Well it was only a matter of time before Aston Martin jumped onto the SUV bandwagon and here it is…the DBX.

Although in prototype form and lathered in camo paint, the car’s distinct silhouette can still be made out right down to the Vantage-esque headlights. The car which is taking part in the Welsh Rally stage as part of its shake down program will see some serious off-roading terrain ahead of its official launch in late 2019.

But before then, the car will also be put through its paces in the Arctic and the unforgiving deserts of the Middle East. And one must never forget the Nurburgring, the modern proving ground for performance cars and now SUVs.

Currently there’s no official specs on the engine and drivetrain but you can expect a hybrid variant with a V8 slotted in there somewhere.

Aston Martin Chief Engineer, Matt Becker, said in a statement: “We have already developed and tuned DBX in the driving simulator, which has enabled us to make excellent progress in advance of the first physical prototype cars being available.”

“DBX is a very different kind of Aston Martin, but we will be testing it in all conditions and across all terrains to ensure it delivers a driving experience worthy of the wings badge”

Until then, buyers of performance SUVs will have the option of the Lamborghini Urus and Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk alongside a slew of other marques jumping into the segment.

Now the question is, will we be seeing Daniel Craig behind the wheel of one in his final Bond outing?

The post Aston Martin Unveils Its First Ever SUV On A Dirty Rally Stage appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Look at your bank account. Happy? You should be, but not Porsche levels of happy. That’s because we’re about to tell you how much the sports car company makes in profit.

As reported by Car Buzz, the legendary Stuttgart marque that came perilously close to serious financial hardship during the early 90s is today one of the industry’s most respected names and fiercest Nurburgring contenders.

Thanks to their continual focus on keeping all Porsches old and new on the road, the German company has been able to see staggering figures well into the green.

RELATED: Singer & Williams Create The $1.8 Million Porsche Of Your Dreams

In 2017 it was reported by CNBC that Porsche earned more than US$4.82 billion before tax at a November 8 exchange rate. Break that figure down and it equates to about US$153 per second.

And according to our questionable maths skills acquired from our engineering degree, that equates to about US$9,176 per minute, US$550,595 per hour, US$13.2 million a day and US$92.8 million a week.

Total revenue during the 2017 financial period? More than US$26.85 billion or something in the order of US$73.3 million per day.

The post You'll Cry Over How Much Profit Porsche Makes In A Day appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Guess what? It’s almost Christmas. And Christmas brings many things, among them – Christmas office parties.

Excitement swirls, the rumour-mill charges up, serotonin flows just as much as the alcohol. Holiday-anticipating spirits are up! And so is your interest in Betty from accounting.

I’m asked all the time what I think of hooking up with people in the workplace. Personally, I’m all for it. And given that studies show that one in ten people meet their spouse or husband at work (and they’re just the ones that last), obviously I’m not alone.

Here’s how to pull off the office romance the right way.

Eliminate Any Stigma You Have

The first thing that we all think when it comes to workplace relationships is: “What if it doesn’t work out?”

You’ll have to face that person every day, not to mention the sheer embarrassment, because you know that that little gem ain’t staying in her vault for long.

It’s an understandable concern. The ego stands right next to the career in front of the firing squad. Potentially.

Unfortunately, there is no absolute remedy for this. Dating being dating, there is always the risk of things going pear shaped; that’s the wager that you’re forced to make with yourself the second you hit puberty and step into the dating ring – this could turn to crap.

Wanting a sure-fire solution in anything dating related is always a fantasy. The fact stands – if you’re willing to step up and have a crack, there is a chance that it could end in tears. It’s potential risk vs. potential reward.

As a man, if it’s something you want (within reason) you should be overlooking the pitfalls and having a go. The alternative is you get to play Xbox in your room every Friday for the next few years.

Before You Go In For The Close…

So you’ve weighed up your options and you’ve decided to take the punt. Good work, son. But where to from here?

In my opinion, having experienced the odd workplace dalliance, the keys to making it work are Calibration, Maturity, Non-neediness and most importantly, Respect to the other party.

