NEW CARS

Porsche 911 Carrera T “Formosa” — A Sonderwunsch Love Letter to Taiwan

Porsche’s Sonderwunsch program has produced its share of wild one-offs, but the 911 Carrera T “Formosa” might be one of the brand’s most poetic. Instead of leaning on motorsport heritage or flashy custom color palettes, this one-off Carrera T uses its sheetmetal as a canvas for Taiwan’s coastlines, mountains, and rugged stone formations.

“Formosa”—a name given by 16th-century Portuguese sailors who dubbed Taiwan the “Beautiful Island”—captures the island’s geography in a way few automotive design projects even attempt. Taiwan’s compact size hides a surprisingly diverse landscape: sky-scraping mountain passes, volcanic coastal rock cliffs, and the Pacific constantly in view. Those natural contrasts shaped every decision in the car’s design.

A Color Story Written by the Pacific

The exterior wears Paint to Sample Ipanema Blue Metallic, a shade chosen to evoke the surrounding ocean. It’s not loud or neon-bright—it’s more like a deep, polished reflection of open water. The contrast elements—Porsche rear lettering, window trim, and the engine-lid slats—are done in Suzuka Grey Metallic, a nod to the island’s east-coast stone formations. Even the 20/21-inch RS Spyder wheels join the theme, mixing Suzuka Grey with a Vanadium Grey inner rim bed.

Up front, Porsche’s HD-Matrix Design LED headlights (in black) sharpen the car’s expression, while Exclusive Design taillights finish off the subtle but purposeful look. Nothing feels excessive; it’s more like a minimalist travel journal translated into metal.

Inside: A Mountain Sanctuary

Open the door and the theme shifts from ocean to mountains. Paldao wood trim stretches across the cabin—warm, organic, almost cabin-like. The full bucket seats wear a bi-color combo of Truffle Brown and Black leather, stitched in Night Green. But the show-stopper is the debut of the “Formosa” chequered pattern. It mixes Night Green, Black, and Cream White and appears on the seat inserts and inside the fully leather-lined front boot.

Illuminated sill guards read “Formosa x Sonderwunsch”, and the headrests carry a custom embossed logo that blends a 911 Carrera T outline with stylized waves and mountain peaks. It’s the kind of detail that rewards a second, third, and fourth look.

Christian Nater, CEO of Porsche Taiwan, sums it up simply: this car is “a statement of individuality and a celebration of Taiwan.” And in the context of the Sonderwunsch program—where personalization ranges from subtle to extravagant—the “Formosa” build lands firmly in the sweet spot: deeply personal without losing the Carrera T’s inherent purpose.

Still a Driver’s Porsche at Heart

For all its craftsmanship and design storytelling, the Formosa is still a Carrera T underneath. That means lightweight construction, a manual gearbox, sport-tuned suspension, and the purist driving character that makes the T specification such a standout. On the kind of tight, scenic mountain roads Taiwan is famous for, the Carrera T is already in its element. The Sonderwunsch touches don’t change that—they just enhance the sense that this car belongs to a place.

A Thoughtful, Artistic One-Off

What makes the 911 Carrera T “Formosa” special isn’t just the colors or materials. Plenty of Porsche special editions look great. What stands out here is the clarity of the concept. Every part—every stitch, shade, and piece of trim—feeds into a story about the island that inspired it.

It’s not a museum piece. It’s not a brand flex. It’s a rolling tribute to Taiwan’s landscapes made for someone who clearly loves to drive. And as far as one-offs go, that might be the most Porsche thing about it.

Source: Porsche

News

Volvo Sales Dip in November, but EV Momentum Shows a Silver Lining

Volvo Cars closed November with global sales of 60,244 vehicles, marking a 10 percent drop year-over-year and reflecting the continued growing pains of an industry in transition. But beneath the headline decline lies a more nuanced story—one that highlights Volvo’s shifting powertrain mix and the brand’s efforts to strengthen its foothold in the electrified space.

“November’s sales figures highlight the ongoing structural and transformational challenges affecting both Volvo Cars and the broader industry,” said Erik Severinson, Volvo’s Chief Commercial Officer. “Despite a decline in overall sales, we are encouraged by the growth in sales of our fully electric cars and accelerated deliveries of the new XC70 long-range plug-in hybrid in China.”

China, where demand for electrified vehicles remains brisk, offered one of the month’s bright spots. Meanwhile, Severinson acknowledged that sales in the U.S. continue to lag following the phase-out of EV tax incentives—an ongoing drag on Volvo’s American momentum.

Electrification Hits the 50 Percent Mark

Perhaps the most significant data point: Half of all Volvos sold in November were electrified, whether fully electric or plug-in hybrid. That’s a symbolic milestone for a company publicly committed to going all-electric by 2030.

