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Sports car sales ranked: why many could soon be extinct

September 23, 2019/in Car News /by Ethan Jupp

SUVs are the bread and butter of the car market, even for many sports car makers. Porsche, Bentley, Lamborghini – and now Aston Martin and even Ferrari – are building off-roaders. The reason? Sports cars don’t sell. We reveal the extent of the sports car sales famine, with figures from CarIndustryAnalysis.

Audi TT Roadster -3 percent

We start with the mildest of sales drops, but make no mistake, things will get a lot worse. The TT Roadster has seen a three percent downturn, selling 1,918 in the first half of 2019.

Lamborghini Aventador -5 percent

On the other end of the sports car spectrum, Aventador sales are also a little down: five percent, with 165 cars sold so far this year. Not terrible, given this model is on its way out.

Lotus Exige -7 percent

The Exige isn’t faring too badly either, and you’d be right to assume other Lotuses are further down this list. It’s seven percent down, with 150 units sold so far.

Mazda MX-5 -9 percent

Even the king of affordable sports cars, the Mazda MX-5, is suffering in the downturn. Being nine percent down is more serious when your sales volume is nearly 10,000 for 2019 to date.

Nissan 370Z Roadster -10 percent

Another aging beast in its dying moments, the 370Z Roadster is 10 percent down, with 102 units shifted.

Honda NSX – 10 percent

The NSX is 10 percent down, albeit on what was already a fairly measly sales figure. It shifted just 28 units.

Ford Mustang convertible -12 percent

The Mustang, meanwhile, is selling in four figures. It’s still, however, 12 percent down for the convertible model.

Bugatti Chiron -14 percent

Chiron percentages will shift if Bugatti sells one or two cars less or more than it did last year. Still, it’s 14 percent down, with 12 cars delivered.

Jaguar F-Type Roadster -15 percent

Jaguar’s ageing convertible is 15 percent down for the first half of 2019, with 773 cars sold. The F-Type Roadster has always been less popular than the coupe.

Mercedes-Benz SL -16 percent

Mercedes-Benz once did very well with the SL. But with the current generation in its dying months, the three-pointed star is slipping. It’s 16 percent down, with 488 units sold in the first six months of this year.

Audi R8 -16 percent

Even the Audi R8, perhaps the original ‘volume’ supercar, is dropping off somewhat. It’s down to 351 units sold within the first six months of this year: a drop of 16 percent on the same period in 2018.

McLaren 570S -17 percent

The 570S was McLaren’s foray into a similar baby supercar market. It’s not having a great time either, with just 50 sold in the past six months. That’s down 17 percent on the same period last year.

Jaguar F-Type -19 percent

The coupe variant of the F-Type doubles the Roadster’s numbers. It’s still a full 19 percent down on last year’s figures, though. No small pickings when sales are in four figures.

Porsche 718 Boxster -23 percent

That’s not as bad as the 718 Boxster’s situation. At 2,065 units sold during the first half of 2019, it’s 23 percent down on the same period in 2018. That’s nearly 700 fewer cars versus the year before.

Toyota GT86 -24 percent

The Toyota GT86 is perhaps the poster child for the peaks and troughs a sports car can go through. On its debut, it was loved. It sold well for a brief while, and ever since, it’s been more or less fallow. A 24 percent drop on 2018’s first half leaves it at 531 units sold in the first six months of 2019.

Audi TT -29 percent

The Audi TT coupe is a volume seller by comparison, so a 29 percent drop is no joke. For the first six months of 2019, it shifted 4,318 units. That’s more than 1,000 fewer cars than in 2018.

Porsche 911 Cabriolet -30 percent

In fairness to the 911, it has an excuse. Call the transition to a new generation a speed bump for sales. The Cabriolet variant was down 30 percent for the first six months of 2019, with 2,841 sold.

Nissan GT-R -31 percent

The Nissan GT-R is more of a niche creation, but a 31 percent drop is not insignificant. It’s down to 239 units for the first six months of 2019.

