This mysterious Porsche 911 prototype has all the hallmarks of a Slantnose. It’s no longer a secret that Porsche is currently gradually refreshing the “992” 911 series. Recently, several prototypes at different stages of development have been spotted, but this one is particularly intriguing.

An unusual base and an evocative silhouette

At first glance, it’s clear there’s much more here than just fake headlights and camouflaged elements. The first big surprise: this test mule doesn’t use a 992 body, but rather that of the previous 991 generation. Why would Porsche use an outdated base? The answer might lie under this hood with its surprising design, reminiscent of some Nissans.

The trademark clue: Flachbau

A few months ago, Porsche registered the trademarks “Flachbau” and “Flachbau RS”. The translation? “Slantnose,” or “flat nose” in French. This iconic design signature from the 80s characterized 911s with pop-up headlights integrated into the hood, offering a sleek and radical silhouette.

Towards a road-legal version?

Between this suggestive front end and the imposing rear, something is definitely happening. Porsche has already revisited the Slantnose style recently with the 935 tribute, which was track-only in 2019. But here, the use of a road-homologated GT2 RS suggests this could be the development of a true production version, an exciting possibility though unconfirmed.

However, the use of a previous generation body suggests we’ll probably have to wait before seeing a final product. Perhaps this future Slantnose will serve as a farewell model for the 992 when the time comes?

The world’s largest McLaren collection has been entirely acquired by a single buyer, whose identity remains confidential. This exceptional sale, which involved all the vehicles gathered by Mansour Ojjeh, an enthusiast and historic shareholder of the Formula 1 team, was orchestrated by car broker Tom Hartley Jnr.

A historic sale for a legendary collection

Having passed away in June 2021, Mansour Ojjeh left behind an immense legacy in the world of business and motorsport. His major involvement with McLaren allowed him to build the most impressive private collection of supercars and single-seaters from the brand with the papaya emblem. Unlike the highly publicized sale of the Ecclestone collection ($646 million for 69 F1 cars), the final price and the identity of the buyer have not been disclosed. Tom Hartley confirmed that all 20 McLarens were purchased together, ensuring that the collection will remain united.

The unique features of the Ojjeh collection

This collection is unique for several reasons. Each car represents the very last chassis produced of its specific model, not the first or a symbolic number. Almost all were painted in an exclusive color, “Yquem,” an orange hue that was later nicknamed “Mansour Orange” and was not offered to any other customer.

Preserved gems

Another particularity: almost all of the cars have never been driven. There are only two notable exceptions: a McLaren F1, famous for being driven by Lewis Hamilton during track laps offered to the Ojjeh children, and a P1 GTR, which was crashed at the Circuit of the Americas but has since been perfectly restored and was recently spotted at the McLaren Technology Center.

This sale, described as “historic” by Tom Hartley on Instagram, honors the memory of a legendary man and his legacy of vision, passion, and automotive excellence.

Preserved after years of meticulous work, the personal Chevrolet Corvette of Zora Arkus-Duntov, the “Father of the Corvette,” is now a jewel displayed by the National Corvette Museum. This man is an absolutely crucial figure in the history of the American sports car, responsible for some of its greatest moments.

A C3 Rich in History and Unique Features

Zora Arkus-Duntov purchased this new Corvette C3 in 1974, just one year before leaving General Motors. Equipped with a 454 engine and a three-speed automatic transmission, it features power steering, power brakes, air conditioning, and aluminum wheels. While it was initially silver, it was repainted green before sporting its current two-tone blue livery. It also bears personal touches, such as the hand-painted initials “ZAD” on the doors.

A Preservation Effort, Not a Restoration

The museum’s Collections and Preservation department undertook a colossal project to stabilize the car in its current state. Rather than a classic restoration, the body was separated from the chassis to clean, stabilize, and preserve every small component in minute detail. Extreme care was taken to retain all the character and soul of the vehicle, such as the leather armrest worn by Zora’s own left arm.

Unique and Fascinating Technical Details

A close examination reveals unique details. The wheels mounted on the car were only prototypes at the time and did not become available to the public until 1976. There is also a Holley control mounted on the console that allows switching the fuel mixture between rich and lean. Surprisingly, this is the one and only Corvette that Zora Arkus-Duntov ever owned.

A Centerpiece for Eternity

After driving it for years, Zora sold the car in 1989. It was later donated to the National Corvette Museum in his honor after his death in 1996. The Corvette will be the centerpiece of the museum’s new Corvette Hall of Fame exhibition gallery. It is the first in a series of in-depth preservation projects aimed at preserving the greatest Corvettes for future generations.