Here’s how to pull it all together so that you can potentially find love or leave it with dignity and class.

Work On Your Calibration

Is there any interest from them whatsoever? Have you even spoken to this woman or man? Are they on your Facebook? Are they even single? Do you chat at all after hours? I would suggest starting here.

You need to be at least on her radar before you can be a lover. And clearly, calibration extends to the obvious fact that you work together, and even if you’ve Mr. Muscled up the courage to put your rep on the line, that doesn’t automatically immunise her to concern. Subtlety kid, subtlety. Secrets are sexy.

Proceed With Maturity

You’re both adults, so act like it. It might work, it might not – that is the risk that you took and you need to be a man about it either way. If it doesn’t work out, don’t be bitter, don’t be distant, don’t make a big deal of it.

So you had a drunken make out at the Christmas party – awesome. But come Monday are you going to be cool and collected, or awkward and weird. Going into any workplace relationship, be it a casual hookup or potentially something more, requires a considerable amount of self-control and maturity.

Always Practice Non-Neediness

As with all dating, if a woman knows that you’re both mature and non-needy, she will be a lot more comfortable taking you up on your generous offer. If she knows that you’re an emotionally strong man going about his life who can handle the situation, she knows that you will be ok regardless of the outcome – one more worry off her shoulders.

If she suspects that you’re the possessive type to cry at your desk, bitch to your colleagues, get weird, e-mail her mercilessly asking where this is going, then on top of the already obvious workplace considerations, then it’s likely she’ll blow you off.

Remember, she already has enough to worry about and looking after and pandering to your weak-ass masculine core is not one of them.

Respect The Game & The Player

If I need to explain simple respect to you, I’d really advise against commencing any workplace flirtation.

If they say ‘no’, smile and say ‘no problems’. You might not get the girl but you’ll get her respect and that’s just as important.

The Take Home Message

Of course there’s a risk of rejection, but that’s life. Have a crack, son. Ten percent of the population can’t be too wrong. Just be cool about it. And one bold charming move is better for all involved than lingering years of creepy innuendo and quite desperation in the dreaded friend zone. It’s probably no great revelation to her that you’re interested.

Ultimately, it needs to be positive or neutral. If it turns negative, you’ve ignored one or all of the previously mentioned four keys (or you’ve opted to hookup with the office psycho). I believe that the negative stigma exists because people have excluded ‘neutrality’ from the potential outcomes, i.e. you hook up, have fun, and things just return back to normal. Yes, it can be done, if the right people are involved.

You’re spending most of your life with the people that you work with. And if you’re not going out, you’re likely not meeting any other people (that’s a whole other article).

If you go in with some calibration, maturity, non-neediness and respect, and you have some discretion in choosing who shall receive your lovin’, it really can only go well, or go nowhere. But without considering those things, you could be browsing SEEK in no time.

The post How To Successfully Date In The Workplace, According To A Dating Coach appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The prospect of going bald is not easy for many men to deal with. Hair is a sign of virility and strength, giving us a false sense that without we would be nowhere near as handsome, successful and everything else that comes with it.

The most important thing for any male to know is prevention is better than cure. Here are five of our tried and tested over the counter products to help keep your hair.

Spectral.DNC

These guys do not f*ck around with hair loss. Spectral.DNC is an insanely advanced approach to beating baldness that’s the strongest fighting agent on the market. On the scientific side, the formulation addresses nearly all of the known variables involved in hair loss using powerful hair regrowth agents, as well as auxiliary agents like Retinol and a vitamin and mineral complex. On the technological side, the active ingredients are innovatively delivered in tiny microspheres called nanosomes. Apply it twice daily (morning and night), 4 – 10 sprays each time, to areas of thinning hair. Note: This stuff is not greasy so it’s better than other minoxidil on the market. 

