The new Porsche 911 Carrera:
Tradition meets modernity
World premiere at the 2011 IAA Frankfurt Motor Show
At 48, the Porsche 911 Carrera is younger than ever: 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. True to the 911 tradition, the distinctive Porsche
design language with its tendons and muscles exudes power and elegance.
The 100 millimetre (~ 3.9
inches) longer wheelbase and reduced height combined with the up to
20-inch wheels underpin the athletic appearance. At the same time, the
typical sports car compact exterior dimensions were retained. Seen from
the front, the eye is drawn to the 911’s trademark wide-arched wings.
They emphasise the wider front track, so that the new 911 Carrera
models sit even more solidly on the road. The remodelled exterior
mirrors are accommodated on the upper edge of the door and not as
before on the mirror triangle. Not only is this aerodynamically
advantageous, it also emphasises the new design line and visual
impression of width.
The all-new, lightweight body is an intelligent aluminium-steel
construction. It is responsible for a significant proportion of the
weight reduction of up to 45 kilograms. Combined with significantly
greater rigidity. Aerodynamic optimisation – including a wider,
variably extending rear spoiler – enabled the new 911 Carrera’s lift to
be reduced yet further while retaining a very good Cd value.
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.
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 by with significantly less than ten litres of fuel per 100
kilometres (28 mpg imp.). Fuel consumption and emissions are up to 16
per cent lower compared with its predecessor. Among other things, this
is achieved by systems and functions such as auto start/stop, thermal
management, electrical system recuperation, the world’s first
seven-speed manual transmission and – in conjunction with the
Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) – sailing as it is called. 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.
For example, the 911 Carrera with the new 350 hp (~ 257 kW) 3.4-litre
boxer engine and optional PDK consumes a mere 8.2 litres per 100
kilometres (~ 34 mpg imp.) based on the New European Driving Cycle
(NEDC) – 1.6 l/100 km (~ 6 mpg imp.) less than its predecessor. Also,
at 194 g/km CO2, it is the first Porsche sports car to make it below
the 200 g/km mark. With the 911 Carrera S as well, with its 3.8-litre
boxer engine and what is now 400 hp (~ 294 kW), fuel consumption when
paired with the optional PDK is reduced by 14 per cent or 1.5 l/100 km
(~ 5 mpg imp.) to 8.7 l/100 km (~ 32 mpg imp.) despite 15 hp (~ 11 kW)
more power. That equates to CO2 emissions of 205 g/km.
At the same time there are
performance improvements in both models. The 911 Carrera S with PDK
manages to accelerate from nought to 100 km/h (~ 62 mph) in 4.3
seconds. Pressing the Sport Plus button on the optional Sport Chrono
package cuts that to 4.1 seconds. The 911 Carrera with PDK needs only
4.6 seconds (Sport Plus 4.4 seconds) to sprint from a standing start to
100 km/h (~ 62 mph).
The new 911 doesn’t just offer
better longitudinal dynamics, however, but top performance at an
unprecedented level in terms of transverse dynamics as well. In
addition to the longer wheelbase, the greater agility, precision and
driving stability are based, among other things, on the wider front
track, 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; even
faster lap times on racing circuits are possible.
It has therefore been possible
in the new model to extend yet further the span of apparently
contradictory attributes such as performance and efficiency, sportiness
and everyday practicality that has always typified the Porsche 911.
That makes the 911 Carrera more of a 911 than ever. The new Porsche 911
Carrera celebrates its world premiere at the 2011 IAA Frankfurt Motor
Show. The launch of the new 911 models gets under way on 3 December
2011, the new cars can be orderd from September 1st. Prices in Germany
are 88,038 euro for the 911 Carrera and 102,436 euro for the 911
Carrera S, including 19 per cent VAT and market-specific equipment.
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