MOTORS Porsche’s Style Editions

Porsche’s 718 Boxster and Cayman range gain new Style Edition Models

If there’s a nicer looking colour for a Porsche Boxster, we’ve yet to see it! This month we’re looking at Porsche’s new 718 Style Edition models...

PORSCHE REALLY OUGHT TO BE CAREFUL. Its current 718 Cayman (coupé) and Boxster (convertible) models are so desirable, handle so well and offer such exhilarating performance that its customers might well find themselves standing in the showroom agonising between a Boxster or a 911. And this new Style Edition of the Boxster won’t do anything to quell the car’s immense desirability. It’s finished in Ruby Star Neo, with 20” wheels available in high-gloss white or black paint. Inside there’s black leather with crayon grey contrast stitching and other stylish details like the Porsche logo stitched into the headrests and stainless steel illuminated door sills. So far, then, stylish details which only add to the Boxster or Cayman’s appeal. But this isn’t just a case of style over substance. Both models feature the entry-level version of the 718’s engine, a turbocharged, fourcylinder unit generating 380Nm torque and 300ps power. And as standard both models feature Porsche’s six-speed manual gearbox for an engaging driving experience, although if you prefer, the company’s excellent sevenspeed PDK automatic is optional. Cayman and Boxster models start at £47,700 and £49,700 respectively, with Style Edition versions commanding a £4,000 premium. Both editions, though, are well-equipped, with daytime running lights, front and rear parking sensors, heated seats and steering wheel, Apple CarPlay, climate control and cruise control.

With Porsche 911 models starting at a snip under £90,000, that makes the 718 Boxster and Cayman models – and the Style Editions in particular – look like exceptional value for money.

Nothing but nothing in the motoring world handles as well, looks as good, or has been coveted by so many for so long as a 911... so arguably, the latter still has the edge in terms of desirability. But if you’re keen to enjoy one of the most authentic and visceral sports cars on the market today, the 718 is just that... and it’s also great value, too! n

THE DETAILS Porsche Boxster Style Edition 718

Price: £53,600 (On sale now). Powertrain: 2.0 four-cylinder, six speed manual or seven-speed auto. Performance: Top speed 171mph, 0-60mph 5.1secs. WLTP 29.1mpg. Equipment: ParkAssist front and rear including rearview camera, Apple CarPlay, cruise control, heated leather steering wheel, heated seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, leather package in black with contrast stitching in crayon. n

A supertruck from across the Atlantic Hummer EV

The bigger the better, say American motorists, but until now, the ridiculous dimensions and eye-watering running costs of the Hummer haven’t gone down as well with us. Will an electric version prove any more popular in the UK?

FOR AMERICANS, size is everything. Especially when it comes to cars, and especially especially when it comes to trucks. The Hummer has come to exemplify transatlantic motoring excess, but it didn’t sell well over here. Now, a London-based UK importer, Clive Sutton, is having another try at introducing the Hummer to Britain, but rather than being powered by a six-litre plus, eightcylinder diesel engine, this one is an EV. So it’s more sensible, right? Not a bit of it. The all-electric Hummer provides 350 miles of range, which is quite practical for the real world. Less practical is the 1,000bhp is generates from its three electric motors. The first drives the front wheels, ideal for cruising. The two rear motors power each of the rear wheels, affording the car a greater ability to direct power in slippery conditions and affording a total of 1,592 Nm of torque. In addition to its four-wheel drive system the Hummer also benefits from four-wheel steering, including a ‘CrabWalk’ facility to improve low-speed manoeuvrability. The vehicle also rides on sensible 18-inch alloy wheels, but these are wrapped in very knobbly 35” off-road tyres. In terms of its off-road ability, the vehicle can drive through water 71cm deep, but raising its air suspension into a special ‘Extract’ mode increases this by an additional 10cm, making it comparable in ability to Land Rover’s Defender. Unlike the latter, the Hummer is a strict five seater with no six or seven seat configurations available. The Hummer EV is available, though, with a five-foot long pick-up truck bed. There’s also a small front-boot under the bonnet, too.

Where the Hummer’s true statement of intent is expressed, though, is its performance figures and cost. 60mph is reached and breached in just 3.5 seconds which, for a vehicle with a kerb weight of four tonnes –that’s right, four tonnes – is impressive, albeit potentially lethal in a crash, too.