SHOP $42.00 

Bumble and bumble Surf Spray

Seriously? Bumble and bumble Surf Spray? Yes, seriously. This impressive little concoction will make your hair feel thicker and make you look like you just jumped out of the surf. And not only does it serve the needs of your thinning hair, it also provides light hold and a matte finish. Surf Spray was a recipient of the first annual 2012 Details Magazine Best of Grooming Awards. Working through damp or dry hair, let it dry naturally or blow dry, and don’t be afraid to pair it with other products for further definition or thickening.  

SHOP $27.00 

American Crew Hair Recovery Shampoo

The name of the game here is protection. American Crew’s Hair Recovery Shampoo is designed to extend the life of your hair by keeping it thicker, fuller, and stronger. The shampoo works to remove the build-up of DHT, a hormone linked to hair loss, so that your scalp is better prepared to absorb the carefully-chosen ingredients (including keratin amino acids, peppermint oil, and pro-vitamin B5) in the formula. Even if you aren’t yet seeing signs of baldness, it doesn’t hurt to start protecting yourself against that possibility.  

SHOP $25.00 

Nizoral 2% Shampoo Oily/Normal

You can never have too much of a good thing, right? One good product deserves another. Designed to work with Spectral.DNC, Nizoral 2% Shampoo for Oily/Normal hair treats dandruff and seborrhoeic dermatitis of the scalp. The active ingredients provide a direct sebum inhibiting effect and antifungal properties that get to the root (no pun intended) of dandruff problems and also help keep your scale nice and healthy. Nizoral will also remove any buildup from other hair loss treatments. Use 2-3 times weekly for best results.  

SHOP $22.00 

Finasteride

Finasteride is used to treat men with male pattern hair loss to increase hair growth on the scalp and to prevent further hair loss. Finasteride doesn’t completely cure male pattern baldness. Instead, it blocks the hormone linked to hair loss in men (DHT) and is only effective for as long as you take the medication. It won’t work for everyone and for some men it has some whack side effects but it’s a damn good product. 

The post Essential Products To Help Men Fight Hair Loss & Baldness appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Well it’s finally official. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have just discovered the link between social media use and depression.

Sure, you could argue that it was common sense for the past few years, but a lot of the concerns raised in the past have been purely talking points or brief studies rather than a comprehensive objective analysis.

The researchers at the University of Pennsylvania came to their conclusion via experimental data from some of today’s most used platforms including Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram.

“We set out to do a much more comprehensive, rigorous study that was also more ecologically valid,” says Psychologist Melissa G. Hunt, the study’s lead researcher and associate director of clinical training in Penn’s Psychology Department.

The research team targeted three of the most popular platforms amongst undergraduate subjects – Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook – and collected their objective usage data automatically tracked by iPhones for active apps. This was done as opposed to  apps running the background to improve accuracy.

RELATED: Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal Their Strategies For Managing Stress & Mental Health

The 143 subjects were then asked to complete a survey to establish their mood and well-being at the start of the study. Screenshots of their iPhone battery level was also supplied to provide a week’s worth of baseline social-media data.

The subjects were then split into a random control group and asked to continue performing their usual social media practices against another group which could only use Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat for 10 minutes a day on each platform.

This process continued for three weeks with tallies of battery usage kept for every individual. From this, Hunt was able to compare the data against seven outcome measures which included fear of missing out, anxiety, depression and loneliness.

“Here’s the bottom line,” she says. “Using less social media than you normally would leads to significant decreases in both depression and loneliness. These effects are particularly pronounced for folks who were more depressed when they came into the study.”

“It is a little ironic that reducing your use of social media actually makes you feel less lonely,” she added.

“Some of the existing literature on social media suggests there’s an enormous amount of social comparison that happens. When you look at other people’s lives, particularly on Instagram, it’s easy to conclude that everyone else’s life is cooler or better than yours.”

Whilst the study subjects fell between the age of 18 – 22 years, it is still too early to conclude that this is the same case for other age groups. Hunt is currently working on providing an answer for this.

If common sense prevails though, the answer’s really quite straight-forward.

“When you’re not busy getting sucked into clickbait social media, you’re actually spending more time on things that are more likely to make you feel better about your life.”

