No more thinly-disguised 911 pictures, this is the real deal.
The completely redesigned generation of the sports car icon is stepping into the limelight with its flat, stretched silhouette, exciting contours and precisely designed details, yet from the very first glance it remains unmistakably a 911.
The new 911 has a longer wheelbase and a reduced height. Combined with the 20-inch wheels and a wider front track, the new 911 stays true to the 911 tradition — with a distinctive Porsche design language that exudes power and elegance.
The 911 Carrera will have a new 350 hp 3.4-litre boxer engine and optional PDK which is more frugal than the previous car. The eco-friendliness same goes with the 911 Carrera S with its 3.8-litre boxer engine which now makes 400 hp. The extra oomph propels the Carrera S with PDK from nought to 100 km/h in 4.3 seconds. Pressing the Sport Plus button on the optional Sport Chrono package cuts that to 4.1 seconds. The Carrera with PDK will do the same in 4.6 seconds (or 4.4 seconds in Sport Plus mode).
The all-new, lightweight body is an intelligent aluminium-steel construction which is 45 kilograms lighter, yet offers more rigidity. The greater agility, precision and driving stability are based mainly on the wider front track, the longer wheelbase, the new rear axle and new electro-mechanical power steering. Depending on the model, there are other standard or optional active control systems available as well that further enhance the driving dynamics.
That is especially true for the Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) active roll stabilisation system, available for the first time on the 911 Carrera S. For example, the system reduces lateral inclination when cornering, the tyres always being in the optimal position relative to the road surface and able to transmit higher lateral forces. Maximum cornering speeds are increased, promising faster lap times on racing circuits.
Setting the standard in its class, as it has for generations, the new 911 Carrera and Carrera S raise the performance and efficiency bar yet another notch. All versions get a mileage rating of more than 10km/l. Fuel consumption and emissions are up to 16 per cent lower compared with its predecessor.
The fuel savings are achieved by systems and functions such as auto start/stop, thermal management, electrical system recuperation, the world’s first seven-speed manual transmission (yeah!) and the Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK). The new electro-mechanical power steering offers not only Porsche’s typical precision and feedback but also helps to increase efficiency and reduce fuel-consumption.
To complement the modern exterior design, the Porsche designers created an interior, the architecture of which takes its cue from the Porsche Carrera GT. The driver is now even more closely integrated with the cockpit thanks to the centre console rising up to the front with the high-mounted shift lever or gear selector located especially close to the steering wheel in typical motorsport fashion. Classic Porsche elements are also to be found inside, as they are on the outside: the instrument cluster with five round instruments — one of them a high resolution multifunction screen, the central rev counter and the ignition lock to the left of the steering wheel.
The new Porsche 911 Carrera will premiere at the 2011 IAA Frankfurt Motor Show. The launch of the new models gets under way on 3 December 2011 and orders can be placed for the new 911 from September.
