There’s a special kind of happiness when you’re honored for doing something good for the community. It’s even better when the honor is totally unexpected, and also fulfills one of your lifelong dreams. This is what happened to photographer Nicholas Linn, who was presented with his dream car, the 2005 Nissan 350z, by local shop owners.

The Photographer

Nicholas Linn was diagnosed as a teen with autism, struggling to make friends. Nicholas’ mom gifted him a camera for his 16th birthday, and his life changed. He found a love for capturing photos, and he combined it with his passion for cars, becoming a staple around the car community of Bend, Oregon. He covered everything — events, cars, and car builders. At 20, the young lad had already established his own brand, Sending It Media. However, one thing was missing — his own car. The close-knit car community of Bend, Oregon decided to surprise the photographer with his dream car, a 2005 Nissan Z33, as a token of his hard work. 19 automotive shops around the area got together and the Nissan car was tracked down, cleaned, and prepped for Nicholas.

The Surprise

When Nicholas went to the Royal Tint and Dip shop, he didn’t know what he was walking into. All he knew was that he was photographing the unveiling of a new car as hundreds of locals watched on. However, the evening turned out to be something different as the car unveiled was Nicholas’ dream car — the 2005 Nissan 350z, whose keys were handed to him. The photographer promptly jumped into the driver’s seat while the crowd cheered him on. Nicholas was so moved by the gesture that he even created an Instagram page for it. This surprise relays how powerful close-knit communities are and how much they build each other up!

Porsche is following the lead of SpaceX and using 3D printing to help improve the performance of its cars. The German car manufacturer is helping to evolve the car industry by using 3D-printed pistons in its 911 GT2 RS.

Experimenting with Technology

Porsche decided to try out 3D printing pistons for its 911 GT2 RS. Even though pistons are a part of the engine that needs to be hard-wearing, Porsche thought it was a good idea to use a 3D-printed version. It might have seemed like a risk at first, but after hundreds of miles of stress testing at high speeds, these pistons held their own. In fact, not only did Porsche’s 3D-printed pistons survive, they showed signs of improvement over standard pistons.

The 3D Printing Process

While many 3D-printed parts are made from plastic, Porsche uses an aluminum alloy polymer to create its pistons. This polymer is then put through a laser metal fusion process which brings the pistons to life, one layer at a time. Printing pistons in this way removes the need for molds, meaning they can be designed and created in hours.

Good News for Owners of Classic Porsches

Although Porsche is using 3D printing to bring car production into the future, it will also be using it for its cars of years gone by. Parts for Porsche’s classic models are often out of production, meaning they have been next to impossible to acquire.

Without the need for the original molds, Porsche can now 3D print spare parts for its classic models. This means owners of vintage Porsches can actually get their old cars back up and running again, thanks to 3D printing.

Although 3D printing was first used in the 1980s, it has really only become popular in the past decade. The possibilities for parts are endless thanks to 3D printing, and Porsche is looking to continue evolving its design using this technology.