The post Researchers Find The Link Between Depression & Social Media appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

In a country where public displays of affection are illegal, how do you work out if your date is a good kisser? In an arid city that values modesty, what do you wear? In one of the richest economic hubs of the Middle East, how do you impress Tinder bae?These are just some of the questions fresh-faced expats in Dubai face: how do you go about dating in the Middle East? Whether you’re a high flying executive, a globe-trotting backpacker, or an exchange student learning Arabic, this article will help you better understand the Middle Eastern dating mindset.How? With the help of a resident. Enter Princess Dasha, a Dubai local who lived in New York for 10 years. We hit her up to compare the dating scenes of the two.Take them with a grain of sand (or a hit from a shisha pipe); but these rules should help you take your search for love beyond the nearest hookah bar.

Rely On Your Personality, Not Your ‘Status’

One of the first things Sasha noticed when moving to Dubai from New York was an unattractive trend (on both locals and expats) where men rely on their ‘status’ to impress; “Two days ago a friend and I were approached in a festival mall by a man trying to get our phone numbers. He didn’t ask where we from or how our day had been, he just handed his cell phone and asked to please enter our numbers.”

“Not sure who he was (perhaps someone important since he expected things done for him without hesitation) I showed him my ring and politely explained that it won’t be possible.”

“My friend replied that she has a boyfriend, to which he replied that we should be friends with him instead. Then he offered to buy us food. He was basically refusing to take a no for an answer. In USA this probably wouldn’t have happened. Which is why, when it comes to dating I think in Dubai men are more persistent and prefer things their way.”This means that there’s a chance (albeit a slim one) that your laid back attitude that marked you as “boring” or “lazy” back home may be seen as “suave” and “refreshing” here. But to woo a date you’re going to need more than that…

Don’t Rely On Alcohol As A Social Lubricant; There Are Better Alternatives…

“Unlike the USA, Dasha says, “There’s no party and no drinking, so your date will probably take you out for hookah or a beach picnic. Which, if you ask me, is more romantic.” You can howecver visit any one of the hotels or day clubs like Blue Marlin… if your date is into that.

There Are Options For ‘Shoestring’ Daters

Dasha recommends any aspiring Dubai daters download the Entertainer app. “This way,” she says, “If you get one meal; you get another one free.” Other than that, “Dubai Emirate,” she adds, “Itself is a fairytale, so anywhere you go, you’ll enjoy the atmosphere.

“The Dubai and Emirates malls are huge. Even if you spent the whole day walking around, you still won’t see it all.”

There is also a fountain show outside of Dubai every half an hour, which is “completely free” and “quite spectacular.” So if you’re on a budget, Dasha would recommend you “get some ice cream for you and your date and enjoy the show.”

But There Are More Options For Big Spenders…

When it comes to splashing the cash, Dasha says look no further than a night at the Burj Al Arab, where the cheapest room is around $3,000 per night. The hotel is considered to be one of the most luxurious ones in the world, and is built on the artificial island. And as Dasha points out: “Even the cappuccino there comes with real gold sprinkles.”

“Whoever said money can’t buy happiness hasn’t been there yet.”

Beyond that, there’s also the option of renting a yacht just for the two of you, which are rented on hourly basis: “So depending on the yacht size, your trip will come up to $5,000 (US) for the entire day.”

“My fiancé rented one for us 2 weeks ago. Enjoying our morning coffee while watching the sun rising over Atlantis took my breath away. The scene was beyond spectacular. The crew rolls over a red carpet for you upon arrival and takes some pictures. You play your own music and whatever food you bring they’ll make it for you. After you finish swimming there are showers on the deck.”

Don’t Kiss In Public

Dating (as you know it) isn’t really allowed here,” Dasha says, because religious laws mean you could “easily” get arrested for PDA.

“Holding hands in public is (only) okay between husband and a wife.”

