From the moment I caught sight of the new Porsche 911 parked in a lowly lit car park beneath the downtown district of San Francisco, the question that sprung to mind was not so much how it actually looked but, more important, how it drove.
The essence of this iconic sports car has always been its ability to deliver on the road in a way that few cars can claim to do, and as I stood there eager to jump in to this latest incarnation, the curiosity was killing me.
It was early morning when I joined the Porsche test and development team for the final validation tests of the eighth-generation 911 – the 992, as it is known to insiders. Never one to do things by halves, Porsche had brought along a fleet of prototypes: some Carrera mules, others Carrera S prototypes. Each wore some degree of disguise along their front and rear ends, although it was not enough to fool the keener smartphone-wielding enthusiasts who would later photograph us as we drove along in convoy.
The plan was to put the new 911 through its paces on a route chosen by August Achleitner, the project leader for the new car. The drive was to take us north through the city, out over the Golden Gate Bridge and on to some superb hill roads that Porsche regularly uses to hone its new models.
For Achleiter, it appeared an emotional moment. The quietly spoken German engineer has long presided over the development of the Porsche 911, and in more recent years the Boxster and Cayman, too. He has often been described as the keeper of Porsche’s holy grail. But although he’s looking fitter than ever, the 992 is rumoured to be his final project before he retires. Talking to him before we set off, I sensed a characteristic touch of pride but also a certain tinge of reflection in his comments on the new car.
“We know where we’re from and where we want to go. The decisive factor for me is that the 911 generates a driving feeling that no other car can impart,” he said. “The new model will be the best 911 of all time.”
The thing that really strikes you when you see the new 911 up close for the first time is just how close to its predecessor it is in terms of design. The key element, the lightly curved roofline, has been preserved to give the new model clear visual ties with every 911 down through the years. Sure, it has grown and, by all accounts, is more sophisticated than ever, but the basic look has once again been retained.
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So....a kind of 991.3 then ?
I'm concerned - as most commentators are here - that the 992 has even more Audi-derived infotech. Make mine an 'extended warranty' please, Mr Salesman.
The 991.2 proved the case that - for 'production-series' cars at least - staying at the bottom of the range was the closest you'd get to a purer driving experience rather than, say, a gussied-up Targa 4 GTS with PDK (....weighing around 1.65 tonne....gulp). Mr Preuninger's work for the VIPs & speculators, we'll leave unmentioned, of course.
Ditching the narrow-body cars speaks volumes, too (and not necessarily positive ones) about the latest 911-buyer demographic: hence the popularity of the aformementioned 'over-tinselled' Targa.....the Jenson Interceptor of the 991 range.
However, I note the aluminium manifold and the re-positioning of the exhausts/silencers: so, I'm hoping that Zuffenhausen has fixed the key defect of the 991.2: ie. the inability of Porsche (or any after-market company: we're taling about you Mr Akrapovic) to fix the PSE.
The 991.2 was the first 911 for some time that sounded 'purer' in stock Carrera form (with standard exhausts) than the PSE which (in my view) poorly confused 'volume' with 'sound' quality - though 'turbo-fizz' from outside is ineluctable on all 991.2 cars, PSE or stock, I'm afraid to say.
However, I'm hoping the 992 (other than its fatter waist-line) might prove that '991.3' is the 'fix' we're hoping for..... and make for a truly great 911.
I was never really a fan of
I was never really a fan of 911's for many years. 2 years ago I was fortunate enough to ride shotgun in a new 911 GT3 round the TG track for the charity Supercar Day and oh my word, I am converted! Last year I went in a 458 Speciale at the same event (albeit at Rockingham this year) and that was very, very quick in a straight line. But overall the GT3 just had something about it and the adjustability on the limit that hugely impressed. It was the way it flowed from corner to corner and even though way less expensive than the Speciale, I'd still have it over the Ferrari!
Fat... 911 is ended. Where
Fat... 911 is ended. Where are the ture engine ? Not turbo ones...
david RS wrote:
Ture???