All posts by Francis Mitterrand

The 2025 Porsche 911 Hybrid has arrived

After revealing the updated Panamera, Taycan and Macan in the past few months, Porsche has officially unveiled the new 911 Hybrid. It is the first 911 model with a hybrid powertrain ever in its 61-year history, making Porsche’s product line attractive and younger than ever before, with more customization options and exclusivity.

“During development, we left nothing to chance and tested the new 911 in all kinds of conditions around the world. From extreme cold to extreme heat, as was the case during the final stages of testing in Dubai. Whether it’s putting a heavy load on the powertrain in the demanding conditions of mountain passes or in stop-and-go traffic in city conditions, the new 911 has mastered even the toughest challenges with ease. All in all, our engineers and test drivers have covered more than five million kilometers of development driving,” said Frank Moser, vice president of the 911 and 718 model line.

It is equipped with the Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) anti-roll stabilization system integrated into the high-voltage hybrid system, which enables the use of an electro-hydraulic steering system. It also has a sports suspension with a variable damper system (PASM) and an option of height reduction of 10 mm, increasing a better driving experience, and thanks to the steering of the rear axle (standard), the 911 Carrera GTS has better stability at high speeds. Customers can choose from seven different designed wheels. At the front are 20″ wheels with 245/35 ZR tires, while at the rear are 21″ 315/30 ZR tires.

When it comes to the powertrain, all versions of the 911 come with more power. Under the bonnet of the 911 T-Hybrid is a newly developed 3.6-L boxer with 485 hp (357 kW) and 420 lb-ft (570 Nm) of torque, which in combination with the electric motor delivers a total of 532 hp (398 kW) and 449 lb-ft (610 Nm) of torque. That’s 59 hp (45 kW) more than the previous model.

The new 911 Carrera GTS is powered by an improved 3.0-L twin-turbocharged boxer engine, which now uses the intercooler from the Turbo model, located directly under the rear hatch grille (above the engine). Power is increased to 388 hp (290 kW) and 331 lb-ft (450 Nm) of torque, enough to push the car from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.1 seconds (3.9 seconds with Sport Chrono package) with a top speed of 294 km/h (183 mph).

When it comes to prices, the Porsche 911 Carrera starts at $120,100, while the 911 Carrera GTS costs $164,900. The most expensive version is the 911 Turbo S Cabriolet which costs $243,200, while the 911 GT3 RS costs $241,300.

Source: Porsche

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Refreshed Toyota Yaris Cross

In 2021, Toyota launched a subcompact crossover SUV, the Yaris Cross, which over time became one of the most popular vehicles in Europe. Now a refreshed edition of this model has arrived, which will now only be available with a hybrid powertrain.

The design of the Yaris Cross has not changed much, and the new thing is that customers can now choose new body colors, Urban Khaki and Juniper Blue. Toyota engineers have done everything this time to reduce noise and vibration. A dynamic engine mount was added to the left side of the engine, a resonator was installed on the intake pipe, the internal muffler was changed from a single-layer to a three-layer construction, another layer of felt was added to the upper hood muffler, and thicker glass.

Inside, the new patterned upholstery stitching and decorative lines on the dashboard and doors match the green body color. Also, Platinum Pearl White and Silver Metallic bi-tone colors are available as exclusive options. There are also screens that are among the largest in the class in terms of size, so they are available in 7 or 12.3-inch diagonals for the driver’s instruments and 9 or 10.5 inches for the multimedia touchscreen, depending on the equipment package. The 12.3-inch screen displays dials, information and graphics, and the driver can customize the display to suit their mood or type of journey with four style options: Smart, Casual, Sporty and Tough.

The biggest change is the Hybrid 130 option powered by a 1.5-L engine with 116 hp (85 kW) or 130 hp (96 kW). It sits on a set of exclusive new 18-inch dark grey/machined five-spoke alloy wheels.

Source: Toyota

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2025 Audi RS4 Avant Edition 25 Years

In 1999, Audi introduced the RS4 Avant as the successor to the Porsche / Quattro GmbH joint venture-developed Audi RS2 Avant. 25 years later, the Ingolstadt-based company unveiled a limited edition of this model, the Audi RS4 Avant Edition 25 Years.

The special edition is finished in Imola Yellow, and customers can also choose Nardo Gray or Mythos Black. It is equipped with a stiffer suspension thanks to which it is 10 mm lower than the standard RS4 Avant, and an RS sports exhaust system with matte black oval tailpipes. There are also 20-inch forged wheels borrowed from the RS4 Avant Competition, wrapped in Pirelli P Zero tires. The car also comes with a second set of exclusive 20-inch matte black wheels with P Zero Trofeo RS semi-slick tires.

Under the bonnet is a 2.9-L twin-turbo V6 engine with 470 hp (350 kW) and 442 lb-ft (600 Nm) of torque. Thanks to 20 hp more, the special edition is 0.4 seconds faster than the standard model, and 0.2 seconds faster than the RS4 Avant Competition. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.7 seconds with a top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph).

Audi will produce only 250 examples of the RS4 Avant Edition 25 Years, and each car will cost 142,905 euros.

Source: Audi

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