Not only is it heavy, it’s also huge; 5.2 metres long, 2.3 metres wide and nearly two metres tall. For reference a Land Rover Discovery is 20cm shorter, 10cm narrower and 20cm lower. The number that really will cause Britain to shun the Hummer compared to its JLR competitors though, is the US car’s price... to you, just £350,000! Ouch! n

THE DETAILS Hummer EV Pick-Up Truck

Price: £320,000 (Via import). Powertrain: All electric, 1,000bhp, 1,592Nm torque, three electric motors, automatic transmission. Performance: Top speed 171mph, 0-60mph 3.5secs. Range 350 miles. Equipment: Removable roof panels, SuperCruise autonomous driving aid, Ultravision 18-camera surround view, CrabWalk all-wheel steer, air suspension, Bose audio system, leather, 13.4” driver screen. n

New Year? New Smile!

THE DENTAL HEALTH & IMPLANT CENTRE REINVIGORATES A PATIENT’S CONFIDENCE

If your New Year’s Resolution is to go through 2023 beaming with happiness, take heart from a lovely story we’ve heard recently from a patient of the Dental Health & Implant Centre in Grantham which saw her going from nervous and embarrassed to looking healthier and beaming with delight!

“THEY’RE IN A RIGHT STATE,” said Jo as she shuffled awkwardly in the dentist’s chair. “I’m sorry to say but I avoid the dentist because I’m a really nervous patient.”

Six months later, Jo is back in the practice, sporting a new hair style and beaming with confidence. Even she reckons she looks like a different person!

“It’s not just transformed my smile, it’s transformed my life. I’ve got more confidence and one of my friends didn’t believe the treatment I had was limited to just my smile, she thought I’d had a facelift, too!”

“Wanting a nice smile isn’t vanity; it goes much deeper than how you look. It’s how much you’re willing to smile in photos or when you’re out with friends. It’s about whether you want to express yourself with confidence or hide away.”

“Since I’ve visited The Dental Health & Implant Centre, I’ve even been on a date, and I’d never have dared to do that before. That’s the difference feeling confident brings to you.”

Jo first arrived at the practice with her hand over her mouth, not wanting even the dentist to see her teeth. Six of her front teeth had previously been replaced with a bridge, and that repair had since failed and fallen off. Appearance-wise it was obviously effecting her confidence, but it was effecting her in other ways too, not least the fact that she could only eat soft food – a baguette or steak was definitely off the menu – so there were health grounds for reinstating her smile as well as cosmetic ones. Paula Parkes has 23 years experience working at The Dental Health & Implant Centre and as Treatment Coordinator, it’s her job to guide patients through the treatments on offer, explaining the difference betweens crowns, bridges, veneers, implants and so on. Another really important part of her job, though, is reassuring those who have had bad experiences or hate visiting the dentist, making sure they’re sufficiently well-informed and transforming the relationship between patient and dentist from one of fear to one of favour. “Dental practices have changed enormously over the years in terms of the technology and treatments we have on offer, but also in terms of how user-friendly they are,” say Paula. “It’s no good having patients who are too afraid to come and see us, and I can’t think of a single patient we’ve not managed to ‘rehabilitate’ from one who fears the dentist to one who’s happy to sit in the chair.”

A full examination of Jo by practice owner and Principal Dentist Colin Sutton revealed that Jo’s upper teeth were failing, meaning that extractions, dentures or implants were among the options. Dentures, Jo said, were a definite no, and so after consultation, Jo, Colin and Paula together came to the conclusion that ‘All on Four’ – creating implants and then installing bridge work onto them – was the best option. Precision implant treatment is a dental specialism, and one that Colin and the team are especially well-versed in. After a temporary fix of the bridge, Jo returned for her permanent implants and bridge to be created in the same appointment... Jo stepped out with a smile that changed her life. “I’ve moved house since and it’s now a four-hour round trip to the practice, but it’s a trip I’m willing to make because I feel like I’m visiting friends, not just going to the dentist,” she says. “I’m full of confidence, I’m back to my old self and I’m so glad I had my treatment with Colin, Paula and the team!” n

Find Out More: The Dental Health Centre & Implant Centre is based on Avenue Road, Grantham, NG31 6TA. Call 01476 594480 or see www.dentalhealthcentre.co.uk to enquire about the practice’s range of treatments. NB: The patient’s name has been changed.