Porsche Has Officially Gaslit Its Buyers

Welcome to the latest issue of autoevolution weekly!

First off, this week’s editorial touches on the ways the Porsche 911 Turbo S has changed along the years and how some of them aren’t good (fine… call it a rant if you want).

Next, we take a look at the safest new cars available right now, according to the IIHS. We’ve previously discusses pickups and EVs (find both of those below).

The Robotaxi is supposed to be Tesla’s next big thing and while it’s too early to tell if the launch turns out a success or a failure, one thing’s for sure: it will significantly impact or even determine Tesla’s business and future.

We also spy on the Volante (convertible) version of the upcoming 2026 Aston-Martin DB12 S and the Mercedes-AMG GT EV SUV.

If you were looking forward to Carplay Ultra, the news isn’t great: it seems carmakers feel it’s too intrusive and essentially takes over the infotainment system. Which is why most brands that were initially announced as partners have now withdrawn or are staying completely silent on the matter.

Lastly, we take check out the latest Gran Turismo 7 update (more engine swaps!) and the F1 movie tie-in die-cast model from Hot Wheels.

Table of Contents

• Editorial: The 911 Turbo S is perfection, but… $34 …

• The safest cars sold in the US in 2025

• The Robotaxi launch will change how Tesla does bus …

• Spy photos & videos of the week

• Carmakers don’t really like Apple’s Carplay Ultra

• Gran Turismo engine swaps & Hot Wheels APXGP F1 di …

• The finish line

Editorial: The 911 Turbo S is perfection, but… $340,000?

By: Sergiu Tudose (editor-in-chief)

The Porsche 911 Turbo S used to be the people’s supercar. Now it’s a near mid-six-figure fashion statement for people who dream of PTS colors. When did a Porsche 911 become a Ferrari, and most of all, why isn’t anyone saying anything?

You can now spec a brand-new 2025 Porsche 911 Turbo S to over $300,000 with little more than a custom color, fancy leather and shiny wheels. Don’t get me wrong, the fact that this is hands-down one of the best sports cars/supercars in the world isn’t lost on me. It’s a marvel of engineering. But it’s not a $300,000 marvel.

I just messed around with Porsche USA’s configurator and built myself a 911 Turbo S for just under $340,000. I ticked just about every possible box that I could, but I’m sure there were still a few things left that I didn’t even get around to seeing.

Think about this. Back in 2008, a new 997 Turbo S would have set you back around $160,000. Fast forward to the 991.2 Turbo S, and that would have come in at just under $200,000. Today, that’s Turbo money (minus the S) - but if you want the latter in 992.1 form, that’ll set you back a minimum of $230,000 with literally no optional extras included.

Back in the 70s and even the 90s, a 911 Turbo (S version didn’t exist back then) cost significantly less than a Ferrari or a Lamborghini. It was also faster, more reliable, and more usable. You could daily it, and you didn’t have to be a millionaire or a collector to own one.

As far as I’m concerned, the problem these days is that Porsche's price tag for the 911 has caught up to various Ferrari and Lambo price tags, yet the soul of the 911 remains the same – which is a good thing, but it’s not “my thing”, as Lefty Ruggiero so eloquently put it during his first conversation with Donnie in Donnie Brasco. Congratulations, you’re paying Ferrari money for a car you’ll see on the freeway every morning.

The 911 Turbo S is a high-volume product. Porsche will usually sell way over 10,000 units of the 911 on average in the U.S. Meanwhile, something like the Ferrari 296 GTB will only reach a few thousand buyers per year.

I have to hand it to Porsche. What they’ve done is brilliant. They’ve convinced their customer base that a $300,000+ 911 Turbo S is normal. Justified. Even though it used to cost half as much not that long ago and it’s a high-volume car, as opposed to the 296 GTB or the upcoming Temerario.

