Tag Archives: Porsche

Auctions

This Guards Red Porsche Carrera GT Is the Unicorn Collectors Have Been Waiting For

Some supercars fade into history as newer, faster machines take their place. Others transcend their era, becoming rolling pieces of automotive mythology. The Porsche Carrera GT belongs firmly in the latter category, and one particularly striking example proves just how far its legend has grown.

Finished in the exceptionally rare shade of Guards Red, this 2005 Carrera GT is heading to auction in Europe with an estimated value of €2.2 million to €2.7 million—a reminder that analog performance has never been more desirable.

Long before the hybrid-powered 918 Spyder rewrote Porsche’s performance playbook, the Carrera GT represented the company’s ultimate expression of speed and engineering purity. Built in a production run of just 1,270 cars, it paired a motorsport-derived 5.7-liter naturally aspirated V10 with something that feels almost unimaginable in today’s hypercar market: a six-speed manual transmission.

The result wasn’t merely Porsche’s answer to the Ferrari Enzo—it was a machine that demanded commitment from its driver, rewarding skill with one of the most intoxicating driving experiences ever created.

Its rarity only adds to the appeal. While silver became the signature color for the Carrera GT, only around 80 examples left the factory wearing Guards Red, giving this car an unmistakable presence before the V10 even fires into life.

The example offered by RM Sotheby’s has led a remarkably restrained existence. It has covered just 20,408 kilometers since new and has passed through the hands of only four owners over the past two decades. According to marque specialist Jochen Bader, who inspected the car before the sale, its condition is “excellent,” with only a handful of minor stone chips betraying that it has actually been driven.

Importantly, the car has also received Porsche’s updated suspension components introduced during the 2024 recall campaign, ensuring that one of the brand’s most celebrated supercars benefits from the latest factory-developed improvements. An extensive collection of service records further reinforces the impression of meticulous ownership.

Inside, the Carrera GT remains refreshingly understated. Black leather covers the seats, dashboard, door panels, and steering wheel, allowing the iconic wooden shift knob to command attention at the center of the cabin. It’s a small detail that perfectly captures the car’s philosophy—an analog masterpiece designed for drivers rather than lap-time algorithms.

In an era dominated by electrification, dual-clutch gearboxes, and software-controlled performance, the Carrera GT has evolved from an intimidating supercar into one of the automotive world’s most coveted collector pieces. Its naturally aspirated V10, manual transmission, and uncompromising character represent a formula unlikely to ever be repeated.

For the lucky bidder willing to spend somewhere between €2.2 million and €2.7 million, this Guards Red Carrera GT isn’t simply another investment-grade Porsche. It’s an opportunity to own one of the last truly analog hypercars—a machine that continues to define an entire generation of performance cars and remains every bit as captivating today as it was when it first rolled out of Stuttgart.

Source: RM Sotheby’s

NEW CARS

Porsche Taycan Turbo S Sport Turismo Soho House One Proves EVs Can Have a Designer Interior Too

952 horsepower, a satin-green finish, and an interior that looks like the world’s coolest private club.

Porsche has never struggled to make an electric car feel special, but its latest one-off creation takes a different route to exclusivity. Instead of chasing lap records or adding another carbon-fiber aero package, the Taycan Turbo S Sport Turismo Soho House One borrows its personality from one of the world’s most recognizable lifestyle brands, blending sports-car performance with boutique-hotel luxury.

The result is a rolling design statement that feels as comfortable parked outside a contemporary art gallery as it would carving through Alpine switchbacks.

Built through Porsche’s Sonderwunsch personalization program, the unique commission celebrates the long-standing partnership between Porsche and Soho House while showcasing just how far the brand’s bespoke division can go when the usual options list isn’t enough.

The Color Says Soho Before the Badge Says Porsche

The first thing you’ll notice isn’t the 952 horsepower or the aggressive Sport Turismo silhouette—it’s the paint.

