All posts by Francis Mitterrand

Porsche achieved sales growth in 2022

After a successful 2021 with 300,000 vehicles sold worldwide, 2022 also started and ended successfully for Porsche with 3 percent growth compared to 2021 (309,884 cars sold). Obviously, the global crisis and the overall situation in the world did not affect the demand for new cars, because other car manufacturers also recorded an increase in sales last year.

“The many challenges caused by the war in Ukraine, disrupted supply chains and the ongoing semiconductor crisis have shaped the past year and tested us. So I am even more proud of the entire Porsche team. In this difficult environment, we have been able to fulfill the dream of owning a Porsche for more customers than ever before before,” said Detlev von Platen, member of the Executive Board for Sales and Marketing at Porsche AG.

When it comes to different parts of the world, the biggest market last year was China with 93,286 cars, 2% less than in 2021. North America with 79,260 deliveries was the second largest market, the same as last year. In Europe, Porsche delivered 62,685 vehicles, which is 7% more than the previous year. In Germany, 29,512 customers received their vehicles, an increase of 3 percent.

The highest demand last year was for the Porsche Cayenne with 95,604 units delivered. Macan is in second place with 86,724 units delivered. The Porsche 911 proved to be very popular last year as well, with 40,410 cars delivered.

Sales results for other models: Panamera 34,142 cars delivered, Taycan 34,801 cars (-16 percent), 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman 18,203 cars.

Source: Porsche

Armored Golf GTI

South African armored car specialist Armormax has developed a package for Volkswagen’s eighth-generation Golf 8 GTI. The company claims that its Golf 8 GTI is actually “the safest high-performance hatchback.”

The Golf 8 GTI is not the only car that Armormax has equipped with a special protection package, as it sold the first armored Jaguar I-Pace last year. He also has a Golf 7 in his project history, but this time the package weighs only 179.6 kg, and Armormax says that there is “almost no” impact on fuel consumption and performance. Equally impressive is the fact that the final product hardly reveals the fact that it is an armored car that can, according to the European B4 standard, withstand fire from different types of weapons.

The armored package replaces the Optima’s standard windows with ballistic glass, while the panels, pillars, rear seats and tailgate are reinforced with lightweight synthetic armor. The car is also equipped with a push-to-talk radio system.

When it comes to other levels of protection, the B5 level provides protection against automatic rifles such as the AK-47, while the B6 level means protection against more powerful rifles. The full B7 standard is the highest possible level on the European scale of ballistic resistance EN 1522/EN 1063 and can withstand armor-piercing bullets. This kind of armor is usually thick and heavy and reserved for armored vehicles, so the Golf GTI is limited to B4 protection.

The Golf 8 GTI is powered by a 2.0-liter TSI engine that develops 241 hp (177 kW) and 273 lb-ft (370 Nm) of torque. The company claims that they previously had a lot of success and many orders, and the reason for this type of car is the claim that “South Africa’s crime and kidnapping statistics are terrifying.”

When it comes to price, this type of protection package costs $106,830.

Gallery:

Source: Armormax

Entop Mada 9 is the first Afghan supercar

Afghanistan and cars, it’s hard to connect. Now from this conservative country, which denies basic education to many, comes a super car, which they claim will be a serious competitor to the most powerful Bugatti model. It is Entop Mada 9, the first Afghan car.

Videos have been posted on several YouTube channels, and one of them shows a man in shabby clothes and covered in mud sitting surrounded by a huge amount of shell casings and trying to listen to the radio. After the noise, a voice is heard talking about staying in the ground while a man drinks water from a flask. After that, he gets up, walks down the runway and removes the cover from Entop Mada 9.

Another video shows a woman starting a car. It is known that the issuance of driver’s licenses to women has been suspended since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan after US troops withdrew in August 2021.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grhsdw58Vx0

Mada 9 is powered by a 1.8-liter inline-4 cylinder engine from the Toyota Corolla, and is equipped with F1-styled pushrod suspensions. Entop is a company that, despite the difficult conditions, still decided to produce the car in its own country.

Source: Entop via YouTube