Tag: Porsche

Battersea Power Station Pop-up Store: A Glimpse into Porsche’s Legacy

Post author By Uygar Kilic
Post date December 2, 2023

Battersea Power Station, an iconic landmark in London, has witnessed a transformation from a power station to a vibrant hub of shopping and living spaces. Recently, Porsche UK seized the opportunity to showcase its brand in a unique way by opening a pop-up store at Battersea Power Station. Running from October 18th to December 1st, 2023, this limited-time experience offered enthusiasts and curious visitors alike a chance to immerse themselves in the world of Porsche.

Given the historical significance of Battersea Power Station, the location itself added a layer of grandeur to Porsche’s temporary establishment. Navigating London’s landscape to reach Battersea Power Station can be a challenge, yet the allure of this iconic venue was enough to draw car enthusiasts and curious onlookers alike. Despite the limited accessibility, the experience was well worth the effort.

The concept of car stores within shopping centres, which initially faced skepticism in the early 2010s, has evolved over time. Porsche’s pop-up store stands as a testament to this evolution, breaking away from traditional perceptions. While proposing the idea years ago, it was met with skepticism from other car manufacturers who questioned the feasibility of showcasing cars in shopping environments. However, with the pioneering success of Tesla, the automotive landscape witnessed a paradigm shift, and now, every car company aspires to secure a space in shopping centres.

Porsche’s pop-up store was not merely a showroom; it was a curated experience that delved into the essence of Porsche and its rich heritage. The store featured a rotation of several Porsche models, allowing visitors to get up close and personal with the brand’s iconic vehicles. Importantly, this initiative by Porsche offered a unique opportunity for individuals to engage with the Porsche brand without the pressure of committing to a car purchase.

In conclusion, the Porsche pop-up store at Battersea Power Station transcended the conventional boundaries of automotive retail. It was a carefully crafted experience that celebrated the brand’s legacy and allowed enthusiasts to connect with Porsche in a dynamic and accessible setting. As the automotive industry continues to evolve, such innovative approaches to brand engagement are likely to become more prevalent, redefining the way we experience and interact with iconic car brands.

Tags Battersea Power Station, Porsche

Cars

Salon Privé Chelsea, London 2023

Post author By Uygar Kilic
Post date May 7, 2023

I attended Salon Privé this year and was worried I would be late, but my timing was perfect – I arrived just after the rain. Although the show was a bit wet, it didn’t stop people from attending.

The most iconic cars of this year’s event were the Ferrari F40 and F50. I have to admit, I am a bit biased towards these cars because they are rare and very hard to come by. Not only are the F40 and F50 limited in numbers, but they are also difficult to drive.

Like the previous year, I visited Anna-Louise Felstead’s stand, and as always, she had amazing paintings.

Ferrari introduced the soft-top version of the Ferrari Roma by HR Owen, called the Roma Spider. The final version of the Aston Martin DBS 770 Ultimate was also on display, marking the end of an era for V12 Aston Martins (except for the SUV).

Anyway, there were so many cars at the event. Salon Privé is the best car show in London, and you shouldn’t miss it next year.

Tags Bentley, Classic Cars, Ferrari, HR Owen, Hyundai, Lamborghini, Maserati, Porsche, Rolls Royce, Salon Prive, Salon Prive 2023

Cars

The Porsche 911 Dakar

Post author By Uygar Kilic
Post date December 1, 2022

The Porsche 911 is one of the most iconic sports cars. It has been evolving since it was first introduced in 1964. It is one of the most refined sports cars with a wide range of engine options. Also, you can choose either a rear-wheel drive or an all-wheel drive option. Now, we have the Porsche 911 Dakar.

The Porsche 911 Dakar is designed for rough and tough terrain. The Dakar is here to get rid of your Cayenne and let you drive the real Porsche! I know the Cayenne is practical, has all-wheel drive and offers an off-road experience.

Now, the Porsche 911 Dakar can do the same, and you don’t need the Cayenne! The Porsche 911 Dakar is based on the Carrera S with a 50mm uplifting suspension kit with an option to lift it an additional 30mm via a four-corner lift system.