For example, Dasha explained how her friend’s boyfriend was removed from her hotel room by hotel security: “10 minutes after he walked in, they heard a knock on the door. The security guard asked to see their marriage certificate, and being that they were only boyfriend and girlfriend, he was asked to leave.”It’s also worth noting that although living under the same roof without being married is prohibited; “Often nobody checks on it, unless police receive a complaint.”

You’ll Need To Find Creative Ways To Show Your Affection

Although kissing isn’t allowed, there are other ways to get close, with the key to showing affection in public being, “To be safe and do it in a non physical way.” For example Dasha says you should, “Look out for each other and show them how much you care, let’s say by making sure your partner isn’t spending too much time under the burning Dubai sun.”“Send them a poem in the morning and your favourite romantic song at night,” she says, and (unless you’ve found another rule breaking expat), “Leave the physical part for when you’re married.”

When It Comes To Meeting People, The Internet Is Your Friend

When it comes to finding a date, your first port of call should be the “countless social networks” that bring people together in this cultural melting pot.

“Literally everyone I’ve met in Dubai I’ve met online.”

“Even my fiancé,” Dasha tells us, “Found me through Instagram when I was living in New York and flew over for dinner.” Also: “Snapchat allows you to add a snap code to your stories which allows strangers to scan it and then add you.”

“After a small online chat, people normally decide to grab a coffee or take a walk in the mall—and that’s how you make friends.”

“There’s nothing wrong with randomly chatting with strangers (in person) though,” Dasha adds. “If you think about it, some of the closest people in your today’s life at some point were complete strangers to you. In Dubai people are extremely friendly and helpful, so I don’t think anyone here would struggle making friends.”

Expats Should Dress Well For A Date, But Nothing Too Flashy

“If a man has a sense of style and is not trying to show off by wearing a bunch of brands; it’s fine,” Dasha says.

“I personally find it tasteless when on a first date he’s wearing a bunch of diamond, or gold chains and bracelets just to show off.”

However, “Make sure you aren’t overdressed as the weather is over 35 degrees celsius most of the time, so a 3 piece suit would only look relevant for a business meeting.”For the ladies, Dasha recommends you, “Dress modestly and respect the UAE culture.”

If You Get Serious With Someone, They Might Introduce You To Their Parents Sooner Than You’re Used To

At what point do you introduce a partner to your parents in Dubai? According to Dasha the protocol is: the sooner the better. Or at least, “As soon as you realise he or she is the one.” This is because, she explains, “In Islam there’s no future or marriage for a couple without both parents blessings.” As an example she says, “I let my mother and father speak to my fiancé on the 6th day of meeting him. And that was one day before he became my fiancé.”This fast-forwarding of the “meet the parents” process occurs, “Simply because if your parents don’t agree with your choice there’d be no way to continue, at least for us. So, if your partner is taking too long to introduce you to his or her family, it might be that he or she isn’t ready for anything serious.”RELATED: Important Dating Rules You Need To Know Before Visiting France

The post Dating In Dubai: Everything You Need To Know appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Kids, if you ever needed evidence that the internet is forever, this is it. Welcome to Ryan Gosling version 1.0. Stumbling across this version of the near-unrecognisable Gos is a great way to kick start anyone’s week. Why? Well it validates the belief that no one is ever born a God – even in the style and charisma game. More importantly, a game which most people would think Ryan Gosling was born with.

We present to you Exhibit A.

At the 2004 premiere of The Notebook, Gosling went as a guy who wouldn’t look out of place as the weed dealer at your grade 12 formal (prom for you Americans). Let us elaborate. Since when was it socially acceptable to rock a lung buster on the red carpet? Call him a bad boy, call him a rule breaker, call him this generation’s James Dean…either way it’s hilarious and should never be a part of your celebrity wardrobe inspiration.

Things got even worse though especially if you draw your eyes to the bottom – dirty-ass Converse kicks which look like they’ve earned their stripes on the set of several Avril Lavigne music videos.