Nissan 370Z -32 percent

Nissan’s other ageing coupe is feeling a similar drop, at 32 percent. It’s down to 199 units sold over the first six months of 2019.

Dodge Challenger -32 percent

Dodge’s muscle car might not be a European native, but it still sells in limited numbers. Although it’s down 32 percent on last year, it still sold 279 units on our side of the pond.

Mercedes-AMG GT -34 percent

Mercedes downsized its flagship for the AMG GT, to try and cash in on some of the 911’s sales volume. That plan seems to be backfiring now, with the GT down 34 percent in sales. Merc has shifted 693 of them in the first six months of 2019.

Porsche 718 Cayman -40 percent

The Cayman is really taking a hit this year. A 40 percent drop on 2018 is a serious hit. At 1,601 units sold, it’s down 1,000 cars on the same period last year.

Lotus Evora -40 percent

The Evora is down 40 percent, too, although not on quite the same scale. Lotus shifted just 53 cars in the first six months of this year.

Rolls-Royce Dawn -40 percent

OK, it’s not really a sports car, but the Dawn is feeling the downturn. A 40 percent drop ought to be concerning for Rolls-Royce’s BMW overlords, with just 83 sold in the first six months of 2019.

Lexus LC -44 percent

Lexus’ BMW 8 Series rival deserves to be doing better than it is. Having shifted just 217 units in the first six months of this year, it’s down 44 percent.

McLaren 570GT -44 percent

This model surprised McLaren with its success such that it greenlit a dedicated GT car. Now the 570GT is 44 percent down for the first six months of 2019. What does that say about how the GT is going to fare?

Aston Martin DB11 -46 percent

The successor to the car that arguably saved Aston Martin is falling by the wayside – and in favour of an SUV. Aston’s former volume champion is down 46 percent for 2019, with just 256 units sold.

Ferrari GTC4Lusso -46 percent

The same is the case for one of the Aston’s big Italian rivals. The Lusso is the most practical Ferrari, but that still doesn’t seem to help sales. It’s also 46 percent down in 2019, with 164 sold.

Porsche 911 -48 percent

The 911 coupe is down significantly, by 48 percent, but that still means 4,533 sold in the first six months of 2019. Again, perhaps blame the ‘991’ to ‘992’ model changeover.

Lamborghini Huracan -49 percent

The Gallardo was the car that sold more units than all the Lamborghinis ever made previously. Its successor, the Huracan, isn’t doing so well. It’s down 49 percent, with just 192 sold in the first half of 2019.

Maserati GranTurismo -52 percent

If there’s a car on this list that you shouldn’t be surprised is doing poorly, it’s the GranTurismo. It’s probably the oldest car here, first appearing more than 12 years ago. It’s down 52 percent and 100 units, with just 97 sold in the first six months of 2019.

Maserati GranCabrio -52 percent

It’s the same with the GranCabrio. It is also 52 percent down, with just 86 cars sold in the first half of 2019.

Rolls-Royce Wraith -54 percent

The Wraith is doing even worse than the Dawn. Rolls-Royce sold a good number when new, but now it’s 54 percent down. Just 41 were sold in the first half of 2019.

Ferrari 488 Spider -57 percent

The 488 is winding down, so perhaps Ferrari merely isn’t making as many of them. Nevertheless, it’s 57 percent down compared to the same period in 2018.

Audi R8 Spyder -61 percent

The R8 Spyder is down, too. And a fairly catastrophic 61 percent on 2018’s sales figures, at 162 units sold.

Lamborghini Aventador Roadster -62 percent

There’s suffering at the upper end of the spectrum, too. The Aventador Roadster is also 62 percent down, although we’re unsure whether that’s winding down production, too. Just 39 were sold in the first six months of this year.

McLaren 570S Spider -62 percent

McLaren’s baby Spider isn’t having a good time. It’s 62 percent down, with 66 sold in the first six months of 2019.

