We’ve all seen this coming, but now it’s official: the sun is setting on the petrol-powered Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman. Come mid-2025, these beloved mid-engined sports cars from Stuttgart will take their final bow.

It’s no secret that Porsche has been working on a fully electric replacement for its entry-level sports car. The company has confirmed it, and we’ve even spotted it testing, cheekily trying to deceive us with a fake exhaust pipe. But now, the automotive Grim Reaper’s date has been set for the current generation of the 718.

This revelation comes straight from Porsche’s production and logistics executive, Albrecht Reimold, in an interview with German publication Automobilwoche. Reimold stated, “Production of the current generation of 718 will run until mid-2025… In Zuffenhausen, we are already concentrating on the future electric 718.”

Across most of Europe, only the hardcore Cayman GT4 RS and 718 Spyder RS remain in the lineup, as the rest were axed due to noncompliance with EU cybersecurity rules. 

However, markets like the UK still have access to the full range, from the basic 296bhp, 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder to the naturally aspirated flat-six RS models. But come mid-2025, production on all of them will wind up.

While the shift to an all-electric replacement might feel like a gut punch to many fans, Reimold reassures that the new cars will still embody the Porsche spirit: “The 718 is predestined for electric drive. It will be a really fun car. I have already driven it.” 

Reimold also emphasised Porsche’s unwavering commitment to electric cars, even as other manufacturers tread cautiously amid fluctuating EV demand: “I also cannot understand why electromobility as a whole is currently being portrayed so negatively in the public debate. In terms of sustainability alone, for me personally, there is no way around electric drive.”

Despite the transition to electric, Porsche’s love for petrol-powered sports cars isn’t entirely extinguished, especially with ongoing explorations into synthetic fuels. But it looks like future petrol delights will wear the 911 badge rather than the 718.

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Shell has recently launched its new V-Power formula, and it’s packing tons of new benefits. The performance formula now boasts new-generation deposit-targeting technology, which Shell claims has three times more cleaning and protection molecules.

What does this translate to? Well, it not only removes 100% of performance-robbing deposits found within your vehicle’s engine bay, but it also prevents future carbon build-up on vital engine parts.

To celebrate, from 1 July to 31 August 2023, Shell will be hosting its ‘Spot and Win’ contest, and customers who top-up their tank with the new and improved V-Power will stand a chance to win $100 (equivalent to 3,000 Shell GO+ points) off their next purchase of V-Power.

And participating is really easy too! All you have to do is redeem a Shell V-Power decal with a minimum spend of $20 for bikers or $80 for drivers on Shell V-Power, alongside your Shell GO+ membership.

This ‘Go FOR 100%’ decal must be displayed prominently on your vehicle while topping up on V-Power at Shell stations. If you are part of the lucky 100 who get spotted, you’ll be walking away with the aforementioned $100 prize. It’s that simple!

Need more reasons to consider giving your car a dose of Shell V-Power? In conjunction with SAF Day, Shell will also be bringing back their popular Shell V-Power @ 98 promotion, where customers can enjoy the benefits of V-Power for the price of Shell FuelSave 98.

The Shell V-Power @ 98 promotion will begin on 30th June, 10am to 2nd July, 10pm and on 7th July, 10am to 9th July 10pm.

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It’s a rite of passage every petrolhead goes through, and it probably starts with “I heard about this tip back then about…”.

With petrol prices ever increasing, plus the onslaught of inflation and global conflicts, car owners worldwide are always looking for ways to help increase the fuel efficiency of their cars, in a bid to return to petrol stations with less of an empty wallet.

While there are certain truths being passed around when it comes to saving fuel, there are also several “myths” that you can dismiss as being true. Conveniently, the AutoApp team has broken down some of these for you.

Myth 1: Keep your car idling, it saves more petrol than restarting it

Picture this. You’re early to your kid’s tuition class, and you are waiting in the car park. Instead of shutting down the car, you keep it running, thinking that while idling you are saving fuel.

Sorry to burst your bubble pal, but leaving your engine running while your car is idle actually uses up more petrol than it is required to restart it. A study conducted by the Environmental Defense Fund, a non-profit organisation based in the United States, you should turn off your car’s ignition if you’re waiting for more than 10 seconds.

While idling, you consume roughly between 1/3 and 1/2 of a litre of fuel, depending on your vehicle. Plus, modern vehicles with direct fuel injection and electronic ignitions start more easily and suffer less wear and tear in the process.

Plus, idling in enclosed spaces is illegal anyway, so next time it’s a good practice to switch your vehicle off.

Myth 2: Coasting in Neutral helps save petrol

While yes, it is true that when you place your car in neutral, the engine starts to idle and consumes a small amount of petrol. But, you may not know that as you start slowing down, the engine begins to work harder to prevent the vehicle from stalling.

