Porsche 968 Reviews

There's quick and then there's the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT. With a starting price of around $420,000 before on-roads and options, this flagship EV offering is an exercise in over-the-top styling and outrageous pace.

I’m okay with picking pattern progressions, but begin to fall short when the pressure of upper level IQ testing starts to bring me undone. That said, even I could detect the clear sequence of super performance carmakers following one another into the world of the 4.0-litre, twin-turbo V8.A slew of British, German and Italian brands using the same performance vs consumption vs emissions equation to propel their exotic machines towards the horizon at warp speed with maximum efficiency.So, why did white-coated boffins from all points of the automotive globe come up with the same engine configuration, capacity and induction answer?Well, at the recent global launch of the Lamborghini Temerario (a 4.0L twin-turbo V8 hybrid) we asked Lambo’s Chief Technical Officer (and drift king) Dr. Rouven Mohr exactly that.He confirmed the broadly accepted answer that an individual cylinder volume of 500cc is the magic number.That’s right, the capacity that took the ‘Wollongong Whiz’ Wayne Gardner and ‘The Master of going Faster’ Mick Doohan to 500cc World Motorcycle Championship glory is the Goldilocks zone for an individual engine cylinder. And that’s because a cylinder of that size, ideally undersquare (with a stroke length exceeding its bore diameter), optimises the combustion process thanks to a relatively small internal surface to volume ratio (as the piston nears top dead centre) which helps improve fuel efficiency while producing optimum power and minimising C02 and NOx emissions.So, 500 times eight equals 4000, which, with the benefit of forced induction pushes the golden ratio to its maximum.And Lamborghini should know because the all-new (L411) unit it developed for the Temerario produces 588kW on its own, before a trio of electric motors tips in another 89kW for a total output of 677kW (920hp).Two turbos producing 2.5 bar located in the engine’s ‘hot vee’ optimise packaging and thermal management; titanium conrods reduce rotating mass; a flat plane crank delivers an even firing order and super hard finger followers in the valvetrain allow more aggressive cam profiles. The result? A 10,000rpm rev ceiling, which is… nuts.Other brands within the Volkswagen Group portfolio are on the same train, like Audi’s SQ7 and SQ8 with Bentley and Porsche directly sharing engine tech.And what about Mercedes-AMG with the GT63 and SL63 or McLaren just about matching Lambo for specific power output with its 750S rocketship?But hands up those who remember JLR’s ‘Ingenium’ modular engine family. Three-, four- and six-cylinder units built around 500cc cylinders. BMW Group with its triple, four- and six-cylinder engines, along with many others have also struck on the 500cc formula. But maybe Lamborghini President and CEO Stephan Winkelmann has the most compelling reason for joining the club.While acknowledging the capacity of the cylinder premise - “Six cylinder is usually three litres, eight is four and 12 is six” - he lets slip that the 4.0L thing “is also a matter of taxation in a lot of countries”. So, follow engine efficiency or follow the money, the 4.0-litre, twin-turbo V8 answer is the same.

Petrol power is returning to the Porsche Macan

Electric cars aren’t built for Australia and a country of its size. It is too big and electric vehicles (EVs) simply don’t have enough range to get you across this wide, brown land.Or, at least that’s what we’ve been told by the naysayers for the past decade or so. They decry the limited capacity of batteries and the lack of infrastructure as reasons why EVs will never be successful in Australia.But is that actually true? To put those criticisms to the test I decided to do the only logical thing: drive one of Australia’s most popular long-distance journeys in an EV to see if I could make it. So I drove the new Porsche Macan RWD from Melbourne to Sydney in a single day to test the reality of long-range EV driving. And these are the lessons I learnt.It’s perhaps the most common phrase associated with EVs and their detractors, range anxiety - the idea that you’ll run out of charge and be stranded. The truth is modern EV batteries have reached a state where they can offer enough range to make the drive between Melbourne and Sydney on surprisingly few stops.The official claimed range of the Macan RWD is 653km, but that’s a lab test so not representative of what you’ll get in the real world. Instead, on our drive the Macan was capable of hitting approximately 500km on a single charge.Now the haters will say that’s 153km less than claimed, but that overlooks the fact that very few internal combustion engine vehicles hit their official claimed fuel consumption figures either.It also overlooks the fact that 500km is a significant range, with the distance between Melbourne and Sydney less than 900km via the most direct route. And on the route there is a steady string of EV chargers up and down the highway. The notion that EV charging infrastructure is lacking was one of the biggest misconceptions my trip cleared up. There are chargers in freeway-side service centres and in small towns (more on that later) so you’re never really more than 200km from any charger. Sure, there’s more fuel pumps, but given the percentage of EVs making such large trips the current infrastructure seems more-than-adequate.While we’re on the top of EV range, for my particular drive between our two biggest cities I drove a Macan with a factory-developed roof box, while the camera car that joined me was stock (no roof box). There was an expectation that the roof box would impact the driving range, but it was surprising just how much impact it had.If you’ve wondered why car makers are trying to make pop-out door handles and digital side mirrors common on EVs it’s because it all makes a difference. Despite the factory-designed aerodynamic shape of the roof box it still knocked off around 20-25% driving range compared to the camera car. Obviously that’s a significant drop, but as long as you are aware of what impact adding extras to your EV is you can compensate accordingly.When I say you can ‘compensate accordingly’ I mean that, as mentioned earlier, there’s no shortage of chargers and many of them are located in some of Australia’s most beautiful, but largely forgotten, small towns.For example, we took a detour off the freeway into Beechworth, the small Victorian hamlet that’s home to famous honey and one of Australia’s most renowned bakeries. It’s the perfect place to stop and recharge the car - as well as recharge the driver and passengers.While there are plenty of service centre chargers, I was surprised by the amount of small towns, long since bypassed by the freeway, that have installed chargers. Holbrook and its submarine, the geographical halfway point in Tarcutta and even the Dog on the Tuckerbox at Gundagai all have places to stop and charge.Another regular criticism of electric cars is the time it takes to recharge the batteries. Obviously it takes longer than refuelling a petrol or diesel tank, which is a major turn-off for many. But unless you’re in a really big hurry to get to your destination, it shouldn’t be.Obviously it’s a good idea to ‘stop, revive, survive’ on any long trip and modern EVs are capable of reaching 80 per cent battery capacity in a relatively short period of time. The final 20 per cent takes longer, but even then it’s not exactly a drag.On my road trip the longest stop, which was to get as close to 100 per cent as possible, lasted about 30 minutes. Generally the 80 per cent top-ups took around 20 minutes, which turned out to be a handy amount of time to stretch the legs, use a bathroom and grab something to eat.If you are like me and prefer to enjoy a relaxed road trip, charging actually fits in rather nicely and makes the experience of long-distance EV driving surprisingly easy.Was driving an electric car between Melbourne and Sydney easy? In a word, yes. So much so that I’d have no worries doing such a trip again, the idea of range anxiety and sub-par infrastructure are no longer a concern based on my real-world experience.I still understand that for some, those in a hurry or just aggressively anti-EV, it will still sound unappealing and stressful, but I would encourage any EV owner who has avoided long journeys to take the leap and head out of town for an electric road trip.