BMW i8 -64 percent

Talking of winding down, BMW’s futuristic hybrid isn’t long for this world. It’s 64 percent down this year, with just 171 sold.

Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster -66 percent

Merc’s GT Roadster is doing even worse. It’s the second-worst drop here, at 66 percent down. It sold 415 cars in the first six months of this year. In the same period in 2018, it would have shifted circa. 1,000 units.

McLaren 720S -74 percent

Surprising perhaps is the shocking performance of one of the best supercars on sale. The McLaren 720S takes the cake for the steepest drop, at 74 percent. It sold just 92 cars in the first six months of this year, compared with more than 350 for last year.

2016 McLaren 570GT review: the people’s McLaren?

May 25, 2016/3 Comments/in Car Reviews /by Richard Aucock

The McLaren 570GT is the model everyday Porsche 911 buyers have been waiting for. The sublime 570S, McLaren’s first Sports Series model, is a fantastic machine, but it’s a little too focused for the people who buy most 911s. More GT3 than Carrera 4S. Cue the 570GT.

OK, it’s still not quite a rival to the ‘volume’ 911. It’s called 570 because it still has 570hp. Still has 911 Turbo S power, then – with the price tag to match the range-topping non-road-racer Porsche. £154,015 makes it even pricier than the 570S, in fact. McLaren’s production limit is 5,000 cars a year: it has no need to make an ‘affordable’ model.

What the 570GT does do is broaden the Sports Series appeal a little for those who, like so many 911 drivers, will use their cars more regularly than once or twice a week. Of all the McLarens on sale, the 570GT is most likely to be the daily driver, is the one that will cover the highest annual mileage. This is the McLaren you’ll be seeing in the Waitrose car park.

So this is the McLaren that’s easier to live with than any other. OK, it can’t match the 911’s USP of being a four-seater, but that’s because the engine’s in the middle rather than far out back. What McLaren has done is give it an additional boot, and a ‘hatchback’ to load it up through.

It also has an elegant new fastback rear to integrate this side-hinged door. With a standard panoramic roof, it has a glassier, sleeker look than the more focused 570S, although they’re clearly otherwise one and the same. Similarly inside: interiors are identical, just trimmed in comfier materials and more elegant combinations for the 570GT.

McLaren initially thought the 570S would be the best-selling Sports Series but, since revealing the 570GT at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, believes it could actually be this. Certainly it’s the McLaren most likely to draw wavering 911 owners bored with a Turbo’s normality, plus a few ‘everyday’ R8 and Aston Martin DB9 owners for good measure. So what’s it like?

The McLaren 570GT is an elegant looker…

The main visual changes are that smoother rear, fancier alloys and more grown up colours. It loses the 570S’ skeletal flying rear buttresses and the extra volume in the rear gives it, well, more of a GT look. This makes it a sleek-looking thing on the road, particularly in the subdued silvers and greys many everyday drivers will choose. See – McLaren doesn’t have to be all extrovert lime green paint and track-spec exposed aerodynamics.

… But it’s still a racy McLaren

That’s not to say it’s gone soft. This is still a McLaren honed in the same aerodynamic wind tunnel used by the F1 racers, after all. So it’s still packed with diffusers and carbon fibre addenda, still has standout purpose and muscularity that will turn even the stiffest of necks. Compared to the ‘humdrum’ 911 and R8, it’s still a radical, attitude-lavished car to look at.

It’s still not the easiest car to get into…

For supercar step-in-and-out-ability, nothing beats a 911. The McLaren, 570GT, with its dihedral ‘scissor’ doors, chunky sills, low seats and MonoCell tub you have purposefully to ease yourself into, is a car tricker to hop into and out of. It hasn’t gone everyday in this respect. Nor would today’s McLaren buyers, who like this sense of climbing down into a racing car, want it to (but maybe it’s something McLaren may want to consider in the future).

… But loading luggage is a breeze!

