P-Car Talk Podcast

Thank You to Our People Before anything else, a big thank you to everyone who listens, shares, and supports the show. Our Patreon members, the folks who show up at events and say hi, and everyone who sends us topics and hot takes keep this thing going. We see you and we appreciate you. Targa Carolina Recap Targa Carolina was great, as it always is. Right around 100 cars showed up, which is a lot of cars, and the weather could not have been better. If you have never done it, put it on your list. Next week we roll right into Luft and Fahren, so it is a busy stretch of the year for anyone who lives for rallies. If you are coming to either one, come find us. Flat 8 Halo Car Rumors The rumor mill says Porsche's next halo supercar could get a flat 8. If that happens, it will be awesome. No word yet on the transmission, and our bet is PDK. But as we have said before, if Porsche really wants to step on every competitor out there, make it manual only. These cars would sell for huge numbers if they went that way. Less is more here, guys. Think about it. Where do you land? Tell us. The Electric Cayenne The EV Cayenne has been getting a lot of positive press, and we would not be shocked if some of that press had a little help from Porsche. The numbers are hard to ignore though. The top tier comes in around $163k with 1,139 hp, 0 to 60 in 2.4 seconds, range somewhere around 330 to 340 miles, and it charges from 10 to 80 percent in about 16 minutes. So will this thing do well? Is this the EV that finally wins over Porsche buyers, or does it run into the same wall as everything else? Why or why not? 996 40th Anniversary: Special or Not? The 40th anniversary 996 came with a real list of extras: the X51 power kit, special exterior paint, special interior, special wheels, revised suspension, unique body panels, and a numbered plaque. We think it is special. But we want to hear from you. Is it a true collector piece, or just a nicely optioned 996? The 944 Shooting Brake There is a company turning the 944 into a shooting brake. It is an interesting idea because the car already has a hatch, but instead of the big glass, you get what is basically a two door wagon with a new roofline. It costs $117k, and you have to bring your own car. They do not do a full restore either. You can pay extra for interior work and bolt ons, and if you want real power, you either bring them a turbo or get the engine work done on your own. Strange? Cool? We honestly are not sure yet. What do you think? Outro That is the show. Check pcartalk.com for upcoming events, support us at Patreon.com/pcartalk, and follow @pcartalk to keep up with everything we are doing. See you on the road. Kimchi Crew: Steve, Leslie, Chris, Ken, Aaron, Matthew, Sean, and Nik.

Could Porsche Build a Hypercar on the Audi Nuvolari Platform? Have you seen this thing? It actually looks pretty good. One automotive outlet floated the idea that Porsche could build a hypercar off the Audi Nuvolari chassis, and on paper it makes sense. They're all under the VAG umbrella, so "borrowing" a platform would save Porsche a ton of money versus developing one from scratch. But here's the thing, if Porsche actually goes this route, no matter how good the final car looks, it's a letdown. Porsche is an elite brand. You build your own hypercar, you always have. The day they step away from that is the day it shows they're really hurting, and it would all but confirm they're in panic mode. We hope this one stays a rumor. 100 GT3 Bergsport, Europe Only. We're Not So Sure The story going around is 100 units of the GT3 Bergsport, Europe only, and the American market is reportedly furious about it. We're not convinced this is the final word. We're still firm believers this thing is a tribute to the '73 RS, and we think it's going to make its way to the US looking a lot like that car. Calling it now, we hear things. Curious what you all think about the Euro only angle, though. Manuals, Hybrids, and Reading Between the Lines Porsche announced they'll keep building manual transmissions for as long as they're allowed to. Sounds nice, but really it's Porsche getting ahead of the story. If manuals do go away down the road, they've already set it up so it's not on them, it's regulations. The real news buried in there is that Porsche confirmed they have no plans to pair a manual gearbox with a hybrid drivetrain. So connect the dots. Any future Porsche announced with a hybrid powertrain, you can bank on no manual option coming with it. Rally Season Is Here Time to get the cars ready. Our own rally is right around the corner, Targa Carolina is right around the corner, and we've got Luft wedged in between the two. If you're at Luft, come find us and say hello. We'd love to talk cars with you. We always enjoy chatting with you all, so if you see us out there, please come say what's up. Outro Kimchi Crew: Steve, Leslie, Chris, Ken, Aaron, Matthew, Sean, and Nik.

Porsche's One-Off Flat Nose Exercise Porsche just rolled out a one-off flat nose build based on a 991 GT2 RS, and it's hard not to think Moby Dick when you see it. The obvious difference is this thing is a street build, where the original Moby Dick was strictly a race car, but the vibe is unmistakably the same. Porsche has been on a kick lately of digging through leftover parts bins and putting together these special exercises just to show what they can do. It's a cool flex, but it also raises the question of who these builds are actually for and whether we'll see more of them or if this is a one-and-done showcase. Porsche Strikes Out on Singer and RUF Word is Porsche tried to buy Singer and got turned down, then went after RUF and got the same answer. Honestly, none of us are shocked either brand said no. Both are large, established operations that have built their identity on standing completely apart from Porsche, so an acquisition would undercut the whole reason people love them. The bigger question is why Porsche is making these moves in the first place. Is this Porsche being opportunistic, or is there a little desperation behind two attempts at buying up the independents? The 992.2 Carrera S MT Package: A Manual By Any Other Name Porsche's new 992.2 Carrera S is offering a manual transmission again, but only as an "MT package" starting at 167K. Everyone's been begging for manuals to come back, and now that they have, it's buried inside a package instead of just being a straightforward option. Why can't Porsche just let you spec a base 911 with a manual and call it a day? We get that it's a money grab, but once you lightly option this car you're walking out the door around 185K, which is a wild number for a Carrera S. Put that next to a 991.2 GT3 that stickered at 143K back in 2019, and it's a genuinely hard pill to swallow. CPR Classic's Ponzi Scheme Collapse CPR Classic, a dealer just north of San Diego, was running a Ponzi scheme from 2022 through 2024, and the shop is now shut down with the owner serving a 21-month prison sentence. This one stings because of the history behind it. The original owner built a genuinely respected family business selling 911s for 40 years, then passed it down to his daughter after he passed away. Almost immediately the wheels came off. She stopped paying consignors for cars she'd sold, bounced checks, and ran a shell game where money from one sale would go to pay off a completely different consignor, over and over. Part of her sentence requires paying back over 9 million dollars. It's a brutal example of how fast four decades of trust can get wiped out. Outro That's it for this episode. Head over to pcartalk.com for event info, and find us on Patreon at Patreon.com/pcartalk and on socials at @pcartalk. Kimchi Crew: Steve, Leslie, Chris, Ken, Aaron, Matthew, Sean, and Nik.