The Porsche 911 Dakar is powered by a 911 GTS engine, a 3.0-litre Biturbo six-cylinder engine with 480 PS (353 kW) and a maximum torque of 570 Nm. The Dakar can reach 100 km/h in 4.2 seconds and the top speed is only limited to 240 km/h due to the all-terrain tyres. The engine is coupled with an 8-speed PDK gearbox. Rear-axle steering is also available. Dakar’s off-road top speed is limited to 170 km/h, but I am sure this speed will be enough on rough terrain. And there is a new driving mode: Rally and Off-Road.

There will only be 2500 Porsche 911 Dakars produced for £173,000. If you can afford it, go buy it!

Photos // Porsche

Tags Porsche, Porsche 911, Porsche 911 Dakar

Cars

Salon Privé Chelsea, London 2022

Post author By Uygar Kilic
Post date May 5, 2022

Ferrari Daytona SP3 Salon Prive 2022 London

I have tried to attend Salon Privé for a long time, but I’ve never managed it! I always thought Salon Privé was a small car show, and that’s all. However, I was wrong.

I realized this when I attended the event at Royal Chelsea Hospital in London this year. Since I started blogging, I think this is the first car show where I didn’t ask for a press pass.

Salon Privé London has something unique to offer! It is small, but it has everything! From Prodrive’s Paris Dacar off-roader BRX Hunter to Bugatti Chirons (multiple Chirons were present). I’m not even taking into account the number of Lamborghinis that were present.

Another great part of Salon Privé was Anna-Louise Felstead (Instagram @alfelstead). She is a fantastic artist whose paintings I love. This is especially true for the ones that convey the reality of luxury cars. They are amazing!

Also, there were two helicopters at Salon Privé. I can’t ignore them in this write-up. From this year, I will be attending a future Salone Privé event, and I highly recommend it!

Clive Sutton Mustang CS850 Salon Prive 2022 London

Tags Aston Martin, Bugatti, Clive Sutton, Ferrari, Fiat 500, Mercedes, Morgan, Pininfarina, Porsche, Prodrive, Salon Prive 2022

Cars

New Porsche 911 GT3 Touring

Post author By Uygar Kilic
Post date July 8, 2021

Porsche recently revealed the iconic 911 GT3 Touring, an ‘incognito mode’ take on the 911 GT3. The car shows no signs of its sheer power and abilities.

It looks like a normal Porsche 911, probably an entry-level model with no rear seats. However, under the bonnet, a high-revving 4-lt six-cylinder boxer engine can deliver 510 PS of power through a 6-speed manual or, for the first time, 7-speed PDK automatic transmission.

Go for the automatic option. Manual gearboxes are neither as quick nor efficient as PDK automatic gearboxes. For me, the manual gearbox is something unnecessary in today’s car world.

The 911 GT3 Touring is not for people who want to show off; it’s for people who would love to experience the raw Porsche 911 experience without any fixed-wing or aero kits. One of the best aspects of the GT3 Touring is its retractable rear wing – it appears when it should appear.

You won’t have so many toys with the GT3 Touring, and you’ll have less comfort compared to the original 911, but the GT3 Touring has a purpose! I’m not sure how many grand touring experiences you can have with this car, but it will still be a great car to drive on long journeys.

Is it worth buying? Yes, and as you expected, it’s more expensive with fewer features!

Photos // Porsche

Tags Porsche, Porsche 911, Porsche 911 GT3 Touring

Cars

New Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo aka Off Roader

Post author By Uygar Kilic
Post date March 11, 2021

Porsche have recently announced the latest addition to the Taycan family, the Cross Turismo. Prior to the Gran Turismo, Porsche did not have an all-roader vehicle like the Audi A6 Allroad, they either created a sports car or an SUV. However, it seems that Porsche were aiming to attempt a new segment with their electric car platform, with the Taycan Cross Turismo being the result of this decision. The Taycan Cross Turismo is based on the classic Taycan but has higher suspension settings. Off-road abilities, under bonnet protection, and a potential off-road setting are implemented to mimic a differential lock effect via torque vectoring systems on each axle. In addition, the calibre of the electric motors creates an off-road environment.