The 570GT has not one but two boots! One deep one in the front, like a 911, plus the extra load deck (McLaren calls it a Touring Deck) behind the front seats. Leather-lined, with anti-slip ribbing and an anti-fling-luggage-forwards bar, the side door opens kerbside for both left-hand and right-hand drive markets, and McLaren even fits folding seats so you can flip the seatback forward and chuck stuff into the 220-litre space without opening the rear door. Luggage space is up to 370 litres (just 10 litres shy of a Volkswagen Golf): GT-ability swells accordingly.

It’s ridiculously refined (for a supercar)…

On the road, the first thing that strikes you is how quiet and plush-running the 570GT is, for a supercar. It’s not silent, and the twin-turbo V8 is rightly ever-present (the 570GT exhaust is apparently quieter, but you’d barely guess), but cruising noise from wind rush and, in particular, tyres is extremely low. There’s one key reason for this: McLaren’s using Pirelli’s new noise cancelling tyres, that dampen out tyre noise at source. They really work, making the 570GT a very relaxing, appealing motorway supercar cruiser.

… And it’s staggeringly fast

This may be the (rich) people’s everyday McLaren, but it’s also still stonkingly fast. The 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 is identical to the 570S, so its only a bit of extra weight that dulls acceleration. A bit: 0-62mph takes 3.4 seconds, it does a quarter-mile in 11.1 seconds and will hit 204mph. Get it above 3,500rpm and it’s mind-blowingly rapid for a GT car, with the howling, wailing exhaust note to match. Way more thrilling than any anodyne-feel 911 Turbo S, that’s for sure.

It’s softer, but only relatively

McLaren has softened the suspension, a bit, made the steering a fraction slower and fitted regular steel brakes as standard rather than the track-feel carbon ceramics of the 570S. Compared to the S, it is more compliant, a touch less intense, easier to live with everyday. Compared to most other cars, it remains a true supercar, all nose-darting intensity, amazing grip, never-ending grip and taut, positive, ‘I feel like Jenson Button’ riding attitude.

The 570GT is not as thrilling as the 570GT, but it’s easier to live with

If you’ve driven the 570S, the 570GT won’t immediately grab you with quite the same intensity. It’s a fantastic car, but it’s strengths over the wild 570S are slower-burn. Only after an hour or so will you appreciate the better ride, more easy-converse noise levels, more relaxed steering and airier cabin. You don’t need to think about where to put all your stuff when you get in; the soft leather and sunshine-lavished cabin feels less like a road-going Le Mans car and more like a very special, more interesting alternative to a 911. Which will, if you drive your 911 to a McLaren dealer for a test drive, will make you feel a million dollars.

Its everyday strengths are considerable

All McLarens have great forward visibility: the deep front screen, thin pillars and low nose sees to that. Great for hitting an apex, surprisingly perfect for threading through Central London. The 570GT enhances this with its standard panoramic glass roof and standard front and rear parking sensors. McLaren also includes standard soft-close doors, electric heated seats and an electric steering column that slides out the way for easy entry and exit. It hasn’t turned into an S-Class, far from it. But for those who like to use their supercars hard, this is the best McLaren for the job.

Verdict: 2016 McLaren 570GT

The McLaren 570GT is the best definition of McLaren’s Sport Series models. It’s very McLaren, so is all fantastic design, exotic engineering, ultra-precision drive and mind-warping speed. But this is McLaren blended more to the (relative) everyday: you could use it to commute in if you wanted to, and the refined extra comfort that makes it such a good GT car will also make it good for the M25 grind and inner-city jams McLaren’s entrepreneurial customers may choose to use it in.

For instant-hit satisfaction, the purity of the 570S still gets our vote. If you have a fleet of cars, like many McLaren customers, you may prefer the sharper, more F1-like 570S for its pure McLaren brilliance. But anyone who’s looking for a McLaren as an alternative to a 911 or R8 – and given those cars’ sales, there may be a lot of them – should steer to the thrilling 570GT. No wonder McLaren’s betting it will sell better than any other car it has ever made.