The legendary Nissan GT-R R35 has officially ended its production in Japan after an exceptional 18-year career. This performance icon, old enough to graduate from high school, is taking its final bow, at least for now.

Automotive News in Brief

While Stellantis has been fined $190.6 million for failing to comply with U.S. fuel economy standards, the Mercedes-Benz Group surprises by developing a new V8 engine, despite its stated electric strategy.

Performance and Technology

On the record front, China leads with the BYD Yangwang U9 Track Edition, now the world’s fastest production EV, having reached 472.36 km/h. In a different vein, Stellantis has reportedly paused its Level 3 autonomous driving program, deemed too costly and commercially unviable.

Design and Competition

BMW, for its part, has announced it will reduce the size of the grilles on its race cars to improve their aerodynamics and reduce drag, a purely functional technical evolution.

Porsche is now considering simulated gear shifts in its electric vehicles, a surprising reversal after initially opposing the idea. Last year, a development driver for the brand described such systems as “unnecessary.” However, as demonstrated by the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, the lack of practical value doesn’t prevent a feature from being entertaining and enhancing the driving experience.

An Evolving Engineering Perspective

Porsche’s initial stance was logical from a technical standpoint. A gear shift in a combustion engine involves a brief interruption of power, which is a drawback during acceleration. For an electric motor that doesn’t need it, it seemed reasonable to simply avoid it.

However, during a test drive of the electric Cayenne prototype, Sascha Niesen, head of Cayenne prototype validation at Porsche, hinted that the brand is no longer so firmly against the idea.

A Prototype with a Simulated Eight-Speed Gearbox

Not only is Porsche open to the idea, but it has already built a prototype equipped with a simulated eight-speed gearbox, complete with engine sounds. These are not synthetic beeps but authentic sounds, those of a traditional V8, specifically recorded from a Cayenne V8.

“We recorded the sounds both for the interior of the cabin and for the exterior, the sound coming from the exhaust,” explained Niesen. Adapting this sound to electric motors, which operate at very different RPMs, requires fine-tuning to modulate the sound over a much wider RPM range.

“Virtual Gear Shifts” Requiring Hardware

Niesen confirmed that “virtual gear shifts” are under study. Unlike a simple software update, their implementation would require additional hardware, such as paddle shifters on the steering wheel, which are absent on the current Cayenne EV prototype.

Porsche has indeed built a concept vehicle with these paddles. Niesen, who drove it in March, admits he was initially skeptical, fearing an artificial gimmick designed by “software geeks.” But the project was actually led by experienced engineers who had worked on the brand’s dual-clutch and torque converter automatic transmissions.

An Authentic Feel That Surprises

“They know what they’re doing,” he stated. “They managed to give it the feel of a real torque converter automatic. I couldn’t tell the difference.” The result convinced him, exceeding all his expectations.

An Option for Driver Engagement, Not a Requirement

Niesen acknowledges that not all customers demand this feature, especially in the EV world. However, there is a market for this level of driving engagement. The added value lies in the fact that it can be activated or deactivated at will.

“That’s the key,” he emphasizes. “You have to give the customer the option to be more engaged, but in an EV, it can’t be mandatory.” He draws a parallel with continuously variable transmissions (CVTs) that introduced simulated gears for a more natural feel, even though it wasn’t necessary.

Often, in the battle between needs and wants, it’s the wants that prevail. Porsche seems to have understood that the thrill of driving can also come from a good simulation.

The first standalone IndyCar game in two decades will be released next year, as announced by iRacing Studios. This dedicated simulation is scheduled for the “second half” of 2026 and will be available on Xbox Series consoles, PlayStation 5, and on PC via Steam, including the Steam Deck.

A Strategic Partnership and a Highly Anticipated Release

iRacing officially welcomed IndyCar to its simulation platform in early 2024, following the racing league’s abrupt split from Motorsport Games. Many hoped this iRacing-IndyCar partnership would go beyond mere support on the PC simulator. A situation similar to NASCAR, which also partnered with iRacing after terminating its exclusive contract with Motorsport Games, an agreement that had resulted in the disastrous NASCAR 21 Ignition.

The Promising Features of the IndyCar Game

According to iRacing’s press release, the 2026 IndyCar game will feature “a robust, multi-tiered career mode, officially licensed drivers from the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone, as well as an online multiplayer mode.” It will be developed by a “dedicated team” using an enhanced version of the Orontes engine, which was the foundation of ExoCross, the futuristic racing game with rich physics released by iRacing last year.