Black is back in fashion.

Porsche’s next electric car is powering through testing as the brand sends a near-production prototype of the Cayenne Electric on a “record-gathering mission”. The 2026 Porsche Cayenne Electric has been coming for some time, but details are scarce as the SUV closes in on its proper reveal.

Porsche is adding some filling to its 911 line-up.

If you’re a man - particularly a married one with kids and decades between you and your single days - hearing “bachelor pad” might be ever so slightly bittersweet, but there’s also every chance those words make you remember a time in your life when you were so footloose and fancy free you were basically Kevin Bacon.

Porsche has officially cancelled its plans to take the majority of its line-up electric by the end of the decade. It comes amid a slower than expected transition to electric vehicles, but leaves the brand in a difficult financial position, which will result in the loss of 4000 jobs by the end of the decade.Speaking at its Annual General Meeting for investors this week, Porsche management put a positive spin on what is a very difficult situation. Having previously announced that the 718, Cayenne and a new three-row SUV would all join the Macan with electric powertrains, leaving only the 911 with an internal combustion engine, Porsche is now making major changes.It said it would be a “significantly longer transition phase globally, on the journey to electric mobility” which has meant its plans to go majority electric simply are no longer viable. Instead, the company said it “intends to strategically reposition its battery activities” and will offer more models with internal combustion engines and plug-in hybrid powertrains in the short and mid-term.“The world has changed,” said Porsche CEO, Dr Oliver Blume. “We are experiencing a fierce storm. But we are doing everything we can to counteract them. We are resolutely investing in the future. In challenging times we are continuing to develop Porsche with a precise focus. This requires more resources in the short term, but it will make our company even more profitable in the long term. We accept the challenge. We have a plan. We are acting. And we’re not wasting any time.”Unfortunately this dramatic change of plan will come at a cost. The company confirmed it will cut around 3,900 jobs by 2029 in order to save costs in the long-term, but as Blume acknowledged this will have a negative impact on the company’s finances as it pays those workers out.This news comes just days after reports that the new, all-electric 718 Cayman and Boxster will be delayed until 2027 after the collapse of Porsche’s battery supplier for the sports car. Swedish company Northvolt was due to be a key part of the project filed for bankruptcy.Porsche is also dealing with declining sales in China, which was a key market, especially for its electric vehicles. In December last year it announced it would take the surprise step of actually closing a significant number of its dealerships as it consolidates its Chinese operations.This all indicates that the next generation Cayenne and the planned three-row SUV will now likely have plug-in hybrid powertrains, while rumours remain that both the new Macan and the upcoming 718 range will be reverse-engineered to accept internal combustion engines.Despite all this, Porsche Chairman, Dr Wolfgang Porsche is determined to see his family’s company through the difficult times.“The situation in the automotive industry remains challenging, and Porsche is not immune to this,” Dr Porsche said. “At the same time, our brand continues to have great appeal. We are all called upon to successfully master the challenges ahead.”

The Kia Tasman ute hasn’t even arrived yet, but the outcry over its looks has been huge, with people saying it’s not just the ugliest car they have ever seen but the ugliest thing they’ve seen ever, like in their entire lives.