For:

The most practical McLaren yet…

… But little less exciting than the others

Thrilling yet tolerable to live with everyday

Against:

Not as exciting as a 570S

Still hardly as everyday as a 911

Price remain more Ferrari level than Porsche

2016 McLaren 570GT: specification

Price (from): £154,015

Engine: 3.8-litre V8 twin-turbo

Gearbox: 7-speed twin-clutch auto

Power: 570hp

Torque: 443lb ft

0-62mph: 3.4 seconds

Top speed: 204mph

Fuel economy: 26.6mpg

CO2 emissions: 249g/km

2016 Aston Martin V12 Vantage S 7-speed manual

2016 Aston Martin V12 Vantage S manual: a change for the better

May 18, 2016/1 Comment/in Car Reviews /by admin

The Aston Martin Vantage is not a new car; it was launched in 2005 and is due for replacement in a year or so’s time. The V12 Vantage S is not a new car either; it was launched in 2013 (after an earlier V12 Vantage in 2008). So why are we claiming a first drive in a £140,495 Aston Martin V12 Vantage S?

Because this one has a manual gearbox – a seven-speed manual at that. Enthusiasts still want stick-shifts and Aston Martin is keen to position itself as the enthusiast’s sports car brand. The V12 Vantage S is the first to go big on a manual gearbox option, but it’s not going to be the last, vows CEO Dr Andy Palmer.

Aston isn’t dropping the existing Sportshift III automated manual. That will be offered alongside the seven-speed manual, at the same price, and probably still sell in greater numbers than this. It’s both a statement, this car, and also a toe in the water to help define the all-important Astons of the future.

Seven speeds, you’re probably thinking. Like a Porsche 911? Yes – that’s another brand that has committed to the manual gearbox, in contrast to Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren et al.

But for enthusiasts, it’s even better than the Porsche. Not only does it have seven gears, first is on a dog-leg: down bottom-left.

Steeped in heritage vibes, that makes this the coolest manual gearbox on sale.

But if you’re paying £140,495, cool only takes you so far. Aston’s Sportshift III paddleshifter is better than it’s ever been. The manual’s got to be good to stand alongside it and not be labour in vain. We spent a day driving it: here’s what you need to know.

It feels weird to drive at first

For what seems like forever, Aston Martins have had gearboxes controlled by buttons on the dashboard, and no clutch pedal. Here’s one with a meaty clutch and not only a gearlever, but one that moves in initially mysterious ways.

Your muscles know first is left and up, not double-left and down. Forcing them past two spring indents to bottom left doesn’t feel right. Time and again, your tense, clumsy arm will go from second to fifth. The gearchange feels blocky and gnarly as a result.

Give it time. You’ll learn the new logic, not have to double-think every gearchange and, with a lighter grasp and more relaxed arm, discover it’s actually quite a slicky, snickety shift. And bottom left for first is not weird. It’s cool.

It’s remarkable how much more interactive it feels

Closer involvement with gears somehow makes the rest of the V12 Vantage S feel tighter and more natural. There’s a sense of far more control over the engine and, as a consequence, the attitude and handling of the car. It’s less stage-removed tech marvel, more purist sports car.

Literally the only change is the gearbox. It shouldn’t make this much difference. But it does, because you’re more involved and realise still how much feel and feedback this Aston has to tap into. It may be getting on, but this is the very reason why it’s so appealing. Digitised modern alternatives are lacking compared to this (take note, Aston).

The meaty feel of the clutch, the intricate, weight-shifting flow of the steering, the fluidity of the gearchange all create a beautifully well-matched and experiential drive that, if you’re an enthusiast, will delight you constantly.

You don’t care about 0-62mph times

Launch control this, seamless shift that – all immaterial. The howling, wailing V12 Vantage S manual claims the same sub-four-second 0-62mph time as the Sportshift III auto, but you’ll more likely be pulling five seconds at best and enjoying every split-second far more.

