Production version of the 911 SpeedsterImage used with permission by copyright holder
Production version of the 911 SpeedsterImage used with permission by copyright holder
Production version of the 911 SpeedsterImage used with permission by copyright holder
Production version of the 911 SpeedsterImage used with permission by copyright holder
Production version of the 911 SpeedsterImage used with permission by copyright holder
The Porsche 911 Speedster ConceptImage used with permission by copyright holder
Production version of the 911 SpeedsterImage used with permission by copyright holder
Ceremonial opening “70 Years Porsche Sportscar”Image used with permission by copyright holder
Ceremonial opening “70 Years Porsche Sportscar”Image used with permission by copyright holder
Ceremonial opening “70 Years Porsche Sportscar”Image used with permission by copyright holder
Ceremonial opening “70 Years Porsche Sportscar”Image used with permission by copyright holder
Ceremonial opening “70 Years Porsche Sportscar”Image used with permission by copyright holder
Ceremonial opening “70 Years Porsche Sportscar”Image used with permission by copyright holder
Ceremonial opening “70 Years Porsche Sportscar”Image used with permission by copyright holder
Ceremonial opening “70 Years Porsche Sportscar”Image used with permission by copyright holder
Ceremonial opening “70 Years Porsche Sportscar”Image used with permission by copyright holder
Ceremonial opening “70 Years Porsche Sportscar”Image used with permission by copyright holder
Ceremonial opening “70 Years Porsche Sportscar”Image used with permission by copyright holder
Ceremonial opening “70 Years Porsche Sportscar”Image used with permission by copyright holder
Ceremonial opening “70 Years Porsche Sportscar”Image used with permission by copyright holder
The Porsche 911 Speedster ConceptImage used with permission by copyright holder
The Porsche 911 Speedster ConceptImage used with permission by copyright holder
The Porsche 911 Speedster ConceptImage used with permission by copyright holder
The Porsche 911 Speedster ConceptImage used with permission by copyright holder
The Porsche 911 Speedster ConceptImage used with permission by copyright holder
The Porsche 911 Speedster ConceptImage used with permission by copyright holder
The Porsche 911 Speedster ConceptImage used with permission by copyright holder
The Porsche 911 Speedster ConceptImage used with permission by copyright holder
The Porsche 911 Speedster ConceptImage used with permission by copyright holder
The Porsche 911 Speedster ConceptImage used with permission by copyright holder
The Porsche 911 Speedster ConceptImage used with permission by copyright holder
The Porsche 911 Speedster ConceptImage used with permission by copyright holder
The Porsche 911 Speedster ConceptImage used with permission by copyright holder
The Porsche 911 Speedster ConceptImage used with permission by copyright holder
The Porsche 911 Speedster ConceptImage used with permission by copyright holder
The Porsche 911 Speedster ConceptImage used with permission by copyright holder
The tantalizingly gorgeous 911 Speedster concept Porsche introduced in June has received the green light for production. The sporty, two-seater model was built as part of the firm’s 70th birthday bash, and it will also celebrate the end of the current-generation 911’s production run. Good luck trying to get one, though.
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Porsche has made several design tweaks to the original concept. It’s now painted in guards red, a shade chosen to echo the original 911 Speedster introduced in 1988, and it rides on cross-spoke, 21-inch alloy wheels inspired by the design seen on race cars like the 911 RSR. The retro-styled door mirrors and the fuel filler cap are finished in dark chrome to add a touch of contrast to the overall look. What you see is what you’ll get when production starts, according to the company, though other color combinations will be available.
Staying true to tradition, the Speedster doesn’t come with a folding fabric top like the 911 Carrera 4 Cabriolet it’s based on. Don’t look for a hard top of any kind, either. All you get to protect the lavish interior from the elements is a tonneau cover that snaps onto the body with buttons. You can’t drive it with the cover in place so you’ll need to choose whether to keep dry or to keep moving. We’re tempted to suggest the latter, but one look inside the Speedster might convince you otherwise.
The limited-edition model will inaugurate a new option Porsche calls Heritage Design. It’s an appearance package for the interior that puts a modern twist on styling cues from emblematic past models. Full details about the available options will emerge in the weeks leading up to the Speedster’s on-sale date.
Not having a top also means you and yours will better enjoy the sonorous song of the Speedster’s naturally aspirated, 500-horsepower flat-six engine, a unit borrowed from the track-honed GT3. The six shifts through a six-speed manual transmission.
