Porsche: This German automaker has a long and reputable standing in motorsports history. The “American Roadster”, featuring a 47 horsepower rear-mounted boxer-four engine, was one of the company’s first cars intentionally designed for motorsport, and in 1952 it secured the first victory for any German car in the United States. Since then, Porsche has experimented mainly with rear-engined boxers in their iconic 911 lineup, now in its eighth generation since 1963. With goals set mainly on the track, Porsche has ramped up power with its flat-four and flat-six engines and increasing its potential in several cars outside of the 911 lineup, including the aptly-named “Boxster” in addition to the “Targa” (whose name pays homage to the Sicilian Targa Florio road race where Porsche drivers won several events). One of these cars utilizing these boxer engines will be the 718 Cayman GT4 RS, a more track-oriented version of the 2016 Cayman GT4, symbolized by the “RS” label attached to the car. This upcoming release will reintroduce flat-six engines to the Cayman line as opposed to the flat-fours of other previous models. The Cayman GT4’s 4.0 L engine is suspected to make around 500 horsepower, a figure estimated from known values from previous flat-fours that displaced the same 4 liters. Lightness, stiffness, and power are the focus of this model, and eyes are set on later this year or early 2022 for the highly anticipated release of the Cayman GT4 RS.

While Porsche has built its reputation on its legendary boxer-four engines, the current age of innovations demands that car manufacturers turn their efforts to electric vehicles (“EVs”, for short), such as in Ford’s investment in the Mach E Mustang and BMW’s hybrid i8 (both featured in past publications!). Porsche’s take on EVs includes the latest model Taycan given the moniker “Turbo S”. The 2021 Taycan Turbo S represents yet another breakthrough in performance EVs, making an astonishing 0-60 time of 2.6 seconds with a 750 horsepower electric motor powering it. The name “Turbo S” is a misnomer- turbos essentially “recycle” exhaust gases through the process of forced induction*(see footnote), and electric vehicles cannot have this because they lack the combustion engine and exhaust systems of traditional cars. The reason this name was used was that it symbolizes Porsche’s top-tier performers in their lineup, and the Taycan Turbo S is nothing short of this as evident by its gleaming stats. The Turbo S has established high expectations for the yet-to-be-released Taycan Cross Turismo, a station wagon with distinct capabilities. Featuring the practicality of a station wagon in terms of storage capacity and passenger comfort, the EV will likely share the Turbo S’s sportscar features, such as a bewildering acceleration rate and high performance. Something to be noted is the car’s higher ride height, a feature that allows the car to be equipped with an off-road design kit- a rather extraordinary option for an electric vehicle that symbolizes how far advancements have come. Even further, features such as fast-charging, all-wheel drive, and state-of-the-art interior technology add to the rising hopes for what is sure to be a prominent mark on the EV scene of the car world. Enthusiasts await for this summer, the supposed release date of yet another addition to Porsche’s legendary lineup of performance vehicles.

*A turbo is an engine component that is fed by a combustion engine’s exhaust system. Gases are cooled as the air spins the turbo’s fan, forcing colder, denser air into the combustion chamber, meaning that the engine will generate more power, hence the name “forced induction”. Electric vehicles contain battery-powered motors rather than combustion engines, thus they cannot have turbos attached. However, this is compensated for by the fact that electric motors instantly deliver power to the wheels, allowing for faster accelerations like in the case of the Taycan Turbo S.

Honda: Honda Motor Company has a reputation for reliability and efficiency at a typically low price on the roads, denoted mostly by the presence of Civics, Accords, and CR-Vs in countries across the world. In addition to this, the company is also known for its performance cars, specifically the Honda Civic Type-R utilizing Honda’s unique VTEC engineering*(see footnote). The first Type-R was actually a 1992 Honda NSX, but the first Civic Type-R came in the form of a 1997 hatchback. Over the years, Honda has refined its Civic with more horsepower and a distinguishable design, and its story will continue with the upcoming 2022 Civic Type-R. The 2021 Civic is fresh in the car scene, only being around since late 2020, yet the next Type-R will already feature improvements. For starters, the chassis will again emphasize aerodynamics and performance, having a cleaner, more futuristic and “mature” design as magazine Car and Driver puts it. Of course, the 2.0 L 4 cylinder turbocharged engine can be expected to gain a power boost, making around 306 horsepower and 295 lb-ft torque, coupled with the option of either a 6-speed manual transmission or a dual-clutch transmission featuring ever-increasingly quick shifts as automatic transmission technology develops. Additionally, interior technologies like wireless cell phone charging, a WiFi hotspot enabled through subscription, and a variety of up-to-date driver assistance technologies to add convenience to its array of lures. Train your eyes on later this year for the release of the 2022 Civic Type-R, the latest in Honda’s established performance legacy.