After much reluctance, Porsche is now open to offering Android Auto

Porsche could leave the ranks of automakers who resist Android Auto, Digital Trends has learned exclusively. The German firm is open to offering Android Auto integration on at least some of its upcoming models, but it hasn’t provided a specific time frame.

Michaela Ensinger, the manager of electrics and electronics for Porsche’s SUV line, told Digital Trends that Porsche primarily decided not to offer Android Auto compatibility in any of its cars because a majority of its customers owned an Apple device when Google released the software in 2015. There was some demand for Android Auto, especially in the United States, but it wasn’t high enough to justify adding the feature to models like the Panamera and the Cayenne.

The Cupertino, California, tech giant’s smartphone hegemony has waned, and in 2018 there are enough Porsche customers using an Android device for Porsche to look into adding Android Auto. Some of the firm’s models could be compatible with Android Auto “in the near future,” Ensinger told us. She stopped short of confirming when the feature will become available, or which model(s) will be the first to offer it. Every single member of the 2018 Porsche family is compatible with Apple CarPlay.

Details like the cost of adding Android Auto compatibility to a Porsche will be available closer to the feature’s release, assuming it gets the final stamp of approval. To add context, customers who want to add Apple CarPlay to the redesigned 2019 Macan (pictured above) need to pay $360. It’s standard on the entry-level variants of the Panamera, the Cayenne, and the 911.

Until the feature arrives, motorists are able to link their Android-powered smartphone to their Porsche via a platform-agnostic app named Porsche Connect. They can open the app to remotely check whether the doors, the tailgate (when applicable), and the windows are closed, and to lock or unlock the car. The software also provides information like the oil and fuel level, plus maintenance data such as when the next service needs to be performed. Finally, it lets owners link the Macan with an Amazon Music account.

Porsche isn’t the only car company whose models aren’t available with Android Auto. Toyota and Lexus, its luxury division, are barely warming up to Apple CarPlay but there is not a single model made by either firm that’s compatible with Android Auto as of December 2018. That will change soon, according to insiders, and Android Auto compatibility will become available in the “not-too-distant future.” Contacted by Digital Trends, Toyota declined to confirm or deny the rumor. Lexus told us a full 80 percent of its customers have an Apple-powered device in their pocket.

Porsche sister company Bentley is Android-free as well.

Porsche Taycan Can Add 62 Miles of Driving Range in 4-minute Charge

Porsche's upcoming electric sedan will have a charging time quicker than any other vehicle on the market today. 

Current battery and charging technology make refueling an electric car significantly longer than filling up a traditional gasoline-powered car at the pump, which is Porsche has been actively working to improve this with its upcoming Tesla rival: the Taycan.

In a recent interview with publication Welt am Sonntag (via Bloomberg) the automaker revealed that it has made significant progress in cutting the time spent at the charger, enabling the Taycan to add up to 62 miles of driving range in just four minutes.

Porsche CEO Oliver Blume says that its charging is so fast that the Taycan will gain up to 62 miles (100 kilometers) of range in just four minutes, or an equally impressive 248 miles of charge (400 km) in less than 20 minutes. Though this certainly isn't as speedy as filling up at the pump, four minutes to gain 62 miles of range is nothing to gawk at.

Using its 800-volt, ultra-fast chargers, Porsche is able to provide a charge significantly faster than other automakers currently on the market. Fast charging the Taycan using Porsche's chargers provides a constant 350 kilowatts of power to the car. In comparison, the current fast-charging network king, Tesla, can deliver up to 120 kW at its Superchargers, though Tesla CEO Elon Musk says that its next-generation Supercharging platform will close the gap. Porsche has partnered with Audi, BMW, Daimler, and Ford to begin rolling out a fast charging network and overcome its own charging density shortcomings.

Blume also briefly spoke about Porsche's goals with future battery technology. Though he estimates that the tech is roughly a decade from market release, the German automaker expects to squeeze around 620 miles (1,000 km) out of a single charge with even less time at the plug.

Other manufacturers have joined in with similar claims in the past; Panasonic (Tesla's main battery partner) provided a similar timeframe for market fruition earlier this month. Volkswagen also recently invested $100 million into a solid-state battery startup to ready its offerings ahead of launching even its first generation EV platform.

Porsche 911 Wins Five Reliability Awards From German Experts

The Porsche 911 has emerged victorious in five categories in the annual German TÜV report – the first time in history that a single model has taken first place in all age categories.

“Porsche simply builds engineering that endures,” was the conclusion of the Technischer Überwachungsverein (TÜV) survey, which was based on 8.8 million inspections carried out between July 2017 and June 2018.

TÜV is the testing body responsible for safety testing in Germany, covering many different products, and the test ensures that vehicles are safe for travel. A positive conclusion from the AutoBILD TÜV Report is a big deal – it’s like receiving no advisories on an MOT test many times over.

