porsche, under the Volkswagen Group, holds the remaining 45 percent stake. This partnership brought together two powerhouses in the automotive world, merging Rimac’s EV technology expertise with Bugatti’s luxury and performance heritage.

The Porsche 911 GT3 RS is probably the last car that comes to mind when you think about practicality. But the owner of this particular 992.1 example (as seen in the Reddit post below) based out of Dubai seems to think otherwise, as he or she has clearly tried to improve the usability of this track toy by mounting a Porsche-branded roof box, made by Swedish company, Thule. The GT3 RS does not have a frunk like other 911s, because additional aero elements have taken its place. So adding a roof box should help in maximizing space and the amount of stuff you can carry, however, it comes at a huge cost to the car’s capabilities and intended use. Regardless maybe, (and I’m just assuming here) this owner is stuck with a weird predicament, where this is their only daily driver. Let’s explore some of the pros (yes, there is one) and cons of mounting a roof rack on your GT3 RS.

After a successful eight-year reign and 500 examples later, the iconic Bugatti Chiron is bowing out, leaving behind an even outrageous successor, the Tourbillon. Taking its name from an intricate mechanism in a watch, this all-new hypercar just debuted on the 20th of June 2024 as a 2026 model year, boasting a unique hybrid powertrain that combines a Cosworth-developed 8.3-liter naturally aspirated V16 engine with three electric motors, pushing out a total of 1,775 horses! This marks a significant milestone for Bugatti, as the Tourbillon is the French carmaker’s first-ever hybrid vehicle.

The 2021 911 Turbo Cabriolet mixes exhilarating performance with open-top luxury, continuing Porsche’s legacy of high-performance convertibles. This latest iteration gets a more powerful 572-horsepower 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged flat-six engine and a new eight-speed PDK transmission for the 992 generation. The result is 0-60 mph in a mere 2.8 seconds and a top speed of 199 mph, placing it in the supercar territory.

The 2021 Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet is the latest iteration of the iconic German sports car, now with even more power and refinement. This open-top version of the 992-generation Turbo S boasts a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter flat-six engine that churns out an impressive 640 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque, significantly increasing over its predecessor. With this extra muscle, the latest model rockets from 0-60 mph in just 2.7 seconds and reaches a top speed of 205 mph.

Porsche has given its popular Cayenne SUV a fresh look for the 2024 model year, marking a significant update since the sport-ute entered its third generation in 2017. This facelift brings a redesigned front and rear fascia, along with a revamped cabin with more screen real estate than ever, giving the Cayenne a sharper, more modern appearance.

Porsche took a calculated risk with the Macan, launching it for the 2015 model year to answer the booming trend of compact luxury SUVs. Following the success of the larger Cayenne, this smaller sibling quickly became the brand’s bestseller. For 2017, a new base trim with a 2.0-liter turbo-four from the Audi Q5 joined the lineup, offering 252 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. This entry-level variant sprinted to 60 mph in 6.1 seconds, providing brisk performance for daily driving duties.

The history of the Carrera nameplate is a wild ride through the heart of Porsche’s motorsport lineage. It all began in the early 1950s with the legendary Carrera Panamericana, a treacherous open-road race that ran border to border (north to south or vice-versa) for over 2,000 miles through the heart of Mexico. Thanks to its challenging terrain, it was a white-knuckle test of endurance, speed, and raw driving skill.