It’s not overpriced. It’s exclusive. Right? Wrong. Because it’s not. Oh, and you’re not being upsold; you’re being sophisticated. Right? Wrong. Tens of thousands of Americans buy a car that looks almost identical to yours every year.

Maybe I miss the old days. Maybe that’s too obvious. But a Turbo used to mean one thing back in the day, and now it’s a whole different animal. Spending upwards of $300,000 on one sounds to me like too much of a coping mechanism. It’s a trust fund flex, and those ridiculously expensive optional extras? That’s your flex tax.

The safest cars sold in the US in 2025

By: Mircea Panait

Modern cars are a lot safer than their equivalents from a decade ago. Still, not all cars are created equal and if you value safety above everything else when it comes to driving, the first thing you can do is look for vehicles that the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) has certified as “Top Safety Pick+”.

We’ve previously discussed trucks and EVs, now it’s time for hatchbacks, sedans, liftbacks and the lot.

The IIHS runs several tests when assessing a vehicle’s safety features. Here’s what it takes to qualify for the highest rating:

• “Good” rating in these crash tests:

  • small overlap front

  • moderate overlap front (updated)

  • side test (updated)

• “Good” or “Acceptable” for these features:

  • headlights standard

  • pedestrian front crash prevention

So far, only 10 cars got the “Top Safety Pick+” certification in 2025, and 9 of those come from Asian carmakers, while the tenth is a Mercedes:

1. 2025 Honda Civic Hatchback - the sedan version didn’t qualify due to worse performance in the moderate overlap front test.

2. 2025 Hyundai Elantra

3. 2025 Kia K4 Sedan

4. 2025 Mazda3 Sedan and Hatchback

5. 2025 Toyota Prius

6. 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 6

7. 2025 Honda Accord

8. 2025 Hyundai Sonata

9. 2025 Toyota Camry

10. 2025 Mercedes-Benz C-Class

If you want to learn more, check out the article on our site.

The Robotaxi launch will change how Tesla does business (for better or worse)

By: Cristian Agatie

After more than a decade of empty promises, Tesla finally launched its driverless ride-hailing operation in Austin on June 22. It's too early to tell whether the Tesla Robotaxi rollout is a resounding success or a monumental failure. Still, everyone agrees that this will absolutely change the way Tesla does business. If it's for better or worse, the jury's still out.

Although fewer people believed Elon Musk when he said the Robotaxi service would launch in June, Tesla miraculously conducted its first driverless rides on June 22. Far from silencing critics, this only poured gas into the fire. Some of the criticism is well warranted, considering the current limitations of the Tesla Robotaxi service.

The most obvious is that the service is restricted to a small area in Austin that was thoroughly pre-mapped and tested. The decision aligns with Elon Musk's pledge to be very cautious in order to avoid any safety issues. However, after laughing at other robotaxi providers, like Waymo, specifically for their geofenced service, you'd understand why the decision has attracted criticism. 

Another decision was keeping a supervisor in the car, though in the passenger’s seat, not in the driver's. Sure, all other autonomous driving companies have tested their service with a safety driver present in the car. However, Tesla has shortened this phase to the limited time it tested its systems internally. The presence of a supervisor on the front passenger's seat is a gimmick, just to claim that there was no one behind the wheel while also keeping someone in control just in case. 

Then, there's the last-minute revelation that Tesla is not using off-the-shelf Model Y vehicles, as Musk announced on June 10. They have meaningful modifications to make them more suitable for driverless operations. For instance, they are fitted with an additional communications module to enable a seamless, low-latency connection to Tesla headquarters in case they need remote assistance. 

If Tesla can succeed in Austin and beyond, many doors will open. Tesla could become a technology provider for other car companies, and its vehicles will be in high demand thanks to a quasi-monopoly on scalable autonomous driving. Waymo can be anything, but it doesn't have the manufacturing capabilities to scale its operations as Tesla does.