The 991 ranked first in the ‘two- and three-year-old’ and ‘four- and five-year-old’ used car categories, while the 997 was the victor in the ‘six- and seven-year-old’, ‘eight- and nine-year-old’ and ‘10- and 11-year-old’ classifications.

In response, a statement from Porsche read: ‘The fact that the Porsche 911 came out top in the TÜV report is in no small part due to Porsche’s commitment to quality in its sports cars.

‘Porsche won coveted trophies in seven categories of the renowned JD Power 2017 studies on automotive reliability, with two of the prizes awarded to the 911, in recognition of the model having the fewest defects and a particularly striking design.

The new 992-generation Porsche 911 will make its debut at the forthcoming LA Auto Show at the end of November, with our man on the floor to bring you the latest news and gossip.

Development of the 992 will continue over the winter, before the new 911 hits the streets at the beginning of 2019.

Porsche's Taycan Won't [Totally] Break the Bank

Porsche's Taycan Electric will be fast, quiet, and under $100,000.

On Wednesday, Porsche announced that it was to price its new four-door electric sports car, the Taycan (originally called the Mission E0, at $92,500. The four-door Taycan is priced between the Panamera and Cayenne, which are both also four-door vehicles. The German automaker believes that if the Taycan is priced this way, they will be able to move upwards of 20,000 units annually. They expect this to be a challenge in an increasingly crowded performance electric space.

"Taycan" is Turkish for "lively young horse," and the Porsche Taycan is expected to be more sports car than sedan, with a rakish coupe roof. It is electric, but not at all slow as it boasts two permanently excited synchronous motors that generate more than 600 horsepower. The Taycan can reach 155 mph, and accelerating from zero to 62 mph takes just 3.5 seconds. In the initial European testing, the car's range was more than 310 miles.

Stefan Weckbach, who’s in charge of developing the Taycan range, said in an interview on the company website, “It was clear from the beginning that an electrically powered Porsche—like every other Porsche model—must be the sportiest vehicle in its segment… It’ll clearly be a Porsche at first glance, because we’ve transferred the design DNA of Porsche to our future electric vehicles.”

According to Sam Abuelsamid, an auto analyst at Navigant Research, the price is not unexpected. “It really needs to be in this range to be competitive with the Tesla Model S,” he tells Penta. “Granted, this is a Porsche, so it should be possible to drive the price up considerably through the options list.”

The Taycan will have an approximately 90-kilowatt-hour battery, with 400 cells. Using a 350-kilowatt charging station, Porsche says it can add 62 miles of range in four minutes. That very fast charging—which could add 248.5 miles of range in 15 minutes—is made possible by the VW-funded Electrify America initiative, which is planning installations at 300 highway locations “from 2019.”

By the end of June 2019, Electrify America, which is investing $2 billion over 10 years, said it will be able to supply an interconnected network of about 12,500 chargers. Porsche is also looking at wireless charging—via a floor-mounted plate—for the Taycan.

Porsche says it will invest $6.8 billion in going electric by 2022—double its original estimate. As much as $573 million will go to developing variations on the Taycan. A higher-performance version could be priced at $229,000, Lutz Meschke, Porsche’s chief financial officer, told Automotive News Europe. Some$1.14 billion will go to electrify and hybridize the existing product line. And $800 million will be spent on such technologies as charging infrastructure and smart mobility.

In the Volkswagen Group’s electric plans, Porsche’s Taycan complements the Audi e-tron, a luxury battery SUV that arrives next year; and, from VW itself, the I.D. CROZZ (a crossover SUV, due out in 2020), and I.D. BUZZ (a reinterpretation of the Microbus, aimed at 2022). Both VWs will be built in the U.S.

Porsche Does Away With Diesel

The German automaker decides it’s ‘going green.’

Porsche announced on the 24^th of this month that it will no longer produce cars with diesel engines. Instead, the luxury auto brand owned by Volkswagen, will be focusing on expanding its offering of electric and hybrid vehicles.

This is the latest blow to the diesel engine in Germany following the Dieselgate scandal from three years ago, in which VW was caught cheating on air pollution emissions tests in their diesel vehicles by using ‘defeat devices.’ Diesel-powered car sales have plummeted since, and diesel owners fear a collapsed resale value.

It has been a rapid fall from grace for a fuel once thought of as the climate-friendly alternative to petrol, or unleaded gas, because it produces less carbon emissions. The problem, which has become increasingly clear over the last ten or so years, is that that are worse than petrol when it comes to air pollution. The cheating, it is alleged, was done in order to make diesel cars seem like they were emitting the same pollution as petrol-fueled vehicles.