The Growth and Strategy of iRacing Studios

iRacing Studios has grown significantly in recent years and now includes several teams developing different games on unique technologies, beyond its eponymous PC simulation platform. Tony Gardner, President of iRacing, stated: “Our INDYCAR title will benefit from this growth, as it will be the sole priority of one of these teams. The game will also integrate elements such as car and track assets, technology, and driving characteristics developed for other iRacing Studios products.”

A Release That Marks Racing Video Game History

The last contemporary IndyCar game on consoles was Codemasters’ IndyCar Series 2005 for PlayStation 2 and Xbox, although it was released in 2004 and all its content was based on the 2003 season. Hopefully, next year’s game will mark the beginning of a more regular release schedule for the years to come. America’s premier open-wheel racing series, along with its fans, certainly deserve it.

If you follow spy shots of new models, you’ve probably noticed a trend at Porsche. While most manufacturers dress their prototypes in complex patterns to confuse onlookers, Porsche adopts a different strategy: a matte black wrap adorned with stickers mimicking headlights and taillights that are much larger than the real ones. This tactic aims to conceal the true light signatures from a distance, to the point where the vehicle could be mistaken for another brand. This is precisely why the electric Cayenne prototypes feature rear stickers reminiscent of Hyundai’s pixelated lights.

Porsche’s Camouflage Strategy Decoded

When asked about this, Sascha Niesen, head of Cayenne prototype validation, explained the logic behind this choice. “Either you have a previous vehicle that you want to make look like this one, or you want it to look like something completely different,” he says. At the front, the camouflage takes the shape of an existing headlight to hide the new, slimmer light signature. At the rear, the fake light bar, inspired by the Ioniq 5, distracts the eye from the genuine Porsche light bar hidden beneath.

A Rigorous Approval Process

At Porsche, even the camouflage is subject to a demanding validation process. Draft designs are presented to Michael Steiner, the board member in charge of development, who gives final approval. Several designs are tested on one vehicle before being selected for the entire test fleet.

The Advantage of Black Over Zebra Camouflage

For Sascha Niesen, black remains the best option. “Honestly, we don’t really know why other companies use that zebra pattern on their prototypes, because it screams ‘Hello, I’m a prototype!’ Everyone looks. For us, it’s always just black.” He illustrates his point with an anecdote: during a charging stop, three black Porsches went unnoticed while a zebra-camouflaged Audi Q6 immediately attracted all the attention.

Do you miss the Diablo? I do. It used to sit on my wall, alongside Viper, Ferris Bueller, and depending on the space, at least one Boondock Saint. If you’re from Generation X or an older Millennial, maybe that resonates with you. And if you’re wealthy, you might be hoping to acquire your own poster-worthy performance machine. But where is its equivalent today?

Lamborghini’s Answer: Current Technology

We asked Rouven Mohr, Lamborghini’s technical director, and Mitja Borkert, head of design. Their answer is simple: it’s here, in the showroom.

“Sometimes there’s this debate in the automotive world that new technology is bad and boring. That the old is cool and exciting. That’s not true, to be honest,” says Mohr.

80s and 90s Supercars: Spaceships of Their Time

The hero supercars of the 1980s and 1990s may seem archaic and analog by today’s standards, but for their time, they were at the forefront of automotive technology.

“When the Diablo was state of the art, it was like a spaceship,” explains Mohr. “And our job is to define the next level of spaceships.”

Nostalgia and Tribute at Lamborghini

This doesn’t mean nostalgia has no place at Lamborghini, or that classic design codes won’t be referenced in their modern cars. But expect tributes rather than recreations.

Borkert explains his philosophy by comparing it to music: “I like to explain our design language as the songs of an artist who has stayed at the top of the charts for 62 years. A good concert builds steadily towards a climax. I always play a different song from the previous one. Artists who constantly play the same thing disappear. I like artists who have lasted for decades.”

Depeche Mode and Lamborghini DNA

“I’m a child of the 80s,” continues Borkert. “My band is Depeche Mode. To me, they’re a band that has kept its DNA for 40 years, but always offered a new interpretation. They’ve constantly redefined themselves.”

Mohr and Borkert believe the Fenomeno embodies this philosophy.

Building Tomorrow’s Icons

“Those old cars represented the pinnacle of technology of their time,” says Mohr. “So, to appreciate what they were, we need to create current cars that aim for excellence, so that in 50 years, we can look back and appreciate them.”

“Even though I love the old models privately, and I own many of them, technology progresses, as does the world. It’s a playground where, for now, we’re operating in the 1%, maybe less.”

