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Now, as a Porsche enthusiast, I’ve always been drawn to the German brand’s blend of sophisticated design, luxury, performance, and cutting-edge technology. So, when I first heard about the SU7 from Chinese electronics giant Xiaomi about their knock-off Taycan; I was not only intrigued but also a bit skeptical. Yes, yes...I know how legacy automakers everywhere, including the United States are paranoid about the looming threat from Chinese EVs (can’t believe this is political now), but could a company known primarily for its consumer electronics truly compete with established automotive giants? They may not be a household name in America, but after spending some time on the SU7’s configurator, I can say that Xiaomi, despite being a newcomer in the automotive space at least, doesn’t disappoint.

Porsche’s Taycan is one of the most hyped-up and popular performance EVs on sale today. By Q4 of 2023, Porsche had sold 136,000 Taycans cumulatively. The EV sedan bumped Porsche sports car sales by 3.3 percent, despite the German brand’s overall sales having dropped by 12 percent compared to 2022. While the electric vehicle market is currently experiencing a slowdown, it hasn’t stopped other manufacturers from entering the performance EV segment with their own offerings. Take for instance Lotus, a brand typically known for its lightweight sports cars. Still, now the British carmaker is giving us the Emeya – a large, EV performance sedan that wants to steal potential buyers, from the likes of the Taycan and Tesla Model S.

Porsche is a brand that doesn’t shy away from resorting to unconventional methods and innovative ways to improve performance. The company’s recent patent filings prove the German automaker’s dedication to keeping the internal combustion engine alive for as long as possible. Most conventional powerplants that rely on internal combustion have four strokes – intake, compression, power, and exhaust. However, according to Porsche engineers, the combustion engine can do with two extra strokes. This development is, as stated in the U.S. patent filings, a result of "continuously increasing requirements to increase energy efficiency and other operational aspects of modern combustion machines". The patents do not clarify whether this technology is for boxer engines or for conventional inline or V-engines, but it is safe to say Porsche’s newly developed combustion method is applicable to all existing configurations of the piston engine. But what does all this added complexity amount to? Here’s how this engine technology works and what it means for the company’s future models.

Despite Porsche making one of the most iconic sports cars of all time – the 911 – the German automaker was in financial trouble for much of its existence. It was only after the 986 Boxster and the Cayenne SUV in 2003, that Porsche managed to stave off the threat of bankruptcy. Of course, the acquisition by Volkswagen helped, and because Porsche’s lineup is a lot more diverse, for better or worse. Four-door models like the Taycan and Panamera are selling well, despite the Panamera’s recent sales drop by 25 percent.

A car cover is a pretty generic item and is an absolute necessity if you park your ride out on and about for extended periods of time, in order to protect it from the elements. But it makes an even stronger case if the ride in question happens to be your brand-new 100-grand Porsche Taycan. You can go with something pretty generic from Amazon for under a hundred bucks. It does the usual stuff like protection accents for rain, snow, the wind, and sun and I found one that even has reflective stripes and a cut-out for a charge port. But if you want the novelty of a Porsche branded cover for your Taycan, you can get both a water-repellent outdoor cover and an indoor cover from the Porsche Tequipment accessories catalog for just $379. However, if you happen to have the luxury of an enclosed garage, Porsche has something pretty unique, to keep your Taycan under wraps, quite literally.

Porsche’s second top model for the Taycan EV, the Turbo S, is nothing short of a performance powerhouse. We’re talking 938 horsepower and 818 pound-feet of max torque, along with loads of sportier touches, including standard carbon ceramic brakes (you need these beefier brakes to tame this beast), standard 21-inch wheels, rear-axle steering, and a boatload of carbon fiber trim.

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.

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.

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.

With 1,019 horsepower, the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT is the most powerful road-legal Porsche ever. The Turbo GT trim packs a bunch of performance upgrades to make it more agile than the rest of the Taycan line-up. The competition in the shape of the 2024 Model S Plaid continues to hold its position as one of the quickest-production EVs in the world. While the Cyber Truck is grabbing all of the headlines currently, the Model S continues to be a comfortable and luxurious choice with the bonus of its supercar-like acceleration. Both of these EVs represent the pinnacle of EV technology offered by these respective brands, but the question remains, which one is faster in a straight line?

As a fan of both Mercedes and Porsche, I can’t help but feel a bit giddy when talking about this 1992 Mercedes-Benz 500E (W124). I’m particularly fond of this era of Mercs for their tank-like build quality and frankly, nothing resonates better with that Yakuza mafia look that you get a boxy Mercedes from the 1990s. When it comes to the over-engineered W124, you’ve got the luxury and sophistication of Mercedes combined with the raw performance chops of Porsche. This particular car is a highly modified example that showcases the craftsmanship of Auto Fashion Factory (AFF), a premier automotive tuning shop based in Tokyo, Japan.

Porsche has taken the electric vehicle landscape by storm with the Turbo GT trim of the Taycan facelift. But beyond the subtle revisions in exterior design and improvements in overall performance on the Taycan, there’s a twist when it comes to the flagship Taycan trim for the 2025 model year.