Porsche, in its statement today, said it does not want to “demonize” diesel engines and that it would continue to care for its diesel cars already on the road and in the market.

“It is, and will remain, an important propulsion technology,” said Porsche CEO Oliver Blume. “We as a sports car manufacturer, however, for whom diesel has always played a secondary role, have come to the conclusion that we would like our future to be diesel-free.”

The share of diesel-powered cars in the Porsche fleet currently stands at 12% worldwide. The company has not had a diesel vehicle in its portfolio since February of this year, but it waited until this month to end the manufacturing of diesel vehicles an official policy.

The company said it will now focus its efforts and money formerly spent on diesel on electric vehicles. Porsche is set to introduce its first fully-electric car next year, called the Taycan. By 2022, Porsche plans to have invested more than 6 billion euros in electrifying its vehicles. With the new focus, the German-based company said half of its products could be e-cars by 2025.

“Our aim is to occupy the technical vanguard – we are intensifying our focus on the core of our brand while consistently aligning our company with the mobility of the future,” said Blume.

The company also said that like other automakers, it has seen demand for diesel models dropping. On the other hand, interest in hybrid models is increasing. 63% of the Panameras sold in Europe right now are hybrid models.

Although Porsche is a small player in the German auto manufacturing sector, other carmakers will be closely watching this move as they wonder whether they, too, should ditch diesel.

Car Rental Application Makes It Easier to Drive Your Favorite Porsche

The Zuffenhausen-based sports car manufacturer is launching its pilot program that makes it easy to rent your favorite Porsche by the push of a button.

The service offers short-term access to Porsche vehicles owned privately individuals. Following the introduction of the "Porsche Passport" subscription model last year, this latest development is the next step in the process of developing new rental concepts.

Porsche Host is a peer-to-peer car sharing program, and has been developed by Porsche Digital, Inc. working in collaboration with it's partner Turo. the program will begin and be available in Los Angeles and San Francisco via the Turo app and the website from October 8. This will open up the Porsche driving experience to short-term users in addition to those who own a Porsche. Vehicles can be rented for a period of one day all the way up to one month.

Turo was founded in 2009 and is based in San Francisco, California. It is a car-sharing marketplace that allows drivers to hire vehicles owned by private individuals. The vehicles available via the "Porsche Host" program belong to Porsche customers who have been specifically trained in how to provide the premium experience that is typical of Porsche to the drivers who are looking to rent their sports cars. 

"Partnerships with innovators like Turo are the key in ensuring that we can turn our vision into reality and provide our customers with completely new Porsche experiences," says Thilo Koslowski, CEO of Porsche Digital, Inc. And he adds, "By working with our partners, we are able to develop new mobility offerings and business models."

"The collaboration with Porsche is a fantastic opportunity to reach a large number of enthusiasts via our marketplace," explains Andre Haddad, CEO of Turo. "I have always been a Porsche fan myself, and I enjoy the feeling of handing over the keys to my own 911 to another Porsche connoisseur for a short time." 

Visit Brands Hatch’s Porsche Festival this weekend

Want to see Porsche’s best road and race cars all in one place? 

Porsche's Club Great Britain and Brands Hatch is set to host a celebration of Porsche's 70-year history this Sunday with the Festival of Porsche, featuring racing, displays, and demonstrations of classic and contemporary examples of the German marque's cars.

The event is organized by Brands Hatch circuit owner MSV, in association with and the support of Porsche Club Great Britain and Porsche Cars Great Britain. In addition to the on-track action, it will boast everything from examples of the 356, Porsche's first-ever production automobile, to the Spa-Francorchamps and Nurburgring track record-breaking 919 Hybrid Evo.

Stuttgart’s Porsche Museum has sent the 1949 ‘Keibl Gmund’ 356 and the 2018 919 Hybrid Evo, which is currently on a 919 Tribute Tour celebrating the success of the 919 Hybrid LMP1 car that won the Le Mans 24-hours and World Endurance Championship for three years in a row between 2015-’17 before withdrawing from the top class of prototype racing.

The Evo, which has multiple aerodynamic modifications compared with the racing car, was developed by Porsche engineers as a tribute to that success. It set the fastest-ever times around Spa-Francorchamps and the Nürburgring Nordschleife in the hands of Neel Jani and Timo Bernhard earlier this year, and may well do the same at Brands Hatch with 2015 Le Mans winner Nick Tandy.

A 2.0-litre turbocharged V4 engine powers the Evo, and recovers brake energy from the front axle and exhaust energy from the rear. The combustion engine drives the back axle, while the electric motor boosts the front axle to accelerate the car with four-wheel drive. The additional usable energy available from the recovery systems and extra downforce from the aerodynamic modifications have meant that Michelin had to develop new tyre compounds to deliver the necessary grip to complement the increased power.

