Porsche will reveal the all-new 911 in less than six months and more details emerge about the iconic German sports car. Set to make its public premiere at the Los Angeles motor show this November, the new Porsche 992 will set new standards in pretty much every aspect, especially in terms of performance and technology. Perhaps the most significant change over the outgoing 991 generation is the adoption of a brand new scalable architecture, which is said that it will be shared with the next-gen Audi R8 and Lamborghini Huracan. Autocar reports that the new platform is made out of a range of interchangeable modules, allowing the three VW Group sports cars to use it and despite their obvious differences in the engine mounting department. Porsche will start selling the base Carrera and Carrera S models initially, which will continue using the turbocharged 3.0-liter flat-six unit of the current model. The engine will adopt a number of changes for better performance and reduced emissions, including a new particulate filter and revised turbo geometry. There鈥檚 a general feeling that the upcoming Porsche 992 will become the first 911 to be offered without a single naturally aspirated engine in the range. Speaking about the Porsche 992 Turbo, the same report says that it will offer as much as 600 hp in the range-topping Turbo S version. The new 911 Turbo will also benefit from an updated four-wheel drive system. The most drastic change in 911鈥檚 history will be the upcoming plug-in hybrid version. However, don鈥檛 expect it to show up until closer to the mid-life facelift of the series. It is said that the PHEV powertrain will combine the turbo 3.0-liter flat-six engine with an electric motor and a 11kWh battery pack for a combined 500 hp.
An optional Weissach package makes more weight-saving measures (about 40 pounds), bringing a roof, paddle shifters, anti-roll bars and tie-rod ends all made of carbon fiber, plus magnesium wheels. Other options include a front axle lift system (strongly recommended, since the aero kit cuts ground clearance to a bare minimum), a larger fuel tank, LED headlights, leather upholstery, voice control, and a 12-speaker/555-watt Bose surround-sound system. The Porsche 911 range remains untested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Nor does the GT2 RS offer any weight-adding driver-assistance features like blind spot monitoring. However, all the mandatory safety equipment provides sufficient protection. Porsche says 0-to-60 mph comes up in 2.7 seconds. We believe them. Top speed is limited to 211 mph. This is a real world "insane mode" fueled by air and gasoline and It's brilliantly quick -- all others seem tame by comparison. The GT2 recently set the production car lap record at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
A standard Carrera will arrive later, along with a manual option, but for now only the S-spec 3.0-litre turbocharged flat-six engine is available, mated to an eight-speed PDK automatic transmission. Thanks to the PDK鈥檚 launch control, the 0-62mph sprint now takes just 3.7 seconds in the rear-wheel drive Carrera S. This drops by 0.2 seconds if you go for the Sport Chrono pack. In fact, it feels at least as punchy as the previous 911 GTS, which boasted the same power output as this Carrera S, revving out here with ferocity and a fairly free-spinning feel at higher rpm for a turbo engine. With 530Nm of torque sustained from relatively low down at 2,300rpm all the way through to 5,000rpm, the mid-range punch is great too. Four-wheel drive isn鈥檛 a necessity in our opinion as traction in the two-wheel drive car is so strong - a typical 911 trait that hasn鈥檛 been altered with this move to the 992-generation model.
This MMB platform, as Porsche calls it, features retuned PASM adaptive dampers that are more intelligent and now more adjustable on the move, monitoring the suspension鈥檚 state of travel up to 100 times per second and reacting to improve comfort. But it鈥檚 not at the expense of handling. All the cars we tried were fitted with rear-axle steering, which boosts the agility of the car in slow corners. That wider front track means there simply isn鈥檛 an understeer problem on the road - the 911 turns, sticks and goes. But there鈥檚 a strong sense of communication with it. Gone are the days where a 911鈥檚 steering moves with the road, but this electrically-assisted setup is faithful, consistent in its feel across the rack鈥檚 range of movement and quicker than its predecessor, which translates into an alert-feeling front end. You get an idea of the grip building up and ebbing away. The more sophisticated suspension also means the car flows better on corkscrewing, poorly surfaced roads, but the level of control is still present. Its ability at each end of the spectrum appears to have been widened without compromising either trait.
PASM adaptive dampers and a 10mm chassis drop are worth it. In the softer mode the suspension is compliant, in Sport it feels stiffer vertically with a slight degradation to comfort and a tauter edge to the body control, but it鈥檚 not wince inducing. We鈥檇 still leave the suspension in its default mode most of the time though. Compared with its predecessor the engine has been tweaked dramatically to improve performance and efficiency. New, larger and more efficient turbochargers are teamed with repositioned intercoolers (now on the top of the engine) that offer better cooling of the intake air. Much effort has been focused on small detail improvements throughout the engine, but they add up to a noticeable result. Throttle response is strong for a turbo engine. Performance is still the key though, and those turbos give the 911 incredible mid-range flexibility but do dampen the noise a little. However, we knew this from its predecessor and at least with the Sports exhaust engaged it鈥檚 still got a characterful enough sound signature that means it emits a noise like little else. It still produces the 911鈥檚 trademark bassy, raspy bark. A detuned version of the 992 will arrive in time. Expect a similar 30bhp increase to the S model over its predecessor, so around 395bhp. However, for now, this Carrera S or 4S with PDK is your sole option.
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