Driving the peaky V12 manual fast requires the driver to really drive it. Here, the pleasure comes from doing this well, not necessarily doing it as fast as possible. Besides, the brutality required to clock-watch manual cars is simply anathema on a car this tactile.

The gearbox will flatter you at the press of a button

Had enough of trying to be an auto-matching driving god? Turn on Aston Martin AMSHIFT. This uses a battery of sensors to auto-blip on downshifts like a pro; it’s more convincing/less irritating than some such systems.

It also, bizarrely, allows full-throttle gearshifts. You still pump the clutch but can keep your right foot planted. What did we say about muscle memory? Like rubbing your chest and patting your head, just you try to do this without fluffing something. This is a curious extra feature we didn’t like.

For 2016, Aston has fitted better sat nav and Apple CarPlay for iPhones

Aston may be busy developing all-new cars like the DB11 and this car’s replacement, but it hasn’t forgotten the current Vantage. For 2016, all models get the new AMi III infotainment system. Aston’s improving its once-awful sat nav by degrees and this is the best yet.

It is faster, has better graphics and far easier destination input. It also incorporates Apple CarPlay, so iPhones can be paired with an Aston – and controlled through the infotainment screen at last.

… But the interior deserves modern classic status

The oh-so familiar interior is beautifully made, a real credit to the Gaydon craftsmen – but boy, they’ve had practice with it. The architecture is aged, spidery displays hard to read and the once jewel-like dials are now simply dull. The lack of a decent dial pack information display is glaring. Supplementary sat nav directions before your eyes? Forget it.

Then there’s the infuriating Aston glass key, the old JLR column stalks, Volvo switches, and fly-off handbrake by the driver’s right thigh that could come straight off a 1970s Jaguar XJ-S. The new-era Aston interior, underpinned by Daimler tech, can’t come soon enough.

Aston Martin made a manual because they’re all enthusiasts

So why did Aston Martin go to the expense of producing a manual-gearbox V12 Vantage S so late in its life? Because “the true purist will always hanker for the tactility and connection offered by a manual transmission,” says product development director Ian Minards.

“At a time when manual transmissions have almost entirely disappeared in high performance cars, this makes the manual V12 Vantage S a very special car indeed.” He’s right.

Verdict: Aston Martin V12 Vantage S manual

For years, we’ve been told paddleshift gearboxes are where it’s at. Stick-shifts are old-fashioned, grandpa: F1 drivers change gear with paddles and no sporty supercar worth its salt should do otherwise.

Aston proves that’s not the case. There is still a low-volume place for a manual gearbox, for those who want to enjoy the experience rather than just the lap time. Like us, such people will find the V12 Vantage S surprisingly more engaging as a result. Aston’s onto something here.

For:

Greatly enhanced engagement and interactivity
Sense of greater, more natural control
Dog-leg first cool-factor is off the scale

Against:

Old interior
Familiar car
Dog-leg shift pattern takes some getting used to

2016 Aston Martin V12 Vantage S manual: specification

Price (from): £140,495

Engine: 6.0-litre V12

Gearbox: 7-speed manual

Power: 573hp

Torque: 457lb ft

0-62mph: 3.9 seconds

Top speed: 205mph

Fuel economy: TBA mpg

CO2 emissions: TBA g/km

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Video: Jay Leno buys a Morgan 3 Wheeler from Homer Simpson

May 13, 2016/0 Comments/in Car News /by

American TV host and car collector Jay Leno is to appear in a forthcoming episode of The Simpsons – in which he buys a Morgan from Homer.

A teaser clip released by the sitcom shows Leno ringing the doorbell at the Simpsons’ Springfield pad and telling Homer he wants to buy the Morgan 3 Wheeler parked outside.