Other iconic Porsche cars present include a Gulf-liveried 917, which was driven to third in the 1971 BOAC Brands Hatch 1000km race by Derek Bell and Jo Siffert, the 1998 Le Mans-winning 911 GT1 and the 959 Paris Dakar rally car, which competed in the 13,800km rally raid across the African continent.

In addition to the famous cars, a number of Porsche personalities will also take an active part in the event. Leading the on-track action will be Tandy and Bell, along with current Porsche Carrera Cup GB Junior Dan Harper, who won his drive in a shootout last year and will demonstrate the latest 911 GT3 Cup race car.

Road-car celebrations centre around the Porsche Boxster. The mid-engined roadster was released 20 years ago, and was a distinct change from previous Porsche models. To celebrate this milestone, there has been a nationwide campaign to locate and restore ‘Type 986’ Boxster S models.

The cars were not only restored, but also prepared to race in a dedicated three-round Restoracing Championship, of which the Festival will be the finale. The livery of each car resembles a classic Porsche race car, from the red and white Salzburg livery of the 1970 Le Mans-winning 917 to the 1971 Pink Pig.

Race fans will enjoy a full on-track program at the Festival on September 2, including the Porsche Club Championship, Porsche Club Speed Championship and a four-cylinder Challenge for Transaxle models. There will also be a live stage within the Porsche Club marquee, and extra off-track attractions including trade stands, a fun fair and live music. The on-track schedule of racing starts at 10:00am until 6:00pm.

Porsche Teases Project Gold's Body

In a new video, Porsche continues to tease its ambiguous Project Gold. The German automaker promises "a classic body is the starting point for a vehicle that will ultimately become a truly unique piece," but what it seems to be so far is a 993-generation 911 Turbo S with a more modern interior and updated wheels. Porsche's Classic division says that this is a special machine that will require at least 18 months of construction, so there has to be something extra special about the car that we haven't been told yet. A standard Porsche 911 takes about 30 hours to build.

The video above shows the dip painting process that gives the shell the same coating as modern Porsches.

The latest teaser reveals the 993 body that forms the basis for Project Gold. The intakes in the rear help identify it as a Turbo S. Contrary to the design sketches in the original teaser Porsche released, it doesn't seem that the development team makes any modifications to the rear section of the roof.

The Project Gold also sports a set of black, five-spoke wheels that have gold accenting the center and around the rim, which should give the Project Gold a rich, handsome look. Inside the cabin, Porsche fitted the seats with perforated leather for the center sections and fine-grained hides for the bolsters. Another touch of gold to be noted is in the stitching of the seams and the "Turbo" embroidery on the headrest.

There is no word on a debut date, but Porsche has promised a new teaser on August 17. Monterey Car Week at the end of August would be a great place to unveil the updated classic because the event is packed with wealthy sports car enthusiasts. On the other hand, rumors suggest that Porsche might debut Project Gold at the Paris Motor Show in October, and having this special car alongside the future generation could be a great photo op. We will see.

New Look, New V-6s, More Power: 2019 Porsche Macan

The updated 2019 Porsche Macan made its debut in Shanghai. 

There are some significant changes that lie behind the familiar face of the 2019 Porsche Macan. Porsche took the wraps off the updated Macan in Shanghai, giving the world its first look at the revised SUV, which has new engines, a new infotainment system, and a ton of new features.

Like before, the Macan is based on Volkswagen Group's first-generation MLB modular-longitudinal architecture. The Macan's front-end changes are basically limited to LED headlights and redesigned front air intakes, but the rear gets a new LED taillight strip that stretches across the entire width of the vehicle, thus enhancing the family resemblance with the new Cayenne and the Panamera. Wheel sizes range up to 21 inches, and there are new paint colors and trim options. The Turbo is differentiated with its own fascias and bumpers that won’t be shared with any other version, including the likely GTS variant.

Inside the cabin, the 7.0-inch infotainment screen has been replaced by a new 11.0-inch touchscreen, with the air vents moving below the screen to make room. The configurable system resembles the Cayenne’s and Panamera’s in design and function. The voice-control function is said to offer improved responses and software.

The optional Sport Chrono package still brings the somewhat pretentious stopwatch that sits atop the dashboard but now also adds a round switch on the steering wheel for selecting from the available driving modes. In the center is the Sport Response button—as seen in other Porsche models—that sharpens the car’s reactions immediately. The optional GT Sport steering wheel, which is smaller than before, is borrowed from the 911, and the options list also includes an air ionizer for the esoterically inclined.

