Luxury cars - page 96

Since its inception back in 1964, the Porsche 911 has been going against the status quo. For over six decades, Porsche engineers have perfected the formula of putting the engine in the rear – a highly uncommon design decision among modern-day automakers. But back when the 911 was still a young name, the company wasn’t sure the rear-engine formula would work long-term. At one point, Porsche even considered replacing the 911 with the V8-powered 928, but that never happened. Porsche’s decision to keep the rear-engine 911 around, paid off as continues to deliver truly unique driving characteristics, for which the car is still praised today.

For many, the Porsche 911 is the ultimate sports car. Refined and versatile enough (in most of its variants) to be used on a daily basis, but also quick enough to put most exotic cars to shame. Every generation of the 911 gets its fair share of special editions. For the 992 generation, Porsche decided to bring back the Dakar monicker, originally used on the 1984 Porsche 953. That said, with only 2,500 examples of the modern-day Porsche 911 Dakar made, only the quickest and most resourceful of Porsche enthusiasts would have had the chance to get behind the wheel of the special 911 off-roader.

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.

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.

Slotting in below the more potent Cayman S, launched in 2006, Porsche introduced a detuned entry-level base Cayman in 2007. This sleek, mid-engined coupe shared its platform and many components with the Boxster Roadster but featured a fixed roof and hatchback body style. It was powered by a 2.7-liter boxer-six engine producing 245 horsepower and 201 pound-feet of torque, enabling a 0-60 mph sprint in 5.8 seconds with the manual transmission.

The Porsche Cayenne is already a tech fest on wheels. The brand’s first SUV proved you can have off-road capabilities, luxury, and even performance, all in one package. Over two decades and three generations later, the Porsche Cayenne has evolved into an even sportier, more tech-heavy offering in the high-performance SUV segment. At the same time, Porsche engineers have done a bit of work on the chassis, to better distinguish the Cayenne from its siblings – like the Volkswagen Touareg, Audi Q7, Audi Q8, and Lamborghini Urus, which rely on, largely, the same hardware under the skin.

The Porsche 911 has been the most versatile sports car since its inception in 1964 and the current 992 generation is no different. Between the different versions and drivetrain configurations available, you can choose from around 30 different 911s, depending on your needs. And yes, this includes an off-road variant, reminiscent of the Porsche 953 Dakar. The Turbo S, typically, nearly sits at the top of any 911 lineup and above the Turbo, with only the track-focused GT models being above it. The 992.2 Turbo will arrive for 2025, but we still don’t know a lot about it other than it’s going to be a hybrid like the 992.2 GTS. Many wonder what the differences between the 992 Turbo and Turbo S are. We rarely see a regular Turbo, despite it being more affordable and almost as quick as a Turbo S, in real life. We decided to take a look and see what the differences between the Porsche 911 Turbo and Turbo S really are, and whether the Turbo S is truly worth the premium.

Porsche’s entry-level sports car, the Boxster convertible, received a generation upgrade and a redesign for the 2005 model year, ushering in the 987 generation. The redesign introduced crucial changes, like sharper styling, a new interior, and an upgraded 2.7-liter boxer-six engine making 240 horsepower. The new Boxster aimed to balance daily drivability with weekend thrills, offering an accessible entry point into Porsche ownership.

Porsche has a long tradition of participating in the annual Monterey Car Week. One of the biggest car events on the automotive calendar. It dates back to 1950 when it was held for the first time, as a supplementary event to the Pebble Beach Road Race. Like other automakers, Porsche’s iconic sports cars were an expected sight at the Monterey Car Week, and this year, we got to see a great number of highly original, reimagined, and downright crazy builds, based on Porsche’s greatest sports cars ever made.

The Porsche 911 is one of the most thoroughly engineered cars. German engineers have been perfecting the formula of "putting the engine in the wrong place” for 60 years and counting, meaning each next 911 generation is measurably better than the last. That said, there are companies out there, including Porsche, which offer means of upgrading certain aspects of the rear-engine sports car. The 911 features an iconic shape, dating back to the 1964 original.

Not everyone is a die-hard E.V. enthusiast, like myself, and I have to admit the Porsche Taycan is very convincing. It looks unmistakably like a Porsche, and more importantly, it drives like one, too. But it’s not like it got off to a bad start. The Taycan, a practical four-door sedan that offers excellent luxury and driving experience, had its limitations when it came to the driving range.