Category Archives: NEW CARS

Porsche 911 Turbo S: Hybrid Power Is Coming, but the Flat-Six Lives On

With a model range as sprawling as the Alps it was born near, the Porsche 911 never sits still for long. Every year brings a fresh twist—sometimes it’s a new trim, sometimes a commemorative badge, sometimes just a handful of subtle updates that only Porsche diehards will notice. But the big changes are the ones worth watching, and the biggest of the 992.2 generation so far is just around the corner: a hybridized 911 Turbo S.

Porsche has been teasing the car with cryptic social posts ahead of its September 7 debut. Blink and you might miss the clues, but one thing is certain: it’s a 911. A video starring actor and racer Patrick Dempsey shows the unmistakable 2+2 layout, and Porsche has already confirmed the Turbo S will bow this year with electrification baked in.

A Faster-Than-Fast Turbo

The outgoing Turbo S is no slouch. With 640 horsepower from its twin-turbo 3.7-liter flat-six, it rockets to 62 mph in just 2.7 seconds when fitted with the Sport Chrono package. That’s borderline warp speed for a car with license plates. But add in an electric motor’s instant torque, and the next Turbo S should make “faster than schnell”—as Porsche itself teased—sound like an understatement. Shaving a few tenths from that launch time feels inevitable.

While Porsche hasn’t spilled specs yet, the hybrid system is expected to push output well past today’s 640 horses. If the GTS’s recent hybrid upgrade is any indication, the setup won’t compromise character—it’ll amplify it.

What Comes After the Turbo?

The 992.2’s story is still unfolding. A new GT2 RS is reportedly in the works for next year, likely embracing electrification as well. Rumors also swirl about a Slantnose revival, a nod to the wild ’80s 930 Turbo SE. What you won’t see this decade is a fully electric 911. Porsche has drawn a line in the sand: the 911 remains an internal-combustion car, and likely the last of its kind in Stuttgart’s lineup.

That pledge is backed by Karl Dums, head of Porsche’s synthetic fuel program, who insists the 911 will stay on the road with a combustion engine for as long as possible. With the Cayenne’s V-8 confirmed to stick around into the 2030s, the rear-mounted flat-six isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Farewell to the 718, Hello to… Maybe?

The same can’t be said for the 718 twins. Both the Boxster and Cayman bow out next month, making way for all-electric successors later this decade. A combustion follow-up isn’t on the cards—at least officially. Still, Porsche has hinted that some future models originally slated as EV-only could see ICE versions after all. If the business case works, don’t count the 718 out completely. Stranger things have happened, like the unexpected decision to build a new gas-powered Macan alongside its EV counterpart.

The Bigger Picture

Porsche is threading a needle that other automakers have already dropped: balancing its racing-bred combustion heritage with an electrified future. The hybrid 911 Turbo S looks set to be the perfect embodiment of that strategy—brutally quick, technologically advanced, and still unmistakably Porsche.

When it arrives, the question won’t be whether it’s fast enough. The real question will be whether anything else on the road can keep up.

Source: Porsche

Volkswagen Revives a Cult Classic with the ID.3 GTX FIRE+ICE

The 1990s Golf II Fire and Ice was the sort of car that became a cult icon almost by accident: a quirky trim line, a bold collaboration with fashion brand Bogner, and suddenly you had a Volkswagen that oozed character. Fast forward three decades, and Wolfsburg is betting lightning can strike twice—this time in the electric age.

Production has officially kicked off in Saxony for the Volkswagen ID.3 GTX FIRE+ICE, a limited-run special edition that fuses EV performance with fashion flair. Just 1,990 units will be built, a nod to the Golf’s 1990 debut, with prices in Germany starting at €56,020. The cars roll out of VW’s Zwickau and Dresden plants, the same sites that have already cranked out more than a million EVs across the Volkswagen, Audi, and Cupra brands since 2019.

A Saxony Original

“The ID.3 marked the beginning of the era of electric mobility for Volkswagen,” said Danny Auerswald, spokesperson for VW Saxony. “With more than one million EVs produced here, our team has shown it has mastered transformation.”

For Saxony, the FIRE+ICE project is more than just a trim package. It’s a showcase of regional expertise and industrial resilience. “Such special models are not just top industrial achievements,” noted Saxony’s Minister of Economic Affairs Dirk Panter, “they also symbolise innovative strength and reliability ‘made in Saxony.’”

