The arrival of a new Porsche 911 is always major news in the automotive world, not least because it signifies the continuation of a car that first appeared in 1963. Common to all is an unconventional rear-engined layout, excellent performance, and admirable practicality for a thoroughbred sports car. In this article we are going to look back at the history of Porsche’s most famous model. To find out more about the very latest 911, don’t miss our story about riding in a prototype Porsche 992.
A really great driver’s car can be so breathtakingly beautiful that you’d swear it was conceived by Michelangelo himself, or it can look like the back end of a pig. However, in the world of great driver’s cars, beauty is entirely incidental. It simply does not matter. Each of the following five points, on the other hand, is absolutely fundamental. For each one, we’ve highlighted a car that is a shining example of the discipline.
Photo courtesy of Mercedes-Benz
This week’s top stories picked by our editors feature a goodbye to the Volkswagen Beetle, technology to replace side mirrors, and a new way to own a Porsche. Continue reading >>>
President David Gooding and Auctioneer Charlie Ross sell the 1970 Porsche 917K for a world-record $14,080,000 at the 2017 Pebble Beach Auctions. Photo by Jensen Sutta courtesy of Gooding & Company.
Monterey Car Week is a true pilgrimage for car people, something serious enthusiasts should attend at least once in their lifetime. Whether you want to watch the world’s most significant race cars tear around Laguna Seca Raceway, don your best pastel-colored slacks and hobnob with the rich and famous at the Pebble Beach Concours, or see the best of the worst at the Concours d’Lemons, Monterey has something for every car fan. Continue reading >>>
There are few things as exotic in the automotive world as a mid-mounted engine configuration. Think Ferrari 458, Lamborghini Diablo, Audi R8… you get the idea. However, you need not spend a six-figure sum in order to experience the unique poise and balance afforded by a mid-engined layout. Indeed, as the cars below prove, there are a handful of offerings out there that can be picked up for the price of a MINI – or less. Which one would you choose?
Let’s start here by saying that controversial doesn’t necessarily mean bad. And so when admiring some of the beauties below we urge you to not spit your tea out in disgust, but instead to admire their makers’ self-belief in bringing such unlikely creations to the market, for better or for worse.
If you can’t afford a Porsche, you probably can’t afford Porsche’s new subscription program, either.
The idea behind Porsche Passport, which launches in Atlanta next month, is to provide subscribers with any model of Porsche they wish at any time they wish. It’s a compelling idea, but the privilege won’t come cheap.
Car subscription models are popping up in select markets around the country. One in San Francisco, for example, is offering cars for $99 per month and between 50 cents and $1 per mile. While those rates include gas, insurance, roadside assistance, and unlimited swaps, it won’t take many miles before the monthly costs exceed the price of simply buying or leasing a vehicle.
Will people pay even more for unlimited access to the Porsche fleet? Continue reading >>>
Raise your hand if you’ve ever responded to a friend’s complaint by saying, “Doesn’t this seem like a first-world problem?” Are you reading this in your cubicle, hand raised, feeling slightly foolish? All right—put your hand down. Here’s the thing with so-called “first-world problems”: despite their overall insignificance, they’re still real problems. Sure, we wouldn’t rank problems like “the only grocery store in my neighborhood is Whole Foods” alongside “educational inequality is a national epidemic” or “the extreme partisanship infecting the American political process is stunting the possibility of effective change,” but if the only grocery store in your neighborhood is Whole Foods, then the inevitability of spending half your paycheck on (amazing) bananas and homemade hummus could, in fact, very well be a serious personal inconvenience.
If there’s one piece of advice I find myself sanctimoniously preaching to prospective car shoppers, it’s this: There’s no such thing as a bad car anymore.
Long, long ago, in the early 1990s, Kia Motors expanded to the United States, bringing with it little economical runabouts like the Sephia sedan and the Sportage crossover. There was just one problem: These cars weren’t exactly what we’d describe as “good.” Sub-100-hp engines, crude transmissions, and interiors featuring more plastics than Mean Girls. The little Sephia couldn’t even deliver great fuel economy, barely eking out 27 mpg highway with its automatic transmission. A ‘94 Ford Escort could manage 5 mpg better with nearly identical power specs.
But oh, how times have changed. Despite a poor first impression, Kia has emerged as a shining example of the fact that there really are no more “bad” cars. Every year, J.D. Power conducts its Initial Quality Study, wherein car owners are surveyed to determine which vehicles deliver the best experience within the first 90 days. By placing first on J.D. Power’s 2016 U.S. Initial Quality Study, Kia earned the honor of being the first non-premium brand in 27 years to take home Gold.
Everyone’s had that moment, while looking for a new car, when they ask themselves, “What’s the least I can spend on a new Dodge Charger?” Well, you’ll find the answer is in the $30k area for your everyday Charger SE, but then you may notice that next to that SE is the $70k Charger SRT Hellcat. That’s right, you can get two basic Chargers for the price of a single Hellcat. Granted, the Hellcat engine transforms the Charger into a completely different animal, but the Charger isn’t even close to the most egregious example of price disparity within a single model’s lineup.