  • Fully electric models accounted for 24% of monthly sales—14,594 units, a 4% uptick over last year.
  • Plug-in hybrids made up 26% with 15,785 units, though that figure dropped 12% year-over-year.

Add it up, and Volvo’s electrified lineup totaled 30,379 units for November.

The remaining half—mild hybrids and internal combustion models—fell harder than any other category, slipping 14 percent compared with 2024.

SUVs Continue to Carry the Brand

Volvo’s sales crown once again went to the XC60, the brand’s bread-and-butter midsize SUV. Even as volume slipped from last year, the model posted 16,267 units, comfortably ahead of the compact XC40/EX40 duo, which tallied 13,965 units.

The flagship XC90, nearing the end of its lifecycle as Volvo prepares its next-generation successor, managed 8,304 sales, down from 10,533 a year earlier but still an anchor in the lineup.

Year-to-Date: Still Behind 2024

From January through November, Volvo has sold 634,993 vehicles worldwide, an 8 percent decline versus the same period last year. Electrified models also dipped, down 10 percent year-to-date.

The biggest year-to-date slide continues to come from fully electric models, down 17 percent, suggesting that while monthly EV demand is stabilizing, 2025 has yet to match 2024’s momentum.

The Road Ahead

Volvo’s November performance reads like a snapshot of an industry navigating the messy middle between combustion and electrification. The company’s EV mix is climbing, its plug-in hybrid strategy is paying dividends in China, and yet global volumes remain under pressure from regulatory shifts, supply-chain friction, and soft U.S. demand.

Still, hitting a 50-percent electrified share is no small achievement. It’s a signal that Volvo’s long-term roadmap—one that leans hard into batteries and electrons—is taking shape, even if the transition still has its bumps.

Source: Volvo

News

Toyota Teases a Trio of New Performance Machines Ahead of December 4 Reveal

Toyota has dropped a shadowy teaser for not one, not two, but three all-new sports models set to share the spotlight on December 4. The dimly lit preview hints at a bold future for both Toyota and Lexus performance, with what appear to be a new Lexus sports coupe and two flavors of Toyota’s upcoming GR GT supercar—one street-legal, the other track-hungry.

A New Era for Lexus Performance

On the teaser’s left side, a clean, sweeping silhouette looks suspiciously like the production evolution of the Lexus Sport Concept first shown in August. The two-door shape and futuristic light signature match the concept almost line for line, suggesting Lexus hasn’t strayed far from its show-car styling.

That original concept already bordered on production-ready, so expect the showroom model to retain most of its proportions while dialing back some of the wilder interior touches. The teaser hints at a textured rear glass panel, though there’s no confirmation yet on whether the concept’s more dramatic features—like roof-mounted fans, an illuminated fin, or the central F1-style brake light—will survive the transition.

While many expected this model to be fully electric, recent reports point instead to a GR-derived hybrid V8, developed specifically for Lexus. With an estimated arrival in 2026, the unnamed coupe appears aimed at replacing the long-serving LC, not resurrecting the legendary LFA nameplate.

Toyota’s GR GT Supercar Steps Into the Light

Front and center in the tease is Toyota’s new GR GT supercar, confirmed through a Japanese TV spot to be debuting at the same event. Compared to the Lexus, the Toyota wears a longer hood, conventional rear glass, and crisp full-width LED taillights.

A cherry on top: we’ve already seen its interior. Earlier previews showed a driver-focused cabin with a large infotainment display, tactile physical switches, and lightweight carbon-fiber bucket seats.

Under the skin lives something even more serious. Toyota says the GR GT will pack a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 paired with a self-charging hybrid system. Word is the combustion engine alone could produce around 800 horsepower, making this the most powerful Toyota ever—and, in many ways, a spiritual successor to the V10-powered Lexus LFA.

A GT3 Monster Joins the Family

Completing the trio is an all-out racecar that clearly shares DNA with the GR GT but takes the aggression up several notches. Spy shots and the prototype that stormed the hill at Goodwood match what we see here: vented fenders, a fixed rear wing, side-exit exhausts, a beefier diffuser, and a stance that sits inches closer to the pavement.

This is almost certainly Toyota’s upcoming GT3 competition variant, a follow-up to the 2022 GR GT3 Concept and built to take on premier GT3 series worldwide.

The Big Unveil

All three models will make their global debut on December 4 during a live-streamed reveal hosted by Toyota President Akio Toyoda and Chief Branding Officer Simon Humphries. If the teaser’s shadows are anything to go by, Toyota and Lexus are about to enter 2026 with a performance lineup that looks sharper—and meaner—than ever.

Source: Toyota

Cars and catalogues