Called Greek Street Green, the satin metallic finish takes direct inspiration from the façade of Soho House’s original location at 40 Greek Street in London’s Soho district. It’s understated rather than loud, giving the Taycan an almost architectural presence. The look is completed by contrasting Monteverde Green wheels, creating a monochromatic theme that’s more high-end furniture catalog than traditional sports car.

It’s a refreshing change in an era where limited editions often rely on oversized graphics and bright accent colors to announce their exclusivity.

A Living Room That Happens to Do 0–62 mph in Under Three Seconds

Open the door and the transformation becomes even more apparent.

Instead of emphasizing the technical minimalism typically associated with electric vehicles, Porsche has turned the cabin into a contemporary lounge inspired by Soho Home interiors found across its 50 locations worldwide.

The seats feature a bespoke version of Soho Home’s Murphy Jacquard fabric in a rich chocolate shade, complete with geometric patterns inspired by London’s 180 House. Truffle Brown leather wraps the remaining surfaces, while burl wood trim introduces warmth rarely seen in modern performance cars.

The combination of fabric, leather, and natural wood creates an atmosphere that feels handcrafted rather than manufactured—a deliberate contrast to the digital-heavy interiors dominating today’s luxury EV segment.

Adding to the ambience is Porsche’s Variable Light Control glass roof, allowing occupants to adjust transparency and transform the cabin’s mood with the touch of a button.

Supercar Performance Hidden Beneath Boutique Styling

Of course, underneath the designer materials sits one of the quickest electric wagons on the planet.

Based on the Taycan Turbo S Sport Turismo, the Soho House One produces 700 kW (952 PS), delivering the explosive acceleration and razor-sharp dynamics that have made the Taycan the benchmark for driver-focused electric performance.

That’s what makes this collaboration particularly interesting. Rather than softening the Taycan’s character, Porsche has simply dressed its existing performance hero in a different kind of luxury.

It’s still a car engineered to attack corners with astonishing precision—it just happens to offer an interior that wouldn’t look out of place in an exclusive members’ club afterward.

More Than a Collaboration

Brand partnerships can often feel like marketing exercises wrapped in limited-edition paint, but this project finds genuine common ground.

Both Porsche and Soho House have built reputations around design, craftsmanship, and creative culture. Ferry Porsche’s philosophy of creating the sports car he wanted to drive mirrors Soho House’s approach to creating spaces inspired by local communities, architecture, and artistic expression.

The Taycan Turbo S Soho House One translates that shared design language into automotive form, demonstrating that personalization can be about atmosphere as much as performance.

While this remains a one-off showcase rather than a production model, it serves another purpose: highlighting the capabilities of Porsche’s Sonderwunsch program.

If customers can commission a Taycan inspired by a private members’ club—with exclusive fabrics, custom colors, unique wood finishes, and tailor-made details—it suggests the future of Porsche personalization is limited less by option lists and more by imagination.

The Taycan Turbo S Sport Turismo Soho House One may never reach a showroom floor, but it proves something important. In an automotive world increasingly defined by software updates and battery sizes, genuine craftsmanship and thoughtful design still have the power to make even a 952-horsepower electric sports car feel deeply personal.

And that’s exactly the kind of luxury that never goes out of style.

Source: Porsche

NEW CARS

2027 Porsche Taycan Debuts E-Shift System, New Infotainment, and Manthey Track Package

Electric cars have spent the better part of a decade convincing us that instant torque and silent acceleration are enough. Porsche isn’t so sure.

For 2027, the German automaker is giving its Porsche Taycan a surprising new feature: simulated gear changes. Called E-Shift, the system adds eight virtual gears, steering-wheel-mounted shift paddles, artificial shift shocks, engine-braking effects, and a revised soundtrack designed to make Porsche’s electric sports sedan feel a little more like the company’s gasoline-powered icons.

It’s a move that acknowledges a reality many enthusiasts have been reluctant to admit. EVs may be objectively quicker than their internal-combustion predecessors, but they’re not always as engaging. Porsche’s answer isn’t to fight electrification—it’s to inject more theater into it.