This is because the wheels are not turning the engine, so the engine has to inject fuel into the combustion chambers in order to maintain idle RPM.

Therefore, with modern automatics that are designed to be as efficient as possible, keeping your car in Drive will save you more petrol.

MYTH 3: Air-conditioning vs winding down windows

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of rolling down your windows on a cool day and feeling the cool breeze on the open road. It does feel good, and you would think that it is an effective method in saving fuel too, as you may not need to use your air-conditioning.

But, when your vehicle’s windows are down, you allow air to flow into the vehicle instead of where it would traditionally flow over, thereby inducing more drag. Like mini parachutes, these small pockets of air can produce enough drag that inadvertently affects your vehicle’s overall drag coefficient.

For best fuel efficiency, you would need to keep the windows up and turn off your air-conditioning. This is pretty extreme though, and we do not recommend it, especially in our hot and humid climate.

Thus, our suggestion would be to turn on your air-conditioning, but keep the temperature and fan speed to respectable levels. This will enable you to be efficient, and save fuel in the process! Don’t blast, or your fuel will go fast.

MYTH 4: Cruise control can help to save petrol

This is true to a certain extent. While cruise control might be effective on flat roads when your vehicle maintains a constant speed, rapid and sudden acceleration on steeper terrain may burn out a lot of fuel.

Since the vehicle is given a speed to maintain, its internal computers will try their best to keep up, even if it means revving the engine to death.

If you’re planning to use cruise control whilst driving, be cautious and anticipate any upcoming incline. Before cruise control can intervene, you can try applying slight pressure to the accelerator pedal slowly and as needed. This allows you to maintain speed without sudden engine revs induced by the cruise control system.

MYTH 5: The smaller the car, the more frugal it is

If you were to look at cars purely by body size, one popular belief is that smaller cars get better fuel efficiency numbers due to their lighter builds.

However, with technology improving by leaps and bounds over the recent decades, a car’s efficiency is now determined by various other factors such as under-the-hood performance, materials, and body aerodynamics, not just its size.

Our advice is to get a vehicle that fits your needs. A large SUV sounds excellent on paper, but it doesn’t really make sense when you’re driving it alone all the time with no one else to ferry around.

MYTH 6: Petrol consumption increases as a car gets older

Wear and tear is perfectly normal on a vehicle, especially if it’s of an older age. However, as long as your car is well maintained, fuel consumption over time should remain the same, or at the very least, increase ever so slightly.

Regular maintenance will keep your engine running at peak efficiency, so don’t worry about getting about an older car!

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The automated car wash gantry is poised to alleviate existing labour shortages, and its state-of-the-art system offers consistent and thorough cleaning with efficient use of manpower. This new system is also big on sustainability, as it recycles up to 85% of all the water used for each vehicle.

Partnering with ExxonMobil, Kärcher plans to launch more automated gantries in the coming months. ExxonMobil has a network of service stations across Singapore under the Esso brand.

“We are proud to have this opportunity to bring the automated car wash back together with Esso Singapore. Kärcher’s Klean!Star car wash gantry will help to tackle manpower shortage and reduce costs by recycling up to 85% of water used during each car wash.” said Vincent Sim, Managing Director of Kärcher Singapore. 

Lim Xu En, Retail Sales Manager of ExxonMobil Asia Pacific, added: “At Esso, we believe in continuously improving our offers for customers. By partnering with industry leaders like Kärcher on projects like this automated car wash, we hope to give our customers good value while doing our part for the environment.” 

The biggest game-changer Kärcher’s new Klean!Star car wash brings to the table is its ability to save water by recycling up to 85% of all the water used during each wash. Wastewater is funnelled through a filtration system and stored in tanks underneath the car wash.

This water can later be deployed again, being used during the initial round of washing before freshwater is used to complete the wash. To further increase its sustainability efforts, the car wash can also obtain power from solar panels installed at the station.

The entire wash is timed to be just under five minutes, with simple drive-in instructions to help drivers navigate their car into the correct washing position. This means less manpower is required to continuously run the system, helping operators save on manpower costs.

An array of sensors is used together with specially foamed polyethylene brushes that contour to the shape of different vehicles, providing a thorough clean without scuffing the vehicle’s exterior. As long as height limits are met, this car wash can take in a wide variety of vehicles, including large SUVs and vans.

Kärcher’s Klean!Star car wash gantry was awarded the Green Good Design Award back in 2019. It is also the world’s oldest design award that acknowledges products, services, programmes, ideas, and concepts, which contribute to a healthy and sustainable world.

The automated car wash is now available at Esso Lorong Chuan with two additional locations, one in Esso Toa Payoh Lorong 2 and the other in Esso Bedok North, debuting by the end of 2022.

If you’re looking to service your car, try AutoApp today! Our mobile application connects you to a multitude of reputable workshops and specialists, providing you with the best car for your car.