FANCY FLUID

Old and made by Porsche? Everybody wants a piece, including Porsche itself. Air-cooled cars really are all the rage. In response, Porsche is getting heavily into classics, including specialist service centres to look after its back catalogue of cars and customers. You can now also buy official Porsche brake fluid which Porsche says is specially formulated for classic models. The fluid is suitable for everything from a 356, 914 and 944 to a 928, 911 G/F bodies, the newer 964 and 993 bodies, the 986 Boxster and even the 959 and Carrera GT supercars. Cynics might wonder just how you go about 'specially' formulating a single fluid for such a disparate range of cars. But it comes in nice Porsche-branded tins, so what the heck. Available for around £20 or $20 plus taxes and shipping from various retailers including design911.co.uk in the UK and stoddard.com Stateside.

Gtechniq, it is said, is the largest manufacturer of high-end paint protection products. Certainly, it's known for its hard-wearing ceramic coatings. Now Gtechniq has come up with a new hydrophobic formula for car fabric protection. Gtechniq says the new formula is even more hydrophobic than its predecessor. I1 Smart Fabric V2 leaves no remnants of a spillage and moisture is said to simply fall off a coated surface. Laboratory testing reveals that I1 V2 repels water to the highest standard set by the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) – ISO 5. It can be used to prevent soaking, swelling or rotting on any fabric and is optionally available with added Biocote antimicrobial technology which kills 99.9% of bacteria. I1 Smart Fabric V2 is available now from gtechniq.com in 250ml bottles for £11.99. Way back in 1963, 356 aficionados viewed the arriviste new 911 with suspicion if not contempt. Since then, pretty much every major update of Porsche's most iconic model has put noses out of joint, be that the addition of impact bumpers, water cooling, electric steering assist and latterly compulsory turbocharging. You could say, therefore, that the Boxster and Cayman pairing have finally come of age with the 718 update. After all, the unceremonious defenestration of the naturally aspirated flat six in favour of a turbocharged flat four has unleashed an awfully familiar wailing and gnashing of teeth. On the other hand, Porsche has recently announced that sales of the 718 are up for 2017 at around 25,000 units. Somebody sure likes 'em. If you indeed do, why not grab this detailed 1:43 scale model from porsche.com for £65?