However, if Tesla fails and its technology doesn't yield the safety benefits Musk promised, there will be more drama than simply going back to the drawing board. Instead of becoming secondary, car manufacturing would again be required to keep Tesla afloat. Only, this time, with no new vehicles and dwindling sales, there won't be much of an automotive business. That's why the success of Robotaxi and Full Self-Driving is crucial for Tesla.

Note: this is an abridged version, check out the full article and photo gallery on our site.

Spy photos & videos of the week

By: Mircea Panait

As James May used to say during his Top Gear stint, good news! The Aston Martin Lagonda has a punchier DB12 in the offing.

To be revealed as soon as the 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed, the DB12 S easily differentiates itself from the regular specification by means of a DBX S-like stacked exhaust, a new rear bumper, and a more aggressive front end. It remains to be seen if Aston Martin is willing to give its AMG-sourced V8 the very same 717 horsepower as the DBX S, a figure that shouldn't pose a threat to the 823-horsepower Vanquish. 

While not as exciting as the forthcoming DB12 S, the iM3 – or whatever BMW intends to call the M3 EV – is nothing to scoff at. Expected to develop at least 670 zero-emission horses, the sportiest confirmed member of the New Class family of battery-electric vehicles is no featherweight. Based on a gross weight of 2,675 kilograms, the heavily anticipated electric sedan may weigh approximately 2,275 kilograms (5,016 pounds) without luggage and occupants. 

The folks at Mercedes-AMG took it one step further than BMW's go-faster M division with the GT SUV, a high-performance electric sport utility vehicle that could be rocking three axial flux motors with around 1,000 kilowatts on deck. Twinned with the electric successor of the GT 4-Door Coupe on the AMG.EA platform, the GT SUV is believed to launch no later than 2027 as a 2028 model with more than 1,300 horsepower to its yet-unconfirmed name.

Carmakers don’t really like Apple’s Carplay Ultra

By: Bogdan Popa

This week started in the worst possible way for Android Auto users. The first bug caused by Android 16 became more widespread, making it impossible for users to access their phones when connected to their cars. It's not a safety feature but only a bug that turns the phone's screen black when Android Auto runs.

The new-generation CarPlay Ultra was a hot subject this week for a reason Apple didn't like. Carmakers have started to step away from the second-generation CarPlay experience because they believe it puts Apple in full control of the infotainment screen. Renault allegedly told Apple it won't use CarPlay Ultra because it's too invasive.

Google Maps made the headlines twice this week. First, the app started getting the interface update that Polestar announced earlier this month on Android Automotive. Thanks to this update, Google Maps aligns with the rest of the infotainment software, using the same colors on the main screen.

Second, a Google Maps user followed the app blindly and ended up with his car nearly entirely submerged. The man didn't care about the advice he got from locals and believed Google Maps knew better, so he entered a flooded road to continue the suggested route. It didn't end well, and it's safe to assume his car was wrecked.

Gran Turismo engine swaps & Hot Wheels APXGP F1 die-cast car

By: Dragos Chitulescu

Engine swaps are one of the more “expensive” ways to customize cars in GT7, but they’re a fun way to see how far you can improve performance, or in some cases even change a car’s character altogethere. Here’s the list of cars that got new engine swap options in GT7’s new 1.60 update:

• Nissan Silvia K's Type S (S14) '94

• Lexus RC F '14

• Nissan Silvia K's Dia Selection (S13) '90

• Nissan Fairlady Z 300ZX TwinTurbo 2seater (Z32) '89

• Subaru BRZ S '21 - our favorite!

Check out the full details and screenshot gallery on our site.

Oh, and one more thing…

If you liked the new F1 movie (review), you’ll be glad to know Hot Wheels has an official APXGP F1 die-cast car. It even comes with “Pirelli” tire exhange sets 😂 No Brad Pitt/Sonny Hayes figurine, though. You can find it on your local Mattel Creations site, but keep in mind shipping estimates have already fallen way into 2026.

Congratulations for reaching the finish line!

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