at least in case of EQS we thought maybe they don’t want to sell those cars - that they just want to say we have an EV that has record range etc. and then just sell the regular S class because that’s how they make money …
but Lucid also went after Aerodynamic records over style and unlike Mercedes they don’t have anything else to sell …
basically the obsession with range got out of control and in retrospect it was misguided because it’s not about range - it’s about charging speed and charging network …
again, all these things just go to show it’s still too early to get EV. the industry is still figuring things out.
just when you think it can’t get any worse for 911 guess where they put the fuel tank
that’s right - in the front of the car
where it is most vulnerable in case of crash
so both engine and fuel tank are in worst possible locations plus rear seats are useless - this is arguably the worst designed car on the market
yet the best executed
i was watching Cayman GT4 RS video yesterday and they said that unlike 911 GT3 it doesn’t have an electronic limited slip differential but a more primitive mechanical one and also the same engine makes 10 hp less in GT4 than GT3 …
why do you think that is ?
well it’s not rocket science - the 911 is such a bad design it can only survive with Porsche throwing the best tech at it while not allowing other cars like Cayman to use the same tech …
it’s tragic, really …
the upcoming electric 718 may be a game changer though because Porsche may allow it to do what it never allowed the gas 718 to do, namely to beat the 911 …
and this is for one reason and one reason only - the 911 will be the ONLY Porsche that stays ICE while every other model goes EV so 718 may get repositioned from a lower cost, lower performance alternative to 911 to an Electric alternative to 911
in other words 718 EV to 911 will be what Taycan is to Panamera … so it will actually be about the same price, slightly faster and slightly smaller, and with less premium interior to compensate for higher cost of batteries …
911 Hybrid will be revealed on May 28th ( in two weeks )
from what the test driver said it sounds like the car will keep the turbos but use the electric motor to reduce turbo lag, same as how it is in the Panamera.
from reading Panamera forums it is a universal consensus that the Hybrid Panameras have the least turbo lag and the main reason to get the Hybrid is if you hate Turbo lag
interestingly nothing in the video was said about efficiency, which also lines up with the Panamera well because Hybrid Panamera is still inefficient … yet highly regarded on Porsche forums ( for its instant torque ).
in fact i heard it said that the “E” in the Panamera model name is a bigger upgrade than the “S” which says a lot …
only real questions for me is:
1 - will the car keep keep AWD and if so will it be mechanical or electric ?
2 - where will they put the battery ?
it is promising they are testing the car in Dubai because clearly that is something Corvette team did not do for the Corvette Hybrid …
The Straight Pipes reported that Corvette Hybrid gets really hot inside whenever engine shuts off and loses the mechanically driven Air Conditioning compressor …
of course outside of Corvette trash all real hybrids use electric AC compressor that doesn’t shut off with the engine …
bottom line the Hybrid 911 should be faster, more responsive and ( slightly ) more efficient than the regular one … and i expect price premium to be small because it is small with Panamera hybrids …
basically they make these hybrids to meet emissions standards so they are incentivized to sell them by keeping prices low …
the real price premium with the hybrids is in long term cost of ownership when it comes to battery replacement …