The downside of electric motors in an off-road environment is that they deliver all of their torque instantly. Meaning that if you are on a loose surface and you need as little as possible torque, good luck using the electric motors, you will be digging up the surface. The gravel driving mode in the Cross Turismo enables the vehicle to accelerate smoothly on loose surfaces. Certainly, the Cross Turismo is not an SUV and is not designed to face serious off-road environments. But then which SUV faces a serious off-road environment! It is also nice to have additional ground clearance and an off-road driving mode to use some shortcuts on your path.

Would I buy it? Honestly, yes! I do not like the idea of driving an SUV in the city, they are designed for the off-road environment. Yet, I like the practicality. Especially when the roads get a bit snowy and muddy. The Cross Turismo is a perfect vehicle, that will not compromise the off-roading’s performance driving experience, and will get you around that muddy road.

If I ever buy a Porsche 911, I will get the Cross Turismo.
The performance details are here;
• The Taycan 4 Cross Turismo with 280 kW (380 PS), overboost power for Launch Control 350 kW (476 PS), acceleration 0-62 mph in 5.1 seconds, top speed 137 mph, range (WLTP) 242 – 283 miles.

• The Taycan 4S Cross Turismo with 360 kW (490 PS), overboost power with Launch Control 420 kW (571 PS), acceleration 0-62 mph in 4.1 seconds, top speed 149 mph, range (WLTP) 241 – 281 miles.

• The Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo with 460 kW (625 PS), overboost power with Launch Control 500 kW (680 PS), acceleration 0-62 mph in 3.3 seconds, top speed 155 mph, range (WLTP) 245 – 281 miles.

• The Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo with 460 kW (625 PS), overboost power with Launch Control 560 kW (761 PS), acceleration 0-62 mph in 2.9 seconds, top speed 155 mph, range (WLTP) 241 – 260 miles.

Photos // Porsche

Tags Porsche, Porsche Taycan, Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo

Cars

Porsche Boxster is 25 Years Old

Post author By Uygar Kilic
Post date January 29, 2021

In 1996, Porsche made a radical decision to introduce Boxster, an affordable two-seater car with a relatively small engine. During this time, bigger was considered better, and no one ever anticipated that the Boxster would become a game-changer. Also, during the same time, Mercedes-Benz introduced the SLK, a hardtop, whereas the Boxster was a soft top.

The compact structure and rear-mid engine placement made the Boxster a proper car for driving enthusiasts. The interior quality was also high for its time. As time went by, Porsche continued to develop the Boxster and added the Cayman to the range. However, Boxster became an iconic car of the 911.

After all these years, and a significant profit generated, Porsche is celebrating the 25th birthday of the Boxster with a special edition. The Boxster 25th Edition is based on a GT4, 4-lt engine (this six-cylinder mid-engine has 400 PS). It has the same colour scheme that Boxster’s concept model had in 1993. It will be (1200 cars only)limited in quantity available and definitely a future classic.

Images // Porsche

Tags Porsche, Porsche 718 Boxster, Porsche Boxster 25 Year Edition

Cars

New Porsche 911 Turbo S Flaps

Post author By Uygar Kilic
Post date April 24, 2020

Porsche recently revealed the latest generation of the iconic Turbo S. It produces 650 horsepower from a 3.8-lt six-cylinder boxer engine. It only needs 2.7 seconds to reach 100km/h! This car is fantastic and also it is a stealth supercar; Porsche 911’s are well-known for being understated supercars. You can park them anywhere and people will not even notice them. The Porsche 911 is not like a Ferrari or a Lamborghini that shouts too much.

With the new Turbo S, there are some cool front cooling flaps and rear spoiler movements, like an aeroplane. Next time, you spot a Porsche 911 Turbo S on the road, you will know where to look!

Configurations at a glance:

Porsche 911 Turbo S: Porsche Active Aerodynamics (PAA): rear wing in performance position

911 Turbo S: Porsche Active Aerodynamics (PAA): rear wing in speed position

Porsche 911 Turbo S: Porsche Active Aerodynamics (PAA): rear wing retracted

Porsche 911 Turbo S: Porsche Active Aerodynamics (PAA): front spoiler lip extended, cooling air flaps open

911 Turbo S: Porsche Active Aerodynamics (PAA): cooling air flaps closed

Porsche 911 Turbo S: Porsche Active Aerodynamics (PAA): cooling air flaps closed

Porsche 911 Turbo S: Porsche Active Aerodynamics (PAA): cooling air flaps open

Photo credit // Porsche

Tags Porsche, Porsche 911 Turbo S

Cars

Porsche Will Print Your Fingerprint on your Porsche

Post author By Uygar Kilic
Post date March 10, 2020

Personalisation and sports cars; two notions that are heavily entwined. Anyone with an aspiration to own a sports car will talk about how they would personalise it. For some people, this is choosing a specific colour, whilst others, myself included, are more interested in personalising a sports car with the latest tech.

