1967 Porsche 912 Reviews

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.

Big screens and displays in cars can make interiors look modern and minimalist but what happens if they fail?

Yes, this new 911 is technically a midlife update, but the changes here go beyond skin deep. Leading the charge, so to speak, is the introduction of a hybrid option for first time, with the 911 Carrera GTS debuting a new t-hybrid powertrain that dials up the performance. But it also fundamentally alters everything we’ve come to know, and love, about the 911. But is it a change for the better?

If we offered you a free Ferrari or free Toyota which would you take?

Porsche is set to introduce an all-electric 718 Boxster soon, but before it does it had one last petrol-powered version to build. The 718 Spyder RS is the ultimate iteration of the mid-engine sports convertible, taking every element and winding it up to 11. We get behind the wheel to find out if this is a worthy swansong for the petrol-powered 718 - and if it can compare to Porsche's own 911.

You can thank/blame (take your pick) Scottish engineer James Watt for the confusing way we measure engine performance in cars. He was the person that came up with the bright idea of measuring power based on a horse.

Porsche CEO Oliver Blume has addressed the EV-only Macan shaped elephant in the room with news of a complimentary SUV model line, including internal-combustion variants, set to arrive before the end of the decade.

Everything that could have possibly gone wrong for the German car industry has.Skyrocketing energy prices as a consequence of the Russia-Ukraine war, rising competition from China, the end of the German government's EV subsidies and dwindling global EV demand have strained the sector unlike ever before.And now, to add insult to injury, US President Donald Trump is vowing to slap 25 per cent tariffs on all cars imported from the European Union to the United States, a critical market for German brands.On our own shores, the impact of these external pressures is clear. In 2024, Volkswagen’s Australian sales fell nearly 17 per cent compared to the previous year, Mercedes-Benz's fell by nearly 18 per cent and Audi's by nearly 20 per cent.BMW is the outlier, with sales remaining steady at a slight 0.6 per cent increase on 2023's numbers, helping the brand maintain its lead as Australia's most popular premium brand by a comfortable margin.So, in a market where the odds appear so heavily stacked against them, how can struggling German car brands reverse their fortunes?Increasingly, it appears, by looking to BMW.Its success over the last 12 months and beyond has proven that the electric car transition can be leveraged to a brand’s advantage.BMW’s early investments in flexible architecture, which allows the same models to be built with internal combustion engine (ICE), hybrid and EV platforms, has seen their EV sales start to command their global growth.Its EV sales grew 13.5 per cent in 2024 as the brand registered 2.45 million global sales and its M performance wing tallied an all-time record of 206,582 sales.Notably, the i4 M50 sedan, an electric version of the mild-hybrid 4 Series, claimed the title of M’s top-selling model for the third year in a row, showcasing the growing appeal for electric performance cars.Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, and Mercedes-Benz have largely focused on expensive EV-only platforms underscored by new model ranges, a strategy that has struggled to attract traditional ICE vehicle buyers.That said, signs of a strategic transition amongst these brands are beginning to emerge.Mercedes-Benz will launch its all new CLA later this year under both hybrid and electric guises, the latter of which is promising big advancements in range. Recent road testing of its own solid-state batteries could also see it register a major milestone in EV advancement before its rivals.Porsche and Audi have pledged to invest further in their hybrid and petrol technologies, as Porsche mulls a possible return of the petrol Macan under a new-generation model.Both brands’ parent company, Volkswagen, has said more plug-in hybrids are on the way, including for Australia, as the brand readies its ID.1 budget EV hatch for a proposed sub $33,000 price tag in early 2027.BMW, meanwhile, will debut its sixth-generation Neue Klasse EV batteries later this year, which are aiming to improve energy efficiency by at least 20 per cent compared to its current EVs, while offering up to 30 per cent more range.They’re industry-wide strategic shifts that indicate a turning point for the German automotive sector could be on the horizon. That said, any future prosperity will depend on how well its struggling brands can uphold their defining principles of sustained innovation and engineering excellence under increasing pressure.

You may have missed the news, but the Porsche Macan is now only available as an electric car.Porsche may be about to do a monstrous backflip and build petrol Macans after a drop in sales for the new all-electric version.That would be a mistake, as this is the perfect Porsche to ditch petrol power.Porsche lives in the real world and reducing emissions is a part of life for carmakers now and that won’t change.So switching its smallest, least powerful and everyday-driver-focused SUV to all electric power is the smart choice and will help prolong the life of its flagship 911.The majority of Macan buyers appear to be from well-heeled suburbs in our capital cities, with the vehicle used as an everyday conveyance.This is where electric cars excel. If you drive about 100km a day or so (the average Aussie drives 38km a day), then you’ll realistically only need to charge the Macan Electric only once or twice a week. Preferably you just top up every day or two. All you’d need is a 7kW charger at home with some solar panels and it’d be free to run.Its circa-95kWh battery delivers a driving range of between 654km and 616km depending on the variant you choose. Throw in ultra-fast charging capabilities and it makes the occasional long road trip a cinch.I spent a week in the Macan 4, which is the second model on the four-rung totem pole.It blends solid performance with a long range. It effectively takes the palace of the popular Macan S that again was the best of both worlds.It has some impressive stats: it makes 300kW and 650Nm and can sprint from 0-100km/h in a respectable 5.2 seconds. The top-shelf Turbo version makes a whopping 470kW and 1130Nm, and it can complete the benchmark 0-100km/h sprint in just 3.3 seconds.The Macan Electric is refined on the road and whisper quiet, with the adaptable suspension of my test car meaning it could smooth and composed over pockmarked city streets or taught and engaging on a tight and twisting road.The steering is typical Porsche quality; it has a good weight to it and is direct with plenty of feedback, which all combine for a predictable and confident drive experience.And because it is an SUV, not a sports car, it can handle having the extra weight of the batteries as it was never meant to be as dynamically sharp as a 911 or Cayman. The weight of the batteries actually work in its favour as it lowers the centre of gravity, which helps reduce the trade-offs associated with high-riding SUVs.The cabin feels just like any other Porsche, so there is no need to skimp on quality. In fact, being electric tends to liberate more room inside as there are less mechanical parts and no direct link between the front and rear wheels. The Macan back seat isn’t the roomiest, but its boot is sizeable, again a great feature for everyday living.The only issue is the price. It is a massive jump up compared to the petrol version.The range kicks off at $128,400 before on-road costs, which is a jump of more than $30,000 compared to the most affordable version of the outgoing petrol model.Our Macan 4 starts at $134,400 then it jumps up to $149,300 for the 4S before topping out at $184,400 for the Turbo.

Does the world need yet another Porsche 911 variant? The new 911 S/T is the brand’s celebration of the 60th anniversary of its iconic sports car and takes it to its ultimate conclusion. Built to be the purest, most driver-focused version of the now 20-strong 911 range, this limited edition is a worthy addition to the fleet.