Thunder down under

For an Englishman abroad at the close of November, blazing sunshine and 36-degree heat accompanied by the sound of Christmas songs is somewhat surreal, but this is the scene I was presented with when landing in South Australia for 2025’s highly anticipated Adelaide Rally. That said, thanks to Porsche Cars Australia’s generous loan of a new 911 Carrera with which to participate in the event, festive wreaths on doors would soon be little more than a blur.

With an entry list totalling more than 470 cars, the Adelaide Rally is one of the world’s largest closed-road tarmac rallies, and the largest in the southern hemisphere. Carving its way through the stunning Adelaide Hills, this three-day motoring extravaganza takes place on thirty closed special stages against a backdrop of breathtaking countryside and local townships. Travel between stages works its way through the city and on local freeways. This year, the festivities attracted more than fifty thousand spectators, who watched a wide variety of sportscars tackle technically challenging courses.

Porsche was heavily represented by keen attendees joining tour groups from Porsche Centre Adelaide and the local chapter of Porsche Club Australia. Brand-new Zuffenhausen speed machines accompanied cars from the manufacturer’s back catalogue in the region’s tight twisties and on its fast straights – air-cooled 911 joined 356 models and modern, water-cooled Porsche vehicles. Indeed, a new 911 Sport Classic and two new 911 S/Ts took turns to attack the asphalt, as did Boxster and Cayman of the 981 and 718 variety, including GT4 cars and their RS-badged counterparts. Unsurprisingly, 911 Turbo models proved popular with locals, although special mention goes out to drivers in charge of the attending Taycan and cars from the Porsche transaxle family of products, all of which attracted plenty of attention.

As editor of 911 & Porsche World (the world’s oldest and bestselling independent monthly Porsche magazine) and its sister title, Classic Porsche (dedicated to showcasing the manufacturer’s air-cooled sportscars), I report on the Adelaide Rally each year. Needless to say, I recognise just how much of a spectacle it is, bringing together keen amateur rally enthusiasts and seasoned professionals. Using this year’s event as a case in point, competition classes attracted the three-car Indonesian Rally Team, as well as World Rally Championship stalwart, Alister McRae. 

“Unsurprisingly, 911 Turbo models proved popular with locals.”

Dan Furr 

I didn’t hesitate to accept an invitation to participate as part of Porsche Centre Adelaide’s tour group. My steed was the aforementioned new 911 Carrera, kindly provided by Porsche Cars Australia and finished in the stunning shade of Lugano Blue. Rolling on RS Spyder wheels, it was equipped with Exclusive Design taillights, exterior package in Anthracite Grey, colour-coded model designation and, among other features, interior package in matt carbon with accents in Ceramica. This beautiful blue coupe – making use of the eight-speed PDK semi-automatic transmission with paddle shifters – certainly looked the part, and with the addition of Porsche Sports Exhaust (PSE), the car’s soundtrack was just as impressive, allowing the 394 PS (911 Carrera (WLTP)*: Fuel consumption combined: 10.5 – 9.9 l/100 km; CO₂ emissions combined: 238 – 226 g/km; CO₂ class: G) turbocharged flat-six at the rear to make itself known to those lining the banks of spectator stages, as well as audiences tuning in to watch the rally being broadcast live on the event’s YouTube channel.

My co-driver was 911 & Porsche World photographer, Chris Wallbank. We swapped seats every few stages, taking turns to put the 911 through its paces or take up navigating duties. Hard left, easy right, flat over crest. I’m not saying we would give Porsche brand ambassador and two-time World Rally Championship victor, Walter Röhrl, a run for his money, but we gave it a good go.

On this note, day two of the event was characterised by heavy rain and a massive thunderstorm. This is where being Brits abroad gave us an advantage – inclement weather is a fact of motoring life in the UK. Being used to such conditions allowed us to push much harder than many locals dared. 

With a street party in Adelaide’s central Gouger Street and vehicle parades in Strathalbyn Town serving to highlight the social and community aspects of this amazing event, I’m excited to return for the 2026 Adelaide Rally. Factor 50 head to toe, jingle all the way to the finish line. See you there.