Porsche decided to push the boundaries of this trend in personalisation and decided to offer something really personal; your finger print. For €7500, Porsche will give you the opportunity to print your most personal and private detail onto your car and share it with everyone.

Whilst we are all aware that Apple devices require a fingerprint scan to enter, and we are not entirely clear whether this fingerprint scanner stores any information, printing your fingerprint on your car is probably the most awkward (and ridiculous) idea to enter the automotive industry. We are currently living in the world of data protection where people are incredibly hesitant to share any of their personal details. I really wonder who would choose to print their finger print on their cars? I am sure someone will do it, but the majority of people? Unlikely!

Photo Copyright // Porsche

Tags Porsche

Cars

Porsche Taycan, Goodbye to Tesla!

Post author By Uygar Kilic
Post date September 16, 2019

The Porsche Taycan has recently been revealed to the public. If you haven’t heard about the Taycan, it is the pure electric sports car from Porsche. It looks like a coupe, but it is a four-door saloon like a Panamera. To be honest, I don’t like the front-end design that much. The rear-end of the car looks much better and cleaner. I must also admit that I haven’t seen this car in real life. Sometimes, photos can’t reveal the details of the vehicle, and they don’t look that good.

The key point is the technology behind the Taycan, which shakes the foundation of the Tesla vehicles. Until now, there were a couple of pure electric vehicles to compete with Tesla, but they were SUVs and small cars. I didn’t really see a pure competitor of the Tesla range until now.

Taycan is a real Porsche that runs on pure electric power. Let’s begin with the model range. There are two models, Taycan Turbo and Taycan Turbo S. Don’t be deceived by the Turbo branding, there are no turbos involved with this car. Porsche is using an existing branding structure to try and make this car as familiar as possible to existing customers so that the customers will not be alienated by the Taycan.

The Turbo has 680 PS, and the Turbo S has 761 PS. They are both all-wheel drive, and there are two electric motors sitting on each axle. They are powered by 800 volts instead of the traditional 400 volts. This means the Taycan is insanely fast! And, it can be charged to 80% in 22.5 minutes. I really love this very precise timing! The battery pack’s capacity is 93.4 kWh with Performance Battery Plus.

We need to get used to this terminology; electric cars have a totally unique terminology for their powertrain.

And there is a two-speed gearbox! Yes, the Taycan is the only electric car with a gearbox. It is very unusual as the electric motors produce insane amounts of torque, and it is a serious challenge for transmission to handle this power. Taycan’s electric motors produce 1050 Nm of torque. This is a lot of power! It can easily tear off any traditional transmission. The range is up to 412 km!

When you wish to design a transmission that can handle this amount of power, it becomes heavy, and electric motors are delivering this power all the time, unlike internal combustion engines.

The Porsche Taycan has a transmission for the rapid acceleration. The first gear is selected when the driver engages the Sport Plus mode and the Taycan accelerates extremely quickly and shifts to second gear. Transmission is attached to the rear engine. Furthermore, this transmission increases the range by 5%, as well as improving efficiency.

I can’t ignore that you will have a massive screen on the dashboard, 16.8 inches! It will be hard to clean it! Also, Porsche joined the crowd and added a voice recognition system called “Hey Porsche”. It probably won’t recognise when you want to use it and will work when you don’t intend to use it.

You will also have the usual Porsche toys, including 4D Chassis Control, PDCC Sport, Torque Vectoring Plus, and all-wheel steering.

I really like the Taycan, unlike the aging Tesla. The Taycan is created by a company that has a racing heritage. I am sure that the Taycan will be a great success for Porsche, like the Cayenne. Also, the Taycan is not something that is a complete contradiction with the Porsche DNA, like Cayenne and Macan. The Taycan is the future of mobility for sports cars.

Photo Credit // Porsche

Tags Porsche, Porsche Taycan