Porsche’s bigger, battery-powered SUV, Amish go for e-bikes, 1000-hp Camaro with a manual

Porsche’s battery-powered future includes bigger SUV

Intake: Automotive News is reporting that Porsche gave a “glimpse” of upcoming electric models, including a flagship crossover positioned above the Cayenne, joining the existing electric Taycan sports car. The big SUV will use the VW Group’s SSP Sport platform, which Porsche is developing. “We are observing growing profit pools in this segment, in particular in China and the U.S.,” CEO Oliver Blume said in the statement. Other battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) on tap: An all-electric Macan crossover available to customers in 2024; full-electric versions of the 718 Boxster und Cayman, planned for the middle of the decade; and an all-electric Cayenne, due for 2025 or 2026. The 911 will get a plug-in hybrid system, as the company plans to keep the model’s ICE engine “as long as possible.”

Exhaust: The plan, says Automotive News, is part of Porsche’s goal to deliver more than 80 percent of its new vehicles as full-electric models by 2030. The SUV model, internally known as the K1, is expected to have three rows of seats and over 750 horsepower. This was part of Porsche’s annual news conference, in which the company said it delivered 309,884 vehicles in 2022, a slight increase over 2021. —Steven Cole Smith

Rivian, Amazon may end exclusivity partnership

Intake: According to the Wall Street Journal, Amazon and Rivian, which received an order from Amazon for 100,000 electric delivery vans in 2019 provided it only sells to Amazon, may end the exclusivity part of the partnership, which presumably would allow Rivian to sell its vans to other companies, and allow Amazon to buy vans from other manufacturers. Amazon informed the EV maker it wanted to buy about 10,000 vans this year, which was at the low end of a range it previously provided to Rivian, the report said, and Rivian asked to be freed from the exclusivity portion of the contract.

Exhaust: The vans appear to have served Amazon well, having delivered over 10 million packages. The consumer Rivian R1T truck and R1S SUV are built separately from the Amazon vans. —SCS

Toyota, NHRA introducing baby Supra to Junior Dragster field

Intake: The National Hot Rod Association’s important Junior Dragster program, which allows kids to race Top Fuel–style mini-dragsters powered by Briggs & Stratton on the same tracks the big cars race on, have long used the one, rail-dragster style of car. Toyota and the NHRA are introducing a roadster-style junior dragster, modeled after Ron Capps’ full-sized nitro Supra Funny Car. It should give some brand identity to the class, which has been lacking since the program began.

Exhaust: A roadster raced against the familiar rail-style junior dragster in the finals at Gainesville Raceway on Sunday, and it did quite well. This is a welcome addition to the NHRA roster. —SCS

Guess who’s embracing electric bikes? The Amish

Intake: Amish communities, more often known for black buggies pulled by horses, have been increasingly turning to electric bikes as an alternative form of transportation, according to Electrek.co. It’s a common misconception that Amish communities entirely shun electricity and technology. Rather, each Amish church and its surrounding community decides its own rules regarding how much technology is integrated into daily life.

Exhaust: Electrek.co quotes electric-bike dealer David Mullet, a member of the Old Order Amish Church and the owner of e-bikes of Holmes County, a popular bicycle shop in a heavily Amish-populated area of Ohio. He said that e-bikes are simply faster and easier than horses: “It’s a lot quicker to jump on your bike and go into town than it is to bring your horse into the barn, harness it to the buggy, and go. It’s a lot quicker and you travel faster too.” —SCS

Buy this 1000-horsepower Camaro for $160,000

Intake: Hennessey Performance, the Texas-based tuner, has created a 1000-horsepower Chevrolet Camaro Exorcist with six-speed manual transmission (go easy on the clutch, OK?) with 966 lb-ft of torque, should you want to, say, tow your yacht. For a (seemingly) bargain price of $160,000, the Rapid Blue 2023 Camaro ZL1 even comes with a 24-month, 24,000-mile warranty. A thousand horsepower with a manual transmission—what could go wrong? Hennessey claims a 0-to-60-mph time of 2.1 seconds, a quarter-mile E.T. of 9.57 seconds at 147 mph, and a top speed of 217 mph.

Exhaust: If you’re more of a Mopar enthusiast, Hennessey also has a 1000-hp Dodge Challenger Jailbreak for sale. We’d pay to watch that drag race. —SCS

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