A Taycan That Pretends to Shift

The new E-Shift system is available across the Taycan lineup and comes standard on the range-topping Taycan Turbo GT. Drivers can leave the system in an automatic mode or use paddles mounted behind the GT Sport steering wheel to work through eight simulated gears.

Unlike some novelty sound effects we’ve experienced in other EVs, Porsche appears to have gone all-in on the illusion. Each virtual gear carries its own acceleration profile, while noticeable shift jolts and simulated drag torque recreate the sensation of engine braking. A virtual rev limiter, shift lights, and a digital tachometer complete the experience.

The company says the accompanying Porsche Electric Sport Sound has also been reworked to react to vehicle load and virtual engine speed. The result is intended to make the Taycan feel less like a one-speed electric appliance and more like a traditional performance car building speed through the gears.

Whether enthusiasts embrace the concept remains to be seen, but Porsche deserves credit for addressing a criticism often leveled at EVs: they’re astonishingly fast, yet sometimes emotionally distant.

Manthey Turns the Taycan Into a Track Weapon

If simulated gears sound playful, Porsche’s other major Taycan update is anything but.

For the first time, Porsche’s motorsport partner Manthey is offering a factory-backed performance package for an electric model. Previously reserved for hardcore GT products such as the Porsche 911 GT3 RS, Manthey kits have become synonymous with Nürburgring-focused performance.

Now the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT joins that club.

The new Manthey Kit includes extensive aerodynamic, chassis, and powertrain revisions aimed at extracting even more performance from what is already one of the fastest production EVs on sale. The package’s credentials were established on Germany’s most demanding circuit, where Porsche development driver Lars Kern recorded a 6:55.533 lap of the Nürburgring Nordschleife, setting a new benchmark in the electric executive-car category.

More importantly for buyers, the kit can now be specified directly from the factory instead of being installed solely as an aftermarket upgrade.

Seven Hundred Kilometers on a Charge

Performance isn’t the only focus.

Porsche has also squeezed additional efficiency from the Taycan through new low-rolling-resistance summer tires developed for rear-wheel-drive variants. Combined with the larger Performance Battery Plus pack, the company claims a WLTP driving range of up to 700 kilometers (435 miles).

While WLTP figures tend to paint a more optimistic picture than EPA estimates, the number nevertheless underscores how far the Taycan has evolved since its launch. Early versions impressed with their charging speeds and performance but lagged behind some competitors in outright range. The latest updates continue Porsche’s effort to close that gap without compromising the car’s dynamic character.

A Much Smarter Cabin

The interior sees one of its biggest technology upgrades since the Taycan’s debut.

Porsche’s latest Porsche Digital Interaction interface arrives with a cleaner visual design, significantly faster processing power, and a more smartphone-like user experience. The automaker says the new Porsche Communication Management system delivers up to five times the computing performance of the previous setup.

A customizable home screen built around widgets allows drivers to prioritize navigation, media, phone functions, or vehicle data. A detailed 3D model of the owner’s car—rendered in its actual exterior color—sits at the center of the interface and serves as a shortcut to key vehicle controls.

Voice control has also received a substantial overhaul. The AI-supported Voice Pilot can understand more natural speech patterns, perform Google-backed points-of-interest searches, and handle follow-up questions without requiring drivers to repeat the “Hey Porsche” wake phrase every time.

Wireless smartphone charging jumps to 25 watts, while over-the-air updates can now be downloaded and installed entirely in the background.

The Bigger Picture

The most interesting aspect of the 2027 Taycan isn’t necessarily the Nürburgring record or the added range. It’s Porsche’s willingness to acknowledge that performance is about more than numbers.

Most EV manufacturers have focused on making electric cars faster, quieter, and more efficient. Porsche is taking a different path. By adding virtual gears, synthesized mechanical sensations, and a more dramatic soundtrack, the company is trying to preserve the emotional qualities that have long defined its sports cars.

Whether fake shifts become a must-have feature or remain a curiosity, they represent something notable: one of the world’s most respected performance brands openly experimenting with ways to make electric driving feel less digital.

And in a market where nearly every EV is chasing the same formula, that may be the most Porsche thing of all.

Source: Porsche