Porsche hasn’t confirmed the engine lineup for the United States, but we expect the base turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four to get a power jump from the current 252 horsepower to about 300. Both V-6 engines are new to the SUV: The Macan S will get a single-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 making around 350 horsepower, while the Macan Turbo is fitted with a twin-turbo 2.9-liter V-6 that should be good for an additional 90 or so horses. We expect a GTS model in between, and the Turbo could once again be offered with a Performance package for even more power. All engines are mated to a seven-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic. Porsche won’t offer a plug-in-hybrid powertrain in the Macan.

When the Macan comes here in late 2018 as a 2019 model, prices should hold close to today’s, which range from $48,850 for the base Macan to $78,250 for the Macan Turbo. The revised Macan will continue to face off against the likes of the Audi SQ5, the BMW X3/X4, and the Mercedes-AMG GLC43 and GLC63. 

Understanding the Porsche 911 Lineup: There's More Than You Think

Choose from nine different power outputs, three body types, and two drivetrains


Saying that you drive a 911 is just about as vague as saying you own a Chevrolet. Porsche currently sells 24 different variations of the iconic rear-engine sports car, and that doesn't begin to scratch the surface of the list of race car variants.

The 911 is an almost 55-year-old icon for a reason. But with so many to choose from, it's easy to lose track of what is available. For clarity, here is a broken-down list of all the different 911s sold today.

Here, we have the 911 divided into five model series with similar qualities and attributes, which, for this sake, we'll call "lines." There's the Carrera, Targa, GTS, Turbo, and GT lines. Cars within those lines are offered with three different bodies (coupe, convertible, targa), rear- or all-wheel drive, and several engines that pack a punch between 370 and 700 hp - not to mention a price spread over $200,000.

The Carrera model line is the largest and least expensive group, with nine variants. Two engine outputs--370 and 420 hp--are available, both coming from a 3.0-liter turbocharged flat-six. Ranging from the $92,150, rear-wheel-drive Carrera coupe to $125,350 for the all-wheel-drive 4S Cabriolet. there are the two most common versions of the Carrera, and if you drive by a Porsche dealer, these are the cars you'll see on the lot. 

Porsche reintroduced the Targa in 2015 and currently sells three different models, based on engine output, which range from 370 to 450 hp and 405 lb-ft torque. All Targas sold are all-wheel drive and prices range from $111,350 for a Targa 4 to $140,950 for a Targa 4 GTS.

GTS comes next in the range, denoting that these 911s carry the same 3.0-liter turbocharged motor with output bumped up to 450 hp and 405 lb-ft of torque. You can choose between all three body options and both drive options; price starts at $121,750.

Most Porsches are turbocharged now, but fewer actually wear the Turbo moniker. The ones that do boast a boosted 3.8-liter engine making 540 hp, 580 with the Turbo S models. There’s also an "Exclusive" series, which squeezes that same motor for 607 horsepower and comes with a $276,550 price tag. Porsche is only building 500 of those. All Turbo models are all-wheel drive.

Finally, the three GT models: the privileged track rat toys. The GT3 and GT3 RS are the only two offered with non-turbocharged engines; instead a 4.0-liter flat-six spins up to 9,000rpm and makes 500 hp in the GT3 and 520 in the GT3 RS. Because these are racetrack-focused, only the rear wheels are driven. If you have over a quarter million dollars to spend, the GT2 RS reigns supreme for power (700 hp from the 3.8-liter), lap time (6 minutes 47.3 seconds), and superiority arguments at the bar.

So, there you have it. The 24 Porsche variants that are available for sale right now. If your income is among the top 1% of earners, there’s almost certainly a Porsche for you.

Dynamiq GTT-- The Porsche-Designed Super-Yacht

The Dynamiq GTT is an all-aluminum yacht-- 115-ft in length-- powered by two enormous hybrid engines that produce a top speed of 21 knots at exceptionally low fuel consumption rates. Two MAN V-12 diesel engines are paired to two 20.8 kW electric motors whose combined efforts produce over 12,000 horsepower. The GTT 115 uses Fortjes pods for propulsion, rather than a traditional shaft and propeller system. The maximum cruising range is 3,400 nautical miles—enough to get you from one end of the pacific to the other.

The interior of this beautiful sea machine is laden with luxury. Luxury in the sense of real quality materials and signature designs that only a Porsche designer could produce. Understated marble counters and Minotti furniture are elegantly strewn about the cabin. The dining areas and bedrooms emanate a coziness that you would never expect a boat to capture. The rooms feature decorative aluminum and wooden slats that were inspired by the dashboard of the Porsche Mission E. The 7 foot ceilings and huge windows portray the openness of the sea, but are met with beautiful and subtle comforts for a perfectly serene yacht atmosphere.

“Taking the spirit of high-performance sports car styling to the high seas, the Dynamiq GTT 115 is designed to appeal to car lovers and forward-thinking yacht owners who appreciate the advantages of speed, style, and our philosophy of intelligent performance,” Studio F. A. Porsche CEO Roland Heiler said in a statement. “Our goal was to create a design that not only looks good, but one that surprises and pleases its owner every day,” says Heiler. “We also wanted the Porsche elements to be so subtle that anyone coming aboard doesn’t just see them at first glance.”

