Which Side Are You On?

The Porsche 911 has been the definitive sports car for decades. Yet, the closest they've come to doing a fourdoor version is the Panamera. At their present peak, the Panamera Turbo S and Taycan Turbo S share a philosophy and a silhouette and, yet, are worlds apart. So different yet so similar

- Jim Gorde

SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS HAVE GONE BY SINCE Professor Dr Ing h.c. Ferdinand Porsche turned on the lights for the first time on 6 June 1948. Having worked on the first electric car in Austria even before 1900 (the year, not seven in the evening), Dr Porsche went on to create icons such as the Volkswagen Beetle and the Mercedes SSK. From the Porsche 356 to the 992 GT3 RS, there have been sports cars, touring cars, race cars, special editions, daily drivers, SUVs large and small, petrol, hybrid and electric, and everything in between, yet there is one thing in common to all of those. No, not the badge. Well, not just. There's the feel, the focus, the unwavering commitment to pure performance, and driving engagement that, if I may say so myself, remains unmatched to this day; the evolution of technology notwithstanding. It's what makes a Porsche a “Porsche”.

As the Zuffenhausen brand enters its landmark 75th year, there are two parallel realities for Porsche, one of combustion engine performance and the other electric performance to match, if not better, its fossil-fuel counterpart. In between, the E-Hybrid models offer intermittent bridges between the two worlds. But here, today, we look at what the iconic brand has achieved in the four-door realm, beyond its most iconic model, the 911 coupé sports car; which also turns 60 this year as we head towards a particularly uncertain future.