And he concludes: “Trust the engineers, and there will be really cool stuff.”

In 2025, Lamborghini still manufactures V12 engines. The Italian manufacturer continues to find ways to make them more powerful without resorting to forced induction. The “few-off” Fenomeno is proof of this, featuring the brand’s most powerful V12 to date: 823 horsepower, which is nine more than the Revuelto.

Intentional Room for Improvement

Rouven Mohr, Lamborghini’s technical director, emphasizes that this power is deliberately limited. He explains that the decision to add only nine horsepower was a “portfolio choice” and not a technical limitation. The naturally aspirated 6.5-liter engine would have even more to offer.

Meticulous Optimization

Where do these nine additional horsepower come from? Mohr specifies that it comes from rigorous parts selection, minimized tolerances, and reduced friction. It’s a fine-tuning, not a major design change like altering the compression ratio.

Synergy with Hybridization

The Fenomeno is also a hybrid. Its tri-motor electric powertrain is more powerful, increasing from 187 horsepower (Revuelto) to 241 horsepower. The total power of this sharply angled car thus reaches 1,065 horsepower.

A Revolutionary Battery

Mohr details that the battery, although the same size, uses a different cylindrical cell technology than the standard (pouch), offering more energy and power. This change required a redesign of the cooling system.

Untapped Electric Potential

Each electric motor could theoretically develop 147 horsepower without modification. Switching to an 800-volt system would increase power but would require a different inverter and a heavier battery, which is not relevant for Lamborghini at this stage.

The Future of the Naturally Aspirated V12

Mohr’s statements open the door to speculation. Could the 6.5-liter V12 reach 900 horsepower without turbos? Could the combined power approach 1,300 horsepower? Whatever the case, Lamborghini continues to push the development of its iconic combustion engine, defying all predictions of its demise.

Imagine: a German automaker renowned for its sports cars finds itself with its back against the wall, the ground giving way beneath its feet. It saves itself in the only way possible: by creating an SUV. If you don’t know the story, ask ChatGPT what happened when Porsche pulled itself out of the rut with the first Cayenne SUV in 2002. Today, 23 years later, Porsche is once again going through a tricky period and is banking on what it hopes will be a revolutionary SUV to overcome it. But this time, without a V8.

The Genesis of the Electric Cayenne

Porsche has good reason to be nervous. It took more than a decade for the public to admit that building the best SUV in the world wasn’t the end of its sports car heritage. As the electric vehicle market slows and trade wars complicate matters, Porsche has even announced that it will continue to produce the third-generation combustion-engine Cayenne alongside this new electric arrival until the 2030s. Its future depends on it.

New Engines, New Technologies, Over 1000 HP

The Electric Cayenne is built on a reworked version of the PPE platform from the Electric Macan. It features an 800-volt architecture, a 113 kWh battery, and a dual-motor powertrain. The big news? In-house developed motors, liquid-cooled between the rotors and stators, allowing them to deliver their maximum power continuously.

Available in base, S, and Turbo versions, the top model’s maximum power will exceed 1000 horsepower, enabling a 0 to 100 km/h sprint in under 3 seconds. The promised range is over 560 km (WLTP estimate). Fast charging is a key argument: 400 kW for a 10% to 80% charge in just 16 minutes, even if current infrastructure struggles to keep up.

A 100% Porsche Driving Experience

Behind the wheel, the magic happens. The optional variable-angle steering (5 degrees) and Active Ride suspension work wonders. The Turbo version, agile and visceral, offers a phenomenal leap over the base model. The performance and feel gap between the models is similar to that found in the combustion-engine range.

A V8 Sound… Artificial but Successful

A point that will spark debate among purists: the sound. The “Porsche Electric Sound System” is an “exhaust” note that can be added to all models. Developed from a recording of a Cayenne V8 on a test bench, modulated to suit the wider rev range of electric motors, it surprises with its realism. Carefully calibrated, it adds a palpable emotion to the driving experience.

Unexpected Off-Road Capabilities

Despite its weight, the Electric Cayenne impresses off-road. Its off-road mode completely changes the throttle calibration, making it incredibly progressive. The traction control software is formidably effective, finding grip by itself on the most technical slopes. Only the downhill braking still requires a bit of finesse.

Verdict: An Exceptional Electric SUV

The Porsche Electric Cayenne is simply superb. It takes up the bold bet of the first Cayenne by building a car that lives up to its ambitions. Its technical excellence is undeniable. Its success with American, and global, customers, however, will depend on its final price and the evolution of the charging infrastructure. But technically, Porsche has stuck the landing.