They plan to produce seven of these super yachts, with a price tag starting at 16 million. 

Cops in Porsche's

More Police officers should be driving sports cars. Not only do our boys in blue deserve to ride confidently though the streets, but they additionally could use a little help bridging the gap between themselves and the average youth. Teenagers, some of the riskiest drivers on the road at any given time, are attracted to anything they deem as cool and are still malleable enough to be swayed by a figure of authority. If more cops had apt opportunity to reach the youth of their community, the streets would most definitely be a safer place for everyone.

Donated to the Norfolk Constabulary by the Lind Trust, a charity that supports the development of youths in Norwich and Norfolk in the United Kingdom, the GT4 is a perfect segway for the police department. It will be used to help the public engage with the police about road safety—and in particular, to grab the attention of young drivers.

In a press release, the department said this:

Young drivers are disproportionately represented in fatal and serious collision statistics; in Norfolk over the last five years 61 young drivers have lost their lives while 504 suffered serious injury.

Chief Constable Simon Bailey said: “Engagement and education are vital elements of the work on road safety undertaken by roads policing officers. I’m confident the use of the Porsche will help break down barriers and enable officers to speak with young drivers and provide road safety advice.”

He added: “The GT4 will certainly attract a lot of attention – but that’s the whole idea. We hope the car will act as a conversation starter, which gives us the opportunity to engage with people, but more importantly those hard-to-reach groups like young drivers, and offer practical advice as well as describing what can happen when things go wrong.”

The Norfolk police will be showcasing their GT4 in places where “car enthusiasts are known to gather,” as well as at school and colleges throughout the country in order to maximize awareness.

Porsche World Expedition 2018

The Porsche World Expedition is a grand opportunity to go out on a magnificent journey over 18,000 miles over the course of 80 days—in the beautiful new Cayenne.  This tour will take you across six continents; where you will encounter a wide variety of enticing new challenge, many memorable moments and great scale of fascinating sights. The countries you pass through will serve to excite and tease you as you experience the drive of a lifetime in a world class SUV.

 “This World Expedition is designed for avid Porsche enthusiasts seeking unique experiences with like-minded people and extreme driving challenges – people who desire an adventure that is truly priceless”, says Catja Wiedenmann, Manager of Porsche Driving Experience at Porsche.

The chosen routes take drivers through a total of more than 20 countries, and the program promises to challenge you. It all begins on May 11, 2018 in Brisbane, Australia and will take you all through the tracks of the Aborigines for over 3,000 miles to Perth.

The next tour starts in June at the North Cape and leads across Europe to its destination in Chamonix, France. Other highly anticipated locales on the Porsche World Expedition 2018 include-- a voyage through Africa: from Johannesburg to the Serengeti, through Central and South America: going from Cancun to the lively Panama City and Lima to Buenos Aires, and Southeast Asia: travelling from Thailands capital, Bangkok to the famed Shangri-La.

Each expedition has room for 28 participants, and it’s going to be priced accordingly high. Booking details and exact specifications can be found here at the Porsche AG homepage.

The Legacy of the Type 64

The Porsche 64 is considered by many to be the first automobile produced by Porsche as a company. Many of the parts used to make it, however, came from the Type-60 VW Beetle, which is why some purists may be inclined to call it a product of Volkswagen and likewise consider the 356 to be Porsches first. Regardless, the 64 is acknowledged as the “original Porsche”, and the “great-grandfather” of all Porsches to follow.

The body design was made by the Porsche Büro after wind tunnel tests for a planned V10 sports car that never came into existence, the Type 114. The Porsche 64s body may have been constructed from parts of a Beetle, but the shape and style are so unmistakably Porsche that I can’t imagine considering it anything but. The sleek, flat body was designed to be fast, and managed to get up to a top speed of 90 mph with only 50 horsepower. The striking design was unlike anything ever seen before, and it still looks futuristic to this day.

First, there were three cars. All made by hand shaped aluminum and done by the German bodywork company Reutter. Sadly, one of the originals was destroyed early in World War II. The two remaining were used by the Porsche family, as Ferdinand Porsche was an avid lover of the iconic design.  The Porsche family eventually decided to drive just one of the remaining 64’s, and the other was stowed away.

In May of 1945, American troops discovered the one put in storage, cut the roof off and used it for joyriding for a few weeks until the engine gave up. The Porsche was inevitably scrapped. The last remaining Porsche 64, owned by Ferry Porsche, was restored by Battista Farina in 1947. It was later sold to the Austrian motorcycle racer Otto Mathé, and with it he won the Alpine Rally in 1950. The last time he drove it in a race was at the Monterey Historic Automobile Races in Monterey, California, in 1982.