And then we get to the suit. We realise fitted probably wasn’t a requisite back in 2004, but this is just plain bad. The trousers are so baggy they resemble bell bottoms, the suit jacket is naturally un-tailored and Gosling seemingly hasn’t done a tie since his high school day. And to top it all off, he’s rocking that one-time wonder known as the emo belt – a excessively studded accessory which made waves in your punk-ass brother’s closet back in the early noughties.

Hair and grooming? Not necessary. 2004 Gosling neither needed to shave or use hair product. Well we guess it does suit the cigarette look.

Hit the gallery to see the other gems that Gosling 1.0 used to champion with pride, then revel in the fact that you can be a style God too as long as you pick clothes that fit and shower at least once every three days.

The post Ryan Gosling's Style Transformation Since 'The Notebook' Will Blow Your Mind appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

This feature has been produced in partnership with IWC Schaffhausen

There comes a time in every young person’s life when Maccas is no longer an acceptable place to take your date, but where you also don’t have enough money to treat Tinder-bae to a four course meal at Rockpool.

Contrary to popular belief, settling for an equally cheap (but marginally more classy) taco-joint or 24 hour pizza place is not the answer. Why? Because restaurant quality burgers are available at home, if you know what you’re doing.

So bust out the decent cutlery, light up a few candles, and turn the romance up to match your dude-food cooking skills: your date is going to be impressed.

And who better to learn from than Neil Perry? One of Australia’s best chefs, Neil is also an award winning restaurateur, and today he is going to give you an exclusive tutorial on how to cook the best burger of your life.

Here’s how to grill a patty that would impress even Matt Preston.

Buy Top Quality Mince

Neil says, “If you want to make burgers at home: go to a butchers shop (not a supermarket) and you ask them to take the ‘chuck’ and mince it for you.”

“The most important thing about burgers is the quality of the mince.”

Don’t Be Afraid To Get Your Hands Dirty

“Then,” he continues, “You form it into a patty, which means you work it a little bit with your hands, fold it, then push it down on the grill, flat-plate or wherever you’re doing it.”

Don’t Overdo The Salt

Unlike when he taught us how to cook a restaurant quality steak, Neil said that with burgers, you don’t want to go crazy on the salt: “It’s just pure meat, because you want that beautiful beef flavour.”

“It’s really about (lightly) seasoning it (and) cooking the bacon; then we put the buns upside down and build the burger.”

Add The Rest Of The Ingredients

Put tomato and chilli relish on top of the lightly toasted (or grilled) buns, topped with cafe zuni pickles, bacon and gently melted cheese, fresh lettuce, tomato and, of course, the beef.

Enjoy

No explanation necessary. Sit back, relax, and bask in burgerlicious glory.

The post Neil Perry Reveals The Secret To Cooking A Mouth-Watering Burger appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

There’s no shortage of fast cars to choose from in the Porsche hangar. Sure, the 911 is and always will be the German marque’s definitive halo car, but amongst that elite group also exists a much more conventional scalpel for taking you from point A to point B – quickly.

We got behind the wheel of the latest Porsche 718 Boxster GTS for a week to see how it handled Sydney traffic before taking on a day trip which saw some of the countryside’s tightest twisties and semi-damp conditions.

Not only did we live to tell the tale, but we also left with a dorky smile. Here’s why.

Quick Facts

Cost: AU$197,359 ($191,071 manual)
Transmission: PDK
0-100kmh: 4.3 seconds
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo with 269kW (365hp)

1. We can’t call it a ‘hairdresser’s car’ anymore. The current generation Boxster is sleeker, classier and more aggressive than ever…

A look back at the older generation Boxsters will show you exactly how far this current model has come. Whilst the fundamental silhouette of a traditional drop top remains, the body lines are now much more defined, sharper and dare we say, masculine. This particular example we drove wore a GT metallic silver body paired to a red convertible roof. Subtle with a hint of sportiness.