Porsche will start production of the 911 Speedster during the first half of 2019. Only 1,948 examples will be made, a number chosen because Porsche was founded in 1948. Pricing hasn’t been released yet, but don’t expect it to come cheap. This future classic will command a sizable premium over a regular 911 convertible, and yet enthusiasts will scoop up the entire production time in a moment’s notice.
Scout Traveler and Scout Terra forge a new path for EVs
Electric vehicles are inseparable from newness, whether it’s new tech, new designs, or new companies like Rivian, Lucid, and Tesla. But the Volkswagen Group’s new EV-only brand also relies heavily on the past.
Unveiled Thursday, the Scout Traveler electric SUV and Scout Terra electric pickup truck are modern interpretations of the classic International Harvester Scout. Manufactured from 1961 to 1980, the original Scout helped popularize the idea of the rugged, off-road-capable utility vehicle, setting the stage for modern SUVs.
Robotaxi aside, a $25,000 EV would be pointless, Tesla CEO says
Enthusiasts expecting to one day put their hands on the steering wheel of a $25,000 Tesla EV may feel like they’ve been taken for a ride.
CEO Elon Musk has just put a serious damper on those expectations, saying that outside of the driverless Robotaxi recently unveiled by Tesla, a regular $25,000 model would be “pointless” and “silly.”
During a conference call with investors, Musk was asked to clarify whether such a model was in the works.
"Basically, having a regular $25K model is pointless,” Musk said. “It would be silly. It would be completely at odds with what we believe." Tesla, Musk continued, has “been very clear that the future is autonomous.”
On October 10, Tesla unveiled its much-awaited robotaxi, called the Cybercab, an autonomous-driving EV with no steering wheel or pedals. The company also unveiled the Robovan, a much larger autonomous vehicle expected to carry people or goods.
The automaker said the Cybercab is expected to be produced in 2026 and cost $30,000. Musk, meanwhile, said that it would be a $25,000 car without specifying if that price tag included federal tax credits.
Tesla’s ambiguity about an affordable entry-level model has been going on for years. In 2020, Musk signaled that a $25,000 Tesla would arrive within three years. It was later reported that Tesla had ditched the idea, instead favoring the development of a robotaxi.
Language within Tesla’s latest financial report still hints that new affordable Tesla models are on the way. But Musk’s latest comments are putting a floor on just how affordable these would be. So far, Tesla’s Model 3 Rear-Wheel-Drive remains the company’s cheapest model, with a base price of $38,990.
Some rival EV makers, meanwhile, are entering the affordable space more aggressively in the U.S.
General Motors has already put out its Chevy Equinox EV at a price of $27,500, including federal tax credits. Volkswagen America says it plans to release an under-$35,000 EV in the U.S. by 2027.
The battle to use cheaper, more efficient, and safer EV batteries is heating up among automakers. At the heart of this battle, the development of solid-state battery technology, an alternative to highly flammable and costly lithium batteries, is garnering more and more attention.For proof, Stellantis, the world’s fourth-largest automaker, is betting on the technology for its next generation of electric vehicles. The Netherlands-based company announced that it will launch a demonstration fleet of Dodge Charger Daytona EVs that will feature solid-state battery tech made by U.S. startup Factorial.The demo fleet, expected to launch by 2026, will provide a real-world assessment of Factorial’s technology. Factorial has been partnering with Stellantis since 2021 and is also partnering with the likes of Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai.Besides Dodge, the technology would eventually be deployed on the Stellantis STLA Large multi-energy platform, which includes brands such as Jeep, Chrysler, Alfa Romeo, and Maserati.Stellantis said that the integration of solid-state battery technology will yield “improved performance, longer driving ranges, and faster charging times in the coming years.”Factorial, meanwhile, says its technology provides higher energy density, reduced weight, improved performance, and the potential for further reduction in total vehicle cost over time. Stellantis, Daimler, and Hyundai aren’t the only ones to bet on solid-state battery tech. Toyota, the largest automaker in the world, has heavily invested in the technology. It also created a coalition with Nissan and Panasonic to boost its production in Japan. So far, making solid-state batteries has remained an expensive endeavor. But steps such as the Stellantis demo fleet and production at scale by the likes of Factorial are expected to improve manufacturing processes and costs over time.Other automakers, meanwhile, are working on ways to improve lithium batteries. Volkswagen, for one, is developing its own unified battery cell in several European plants as well as one plant in Ontario, Canada.