The last remaining piece of the Type 64 resides in The Allure of the Automobile exhibition at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia.

Winning

What is it that makes any given car desirable? Looks are key in first impressions, but a truly appealing car goes beyond that initial attraction and makes you fall head over heels- for life.

To measure owner satisfaction as a whole, J.D. Power conducts an APEAL (Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout) Study that surveys thousands of new-vehicle buyers following the first 90 days of ownership, gathering responses to inquiries about 77 individual vehicle attributes. Using this information, the company is able to clearly determine which models/brands are the most appealing and satisfying to their owners. An attractive exterior and interior design, engaging performance, day-to-day usability, comfort, and amenities are all considered.

More than 69,000 new car owners took part in this years survey, spanning over 243 models from 33 manufacturers in 10 pertinent categories. This year, a total of 25 models receive an award for their overall appeal.

For the 13th consecutive year, Porsche dominated the survey with the highest overall APEAL index score of 884.

“The aim of our company’s actions is to have thrilled customers”, says Oliver Blume, President and CEO of Porsche AG. “The results of the J.D. Power study give us renewed confidence that we are following the right path with our strategy. It is now clear that alongside the quality of the product, it is also the level of service and communication with our customers that resonates.”

Porsche knows very well that appealing vehicles display attractive exterior and interior design, deliver engaging performance, and are packed with surprise-and-delight features. You can’t argue with the best, and Porsche never intends to be anything less. Take a peek into our vast inventory- and see the best in action for yourself.

The Fastest Porsche Ever- Coming Soon

Porsches fastest and most powerful street legal 911 ever has just been unveiled at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England. Fastest ever sounds like a stretch, but 700 horsepower and a 0-60 mph time of only 2.7 seconds speak for themselves.

The interior of the 2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS is endowed with sexy red Alacantara accents, black leather, and carbon fiber trim pieces. Special sport steering wheel shift paddles are also standard.

On the outside, the 911 GT2 RS wears large air intakes and outlets and a large imposing rear wing to improve its aerodynamics and down-force. The 911 GT2 RS has super wide wheels with the widest tires ever on a Porsche, and standard Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes help to keep the duo under control. The optional magnesium wheels are among the lightest ever produced for the sports car, and can help to achieve its top speed of more than 211 mph. Its titanium exhaust is among the lightest ever made by Porsche; it cuts 15 pounds from the current setup.

Powering the insanity is a 3.8-liter engine twin-turbo flat-six engine, designed like that of the engine that powers the 911 Turbo S. In the 911 GT2 RS, however, the 3.8L engine gets larger turbochargers and a new additional cooling system that sprays water on the intercoolers when the intake air temperature reaches a determined threshold.

The GT2 RS is a go-to car for owning the track, as it has exceptional dry grip thanks to its race-bred chassis with rear axle steering and Ultra High Performance tires. The stability management system is also tuned for spirited driving, but will still do you justice while cruising on the highway.

The 2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS starts at $293,200, plus a $1,050 delivery fee. The GT2 RS will be arriving at dealerships in early 2018. You can easily inquire for more information/updates on the new Porsche here at our website.

The Crest

The iconic Porsche crest was created in part by the Czech engineer who originally designed the Porsche, Ferdinand Porsche, partnered with the US importer Max Hoffman in 1952. Xaver Reimspiess, the designer who created the Volkswagen logo, was the one to fine tune and finish the design of the crest. Xaver sketched a magnificent, golden crest that not only symbolized the roots of the company, but expressed the dynamism and quality of Porsche product.

The Porsche crest first appeared in late 1952 in the center of the 356 Pre-A’s steering wheel. The crest now serves as their all-encompassing logo, and can be seen on every Porsche steering wheel, nose, and wheel.The golden logo has been accentuated with stylized black antlers and red and black stripes. The central part of the logo depicts a black horse headlong, meant to be an expression of forward driven power and a connotation of the origin city. Across the application of the Stuttgart horse, the Porsche team created a clear symbol of the relations they built with the city. The crest possesses the outer shape of a coat of arms, while the overarching inscription ‘Porsche’ over the top of the logo deftly seals the strength of the image.

In contrast to the current crest, the Porsche logo on the original crest was only embossed and was not black. In addition, the red elements of the crest were actually more orange in color to reflect the Württemberg-Hohenzollern state colors. The Classic experts charged with reproducing the crest went a lot further than merely ensuring that the colors were true to the original. The crest is produced using special tools based on original drawings. As with the original, it is gold-plated and the color and enameling are meticulously applied by hand.