2. Power isn’t everything…and that’s the Boxster’s ace up the sleeve.

Porsche aficionados will be familiar with with a naturally aspirated flat-six engine in the back of a Porsche. A turbocharged flat-four engine in middle of a Porsche? Not so much. But when you drop two cylinders and bolt on a turbo, you also drop weight and this plays beautifully into the 718 Boxster’s ethos of supreme agility. In numbers, that’s a healthy 269kW pushing around a weight of about 1,400kg.

3. It’s not just a random name, it’s a tribute to punching above your weight.

Even the 718 nameplate is a tribute to a racing series which was won by a lighter car that out-handled cars with bigger engines and power figures.

4. Balanced handling and feels like it’s on rails even in damp conditions

When you have a mid-engined rear-wheel-drive car that’s designed to go around corners at speed, you need an equal amount of stopping power and grip to ensure you pull up right. The 718 Boxster accomplishes this with four piston monoblock calipers front and rear accompanied by the insanely grippy Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres. How grippy? My friend driving behind copped serious windscreen stone chips from the rear tyres throwing up all the loose gravel. Oops.

5. It didn’t turn many heads…

And we loved it for that very reason. Previously, we trialled the 911 Carrera T and parked it at our local gym. People stopped, marvelled and sniggered at our canary yellow beast. We put the 718 Boxster in the same spot and…nothing. With the roof up the car simply blends in (sort of) without looking like a $200,000 car. It’s subtle enough to park anywhere without needing worry, yet when the time comes to open it up, it performs exactly how a $200,000 car should. Needless to say, this is a car designed more for the modest enthusiast.

6. That noise isn’t so modest though…

The drive mode selector on the Boxster is intuitive and fun as hell to toggle through. Rolling in traffic you’ll want the knob on the steering wheel pointing to ‘Drive’. When the mountain roads roll in, turn the knob to Sport + and the flat-four comes alive as the fully opened exhaust rumbles and burbles whenever you jab the throttle. The engine also idles higher to ensure you’re always in the power band.

7. It hides little supercar things that count

In Sport + mode the rear wing pops up whilst the suspension stiffens up. It’s lively, extremely balanced and feels exactly how a modern midship chassis should through the bends.

8. It’s German and that can only mean one thing…

German build quality. Think tight fitting interior panels made from carbon fibre or aluminium and everything else wrapped in Alcantara – all of which feel as nice as they look. Even the automatic knob is wrapped in Alcantara – pointless since there’s no need to grip it whilst driving, but hey, because German.

9. Seats that make you feel like a race car driver

The Alcantara-lined seats kept our bottoms planted mid-corner at varying speeds and they’re perfect for enthusiast driving. Although you may need to play around with the lower lumber support during long distance drives to get the comfort right. Electronically adjustable side bolsters are also a plus.

10. It has proximity sensors on each corner

On a car that sits this low, you’ll need it in order to prevent bumping into things like parking stops, etc.

11. Speaking of too low…

The driver vision takes a day or two of getting used to because the car is so naturally low. At some intersections where cars were parked adjacently and too close, I needed to creep out slowly before I could see past the parked car for oncoming traffic. Probably one of the downsides of driving a $200,000 car.

12. On the flip side, the rear vision was great

This was a big surprise to us. The rear glass panel was big enough with the roof closed and the rear camera also helped with reverse navigation. No impairments here.

13. The entertainment system’s ‘Jukebox’ function did our head in

I use an iPhone 6 and apparently this wasn’t cool enough for the car’s entertainment system to recognise. File access was non-existent via USB or Bluetooth, so I resorted to listening to the sweet sound of the flat-four turbo for six hours of driving instead. The agony.

14. You’ll never get rained on

Button goes up, roof goes up. Button goes down, roof goes down. Don’t forget to hold button down until you hear the ‘click’ to lock. It’s that simple and takes a matter of ten seconds or so to complete the process. The roof fabric felt pretty sturdy too. No leaks, no noises or fraying.

15. It has useable front luggage space

Can’t complain here.

16. But wait, there’s more…rear luggage space

The post 16 Things We Loved & Loathed About The Porsche 718 Boxster GTS appeared first on DMARGE Australia.