The Turbo GT3 Rumor: The End of Naturally Aspirated Porsche Okay, this is the one everyone's going to have an opinion on. Word on the street is that the next GT3 and the 911 R will be turbocharged, and the GT2 RS is set to get hybrid assisted turbo power. If that pans out, it makes it official: Porsche will no longer build a naturally aspirated engine, full stop. That's a massive deal and there's a lot to unpack. What does this do to every N/A car that came before it? What happens to the GT cars specifically, which have always been the naturally aspirated holdouts even after the regular 911 line went turbo? Quick refresher for anyone not paying close attention, Porsche killed the N/A engine in the standard, non-GT 911 back in the 2017 model year, when the 991.2 generation switched to the 3.0 turbo. GT cars have been the last line of defense since then. So now the question is how the market and the fanbase receive a turbocharged GT3. Good? Bad? We've already watched this play out once, there's been a clear camp for almost ten years now chasing the last true N/A 911s, the 991.1 generation specifically, and that divide has only gotten more pronounced as time goes on. If the GT3 goes turbo too, does that camp just get bigger, or does the car end up winning people over anyway? Let's dive in. Rally Season: Get Your Cars Ready PSA time. Doors to rally season are closing fast, officially. If your car isn't ready, now's the time. Oil changes, tires, coolant if you're due, brakes, all of it. Give your independent shop a real runway to get your car sorted instead of showing up last minute. We're only about six weeks out from some of the first rallies of the season, so don't sleep on this. Luft Tickets Are Live Luft tickets went on sale, so hopefully everyone who wanted in got their tickets locked down. Not sure if it's sold out at this point, haven't checked back in, but if you're looking to display a car they're still taking applications right now. Worth getting on that if you want to be part of the show and not just in the crowd. The Ducktail GT3: Hillclimb Homage or Something Else? There's a GT3 running around the Nürburgring wearing a ducktail, and rumor has it this is yet another GT3 variant, this one supposedly paying homage to Porsche's 1960s hillclimb cars. Before the turbo GT3 drops, are we thinking Porsche rolls out a wave of special models to send off the N/A era? Feels likely. Here's the disagreement though: I don't buy the hillclimb homage story. I think people are reading this wrong. My take is this is the homage to the '73 RS with the ducktail that Porsche has talked about building for years, this is finally that car. Curious what you all think, hillclimb tribute or the RS ducktail we've been waiting on? Thank you for your support! Kimchi Crew: Steve, Leslie, Chris, Ken, Aaron, Matthew, Sean, and Nik

Porsche Trims the Lineup, and We Called It Porsche is streamlining, and the rumor mill says the Taycan, Cayenne Coupe, and possibly the 718 Boxster and Cayman are all on the chopping block, with the 911 lineup likely losing some variants too. Nobody is going to shed a tear over the Taycan, and the Cayenne Coupe will get a few mourners at best, but losing the 718s would sting for a lot of enthusiasts. The funniest part is that we have been saying Porsche needed to do exactly this for a while now, both recently and way back, so either they are finally listening or somebody at Weissach has really good podcast recommendations. Goodwood Is Coming to America Goodwood Festival of Speed just wrapped and it remains the single best car event either of us has ever been to, hands down. The big news out of this year's event is that Goodwood is officially bringing the festival to the US, though details on location and format are still under wraps. Given how protective Goodwood is of its brand and how much work they have put into building that reputation, there is no chance they phone in the US version. Our money is on a West Coast location, and the hill climb has to be part of it, because without that centerpiece it just is not Goodwood anymore. What Else Gets You Close to a 911? With 911 pricing where it is now, we went down the rabbit hole of what else out there gets you in the neighborhood without the Porsche premium. Nothing replicates the rear-engine layout or that specific balance, but a few cars get close in spirit. The S2000 AP1 is a blast, 2,800 pounds, high-revving, gutless on torque but rewarding on balance with true 50/50 weight distribution, though clean examples are climbing in price fast. The GT350 is the consolation prize with more muscle, 526 horsepower at 8,250 rpm out of that flat-plane V8, but it is a heavier car at 3,750 pounds with a 54/46 split, so stick to the later models since the early ones had documented engine issues. Then there is the F87 M2, 3,450 pounds, 365 horsepower with real tuning headroom since it is turbocharged, 51.9/48.1 balance, sitting in that 35-50k range. And we had to talk about the clown shoe, the BMW M Coupe, which barely counts as a real production run but has earned full cult status anyway. Grab a drink, settle in, and we will see you next time. Full event calendar is always up at pcartalk.com, and if you want more, find us at Patreon.com/pcartalk and @pcartalk. Kimchi Crew: Steve, Leslie, Chris, Ken, Aaron, Matthew, Sean, and Nik.