The traditional Porsche Crest has had to undergo extensive quality testing. This involved an alternating climate test, for example, and a stone impact simulation carried out at a ballistic firing range. All of these challenging tests were passed with flying colors, thus proving its credentials as a genuine quality product, 100 per cent "Made in Germany". This symbol, steeped in history, signals a continued long life for classic Porsche models.

Porsche Cayenne Breaks a Guinness World Record!

Porsche has broken the Guinness World Record for the heaviest aircraft pulled by a production car, beating out the old record of a 300,000 pound space shuttle towed by a Toyota Tundra.

A 385 horsepower Cayenne S Diesel towed an Airbus A380 138 feet at the Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris.  Porsche had to connect a special towing attachment to the Cayennes towbar, but aside from that the Cayenne was left in its standard production form.

Officials from Guinness and Porsche alike stood by as the little diesel SUV lugged a 628,000 pound aircraft across the lot. After they finished with the diesel, they repeated the exercise with a Cayenne Turbo S that supplies 570 horsepower with the same success.

A couple of other automakers have indeed tested their SUV’s against extreme towing challenges, but did they turn around and drive the same car back home? That’s what Richard Payne, the technician that guided the Cayenne, proceeded to do after the endeavor.

Congrats, Porsche!

Momma Needs a Neewww.... Deciduous Forest

An unusual planting campaign in Germany has led Porsche to assemble their brigade for a planting escapade. Trinkerwasserwald has been promoting deciduous growth in their forests that are primarily made up of coniferous woods. Deciduous growth is believed to generate and retain an average of 800,000 more liters of water per hectare than forests composed of coniferous trees. This has been confirmed to be the case generation after generation.

Porsche took it upon themselves to plant 5,000 deciduous trees in the forest associated with their community. These trees will be the first step towards rejuvenating their storm-damaged woodland areas and will eventually be capable of supplying an insurmountable amount of drinkable water for the community.

Michael Steiner, Member Executive Board for Research and Development at Porsche AG, says, ”The approach taken by Trinkenwasserwald is fascinating because it is as simple as it is effective” … “By having the drinking water forest in the immediate vicinity of our Development Centre, we are able to emphasize the commitment we have made to take responsibility for people, the environment, and society.”

Trinkerwasserwald acknowledges Porsche’s efforts as a partnership in the grand effort of promoting the idea of sustainability on a global scale. Both companies are putting in their efforts not only to do their part in alleviating our crippled environment, but to incite others to help make these necessary efforts.

Take heed from these corporations by making a difference within your own means- even if that simply entails planting one tree!

The Secret Porsche

There are plenty of good reasons why travel is seen as such an esteemed and worthy pursuit. With travel lies the potential to acquire an immeasurable amount of perspective and understanding just by experiencing a new city with open eyes and an open mind. The distinctions in culture between Europe and America in particular span far greater than the evident dissimilarities in culture. In Germany, for instance, jealousy and envy are both unwelcome- hence anything lavish or grandiose will provoke scorn from the community rather than admiration. On the other hand- Americans seem to possess minimal proclivity towards humble behavior and often favor ostentatious appearances.

Hence the German culture is keen on hidden gems.  Willi Thom, an exceptional car builder living in a rural German village, is one of those diamonds in the rocks. Willi has long been in the business of building Porsches as rough, fast, and light as possible. Needless to say, he does so undercover. And although Willi normally redesigns his cars in his own raw image, he was given an offer by a convincing sports car enthusiast that he couldn’t refuse. It helps that Achim Anscheidt isn’t simply another enthusiast. Achim is the driving force behind designing the most elaborate and extravagant cars in production right now- Bugattis. Ironically enough, rather than wanting something on par with his daily grind, Achim went to Willi with a quest to have a Porsche 911 cut to his personal standards of minimalism and perfection.

Over a span of two years; these two men collaborated on achieving Achims ideal 911. The progress of development could best be seen in the text messages between them, often times consisting of a photo of a custom built Porsche sent from Achim to Willi with a caption along the lines of “headlamps like this” or “a bumper like so”. These demands occasionally seemed infeasible, but any rebuttal by Willi would simply be met with “You’ll make it work”. Enigmatic demands of the like resulted in long periods of going back and forth, and forced Willi to spend inordinate amounts of time on minor quests like producing a perfectly straight bumper and an idyllically positioned shifter.

The end result is an unassuming looking pearl that weighs half of what your standard Porsche does and zips away with twice the ferocity. The interior has been stripped to the bones and appears simultaneously old fashioned and sport oriented- creating a unique sense of nostalgia and power. One might say that Bugattis head of design owning the most minimalistic and quirky Porsche is pleasantly poetic; others may see it as a fascinating oxymoron of sorts. Whether it really makes sense or not, the beauty of the novel little Porsche is undeniable, and one can only imagine the amount of pride and satisfaction that comes with it.