Announcing The First Ever Pick10 Awards And A Tip Jar: Vibe Check
Welcome to the December 28 edition of Vibe Check, and Happy Holidays! As you know, it’s the days after Christmas meaning if you’re like me, you’re probably sprawled on the couch in your parents’ house coming off a feast of Christmas dinner leftovers for lunch.
It also means the news cycle has slowed to a crawl. There’s a new McLaren that isn’t really ‘new’ and some details for the 2025 Porsche 911 has been confirmed.
But first, we’re taking care of some housekeeping. As the World According to Cars — which I’m trying to get in the habit of saying WAC for short, grows in these early stages — I am setting up more ways of supporting the blog in hopes of it becoming a household name someday. Let’s dive into the new developments.
1st Shift: The First Annual Pick10 Awards Are Here (And a Tip Jar!)
As an indicator that I want WAC to stay, the Pick10 inaugural awards are here. Resembling something of a 10Best by Car And Driver, this is an exclusive list reserved for high honors towards vehicles that are the best of the best in what they’re used for.
My criteria is different from most. The biggest question I want you to take away when you’re buying a car is, do you see yourself with it for 10 years? That is the motivating factor that will propel you to maintain it with care all the way to 200,000 miles. Not everything tends to get the same treatment and not every car will deliver the same expectations.
You’ll see me elaborate more on this in a future post when I break down the picks for this year. Watch for that to come out soon.
For now, here’s a teaser of the freshman class of inductees:
Alfa Romeo Giulia
Chevrolet Camaro
Dodge Durango
Lexus LC 500
Lotus Emira
Mazda CX-5
Mazda MX-5 Miata
Subaru Crosstrek
Toyota Prius/Prius Prime
Toyota Supra
The other update to the homepage is a new Tip Jar. This is another way to let me know how I’m doing, if you like the content I’m posting, if I’m headed in the right direction, if I’m setting myself apart from any of the other publications out there, if you want to see more of what I’m doing.
The potential I see for WAC is boundless. I want to see this turn into something great, with goals that I’m keeping close to chest. Any tips would be very much appreciated in going a long way if it were to become a household name sooner than later. My aspirations are not limited to a blog, but potentially to an empire in more ways than one.
Hopefully soon, you’re going to see WAC on social media, with video content on platforms such as YouTube and TikTok. This already has presence on Instagram but you know, baby steps.
In the meantime, any form of early support gets my many thanks. There are a couple platforms (for now) available to send a tip via Cash App or PayPal. If there is another way you wish to use, let me know. Join me as we continue to produce something great.
2nd Shift: There’s A New McLaren Boss, Same As The Old Boss
If you follow British supercars at all, get ready for some déjà vu. The latest updates applied to a McLaren supercar looks the same on the outside. Of course, what matters is what goes on under the skin.
A 4.0-liter V-8 sits in the middle behind the seats. That’s bolted to a pair of turbochargers for more oomph so you can expect 626 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque. That’s plenty for your schnell leisure. British supercar buffs will note this makes about 114 horsepower less than the upcoming 750S, which currently sits atop the McLaren range.
There’s a good reason for that. This is called the GTS, which is really a relatively mild update to the GT that’s been on sale since 2019. As the name implies, it’s the comfort model if you’re not prioritizing lap times and speed records, but to get from A to B in comparatively sumptuous comfort. That’s why there’s more room inside the cabin for your things than just people and pushes for an overall more luxurious vibe.
In an exotic fields crammed full of Lamborghinis and Ferraris that do the same job, the British alternative strives to be different. Ever since the debut of the 12C toward the beginning of the last decade, every McLaren model out of Woking, Surrey, UK has seen computer-controlled suspension to delete anti-roll bars. This has allowed quick calculations to be made in order to improve ride quality, a trait often omitted from most sports and supercars.
In reality though, this technology is nothing new. McLaren stands on its own without a backing financial partner unlike, say, Lamborghini who’s owned by Volkswagen. So they aren’t able to develop and build cars at the same rate as everybody else.
So anything McLaren can push out is worthy of celebration, no matter how small the changes may be. After all, you’re getting a bespoke supercar experience that delivers a unique proposition if you look hard enough.
3rd Shift: The Porsche 911 Will Soon Be A Hybrid
We’re not straying too far from Volkswagen on this one. The VW Group is essentially a General Motors corporation, but for Europe. They have a hand in virtually anything from exotics like Lamborghini and Bentley to luxury arms like Audi to mainstream brands like Škoda and SEAT. Somewhere in the mix lies Porsche.
Every time there’s a new 911, the world stops. We wait on the impending sacrilege as to whether this is when the most definitive sports car becomes something less than what it can famously deliver.
Thankfully, that is not the case when the updated 911 drops for 2025. According to a report by C/D, we’re getting a T-HEV hybrid powertrain, that’s the big news, but also some engine changes that affects a lot of the model lineup.
There’s a new 3.6-liter engine. This is a flat-six setup that has been adopted in virtually every 911 since the 1960s. Lately though, this has seen constraints in the rear-engined sports car — some might say supercar — brought on by climate change and a commitment to lower emissions.
Just because the 911 adopts an electric motor doesn’t mean the gas engine shrinks like it does in other hybrids. The base Carrera — although there’s nothing ‘base’ about it — utilizes a 3.0-liter unit that relies on a couple of turbochargers for a boost of power. That’s expected to carry over in whatever name the Porsche 911 hybrid adopts. Expect globs amount of power.
As for the Carrera itself, the engine is expected to get a modest power bump and retain its minuscule size. Until 2025, this is the same engine that’s in the 911 GTS, which serves as an in-betweener for daily use and track duty. After that, the 3.6-liter motor comes into play without a pair of turbos to guarantee the driver more smiles.
That new motor is also destined to sit in the 911 Turbo/Turbo S derivatives, bringing the turbochargers back. These top-of-the-line models make 641 horsepower and 590 lb-ft right now so that’s expected to go up, making the quick all-wheel-drive 911 even quicker.
In all, an evolving mix of engine updates that are updated based on the 911’s purpose in the lineup. Otherwise, there are some visual changes expected as noted in the Some are destined for commuting comfortably, some are inclined for spirited driving, some are designed to break lap records on a race circuit, and some will pin you to the back of your seat just for the heck of it. For variety, almost every 911 is also available as a convertible.
While the hybrid setup is a first, in a way, it’s the least interesting thing about the car. Questions remain on how well it will perform in terms of execution. In the meanwhile, the 911’s time on Earth is far from up. EVs are looking to be the future and Porsche insists that it’s the last model to give up gasoline entirely. That’s not expected to happen for another decade.
Holiday Task: New Year Resolutions But Don’t Take It Heavily
The days are counting down to the new year and the pressure’s on everybody’s minds to be a better person. This is idealized usually through a checklist or a vision board. Some people think resolutions are bullshit to a degree that things go well in the first month and then give up. Others commit like it’s a full-time job.
For me though, the list is short while the commitment is long. For instance, I’m inclined to keep going with WAC no matter how few people read it in the beginning. The life story doesn’t end with the blog, but begins something that’s greater than myself. Until that happens, rallying early support is crucial if this were to survive.
On a more personal note, I’m midst of a job transition between careers. This was done to put a greater focus unto writing in more ways than one. Journaling, blogging, eventually getting around to my debut novel, and a lot of reading. I thank the people reading this now as a means of rooting me on.
I root the same for you in whatever you want to accomplish for the new year.