By Angus Frazer
This story originally appeared in the July/August 2017 issue of Elite Traveler.
From the timeless to the technologically fantastic, we have selected the very best in automobile innovation. Highlighting the classic cars that created a legend, alongside the latest offerings on the road that will turn heads, our rundown of top cars is sure to inspire those in the market for a new ride.
Porsche
GERMANY, 1948
In 2016 the 27,612 employees who work for Porsche built and delivered a record 237,778 vehicles. The Stuttgart-based company,which is now a key player in the Volkswagen Group, also secured its 18th victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours race. The company was set up by a father and son team, both named Ferdinand Porsche, with Porsche junior also known as Ferry. With 200 workers, they began producing the first 356 model at a rate of five cars per month. Prior to that Ferdinand senior developed the world’s first hybrid vehicle in 1898, and in 1935 he designed the first prototype Volkswagen Beetle. porsche.com
911
CLASSIC
Related
The Porsche 911 began life as the 901 concept in 1963, before the name was changed. Five decades later, the 911 is still going strong, with the most powerful 911 Turbo S producing 580hp, a giant leap from 130hp of the original. And yet both cars are inextricably linked not only by their sensuous styling, but also by the brief set by Ferry Porsche for the original: “The 911 is the only car you could drive on an African safari or at Le Mans, to the theater or through New York City traffic.”
Panamera Turbo Sport Turismo
MODERN
The Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo is a five-door shooting brake version of the Panamera four-door sedan, which will go on sale this fall with prices starting from $150,000. Greater practicality is one of the key attributes of the Sport Turismo, and it offers far more stowage space over its sedan sibling. And there’s more room for people too, with the rear bench now offered with three seats. The rear seats can be folded down individually or all together to provide 49 cubic feet of luggage space. All models are equipped with all-wheel drive and the range-topping Panamera Turbo Sport Turismo boasts a 542hp, 4.0-liter V8 turbocharged engine.
Content from our partners