Power Meets Style

Unlike the Golf II Fire and Ice, which leaned mostly on bold colorways and branding, the ID.3 GTX FIRE+ICE packs some serious hardware. Buyers can choose between 210 kW (286 PS) and 240 kW (326 PS) dual-motor setups, both churning out 545 Nm of torque. In its most powerful spec, the car rips from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds and keeps pulling to an electronically limited 200 km/h.

A sports DCC chassis comes standard on the 326 PS version and optional on the base GTX FIRE+ICE, sharpening handling to match the car’s straight-line punch. Energy comes from a 79 kWh lithium-ion pack, good for up to 591 km WLTP range. Plug into a 185 kW DC fast charger, and you’ll go from 10 to 80 percent in about 26 minutes—enough time for a Bogner store browse, if you’re keeping on-brand.

Fashion DNA

The collaboration with Bogner’s FIRE+ICE line ties the new model directly to its ‘90s namesake. That earlier Golf gained cult status among fans for its loud styling and limited availability. Volkswagen is clearly leaning into that nostalgia play, pairing it with today’s electric performance credentials.

And just like its predecessor, exclusivity is part of the package: with fewer than 2,000 units available globally, the GTX FIRE+ICE is destined to be more boutique collector’s item than mass-market commuter pod.

A Growing Legacy

Since its launch in 2019, VW has built over 350,000 ID.3s in various trims. Roughly one in ten of those is a sportier GTX model, highlighting that buyers aren’t afraid to seek a little more edge in their EVs. This FIRE+ICE edition slots right into that ethos, while offering VW Saxony’s workforce a chance to flex its creative muscles.

At the Gläserne Manufaktur in Dresden, six apprentices even created a one-off show car ahead of production to keep buzz alive between the world premiere and customer deliveries. It’s already been drawing hundreds of visitors a day, underscoring VW’s view of the Transparent Factory not just as a production site but as a brand experience hub.

Is the ID.3 GTX FIRE+ICE the second coming of a cult classic, or just a clever marketing exercise wrapped in nostalgia? Time—and the secondary market—will tell. What’s clear is that Volkswagen is digging into its history books to add emotion to its EV lineup, and the FIRE+ICE might just be its boldest move yet.

After all, if the ‘90s taught us anything, it’s that sometimes the most memorable cars aren’t the fastest or the most rational—they’re the ones with the strongest sense of style.

Source: Volkswagen

Smart Bets on Small Again with the All-Electric #2

Smart is going back to what made it famous—or infamous, depending on who you ask. The brand has confirmed it’s working on a new two-seat city car, fully electric this time, slated to arrive at the end of 2026. Its name? The Smart #2, a nod to the company’s numerical naming strategy and, more importantly, a spiritual successor to the original ForTwo that debuted back in 1998.

That first ForTwo promised to change how we think about urban mobility. It didn’t, of course. But the car was quirky, undeniably cool, and made parallel parking in Europe’s oldest cities a game rather than a chore. Smart even experimented with an EV version as early as 2007, eventually putting it into series production in 2011. The problem: the thing was terrible. Even in later iterations, the electric ForTwo topped out at a meager 130 kilometers of range—fine for a quick grocery run, but laughable in a world of Teslas and Hyundais.

The new #2 has to do better. It joins Smart’s growing lineup, which already includes the #1 crossover, the #3 coupe/crossover, and the upcoming #5 SUV. Unlike the early-2000s Smart, the brand now has access to far better battery technology, courtesy of its joint venture between Mercedes-Benz and Geely. That means the #2 should finally pair tiny-car maneuverability with a range figure that doesn’t trigger instant range anxiety.

Dirk Adelman, Smart Europe’s chief, is framing this as nothing less than a rebirth: “The confirmation of our ‘project: two’ and the upcoming launch of Smart #2 marks a turning point for the Smart brand globally. Smart #2 will shape a new era of individual urban automotive mobility, especially in classic ‘Smart cities’ such as Rome, London or Paris.”

That’s a bold promise. But if Smart can deliver a chic, reasonably priced, and actually usable EV for the world’s densest metropolises, the #2 might finally fulfill the mission the original ForTwo couldn’t.

Source: Smart