Porsche’s Monster, Supra’s Stick, BMW Electric...

Porsche 911 GT3-R Previews What’s Next to Come for New 911 GT3-RS

It’s safe to say that Porsche has been on FIRE lately with more releases than one could count for a brand of its high and legendary status. The 992 Porsche 911 platform has been nothing short of a success story for the brand amidst such a wild car market. After releasing the turbo models for the new platform as well as the hot new GT3, anticipation has been building up for the holy grail of the Porsche lineup: the 911 GT3 RS. A street-legal rocketship, track weapon, and utterly insane beast of a car, the GT3 RS has always been an enthusiast favorite and poster car for many.

With plans for Porsche to debut their new GT3 RS later this month, it’s only fitting for them to stir the pot more with their latest creation: the 911 GT3R. Complete with a larger 4.2-liter flat-six, radical aerodynamics, and a hefty $570,000 price tag, Porsche is telling owners “if you got the cash, we got the car”. With improvements aplenty over the predecessor GT3R inside and out, the new model is planning to make its public debut in 2023 at the 24 hours of Spa-Francorchamps, a grueling endurance race in Belgium that pushes drivers and cars past their limits. It is almost certain that virtually all of the GT3R’s exterior design cues and aerodynamics (including the gargantuan rear wing) will be adopted into the street legal GT3RS’s design.  In the meantime, stay tuned for more GT3RS updates as we come ever closer to the August 17 release date.

ENTHUSIASTS REJOICE: Toyota Supra FINALLY Goes Stick

Toyota has finally responded to years of customers begging for what the Supra should have had from the beginning. That’s right, the Toyota GR Supra is FINALLY receiving a six-speed manual transmission for the 3.0 6-cylinder models as a no-cost option. To celebrate this announcement, Toyota is releasing a top-of-the-line special-edition A91-MT Supra model that will cost just under $60,000, complete with some performance changes, a comical “CU later gray” color option, as well as a sumptuous brown leather interior for its 500-unit production run, all for the U.S market. For now, the base 2.0 liter 4-cylinder Supra remains only available with an automatic, and questions over whether that will change remain unanswered. In its inline-six form, the Supra pushes out 382 horses, while the 4-cylinder trims make 255. The manual transmission isn’t the only new update for the Supra, though. Suspension tweaks and a new standard JBL speaker system for 3.0 models, and even a free year-long membership to the National Auto Sport Association so drivers can receive top-notch instruction and improve their track times. This all comes at a slight $600+ bump in pricing for the 2023 Supra. Critics are praising Toyota for finally adding the no-cost option, however, Toyota still expects most customers to still opt for the automatic.

ALL CHARGED UP: Latest Electric BMW I4 Variant Cheaper, But Better?

The BMW i4 hasn’t been a huge talking point in the car world, but BMW’s newest variant, the eDrive35, plans on changing that. It might be because before the eDrive35’s $51,400 price tag, the i4 started at $55,000 while its gas-powered brother cost $10,000 less. The new i4 eDrive35 costs roughly $4,000 less than the next variant, and $15,000 less than the top-of-the-line M50 trim. However, it suffers a huge decrease in power and range, leaving critics and customers alike scratching their heads as they fail to find value. The newest and cheapest (for now) BMW EV will feature a mere 260 miles of range and 281 horsepower due to a smaller battery. Critics point to a similarly priced Tesla Model 3 which has nearly the same amount of range for thousands of dollars less as a point for argument. But, given BMW’s status as a more premium brand, they expect people to pay up for the badge and luxury features, as well as use the car in mostly city driving where commutes fall well below the 260-mile mark. Whether this new BMW trim will find success is unknown, and only time will tell.

HITTING THE TRAILS: Ford’s Hot Maverick Pick-up Adding New Tremor Variant 

Ever since its release, the Ford Maverick has been selling like hotcakes. Prices on the secondary market are sky-high for what was supposed to be the cheapest new pickup on sale, order books are filled for months, and dealers continue to charge over sticker for those sitting in showrooms. Ford has sold nearly 40,000 of them in the first half of 2022 alone with far more to come for the next two quarters. It’s truly one of the hottest trucks in the pickup market given its incredible gas mileage (42 mpg for hybrid models!) and dirt-cheap value: a $21,000 starting price (WOAH). Building upon this success is Ford’s newest edition to the Maverick family, the Tremor package, complete with a lifted suspension, new all-wheel drive system, appearance package, and even a new Trail Control system that acts as a cruise control while out on the trails.

So, how do you get the Tremor package on the Maverick? If you order your maverick in either the XLT ($25,000) or Lariat ($29,000) trims, the Tremor pack will set you back around $3000 while the additional Tremor Appearance pack will add another $1500 to the bill. Order books for the Tremor will be opening in September, but like the rest of the Maverick models, expect them to fill up FAST.

The U.S and frankly the entire world are still car-crazy, with everything from pavement-gripping hypercars to trail-riding trucks remaining in high demand. Stay tuned for more epic news as the 2023 model year rolls around, where automakers plan to make EPIC releases in the coming days and weeks.​