Although we don’t know how Homer came to own a Morgan 3 Wheeler, he tells Leno he’s happy to sell it to him as long as he pays cash ‘with no questions asked’.

In the clip, we also see Leno’s 1973 Citroen DS, but the collector also owns a number of McLarens (including the exotic F1 and P1), a Bugatti and several Bentleys.

He admits that he had to advise scriptwriters on the intricacies of Morgans. “I can tell the person who wrote it is not a car aficionado, because they had no idea what they were talking about,” he said.

“The original script said it had a marble interior.”

It’s not the first time The Simpsons has featured car-related storylines. In 1999, Homer buys a ‘Canyonero’ SUV and discovers it’s a model marketed at women, so gives it to Marge. In 1991, Homer finds out he has a long-lost brother who is the boss of a car manufacturer in Detroit. He designs his own car, ‘The Homer’, which makes the company go bust.

Lotus Evora 400 Hethel Edition marks 50 years in Norfolk

May 12, 2016/0 Comments/in Car News /by

Colin Chapman moved Lotus from its cramped Hertfordshire HQ into its first purpose-built facility in Hethel, Norfolk 50 years ago in 1966 – and the firm is celebrating this in 2016 with a limited Hethel Edition Evora 400.

It won’t be the only Hethel half-century celebration Lotus plans to roll out this year either: “We are immensely proud to be part of the community,” said Group Lotus CEO Jean-Marc Gales, and “we’re looking forward to celebrating our connections to Norfolk throughout 2016.”

Lotus Evora 400 review: 2015 first drive

Offered in three iconic Lotus-themed heritage colours – Essex Blue, Motorsport Black and Racing Green – each hue boasts lightweight silver forged alloy wheels, contrasting brake calipers, bespoke graphics and, inside, either black or red leather.

All the changes have come from the Lotus Exclusive programme, created by the Lotus Design team to let owners ultra-personalise their cars. Quite the alluring alternative to an off-the-peg sports car, reckons Lotus.

The £75,500 special is otherwise as per the regular Evora 400, which means a 400hp 3.5-litre supercharged V6 engine capable of 0-62mph in 4.2 seconds, a 1 minute 31 seconds lap time around Lotus’ Hethel test track, plus enhanced handling courtesy of a stiffer, more rigid aluminium chassis.

“The Evora 400 is the latest in a long line of world-beating sports and racing cars to have all been hand built in Hethel over the last 50 years,” said Gales. “It is entirely fitting that this limited edition be dedicated to our home.”

Porsche to build Mission E electric sports car

December 4, 2015/0 Comments/in Car News /by Richard Aucock

Porsche will launch its first all-electric car before the end of the decade as it commits €1 billion to put the Mission E concept car into production.

The 600hp four-door, four-seat sports car will have a range of over 300 miles, accelerate to 62mph in less than 3.5 seconds – and Porsche promises a flat battery will recharge to 80% capacity in just 15 minutes.

Porsche chairman Dr. Oliver Blume says it is “beginning a new chapter in the history of the sports car”. More than 1,000 new jobs will be created to build the production Mission E in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen: Porsche is even extending its engine factory to add electric motor production capacity.

The Mission E was revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2015. A beautiful, surprisingly compact and delicate machine, the influence of the Porsche 911 is clear: the focus now is on how much of the concept car will make production.

In making the Mission E, Porsche hopes it will future-proof its world-famous sports cars by responding to ever-present environmental concerns (and face off the threat of upstart eco brands such as Tesla).

Dr. Wolfgang Porsche, chairman of the supervisory board of Porsche AG said: “With Mission E, we are making a clear statement about the future of the brand. Even in a greatly changing motoring world, Porsche will maintain its front-row position with this fascinating sports car.”

Uwe Hück, chairman of the Central Works Council and deputy chairman of the Porsche AG Supervisory Board, enthusiastically added: “A day to celebrate! Yes, we did it! With today’s decision, Porsche is driving flat out with no speed restrictions into the automotive and industrial future.”