All posts by Francis Mitterrand

News

1956 Porsche 356A European Coupe sold for $239,000 USD

One example of Porsche’s first production model, the 1956 Porsche 356A European Coupe, sold at auction for $239,000 USD. This is an outstanding example of the second version of this model, which was produced from 1955 to 1959, and also a rare T1 “European” variant.

The car won First in Class in the A-Coupe category at the 2013 356 Registry West Coast Holiday in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and the previous owner bought it in 2021 at BaT. It is finished in Aquamarine Blue Metallic and really looks magnificent. It is equipped with a single decklid grill, quad taillights with LED bulbs, body-colored bumpers with aluminum guards, European badging, Hirschmann-style red-tip retractable antenna, rebuilt brake drums supplied by Martin Willis Machine Shop of Colorado Springs, and a Koni shock absorbers with a Willhoit Auto Restoration sway bar up front.

Inside, the seats are reupholstered in gray Connolly leather that also covers the door panels, dash and rear bench, with blue square-weave carpets protected by black rubber floor mats. In front of the driver are an ivory-colored two-spoke steering wheel and a reset five-digit odometer showing 6,510 miles (total mileage is unknown).

This Porsche 356A is powered by a 1,883cc air-cooled flat-four engine installed ten years ago during a refurbishment that included the installation of a Competition Engineering machined case, LN Engineering “Nickies” cylinders housing 90mm forged pistons with Porsche 912 connecting rods, dual Weber 44mm IDF carburetors, and 6″ sport air filters and 4″ velocity stacks. Last year, a 12-volt electrical system, Porsche 912 heads with 34mm exhaust valves, Aluminum oil cooler, LN Engineering Torquer camshaft, YnZ’s Yesterday’s Parts wiring harness, Chromoly pushrods, 123Ignition distributor, and full-flow oil filter system were installed. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a Porsche 741 four-speed manual transmission.

Along with the car, the new owner received refurbishment records, a copy of the Kardex, a Porsche Certificate of Authenticity, and a clean Arizona title.

Source: Bring a Trailer

EV

2025 Peugeot E-5008

After last year’s introduction of the E-3008 model, Peugeot has expanded its range of electric cars with a new electric SUV, the Peugeot E-5008. It will officially hit the market in Q3 2024.

The car is 4.79 meters long, 1.89 meters wide and 1.69 meters high, with a wheelbase of 2.9 meters. At first glance, it is identical to the smaller E-3008 model, and customers will be able to choose six body colors: Obsession Blue, Ingaro Blue, Okenite White, Pearl Black, Artense Gray and Titanium Grey.

This SUV, with three rows of seats, is extremely spacious and can accommodate up to seven passengers, and provides 259 liters of luggage space, which can be increased to 748 liters by folding the seats. It is equipped with a luxurious GT equipment kit that brings a two-tone body, LED headlights, heated electrically adjustable seats trimmed in Alcantara, an ambient lighting system and a space for wireless charging of mobile phones, while a 21-inch curved i-Cockpit panel is standard.

When it comes to the powertrain, the E-5008 is powered by a single electric motor with 214 hp (159 kW) and 254 lb-ft (345 Nm) of torque. This version is equipped with a 73 kWh battery that provides a range of 500 km. Customers can also choose a more powerful Long Range version with 231 hp (172 kW) with a larger 98 kWh battery that provides a range of 660 km. If you want more power, there is an option with two electric motors and 320 hp (239 kW), 98 kWh battery and a range of 500 km.

Peugeot also offers the E-5008 as a hybrid. Under the bonnet is a 1.2 liter petrol engine with 136 hp (101 kW) combined with a mild 48V hybrid drive. The company points out that this option reduces fuel consumption by about 15 percent, compared to the ICE version.

Source: Peugeot

Gallery:

2025 Peugeot E-5008
EV

2025 VW ID.Buzz GTX

After the recently introduced ID.7 GTX Tourer and ID.3 GTX, VW’s GTX family has been expanded with another vehicle, the powerful ID.Buzz GTX van.

This VW ID.Buzz is painted in an exclusive Cherry Red, which can be combined with Silver to create a two-tone effect. Also, VW offers a wide range of body colors so customers can choose a different color or combination. It is equipped with a new diamond-pattern front fascia, a lower bumper, slimmer front openings, wider fenders, and side mirror housings like those of the ID.3 model.

The interior of this ID.Buzz GTX is decorated with a unique black ceiling and black plastic instead of the bright surfaces of the standard ID. Buzz. There’s also black microfleece seats with red accents and GTX-badged steering wheel stitching, a 12.9-inch touchscreen and a new ChatGPT-powered infotainment system. It is spacious enough to accommodate up to seven passengers in a 2+3+2 configuration, with 1,121 liters of luggage space. Customers will be able to choose versions with 5 or 6 seats. The five-seat version has a split bench in the second row, while the six-seat version comes with two individual seats in the second and third rows. A panoramic roof is optional.

When it comes to the powertrain, the ID.Buzz GTX is powered by two electric motors with a total power of 340 hp (254 kW). It reaches 100 km/h (62 mph) in 6.5 seconds with a top speed of 160 km/h (99 mph). Depending on the version, the ID.Buzza GTX comes with a 79 kWh battery in the version with five seats, or an 86 kWh battery in the version with three rows of seats. It is mounted on 19-inch Venlo wheels.

Sales in Europe begin this summer, and deliveries are expected by the end of the year.

Source: VW

Gallery:

2025 VW ID.Buzz GTX